The Magic Ring
My good friend, Allejandro Bustillo, back at Trident Adventures is also known throughout the scuba diving community as The Lord of the Bubble Rings. He can create bubble rings in ways we could never imagine. He showed me an invented technique he created using nothing but his dive mask. After months and months of trying, I have finally figured it out. Check out this clip of me making an albeit weak bubble ring seemingly out of nowhere! I hope to make more videos like this over time, especially as I dive into the head of media and marketing for 2 Shea Charters in Clearwater Florida! Stay tuned!
The Jump
No one would ever guess their scuba career could find themselves jumping 50ft out of a helicopter into the water.
Spending 3 years at Trident Adventures in the beautiful Hawaiian islands, as the Head of Dive Operations, not only afforded me tremendous growth as a diver and leader, but introduced me into spaces within the diving world that I didn't know existed. Steve Kaplan, retired U.S. Navy SEAL and owner of Trident Adventures, partnered with Richard Shuman at Magnum Helicopters while working on film sets together to pioneer a brand new public experience: Helo-Casting. FAA approved, USCG sanctioned, and Military Special Forces designed, this experience is as hefty as it is priced. Trust me when I say it is worth every penny. I won't go into the specific details, other than to say that it is a one-of-a-kind ride that everyone from Great Grandparents all the way down to a handful of 3-year-olds have done. The number one thing we, as the crew, would hear from our jumpers, post-jump, is always paired with face-wide grin; "I wish I would have jumped higher!".
Getting to train with Steve personally as a Helo-Cast Master, was another experience that I will carry with me forever. Learning the safety measures from a position of authority really brings the whole thing into a new light and level. Getting to be the one creating those feelings of trust and excitement for the jumpers is what elevates the entire experience for me. That was my favorite part.
Even now, after leaving Trident and Hawaii behind me, I still think fondly on those experiences and seek ways to recreate that feeling through different adventures and experiences. I have even heard that Trident has launched an accessible training space for the Cast Master role and even created new levels of Helo-Casting that including jumping in full dive gear.
I genuinely wish them well and hope to see them at the different industry conventions in the future.
If you ever find yourself planning a Hawaii vacation, I highly encourage you to contact Trident Adventures on the Island of Oahu for your scuba, snorkel, and Helo-Casting experiences. Trust me, it will be the highlight of your entire trip. ~
The Encounter
While I was serving as a PADI Open Water Instructor at Dive Oahu, we were guiding certified divers on the YO 257 & San Pedro shipwrecks. With a maximum depth of 85ft, these wrecks are only 70ft apart, making it possible to dive 2 shipwrecks in 1 dive. While we were on the shallow side of the San Pedro, I was looking for a known White Tip Reef Shark that likes to hide beneach the resting hull. I tapped my tank to inform my guests, but no one responded or came by to look. I turned to see what was going on and all the guests were staring out into open see at this massive dark shape swimming towards us. My first thought was, "Oh shit, thats a big Tiger Shark". But as it grew closer, I came to recognize those marvelous spots as a Whale Shark. The excitement was abuzz amonst all of us as this jeuvenile male swam within 10ft of us and gave us quite the display. Having worked with these magnificent animals at the world famous Georgia Aquarium, I was ecstatic to see a familiar face in Hawaii. Researching utilize star-charting software to map the white spots coving their top-half and tail to properly fingerprint each whale shark. Male Whale Sharks get up to approximately 30ft in overall lenght, while females can reach over 45ft when fully grown. This jeuvenline male was probably somewhere around the 18-20ft mark and appeared quite healthy.
When I had returned to the dive shop, smiling from ear-to-ear, I ran into my girlfriend (now wife) Jane who was stressing about taking her PADI Divemaster written exam. I told her about our encounter and she became so jealous, that she told me to leave.
With hope and smiles, I am sure she will get to dive with one someday soon. Perhaps I could arrange for that opportunity in the Gulf of Mexico, someday. Time will tell. ~
The Plunge June 13 2023
My dad got me certified when I was just 11 years old, living in Oahu, Hawaii. I struggled, at first, caving into my fears in the famous Shark's Cove on the North Shore. But now, over 23 years later, I can proudly say that I have conquered my fears and stand proudly with some of the best scuba diving instructors in the world. I have trained with retired Navy SEALs at Trident Adventures in Hawaii, and even jumped out of a helicopter with them, but more on that in a later blog post. My point is, if this snot-nosed crying kid can do it, so can you! Stay tuned for more about my journey from Hawaii, to the Georgia Aquarium, and even back to Florida!