FL trip Day One- August 2022

Day One

Merrow Aquaneers Blog: Day 2

August 8, 2022

By Lauren Overall

Divers accustomed to the diminished visibility found at other sites often envy Florida diving. The Merrow Aquaneers are no exception. Although North Carolina offers a variety of diving locations and is commonly referred to as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, Florida’s waters offer increased visibility which can extend up to 100 feet.

Today’s dives took place just off the coast of Florida with a group of nine Aquaneers including myself, Lauren Overall. Personally, this was my first dive outside of North Carolina. We headed out early on our three-tank dive filled with anticipation. By the time we arrived at the dive site and began donning our gear though, many divers were sweating profusely due to both the balmy weather and the hoods required by the boat staff. A few of the Aquaneers quickly succumbed to seasickness and the tight, unsteady deck was not helping. However, when the divers entered the water – one after the other in rapid succession – the divers uncomfort eased and was replaced with awe. Florida’s famous clear waters did not disappoint. As soon as the surrounding bubbles cleared from my giant stride entry into the water, I could make out each diver that had entered before me. There was no eye-straining or frantically looking around for my dive buddy. I easily found my dive partner, Jyvana, and we followed the others as they began their descent.

The most interesting aspect of this dive for me was the dive staff’s way of communicating with the Aquaneers underwater. Since divers cannot communicate by speaking, they must find another avenue to reach their fellow divers. This dive staff used a buzzer. As they were briefing us on the dive, the crew informed the Aquaneers that while they would sometimes use the buzzer noise to attract sharks, they would also use it to seize our attention under the surface. As someone who has trouble relaying information without the use of words, I found this simple yet effective buzzer system extremely interesting.

While each of the dives today went smoothly, there is always room for improvement regarding fundamental diving skills. A skill I believe I could improve on that was highlighted by this dive is spatial awareness. Unaccustomed to the clearness of the water, I often found myself drifting farther and farther away from my dive buddy, Jyvana. When the visibility is optimal, it is easy for divers to misjudge their depth or their distance from surrounding objects. This misjudgment can prove dangerous if your dive buddy needs emergency assistance and you are too far away to reach them quickly. 

Overall, the day was filled with plenty of new experiences. Each of the three dives varied slightly in their mission. This allowed us to capture footage of both sharks and Goliath groupers. The third dive provided many of the Aquaneers with stacks of sand dollars as we mainly scoured the seafloor for the entirety of the dive.