So long, Roatan

On our way out tomorrow. Hate to leave this beautiful, incredible island.

Sitting here writing, all alone, closed down, with keys to the bar! How cool is that? The live music has ended, West End is silent; the clubs have shut down. Just me and the crickets and the gentle sound of the surf. Occasional walnuts and mangoes falling from above. The perfect sign-off.

We'll miss the friends we've made. No worries, we'll likely be back again. Andy, Jamie, Michelle, Alex, and of course, John and Barb, Harmony and Drew, et al. See you soon (I hope!)

Things to Pack Next Time...

• Forget the "beach tent". We ended up leaving it on the plane.
• Forget the little DVD player. Would've been great to have for the little one, but like the beach tent, we ended up leaving it on the other plane. Maybe pack two. Laptop works fine.
• Can't pack enough bug spray. I survived 3 years in Sub-Saharan Africa and avoided all but 4 mosquitoes. Not so lucky on Roatán. These mosquitoes like my blood.
• Forget antibiotics. The u/w cameras have me all over the place, and I got me another case of otitis medio-whatever. I know the prescription and the dosage, and you can get 20 amoxicillin (500mg) for 3 lemps apiece. Week and a half's worth=$3.50 at any grocery store.
• Forget DVDs, for now... I have a good setup with Giovanni here. Giovanni seems to have an equitable arrangement with those Russian bands of DVD pirates, and he will even exchange movies—Blockbuster-style—unless Siena Kaya draws on them (everyone has a limit.) Laptops must've been a windfall for Giovanni. God save Giovanni and the Russians when the Download Revolution hits the tropics.
• Did I mention more bug spray? Look into 100% Deet.
• More donations for Familias Saludables. I hear Roatán's HIV rate is something like 1 in 8.

Paintings from Roatan

Today was a lazy, rainy day on the island. A lot of places were closed, not a lot of folks out on the street, evidently the visibility was pretty bad. Was a good day to take off.

Below are just a few watercolor pieces that Tara and Siena Kaya completed today.

Why not mix it up?

I was talking with a DM friend here on Roatan, and he suggested to me this idea: Why not mix it up? Think: Semi-commercial diving. Combining regular gas and NITROX on a dive could make for more bottom time, and deeper dives. In other words, could there not be a way to feasibly dive on air down to 120, 160 feet and then come up for a mixed air (NITROX) dive for another little while? It might take a bit of finagling on the tables and equipment, but could be done safely.

I am NITROX-certified. But I don't dive with it. The fact is, I'm perfectly comfortable within the limits that normal gas allows. But I have been on dives where I wish I had taken advantage of my NITROX cert. But if I could visit a squid or manta at 150 feet, and then come up for a nice drift along the coral? I'm in.

Bottom line is safety. When bad accidents happen, the whole industry's in trouble. But we all know there's more to see, and let's face it: this is about exploration.

How do we get deeper? farther? longer?

More Video from Roatan

Turtle Crossing - Roatan, Honduras from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

Roatan #3

We're about half-way through our stay on Roatan, already. This is a jewel of an island, as both the locals and the expats who live here attest. My experience is limited to West End, a short trip to Coxen Hole to deliver some donations to Familias Saludables, and, of course, the coral reef just a few minutes off-shore. That alone is enough for me to want to stay.

So far, I've checked out the following dive sites:

• Temptation Reef
• Canyon Reef
• Dixie's
• Sea Quest Reef
• Turtle Crossing
• and today I think I went to a place called "Butcher's Bay" or similar. Gotta check on that.
  

These locations vary in depth from about 40 to 80 feet. The topography changes as well. Canyon reef features a couple tight swim-throughs, Dixie's is a nice wall down to 80 feet or so, and SeaQuest is a fairly level reef beside a sandy bottom with some nice coral outcroppings—a great spot for photos and video—like this little one I shot on the 4th of July. Visibility has ranged from good to excellent, mostly depending upon whether or not we get a rainstorm here. Each dive has been for just under an hour.

Taking the day off tomorrow. One thing I'm still getting used to with this video equipment—aside from the amount of air I'm using—is buoyancy control. Diving at the National Aquarium is the best practice I could've had to hone my buoyancy control, mostly because it's so shallow—where buoyancy is the most vulnerable. But now, lugging around this equipment is the next step in buoyancy control. It's just one more thing to think about. So for now, it's a lot of up and down. Which sucks. But I'm getting the hang of it, slowly.

Anyway, that's the long way of saying these photo/video excursions have left me with a bit of a squeeze on the left side, so I'm going to take tomorrow off.

First U/W Shots from Roatan

Sea Quest Reef - Roatan, Honduras from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

Roatan #1

I remember thinking today, as I fumbled around with my video gear at 80 feet, "God, I am so fortunate to witness this part of the world." Reef Gliders has it on their sign out front: 70% OF THE WORLD IS UNDERWATER. WHY AREN'T YOU?

I'm not a particularly religious man, but days like these make me ponder: Is this what it is to be blessed? After just three dives here in Roatan, the site of the second largest coral reef system in the world, I feel nothing less than blessed. Being in the presence of this kind of diversity of life is chilling, inspiring, moving. It's why divers dive.

Have you ever wondered about those odd collections of folks—seemingly comfortable on-land, half-naked in nothing but board shorts, tanned and tattooed, shaven, but scruffy and often smoking? Why do they go to so much trouble, spend so many years and so much money, just to ultimately load up a bunch of dorky, awkward aquanaut gear, day after day, and go sailing off to random spots offshore for an hour or two in the water?

It's because they are not as comfortable as they seem. What they have witnessed underwater is more than spectacle, it is the real world. And it has affected them on a primal level. Divers have seen, heard, and felt, what our planet really is. Where we come from and where we are headed. Where exploration belongs and where communication and understanding is bound.

And yes, it makes it a little uncomfortable when you have to leave.