So morning comes around and at 7:00am the alarm goes and everyone rouses. Not quite true as everyone (except me) has been awake since about 4am. Body clocks! Who needs 'em? Our first dive is out of Key West on an artificial reef that used to be a ship called the Cayman. We get to the boat around nine and load up our gear. I'm training for use on enriched air (Gas that has higher oxygen levels) so I have to check cylinder pressures and stuff. Eventually we get underway and make our way out to the wreck. The boat is calm at first, then the swell begins. It gets worse. My stomach starts hinting that a steak 'n' egg breakfast was not advisable. Soon it becomes all too apparent that it wasn't. I was fish feeder supreme that day and I have the certificate to prove it!

My buddy has to rig my stuff as I'm too busy concentrating on the horizon to do it myself. Eventually the boat gets there and we dive. I nearly didn't as I was so sick, but once I was in the water it was fine, no movement. In the end it was a short dive as time was pressing. The differences I was going on about before? In the USA they say "We dove", over here it's "We dived". It's odd that such a small thing can grate on my British ear so much. Also we use Bar for pressure and work in metres. The guys there use PSI and feet (One Bar =14.7 PSI) The second dive was supposed to be a shallow reef dive, but I missed out as I just couldn't face it, but neither could my divebuddy as he was sick too. Eventually we returned to base where I (and a few others) got our certificates of Fishfeeding.

Day two

Much better. Have followed advice of dive boat crew and dosed on seasick pills, foregone the booze and had toast for brekkie. Dived on the wreck of the Busch and had a great time, swam through the superstructure and saw lots of barracuda, none that wanted to eat me though.
Second reef dive is average, not a lot to see, but very relaxing.

Day three

Oops, I did it again! Well, it was in eight foot seas and a small boat. Even the people who laughed at me on the first day weren't immune, so I had the last laugh. One guy got in the water having been illness free, he then got a mouthful of warm seawater from a wave and promptly heaved. Even though we shouldn't, we laughed!

Wasted a lot of air getting to the wreck of the Duane swimming against the current. As a result, very short dive.

Reef dive aborted as sea conditions just too rough

Day four

Barbecued last night. Outside in February! Unheard of in the UK. Chicken went down well.
Found out today when I ordered a burger you can specify how you want it cooked. Apparently that's illegal in the UK. "Well done" is all. Also eggs "overeasy" or "sunny side up", wow.
Wreck of the Eagle. A good dive and saw lots of fish, lots of good piccies too. Ran out of air too soon. Reef dive was good, saw a four-foot grey reef shark, but it disappeared quick once it saw us. Very relaxing again. Stomach behaved, too.

Barbecue again tonight, steak!

Day five

Wow, what a day. Not seasick and the best dives yet. The only annoying thing was losing my dive light as I rolled in. Saw it heading bottomwards 20 metres away and 10m down. Know better than to go after it and leave buddies wondering, but still annoyed. Wreck of the Thunderbolt, home to an enormous Jewfish (sp?). At least 500 pounds If he was an ounce! Surrounded by glassfish so piccies not so good, but passable. Crawled all over the wreck and had a marvellous time.

Reef dive was fab. Went spearfishing, but unfortunately nurse shark wanted first catch of the day. Buddy got a great pic of me holding the net bag while shark tries to eat the contents! Had to let it have them eventually. Next catch was better, two fine amberjacks. We surfaced immediately to hand over the catch and go on. Also had to go anchor hunting, as the boat lost its (expensive) anchor to a frayed rope. Got back to port and had fish gutted by boat captain's wife. Barbecued the fish in tinfoil with a little lemon juice. Nothing quite like fresh fish, especially when you caught it yourself.

So diving was over and tomorrow was time to drive to Dundee county for the other purpose of the trip. Two of the guys were entered in the third Florida Open Shooting contest.

But that's for part three....