That Time We Didn’t Get to Dive With Dive Quiescence
Really, I wish I could tell you all about diving with Quiescence, however, after a full day of driving down to the Florida Keys, a front moved in, and diving was occluded.
But – we learned a lot!
The Dive Master said we could go out, but it was not recommended as they were experiencing 4-5 foot waves and 19-22 mph winds.
They refunded us our entire deposit and fees, and that was a relief. We continued to check the weather, but we knew it was dismal. Sigh.
While there, we really enjoyed touring their facilities. For those of us not from South Florida, it’s always interesting to look at all the trees and bushes, coral walls, dredged inlets, and boats.
We checked out their training tank – a very interesting feature. It’s used for training; what a great way to keep an eye on new divers!
We even contemplated a quick dive in since there would be great visibility and the opportunity for some fun photographs.
Next we looked over their two dive boats that were resting in their slips, paying attention to number of dive tank holders, overhead shade, boat length, and more. While looking them over, we happened to hear one of the VHF radios that was still on, and another dive boat further South was reporting horrible conditions, swift currents, high seas and gusty winds. We congratulated ourselves for avoiding that.
We seriously contemplated diving right there in their tiny “yacht basin.” We probably would have seen plenty of micro life – small crabs, fish, fans, sponges, maybe even some milk conch. If we ever get shut down by bad weather; we definitely will head there for some protected diving.
Back up at their back shop, we looked over their tanks, talked about hydrostat and VIP markings, and tank life.
We looked over their operation – organization and order means a well-run operation – and then we had a look at their nifty tank mobile cart.
Back in the shop, we relayed the overhead VHF conversation, thanked everyone again for making the safe call on scrubbing the dive. All of the staff were wonderfully friendly, gave plenty of local information, and seemed genuinely great. We will be back!
What we learned: Trust the little voice inside – if it doesn’t sound like fun, it probably won’t be. Be safe. The ocean has been there for a very long time. It will be there in the future, just waiting for you to enjoy closer-to-perfect conditions.
Second thing learned: If possible, already have a backup plan in place. If you have driven a long, long way, or travelled a long, long way, have a second plan in case something happens to ruin your original dive. If the captain had become sick, or the dive boat broken down, we also would have needed a second option. Scout out shore dives – nearly free is good. We ended up diving at the Key Largo Undersea Park, home of the Jules Verne Undersea Lodge. Our backup plan resulted in a lot of learning, fun, and interesting fish watching!
Third thing learned: If you don’t have tanks with you, in advance, figure out where you can rent tanks. Find out their earliest pickup and their latest return times.
Fourth thing learned: Have a backup for the backup. Then slow down, and just enjoy what you are able to do – spending time together, exploring the local area, noticing and appreciating the small details in life. In case someone develops a cold, or has equipment that fails; research in advance something else fun to do. In this case, if we didn’t get to dive, our next plan was some target practice at a local shooting range, and, go see a movie – Mega!
What to read next: Jules Verne Undersea Lodge – Salvaging a Dive Trip
Or, SCUBA Tank Markings – VIP and Hydrostat
Good link! PADI’s Top Dive Sites in the Florida Keys
