Ethan's 12g Vagabond Tank

[ScubaEthan]

pics? videos? stolen goods?

I had to go to my parents house last night to pick up my luggage that didn't make my flight thanks to TSA searching it. Patience.

 

I'm glad to hear you got to see so much awesome stuff during your dive! I'm sorry you didn't get to see a sea lion or seal, but that's just an excuse to come back. What was the water temp while you were there?

 

Sorry to hear about your ear issues! I have allergy/sinus issues all the time and have my whole life. I always just take Sudaphed about 20 minutes before any dive and I usually end up being fine during the dive. I have gotten like 2 reverse blocks since I started diving though and those are miserable. When its happened to me, my ear feels mildly uncomfortable and muffled for a day or two before it clears up. Once it cleared up I was totally fine, so I'm sure you didn't mess your ear up too bad. One of the guys I went lobster diving with kept getting nose bleeds from his sinuses and it didn't hurt him any. Its just your body's way of equalizing your sinus cavities if they're plugged so air can't move in and out. You pop a bunch of little capillaries, but that doesn't cause any lasting harm at all. Keep me posted on how your ears are feeling!

The temperature was cold.

I took a 12 hour sudafed at 5am and dove three times throughout the day. So maybe it had worn off. My ears are still muffled today. My girlfriend says now I know how she felt the whole week we were in Bonaire and she got certified. Poor thing Like I've said, this is the first time I've ever dealt with issues. Usually I just open my jaw and equalize easily.

[Felicia]

The temperature was cold.

I took a 12 hour sudafed at 5am and dove three times throughout the day. So maybe it had worn off. My ears are still muffled today. My girlfriend says now I know how she felt the whole week we were in Bonaire and she got certified. Poor thing Like I've said, this is the first time I've ever dealt with issues. Usually I just open my jaw and equalize easily.

 

For future reference, the sudaphed wears off in a couple hours. The directions say you can take it again once every 4-6 hours, so if I'm diving multiple times I always take it at 4 hour intervals. Also don't take it too far in advance of the first dive or it may start to wear off. Just give it like 20-30 to kick in and you should be perfect. Oh, and in case you didn't know, make sure you always get the real sudaphed that they keep behind the pharmacy counter, not the one you can just grab off the shelf.

[ScubaEthan]

For future reference, the sudaphed wears off in a couple hours. The directions say you can take it again once every 4-6 hours, so if I'm diving multiple times I always take it at 4 hour intervals. Also don't take it too far in advance of the first dive or it may start to wear off. Just give it like 20-30 to kick in and you should be perfect. Oh, and in case you didn't know, make sure you always get the real sudaphed that they keep behind the pharmacy counter, not the one you can just grab off the shelf.

I was going to get that kind but all they had was the 12 hour kind that says not to take more than two in a 24 hour period... but I took them like every 8 hours. It was from behind the counter. Next time I'll know better. But hopefully I won't have this issue I'm filling out my paperwork now for the ear/nose/throat doctor. I'm anxious to see what he says about me all of a sudden having chronic sinus issues.

[ScubaEthan]

Kelp forest

 

Snail on kelp

 

Garibaldi

 

Cucumber

 

Lobster close up

 

Star

 

Quick snap of a horn shark as it swam by me.

 

Best photo I could manage of a spanish shawl with all the current.

 

Little sand sifting goby

 

Biiiig jelly

 

Strawberry nems

 

Sheeps head

 

Anemone

 

Star

 

 

What in the world is this?!?!?!?!?!?

In that last photo you can see comb jellies in the water. In some places they were really thick and cut down on visibility.

 

You can see the rest here.

[Felicia]

Nice photos! I honestly have no idea what that last thing is. Weird. Those are some nice big lobsters. Too bad you didn't have a lobster permit with you cause they're yummy

[Spirofucci]

Love those pics Ethan!!!! That last pic was some sort of hitchiker from live rock.

[ScubaEthan]

Redo for the link to more photos, including an awesome one of me.

 

Nice photos! I honestly have no idea what that last thing is. Weird. Those are some nice big lobsters. Too bad you didn't have a lobster permit with you cause they're yummy

And too bad I was in a marine reserve. Everything was so curious and photogenic (minus the current making it difficult). One of my buddies practiced catching the lobsters and letting them go for when he was in a non-protected area lol.

 

Love those pics Ethan!!!! That last pic was some sort of hitchiker from live rock.

God I hope not! It wouldn't even fit in my tank! There's nothing to show scale so that thing was about 3ft long.

[msscha]

OMG! Those were awesome! Now I want to learn to dive. That second picture, the snail? Doesn't even look like a photo, but like a painting. The colors are unreal. Am going to look at the rest of them now!!

[ScubaEthan]

OMG! Those were awesome! Now I want to learn to dive. That second picture, the snail? Doesn't even look like a photo, but like a painting. The colors are unreal. Am going to look at the rest of them now!!

I was quite impressed by that one too It was taken closer to the surface so more light.

[ScubaEthan]

Photo duuuump.

 

Not a great photo but I'm just so excited my porcelain crab comes out now.

 

My monti is getting greener. It looks a good bit greener in person. There is new upward growth on the front left tip. But what are those dark brown spots? New polylps or something I should be afraid of?

 

Better top-down photo of the brown spots.

 

The blue cloves are multiplying.

 

The red... what do you call it... encrusting part of the little monti frag is growing back.

 

The pavona looks great and is a new favorite.

 

This frag has lots of polyps but no color. The guy that gave it to me said he thought it was a purple monti digi. Why no purple?

 

I hope that ric splits soon.

 

Orange bam bam zoas have a new baby. Blastos look good but still slow to grow.

 

My hitch hiker crab has been quite active and a lot less shy. You can see the tips of his claws are not black, which I've read is a sign of a bad crab. This one picks stuff that I cannot see off the rock and sifts through individual sand granules. Perhaps it's eating microscopic algae or pods? And therefore not a threat?

 

Bailey

 

Proof that Bozo is alive too. They are so spastic and hard to get photos of. I need to get that black krylon paint for my little intake cover.

[JoelRHale]

Nice pictures, the brown spots look like new polyps IMO but I really don't know a lot about them not do I have one large enough to compare.

[Deckoz2302]

Brown spots are polyps...my Mont has them on the edge/underside...its good don't fret my friend

[ScubaEthan]

Brown spots are polyps...my Mont has them on the edge/underside...its good don't fret my friend

Good. The reason I questioned is cause there are other polyps that are the same beige-ish color so you can't see them in the photos. I guess brown ones are new

 

Update on my sinuses: I went to the otolaryngologist (ear/nose/throat doctor) and I have chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis (inflamed sinuses), a deviated septum and bone spur in my nose, turbinate hypertrophy (enlarged inner nose), acute mucoid of the otitis media (mucus and infection in the middle ear), and barotrauma (my ears have not equalized the pressure inside my ear drum since diving and flying). I also have blood in my ears and puss in my nose. BUT he said I will be able to dive again... eventually

 

What frustrates me the most is that I've NEVER had allergies or sinus issues, or ever been that sickly, since I moved into Atlanta from more rural areas in August

 

I'm on antibiotics, netti pot, zyrtec, and nasonex for three weeks then do a CT scan of my sinuses. He said I should not have flown, much less dive.

[JoelRHale]

Wow, that sucks man, I hope you get to feeling better. I have some sinus problems too so I can empathize. I have a tube in my right eardrum to keep pressure from building up.

[ScubaEthan]

Wow, that sucks man, I hope you get to feeling better. I have some sinus problems too so I can empathize. I have a tube in my right eardrum to keep pressure from building up.

Whaaaa that's crazy. What from? Diving? I don't understand how sinuses just all of a sudden flare up. The only thing that changed in my life was moving an hour away.

[Deckoz2302]

Whatever you do don't Nettie pot with tap water....rodi or distilled

[JoelRHale]

Whaaaa that's crazy. What from? Diving? I don't understand how sinuses just all of a sudden flare up. The only thing that changed in my life was moving an hour away.

I was born like that. Sinus problems run on both sides of the family so I got a double dose. It's not that big of an issue though, I've gone snorkeling and can go underwater pretty far before my head starts to hurt.

[ScubaEthan]

Whatever you do don't Nettie pot with tap water....rodi or distilled

I knooooow! Did you hear about those brain-eating ameobas!?!?!?!?!

 

I was born like that. Sinus problems run on both sides of the family so I got a double dose. It's not that big of an issue though, I've gone snorkeling and can go underwater pretty far before my head starts to hurt.

Good, at least you can go underwater.

[Spirofucci]

Update on my sinuses: I went to the otolaryngologist (ear/nose/throat doctor) and I have chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis (inflamed sinuses), a deviated septum and bone spur in my nose, turbinate hypertrophy (enlarged inner nose), acute mucoid of the otitis media (mucus and infection in the middle ear), and barotrauma (my ears have not equalized the pressure inside my ear drum since diving and flying). I also have blood in my ears and puss in my nose. BUT he said I will be able to dive again... eventually

 

What frustrates me the most is that I've NEVER had allergies or sinus issues, or ever been that sickly, since I moved into Atlanta from more rural areas in August

 

I'm on antibiotics, netti pot, zyrtec, and nasonex for three weeks then do a CT scan of my sinuses. He said I should not have flown, much less dive.

 

Hopefully, you'll get better from the antibiotics cause your symtoms are from an infection, not allergies. With all that going on in your head you must feel terrible. Sometimes sinusitis can be difficult to treat because the antibiotics don't get where they are supposed to go.

 

With the deviated septum, bone spur, turbinate hypertrophy, you might be able to get a free nose job!

[ScubaEthan]

With the deviated septum, bone spur, turbinate hypertrophy, you might be able to get a free nose job!

Oh no

 

I used to think people with allergy and sinus problems were just wimpy, sickly people. I was sooo wrong.

[Felicia]

Sorry to hear about all that Ethan! Hopefully you can get it all cleared up and start feeling better really soon. At least you didn't cause any serious damage by diving and flying with all of that.

[ScubaEthan]

Sorry to hear about all that Ethan! Hopefully you can get it all cleared up and start feeling better really soon. At least you didn't cause any serious damage by diving and flying with all of that.

Yeah, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I guess I'm lucky! Thanks

[gena]

Oh my goodness!!!! The sinus thing sounds so painful!!!!! Heal fast

 

Those pictures are to die for!!!!!! I have to admit it looked very cold to me But so beautiful. How do they ensure you won't encounter a great white while you are down there? Is it just so rare for something like that to be around that time of day, or ?????? Do they warn you of stuff like that?

[ScubaEthan]

Oh my goodness!!!! The sinus thing sounds so painful!!!!! Heal fast

 

Those pictures are to die for!!!!!! I have to admit it looked very cold to me But so beautiful. How do they ensure you won't encounter a great white while you are down there? Is it just so rare for something like that to be around that time of day, or ?????? Do they warn you of stuff like that?

Thanks I just have an old point and shoot. So old that its 3.2mp was a lot when it was bought

But I try to make good compositions and use light well. But the photos are mainly just for me to reminisce.

 

I know it sounds counter intuitive cause of the sea lions, but from my research, great whites aren't around that area. Of course it's possible since the ocean is, well, the ocean. I found a company that did great white shark cage diving off California but they go muuuuuch further out. Like days out. The only sharks you might see are horn sharks, leopard sharks, and one or two other non-aggressive sharks. I love sharks.

[Felicia]

Yeah, the great whites aren't as common down in Southern CA. Northern CA is a different story since the red triangle (the largest population of great whites in the US and the location 38% of shark attacks on humans in the US) runs from Mendocino out to the Farallon Islands and down to Big Sur. That includes Monterey Bay and Point Lobos where I most commonly dive. So far I haven't had the unfortunate luck to run into one, but it does happen. There was a great white shark attack on a surfer in Monterey Bay (where I go diving! ) just a few months ago.

 

http://unofficialnetworks.com/great-white-...ia-coast-50427/