Excalibur II first dive and depth test before bewitched by OBN @

frogmaster-riviera

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Oct 22, 2014
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Hi all,

Minelab Excalibur scuba dive photos and video

Just have received my new Minelab Excalibur II and before loosing my warranty on it, I just wanted to make sure it was fully functional before beeing remastered by OBN, the wizard of Excalibur

I've selected a new diving site where I first have to locate some pieces of wood, potteries and iron on the seabed which are proof of shipwreck a loooong time ago...

All my tanks have been sent to the yearly certification, so I'm diving with a friend "oldy" regular air mix tank which is not so good for this depth.


https://youtu.be/pOQPU41pTlI

I've uses a copyright music, so can't see from Germany and from certain devices, computer =OK

0-63m (0-206ft) as quick as possible to stay as much as I can looking for clues of +2000 years old shipwreck..

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Even when detecting underwater, I won't forget my Minelab cap :laughing7:
Sorry for the red nose... just made a jump of nearly 210ft in a very limited time period and you can have blood :unhappysmiley: coming out from your nose, something usual.
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Heading to potential sites of interest, Scuba detection is similar to land relic prospection..it takes time and need some luck

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Trying to read the currents and searching for clues (pottery, irons, wood) of shipwrecks @ approx -65m (213ft)

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Look at the Moray fish on the left of the image....
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Time goes very fast underwater, I consume nearly 6x more air at this depth then i will on surface.....


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My diving computer starts to beep but I couldn't hear it (metal detection...) and I only have a few minutes minutes left in my crappy tank (!)

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This is a good shot of a stupid man realizing he is in deep SxxT :BangHead:
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Heading quickly to the surface (not too fast..) and still a long way to go ... 2 major deco stops to do. Only air remaining for the deepest one (!)
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PS: I only did the first deco step, surfaced and took a spare pony air tank to accomplish my long final deco...did go to the hospital in emergency for checking and analysing the data of my diving computer. Thanks god everythings ok

This not the good example to follow, I am an experienced diver and I was lucky today...can't have luck all the time.


The next step for upgrading my Excalibur II into an Excalibur IIS


- Changing the end caps by OBNs remastered ones
- Remote PP latching mod with led light in All Metal position
- Hot swappable / Removable coil even during underwater prospection
- Use of Bone Phone hearphone, can be placed under the diving suite
- Lipo battery pack with capacity led
- Change the decals for those ones :

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Nice pictures, be careful sir.....
 

Nice one where are the goodies???


RR

No goodies :-( I haven't located the right place this time. i will come back with bigger air tank and a Pony. Did had a few iron sounds but no pieces of wood... and no goddies of course.

Can't win every day!


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I can imagine digging at this depths......hard work !!!!!BTW i m trying to get a proto of a travel scoop done will keep you updated


RR
 

I wainting for my new lesche SS pick from the US....
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But the aim of this dive was really to test the Excalibur II before applying mods. I try also to find new sites of interest as you can imagine, hunt an entire site takes you at least 10-15 dives to complete
 

Great visibility there! Like that decal, please post a pic of your IIS once you and OBN get it tricked out!
 

I'm still looking for the exact size of the battery pod decals...I want to creat one as well ...any one could help me?
 

frogmaster,

You were one lucky diver and glad you made it out safely.....maybe a back up tank part way up tied to a cord would be a good idea for the deco phases....
better safe than sorry.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

frogmaster,

You were one lucky diver and glad you made it out safely.....maybe a back up tank part way up tied to a cord would be a good idea for the deco phases....
better safe than sorry.

Regards + HH

Bill

Yep bill your are right. i always have one waiting at 3m depth (i'm used to come up in a hurry :notworthy:), but as I said in the introduction, i gave this week all my tanks for their yearly certification and just had an Aluminium Pony tank on the boat + a pure oxygen tank that I did use when reaching the shore.

Just loose some blood from the nose and had my wife was upset all day (!) = "the longest and the most painful deco phase" :laughing7:


I don't know the English name of this fish that was sitting just next to my detector (delicious fish!)
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frogmaster,

It looks a bit like a puffer fish but those are very poisonous and you need a good chef to take out the bad parts.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

frogmaster,

It looks a bit like a puffer fish but those are very poisonous and you need a good chef to take out the bad parts.

Regards + HH

Bill

No Bill, it's a CAPON FISH, I've just found the translation: it is an EXCELLENT fish! Mmmmmhhh love it, I had a metal detector in my hand.. whish i had an harpoon (!) Oops, it's forbidden when diving with air tanks...
 

Nice decal and nice way to represent OBN, im very impressed. GL HH Mike
 

Thanks Froggy! Amazing Pic's again and Glad all went well and your safe. Keep the Adventure Going my friend...Just wish we lived closer.
 

Thanks Froggy! Amazing Pic's again and Glad all went well and your safe. Keep the Adventure Going my friend...Just wish we lived closer.

We can meet in the Caribbean, it's almost half way for both. incredible dives to do over there from a rented Multihull with air compressor on it.... think about it....
 

Hey Froggy, just noticed this from your pictures, you need to secure that coil wire right above the coil to the shaft, in your case the currents can move it giving you false signals. Right where that decal is on your shaft is a good spot then again 3-4 inches up continue til atleast 2 feet above coil.

Great looking pictures, glad your safe.:thumbsup:
 

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We can meet in the Caribbean, it's almost half way for both. incredible dives to do over there from a rented Multihull with air compressor on it.... think about it....

I was going to suggest we all met at my place - but my stuntman days are over as far as deep dives with little time for deco time goes :thumbsup:
Too close to the edge for me!!
Stay safe!
 

Hey Froggy, just noticed this from your pictures, you need to secure that coil wire right above the coil to the shaft, in your case the currents can move it giving you false signals. Right where that decal is on your shaft is a good spot then again 3-4 inches up continue til atleast 2 feet above coil.

Great looking pictures, glad your safe.:thumbsup:

Yep Spleeper, your right!

With OBN we are implementing an hot swappable coil connector to be able to change coil underwater. Maybe there is a need to put the plug next to the coil, it'll be easier to change it on the field... Any idear?
 

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