On Thursday, April 25, 2002 9:37 PM, Crusty Russ wrote:

> A most comprehensive coverage of the "Shore Dive" and an enjoyable
> read.  Thanks for sharing it.

T'weren't much to share with folks that have taught me more than would ever
be in my ability to repay!  :-)

> One of the things I enjoy most about a shore dive, either in salt or
> fresh water, is a nice hot shower after the dive!  :-)

Mate! I used to do that to thaw out after diving in the North Sea - until
one of my mates went all saggy around the legs with a spinal bend.  We
popped him into the one-man pot and had to walk the whole contraption across
a narrow walk-way between the production platform and the drilling rig in
order to load him into a helicopter for transfer to the shore-side chamber.
(Two-months later it became mandatory to have a Deck Decompression Chamber!)
Had we dropped him over the side, he'd've gone to the bottom of the ocean
trapped in a steel cylinder with no way of escape.  It put me off getting
warm until I was on home-leave.  At which time, Sylvia would wrap me in
hot-water bottles and TLC!  :-)))

> We used to fill and lug 5 gallon 'jerry cans' of fresh water to the
> parking area where we'd kit up.  Stacked on on the roof rack of the car
> while the dived, the sun would heat up the water inside the dark metal
> jerry cans.  A siphon hose (later a camp shower head) provided a stream
> of warm water from the jerry cans to rinse off the salt or lake sputz
> accumulated during the dive.  It's amazing how much the water would warm
> up, even in cloud cover on a cold day.

Mind you, if you could attach the system to a coffee machine, it'd prove
very attractive to folks like us who value 'good coffee' after the dive! :-)

(snip)
> Thanks again for sharing the tips and ideas.  I've learned so much from
> being a part of this list.

Not as much as I have, I bet! :-)

It really has been fun  and - over the years - very informative!  :-)

Strike (Who's just resigned - after ten years - from Asian Diver Magazine!)
:-(