At the SCUBA Show in Long Beach last month I helped staff the California Diving News booth, gave two seminars, got to introduce several seminar speakers, and was honored to present Zale Parry with the 2016 California Scuba Service Award. I spent the remaining time visiting exhibitor booths on the show floor. Needless to say, I stayed busy.
I have been in the diving industry in one capacity or another for more than four decades. So, it is probably not surprising that I know a number of the exhibitors. In fact, many are my friends and some are like my family. Over the years I have been fortunate to travel and dive in destinations around the globe with many of them, and as I wandered the show aisles my mind was flooded with the memories of a lot of wonderful people and times.
My thoughts turned to the months and years ahead, and the question of where I want to go next. After a few minutes of mulling it over, it dawned on me that as much as I would like to go and dive everywhere, what I really want to do is more diving right here at home in California.
I love to experience other places and other cultures, and see and photograph marine animals that live in reef communities halfway around the world. But I enjoy and appreciate diving in California as much as I enjoy diving anywhere else on earth. I hope you do as well.