Florida Sea Base News

Yesterday I posted:

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!  The Florida Sea Base has a pathetic internet capacity.  Many leaders are scanning and emailing their scuba crew medicals.  Yesterday, the whole computer network at the Florida Sea Base shut down from data overload.  Please fax the medicals to 305-664-5632 or mail them to Florida Sea Base, PO Box 1906, Islamorada, FL 33036.  If you must send them electronically, consider copying them onto a CD and mail that to us OR email the medicals ONE PARTICIPANT AT A TIME.

We are still in internet overload and need you to refrain from sending large data files.  I do NOT use the Florida Sea Base internet system for this post.  I pay $70 a month for an AT&T air card for my personal internet use.  In critical weather situations it is not unusual for Captain Rich and I to have to depend on our iPhones for weather data or we have to go to the boat (we both live on boats) and use our personal internet access and computers.  When I purchased my MacBook Pro it gave me the ability to be more mobile when these issues arise.

But none of this fixes our current dilemma.  All of the on base business computers (about 20 of them) are hardwired to a single server that is fed by a single DSL connection. This same feed supports two wi-fi systems that are used by our seasonal staff and participants.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is finally over.  If you didn’t watch it, you missed some incredible, real life action.  Wow!

Another round of termite treatments is complete.  The tents have been removed from the dorms, GM’s residence and Quarterdeck.

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A few days ago I wrote a post about the annual inspection of our scuba tanks.  Here are some photos I took yesterday of the staff hard at work.

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The Florida Sea Base hosted a session of the PADI Member Forum last night.  I have explained this is previous posts. Essentially, we host the Forum each spring.  It is a three hour session for PADI Divemasters and Instructors to see what’s new with PADI.  PADI Regional Manager Mike Kurzcewski makes the presentation.  Last night we had a special treat; Bob Coleman, one of PADI’s Vice Presidents (of sales I believe), came along with Mike.  Bob (like everyone at PADI) is a really great guy.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

Monday may have been a bad day world-wide.  My wife had a very bad day, Dr. Ellen, Captain Paul Beal, Captain Rich Beliveau, Cheryl, Nancy, almost everyone I dealt with seemed to be having a miserable day.  Sunday’s Daytona 500 was postponed because of rain and was supposed to start at noon yesterday.  Then it was postponed until 1900 (7 pm).  I turned on the TV just as Jimmie Johnson was getting t-boned on the driver’s side by David Ragan.  I hope your day went well.

Florida Sea Base Director of Program Rob Kolb is back after being away for a week.

For those of you who are summer scuba staff hopefuls, I spent as much time reviewing applications as I possibly could yesterday.  The issue most responsible for the slow progress is the time required to follow-up with your references.  I will try to send an email out Friday for those who have been hired.  HOWEVER, if you don’t get an email Friday, don’t freak out, and please don’t swamp me with emails and phone calls.  That will only further delay the process.  I am actually ahead of schedule and moving forward as quickly as I can.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!  The Florida Sea Base has a pathetic internet capacity.  Many leaders are scanning and emailing their scuba crew medicals.  Yesterday, the whole computer network at the Florida Sea Base shut down from data overload.  Please fax the medicals to 305-664-5632 or mail them to Florida Sea Base, PO Box 1906, Islamorada, FL 33036.  If you must send them electronically, consider copying them onto a CD and mail that to us.  Or, email the medicals ONE PARTICIPANT AT A TIME.  We are hopeful that General Manager Captain Paul Beal will consider our plight and add another internet feed (or two).

The participant dorms, General Manager’s residence and Quarterdeck were all “tented” yesterday for termite treatments.  I will post some photos tomorrow.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

PADI Scuba Instructor Meghann Michalski took these photos Saturday during the final dive with Florida Sea Base Scuba Certification crew SCSU021912A.  Click on any of the photos to enlarge it.

Flipper

If you click on the photo and then zoom in you can see some really cool details.

Newly Certified Divers

Congratulations to the newly certified PADI divers of crew SCSU021912A!!!

Steven "Spiderman" Raymond

PADI Divemaster Steven “Spiderman” Raymond was also assigned to the crew for the week.  Steven hopes to take his PADI Scuba Instructor training next month at the Florida Keys Dive Center.

Since we have no crews on base, Captain Rich gave the sailing staff the day off.  Since Captain Rich gave the sailing staff the day off I gave the scuba staff the day off.  Ahhh, no kids, no staff, is this what heaven is like?

Steve Terrell, BSA Central Region Aquatics Chair, has released a new National Aquatics Task Force newsletter.  If you read the newsletter you will see a reference to the requirements for the Kayaking Merit badge.  We were specifically asked to NOT post those on-line.  There are many other noteworthy items in the newsletter.  It is definitely worth a read.  This is a very good way to me aware of recent changes and items that are in the pipe.

The Daytona 500 was rained out yesterday.  The race is rescheduled for noon (Eastern Time) today.  Nascar.com says the race will be televised on FOX.  But the FOX website and my satellite provider have not posted any broadcast changes.  I’m wondering how many of the 100,000+ fans will be able to return to the track today.  The rain still looks pretty threatening to me.

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I hope the weather is pleasant in your part of the world.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

Question:  Who’s the oldest person to have ever passed the PADI Standards and Procedures exam with a perfect score?
Answer: I’m not sure, but I am certainly in the running.

Now that I have that exam behind me, I have the PADI Dive Theory exam to look forward to.  It is actually a set of five mini-tests on physics, physiology, equipment, skills & the environment and decompression theory & the Recreational Dive Planner.  The good news is I can take those on-line.  The bad news is I need to study a LOT and take the exams as soon as possible.

As far as I know there were no issues yesterday at the Florida Sea Base.  I returned to base just in time for flags but went to the boat and didn’t make time to talk with anyone.  No news is good news.

There are no crew arrivals today.  Our next arrival is a week from today.  Scuba Commissioner Laura Kuras and I will keep the scuba staff busy visually inspecting scuba tanks.  This job has to be performed at least once a year.  Here’s the process:

The hard plastic boots on the bottom of the tank, the old inspection sticker and any paint must be removed from the tank.

Any remaining air must be slowly drained from the tanks.  This can be a long and incredibly noisy process.  (Bear in mind that we have over 400 tanks to drain.)  Since the scuba tanks contain compressed air (approximately 100 times the air pressure in a common automobile tire), the tanks cool as the pressure is released.  If it is released too quickly, condensation is formed.  The inside of the tank needs to stay dry to protect it from oxidation.  Therefore, condensation is a no-no.  The air is released through the valve that allows a regulator to be attached to the tank.  The hole in the valve is less than 1/8 inch in diameter.  Discharging the air quickly causes noise that can cause ear damage; another reason the tanks need to be drained slowly.  Even if the tanks are being drained slowly, you can only drain a few at a time or the noise still becomes deafening.

Once ALL of the air pressure has drained the valve can be removed.  (That is not a correct statement.  All of the air is not evacuated from the tank, that would be a vacuum.  The tanks are drained until the internal pressure equalizes with  ambient air pressure.)  Removing the valve can be challenging.  We use a 24″ crescent style adjustable wrench and a hammer.  The valves are made of very soft brass that has been nickel plated.  Hammering on the tank valve or gripping the valve inappropriately with the wrench can destroy it.  Valves are not cheap.

After removing the valve, any silicone or dielectric grease residue is scraped off the top of the tank with a razor blade and wire brush.  The outside of the tank is inspected for saltwater pitting or signs of damage from being dropped.  A long, skinny light is inserted through the neck of the tank so the inside can be examined for saltwater pitting.  Significant pitting, whether internal or external, can cause the tank to be condemned and removed from service.  A special (expensive) device is used to illuminate and magnify the threads of the tank.  Damaged threads can also cause the tank to be condemned.

If any debris (salt crystals or aluminum oxide for example) is found inside the tank, the tank is pulled and goes through a special cleaning process to remove said debris and allow for an investigation of the cause.  The cleaning process usually takes a day or two.

Once the tank is determined to be acceptable for duty, a new o-ring (with just a tiny smear of silicone grease) is placed onto the valve.  A dab of dielectric grease is placed on the valve threads.  This helps prevent galvanic action between the brass threads of the valve and the aluminum threads of the tank.  The valve is then reattached to the tank and tightened securely (with care to not over torque it) to the tank.  The tank is tapped off so the lower several inches can be painted.  This is a sacrificial paint that protects the tank from saltwater pitting that can occur from the tank boot retaining tiny amounts of saltwater.  After the paint dries (frequently overnight) the boots are put back in place.

Finally, the tanks have to be filled.  We can fill about 20 tanks at a time and it takes about 20 minutes to fill a set of tanks.  That makes the math easy.  400 tanks need to be filled.  We can fill 20 at a time.  400 divided by 20 = 20 sets to fill.  20 sets times 20 minutes per set = 400 minutes.  400 minutes divided by 60 = 6.6 hours to refill 400 tanks.  But when you add in time to move, connect and disconnect, move the tanks again, fill the air storage banks, and so on, the reality is that it takes almost two full days to refill all of the tanks.

It will take a serious team effort for us to visually inspect all of the Florida Sea Base scuba tanks in a week.  Our team will consist of Scuba Commissioner Laura Kuras, Scuba Instructor Meghann Michalski, Divemaster Steven Raymond and will be supervised by Captain Dennis “slop on more silicone” Wyatt and me since we are both certified in the safe management of the process.  We may draft some help from the sailing staff if they run out of chores.  And if we are still working on tanks next week, Scuba Instructor Dave Ball and Divemaster Mike Roesel will be available to help.  It’s a family affair of sorts.

In case you can’t tell by the length of this post, I woke up a little early this morning (around 0300).  I’m going to lay back down for an hour and then get up for the 0730 staff meeting.  Don’t forget the Daytona 500 is running today.  It will be broadcast on the FOX network starting around noon Eastern Time.  (I am not a huge fan, but I do have the recorder set so I can fast-forward to the crashes and watch the last 10 or 20 laps.)

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

There were no crew arrivals at the Florida Sea Base Friday.  The Scuba Liveaboard crew returned to base for luau and will go home to snow this morning.

Captain Rich Beliveau, Captain Dave Muensel (S/V New Horizon) and I spent about an hour and a half with Senior Marine Weather Forecaster Chip Kasper of the National Weather Service yesterday morning.  It was a very productive meeting and I am very grateful for Chip’s time.

Last night I attended the orientation for today’s tests.  This morning I’ll be heading to Key Largo to take the PADI Standards and Procedures exam.  This is one of a long list of prerequisites for the PADI Course Director Training Course which I hope to attend later this year.

A new Scuba Liveaboard crew will arrive this afternoon.  One Coral Reef Sailing crew and one Sea Exploring crew will return to the base for their luau this afternoon.

Marine weather synopsis, courtesy of the national Weather Service:

LIGHT WINDS THIS MORNING…WILL TURN NORTHEAST TO EAST AND INCREASE ACROSS THE KEYS COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES EASTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE EARLY AND MIDDLE PORTIONS OF NEXT WEEK.

Here’s our NWS forecast for the coming week:

Today: A slight chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. East wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Breezy, with a east wind between 15 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday: A chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Breezy, with a east wind between 15 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Breezy, with a east wind between 15 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Friday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

I hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

Today is my son’s and daughter-in-law’s 11th anniversary.  Have a blessed day kiddos.

I had some challenges (mainly due to exhaustion) on yesterday’s post with the links to various forms.  I THINK I have corrected the issues.  I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thursday was pretty busy about the Florida Sea Base; one Sea Exploring crew and three Coral Reef Sailing crews returned to base and attended the closing “luau” ceremony.  Another Coral Reef Sailing crew was on base for their shore-leave day.  The Scuba Certification crew completed their PADI Open Water Diver certification.

I spent about an hour assisting with the Instructor Development Course yesterday and about three and a half hours studying for Saturday’s Standards and Procedures test.  Captain Rich Beliveau participated in a conference call (that seemed to last for hours) with the US Coast Guard, lawyers, ASTM, and industry leaders who are trying to promulgate standards for parasailing.  Persons already in the industry are trying to keep the rules loose enough that they can stay in business.  Others are trying to make an encyclopedia of micro-managment “what if” rules, including requiring onboard chart plotters with XM weather access.  (My concern about the last requirement is it may get transferred to all sailing vessels if it gets “approved” at this level – an expensive proposition.)

Dr. Ellen had 92 scuba medical related emails yesterday.  If you have questions about the required paperwork, PLEASE read my 23 February 2012 post.  Also, if you are attending the Florida Sea Base as a Scuba Certification crew, PLEASE, PLEASE have everyone in your crew read the PADI Open Water Diver manual that was sent to you and COMPLETE THE KNOWLEDGE REVIEW AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER.  If you don’t, you will be sitting in the classroom reading instead of diving on a gorgeous reef.

Chip Kasper, Senior Marine Weather Forecaster, from the National Weather Service in Key West is scheduled to stop by this morning.  He sent an email saying he was going to be in the neighborhood (more about that in the next paragraph) and had some NWS “products” he thought might benefit the safe operation of the Florida Sea Base.  Chip is very aware of our dependence on weather and our efforts to diligently track it and give appropriate directions to as many as 40 boats that may be on the water at any given time during the summer carrying very precious cargo – your children.  One of my concerns is whether the Florida Sea Base internet connection is strong enough to display the intense graphics of some of the NWS products.  [SIDE BAR:  The Florida Sea Base is located in a geographically "remote" area.  We have marginal internet connect at best.  The service is so poor that I subscribe to an "air card" at my own expense to allow me to support this blog and monitor weather while I am out of the office.]

The reason Mr. Kasper will be “in the neighborhood” is because he will be manning a booth at the 16th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market at Founders Park in Islamorada this weekend.  I may actually miss the flea market this year due to my Course Director exams.

If you are fortunate enough to be enjoying snow today, please be safe.

The Weather Channel

At 0630 we are experiencing 74º, clear skies and gentle breezes.  We will survive.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape 

PADI has an unimaginable number of liability releases to cover a myriad of circumstances; divers in basic training, divers in advanced training, certified divers who are not taking a training course, divers taking various highly specialized training courses, divers on boats, divers on excursions, ad infinitum.  So it is easy (especially for persons not in the diving business) to get the forms confused.  I have made similar posts previously, but forms also get updated and BSA, FSB and PADI policies change.  So I will try again.

If you are attending the Florida Sea Base SCUBA CERTIFICATION program in 2012 you must submit anAnnual BSA Health and Medical Record form (parts A, B, and C), a RSTC/PADI Medical form, a PADI Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding and a PADI Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement.  The Safe Diving Practices form and the Liability Release are in the Student File Folder that is included in the “crew pacs” that also contain your PADI Open Water Diver manual.  If Dr. Ellen emails you a copy of the Liability Release, please execute that form and send it with your other paperwork.  The RSTC/PADI Medical form is also in the student file folder, but you need to use a paper copy (click on the above link) so it can be signed by a doctor.  The PADI policy says the form does not have to be signed by a doctor if all health questions are answered with “NO”.  HOWEVER, the BSA requires this form be signed regardless of the answers provided in the health history.  Therefore, both the BSA medical form and the RSTC/PADI medical form must be signed by a doctor.

If you are attending the Florida Sea Base SCUBA ADVENTURE or SCUBA LIVEABOARD program in 2012 you must submit an Annual BSA Health and Medical Record form (parts A, B, and C) and a PADI Liability Release and Assumption of Risk for Supervision of Certified Divers.

I apologize for the confusion.  This is an annual “event”.  I wish I could explain why this seems to be a recurring issue, but it would not be well received.  The information and forms provided above are correct.  The correct paperwork may or may not have been included in the crew packets that were sent to the registered crew leaders.  The information on the official BSA and/or Florida Sea Base web sites may not be accurate.  Once again, the information provided in this post is correct for 2012 Scuba Certification, Scuba Adventure and Scuba Liveaboard crews.

I am headed back to the IDC this morning.  They need me for an hour or two and then I’ll be back on base.  Maybe hopping into the pool will help wake me up.  I feel like a zombie this morning.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

Christy Clemenson, correction CAPTAIN Christy Clemenson has returned to the Florida Sea Base to co-captain with Captain Dennis Wyatt for the Scuba Adventure and Scuba Certification crews this spring.  Captain Christy, Captain Dennis, and Scuba Commissioner Laura Kuras worked on tank valve overhauls yesterday.  The sailing staff was off.  Dr. Ellen Wyatt continued working on scuba medical forms and paperwork.  She had a tough day.

2012 Florida Sea base attendance will be a new record.  The preliminary numbers for 2013 show it will be a bigger year than 2012.  Busy, busy.

No IDC today; I get to spend a whole day in the office. Yahoo!!!  First priority – clear a spot big enough to work on at my desk.  Second priority – work on summer staff hiring.  I also need to meet with Captain Rich Beliveau on several topics and maybe Captain Paul Beal.

Here’s the forecast from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 81. South wind around 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Friday: A slight chance of showers. Sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Monday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Monday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Tuesday: A slight chance of showers. Sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

And the NWS marine forecast:

Synopsis…A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PERSIST OVER THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN AND FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY… RESULTING IN MODERATE BREEZES TURNING FROM EAST TO SOUTHEAST OVER FLORIDA KEYS COASTAL WATERS. A COLD FRONT MAY APPROACH THE FLORIDA KEYS BY SATURDAY.

Wednesday…Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 4 to 6 feet due to a north-northeast swell.
Wednesday Night…Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet due to a north-northeast swell.
Thursday And Thursday Night…Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Isolated showers developing.
Friday…Southwest winds near 15 knots…becoming northwest. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Isolated showers.
Saturday And Sunday…Northeast to east winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Isolated showers.

I have to get to the 0730 staff meeting.  Have a great day.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape 

Yesterday was cooler (only 85º) and still dry.  The early morning cloud cover burned off quickly.  The wind dropped to 10 knots by afternoon.

One Coral Reef Sailing crew arrived yesterday.  They will spend the next week with Capt. Scott Penfield aboard S/V Chanticleer.  They should have a great time.  Captain Scott is a long time volunteer Scouter and has raised a few Eagle Scouts (with assistance from his charming wife Gail).  Coral Reef Sailing crews aboard S/V Silent Harmony and S/V New Horizon were on base for shore leave yesterday.  We do not have any more new crew arrivals until Saturday.

The program is progressing well for the Scuba Certification crew.  They completed much of their classroom work and their 200 yard swim and float yesterday.  They will work on the Confined Water Training Dives (pool) today and tomorrow they will finish in the pool and maybe head out for their first Open Water Training Dives.

Our IDC candidate did MUCH better yesterday.  Captain Bert Hubby will have him well prepared for his Instructor Evaluation this coming weekend.  We are going to the reef and pool again today.  With 15 knot winds from the east it will likely be bumpy and cool.

Have a great day.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape 

Protecting the oceans and its inhabitants is very import to most scuba divers.  We wish it could last forever, improve instead of continuing to decline.  I hope that the reef and I both live long enough to allow me to take my granddaughter scuba diving some day.  If you feel passionate about the sea, you can help me, help the PADI AWARE foundation by clicking on this SHARK link and reading the appeal for all of us to help protect the Coral Sea sharks.  Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

There was no rain at the Florida Sea Base Sunday.  We had clear skies and topped out at 87º.  The water temperature was 75º at Molasses Reef and Pickles Reef near Tavernier.  It has been VERY overcast since late last night.  There is no rain in today’s forecast, but our high will only be in the mid 70s.  The lows tonight and tomorrow night should be in the upper 60s (good sleeping weather).

The air conditioning in the aft cabin on S/V Escape crashed again Saturday night/Sunday morning.  I think the contacts that allow the compressor to cycle on and off have burned out.  I think I have a set of contacts, but I can’t locate them.  I will try again this afternoon.

I climbed in the engine room late yesterday to clean the strainer for the raw water that cools the a/c.  I assumed it would be pretty gunked up with mud from the dredging.  I was VERY wrong.  The only time I have ever seen the strainer cleaner while at the dock was when it was first installed.    There was a tiny bit of mud and three or four strands of grass and that was it.  And there’s more good news.  Prior to the Divemaster Academy last December I spent hours searching for the strobe to my camera.  It think I wrote about my search in a previous post.  I found it yesterday while looking for the replacement a/c contacts.  It was where it was supposed to be; where it has been stored for several years.  I cannot imagine how I could have possibly overlooked it.  Getting old is scary.

One Scuba Certification and one Sea Exploring crew arrived at the Florida Sea Base yesterday.  They are part of a single Troop.  Scuba Instructor Meghann Michalski and Divemaster Steven Raymond are tending to the Scuba Certification crew.  Tim Rucello and Robby Adams are in charge of the Sea Exploring crew.  They will spend the week onboard Schooner Pirates Lady with Co-Captains Skip and Deb Bradshaw.

As usual, I am switching between The Weather Channel and the local weather on the TV, plus reviewing multiple on-line weather sites which composing this post.  The Weather Channel frequently advertises a new show called “Ice Pilots”.  The last line in the ad is my favorite, “I can’t feel my feet”.  I remember those experiences during my three year stint in Michigan as a military brat. Based on my personal experience, I have a suggestion for the mechanic in the TV show – MOVE SOUTH.

I am headed back to the PADI Instructor Development Course this morning.  Captain Bert Hubby is doing a “private”IDC this month.  Based on yesterday’s experience, this candidate needs to listen carefully, use the tools Bert provided and follow the established protocol for his presentations.  he seemed to know the material, but needs (1) to slow down and (2) slow down more.

Some of you get to enjoy an extra day off; if so, I hope you can do something fun with your family.  For the rest of us, here we go again!

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape