DAY 2 - SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY
Rico, 4:15 a.m.: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? POPS IS HOME!
Never mind; it was just the newspaperdeliveryperson. <Sigh>
Back at warm Little Cayman, the first dive trip begins . . . weather here is in the 80's day, high 70's night. Frank & I asked for screens on the windows and we are not going to use the AC - just the ceiling fan.
From the water looking at the resort,
my room is bottom left way at the end.
The dining room is in the right side of the picture.
I was plagued with problems during the first dive and had to call it after only 23 minutes. First, I had a weight problem - the last time I used my 3mil wetsuit, my % of muscle-to-body fat was significantly slanted more to the muscle (heavier) side. So I started with 13 pounds; not heavy enough. I went to dive under. put my feet in the air and sort of hung there like a buoy.
I added two pounds more; better but still too light . . . I traded the two for a four-pound, which was where I needed to be, but when I sat in the sand to put it on my weight, belt the belt wouldn't pass through both the slots in the lead . . . so it was half*ss onto the belt . . . .
Then my secondary regulator started to freeflow and the only way I could get it to stop was to use it, but because of the way it's set up, it makes my mask leak.
Beach Nuts bar - the social spot
I thought that if I continued, who knows what other problems could develop; the "rule" says: One problem, ok; two problems or more, you're courting disaster. So I turned to my buddy and signed that I had to go back to the boat. Which meant he had to also.
Worked on the regulator between dives 1 & 2; got the weight onto the belt (easier to get leverage on the boat than in the water). Regulator behaved "better", but at the turnaround point, it started to freeflow again,
From the dock looking inshore to the dive shop
Back to the resort for lunch and a rest, back out at 2 p.m. The third "fix" on the regulator was the charm, so that dive was a decent one of 50 minutes.
The marine life here is FANTASTIC - better than on the big island.
My room is very nice, the boat pretty new, the diveshop also - courtesy of the hurricane.
I had a close encounter with a turtle - got some great shots.
The boat I'm on is the Twin Sister,
with Cap'n Ron & Mate Laura.
Gearing up
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