December, 2006

I was watching Nick on the bottom at 65 feet work to unwrap a big bohala after I pulled myself down to 50 feet, my maximum. The fish had wrapped the cable four or five times around a small two foot high, spire of a rock and the only way to free the fish, spear and cable was to unwrap one loop at a time. This was his third dive to 65 feet and he still had two wraps to go. It was taking a lot of effort to move the unwieldy fish in circles and I could see that Nick needed air when he pushed off. He was stopped abruptly by a deadly loop of cable that had tangled him from behind. In the two or three critical seconds, at the end of long deep dive, when you body screams for air and you suddenly realize a cable has you trapped on the bottom——only keeping a cool head might let you live. Fortunately, Nick had intense experience free diving abs commercially in New Zealand and had been snagged before. I could see his total focus as he suppressed the panic and reached behind him with both hands and worked to free himself. He unhooked a loop of cable from his weights and punched for the surface. Precious A I R. The scenario he had just escaped is the worst nightmare, or sometimes the end, of many freedivers tangled by fish on the bottom. But after a good rest and a very careful last dive, the fish, spear and shooting line were all recovered successfully, thanks to the ability and coolness of Nick, our dive partner from Australia. Michelle had seen four fish at the end of a dive, shot this one but had been too out of air on the way up to try to fight it off the bottom. Because Nick was with us, I got my spear and tip back and Michelle had a new personal best Bohala of 45 lbs. She even got to model it with the fancy new swimsuit I bought for her to celebrate our one year together here in Panama. The expensive boy’s jockey shorts were a little pricy at $0.79 cents but I thought they looked hot on Michelle. She and Nick then got to enjoy a coconut toast to the teamwork of their successful hunt.

Unfortunately this was not the only close call that we had this trip. Seventy miles from home the motor conked out and we were being blown toward waves breaking over submerged rocks. Again St. Nick to the rescue. He sees a crack in the aluminum head of the Racor gas filter where I must have tightened the fuel line with too much pressure. We bypassed the filter and we were back in business. Then, an hour later in another near shore situation, we turned off the motor to save gas, and could not restart it. The three of us brainstormed the situation unsuccessfully, and then purely by accident we moved the gas/shift lever, already in neutral, just one degree, and the problem was solved. One more detail that you would think, years of experience would let you avoid.

On this trip Nick also got to shoot his first bohala as well as his first rooster and dorado. Michelle drilled another smaller bohala with a good head shot and then we headed to dive some floating logs to look for dorado. Logs are always fun, even though some hold nothing, others close by might be full of surprises. It seems that the critical factor is how many roots or branches are hanging down in the water and the deeper the better. This log, with above and below the water shots, did not hold dorado, but did hold Michelle’s first shark which scared her out of the water. She was by herself in the water and swam toward an unknown form that turned and came toward her. When it was close she said she saw the teeth and automatically felt the threat of the shark. One minute I saw her in the water and the next minute I saw her standing beside me in the boat. Miraculous! Now she knows why people feel afraid of sharks.

Back in Panama, Nick and his wife Patty departed on their sailboat for Ecuador and Michelle and I decided to try El Banko in Mexico in hopes of seeing wahoo or tuna. Since I can’t get a visitors visa for Michelle to go to the US, we planned to meet my daughter Tessa, and her husband, Kent, near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. We could combine diving with a chance for Michelle to meet the family. Tessa, being fluent in Spanish, got along great with Michele and we all had a super time but the diving was disappointing. Kent, a great shot and a good diver, is the only one that scored on any fish. He shot two nice wahoo—his first. We never got to pull the trigger, so our experience of this touristy area of Mexico was that it was over crowded, over priced and over fished. But, as always, traveling and diving with friends and family is an enjoyable new adventure, especially, when you know you can go home and shoot fish.

Back in Panama we decided to make another live aboard panga trip to the Perlas and looked for a boat partner. We had a couple of volunteers but no one we thought could hang for four days, as there is no time to kick it on a panga trip. From daylight till crash time there is no time to relax, no seats, no bunks, no hot food and you are either driving or diving. If you like to dive, it is fantastic, but relaxation, nightlife and luxury are not part of this adventure program. Nobody made the cut.
This trip would be only the two of us, and would be memorable in that it would mark the completion of one full year that Michelle has been with me at “OCEAN U”. I know that she has learned a lot in the last year but occasionally I see things that make me wonder if she knows enough yet, to hunt big fish, safely, by herself . As we are heading for the first spot I look back from the wheel of the boat moving at 20 plus miles an hour, and I see her lean over the side of the boat with a bucket to scoop up water. Before I can say anything—-POP—- the bucket is snapped out of her hand and disappears. A bit later I am in the water checking out the first spot and I look up to see Michelle driving the boat as it almost gets sucked onto some rocks by a big swell. I get fried sometimes thinking these are things she should know and it is easy to get impatient with beginners. I expect her to somehow, know what I know, that may be second nature to many of us, and then I remember the reality. She was born—the year I retired. A small experience gap that I forget about. One year ago Michelle could not swim, had never been on the ocean, had never driven a car or a boat and never had anyone to teach her anything. In the last year at “OCEAN U” her learning curve has been straight up and I have seen my strong, fearless Chocalatita grow into a new person, energized and more confident. But still, as I hand her the gun over the side, to hunt big fish by herself, the question that I have is—- what have I forgotten to teach her that will keep her from getting killed? After the bucket trip and almost loosing the boat, I know there are dangerous gaps in her ocean knowledge. I also know that with just the two of us in the boat, it is either dive alone or don’t dive. So with some trepidation and knowing there is more risk than she understands, I remind her to watch the line and not get wrapped, if she shoots something big. I see her unbounded enthusiasm, release the gun to her, and turn it over to the Gods.

Ten minutes later she raises the gun and I motor over to see my Chocalatita, all by herself in open ocean with a smile on her face. A nice bohala, stoned. We crack a coconut and drink a toast to her fish, celebrating her graduation from year one at “OCEAN U’.

A little later it is my turn in the water and I got a chance to again, experience something that Michelle has yet to look forward to-A great Rocket Rooster Ride. Re-living the experience, I explained to her the importance of getting a breath, aligning ones self into the direction of travel before she tightens her grip on the float line, relaxing and streamlining into the flow as it accelerates, and hanging on to her mask. If she shoots a big rooster fish, and with her light body weight, I can only imagine the raw power and the pure RUSH that she will feel. I think it will be one of the most memorable and exhilarating experiences of her life. Maybe in year two at the “U”!

On the last day of year one, on the way back to Panama, Michelle got to have one of those unique and unexpected encounters beyond anything I have experienced. We found near a big log, three large porpoises that were very curious and friendly. Thank heaven their meat is dark and tastes like liver or they would not be so numerous or friendly. One in particular would swim very close to Michelle and follow her up and down. Then I watched something new for me. When Michelle went vertical on the surface, fins down, the dolphin would imitate the position. Standing on its tail flipper the dolphin, just inches away, watched and talked with squeaks and head shakes. When Michelle reached out to touch it, the animal would simply back up a few inches, standing on its tail like Flipper. The second time it happened, Michelle was no longer afraid and was completely captivated by the intelligence and beauty of the sea creature. Back on the boat I could see she was very quiet and somewhat stunned by the experience, wondering what the animal was trying to communicate to her from their world. I told her I knew exactly what they were saying. They were special emissaries sent by King Neptune with the special message just for her. They were saying——

“Congratulations on year One, and Welcome to year Two, at “OCEAN U”.

Dix Roper
     December 25, 2006
     dixroper@earthlink.net