Beach Combers Wreath

On December 8, 2017 By holls40In Artsy Fartsy, DIY'sLeave a comment

A small portion of our collection. A big thanks to my bestie for the lovely crab Sea Bag! I think I need a bigger one;)

Hubby and I moved to Florida seventeen years ago, in that time we have collected a fair amount of sea shells on our weekend jaunts to various beaches around the state. He likes the grey-blue bivalve shells, I gravitate towards conch or similar gastropod shells. The shells that catch my eye are worn down to the center spiral. I find something perfect in their imperfection and they remind me of my favorite flower, the Calla Lilly. Of course I love a perfect shell, but perfect gastropod shells are hard to find (in my experience) and if you come across one, they usually have a tenant. I leave those alone for obvious reasons. I’ve always had a fascination with looking inside the structures of nature. It doesn’t matter if it’s looking inside the human body via dissection or the simplicity of picking up a shell and viewing the spirals and the golden ratio. Nature is always surprising.

So what do you do with all of the shells you accumulate over the course of seventeen years? Well, you wait until you have inspiration I guess.

I had envisioned a grand something or another that would showcase our shells in a not so cheesy way. Last year I created a pathetic “flower arrangement.” I was aiming for a bouquet of “lilies,” but it was very heavy and not what I envisioned. Perhaps I’ll figure out a better design for that sometime in the future, but for now it’s a no go and high on the cheesy craft list.

I finally found inspiration at a swanky boutique in St. Pete last summer. A gorgeous oyster shell wreath and a matching mirror, both as far from cheesy as possible. The mirror was close to $1200 and the wreath around $800, eek! That was a bit outside my decor budget, but I had our shells and knew I could create something similar. The inspiration needed to marinate in my brain for a while until I figured out how to execute it!

A few months later I found two oyster shell wreaths at our local TjMaxx and suddenly I was reminded of my inspiration pieces. The hamster wheel in my head started to turn. I could use the oyster shells to get that “boutique” look and use our collected shells to give it that one of a kind personal touch. I walked out of the store with my two wreaths and feeling no shame for haggling with the manager because one was broken. Hey, I saved 25% on something I was taking apart anyway. Score. The shells were strung like a garland and wrapped around a flimsy single wire wreath base. I planned on my wreaths being slightly bigger than the ones I bought and with a flat back to limit the damage they might cause to a wall or door.

I had intended to pump this project out quickly. HA! It was a bit more tedious than I had anticipated so my advice to you is to be patient and take your time. If you are doing this as a gift, don’t wait until the weekend before, unless you have a lot of time on your hands. I have no idea how many hours I have in this project (for one wreath), but I would guess around 20 hours? I am happy to report that the second one seems to be moving quicker. I’m hoping to have less than 10 hours in this next one, we’ll see. Your timeframe will obviously depend on your specific project. The trickiest part of this whole process is piecing together the shells, it’s a puzzle. You’ll put a few on only to realize the wire is showing because they don’t lay quite right. Take them off and try again, eventually you’ll get the feel for it. It’s not rocket science, but there is an art to it. You’ll get better at choosing the puzzle pieces.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that after taking on this project I fully appreciate the $1200 and $800 price tag on those boutique pieces. After co-owning a boutique I can gauge the buyer/wholesale cost and retail cost of such items and as a somewhat artistic individual, I absolutely appreciate the time, effort and planning to create such pieces. They were priced relatively well given their size. SO, if you really don’t want to take this project on but love the look, consider finding someone with the artistic know how and pay them fairly for their time! You could cut out the middle man/woman and support a local artist. When all is said and done I’ll have about $150 in these wreaths, $75 each, but that is not including my time. There is unmatched satisfaction in creating something yourself, but no ones knows better than I do that you have to pick your battles. In this case, pick your crafts! In my opinion, should you decide to pay an artist to do this, expect to spend around $250 per piece and don’t be shocked if they say $300 or more. You have to think about what their time and skill are worth.

Alright, get on with it already…..

I’ve tried to be as detailed as possible, but this was me winging it as I saw fit. Trial and error. Change it up and/or add your own techniques. I would love to hear any quick shortcuts or better techniques you come up with!

What do you need?

Patience
A large piece of cardboard to protect your work surface, it will get scratched.
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters
22 gauge wire. Larger wire will work, but you need to be able to work easily with it. I would recommend stainless steel if you can find and afford it. Especially if you plan to hang these outdoors.
Heavy duty wreath base. I used (4) 18″ wire bases and doubled them up for use on 2 wreaths.
Shells of your choice. I was lucky to find oyster shells that already had holes drilled. You can buy oyster shells on eBay or Amazon. Hard to say exactly how many you’ll need, but I’d say several hundred.
Bin or bucket to place shells in, this keeps your mess somewhat organized.
Drill and appropriate bits. My oyster shells already had holes and most of what we collected have natural holes. The drill is for those pieces you might struggle with.
Hot glue gun and plenty of clear glue sticks.
Gloves if you feel you need them. I didn’t use them because I’m overly tactile and found that they get in the way.
Felt or something soft to attach to the back of wreath when finished. This helps to protect your hanging surface, door/wall.

Completed wreath on the left, original on the right.

First thing, in my case, was to remove the shells from the smaller wreath; toss the old wire, put the shells in a bin, and say a “Thank You Lawd” I’ve had a tetanus shot. That old wire was rusty and sharp!

You may need to start by drilling holes in your shells. If so, design your layout first so you know where to drill your holes so they will not show. I would advise using a sharpie to mark your drill spot unless you’re good at eyeballing it. You may need to drill more than one hole in the same shell to keep the wire from showing. Keep this in mind when planning a timeframe for your project as it will likely be about 30% of your time. If you are not using oyster shells on your project it could potentially go quicker.

I had already wired the two wreath bases together so no picture of that process, but it’s self explanatory I think (see pic below, upper left). Doubling the base made it easier to secure the wire where I needed it and also provided a heavy duty support to this very heavy wreath! To start I cut a piece of wire about 30″ long (you could cut it longer if you want), folded it in half and attached it to the base. Twist to secure (upper right picture shown below). It seemed natural to work from the outside to the inside, but whatever works for you. I also worked left to right, again this felt natural.

I chose to use the flatter shells (pic on the right) for the edges of the wreath to keep the back as flat as possible. The shell on the left was chunky and the hole was not in an ideal spot.

The natural variation of size and shape of oyster shells.

Now starts the puzzle. Once you start adding the shells; use your judgement on which shells to use, how many shells to add before securing the wire, and where to secure the wire. As I said, it will take some trial and error, you’re looking for the shells that fit together best. In my opinion, you want to keep them facing the same direction.

The picture below looks a little nuts, and it is, but as I can best explain it; when you run out of wire, cut another 30″ piece and wrap it around the outside rim and twist it like the first one. Take one side of the new wire and wrap it to remnants of the previous one to keep the new one from sliding. Connecting the wires will keep the shells tightly packed. If you don’t secure the new piece the whole thing gets floppy and unstable. You do not want a lot of movement, more movement means the shells bump each other and chip. They are strong, but delicate. Like me, ha ha! Some shells you’ll attach individually and sometimes you’ll string 2-3 shells to the wire and then attach it. There’s no real method other than following the shape of the shell and the exposure of the wire. You’ll understand that more as you do it.

The bottom right pic shows the first shell on the new wire, the wire pulled to the right (in the left lower pic) I used when the other one gets short.

The shells may shift on you even if you’ve secured and tightened the new wire, that’s ok, once you add more they will settle in. Move them back to the position you want them in before adding more. The picture below shows the exact same shells shifted. On the left they look loose, on the right I put them back in place and proceeded to add more. You could glue them in place if you want, but I save the glue as a last resort.

Left pic, not in place. Right pic, good position with wire not showing.

Now that you have the hang of it, it’s repeat, repeat, repeat. Continue adding shells and wrapping or weaving the wire to secure it.

I chose to follow the design rule of thirds. The oyster shells make up 2/3 of the wreath and our collected shells the other 1/3. I did my best to transition them as seamlessly as I could. You’ll have to play with it to see what looks best. I placed our collected shells on top of the wreath and did a “dry fit” if you will. This took a while as it’s an even bigger puzzle. I would advise that you take a photo of the layout you like. Once you move them you’ll forget the placement and want to throw something after spending all that time finding a layout that works and that you like. This picture below was not what I initially wanted, but I could not recreate my initial layout. I was careful when I removed them from the wreath, but I knocked them out of place. Ugh! If there was not a natural hole I arranged them so that the wire would not show under the top layers of shell. I did attach glue on these shells to keep them in place, even if they were wired.

Layers make all the difference…and those shells that are not perfect, they are perfect for this!

This is the same section, you can see where I added and also changed a few shells.

As if you wanted to see my feet. I managed to keep them out of every other photo except this one.

Once you get the hang of it it’s easy but tedious. Listen to music or an audiobook, FaceTime a friend or sit in silence if that’s your thing. Now it’s just you and time.

Once I had the majority of the shells where I wanted them and securely attached I went over the wreath and looked for bare spots. I glued smaller swirly shells and smaller oyster shells where needed. The above picture I took prior to adding the extras, my apologies.

My thoughts on finishing; I will attach a heavier wire to the back of the piece for hanging, attach an 18″foam wreath base to the wire base and place felt that is similar in color to the shells over the foam. I’m thinking that this will keep the shells sitting about 1/2″, give or take, off of the door and provide a soft back to avoid scratching the surface. I will position the wreath to hang as it is situated in the photo, with the larger shells to the bottom left.

The second wreath is coming along, although I’m having a little trouble getting it the way I want it. Since my plan is to put them on our front doors I would like the shells on the second wreath to mirror the first one. The shells are not laying as smoothly clockwise as they do counter clockwise. In my attempt to avoid cussing and throwing the shells, I’m keeping in mind that these are made from natural material. These may be two wreaths made out of the same material, but just like humans they are all unique;).

Good Luck on your projects! I’d love to see what you create and ideas you have so please share! Feel free to ask me any questions as I am sure some of the above directions may not be clear. I learn from others learning if that makes any crazy sense!

~Holly

8/12/17

Sigh….well, here it is more than a year after I started this project and began this post. A few years ago I would’ve beat myself up a bit for not finishing in a timely manner; however, in my quest for personal growth (LOL) I no longer allow myself to engage in garbage mental behavior. Instead, I give my past self kudos for getting as much done as she did! All I had to do this morning was load a few pictures of the completed project, write a few finish notes and this little afterthought.

I completely own the procrastination portion of my personality. I have grown to consider that it is not a bad thing. Possibly a tad warped in my view, but I now see it as a great strength. HA HA! I prioritize well and my brain seems to work better under pressure. Life may start to get crazy in the next few months (that’s a good thing), so I am motivated to complete all of the little projects hanging in the background. It provides me with a nice sense of accomplishment even though I know that sentiment is laced with a tiny bit of BS, te he he.

If your goal is to hang these outside I would highly recommend spending a little extra money and investing in rust proof wire. Heavy floral wire is fine if you are planning indoor use, but IT WILL RUST AND BREAK with exposure to humidity and the elements. These were going on our front doors, not anymore. I left them outside on the lanai, it was nicer to work out there, but I had to rewire quite a few of the oyster shells and the hot glue would wear down. I have no idea as of now where these two beauties will find their final resting spot. Possibilities include the guest room, entryway or maybe even my office. Who knows. It’s not like I’m in any hurry right? Giggle.

You will most likely find a better way to execute your project, I hope you do! The imperfect shells are truly wonderful for this project. As I read my year old thoughts, I realized “the perfection of imperfection” lends itself well to a cheesy little metaphor for life and the way we are as individuals.

The perfect shells are beautiful, but not always useful and you can’t see the inside. You find yourself asking what, if anything, is living in there? HA!

Even those of us with the most wear and tear are good for something, for someone. Once you see the inside you realize there may be a little rough sand or dirt, but it’s also multicolored and textured or possibly dull and smooth. I suppose I simply prefer knowing the character of all nature at a deeper level.

Who knew a craft project would provide such insights? 😉

Sam had been sitting in the middle of one wreath, of course he doesn’t want me to have a picture of him doing it.

As you can see they are not the exact same size. I was aiming for one to flow one direction and the other, well…the other direction. The one on the right is the second one, I think it went against the natural curves of the shells. As always, it’s in our best interest to work with nature;). Good luck with your project!

Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Dive, September 4-9, 2015 Part 1

On October 15, 2015October 15, 2015 By holls40In Isla Guadalupe1 Comment

Better late than never.

The plan was to have this posted a few weeks ago, but between life, work, and me being me, it didn’t happen. I’ve decided to treat this blog like life. It’s not always how I think it should be, sometimes I need to relinquish control and let it happen organically. I’m learning that I am okay with that, or at the very least, I need to be. I said I wanted a deeper connection, between diving and the blogging process, I’m finding it in ways I did not anticipate. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit all over the place right now. More time than I’d like to admit has been spent over the last few weeks compiling video, editing photos, fighting wi-fi connections, and generally fighting doubt as to whether I could do this in a meaningful way or if anyone really cares. I’m in strange territory here, placing my thoughts and experiences out here is a bit uncomfortable at times. Hubby often says I over think things, often he’s right. I decided to say screw it and walk away for a few days, it’s exactly what I needed.

Some of the following I wrote as it happened or at the end of each day. A good portion of it was written after we arrived home. At times, I had a glass of wine in one hand, so……please forgive any lack of continuity or the slaughter of grammar. I’ve been staring at these words for several weeks and they are starting to run together. Ha. I’m not sure if I am having great white shark withdrawal, diving withdrawal, or a mixture of the two. If you’re a diver you know what I mean. Is there a name for this feeling? I think I’ll call it…..Post Dive Reflection Depression.

I am never disappointed in nature, it always finds a way to show me a reflection of myself or humanity. I want to say thank you in advance for reading this and taking the plunge with me; into the waters of Isla Guadalupe, and into what I consider (at times) to be the abyss of my own mind.

Friday, September 4, 2015 ~San Diego, Ca.

Well, I almost killed a woman at the bar with my backpack, I swear I’m like a bull in a china shop. I am proud to say, however, that I packed everything I needed for the week in one large backpack, except for the cameras and the computer. I apologized and offered to buy her another glass of chardonnay, she looked at me as if I was a crazy person. The look wasn’t for knocking into her, but for offering to buy her another glass. We mid-west folks are just so nice that it shocks some people. HA! I had a good laugh as I sat down with Hubby and ordered a pizza and a vodka cocktail. Yesssssss. This is just what I needed to rid myself of the last bit of gnawing anxiety. This trip seems too good to be true, the past week I could not shake the feeling that something would throw a wrench in it! I’m sure Hubby is relieved too, I’ve likely been a PITA the last couple of days. Pizza Nova was recommended by Shark Diver as one of a few restaurants to grab dinner prior to boarding. We start boarding at 8:30pm, so we have a few hours to kill. The pizza was fantastic and so was that drink. I’m tempted to order another one, but then I realized I’ve got to walk back by the bar on the way out. A drunk bull isn’t any better.

We are scheduled to meet at H & M Landing for boarding, thankfully Pizza Nova is just a few paces away. The dock was teeming with chartered fishing boats and what seemed like a thousand fisherman preparing for a testosterone filled Labor Day weekend. I can only imagine the big fish stories and BS they come back with! Despite the craziness of the crowd we found a fellow diver, she was easy to spot sitting on a huge Pelican case covered in dive stickers. DIVER! We introduced ourselves and 15 minutes later James from the M/V Horizon arrived to take us to the boat for check in.

Horizon — But give sharks a chance and I think you will find, they will dazzle your eyes and broaden your mind. See this wonderful boat bobbing here on the water? It’s my Super-Stupendous Shipshape Shark Spotter. For tracking down sharks it’s the best, don’t you know? So hop on aboard and shark spotting we’ll go! ~Bonnie Worth, Hark a Shark, All About Sharks. A Cat in the Hat Book

The welcome we receive from each crew member is warm and full of excitement; galley crew Mark and Shea, captains Spencer and Ryan, deck crew Chad, James, and John, and dive masters Lalo and Martin. The energy on the boat is electric, they’ve already had 5 trips this season so they know what we are in for. I can tell the crew wants to get to Guadalupe just as bad as we do! I’ve been following the last 5 trips and so far they’ve encountered between 15-30 different great whites, pods of dolphins, a pod of orca’s, and even a whale shark.

As we filter in and meet the other divers, I task myself with the memory name game. You know that game, Holly bolly bo bolly banana fana fo folly. Silly I know, but there are 24 names to remember and it works! In my head I’m hearing the sing-song tune with each introduction and silently laughing at my absurdity.

FullSizeRender — Where’s Cindy? ;( I didn’t get her in the pic! He does look a bit arrogant here doesn’t he?

Cindy Michaels, Director of Communications for Shark Diver, is a doll. Unfortunately she’s not traveling with us, but she made sure we were all taken care of. I think Hubby was smitten the moment she presented him with a bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale. He sweet talked her into ordering a custom Shark Diver beanie for him, he needs something warm for his pretty chrome dome and he’s hard to say no to, HA!

A bit more room than our cabin on the Cat Pplau, but not much!

After completing paper work and verifying our passports, we had some time to walk around the boat, find our cabins, and chat for a bit. We were all on board by 10:00 pm and our departure scheduled for midnight.

It was evident that we were going to be a fun group. Mark sent James and Ryan out to buy more beer. Apparently, we were drinking the leftovers from the last group and he noticed we put a dent in what was allotted for our 5 days! We are the party boat! I checked out the dive cages strapped to the back deck, I’m not exactly sure what I expected, but I cannot wait to crawl in!

We left the dock early, around 11:00pm. Spencer gave us a welcome speech and Ryan went over safety and general information. Martin, the owner & CEO of Shark Diver, spoke to us briefly and introduced Peter Kragh, our photography host.

I’m wired, between the three hour time difference and the excitement, sleep isn’t an option for me. Hubby went to bed after we reminisced about our first trip together, it was San Diego and Baja. We stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado and then drove down to Las Rocas Resort & Spa in Rosarita. I’m not sure where the time has gone, but it feels as if we were just here. San Diego will always be special to us even though it took 17 years to return. Seven weeks ago this was just an entry on the bucket list. Now it’s reality.

My thoughts bounce back and forth between our first trip and this one, it feels a little strange. It’s as if time has compressed in some way.

September 5, 2015 ~Cruising the Pacific.

I went to bed around 1:00 am only to wake up at 3:00 am. There was no sense in fighting it, so I decided to make a cup of tea and peruse the white shark identification log. I scared James to death, poor guy, he wasn’t expecting to see another soul alive at that hour. The Guadalupe Island White Shark Photo-ID Book and the Marine Conservation Science Institute Identification Program. Say that fast three times! The 2015 ID log consists of 170 photos of individual sharks, named and numbered. Turns out, a shark isn’t just a shark. They are easily identifiable by their fin shape, scars, and white patterns. Fingerprints, if you will. MCSI sells the books for $80 and all proceeds go towards conservation. I plan on watching shark week with the ID book in hand! I am a dork. You’re a dork too, you tried to say it fast three times didn’t you? Ha ha.

Here she is, the famous Deep Blue. That’s one big Mama Jama! Yowza!

Scientists have been studying the great white sharks of Guadalupe since 2000. The ID program was started in 2002 as a means of creating a database for identification and to track individual sharks that visit the island seasonally. Martin asked us to share our photos so they can identify returning sharks and help discover new ones. This, of course, is on a volunteer basis. If you are a professional photographer they understand not wanting to share your photos, but ask if you might share them after they’ve been copyrighted. On occasion, there is an opportunity to name a new shark either by the photographer who took the photo, or by auctioning the naming rights and donating the proceeds to shark conservation. I have two names in mind if the opportunity arises, l’l Timmy or Dorothy! Dorothy, not because I’m from Kansas, but in honor of my 98-year-old grandmother!

Shark Diver owner & CEO, Martin Graf, explaining the Guadalupe Island White Shark Photo-ID Book and the Marine Conservation Science Institute.

Today we are cruising the Pacific, but first we docked in Ensenada, Mexico. Customs agents boarded the boat to check our passports and we were joined by a young researcher named Laura. After we were given the all clear, we headed straight out to Isla Guadalupe. Breakfast was excellent; pancakes, eggs, some of the best bacon I’ve ever had, fruit, cereal and all the usual fare.

Chef Mark prepping our breakfast, made to order!

We will be fed well on this trip! Chef Mark is very accommodating as long as you give him a heads up. The daily menu is on the board, so there’s plenty of time to let him know if you have a different preference. Shea tracked us down to take our orders, talk about service! After breakfast we tried on our wetsuits to make sure they fit. There is nothing else fitting into mine, but hey, if it zips it fits, right? As much as I prefer my own wetsuit, I was relieved that I did not have to pack one. Shark Diver provides everything you need for the dives. Even though I’ve become fairly efficient at packing and was able to pack one bag, I’m sure I still overpacked.

It feels as if we are a week away from arriving at Guadalupe, not 12 hours. Time is moving very slowly which is something we rarely experience. No Phone, no TV, no WiFi. The anticipation is killing us all, but we are using the time to get to know one another, which is quite nice.

The other divers include a mother and son honoring the wishes of the husband and father they lost in January. Two young women suffering from incurable wanderlust. A triathlete and nature lover pursuing her dream career in professional photography. A young couple in their early 20’s who’ve been dating for 4 months. Two Brothers looking for adventure, a couple of single divers who’s spouses couldn’t make it, and a married couple with 25 dives, now growing their scuba addiction. Some are scuba certified, some are not.

Crew member Lalo has worked with great white dive operators in South Africa for the last 12 years. Chad is an accomplished spearfisher and writes for a magazine. Everyone has a story about what this trip means to them. There is no doubt, whether diver or crew, everyone wants to be here. We also have a chance to talk with Martin. To meet Martin Graf is to instantly like him. He strikes me as a no-nonsense man. If you listen to him talk about the sharks, you know that he is not living in a fantasy world. I mean he is to a point, he gets to interact with great whites for weeks on end which is a dream come true, but he is realistic about their nature and highly respectful of them. You won’t find him diving outside of the cage, not with the great whites of Guadalupe; however, he does get out of the cage for bull sharks. Shark Diver now has a trip to Fiji that operates during the month of May. No cage, no problem. Guess what’s high on our list now. Yup.

I’ve got a big birthday coming up…..hmm….. HA!

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0540. — Peter Kragh, videographer extraordinaire!

We learned more about Peter, he won an Emmy Award in 2013 for outstanding cinematography on Nat Geo Untamed Americas. He has worked on the BBC series Planet Earth and BluePlanet, as well the IMAX films Journey to the South Pacific, Under the Sea 3D, and Humpback Whales. He assures us that the 65 lb camera he brought is the “small” one. I’m always fascinated by how people end up where they are. Fifteen years ago he was a dive master and was in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I’m sure I’ll pick his brain and annoy him!

The ride out to the island has been a bumpy one. I am feeling a mild dose of nausea even though I applied my Scopolamine patch yesterday around 6:00pm. Hubby has a better constitution for this than I do, he’s doing just fine sans patch. There are a few of the other divers feeling like I do, but one young woman was vomiting last night and I think she is still in bed as I write this at 5:00 pm. I feel for her, I do, but I think she waited until it was too late to take medicine. Shark Diver gives fair warning in regards to sea sickness, it’s up to the diver to stay ahead of it. I’d say the waves are between 4-7′ which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it feels like a lot! I would do this again in a heartbeat, despite the nausea. I think Hubby and I are both hooked on the liveaboard experience.

In addition to the slight bit of nausea, I have not found my sea legs yet. By the end of the day I may end up in someones lap while walking through the saloon. Hopefully it will be Hubby’s and I can avoid the embarrassment, but this is graceful me I’m talking about. The good news is that you make friends very quickly that way! Staying outside seems to subdue my nausea, but my eyes are playing tricks on me when I look to the horizon. The whitecaps are mimicking islands, I thought I could see cell towers or sail boats in the distance. Nope. Just my eyes tracing the whitecaps vertically. There is nothing around here for miles. Nothing.

There is no choice today, we have to slow down.

As I stand at the bow with no else around, my thoughts sink pretty deep. They lead me to a point of overwhelming gratitude. I have yet to come to terms with how two human extremes can exist simultaneously on this planet. On the other side of the world there are those who have paid a lot of money for a place on a boat, just as we have. They have a broader destination in mind and it’s not a pleasure cruise. Ours is full of excitement and the thrill of personal discovery. The other is full of fear and personal tragedy, the outcome of their journey unknown. There are no beds, likely no food, no space to relax and read a book. No safety measures in place. We can argue the politics of any given situation, but I have to strip it down. Down to a view that sees the individual human and their experience. How can I possibly feel true gratitude for this experience if I don’t acknowledge the other? I suddenly feel the need to tell my family I love them, but I can’t, there’s no communication out here. I see a bit of irony and it humbles me.

I occasionally stress at the thought of turning 40, it’s thoughts like the one above that make me realize how silly and vapid that is.

I attempted to take a panoramic pic, but it was impossible due to the motion of the boat. I suppose I should have kept one of those crazy pics! Note to self;).

We had some visitors this morning, not just customs officials from Mexico, but from a pod of what I believe were pacific white-sided dolphins. I remember seeing pods of dolphins almost every morning at dawn when we stayed at Las Rocas. We happened to be sailing in the same area. Hubby and I were lucky enough to see them twice, around 1 hour apart, when they were riding the bow. The first time everyone ran to the bow with without their cameras, we learned to keep them at arms reach after that! Martin and Peter spotted a whale off in the distance, but it disappeared before any of us could catch a glimpse.

As the evening closes there are a few of us headed to bed, but the rest of us want to stargaze. We climb to the top deck with beers in hand, tying not to lose our precious allotment with the sway of the boat. It took a while for my eyes to adjust, but the milky way came into view after about 25 minutes. I couldn’t wait to stargaze after our liveaboard trip last October. I had never viewed the Milky Way in this rare form, only from photos I assumed were heavily photoshopped. Pinks, blues, and bright whites. The hazy edge. I wanted to get lost in it, at least until the next dive. The masthead light was left on, so we never got the full effect like we did in October, but it is stunning regardless.

Hopefully I’ll sleep tonight. I’m not betting on it.

Sunday September 6, 2015 ~ First Day of Cage Diving

I was in a daze when I woke up this morning. I walked right past hubby without noticing him, he was in the saloon reading a journal and drinking coffee. I grabbed a cup of coffee myself and headed out to the upper deck. As I climbed the ladder, I noticed the stars again. It was around 5:30 am, the sun had yet to break the horizon, and I noticed we were no longer moving. As I looked up to take in the early morning sky, I turned so I could get a panoramic view, and a looming silhouette came into focus. Isla Guadalupe. We had arrived and we were approximately 100 yards, give or take, from the rocky island. I was caught off guard and said ”holy s&*t,” it made me take a step back. It was startling to see something so large after what seemed like a week of seeing nothing at all. I didn’t realize we would anchor so close to the island. Despite my best effort, I could not take a decent picture of it. Imagine if you can, the deepest navy blue sky over a jet black, jagged mountainside, towering over your head. As I laughed at myself, I sat down and realized I could hear the crazy sounds of the fur seals, it was as if they were laughing at me as well. I drank my coffee and soaked it all in.

The crew began moving the cages into the water at sunrise. Over the next two hours there was a palpable excitement on the boat, every single one of us has waited a long time for this! Yesterday we were divided into A and B groups, each group has eight divers. The dive schedule consists of one hour rotations, one hour in the cage and one hour on deck. There are two cages, so four divers in each cage. Group A was first today and we needed to be ready to get in at 8:00 am sharp! After a quick breakfast we had our dive briefing on the basics of cage diving. Watch your fingers, watch your toes, and keep your person in the cage. Yesterday was a day for slowing down. Today, well, today is something entirely different.

THIS IS HAPPENING!

Guadalupe 2015-2 — Not stylish at all, but I say function over fashion. We stayed nice and warm in the cool water, for 45 minutes anyway!

Hubby and I are in group A, I’m second in line to get in and hubby is behind me. Peter is joining us with his “small” camera which takes him a couple of minutes to situate once he’s in the cage. He had spent the better part of the morning and previous evening preparing the basketball sized fisheye lens. The water is a refreshingly chilly 70 degrees, but thankfully we have 7 mm wetsuits. The water at Guadalupe is the prettiest blue I’ve ever seen, a sapphire blue, yet still amazingly clear. The turquoise waters of the Caribbean are gorgeous, but this seems so different, as if it’s on another planet.

It took around 20 minutes before our first shark appeared. Someone tapped me to get my attention and pointed below. It was hard to see, but over the next few seconds the shape became clearer and recognizable. Over the course of the remaining hour it circled below us and would rise slightly, only coming within 25-30 feet. It would disappear and then reappear circling, almost in a conical fashion. Sunlight radiating through the water looks as if it is coming from the deep and occasionally it looks like the rays are coming out of the shark. It’s crazy beautiful.

Biteface 1st Glimpse! Guadalupe 15' — Biteface was the first great white to show up. I’ve searched and searched for a picture that captures the beauty as I saw it. This is close, but not as it’s etched in my eyes.

Our first hour was up, no close encounters, but we were not disappointed. It was only 9am and we still had 3 dives left for the day! Group B was on their first hour in the cages when the action really started. We stood on the deck and watched as the great whites came to the surface, moving around the boat and cages. We knew the next dive would be better! Group B seemed to get a little more action than group A, but tomorrow we switch rotations. Hopefully by 9:00 am they will be warmed up for us! An hour goes rather fast, by the time we look through our photos and change the batteries in our cameras, it’s back in the cage!

The sharks we encountered today were: Biteface, Baggers, Hooper, Kinky, Mau, Drogin, and Legend. Martin can tell you within 20 seconds which sharks are which. I would say he likely knows the sharks better than anyone. He was there the day Biteface became Biteface.

As day one winds down we are all on a natural high! We spend several hours sharing photos and videos. It was fun to see the same video footage or photographs from a different angle. Depending on where you were in the cage, you get a different experience.

In the first shark video above, at the 1:50 mark, you can see Baggers “attacking” the side of the right cage. That clip was shot by Martin, he also captured the still shot below.

Cheri was in the corner of the right cage. Her perspective was a tiny bit different!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Sarah found a fragment of shark tooth embedded in the plastic that covers the bar!

There is not a bad spot in the cage. The far corner is great for taking video and photos without the interference of the bars, but there’s plenty of action in the center.

We did manage to capture a handful of beautiful photos, here are a few of the good photos from today. We are very happy with the Nikon J4 camera and UW housing that we bought off of eBay! Not too bad for $320 and a couple of recreational photographers! Hubby eventually let me use it, he was quite attached. I should’ve bought two! He’s got some good skills.

Yesterday, while we were traveling to Guadalupe, Martin had said something that struck me. I had thought about it myself and even written about it in my pre-trip post. He had mentioned the way he came to be involved with the sharks. He said he came out on the boat, got in the cage, and had a great white look him directly in the eyes. Their eyes are blue, he never knew that. He felt a connection, acknowledgement. He was hooked after that and knew this is where he wanted to be. He’s been coming to Guadalupe for twelve years. After today’s experience, I completely understand why he has made it his life. I wanted that deeper connection and I got it.

Well hello Kinky! Eye to eye with a great white!

As I go through videos, I am reminded of the difference between a perceived human experience and the actual events of an animal encounter. Two years ago, I was bitten by a dolphin at Anthony’s Key. Yes, bitten by a dolphin, sounds hilarious I know. My sister gave me a loving reminder when I told her we booked this trip. “You’ve already been bitten by a dolphin, why in the hell would you get near a great white shark?” I hope you read that with sarcasm and a general “you’re an idiot” tone. I can hear her saying it even now and it makes me chuckle.

I remember staying very calm during the encounter, I did not freak out, but I was shocked to watch the video and see that it looked nothing like the experience I had. I assure you….I was bitten. Not enough pressure to cause damage, but there’s no doubt, it was enough pressure that if the dolphin wanted to drag me through the sea, it could have. Easily. If you watch the video, it looks like the dolphin just snapped at me, barely making contact. It was so strange.

DCIM100GOPRO — I wonder what those teeth feel like?

Thanks to this event, I am fully aware of how bias, emotions, and fear (despite my calmness) can shape the real-time individual experience. It also reinforced that there is truth in that saying “always trust your gut.” I touched the dolphin despite my better judgement after it nudged me, much like a dog wanting attention. The dive master also motioned for me to pet it. I was in an awkward position and possibly got to close to its blow hole. It doesn’t matter now, lesson learned. As cute as they may be, they are still wild animals and deserve space.

I mention the dolphin experience because there were several occasions that the sharks “attacked” the cage. During that experience it’s exciting and crazy, but when you watch the videos it’s evident that the sharks inadvertently hit the cage after going for the chum line. There was no real attack beyond the shark just trying to eat the tuna head. Sharks are powerful. It’s hard to stop a forceful thrust or a quick turn from an animal that is 12′ or more and weighs upwards of 2,000+ pounds. The heavy hand of an editor or producer looking for ratings can skew perception. We can be fooled into thinking that so called attacks happen unprovoked or intentionally when manipulation plays to our emotions, bias, and fears. My personal experience is that common sense and logic are not generally friends with emotions and bias. We need a fear of predators, we do, but we are also supposed to be the species on this planet with highest capacity for reasoning. Fear of sharks is understandable, it is, but it’s often misplaced.

I can honestly say, without hesitation, I had no fear descending into the cage today. You shouldn’t either if you’re on the fence about going. Certainly, if I was floating in the open ocean near Guadalupe with or without traditional dive gear and no cage, I would be worried. Why would I be in that situation? Well, I wouldn’t be unless the boat was possibly sinking. Any fear I have is rooted in respect, education, and experience. From a cage, this guy pictured below doesn’t worry me. I wouldn’t put myself in a position to be worried. There are individuals who freedive or scuba openly with great whites, I don’t necessarily think those folks are crazy. A few seem a bit careless in my opinion, but I’m sure most are very calculated in their encounters with the animals, basing each encounter on education and prior experience. If I was more experienced and studied great white behavior for a living, I might venture out into the open. That’s a big might, why get out when it’s nice and relaxing in the cage! In case you’re wondering, Shark Diver does not let anyone out of the cage.

“I’m showing people what they are, they are predators. You have to respect the nature of the animal. They are not our enemies, but they are predators. I love these sharks, but the feeling is not mutual.” ~ Martin

They are indeed a wild animal. I view an unwelcome interaction with a shark as I would view an unwelcome interaction with a bear or mountain lion while hiking. This is where they are supposed to be. Yes, even while you swim in the surf. Yes, even in places where we may be diving that don’t generally have sharks. One could appear. That’s a chance we take, just as you take a chance while hiking.

An animal may approach and look for an interaction, much like the dolphin did. Manatees do it frequently, and I have to admit, it’s hard not to give them a belly rub, but I don’t believe a meaningful interaction necessarily requires touch. I did not see one diver reaching out to try and touch a shark today, and they could have, the sharks did come very close as you can see in the videos. Most divers view touching anything on the reef or the animals in a negative light, but there are a few who see it differently. I happen to think keeping your hands to yourself is best, but I realize there are exceptions. There’s another post subject: To Touch Or Not To Touch, Navigating That Gray Area of the Sea. Hmm….

I’ll stay on task for now and get to work on Part 2. There are more videos, more pictures, and more thoughts and experiences to get out of my head. I’ve started going through videos from our second day of diving. We had some very animated sharks that day! Hubby’s favorite, and most everyone else, was Hooper. We shot some great topside action and have fantastic drone footage shot by Martin which he so generously shared with us.

Now that you’ve spent a half hour of your life reading this, I hope you are considering trying scuba on your next vacation or with a local dive shop? You can start small with a 25′ reef, no current on a sunny day, or GO BIG with the Great Whites of Isla Guadalupe!

Thanks for traveling along and indulging me, I hope you come back for part 2!

http://www.SharkDiver.com

http://www.PeterKragh.com

Epic Great White Selfie Failure

On October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 By holls40In GeneralLeave a comment

I’ve been working on the long winded blog entry from our trip to Isla Guadalupe. I’ve probably looked at a thousand photos. I came across these yesterday and could not help but LOL at how inept we are at the art of the selfie. I cannot think of a time that my husband has shared a selfie, or even taken one for that matter. I am extremely uncomfortable taking an individual one. I have a few on my phone of Hubby and I, but I don’t generally share them. I’ve shared maybe one or two for those FB posts that someone tags you in, you know the type. They say, “Hey, You’re Beautiful Girl! Post a pic of Yourself to show the World!” Oh, how I hate those, ha ha. I’ll admit if I post one I delete it not long afterward. I’ll share a pic that someone else took of me, but selfies are just flat out weird to me. I hold no deep judgement of those who are masters at it, just a personal preference. There’s a new study that says more people die from taking selfies than by shark attacks. I think it’s safe to say I’d rather die by a shark attack.

Anyhoo, you can gaze upon this and find the humor in our effort. Bubbles and half-bodied sharks along with total obliviousness and just general improper set up. Enjoy.

I prefer to watch the sharks and take pictures of them, so the pic showing the back of my head is my favorite.

Diver MacGyver

On September 26, 2015September 26, 2015 By holls40In DIY'sLeave a comment

Necessity is the mother of invention.

I have always loved that saying, because it is absolutely true. I procrastinate on occasion and I will not deny that; however, when faced with a need, I move fast.

I was packing for our trip to Guadalupe when I had a feeling that we would not need our underwater video lights or a strobe. The less I could pack the better and it dawned on me that we would not be at significant depth; meaning, the ambient light would be sufficient for photos and video. I emailed Cindy at Shark Diver, she said they discourage lighting and flash photography. The effect of video lighting and flash photography on the sharks is unknown, so they err on the side of caution. Less equipment to pack! Woo Hoo! It was a win win, but it also meant that we needed to adjust the equipment that we do have. Spending a little of the travel budget on more accessories was not exactly something I wanted to do, so I channeled my inner Diver MacGyver.

We have a nice little GoPro set up from Beneath the Surface; a mount, 2 extension arms, and 2 video lights. It breaks down for easy travel, but the problem is that the extension arms do not separate from the handles. We don’t need lights, so we don’t need the extension arms, but we do need handles. A quick YouTube search revealed a few promising DIY’s, but not quite what I was looking for. I headed to Lowe’s with the base piece in hand and a few ideas in my head. It took about 25 minutes of searching for the right configuration, but for less than $5 I was able to create the handles we needed. Functional, cheap, and travel friendly.

I thought I’d share this with you because it is cheap, quick, and easy! Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad! There is no need to spend a ton on a basic handle or base. I would recommend using stainless steel if you can find it. You could create a one handed mount, but I find that the stabilization is much better when you can utilize both hands. I’m still working on the art of neutral buoyancy, so any extra stability I can get is helpful! If you’re a big guy, you can adjust the following sizes to suit your needs. There are endless possibilities here. I am 5’7″ with medium to large hands, so I think this is a good average size. This is just a guide, change it up where you need to.

Here’s what you need.

Base piece, 8″- 10″L x 2″ W. I already had one, but you could use a flat stainless steel bar and drill the holes where you want them.
GoPro tripod mount and compatible screw.
2pc 6″-8″L bolts with 4 compatible nuts. 2 nuts per bolt.
2pc 6″-8″L plumbing tubes, width can be determined by hand size/comfort. I chose 1.5″. I had them cut at Lowe’s so I didn’t have to do it!
4pc washers to cover the ends of plumbing tubes. Match the size with what tube size you choose. I used 1.5″.
4pc small washers
2pc end nuts large enough to fit inside ends of plumbing tubes.
2pc regular nuts same size as #7
Rubber mallet

Assembly is a piece of cake.

Drill holes in the base piece, one hole on each end and one in the center. You can customize it however you want.
Feed the bolts through the holes at the ends of the base.
Take the smaller nuts and place them on top of and in the center of the larger nuts. Give it a solid and even whack with the rubber mallet to secure them deep in the center of the larger nut. This is a trick I remember seeing my father use. I’m sure there is a name for it, but I can’t recall. I have some funny ones I’m considering, ha!
Take the large washer and slide it down over the bolt. It will sit against the base.
Take the regular large nut (now with the smaller nut on the inside) and tighten the bolt to the base.
Place the plumbing tube over the bolt and situate the large nut into the base of the tube.
Take the second large washer and place on top of the tube, covering the end. The bolt should be through the center of the washer.
Use the end nut (now with the smaller nut inside) and secure it to the bolt. Tighten it down enough that the handles don’t move, but not so tight that you cannot undo them.
Attach the GoPro mount to the center hole of the base. Use the smaller washers if needed to accommodate the length of your screw if it’s too long.
Attach your GoPro!

DONE!

This little set up worked great! I used a few of the GoPro pivot arms to set the camera in front of my hands. I found that if I placed it directly on the base my fingers would occasionally appear in the video. You could design a boomerang shape base to correct that. Play with it, design your own.

Give it a good rinse in fresh water and towel dry after each use. I think it will last a long time. Martin grabbed a nice little pic of it in action! I guess you know what will be on our Christmas Cards now!

Island of the Great Whites!

On September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 By holls40In Isla Guadalupe2 Comments

I’m not entirely sure when it started for me, but I can say with certainty that diving with great whites has been on my mind for a very long time. Honestly, saying that it’s been on my mind is an understatement. It is something more. It’s visceral, nearly indescribable. To be in the water with an animal that is powerful yet graceful, ancient yet alive. I want to get close enough that I can see that it sees me. Recognition of one another. On the surface it may seem insane, but I’m no longer interested in what’s on the surface. I want a deeper connection. I suppose I could say that about life in general, maybe it has something to do with mid-life reflection, I don’t know. Ha ha! Every diver has an ultimate dive on their list, ask them about it and they could talk your ear off. For my hubby, it’s whale sharks. Each time I show him a photograph or video, I see a twinkle in his eye. He has that twinkle anyway, as most women could tell you, but when he talks about diving with whale sharks something in him ignites. I recognize it easily because I get it, I understand that little fire. For me, the ultimate dive is with the Great Whites.

A little over a month ago, Shark Diver posted on Facebook that they had a few openings for a trip this September. Trips to Isla Guadalupe can sell out a year in advance, so I was surprised. We had considered booking a trip in October of 2016, but when we weighed all of our options and checked our schedules, the decision was easy. Why wait? As hubby often says, “One of us could die tomorrow, lets go,” as macabre as that sounds, it’s true. I’ve followed the Shark Diver FB page for a few years as well as the owner, Martin Graf, on his blog. We feel confident traveling with Martin and his crew. Shark Diver is conservation focused with an impeccable safety record. Their Director of Communications, Cindy Michaels, is very detailed and helpful which I appreciate. The reactions we’ve received regarding this trip have been mixed. “YOU’RE CRAZY,” has been the numero uno response, but rest assured we have no misgivings about the fact that these are wild animals and deserve respect and some distance. My perspective is that we do crazy things on a daily basis (like trusting other drivers on the road), that involve more risk than the calculated venture of sliding into a cage to dive with great whites. My mother sighed in relief knowing that we would at least be in a cage, no open water diving. Not this time anyway!

The M/V Horizon will be our home for five days. From San Diego, it’s a 28 hour trip to Isla Guadalupe. If I’m nervous about anything, it’s that! Have Scopolamine, will travel! Ha ha. We leave San Diego and head towards Ensenada to go through Mexican customs then out to Guadalupe. Once we arrive at the island, we will have two and a half days of diving with the great whites, taking rotating shifts of one hour in the cages with one hour surface intervals. Shark Diver takes a maximum of 16 to 17 divers, so we will meet additional lunatics which is part of the fun! My understanding is that the cages go in around sunrise and stay in until just before sunset, allowing for up to 5+ hours of cage time each day and 2-3 hours on the last day before we start our journey back to San Diego.

Once on board the M/V Horizon we will disconnect in order to connect. There are no phones, no wifi, no TV. Sounds like heaven to me! This will be a hosted photo tour which means we have a professional photographer onboard that will teach us some tricks! There should be plenty of downtime to play with video clips and editing software. Well, so much for total disconnect. The next few posts will obviously be after we get back to San Diego. Hopefully by then I will have mastered Final Cut Pro and have some worthy video! Hubby will hopefully master the new Nikon we bought on eBay (got a sweet deal), and maybe I can master the art of writing a blog post as well. Still working on that as my draft folder would indicate.

The season at Isla Guadalupe runs from August to November, with younger male sharks showing up earlier and large females arriving around the beginning of October to November. Two weeks ago there was a video circulating the internet of Deep Blue, one of the largest Great Whites ever filmed. The video was taken at Guadalupe! We are hopeful that we get to meet her, but I’m not counting on it. It’s early in the season, but you never know. I’ve been following Shark Diver closely since the 2015 season started, they post details of each trip once they arrive at the dock. This season they have routinely encountered 18 to 30 individual great whites as well as whale sharks, orcas, dolphins, and turtles. Each trip is different and I have no idea what’s in store for us. All I know is that I’m ready! Hubby is ready!

IMG_6075-1 — The entertainment selection onboard the Cat Pplau, October 2014. Exumas, Bahamas.

Last October we had our first liveaboard experience sailing the Exumas on the Cat Pplau. I’m thankful we booked that trip as it has given us an indication of what’s to come. During that trip we had an incredible shark dive at the Austin Smith Wreck. The sharks were not hand fed, so they calmly did their thing. We have encountered caribbean reef sharks numerous times and they keep their distance for the most part, but are beautiful to watch. Our handful of experiences with reef sharks will pale in comparison I’m afraid. Maybe not, but as I sit here on my couch, I realize our living room rug is 11′ x 15′. This serves as a dose of reality. The great whites at Guadalupe average 12′-16′ with some topping 18′- 20′. If I recall, the largest reef shark we’ve seen is 7′ and that’s a big shark! I cannot quite grasp what we are in for.

DCIM108GOPRO — Caribbean reef shark at the Austin Smith Wreck, Exumas, Bahamas October 2014.

One dive that we have done with regularity over the years is the fossil dive in Venice Beach, Fl. I cannot speak highly enough of the crew of the Hammerhead at Megalodon Charters/Florida West Scuba. I bring up the extinct Megalodon for comparison sake. We have had decent luck when diving in the fossil beds finding meg teeth, whale ear bones, and smaller shark teeth. Like most things in life, it takes practice. We have not found the elusive 6″ or 7″ tooth, but I was lucky enough to find a 3.5″ megalodon tooth in July of 2010. Hubby found a near perfect tooth just a bit smaller. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can clearly scream underwater, trust me. When you find a large tooth you become an excited 5 year old. Anyone who says they don’t is a liar liar pants on fire! To find and hold in your hand what once belonged in the jaws of an ancient shark is very cool. To imagine the size of the animal it resided in is sobering. On average, scientific experts consider 1″ of a meg tooth to correspond with roughly 11′ of body length. My 3.5″ tooth represents a 39′ shark. That is hard to comprehend. This experience will give us an entirely new perspective!

Meg teeth — My pride and joy on the left. A near perfect Meg tooth my husband found in 2012 on the right.

While we are indulging our human desire to encounter these incredible animals, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that there is something of greater importance. Shark populations have been decimated worldwide due to overfishing for shark fins, culling due to fear, and bycatch. The estimates are different between species of sharks, but calculations show that 50% to 97% of the populations have decreased and some areas show regional extinctions. This is not because of natural causes. We need sharks. The more I learn about them, the more I get it. Sharks indicate a healthy reef system. It’s no mystery that removing or adding an animal to an ecosystem can have dire effects. Lion fish are an invasive species and they are currently wreaking havoc on the Caribbean because they have no known predators, in this case culling is a wonderful thing! I’ll save my thoughts on hunting and culling for another entry, they are probably not what you think. Like anything of importance, education it key! This experience is not based on wanting that perfect photo op to post on Facebook. It is to learn, to share, to educate, to decrease fear, and to increase understanding. Ultimately, to get that deeper connection.

If you are interested in any of the tour operators I mentioned above you can click the links to their websites below. I have a lofty goal of revisiting each trip here on the blog at some point to detail our experiences with them, but I cannot promise that it will be done anytime soon. Just know that I highly recommend all of them! My blog entries for this trip will likely serve as a built in review of Shark Diver. The great thing about the Shark Diver Great White trip is that you DO NOT have to be a certified diver to participate!

Well, I’m not sure what else to say other than if you’re reading this I want to thank you for following along! I’m looking forward to sharing what we learn!

See you on the other side!

http://www.Sharkdiver.com

http://www.catpplau.com

http://www.megalodoncharters.com

Welcome!

On August 3, 2015August 24, 2015 By holls40In GeneralLeave a comment

A few years ago I would never have imagined I’d start a blog, just like I’d sworn I’d never join Facebook or own a smart phone. So much for resistance huh? The blogging process is certainly a step outside of my comfort zone as I am generally a private person, despite the fact that I do have a Facebook account. I’ve been navigating the set up process for several days and I hate to admit it, but I’m afraid I have reverted to my simian roots. I learn by clicking on everything possible while tilting and scratching my head in confusion, I figure eventually I’ll get the hang of it. A dear friend of mine has no fear when it comes to jumping into something new, so I channel her when I get frustrated. Thanks to Google, I’ve educated myself about copyright law, domain registration, and a few other things that I will likely have to google again, but all in all it’s been quite enlightening. I sit here contemplating this first entry, I’m not exactly sure where to start, so I’ll just begin with what ultimately brought me here to what I’ve learned is the blogosphere.

Friendship, scuba diving, and learning through shared experiences.

My husband and I have terrific friends and we cannot express to them what they mean to us. They keep us active, learning, and young. It doesn’t matter if it’s concerts, mud races, cooking classes, learning the art of craft cocktails, birthdays, fundraisers, weekend getaways or some other crazy activity, we always have a great time and our motto is “Go Big or Go Home!” I love them for that, they’re like family. Most of them we have known for over a decade, but a few we’ve met in the last two years through a series of events that I can only describe as kismet.

Sometime in 1997, after finishing my scuba certification, I read an article about Anthony’s Key Resort in a dive magazine. An all-inclusive concierge dive resort in Roatán, Honduras, with huts built over pristine water and your own private hammock. Sign me up! I love a good hammock, almost as much as I love diving. I promptly put it on the proverbial bucket list. In 1998 I met my husband, he agreed it was a trip worth experiencing, so he added AKR to his bucket list. He was certified shortly after we moved to Florida in 2000. It took over a decade, but in April of 2013 we finally booked that trip to AKR and hopped on a plane 6 weeks later. We had planned on going in May of 2012, but changed our minds and invested in “house stuff,” instead, ha ha. Little did we know, that decision set our fate. At AKR, we met five crazy kids that all share our love of scuba diving. Assigned to the same boat for the entire week, we were stuck with one another, and by the end of that week we were a dive family. Our dive family has continued to expand through other serendipitous quirks, so we now have an extended dive family. This little band of lunatics has kept us on a regular schedule of diving throughout the last two years.

IMG_7598-1

The more we dive, the desire to keep diving deepens. Weightlessness, relaxed focus, and the excitement of discovery are just a small list of what makes scuba diving an amazing and addictive experience. We are relatively new to diving, compared to many in our group, with 130 dives each give or take, we still have a lot to learn. As we become more comfortable, we’ve been able to combine certain interests, like photography. We don’t take Nat Geo quality photos and videos, but that isn’t our ultimate goal, although it’s a wonderful dream to consider ditching the day job! Our goal is simply to share what we experience and learn. We have learned a great deal, but like most things, the more you learn the more you realize you know nothing! Ordinarily, I share photos and videos of our dives via Facebook, but contrary to popular belief, not everyone is on FB. Our folks for instance, ha ha! I began looking for a comprehensive way to share our experiences with those who are truly interested, or not on FB. A blog, as far as I can tell, is the answer.

AKR SIS pic 1

I’ve set out on many occasions to keep a travel journal. Over the years, two of my very close friends have given me beautiful leather-bound journals. You know the kind. Reminiscent of Indiana Jones or Hemingway, with handmade paper interiors that should only be written on with ink flowing from a vintage calligraphy pen. Perfectly worn to the point you would likely smell a cigar when opened and see the occasional scotch stain. Yeah. They sit decoratively on my nightstand like movie props, one or two entries over the years. It’s a travesty. With the digital age my handwriting has become deplorable and my hand cramps after writing roughly a paragraph, so this blog thing may prove to be an indispensable way to ACTUALLY keep a travel journal. I, like most everyone, have an electronic device attached at all times, so dictation, copy, and paste are now my travel friends.

My husband and I have an upcoming adventure in September that has my heart racing and hands sweating, yet I’ll jump out of my skin if we never do it. Just like our trip to AKR, there is not much time between booking and travel. It was an opportunity we did not see coming a few months ago, but we have had it on the top of the “list” for quite some time, so we decided to jump in! More than a few people will call us crazy (several already have), but it would be crazy to let the opportunity slip away from us. In 2004 we met a much older couple in Aruba, they had been retired for a year and were closing out a six month journey around the world. Asia, Africa, Europe, you name it. We were in awe of them. They were grateful to be seeing the world, however, due to their health and physical decline, many of the activities they wanted to do on those trips they were unable to do. Their one regret in life was that they didn’t travel more when they were younger. They gave us some of the best advice we’ve ever received and that I will never forget. As simple as this advice is, it’s often hard to bring it to reality due to, well…reality, but we have agreed to always aim for it.

You can always get more money, but you can never get more time.

There are never-ending locations to visit, different cultures to experience, and bucket lists to cross off. I am eternally grateful to those who share their escapades so that I might live through them. This life is short, it’s next to impossible to do it all. The blogosphere is full of people sharing their experiences. I’m not doing anything new here, but If you’re reading this, hopefully you’ll enjoy ours.

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