June 2013 - Back to the Summer Again

[cvchief]

Yeah, well moving a house back and forth sounds even harder than packing three suitcases.

Didnt know you and DD went to the same travel school... Remember to leave the coffee maker there so you are lighter going home.

 

[Mossman]

Didnt know you and DD went to the same travel school... Remember to leave the coffee maker there so you are lighter going home.

All my dive gear, toiletries, and most of my clothes fit in one 50 lb bag. Unfortunately Secrets is quite fancy, requiring long pants for dinner, so I have a little duffel bag filled with extra clothes: pants, button-down shirts, socks, even underwear in case I meet someone nice

The other bag is my camera housing, ports, strobes, arms, chargers, etc., weighing in around 65 lbs. That's it. Were it not for the camera and if I were staying/eating where T-shirts and shorts were OK, I could fit it all in one check-in bag.

No analyzers, spare parts, or coffee makers, no parachutes, life vests, or 10-gallon hats. And it's all checked in, barely any carry on: my laptop in a backpack, camera & lenses in a fanny pack, and my dive flag regulator bag.

Good news for me, upon checking in I found that United had upgrades available for my remaining coach leg, IAH to CZM. $99 for 2 hours of comfort, lunch, drinks, no bathroom wait, and I get off the plane and into the immigration line before 140 others. Now I'm happy.

---------- Post added June 13th, 2013 at 06:17 AM ----------

Turning some more blue today since I'm not sure when I'll be online tomorrow:

June 2013 "Back" Roll:

AmyLoraR & kevmiami, June 7-16, Villa Las Anclas, ?
cpichette +1, June 8-16, Casa Privada, Aldora
hyperbaric_1, June 9-14, ?, ?
Chilidog11, June 9-16, Park Royal, Dive with Martin
tomhooper +1, June 10-20, Suites Bahia, Grupo America
MMM, June 10-27, Casa MMM, Living Underwater
atatt & dtatt, June 11-23, Cozumel Palace, Scuba Mau
Mossman, June 14-22, Secrets Aura, Living Underwater
jdubz +1, June 15-22, Cozumel Palace, Aldora
Txredneck +1, June 15-22, Blue Angel, Blue Angel
texbob +1, June 16-20, Vista Del Mar, Aldora
weaver9710, June 16-23, El Cantil, Living Underwater
jrankney1, June 16-25, Vista del Mar, Dive with Martin
CHT, June 17-24, Park Royal, Dive with Martin
njones259, June 18-19, Suites Vima, Opal's Dream
Pelagicsal, June 18-December 20, Seaside Bungalows, TBD
Rhodesaz, mid-June, Occidental Grand, [pending]
WestHoustonDiver +5, June 21, day trip, Scuba Mau
underachiever +1, June 21-30, Villa Blanca, Opal's Dream
burrito +1, June 21-27, Hotel Cozumel, Dive Paradise
USC8791 +2, June 22-29, Villas Costa del Sol, Living Underwater
VicScubaVentures, June 29-July 6, Scuba Club, Scuba Club
wills029 +1, June 29-July 6, Blue Angel, Blue Angel
OSUcowboyinSPFD, June 29-July 6, Cozumel Palace, Blue Project
DeepSeaDan +13, June 29-July 6, Occidental Grand, Palancar Divers
ilympt +2, June 29-July 10, Allegro, Pro Dive

---------- Post added June 13th, 2013 at 10:49 AM ----------

Close call! Waiting until the last minute as usual, I decided to make sure I had all my camera accessories. I'm glad I did. Somehow my battery charger disappeared and I can only find one of the spare batteries. Frustrated, I ransacked my house until I finally found the spare battery charger and a bit more ransacking turned up the power cord for that. I can deal with only one spare battery but the damn things have to be charged frequently, they only last two hours. Whew! Now I'm ready to go.

 

[texbob]

In 48 hours we will be wheels up out of Houston. Oh boy do I need a vacation...

 

[MMM]

It was a cooker today. I picked up my regs from Cozumel Scuba Repair just now and Jeremy is on his way over to pick up my gear. Looking forward to hitting the water tomorrow!

 

[pidgiepoo]

Hey Mossman..thought you were going to the Scuba Invasion in Bonaire???? Que Paso?

 

[Mossman]

Hey Mossman..thought you were going to the Scuba Invasion in Bonaire???? Que Paso?

Huh? Hell no. Mossman doesn't do invasions, especially on an island like Bonaire where the best diving is getting away from everyone else. We had all of 4 divers on the boat today, still a bit crowded for my taste, but not too bad

Unfortunately Mossman in Cozumel may have to wait until I get home. The wifi connection at Secrets/Aura is terrible. Nice dives today, though. Columbia, then La Francesa. My air hog butt sat on the boat while MMM finished up her dives, but I haven't been wet in 1 year 2 months and that's the excuse I'm sticking with. Fortunately I'm not diving with one of those dive ops who humiliate their air hogs by making them breathe off the DM's octopus, I just ascended when I was OOA and chatted with the crew in my broken Spanglish while the divers with smaller lungs finished their dives.

I've always been told by my lady friends that bigger is better, but for diving it sucks to have big lungs. On the other hand, if there were ever an emergency, I know I can scream louder than anyone else!

 

[MMM]

Yes it was a perfect day today. The seas were dead flat, the sun was out, no clouds to be seen, and if there was a breeze, you could hardly notice. It was a nice group to dive with today...everyone was easy to get along with , the pace was just right and it was also great to meet the folks from Tulum. If I ever decide to take up cave diving, I think I would look them up for instruction...

i looked up the nudibrach and since I don't have my laptop with me I can't upload it. But by all the "frills" it had, I think it was a gold crowned sea goddess. I don't think it had red on it to make it a red tipped sea goddess and besides, they aren't supposed to be in these waters.

p.s. I hooked my camera up to my TV and I am about 95% certain I have the correct ID. I got lots of good shots so I will try and post some in a couple of weeks when I am back home.

One last thought Mossman...just because Jeremy didn't have YOU breathe off his reg doesn't mean he doesn't offer it to other divers to extend their bottom time.

see you back on the boat Monday. Don't see anything good without me tomorrow!

 

[Mossman]

One last thought Mossman...just because Jeremy didn't have YOU breathe off his reg doesn't mean he doesn't offer it to other divers to extend their bottom time.

see you back on the boat Monday. Don't see anything good without me tomorrow!

Even I'll be pissed off when I see whale sharks and sailfish tomorrow since I'm shooting macro!

In any case, you saw that I like to hang back a bit. If Jeremy did offer me his reg, he'd need a 100' hose to accommodate me

 

[MMM]

You were ahead of me as often as I was behind you. Fortunately, I am seldom low on air!

 

[Mossman]

You were ahead of me as often as I was behind you. Fortunately, I am seldom low on air!

I'm proud that I can suck down a 120 faster than everyone else can breathe their 95s. Unlike the rest of you, I get my money's worth of nitrox!

Outlasted half the boat on the first dive today, Palancar Caves, 89' for 62 min. Darn camera lens was fogged up for the first 50 minutes so I didn't get too many photos (which explains the decent air consumption), but it stayed nice and clear for the second dive. Unfortunately, Santa Rosa had some difficult currents and I blew through my tank trying (not very successfully I'm afraid) to get a clear pic of a tiny ping-pong ball (aka juvenile trunkfish) bouncing around in a crevice. Thinking about putting the 105mm on tomorrow, the 60mm isn't so great with the micro macro stuff. Ended up ascending by my lonesome, to be followed by Jeremy and 3 more less than 10 min later. The other 4 on the boat had disappeared into the blue about 5 min into the dive and we spent about 10 min looking for them. One of their group ascended while her computer (Suunto, natch) was still in deco and it locked her out. Her response was that she needs to borrow a computer for tomorrow. My boat seat neighbor and I rolled our eyes at each other and he commented in a low voice that she should probably be looking for chamber instead of a loaner computer. We didn't go deep on the second dive, I only had 72' for 54 min, but then again I did nitrox for both dives while she was on air for both. Air sucks!

Plan for me is to get some sleep tonight. Checked out the Sky Bar here last night and it was nothing but couples making out under the moon and stars. I asked the bartender where all the single women hung out and he suggested I try next-door Sabor. But I'm too lazy to walk. The women need to come to me.

Photos definitely improved from yesterday. I'm remembering how to shoot again. If only I could post some, but that'll have to wait until I return.