Lion Fish Hunters

Last night Capt Gino and Kim attended the training to capture the non-native Lion Fish that have started to invaded the Florida Keys. The first fish was spotted in Jan 2009. http://keysnews.com/node/9153 The training was offered to local marine professional and is a requirement for a permit to remove Lion Fish from the Florida Keys National Marine Santurary. Kim has already reported seeing a large Lion Fish on Molassas Reef (a popular dive site in the FKNMS) on July 7th. That fish was removed. After the permits are issued we will be on the look out for any Lion Fish on our guided dives. We hope our divers will assist us in locating these harmful specicies. As the permits are specific to the individual our divers will not be able to assist in the capture but are welcome to watch and photograph the event.

Captains, Instructors, Divers and Friends!

Our long time friends Don and Holly finally got away for a vacation. Don is an PADI MSDT and Capt of the Outlaw Son in Jacksonville, Fl. If you get up to Jax you can book him through http://northfloridacharters.com/pages/Home


He brought afew of his dive buddies to dive the Speigal Grove and Christ of the Abuss Statue. We had a great day! Come back anytime!!!

Sept has been some great diving

Sunsets at sea

Rainbow over our canel.

Labor Day Weekend

Laborday weekend included a Surf and Turf BBQ with 2 & 4/5 of our Orlando Advanced Diving friends and their families. (1 more dive Kathleen)

Underwater Pics from Aug

Gino and Queen Angle fish on the Benwood

I'm not sure how we got pic's of you guys from the front and back?

Happy Birthday Pam

French Angle fish

Paul, Hannah, Ben and Kim @ the Christ Statue

Aug in review

This manatee was drinking the fresh water when we where rinsing the boat.

The Jones family joined us all the way from England for a couple of dives and great weather. They where joined on this dive by Steve and Michele, 2 of our florida regulars.

Ben you are one lucky kid! Mom and Dad bring you and your friend Jack Scuba Diving when they are still "working on their sea legs" You where some real troopers in some choppy seas! But in fairness the young men were good divers and a pleasure to be with, which must make your efforts easier. ( For those of you that may get queasy: we suggest a light breakfast, being well hydrated, and Trip Tone (over the counter motion sickness medicine).

Updates from July

Thanks to the original owners of Pleasure Diver, Don and Jan, for providing the Lobster Dinner from their "mini season" catch. We really enjoyed your visit!

Capt Gino at Aquarius Reasearch Station run by NOAA. Access to this location is by invitation only. A big thanks to our fellow PADI Instructor, Larry Gates for getting us permission to dive this one of a kind underwater facility. You can read more about the Aquarius at: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/diving/aquarius/aquarius.html

What great dives! 2 days of 3 tank trips. We started the first day off with the most requested, Spiegel Grove and Christ of the Abyss along with a reef dive. We had little current and good vis. The second day we started out with my favorite, The Duane, again good vis and little current. The Goliath Grouper was around along with the usual large school of Great Barracuda. The gadget guy introduced us to a new toy, an underwater locator for the boat. It was really cool! I’m sure it’s invaluable in the waters off Mass.

It was enjoyable to hear the muffled (through a snorkel) excitement, calls to come look at what’s below.

Seasons Here..June 09

Hi Pleasure Bloggers,

I'm way behind here. Pleasure Diver has been running snorkel and dive trips daily.
We had family outings, instruction for new divers and just plain hanging out loving the recent weather.

Fun with Friends

Hello,

The Purrfect days continue, and I've been able to share them with some regular guests and friends. Photo Pro Larry Gates brought his friend Connie along for a few days of great diving.

As regular guests we decided to hit some of the out of the way places we don't get to very often.

We went to Conch Wall and reef after trying the Aquarius reseach station. Another day we went to the Elbow and City of Washington wreck. We had great picture opportunities and just a nice time out on the water.

Thanks Larry and Connie.

June 6th Still Diving....

Hi folks,

Ive been ill so I've missed several blogs but Pleasure Diver has been going out and we've had some great trips the last few weeks. We've hit the wrecks and had some memorable reef dives.

6 fine young kids from Miami came and did there Discover Scuba with us and all seemed to enjoy it so much they will be certified in the near future. We also had the Young family from CA. do their Discover Scuba with us and they had epic dives that have them hooked to the sport. Molasses Reef gave it's all to them as they got to see a Black Tip reef shark, Nurse shark, Sting ray, Eagle rays, several eels, huge Tarpon and topped off with a playful baby turtle.

Heres some pictures from our adventures.

May 22nd Black Squall.......

Well just when you think things are gettin better, a low pressure goes and parks itself out in the gulf and starts spitting at you. I have some of my regular guests with me this morning as we headed out to the Speigel Grove wreck. We actually had a great dive with pretty good visibility and mild current. We decided to use up tghe surface interval and head over to the Duane wreck. Unfortunately we ended up being over taken by a 35 knot squall. So after that beating and a Coast Guard warning that more were on the way we headed home. Some days you just have to say uncle. My friends will be back on Sunday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Here's some cool pics from mate Avery. Enjoy!http://picasaweb.google.com/thepleasurediver/SqallDay?feat=directlink

May 19th - 21st Good and Gettin Better....

Hello Scuba Friends,

Well the wind has taken some time off and we went out for some great dives.

Adrian and Christina Dove with us for all 3 days and each day was better than the previous one.

On Tuesday they were joined by Aunti Diana and Javier who just came along for the ride.

Being from West Texas this group enjoyed the change of senery for sure. Javier gave me some alternative medicine advice, and a teaspoon of Cider vinegar a day it is.

We went out to Molasses reef with mate Avery leading the way and making everyone confortable in the water. All the usual critters were about as well as Junior, the goliath grouper.

A couple of Eagle rays made a pass just to make it a good all around day.

Wednesday we headed to the Benwood wreck for some good picture opportunities with all the schooling grunts. Then over to French reef where we were greeted by a couple of big barracudas. They weren't nearly as big as the Hammer Head Avery saw though. An uncommon siteing for us here in the Keys, but thats the beauty of the ocean. You just never know what it will offer.

On Thursday we went back to Molasses as Adrian and Christina decided to take the Naturalist specialty course. By doing so they got a deeper appreciation for all that is going on about you when you are diving. The Eagle rays were out in formation and a reef shark made an appearance. We were joinned today by Sarah and Dan who were passing through on vacation and they got a most beautiful day to come out with us. Dan had the luck to spend several minutes with a turtle one on one. Once again you just never know what kind of encounter you may have when you dive. Thats one of the reasons I love it. Thanks everyone for diving with us.

Saturday May 16th Wedding Bliss..Weather Hisss..

Hello out there in Scuba Land!

Today is a very special day as Buzz and Leah tied the knot on our boat.

It was supposed to be a diving and wedding day but once again the wind would not cooperate.

Instead we took a short ride over to Rodriguez Key and held the ceremony there.

It seems 2 very nice people can meet and know each other is THE ONE.

Awesome. Thanks for sharing your special day with us.

May 14th & 15th Wind Battle Continues...

Hello Divers,

Well the wind has returned once again and with it some uncomfortable conditions but we went out and the diving wasn't that bad. On Thursday we went over to the Benwood wreck then French reef with Gabe from Canada and a nice family from NJ, Ron, Anissa and James.

Both sites had some current to contend with and the visibility was about 20'.

Still we saw barracuda, snappers, and a couple of eels. Friday, Molasses offered the best conditions with decent vis and no current. A lot of marine life was about as I guess its better swimming around in the surf then trying to stay in a hole. The divers found themselves in a swarm of Midnight parrot fish. We saw some Permits and had the luck of being in the flight path of about 8 Eagle rays..Pretty cool stuff. Codo's to my divers for sticking it out and I'm glad they were rewarded with some special sights. Thanks

May 9th-11th Ahhh this is why I'm here..

Yes folks the wind has finally taken a few days off and the weather and water couldn't be better.
On Saturday The Hecker family with Kristie, John and Sabastian were joined by Douglas and sister Leslie with their friend Brad. Dougs daughter bought him this dive trip for his B-Day, Sweet! The weather was a present for all of us. We headed to Molasses for some casual diving starting at Permit Ledge. The Goliath grouper showed as well as several baracuda. An Eagle ray swam by in the distance and a giant Green moray was discovered.

On Sunday the Hecker gang was joined by one of our regulars Steve from upstate. His lady friend Kim came along for the ride and warm sun. We started at Banana Reef which we don't get to very often so that was a treat. With awesome conditions we got a great fly by from a pair of Eagle rays and some old timer snaggle toothed baracudas stayed close to us. Next we hit the Benwood wreck and enjoyed a great dive there as well.

Monday the Heckers had the boat to themselves. We hit Snapper Ledge and Pickels Reef.
A sting ray and several large morays kept the dives interesting.
Thanks to all who dove with us. It was a fun time. Here's some pics..http://picasaweb.google.com/thepleasurediver/May911?feat=directlink

May 3rd n 4th Here comes the HEAT

Hello out there.

Sunday I took out my good friend Larry Gates, our favorite Photo Pro and his client Connie visiting from NYC. If you want to learn how to shoot photo's underwater Larry is the man. Look for his book coming out in the spring! We went to Snapper Ledge. Haven't been there for a while so it was a treat. We had 3 and 4 footers, but Connie was a trooper. Saw some great schooling fish and a large eel with a sting ray to top it off.

Waters warming...77*

On Monday Larry and Connie were joined by

Nick and Victoria also from NYC. We headed to the Benwood which is always a favorite for us.

We stayed for both dives to take advantage of the good conditions and having the wreck to our selves.

May 1st& 2nd International outings

Hello Bloggers,

Well, we took care of some issues with PD we're back on the water with only 3 footers to contend with. On Friday we made friends with Sanjay and Pooja from India but now living in NJ. They were joined by Werner from Germany and Javier with Teresa from Spain. All found us on tripadvisor.com, how cool is that. We headed out to Mo for a casual day of shallow diving. We hit Permit Ledge and got a face to face with Junior, the smaller of the 2 huge Goliath groupers that hang out there. The baracuda were there to show off their beautiful dental work.

On Satureday we headed out to the Benwood wreck with Sanjay and Pooja again and were joined

by Damien and Guiremon from Chile. The Benwood always offers great fish life with plenty of activity to observe. We headed to French reef next where we were greeted by a Nurse shark and saw a large Tarpon cruise by. A baby turtle made an appearance but was camera shy.

Great day. Here's http://picasaweb.google.com/thepleasurediver/May111?feat=directlink some pics..

Thanks everyone!

Perfect Snorkel Outing...

After our dive trip on Wednesday the 22nd we picked up 2 groups for a snorkel trip.

The afternoon was just beautiful. The Wright family agreed to move their outing up a day as I informed them that tomarrow another wind system was predicted to move in. Jason, Lynn and 10 year old Dusty came aboard for a great outing to White Banks. This would be Dusty's first ocean experience. We were also joined by DJ and Dave from Oregon who were touring the US in their RV. This turned out to be a fun outing with everyone marveling at the beauty of the day and the great water. The water has warmed significantly, now around 78*. Baraccuda greeted us as everyone got in the water. A good size Stingray gave DJ and Dave a show. Everyone spent over an hour in the water and wished we could have stayed longer. What a great afternoon.

Thanks

April 22 & 23 Ahhhh It's Calm...

Finally weather to appreciate the sea. Ryan and his son Dan are with us from MA.

Dan's here to check out college possibilities for marine science so what better idea than get some diving in. Wednesday we head to the Grove for a double dip. Great conditions for the guys.

On Thursday we went to the Duane wreck for a double dip also. We were joined by Mory from our neighbor to the north, Canada. I buddied up with Mory and we headed down. While the sea wasn't too bad we had a bit of current to deal with. We were able to cover the front of the ship on the first dive. We moved over a mooring and were able to see the rest of the ship on the second dive. This ship has a great crows nest that reaches to with in 40 ft of the surface. It make for great pics. It was a great morning all in all. Thanks guys.

Time to Catch Up....

Hello PD bloggers,
Key Largo is back in the wind tunnel.
We were able to get out on the 15th with a real nice family from NC. They downed they're snorkel gear and made a day of it. We first went to White Banks to get everyone in the water and comfortable. We then headed to the Christ statue to pay our respects and ask for some calm winds. Apparently the man has other pressing matters cause it's blowing harder than ever this weekend. The Glisson family were troopers and we enjoyed having them. Thanks guys.

Where have we been???

Hello everyone.
You haven't seen anything new here for a while for 2 reasons. The end of March turned into a continuous wind tunnel down here. We sat at the dock for almost 3 straight weeks. Then in the first week of April, Pleasure Diver the boat had a major mechanical issue that took several days to resolve. She's up and running better than ever now. So we should be updating this site soon.
Thanks

Kiddo Wishes You All A Happy St. Pats

Happy St Patty's Day everyone.

Today Oscar and son Will from Alabama and Nancy with daughter Meghan make a return after being blown out on Sunday. We went out on Sunday but the ocean was in a grumpy mood and convinced us to turn and go back to the dock. Today is much better and we are out for a 3 tank dive day. We head to the wreck of the Duane. A Coast Guard cutter in 120 ft of water. Alas it was not to be an easy dive. There was a moderate current from the surface down to the bottom.

Everyone was a trooper though and made it down to complete the dive. Meghan spotted a Bull shark down near the sand and the barracuda were thick as they enjoyed swimming into the current. Next we headed to Snapper ledge. Finally we find calm water. Sure to it's name, the fish were schooling right under the boat. The sun came out and it was a beautiful dive.

Next we went back to Molasses reef. Here unfortunately the current was running as it was at the wreck and everyone got another work out once again. It was a challenging day but sometimes that's what diving offers. Good job, way to tough it out gang!

March 16th 2009 A First Timer...

Hello Again,

Today we had the pleasure of taking Guy and Joe from the Chicago area out for some snorkel fun. This was Joe's first foray into the ocean and snorkeling. After reminding me that he had a wife and kid at home he wanted to see again we got Joe geared up and with a push from Guy they were off. It took some practice and encouragement but Joe finally released the drift line and swam off unaided. He over came his fear and was rewarded with a great snorkel surrounded by snappers, parrot fish, barracuda and even a turtle! Way to go Joe! Guy finished the day with a swan dive off the bow.

March 12th Hockey Club??

Hello P.D. Bloggers,

This morning we're heading to the Spiegel Grove for a double dip. We have with us part of the under water hockey team from DC. Dave, Phil and Abe are in town for an under water hockey tournament. Thats right under water hockey. Looks like great fun so go check it out http://underwaterhockey.com/. The Grove treated us well today. NO current!!

Visability was a good 40 feet. The first dive we were tied off at the bow. We cruised along the starboard side back to the first crane. Some large Jacks blew past us on a hunt and a couple Black grouper were going deep. The second dive the guys headed to the stern and the cargo deck. The massive size of this wreck is impressive. Here's some pics..http://picasaweb.google.com/thepleasurediver/HockeyClub?feat=directlink.

March 11th The Benwood and French..

Well, we're here with Dustin and Tamra from yesterday along with our new friend Dave.

Dave wife lets him go diving while she gets some sun pool side. The wind has settled down a bit and its a beautiful Keys day. First stop is the Benwood wreck. One of my favorite sites. The wreck lies in only 40 feet of water making it accessible for everyone. We got to watch a green eel swim about and the Queen Angel fish put in an appearance. Next we made our way over to French reef. Here there are a couple of fun swim thru's and in one of them a Goliath grouper came out and showed what a really big fish looks like. Dave was able to get close to a resting barracuda and we found a large crab I have yet to identify. Dustin found a big lobster and we saw all the fish Key Largo reefs are famous for. It was a great day of diving and Dustin and Tamra loved their dives. Dave was glad he took a day away from the pool too.