Utila – Week 4, Day 7: The Halliburton Wreck
UTILA
Week 4
Day 7: The Halliburton Wreck
December 10, 2022
As much as I had needed the break from the constant diving, I also missed it with a passion. I was all signed up for a fun dive on the morning boat, although this quickly changed.
Levi – a new divemaster trainee (DMT) from Israel who had just arrived in Utila – would be doing the wreck specialty course. When Buck – one of the instructors – asked me whether I’d like to join them for their dive, I accidentally signed myself up for it without a second thought. It was something I wanted to do eventually anyway.
The first thing Buck told us was that we’d only be needing one thing to be able to penetrate the wreck – good buoyancy. At this, I immediately shuddered, not wanting to think about the mess I had just gotten myself into. My buoyancy had improved considerably, but it still left much to be desired, and that was certain. Luckily enough, I’d have one day to get as good at this as I possibly could given that the first day only involved practicing some technical skills.
On the first dive, we’d be mapping the Halliburton wreck from the outside. This was considerably easier than having to draw a map of the Black Coral Wall (not to mention that we wouldn’t have to recreate it properly). In fact, I’d say we did quite a good job at it – and we got full points for that section!
The second dive had some technical considerations to it. First up were some knot-tying exercises we had practised a bit on the boat after Buck gave us a short tutorial. While they were easy to perform, I have to say the technique is a bit different underwater.
Then came the complex part – having to set up a trail line using the cinching line wrap technique. This involves passing the reel with its loose line around a stationary, sturdy object and then under it before moving onto the second spot, at which point a double loop should be done. The following ones just need a single loop. The trail line would then be used to guide divers in and out of wrecks (or any other dark and enclosed spaces).
I think these were the first skills I had ever done perfectly on the first go ever since I had started diving! In fact, all Buck had to say was that I had done an excellent job – though my buoyancy still needed a bit of work!
Wreck of Emotions
The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful, save for Gloria’s farewell. While I never had the opportunity to get to know her properly, she was one of my favourite people on the island.
She was the first DMT I had dived with when I started my DMT programme. She was really helpful and reassuring – something I really needed back then. And the more we dove together, the closer we seemed to get – always messing around with each other, both in and out of the water. We’d hug and dance underwater, she’d purge my reg or undo my releases, I’d ride her tank or drag her along. Diving with her was the best!
Not to mention, she was great fun above the surface too – we’d joke and laugh and dance and have the time of our lives whenever we were around each other. She had that Colombian passion which I’ve always been a sucker for, after all!
And now, she too would be leaving. Having been on the island for a month or so, I had gotten used to seeing people coming and going. Admittedly, some goodbye were much harder than others. This was definitely one of them. Thank you, Gloria!
Stay wild,
Marius
Post-Scriptum
As part of his PADI Rescue Diver course, Levi had to throw a buoy in order to save a fake-drowning victim. Amelia was the latter – only she ended up being a victim of an assault by a buoy instead. She looked like she’d been in a fist fight.