NextGen Blog 1 - December 2024

Part 1 – PCUE Skill Practice Dives at Panama City Beach

The holiday season has arrived!

I kicked off my December 2024 GUE journey with a trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, to join the Panama City Underwater Explorers (PCUE) for a practice dive at Morrison Springs. This crystal-clear spring in Ponce de Leon features a stunning spring basin, an abundance of freshwater fish, turtles, and an incredible cavern system with a powerful flow of 48 Million gallons per day!

However, conditions aren’t always ideal. When flooding occurs, the spring’s discharge can’t counteract the flow of the nearby Choctawhatchee River. This causes tannin-stained river water to overflow into the spring, turning it into a murky brown pool with elevated bacteria levels—unsafe for swimming or diving.

Fortunately, we had perfect conditions for our dive. The morning began with introductions and great conversations. I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing group of GUE divers, including:

• Kyle & Nina – GUE Tech 1 divers and fantastic community leaders

• Nicole – My post-Fundamentals dive teammate from High Springs

• Max & Rita – Soon-to-be GUE divers

The generosity of the team was incredible—Kyle and Nina lent me a set of AL80 doubles, a pair of Scubapro Jet Fins, and Nina’s wing. Max also let me try his Deep6 Eddy fins, which I’ve always wanted to test out!

We started our first dive in a crisp 68°F (20°C) water at Morrison Springs. The visibility was fantastic—almost crystal clear. Our adventure began with an exploration of the spring cavern outlet, where an iconic tree branch lays across the pit. Looking closely, I was fascinated by the unique channel formations within the cavern system.

We took turns leading so everyone could enjoy the best views before heading to the practice platform for skill drills. Each diver worked on something different:

• Kyle & Nina were preparing for their GUE Cave 1 course

• Max & Rita practiced drysuit skills for their first GUE course (hopefully soon!)

• Nicole was refining skills to achieve her Technical Pass

Everyone was rock-solid in the water, and I have no doubt they’ll reach their goals soon!

After two hours of practice, we wrapped up our session with a relaxed swim around the spring basin, mesmerized by light beams cutting through the water, lively fish, turtles, and massive Cypress trees.

As soon as we surfaced, the reality of winter hit—40°F (6°C) air temperature! I quickly changed out of my wetsuit and we gathered in an open parking lot to soak up the sun, chatting for a while before heading out.

That evening, we reunited for dinner at a local Thai restaurant, where the good food, meaningful conversations, and wonderful diving stories fueled my passion to keep progressing in my GUE training and contributing to the projects.

I’ll never forget the kindness of this community, and I can’t wait to be back! PCUE has Project Baseline dives scheduled for March and April 2025, and I’m looking forward to participating, and learning more about photogrammetry and project diving!

Kyle summed it up best:
"I’m on #TeamDiving, not just #TeamGUE."

That welcoming and inclusive spirit is exactly what I love about this community!

Part 2 – Finally Getting Measured for My First Drysuit!

Thanks to generous support from Halcyon, I’m able to use my GUE NextGen Scholarship to invest in one of the most exciting pieces of dive gear I’ve always dreamed of—a drysuit!

For recommendations, I reached out to Orie Braun, Halcyon’s COO and an exceptional GUE Instructor. He connected me with Scuba Adventures Plano in Dallas, Texas—just a few hours' drive away.

There, I met Autumn Raven, an experienced shop manager, for a Santi drysuit fitting appointment. A few days later, I found myself inside one of the most well-equipped dive shops I’ve ever seen.

Scuba Adventures Plano is truly impressive—a clean, well-organized shop, a 16-ft-deep heated pool, and a top-tier fleet of Halcyon and Scubapro rental gears. Hands down, the best rental equipment I’ve come across!

The fitting process was no joke—we took a whopping 23 measurements! Afterward, Autumn walked me through Santi’s drysuit models and customization options.

I decided on the Santi E.Lite+, known for its exceptional durability and flexibility, perfect for the exploration and project diving I plan to pursue in the technical and cave diving realm.

For added comfort and modularity, I opted for:
✅ Neoprene socks (for interchangeable boots)
✅ Santi SmartSeal wrist system (for easy seal replacement)
✅ User-replaceable silicone neck seal (for added comfort)

By the end of December, I placed my official order—now, the countdown begins!

I can’t wait to get my hands on this suit. No more post-dive shivering! Looking forward to longer, warmer dives in colder waters.

Final Thoughts

I’m incredibly grateful for the support and generosity of the GUE community, my fellow divers, and the amazing mentors who continue to guide me on this journey. From PCUE’s warm welcome to the opportunity to invest in a drysuit, these experiences remind me of the power of teamwork, shared passion, and continuous learning, which represented a core of the GUE community.

A huge thank you to Halcyon for making my drysuit dream a reality, to Orie and Autumn for their expert guidance, and to everyone who has helped me grow as a diver.

This is just the beginning—I’m excited for the next steps, the challenges ahead, and the adventures that await. Here’s to more exploration, more learning, and more incredible dives!

See you in the water! 🌊💙