sunday is funday

Ah, Sundays on the Cruzan Cat... 

Something I have grown to look forward to and love each week. It's an interesting job that has a great perk, snorkeling at the reef and checking out what's going on out in the water.

This week we had swells that produced pretty good sized waves (something very rare in Key West). The first trip was packed and people seemed to do pretty good out there until later.

Ultimately, everyone got sick from the waves tossing the boat around. The captain had been playing a death metal Smashing Pumpkin's song when he noticed the back of the boat full of people vomiting. Wisely, he switched to a more mellow, soothing Reggae. 

While I feel bad to see anyone feeling ill, there was a perversely funny moment when I was watching people leaning over the edge vomiting to Buffalo Soldier. Something that they would normally be swaying to on a beach with required drink in hand was now straight out of Clockwork Orange. I told Captain Dave he was going to ruin Reggae for these people forever.

The second trip Dave thoroughly warned people of the conditions out there in an attempt to spare them the pain. Four people, one of which had never swam in the ocean, wisely opted out.  Which left us with a family of five who thoroughly enjoyed the wave crashing trip. The ride out was rough and the Dave told me he was trying really hard not to tip the boat.   

Once we got out to the reef it was a different story. After we got all five safely in the water, I jumped in to check it out. Watched a couple of parrotfish peck at the ailing reef. There was not much to see out there that day, but the real fun was playing around in the waves. Got to surf in on my fins and float around enjoying the waves as they got bigger and bigger and felt joyful when they threw me around. 

At one point, I was sitting on a bright orange pool noodle I made Dave throw me, taking in the sites. Watched the dive boat next to us plop people in; saw the Sand Key lighthouse in the background; and felt the water toss, turn and swirl around me when I realized something that made me smile.

As excited as I am to check Spain out for the next three months, I'm as equally excited to come back home to Key West.