I got up at 4:30 and picked up Gordon for the drive to the East Coast. There were only four divers on the boat, including a young couple from Indiana who learned to dive in rock quarries.
The first dive was a drift dive at 90 feet for the allowable 21 minutes. We saw a nurse shark, a couple of loggerheads and lots of tropical fish and corals. The visibility was about 80 feet, with the water temperature at an amazing 79 degrees F.
It was windy with high seas. I had a little trouble getting a hold on the ladder and climbing back aboard with my fins on my feet, 80 pounds of gear on my back and a severely bobbing boat. I guess I'm getting old.
The second dive was at 60 feet on a big sunken barge and debris field. Gordon saw a stingray "as big as a Winnebago", but I missed it. They stand you on the dive platform and yell, "DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!" so you go in fast and don't get swept past the reef or wreck by the strong Gulf Stream current...very cool.
I decided to borrow a couple of pictures from the "Narcosis Divers" website and leave my camera at home. They have a lovely collection of photos.
We went with Pura Vida Divers. They were a lot of fun and very considerate of the abilities and desires of their customers. The sun was out and the air temperature was 83 degrees F for most of the day. Something about pumping extra nitrogen into your tissues is very relaxing.
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