Out of all the dives and all the charters thus far, we had our first real, first rate charter dive experience. We scheduled a dive with Captain Terry Crowell, on the Sea Spray II, out of Savannah, GA. Unfortunately, our work schedules did not permit us to spend the night in Savannah the night before. The boat docks one and a half hours south so we had said that we would go to bed early, between 9 11 the night before since we had to get up at 3:30 4:00 AM in order to leave by 5. We were boarding the boat at 6:30 AM.
Well, things did not go as planned. We stayed up too late rebuilding regulators and installing my new hoses. By the time we finished everything that needed attention it was 2:11 AM and I snuggled up in the bed and fell asleep right away. When the alarm went off, I got up and took a quick shower. I stuck my head in and rousted my buddy. Time to get up and get ready. Then I grabbed the waters from the freezer, fixed our steak biscuits and grabbed the snack bag. It took about an hour for us to be ready to leave, cause we packed the car the night before. As soon as we started the car the low oil light came on. Since we had to stop and get gas I checked the oil and sure enough I was a quart low. I got a quart and then we were off.
At 5 AM we were headed to Savannah for our dive. It had been a month since my last ocean dive and I had been aching to get under the water. We ate a little on the way and just about day break we reached the marina. Moments before us, two of the members of the dive group arrived so it was nice to get out of the car and meet people that we would spend the day with. We chatted briefly figuring out who had what qualifications. We then began to unload the gear from the car. The marina was impressive in that there was no boat ramp. All water craft were hoisted from their trailers by a hydraulic lift of some sort and carefully lowered into the water down below. I dawned my bp&w and I threw my dive bag over my shoulder and proceeded down the ramp onto the dock. I was immediately meet by Mike, one of the crew hands who took my dive bag and regulators. Right off the bat he questioned what was up with the long hose. Thats a pretty long hose youve got there little lady, he said. I dont know, Ive seen longer, I replied. They loaded everyones gear on the boat and we met Captain Terry. He was very friendly right off the bat and then others began to arrive. There were six of us total. Two ladies, me and another (BTW a single lady been diving for the last three years) and four men, SJ included. Within a few minutes we were boarding the boat and meeting everyone. We found everyone to be really nice and everyone was looking forward to a great dive. As we got underway we met Mrs. Crowell, the First Mate (only mate as she pointed out). She introduced SeaJay and I as the rescue divers of the group and completed the introductions. Then she got busy serving up breakfast: Fresh fruit, homemade quiche and plenty fresh beverages. After some chit-chat and getting acquainted we all discussed our training qualifications and gear choices making sure that everyone understood that SeaJay and I dive Hogarthian rigs and what to expect in case of an emergency. (specifically an OOA). After that we decided to move freely about the boat. I went topside and watched the sun continue to rise and find its place in the sky. I took several pictures to try and capture the beauty of it all and thought of everyone I wish I could share this with. I went back down and grabbed a plate of breakfast and took it topside and enjoyed my breakfast and the scenic marsh view in the sunrise. After breakfast, I shed my shorts and laid down on the deck cushion and took a nap in the warm morning sun. Before I fell asleep Mike told me that I could lay in the sun and do whatever I wanted as long as I did it necked so that would prevent tan lines. I just laughed and said I think my guy would like tan lines because they are sexy. I began to nap, then I felt someone sit near me, I looked up to find my buddy sorta of laying there beside me. Since I was taking the whole cushion, I offered to share. He wasnt feeling his best. I believe the lack of sleep was taking its toll. I went below for a bottle to grab a bottle of water and returned to my spot only taking half the cushion and began to nap again. Nearly three hours from shore I heard the deck hand tell SeaJay it was time to put his gear together. I popped up and took a good look around. What a beautiful sight. Aqua blue water all around, big puffy white clouds hung in the sky and the sun was such a pretty tangerine orange with yellow edges. There were a couple fishing boats near by. The guys fishing were very friendly and waved as I sat on the top deck of this boat and rode by. I returned a wave before I went down below to put on my wetsuit and get my gear together. These guys hung out in the vicinity all day.
Finally, we had arrived. I hurried to gear up as my buddy likes to get in right away. As usual, as soon as possible after the boat anchored, and after all buddy checks, he was in the water. I followed quickly him. The water was pretty calm for the ocean. We signaled, OK divers down and began to sink beneath the surface and proceed to the anchor line. The visibility was good and not a lot of biology in the water as we floated like parachutists toward the bottom. I always enjoy seeing the rays of sunlight reflect into the waters below. It still brings a grin as I picture it now. There was a blatant thermal cline after a gradual change that we hit like bursting threw a line of Red Rover Come Over on the playground in grade school. One quick punch and there we were. There were a few jellies floating by and I noticed a strange eel like creature that seemed to be mostly transparent like the jellies. I had never seen the likes of it before so of course I was very inquisitive. It moved through the water swift and quick in the motion of a serpent, bending its body back and forth to gain grown. No pun intended. There was a moderate size nurse shark slightly off in the distance but I was unable to pay it much attention as I was being very careful to equalize. I realized when preparing my mask on board that I had not taken my decongestant and was slightly concerned about clearing my ears. I found out later that there was a ray hanging out with the shark that I didnt get to see. Bummer.
As we slowly descended on the bow of the tug boat it looked to be in excellent condition. Everything in tact. There was a lot of life on the boat. As usually we began our once over. We almost always go around the entire wreck once before beginning our exploration. I like this because it helps in discovering the environment and makes us aware of things around us. (If you know what I mean.) As always, there were several large barracuda keeping watch. I can still see their shiny bodies reflecting in the water. Their markings seemed to be very distinct and their color was quite bright. There were lots of remora and sheeps head fish around. With plenty so schools of small shiny fish that quickly darted in and around us. As mentioned before I tend to closely examine as much as possible and I am always pointing out things to my buddy. This dive was no different. We found an opening in the side of the boat so we grabbed our lights in hand and proceeded to enter the craft. It was quite dark as we were entering a lower deck. There were a few grouper hanging out inside, as well as a few others types of fish. SJ pointed out a huge angelfish, larger than my face. It was silvery white with charcoal black edging. What a beautiful fish. Just floating effortlessly through the water with a gentle swish. After a quick look around in the very tight quarters, we proceeded to the door. SJ did not wear gloves and as he went through the opening he quickly turned to me with a grimace beneath his mask and began to flagrantly flip off the rim of the opening. I looked carefully to see if there was an urchin or something that could have hurt but I only saw billowy looking plant life. Later I found out its name and that it is covered with a dusty substance and it stings. It stings badly. I knew something was up by the way he continued to flip it off. I proceeded to the railing and hung in the water checking out everything attached. I noticed something that looked very much like a large spider. It was black with long legs and a tiny spec of a body. No claws or pinchers. I gently took my index finger and began to carefully move the water near it and sure enough it moved. I knew I had seen something like this sea spider on Discovery but never in real life. I immediately tapped my buddy and began to show him my new find. As I looked around I began to notice there were lots of them. They blended in with the plant life so well that without close inspection I would never have noticed they were there. Maybe thats what happened until now? Maybe I just didnt notice them? I find that hard to believe because I comb everything. Anyway.
We proceeded to the prop of the boat. It was very large; I was surprised to see just how big it was. There next to the prop was a huge red snapper. It was definitely larger than my torso. He was hanging out in the safe shelter of the tug. We swam back up the other side of the boat and I looked all around the bottom for sand dollars or starfish. I was surprised that there were no sand dollars and I didnt see any starfish. There were few sea urchins too. The bottom was very clean. We proceeded up the side of the tug to a more shallow depth and I noticed a large fishing lure attached to the side. I checked it out to make sure that it was secure and no fish could get hurt on it. If they are not secure, I like to bring them up so the fish cant get a hold of them down there. As we moved along the side deck of the boat there was a large grappling style anchor. Of course this was a perfect opportunity to practice floating a lift bag, so SJ whipped his out and I held the top as he inflated the bag to neutral buoyancy. We swam it along with us then headed up the line for our deco stop. During our deco stop, I was once again visited by that eel like creature. I was pointing it out to SJ. As we waited our minute then rose to our next stop, something stung the heck out of the left side of my face near my lip. I quickly looked to see if there were any jellies around but I saw nothing. I reached up and rubbed my face with my gloved hand and my face immediately began to sting.
Once on the surface I climbed aboard and sat on the platform and removed my gear. I noticed that there was some red dust like stuff on my gloves and I washed them off in the water. I climbed up to the second deck and my face felt like it was swelling and it burnt. I removed my wetsuit, booties, gloves; etc grabbed my towel and just lay in the sun to dry my swimsuit. I was told the name of the billowy plant and that its dust was probably on my glove and that made it worse on my face. I was also told that urine would take the sting out, so I opted to tough it out. LOL. SJ decided to get back into the water and float on the surface for our SI. I laid in the life raft out of the way and dried in the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day. I dozed for a few minutes when I hear my buddy began to call my name and asked if I was ready to get back in. I didnt realize we had been out long enough, but sure enough we had been. So someone floated his gear to him and I dressed and geared up and did a giant stride once more off the back of the boat.
This time as we descended we were covered with fish. When we were about 45 ft I felt something grab my hair (I had decided not to wear my hood because it was so warm) and pull hard. I quickly turned, honestly thinking it was a diver, to find a 2 ½ ft remora coming in for another bite. I showed SJ that it was coming back and I motioned to show him it pulled my hair. I reached out and it quickly darted away, but it swam back in very close. With one quick motion I grabbed it by the tail. It tried to swim away and I turned to show SJ. Then I pushed it forward in the water and let it go. The darn thing came right back. It began to swim up close and all around and SJ began to motion it away. He actually had to bop it in the nose. By this time we were near the bottom and I saw one lonely starfish. It was orangish in color, no other markings. I just grinned as I hadnt seen any others. This time we went into the tug to explore the inside. The pilot house was in very good condition. I was really surprised that the wood was in tact and in great condition. I had heard that it was but I really was prepared for it to look swollen and rotten but it wasnt. We exited there and went into the lower deck. It was very dark and we had to use both our dive lights to see. I felt something pull on my reg hose and the next thing I knew it was loose. I threaded it around under my sheath pocket before entering the water. So, I took the primary out of my mouth and rerouted my hose. We went deeper inside of the wreck and the same thing happened. I looked around to see if I was catching it on something but I couldnt see that I was. There were lots of cross beams though so I thought I needed to be careful. The next thing I knew it happened again. I reached around and tugged on it and another diver had it in his hand. Then suddenly my tank strap was opened and his buddy was motioning for me not to move. I signaled my light to SJ as they did something to my gear. SJ came back up to me and I could feel the guy adjust my tank strap. His buddy then motioned OK and my hose was once again just out there. I took the reg out of my mouth and replaced it with my secondary and SJ and I rerouted the hose. We were crammed into very tight quarters, so it was a bit difficult to move around. Once my hose was in place, I replaced my secondary and signaled OK. We proceeded out of the wreck and as I swam I quickly discovered my tank was loose. I just placed my hand on the bottom of my tank and kept it back there to finish the dive. Later I was told by the guy helping me that my long hose was hung up on my tool on my waist and when it was straightened out for me it was just too long. That led to it interfering with my tank strap and loosening it up, so he had to fix my tank strap for me. I thought, if I would have really had a problem I would be glad to have been assisted. But, if my hose had never been adjusted for me I dont think I would have had a problem. Everything turned out alright though. I just once more had a new learning experience and discussed with SJ that I say No to any help but his. He knows my gear as I do his and he and I should be the only ones setup, address, adjust whatever.
After exiting this tug I feeling a little sick to my stomach and was ready to proceed to the surface. We did our deco stop and I gimped aboard. My face was numbing from whatever got me the first dive and I was not feeling sick to my stomach and not up to eating lunch. I never get seasick and Ive never heard of getting seasick underwater so we all thought it was due to the sting on my face. Once on board I was fine. On board, I heard various reason of why my hose is too long for me and how that causes problems and I explained why I chose my rig and that everyone should dive their preference. I went to the upper deck removed my wetsuit, etc and laid in the sun face up for a little for a few minutes. When it was time to leave, I turned over and rested in the sun for part of the way back. It felt good to have the sun on my back. I napped briefly and opened my eyes and looked to my left and there laid SJ sleeping in the sun too. He looked so cute there. It had been a long day and I knew the rest would do him well. It began to get a bit hot so I worked myself into the shade. One of the other guys came topside to chat so I grabbed a shirt to cover up the three of us had a great talk. Everyone else but the captain was sacked out asleep by this point.
It took longer to get back then going out there but the ride was nice. After we docked it was nice that the crew pitched in to carry everyones gear up the ramp. We loaded the car and chatted with the guys who had been fishing near us out there. They were getting their catch cleaned by a dock hand at the marina. SJ and I went back to the boat to grab a bite to eat because we didnt eat lunch on the way in.
Other than the slight unfamiliarity gear issue, it really was the best charter experience we have had thus far. The boat was awesome, the crew was great and the divers were friendly. I have a good friend in CA who tells me that he takes charter trips like that all the time. It always sounds like so much fun. I cant wait to tell him that I went on one too.
Raven
Well, things did not go as planned. We stayed up too late rebuilding regulators and installing my new hoses. By the time we finished everything that needed attention it was 2:11 AM and I snuggled up in the bed and fell asleep right away. When the alarm went off, I got up and took a quick shower. I stuck my head in and rousted my buddy. Time to get up and get ready. Then I grabbed the waters from the freezer, fixed our steak biscuits and grabbed the snack bag. It took about an hour for us to be ready to leave, cause we packed the car the night before. As soon as we started the car the low oil light came on. Since we had to stop and get gas I checked the oil and sure enough I was a quart low. I got a quart and then we were off.
At 5 AM we were headed to Savannah for our dive. It had been a month since my last ocean dive and I had been aching to get under the water. We ate a little on the way and just about day break we reached the marina. Moments before us, two of the members of the dive group arrived so it was nice to get out of the car and meet people that we would spend the day with. We chatted briefly figuring out who had what qualifications. We then began to unload the gear from the car. The marina was impressive in that there was no boat ramp. All water craft were hoisted from their trailers by a hydraulic lift of some sort and carefully lowered into the water down below. I dawned my bp&w and I threw my dive bag over my shoulder and proceeded down the ramp onto the dock. I was immediately meet by Mike, one of the crew hands who took my dive bag and regulators. Right off the bat he questioned what was up with the long hose. Thats a pretty long hose youve got there little lady, he said. I dont know, Ive seen longer, I replied. They loaded everyones gear on the boat and we met Captain Terry. He was very friendly right off the bat and then others began to arrive. There were six of us total. Two ladies, me and another (BTW a single lady been diving for the last three years) and four men, SJ included. Within a few minutes we were boarding the boat and meeting everyone. We found everyone to be really nice and everyone was looking forward to a great dive. As we got underway we met Mrs. Crowell, the First Mate (only mate as she pointed out). She introduced SeaJay and I as the rescue divers of the group and completed the introductions. Then she got busy serving up breakfast: Fresh fruit, homemade quiche and plenty fresh beverages. After some chit-chat and getting acquainted we all discussed our training qualifications and gear choices making sure that everyone understood that SeaJay and I dive Hogarthian rigs and what to expect in case of an emergency. (specifically an OOA). After that we decided to move freely about the boat. I went topside and watched the sun continue to rise and find its place in the sky. I took several pictures to try and capture the beauty of it all and thought of everyone I wish I could share this with. I went back down and grabbed a plate of breakfast and took it topside and enjoyed my breakfast and the scenic marsh view in the sunrise. After breakfast, I shed my shorts and laid down on the deck cushion and took a nap in the warm morning sun. Before I fell asleep Mike told me that I could lay in the sun and do whatever I wanted as long as I did it necked so that would prevent tan lines. I just laughed and said I think my guy would like tan lines because they are sexy. I began to nap, then I felt someone sit near me, I looked up to find my buddy sorta of laying there beside me. Since I was taking the whole cushion, I offered to share. He wasnt feeling his best. I believe the lack of sleep was taking its toll. I went below for a bottle to grab a bottle of water and returned to my spot only taking half the cushion and began to nap again. Nearly three hours from shore I heard the deck hand tell SeaJay it was time to put his gear together. I popped up and took a good look around. What a beautiful sight. Aqua blue water all around, big puffy white clouds hung in the sky and the sun was such a pretty tangerine orange with yellow edges. There were a couple fishing boats near by. The guys fishing were very friendly and waved as I sat on the top deck of this boat and rode by. I returned a wave before I went down below to put on my wetsuit and get my gear together. These guys hung out in the vicinity all day.
Finally, we had arrived. I hurried to gear up as my buddy likes to get in right away. As usual, as soon as possible after the boat anchored, and after all buddy checks, he was in the water. I followed quickly him. The water was pretty calm for the ocean. We signaled, OK divers down and began to sink beneath the surface and proceed to the anchor line. The visibility was good and not a lot of biology in the water as we floated like parachutists toward the bottom. I always enjoy seeing the rays of sunlight reflect into the waters below. It still brings a grin as I picture it now. There was a blatant thermal cline after a gradual change that we hit like bursting threw a line of Red Rover Come Over on the playground in grade school. One quick punch and there we were. There were a few jellies floating by and I noticed a strange eel like creature that seemed to be mostly transparent like the jellies. I had never seen the likes of it before so of course I was very inquisitive. It moved through the water swift and quick in the motion of a serpent, bending its body back and forth to gain grown. No pun intended. There was a moderate size nurse shark slightly off in the distance but I was unable to pay it much attention as I was being very careful to equalize. I realized when preparing my mask on board that I had not taken my decongestant and was slightly concerned about clearing my ears. I found out later that there was a ray hanging out with the shark that I didnt get to see. Bummer.
As we slowly descended on the bow of the tug boat it looked to be in excellent condition. Everything in tact. There was a lot of life on the boat. As usually we began our once over. We almost always go around the entire wreck once before beginning our exploration. I like this because it helps in discovering the environment and makes us aware of things around us. (If you know what I mean.) As always, there were several large barracuda keeping watch. I can still see their shiny bodies reflecting in the water. Their markings seemed to be very distinct and their color was quite bright. There were lots of remora and sheeps head fish around. With plenty so schools of small shiny fish that quickly darted in and around us. As mentioned before I tend to closely examine as much as possible and I am always pointing out things to my buddy. This dive was no different. We found an opening in the side of the boat so we grabbed our lights in hand and proceeded to enter the craft. It was quite dark as we were entering a lower deck. There were a few grouper hanging out inside, as well as a few others types of fish. SJ pointed out a huge angelfish, larger than my face. It was silvery white with charcoal black edging. What a beautiful fish. Just floating effortlessly through the water with a gentle swish. After a quick look around in the very tight quarters, we proceeded to the door. SJ did not wear gloves and as he went through the opening he quickly turned to me with a grimace beneath his mask and began to flagrantly flip off the rim of the opening. I looked carefully to see if there was an urchin or something that could have hurt but I only saw billowy looking plant life. Later I found out its name and that it is covered with a dusty substance and it stings. It stings badly. I knew something was up by the way he continued to flip it off. I proceeded to the railing and hung in the water checking out everything attached. I noticed something that looked very much like a large spider. It was black with long legs and a tiny spec of a body. No claws or pinchers. I gently took my index finger and began to carefully move the water near it and sure enough it moved. I knew I had seen something like this sea spider on Discovery but never in real life. I immediately tapped my buddy and began to show him my new find. As I looked around I began to notice there were lots of them. They blended in with the plant life so well that without close inspection I would never have noticed they were there. Maybe thats what happened until now? Maybe I just didnt notice them? I find that hard to believe because I comb everything. Anyway.
We proceeded to the prop of the boat. It was very large; I was surprised to see just how big it was. There next to the prop was a huge red snapper. It was definitely larger than my torso. He was hanging out in the safe shelter of the tug. We swam back up the other side of the boat and I looked all around the bottom for sand dollars or starfish. I was surprised that there were no sand dollars and I didnt see any starfish. There were few sea urchins too. The bottom was very clean. We proceeded up the side of the tug to a more shallow depth and I noticed a large fishing lure attached to the side. I checked it out to make sure that it was secure and no fish could get hurt on it. If they are not secure, I like to bring them up so the fish cant get a hold of them down there. As we moved along the side deck of the boat there was a large grappling style anchor. Of course this was a perfect opportunity to practice floating a lift bag, so SJ whipped his out and I held the top as he inflated the bag to neutral buoyancy. We swam it along with us then headed up the line for our deco stop. During our deco stop, I was once again visited by that eel like creature. I was pointing it out to SJ. As we waited our minute then rose to our next stop, something stung the heck out of the left side of my face near my lip. I quickly looked to see if there were any jellies around but I saw nothing. I reached up and rubbed my face with my gloved hand and my face immediately began to sting.
Once on the surface I climbed aboard and sat on the platform and removed my gear. I noticed that there was some red dust like stuff on my gloves and I washed them off in the water. I climbed up to the second deck and my face felt like it was swelling and it burnt. I removed my wetsuit, booties, gloves; etc grabbed my towel and just lay in the sun to dry my swimsuit. I was told the name of the billowy plant and that its dust was probably on my glove and that made it worse on my face. I was also told that urine would take the sting out, so I opted to tough it out. LOL. SJ decided to get back into the water and float on the surface for our SI. I laid in the life raft out of the way and dried in the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day. I dozed for a few minutes when I hear my buddy began to call my name and asked if I was ready to get back in. I didnt realize we had been out long enough, but sure enough we had been. So someone floated his gear to him and I dressed and geared up and did a giant stride once more off the back of the boat.
This time as we descended we were covered with fish. When we were about 45 ft I felt something grab my hair (I had decided not to wear my hood because it was so warm) and pull hard. I quickly turned, honestly thinking it was a diver, to find a 2 ½ ft remora coming in for another bite. I showed SJ that it was coming back and I motioned to show him it pulled my hair. I reached out and it quickly darted away, but it swam back in very close. With one quick motion I grabbed it by the tail. It tried to swim away and I turned to show SJ. Then I pushed it forward in the water and let it go. The darn thing came right back. It began to swim up close and all around and SJ began to motion it away. He actually had to bop it in the nose. By this time we were near the bottom and I saw one lonely starfish. It was orangish in color, no other markings. I just grinned as I hadnt seen any others. This time we went into the tug to explore the inside. The pilot house was in very good condition. I was really surprised that the wood was in tact and in great condition. I had heard that it was but I really was prepared for it to look swollen and rotten but it wasnt. We exited there and went into the lower deck. It was very dark and we had to use both our dive lights to see. I felt something pull on my reg hose and the next thing I knew it was loose. I threaded it around under my sheath pocket before entering the water. So, I took the primary out of my mouth and rerouted my hose. We went deeper inside of the wreck and the same thing happened. I looked around to see if I was catching it on something but I couldnt see that I was. There were lots of cross beams though so I thought I needed to be careful. The next thing I knew it happened again. I reached around and tugged on it and another diver had it in his hand. Then suddenly my tank strap was opened and his buddy was motioning for me not to move. I signaled my light to SJ as they did something to my gear. SJ came back up to me and I could feel the guy adjust my tank strap. His buddy then motioned OK and my hose was once again just out there. I took the reg out of my mouth and replaced it with my secondary and SJ and I rerouted the hose. We were crammed into very tight quarters, so it was a bit difficult to move around. Once my hose was in place, I replaced my secondary and signaled OK. We proceeded out of the wreck and as I swam I quickly discovered my tank was loose. I just placed my hand on the bottom of my tank and kept it back there to finish the dive. Later I was told by the guy helping me that my long hose was hung up on my tool on my waist and when it was straightened out for me it was just too long. That led to it interfering with my tank strap and loosening it up, so he had to fix my tank strap for me. I thought, if I would have really had a problem I would be glad to have been assisted. But, if my hose had never been adjusted for me I dont think I would have had a problem. Everything turned out alright though. I just once more had a new learning experience and discussed with SJ that I say No to any help but his. He knows my gear as I do his and he and I should be the only ones setup, address, adjust whatever.
After exiting this tug I feeling a little sick to my stomach and was ready to proceed to the surface. We did our deco stop and I gimped aboard. My face was numbing from whatever got me the first dive and I was not feeling sick to my stomach and not up to eating lunch. I never get seasick and Ive never heard of getting seasick underwater so we all thought it was due to the sting on my face. Once on board I was fine. On board, I heard various reason of why my hose is too long for me and how that causes problems and I explained why I chose my rig and that everyone should dive their preference. I went to the upper deck removed my wetsuit, etc and laid in the sun face up for a little for a few minutes. When it was time to leave, I turned over and rested in the sun for part of the way back. It felt good to have the sun on my back. I napped briefly and opened my eyes and looked to my left and there laid SJ sleeping in the sun too. He looked so cute there. It had been a long day and I knew the rest would do him well. It began to get a bit hot so I worked myself into the shade. One of the other guys came topside to chat so I grabbed a shirt to cover up the three of us had a great talk. Everyone else but the captain was sacked out asleep by this point.
It took longer to get back then going out there but the ride was nice. After we docked it was nice that the crew pitched in to carry everyones gear up the ramp. We loaded the car and chatted with the guys who had been fishing near us out there. They were getting their catch cleaned by a dock hand at the marina. SJ and I went back to the boat to grab a bite to eat because we didnt eat lunch on the way in.
Other than the slight unfamiliarity gear issue, it really was the best charter experience we have had thus far. The boat was awesome, the crew was great and the divers were friendly. I have a good friend in CA who tells me that he takes charter trips like that all the time. It always sounds like so much fun. I cant wait to tell him that I went on one too.
Raven
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