Ever have those moments that can only be classified as “oh shit!” moments? I definitely had one today. Jeff and I were running the show, which was pretty cool. It was one of the first times that it was only us without Laz or Astrid which basically means that I’m done “training” because Jeff can now rely on me to get things up and running without instruction.
So there I was. 09:24 and Jeff is diving with two customers and I’m in a similar area but doing some mapping. I’m just having this thought process of what a lovely, calm day it is; only two customers, beautiful weather…hell, I should be able to be off work by 14:00! And just as that thought process was happening I start to get dragged by the line that attaches me to the boat.
What the?
I thought maybe it was a big swell or something and so continued on only to be violently dragged back a second time. Now I knew something was wrong I just didn’t know what. So I begin making my way back to the boat…not too fast, figuring out in my head what my safety stop time should be when I get to the boat…and all of a sudden I saw the boat. And I saw the sand below it. Moving. Fast. The mooring line we were attached to had broken.
“Oh. Shit.”
By this time we were caught up in the current and moving fast. I had to swim hard back to the boat and threw my gear down. We have two lines, one at 20ft the other at 40ft, down, weighted at about 25lbs each that are used as safety stop lines for customers. I had to haul those up, which, for the record is not an easy job, as well as the broken mooring line, and was madly trying to take landmarks at the same time to know how fast and in what direction we were drifting.
At this point, I will admit, I was getting a little panicky. It’s a big ocean and there were still three divers under the surface with no idea what was going on. I remembered Jeff having a phone and hurriedly tried to find it but once I had, wanted to through it overboard. I couldn’t figure the stupid thing out! I finally got it and at this point had turned on the engines and was slowly making my way back in the direction from which I thought I had drifted. Luciana got on the phone with me and then once she realized what was going on she started to get panicky as well!
They ended up sending out another boat to come help me find the dive site meanwhile I drove along, searching for either the divers on the surface or their bubbles. As the other boat arrived on scene I spotted Jeff about 200m away and drove over. We set up a makeshift anchor so the divers could safely climb back onboard.
Everything turned out okay; everyone is back, no equipment was lost or damaged but it was definitely an extremely stressful situation, although also a big learning experience. It’s a good thing I have been an eager beaver with everything, especially driving the boat! Lu and Jeff thanked me profusely and we decided it has been an epic first ten days between the funeral, the mooring line and everything else that has happened.
I sure can’t say that life here is boring!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Shark on my Head!!!
“You seem to be running towards adventure, particularly danger, in the same way everyone else runs away from it.” – an old sailor I talked to at a bar stemming from a conversation that started with me telling him about my day at work…which went something like this:
I rolled out of bed, bright and early as usual, walked the 45 seconds over to the beach, and went swimming. After I was nice and awake I returned home for breakfast and to slip on board shorts and a shirt that would be coming off again just as soon as I reached my wetsuit at work. We had an awesome morning of diving (a wreck and a reef) and then headed back out for another dive.
Around 15:00 Jeff told me the news I had been waiting to hear all week. “The shark dive is a go, switch out the tanks.” Our little boat took us on a rolly fifteen minute ride and before I knew it Jeff was explaining how we would be mooring. Most mooring balls (lines that are attached to the bottom that we attach ourselves to so our boat doesn’t drift while we dive) are either on the surface or just below. In this instance it is located below and usually one of the crew will free dive down with the rope and tie off (we like to make a big show of it for the customers but it really isn’t that big of a deal). The only difference with this mooring is that I got my scuba gear on and tied off to the underwater mooring, then had to tie another line from the moorings anchor line to another line on our boat. It’s a wee bit complicated and with the current takes a fair amount of concentration. That is key. Concentration. Which I did not have. At all. Why? Well, when I looked down 60ft there were six reef sharks, between four and eight feet long, circling below me. Now as some of you may know I was once had a paranoia of sharks. I’m over that now as they are such stunning creatures but they still leave me more then a little breathless. I was finally able to complete my task and got the customers in the water. We descended down and Jeff (suited up in chain mail) proceeded to start feeding the sharks tin pieces of fish.
The sharks that day, according to Jeff, were abnormally ballsy. At first they were passing within a few feet of us but soon they were brushing past and I could feel the sleek roughness of their skin. One came from behind me and glided over my head, I literally felt it, and when I looked up all I saw was that shadow they show in movies with glistening razor teeth. I was so excited that I turned breathless (aka underwater hyperventilation) and had to calm myself so I didn’t use up all my air. Another shark assumed that my camera was something tasty so took a hold of it and I had to almost shove him off. The only way I can think to describe them was as a pack of street dogs. Ones you need to keep your guard up around but not ones that send you jumping over fences to get away. They are used to Jeff’s presence and were incredible around him! They would go under his legs and through his arms. There was a small one that he was almost “holding” while feeding a piece of fish. It was a surreal experience.
And the coolest part? This is my life. We do 1-2 shark dives a week, conditions permitting.
I will be diving.
With sharks.
Every week.
…
AS MY JOB!
=D
I rolled out of bed, bright and early as usual, walked the 45 seconds over to the beach, and went swimming. After I was nice and awake I returned home for breakfast and to slip on board shorts and a shirt that would be coming off again just as soon as I reached my wetsuit at work. We had an awesome morning of diving (a wreck and a reef) and then headed back out for another dive.
Around 15:00 Jeff told me the news I had been waiting to hear all week. “The shark dive is a go, switch out the tanks.” Our little boat took us on a rolly fifteen minute ride and before I knew it Jeff was explaining how we would be mooring. Most mooring balls (lines that are attached to the bottom that we attach ourselves to so our boat doesn’t drift while we dive) are either on the surface or just below. In this instance it is located below and usually one of the crew will free dive down with the rope and tie off (we like to make a big show of it for the customers but it really isn’t that big of a deal). The only difference with this mooring is that I got my scuba gear on and tied off to the underwater mooring, then had to tie another line from the moorings anchor line to another line on our boat. It’s a wee bit complicated and with the current takes a fair amount of concentration. That is key. Concentration. Which I did not have. At all. Why? Well, when I looked down 60ft there were six reef sharks, between four and eight feet long, circling below me. Now as some of you may know I was once had a paranoia of sharks. I’m over that now as they are such stunning creatures but they still leave me more then a little breathless. I was finally able to complete my task and got the customers in the water. We descended down and Jeff (suited up in chain mail) proceeded to start feeding the sharks tin pieces of fish.
The sharks that day, according to Jeff, were abnormally ballsy. At first they were passing within a few feet of us but soon they were brushing past and I could feel the sleek roughness of their skin. One came from behind me and glided over my head, I literally felt it, and when I looked up all I saw was that shadow they show in movies with glistening razor teeth. I was so excited that I turned breathless (aka underwater hyperventilation) and had to calm myself so I didn’t use up all my air. Another shark assumed that my camera was something tasty so took a hold of it and I had to almost shove him off. The only way I can think to describe them was as a pack of street dogs. Ones you need to keep your guard up around but not ones that send you jumping over fences to get away. They are used to Jeff’s presence and were incredible around him! They would go under his legs and through his arms. There was a small one that he was almost “holding” while feeding a piece of fish. It was a surreal experience.
And the coolest part? This is my life. We do 1-2 shark dives a week, conditions permitting.
I will be diving.
With sharks.
Every week.
…
AS MY JOB!
=D
Thursday, May 20, 2010
An Underwater Farewell
Today was a good reminder that we are all human. A man who was certified with Ocean Explorers passed away recently due to old age. He was in his mid-sixties and he and his wife did a lot of diving here. It was his dying wish to have his ashes buried at his favorite shipwreck. So today we took his wife and three kids (all in their early forties) out and had an underwater funeral. There were the four family members, a family friend, Jeff and who are also friends of the family, and Lazlo and I. The kids weren’t certified so one of our dives yesterday was a Discover scuba with them so they could be ready for today and it was our job today to make sure no one died at the funeral (bad joke but the wife made it so I figure it’s okay to repeat).
It was a silent boat ride out and we got right in to the water. The four family members led a strange procession, us and the fish, along a sunken path. We took his urn to the wreck and placed it deep inside; leaving for the lobsters to guard. When we came back up they brought out a large bouquet of white and red roses and had a small ceremony. After a few words the roses were thrown to the ocean in celebration of Bud’s life.
As we drove away I glanced back and saw red roses scattered across the surface of the ocean surrounded by white rose petals. The sun glinted and I took a moment to remind myself that this is it. This is mine; one body, one soul, one life. Carpe diem.
It was a silent boat ride out and we got right in to the water. The four family members led a strange procession, us and the fish, along a sunken path. We took his urn to the wreck and placed it deep inside; leaving for the lobsters to guard. When we came back up they brought out a large bouquet of white and red roses and had a small ceremony. After a few words the roses were thrown to the ocean in celebration of Bud’s life.
As we drove away I glanced back and saw red roses scattered across the surface of the ocean surrounded by white rose petals. The sun glinted and I took a moment to remind myself that this is it. This is mine; one body, one soul, one life. Carpe diem.
One Week Later…
I am starting to fall in to the rhythm of life here. Between knowing which grocery store has the cheapest apples to which side restaurant has the best smoothies to now knowing to watch out for all the animals in my yard (I was attacked by a chicken, tripped over a turtle, and almost stepped on a land crab all while I was walking from my steps to the gate looking up at the parrot). I start “work” at seven and we usually do two or three dives in the morning, then a quick lunch in between gear changes, then a dive or two in the afternoon. I’m done somewhere around four so they make for long days but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am now familiar with the routine of how we dive and am starting to recognize dive sites; so much so that I know the best place to find the cleaner shrimp, moray eels, spiny head blenny’s, and Christmas tree worms. The customers have all been great so far which has made things a lot easier on me.
Our shop is located on the beach but it is about 80m to the edge of the ocean so we have a makeshift cart (which is falling apart) that we use to bring the tanks across the beach. But we have to get the tanks from there on to the boat which would be fine if it was just the tanks and just for us but we take the customers gear (everything but weights, mask and fins) to and from the boat as well. My body is slowly adjusting to hauling roughly 30 tanks on and off the boat, plus all the gear and boat stuff, each day.
I am now familiar with the routine of how we dive and am starting to recognize dive sites; so much so that I know the best place to find the cleaner shrimp, moray eels, spiny head blenny’s, and Christmas tree worms. The customers have all been great so far which has made things a lot easier on me.
Our shop is located on the beach but it is about 80m to the edge of the ocean so we have a makeshift cart (which is falling apart) that we use to bring the tanks across the beach. But we have to get the tanks from there on to the boat which would be fine if it was just the tanks and just for us but we take the customers gear (everything but weights, mask and fins) to and from the boat as well. My body is slowly adjusting to hauling roughly 30 tanks on and off the boat, plus all the gear and boat stuff, each day.
The Job and Crew
‘Scuba Diving: noun. the sport or pastime of swimming underwater using scuba gear.’
That’s it! That is all the dictionary has to say on it. That does not nearly describe what the last couple of days have been for me. I started my internship with Ocean Explorers Dive Center on Friday. 06:50 found me making my way from my house over to the dive shop (just across the bridge and down the beach). I met Jeff and Luciana, a couple originally from Brazil who have lived and worked on the island for over ten years. The first day was mostly just a trial day; they see how I dive, I see how things run. They have a small dive boat that takes a maximum of nine divers at a time. That first dive Jeff led the way and I stayed near the back mostly just watching and enjoying being back in the water. When we surfaced Jeff’s first question was “why were you at the back?” “I thought that’s the way things go…instructor leads, dive master takes up the rear.” “Not on this boat!” The way they have it set up is that as long as the divers stay within visible range of us they can go where they please. If Jeff is with one couple he wants me right up at the front showing everyone else the underwater world I am learning to be a part of.
The next day I started logging hours and have become a member of the crew. It was exciting to hear Jeff up at the front of the boat as all the customers got settled introducing himself, “Good morning everyone. My name is Jeff and this morning we also have Astrid and Cayley on board with us.” =)
The company is small and all the more wonderful. They pride themselves on basing the dive on each diver’s skill and interests. Luciana runs the office part of things and works in the shop. Jeff is the instructor and also captains the boat. They live just down the road from me and have been very kind in helping me set up my life here. Astrid, an instructor, is a German lady who “quit the real world to find something better”. She is in her forties and her husband and her are living on a 39ft ship anchored in the bay and unfortunately she will be leaving in mid-June because it is now hurricane season here. Lazlo is (the other dive master) in his late twenties/early thirties and, as Luciana describes him, a single mother. He has a sixteen-month-old daughter who he loves more then anything. He works only weekdays because of those are the days that he can put his daughter in a day care center. And that’s the team! Only five of us and I feel really comfortable with them all, especially Astrid who I am so sad has to leave.
I can’t wait for the days to come!
That’s it! That is all the dictionary has to say on it. That does not nearly describe what the last couple of days have been for me. I started my internship with Ocean Explorers Dive Center on Friday. 06:50 found me making my way from my house over to the dive shop (just across the bridge and down the beach). I met Jeff and Luciana, a couple originally from Brazil who have lived and worked on the island for over ten years. The first day was mostly just a trial day; they see how I dive, I see how things run. They have a small dive boat that takes a maximum of nine divers at a time. That first dive Jeff led the way and I stayed near the back mostly just watching and enjoying being back in the water. When we surfaced Jeff’s first question was “why were you at the back?” “I thought that’s the way things go…instructor leads, dive master takes up the rear.” “Not on this boat!” The way they have it set up is that as long as the divers stay within visible range of us they can go where they please. If Jeff is with one couple he wants me right up at the front showing everyone else the underwater world I am learning to be a part of.
The next day I started logging hours and have become a member of the crew. It was exciting to hear Jeff up at the front of the boat as all the customers got settled introducing himself, “Good morning everyone. My name is Jeff and this morning we also have Astrid and Cayley on board with us.” =)
The company is small and all the more wonderful. They pride themselves on basing the dive on each diver’s skill and interests. Luciana runs the office part of things and works in the shop. Jeff is the instructor and also captains the boat. They live just down the road from me and have been very kind in helping me set up my life here. Astrid, an instructor, is a German lady who “quit the real world to find something better”. She is in her forties and her husband and her are living on a 39ft ship anchored in the bay and unfortunately she will be leaving in mid-June because it is now hurricane season here. Lazlo is (the other dive master) in his late twenties/early thirties and, as Luciana describes him, a single mother. He has a sixteen-month-old daughter who he loves more then anything. He works only weekdays because of those are the days that he can put his daughter in a day care center. And that’s the team! Only five of us and I feel really comfortable with them all, especially Astrid who I am so sad has to leave.
I can’t wait for the days to come!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Moved in all Official Like
I’m here! In St. Marten. It feels…surreal to have my own place. After living in close quarters with people for the last five months I’m pretty lonely here in my new pad. But I do have lots of roommates, just not the kind I prefer. The new ones are a bit on the either fiery or sneaky side of things (fire ants, cockroaches, and spiders). My new home is very…how do I put this? …Caribbean.
I am the proud renter of a small, one bedroom, flat type thing located on the property of an antique shop that is permanently closed. There are a few other renters located below me and in another building on the property, which is COVERED in old stuff. Single shoes, broken plates, hundreds of potted plants, bikes…anything you want, we got it…just so long as you don’t mind a little mold and mildew. My flat, when I first arrived, was very similar to the surrounding area. Broken dishes, old shirts etc. filled most of the cabinets and drawers. I spent the majority of my first day cleaning (aka throwing shit out) and organizing my stuff. I am proud to say things are looking much better and much more bug free!
My room has a fridge, sink, hot plate, single bed, bunk bed (I sleep on the bottom one because it is fully enclosed in mosquito netting), broken TV, shelving unit, radio four old chairs (three of which I have stuck outside), and side desk. I also have my own bathroom! The porch has one (now four) chairs, a couch, table, and two sitting chairs, large old moldy cabinet, and old propane tank.
On the property (which I am making sound large but it is actually very, very tiny) my land lady has: dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens (which are frickin LOUD), ducks, turtles, and land crabs…I think that’s it. Let’s just say you have to watch where you walk.
So now you are up to date on my flat! It’s wonderful. I don’t know how I can convince certain people that it’s amazing but it really is. I love it already and I’ve only slept here two nights!
Today I rented a car and drove around St. Marten (it certainly doesn’t take that long!). I found lots of little bakery’s, café’s, restaurants, and beaches. The big event of today was that I bought a bike!! It’s this little white BMX bike whose brakes are a little iffy but will get me where I need to go.
I am on the Dutch side of the island in Simpsons Bay, The dive shop that I will be working at, starting at 07:00 tomorrow morning(!!!), is an eight minute walk. I live one road off of the main street in a pretty active part of the bay. There are lots of beach bars and restaurants that are open into the wee hours of the morning.
Last night, I went to the restaurant/bar across the street and had the most delicious enchiladas. There happened to be a hockey game playing (Canadiens vs. Penguins) and although the Canadiens are not my team and I don’t usually watch hockey, I was the only Canadian in the bar and all the Americans were rowdy about their team winning. We won 5:2. So basically, I have established myself as a Canadian and will be joining the bar tenders (G and Brian) and waitress (Bonny) this Sunday for another game.
St. Marten is wonderful so far and I can’t wait for diving tomorrow!
I hope all is well with everyone is keeping up with my adventures =)
Monday, May 10, 2010
How the Other Side Lives
Have you ever walked along a dock? Have you ever seen one of those 1/2 million dollar, 55ft power yachts that puts 50g's a year into maintenance? Have you ever looked at one of those and wondered what a day out on it would be like? As of yesterday, I can tell you from personal experience that it's ridiculous.
One of Kara's friends, Dustin, is friends with the captain of one such ship. The guy who owns it owns 5 properties on St. Croix and 2 other yachts so you can just imagine the kind of money he has. Yesterday afternoon we sped out to Buck Island and went swimming, snorkeling, and I went diving. There were drinks on hand and it was the kind of afternoon I imagine celebrities having. Actually they had done a photo shoot with a bunch of foreign models on the ship the previous day.
Later we went back to watch the sunset and sip on campaign. The ship had a large sun deck on the front and that is where we sat for most of the time. Now, I must make it very clear how much I love Argo..but, there is something to be said for racing across the water, wind whipping you around, and being on the kind of boat that people stop to look at.
Just another day in paradise. =)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Crucian Living
I've now been in St. Croix for just over a week and am finally starting to understand the island and know where I'm going. St. Criox is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands (27 by 7 miles) and has a sign stating it to be the "eastern most point in the United States." Who knew!? The native people of St. Croix call themselves Crucians and it is often hard to tell who a native Crucian is but everyone, for the most part, has been very friendly and more then willing to point me in the right direction of wherever it is that I am heading. It is gorgeous here and although it is very tied to the US in many ways (example: US Army recruitment signs all over and more police presence then I have seen in four months) it still holds the slow island lifestyle that I have come to love.
Even though I've only been here a week I have already had some awesome adventures and met some amazing people. Kara met me at the airport and considering we haven't seen each other in over two years we simply fell right back in to an easy rhythm of friendship. We have often been asked if we are related and I'm considering her to be the older sister I never had.
Kara is renting a space, just outside of Christiansted, situated on a large hill which overlooks one of the bays. I get to wake up every morning and look out at the beautiful Caribbean water. She has graciously let me use her car so when she is at work (3 1/2 LOOOOONNNNGGGGGG(!!!!) 11 hour days a week) I am free to explore the island. I've gotten lost probably more times then I can count probably as a result of my driving technique going something like this "the next two turns I'm going to take a right and then the next one a left then the next two rights." But I've also found some pretty incredible things doing it this way: old sets of ruins, secluded beaches, local hang outs, and delicious smoothie stands.
I've come at a very good time; there have been lots of events and parties happening this last week. The first one was last Friday night at an event called "Jump Up!" Basically, most of the streets in Christiansted are closed down and it becomes one giant street party with vendors and local bands on almost every corner. We found a stand selling a local drink made with Cruzan Coconut Rum, real coconut milk, and raw sugarcane juice...delicious! Later that night we watched "Dicks Garage Band" and I am now friends with the drummer, Seth, and key board player, Alec, and what Kara would call "the newest groupie" but in my defense they write their own stuff which, as some of you know, I can definitely appreciate.
Saturday I had the opportunity to go diving with Kara's friend Erika. We dove The Wall which is rated as the number one dive site on the island. We didn't feel the need to hire a dive guide so we were able to dive as long as our air lasted which was awesome! We were down for almost 80 minutes! Within the first five we saw a GIANT barracuda that decided we were pretty interesting so came over to investigate. It was a tense few minutes but he ended up going on his way. We saw lots of the normal Caribbean fish, including a couple of Spiny Head Blennies(!!), a couple of turtles, and some vibrant corals.
Sunday was the St. Croix Ironman Triathlon, a grueling 70.3 mile race around the island. It is a qualifier for the Ironman in Hawaii so there were quite a few professionals who were absolutely incredible to watch! Kara and I were out to support many of her friends who were participating. The race started at 06:30 and some people were still finishing their run at 13:00...blugh! The heat and humidity was horrible just standing their watching, I can't imagine what it was like to be racing.
Yesterday we hiked forty minutes to an amazing set of tide pools. It was a rainy overcast day but we were still sweating out way up the hills as a result of the humidity.
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.. Cheers to another incredible year!
Also, I have finally gotten around to adding pictures to most of the previous posts so you can see pictures of the orphanage, sea|mester etc.
Even though I've only been here a week I have already had some awesome adventures and met some amazing people. Kara met me at the airport and considering we haven't seen each other in over two years we simply fell right back in to an easy rhythm of friendship. We have often been asked if we are related and I'm considering her to be the older sister I never had.
Kara is renting a space, just outside of Christiansted, situated on a large hill which overlooks one of the bays. I get to wake up every morning and look out at the beautiful Caribbean water. She has graciously let me use her car so when she is at work (3 1/2 LOOOOONNNNGGGGGG(!!!!) 11 hour days a week) I am free to explore the island. I've gotten lost probably more times then I can count probably as a result of my driving technique going something like this "the next two turns I'm going to take a right and then the next one a left then the next two rights." But I've also found some pretty incredible things doing it this way: old sets of ruins, secluded beaches, local hang outs, and delicious smoothie stands.
I've come at a very good time; there have been lots of events and parties happening this last week. The first one was last Friday night at an event called "Jump Up!" Basically, most of the streets in Christiansted are closed down and it becomes one giant street party with vendors and local bands on almost every corner. We found a stand selling a local drink made with Cruzan Coconut Rum, real coconut milk, and raw sugarcane juice...delicious! Later that night we watched "Dicks Garage Band" and I am now friends with the drummer, Seth, and key board player, Alec, and what Kara would call "the newest groupie" but in my defense they write their own stuff which, as some of you know, I can definitely appreciate.Saturday I had the opportunity to go diving with Kara's friend Erika. We dove The Wall which is rated as the number one dive site on the island. We didn't feel the need to hire a dive guide so we were able to dive as long as our air lasted which was awesome! We were down for almost 80 minutes! Within the first five we saw a GIANT barracuda that decided we were pretty interesting so came over to investigate. It was a tense few minutes but he ended up going on his way. We saw lots of the normal Caribbean fish, including a couple of Spiny Head Blennies(!!), a couple of turtles, and some vibrant corals.
Sunday was the St. Croix Ironman Triathlon, a grueling 70.3 mile race around the island. It is a qualifier for the Ironman in Hawaii so there were quite a few professionals who were absolutely incredible to watch! Kara and I were out to support many of her friends who were participating. The race started at 06:30 and some people were still finishing their run at 13:00...blugh! The heat and humidity was horrible just standing their watching, I can't imagine what it was like to be racing.
Yesterday we hiked forty minutes to an amazing set of tide pools. It was a rainy overcast day but we were still sweating out way up the hills as a result of the humidity.
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.. Cheers to another incredible year!
Also, I have finally gotten around to adding pictures to most of the previous posts so you can see pictures of the orphanage, sea|mester etc.
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