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-----Original Message-----
From: David Sweetin <panama@su*.co*>
To: wkpp <wkpp@eg*.co*>
Date: Sunday, July 23, 2000 4:51 PM
Subject: [wkpp] July 21/22


>After the completion of yet another successful WKPP
mission, I find myself
>amazed at the feats we, as a team, are able to make
happen:
>
>Friday 21st:
>Jerry Moore and Ed Pellar had the basin all to
themselves while placing
>George and JJ's deco bottles. The tourists were
frightened away by a 2 hour
>downpour. Doug Lewis assisted the RB set up and
helped getting the bottles
>to the water.
>
>Saturday 22nd:
>
>Starting at 6 AM, rebreathers, drive bottles and
scooters hit the water,
>followed immediately by George and JJ, and the now
common sight of film and
>sound crews. Todd Leonard assisted BMA Production's
Darren Tedder in
>capturing the poignant moments on video. The beach
area, although devoid of
>tourists was quite popular with 3 of the local
gators, who cruised back and
>forth checking out the action. These 6 footers may
just be tough enough to
>hang with us.
>
>Just before hitting the hammer, JJ's final
prophetic words:
>"Looks like a beautiful day for diving." He
grinned, apologized and
>descended.
>
>Doug Lewis, and "The Hardest Working Man in Diving"
Jerry Moore, placed the
>next batch of deco bottles (4500 team and Deco RB
team). With all
>accomplished, we began preparations for the next
flurry of activity. Heather
>Hunsucker, Nanci Levake and David Lennon were met
at the water by Glen Hunt,
>David Rhea, and Ted Cole carrying deco rebreathers.
In typical WKPP style,
>the sun worshippers on the beach were very curious
as divers and equipment
>appeared, clipped in, and disappeared in less than
15 minutes. The only
>signs of our presence were a smattering of scooters
and tanks, hidden in the
>weeds, as well as our ever present permit sign
(which makes a handy place
>for bathers to hang wet beach towels).
>
>At about 3:00PM we were remarking how much cooler
it was than the previous
>weekend, when the lightning started. Tourists
cleared the beach like a bus
>load of "Weight Watchers" breaking down in front of
a "Baskin Robbins" in
>Arizona.  Tree limbs were falling, lightning seemed
to be crashing on the
>other side of the basin, and animals were lining up
in pairs! It was at this
>time that George and JJ were back in our sight and
the 4500 team prepared to
>depart.  Besieged by rain, David Rhea, David Lennon
and Ed Pellar picked
>George and JJ clean of their remaining gear, while
Herve Deschamps, Scott
>Hunsucker, Barry Miller, and Ted Cole screamed past
on their sortie to 4500.
>
>Monitoring the exploration and 4500 teams on their
first and second dives at
>Wakulla were Glen Hunt and Grady Richardson, along
with team members
>mentioned earlier making their second or third set
of support dives. Special
>thanks to Anthony Rue for his surface support
(above and beyond the call)
>and for the frame grabs from Mini-Mee. Wait until
you see this stuff! Only
>in the WKPP can you see 2 guys, 300 feet deep, at
18 grand, on rebreathers,
>setting up for Spielberg-esque video shots!
>
>With a skeleton crew, working literally from
sunrise to just after sunset,
>the WKPP:
>set up
>made a world record level penetration
>video taped it
>slipped out unnoticed by approximately 2000
tourists
>
>IN ONE DAY!!
>
>Once again you've proven why we are the baddest
frogs in the pond.
>See you all next time.
>
>Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Subscription/removal requests to
clw5232@ga*.ac*.fs*.ed*.
>
>
>
>
>

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