Scuba Dream Time

Brownie and I had a day off together and decided to head down to Key West. We left Key Largo around 6:00 am for the long ride south. We watched the sunrise to our east, ocean side, as we counted down the mile markers. Along the way we were always a few miles behind the rain which produced some great rainbows through the drive. We even saw a highly endangered Key Deer cross the road. I've drive to Key West many time over the years but had never been lucky enough to spot one. As expected we arrived at Captain's Choice in Key West about an hour early. It was nice not to be rushed. Checked in, chilled, until the boat was ready for passengers. It felt very odd not to be lugging tanks on the boat. You almost want to jump in and help, but I must admit it feels pretty good not doing all that work. After all, we were there to enjoy a great morning of diving. Soon enough we headed out and about 35 minutes later arrived at the mooring site for the Vandenberg . It looked like a...

Last week, Brownie, Keith, and I started our TDI tech dive training with Chris. We are now done with all the classroom portions, including exams, and we have done 4 of our required 6 training dives. So far so good. But I must admit I was not to sold on the idea after our first two training dives and 2 additional training dives Brownie and I did on our own on a shallow reef. The equipment is heavy, bulky, and did I mention heavy. But yesterday things came around. We headed out to the Spiegel around 2:00 pm. Conditions could not have been more perfect. The water was flat, the visibility was 90+, and there was no current. In other words it was a perfect day to dive the Spiegel . We headed down to the well deck around 120ft and spent 20 minutes just leisurely exploring the area and then headed to 80 feet. We then performed some valve drills and continued exploring for another 20 minutes. We did the long swim through, stopped to see Snoopy and the over to the starboard side, th...

It feels so good to be back home. It feels like home. We are surrounded by friends. Our social calendar has been more full since arriving than the entire time we spent in Kauai. I feel like I belong on the island of misfit toys. All the misfit toys return, Jeff, Molly, Jessica, Damien, Ashley, Tad, as well as those that never left. And it has yet to rain. Included is a picture of sunset view from our home. On our first afternoon at home we saw dolphins in the bay as the sun was setting. Kauai had amazing scenery, but sunsets in Key Largo are stunning. The best part is the food. A gallon of milk costs $2.50 as opposed to $9.50 at Big Save on Kauai. Happy Hour draft beers are $1.00. All grocery stores have a delicatessen with fresh slices deli ham starting at $3.00/lb. A gallon of regular gas is $2.10 a gallon. At restaurants you can get a huge homemade burger for about $8.00 including "lettuce", tomatoes, and french fries. Two huge fish tacos made with fresh mah...

We are less than 1 week away from leaving Kauai and heading back to the Keys. I have to admit that I am a bit sad. I know the move is in our best interest financially and overall, but there are still things that I will miss. I find myself trying to really look and take in as much of the island's beauty. As if I could really retain a small portion of it. I know I can't but I still try. The island's majesty can not even be adequately captured by camera or video. No medium can do it's majesty true justice. I will miss the perfect temperature. I will not miss the rainy season or the daily rain. I will miss the lush green countryside and all the flora and fauna. I will not miss the screeching kids that live above us nor the banging of their little feet as the run continuously to and fro. I will miss the laid back atmosphere and casual pace. I will not miss being treated as a haole and outsider. I will miss the fruit trees in our yard, (mango, avocados banana, ...

We have had some incredible diving lately off Kauai's South Shore. The winds have been high but visibility and marine encounters have been outstanding. On the 19 th of February we had two incredible encounters. Our first dive was a drop at Turtle Bluffs for a drift dive. Just as everyone reached bottom we had a rather large stingray just swim by. Stingrays were very common off the Florida Keys, sometimes we would see upwards of 10 at one site. But off Kauai you rarely ever encounter stingrays. Luckily we had the chance encounter. Our second dive site was at the Caverns. There we were audience to a manta ray swimming over the caverns. Mantas are unusual off of Kauai, but this winter we have been treated to them on a fairly regular basis. We have seen them at Nukomoi, Stonehouse, and the Caverns. Yesterday we were diving at Stonehouse and saw three mantas. Initially we dropped down and a huge manta ta least 10 feet across swept down past us. About 30 minutes into the...

WOW, today was one of those days that i will forever remember. The morning started off checking in 10 certified divers at the shop. We slowly meandered to the dock to head out on a two tank dive. The day held the promise of great diving; ocean conditions were flat calm and there was no real wind to speak of. Water's surface was just like glass. On our way to our first dive site we encountered some bottle nose dolphins and humpback whales swimming very close to the boat. The dolphins were very playful. They were slapping their tails and really enjoying the wake created by the boat. They were so close I could even make out a cookie cutter shark injury on the belly of one of the dolphins. When you see dolphins and whales all in one shot, you can't help but smile. And if you can't smile at that you are certainly not wired correctly. Eventually we had to get back on course an head to one our local dive sites. So, we moored at icebox along Kauai's South Shore. By l...

We have had a another unexpected addition to the household. This past summer our dog, Niles, found a stray kitten, which we kept and named Haole. Now Haloe has brought home a fledgling baby bird. His initial intention was to torture and kill no doubt, but he raised such a ruckus, that Brownie went to the rescue. Now we have a bay bird we need to try and identify so we can provide the most appropriate diet for its overall well being. Please check out the pictures and let us know if you can identify the species. We want to make sure he grows up healthy enough to be released in to the wild. I'm personally waiting for Brownie to start giving the bird flying lessons. And hopefully this newest addition will not bring home a stray of its own.