BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Diving Bonaire: Oil Slick height
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2008-2009: Archives 04-01-2009 to 07-31-2009: Oil Slick height
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JD (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 11:52 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was talking about Bonaire with a friend the other evening and we could not agree on something. I said I thought the giant stride at oil slick was about 8' and he said he thought it was more like 12-14'

Can someone settle this?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #251) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 12:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

8 feet is closer to correct, maybe even 6 feet.

There's a spot on the ironshore that's been leveled and smoothed over with concrete; I jumped in from there twice on last trip.

Isn't La Dania's leap more of a drop?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By brenda boates (BonaireTalker - Post #68) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 12:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Just got back, although we didn't dive this site, we passed it many times on our boat dives heading north. I must say, I was quite surprised to see just how high it was, and upon commenting on this a couple on the boat said they dive it every trip, and every trip "it seems higher!". He said 15', she said 10'!! Alas, the differences between womens measures and mens!!!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John "Smack" Anderson (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1698) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 12:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Roughly 8'.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Goodwin * (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #509) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 12:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I agree with John. I would be surprised if it was more than 8 feet.

Maybe we can get my brother Geoff to measure it when he's there in 11 days (he has been giving me a DAILY countdown!).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John "Smack" Anderson (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1699) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 1:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dave, next time you get down there with Geoff, just hold him over the side by his ankles and see if he can touch the water.:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By brenda boates (BonaireTalker - Post #71) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 3:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

we did the Carib. Explorer Saba, and they said the entry off the boat was "6' or so" drop, well let me tell ya, timed right on the waves, yes,6', time it wrong........12'+, so take this for whats it worth...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Jolly (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1255) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 4:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Brenda is right - depends on tides and waves. I think it is more like 6 feet, tops of 8. Do not know about LaDania however.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vann Evans (BonaireTalker - Post #74) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 6:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

La Dania's leap can be done from several places-we use an area about 4'-5' from the water. It is to the far right(north) of where the path leads down to the shore. There are other areas that are higher , but not necessary. When you jump, there is plenty of depth but there are coral/rocks below the water surface so look closely before leaping. We usually let the first diver check out the area very carefully before anyone else jumps in. It is a great drift dive to Karpata.
Vann Evans

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Stine (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #263) on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 8:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think the actual height depends on which way you look at it. From the top down or from the water up. :-) My son and I love that jump.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom and Monica Shaner (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 1:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My estimate is 8' by the ladder, but a little higher if jumping from the right of the ladder as looking out to water. Whatever, it's worth the leap! We've always enjoyed the site. Headed to Bonaire on Thursday -- CAN'T WAIT!!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Jolly (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1259) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 3:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I love the giant stride entry here. My only problem was last year I jumped with my camera and strobe and the strobe somehow flooded. At least that is what I think happened. I did get another strobe from John at the camera shop at Buddy's so the trip went along just fine from the photo standpoint.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #453) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 5:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dan, it's not recommended to jump in with anything sealed with an O-ring, unless the device is protected from hitting the water. The shock of hitting the water can force water past the o-ring. that includes cameras, strobes, computers (!), lights....

Best to protect the device(s) on entry, for example by having your body break the water surface. On a back roll, for example, you can wrap yourself around your camera and protect it. On a giant stride, it is harder; keep it close to you and not out away from your body. If it is a large camera and strobe, it is not easy to protect it; best to hand it down!

You probably know all this, but just in case....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JD (BonaireTalker - Post #32) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 6:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I had one of our group carry my camera down the ladder and hand it to me after my giant stride. I wouldn't do the leap with a camera. If I didn't have anyone who would carry it down (or lower on a line of some sort, maybe) I would leave it behind.

As to height, I was thinking of the little concrete patch. I guess 8-10' is the consensus, depending on tide and swells.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ABCdivers (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 8:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

These were taken on our off-gasing day. My daughter is just over 4'. Count the rungs on the stairs for an idea. Whatever the height, it was fun! My wife even enjoyed it.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015613&id=1025990581&l=9484706da0

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aqua Paul (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 6:39 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It looks a lot higher from the ledge then it does from the water. From the water it looks to be at the most six feet.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #252) on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 9:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I shall take a stainless steel tape measure down with me in November to resolve this question once and for all.

I'm not quite sure how to deal with wave-action variations and tidal variations, but I'll think of something.

How much tidal variation is there on Bonaire? I'm guessing two feet from max to min. There's minor flooding on the road north of town at high tide, I remember that...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Goodwin * (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #510) on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 5:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Smack,

I'm not that strong!

Geoff needs to do some more P90X before he'll get down to a weight I can lift and hold.

But it's a good idea.....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michelle K.Melillo (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I actually have never done the stride at OIL SLICK, but listen to JOLLY, he's an expert!!!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michelle K.Melillo (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, after reading all the threads RE: giant stride with a a camera, strobe etc..... I have to re-think a few things....thanks for the expert input...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Gassert (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #601) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 1:14 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I used to do the giant stride with my video camera. I held my housing above my head so once the camera got to the water, the velocity and impact was negligible.

It worked for me, but I would think not for all. I was just too excited to get in the water than to fiddle with a ladder, or whatever. :-)

The tide, if you can call it that, or swells, if you can call it that doesn't even come into play in my opinion. Others may differ in their assessment, though.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Stanfield (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #171) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 9:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

FINAL ANSWER IS at 9 AM Bonaire time the distance from the ledge to the water is 2 meters at the low swell point. This is in calm seas with an average swell of about one third meter.

My wife still claims it is 5 meters(regardless of what the tape measure shows)right before she jumps off with a little help.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #255) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 9:34 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

2 meters is a rather round number.
We really need it more accurate than that.
Go back and measure it to a tenth of a meter accuracy, which is about 4 inches.

Put a 4-foot bubble level on the cement jumping pad with one end extending out over the water and measure down from that.
Thank you so much for doing this...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Gassert (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #602) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 10:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom...sounds like a great plan, but what about the time intervals and number of measurements to get an average so that all can feel comfortable even when being helped just before jumping? :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #256) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 10:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was wondering about that also.

There's been a call for more WEBCAMS on Bonaire, so I suppose we could mount a cheap one at the Oil Slick site to show jumpers getting ready.

We could then instrument a down-pointing sonar device that measures the reflected sound wave down to the water and back. We could then superpose that distance, in both feet and meters, onto the webcam pic...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Krispi ... (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5516) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 11:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

ooohhhh Tom...perfect!!
YAHOO!!! a webcam coming to OILSLICK!!!


YAY!!



This would be a great rumor to spread...hehe

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Stanfield (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #172) on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 12:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom,

I used a steel beam that was level that extended out 1.5 meters from the concrete pad. 1.5 meters from shore is which was exactly where my wife lands when entering. I parked my truck on the shore side of the beam and crawled out on the beam to measure the vertical drop. Sorry the 2 meters is a round number but that is the number I am sticking with. Now if we consider there is both vertical drop and forward movement from shore that will change the distance. I will need to have my 5 year old grandson get on the computer to do those calculations. Time for me to get in the water and measure dive depth instead of doing math.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Reeves on island 05/02-05/09 (BonaireTalker - Post #90) on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 3:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

2 meters is equal to 6.561680 feet. not such a round number after all :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JD (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 12:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was there before Omar. After much consideration I have concluded the "leap" was much greater before Omar. I don't completely understand the science of the thing... maybe the island sank a little, but I know it was at least 8' when I was there.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By brenda boates (BonaireTalker - Post #77) on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 1:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've done giant strides with cameras(Nik5 systems), held the camera high over my head, never had a prob. The other option is to get a rope and clips and dangle just below water level, assuming there's no surge, to retrieve upon entry. However, I wouldn't recommend the rope method on a boat. On a trip to CCv, where I 1st saw this method used, a visiting camera "pro on assignment" insisted on "no one touching" his gear, he used the rope, anyway, on a dive......yep, he forgot to get his system..............needless to say it didn't make back to CCV in 1 piece!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2148) on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 4:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

brenda i heard of an incident like that happening on klein a few months ago. the camera was recovered in one piece later.

(what's CCV?)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Russ Coash (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #224) on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 1:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom, I think a couple of webcams would be really cool at Oil Slick Leap. One above water to video the divers leaping in and one below showing them in the water.

Here is a photo I took of my wife Christine at Oil Slick Leap.


 christinegiantstride[1]

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Russ Coash (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #225) on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 1:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom, I think a couple of webcams would be really cool at Oil Slick Leap. One above water to video the divers leaping in and one below showing them in the water.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom and Monica Shaner (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 2:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Just finished our 2nd dive this week at Oil Slick Leap. Leap closer to 6 ft. Really have choice of entry -- leap or ladder. As an FYI, swimming north of marker finds shallows in pretty bad shape as a result of Omar. Southern route a lot better. Barracuda, eels, puffer, sea snake observed this a.m. One final dive this afternoon and then off tomorrow as we ready for 7 a.m. Friday departure. Better being wet!

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration