While most of the FCDA team members have been busy in their corporate activities outside of diving world, KK and LA managed to organise our semi-traditional Eastern Finland trip. Thanks to their efforts, FCDA had a terrific prolonged weekend in xXx mine, E-Fin. This mine is rarely known by local tech diving community, and FCDA wants to respect the wish by owner's family by not publishing the coordinates. However, after series of short setup dives, we established the last level of this water-flooded mine (the mine is flooded only after ~37m). Two consequence push dive days resulted in 122,4 m depth. Somewhat less than expected, but that is only good! Longest bottom time (actual, spent in -160m level, note that mine was water-filled after ~37m) was 20min by plan and ~18,5min spent. Total dive time never exceeded 5h, but close. This was the limit set by the scrubber duration safety margin. Estimated distance covered with DPVs was 350m in bottom (one-way), but no record-setting dive was even supposed to happen, so we took it nice and easy. Citating dive buddies VM and OL: "we didn't come here to smell the roses" ;) All in all: Fascinating diving, and KK and LA managed to play with little ore rail-road cars :)
August project went fairly well, A.K. and A.M. inspected all levels of the old mine inch by inch. Both divers had each well over 60 hours bottom time with two Ouroboros (zero problems). Support team was helping with deepest and longest penetrations (H, pls try to learn handling multiple stages by next time =) Finally, one of the FCDA members went through the red tape and acquired the mine. In the future, P.M. might open it to public. We have agreed to invest some money and time into it, but the property must be protected first.
Ojamo revisited in April 2006
K.K. and A.K. visited Ojamo for the first time in three years and did a few modest checks for the August project. Approval issues are open as of now, but should not stand in the way.
The team carried out 18 dives in June 2005 to the mine system. Maximum depth was 93 mfw with maximum penetration length of 1130 meters (one-way). This was also the final check-out dives for P.R.'s Ouroboros CCR.
[Pukkila at 68 mfw level. Image copyright: K.K.]
Andrea Doria (USA) wreck dives in May 2005
FCDA visited the US East coast in spring 2005. Two dives (four team members each) with maximum bottom time of 45 minutes (heliox 13). This time OC gear was used (except M.O. who dived with his Cis after finally getting it from the maintenance).
See video of the dive: [Andrea Doria dive: 36 MB]
Kola peninsula, june 2002
We still argue whether or not Kola should be regarded as an FCDA expedition, as only A.K. and M.A were fortunate enough to do a few day's diving close to Murmansk. Ironically, T.L., who stood for most of the trip arrangements, broke his collarbone two weeks before the trip. Old men should not ride motorcycles, T!
Boesmangat, autumn 2001
Enough said. This was the first international expedition T.W. joined us on, and she proved herself invaluable from the first day on. Despite a few gear breakdowns, we managed to pull over 20 dives during the two weeks on-site.
Gordyi wreck in 2000
"G" is a nice Russian wreck, situated in the international sea area very near to the Finnish sea border. Depth is about 60 meters. This was very nice summer camp to us. Thanks for the nice support of our friends in the "company", we had a luxury diving ship with even a lift capability (ok, a winch with a nest..), ROV etc. More this kind of diving! Total: 6 dives during three days and over 4 hours of bottom time each!!
Ojamo, Finland, 1999
Ojamo is an old mine in southern Finland, filled with water after 1960's. All familiar to the tunnel system, the team placed a 1-cubic-meter habitat to the shallow deco zone with a winch system (to alter the depth from 9 to 4.5 meters, fresh water). Total of 11 dives were conducted during 6 days with a maximum attained depth of 138 meters (there are several levels, which of one of the deepest lays in 138 meters depth). Main exploration was conducted in the 57 and 87 mfw zones.
Champagne wreck dives in 1997
Two FCDA members had the priviledge to dive to the Champagne Wreck in 1997. Only one dive was made, but that single dive was perfect trimix wreck dive (read more about the wreck: http://www.abc.se/~m10354/uwa/champ-en.htm). Maximum depth was 62 meters sea water with trimix 17 50.
Haveri gold mine, 1996
Several dives during one-week dive camp. Maximum depth 81 meters in open-circuit equipment (trimix), roughly 250 mfw penetration. The open-water area of the quarry is in the 65 meters zone, below that is tunnel system starting from the bottom in almost horizontal direction with mild increase in depth.