Wanna dive???

So tomorrow I am finally going to start the class to get my SCUBA certification. I have been SCUBA before with buddies who had extra equipment but I just never have gotten around to taking the course. I have to admit I am really looking forward to doing this class on this island. The diving here is unreal. I haven’t even really had to go very far because it’s pretty much good all over. I decided earlier last week to sign up for this course because I think it’s ridiculous that I have lived in the Caribbean for a year and still don’t have the cert. Those of you that know me know that I am a freediver at heart but I really am drawn to doing deep dives as well as wreck diving. I have been to 100 feet (over 30 meters) on a breath hold freedive but obviously I wasn’t down very long. On the average, I usually only freedive to around 50 or 60 feet, look around for 30-45 seconds and then head back to the surface. Since spearfishing is strictly forbidden in most of the islands I have been to it has kept me from really diving as much as I would like to. I’m hoping that I can start logging a lot of dives after I finish the class. I do have to say that on Rum Boogie, Brian bought a system that is known as a Hookah or sometimes is called SNUBA. It’s basically a small engine with a compressor that has two 60 foot air hoses with regulators at the end. Basically it’s SCUBA without all the other gear. Strap on fins and a mask, jump in the water, put the regulator in your mouth and you can swim down to between 35-50 feet and breathe normally. I’m embarrassed to admit that in the year I have been on the boat I have never used it. In fact, it had never been used until yesterday. Brian had talked about it but never got it out and I just never bothered because I figured it was gonna be more trouble than it was worth, hell I can freedive deeper than that and I don’t have to set all the stuff up. Man was I wrong. That thing is F-ing cool. Brian put it together yesterday morning and I got in the water with him to help him test it out. It was great. I even ended up treating myself to a few new pieces of dive gear to make it more enjoyable. When I got back with the new stuff (new fins and mask) I went out solo with the unit and was down around 50 feet for probably 20-30 minutes. Just cruising through the reefs checking out everything without any cumbersome gear on was cool. It always amazes me all the diversity in sea life you see at different depths. At about 35 feet I found a decent sized octopus and spent some time following him as he changed colors attempting to camoflauge himself until I caught him and got ink shot all over me. Good stuff. I found a moray eel that had been killed by something that took a big bite out of it but I also found plenty of live eels as well. Rays, parrot fish, turtles, it’s all out here. I truly can’t wait to get started on the class tomorrow, pretty cool to have the choice to get certified in Bonaire huh? If you want to see some great dive pics from this island check out this link http://picasaweb.google.com/fwremers/BonaireJanuary2009

Thanks to Fred for the comment and sharing these pics from his recent trip to Bonaire, looks like you had a great trip man.