July 13, 2012*

After a two hour surface interval to off gas, we found the kids with the peddle boat to drop us off on the other side of the bay.

The boat had sprung a leak and was taken out of the water.

Idit talked the owner of the bar on the beach, and hired their fishing boat to take us for 500 LEK.

This was the boat with the rock as an anchor.

Again, we were to swim back to shore; the boat was only transportation there.

The boat took us to the spot, I inflated by BCD, threw the gear over board, grabbed my fins and fell into the water.

I put my fins on and dawned by BCD jacket.

I swam over to Idit and tried to take a compass reading of where shore was.

“Where the fuck is my compass?”

“Where did you lose it?” Idit asked.

“It’s got to be in the water, I must have dropped it putting on my BCD.”

We surface swam in 20 feet of water, looking for my compass, and thanks to the clear blue water, I found it within three minutes of looking.

If this was a typical Southern California dive, my compass would have been sacrificed to the sea gods.

We descended.

Logged SCUBA Dive #418

Dove with Idit

Porto Palermo Bay
Himara, Albania

Air Source: Private fisherman’s compressor in Saranda
In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 200 psi
Max depth: 99 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: Up to 50 feet
Water Temperature: 73 degrees
Air Temperature: 96 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 40 minutes or so

Some kind of sea shell.

What’s left of another ancient wine vessel – I picked it up to see if I could find “Made in China” on it; nope, it is probably really old.

I left it where I found it.

Idit was getting bored of me taking pictures.

Again, we got really deep, really quickly.

This dive was mostly over a grass reef, better documented in the video footage I took.

At slightly under a half tank, we swam back, under the Port Palermo Pier to an easy exit at the bar.

Hamburger and steak wander all over Albania.

On the way to our next diving spot, we stopped by the old Communist Submarine Base.

Let me see if I can remember the story accurately.

During the 1960’s Albania had purchased some submarines from the Soviet Union.

When Enver Hoxha broke ties with the Soviets, for not being communist enough, he started to cuddle up with China’s Mao.

Fearing an invasion, he started this tunnel to shelter his submarines.

Apparently, it was all dug by hand over a course of 30 years and never completely finished; many people died in the construction.

*Due to time constraints, lack of reliable internet access outside of Tirana, power outages in Tirana and the strength of Albanian beer, posting of this article has been delayed.

July 13, 2012*

What a night!

There was a big wind storm that knocked out power in all of Himara, effecting Porto Palermo, too.

Waking up, I also accidentally brushed my teeth with sun tan lotion – the sun lotion and toothpaste are in identical looking containers, and both written in German.

We were to do three dives today, all deep; we were super paranoid about having extended surface intervals – there are no decompression chambers in Albania, and the hospitals don’t know how to treat the bends.

We had two tanks that were filled from the super compressor that we brought from Tirana.

We tested the air, and actually this batch was much better; it had no petroleum taste to it at all.

The fills were a little light, however.

We hired two kids with a paddle boat to drop us off at our spot; we were to swim back to shore.

Logged SCUBA Dive #417

Dove with Idit

Alitepelena Island, Wall Reef
Himara, Albania

Air Source: Portable Super Compressor We Brought From Tirana
In With: 2500 psi
Out With: 200 psi
Max depth: 97 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: Up to 50 feet
Water Temperature: 75 degrees
Air Temperature: 89 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 40 minutes or so

We jumped off the boat, thanked the kids, and descended.

I looked at my computer.

It wasn’t on, and wouldn’t turn on underwater; I surfaced to fix the issue.

The wall reef gets deep, really quickly.

We found what was left of a Roman or Greek wine vessel, from an ancient ship wreck – all the whole ones have been looted.

It was a nice, pleasurable and uneventful dive.

A boat anchor made out of a rock.

We made it back to shore with barely any air and made an easy exit.

We debriefed at the bar at the beach, before taking a short tour of the Ali Pasha Tepelena Castle…

The castle was a gift to one of Ali Pasha’s wives, and I believe, dates back to the 19th century.

Our next dive site was on the other side of the bay.

*Due to time constraints, lack of reliable internet access outside of Tirana, power outages in Tirana and the strength of Albanian beer, posting of this article has been delayed.