Back in 1997, when I was re-taking my SCUBA certification with NAUI through Fullerton JC, I decided it was time to take a "real" dive vacation. I'd been diving Catalina Island at least once a month, beach diving both Laguna Beach and Redondo Beach, and while I loved it, I was ready to try some warm water diving. At the time I couldn't even grasp what it would be like to NOT wear a full wetsuit and all of that garb... a shorty?? What's a short??? I had no idea.
So, booked a trip to a nice resort right off the coast of Belize called Turneffe Island Lodge. It was about an hour's ride from the coast, and there were only 20 of us on the island. Well, it turned out to be an absolutely incredible week. It's called "concierge diving" which means someone basically does everything for you - you simply don your gear and jump in the water.
And did I mention that you don't wear shoes for the whole week? Yeah, those foot-binding things that rednecks like me despise.
I was hooked.
Since then, I've been diving in Cozumel, St. Croix, Puerto Rico, Playa Mujeres (Mexico) Sea of Cortez, and a few other places I can't remember right now. I've been doing this a LONG time. :)
So earlier this year Steve and I kept going back and forth on whether or not we want to go on a total scuba vacation or one with a little more land action. We couldn't decide. So one day, I just thought about it and make the decision: we were gonna return to Turneffe Island and do some concierge diving again! Once the decision was made, it became easy.
Part of my motivation is because Steve has only dove at Catalina here in CA and a few dives in Mexico, that were not great dives. TIL will be different and I know that after he does the 15 dives there, his confidence and love for the sport will expand exponentially... like mine did.
I don't think I LOVED diving until I went to Belize.
Some people would not enjoy a vacation like this; after all, it revolves around diving. We aren't there to explore or play in the surf or do anything except dive. Every day. We will get up, have breakfast, and dive. Come back to the island for a surface interval and a break, and then dive again. Come back for another surface interval, lunch, and dive again. That's how our day will be spent.
And I can't wait. :) I can't wait for surface intervals where I just lay around with my shorty folded over my waist, chatting with the other divers about what we just saw, hydrating with cold water anticipating the next dive that will dry my mouth out again... the taste of the orange slices given to us after each dive to make our mouths taste better, how good the food will taste in the evening - no matter what it is - because diving just makes you HUNGRY.... the rashes I know I am gonna get from constantly wearing neoprene and staying wet all day... and I'll love getting those rashes. :)
But mostly I just want to get in the water again. I need to feel bubbles running over the sides of my face, I need to look up and see 80 feet of water above my head, I need to look down into the unknown blue beneath me, I need to connect with others who love this as much as me... I need to laugh under water, and play with my gear and take pictures that say "Hi Mom!" like I always do.
And look at a world that very few see.
So of course there will be many pictures to follow at the end of this month. We leave August 19th and will be at TIL from Sat-Sat.
And I'm not gonna wait so long in between dive trips again. Because it's who I am.
