That's me in the pictures. On the right one, I am the one exhaling bubbles while enjoying my favorite sport, collecting my selected prize, frolicking at the best time of the day. (Thanks for the photo, Yazmin!)
See me here in my preferred dive suit ...... it is called a "TRUE SKIN" ...... Or you can find me herewith my group of divers hanging in our DECO BAR . And, if by now, you are suspecting I am one of the instigators of this Home Page, you have no idea how right you are!!!
I work as a LEAD FORECASTER at the NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER in Miami, Florida. I manage all Marine Special Projects at NHC ...... (Special Project is defined as a task NOBODY ELSE wants to do). That's me making the boss believe I'm AT WORK. I included the NHC HOME PAGE because of all the neat information available through them that is of interest to divers, like marine observations with sea conditions around south Florida and many other places.
Do you know why south Florida is the Diving Capital of the USA?? Just take a look at our marine conditions. You can read our year-round water temperature, wind speed and even wave heights from the buoy array just off our sun-bathed coast.
You can see the real-time weather observations on some of our buoy stations around SOUTH FLORIDA.
CLIMATOLOGICAL SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AVERAGES
Courtesy: NWS, Miami Forecast Office
WHY WE DIVE SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE CARIBBEAN ???
WATER TEMPERATURES WHICH REQUIRE NO THICK BULKY WET SUITS
( Yes, even my "true skin" suffices )!!!!
HERE'S A TASTE OF IT ! (some months are separated by halves;
temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit)
MONTH DAYTONA MIAMI KEY WEST SAN JUAN
JAN 61 71 69 77
FEB 59 73 70 78
MAR 65 75 70 78
APR I 70 78 79 79
II 73 78 79 80
MAY I 75 80 82 80
II 78 81 83 81
JUN I 79 84 86 81
II 80 85 86 81
JUL I 80 86 87 81
II 80 86 87 81
AUG I 80 86 87 83
II 81 84 87 83
SEP I 83 84 86 83
II 82 83 86 83
OCT I 79 83 83 83
II 76 79 80 82
NOV 71 76 76 81
DEC 65 73 72 80
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After you are done with this Home Page ...... take a look at the new and exciting NAUI HOME PAGE in the Internet. There is a lot to see there!!! ...... and they continue to improve, so give it a peek once in awhile. Log it on your bookmarks too.
As my NAUI instructor number could indicate ...... circa 1969 (I must have been 4 1/2 years old when I first became certified as a NAUI Instructor!!!) ..... I have been with this organization from its very early stages. I have seen its dynamic growth, its dedication to safety and how its standards remain unequalled in the diving industry. I have striven to widen the avenues of opportunity for Hispanics to become instructors and NAUI has supported this by translating many of its audiovisual support into Spanish. Many of my Instructor Training Courses (ITC) have been in Spanish and even in Portuguese! In 1996, I lectured at the 8th Coral Reef Symposium held in the Republic of Panama sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. Image 1700 delegates in a gigantic convention center, all looking for information on the coral reef environment. My lectures on the use of Nitrox in Research and the Rebreather Experiences in Scientific Diving were SRO!
I admit I am spoiled by the south Florida diving ...... great visibility in warm tranquil waters with LOTS of marine life in just a 20-30 minutes sail. Sorry to rub it in, guys!!! You can tell from our schedule (in another window of this page), that we have kept ourselves busy with a whole spectrum of diving courses, including the now-popular DECO and TRIMIX Courses (See DECO window). We plan to continue at this pace throughout the rest of the year!!
As a NAUI Instructor Course Director, I dedicate time and resources to the planning and execution of the Instructor Training Courses or Crossovers I direct or participate. Still, I always strive to teach, at least, two DIVEMASTER COURSES (including Nitrox DM) annually, with leadership development as a primary goal ...... this means it is intended for candidates who think seriouly of developing the skills to become a NAUI instructor. By the same token, the RESCUE COURSES are heavily oriented towards accident management, not just the rescue aspect of it. Outlines of both these courses would demonstrate how comprehensive these courses are. The emphasis on either one of these courses is in the actual hands-on practice done by the students of simulated, yet realistic, exercises.
In addition, I teach NITROX AND TRIMIX courses for IANTD where I hold INSTRUCTOR TRAINER rating (ALL courses also available in Spanish!). ALL of our dives are performed with NITROX or TRIMIX, given all their physiological advantages over air. Our liveaboard trips include dives and safety stops on high percentage NITROX (for those who are qualified and certified!) To enhance their training, we offer our TECHNICAL NITROX COURSE which brings students to the leading edge of today's dive training. This course offers the training you need to make those longer dives at deeper sites. We learn the discipline, equipment, techniques and execution of technical dives. Do you think you are up to par with it??? Check our TECHNICAL COURSE outline and see for yourself! This course is aimed at serious divers whose experiences have taken them to longer and deeper dives. The training is rigorous and intense. The dives include deep wrecks below 130' and decompression diving. Obviously, this course requires previous Nitrox training and experiences.
More information is available thru e-mail at WALLY1716@aol.com