Diving — LIVEABOARD DIVING

So my dive bag is gone. We can’t find it in the dive shop. Best we can figure is the group who left the day before us took the bag and now it’s on their boat.

I’m sure some are wondering “well, now how did this happen?” Let me explain. In an effort to minimize the amount of luggage I’d have to schlep to the dive shop I decided to bring my dive equipment bag to the store a day early. The store assured me that I could leave it there and it’s make it in a boat. They just didn’t say which one. Kidding.

Our best guess is that a well intentioned guest grabbed my bag and brought it on their boat (I know for a fact it’s on their boat) thinking it belonged to one of them. Either way, I’m going on my liveaboard sans a piece of luggage.

The good news is that all of my gear is with me. Some pre-dive diving means that my gear is in the shop in a mesh bag. So it’s not the end of the world.

I’ve been told that somewhere out in the middle of the Pacific they’ll grab my gear from the other boat. I’m not worried. As long as I get it back in the end.

Leaving Cabo is a different story. It’s ROUGH. Rough enough that I suffer my first round of seasickness. It’s….not fun. But my accommodations are very nice and I’m able to get a good nights sleep. Plus I feel like a million bucks when everything comes back up. Either way I know the dives will be worth it!

*Note: This is a revised post from an old blog of mine. The trip was taken in 2015

The sun is just setting over the horizon as I get my first look at Isla Guadalupe. The dim light and low hanging clouds create an almost primeval atmosphere which is magnified when I remember what’s swimming just below the boat, Great Whites.

My fellow boat mates and I made the 20+ hour trip from San Diego to the island in the hopes of spending some face-to-face time with them and we’re bursting with anticipation to get in the water. But we have to wait until the second day when the sun is up and we’ve all been given our safety briefing. During dinner the conversation turns to sharks, there are a few who’ve made this trip before and are captivating the “first-timers” with stories from previous trips. We can only hope we come back with stories equally as enthralling.

The first day starts off slow, but the anticipation is palpable. Each of us is vying for position as we wait for the cages to lower into the water—once in, we get a complete 360 degree view. At first it’s an endless expanse of blue that occasionally is interrupted by a tuna swimming through my field of vision. My head is on a swivel, though, looking for any shadow or hint of an incoming shark. The minutes tick by and nothing. We strike out. At least for the first dive.

Each person is scheduled to make at least 4 throughout the day, more if someone doesn't show up at their scheduled time and you're able to steal their spot. By mid-morning, the sharks have joined us but they are coy. Coming in just close enough to make their presence known but not close enough to get a good look (or a good picture). With them so far off in the distance, I've taken to standing atop the cages instead of remaining inside in the hope of getting a better look. But the sharks remain elusive, much more wary (it would seem) of us then we are of them.

Day two starts much the same way, takes a little bit before the sharks show up but there's a different kind of electricity in the air. Bruce, a 17 foot male, arrives at mid-day to ramps things up. Suddenly, the whole dynamic underwater has changed. He's not shy, coming in for close passes and rushing the surface to get the tuna the crew has dangled as an enticement. Those in the water are thrilled with the interactions we're all getting great photos. Bruce gets more confident making closer passes, eventually getting so close that his long fins slice through our cage.

At this point, most of us are keeping all limbs inside the cages, but one diver is still hanging out trying to get just the right shot. In a split second, Bruce rushes the cage, the diver being pulled inside just in time, bites it and shakes it like a rag doll. That diver got one hell of a shot. Evening descends and were all tired but happy with the days events.

Our third day starts slow and remains so throughout the day. We've been joined by another dive company and they're trying to entice the sharks to their cages. It's an anti-climactic end after the adrenaline enduing action from the previous day. It's not long before crews are pulling cages from the water for the final time and we're making our way back towards Mexico and eventually San Diego.