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Athens or Bust! July 23-35th 2004 Trip Report....


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#1 neoaquatica

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 10:50 AM

Hey gang...here is the 'official' trip report thread written courtesy of Neoaquatica aka Chris....please be prepared to laugh!! It is a riot!!! And please feel free to add your comments and your own recollections to the report!!! And Chris....you did AWESOME Dude!!! Thanks for such a great report!! -ww :flower:

**********************

All I got to say is that I'm glad I got out with speedo intact - LOL j/k!

It was great fun, good diving (for land lovers), good food!

I'm all for the next trip back and as Matt said he and I are returning to take Calvin's salvage class very soon.

Timelapse Memory:

1. Arrive at Athens Scuba Park in the bug encrusted Ranger Edge Dive-anywhere-mobile.
2. See suspected SD.com members filandering about the pavillion upon arrival.
3. Check in, met Calvin, get the low down, and mention "We're here for SD.com"
4. Calvin laughs. States "There right here around the back, I'll introduce you" (apply sinister laugh here)
5. Pull around, get a good spot, meet the crew.
6. Pleasant bunch of pirates has already commenced 12oz. curls for some time.
7. Apply generous amount of DEET or other mesquito-bator.
8. Settle in, commence my own 12oz. curls once camp is set up.
9. Girls notice that my tangerine speedo is not a true speedo, but just a simple, elegantly stitched pair of orange cargo shorts. (again with sinister laugh)
10. Hit the pool and hot tub.
11. Get more guff about the speedo thing from WW and Fingrabber ?
12. Commence back to the pavillion and do more 12oz. curls.
13. Crew begins to disappear into their tents slowly one by one as the evening becomes misty and unrecognizable, even to the fireants.
14. Someone mentioned something about a train.
15. Miraculously, I find my tent entrance and crawl in to my new airbed. It's hot.
16. Night becomes early morning as I doze off thinking about the next days dive and some old Jaques Cousteau footage.
17. 3-4am - from out of nowhere the train whistle blasts a toot like a fog horn on crack. Might as well been right up my wazoo. Interesting. This must have been something to do with someone mentioning something about a train.
18. 7:30 am Saturday. Calvin kindly puts on some hi-fi mariachi and that gets my attention.
19. Yup- I'm definately HUNGOVER, but alive.
20. Mosey on over to find Calvin having a brisk sit at the front door obviously observant of the past nights activities and fraternization, he exclaims "Need some coffee?" Need some coffee? Hmm, uhm yeah does it come with a train whistle ? lol
21. Drop tank off and mosey on back to base camp. Observe various monsters emerging from their caves and crevices to an obvious delight that we are all gonna be ok.
22. Have some bitchen breakfast burritos.
23. Regain health and strength to achieve the first morning's dive. This is my first time at Athens, so I'm eager said the beaver.
24. Eyeball those cats across the pond getting 20-30 rigs set up for classes and thought, yeah nows prob a good time to get in.
25. Dive the jet, the other plane, and a couple boats.
26. Surface interval, rehydration, and the emancipation proclamation...
27. Air up, get in, dive the other side of the park.
28. Vis was getting crappy by the early afternoon due to classes and novice divers doing jumping jacks on the bottom.
29. Feel good, did some great dives, had a wonderful time.
30. Time to kick back, socialize some more, inquire about that BBQ, the "other" members who didn't show up, and various scandelous subjects.
31. Everyone's back on shore, wrapped up till later for the night dive.
32. Night dive = 30 min. The big jet was getting gang raped by aliens in the dark abyss and everyone realizes it's as WW said "Beer 30"
33. Repeat #12
33. Give shakedown to WW about wth is going with those damn beans on the grill and "ARE YOU STIRRING THEM OR WHAT THEIR GONNA BURN WENCH!" lol
34. BBQ was great. Smoked well. Good cook. Props to your mad skillz.
35. Repeat #12
36. Hot tubs bumpin' and WW saved the day with supplying some "D" not "C" cup, I mean batteries... for my boom box.
37. I'm humbled and WW rocks, literally.
38. Repeat #12
39. Out of the dark night sky I hear "Yes my son, it's time to turn in and be cool, because if you don't now, your gonna hate it tomorrow". Yes God, I'm down wit dat.
40. Return to air mattress and secure comfortable fetal position. Pacified.
41. Again out of the abyssal black night comes the thing with the train, at least for this moment it's comic, yet still deeply bone jittering annoying after so many step #12's. Can you make earplugs out of grass and twigs?
42. Someone is standing outside my tent at 7:30 asking am I alive?
43. Yup, after a good ole' Michael Jackson crotch check and laughing about the train, planes, and automobiles thiz is a good frigin time.
44. Tell self "Suck it up soldier" and respond to WW "Yes, I'm on the way"
45. Insert another life saving burrito here.
46. Visualisation of the various monsters emerging from their protective nylon caves.
47. Rehydrate, do the truffle shuffle, and get some more air.
48. Did a another full tank dive in the am just prior to everyone raiding the lake.
49. Had a wonderful time exploring the various wrecks and meeting Calvin the owner.
50. Had an even better time breaking the ice with WW n' tha gang and seemingly trying to make everyone understand that it's not REALLY a speedo..... it's a boot cut speedo!

LOL - You all were fun, I had a pleasure meeting all who attended and more in the future!

I was wiped out, and put away wet!

Thanks for not biting,

I'm fragile, and innocent....

:flower:
Christopher
Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.

Boycott shampoo! Demand the REAL poo!

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the
ocean would be if that didn't happen. -- Steven Wright

#2 neoaquatica

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 10:55 AM

We were sorry not to get to say goodbye to all of you that were still left, yawl were on a dive, and that's understandable! We had to get moving so, a belated farewell is in order!


:flower:
Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.

Boycott shampoo! Demand the REAL poo!

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the
ocean would be if that didn't happen. -- Steven Wright

#3 flatwood

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 12:15 PM

That was too good, it looks like everyone had a good time above and below the water. Hate I missed it. :flower:
I've got 99 problems and diving ain't one of them.

#4 WreckWench

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 01:04 PM

Hey Chris...sorry we didn't get to officially say goodbye but as you know we were 'gettng wet'! And Flatwood you REALLY did miss a great time!!!! :lmao:

We had such a riot after that dive on Sunday...we toured the cave system with "Mr. Doubles" aka TexasDiverDude leading the way and after each mini dive we would surface to see where too next! As vis was steadily declining correspondingly as more students were doing 'jumping jacks' on the bottom as Neoaquatica noted...we were spending more and more time on the surface cutting up and laughing. We finally reached the point where we were having MORE fun on the surface joking and laughing then we were having diving! At that point it was suggested that we just do a long surface swim back to the dock on the other side of the lake rather then dive back. I thought the return swim would never end however by the time we got back to the dock if someone suggested that we swim back across the lake I could have done it as we were still laughing way too hard and joking amongst ourselves!

The folks from Missouri had to depart early (but not until after we got a few group photos) since they had a 10+ hour drive! Skye aka Blondie also had to leave early as she had a 9+ hour drive back to New Orleans!! WOW!!!! Can you believe people driving so far to dive in a fresh water quarry????? Not in my wildest dreams...however I'm thrilled they did...and I was equally amazed that most people drove 3-5 hours to join us with B2B coming from AR, and Scott-SATX coming from SanAntonio and TexasDiverDude aka Craig coming from Houston and several guys coming from Ft. Worth and other DFW cities.

We even recruited about 7 new people over the weekend to join us....everytime I turned around I saw one of our members talking to other folks diving or camping near us inquiring about them and then asking if they were single or buddyless if they might like to join us! One guy...Travis lives in Lafayette, LA and is a commercial diver who is planning to join us in Roatan if he can get the time off! I'd especially like to thank GFPirate for inviting several people including Travis to dive with him on Sunday and then introducing them to the group...way to go Greg!!!

So after our early departers....and our group shots which were quite an exercise in comedy themselves...we ate breakfast burritos had loads of fruit or were we the fruits?, dove and then started to relax and partake of #12 again as Chris so aptly put it! Slowly but surely the group started break down tents and make motions towards going home. TexasDiverDude stayed as long as he could or til about 4pm and even then he was pushing to stay but had plans for 6pm in Houston. We all finally decided it was time to end the party after 5 but took another 30 minutes or so to actually get enroute and truly end a fantastic weekend!

The trip/event was a blast....and even though we had less people then we had expected with some of our members having to work over the weekend...Mitch, NP, or going out of town unexpectedly...Starfish Sandy, DiveCutie...or moving or helping to move to Houston...ScubaHoney and Chie....or not feeling well aka Dejah etc. the trip was awesome!

Pictures...aka 'evidence' coming soon! -ww

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#5 divecutie

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:21 PM

:lmao:
great report!!! I WILL BE AT THE NEXT ONE!!!
Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!
Jane Austen

#6 texasdiverdude

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:24 PM

It was a great time even with low vis and train whistles! :teeth:

As for "Mr. Doubles"....photographic evidence will show that was true below AND above the water! :lmao:

#7 divecutie

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:25 PM

30. Time to kick back, socialize some more, inquire about that BBQ, the "other" members who didn't show up, and various scandelous subjects.

so now we are grouped as "others" id hate to be degraded so, I'm going to have to make it up to you guys by being on the next trip for sure!!! :lmao:

Edited by divecutie, 26 July 2004 - 02:25 PM.

Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!
Jane Austen

#8 BKScuba

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:45 PM

sounds like yall had a great time, be there next time
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

#9 scubahoney

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:49 PM

geez-things happen and now we have been demoted from angels to "others"!!
Well, be that way then..I had more fun moving! no..no, I didn't :dltears:
The greatest resource of the ocean is not material but the boundless spring of inspiration and well-being we gain from her.
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#10 mischievous

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:50 PM

forgive me guys. i got majorly sick saturday night from some bad food and it didn't get better by my expected departure time for athens. :dltears:

#11 Matt5

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:53 PM

Just for you we will this time.
Sorry to hear you got sick

#12 scubahoney

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 02:53 PM

17. 3-4am - from out of nowhere the train whistle blasts a

Oops..did we forget to mention that last time?! :lmao:
The greatest resource of the ocean is not material but the boundless spring of inspiration and well-being we gain from her.
~Jacques Cousteau

#13 neoaquatica

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 03:05 PM

That's ok, we talked about you.

lol

PS. WW & finGrabber - did you not see the extremely skinny man actually WEARING a speedo in the hottub? I was three feet away and still felt violated .... idunno...but I did. lol

Hey at least your fantasies about seeing a man in a speedo were true he haha!

Angels need to come to confession.......lol

........scandelous.......


j/k

Chris :wub:
Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.

Boycott shampoo! Demand the REAL poo!

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the
ocean would be if that didn't happen. -- Steven Wright

#14 scubahoney

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 03:10 PM

so what DID you guys say about us?!?!! :wub:
The greatest resource of the ocean is not material but the boundless spring of inspiration and well-being we gain from her.
~Jacques Cousteau

#15 divecutie

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 03:11 PM

ya, what did you say about us "others"????
Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!
Jane Austen




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