Getting close to the sea

So you really love the ocean. The sea, the waves and the tide pools call to you. You want to live near the ocean (or already do) and have a career that involves working either on, in or next to the ocean. How many careers can you think of? Here is what I can think of:

• Marine biologist
• Fisherman
• Tour guide
• Captain or crew of a ship
• Underwater welder
• Worker on an oil rig
• Pro Surfer
• Teacher - lessons in swimming, surfing, boating, fishing ect
• Entrepreneur (para-sailing, helicopter rides, charter boat ect)
• Scuba diver 
• Navy personnel
• Hotel owner
• Resort owner or worker

I bet you can think of at least a dozen more. My husband actually pursued a career as an underwater welder. He became a certified welder first using all kinds of welding equipment then when he got to the part of training for the underwater part he ran out of finances to get the scuba equipment. Unfortunately the school required him to buy his own equipment, they did not rent it out. So he ended his quest for underwater welding but stayed on land and was a welder for many many years.

I can't swim!!!!

Yes, I can swim, just like a fish at that. The thought of some of my friends that love marine life and even going out on the ships and boats but can't swim amazes me. My own father who was in the navy, could not swim. It just boggles the mind.

Why on earth would someone not learn how to swim when they are near water so much? I guess that gives their loved ones an excuse to shop for health insurance quotes, hoping they don't use it to keep them on life support after they nearly drown. It just makes no sense to me.

Marine photography

Photography has been a life long hobby of mine but I never have done underwater photography yet. I think that is because of the limited number of cameras on the market that don't cost and arm and a leg. Believe me, I need that arm and leg.

I really admire the photos that people put up on the internet that have beautiful underwater scenery. From the simple shots to the complex ones that have been set up - I love them all.



I also love the videos that people put up on tube, anything from their own dives to slide shows they have put together with ocean sounds.

I don't know, just call me a nut, since I love the visual media.

What is your ideal sea related job?

If you could have any job that had to do with working either in the ocean or near the ocean, what would it be? Keep in mind I said ANY and that means you already have what ever skills or education needed for that job.

Would it be an underwater photographer for National Geo? How about a member of the film crew for Deadliest Catch?

Would it be less glamorous but more important like being the research scientist that finds the reason why there is a decrease in the salmon population? Or maybe the person who discovers a new life form at the bottom of the ocean.

Come on, I want to hear about it. If you have a blog or website about your favorite ocean career then leave a link to it. I am sure that my readers would be interested in finding out about it too.

Swimming as therapy

I love to swim. Although I love to swim I have problems with some types of scuba equipment. Because of that I take an occasional lesson in scuba diving just to keep in practice and to learn more about the equipment that gives me problems.

One of the people that use to teach me was a person with one leg. He use to be on SSD and got fed up with not doing anything with his life so he took his passion for swimming and became a scuba instructor. He has since retired and now travels.

He is one of the many people that I have found in my life that inspired me to continue my own quest in marine biology.

A water world vacation

Of course my favorite type of vacation has to have water but I have got to think about the rest of the family too. So what better place to go on vacation that has lots of water than Walt Disney World in Florida. Of course Disney World is not just one big theme park but is made up of 6 very different theme parks. Each one of them has one central theme. The Epcot park is devoted more to exploration, science and discovery than rides and has dolphins too!

The dolphins in depth tour at Epcot is a 3 hour tour that will get you up close and personal with a school of dolphins. You will have a dolphin trainer as your guide and they take you behind the scenes. You will have the opportunity to swim with the dolphins near the end of the tour so you will need to bring your bathing suit. There is an age limit, you have to be over 13 years old. Of course the cost is $175 per person so it is not for everyone.

Another opportunity to go scuba diving at the Epcot center is Epcot's DiveQuest. This special tour is for Disney World guests that are scuba certified only. Of the 3 hour tour only 40 minutes is spent in the water. DiveQuest also costs $175 per person.

You are probably getting the idea that the admission price to the parks don't include tours and some rides and you would be right. The behind the scenes tour of Epcot which includes the underground areas and takes 7 hours costs $219 per person and is for 16 year olds and up. Of course you could hire your own Disney VIP tour guide and pay them $175 to $315 an hour for that perfect vacation.

Considering the costs of all the extras that Epcot charges for you will want to get discount tickets to Disney World. You can some real deals for Disney World Tickets at orlandofuntickets.com so you will want to check them out before you buy any tickets.

A water vacation should be fun and not leave you like you just sold your soul just to enjoy yourself.

Getting close to the sea

Not everyone has the opportunity to see the Great Barrier Reef of Australia or to visit the clear waters around Pango Pango. There are opportunities to visit sea life and clear salt waters closer to home and have fun doing it as well. One of my favorite places is Disney World in Florida where you can experience dolphins up close and personal on a 3 hour tour in Epcot. The tour is called Dolphins in Depth. You can ask the trainers questions and have an chance to swim with the dolphins under the guidance of the trainers. You must be at least 13 years old to do so.

Another chance to swim with the fish is also at Disney World during the Epcot DiveQuest where you will don scuba gear and dive into their 5 million gallon salt water tank containing reefs and fish. You must be scuba certified to participate in this experience. You will swim with dolphins, sharks, rays and over 6,000 other fish. Disney World supplies all the equipment except a swim suit.

If you are not scuba certified then there is yet another chance with the Seas Aqua tour. This 2.5 hours of fun lets you swim on the surface of the giant salt water tank with the fish without diving under. You are still in with the sharks and dolphins so it is also like being out in the ocean but the water is clearer and you have a guide with you.

If you haven't already gotten your summer vacation planned out yet go get your Disney World Tickets and take a dip in with the fish.

Sunken treasure

If it was not for the glamor of striking it rich by diving for sunken treasures many people would not even be thinking of taking up scuba diving. Now what these weekend treasure hunters don't realize it that many of the ships that carried gold bullion have already been claimed by governments or private salvage companies. Taking treasures from them are stealing and some times federal offenses.

What the hobbyist scuba diving treasure hunter is looking for is that undiscovered sunken treasure. They might not find gold bullion but they might find diamond engagement rings or a case of smuggled rubies. It is not only the old ships that contained treasures but the modern day yachts and ships that go down with something valuable on board.

The perfect dive watch

A diving watch should be much more than just waterproof to a certain depth. It should be able to log your dives, be able to be read under water, measure depth and duration of dive, measure water temperature and of course have a nice long warranty.

Here is my ideal diving watch, a Citizen JV0030-19F Diving Watch.


It does all that and more. The price tag is just under $500 but for what it does it is well worth the price. You can find it at the same site that sells bulova watches.

If you have a diver in the family it would make a great gift.

Swimsuit shopping time

It's that time of year when I have to go swimsuit shopping again. If you are wondering, yes I do get a new one each year. Since I practically live in the darn thing for about 6 months out of the year they have a tendency to wear out.

I like the one piece suits since I don't need the suit to come off of me while scuba diving. The last type of swim suit I want is something that looks like lingerie. I am documenting sea life not looking for a mate.

Now here is my idea of a nice scuba swim suit.

Getting ready for water sports

I swear, I have got to get some rest and get away from this computer. I am finding more and more water sport sites and items that I would love to have on my next diving trip. I found a wakeboard website that sells a really nice selection of wet and dry suits. The same site also had an interesting section on instructional DVDs on how to ride a wakeboard. I might try wakeboarding this summer. A friend of mine has been bugging me to go with him next time he goes. Frankly I feel more comfortable underwater than on top of it. My parents use to call me the family "fish" when I was on the swim team. Now I have to get some rest and get off of this computer - at least for a few hours.

Diving around the world

Being injured gives me some time to surf – the internet, that is. Finding some interesting ecology items and just plain wishful thinking on my part. For example I have wanted to go to several places to deep sea dive but funds have been hard to come by so I dream. Here are some of the places I would love to go diving:

Hawaii, need I say more about this place? Warm water and tropical fish. When I was very young my family and I use to live there. I have been to Pango Pango when I was in my late teens and that is another place I would love to revisit.

Alaska for a cold water dive. Something intrigues me about that place.

The Great Barrier Reef off of north Australia. A few of my cousins have been there and they tell me it is fantastic. I have been to Western Australia and the coast line is clean but windy at times.
The Mediterranean. I have never been to Europe and the history that abounds in the area would be a great addition to the dive.

Egypt. In fact I came across a Dahab, Egypt dive guide that was interesting.

In fact the website that has the Egypt dive guide is a blog run by divers. The blog is called Dive Guide Book. They actually go out on dives and map the underwater areas for other divers. They have many other dive guides like Caribbean Dive sites. If you are planning on a diving vacation this is a blog you should check out.

Treating my injuries

I am going to have to postpone my trip to the ocean for at least another 2 weeks. I was hoping to go whale watching since early spring is the best time on the west coast of the USA. I had a slight accident and hyper extended my leg. Oddly enough my doctor suggested water therapy but since my pool is not heated to the point of comfortable this time of year I guess that is out. Instead I have been going to physical therapy and I was prescribed an TENS machine. It attaches to my inner thigh and with electrodes, stimulates the muscles. It has an interesting, tingling feeling. The therapist also said some people use the machine to tighten muscles as a way to lose weight. The accident also gave me a wake up call that I need to be in better shape to do some diving later this season. When I was at the doctor I was worried about my general physical health and he said at everything else was good and that I didn't need a blood pressure monitor for now.

I guess it gives me more time to spend on this blog now.

STOLEN - Guard your equipment

I was out a local lake to practice diving. All went very well, to a point. I had my wet suit and full scuba gear with me. The tank was new and worked great. I even got a new full face mask. I was practicing counting of fish since the local fish and game ask for volunteers to count fish in the local rivers. The area that I was doing my work was remote or so I thought. The only other person in the area was in a boat out on the lake and I had a small row boat that I had taken to a remote shore line. At one point of my dive I came up to take a break and noticed that a fish depth finder I had with me was gone. The only person that could of taken it was the other boater which had now disappeared. As soon as I got back I reported the incident to the local forest ranger's office. I will be checking my homeowners insurance policy to see if the depth finder was covered. I already checked my auto insurance, since I tow the boat with it car, and it might be covered under that policy instead. I guess I am lucky I had auto and not Motorcycle Insurance. Let's hope I am not completely out of the $300.00 depth finder.