Diving the Statue!

[flyboy08]

One of my first ocean dives was here. Nice video!

Ditto, back in the early 80s....

 

[CajunDiva]

It's actually still one of my favorite dive sites in Key Largo.

 

[Bison]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'll have to pass it along to my wife since she pushed to do this dive and wanted to help edit the video.

 

[iamrushman]

yes; a great dive..... thanks for taking back ....good work.

 

[Bison]

yes; a great dive..... thanks for taking back ....good work.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad this brought back some nice memories.

 

[seadweller]

Christ of the Abyss is a popular spot . Glad you were able to remove that from her bucket list .
Looks like you had a great day on Key Largo Dry Rocks . There are so many reefs in the middle
grounds that people don't even go to . Sea Dwellers Dive Center .

 

[The Chairman]

A little history behind the Christ of the Abyss, the Il Cristo Degli Abissi or as the captains here in the Keys affectionately call it: Touchdown Jesus! It was donated to the Underwater Society of America by the Cressi family back in 1961. Gabe Spatara was tasked with getting the statue here from Italy and then was also given the task of determining where it would finally rest. Both Texas and California were in the running, but Gabe's meeting with John Pennekamp and a few dives on our reefs convinced him that it belonged here in the Keys. Gabe then took on the task of getting this 4,000 pound statue here and then sunk. It literally took years and it was placed in it's current location in 1965. Unfortunately, Gabe never got the chance to dive it back then. It took him almost 50 years to finally get to see it underwater and I had the honor of assisting Gabe since he suffers from severe macular degeneration (think Mr Magoo). As often as I have dove the statue, I never saw the statue through someone else's hands like this. The wreaths were to celebrate the 50 years the statue has been under water and to honor all those who lost their lives to the sea. This will be one of my all time favorite dives and I was glad to be Gabe's eyes and DPV. We started at the top and I worked our way down in a slow spiral around the statue so Gabe could feel every inch. I believe I counted 7 times around the statue. It was slow and difficult, but it was worth it. You can also help divers like Gabe by volunteering with @DiveHeart! I guarantee you'll get far, far more out of helping others to scuba than you can ever put into it. No, you don't have to be an instructor, but you should be working on your trim, buoyancy and situational awareness. Contact @DiveHeart here on ScubaBoard for more information.

 

[Bison]

Christ of the Abyss is a popular spot . Glad you were able to remove that from her bucket list .
Looks like you had a great day on Key Largo Dry Rocks . There are so many reefs in the middle
grounds that people don't even go to . Sea Dwellers Dive Center .

My wife enjoyed her scuba diving and surface time in Key Largo. She has commented on returning to dive the reefs.

 

[Bison]

A little history behind the Christ of the Abyss, the Il Cristo Degli Abissi or as the captains here in the Keys affectionately call it: Touchdown Jesus! It was donated to the Underwater Society of America by the Cressi family back in 1961. Gabe Spatara was tasked with getting the statue here from Italy and then was also given the task of determining where it would finally rest. Both Texas and California were in the running, but Gabe's meeting with John Pennekamp and a few dives on our reefs convinced him that it belonged here in the Keys. Gabe then took on the task of getting this 4,000 pound statue here and then sunk. It literally took years and it was placed in it's current location in 1965. Unfortunately, Gabe never got the chance to dive it back then. It took him almost 50 years to finally get to see it underwater and I had the honor of assisting Gabe since he suffers from severe macular degeneration (think Mr Magoo). As often as I have dove the statue, I never saw the statue through someone else's hands like this. The wreaths were to celebrate the 50 years the statue has been under water and to honor all those who lost their lives to the sea. This will be one of my all time favorite dives and I was glad to be Gabe's eyes and DPV. We started at the top and I worked our way down in a slow spiral around the statue so Gabe could feel every inch. I believe I counted 7 times around the statue. It was slow and difficult, but it was worth it. You can also help divers like Gabe by volunteering with @DiveHeart! I guarantee you'll get far, far more out of helping others to scuba than you can ever put into it. No, you don't have to be an instructor, but you should be working on your trim, buoyancy and situational awareness. Contact @DiveHeart here on ScubaBoard for more information.

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Thanks for sharing the history of the statue and the program you volunteer with. What a great way to give back to the diving community.

 

[CajunDiva]

My wife enjoyed her scuba diving and surface time in Key Largo. She has commented on returning to dive the reefs.

That's exactly how we felt after our first trip to Key Largo in 2001 The Key Largo community is an awesome place. It's got such a laid back vibe and is filled with lots of friendly people. We have continued to return time after time because we feel so drawn to the place