Morning Preparations

The morning routine to get ready to depart is starting to become a bit less intimidating. Make sure that I've removed my contacts and are wearing my glasses (my mask has prescription lenses), apply sunblock, bring some fruit (apples and oranges are great) to cleanse my mouth after the first dive. Open the locker and bring the following items to the boat; BC (dunk it in the fresh water tub on the way), the regulator, fins, snorkel, mask, wet suite and mesh gear bag. Finally take off my sneakers and put on the rubber booties.

Once on the boat, check the pressure in the two tanks that I'll be using (the boat staff has already loaded fresh tanks on the boat), mount the BC and connect the regulator and verify the operation. Since it's the same boat that we have used yesterday, verify that the weights are still in the same place as I left them.

Stow the fins under the bench near the air tanks along with the mesh bag with it's equipment that I took from the locker. After we're on our way to the first dive, we have enough time to wiggle into the lower part of the wet-suite.

When the boat is anchored at the dive site and following the briefing, finish putting on the wet-suit, put on your fins (I find it's easier to put on the fins before the BC). While seated on the bench, don the BC (it can be difficult attached to the tanks), and tighten all the straps and partially inflate the BC and put on the mask with snorkel.

Miss any of the above steps and you may not be diving today.

Each diver, in turn, will stand-up (often with help from others) and make their way to the back of the board and do the giant stride into the water.

Two more wonderful dives today. Ed took a bunch of new photos:

Today's Photos

Brian