In June of 2008 I participated, for the second time, in the annual Dive Pirate trip to Cayman Brac. This is a group that specializes in providing scuba training to persons who have lost use of their limbs through physical trauma; primarily Veterans who have sustained injury as a result of service to our country. The Dive Pirates trip to Cayman Brac was probably one of the single best dive trips I've ever been on; which is saying a lot because I've been on some pretty great ones. Those of you that know me know that I will always pick Hawaii as my first choice in dive locations but here I am at my keyboard wishing I was back in Cayman Brac. Again this year, I met tons of great people. As with  nearly all dive trips to the Caymans, the conditions were perfect and there were no problems.


Starting with dive #92 at Snapper Reef we began to reacquaint ourselves with fish we had not visited since last summer. The variety of fish was very refreshing: Trumpetfish, Drumfish, Grunts, Blennies, Goatfish, Puffers, Groupers and Turtles to name just a few.

I felt lucky to spot two stingrays that were feeding on the bottom. One of the stingrays looked more like a flounder because of its small size and intricate camouflage; later my buddy told me it was a Southern Stingray. One of the more experienced divers among us spotted a Lettuce Leaf Slug and pointed it out for us all. We continued on to Tombstone, Charlie’s Reef and finally, the Tibet’s Wreck.

This wreck is now one of top favorites and I really want to dive it again. I like deep for the sense of adventure but not too deep because I like to stay on Nitrox. At less than 87 feet, this fits the bill perfectly in that regard. It’s also only about twelve years old so while it does have a good bit of sealife growing on it, it is not falling apart on the inside. It has been broken into two pieces, forward and aft, I think because of hurricane Ivan. Me and my trusty SeaDoo scooter penetrated the wreck with my dive buddy and guide. It was a tight squeeze with the scooter, which adds to the sense of adventure while still being safe. We had plenty of time, light and space throughout most of the wreck. I didn’t make it to the bridge on this trip but I will look forward to doing it later.

On to Buccaneer Reef and End of Island Reef to see my first Nurse shark, more stingrays, flounders, crabs and jawfish. Then to the famous Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman- truly great dives that you have to experience for yourself.

As our days of diving continued, I was fast approaching dive #100, which my buddies made quite a memorable occasion for me. My dive buddies Sergio and Becky made the anticipation pleasantly dramatic. While submerged on dives 98 and 99, Sergio periodically flashed hand signals to me which communicated the number “98”. This was his way of telling me “This is dive number ninety eight, dive number one hundred is coming and you won’t know exactly what we’ve got planned for you.” During dive number ninety-nine, he would again flash the hand signal for that number; coupled with an intimidating look, I wondered what was going through his mind. The feelings I had were good because it reminded me of the comradery we shared on board my ship when I was active duty in the U.S. Navy.

As the next day came, I new the time for Sergio’s plans was near. My first dive of the day was dive number one hundred. One of my other buddies, Becky, was also on board with the fun, though I would not discover this until she was the one to deliver the cream pie directly in my face in such a way that everyone, including me, got a great laugh out of it. Complete with sprinkles and a cherry on top, they did not disappoint me. Of course, any time I get my picture taken, I’m happy. I relished basking in the cameras of all the other divers just before I dropped into dive number one hundred at Sergeant Major Reef.

Dive #101 was my first night dive and that was not scary at all. I expected I would have fear but none at all. My buddy was really good at holding a light for me, so I was able to keep my hands free, which of course makes all the difference in the world since I can’t use my legs and didn’t have a scooter on that dive. I suppose that I wasn’t scared because there really wasn’t anything to be scared of. Yes, the night is definitely something that is totally empty when underwater, especially with no moon and cloud cover. The lights lowered from the boat are only enough to illuminate the area immediately around the swim platform of the boat. Once at depth, a dive light is the only light around. I was ok with that though. I knew my buddies were with me. After diving with them the whole week, they were no longer strangers; I trusted them. Of course, being is an area with such great conditions helps too.

The remaining dives were no less spectacular than the rest of what I had been experiencing with this group all week. We continued to spot a wide variety of sea life, including a Nurse Shark; which was peacefully in our shared domain. I ended up completing dive #107 and I’m still happy about the whole experience. The group of Dive Pirates really are the best in every way: Most fun, most helpful, most experienced. It’s a great mix of people and I want to go back again already.