Gulf

[captain]

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports on the death of the Gulf of Mexico have been greatly exaggerated.
I spent last week in Panama City and Destin. I did two dives Monday in Panama City on the tug Red Tide and a section of the Hathaway bridge span with the Dive Locker. Their boats are very similar to those of Jupiter Dive center and hassle free, no DM in the water with divers, double hose no problem. Bernie introduced me to the owner Tony Snow who has a couple of DH regs.
The tropical disturbance canceled my plans to dive at Destin.
Clear water and clean beaches.

[Creed]

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports on the death of the Gulf of Mexico have been greatly exaggerated.
I spent last week in Panama City and Destin. I did two dives Monday in Panama City on the tug Red Tide and a section of the Hathaway bridge span with the Dive Locker. Their boats are very similar to those of Jupiter Dive center and hassle free, no DM in the water with divers, double hose no problem. Bernie introduced me to the owner Tony Snow who has a couple of DH regs.
The tropical disturbance canceled my plans to dive at Destin.
Clear water and clean beaches.

That's good to hear. I grew up near PCB. Those are my favorite beaches. When I saw that video of the oil rolling into Ft Walton beach, I was devastated. I'm truly happy to know that it wasn't as widespread as it could have been. Hopefully we'll do a better job of cleaning the Louisiana marshes that got hit bad than we did in Alaska.

On the other hand, property values are at an all time low in some places on the Gulf coast. Now may be the time to pick up that vacation house I've been wanting.

[USdiver]

Great to hear Cappy. Anybody been out to the Oriskaney lately? A few friends are thinking of making a trip over Labor day weekend, and were curious as to how things are in the Pensacola area.

[8dust]

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports on the death of the Gulf of Mexico have been greatly exaggerated.
I spent last week in Panama City and Destin. I did two dives Monday in Panama City on the tug Red Tide and a section of the Hathaway bridge span with the Dive Locker. Their boats are very similar to those of Jupiter Dive center and hassle free, no DM in the water with divers, double hose no problem. Bernie introduced me to the owner Tony Snow who has a couple of DH regs.
The tropical disturbance canceled my plans to dive at Destin.
Clear water and clean beaches.

I would like to chime in on BCP. The Family and I were down there for the week before last, preceding the Captain, and it was all that we hoped and more. The beaches and water were clean and beautiful and the sea life was abundant and playful. No vintage diving was done this trip, but there was vintage snorkeling with reckless abandon. Tanks and regulators will definitely make it in the truck next year! I can also report Monsignor Popeye is an Officer & a Gentleman (around the Wife and Son anyway) and a fine ambassador for his city.

On a serious note, however, I feel it is my duty to warn any potential visitors to the “Man in the Sea Museum” that while fantastic in a manly sort of way, and stuffed to the gills with items most land-lubbers will only ever read about, DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO POKE YOUR HEAD INTO RIGID BRASS OBJECTS, JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE, AND YOU ARE REALLY FEELING THE MOMENT!!! Apparently, the fabled Mark V helmets only come in one size, and it isn’t “Giant Mellon.”

Please refer to the attached photo and take notice of the sizeable stinging/throbbing contusion mid forehead. There would likely also be attached an action shot of me getting my head stuck in this fine piece of naval hardware, if my Wife hadn’t been laughing so hard she had to choose between holding the camera and wetting her pants. Another suggestion, maybe don’t take your Wife to the museum, at least not if you, in whole or in part, plan on climbing into anything.

I have never been under the illusion that I had a small head, but I never thought of myself as a circus freak either, and even though it isn’t particularly wide, it is apparently 4 layers of skin too thick front to back to inter into a Mark V successfully. Sadly, it looks like a childhood dream will go unrealized, unless I can round out my too oval a giant melon. Maybe if I just sleep on my face for the next year, with a book or two on the back of my head, I will be able to stuff it in there next summer….

My 8-year old donned the helmet without incident and all was not lost, as we spent a good 30 minutes cruising to adventure through the depths of the mighty oceans in the museum’s mini-sub, the Beaver. Very cool indeed.

Anyway, that part of the Gulf is AOK near as we could tell and is definitely worth an end of summer visit!

[Creed]

I've got a few pics of my kids and I donning that very helmet. I'll have to dig them up. I went a few years ago, before they started their latest round of renovations. I mentioned that I had several double hose regulators, and the dude minding the museum started bugging me to donate them to the museum when I die. He mentioned it several times, and it was only later that I wondered about his sense of urgency. Did he expect me to keel over any minute?

Or maybe it's the fact that diving that old gear will kill ya!

[1969ivan1]

Dont feel badly. I also have a large melon and could not fit into the MarkV so I settled for a CCCP 3 bolt instead.

http://www.thescubamuseum.com/46840005_0001.jpg