A dive boat runs into a terrible storm. The boat gets pounded by rain and wind and huge waves. The divers are quiet but really scared. They are sure the boat is going to sink and they are all going to die. At the height of the storm, a young woman jumps up and exclaims: "I can't take this anymore! I can't just sit here and drown like an animal. If I am going to die, let me die feeling like a woman. Is there anyone here man enough to make me feel like a woman?" One of the dive masters stands up – a tall, handsome, muscular man, he smiles and starts to walk up to her. As he approaches her, he takes off his shirt. She sees his huge muscles – already, she is glad for her decision. He stands in front of her, muscles bulging, shirt in hand and says to her: "Here! Iron this!" What are the chances?

I am going diving in the inlet. This dive requires special training because I have to put all my gear on and walk to the seawall and jump off of it into the inlet. I will then swim against the current to the mouth of the inlet and then drift back to my exit point with the tide and climb out of the water and walk back to my car and drive home.

Sounds sooo simple huh? NOT! First off, you have to feed quarters into the meter the entire time, I am carrying 90 lbs of gear, down the road a piece. Probably more like 5 miles. And then get up on a wall, as in climbing? And jump off. 5 feet, 10 feet, like a Hawaiian cliff diver? The incoming tide…. I will have to swim against to get out, hiding behind rocks to rest and then the same tide will carry me back, probably at the speed of sound, to a spot I have to find underwater in the dark. Then I climb out of the water, wearing the same 90 lbs of gear now saturated with water and weighing 120 lbs and walk back to my car which will probably run out of time on the meter before I hike on back. Oh, and it will be dark, so I will have a glow stick taped to me so they don’t loose me. And this is fun? Yea.

I bought a scuba tank, it is silver and I am going to have Kelly paint a flamingo on it to personalize it just for me. I just have to find pink automobile paint. But it can be done. Never doubt me. It weights 37.5 lbs empty and then they put 3000 pounds of air in it. Dennis says it doesn’t weigh 3037.5 lbs, it just feels like it.

I bought another flashlight too. It hooks on my BCD. Now I have 2. My big beamer and my backup light. I also have my underwater camera that I attach to my BCD.

So that makes me wear a blowup vest (BCI) with the following items hooked strapped or tied to it:

Scuba tank 24 lbs of lead weights Primary flashlight
Dive computer Compass Pressure gauge
Back up light 2nd back up regulator (octo) Dive knife
Camera Whistle Glow stick
Quarters for the meter Car key

I will look like a Christmas tree, or possibly the clearance endcap in Walmart.

Things that make you go Hmmm….

Cheryl