Category Archives: Scuba Fun

Women’s Dive Day……

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I suspect I’ve lagged again in posting as it has been a jammed two weeks with one more ahead. It would be nice to go back to “normal jammed” instead of “super jammed”. Anyway, not that I could have taken the entire day last Saturday, but the fact it was Woman’s Dive Day did slip up on me. This is something established in 2015 by the Professional Dive Instructor’s Association (PADI) – the largest certification company in the world – to encourage PADI associated dive shops to have some kind of all-female event.

Horizon Divers scheduled an all-day and follow-on BBQ that was a great line-up even if I couldn’t go. I did kill two birds with one stone though because I wasn’t going to have an article for the week and the timing was perfect. I did check and included three other dive centers to acknowledge them. My friend, Lisa, Director for the History of Diving Museum was part of the Horizon event so I was able to give s shout-out to the museum as well. That was the proverbial cherry on top. The downside is between my still extra-hectic schedule and Mother Nature, I haven’t been in the water since either November of December. I really hope to get that turned around although next week is not looking very good. Sigh!!!!

Women’s Dive Day with Horizon Divers

Summer Slump for Most…..

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With tourism one of the major industries of Florida, we have a somewhat odd split for s summer. In addition to tourists, we have many “seasonal residents” I have mentioned before. They usually own a property although many do RV and others simply book for 2-3 months each year in the same place (generally condo complexes). It is no surprise winter is the primary tourist season, although in reality, it’s more like Oct-Aprll since there are holidays sand school breaks that extend beyond actual winter months. Summer is of course school vacation time, but as you get deeper into South Florida and on into the Keys, the high temperatures and bugs are factors for many. The Panhandle and Northern Florida offer many of the same outdoor activities and will tend be a little cooler.

On the other hand, the best diving is Key Largo and except for storms, June through mid-October brings the best water conditions – surface and below. So, while the dive shops are super busy, hotel and restaurant occupancy are down as is attendance at many outdoor entertainment venues. This is especially true of the Everglades and Biscayne National Park. Locally, our restaurants suffer and try to make it through until later. We are going out to dinner tonight specifically because of that and we’ll probably continue to do so for the next few months.

Paying the Shark Tax…..

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This will make sense in a moment. First, people do ask at times about sharks and diving. Reef and nurse sharks are the two main varieties here that hang around the reefs. The simple fact is sharks are scavengers as much as predators. They want to expend as little energy as necessary when “hunting” and in the way of nature will go after the less mobile fish which are often those in their waning days. Once a shark has eaten, it has no further interest in attacking anything. People, especially divers in scuba gear, do not look like anything in their food chain. The flapping hands or feet of individuals swimming/playing in murky water though might seem so. Same with the situation of individuals on surfboards and floats. Sharks do love to eat seals and turtles. In looking up, guess what people on surfboards and floats look like? I will admit, it did take me a bit to accept this. While I’m fine with the regular encounters on the reefs, I certainly have no intention of getting into some cage for a great white shark encounter. Here, the bigger sharks such as bulls are mostly on the deep wrecks that are in the technical diving category. I haven’t heard of an attack on a diver in those cases because again, divers are not in their food chain.

Spear and other fishing is different; going back to sharks expending as little energy as needed. If someone has already caught or wounded a fish, then swooping in to snatch the fish requires very little energy for the shark. An angler battling to bring a fish in may suddenly realize most of the fish has bee yanked off the line. This is “paying the shark tax”. Our local Keys radio station has a fishing report three times a day; morning, noon, late afternoon and “Captain Matt” is matter-of-fact about this reality. The one thing that can happen is drawing multiple sharks in to create a feeding frenzy. As Captain Matt says, in that case, just move on to a new location.

Last Day of Dive Show…..

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We left yesterday morning for the 10.5-hour drive to Huntsville and I didn’t have time to post. I got around to all six booths Thursday on my to-do list to say hello to friends and touch base with those work-related. Also attended one session about this amazing small island in Greece where they have been finding more ancient shipwrecks than anyone can imagine. We had seen this on an Episode of Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates a couple of months ago. The American guy featured was the presenter and he had all the extra fascinating details.

We were so caught up in the trip that we literally forgot our last night tradition of the fine dining restaurant, Everglades, was also our 37th anniversary. so it all worked out well. I forgot, however, I wasn’t supposed to order the lobster bisque as an appetizer. Not because it isn’t delicious, but because it is so rich and filling. We decided to go all for seafood. Hugh had the Chilean sea bass with risotto and some kind of sauce and mine was halibut with black garlic sauce and yes, it was terrific. Between the bisque and the entrees, we had no room for even a small dessert. Coffee from a french press was excellent though.

The drive to Huntsville was without incident other than being 10.5 hours with only a very quick lunch break and one more quick stop. We didn’t make it in before dark, so actually finding the house was a bit tricky. Another place where house numbers aren’t lit up well. Having pizza delivered was the perfect answer and we got caught up with all the initial events over the past years. “Girl Day” for us today and the guys can do whatever that will, of course, include watching the game on the very large TV.

 

Full Day Two at Dive Show……

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Yesterday was a mix as Hubby and I went separate ways to tend to our different roles. He attended some professional development courses and I had a nice catch-up lunch with Richie Kohler before we went for a book-signing at the publisher who did Mystery of the Last Olympian: Titanic’s Tragic Sister Britannic. Unlike other shows, there was not a long line of people because Richie was not giving a presentation. There were of course those who did come specifically to see him and as word spread others came by. Oh, a quick aside about lunch. The Rosen where we are staying has the bar and grill as the only sit-down restaurant at lunch time. However, the lovely throw-the-doors-open to have an inside-outside option doesn’t work well when the temperature is still in the low 60s. It was sunny, but the relaxing poolside lunch I originally envisioned was inside instead. The Caribbean decor is still appropriate and their Cuban sliders are delicious. I resisted the option of french or yucca fries and had salad with a lovely dressing.

I didn’t spend time in the Exhibit Hall after the book signing as that is my primary focus for today as well as attending a couple of sessions. The big event was the Gala last night where five awardees are recognized for their amazing contributions to the dive and marine world. From the 95-year who has been a major figure in hyperbaric chambers and treatments as well as other things to a photographer who fell in love with the idea at age ten, became certified to dive at age twelve and has won five Emmy awards for her breath-taking work, all have remarkable stories. Although we have avoided attending this event in the past, we were invited due to a project we are somewhat involved in. I can’t really explain it yet, but it’s a highly technical, new approach to introducing potentially millions of people to the underwater world. Hubby did look good in his rented tuxedo and I even managed to put on a little make-up.

First Full Day of DEMA…..

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We are sleeping in – well, Hubby is, but I did get through the morning without insomnia and made it until almost 6:00.

Anyway, early lunch with friends who are only here for one day, then we have book signing at 1:30. There aren’t any sessions I care about today, plus we have the big gala tonight so will spend more time in the Exhibit Hall after book signing and come back to hotel.

Did make it to Taffer Tavern last night for dinner at Pointe Orlando. Visually, it was a great place; enough wood to be warm without overpowering, cooper tile ceiling, great light fixtures. Service was excellent and the bartenders were the” entertaining type Taffer promotes on his show. Not “gimmicky entertaining”; personable and skilled. I could see them from where we were sitting. The menu was good and Hubby had fish and chips. I went with the chicken dish recommended by the server. It was good although not great. More sauce would have made it better. As I was half-way through the meal I realized I inadvertently ordered almost the exact same thing as we will be having at the Gala tonight. Ah well. The “star” of the evening was Hubby ordering one of the craft cocktails (another major Taffer thing). It was a Smoked Old-Fashion. “Smoking” beverages is a trend and I’m not going to get into that. The presentation was lovely and Hubby forgot to take a photo. The whiskey glass had the big square ice cube in it and the carafe atop the glass was filled with the beverage itself and smoke. The server set the glass in front of him, then carefully poured everything in, the visual smoke effect lingering for a bit. I took one sip and it was nice. Oh, all this references the TV series, “Bar Rescue”, where Jon Taffer goes into places that seem doomed and fixes them. I’m a big fan of the show – not the kind I usually watch. I think I did a post about it a while back.

Full day today and I’ll post again in the morning.

About Those Britannic Artifacts…..

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Followers of the blog are very familiar with my role as co-author with Richie Kohler in writing Mystery of the Last Olympian: Titanic’s Tragic Sister Britannic  https://charliehudson.net/books/last-olympian.html

Articles in a surprising number of papers and on-line news carried the story last month about artifacts being recovered from HMS Britannic that lies 400 feet below the surface in the Aegean Sea off the island of Kea. The saga of the ship itself is in Part I of the book. The saga of discovering her and pioneering diving on it is in Part II. Part III is largely the day-by-day recounting the 2015 expedition led by Richie Kohler which was the first expedition of that type since the tragedy of the 2009 expedition when Carl Spencer died. The actual owner to the rights of Britannic is Simon Mills and the Greek government has authority as well. Notwithstanding the pain of the dive team over losing one of their own, they and other divers spent years trying to explain that returning to the interior of the ship was important. That was not to minimize the danger; rather to acknowledge why divers are willing to take the risks. The artifacts within the ship have, and will continue to be, subject to deterioration and retrieval is how history is preserved.

Permission was finally granted and a priority list was developed as to which artifacts were to be retrieved in what sequence. Multiple factors affect how much each expedition can accomplish. The 2025 team, once again led by Richie, was composed of most of the members from previous expeditions, with some new additions. They were incredibly successful, but the news was not made public until September. I was kept up-to-date with progress, although I had to keep quiet as well.

https://nauticalvoice.com/historic-artifacts-retrieved-from-britannic-wreck/58600/

 

About That Snorkeling….

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Okay, just to clarify. I think I mentioned in the past few months, I have dealt with back issues. Not spinal; muscular. I have three different spots in my back from lower up through my right shoulder that seem to be extra vulnerable. I have also come to recognize the things I’m doing to cause these flare-ups which can last only a day or two or up to a week. I’ve never been one for gardening as I have also explained, so the fact I can’t do much now in the way of bending over for long isn’t the kind of problem it would be for some friends who are avid gardeners.

On to scuba. Because I’m still fat, I use 14 pounds of weight. With that and the rest of the equipment, it’s about 30 pounds on my back. Even though you are “weightless” in the water, the weight doesn’t “disappear”. When I dive, I tend to move around a fair amount, looking under, going over, and often twisting into different positions. The twisting motion is where I get myself in trouble and it simply isn’t likely that I will change my style after all this time. So while the dive boat crew is great about offering to take my gear off in the water to keep my from limbing the ladder with it on, that won’t alter what I’m doing underwater.

Our reefs are shallow enough to make for good snorkeling and in general, I will see plenty of cool stuff. Wednesday was an exception because the current had been tricky all week and we went to two more protected sites that aren’t as good for snorkeling as the usual places. I did see some of my small favorites and even though I didn’t see them, there was a turtle and a couple of rays. Had I been in the correct spot at the correct time, I would have seen those as well. And speaking favorite smalls, here are my pretty blue chromis.

Chromis are seen on most of the local reefs.

 

One Dive In…….

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My rule for birthday dive in during my birthday week and in trying to dive once a month when I can, going August 31 slipped into both categories. Conditions were good for the first dive, but I was not quite feeling it and decided to snorkel at second spot. Mother Nature and something unexpected came into play though. During my dive, I was having issues with my mask getting matter in and I thought I had perhaps caught some hair underneath the map which is not uncommon. While there was nothing big on that dive, I did get several of my small favorites and finally saw yellow-headed jaw fish again. For whatever reason, the last couple of dives, I hadn’t seen them in some of the familiar spots.

The wind and some rain came in and whipped up the waves for sure. I thought I would try snorkeling anyway at the second site and even though it was bouncy I would have been okay for at least twenty minutes. Then I realized my mask genuinely was leaking and I couldn’t keep it cleared. There is a technique to handle that and if conditions has been calm I wouldn’t have minded. Waves and the mask were enough to send me back. I mentioned it to the boat captain and he said, “hmmm, you do have some yellowing going on”. In other words, the mask was showing signs of age. Later when I said something to Hubby, he reminded me the mask was like twenty years old. Oh, yeah. I do have a prescription mask and since i was overdue a bit for my annual, I decided to squeeze in an exam so when we get back from our trip, I – well, Hubby, will send off the new prescription to get me a new mask. While you do get some magnification from the glass in a regular mask, it’s just nice to have the stronger type.

Yellow Head Jawfish out of it’s hole.

More Snorkel Time……

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Although I missed going out in May, by going really early in June, as on the 2d, I might be able to get back out the end of the month, too. And to actually dive. I was on the tail-end of a cold and didn’t think I would be able to clear properly, plus I was still having coughing fits. Conditions were only a little bouncy, so no problem with snorkeling and visibility was decent. On the first site I saw a medium size stingray early and while nothing else big, I did see French and gray angels, plus enough other fish to enjoy and all the coral was looking good. Despite some of the “cherry picking” of data going on to claim the water is hotter than normal, the reefs are still at 77-80 degrees. There are always “hot spots” in different places.

Anyway, on to the second site. I was surprised to not see my bright blue chromis on either dive, but did have a pair of file fish and lots of barracuda. In fact, in one spot there were like fifteen or so, all different sizes, hanging out together. I hadn’t see that in a long time. Quite a few chubs came through and there were plenty of sergeant majors. Parrotfish, of course, even if I didn’t get my favorite of the midnights. More angels and some blue-head wrasses. The divers found a really big green moray, but tucked underneath as usual, so not something I would be able to see. I was in the water for about thirty minutes each time. The wind was up a bit more than predicted until the last several minutes of the boat ride back. Unfortunately, it was bouncy enough for the one woman to get sick and three other individuals to feel queasy. I continue to be grateful to not suffer from that. I also find it puzzling people are willing to put up with it and go out on the boat. On the other hand, appropriate medications do help. In the case of the two friends, they agreed they should have taken a dose the night before as well as the day of.

Scrawled File Fish on Reef