ScubaMarco Club Aquarius   Captains Chronicles  July ‘07 v5            

Diving - IndependenceHappy 4th everybody.  Independence is an interesting word, certainly as it relates to diving.  Being independent as a diver means you have the knowledge, experience, resources, and drive to plan and exacute a dive on your own.  It doesn’t mean you’re solo diving.  A solo diver should definetely be independent.  I love solo diving; all alone, responsible for just myself.  I also enjoy diving with other people (some more than others).  Jessi tells me recently that I am a bit of a loner.  I’m becoming OK with that, to a certain degree.  I couldn’t imagine heading out solo on the Scorpion for two weeks with 40 tanks to attempt a solo diving record.  I would enjoy it, but without close human contact to share my discoveries and emotions, I would start to get loopy.In conclusion: if you don’t cash your tank and/or attempt too narrow of a swim through, solo diving is rewarding with minimal additional risk.  But diving all alone is ultimately a sad proposition.  If you help me become an independent person, I’ll help you become an independent diver.  I’ve got to get philosophical later about parallels between diving and life. Diving - Advanced Open WaterTaking SSI’s advanced certification class is a fun and easy way to start down your road to diving independence.  We focus on 4 specialty dives (some of the more popular are; Navigation, Deep, Wreck, Night, Boat, Equipment Specialist, and Spearfishing).  Read the manuals, bring your answers to the questions to the class session (1 1/2 hours), do the dives (or show me your logbook with qualifying dives within the specialty) and get your card!  We will conductADVANCED OPEN-WATER CLASSES the 2nd THURSDAY EACH MONTH @ 6 PM.You must have <24 dives to earn the rating, but can do the training prior to accumulating dives.Cost is $150 for the books, classroom, and c-card, plus the regular cost of diving (if needed).      Diving - Stress & RescueVery helpful and a lot of fun is the general critique of this SSI specialty course.  This course is required to earn the Master Diver rating (the highest recreational certification).  Its also required to enter the professional arena (Dive Control Specialist and Instructor.  Anybody want to teach?Please see me if so!  The course involves reading  the manual, bring your answers to the questions to the class session (1 1/2 hours) and then 2 water sessions (1 in the pool, 1 in the gulf) where we review self rescue, practice search patterns, then act out rescue scenarios. We will conduct STRESS & RESCUE CLASSES the 3rd THURSDAY EACH MONTH @ 6 PM.Cost is $295 for the book, classroom, pool & boat training, and c-card.. Diving - Enriched Air Nitrox What is it???   Enriched Air Nitrox is a shallow water breathing gas with a higher oxygen level than air. Nitrox is NOT for deep dives, a common mis-perception.   It is perfect for repetitive dives in the 50 - 100 foot range.  The higher oxygen means less nitrogen, which reduces your chances for Decompression Sickness. Reducing nitrogen means you have longer bottom times at shallower depths. That gives you more time to hunt for lobster, spearfish or that perfect picture. The Nitrox course involves reading through the manual, learning the Nitrox tables, and a class session.  We will conduct NITROX CLASSES the 4th THURSDAY EACH MONTH @ 6 PM.  Cost is $125 for the book, tables, class and c-card.  Diving - Calender July THURSDAY, 5th: Dive Club 6 to 8 @ the Shop SATURDAY, 7th: Blue Hole or Spearing: 8 AM / TBD at meeting. SUNDAY, 8th and/or Monday, 9th: Night dive THURSDAY, 12th: Advanced Class 6:00 @ the Shop THURSDAY, 19th: Stress & Rescue Class 6:00 @ the Shop SATURDAY, 21st: Blue Hole 8 AM  THURSDAY, 26th: Nitrox Class 6:00 @ the Shop Diving - Travel Announcing the GRAND CAYMAN ‘WE’RE ABOUT TO LOSE OUR ASS SPECIAL’: When we book a trip we lay out deposits, to the Sunset House and Cayman Airways.  We are looking for as many people as possible.  We generally are kicked back a small percentage of each booking which helps cover the cost of organizing and promoting a trip.  Ten is the crucial number on this trip.  The bigger the # the more gravy on Scuba Marco’s taters.  The smaller the # the more acid in Scuba Marco’s bath. Cayman Air and the Sunset House have been wonderful in switching our dates 3 times, that’s no longer an option.  Since time is running out and we still need to sell 9 spots to keep the acid out of our bath water:Save $100 per person when booking at least 2 people!!!Just $1545 gets you a jet ride from Miami to G.C. the 20th of October, a shuttle to the Sunset House from the airport where you will find your air-conditioned home for the next 7 nights, 5 days of boat diving (unlimited shore), a cooked to order breakfast every morning, 2 nights of all you can drink frolicking (parties in my room), a shuttle back to the airport and a jet ride to Miami on the 27th of October..  Receive a free 20 minute massage upon booking (see Jessi).  C’mon!!!Check out www.sunsethouse.com and go find some extra bling.  Please help us avoid burning our proverbial ass.Thanks to all who are going to the Cay Sal Banks.  I’m actually excited for this one.  We have personalized luggage tags and more info here at the shop, drop by Thursday.  The Nekton ‘Pilot’ won’t be floating on gravy, nor will it be on acid water.  And that’s OK, saltwater works fine.  Diving - ClubsScuba Marco Club Aquarius will meet this Thursday, the 5th of July, 6 PM @ Scuba Marco.That’s either TODAY or TOMORROW for those that are time-space continuum challenged.  I was going to settle for pizza (not Little Ceasers, we’re getting awesome pies).  Then Matt Finn dropped in yesterday and said he was blue-crabbing today and wondering what to do with any extra crab.  So hopefully we’ll throw a crab boil into the mix.  If anyone throws down for the Cayman trip tomorrow I’ll show my appreciation by subjecting myself to a truth or dare (1 per bookee).Kids are always welcome at the meeting but this month they’re highly desirable.  Jessi, Jayce, and Jayden are on day 12 in New York, far surpassing my previous separation record of 7.  Besides kids, I need surrogate huggers!  Ladies if your packing LOL lay it on me tomorrow.  Fellas, I’m still about a week shy of breaking down and bear-hugging dudes.                                    Diving - PhilosophyThe parallels between life and diving really have my brain tweaked right now.  Life is nothing more than a series of choices, a dive - still a series of choices. DIVE: where do we want to go, deep or shallow, what specimens do we want to see/experience?LIFE: where do we want to live, give or take, who do we surround ourselves with, what to do? DIVE: requires equipment, knowledge, planning and we immediately encounter pressure.LIFE: requires equipment, knowledge, planning and we immediately encounter pressure. DIVE: coping with pressure, multiple means; nose blow, swallow, jaw jut, *hoc up a lugi*.LIFE: coping with pressure, multiple means; fleeing, drinking, pills/confronting meditation, god.Pressure can force us to abort a dive.  Pressure can make our life an abortion. DIVE: In the beginning; fight upstream or drift downstream, mosey around checking out the interesting or bare down on a specific bearing neglecting our surroundings?LIFE: Study, learn, strive, or just get by / live in the moment happy or pursue promises of rewards later? DIVE: @ 1500 psi; tanks half full, continue the fun or tanks half empty, anxious time to bolt?LIFE: @ the middle; many years ahead, determination growing, insights start flowing or time is racing, not enough minutes in the day, despair spawning? DIVE: Limited time/air, we’ll have to surface, hopefully to a beautiful retrospection.LIFE: Limited time/breaths, we will die, hopefully after a beautiful retrospection.                                    Dives and Lives are fantastic short-lived miracles. Embrace them and shine through every breath!On the note of a beautiful retrospection, Lance Meyer is terribly missed in the human realm.  Tears still flow and my heart swells when I think of Alicia and all those close to him struggling to cope with his passing.  His memorial on the beach last Friday evening was so beautiful, moving.A powerful message, gracefully placed upon a flock of grieving souls.  Thanks for all the smiles Lance.  I’m a better person for having met you.  I’ll try to honor your spirit in my life. Diving - LocalLocal diving in June was great, just shy of awesome.  The high winds rolled into the first week of June, but they were offshore (easterly).  That kept the vis very good close in.  We had 20 feet at the five mile reef and 1st mate Charlie was getting 15 ft. diving a patch reef he found in Naples off the beach.  Week 2 was spectacular.  As the winds laid down and we could run farther out we had top to bottom vis (40 ft.+) on several sites.  Week 3 lifted my spirits.  Last month I was wary of smaller fish populations and the lack of bait fish.  By the end of the week there was bait everywhere, and voila, the big gags appeared with them.  Tricky currents with last weeks full moon demonstrated the importance of the proper use of tag lines.  The vis held at the 5 mile reef (15 to 20 ft.) but I heard it dropped off further out as of last Sunday.  Lack of rain is a double edged sword, on the good side we should get above average vis as we dive into July.  Get wet! Diving - FriendsBesides the obvious (getting paid to dive) meeting cool people is the best part of what I do.  This past Thursday a young couple walked through my doors eager to try diving.  They debated over doing a dive in a day or getting certified, all afternoon.  By Sunday they were certified and buying me beer at the Sand Bar (I may not go back there) and on Monday we were becoming good friends at DaVinci’s.  Brendan and Susan were a breath of fresh air just when I needed it most.  Always nice to have a good hugger with soft hands for applying aloe to sun burned shoulders around.  Thanks again for everything guys, you are the front-runners for Scuba Marco’s customer of the year 2007!  Gram & Gramps miss you and want you to relocate permanently! Diving - PlaygroundsI can find dive-site playgrounds but I really need your help finding / making a playground - playground.  The Fam will be back early next week and I promised the kids a playground.Working here at the shop can be trying.  With a kid here it’s difficult.  With 2 kids it approaches impossible.  I may be too late to rekindle Jessi’s desire to work the shop, that’s not my issue to decide.  The kids will still be around, and baby Grant is becoming little man Grant.  Need the grounds for him if it’s Tracy in here working her sales magic.So, check the free classifieds, scour the Home Depot sales flyer. Better yet, hit up your neighborswhose kids are older and need an unused swing set moved from their back yard.  In my utopia I see this coming together  Sunday like the Amish building a barn.  I’ll buy the food and beverages Sunday in exchange for your resources, tools and sweat!  Please spread the word / share the love! E-mail me @ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

PEACE / LOVE / HAPPINESS > Be a kelp hugger, trees involve gravity, yuck!