Silverfish,
Thanks for the welcome back. There's been a lot of industry changes in the interim, especially in the variety and quality of equipment.
Yes, coming back to diving after a long layoff is a lot like riding a bicycle. You can still pedal it around, but you don't try any fancy stuff right off the bat. I would imagine the same goes for trap shooting.
Diving, like bike riding, is mostly a psychomotor exercise. The coarse muscle memory 'remembers' a great deal, it's the fine memory that needs the most refreshing, i.e., bouyancy control, proper breathing, weight distribution . . .not to mention getting a bod that's much older back in shape!
I can't say exactly how many dives I had at the time I 'dropped out'. My wife and I estimate it was around 400 dives, mostly in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and the Caribbean. We returned to diving in late May with a two week trip to Bonaire. Including Bonaire, I have logged 38 dives since 'the return'. It's all coming back, somethings quicker than others.
Log keeping back then was not given the emphasis it has today. The PADI logbook was very small, about 4 inches high by 3 inches wide and you logged two dives on each small page! You either learned to write very small, or did a lot of abbreviating!
I note you are thinking about a Bonaire trip in April. Good choice. No reason to be over anxious because both the shore and boat diving are very easy. Most of the dive operations on the island have received very good marks. Check the archives for trip reports, etc.
Have fun in Destin.
Warren
