I'm baaaaack!!!!

Aragorn · 08-29-2001, 12:07 AM

Hey guys.
Gonna keep this short cuz I'm suffering from "jet lag". All I have to say is that we are now PADI Certified Open Water Divers and the reefs were AWESOME!!!!! Did 10 dives while we were there. A true paradise(excellent exchange rate too.)! I'll fill you folks in on the "tasty" stuff later, OK? Good to see you folks again.

petpoor · 08-29-2001, 01:22 AM

Welcome Back, we just got back from 10 days in Florida or as it is now known, Shark City. It is great to get away but it is also nice to be back home.
Tom

Bojinx · 08-29-2001, 12:35 PM

Congrats on the certifications. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Biomanjcs72 · 08-29-2001, 12:52 PM

WElcome back stateside buddy. SOunds like you had a killer time on those reefs down there.

**schrocat** · 08-29-2001, 03:57 PM

Glad to hear it went well!

Welcome back!

***Reefland*** · 08-29-2001, 07:06 PM

Glad you made it back! Where's the pictures?

Scott

thezookeeper · 08-29-2001, 10:17 PM

Congrats on the certifications and glad you guys are back safe!!! Can't wait to hear all the details and see those PICS!!!!!

Joanne

Trapper · 08-29-2001, 10:24 PM

Welcome back. So let's see some photo's. I bet you hated to leave. Looked like paradise to me.

asmith · 08-29-2001, 10:50 PM

Welcome home!!! I hope you had a good time, and I want to see your pics. My wife and I are going back to Cozumel Mexico for two weeks this summer. We hope to have our PADI certifications by then so that we can do lots of diving. I can't wait.

Andrew

Aragorn · 08-29-2001, 11:07 PM

OK,
Still feelin' a bit like a "crispy critter" but here goes. This island(Rarotonga) was soooo FREAKIN' beautiful!!! It's completely surrounded by a contiguous reef. After seeing it, I'm inclined to say it was more like a barrier reef than a fringing reef. The lagoon averaged about 1/4 mile wide to a depth of about 3 meters. Lotsa fish in the lagoon too. Triggers, tangs, boxfish, moorish idols, butterfly fish galore. Truly a wonderous spectacle. Saw alot of octopi too. In the lagoon we found some very nice coral gardens primarily on the west side of the island. This is where we took our confined water course.

Then we dove the reef slope. OMG...talk about a carpet of coral!!!! Acropora, Favites, Millipora, Favia, Montipora, sponges...WHOA!!!! We did 10 dives in 7 different locations. 2 of them we dove to some shipwrecks...pretty cool stuff. Our dives ranged from 12 meters to 25 meters. The clarity of the water was about 40 meters. Simply beautiful. We dove to a drop-off that was pretty incredible to see. One minute you're at 25 meters looking out to a drop-off that "bottoms out" at 4000 meters!!!

The fish on the reef slope were just as awesome. Lionfish, angels, boxfish, scorpionfish, REEF SHARKS(every day we saw these guys...up close and personal!), you name it!!! We saw a napolean wrasse that had to be at least 6ft long!!! Big fish.

What was really "The Topper" was the Humpback Whales!!! On more than one occasion we got as close as 20 feet!!!! Of course this was on the boat but we could still see them "plain as day"!!!

The boys really had a great time too! I was a bit concerned since this island is definitely not commercialized like Fiji or Tahiti. Heck, the island only has a population of 9000. But we dined at the finest restaurants for the price one would pay at a Denny's here in the states! I'll follow up w/ a bit more later and include some pic's once I've got'em scanned in, OK? See ya folks!

SomeHairyOldGuy · 08-30-2001, 02:02 AM

HI Aragorn!
OHH stop it! Your making me drooool all over my laptop! Glad yall had a great time. Can't wait to see the pics either.

SHOG

**Ninong** · 08-30-2001, 08:38 AM

WOW!!! Sounds like you had a great time!

Ninong

08-29-2001, 12:07 AM	#1
Aragorn Governor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pine Grove, CA USA Posts: 2,064	I'm baaaaack!!!! Hey guys. Gonna keep this short cuz I'm suffering from "jet lag". All I have to say is that we are now PADI Certified Open Water Divers and the reefs were AWESOME!!!!! Did 10 dives while we were there. A true paradise(excellent exchange rate too.)! I'll fill you folks in on the "tasty" stuff later, OK? Good to see you folks again. __________________ "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."

08-29-2001, 01:22 AM	#2
petpoor Citizen Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: AR Posts: 176	Welcome Back, we just got back from 10 days in Florida or as it is now known, Shark City. It is great to get away but it is also nice to be back home. Tom __________________ Toms Reef

08-29-2001, 12:35 PM	#3
Bojinx Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galena, Maryland Posts: 913	GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK... Congrats on the certifications. Can't wait to hear all about it. __________________ jImMy "Watching fate as it flows down the path we have chose" "...Never thought to question 'Why'?" "Everything's so Blurry and Everyone's so fake" pAz LeNcHaNtIn... oh how i wish...

08-29-2001, 12:52 PM	#4
Biomanjcs72 Mayor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Birmingham, Al, USA Posts: 815	WElcome back stateside buddy. SOunds like you had a killer time on those reefs down there. Last edited by Biomanjcs72; 08-29-2001 at 02:58 PM.

08-29-2001, 03:57 PM	#5
schrocat Moderator Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Hilliard , Fl. Posts: 3,364	Glad to hear it went well! Welcome back! __________________ "One man's vulgarity is another man's lyric" -Justice John Marshall Harlan "Send Lawyers, Guns and Money." -WZ

08-29-2001, 07:06 PM	#6
*Reefland* Owner Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 13,023	Hi Dave! Glad you made it back! Where's the pictures? Scott

08-29-2001, 10:17 PM	#7
thezookeeper Mayor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Pittsburgh,PA, USA Posts: 992	WELCOME BACK!! Congrats on the certifications and glad you guys are back safe!!! Can't wait to hear all the details and see those PICS!!!!! Joanne __________________ "Life savings? Sure, it's that brightly lit object sitting in the livingroom."

08-29-2001, 10:24 PM	#8
Trapper Citizen Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Sarasota,FL. U.S.A. Posts: 104	Welcome back. So let's see some photo's. I bet you hated to leave. Looked like paradise to me.

08-29-2001, 10:50 PM	#9
asmith Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Lenexa, KS, USA Posts: 978	Welcome home!!! I hope you had a good time, and I want to see your pics. My wife and I are going back to Cozumel Mexico for two weeks this summer. We hope to have our PADI certifications by then so that we can do lots of diving. I can't wait. Andrew __________________ Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

08-29-2001, 11:07 PM	#10
Aragorn Governor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pine Grove, CA USA Posts: 2,064	OK, Still feelin' a bit like a "crispy critter" but here goes. This island(Rarotonga) was soooo FREAKIN' beautiful!!! It's completely surrounded by a contiguous reef. After seeing it, I'm inclined to say it was more like a barrier reef than a fringing reef. The lagoon averaged about 1/4 mile wide to a depth of about 3 meters. Lotsa fish in the lagoon too. Triggers, tangs, boxfish, moorish idols, butterfly fish galore. Truly a wonderous spectacle. Saw alot of octopi too. In the lagoon we found some very nice coral gardens primarily on the west side of the island. This is where we took our confined water course. Then we dove the reef slope. OMG...talk about a carpet of coral!!!! Acropora, Favites, Millipora, Favia, Montipora, sponges...WHOA!!!! We did 10 dives in 7 different locations. 2 of them we dove to some shipwrecks...pretty cool stuff. Our dives ranged from 12 meters to 25 meters. The clarity of the water was about 40 meters. Simply beautiful. We dove to a drop-off that was pretty incredible to see. One minute you're at 25 meters looking out to a drop-off that "bottoms out" at 4000 meters!!! The fish on the reef slope were just as awesome. Lionfish, angels, boxfish, scorpionfish, REEF SHARKS(every day we saw these guys...up close and personal!), you name it!!! We saw a napolean wrasse that had to be at least 6ft long!!! Big fish. What was really "The Topper" was the Humpback Whales!!! On more than one occasion we got as close as 20 feet!!!! Of course this was on the boat but we could still see them "plain as day"!!! The boys really had a great time too! I was a bit concerned since this island is definitely not commercialized like Fiji or Tahiti. Heck, the island only has a population of 9000. But we dined at the finest restaurants for the price one would pay at a Denny's here in the states! I'll follow up w/ a bit more later and include some pic's once I've got'em scanned in, OK? See ya folks! __________________ "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."

08-30-2001, 02:02 AM	#11
SomeHairyOldGuy Mayor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: OU Posts: 732	HI Aragorn! OHH stop it! Your making me drooool all over my laptop! Glad yall had a great time. Can't wait to see the pics either. SHOG __________________ BOOMER SOONER!!!!

08-30-2001, 08:38 AM	#12
Ninong Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Louisiana Posts: 19,615	WOW!!! Sounds like you had a great time! Ninong __________________ Ninong

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