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Recently I spent the past few days with previous intern Rick Simon at his farm in Connecticut. After a late night sitting in on his Advanced Nitrox and Tech class, I was greeted by the not so enthusiastic welcome committee of Rick’s four dogs, who clearly were not informed that a guest would be intruding their home. The next day started at 6am – unfortunately not by a rooster crow – to complete chores on the farm.

Then we went to Rick’s shop (Manta Industries) where he makes his dive reels. It was at that time I realized: I was going to have to tie the dreaded bowline knot. It is one of the most important knots in boating and diving, but the story of the bunny would not stick in my brain (in case you were wondering the bunny comes out of his hole, under the log, then back into its hole). After re-learning the art of a bowline knot, Rick helped me assemble my very own reel (probably for his own amusement watching me fumble with some tools)! After filling some orders, we went diving in a quarry so Rick could film our dive and we could assess my skills. Unfortunately, on our first descent attempt, I was too light and could have used another two pounds…two pounds that were not in my dive bag (another reminder to divers, always have extra weights). The only option was to use a 20-pound weight belt, which we both knew was much more weight than I needed. Because of this, my buoyancy and trim were way off. Frustrated by my mistake, I went through my air much faster trying to compensate for my heaviness. Rick decided to test my limits by silting up the bottom to mimic zero visibility conditions, but I stayed calm and descended to a spot with better visibility. The next day we went out with Rick’s boss Jay to dive the Heroine, a wreck from the 1920’s at roughly 80 feet. Much to Rick’s surprise, I consumed much less air at 70 feet than I had the previous day at 20 feet. Concentrating on slowing your breath really is important when it comes to conserving air!!! We headed towards Fishers’ Pier to avoid the rough seas for our second dive and spent an hour searching for golf balls. After finishing diving for the day, Jay invited us back to his house to see his dive hat collection! It was interesting to see how technology has changed for commercial divers throughout the years. I am grateful that Jay took us out diving, and even more grateful that I do not need to wear a 40-pound dive hat! I hope to dive again with Rick soon and when I’m ready, get started on some technical diving!

This past week I spent time with Ted Maney, at Salem State University, collecting data from an ongoing research project which included counting sea urchins and other mobile fauna off shore. Since there were two other people joining us, Ken and Breckie, we had a tight squeeze onto a twenty-foot center console. In case you were wondering, that’s twelve tanks and at least a hundred pounds worth of gear. Truth be told, I was a bit nervous – this would be my first time diving with my new DUI drysuit, and there was a decent current that could pull us away from the boat. But among the hundred pounds of gear, there was a line to hold from the boat to prevent drifting. Once we started diving the site at Halfway Rock, my worries disappeared, possibly from the shock of cold water on my face, but more likely because of the excitement of conducting research underwater. Once I laid my quadrat, the work was simple…until I tried writing underwater. Maybe it was the thick gloves, or the tiny pencil, but my urchin counts looked more like preschool scribbles. However, with practice, it became much easier. After one day, I was ready to take on more sites the next day at Shagg’s Rock. On our last day, we searched for lost transponders which had years of data on them. While searching, I realize that the buddy trio was split and I was alone at 90 feet. I did not panic, my computer said my no decompression limit was still high and I had plenty of air. After turning in circles looking for my buddies or their bubbles, I realized the visibility was too poor; they could have been 10 feet away and I wouldn’t have seen them. So, following the lost buddy procedure, I start my ascent while looking for my buddies on the way up. Though I did not find them, I found a bud light around 40 feet (again people ENOUGH with the litter)!!! After a three-minute safety stop at 15 feet, I went to the surface to find both Ken and Breckie. After a quick debrief about how our separation happened, we all had enough air and descended again for our second dive. Unfortunately, we were only able to find one of the lost transmitters. However, the day was a success in my book, I got to apply two important diving skills (search patterns and lost buddy procedures) in a real-life situation. A reminder to my diving friends – always review lost buddy procedures during your pre-dive check, and keep your skills sharp! Thanks again to Ted for inviting me to participate in his research!

I have spent the last two days with previous intern Kim Malkoski at East Coast Divers in Brookline. In this time, I learned how to help customers find the perfect fit for a mask and basic dive gear so they could put their best fin forward as they earn their open water certification.  In addition to learning the ins and outs of working in a dive shop, I also sat in on an open water class to review some knowledge and joined a few other divers in an intro to tech and sidemount diving class. Tech and sidemount is a style of diving that interests me because it allows divers to go past the recreational limits and become more streamlined in the water to maneuver tight spaces during wreck or cave dives. To wrap my time up with the crew at East Coast Divers, I earned my night diving certification by diving at Old Garden Beach with Kim and her dad Vin Malkoski.

We dove to 25 feet for 45 minutes, and saw how the behavior of marine life changes at night time. My favorite part was when we turned all our lights off to see the bioluminescent dinoflagellates glow in the dark. What upset me, however, was the marine debris we found as we began to surface. As a diver, I see firsthand how diving locations are being plagued by harmful debris such as plastics or fishing line. Divers must be advocates for the ocean; please remember to properly dispose of your waste and pick any up if you come across it!

For the past few days, I have been with a previous intern Kim Malkoski. Our first day we had a pool session to break in my new gear and practice basic underwater skills, such as air sharing and mask clearing. The next day we planned on diving Back Beach in Rockport, but because conditions were so calm we decided to go to Folly Cove. Though it was low tide, making for a slippery entrance on the rocks, our first dive was at 40 feet with great visibility (keep in mind this is New England, great visibility is about 20 ft). We saw plenty of sea life including a bed of sand dollars, plenty of lobsters and flounders, and even a sea raven! After a post dive snack and a bit of exploring in the tide pools, we went to dive the opposite side of the cove. Though the visibility decreased due to the incoming tide, the dive was still interesting and different from the first. While one was a rock ledge with a sandy bottom, the other was a rocky bottom covered with algae. After a second dive at 45 feet for 40 minutes, we headed to the New England Aquarium in Boston to listen to photographer, and Sea Rovers member, Brian Skerry speak about his experiences and release of his new book about sharks! The videos and images he showed were breathtaking and, as he hoped it would, helped the crowd see sharks as beautiful creatures to respect and protect.

Today I went to Beverly to meet the owner of Undersea Divers, Whitney Boyle. As usual, the shop was buzzing with people who were getting ready for another dive season. As we all know, diving is a gear-heavy sport, and I was entering the Eden of dive shops. For a store that was moving to a new location in a few days (check them out at 67 High St in Danvers!!!) the walls were stocked with gear and other necessities. Needless to say, I went a little wild. Though Whitney generously donated a Henderson thermaxx Titanium wetsuit, along with an AquaLung  Pro HD BCD (for my non-diving friends and fans BCD= buoyancy compensation device) and an AquaLung Calypso regulator, I still had loads of things to purchase to be a prepared and safe diver. While Whitney took care of some customers who needed air fills I got my weights, a light, a dive flag, and of course a bag that could fit all my new toys. I am extremely grateful that Whitney continued in her father’s footsteps to support the Sea Rovers intern. When I got home I modeled my new gear to my family. After teaching dive gear 101, it was time for the grand finale – modeling my custom fit (and purple!!!) Divers Unlimited International drysuit donated by DUI and fitted by Faith Ortins. I can’t wait to break it in soon for cold water diving during my summer of adventures!

I would like to preface this blog with a bit of a warning. I am not a writer, I’m a diver. Well, I’m working on improving my skills so I can truly earn the title. So, bear with me, and hope that I figure out this blogging thing within a few posts. I am the 12th Boston Sea Rovers’ intern, this is my story.

The final stop of my summer internship landed me in Lexington, Michigan where I stayed with Jim and Pat Stayer. Jim and Pat are diving and videography experts with lots of experience in these fields. I enjoyed diving with them in Lake Huron, exploring the wrecks that lie below. I dove on three of the wrecks: the Sport, the Strong, and the Regina. The Regina was my favorite wreck to dive. I liked exploring its large propeller and large smokestack.

Given that Jim and Pat are experienced film producers, my time in Michigan was also spent editing this film. Jim and Pat provided all the support necessary to complete this film in the quick four-day time span we had together. From photo editing, to color correction, to transition optimization, the Stayers were instrumental in putting this all together.

I can’t thank Jim and Pat enough for taking me into their home, taking me out on the water with them to dive, and helping me edit my internship documentary. They were incredibly helpful and two incredibly nice individuals. I look forward to staying in touch with them and watching their film productions.

Newfoundland also had lots of wreck diving to offer. I was lucky to make two dives on the PLM-27. Located off the coast of Bell Island, this ship was sunk in World War II and is one of four wrecks with a similar story. I loved exploring this wreck – the largest I had ever been on at the time. There were lots of fish to see and the ship had many different areas to explore.

Perhaps the most memorable portion of my time in Newfoundland was the scallop dive I went on with Rick and Mark. In preparation for a seafood dinner we would be having with Rick’s family later that evening, Mark and I collected over 75 scallops, filling our bag quite quickly. This was my first time diving for scallops, and for this reason Rick prepared me one raw on the boat as a post dive snack. Talk about fresh seafood! Later that evening Rick showed me how to clean scallops and fillet cod. I hope to start diving for seafood near my home.

One of the highlights of my trip to Newfoundland was receiving my sidemount certification with OceanQuest instructor Mark McGowan. I had never before tried sidemount diving, but in the span of three days I discovered and practiced this style of diving. I enjoyed my five certification dives in locations where we saw interesting wildlife like eel pouts and lumpfish. Underwater, we found lot of cool objects like an underwater mirror and a pair of old sunglasses. Thanks so much for getting me certified, Mark!

From the warm waters of Bonaire, I made a quick transition to northeastern Canada where I spent a week in Newfoundland with Rick Stanley, his wife, Debbie, and OceanQuest Adventures. I had never before visited Canada, so I was thrilled to begin exploring right away with a snorkel around historic Bell Island. Rick took me out on his zodiak with a small group of snorkelers and brought us to all the best spots to check out. I explored the unique geography and cave systems the island has to offer as well as the marine life.

The next day Rick took me out to search for whales, Newfoundland’s iconic attraction. We saw two minke whales and a humpback from the surface, but could not get close enough to swim with them. Determined to find more, I went out the following day with Johnny O. of OceanQuest in search for more. We struck out again, but had fun exploring waterfalls and swimming with a bloom of moon jellies.

My time in Newfoundland was also full of regional and OceanQuest traditions. I tried pie-irons for the first time. These are sandwiches cooked in a sealed, iron griddle over an open flame. They were were delicious! I also got to attend the Conception Bay South summer games opening ceremonies. The games’ host city changes every year, so this was certainly a treat. I also got to try a Newfoundland special: moose soup! My trip to Newfoundland came to an end with an awesome sunset which I watched from Rick’s roof!

Thank you so much, Rick and Debbie, for hosting me at your home and absorbing me right into your incredible family. I had so much fun up in Newfoundland trying new things, getting to know the region, and meeting new people. I hope to come back soon to spot some whales with OceanQuest and reconnect with you both. Thank you!