June Captain's Chronicle

June Captain's Chronicle

June 26, 2023 3 min read

Tranquility or Anxiety / Happy Anniversary Baby / Rock Lobster!!

There’s something special about those first initial breathes taken as you deflate your BC to drop below the surface for a brief encounter with the aquatic realm. For me it’s very relaxing and yet exciting at the same time. I’m relaxed because I’m entering into a different world where my cell phone is no longer a thought (unless it’s an a waterproof case and I’m taking pictures with it). I am excited because you never know what you’re going to see on a dive, especially in the Gulf.

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May Captain's Chronicles

May Captain's Chronicles

May 23, 2023 3 min read

Rebooting / Michael Sipos: Eye D / The Heat!

Reboot is a funny word. It’s what you would do after your dive buddy realizes you put on their boots instead of your own. Did this word even exist before computers? That’s my memory of how reboot came into language. I could be wrong, perhaps it goes way back to a farmer that had to kick his tractor repeatedly to get it to run. Or an abusive parent; ‘you know I’ve put my boot to your backside before boy… You want me to do it again?’ 

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March Captain's Chronicles

March Captain's Chronicles

March 29, 2023 3 min read

Clarity / Straight Forward / Stretch Run

My mental clarity is not unlike the clarity locally in the Gulf of Mexico… It fluctuates greatly! Like the reasons behind the fluctuations in the gulf, mine too seem to be the result of multiple forces. The degree to which each of those forces plays a role is a fluctuating percentage also. There is not necessarily a direct correlation between the gulf’s and my own clarity. The gulf can’t take a pill or meditate or seek therapy to improve its clarity, but I can, maybe I should try some of that! I’m definitely happier and more optimistic when the gulf is clear.

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February Captain's Chronicles

February Captain's Chronicles

February 23, 2023 3 min read

Overhauled / Slithering / Ebb & Flow 

Overhauled is a beefy word. It insinuates that a lot of work needs to be done. It also implies that once the work is completed, the subject will be much improved, if not, in a like new condition. The Psychquatic is the subject of Scuba Marco‘s latest overhaul. We have been working hard on her for several weeks.  

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January Captain's Chronicles

January Captain's Chronicles

January 25, 2023 4 min read

Huge Orbit / Bouncing Back / Are You My Landlord?

They say we know more about outer space than we do about the deep depths of the oceans. Perhaps, but we didn’t know about C/2022 E3, the comet that is going to pass relatively close to earth as it whips around the sun over the next couple of weeks, until 10 months ago. Perhaps a caveman made a drawing on a wall way back, but that file has crashed. A 50,000 year orbit seems crazy, how can our sun have that much magnetic force to pull that ice and dust ball back to it?

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November Captain's Chronicles

November Captain's Chronicles

November 23, 2022 2 min read

Dry Gills / Seeing Red / Thanksgetting

Are your gills dry fellow divers?  Mine are brittle and desperately in need of a submersion in seawater! We are approaching two months without running a boat trip on the Psychquatic. The longest dry spell in almost 25 years for Scuba Marco. Ian was absolutely brutal to our water quality and clarity. Nicole’s little exclamation point didn’t help either. Can’t complain, we were ultimately very fortunate. Healing takes time! Patience is part of our motto… along with kindness, it’s always free. So let’s maintain our sanity (or semblance thereof) until that next submersion! Hang in there gills… good dives come to those who wait!

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Captain's Chronicles August 2022

Captain's Chronicles August 2022

August 25, 2022 3 min read

Dying Selflessness / The Honesty Policy / Man Overboard

Preface to my newsletter: Jessi and I have been dealing with more than our fair share of family matters here recently. I know many of you feel my sentiment! The time I’ve spent underwater recently is kind of like the water level in Lake Mead and Lake Powell… Severely low and in danger of not perpetuating energy. I may strap on a tank and jump in the nearest pool when I’m done writing.

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Captain's Chronicles July 2022

Captain's Chronicles July 2022

July 27, 2022 3 min read

Red Tide? / Thanks Sahara / Ocean Salvors

First let’s summarize local diving conditions recently. Viz: below average. Temperature: beautiful. Feel: wet and wonderful. Marine Life: abundant when you’re close to it.

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Captain's Chronicles May 2022

Captain's Chronicles May 2022

May 24, 2022 4 min read

Conflicted / Endangered Species / Goldilocks in Rehab / Anger or Depression?

Conflicted, in so many ways. Most of the time I wish I could collectively slap all of humanity in the face. I continually feel a strong sense of sorrow for how we have treated Mother Earth. I also feel a strong sense of sorrow that more of us don’t feel that same sense of sorrow. Maybe then we could repair the damage that we’ve inflicted. Human (nature) is a disease to which there seems no cure. Yet that same human nature can and does do amazing things for our Mother Earth. Take reef clean-ups and the upcoming Great Goliath Count for example (more info below). 

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Admiral's Chronicles April 2022

Admiral's Chronicles April 2022

April 28, 2022 2 min read

Jeff is off fishing, so Jessi is filling in this month.

Gratitude has been on my mind a lot lately. Our little ‘mom n pop’ dive shop has a lot to be grateful for this month. Even though it’s been a windy April we have snuck in several trips, even having 45+ foot of vis a couple of weeks ago. There have been many students and divers coming through needing equipment and we thankfully have plenty to outfit them with. We’ve met some really wonderful folks lately. Not to mention our AMAZING instructors guiding all these new divers through their certification journey. 
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Captain's Chronicles March 2022

Captain's Chronicles March 2022

March 24, 2022 8 min read

Comebacks, Reverse Psychology, Staying Positive 

Comebacks: are awesome, both in sporting events and in life. We are approaching the four year mark since 2018‘s merciless red tide impacted all the local marine life and devastated several species. Side note; after mentally weighing those opening lines I went back and reread my August 2018 Captain‘s Chronicle. I found it very interesting and consistent that I used the word ‘mercilessly’ to describe the red tide. I was in a very passionate place and it’s an interesting read so I will include it at the end of this newsletter.

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Captain's Chronicles February 22

Captain's Chronicles February 22

February 23, 2022 3 min read

Finally, Revitalize, Reminiscing

Finally: Clearing warming water! It’s been way too long since this thermally challenged body has immersed in the abyss. Another winter of rapid-fire cold fronts have drastically limited the number of diveable days in southwest Florida this year. 
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