July 11, 2012*

After an hour drive, we arrived at our next dive destination – Sirens Bay.

It’s a shallow area that is suppose to have a cavern and an arch.

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

We did just like we did with the last batch – breathe, taste and smell the air.

I didn’t get a headache or dizzy, but the air tasted like machine oil.

Idit tasted his tank.

“Yeah, it does taste oily, what do you want to do?” he asked.

“What was powering the compressor?” I asked.

“It was an electric compressor,” he said.

“Well, it tastes like shit, but it should be good.”

Again, we got the usual stares of amazement on this crowded beach.

Logged SCUBA Dive #415

Dove with Idit

Sirens Bay
Saranda, Albania

Air Source: Mini Super Compressor Brought From Tirana
In With: 2500 psi
Out With: 900 psi
Max depth: 35 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: Up to 40 feet
Water Temperature: 74 degrees
Air Temperature: 92 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes or so

We entered the water and swam to the right, before submerging.

Albanian Starfish.

Rock Garden.

An Albanian scallop – I think.

Not sure what this is.

This was a shallow dive, and I wasn’t weighted properly.

Albania uses a weird system of measurement called the “Metric” system.

Before our first dive, Idit asked me how much weight I needed.

“Twenty-two pounds.”

“I need to know in kilos,” Idit replied.

I assembled my weight belt by feel – it felt like 22 pounds.

So, I’m having a hard time staying down and trying to keep up with Idit.

I grabbed a rock to hold for weight, and I was lucky enough to also grab onto the sea urchin that was behind it.

Ouch!

I signaled Idit to go up – we were only 20 feet deep.

I took my glove off and Idit was nice enough to dig the spikes out of my fingers.

We continued the dive.

We never did find the cavern, but we did swim through the arch.

My pictures of the arch didn’t really turn out – the arch was too big.

We made an uneventful exit and washed the petroleum after taste from the air away…

…with a beer and spaghetti.

A complete debriefing meal for only 450 LEK ($4.50), at a nice beach side resort.

*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 11, 2012*

Idit and I had lunch on the boardwalk in Saranda last night.

Saranda gets pretty hoppin’ in the evening.

Idit picked me up at my Hotel, and we made a quick trip up the street to the “Demi Beach” Bar.

It was the closest access point for a beach entry to the Probitas Wreck.

The Probitas was sent by the Italian government to evacuate Italian soldiers after Italy surrendered during World War II.

The Nazis got pissed and sunk the ship in the bay in 1943.

Idit and I made an uneventful entry into the bay, amongst a lot of curious onlookers.

We made the 100 yard swim to the buoy that marked where the ship is, and descended.

Logged SCUBA Dive #414

Dove with Idit

The Probitas Wreck
Saranda, Albania

Air Source: Private compressor in Vlorë
In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 300 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: Up to 50 feet
Water Temperature: 72 degrees
Air Temperature: 84 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes or so

I believe we hit the bow first, coming down the buoy line.

The Probitas is laying on its side on the ocean floor in 70 feet of water and parts of the hull are as shallow as 15 feet from the surface.

Smoke stacks?

Idit approaches the prop.

The Propeller.

Growth on the Probitas.

The wheel.

Diving the top hull 15 feet deep was our safety stop.

When Idit and I were down to 1000 psi, we surfaced to get a bearing on where to go to exit.

“Uhm, where did we enter?” I asked.

“Take a bearing on those yellow umbrellas,” he said.

We submerged again and headed towards the beach – and right on target!

We surfaced right at the yellow umbrellas, but it was 20 feet away from where we actually entered – no big deal.

We were soon off to our next dive location.

*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.