I first dived with Kevin Metz and Underwater Explorers on June 6, 2009, about two years after he started. We did 4 dives that day, the Captain Tony, Black Condo, Table Tops, and Lynn's Reef. The experience changed everything. Since doing 2 drift dives with Jupiter Dive Center in 2007, I had been exploring SE Florida from Fort Lauderdale to Jupiter, looking for a place to locate for future diving. It took a bit longer, but my wife and I bought a townhouse in Hypoluxo, 3 miles north of Boynton Harbor Marina, in 2011.
I have 451 dives off the Explorer. Early on it was with Captain Alex Gonzalez, one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He went on to become a successful airplane mechanic. Kevin was guiding dives and taught me to find my way around the Boynton Reef. Wilhelmina Stanton was also guiding and is now the South Florida Team Lead for Diveheart. Later, Kevin operated the boat by himself and no longer put a guide in the water. The majority of my diving became incredibly enjoyable solo diving. This is also where I met Alex Borsutsky, substitute captain for Loggerhead, and probably the single most knowledgeable diver regarding Boynton Beach.
I did my first dives on the Castor in 2009, leading to a lasting love affair. I watched the stern get knocked off by Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012 and then saw the bow get knocked off by Hurricane Matthew in October of 2016. Hurricane Irma inflicted a bit more damage in September of 2017. I did 33 dives on the Castor in 2016, all but 2 before Hurricane Matthew. The majority of these dives were during the spectacular Goliath Grouper aggregation that year.
I will always remember the 4th of July, 2014. We did a late afternoon dive and then a night dive on Table Tops, before mooring inside the Boynton Inlet to enjoy fireworks and friends
My last dives on the Explorer were on November 16, 2019. The first started on the outside at Sharkie's Ledge and cut over to Briny Breezes. The second was a peaceful drift in the north on Castle Ledge.
Early this year, Kevin graduated from the Harvard University Extension School with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies. He has been working in this area since
(47) Kevin Metz | LinkedIn
Underwater Explorers may be gone, but I am left with innumerable good memories. Best of all, I am glad to call Kevin Metz my friend.
Family
My son, daughter, and Kevin in May 2016, only one missing this trip was my wife
