MSP Rescue Diver
Contributor
Only having lived here for two years now, I now officially love living in Florida. Today I just had my best day diving - ever. They weren't particularly challenging dives, and one site I have been to twice before. But all the planets seemed to align and come togther today making it an extraordinary day of diving.
This is the best time of year weatherwise, and it was shaping up to be one of those wonderful fall days in Florida. The sun was shining, and the temp as we headed out to sea was 74°, on it's way to a high of 85°. There was absolutely no chop out there, and while not the proverbial smooth as glass water, it was the calmest I have ever seen the water here. Water temp was 81° on the bottom - warmer than the air temp on the first dive. There was no current on the bottom.
My air consumption was the best I've ever had. I was actually down to single digits on my bottom time on my second dive before hitting my turn air limit - a first for me. My buoyancy and trim were spot on. And the marine life was spectacular - a couple of rays came right up to us looking for food, and a six foot eel that lives on a local wreck that has been elusive the last couple of dives came right out and played. On the second dive we came across a great ledge that even though we had dived on this reef previously, we had never seen before. And we had a turtle do a couple of laps around us as we were doing our safety stop.
At the end of the day my daughter looked at me and said, "Dad - this is why we decided to get certified, isn't it?"
Marc
This is the best time of year weatherwise, and it was shaping up to be one of those wonderful fall days in Florida. The sun was shining, and the temp as we headed out to sea was 74°, on it's way to a high of 85°. There was absolutely no chop out there, and while not the proverbial smooth as glass water, it was the calmest I have ever seen the water here. Water temp was 81° on the bottom - warmer than the air temp on the first dive. There was no current on the bottom.
My air consumption was the best I've ever had. I was actually down to single digits on my bottom time on my second dive before hitting my turn air limit - a first for me. My buoyancy and trim were spot on. And the marine life was spectacular - a couple of rays came right up to us looking for food, and a six foot eel that lives on a local wreck that has been elusive the last couple of dives came right out and played. On the second dive we came across a great ledge that even though we had dived on this reef previously, we had never seen before. And we had a turtle do a couple of laps around us as we were doing our safety stop.
At the end of the day my daughter looked at me and said, "Dad - this is why we decided to get certified, isn't it?"
Marc
