A Scuba Album: Hobby or Sickness?

by Skip Cohen

I've written a lot about Throwback Thursdays over the years, not just sharing images but reminding you of the boost old photographs bring to your spirit. It's a simple concept; old photos are about great memories. They remind me of great friends, incredible trips, and more laughs than I can count.

I got my scuba certification in the early 90s, which sent me on a quest to be in the ocean as much as possible. So we covered everything from Grand Cayman to Honduras to Bonaire to Florida to Truk Lagoon in the Pacific to drift diving in Mexico. At one point, we had made so many trips with the Agressor fleet they gave us discounts as if we were a dive shop. So if we booked the whole boat for a week of diving, it became more affordable, and the level of fun couldn't be measured.

Somebody once jokingly said, "Scuba isn't a hobby; it's a sickness!" We laughed, agreed, and then booked another trip!

And while today's post is a throwback to great memories, it's also a testimonial to great friendships. In the spotlight today are Bob Rose and Kayce Baker. (They're in the two water shots, as well as all the rest.) For years Bob and I had been saying hi to each other in passing at events in the NY/NJ area but didn't really know each other well...and then, on a trip to Bonaire, I needed a dive buddy, and somebody suggested Bob.

That started a friendship that's been going on for nearly thirty years. Kayce got her certification a few years later, and we became the three musketeers. And while those days are long behind me, it doesn't change missing time with them. But, then again, that's what photographs are all about...

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This is what I like about photographs.
They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat everything was perfect.
Jodi Picoult