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mugwump · 01-17-2007, 07:54

"My preferred method for an extended surface swim is to shoot an azimuth, convert to a reciprocal heading, roll over on my back, put the compass on my chest, and read the heading through the sight glass/window. All your other steps are the same."

D'Oh! What a great method -- should have known that. The part about hugging the bottom I knew. Daughter had 1700 and I had 1000 psi left and we were saving the for the approach and the shore break, which wasn't much as it turned out. My nav skills underwater are decent if there are features but nav on long swims is obviously weak - I was more a down and up diver before. I need to spend some time on that. I know about adjusting for current which is why I was upset at the ENE heading when I really thought I was on a ESE.

I agree about snorkels, generally useless, but we once spent a very long day stranded off northern Tobago in pretty rough conditions. We couldn't ride high enough to breathe without <spit><head shake> every breath. I swore I wouldn't have to do that again (or not have something to shade my face - still looking for a really small roll-able hat). I have two old Dacor? rubber snorkels from about 1968 that can be folded into thirds and tied flat. They built to last in those days.

I'm actually thinking about getting a dive-able EPIRB w/ GPS if the daughter and I head off to the Pacific this summer. Seven hours of wondering if I'd killed my daughter left a pretty big impression on me.

01-17-2007, 07:54	#9
mugwump Area Commander Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,403	"My preferred method for an extended surface swim is to shoot an azimuth, convert to a reciprocal heading, roll over on my back, put the compass on my chest, and read the heading through the sight glass/window. All your other steps are the same." D'Oh! What a great method -- should have known that. The part about hugging the bottom I knew. Daughter had 1700 and I had 1000 psi left and we were saving the for the approach and the shore break, which wasn't much as it turned out. My nav skills underwater are decent if there are features but nav on long swims is obviously weak - I was more a down and up diver before. I need to spend some time on that. I know about adjusting for current which is why I was upset at the ENE heading when I really thought I was on a ESE. I agree about snorkels, generally useless, but we once spent a very long day stranded off northern Tobago in pretty rough conditions. We couldn't ride high enough to breathe without <spit><head shake> every breath. I swore I wouldn't have to do that again (or not have something to shade my face - still looking for a really small roll-able hat). I have two old Dacor? rubber snorkels from about 1968 that can be folded into thirds and tied flat. They built to last in those days. I'm actually thinking about getting a dive-able EPIRB w/ GPS if the daughter and I head off to the Pacific this summer. Seven hours of wondering if I'd killed my daughter left a pretty big impression on me. __________________ mugwump “Klaatu barada nikto”
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