Hi.  Is there anybody out there?

Here's about me...

I fell in love with SCUBA when I was a little kid in the 50s (60s?) watching Sea Hunt.  So, of course, I couldn't (didn't) do anything about it until I turned 50 and took a SCUBA course as part of a Boy Scout program, mostly because my son wanted to, and it was an excuse to get away from the wife and daughters (3) for a few nights.

The course was crazy.  The instructor is an old hard liner, and we swam laps.  We warmer up with laps.  We did laps buddy-breathing.  We did laps without masks.  We did laps with freeflowing regs.  And we learned.  Ditch-and-don.... bailouts... this was no resort course.  15 hours of classroom, 15 hours of pool.  Then, the open water dives.

I screwed the dives.  My rental wet suit damn near choked me to death.  David Oreck couldn't have gotten air out of the reg.  Not enough weight.  It was BAD.  So the instructor FAILED ME!  MADE ME REPEAT THE COURSE.  15 more hours of pool time, and a whole year later, I passed with flying colors.  In retrospect, it was a wise choice on his part.  Now I dream of diving, I don't fear it.  I respect the sea, but I enjoy it.  And I have confidence that I can handle problems.  A great feeling.

So, if I only had some time or money.  I'm a consultant working in the Information Technology field, so I get paid by the hour.  I have time or money, never both.  Diving is, therefore, The Atlantic Ocean (Fort Wetherill in RI is nice, beach 9th treet in Queens is pretty wierd.)  Sometimes Dutch Springs.  Always cold.  Usually the viz sucks.  I love it!