How many dives did you manage in 2019 - Recap

[Kimela]

67 dives for the year so far. Had eight outings (2 shore & 6 boat, totaling 14 dives) cancelled by weather.

Most of the dives were at home, with home defined as anything within a half day's drive. Two major trips: one to Barbados, Grenada, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines; the other to Belize. Both involved a week on a liveaboard sailboat with limited diving, plus some shore time before and after that permitted a little more diving. My wife is not a diver, so my trips can't be completely dive-centric. Two trips to the Keys: one to Key Largo, the other to Key West--only one day of diving on each, though.

Highlights of the year:

--A night dive in Belize under a nearly full moon in perfectly calm water when I learned that the underside of the surface of the water can be reflective. Positioned under a fever of spotted eagle rays, I could look directly up at their creamy undersides, and I could shine my light off the underside of the water's surface and see a perfect reflection of their top pattern. Astonishingly beautiful.

--My hundredth dive in November. Discreetly observed the tradition with a solo shore dive at an isolated location while my wife and sister stood lookout.

-Getting to dive with my youngest daughter for her first post-certification dive off Palm Beach last week. She took her OW course as a physical education class at college, and we got to dive together when we picked her up for Christmas break. She looked very comfortable in the water for someone doing her fifth dive. We're going up to Blue Grotto today because that's about the only place we can get in the water today with the winds blowing as they are.

All dives were recreational or training. That will change next year, as I will finish my divemaster certification as soon as the weather permits me to check off my last few boxes.

Loved reading your highlights! Especially the night dive in Belize. Happy to see someone got to observe the 'tradition' for the 100th dive!! (I didn't and nobody's disappointed!!)

 

[Kimela]

I have 250-ish dives and this year logged around 30. Grand Cayman, Kona and Cozumel. Highlight was snorkeling with a manta! We were on our way back in after morning dives in Kona and the captain spotted a giant manta in the water (maybe 12 ft across? Giant to me!). I'm so thankful that two other folks grabbed their masks and snorkels and jumped in (I'm a rule follower and never would have done it on my own). Grabbed my mask and camera (didn't have a snorkel) and boat owner grabbed a snorkel and put it on my mask. Last thing I heard her say as I jumped in was "make sure your camera is strapped on your wrist because we're over about 300ft of water and nobody's going after it!". (That was with Pacific Rim Divers - love them!) It was AMAZING!! Next year going to Roatan, Little Cayman and back to Cozumel (always a favorite). We're very fortunate to be able to travel this much.

 

[DavidFL]

32 so far this year; mostly rec; local (Florida) with one LOB trip; low for me; still a possibility of another Jupiter day-trip but the sea state has been too rough for me on most of the November / December days when I could get down there. Highlight was a return trip to Hawaii on the Kona Aggressor in May; a 'make up' trip from having the previous charter cut short by a hurricane (rare for Hawaii). Biggest disappointment was having to cancel a long planned trip to God's Pocket in BC for personal reasons.

 

[WinfieldNC]

I remember a thread like this last year. I like these. It makes me go back and look at what I did during the year and it's interesting to see what everyone else has been up to.

This was a good year for me. Made it to Grand Cayman for the first time. While traveling for work had a chance to dive Lake Zurich in Switzerland where the Buhlmann algorithms were tested out. Also made a couple of trips to FL. The NC seas were a little better this season too.

Total dives = 68. Nine dives were tech dives (with deco done on separate mix).

FL Keys 12 dives
West Palm Beach, FL 12 dives
Blue Heron Bridge, FL 2 dives
Wrightsville Beach, NC 15 dives
Morehead City, NC 4 dives
Zurich, Switzerland 2 dives
Grand Cayman 11 dives
NC quarries/lakes 10 dives

 

[Newdiv]

116 dives this year with one more trip left. Czm for the end of the year. 19 on the Majestic Explorer in the Galapagos, 28 in Curaçao on 2 trips, 26 on Roatan Aggressor, 25 Belize Aggressor 4, 10 Key Largo, 8 checkout dives for intro cave in the Florida Springs (Ginnie and Peacock)

 

[SaltwaterNomad]

Vacation diver with only 75 dives in 2019. Some great spots though.
Maldives live-aboard
Egypt live-aboard
Azores
Bonaire

Raja Ampat to kick off 2020!

 

[drbill]

Despite having five types of cancer, I managed to do 100 dives from mid-August to mid-December. Will add a few more before year's end.

 

[Laurie S.]

Did 137 dives this year and will be doing a few more before the end of the year. Not only broke the 500 mark, but also the 600 mark. Helps to take a five-week-long dive trip.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Certified in July
25 dives. 22 with buddy, 3 solo

2 under my friends boat doing maintenance.
5 in Cabo
6 in Kona
The other 12 in Monterey area.

 

[WinfieldNC]

I’m pretty jealous of some of you folks. Lots of time and money. One day, one day...