Spring break in Key Largo, Florida

Spring break in Key Largo, Florida with Project Deep

     In about a week, my wife and I will be going to Key Largo with Project Deep. Why am I writing a post a week before the trip, and, what is Project Deep? I am writing a post a week before the trip because, spring break with Project Deep in Key Largo, needs some background information, it is not your normal vacation. 

     Project Deep is a nonprofit organization providing SCUBA instruction to students in the five college area of Western Mass. Every semester Project Deep teaches students from Hampshire, Amherst, Smith and Umass. how to dive, and brings them  to Rockport, Ma. to do their check-out dives, and they earn credit for this! For extra credit, you can go to sunny Key Largo on your winter or spring break, and, earn extra credit! I tease, but truth be told, it is a fantastic organization that works tirelessly to introduce and teach many, the joy of SCUBA diving, and for some, it changes their lives (plenty of stories on that subject). This undertaking can only be done with many committed people, multiple instructors and TA's, but in charge of it all, Dave, and I think in charge of  Dave, there is his wife Mary. Dave and Mary are also owners of  Cape Ann Divers, a dive shop in Gloucester, Ma. 

     Now I don't know how long Dave has been doing this, but he is wicked old, so I think for a long time. Dave's students, some of his students, become TA's, some TA's, become instructors, and they just don't go away, so over the years, a family, one big dis-functional family has formed. I think they call themselves "DEEPies."

     I say "they," but I think I am one also. I took SCUBA class at Umass in the fall of 97, I was a 30 year old under graduate (which is the only way to do it). During class, my instructor Steve, and I became friends, and I had my eye on a hot little red-head, so I became a TA, determined to date her, and later, we married. She became an instructor, and is still teaching for Project Deep 17 years later. So if I am not a "DEEPie," I married one and Steve and I are still friends, along with many others.

     My first trip to Key Largo was winter break 98, not sure when the last time was that I went, has to be at least 10 years ago. I don't know what happened, graduated, bought a home and thought I needed to grow up? Did I think there was no place for Project Deep in a grown up life? What I do know, is some of my fondest memories are when I was in college, and many of those are the years I spent diving with Project Deep. I met many great people, many of whom I have traveled with, and many who are still my friends. Why am I going on Spring Break, maybe I just miss my family.

     So, Dave and Mary, My wife and I, who will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year, Steve and many other instructors, plus TA's will be bringing 50 college students, with raging hormones down to Key Largo on Spring Break. Sleeping in tents, in a campground, diving in the morning, and nothing to do but get into trouble at night. So I thought a blog post might be fun! Keep a look-out for some interesting posts from Key Largo, Florida.

Read the blog, don't be a puss!