Changing Lives

A few weeks ago, I was manning Patriot Scuba’s booth at the biannual Occoquan Craft Show.  It’s a big deal for the merchants in this area as it attracts tens of thousands of people from various walks of life though this otherwise quiet town.  It’s the kind of event where most people weave their way through the throngs of tented booths more often than not finding themselves in conversation with one merchant or another until the whole event takes on a social feel.  Our booth gets a lot of this social interaction as even non-divers find themselves wandering in out of curiosity.  That particular day, I greeted a passerby with our usual “Ready to start diving?” but received an unusual reply. 

“I wish,” she said through a sad sort of smile.  She could see the question forming in my eyes and preempted it with a rather sad story beginning with a gruesome car crash and a badly fractured spine and culminating in a bout with cancer that left this survivor with a permanent limp.  Her features were thick with the melancholy of possibilities lost, dreams of diving dying all over again in her eyes.  That’s when I mentioned the HSA (Handicapped Scuba Association).  The loss on her face cleared like so much fog as she took the medical forms from my hand.  The electric sensation of hope returning to once despondent features was palpable.  “Thank you,” she beamed tripping slightly on her words.  “I never thought – I never knew that I could still – Thank you.  Thank you so much.”

It is moments like this that keep me teaching.  Nothing compares to the feeling you get watching it all click with a student.  There are plenty of students that butt up against challenges in dive classes, fear of the water, low confidence or physical limitation.  Some overcome these faster than others but, regardless of what the challenge or how long it takes to overcome, watching that metamorphosis from struggling student to successful diver is awe inspiring.  A student who pushes through their perceived limitations and reaches a level of success they previously thought impossible is forever changed.  That sort of achievement liberates people from the shackles of their own self-imposed limitations and the change is tangible.  Changes like that permeate the lives of those students, giving them the confidence to succeed where once they met only failure.  I've had more than one new diver tell me that open water changed their lives, that they had more confidence at work, at home, in public.  They stand taller, breathe easier, and take on life with an easy smile.  I want to be a part of that change.  I want to help people grow like that. 

Teaching diving allows me to be a part of that experience.  So send me your wide-eyed students, send me your scared and your skittish.  Send me all of your “problem students” and your novice divers.  I’ll take them all just to see the look on their faces when can’t becomes can.  Every smile and look of astonished joy makes all the hard work worth it.  Scuba diving changes lives and that is why I teach.

Caitlin in the Keys - 2 days, 7 dives, 2 much to tell!

Another magnificent trip down to the Florida Keys where in 2 days I did 7 dives off of Key Largo, this time I was down there conducting a friend’s Advanced Open Water certification. The adrenaline starts flowing when the boat goes into full throttle and those wonderful blues of the Keys ocean water surrounds you. These conditions were a little different for my friend who had done his Open Water Certification at Stoney Cove in England, for those who do not know the two are miles apart, well quite literally.

We started off our first two dives in the afternoon on beautiful shallow reefs; the first was just an orientation dive followed by the first of the adventure dives, navigation! The only trouble we had with the navigation was trying to navigate through all the schools of fish on the dive site Snapper’s Ledge; numerous colorful species in such abundance made for a truly refreshing dive. A short break to grab a snack, rehydrate, and we were off on our sunset boat trip to our next dive site, the Benwood Wreck. Sweet, wreck night dive! As we descended, the waters still alight with the sun just above the horizon; we joined the numerous parrotfish, grunts, and porkfish that inhabit the wreck. The scene and atmosphere quickly changed, our flashlights on, it was time to slowly move over and around the wreck poking in to all the nooks and crannies. While many of the fish seen during the day were tucking themselves in for the night; those that hide away were coming out to play! There were lobsters shuffling in full view, crabs flexing their pincers, and a lucky octopus spotting! We returned to land under the full moon exhilarated by our dives.

The following morning our dive site was to be a double dip on the Spiegal Grove wreck, a 510-foot Navy transport ship sunk in 2002, for both our deep and wreck adventure dives. My friend looked at me with excitement during the deep adventure briefing about comparing the depth gauges at 100 ft; suspiciously as he performed the timed skill; and curiously when I asked him to look at my red soda can. During the dive he looked at me with even greater excitement when after comparing depth gauges a nurse shark appeared on the stern of the wreck! During our safety interval we debriefed the dive, and he expressed to me the difference he felt on the timed skill being slower underwater and that my red soda can was no longer red at depth. He now wore a look of understanding and anticipation to get back in for our wreck adventure. The visibility was about 80 ft. which made for another incredible dive on this fantastic wreck. We both noted that the current had picked up and used it to our advantage to navigate around the outside of the wreck. He was quick to point out all the dangers he saw along the way. We filled out our log books on the way back, pumping with adrenaline.

Quick lunch break and we were back on the boat for the final adventure dive, one of my personal favorites, digital underwater photography at an ideal dive site: Molasses Reef. With its high profile coral heads and massive congregates of tropical marine life defining this popular reef, he was not short of subjects for his shots. Of course, I did my bit to provide subject matter; anyone who knows me knows I am not a big fan of having my photo taken. He did great, followed my instructions, and kept breathing and mindful of his buoyancy over the reefs. After a massive high 5 and congratulations to the new Advanced Open Water Diver the boat had moved us to another dive site. The final dive was just for fun, and it sure was! We leisurely made our way through the “channels” of coral taking in all the colors of the corals and fish.

Back on shore we were sad to log our final dive for the trip, but happy with our success and it was definitely worth the effort! The dive sites off of Key Largo once again produced amazing new memories for me. A special thanks to Horizon Divers and the wonderful staff for providing us both with a fantastic experience, I am looking forward to returning in the near future!

(Interested in a Florida Keys Trip?  Check out our Travel Page and join Caitlin in January! - http://www.patriotscuba.com/?page=travel)

Wounded Warrior Discover Scuba – by Eliseo Rodriguez

I recently had the opportunity to lead a group of individuals with Wounded Warrior Project assisted by Tim Cavanaugh, Don Lewis and Lisa Mucha. While their injuries were not visible, the scars left by events past are no less important.

The day began like any other with medical releases and other paperwork being reviewed, Discover Scuba Briefings and gear being fitted. In the water we practiced skills like regulator recovery and mask clearing. Once we finished going over skills and began the free swim, the value of SCUBA diving became immediately evident. Individuals suffering from PTSD experience symptoms including feeling numb or losing interest in things they used to care about, thinking that they are always in danger feeling anxious, jittery, or irritated and experiencing a sense of panic that something bad is about to happen. When we were underwater, and I had the opportunity to see these warriors enjoy the freedom and peace of mind that SCUBA diving offers, it was immediately clear that they were able to let down their guard. One was swimming around neutrally buoyant through a hula hoop chasing a toypedo. Another was casually lying on his back on the bottom of the pool enjoying the hypnotic rhythm of the sound of his bubbles and watching them on their journey upward to the surface where they would break and join the air above. This is what Scuba is all about. Complete serenity. The hustle and bustle of the dry world, all the worries and problems thrown at us by life are gone for those brief, cherished moments underwater.

When the experience came to an end, and we were packing away gear, I was thanked through smiles that were not there at the start of the day and asked when we could do this again. As Scuba divers we take a lot for granted. Being able to give these gentlemen that have given soo much a glimpse into our world left me completely humbled. It is said that our life should not be judged by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. This was one of those moments. So to those wounded warriors I say, “Thank you.”

If you would like to know more about Patriot Scuba’s Wounded Warrior Training program, contact Patriot Scuba at diving@patriotscuba.com or Wounded Warrior Project visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Eliseo E Rodriguez “Rod” is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, HSA, DAN and EFR Instructor with Patriot Scuba as well as an Active Duty US Marine Gunnery Sergeant.

My Truk Odyssey - by Lisa Mucha

In August 2012, PATRIOT SCUBA's Miko Chavchavadze lead a trip to Truk Lagoon aboard the Truk Odyssey

"I have to admit, on the plane ride over to Chuuk, I wasn't fazed by the extensive time I spent either in the air or in random airports, as the long awaited opportunity of a life time had finally arrived. The anticipation outweighed the restlessness. When we finally landed in Guam at some ballistic hour of the morning and the airport was like a ghost town and I don’t think anyone minded because it was apparent everyone was tired. Eventually the short flight took off for Chuuk and we were on our way.

Once we landed in Chuuk, we were directed towards customs. I watched the locals gather together as we proceeded to go through customs, thinking to myself, how fortunate I was to be living the life I was living, in more ways than one. We were then quickly greeted at the airport by the boat captain, Nelson, and a few other staff. I’m not quite sure who because it was dark and there was a decent amount of locals standing around, who had just returned from Guam with coolers of food. Shortly then thereafter, we were aboard the bus and being driven through the impoverished streets of downtown Chuuk, if you could call it that. I'm not quite sure I would call it a road upon, which we traveled, but the driver was quite entertaining with his stories of the history of the island.

When we finally arrive at the Blue Lagoon resort, it was still hard to determine what we were about to experience, as the sun had long set. We were walking down this narrow path, through the palm trees to a small awaiting boat. Once we all climbed into the small craft in the dark of the night, the anticipation began to build as we could see the Odyssey in the distance lit up like a fortress perched upon the calm water. After everyone was aboard, paperwork was completed, and drink of choice was selected, everyone retired for the night.

I’m convinced I was the first person up that morning, and it had nothing to do with being on Eastern Standard Time. I woke up around 0530 and pulled back the curtain only to discover all was still black. The next hour seemed like a lifetime for me, but finally the sun came up and I ran up on deck for coffee. I hadn’t even considered breakfast until it became apparent we would be served breakfast made to order every morning by Tarsy and Poorly, the two crew who did all the cooking. Three meals a day and two snacks in between. The biggest commotion over snacks was when we were served fresh sushi, as John, Miko, Constance and I would race up to the dining room trying to beat everyone there. The food was fabulous! Maybe because it was made fresh every meal? Maybe it was because someone else was making it? Or maybe just because everything was made with care and tasted great.

After breakfast every morning we had our first dive brief, which was either given by Nelson, the boat Captain; or Todd, an instructor. They were incredibly informative, as it was almost like sitting in a history class. But I honestly have to say, not only did I learn so much about the wrecks I was going to dive, but also a few tips as to giving a dive brief. They were amazing. I can also say I was never board listening to anything said during the briefs either, as there was a plethora of information provided on every wreck we were diving. It almost sounded as if they had memorized the actual book of the Truk Lagoon history.

Then the time finally came………..the first dive! I couldn’t get off the boat fast enough and honestly? It didn’t matter who I dove with, I just wanted to get in the water. Oh the water! It was like bath water, even at almost 130 feet, it was still 85 degrees. The visibility was less than I had anticipated, but that did not faze me one bit, as we began our descent down to the first ship. Each dive was a lead dive by one of the crew members, which was fine by me, because I knew they would take us exactly where we wanted to go. As we slowly moved across the water, the only sound you could hear was our bubbles. Then there it was, the Kiyosumi, a passenger cargo ship. At that very moment I realized, everything I had read and all the research I had done and all the pictures I had looked at finally became reality for me. What was once a vibrant vessel was now a peaceful resting place, which had come to life in a different way. It was full of sea life, and vibrant colors, with something moving over every inch as I slowly moved around the stern. Initially, I couldn’t take enough photos. Then I realized I was so enthralled by everything I was seeing, my camera became just another piece of gear to me and I just began looking around. I can truly say I don’t regret not taking a thousand photos, because what I observed could never be duplicated in the artificial sense. There was a feeling of solace, as I hovered over the massive resting area to so many Japanese who lost their lives that day in 1944, as everything moved so gracefully with the gentle current. It almost felt surreal, as we slowly moved over and around the vessel. One of the most exciting things for me to see were the clown fish, as they intimately made their way through the carpet like sized sea anemones. Having owned a salt water fish tank, and observing their behavior in captivity, could not remotely compare to what I witnessed during this magnificent experience. Now I’m sure many are thinking, I traveled all this way to dive some of the most desired wrecks in the world and I’m talking about clown fish. Well yes, I was enthralled by them and part of the reason why, was because the ships I was diving were so large, it was hard to actually tell it was a ship until you started to move around inside the massive holds below, as that was when the ships actually came to life. Everything was so magnificently preserved despite lying on the bottom of the lagoon for some 68 years. Even though this was the final resting place for so many who lost their lives that day, it almost appeared to come alive before me as I gently glided through the engine rooms, the kitchens, the bath areas.

Every direction I turned there was a piece of life before me, whether it be a telephone, sake bottles, gas masks, shoes, rifles, medicine bottles or ammo. There was a sense of life around every corner and this feeling remained the same no matter what wreck we were diving for the day, whether it be Yamagiri, or the Unkai, or the Gosei, or the Rio de Janero, or the Hoki, or the Fugikawa, or the Nippo, or even the Heian, the feeling always remained the same. Where life had once capitulated, now, had blossomed into something so beautiful it would take most peoples’ breath away. These superstructures, which floated upon the surface, had come to their final resting places deep below the great big blue and to see history right before my very eyes is something I will never forget.

I will go back again someday, and I will dive the San Francisco, which lies between 165 and 210 fsw. Thank you to everyone I shared this experience with and to everyone who made this journey rememberable for me. "

Thanks for sharing Lisa!

Re-Living the Moment

Have you ever caught a glimpse of something that brought back a flood of memories? Whether it was an object, a person, a situation or a photo, if it was a good memory, the warmth and excitement returned immediately and you just felt good inside… What an awesome thing the human brain. Isn’t this why we take photographs? …To capture the moment? Life is constantly moving forward, whether we want it to or not. It is stressing, and it is easy to lose ourselves in the current of time forgetting those special moments and what they mean to us….unless we capture them and bring ourselves, if only momentarily back, back to the moments that make us smile. Those moments underwater are typically only shared with a small handful of people, and likely truly unique…capturing those are even more important

Take the picture!

How often have you either forgotten to take the picture or didn’t have camera out? Too many times for me to remember. But today is (should be) different. How often are you without your cell phone? Yes you want the awesome underwater camera (DC 1400 highly recommended), but your phone can be an underwater camera too! Courtesy of DryCase, your phone can take photos and video, potentially to 100ft!

Review the Pictures!

Now you can share immediately with your friends, with the world (Facebook), or for later (like Photobucket.com). You can even share it with your digital picture frame wirelessly, or synch with Facebook automatically! How cool is that…pictures from the past that you probably don’t even remember taking popping up on your Digital Picture Frame and eliciting those awesome memories!

Get Better at it!

Take a class, upgrade your camera system, add a flash or video light…Make it your passion to capture those special, unforgettable moments so that you can Re-Live them when you need them most!

Grand Bahama Dolphin Dive Adventure

By Jennifer and Jose Ferreira

I couldn’t believe it when I found out that Patriot Scuba, Jeff and Merial, set up a dive where we could dive with the dolphins. I come from an era where there was a TV show with a wonderful dolphin named “Flipper” that was very popular and it was my favorite as a child. I used to dream of owning my own dolphin one day but the thought never crossed my mind about being in their natural environment and diving in the clear blue water with them.

I had the great privilege of doing just that on our dive trip to the Grand Bahamas. It truly was the most surreal experience I have ever had. We went to the place where the dolphin are trained and cared for by a wonderful staff with UNEXSO. We had a briefing where we learned a little bit of history, the type of research the center performs, how to respect and interact with the dolphins, but most of all the hand signals we needed to know to interact with them on our dive. 

I was truly overwhelmed with the anticipation of diving with this dolphin and felt like a little kid waiting to open her Christmas presents. On our way to the dive site, the boat with the trainers was next to our dive boat and the dolphin (Koholo) was jumping in between the two boats. Once there I couldn’t wait to get into the water and play with Koholo. We all descended and formed a circle on the bottom of the ocean with about 15 ft. between all the divers. 

I remember watching Koholo interact with the other divers and then….it was my turn! I put my hand out in front of me and Koholo swam right up to me and stopped so that I could pet him. He turned his head and looked at me and while I was rubbing him he began closing his eyes just like a puppy does when you scratch them behind the ears. I was so excited I wanted to jump up and down but being that that’s impossible underwater I did a little wiggle dance. I took my regulator out of my mouth and Koholo gave me a kiss right on the mouth, again I did a little wiggle (which is now called my dolphin dance). Then as I lifted off the bottom of the ocean and put my right arm straight out to my side Koholo put his nose in the palm of my hand and spun me around several times. I was doing my dolphin dance all the way down to my resting spot on the bottom. On the video my husband, Jose, was taking you can hear him laughing under water through his regulator in the video. We had some time to swim freely with Koholo once all the divers had a chance to interact with him. He swam amongst us stopping to let us pet him, hug on him, and then he waved good-bye and swam away into to the clear blue.

I want to thank the staff from UNEXSO in Port Lucaya Bay for a wonderful experience and great dives. To my husband Jose for introducing me to scuba diving and experiencing these great adventures together. To our fabulous dive club “Patriot Scuba” (Jeff and Merial) and our fellow dive buddies from this trip, Jeff, JP & Lynda, Lisa, Tom & Wanda, Jeff and Brian, which Jose and I consider to be family. 

A First Ocean Dive Experience - PATRIOT SCUBA’S Grand Bahama Trip

Bahamas Magic – by Lynda Pettigrew

My first ocean dive, my senses are on overload.  My vision narrows to the stern of the boat, and I think to myself, “I have to step off a boat?”  I try to tell myself that it’s no different than the pool.  Hands shaking, heart thudding, I look up and see I am surrounded by people who love me, and have faith in me.

Hands on my mask and regulator, holding my gauge tight, I take my step forward….piece of cake!  Make my way to the line, and with my friend, who happens to be my instructor, we descend.  I look down into the clearest water; I pull down the line, and see my best friend, my husband, and magic waiting for me.  I’m at the end of the line; I add a little air to my BCD, and let go.  I’m astounded by the colorful reef, the reds and purples, awed by the fish….and then we spot what I most wanted to see.  Sitting on the bottom, looking at all of us as he’s taking a rest, a sea turtle.  I was so thrilled, and I knew I was a lucky one.  I saw a turtle my first ocean dive, not many can say that.

We signed up for two special dives.  Our first experience was with a special friend, his name is Koholo, and he’s a dolphin.  Kneeling on the bottom, Koholo swims up and I find myself petting him.  I take my regulator out for a kiss, and then rising off the bottom he’s spinning me around.  What a joy!  Our second experience of the day, I was rather dreading.  Sharks.  My adrenaline level was through the roof, and I was the human statue.  I faced my fear; I came out of the water tooting my own horn.  I came back with plenty of air, I did not freak, and I know have a whole new respect for sharks.  A true life transforming dive, such beautiful creatures.  Bonus, I also won a bet……see you at the lake Virginia!

My week in the Bahamas was nothing short of spectacular, besides missing our daughter.  The UNEXSO shop and staff is top notch!  Last but not least, the Patriot Scuba Gang.  JP, Jeff, Lisa, Jennifer, Jose, Tom, Wanda, Mike, and Brian.  A wonderful group of people, I can’t wait to get in the water with them again.  I can’t wait for my next salt dive, but in the meantime I’ll be at Lake Rawlings.  Come join me!