Survival and Emergency Preparedness

Just got back from a cruise to the ABC islands i.e, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Did two tank dives on all three islands. Shore dives on Bonaire & Curacao. Boat/ wreck dive on Aruba.

It's a lot of fun. I now have 22 dives in since I started diving 3 years ago.

We have another cruise in February. Going to dive in Cozumel, Costa maya and Roatan.

good for you, dive safe.

making me jealous

tom mac wrote: ↑Sat Dec 10, 2022 8:06 am good for you, dive safe.

making me jealous

Yeah, I'm a lucky guy...with a wife who puts up with my nonsense.

Sounds like a great wife... kudos

I went the other way and just certified my wife and said now you can come with me

tom mac wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:26 am Sounds like a great wife... kudos

I went the other way and just certified my wife and said now you can come with me

Not gonna happen in my family. My wife won't dive.

Got another cruise booked for February. Going to dive in Roatan (Honduras) and Mahahual, (Costa Maya) Mexico. My brothers and their wives are coming with us on the cruise so I talked my younger brothers (one is 65, the other 58) into doing a discover dive in Roatan. I doubt either will pick it up as a hobby but they see their big brother can do it so they always wanted to try it. I'll do my first dive while they are doing the training then we will dive the second dive together. The wives will be snorkeling with the same outfit that we're diving with.

Still thinking about whether to dive in Cozumel or spend it with the family. Never dived in Coz before but we'll likely go to Coz again on future cruises so it'd be okay to miss it. On the other hand you never know what could happen and I may as well do it while I still can. I ain't getting any younger.

Update...The family is going to an inclusive (food and drink) beach club in Coz that just happens to have a dive shop on site. I can dive while they snorkel and lay around and eat and drink on the beach all day.

Here's where we dived in Curacao. My wife took some pictures.

The yellow circles were where we went into the water. The yellow lines were the reefs. The outer reef then drops off into the abyss.



The first dive site was just at the end of the jetty on the other side of the straw hut near that yellow shack on the beach. This was called Two Reefs and we swam out to where the yellow lines (first pic) were. Both reefs are in very good shape and bursting with sea life.



And the view back toward the ship getting into the water

It's been over 25 years since I've been diving, but I sure did enjoy it. Just a really unique experience.

I don't really feel bad taking it up in later life when I can enjoy it on cruises in exotic, tropical locations. I hope to be able to do it for a couple more years while cruising. Once I've re-visited and dived most of the places we've cruised before I'd be happy. Probably will never go out of my way to go diving on my own but cruising affords the opportunity without much investment. Get picked up at a port, get transported and equipped and you're good to go.

I don't even feel the need or urge to get/go more advanced diving. Don't really need Advanced Open Water or Nitrox or any other certifications. I'm content doing basic open water dives to 60'.

Just got back from my cruise. Dived in Roatan and Mahahaul Mexico. Did not dive in Cozumel.

First two dives were at the west end of the island of Roatan which is in Honduras. Excellent diving, very healthy reefs.

While I dived the first dive my wife and sisters in law snorkeled off the same boat while my brothers did a discovery dive. My wife said it was the best snorkeling she's done and she's snorkeled for 40 years.

After a rest we all went out on the boat. My brothers and I dived and the girls snorkeled. A good time was had by all. My brothers said they would do another discover dive.

In Mahahaul I had booked a dive at a resort where we were all spending the day. Pay one price and get food and drink all day as well as a lounger on the beach. It was very windy and the seas were running 6-8 foot waves. When I checked in at the dive shop they said it was too rough to go out.

The street along the beach is lined with resorts and dive shops. I walked down the street checking the various shops but no one was going out. The 20 something year old female I checked in with from the original shop came and found me a said they decided to go out. I'm guessing being a small operation they didn't want to lose business. I admit I was a bit concerned particularly when the female turned out to be the dive master. The waves weren't any less than before.

Nevertheless we loaded up the equipment and walked to the dock and got on the boat. Just her and I were diving.

The boat crew turned out to be excellent and navigated the huge waves really well. It was quite comfortable on the ride out.

There is a strong current so you pretty much drift dive the reef. They drop you off at one end and pick you somewhere down current. The reefs are mostly walls with canyons running up them. Very cool to swim up and down the canyons and crevices. Both dives were pretty similar though the second dive was a bit deeper along the wall.

We surfaced a couple hundred yards from the boat after the second dive so it took about 15 minutes of signaling them in heavy seas to get their attention. We or they would disappear in the troughs of the waves. Getting back on the boat was a challenge as well.

To add to the fun a squal blew through on our way in. heavy winds and horizontal stinging rain. It lasted 10 minutes or so.

We didn't see anyone else out diving but all in all it was a good couple of dives. I'd do it again under the same circumstances.