I love shore diving for a number of reasons: longer bottom times, no boat schedules and the ability to stay in a good spot if we feel like it. There are also fewer divers which means creatures don’t get scared and swim away before we get to them. Unfortunately, when I saw YouTube videos about shore diving sites, they mostly only showed the sea life. There was little to no information about how to tackle the dive itself. Every shore dive is different. Some parts are straightforward; but others my present challenges. Is the site easy to find? Is there a place to set-up your gear? How far is the walk to the entry? How do you navigate back to the entry point after an hour swimming the reef? Are there any interesting aspects (wreck, unique coral, etc.) that divers should look for? Etc.

After retiring in May, I set about building new skills so that I could not only share my passion with others, but also provide guidance to others interested in shore diving some of the spots we visit. That goal reached its first milestone today with the inaugural episode of “The Shore Dive Collection” where we explore Tres Trapi in Aruba.

To be sure, it has been a learning curve. I have really enjoyed exploring what Final Cut Pro can do and some of the plug-in effects are simply amazing. I am constantly learning keyboard shortcuts, better editing techniques, workflow improvements, etc. Scripting has been fun as I enjoy writing, but the narration in Garage Band took a bit to nail down as we don’t really have a sound studio. We travel around and each place we stay has different acoustics. Rental units typically have sparse wall hangings and Caribbean housing typically has tile floors, so there is a slight, but ubiquitous echo.

Anyway, there will be more episodes…and hopefully, they will come a bit more frequently as I improve my skills and process. So, for now, please enjoy Diving Tres Trapi, Aruba from The Shore Dive Collection!