DEMA

     It's difficult to describe what DEMA is like for people who have never been there or who aren't intimately involved with the diving industry.  It's a frighteningly massive mix between a trade show, family reunion, high pressure sales pitch and non-stop party.  It's a place to meet up with old friends, meet new ones, make plans for the future and experience Las Vegas (kind of creepy actually).  

     Besides Robin getting run over by a crazy lady in a golf cart (get well soon!!!) everything else was fantastic.  I met a lot of new people and have some awesome new plans in the works for the rest of my year, I got to see my man Wes Skiles win a NOGI, OWUSS had a reception that I thought went terrifically and the other scholars and I had a great time at all the different parties and receptions, usually the guests of the ever-gracious Dan and Betty Orr!  All of the OWUSS gang had plenty of chances to hang out and have fun as well.

More from Catalina

     Catalina has continued to be awesome.  We've been to Avalon for some diving and mini-golf, done plenty of chamber ops, helped build a haunted house and much more.  We had a chance to visit middle ranch and Catalina Conservancy and found some time to play in waves over in Shark Harbor too.

     Karl has been a fantastic host and we've gotten a lot of great kelp forest diving under our belts as well.  My friends Jen, Anna and Ali even came back to the island and hung out for a few days.  The past two weeks have been a terrific reminder of why this is one of my favorite places in the world, and I'm glad I had a chance to share it with Steve and Eline.

Baywatch!

     Steve, Eline and I got to spend the afternoon with Baywatch yesterday!  After spending the morning diving with Karl we met up for lunch with Kevin and Joel, two members of the Two Harbors Baywatch team.  Baywatch is a part of LA County's lifeguard corps, which was recently incorporated into the Fire Department.  Catalina has one Baywatch team in Two Harbors and another in Avalon.  Not only are they responsible for looking after anyone who gets in trouble on or in the water, but as the only paramedics on the Island they get called in on anything that happens on land as well.  Needless to say these guys stay busy.

     After a quick lunch Kevin and Joel invited us to come check out the infamous Baywatch boat.  The boat itself is deceptively small.  Although its probably not much more than 25 feet long, it's packed to the gills with communication equipment, fire-fighting and rescue gear and medical supplies, not to mention two massive supercharged diesels that can easily push the boat to over 30 knots.  Kevin and Joel took us out on a great tour of the West End and even let us try out the fire pump mounted on the front of the boat.  We were a little disappointed at first that The Hoff wasn't around, but Kevin and Joel were much cooler anyways.  Thanks guys!

Homecoming

     Egypt was hard to leave behind, literally.  After seven hours on a bus, 18 on planes and a few lengthy lay-overs I was finally able to collapse into my own bed.  I had a few days to catch up on sleep, capture some video, do some laundry and pack up for my trip to the west coast.  On October 2nd I caught a flight into Long Beach.  After spending a three days with some relatives in Southern California I met up with Karl Huggins and Eline at the Long Beach Aquarium.  Eric, the assistant DSO took us diving in several of the larger tanks and gave us a quick look at some the stuff that goes on behind the scenes.  I'd been to the aquarium before, but they've added some really impressive leafy and weedy sea dragons to their collection since the last time I was there.

Steve's New Hoopty

     After our visit to the aquarium Karl and I had the pleasure of introducing Eline to the magic that is Trader Joe's while shopping for supplies for our time on Catalina.  The next morning we met up in San Pedro and caught a boat out to the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies.  I spent a semester here in 2007, studying marine science, learning to dive and volunteering at the hyperbaric chamber and was really excited to be returning to the island.  Karl, who's the director of the hyperbaric chamber, was the one who originally introduced me to the scholarship and suggested that I apply, so I really have him to thank for all of this.  I was also able to reunite with plenty of old friends from the island.

Two Harbors, CA

     Steve came down from British Columbia and joined us on Friday and since then we've been hiking, kayaking, diving and learning about the hyperbaric chamber.  Every year the chamber hosts a 'wash-down party' where a group of volunteers get together for a weekend of serious cleaning and maintenance.  Steve, Eline and I joined a few other volunteers inside the chamber where we were compressed to 165 fsw and tested the chamber's fire suppression system.  Obviously it's important to make sure the fire sprinklers and hoses are working properly, but at 165 feet the narcosis turns the whole operation into a bit more of a drunken water fight.  It's great to be back in California!