Snapper Scuba

05/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HcJTogg8h/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/11/2026

Royal Caribbean cruise 8-15 March (the 2nd half of the story) out of San Juan
So I said I'd get around to this post, it just took a while ...
Liz joined me with friends Kristi, Ron, Elena, Jerry, Diane, Russ, Rob and Toni 12-15 March with port calls in Aruba and Bonaire. As in the last post on the 1st half of this trip, this cruise was mostly about the diving, but the dining and entertainment were great too. We dove in Aruba with Red Sail Sports off Oranjested on the 400' Antilla German freighter and Pedernalis oil tanker. Lots of large pufferfish and loggerhead turtles. In Bonaire near Kralendijk we rented tanks and vehicles and did shore dives on the Hilma Ho**er wreck/reef and then the Salt Pier. It was an epic trip!

04/26/2026

OW Refresher
Phillip had been out of the water for several years so we fixed that and got him comfortable again with a full OW fundamental skills refresher on 11 April. There was also time to go over basic dive planning and work on various kicks. If you are in need of a refresher or ready for your next class, drop us a note. There are over 20 recreational specialties available plus technical and cave diving training. Now is the time to get back in the water and see the other half of Florida (and elsewhere)!

04/21/2026

Drysuit Diver class 17-19 April
Congrats to Sloane, Michael, Steven, Cydney, Harrison, Timothy, Judah, Lillianna, Elif and Levi who completed course at The Original Vortex Spring last weekend. We broke the group up for the one-day class which turned out to be wise because the vis was very poor on Friday and Saturday due to an algae bloom and lots of divers in the water. It was better on Sunday with few divers, but overcast. Everyone learned a lot about the skills to dive in a drysuit and most stayed pretty dry and had a lot of fun. This group of high school students is bound for England soon for a research project so diving dry is essential to staying comfortable. As some know, I took a hiatus from teaching due to a knee replacement, but GTG now so let me know where you want to go with your next class and we’ll make it happen!

03/30/2026

Royal Caribbean cruise 8-15 March (the 1st half)
Been a while since I posted ...
So it had been a year+ since Liz and I embarked on a cruise, this time it was with four other couples: Kristi and Ron, Elena and Jerry, Diane and Wills, and Rob and Toni. Somehow, we still got along at the end of the trip! We left San Juan, and the next day dove with Sweet Bottom Dive Center (gotta love the name) in St. Croix and saw some sharks and a loggerhead turtle on Cane Bay Wall which drops several thousand feet. A day to chill at sea and feast,. Then a day of shore diving in Curacao where we rented from The Dive Bus. We dove Pierbaai Reef and saw a coral reef restoration project and did a deeper dive to 110' on the Car Pile. 2nd half of the trip coming up.

02/23/2026

Scubaholics club dive
So the 'cold water contingent' of the Scubaholics gathered yesterday at St. Andrews State Park. With the recent rain and wind, we didn't expect much for conditions and vis turned out to be about 5-10'. We also had red and purple flags going for us. We timed the tide, but there was still a strong outgoing pull so we ended the dive early. The highlight were two batfish. Water temp a balmy 64. Attending were, from left to right: Austin, Glenn, Jerry, Elena, Tim, Maria and Russ.

02/03/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eHIMIb_HYc

A major milestone is unfolding for one of the world’s most iconic ships.For more Local News from WALA: https://www.fox10tv.com/For more YouTube Content: http...

12/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17qHoCXz9h/?mibextid=wwXIfr

SS UNITED STATES: Okaloosa County Commissioners unanimously approved a $2.95 million contract amendment Tuesday to complete the remediation and deployment of the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef, with officials emphasizing that partner contributions totaling more than $4 million will offset the additional costs.

No additional Okaloosa County funds proposed in this amendment.

Alex Fogg, the county’s Natural Resources Chief, presented a detailed project update before requesting the funding increase, outlining both the progress made and the challenges encountered in preparing the 990-foot historic ocean liner for its new life in the Gulf.

Fogg explained that approximately $2.2 million of the $2.95 million request stems from unexpected but necessary overruns when planning to depart Philadelphia, with the remainder covering additional needs to reach the finish line, including dockage through June 1 and contingency funds.

The vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record more than 70 years after its maiden voyage, is currently docked in Mobile, Alabama, undergoing final remediation following a 1,600-mile tow from Philadelphia that took approximately 12 days.

Fogg provided a comprehensive project update, addressing public concerns while securing final funding for the project.

—Remediation is over 90% complete, with all 120 fuel tanks emptied and cleaned and 99% of PCB-containing materials removed.

—The ship’s iconic funnels, radar mast and five-blade propeller have been removed and stored for the future land-based museum.

—Deployment is targeted for late February 2026, with 30-day contingency windows built in for weather.

—The EPA has made two site visits and expressed satisfaction with remediation work.

—Fogg addressed concerns about zinc chromate and hexavalent chromium, noting regulatory agencies have not raised concerns.

—The project has generated $184 million in earned media value since November 2024.

—Research partnerships established with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Louisiana State University for 10-year monitoring.

—The SS United States Conservancy chose Okaloosa County over a higher offer to scrap the vessel.

🔗 to the full story below in comments

12/06/2025

11/24/2025

SS UNITED STATES FUNDING, LOCATION: The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved partnership agreements Tuesday with Visit Pensacola and Coastal Conservation Association for the SS United States artificial reef project, bringing $2 million in combined contributions to the deployment and marketing of the world’s largest artificial reef.

Visit Pensacola will contribute $1.5 million to the project, while CCA Florida will provide $500,000. Visit Pensacola is scheduled to review and approve the agreement at its December 2025 meeting.

“I applaud the energy that went into creating these partnerships,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon. “This collaboration will foster amazing adventures for generations of visitors and create a tourism economy that will benefit the state and the entire Northwest Florida region.”

Of Visit Pensacola’s contribution, $1 million will support deployment costs and $500,000 will fund a five-year joint marketing campaign with Destin-Fort Walton Beach to promote the artificial reef as a worldwide premier diving destination.

The ship is scheduled to be deployed in early 2026 in the Gulf approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of the Destin East Pass and 32 nautical miles southeast of the Pensacola Pass.

The proposed deployment location is 30° 07.244’N, 86° 46.932’W, though the actual location may vary by less than 1 mile due to bottom survey results and deployment day conditions.

FULL STORY: https://www.getthecoast.com/okaloosa-county-secures-2-million-for-ss-united-states-artificial-reef-sets-deployment-location/