Good morning and happy weekend from Key Largo. Since the last post a lot has happened. We are still in Key Largo because of wind and waves, Amy and I got certified for scuba Open Water diving, we purchased all our own dive equipment so we can dive off the boat in the Bahamas, and now time to relax and prep to cross.

We met a great family who we have been lucky enough to travel with on and off for the last couple of weeks. They arrived here in Key Largo last Monday and we decided that it would be good to travel together to and around the Bahamas. Then they suggested that Amy and I get certified to scuba dive, as they are and it would be fun in the Bahamas. That is when the real fun began. Amy and I have talked about getting certified for years, but just didn’t do it. This was the push we needed.

We walked into a dive shop at 3PM on Tuesday and signed up. We then spent until midnight taking the first three sections of the PADI Open Water class and tests online before we could get into the pool at 7am Wednesday. We spent 4 hours learning skills and learning how to apply what we had learned the night before. Then it was back to the boat to finish sections 4 & 5 of the PADI course. Took our final exams around 2:30pm on Wednesday and the classroom was done. Now for the fun part. We were back in the pool from 7am – 11:30am on Thursday morning to finish off the skill training in the pool. Then a quick lunch and let Memphis out before our first open water dive that afternoon. We did two dives (two tanks) Thursday afternoon and then back to the harbor. I am not going to lie, the seas were rough. That is the reason we are not in the Bahamas yet. It was not easy to do the above water skill test in the open water in 2-3′ waves, but we successfully completed all of them. That was a long day of diving and skill tests and by the time we got back to the boat we were gassed. Then another early morning Friday for our last two open water dives and we were done. Friday was even rougher than Thursday and Amy was not enjoying the experience on the boat at all. It was a real treat to get back onto the boat in 4′ waves with the ladder going out of the water and back in as you approached. What a great lesson to learn, but Amy has decided that we will not dive when it is that rough again! (I am good with that) We did two more dives Friday morning with skill tests on the first dive and then the second dive was what I would call scuba diving! WE ARE CERTIFIED!

These pictures were from the end of our first two dives. The seas were too big to get pictures the second day!

We spent the rest of the day shopping for gear of our own. We now are set up on the boat to be able to dive when we want, and when it is calm! The boat we will spend time with in the Bahamas is also set up with their own compressor to fill tanks, so we are really looking forward to the next month over there.

Today we will be relaxing around the hotel pool and just doing nothing before I have to start getting the boat ready for our crossing and time in the Bahamas. 

I forgot to mention that the African Queen boat from the movie is here in the harbor and gives rides! Now powered by an outboard though!

Our next couple days will include shopping to stock the boat with as much food as possible for the Bahamas, check all the systems and make sure we are good to go, get a short haircut to last me in the Bahamas, and continue to wait for the weather window to cross.

We are now hoping to cross this Tuesday. We will see?!

Until the next post, which I hope will be from Bimini sometime this week, enjoy your weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl. (We are pulling for San Fransico!)