Drive South - Part 2

originally published April 13, 2018

Guy and I (and trusty travel mascot, Coby) headed south, stopping for Dive #1 - a sunset dive at Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach. BHB is an excellent shore dive, easy access and lots of marine life to see. IF one can descend the whopping 20 feet to the bottom. This would be my first legit saltwater dive and... I couldn't sink. It. Was. Ridiculous. 

My last dive had been at Blue Grotto with Will back in November, and he had commented that he felt I was over-weighted. Dropped like a rock, as he put it. So, logically, if what I wore at Blue Grotto was too much, it should be the right amount at BHB. Right? Wrong. I was bobbing like a cork. Guy took some of his weights and tucked them into my BC pockets but it didn't help much. Even with that additional two pounds, I couldn't get down further than three feet. It was frustrating but a good lesson heading down to the "real" diving. At least I would know going in that I needed extra weight. 

After an overnight stay in Boynton Beach, we got back on the road. Some minor route confusion and one unplanned detour through Opa Locka later, we were crossing the long, one-lane bridge from Florida City into Key Largo, leaving the mainland behind. US-1, with its aqua-blue painted concrete divider, evoked the sense of tropical-infused abandon we hoped to soon be immersed in. 

Our VRBO host (something akin to Airbnb) warned me that it was easy to miss the turnoff into the marina and, if I passed it, it would be miles before I could turn around. So, naturally, I missed the turnoff into the marina. Key Largo Lesson One: this is the u-turn capital of the world! US-1 is pretty much the ONLY road in the Keys and u-turns are par for the course. I turned left so many times, NASCAR offered me a sponsorship. But, I digress.

We u-turned our way to the marina and offloaded our luggage onto the boat - a cute little cruiser with two cabins, a kitchenette, dining area, and an open rear deck complete with potted palms and ocean breezes. One of Guy's friends, someone who is well known in the dive industry for her reef-safe skin care products, happened to also be diving in town so we met up with her and some other folks at a favorite diver-friendly watering hole. My first diventure was off to a great start! Too bad that was a short-lived trend. 



I slept terribly Friday night. The boat was comfortable, very quiet and stable. I just suffered one of my semi-regular bouts of insomnia. Nerves, most likely. Fortunately our morning dive had been shifted to the afternoon so at least I didn't have to get up at 5 AM. I mean, I *was awake at 5 AM but I didn't *have to be. I finally gave up trying to sleep when I heard Guy firing up the coffee maker. 

Since my group's dive boat was full, Guy had booked himself for a dive with another operator. There are plenty to choose from in Key Largo, aptly nicknamed the Dive Capital of the World. I dropped him off at Ocean Divers then headed to my rendezvous with Horizon Divers. Already I could feel the anxiety creeping in. There had been a lot of chatter from the group the night before about rough seas being expected on Saturday, and a good chance on dives being scrubbed. I had popped some Dramamine the night before and again that morning. I took another dose after arriving at the dock. 


I was getting increasingly nervous as I mentally ticked off my "what if" list. Rough seas? Stay near the rail and keep your eyes on the horizon. Be ready to go when the boat stops. 
Knees being uncooperative? Alert the boat crew that you're going to need an extra hand up getting back into the boat.
Have to puke? Go ahead and puke, no one cares. 

Funny how you can convince yourself you've prepared for every eventuality... only to discover there's something you didn't count on. 

Coming up, Drive South - Part III: feeding the fish and meeting Jules Verne

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