Beach Sweep #2 ~Jersey Shore~

The dive team answered a request for our service to do a underwater search of the swimming area off of point pleasant beach. The search was for large debris from super storm sandy and if found to remove it, making the area safe for swimming.

  This is the second time we have done this search in two weeks. The first time was two weeks ago and we searched an area that ran from the inlet to Trenton Ave. (just under an mile) The search was conducted  at high tide  so the area searched will be the swimming area even at low tide. Working in a water depth of between ten and fifteen feet we started the search swimming south.

 Today we started our search at Trenton Ave and worked our way north to the inlet. This made it an easier swim for the divers as they were moving with the current. We had better visibility this time with five feet or more at times.

Teams of two divers were used for the search, It was up to each team as to how far they would go. With a water temperature of 51 degrees and low visibility most teams lasted 40 minutes. Four teams were used the cover the whole area.

Nothing of any size was found, Divers Sue and Ali did find a stereo tuner and the divers on the beach did recovered some bricks and cinder blocks and a concrete fence post. The search area was found to be mostly flat clean sand bottom. There was some small (less than six inches long ) pockets of wood debris that was moving along with the current, but nothing that would appear to pose a risk to swimmers.

This will be an ongoing project as we cannot guarantee as to future conditions.  But we will do our best to make the area safe for everyone.

     As the chief diver for the dive team I would like to thank all the divers and first aiders who gave up fourteen hours over two days to help make this season safer for everyone involved…

Historical Bottle Diggers of Virginia... ~2013~

 

The Dive Team attended and had a display table at the recent bottle show of the Historical Bottle Diggers of Virginia in Harrisonburg, Virginia...

This was a unique opportunity for the team members to show off what they have found over the years as well as showing what the Dive Team has and continues to do for the community.... 

Our display table had a collection including artifacts from numerous shipwrecks along the New Jersey shore, river and tidal zones, and of course bottles found while diving. Special emphasis showed how antique bottles are found by way of "Underwater Bottle Digging" and the condition they are found in. Several visitors to the table stated that they found this tactic very interesting and one person contrasted it to his tactic of "Digging bottles with his debit card" on e-bay...

We were provided with two tables and at first there was a question if we could fill both tables but once the items started to hit the tables it was obvious we did well with our selections of items...

One third of the display was devoted to the marine environment where many of these items were found along with where the Dive Team trains, practices, and performs the procedures as duty requires. Special display was devoted to a pile of fishing sinkers in sand and a description of how the Dive Team has retrieved over 5,600+lbs of sinkers that were sold during the Winter Fisherman's flea markets to support Dive Team functions....

It was a impressive show and one with over 75 tables of bottles and collectibles. It was a great opportunity to speak with other collectors\dealers and to compare prices and regional history of bottles. Several visitors to our display tables described artifacts that they have found over the years including civil war artifacts and the rich history here in the Shenandoah Valley...

 

 

Overall a great day...

Many bottles to look at and discuss...

Numerous people and collectors to meet and talk with...

Pulled pork bbq sandwiches...

And first place award for display and most educational...

Thanks to Chief Diver Chet Nesley who made the 5+ hour ride to the valley and thanks to the Historical Bottle Diggers of Virginia for their hospitality and interest in our "hobby".... 

 

Post Sandy Beach Clean-up...

 

On Sunday the dive team answered a request for our services. A call was made for the team to search the beachs  for storm debris before the start of the swimming season. We were asked to search the shallow waters along the shore for large debris and to remove it.

A plan was made and the call went out for divers, it was a good turnout. We had ten divers and six first aiders show up ready to go to work. We had three trucks on the beach to carry all the dive gear and diver up and down the beach. This made it a lot easier on the divers and saved us a ton of walking.

 The weather was on our side, with sunny skies and waves no bigger than three feet and warm temperatures, not to hot and not to cold!

 

 

 

We put our rescue boat ( rescue 34 ) in the water to ward off wayward boaters and to give surface support to the divers if needed. Tom C. was our coxswain for the day and did a great job. Once rescue 34 got on location we started our search at the foot of broadway.

 

 The plan was for the two divers to go out to between eight and fourteen feet and search swimming south. The search was done on the high tide so even at low tide the area search would be the area used by swimmers. The first team was Joe S. and Tom T. With the water temperatures at 44 and a pretty good surge running also a current running to the north at just under a knot each team was going to be in the water only a little over a half hour.

Tom and Joe got the ball rolling covering over two city blocks, at the end of the dive tom T. got in the boat with tom C. to be on hand if tom C. needed the help. They did run into some small debris pockets, but nothing that would be a risk to swimmers. It was also moving with the current.

 

As teams were getting in and out of the water and gearing up it was the training that both the first aiders and divers had that made it look easy. Everyone helping each other, as divers came out of the water they were helped up the beach to the back of jerry truck and sat down and their gear was removed and the next team was briefed by the first team and geared up and helped into the water.

 

The second team was Sue L. and Ali B. and they showed up the guys today. They covered right up to jenks main building. The first pair of divers were hard to spot from the beach so Sue and Ali were send in with a surface float which made it easier for the shore people to see them. When they came out they reported no debris at all.

 

Joe S. and Bob S. were the next team in and they covered the area from jenk’s main building to pass martell’s. They also find no debris at all.

The last team in was a solo dive done by Chet N. and he covered the last of the search area up to the foot of Trenton ave. He also report no debris.

 

Many people came up to us to find out what we were doing and every one took the time to tell them what and why we were doing the search. It was a long day for everyone. To be in a dry suit for 7 hours is not a good thing. The smell of all the food cooking on the boardwalk had our mouths watering, but food had to wait . We had gear and trucks to clean!

7-11 Support....

 

The Dive Team presented a plaque to Jay Patel who is the owner of the 7-11 store on Broadway in Point Pleasant Beach...

 

Over the years Jay has been a great support to the team by providing aid to the team in many different forms while they return from incident calls and training sessions....