~ photo by Wes Kozak
So for any of you who have followed my blogs from the beginning you know that diving has always been in my blood, I may not have known it, or known the extent that I would love it, but I have always loved the water and exploring beneath it’s surface. So it didn’t come as a surprise to most that when a friend of mine came back from a dive trip and showed me his photos I was sold! He had been on a weekend excursion to a wonderful lodge on Hornby Island aptly named Hornby Island Diving. His photos were impressive enough for me to see the abundance of life and the photographic opportunities I was missing beneath the surface and so, that evening, sitting in back yard I resigned myself to dive, and not just dive but be good enough that I could go to Hornby, see the marine life myself and ensure that I got some of the most epic photos of my life so far… in February, with the help of Ocean Pro Divers and the insistence of my wife… I made it!
Truth be told, February was not the first time I had been to Hornby Island Dive, I had been their in my dreams and imagination at least a dozen times. In May of 2012 I had the privilege of speaking with Rob and Amanda (owners of Hornby Island Diving) and creating a blog for Ocean Pro about Hornby Island Diving and through that conversation was able to truly find The Heart of Hornby Island.
Now here I was almost three years later, end of January 2015, when Jenn come home from work and says, “Now I know we’re not spending any money right now but….” Which of course is my panic moment as I try to figure out what my lovely wife has decided we need to buy… and she proceeds to tell me, “…. Ocean Pro Divers is going to Hornby Island mid February and you are going with them, Happy Valentines!” I am sure my look was priceless, here we were finally getting ourselves on solid ground after recent big expenses following a debacle caused by our landlords (which is a whole other story) and my beautiful wife, who could have picked up any of the things she has wanted for a while, pays for me to go on the trip that started it all!! (pause here to wipe the tears)
I’ll be honest, I would love to tell you that I could put the Hornby Island Diving experience into words, but I wouldn’t be able to do it justice, not even remotely! From the moment you arrive you feel like you have always belonged. From Rob’s firm handshake, hands that have know the hard work of maintaining property and equipment to Amanda’s hug, arms that have welcomed and said “till next time” to countless numbers of divers, everything screams “Welcome Home, it’s been too long!” Shortly after arriving it a quick tour of the house, a quick familiarization with the facility and the rules… like closing the gate outside so the deer don’t eat mama’s gardens! Very important! After the tour, gear is brought to the shop or into your room and then it is time for dinner. Again, I would love to begin to impress upon you what the food is like, but again would fall so short it would be laughable. All I can say s think back to being a kid, maybe it’s been a rough day at school, or an incredibly adventurous one with friends and you come home tired and are greeted with that smell, that aroma that reaches to your soul and says “sit down and tell me about your day.” If you can picture that you are on your way to imagining the food, lovingly prepared from scratch by the lodges kitchen staff right there in the open kitchen / dining area. Now I will stop here to explain to anyone who has not yet grabbed the concept, this is not your typical resort as I have come to understand them. You will not be greeted and shuffled off to your room by some nameless employee and given a time to be at the boat the next day. Your food is not prepared and plated in some behind the scenes kitchen to be served on tables of fine linen while you sit quietly and eat keeping to yourself while staff and other guests go about their tasks and lives. Here at Hornby, if you haven’t heard me say it enough, you are home… at home, at least my home growing up, you get to know all the people in your house, a family member brings a friend you introduce yourself, find common interests and build a new friendship. Dinner is a social event, including the people preparing the food. Rob and Amanda stay to visit and eat and socialize. If you are lucky enough, you might even get a chance to meet their children. When I left for the shop on the Friday morning I knew Shannon and Wes Kozak (owners of Ocean Pro Divers and two of my favorite instructors) had dove with one of the shops Dive Masters who was coming, had spoken with Rob, Amanda and one other diver going on the trip but that was it, I hadn’t even met the guy I was carpooling with yet…. by the time I had finished dinner on the first night I knew my carpool “buddy” (who was now my dive buddy for the weekend), I had met a couple who were finishing their Dry Suit certification, two of Wes’ co-workers from the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue , one of their spouses, reconnected with the Dive Master, met his wife, met three young men from another dive shop and one who had come all the way from Alberta. It was a home away from home!
Again, I could talk forever about the diving, and those of you who know me well, know how true that is…lol. But I will leave it at this, I don’t know that I have ever been as comfortable with a dive operation as I was on this weekend. Rob’s precise knowledge of each of the dive sites and exactly where you had to be at what depth and which marine animal you were going to see, not just type, but which one… I know it sounds incredible but to hear Rob say, “Yeah, while you are down there look for an older looking (insert color) (insert species), it should be around (insert depth and distance)” and he is right on almost every time… it’s incredible. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I will save you reading and let the images do the rest of my talking for me. Till next time, safe bubbles!
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Let me know about your dive trips or where you think I should go next in the comments below!
Dream to Reality: The full circle of diving. So for any of you who have followed my blogs from the beginning you know that diving has always been in my blood, I may not have known it, or known the extent that I would love it, but I have always loved the water and exploring beneath it's surface.