Saturday, August 27 at Rockaway Beach

Saturday I learned once more how easy it is to become separated from your buddies.  After numerous negotiations a small group of us met at Rockaway Saturday morning.  The tide was so low we walked out to the buoy.  Normally it's in 15 feet of water or so.  We suited up, walked out to the  buoy and set up buddy teams.  Steve and his son, Tom and Kari, Katie and I.  Steve and Tom went down first and the three of us went under next.  The water was so muddy and murky I could barely see a foot in front of me and I definitely couldn't see Kari and Katie.  I couldn't find the line down to the reef and after waiting a few minutes, at least it seemed that way, I headed off on a bearing of 065 degrees and thought I'd meet them on the reef. 

As the depth deepened the water cleared but I didn't see anyone, I also didn't see the line that I expected to run into.  I figured I was to the left of it and so went a bit right after hitting 30 feet.  No line so I continued on my way and eventually went through 40 feet then turned right expecting to run into the reef.  No reef.  I assumed I veered off to the right and was South of the reef so I headed North.  I found a reef.  Problem was, it was the wrong reef.  I swam around the reef quickly realizing it was the wrong one and decided to surface.  Yep, I was in the next cove over and definitely South of my target.

I went back down and headed North along the contour staying at 40 feet.  Slowly, out of the gloom the main reef appeared on my left.  I swam over to it but of course didn't see anyone.  I thought they were on the deep reef at this point so I swam a bit further North along the reef then headed back South.  As I came upon the end of the reef I spotted another diver and signaled I was okay.  No response.  I went around the corner and found Steve.  He was heading  back towards the line so I followed them wondering where Kari and Katie were.  Steve and Tom got ahead of me and I eventually got back on the line and headed up towards the buoy.  As we headed in, the water became murky again and it was necessary to keep hold of the line to follow it.  After stopping at 15 feet for my safety stop I continued on in towards the beach.  Nobody was there.

I trudged out of the water looking back for any sign of Kari and Katie.  Lauri, my wife, had come down to the beach and helped me carry my gear up to the car.  I found out later that Katie's light flooded so she and Kari headed back to Kari's house and never made it down to the reef.  The fleeting glimpse of fin I saw in the beginning of the dive and thought I was following was probably Tom's.  I didn't need my pony bottle but was glad to have it just in case.  All in all another good dive in  Puget Sound.