Tuesday, October 8, 2013

TARPON SPRINGS DIVE

Tarpon Springs Dive

or
Childhood dreams become a reality when there is no one left to tell you "No".
 
 
As a child I used to watch Captain Nemo and the crew of the Nautilus and dream of walking on the bottom of the ocean.
 

 
Captain Nemo (in Latin Nobody), also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character invented by the French science fiction author Jules Verne. Nemo appears in two of Verne's novels, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and The Mysterious Island (1874), and makes a cameo appearance in Verne's play Journey Through the Impossible (1882).
Nemo, one of the most famous antiheroes in fiction, is a mysterious figure. The son of an Indian Raja, he is a scientific genius who roams the depths of the sea in his submarine, the Nautilus, which was built on a deserted island. Nemo tries to project a stern, controlled confidence, but he is driven by a thirst for vengeance and a hatred of imperialism (particularly the British Empire). He is also wracked by remorse over the deaths of his crew members and even by the deaths of enemy sailors.Now there is no one to tell me "No" and so I go.

 The suit is a total of 172 pounds of rubber and brass with lead weights to take you down.  Suited up and with a couple of minutes of instruction on how to bleed air out, with a valve in the helmet that you activate with your head, it is over the side.
 Going down the ladder was not to hard.  I was to find that climbing back on board was a bit more difficult.
 I actually made two short dives and walked a bit on the bottom.  The visibility was very poor as we had a strong ebb tide at the time.  At last I was able to say "I did that".
 I did find a mermaid (my grand daughter Aubrey) so the trip was worth it.
 It was not to exciting for those on the surface, but for me it was awesome.
 Captain George is an old Greek sponge diver from the old country and we be came acquainted several years ago as I visited Tarpon Springs, Florida often.  We had talked about the idea of me making a hard hat dive and after my return from Africa this year decided that September would be the best time.  I have come to consider Captain George a personal friend and because of our "old mens respect" he allowed me to follow this dream of  mine. 
Afterward we discussed what I had learned from this experience and agreed that at another time I would be able to repeat it in deeper water and for a longer dive.  I really like this man.  The stories he has to tell would make an exciting book and the willingness to trust and respect another man's dreams and help make them reality is uncommon in this day.
Having worked up an appetite, my crew and I retired to a local Greek restaurant and enjoyed authentic Greek cuisine.  Thanks to my son Shane, his wife Noelle and daughter Aubrey for their support and encouragement.

 


4 comments:

  1. awesome,pops! I was glad to be there, although I have to day, I don't think Im a mermaid.....but you definitely were a real hard hat diver!
    love ya!
    ~aubrey

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  2. I had wrote a comment before and I reckon it didn't "post". So, Pops~ El Hard Head Diver~ I love you and was so glad to see you go for what you had wanted to do. Many times you have taken Aubrey and I, or Shane Aubrey and I to the docks for a great time of hanging out~ Thanks for the memories and I look forward to many more. Love, Noelle

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  3. i love the pictures! Looks like a lot of fun! And I think I've been to that Greek Restaurant yum....

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  4. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!
    Alethea ;)

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