Texasguy
Contributor
I remember once when I was just a visitor to Fort Lauderdale, I brought my own sidemount harness and got 2 aluminum 100cu tanks for rent for a shoredive. There I was on my 3rd hour of an easy shoredive when a rain started hammering and quickly turned into a bad dark thunderstorm. I was rather far from the shore when decided to turn back. You see, I thought it would just rain and stop. As I swam toward the beach-line, my advance was accompanied by beats of overhead thunder that sounded muffed, yet the lightning flashes were illuminating very sharply and felt very real. So, I make it to the shore after 15mins of kicking hard, kind of tired of swimming at the top of my lungs, I come out, the weather is ****, cats and dogs plus lightning all over, dark like some late evening, flashes like every 15 seconds, basically one wet hell. There I am with 2 tanks attached to me, running on collapsing legs toward some roof far away, hoping to make it across a very empty wet beach. Oh, I thought I'd die from the exhaustion (or electrocution), it is like a military seal's training, I bet. Try to run with 100lb hanging on you while sand turns to mud on every step, it is an experience. I am probably lucky that I did not rip something in my legs. By the time I finally made it under a roof, my heart rate passed a roof of its own, blessed those who are young. I was the only stupido there, all others have long departed the beach. When the rain let go, I hid my tanks in the bushes and went to the hotel to get the keys to my car, then drove to the spot to recover the tanks. Surprisingly, they were still there. Oh, what a memorable day it was, it is so enjoyable to remain living!
Now thinking back, probably should have left the tanks on the sand and should have ran for the roof without them. Would be faster and would be less of a magnet. Nowadays I turn back at the sound of rain, no longer take chances it will go away on its own.
Now thinking back, probably should have left the tanks on the sand and should have ran for the roof without them. Would be faster and would be less of a magnet. Nowadays I turn back at the sound of rain, no longer take chances it will go away on its own.
