14 replies to this topic

[Starfish Sandy]

Hello???? Anyone miss me??? Just got back from a week aboard the Sun Dancer II - in Belize!!! Had a great time - WINDY - WINDY - WINDY - and then some!!!! Very little rain though - so we all lucked out! I cannot rave enough about the chef on the boat - simply fabulous - we never went hungry - food ranged from french toast to steak and shrimp - and don't forget the blueberry cheese cake and the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream pie - oh and the pineapple upside down cake!!! Thank goodness you could dive 5 times a day!!! I had never expereienced a boat swinging 180 degrees in 3 minutes and at such speed - there was a "hang bar" about 15' down and that is exactly what you did "HANG ON FOR LIFE" It was quite the ride each dive - you felt like superman whether you wanted to or not - you could hang on and the "boat motion" would pull you straight out - and almost pull your mask off and your regulator out of your mouth - pretty wild for me. I handled it though - the big beasties hung out under the boat - and you could get up close and personal with them!! Beautiful reefs and some great diving - the tarpon were out in force at night - not afraid to whiz right past your face to see just what you were shining your light on!! I let loose a few squeals on the night dives! Saw my first squid - a little baby - quite the sight! Lots of little stuff - decorator crabs, tons of different shrimp, MONSTER LOBSTERS, reef sharks, and all the pretty fish too - came face to face with an upset green morey that I didn't see coming - that cost me a few psi too! All in all - it was a great trip - nice boat - and great diving - I did come home with the ear infection from #@$@ - I went to the doc and got 5 - yes 5 prescriptions - he said I should be fine in a week - I am doubtful!! :dltears: One of the other ladies went to the doc when we docked on Friday - they admitted her, wouldn't let her fly out Saturday - and after paying her 4k hospital bill on Sunday - let her fly home. Glad I waited. Peter Huges did have the hospital write DAN a letter - let's hope it works! Glad to be back!!!

Starfish Sandy

[chinacat46]

I know what you mean about the boat swinging. I was on the Sun Dancer II in Feb for my bday. Great boat and Belize has some great diving. Glad you had a good time. Welcome back.

[canuckdiver]

ouch! sound like quite the trip!!!

And YES we missed you!!!!

[mischievous]

of course we missed you, starfish sandy! but like divecutie and np, bubbles and other lucky sonofaguns (ana, andrewjd, sapphire, kevin) to name a few (not to mention our northern contingency above and below the border), we kind of knew that you had stepped out.

[Bombero]

Sounds like a great trip. Do you remember if a Craig Miller was on there with you??

[WreckWench]

Of course I missed my newest diving diva....so did the board!!! Plus we had hoped to recruit you to help us in Hoston but alas you were diving!

I loved my Peter Hughes cruise when I did his liveaboard! Very luxurious yet a resonable price. I even looked at doing some SD trips with him so I'd be very happy to hear what you and others think of him and doing an SD trip with him. So was this your first liveaboard? They are different if you've never experienced them before but he was my first and I'd say that it was pretty easy transitioning to him from land....do you agree?

I'm glad you are back...but gosh I'm glad you had such a great dive trip!!! Woo!! Hoo!!!! So remember to check in on your DivingDivas aka Angels friends...we've missed you too!

Oh yes...did you meet any other fun singles like you and tell them about us??? Inquiring blond wenches are just dying to know????

[Blublood]

Sandy!!!! great to hear from you. Glad you had such a wonderful trip! Wish I could have been there with you....Of course I wish I could be on every trip. Hope to see you on another trip soon.....what are you doing in September?
Gar

[Marvel]

Sandy!!!! great to hear from you. Glad you had such a wonderful trip! Wish I could have been there with you....Of course I wish I could be on every trip. Hope to see you on another trip soon.....what are you doing in September?
Gar

You mean you're really not on every trip Gar???

Welcome back Sandy- sounds like you had quite an adventure!

[nycamico]

Belize is alot of fun- did you see the Frigates and Boobie babies on Half Moon Caye? I had a great time on The Aggressor- and yes, lots of swing time! Usually just hung out and waited for the boat to swing back to me- but sometimes took the ride. Welcome back!
Laurie

[Diverlady]

Now THAT'S the liveaboard I SHOULD have been on!!!

Glad you had a great time Sandy.

Diverlady

[chinacat46]

I don't think you could go wrong with either Peter Hughes or the Aggressor in Belize. I personally would stay away from the Nekton though. Just to big not to mention ugly.

[zendiver]

Welcome back Sandy. Glad you had a great trip. And YES, we missed you lots while you were gone. You have a LOT of catching up to do

Hopefully you had a camera with you and find time to share the photos. Looking forward to it.

Again, welcome back.
-ZD

[Walter]

the big beasties hung out under the boat

Which beasties? You weren't very specific.

THAT'S the liveaboard I SHOULD have been on!!!

You'd have missed all the adventure.

[harleyman]

I've been on three of Peter's boats, the most recent in PNG this past April. All have great service, and diving. The boat swing in Belize was there, so I would just do my safety stop in position, and let the boat swing back over me when it was time to get out. I had the fortunate luck to be booked on the trip when Peter Hughes himself and Ty Sawyer from Sport Diver was on board. There were also some international journalists too. Talk about spoiled.

The PNG Boat needs a bit of maintenance, but the Trek is well worth going there.

Feel free to check out my pics at:

http://f1.pg.photos....smith/my_photos

I definately try to find others for live-aboard trips all the time.....so anyone that is going, don't be shy.

Dive safe............

[Starfish Sandy]

Let's see where to start - where to start - for those that KNOW me - and witnessed me put up my own tent in Athens - You can appreciate the fact that I can't figure out how to "quote" things - so here's my best attempt to answer what I can from the posted inquiries.

A group that I dive with out of Amarillo charted this boat - pretty much I was the only SINGLE/BUDDLIESS diver on there. Figures. But......WW I did sport my singledivers t-shirt with pride!!! This was my second live a board - I did the Bay Islands Aggressor last April. I love live a boards - they certainly do spoil you. Eat. Dive. Sleep.

As for the beasties I saw - they probably only were "beasties" in my minds eye (passing them at 70 mph on the hang bar!!!!) Grouper, tarpon and a big big silver fish that someone said was a dog fish??

Half Moon Caye got scratch due to the weather - we did some extra time at "half moon ridge" Go figure! No sight seeing for us - even in Belize City - they advised us to stay on the boat due to prom night and known trouble in the city on that night - and we were happy to honor their request!!

Just now recovering from the ear infection from you know where and wish I was headed to Bonaire with the group!!! Have fun you guys!!!