SLS021812A Day Three, Monday

Today was the first full day on the boat. Wake up was a little slow and very laid back, as it usually is on the boat. We had a slow start because Captain Denny was hoping the winds would die down a bit from overnight. We had a cooked breakfast since it was a slow start. Once we finished breakfast and cleanup we headed out to the reef. We were headed for Sand Key which is a bit of a ride so on the way we put out some fishing lines to troll for whatever we could get. We don't fish for anything specific, just something good to eat. It took awhile but we got a 'fish on'. Josh ran back and grabbed the rod first which gives him the right to bring the fish in, and what a great fish it was; a 31" Cero Mackeral, That's a big fish, and good to eat too. Unfortunately, that was the only fish for the day, although we had a couple more hits.
We did our first dive at Sand Key, a site marked with an old, out of commission, lighthouse tower. There is also a large coral head to explore too. It was their first dive on their own; no divemaster escort. Again, the dive went without incident. We had lunch and moved over to Western Dry Rocks for our second dive. The third and final dive was at Rock Key. As you can see, they weren't really creative when it came to naming the sites.
We headed back in to the mooring ball outside of Key West for our second night and a dinner of Brautwurst and beans.

SLS021812A Day Two, Sunday

Day two is what I consider to be the hardest day. There is so much to do and not alot of time to do it. The crew woke and went to flags at 07:45. Then it was off to breakfast. After breakfast the fun began. They had to clean the dorm they stayed in, pack their gear that they were taking on the boat and stow everything else in lockers. Next was the food and ice. We met at the commisary where they packed 5 large coolers with ice (very heavy) and inventoried a mountain of food. It takes alot of food to feed 16 hungry divers for one week. Thanks to Dave for spearheading the inventory. The inventory sheet doesn't exactly match the items so it can be a bit trying to get it correct. All of the ice and food were loaded into a trailer and it was off to the scuba area to load a second trailer. That trailer was loaded with 30 scuba tanks, the dive gear and all of the remaining personal gear. Once everything was loaded we rounded up all of the stragglers and headed out. It's about a 1 1/2 hour drive to where the Conch Pearl is moored; from milemarker 73.8 to about milemarker 8 down A1A.
Once we arrived at the boat it was time to transfer all of the stuff we brought from the trailers to the boat, about a 50 yard walk and a small flight of stairs. This is the hard part. Once everything is at the boat it all has to be loaded on the boat, everything in it's proper place. All of the ice and food has to be loaded and stowed away, the dive gear and tanks have to be loaded and set up and all of the personal gear has to make it to the bunks. Once all of that is done it's time to slow down and start really enjoying the trip.
We had lunch then headed out to the reef for our first dive. We went to Toppino's Buoy, a nice little reef, good for a first dive. The first dive is a led dive, where the divers stay with the divemaster. Tgis gives them a chance to work on any little problems and also gives the divemaster the opportunity to look the divers over. The visibility was about 50ft. not bad for spring. The dive went quite well without any issues. That's not always the case.
After the dive we headed into the mooring near Key West. As we passed the Key West waterfront all of the people were lined up, waiting for the 'famous' sunset. Once we were attached to the mooring ball we settled down for dinner; burgers.

SLS021812A Day One, Saturday

Crew SLS021812A is our first Live-Aboard crew for the 2012 season. They arrived right when they said they would...that's a good sign. They were fairly rested because they has spent the previous night in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. Most crews arrive dead tired because they have been traveling since the wee hours of the morning. The check-in went well...pictures, swim test, gear issue and pool skills session. This crew had done a skills review at home before coming here; a real plus for new divers. After the pool was 'flags' We had to go in our swim suits as the pool session ran a little late. Dinner was fried chicken, then it was off to the classroom for an orientation session. It's a bit dry but everyone managed to stay awake. All in all a good group of guys. It's a pleasure when you get that impression right away. Tomorrow it's off to the boat!

Back in the Florida Keys

Well I'm back in the Florida Keys, volunteering at the BSA Florida High Adventure Sea Base again. The drive down was uneventful except for the price of gas! It's hot and humid but that's supposed to change in the next day or so. We're expecting a front to come through tomorrow and drop the temperature a little and blow 15-20...just enough to make it a bit sporty. The first Live Aboard crew of the season is set to arrive in the next few hours, then the real fun begins. Mike Roesel, the divemaster I'll be working with, did a great job getting stuff ready; lights, fishing gear, etc. I've packed most of what I need to take and my scuba gear is set up so things should go smoothly. All I need to do is find a little time to take a short nap before they arrive or else I'll never make it through orientation tonight.

Preparing...already

I am returning to the 'Keys' in four weeks for another two month stint of scuba diving at the Florida Sea Base aboard the Schooner Conch Pearl. I only have four week long trips scheduled on the Conch Pearl but there is plenty of work to do otherwise. I think this is my eighth year there. My first season was the Spring of 2005 and I have been going back to volunteer every year since; sometimes for Spring and sometimes for part of the Summer seasons.
I keep returning for many reasons. First is because they let me. It's an oasis for me...not so much because it's in the beautiful Florida Keys (although that's a big part of it) but because of the people. Some of the best people I have met throughout my life are the people I have met at the Florida Sea Base. I enjoy their company and friendship and have learned much from them. Another reason I return is because it keeps me from getting older or at least it is slowing the process. I went from an active, dynamic, stimulating job to being at home with the dog, disabled. I need the interaction and activity.
I have spent alot of time preparing a detailed packing list for this year's trip. I usually prepare a list but often manage to forget a few items (CRS). This time I'm even putting packing lists in the different containers in hopes that I can keep track of everything. You would be suprised how many little things you need to take along.
Alot of people wonder how I can accomplish this while being disabled with Narcolepsy. I am fortunate that they know about my Narcolepsy at FSB and they allow me to nap pretty much whenever I need to.
So I'm already preparing to go in hopes that an early start will help me to make sure I take everything I need.

It's cold!!!

It's cold here in NJ...less than 10 degrees. I guess I could be at my sister's in Maine. It's below zero. Once it gets that cold measuring seems moot. At least they may have some real snow on their slopes. The ski slopes here are really hurting.
Anyway....what's this got to do with diving? I have to work out in my garage, my unheated garage, going through dive gear. It shouldn't take long but it has to be done. Maybe I'll put it off for a day or two. Temps are supposed to move up to 50 degrees in the next day or two.

DMA Day 14

New Year's Eve 2011. Today was our last dive day. We started the day heading out for our last deep dive, dive 4 of 4 , for the deep dive specialty. The conditions on the ocean were great; it was sunny and the seas were down. I was lucky enough to have my wife, Barbara, along for the ride. She was bummed because she is a diver but was not allowed to dive with us because it was a training dive. We pulled up to the Eagle to find great conditions. There was no current to speak of and the visibility looked great. We got our teams ready and entered the water.
I had the yellow team again...Paul, Emily J., Garett, Kevin and Jake. We had a simple dive plan...do a controlled descent, meet on the deck, go to the sand to measure the depth then tour until 1500psi of air (back on the line). The dive went as planned with the exception that Emily J. seemed a little anxious about being at 1600psi so we started to start up. I say that because so did most of the other two groups which made for a crowded ascent line. The divers had the option of ascedning off of the line, using it for a reference, but the majority felt the need to keep contact with the line. We did our 50ft safety stop then at about 20ft headed for the deco bars below the boat. There the team did a 3 minute stop then they headed for the surface. I stayed below. There was still a team doing an extended 8 minute safety stop so I stayed below as an extra 'safety diver' and to off gas a little more. Why not...I had about 1500psi left in the tank.
Once everyone was back on board we headed over to Rocky Top, a 25ft. patch reef. This was a buddy dive, where we turned everyone loose to dive on their own as a 'fun dive'. It was the first fun dive, without a training purpose. I dove with Alex as I did not remember Rocky Top and I wanted to check it out. It was a pretty little reef with lots of Grunts and Snappers. We were getting chilled so Alex and I headed for the boat but not before seeing bad diving...divers crashing the bottom, bad kicking, screwing around, tank riding etc. What a disappointment.
When we returned to the dock we completely emptied the boat and headed to the scuba area. Alex gave a briefing on how to break down, clean and put up gear, the Sea Base way.
I gave my gear a thorough washing since I won't be using it until February. The instructors even soaked all of our wetsuits and pieces in 'sink the stink' solutionn overnight.
The rest of the afternoonn was spent in the classroom doing paperwork. A bunch of the candidates still needed pictures for their cert. cards so Alex and I loaded them into two vans and off to CVS we went. There the photo guy worked out a deal for them so they only paid for a print rather than 'passport photos'.
We returned just in time for dinner and to get ready to head out to Key Wset for New Year's.