06-30-01
We left the inlet at 6:15 AM, pressing the throttle to cruising speed and heading directly into the sun. There were small rollers, but the timing and direction made for a long ride. I especially had a long ride. I've been away from the reef too long, and it was already apparent. Earlier this morning, while driving to meet Steve, I realized that I had forgotten a piece of equipment. It wasn't something that precluded me from diving, but I did need it if I wanted to spearfish!!! Yes, I forgot my trusty AB Biller 60 teak speargun. Talk about feeling like a rookie.
Well, when I told Steve of the mistake, he informed me that he had a spare gun. Little did I know that it was his brand new Spearfishing Specialty 60 and I was happy to give it a try. On the first reef, the vis was astonishing. I had been hearing of poor vis and never expected to find 50' vis, coupled with warm water. I would have been in heaven if the fish weren't so skittish. It took me a while to figure the new gun out, and after removing the heavy cable the accuracy improved.
The next two dives were equally good conditions, with the third dive as the most memorable. We were on a ledge very near to shore, and it looked as if nobody had been there in a very long time. The fish were plentiful and not scared to swim about. There were no grouper, only snapper and other assorted reef fish. I have two regrets, that I forgot my speargun and that the day had to end.
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