Thanks, everyone!!
 

:D I am pretty darn excited!!

Here's a manatee picture!
 

One of the people on the trip sent me this pic this morning!! Keep in mind these beasts weigh 2,500 pounds and I was swimming with TWO of them!! I kept having visions of them squishing me between them, LOL! I probably still would have been OK, as they are pretty blubbery!

Enjoy!

I was just wondering about your test, and saw this thread! Great work! What a wonderful new skill! You will have soooo much fun....wish it was me!

WOOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEE GLad ..you go GIRL ..!!!! I am so excited for you ..you will have such fun! ..COngradulations now lets see the puppys scuba gear hahaha ..

I loved watching that slide show! Looks like it was a ton of fun!

Funny you should say that!!
 

Dan and Corrine posted this for me yesterday morning, LOL!!

Here's another slide show!
 

The woman who took these is an advanced diver so she and I did not hang out together much, lol. COnsequently there are very few of me in here, but she got some AWESOME underwater shots. Enjoy!

The young redhed in some of the photos is only 16! I wish I started diving at that age!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ledabo...bageEBId6cmJ9P

Do NOT deprive yourself!!
 

Teri, honey, if you want to dive, just DO IT!! Life is too short to deprive yourself of intense pleasures such as this!

I got a PM from someone else who is interested in diving, and here is my answer to her. I think it applies to ANYONE who may be interested in diving.
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If you have ANY desire at all to dive, my friend, DO NOT deprive yourself of this incredible pleasure. Life is WAY too short!! DO IT! Go to a dive shop and tell them you want to take a "Try Scuba" class. It's a little shorty introductory class that lets you get a chance to see if diving is really something you want to spend the time, effort, and money on. Also, for the prequalifier of the real class they used to make you do a 200 yard free swim, and now you can do it with fins, mask and snorkel for 300 yds! I can snorkel all day long, so that's how I did it. After the swim, you have to tread water for 10 minutes, and they let me use my wet suit, so no problem!

Thanks for asking, and yes, I PASSED!! It was incredible! We did 5 dives while I was in FL , and it was an amazing experience. We actually dove in rivers that were fed by natural springs and had caverns. I did not go in any of the caverns, but I did get a chance to look in. There were still a LOT of fish swimming around, and some interesting grasses and such. The fish aren't as brilliantly colored as the tropicals, but still very beautiful at eye level!

As far as the skills without the regulator, there are indeed some, but you do them in front of an experienced instructor, and they won't let you get in trouble. You have to toss your regulator over like you lost it, then use a skill to retrieve it, replace it in your mouth, clear it and breathe. It was a little creepy at first, but once you get it, it's wicked easy. Another skill you have to do is take a deep breath off your regulator, and orally inflate your bouyancy vest while on the bottom! That's tricky, but once you get it, again it's easy!

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So, Teri, and anyone else interested, JUST DO IT!!! :D

:bravo: :congrats: :good job:

Thanks, Nicole!!
 

It was pretty awesome!! :p

I'm scared of drowning. That's my biggest fear. And you wanna know something funny? I've tried snorkeling and I can't keep that plastic thing in my mouth. I gag!!!! :eek: I don't even want to attempt scuba diving! :p

You know what?
 

I used to be scared to death of water!! I never even learned to swim until I was 48 years old!! But now I just love it!! I will never be a strong swimmer, but give me a pair of fins and a snorkel and I can get from point A to point B with no problem!

There are mouthpieces now that are designed to custom fit once you use them, so you could STILL give it a shot, Nicole! :D

I don't know...maybe. Just thinking about that plastic thing in my mouth with salt watery taste is making me wanna gag! LOL How I'm going to be an EMT with all that vomit, is beyond me! But I'm giving it a try. :p

ahhh you wouldnt have got hurt, as little as you are you would've been like a little wrinkle in there. :yelrotflm
congrats on your scuba test. :bravo:
yorkiepap1973
michael spaugh

Thanks, Robbie!!
 

:lol tears

Don't tell my Healthy Eating Club, lol, but I am about 3 pounds heavier because of the way they fed us, LOL!! I tried my hardest to stick to my normal healthy eating pattern, but did eat a piece of bacon AND a link sausage, two things I have not eaten in YEARS!!! My husband gasped and shuddered while watching me, LOL!! Hey, it was on the plate they put in front of me, lol!! But I was very good and gave away the other 3 strips and 3 links!! I couldn't believe it!! What a pig out!!

SO if I was a wrinkle, I was a BIGGER wrinkle, lol!!