Location: Friendship Bay, Bequia
As I looked at my watch the time, read 6:55 am, and I slowly rolled out of my bed to wake up the troops. I turned on my speaker and clicked on the happiest song I could think of, Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles. My goal is to wake the crew up with as much ease and grace as possible. Well, unless youre Duncan and Matty. They wont budge an eye unless you physically drag them out of bed. We began our day with some cereal as we looked out at Friendship Bay and took in the beautiful morning sunshine. The Open Water crew started the morning with their last dive to mark the end of the course. Our highly trained individuals, Kelsay, Matty, Will, Elle, and Duncan, are all officially PADI Open Water divers! The entire dive crew is now joining in unison with the rest of us and delving into the world of advanced skills and camaraderie. While they finished up their dive, the rest of the boat got a few quiet hours of study or nap time. Friendship Bay has given us a nonstop supply of swells, and we have resorted to sleep and chocolate at all costs. As lunchtime rolled around, we enjoyed some Thai peanut chicken made by my favorite sous chef, Kelsay. While we were eating, we all spotted a man in a dingy curiously looking at our boat. As he approached the boat, he asked Steph if we were a Seamester vessel and if she knew Ian Wiggin. It just so happened to be that an old friend of Wiggys was in the same anchorage as us! What a small world. In the afternoon, I got to go diving with Scuba, Steve, and Peyton, and we went through a few skills, including equipment exchange where we had to switch our fins, BCD, and mask, all while sharing a regular between the two of us. It was quite a thrilling yet nerve-wracking experience, and it taught me the importance of staying calm and collected underwater when things get a little uncomfortable. The rest of the day was spent with more downtime, followed by showers and a delicious Caribbean chicken dinner.