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ScubaMarco Club Aquarius Captains Chronicles June ‘07 v4 Somebody finally shut off the wind machine. But what an easterly flow from Sunday May 20th until this past Sunday June 3rd. It’s always easy to feel sorry for yourself. I did manage 4 local dive trips though. While I bounced around at the 2 & 5 mile reefs (5 miles is as far as I can safely run in 20 kt. easterly wind) contemplating the weather patterns of the last few years, I thought about all the dive operators in the Keys and East coast. When I feel the self-pity trying to lasso me, I turn my sympathies outward. On-shore winds locked them in for two weeks (14 trips), and if they did run, it was out of monetary desperation. Wonder how many beat up, seasick new divers have just exited the sport? I may have only been 2 miles out, but at least we were there. Trips are just one piece of our pie. Unlike some operators, having the shop sales and teaching students diversifies us enough to ride out spells of poor (diving) conditions. These weather ‘spells’ are definitely more common and longer in duration than when I first opened the shop (Aug. ‘98). Ah yes, the good ole days, back when the world had no problems and gas was affordable. As my favorite modern philosopher Neil Peart puts it in RUSH’s new release Snakes & Arrows (ya, they’re still rockin!); “It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit” “It’s a far cry from the way we thought we’d share it” I’ve found myself thinking of longevity lately. Why do some live to 100, others won’t see 50? Two weeks back, I took out two ladies on a full boat to the Bubba and Bogan’s Barge. They drove from Venice to make it here by 9A.M. for they’re fourth day of diving in a row. They had dove Venice the previous day in “13 inch” visibility looking for shark’s teeth. They were vivacious and enthusiastic and ‘Bet’, the older one, had more energy than Jayce and Jayden combined (impossible to imagine but true). They are 76 and 78 years young! Truly an inspiration. Bruce and Tracy were onboard and will hopefully be able to share some of their stories at the dive club meeting this Thursday, the 7th of June, 6PM @ Scuba Marco. What enables that sort of virility? Why does that one dolphin (fish) in 100,000 grow to over 50 pounds? Luck and randomness probably have more to do with it in the fish world than the human realm. But that dolphin has his daily choices too: ‘that ballyhoo sure looks tasty but I’m not sure about that sharp silver point on his belly’, ‘does that swordfish see me, should I swim away or stay still?’. “Why such different fortunes and fate?” “Some are blessed and some are cursed” Seems like most of us are born with an unending drive to live and survive. But the drive to live well and graciously finish the marathon is not a birth-right, it must be cultivated. Growing to be fruitful requires enormous effort. Seems like a daunting and almost impossible task to grow spiritual fruit in today’s world. And it is, in today’s world. Our spirit is cultivated within the field that is our mind and heart. CNN will not nurture our inner sense. If the news of the day pisses you off and/or depresses you: “You might as well rise, put on your bravest face” “Though we might have precious little It’s still precious” Neil is saying, don’t waste a minute, don’t allow yourself to be emotional beaten, if life’s events are chaffing at you, do something, anything but wallowing in sadness and helplessness.I’m saying, turn off the F@#*%$# television and go diving! Diving - Local We already covered recent winds, let’s talk about visibility and the short term outlook. High pressure settling over us means light winds. A waning moon phase means mild currents. The water’s not too hot, no algae blooms. We’re just shy of rainy season, no saturated ground draining rainfall sediment into the Gulf. Add fairly clear skies and all the variables are in place for good visibility and excellent diving this week. I’m optimistic, but I’ll stop short of guaranteeing sweet diving. Predicting visibility is a lot like predicting the weather. I don’t think of them as weather forecasters anymore, they’re ‘psychic weather reporters’. I haven’t seen an arrow crab (looks like a spider) since before Wilma, anybody else? They used to be plentiful, hard to think they could all get wiped out. Our nudi-branchs (shell-less snail) have definitely rebound. Fish populations really seem to be down the past year. Gag grouper are few and far between plus the big breeders are absent. The schools of snook which were really impressive the past two springs have dramatically decreased in number of schools and the schools size. The massive widespread pods of bait fish close to the coast have been eerily sparse lately. Not good! Why? Obviously we recreational fisherman are out of control. We’re catching and killing everything in our sight. We must have tighter regulations, smaller bag limits, tighter slot sizes and longer closed seasons. Maybe we should allow those born on an even year to fish Saturdays, odd years on Sunday and just close down the sport M-F. Seems like the law makers have this mentality. Unbelievable! There’s much I don’t know but this one is a no-brainer, and the reason why fish stocks are down in SW. Florida,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, RED TIDE!!! The nasty, pervasive algae bloom around us and more intense just to our north the past couple years killed thousands of fish and spared no species. Hmmm. Lock “RED” up and throw away the key. Nobody cares more about healthy fish stocks than a responsible fisherman. Why be so concerned about the recreational and commercial ‘take’ when the red tide is sure to come back and wastefully kill all the fish we’re sparing anyway? Let’s spend some time, money, and energy researching the causes of red tide. Wait, we know what causes red tide, but it’s easier to say “it’s a naturally occurring phenomenon with complex causes” than to address the solution which would negatively impact most of us. Think of all the fertilizer and pesticides dumped onto all the lawns and golf courses in SW. Florida. Add the federally subsidized sugar cane crop grown in the Ochechobee area (this is a true travesty) and the crippled flow of water through the everglades, and voila: red tide. So in conclusion, it’s not the fisherman killing fish, it’s golfers. Golfers are a pretty strong coalition in these parts. Good luck slapping limits and restrictions on golfing. Diving - Clubs Scuba Marco Club Aquarius will meet this Thursday, the 7th of June, 6 PM @ Scuba Marco.I have no idea what to serve. Last months fried gator was O.K., but really left something to be desired (less chewing). It was a few days after the meeting when Matt confided to me that it was a 12 foot long gator we were sinking our dentures into. Maybe I’ll give him a chance to produce some more fresh clams. Or maybe we’ll grill hotdogs! If you haven’t seen me since last meeting, you gotta come check out the new do! Bring a friend. Kids (of all ages) are welcome (I’m here). Diving - Into More Philosophy Nothing like a new studio release from the Canadian trio to provoke deep thought. Talk about longevity, 33 years consecutive years for a rock band. That would be the equivalent of a modern marriage lasting 85 years! Not just some of the original members playing songs that they may or may not have wrote 25 years ago. The original band still making fresh new music at the highest level. Neil is the most talented drummer to ever pick up sticks, an astute observer, and (at least for me) a provocative lyricist. Geddy has that high pitch voice, but what a musician. Plays foot pedals while alternating his hands between guitar and keyboards while he lead sings. Alex, well Alex is the perfect compliment to these two. See them live Friday, June 15th in West Palm, that will be my 19th or 20th Rush concert. Their precision and acoustics will blow you away. Even if you didn’t like the tunes you’d respect the musicians. You’ll also ponder the meaning of longevity the whole ride home and appreciate music’s version of it. Hope you enjoy the philosophy. I wasn’t trying to preach, and didn’t mean to be self-righteous: “One day I feel I’m on top of the world And the next it’s falling in on me” “One day I feel I’m ahead of the wheel And the next it’s rolling over me” I know what works for me. In my mind I filter out negativity, allow love in and give it a home in my heart. Sounds easy enough, but we’re human. At times I’m in control and strong but: “In the softest voice there’s an acid tongue” “In the oldest eyes there’s a soul so young” “In the shakiest will there’s a core of steel” “In the smoothest ride there’s a squeaky wheel” “In the strongest man there’s a child so weak” “In the sweetest child there’s a vicious streak” “In the whole wide world there’s no magic place” “So you might as well rise, put on your bravest face” Diving - Calender June THURSDAY, 7th: Dive Club 6 to 8 @ the Shop SATURDAY, 9th: Blue Hole??? THURSDAY, 14th: Advanced Class 5:30 @ the Shop THURSDAY, 21st: Nitrox Class 5:30 @ the Shop SATURDAY, 23rd: Blue Hole 8 AM / Night Dives 5:30 SUNDAY, 24th: Blue Hole 8 AM / Night Dives 5:30 SATURDAY, 30th: Spearfish Trip 8 AM SATURDAY, 30th: Dive Club Orgy 11-? @ the shop, anybody still reading??? E-mail me @
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PEACE / LOVE / HAPPINESS > Be a kelp hugger, trees involve gravity, yuck!
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