14) Georgia - Offshore wreck:
The day before I arrived, the winds began to pick up. I met Judy and she indicated we probably wouldn’t get out the next day. Then what would I do? I looked at the water around the dock and found ten inches of visibility. Was this an option? The floating fish head made it much less appealing. Since all the dives on this leg were scheduled directly after Georgia, I could have a big problem.

15) South Carolina - Cooper River:
It wasn’t long before I found a gravel pocket and began fishing through the loose material. Almost immediately, I found shark teeth - big, fossilized teeth, just like the ones I’d seen in stores. Five minutes after leaving the sunny skies above, I was in complete darkness playing amateur archaeologist under a South Carolina bayou. Isn’t scuba great?

16) North Carolina - Wrecks and Sand Tigers:
Leaving the wreck, I watched the leashed shark slowly fade out of view. This was one of the most poignant images I’d ever seen underwater. The diver with one arm was surfacing with her boyfriend close by. She was managing to overcome her handicap to experience the thrill of diving. The shark was struggling and would probably die. Amidst a beautiful dive in North Carolina waters, I thought about their individual struggles throughout my ten minute safety stop.

17) Virginia - More great wrecks, different current:
I always ask about dive clubs. I think they’re the best way to stay active, yet I’m bewildered that scuba magazines and dive shops resist them. Hayes said he joined a club to get the discounts. This seems to come up often on the East Coast. I asked another diver, Tom Doane, an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) dive rescue volunteer out of Virginia Beach. He told me the rescue unit he works with is his club. Hayes asked what kind of discount they offered. "You don’t get any benefits other than knowing you’re helping the community" Tom explained. Hayes looked at him in in perplexed confusion.

18) West Virginia - Mt. Storm Lake:
The lake is only about a half an hour from the Maryland border. The drive is an eye-opening opportunity to see the effects of a depressed economy. I was told coal mining is the source of income in these parts. Apparently, it doesn’t pay well.

19) Maryland - Deep Creek Lake:
I learned this lake has a lot of history. Thomas Edison and numerous presidents vacationed here. It was heavily fortified during World War II. Located just west of the continental divide, its waters flow west, and could have flooded the steel factories in Pittsburgh if the dam was bombed. I hadn’t realized Maryland extended this far west.

20) Pennsylvania - Dutch Springs:
After much discussion, we got around to gearing up. Coming from the hustle-bustle rush of off-shore diving, this more relaxed approach was quite welcome. It seemed so civilized to just ease into the morning and dive exactly when you want. I was happy to take a break from the 5 am wake up calls and the sunrise departures.

21) New Jersey - Inlet bridge dive, sunset:
Greg put the big weakfish on the counter and immediately cut its head off. I watched with peculiar envy as the blood spilled down the cabinets onto the kitchen floor. "Boy," I thought, "it’s been a long time since I could get away with that." My wife would kill me if I even thought of cutting up a fish on the counter without using a cutting board. Greg didn’t give it a second thought.

22) Delaware - More wrecks!:
We finally met and everyone settled in for the ride offshore. Trish is a very active lady, involved in the church choir, stamp collecting and wreck diving. She’s also quite a whiz on the computer having constructed three excellent web-sites. Darryl and Trish met while diving and were married shortly after. Together, they run Surface Interval, a very steady operation that has no similarity to the cattle boat operations I’d grown to detest.