Challenge #28 Diving (a bit) Deeper

Soooooooooooooo...I was all set (again) to work on my "new" website (focused on scuba diving) this month, and launch (softly) on November first. Didn't happen.  BUT, I made some progress (not nearly as much as I would have liked).  I met with my graphic designer friend and made serious logo progress, spoke with another friend about website traffic and her blog, and then I actually went on a dive trip (it had been way too long!).  It was the coldest, windiest, unfriendliest tropical weather I had ever experienced, and although we did dive (not nearly as much as I would have liked), I salvaged the sunny gorgeous final day of the trip with a great snorkel outing with my divemaster Josh.  And like the weather, I salvaged the 28th (wow, almost done!) month of this project by writing the following post. So here is a sneak peek (lucky you!) at one of the first items you'll see over at divethetropics.com.  (And yes I do realize there are too many parens around here, thanks for dealing with it this time)  :)

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Yup, this was the forecast (plus wind) and I left on Sunday

The Top 7 Things To Do When The Weather Sucks

(And you can’t go diving)

It’s been raining nonstop from mice and kangaroo rats to cats and dogs to the occasional cows and horses. Nothing but rain here in Fiji for the first 56 (and counting) hours…

Let’s face it, you paid darn good money to be here and those sugarplum visions of sugar white beaches and dead calm warm turquoise seas (with perfect visibility of course, have been dancing in your head for months, and are what you expect) - damn it!  You followed the recommendations about when the best time to travel here, but sometimes Mother Nature unfortunately doesn’t care - she has her own agenda, no matter what history or anyone says the weather SHOULD be this month, this week, or today.  She may just need to cry it out, blow it out (or even hurricane it out) all over your vacation, and you are stuck with it. So here are some ideas about how not to get your swimsuit in a wad and deal with it like a grown-up…you may even enjoy yourself in the process – bonus!

Even the Myna birds were squawking about all the gray skies!

1.     Go Local - Learn something about the country, region, and town where you are, right now. Pick up the local newspaper or read it online – there are often facts and current events that may surprise and interest you.  If you watch TV, don’t do just CNN.  We listened and learned to appreciate the accent on Bonaire while watching local coverage of “Orkan (Hurricane) Ivan” in 2004.

2.     Gear Up – So that new camera you got for this trip, or your dive computer you wish you knew better?  Take this down time to study the manual, or go online and watch videos of how to use it – there are multiple resources on YouTube now for this kind of stuff.  The more you know the better prepared you will be when you get underwater again. And that camera, take the time now to download, organize, and edit photos you have already taken - you know you won’t ever have enough time to do it all when you get back home…

3.     Flora and Fauna – What is the name of that bird that loves your breakfast crumbs, or that beautiful flower you want to share with your friends back home? Look them up online and enjoy learning about nature’s bountiful diversity in the tropics.  If you are a fish-watcher like me, it never hurts to brush up on your Fish ID – studying always helps to prepare you for the next dive, no matter when it may be. 

4.     Work Out – Even if your hotel doesn’t have a gym, yes you can do it in your room – even just 20 minutes a day of calisthenics, yoga, or even just jogging in place will help you stay fit and healthy.  Your body will thank you for this, especially after eating all those banana pancakes and mai-tais…you know who you are.

5.     Pleasure Read – That novel on your Kindle you haven’t gotten around to, the unexpected book from the borrow library in your hotel, the magazines you haven’t had time to read at home. Just read for the sake of reading (and taking your mind off the weather).

6.     Treat Yourself - If you’re at one of those fancy resorts, indulge – get a massage, facial, pedicure (got dive booty toes anyone?), whatever strikes your fancy.  Or just take a long relaxing nap; you’re on vacation, remember! Relax and appreciate your vacation, even if it isn’t quite turning out exactly as you planned.

7.     Go Local (In Person) – Go hang out at the bar, the restaurant, the dive shop, and talk to the friendly locals.  Learn about their perspective on life here, diving and everything else.  This is the best way to get to know a place, and maybe make a new friend in the process…enjoy!

And finally, here’s what I recommend NOT to do: complain - to your spouse, your travel mates, the hotel and dive staff, and even to yourself. There is ultimately nothing you can do about the weather, so make the best of it and show off your good karma - Mother Nature may indeed be listening...