Another Great Day of Diving

We loaded up the boat to head back out to Earl King.  We stopped at Elliot Key to pick up someone who was joining us for the day.  When we got to the sight of the Earl King we could see the wreck thirty feet below us.  I spent most of my day drawing a new piece of wreckage. I saw my first octopus on this dive.  The sea life in Florida is very cool.  Unlike New England the fish have many vibrant colors.   On my second dive I trilated in my piece of wreckage off the baseline.  On the way back to the dock we stopped at another wreck called the China Wreck.  All they know about the wreck is that it has a lot of china on it.  They have yet to identify the name of the vessel.  That night we went into the Keys for dinner.

A Day of Good Vis and Weather

The team went to Earl King led by Dave today. We made our assault upon the wreck. My assignment was to draw a new piece of it. When I was finished I was stolen to be a dummy end (I had to hold the end of a tape measure) during my second dive to help someone else who was mapping the wreck out. The water was flat calm and it was a great day.  We flew back into shore getting chased by the 3 p.m. daily storm. The real adventure is when we tried to go to diner they closed the road we were on and we where stuck both ways. It took awhile but we made it  to the restaurant, however it was closed, needless to say it was a rough night. Finally we found an open restaurant and got some food.  Once back at the condo Jon, my roommate, and I watched movies and called it a night.

My First Day in the Field

Team C Mar, Brenda, Dave and I went to the wreck the Earl King, which we will be mapping this week. Brenda gave me a mapping lesson on the way to the site and explained the basics to me. As I slid into the 90 degree surface water I knew it was going to be a great day. I could see the whole wreck lying 20 feet below me. Brenda gave me a quick orientation to the wreck and then I stared making a scale drawing of the debris outside of the wreck. You have to draw everything to scale. It was quite difficult attempting to measure everything and draw it while underwater. After a day in the field we all went out to eat and then I called it a day because I was exhausted after a day working hard underwater.

Blue Card

Brenda picked me up and I went to meet Richard at the head diving office in the park. I have to get what they call a blue card so I can dive with the national park service. We did a 1/2 mile swim treading water with 5 lb weights in our hands, over our head.  Now this is what I call fun stuff. We then did ditch and dawn and other water skills.  I am proud to say that I passed with flying colors. After we got back to the dock I hooked up with Tom, Brenda’s husband, who runs all the charter boats. We went out in the afternoon on a snorkeling trip to shark reef.  Here the water is about 88 degrees.  It is so very warm and hot outside that I have to remind myself to drink extra fluids so that I do not get hydrated. After the snorkeling Brenda and the group and I went out for dinner.

Leaving The Cambrian Foundation and Starting with the Key Biscayne National Park

Before I knew it Amy and Paul where over cooking brekfast for every one. We were all having a good time then 10 a.m. rolled around and I had to leave. It was sad, I had a lot of fun over the last 2 weeks the Cambrian Foundation gang are great people and I know I will be working with them in the future. After saying my goodbyes me Amy and their dog Oliver headed to the airport. My good luck with airports continued because it was a mob scene.  There were people everywhere I turned. After navigating through that I made my way to the gate. My flight was very short, but I did meet some very nice girls going to play a soft ball tournament.

I found Tom and his wife Brenda, who I will be working with this week. After that they took me to the grocery store so I could grab much needed supplies for the week. Next I settled into my condo and met my roommate. Finally I got an invite to diner with Carl Linteau, Pat Smith, and Mark Nordor,  who volunteer with the park service. They are divers who do archeological projects.They flew in from all over the country. After a very long night they dropped me back off and Jon, my newest roommate, and I hung out and then I called it a night.

My Last Full Day at Cambrian Foundation

We started off the day finishing up a few final things that need cleaning. When we were done Josh Boz  and I went out for lunch. I then sadly started packing up all my cloths and dive gear.   I didn’t remember bringing this much stuff. That night Amy’s parents came home and we celebrated her moms birthday with a party. Amy’s husband Paul cooked us a great dinner while Amy’s parents told us all about their cross country road trip. It sounded very cool.  We all just hung around and talked for the rest of the night.

Florida Drift Diving

We woke up bright and early, 430 a.m., to get down to the Giant Stride captained by Captain Larry.  We all drove down with Amy, I fell asleep when we where at a truck stop and Amy thought she left me there.  I guess you had to be there, but I thought it was pretty funny. I am not sure if Amy saw the humor in the situation.

Before I knew it, we were there and Terrence had already loaded our tanks for us. The first sight we dove was known as Horse Shoe. It was neat. We saw sea turtles and many other tropical fish. I saw a lot of the same fish that are in the Giant Ocean Tank in the New England Aquarium. During our surface interval Captain Larry cut up a pineapple for us. Some people on the boat were feeling a little under the weather.  We decided to pretend we were getting sick over the side of the boat.

The second dive site was the Fish Bowl. Woody, Boz, and Josh where loving every minute of the dive.  They were chasing after fish and turtles. It was very cool to see their excitement as they experienced one of their first ocean dives. I am amazed at how fast time is flying by.  It seems like we just got there and then the day was coming to a close. We headed back for home and went out for lunch. After lunch we unpacked, washed and dried the gear.

At night Paul, Amy’s husband, made us diner and we aid goodbye to Terrence. He had to leave for OCS. Getting ready for bed I couldn’t help but think about all the wonderful people I have met and had the privilege of diving with. It seems like the summer is just flying by.

Cleaning

We started to clean up Amy’s parents house where we have been staying because they are  coming home soon. Our goal is to have the house spotless, not an easy chore to say the least. Next we packed up Terence’s truck with all of our dive gear because he is going to bring it all down to the boat we will be going out on tomorrow. The plan is for Boz, Woody, Josh, Amy and I to do some drift diving.  After that we sat around the house and watched movies till we realized that we should go to bead because we had to be up early the next morning.

Blue Springs

We went to Blue Springs so Terrance could work with Josh, Woody and Boz on their open water certification.  After they did two dives Terrence and I did a cave dive on sight. This dive was through a fisher in the bottom of the spring.   We descended 120 feet deep and swam about 140 feet into the end.  At the end the cave becomes a first magnitude spring.  This mean it puts out 64 million gallons of water a day. Needless to say that’s a lot of water.   Nobody has ever made it past the part called the cork rock alive.  We stopped there and made our assent. We went to the dive shop to get a whole lot of tanks filled and then went out for dinner and chilled at the house and just relaxed.

The Hunt

The team went to Rock Spring to collect samples.  Terrence led the way followed by Renee, Carl, and I.  Our mission as we dove into the cave was to collect the first set of samples. While they had warned me about the sharp rock and mega flow, no one had mentioned how low and tight it was going to be. There were a few spots that were so low I was not sure I was going to make it through. The team then exited the cave and brought the samples up.

Terrence and Renee went the furthest back from the stations and Carl and I went to go collect different cave organisms.  This was not an easy task in the high flow. I ended up having to crawl on my stomach and push on the cave sealing with one foot to get by without damaging the cave. This was one of the most beautiful caves I had ever seen. The neat thing about this cave is that it is not open to the public.  There are fossils and undamaged cave everywhere. Amazingly it still has the original survey lines in it. When we exited the cave we were met by a lot of curious people.  This is mainly due to the fact that the cave is right next to a big swimming hole. I do not think the life guards liked us to much. After that we went and tried to get tanks filled but the dive shop was closed.

We went back to the house for a well need rest and said good-by to Carl as this was his last day with us. The project came to an end as soon as it began.   We had a big debriefing meeting and called it a day.

Sanlando Spring

The team headed to Sanlando Spring to gather more research data. The cave team consisted of Terrence, Renee, and Carl. Since this cave is very low it can not be dove with back mount tanks, instead it is a side mount cave. My job was to sit by the entrance and bring the samples up to the surface.  This meant the divers did not have to squeeze through the hole each time to bring the samples to the surface.  At the end Terrence took me into the cavern section, it was very tough getting there due to the small hole and having to fight the current to get in. From there the team went out to a late lunch/early dinner. Every restaurant we tried to go to was closed.  Finally we found a place that was open. After dinner we went back to the house to get ready for the next days events.

Wikiwa Springs

Some places God doesn’t mean for man to go. Today Terrence, Carl, and Rene went into the no mount section of Wikwa Springs to gathers samples. iI you didn’t know, no mount diving is when you don’t wear any tanks because there is not enough room . This means that the diver has to push his or her tank ahead of them. I sat underwater just outside the small hole they squeezed themselves through and brought all the samples to the surface. Once I hit the surface I handed the samples to Amy. Some one is planning on using the samples to figure out how to get things to grow in a 0 light areas. Last but not least we all went to get tank fills and to get a bite to eat. We had our nightly briefing on the days activities and discussed the next days dives.

The Flow

We got an early start to collect samples in DeLeon Springs. Terrence briefed me on the flow and our mission to collect 6 water samples. We suited up to venture into the cave. The entrance into the cave is a tube that has a tremendous amount of flow coming out of it. As we walked to the spring I could see the huge boiler of water coming out. We made our decent and hit the entrance of the tube. It was spewing out rocks and other things.Terrence made entering the tube look easy. When it was my turn I pulled myself into through the cave. Let me tell you this was a lot harder than Terrance made it look. I had to fight all the water coming at me.

Once through the entrance the flow got a little better. Since this cave is not open to the public it is very rarely dove which meant that every time our bubbles hit the sealing bacteria and silt fell. This caused what is known as a silt out. On our way out Terrence noticed a new passage no one had ever explored before. This was an exciting dive made even more exciting when we hit the surface and Terrence told me that of all the caves he dives this one is the worst one and that I had made my first advanced cave dive.

After my dive Josh Woody and Boz did their first open water dive in the spring. After all the days dives were done we headed back to the dive shop to get fills and do a debriefing meeting. The next stop was to a Friends of Wikiva meeting. Here one of Terrence’s neice presented her State winning science fair project on water flow in the springs. . At the meeting we met up with another member of the Cambrain teem, Carl Shreves. We all went out to dinner and then we called it a day.

Tanks Galore

We went to Terrence’s storage unit to get 40 or so tanks to go get filled and pick up other needed equipment for tomorrow’s big event. Later that night Terrence and I went through my gear. He made suggestions to streamline my setup. The evening ended with Amy making a great dinner and lots of fun conversation ;-}. Tomorrow there will be more cave work and preparation.

Pool Time

We spent the day at Terrence’s wife’s parent’s house so that he could use the pool with the other interns. This was not an easy task since we had to time the pool dives in-between the frequent rain storms. I did some book work for the courses I will be taking when I get back to Connecticut. During the remainder of the day we went and got the tanks filled and went over logistics for the project at hand.

Lost in the City

Gill and I followed Terrence to the airport to pick up Josh , Woody and Boz. All three are other interns that I will be working with during my time at the Cambrian Foundation. After getting them settled we piled into the car and set off to meet a well known biologist. Of course Gill and I got lost on the way to meet the biologist.. That night I sat and watched Terrance start to teach Jon, Will and Boz their open water course. I was very impressed. He is a very good instructor probably the best.

The Cambrian Foundation

Upon landing in Florida, I attempted to navigate through the airport to find my bags. Not an easy task, I might add. Luckily I met up with Amy and her husband Paul. Amy is the Cambrian Foundation president. Amy and Paul took me out to dinner with their daughter. During dinner I told them about my experiences thus far as the 2005 Frank Scalli intern. Shortly after dinner we met up with Terrence Tysall, one of the funniest men alive, also one of the best divers I have met, along with his friend Gill. Here is a piece of Terrence’s biography as it is listed on the Cambrian web site…it speaks for itself!

“Terrence is the Special Projects Director for the Foundation. Terry holds Instructor / Evaluator ratings with IANTD, NSS-CDS, SSI, TDI, PSA. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Florida Speleological Researcher and the Advising board for the League of the New Worlds with Scott Carpenter and Clive Cussler. He has led multiple expeditions around the world including: The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, The Great Blue Hole of Belize, The Andrea Doria, The U.S.S. Atlanta, The U.S.S. Monitor Survey and numerous cave explorations.”

Last Day at the New England Aquarium

Can you guess what I started out the day with again? You got it, food prep. Today, however, I got to do the 10 o’clock dive, and scrub the tank. Sometimes I get side tracked and play with Murtle. She likes to be scrubbed with the scrub brush. After the dive it was off to the farmers market. This is where the Aquarium purchases the food for the fish and Murtle. Holly taught me proper etiquette for the farmers market. Rule number one, You don’t pick out what you get. Don’t even think about it. Rule number two, DON’T, I really mean it, DON’T touch anything. We hurried back for the 1:15 cleaning dive. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing general maintenance and cleaning. My time at the New England Aquarium came to an end to quickly. I enjoyed working with Holly and the many volunteers, to numerous to name. Thank you to all of them for making me one of the “Crew”.

Food Prep and More

I started off the day, of course, with food prep. It takes a small army to prepare the food. The aquarium depends on many dedicated volunteers to keep the tanks up and running. The ten o’clock feeding time rolled in before I knew it. It was my turn to feed Myrtle and keep her occupied. Her morning meal consists of protein and assorted produce. Top of the line produce I might add. After lunch Holly and I went to dip the last of the fish that she had collected on her last collecting trip. The day would not be complete without my daily scrub time. My mother only dreams that one day my room would be half this clean.

Dip, Dip, Dip

I started off this day with food prep again. It is amazing how much food 800 fish can eat in a day. Next Holly and I went to do the last stage of dipping with the new fish. We put the fish in cages and put them in the Giant Ocean Tank. This was done so the fish could get accumulated. Before I knew it, it was time for me to do the 1:15 dive. Each day there are four feeding dives and one cleaning dive. I will let you guess which dive I got to do………

You got it–the cleaning dive. I am not to keen about the sharks and the eels in the tank, however I am warming up to them. Holly said they have never bitten anyone on purpose. Makes me wonder how many so called “accidents” they had!!! In all seriousness the nurse shark and the sand tiger shark are very docile and wouldn’t harm anyone, unless provoked. In other words stay out of the way.

Turtle, Turtle

The day began with me learning how to prepare the food for the variety of different marine creatures living in the Giant Marine Tank. Then I got to feed Myrtle, a 600 pound sea turtle. I had to keep Myrtle occupied because she likes to harass the divers in the water. After doing some more cleaning and after feeding Myrtle again, it was my turn to dive in the tank. I suited up and headed in. I put to use my excellent scrubbing skills once again. This time I was playing with Myrtle.

Holly, Kate (2004 Frank Scalli Intern) and I went to go dip the fish collected over the winter. Dipping is when you put the fish in fresh water for four minutes to kill any bacteria. This was done to prepare the fish for entry into the Giant Marine Tank. Last but not least we cleaned up the kitchen and called it a day.

I Don’t Even Clean My Room This Much!!

I started off my time at the New England Aquarium working with the penguins. In the morning I learned how to prepare their food. They eat better than most of us, only being served restaurant quality fish. I donned my wet suit and recorded everything that the penguins were fed on a clipboard.

I was handed a bucket and scrub brush and told to start scrubbing islands. “No really, what do you want me to do,” I said.  Laughing they pointed me in the right direction and off I went. As I diligently scrubbed the islands as penguins nipped at my heals. Time passed quickly and it was time for the afternoon penguin feeding. I actually got to hand feed them. Soon it was clean up time in the food prep area. We scrubbed until the area was clean enough to eat off.

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Before I knew it Jim and Pete were throwing me out of the car at the airport. It seems like only yesterday that I had arrived. Although it was only a week, I felt like I had known Jim and Pat a life time. They are wonderful people who open their home and their hearts to fellow divers. I learned so much and am inspired to continue and learn more about the field of underwater film making. I can’t thank them enough for all that they have done for me.

I learned going through airport security that there are those who walk among us those who have never seen a regulator before. These same mortals believe that regulators are a danger to others, especially those in flight. Any one who dares to take their regulators, dive computers, and other accessories, should be duly warned that it may take an hour or more to pass those diligent mortals who will attempt to inspect and dismantle this equipment in the name of passenger safety.

Day of Editing

Of course when the wind blows it can’t last for one day it has to last for two. I decided to finish up my editing and assemble my first DVD ever, thanks to Pat’s help. Some of Jim and Pat’s friends arrived including Pete V. a friend from Connecticut. We did our daily tradition of laying around in the pool talking about diving.

Let The Wind Blow

We got blown out due to the weather. Since we couldn’t go diving we decided to go explore the Lake Heron Light Ship Museum. This is a light ship put on land and made into a museum. We explored every nook and cranny of the vessel. Next we went back to Jim and Pat’s house to work on my video. I never realized how labor intensive making a video was. I spent numerous hours assembling my footage.

A Day of Great Visibility

As the Wildkat pulled up to the mooring on the Sport I was very surprised, I could see the wreck from the surface. It was amazing that while looking up from the bottom I could see Jim and Pat’s boat. I got the overwhelming urge to call my father and joke about the horrible visibility on the wrecks. He was not amused!!

Most of this wreck lies on its side. As I explored all the Sport had to offer, Pat took some footage of the wreck with Jims new camera. On the next wreck the Elisa H. Strong the visibility wasn’tthat great, maybe 20 ft, the water however, was a warm 60 degrees. A very nice relief from yesterday’s coldwater. Later, back at Jim and Pats house I started assembling my footage. With Pat’s guidance I know that I will pull togethera video that captures the amazing experience I have had this week.

Hot and Cold

As we drove out to the wreck in the hot 90 degree Michigan sun I could hardly contain my excitement, especially afteryesterdays great diving. Before I knew it we arrived atour destination in Jim’s boat, the “WildKat”. We were floating over the wreck of the New York. This ship sits in 120 ft of water, upright, mostly intact. As we where suiting up the heat almost over took me, but soon enough I was floating on the surface, camera in hand, waiting for Jim. As we descended we passed threw the thermocline. At 50 feet we slammed into frigid 38 degree water. As we hit the bottom I could see one of the ships predominant features….

The wreck still has half of its arch-up, which was difficult to see in the 20 foot visibility.While viewing one of the ships two portholes I was overcome by the cold, Jim and I made our accent. The next wreck we dove was the Colonel A.B. Williams. This ship sits in 90 ft of water. Despite the fact that this wooden ship is only semi intact its beauty and story drew me forward like a magnet. The ship’s bow was very elegant looking resting on the bottom of the lake. The excellent visibility on the wreck made me forget about the cold. Filming this ship allowed me to hone my underwater video skills. Later that night Jim got a big surprise, his new housing came for his high definition camera. I could be wrong, however, I think Jim spent all night setting it up to use the next day.

My First Day of Diving and What a Day!

We gassed up the boat and took the 6.2 mile ride to the Mary Alice B. a 65.5 foot tug boat that sunk in 92 feet of water.  Although I was told that the ship sits upright, fully intact on the bottom, I was not prepared for what I was soon to experience. Before I knew it we were over the wreck and suiting up. As we descended the wreck came into view at about 50 ft. Being from Connecticut I had never really seen a fully intact wreck with artifacts still in place. The only thing I could think of on the dive is how every thing was frozen in time.

The next site we dove on was the Regina it sits in 77 ft of water and sits turtle. This was a very cool wreck. In Connecticut, with all my prior wreck diving I have never seen rows of intact portholes still on ships. On this dive I also got my second experience shooting with Pat’s video camera. I give them a lot of credit, it’s not easy shooting video. Before I knew it Pat had me editing my footage and giving me pointers on how to improve my video footage.  This most incredible day came to a close with me helping Jim fill tanks and get the boat ready for tomorrows dives.

Off to the Great Lakes

On my way to the airport my mom commented, “Why is it that every other day of the week I can’t get you up, but if your going diving you’re up bright and early.” Hmmm…wonder why? While sitting waiting for my plane I realized that I’m trusting all my diving gear to the airport, scary thought. I hoped it would be there when I get to Detroit, and it was. The next thing I can remember was cooling off in Jim and Pat’s pool with some of their friend’s. Later that night both Jim and Pat taught me how to putogether their cameras.

DUI Dry Suit Demo Days

When I met up with Dave and Pat in the parking lot of Stage Forte Park, I knew it was going to be an exciting day. From the first moment that I saw my new dry suit I was in awe. I still cannot believe that it is mine to use for the internship. During the Boston Sea Rovers 51st Clinic, when Faith fit my suit I had no idea how perfect it was going to be. Faith cut my neck and wrist seals so that my suit would fit like a glove. Next she showed me how to properly take care of a dry suit.

Vin and I then suited up for my first dive in my new suit and to check out all that Stage Forte Park had to offer. I was greeted when I got out of the water by Patrick Scalli who was there checking up on me. Patrick was pleased to know that all was going well. It was nice to get out of the water and still be totally dry. Soon after exiting the water, I changed out of my dry suit, and had the opportunity to enjoy lunch with the many volunteers and guests at the DUI DOG Days event.

Last Day of the 51st Clinic

I woke up with an excitement and a sadness that the weekend was coming to a close. The alarm clock was screaming and I knew if I didn’t get out of bed I would be late for Kate’s presentation. After hearing Kate’s presentation and seeing the high standards she has set I knew I had my work cut out for me to raise the bar even higher for next year. I went to see some more presentations then off to lunch with Dave and Pat Morton. We discussed the internship and most importantly diving. After getting fitted by Faith for a new DUI Dry Suit I didn’t think my day could get any better. Once again I was mistaken.

Before I left Pat and Dave asked me to stop up at the suite. When I arrived Dave emerged from the room and presented me with the dive gear I would be using during my internship. I couldn’t find the words to express what I was feeling. I slowly opened the bag Pat exclaimed that it was Christmas for me. As I packed my bags and prepared to leave I still could not get over the weekends events. The ride back to Connecticut went by quickly. Before I knew it I was back home to catch up on some well needed rest.

An Eventful Film Festival

I woke up bright and early to get ready for the 51st Clinic. The presentations that I attended were outstanding. My only disappointment was that I could not be in two rooms at the same time. I took a quick break to go out to lunch with my friends from the Gillmen and Innerspace Explorers. I could not wait to get back to the Fairmont to attend the afternoon program. Before I knew what was happening I was back into my suit and heading to dinner with the Sea Rovers.

At dinner I sat with Ernie Brooks II on one side of me and Dave Morton on the other. The other people at my table were Kate Douglas, the 2004 Intern, Al Giddings, and Mike DeGruy. Looking around the table I could not believe the wealth of dive history and knowledge I was surrounded by. It seemed impossible but every event that I had attended seemed to out do the one before. I could not imagine how this evening could be any better. Little did I know what was in store for me that evening at the Film Festival.

Walking into the John Hancock Hall through the sea of people was incredible.  I took my seat in the front row anticipating the events to come. Before I knew it Patrick Scalli was at the podium speaking about his father’s love of diving and desire to inspire young people to discover the underwater world. As I hung onto Pat’s every word I heard my cue and walked onto the stage. As I went to head back to my seat Dave Morton pulled me back stage and had me wait. Ernie Brooks II was next up to speak. I was so intent on listening to his message that I almost didn’t hear him call me onto the stage. He presented me with a copy of his book, inscribed with a personal message. His love of diving and compassion for people make him a truly remarkable person. He made an evening that was already special even more memorable.

Meeting the Sea Rover Family

The ride from Coventry Connecticut to Boston Massachusetts, while only two hours long, seemed to take forever. Navigating the Boston streets was no easy task. After finally locating the hotel, I took a moment to gather my thoughts and prepare for an extraordinary weekend. I had no idea what was in store for me. As I rushed into the Fairmont Copley Hotel, I was momentarily taken aback by my surroundings. I took my seat in COMS (Career Opportunities in Marine Sciences) and began my journey as the 2005 Frank Scalli Summer Intern.

Time seemed to fly by and the next thing I remember is getting ready for the Pre-Clinic reception. My heart was pounding the entire ride to Gamble Mansion. I must have had 500 names and faces swimming in my head. I don’t know what I would have done without Cynthia Butts as my evening guide. She introduced me to many of the distinguished Sea Rovers and divers in attendance that evening.

What stands out the most during the evening was meeting the Scalli family and hearing about Frank Scalli during the evening tribute. He was indeed a remarkable man who had an impact on both the diving and non-diving community. I was left overwhelmed and speechless, something that does not happen often, by all the wonderful people that I met that evening. It seemed to take forever to fall asleep that night as the days events played back in my head.

We Are All Safe the Morning After the Storm

Whew the hurricane is over. We spent the day cleaning up the damage left behind by Charley. Luckily with all the interns we were able to clean up speedily, we started with our house first. It looks like we were incredibly, incredibly fortunate as no damage was done to the house nor cars, although unfortunately the rest of the neighborhood was not quite as lucky. We found out later that Artie’s car got crushed by a 50 foot roof in his college parking lot. The damage was just horrible to look at. The damage was disheartening but Charley was only a class 2 when it hit Orlando, I hate to think of the damage if it had stayed a class 4.

Neighbors’ houses were smashed in by old oaks that had been uprooted lodged into their roofs, and for some people, their brand new cars. Trees tore up curbstones and pavement and were littered all around the neighborhood, along with broken power lines and other debris. But before we walked around to see all this and to see if anyone needed help, without missing a beat Terrence was out of the house and by 7:30 he had freshly mowed the lawn and was edging it to perfection with his edger. People have been driving by all morning with double-takes and open mouths. “Untouched!”

Around lunch time we went to Allison’s parents’ house to clean up their yard (unfortunately had to cut down a nice tree in their back yard), and then went to Amy’s house after that. On our way to Amy’s we hit a storm that developed into a mini tornado and knocked the steeple off a church!! At night the we had d inner at Renee’s because she was the only person that had power. My flight obviously got canceled so I am flying home on Monday.

Another Day of Charley Clean-Up!

After a natural disaster, it’s comforting to see a positive change in public demeanor. Strangers are more than willing to come together and help eachother out. From here on, the only thing we can do is look at the situation with a positive attitude. Meeting new people and sharing stories helped lighten up the atmosphere. We went to Cambrian Foundation headquarters to clean up what had been left by Charley. The back yard and parking lot were filled with tree branches and the front was covered with a carpet of Spanish moss, but ultimately the property was pretty lucky compared to the rest of the neighborhood.

Humongous, humongous oak trees had fallen all over Orlando, one had fallen across the street from the office and another had doubly smashed in the roof of a neighboring house. We spent the next few hours hack sawing limbs and dragging brush to the street, and then drove back to rest for a while. We had a goodbye party for the interns at Renee’s house once we all got back. I’m so sad that I’m leaving tomorrow; Allison, Terrence, Renee, Amy, Josh, Artie, Paul, James, Tim, and Lee have become like family to me in only a week! We have learned so much from eachother and taught one another a lot too.

I wish we could all just have a little bit more time together, but all fun things eventually have to come to an end. I’m happy knowing that these awesome memories and good times spent together will never fade away. Thank you to the Cambrian Foundation, and everyone else that I met, for teaching me more than I could have ever imagined and for making it such an awesome trip. : )

~HuRriCaNe ChArLEy~

I woke up this morning and walked out of my room to hear the TV on in the living room…reporters are talking about a hurricane! Everyone in the neighborhood is running around today, preparing for Hurricane Charley; it is apparently HUGE and is coming straight for Orlando! As we did extra loads of laundry, Allison, Terrence, and I packed up loose things around the house and stocked up on food and water from the supermarket…the fact that it would be here in a few hours started to become more of a reality. By the time Charley had turned into a class four hurricane, the system was roaring with 145 mile per hour sustained winds (meaning that winds didn’t drop below 145 mph). According to footage on the news the western coast of southern Florida had been hit pretty hard, but we hoped that by the time it reached Orlando it would have dissipated a bit.

We packed up emergency bags, lashed down the house, taped up the windows, and got the dog leashes ready. It was pretty scary to think of the magnitude of the hurricane that loomed ahead, but I felt really safe with Terrence and Allison. Lee, James, Tim, and Paul came over after a storm band passed, as did Renee, all ready to spend the night or to move to shelter at Rollins College if necessary. Monitoring the storm on the radio, we stood on the sheltered front porch for a couple minutes observing the force of nature, in awe. At least 15 transformers blew up within a few miles of the house, the sky lighting up green and red with each loud bang. The winds picked up so we all headed inside.

The power went out and we were left listening to the storm’s progress from NOAA on the weather radio by candlelight. Charlie was getting closer and soon we had even lost NOAA’s reception. That moment was kind of like the part in a scary movie where everything seems to stop and the camera zooms in on the main character, who is frozen, knowing something is about to pop out within the next second. The winds were howling outside, but later everything became quiet within a matter of seconds, the eye of the storm seemed to pass directly over us. We peeked outside and the trees across the street that had been almost horizontal were standing upright again. Tonight I definitely learned about the power of nature.

Bacteria Collecting with Rima and Aaron from Kennedy Space Center

Today we went to Wekiva and DeLeon Springs on bacteria collecting missions for Kennedy Space Center scientists Rima and Aaron. We started at Wekiva Springs, where Renee and Terrence collected samples of bacteria from the cave walls. The cave is so confining that they dove no-mount systems, meaning that they push their tanks through the cave rather than wearing them on their backs. We all watched Terrence and Renee descend and then we took samples of the spring water using the hydrolab and talked to Rima and Aaron about their work.

Rima is doing an experiment testing the behavior of different bacteria in climates within spacecrafts. An astronaut’s voyage to Mars would take three years to complete: one year to get there, one year on Mars collecting whatever data is needed while waiting for correct alignment of the planets for a safe return, and one year to return to earth. In order for this to work, scientists would have to create a sustainable environment, and that’s where the bacteria come in. Rima explores different forms of bacteria that could help the scientists maintain a safe environment for an extended period of time.

Once the samples came up from the caves, Rima and Aaron looked at the specimens and we were able to help them do some water testing on site. We tested samples of water from the surface and surrounding the bacteria inside the cave with three different chemical tests: Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia. For each test, we broke two chemettes (three inch glass tubes that fill with water when the small tips are broken off, mixing the chemical and sample water inside the tube), and waited a minute for the solution to change color so we could read the results. The results showed low levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which is good because it signifies low levels of pollution in the spring.

The next place we went to was DeLeon Spring where Terrence and Renee were joined by Artie on their dive. While submerged, we used the hydrolab again to determine the temperature, salinity, turbidity, pH, conductance, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation-reduction potential of the DeLeon water. Rima and Aaron were fascinated by the samples from both locations and we celebrated the trip’s success with a nice breakfast at the Spring’s restaurant, where we made our own pancakes with the griddles set into the center of the tables. It was definitely a fun trip!

Later in the afternoon, all the interns went to Renee’s house to take showers and relax with some movies and…Renee and I, being the only females thought it wicked funny how fascinated the guys’ were with her flowery spa and bath products.

Comedic Adventures on the Wekiva River

While Tim, Lee, Paul, and James were out in the field collecting water samples for the Cambrian Foundation’s Central Florida Springs Project, Josh and I spent the day with Amy and her college professor, Dr. McShafferty, catching Dragonflies and Damselflies. Dr. McShafferty loves bugs. He wants to collect specimens from the Orlando area before returning up north, so Amy brought us to the Wekiva River and then through the Wekiwa Springs State Park today.

Armed with nets and canoes we paddled down the river swatting at just about every moving fly in sight, but I think Dr. McShafferty had the best luck getting them out of all of us; I’m just surprised that we didn’t fall out of the canoe! We must have been a funny sight to the canoes that were whipping by us on the river, especially on the way back when I was steering and had problems keeping us in the middle of the river, planting Josh face first into the mangroves way too many times. We saw all sorts of wildlife on our trip (some a little closer than expected!) from turtles basking on tree stumps to them swimming 30 feet below us on the river bottom. Although the hot sunny sky began to turn stormy, we went in search for more in the Wekiwa National park after catching flies on the Wekiva River. We even saw a sinkhole the size of my house, which was pretty cool, that had formed due to the karst topography of the area.

Back at Amy’s office Dr. McShafferty’s knowledge continued to astound us as he told us about the differences between families of flies. Our night ended with a trip to Rock Spring and then Wekiwa Springs to unfortunately lessen a population of armored catfish that had become too large for the park’s liking…Before we left, though, Artie showed me how to swim down near the entrance of a cave so that the flow from the entrance shot me up between two canyon-like walls and then onto the surface; the flow was fast and it was definitely cool. But not as cool as the black bears we saw on our ride home through the park!!

Cavern! Cavern! Cavern!

Big day today. We started out early with the cavern course on dry land. Terrence and Renee strung a cavern reel line from around and between trees, picnic tables, and other obstacles in the park so that we could simulate following a course underwater.

We began by learning how to use the line as a guide, wrapping thumb and pointer finger around it so that we create a small circular area for the line to pass through. The most crucial part of this, Terrence told us, is to KEEP A FIRM GRIP between your fingers; do not become separated from the line…if you do, you die. You do not necessarily die immediately in real life, but in a zero visibility situation in any overhead environment, you will get yourself into trouble if you can’t find your way back to the line that leads to the exit. We were challenged to get through the whole obstacle course, eyes closed, without “dying.” I don’t think we could count how many times we each died today!! But by the end our naive clasps turned into secure death grips so that we could make it through!

We also learned how to follow markers, navigate obstacles, perform buddy hand signals (when there is no visibility you have to slip your hand signal into your buddy’s hand so they can read it), how to find and untangle a buddy, how to properly cross over a line, and how to reel in a reel without jamming it. By the end of the day we were in the Rollins College pool utilizing the skills we learned on land for our test. Maskless or with our eyes closed, each of us had to complete an underwater course while Terrence and other students tangled the candidate into different messes, or tried to lead him or her off course. Two of the most important things to remember are to keep a firm grip and to move calmly and carefully even when tangled up so that you don’t stir up silt. It sure is tricky to unwrap yourself from a line that’s wrapped around your first stage, behind your back, through your legs and fin strap! I was absolutely amazed by some of the insane predicaments I watched the guys smoothly get out of underwater.

After the pool we finished up the nitrox class, and then Josh and I went to Amy’s house to help her and Terrence prepare vials for bacteria collecting with scientists on Thursday. Whew! It was a big day but really, really fun!!!

My First Cavern Dive : )

Day Three: A Day of Learning at the Cambrian Foundation

Tomorrow will start off with an early departure to the Rollins College pool for the cavern course, but today we got to sleep late! Josh and I spent the day at Amy’s house with her parents and baby Allie, and with Amy’s rescued tortoise! Amy is helping “Stitch” rehabilitate after she and Terrence found it with a cracked shell and punctured lung. I was trying not to laugh when she told me it was time to take it out for a walk. But hey, I guess everybody needs their exercise!

After Amy’s house and the speedy excursion with the tortoise, we all went to Terrence’s house to start the nitrox class. Boy did I learn a lot. Terrence’s teaching style is phenomenal, he is exceedingly through. He teaches above and beyond never failing to keep it real with scenarios he’s encountered in the past, which helps us as students to look at diving from a broader perspective. Ultimately, breathing nitrox IS 150% easier than learning it- thank you Sipperly. After a big night of learning I’m ready for bed! We’re getting up early tomorrow for more cavern class!

Team Typhoid tackles CPR

Today the interns spent the day taking a CPR class with Amy and Terrence. CPR is a prerequisite for any Cambrian cavern diving trips. We were split up into two teams: Team Typhoid (apparently my mono is as horrible as typhoid): Amy, Tim and I, and the other team who was sadly nameless because they were all in good health- Terrence, Artie, Josh. Renee Power, Director of Publications and Volunteers at the Cambrian Foundation who works at Orlando’s hospital, generously donated her time and expertise, she took the day off to instruct the class. In the middle of our class, James called us out because Paul had “fallen off the roof and was unconscious.” Josh and I stepped up to the scene and started rescue breathing on the victim after analyzing the situation.

The Cambrian Foundation never fails to “give it to you real.” We were nicely surprised with a mouth full of pizza in the victim’s mouth (which is a lot more pleasant than what we could have encountered in reality) showing us that emergencies are rarely textbook-perfect scenarios, you have to be prepared for any kind of situation. We learned more emergency procedures, including how to use a defribulator, deal with spinal injuries, and heart attacks. After the class we went back to the Terrence’s house to start day one of the cavern course. Lee, Tim, and I were the only interns in the course. We learned about the difference between cave and cavern (“cavern is cave diving without all the fun stuff,” or exploration, says Terrence), and that it’s crucially important not to ditch your weights because the only place to go is up, into the cavern ceiling. Before calling it a night, we rigged our BCs so that they were stream-line and “cavern safe” for our pool test on Tuesday.

Welcome to Orlando and the Cambrian Foundation

I was greeted at the airport by Terrence Tysall, president and founder of the Cambrian Foundation and Artie the summer intern coordinator, with a “Kate Cambrian Foundation” sign. That was a surprise!! After drinking a Starbucks coffee with a shot of espresso I was finally awake enough to keep up with Terrence’s and Artie’s quick sarcasm. We drove back to Cambrian headquarters to meet five more college interns, James, Lee, Paul, Tim, and Josh, and Amy Giannotti who is the VP of Science and Research and Educational Director for the Foundation. After the introductions they took me to see my first Florida Spring.

Wekiva Spring water is beautiful and crystal clear. Terrence and Artie showed me three of their test sites there where they take daily water samples. Members of the Cambrian foundation were actually the first and only people to be granted government permission to dive there, on the basis that NASA is interested in their data and sample collection. The water has been tracked to filter through the ground for 27 years before upwelling into the springs, so what we put into the ground today is feared to severely harm the system in the future.

Once we got back to Terrence’s house, we organized and cleaned out the Cambrian Foundation dive locker. After that, Terrence taught us how to O2 clean, fill, and analyze a tank firsthand-not something that I could do in a dive shop, or even in the nitrox class! I used a metal broom-like whip on a shaft attached to a power drill to clean the rust buildup off the inside of the tank. After that, I turned the tank upside down, banged out the rust, and stuck a low pressure hose into the opening to blow out extra particles. The tank is now O2 cleaned! Artie and I screwed the valve on, and we affixed special Cambrian foundation special mix, nitrox stickers, or VIP stickers on. After that we filled the tank using the cascade filling method and with a little bit of air in the tank, we were able to analyze the contents of the tanks.

Amy later invited everyone to her house for a welcome party, where we had delicious brownies and fudge sauce, and watched Shrek. This has got to be the epitome of an awesome diving internship…life just can’t seem to get any better! [but wait, it does…]

Incredible Wreck Dives and Film Editing Galore!

This is the first free time that I’ve had in two days to write (or sleep!) so right now I’m in the airport terminal catching up on entries. The past two days have been filled with amazing wreck diving and lots of video editing. My only previous experience with this kind of stuff was with iMovie for a presentation junior year. iMovie is a lot simpler than the Stayer’s professional production equipment! They have Media100 which is used in conjunction with Photoshop7 and Adobe After Effects. I started using the camera gear and editing software the first full day I was here so luckily I got the hang of it before leaving.

Last entry I thought I had spent all day editing….nope, not even close! Wednesday I was up until 3:45 am and then on Thursday was up until 6:15 am finishing it up. Pat almost pulled an all-nighter with me, she was up to 4 am this morning! We were worried that we wouldn’t finish in time, but thankfully Jim got it onto VHS before my trip home; it is roughly 13 minutes and has a lot of footage from the wrecks!!

THE DIVES: We have been in major crunch-mode but the four two five hours we spent diving on both Wednesday and on Thursday were incredible. The water was about 66 degrees on the surface and we all used drysuits again because it gets a lot colder at the bottom. Wednesday we went out with Bill, another charter captain and friend of the Stayers, to dive the Mary Alice B. and the front half of the Regina.

The Mary Alice B. is a 65 foot steel tug-boat sitting perfectly upright in about 92 feet of water. She took on more water than the pumps could handle while being towed from Rockport to Detroit in 1975; the Stayers discovered her in 1992. Diving on this wreck was an amazing experience, I felt like I had gone back in time. Although many of Mary Alice’s surfaces were covered in zebra mussels (a non-native species that invaded the great lakes but, because they filter water, also made the water more clear), she looks perfectly preserved. Not only are the wood and ropes intact from sinking, the wheelhouse is picturesque and complete with the wooden wheel. It’s breathtaking. We swam around the tug and peered in the head, the galley (which had the remains of some plates), and the engine room. I wish I could have stayed down there forever! Our second dive that day was awesome as well.

The Regina is a 250 foot steel freighter lying upside down in 77 feet of water that is thought to have sunk in the “big storm of 1913” on Lake Huron, in which many large ships were consumed by the sea. She was found by a local man in 1986, her hull completely ripped open midship. As we descended onto the Regina, a massive looming shadow came into view. Getting closer I almost choked on my regulator when I saw the size of the prop. Jim had told me earlier to swim behind it for the camera once we got down there because it was “big” but I did not imagine it to be THAT enormous!! I felt a little spooked getting so close to it, the whole wreck had a very eerie feel. I followed Jim around the bottom of the wreck, he showed me the smokestack and one of the masts, and we peered underneath her hull to see the cargo area inside. The sand is littered with countless artifacts, from whistles, to bells, and anchors to glassware and the dozens of portholes just LAYING in the sand. It was shocking. I think I know a few people who wouldn’t be allowed near this wreck! Needless to say, Wednesday was a spectacular day of diving.

Thursday was just as interesting because we got to see the other half of the Regina, the bow. We logged a bottom time of 29 minutes and I reached 78 feet where the cargo dug into the sand. The bow is covered in a row of intact portholes and the bottom, similar to the stern, is filled with artifacts. I shined my light under the hull and saw gigantic pieces of wooden decking and a few ladders. Since the wreck is upside down, Jim took me up to the keel to see the huge rip that caused the freighter. The sheer size of it was intimidating. It had to have taken something really powerful to rip through that hunk of steel. That was our only dive on Thursday, but still a stunning one to end on. Jim let me use his video camera on each of the wrecks so I was able to get footage of them all, documenting my first time freshwater wreck diving.

My trip with the Stayers continued to open my eyes to new worlds of diving, and also of video production! The amount of effort Jim and Pat put into producing their videos or other people’s videos is impressive, and a full-time job in itself. A lot of time is put into making a little segment of video. I got the chance to learn about what goes on “behind-the-scenes” when making an underwater movie, during my stay with Jim and Pat. Not only does one have to be artistic and have a creative eye, he or she must have the skills on multiple levels, from camera control in currents and waves to color-correction and other editing abilities, in order to produce a pleasing finished product.

When it Rains, it Pours: A Day of Video Editing

Wow. Today is the first day on the internship with heavy rain. Nearly every dive has been in fine weather with great water conditions (with exception to yesterday!), how much more lucky can I get? I guess when it rains in Michigan, it pours.

It has been pouring almost nonstop since last night’s thunderstorms. We didn’t get to go out today, which was not totally a bad thing as it was time well spent on the intern video. I am amazed by how long it takes to put a just few frames together, this project is going to take a long time!! Pat and I worked on the project ALL DAY. She had an appointment at 2:30 so we took a break from editing. During this time Jim took me to see the lightship Huron.

A lightship is a floating light house. It is quite practical because it can be used in multiple locations, as Huron was, and can be anchored in the parts of the Lake too deep to build an actual light house. Huron marked the entrance to the Lake Huron cut, and was the last light ship to be used on the Lakes. In the 70’s Huron was beached and later it became a museum. It’s a neat piece of history to explore. After the lightship, Jim bought some “sea foam,” air vacuumed malted candy covered in chocolate, on the way home…it’s delicious and only found on the shores of Lake Huron. Spent the rest of the night editing away!

First Wreck Dive in Lake Huron

Today is our first day of diving and my first time in freshwater! We dove from the Stayer’s boat, Wildkat, with Mike and Deb who are close friends of the Stayers. If I hadn’t known we were on the shores of Lake Huron, I would have thought we were looking out onto an ocean. I was excited to see the crystal-clear stern wake we left behind, and that we didn’t have salt spray stains all over our gear…different from San Diego and Massachusetts! When the time for the first dive came, Pat stayed behind with Deb while Jim, Mike, and I descended on the first wreck.

The wreck of the Sport was so cool because, having sunk in fresh water, the wood was intact-another sight you could never see in Massachusetts, or any salt water location! Sport was the first steel hulled tug on Lake Huron, it sank in a wintry gale in 1920, and lies on her starboard side in 49 feet of water. After giving me a tutorial on land, Jim let me try using his video camera underwater and luckily it turned out to be much easier to use than I thought! I had to compensate for its weight by adding air to my BC, but I was able to watch what I was filming on a small LCD inside the housing (which was a GATES housing, by the way!). To make the film pleasing to the eye, Jim told me that I should not use the zoom, move very slowly and steadily through the water, and let the motion in the frame be natural, not just panning.

The Sport had some amazing artifacts lying on and around it. Aside from the anchor, winch, and bell on board, I saw the wheel, many portholes and her enormous brass whistle!! Portholes and especially whistles are rare finds in the ocean and can be taken by divers if the wreck is not part of an underwater preserve. We circled the Sport a couple of times and on our way to the ascent line I saw Jim do a huge double take, the ascent line was gone! All that was left was the chain wrapped around the wreck. Jim and Mike tied a reel line around the wreck and we surfaced together. Luckily the boat was only about 100 yards away but the surf was huge and the current at the surface was substantial. The forecasted 2 foot seas turned out to be 4 to 5 footers; I wasn’t scared out of my drysuit because I had two experienced men on either side of me, but we seemed to be drifting pretty fast. Deb and Pat were able to keep an eye on us the whole time after the line broke and immediately tossed us a life-ring to pull us in. About five minutes later everyone was safely onboard. Needless to say we didn’t make a second dive today.

Back at the house we celebrated Deb’s birthday by relaxing in the heated pool followed by a sausage cook out. It was a good way to end what they called a “shaky” day. No one can predict what will happen on a dive, complications always occur. Today was an excellent learning experience for me. Before heading off to bed Jim and Pat taught me how to edit the footage we took by using Media100 to digitize, color-correct, and edit the film.

From Lexington, MA to Lexington, MI in 15 Hours

For the second portion of the “sleep-away” half of the internship, I will be staying with Jim and Pat Stayer, a couple interested in wreck diving and exploration. They are the founders of Out of the Blue Productions and charter dives on their boat, Wildkat. Jim and Pat have discovered eight shipwrecks in Lake Huron, and I will get the chance to dive on some wrecks in the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve. I met the Stayers this morning at a coffee shop in Connecticut, and we packed away my luggage and dive gear so that we could start the 12 hour drive to their home in Lexington, Michigan.

A couple of days ago the Stayers had told me that we might have the chance to stop in Canada on the way back, and we did! This is my first time visiting Canada, and we stopped at NIAGARA FALLS. It was so cool, they are magnificent. Getting up close to the ledge, you realize the power of water, seeing the huge rapids and the sheer volume of water passing right by you is amazing. The Stayers are going to teach me how to put together a short video, which will be documenting the summer, so Pat took a few video clips of my first time in Canada. With our break at the Falls, the 12 hour trip actually turned into a 15 hour trip; the traffic jam we sat in trying to cross the American border reminded me of all the traffic I was missing back in Boston during today’s Democratic National Convention.

We reached the Stayers’ home by 10:30 and after unpacking the truck we are all ready to sleep. Before I went to bed, though, I noticed beautiful and intricately drawn pictures of shipwrecks hanging in the hallway; Jim told me that these were some of the ones that we would be visiting and mentioned that Pat had drawn them all. In amazement I went to bed dreaming of what it would be like to dive on one of these vessels…

Diving the YUKON and the RUBY E.

Steve wasn’t able to make the dives today, but he hired a guide who took us to dive two cool sites in “Wreck Alley” of the San Diego coast. We went out on the panga captained by Doug, Julie’s mate, to the first site the wreck of the Yukon. The Yukon is a 366 foot destroyer that was sunk four years ago to create an artificial reef for the wildlife, and to create a safe, penetrable wreck for divers. The water was pretty choppy and sitting on the bouncing raft with the tight neck seal around my neck didn’t make me feel to great, but I felt a lot better when I actually got into the water.

We descended down the line to the wreck, and once it came into sight (the visibility was about 20 feet), the looming shadow was enormous. The sunken vessel lists to the starboard side on the bottom, and is covered with many large white metridium (anemones). I saw a few fish on the tour that the guide led, but not too many. The Yukon is a fully intact wreck, which makes it a popular site to dive. We didn’t go inside, but explored the many surfaces onboard. It was amazing. We logged a bottom time of 36 minutes and had a maximum depth of 91 feet.

After the Yukon, we ate a little lunch and then rolled into the water around 2:30 to start our dive on the Ruby E., a coast guard boat that sank 12 years ago. The dive was BEAUTIFUL!!! The visibility was a little better on this one (around 25 feet) so we saw a ton of life-it was so cool. The wreck is covered with all sorts of anemones, including the little strawberry anemones we saw on the kelp bed dives. There were fish everywhere, which made it a very lively scene! We explored all around the wreck and dove down to about 77 feet. By far the best part of the dive was finding bunches of teeny little nudibranchs on the decks and other horizontal surfaces.

My favorite part was finding a huge brightly colored navanax, which resembles a nudibranch but is actually a type of sea hare that preys on nudibranchs! I thought it was a nudibranch, but Marty’s book told me otherwise : ). This little guy was black with thin bright yellow stripes covering its body. Two orange tipped ribbon-like protrusions ran along its back, and were spotted with bright blue patches. It was soooo cool. I sat there for a while just looking at it, and actually realized there were a whole bunch of nudibranchs right beneath me too! Our dive only lasted about 40 minutes because our guide was low on air, but it was by far my FAVORITE dive in San Diego!!

Back at the house we told Steve about our dives, and I was totally surprised when he gave me a mounted picture of a nudibranch—just like the one on Destiny! Unfortunately Pat and I didn’t get back to the house until around 10:30 pm because we had to spend the rest of the day waiting in the hospital (ugh!) because my glands were pretty swollen and I had come down with strep throat. Regardless, I still could not stop thinking about that awesome dive on the Ruby E.!

Depart from San Diego, CA

Amazing! That is one word of many that could describe this trip. Pat and I got up early to pack our gear into our suitcases because today we fly back home. I’ve had such a wonderful time staying in San Diego, I can’t believe that the week is already over. From the beautiful slide shows in his living room, to conversations at breakfast or in the car, Steve has shared wealth of knowledge with me. He has given me invaluable advice and has shared great pointers on how to improve on something everyday. Needless to say I was continually amazed by what he had in store for us each day, not to mention the star-studded list of people he introduced us to! Steve and Hiroko have been incredible hosts. I’ve had so much fun staying here, I’m going to miss them. They are headed off to Africa soon, followed by a trip to the Pacific. Thanks Steve and Hiro for an awesome week in San Diego! : )

Diving Unlimited International…DUI – A Tour

Today was a very action packed day! We started the day off with a nice long breakfast and then hurried off to the DUI Factory, where we were cheerfully greeted by representative Faith Ortins. Diving Unlimited International (DUI) is a distinguished dry suit manufacturing, company famous for its top-of-the-line custom dry suit products and is considered the leader in the trade; DUI caters to everyone from the general public to the U.S. government. Faith took us on a tour of the factory, and described how a dry suit is made from start to finish. DUI prides themselves in the construction of their products; every dry suit and accessory is made by hand.

A suit starts out in the back with the cutters. There are two cutters who each cut their designated patterns. The man who cuts the patterns for the style suit that Pat wears has been cutting for around ten years, which ensures manufacturing consistency. DUI uses materials such as their own version of crushed neoprene, trilaminate, and cordura; the neoprene is cut uncrushed, so at the cutting table it looked thick and spongy. The next room we went to was a large warehouse-style room filled with tables and busy workers, this is where the suits are sewn together and the seams are sealed with rubber. A dry suit is a dry suit because of its seams. Water does not pass through neoprene on its own; wet suits are thus “wet” because water leaks through the suit’s seams. With snug latex wrist and neck seals and properly sealed seams, a dry suit has the ability to keep a person not only dry when diving, but also quite warm because of the ability to put layers of insulating material between the person and the suit. Therefore, dry suits are usually used in cold water environments, but also in situations where divers remain stationary for long periods of time, such as with Dr. Hanlon’s squid divers in Australia.

Our next stop was outside where the products are pressure tested in long horizontal pressure chambers, and then we went into an adjacent building where employees were also sealing up seems and putting together the suits. The zipper is another important component of the suit. This, too, must be impermeable to water, and is one of the most important pieces of the suit to maintain because a dry suit filled with water is bad news. Every suit is carefully inspected for leaks, they want to catch even the tiniest ones which could have formed from a popped bubble within the rubber sealant. The suit is zippered and plugged up at each of the opening then inflated with air. The testers submerge the ballooned suits in a trough of water and look carefully for rising bubbles. They also go over the seams with a soapy spray bottle if further inspection is needed. I can not believe how trained their eyes are; they pointed out a leak but I could not see the bubbles in the soapy water even though they said they were there, and that the suit had to be sent back.

At the end of the tour, Faith showed us DUI’s dry bag that soldiers in the military use to transport their machine guns underwater. Needless to say, seeing firsthand the dedication and the precision with which each dry suit is constructed is quite impressive. After DUI we stopped by John Jackson’s house.

John Jackson is an incredible shell collector, author and founder of Odyssey Publishing Company. His house is like a museusm, its amazing. Displayed on shelf after shelf are different kinds of shells that he has acuired. Being particularly fascinated by cowries, a large portion of the lower level is dedicated to drawers full of these shells (and pictures he has taken of the live animal). He has collected them from all over the world and is particularly fascinated by the rare ones, of which he has collected many. He has been working for the past seven years on a beautiful new book, Australia’s Spectacular Cowries, which was just published this year. I was floored when he gave me a copy! Not only by that, he gave me a four other shell and wild life identification books, and even a beautifully shined up cowry!! I was completely taken aback and can’t wait to dive into them. We spent the next few hours with John Jackson eating at a fun restaurant that overlooks a pond, then headed home to catch up on some rest. We got back to the house and Steve showed me a new pair of Scubapro split fins that Sergio had left for me…oh my god! Wow. What a day.