Day 1 of Diving - Oh well!

---

Dive 1 is in the books, sort of. We awoke to a beautiful sunny sky and warm temps. While we were waiting in the lobby for the group we overheard people commenting on the weather forecast and the sea swells. We also noticed that some of the boats had cancelled their trips. This didn't bode well for us.
When we arrived at the boat and got everything loaded the captain did confirm that there were 4 to 6 foot swells and that the original spot we were supposed to dive had poor visibility so a second spot was now planned. The trip took 30 minutes to arrive at the new location and it was indeed ROUGH! By the time we got anchored Karen was hugging the trash can in no condition to dive. She insisted Katy and I go ahead so after some prodding we agreed. We actually made it into the water however after taking everyones advise on what weight I needed on my belt I soon found that I floated like a bobber. Add to that there was a strong surface current and Katy and I quickly noticed we were drifting away from the boat in high waves. Rather than fight trying to manage on the weights I had I decided we needed to get back on the boat and fix this problem. The swim back to the boat, and the task of getting on a pitching ladder took more energy that I had expected. Once we were back on board the rocking of the boat finally got to both Katy and I. Therefore we spent the rest of the morning sharing the trash can with Karen who never actually touched water. I can't say the short period of time I was in the water was a total bust as I did see one fish although taking a picture of it was the last thing on my mind.
Once we returned to the dock we discussed with the captain what tomorrow held and yes the seas will be very similar to today. He did make some suggestions on how we can cope with the motion sickness so we may actually try again tomorrow. We'll see how everyone feels then. At least now I know what weight I need so once I get in the water it should be much better.
For now everyone is sleeping off the experience. I expect we will be up and about later this afternoon to see more sights and continue the quest for the perfect key lime pie. Hopefully tomorrow I will also have some actual dive pictures to post.
Until then - Happy Diving

---

Photos

Getting Settled In
Karen and Katy getting squared away. If Katy only knew how telling her expression would be in about 30 minutes!

Eager Divers
The rest of the crew. Most of that actually made the two dives.

Marcus
Our "Gilligan" giving the pre-launch safety briefing.

Comments

[JK4PACK]

Urgh!
Oh man, memories of vertigo rush to my mind-urgh! Insider's tip (that doesn't really work all that well, but might be worth a try anyway...black olives and ginger ale. Here's hoping that the seas will calm and you'll have better luck tomorrow. Thanks for the blog...it was fun to read.

[Pat]

Refund
How long can you extend your vacation? Can you get a refund? Can you get a rain check? We sure do hope your weather breaks in your favor tomorrow. Enjoy the key lime pie. Best I can remember from the years ago when your Aunt Janey lived in Key West, the key lime pie was traditionally quite tart. Then along came Eagle Brand!

[Scubapilot]

Not looking for a refund
I wouldn't even consider asking for a refund. The week alone with Karen and Katy has been well worth any issues that arise. We are going to try again tomorrow and hope for the best.