I can’t even blame alcohol on this one. I was promised big sharks, and after our disappointing shark adventure last year I still chose to believe that we could see some. With recent sightings of great whites, hammer heads and sawtooths I lied to myself into thinking I would get to see at least one of them. So, another plan was loosely thrown together, a budget airline ticket was booked, and next thing I knew I was back in Florida enjoying the warm sunshine and away from the cold and snow

Final dive of the season, what better way than to carve pumpkins and a turnip!

After returning back from the last Florida adventure, one would think that, that would have been enough. That, as per tradition, it would be another six or so months before those bad choices were once again made. However, they would be wrong and this time, an even worse idea was planned; flying into Florida, and then driving back to Chicago. The saving grace being we to knock out diving in Alabama and Tennessee along the way.

Another drink, another bad idea, and several bad influences all led to yet another trip down to Florida. This time however, to undertake the biggest heist of the century. No, it wasn’t the Aqua-Bandit to rip off Disney Springs. Our plan was simple; under cover of darkness (early morning), steal (charter) a boat, go out to the Spiegel Grove and steal the flag (with a Navy Vet, change it and replace it with a new, clean flag on 9/11) and row back (sit and chat) to Spain (Key Largo) like there’s no manana. Basking in our riches (a “neatly” folded flag.)

It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The wrecks had never been dove. The buoys had never been cleaned. Gilboa Quarry was called the Quarry of Drea-, oh shit...That’s was the Titanic. This was very much not that, but we did have frigid temps and a hunt for the angry squirrel.

The Cold War is underway, and the threat of attack is on the forefront of the American government. Thus, the long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was born, used to help protect the country from foreign attacks. The Atlas F missile program began in 1961 and 72 silos were constructed around the country. The silos were distributed across 12 Strategic Air Command bases spread throughout Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Washington and other states. The silos in Texas were the only ones to be completed under budget, ahead of schedule and with the lowest number of deaths during construction. However, due to advancements in missile technology, primarily solid-state fueled ICBMs, the Atlas program was shut down in 1965.

A lazy afternoon exploring around Pearl Lake.

“Want to come to Puerto Rico? We’ll be staying in the middle of the jungle, and the house that we’ll be staying in doesn’t have an exact address, but I can give you some GPS coordinates, and we should have power. You most definitely shouldn’t get murdered at all during the trip. However, I can’t promise that you won’t be and if you are, I get your scuba gear.”

Welp, as per the contract, here goes the semi-annual trip to Florida, and boy did things not go according to plan. However, no one died and new experiences were gained which was the main goal of the trip. The plan started out simple enough, do some drift dives in Jupiter the first weekend, and then go down to Key Largo again and visit the deeper wrecks there. Nature and the dive gods however had a different plan in place for us.

Utah, November, and scuba diving. Three things that generally don’t come to mind while sitting with some of your family, in your in the middle of southern Illinois in the middle of October. But somehow that was this year’s spontaneous and slightly irresponsible trip, knocking off another state and exploring where those early Mormon pioneers decided to settle down. After a quick, barely 10-minute conversation about if we should or not, a plane ticket was booked and a place to stay was, hopefully, squared away, for two of us at least.

Lake Michigan wreck dives on the Material Services Barge and the Louisville.

Somehow, I was convinced that it would be a good idea to make yet another trip to Florida, do the long drive down to Key Largo and do seven dives in roughly 24 hours. I’ve really got to stop drinking and booking plane tickets. But choices were made and a small army of Chicagoans flocked down to Florida. This trip focused mostly on the shallower reefs in the area and another night dive on the Benwood Wreck.