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SOUTH DADE NEWS LEADER 3AAUGUST 23, 2013
An Underwater Playground isMinutes Away...
By Charlie Hudson
If youre looking for an out-ing for Labor Day weekend,
consider the allure of enteringthe underwater realm of color-ful fish and swaying sea fans.The protected waters of ourlocal marine sanctuaries arehome to hundreds of speciessuch as angel fish, barracuda,groupers, hog fish, parrot fish,snappers, and trumpet fish toname only a few.
Men, women, and childrenfrom age ten to eighty-plusgear up and go under to tem-
porarily co-exist with marinecreatures of all sizes, whether itis a three-inch jawfish orGoliath Groupers weighinghundreds of pounds. Biscayne
National Park, offers a unique
historic underwater snorkelingadventure while boatingthrough the beauty of BiscayneBay. A short drive to the south,Key Largo is often referred toas the Dive Capital of theWorld; a destination for diverswho come from every part ofthe United States, Canada, andoverseas. Visitors explore reefsand an assortment of ship-wrecks like the spectacular510-foot USS Spiegel Grove,that was deliberately sunk as an
artificial reef. Other wrecksdate back centuries as Mother
Nature and human errors sentdamaged vessels to their final
resting place.Not only are the reefs plenti-ful with sea life, most are shal-low, making themideal for snorkel-ing, which is fre-quently a first stepfor people wholater try scuba div-ing. You need onlya mask, snorkel, setof fins, and maybea lightweight vestto slip into thewater and watchfish dart about or
perhaps see a turtle.The secret to snor-keling is breathing
through yourmouth, relaxing,and simply floatingas you look down,no significant effortinvolved once youget the hang of it.Snorkeling excur-sions usually cost
between $35-50 per persondepending on the operation you
book with.If you are comfortable with
snorkeling, taking the plunge
with scuba allows you to lingerlonger in the fascinating aquat-ic world. Bulky Self-ContainedUnderwater Breathing
Apparatus (SCUBA) equip-ment used by early pioneerslike Jacques Cousteau has been
streamlined, and an introducto-ry course like DiscoverScuba allows you to slip intothe watery domain after only afew hours of instruction. (One-
day Discover Scuba typeclasses are around $200). Fullcertification can be accom-
plished within three-five days,
or you can customize trainingtime to better accommodatebusy schedules. Whether you
take a one-dayclass or a completescuba course, youcombine academicsessions with pooltime to learn aboutthe equipment andsafety fundamen-tals. You thenmove to the oceanwhere you demon-strate skills such asgliding throughwater with a sensa-tion that feels likeflying. When you
descend beneaththe waves, fishmay swim close,unconcerned withyour presence, orflit away at theinvasion of theirterritory.Although training
costs vary, a good rule ofthumb is $400-500 per personfor full certification. Many
places expect you to purchaseyour mask, snorkel, and fins,
but use of all other equipmentis usually included in the priceof the course. Not a strongswimmer or jog regularly? Not
to worry if you participate inany kind of exercise, the oddsare that you can dive. There aresome medical restrictions suchas chronic ear pain, but even
people who have undergoneheart surgery or cope withsome forms of asthma can becleared by a physician.And yes, toothy/stinging crit-
ters do roam the reefs!Common sense and payingattention to basic safety warn-ings will keep you out of trou-
ble as you navigate amongcoral-studded rocks. Scuba andsnorkeling are not sports foreveryone, yet it is easy to try,and for those who live here
with Biscayne National Parkand nearby Key Largo, it istruly an adventure waiting inyour back yard.
Log onto www.biscayneun-derwater for more informationabout excursions in Biscayne
National Park, or do an internetsearch on Key Largo to findalmost two dozen dive centersand charter companies thatoffer snorkeling and/or scubadiving.
A school of grunts is a common sight on reefs aroundKey Largo. With an underwater camera you can capturethe beauty of these reefs. Photos by Hugh Hudson
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