Michael Werle
- Michael Werle's trip Ddt Hachijojima 201807
2018-07-14 - Yaene / Yaesu, Hachijo, Izu Peninsula, Japan
15.9m - 42 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
2018-07-14 - Nazumado, Hachijo , Izu Peninsula, Japan
23.2m - 50 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
Again a bit of a difficult shore entry down a steep ramp, and again, secured with a rope. But this is a really nice divesite. Very good vis and cool swim-through's. Saw quite a few turtles and got a bit closer to some. Took some videos of Cedric for his family. On way back went through the arch last and found some Yuzen fish (or so I thought! turns out they weren't.. oh well), and near the exit saw lots of small crabs starting to come out from between the rocks. Had plenty of air left so I tried deploying DSMB again, but need more practice! Better than first attempt though. Overall great dive!
2018-07-14 - Yaene / Yaesu, Hachijo, Izu Peninsula, Japan
15.9m - 48 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
First night dive in ages, was great! We went back to the first dive site of the day and because it was high tide we were able to do a giant-stride entry from the quay instead of slipping down the ramp. Saw lots of large lobsters and nearly head-butted a huge pufferfish in the dark - scared the bejeesus out of me with its big eyes. Saw various eels, a small oddly-shaped orange octopus, a sleeping turtle, and a small ray. When I turned off the light there was a little bit of fluorescence in the water. Gauges glowed nicely after charging with the torch, but only for a little while. Computer is a pain though, can't really see it shining light onto it and the backlight doesn't stay on for long.
2018-07-15 - Idesari, Hachijo-jima, Japan
22.3m - 45 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
Short boat ride out of the harbour along the coast to a divesite. Got dropped off on top of a double-arch, very cool. Lots of coral including some hard coral and many swim-throughs. Plenty of fish and some turtles. Deployed DSMB at end of dive again, getting there! But need to work on buoyancy control. Near end of dive Julie surprised me with a banner for my 100's dive! Totally unexpected but so awesome :)
2018-07-15 - Aburado, Hachijo-jima, Japan
18.6m - 42 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
Had a pile of fresh sashimi (YUMM!) during our surface break and a bento lunch. Second boat-dive of the day, we went in the same direction but were dropped off on a different site. The site had a big underwater arch; it and the surrounding rocks were covered in soft and hard corals with plenty of fish and turtles around. One turtle came very close to me, the surge nearly pushed me into it. At the end of the dive I again tried deploying the DSMB and totally cocked it up. Dropped my regulator while fumbling for my dump valve and it free-flowed into my face. Ended up grabbing my octopus but by then I was nearly at the surface. NOT GOOD! Also had some trouble with my mask on this dive and the previous one, not sure why, but it leaked quite badly so had to keep clearing it. Not very pleasant.
2018-07-15 - Nazumado, Hachijo , Izu Peninsula, Japan
16.5m - 53 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
An extra shore dive for the day, we went back to the site with the big natural arch. This was a smaller group so it was a more relaxed dive. Found a couple of morays (one was of the small horned colourful variety, the other the ubiquitous darker one), some big schools of fish, and many turtles. Approached one grazing on the bottom and filmed it for a bit before realising there were turtles all around. Found a nudibranch and videoed a large sponge. The current was a bit interesting, surging this way and that. Spent quite a long time near the exit just checking stuff out, especially the crabs which were coming out again.
2018-07-15 - Yaene / Yaesu, Hachijo, Izu Peninsula, Japan
17.7m - 39 min - Dived with Julie Comatsu from Discovery Divers Tokyo
Last dive of the trip, and another night dive led by Julie. It was only three of us on this dive and we were back in the harbour. As last night, the high tide allowed us to make a giant stride entry. Saw quite a large ray but in the distance right at the start of the dive, found a lobster, and a hermit crab with some anemones on its shell. Lots of pufferfish about and a sleeping turtle. Came up when Masha was out of air and we had a lovely swim back to the entry: warm water, gentle swell, and a brilliant starlit sky.
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