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 You might have guessed that we didn’t win the big Florida
Lotto last month. We thought the chances were excellent but it just didn’t
work the way we hoped. It doesn’t matter really, because we have so much
more than those winnings would bring us. We’ve got friends and fellow
divers that are worth so much more than a few dollars in our pockets. It’s
more important now as we head into the Black Hole of winter in SW Florida
– at least as far as diving is concerned.
We had big plans to go out on our buddy’s new Acadia boat, “Slow-N-Down”,
built right here in Cape Coral by Atlas Boat Works. This is a real beauty
– the classy style and look of a Northeast boat but with all the comfort
and design that fits the lifestyle we love here in SW Florida. It seems
that the weather decided to bite into our plans. On Monday, we were
happily getting organized. Dive gear was ready to go and we just had to
decide on which wetsuits we might need. The Gulf waters are cooler now and
it’s time to move into the heavy rubber if the chilly water is too much
for your soul. I’m cold in the middle of summer so the 5 ml suit is coming
out of the closet now. All of the gear was clumped in the corner of the
garage, ready to load into the back of the van. All week we watched the
weather reports with increasing dismay. One thing became obvious …
Winter is arriving in SW Florida. Sure, the Ohio and Michigan visitors
think we are wimps but after a long time living in shorts & t-shirts, the
chilly weather doesn’t hold much appeal for us. As far as diving goes, the
wind is not our friend either. A cold front moving in, high winds and
reports of 8-9 foot seas is enough to send us to the closest waterfront
restaurant, seeking comfort with fellow divers. In the golden glow of a
glass of Chardonnay, an amber beer and a grouper sandwich we talk about
the dive that could have been. A summer of hurricanes and windy weather is
quickly sliding into the dreaded winter weather that gets here too soon
and stays too long. Now we hope for the occasional warm day when we can
steam westward and dive into the chilly depths of the Gulf of Mexico. In
the summer months, we often have to compete with other divers and sports
fishermen for the prime spot on our favorite ledge or wreck. After the
first chill, the competition wanes and the red and white dive flag may be
the only break on the horizon.
From now until February, we’ll make many attempts to explore the mysteries
of the deep in the local Gulf area. We’ll get up early and drag the dive
gear to the dock while wrapping our hands around a warm coffee mug and
digging deeper into layers of flannel and quilted clothing that does
little to stop the clattering of our chilled bones. We’ll be amazed at the
fantastic visibility that is a trait of the cooler winter months and we’ll
arrive back at the boat, teeth chattering, as we rave about the sea life
that inhabits our underwater world. We’ll dream of exotic vacations to
tropical vistas and by February, many of our group will be enjoying the
warmer waters of the Caribbean in places like Bonaire & Curacao. We’ll
already be planning for the arrival of Easter because we know the Florida
Keys will be in the early phases of warming and we’ll enjoy brief windows
of opportunity as the weather begins to break.
Last March, Gary and I were lucky enough to be asked to return to the
clear, blue waters of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands to gather
information and photos for the web site we designed for them. We were
packed and ready to go before our email reply even left the spidery
networks of southwest Florida and once again we dragged pounds of dive and
camera gear through a pile of airports and time zones. The last time we
visited the remote atoll, we stayed in the construction barracks and dove
from a small fishing boat that didn’t even have a ladder to help us get
back on the boat. Not so on this March 2004 trip. We arrived in Rongelap
mid day and boarded the luxurious, 132 ft Oleanda, a live aboard ship set
up for diving and capable of reaching all of the tiny islands that make up
Rongelap Atoll. The native islanders were moved off the islands over 40
years ago following an accidental “snow” of radiation from the nuclear
tests being conducted over Bikini Atoll, a short 100 miles away. The
islands have been cleaned and the long process of building the
infrastructure is ongoing but the only residents on the atoll are a few
construction workers and a big population of Coconut Crabs.
We spent the week cruising the deep water of the atoll, stopping at coral
reef walls and gardens that were previously unreachable by anyone. Our
crew performed the miracle of loading our dive gear into a smaller boat
and ferrying us to the edge of wondrous walls that sloped and dropped into
over 2000 feet of deep blue sea. We drifted with schools of sharks and
mysterious Unicorn Fish while we explored the underwater fairyland. We
arrived back at the “Mother Ship”, the Oleanda, to be greeted with fresh
water showers, trays of fresh baked pastries and chilled fruit, followed
by a gourmet lunch fit for royalty. During this time, the crew changed our
tanks and made sure our dive gear was set up and ready for the afternoon
dive. If we wanted a night dive, we would follow the same routine.
In the evening the ship anchored in a protected cove where we could
snorkel, dive, or paddle around in the ocean kayaks kept on board. We
might swim over to the white, sandy beaches and look for the glass fishing
floats that always wash up there. As the sun dropped into the liquid
horizon, we would enjoy exotic tropical cocktails and treats followed by a
sumptuous buffet of fresh caught seafood or some other specialty of the
seagoing chef.
I can honestly say it was hard prying my relaxed body from the deck chair
and getting back on an airplane. But now, the whole point of this long
explanation, I can sit in my chilly house, dressed in jeans, turtle neck
shirt, sweater, socks, and shoes and try to transport myself back to that
week where I can almost feel the hot sun on my face and peer into the
crystal depths of Rongelap Atoll.
Even as I write, I’m aware that today is the shortest day of the year and
soon we’ll start the trip into Florida spring time and warmer water. The
Caloosa Dive Club calendar stays full despite the cooler weather. A trip
to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa is scheduled for January and includes a
special behind the scenes tour for our group. We begin the real warm up in
February with a Chili Cook-off to see who can come up with the best Chili
recipe. We also schedule a Stone Crab feast in February and if the Stone
Crabs don’t show up in enough numbers, we fill in with huge Snow Crab
legs, plump Gulf shrimp and tables full of salads, snacks, casseroles and
desserts. If we can’t dive, then we might as well eat!
A late February trip to Dania Beach will be the first club scheduled dive
and we’ll be hoping for sunny skies and calm seas. After that, the real
season begins and we’re hoping for lots of great weather next year to make
up for the bummer summer we had this year.
We hope that everyone had a great holiday season and that the new year
brings good health and happiness.
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