Diving off the Coast of Kauai, in Hawaii.
Duration : 0:6:59
Jan
24
Jan
24
Ben Flajnik’s Fly Fishing Group Date Part 1
The Bachelor Season 16 Episode 4 January 23, 2012
Jamie Otis, Kacie Boguskie, Lindzi Cox, Blakeley Jones, Nicki Sterling, Samantha Leavy, Casey Shteamer, Courtney Robertson
Duration : 0:14:0
Jan
16
Scuba diving Oahu- Whales
Jan
16
UPDATE: the mystery is solved. However, it’s very sad and unfortunate:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_sarasota_manatee/53-year-old-jogger-killed-in-sarasota-dui-crash-according-to-fhp
The accident scene was about a mile from where I found Barney swimming. Our guess is that he was so freaked out and traumatized that he just wanted to get as far away from there as possible. And when he ran out of land, he took to the water. Another credible hypothesis is that he swam towards the kayak because the Chens are avid kayakers, and actually have two yellow ones.
Whatever the case, I feel lucky that I was there fishing, because there was no place for him to go and I don’t know if he could have made it much farther. He’s banged up, but mostly fine. Our hearts go out to the Chen family, who lost their mother.
UPDATE 2: Many people have asked what they can do in light of this terrible tragedy. I have been in touch with the Chen family. They suggested (and I wholeheartedly second) that you make a donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving in the name of “Donna and Barney Chen” to help prevent this from happening again. Here’s the link:
http://www.madd.org/donate/
NOTES:
* Yes, Barney is back with his family. I imagine they need him pretty bad right now. Dr. Chen reports that after the accident, Barney was suffering from what he thinks is something akin to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was uncharacteristically lethargic, and they have even had to carry him outside. He seems to be pulling out of it a bit though.
* Why is there a camera running? I usually keep a camera running when I fish, in case I catch the big one. It does happen, occasionally (see other videos in my profile if you are interested)
* The kayak is a Hobie Adventure. It is a kayak made specifically for fishing. When turned down, the side floats allow me to stand up and fish.
* My brother got my mom some shamwows a couple years back as a gag gift. As corny as they are, they actually are pretty nice for fishing
Duration : 0:5:22
Jan
7
While SCUBA diving in places like the Keys, Bahamas or Cayman Islands are much more scenic and colorful, one advantage of living the past 30+ years in South Florida is the ability to beach dive whenever you have some spare time.
In much of the United States, there is really not much to see underwater within swimming distance of the shoreline.
But in South Florida (starting approximately at the West Palm Beach and southward region), you can strap on your tanks and gear, swim out about 500 yards with a dive flag in tow and drop down to 20-25 feet and spend 90 minutes underwater enjoying the northern-most edges of the tropical reefs that become larger and more scenic as you head into the true tropics of the Caribbean.
So while it may not be as grand and colorful and a full blown dive vacation to the islands, it is nearby and cheap.
At a moments notice, you can throw your tanks and gear in the car — drive 30 minutes to the beach — and be exploring the reefs within the hour.
Figure $4 for an air fill and $6 for a slice of pizza and soda when you get back on land and it makes for a great inexpensive way to spend the day for $10.
This video shows what lies underwater just a few hundred yards offshore at Hollywood Beach Florida.
This beach is pretty much equidistant between Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach along the East Coast.
A much quieter and less populated beach area as the video reveals (although sadly, signs of urban sprawl are getting closer each year)
Enjoy.
Duration : 0:14:24
Pingu