Caught in a rip

27/1/11
Sitting at pea resturant having lunch overlooking the water, watching the locals surfing.. Jo chomping on her new favourite ceviche, whilst I have sashimi fresh from their morning catch... We spot 3 turtles swimming just below the terrace.. That's it, forget all our afternoon plans (it's just too humid to be walking anywhere) we decide to rent snorkels and go in to see the turtles up close.. By this time the inlet has cleared of people (we assume they have finished siesta) so we run across the boiling hot earth burning our feet more with every step, reaching the waters edge we put on our fins and mask and jump in.. Finning our way out into the big waves towards where we saw the turtles.. We pop our heads up to check our location when we realise the current is pulling us out towards the big surf and rocks




So we try to carry on swimming but we are being pulled further and further out, looking around and realising that there is no way we are going to make it and that we are caught in a rip we grab each others hands and fin with all our might trying to get back to our start point, no luck at all.. Whats next? This is the first time since meeting Jo I see actual fear on her face.. Which is a pretty big deal.. We decide that the best bet is to try to swim across the current towards the far side of the inlet, eventually reaching some rocks we physically pull ourselves along back towards a shallower area where we can get out.. Finally we make it, theres no laughter this time, just huge relief..
Trying not to be put off by these events we struggle along the boiling hot rocks to an area that has been created into a sea-pool slightly protected by rocks on all sides. Jo heads down first, sitting on the edge she starts putting on her fins when WOOSH a massive wave has broken over the top of the rocks and has dragged jo flying backwards into the vertical edge of the pool area.. She gets up laughing but only once she is out do we see her elbow pouring with blood and huge scratches all up her back :( we decide to try again from the opposite side and eventually succeed in getting in.. After all that it was marginally worth it, I saw a turtle and we both saw lots of fishes like rainbow wrasse, tangs, pipe fish and little silver fishes too..
- Posted whilst on the road

Location:Easter island

Diving disaster

26/1/11
Once again you are probably starting to see a theme in our travels?
The ultimate dream for Jo, diving at Easter island! We book her in at Orca dive centre (if you know Jo then you will also know that Orcas are her fav so it seemed like fate..).
Made sure we left early from the hotel to have a nice stroll down to the harbour, me being fairly ignorant about diving asking lots of questions along the way...
We arrive and I hang around whilst Jo gets kitted up, there's lots of comaradery amongst the staff and 3 clients (including Jo) her five finger shoes get paraded around by one of the staff with much amusement making sure he shows all the local shop keepers along the way.,
A rather well built (my mum & grumpy would say 'strong') chap went to prep the panga (boat) and bring it round to the main wall - FYI as usual the killcord is just this weird red stringy thing that obviously gets in the way thus is either cut off or tucked out of reach making it very useful?!? The conditions are pretty rough round here as you have to go right through a break (where people surf, if that helps you picture the size of the waves) to get out to the dive site (are you seeing the relevance of my concern over the lack of killcord yet?). Jo and the other 2 divers receive a briefing and are pushed towards the panga with their gear already loaded on.
The set up of this gear was fairly questionable at this point..but I suppose you cant expect too much on one of the most isolated islands in the world..
They steam out through the waves catching some fairly serious air that causes the air tanks to be thrown across the boat narrowly missing jos right foot!
Arrive at the dive site, normal procedure would be to buddy up and check all your kit, not here though - strapping a weight belt around jos waist that could sink a cruiseliner and sticking some cheap snorkelling fins to her feet they push her over the side with her BCD fully inflated resembling the feeling of a boa constricter wrapped around her rib cage (normal procedure to have BCD slightly inflated).
Attempting to focus on where she was and the excitement of the dive they headed down towards the sea bed at an unfortunately fast pace, after about 20mins and reaching about 18metres they start getting close to the cavern they had come to see..
What happens next is surely a thing that would put anyone off diving for life..
Jo's regulator (the thing you breath through) closed shut.. She couldn't breath.. Looking around through the scratched goggles (school kit) she finally spotted the dive guide over 8m away and not paying any attention as he was completely focused on the other divers.. What's next? Two choices 1) emergency ascent (caesar) or 2) test to see if the octopus (emergency regulator) is working.. Now if option 2 was taken there is a risk that it wont work either.. If you try it and it doesnt work you have just exhaled all the remaining air in your lungs which makes it impossible to do an emergency ascent without getting the bends.. So gladly Jo went for option 1..
Once on the surface the dive guide reappeared a short time later asking why she was up there.. They had no idea! Eventually through various dive sign language she explained that her regulator had stopped working and was recovered into the boat..
If I had known about all of this at the time when I went down to meet her I would have gone mental! Bloody mother F**king irresponsible, careless ar*eholes..
No wonder Jo waits till we are far away to tell me things.

- Posted whilst on the road

Location:Easter island