USVI-On-Line

DELETED

Jorge,

What an excellent day! I haven't even thought about diving because I tend to be claustrophobic. Does your wife suffer from that at all? If she does and she did it, then, it will definitely give me hope.

Have a great evening!

Yea, what he said!

Colette is great. Glad is was such a great day for you both.

Thanks bro. It was a rough day today and you just smoothed it out.

Cheers, RickG

Love reading all your reports. Thanks for taking the time. They have been great!

Babs! You totally rock, dudette!! Swam through holes and such, eh? Exxx-cellent!! [said in my best Bill & Ted voice]

Just Kidding! okay the truth, whatever that is. Yes, I don’t like caves. But I trust Colette. So if she says go and do, then I do whatever she says. Cuz she knows what I am capable of, in just a short amount of time. and I did talk to a few of my friends back home. They said what are you waiting for. You aint getting any younger. Colette is a great teacher. She took me under today before I could think about the nervousness and the breathing. Didn’t have time to get upset. Did I say she was a great teacher? Okay so you ask… what is it like? Well when you get the breathing down right you just follow the instructor. I was kinda afraid to look from side to side cuz that meant thinking about not running into one of my own hoses or moving my mask too much. Cuz what if it came off! so then I concentrated on clearing my ears by blowing and holding my nose, like you do on the airplane. that worked. so then I could breathe, and clear and kick. Then I could breathe and clear and kick, and hold my arms to my chest so I could sink. And I did panic. She said clear my mask like we practiced. but I forgot to blow so I took in a bunch of salt water. That sent me to the top and hyperventilating. But Colette talked me thru it. That was Tuesday. Today I just prayed she wouldn’t ask me to clear my mask. She didn’t but I was ready. I will do that next time. ¾ of the way thru I started looking around. I found a lobster, an octopus, and shrimp, and lots and lots of beautiful fish! I still don’t know what those clear shiny grape sized balls are on the very bottom. the neatest thing was watching Jorge go thru a cave. Did I go? well kinda. there was a hole in the top halfway thru. and if Colette didn’t go first, I wouldn’t have gone. but I did go right after her. It is like a cub following the mama bear. you just keep following her! She checked on my every minute or so. We used hand signals and I stayed off the very bottom. Why? Sea urchins!!! Bottom line is you just gotta go, even if you only go once. Cuz you gotta see what is down there. Oh and thanks to Matt and Howard who came along today. Perfect gentlemen, great diving buddies, good companions for our dive.

Kudos to Barb!

oh and i forgot to tell you...like a dork i put my wetsuit on inside out. but Colette didn't skip a beat. she said hey that solves the problem of the velcro seam sticking out and away you go! i think she was just trying to make me feel better.....i am such a dork.....

Oh guys, we forgot to tell you. Pia was here with hubby and niece the first few days we were here. Nothing like going to Honeymoon Bay and standing in the surf with your fav friends (that means you Pia and L) and havin a drink and talking about EVERYTHING...isn't that what you are supposed to do?

Barbara...you ARE my idol! I am so proud of you!

Oh and I have been wondering what those shiny balls (hehehe) are too

Way to go Babs sound like a great time. you all enjoy your last days.

Jorge wrote:.. I don't think I could do 2 weeks here.

Me neither. 3 weeks minimum!