Looks like I wrote my end of the season report (see previous post) a little prematurely, one of my new dive friends, Mark Hennessey asked if I wanted to join them on a trip to the Northern Pacific next Sunday aboard the Atlantus. I am still trying to clear my schedule to make it happen but this is one dive I've been wanting to do for a long time. Time will tell whether or not the weather will cooperate and if I am able to go. So stayed tuned there may be one more trip report for the year.
On a side note, last night I was at my favorite Pub, Doyles Poor House and they had this awesome 2 man band called The Skeggs. They are very simple, one acoustic guitar and a set of bongos and boy is the bongo player great. They play lots of Sublime, Bob Marley and also play more recent music like Coldplay with a reggae-bongo twist. I love listening to live music and I really enjoyed their show. Check them out sometime! When I am not diving, hiking or kayaking I like to just hang at the pub for a few and believe it or not, you would be surprised at how many other divers I've run into there. They have good food too!
May the weather Gods do their magic and make the seas in the North Atlantic calm this weekend....
11/20/09....Update...that NE wind is coming again, it isn't looking good for the N. Pacific... Just spoke with Andrew Larsen of the Atlantus and we are going to decide tomorrow...Keeping my fingers crossed.
11/21/09...Dive Blown out! I am disappointed that my last attempt for the year to go to the N. Pacific was blown out but, I don't want to be out there in NE winds either. Now, the season is over for sure.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
End of the Season 2009
I've come to admit that the 2009 dive season is over for me. It was a fantastic dive season full of adventure! I accomplished almost everything I set out to do: I am now a certified NAUI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Techniques diver, although I have dove in this manner for years, I did in fact learn a few things that I did not know before, therefore it was worthwhile; I dove, the Offshore Paddlewheeler which is a wreck I always wanted to dive and that dive was the highlight of my year; I ended up making a total of 14 dives to other wrecks such as the Pauline Marie, Varanger, Catamount, Southern Lilian, Inshore Paddlewheeler, Gloria and Double East.
Although I did not get to the Cayru, Freighter or N. Pacific as planned due to blow-outs, I did get to the Varanger and to the Southern Lilian twice. Brian & Andrew Larsen and Jeff Graham have included me in all of their offshore trips and I am so grateful to have found them and other divers that are interested in diving the same wrecks as I am. It has been very hard for me to start over with a new dive shop and new boats etc. but in the end, I think I have been rewarded with meeting such great people whom believe in me and my diving capabilities.
I just purchased new used tanks from another very accomplished diver whom can no longer dive due to cancer. It is hard to buy gear from someone whom can no longer dive. I will definitely think of him out there diving so he can be there in spirit. I will finally be rid of my double aluminum 80's, now I have two sets of double steel 100's. This winter I will also upgrade my regulators and get another computer and I'll be set of the the next season. Oh yeah...that dry suit, what to do??? Buy new or fix this one? I was wet all season and it has to be fixed!
I want to thank my friends in Diversion Group for a fun time on the Gypsy Blood this year and like I told Helen Bilinski, I wish I was able to dive with all of you more often. Helen said she is trying to plan the North Carolina trip for August next year and maybe we can make it fit into our schedule. Believe it or not I have never been diving in North Carolina.
As I have said many times before, I fully believe things in life always happen for a reason. Although I still do not know why events surrounding my diving happened, I can only assume that they happened to set me free to explore and expand my diving capabilities and experiences. I am still grieving the huge loss resulting from this, and somedays the pain is unbearable, but this season I continued to heal and grow. I accomplished a lot this year and it was not easy. Life is never easy, the harder you work to accomplish something, the greater the reward once you've accomplished it. I am proud of myself and I hope others are too.
I am really excited for what next year will bring in terms of diving. I will try again to get to the Cayru, Freighter, N. Pacific, Arundo and Moonstone. I already put a bid in with Diversion Group for an Arundo dive next season. The others...I'll just have to be patient and hope they show up on someone's schedule.
Check back throughout the winter, I am putting together some slide shows of old dives and old slide pictures Bill & I took years ago. I have one just about done and will be posting it soon. Till next year....
Although I did not get to the Cayru, Freighter or N. Pacific as planned due to blow-outs, I did get to the Varanger and to the Southern Lilian twice. Brian & Andrew Larsen and Jeff Graham have included me in all of their offshore trips and I am so grateful to have found them and other divers that are interested in diving the same wrecks as I am. It has been very hard for me to start over with a new dive shop and new boats etc. but in the end, I think I have been rewarded with meeting such great people whom believe in me and my diving capabilities.
I just purchased new used tanks from another very accomplished diver whom can no longer dive due to cancer. It is hard to buy gear from someone whom can no longer dive. I will definitely think of him out there diving so he can be there in spirit. I will finally be rid of my double aluminum 80's, now I have two sets of double steel 100's. This winter I will also upgrade my regulators and get another computer and I'll be set of the the next season. Oh yeah...that dry suit, what to do??? Buy new or fix this one? I was wet all season and it has to be fixed!
I want to thank my friends in Diversion Group for a fun time on the Gypsy Blood this year and like I told Helen Bilinski, I wish I was able to dive with all of you more often. Helen said she is trying to plan the North Carolina trip for August next year and maybe we can make it fit into our schedule. Believe it or not I have never been diving in North Carolina.
As I have said many times before, I fully believe things in life always happen for a reason. Although I still do not know why events surrounding my diving happened, I can only assume that they happened to set me free to explore and expand my diving capabilities and experiences. I am still grieving the huge loss resulting from this, and somedays the pain is unbearable, but this season I continued to heal and grow. I accomplished a lot this year and it was not easy. Life is never easy, the harder you work to accomplish something, the greater the reward once you've accomplished it. I am proud of myself and I hope others are too.
I am really excited for what next year will bring in terms of diving. I will try again to get to the Cayru, Freighter, N. Pacific, Arundo and Moonstone. I already put a bid in with Diversion Group for an Arundo dive next season. The others...I'll just have to be patient and hope they show up on someone's schedule.
Check back throughout the winter, I am putting together some slide shows of old dives and old slide pictures Bill & I took years ago. I have one just about done and will be posting it soon. Till next year....
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