Posted by Dave on June 16, 2005 at 03:33:20:
I once had a LAPD buddy who owned a 42' Californian yacht which is a copy of a Grand Banks cruiser. I met Mike at a dive store and and became aquainted as he had on-duty partnered my best friend and workout buddy Matt who was also an LAPD type as we wentthrough our respective academies at the same time.
He invited me once for a weekend Catalina dive trip on his powerboat as he also liked to dive. I went solo on that first trip, and actually volunteered first to pay my share of gas and I helped him and his girlfriend cleanup afterwards. He said he had never ever had anyone offer to pay his share of fuel, let alone cleanup...and that I was entitled to be keel ballast for life as well as bring a date. Gee, and I thought I was just being normal in paying my way....
On designated weekend trips he would give me the keys and I would invite a new date and we would arrive Friday evening. We would go out to dinner in Marina del Rey, then go for an relaxing evening walk along the waterfront. We would then head back to the boat to the front private stateroom and invariably thoroughly enjoy a night of intimacy.
My buddy and his girl would show up usually with another couple around 7 a.m. the following morning and do all their personal gear loading issues I had already taken care of for myself and my date beforehand. By 8 am Saturday off we were.....my date and I would sleep in till 9 am or so, awake and usually enjoy eachothers company some more till we got up around 10 am on average. I would be about first, make her breakfast...after all, I asked her out so it is her turn to be doted over.....and we would then go up on the top cabin level, sometimes I would give my date an long, soothing Swedish style massage in the warm sun as I am professionally trained, or many times sit in the breeze and just sing along together to the songs on the stereo. I love women who enjoy singing as I do.. Jane was always so good at singing harmony to my lead.....we would sip cold refreshments and now and then be treated to dolphins frolicking in the sunpainted torquoise waters
Once we arrived, my date would layout with the other girls, the more adventurseome ones ala Saint Tropez style while while we geared up and went diving. Several girlfriends I had spent alot of time training basic diving in a pool after putting them through some skills and theory first of course. If so my date would be my dive buddy. I remember fondly a natural blonde, wavy haired petite girl named Chris I had met at a dance club. We both liked to dance....she worked at Costco in Burbank. I loved the way her eyes lit up and she smiled when I made a surprise visit to her work the first time. She was the quintessential All American girl next door cute surfer chick, which meant of course she didn't actually surf, lol.
On a weekend dive trip with Chris I ran into an anchovy bait ball and I hurriedly motored the inflatable Avon with her over to it and told her to jump right into the ball. She had on just her wetsuit, mask and fins so she she snorkeled about. After her initial headfirst dive, she popped up in a few seconds with neoprene glove clad fingers squirming with wriggling anchovies....she was gleefully giggling like a playful little girl. She asked me to come join her, and we watched the awesome spectacle of this huge bait ball being marauded by bonito and barracuda from down below.
It is really a rewarding experience being responsible for opening up the underwater world and its wonderous spectacle to those who have never experienced it. I get the biggest kick ou tof watching new studnet son theri first open water dive having their attentioned diverted away by the sheer joy of the experience to the consternation but familiar understanding of the instructor. Chris told me I was the most romatic, fun, adventuresome all rolled into one date she has ever had and she said no guy could ever top teaching and letting her experience diving. That was such a nice compliment....
After the first long dive in the shallows I would usually have enough scallops and abalone for the later evening. In the afternoon I would take my date and we would either go for a walk on the island, or more often, take the Avon and go find our own private beach and lay out and sometimes eliminate our tan lines.
In the early evening we would be back and since my buddy was sqeamish about night diving, I would go down just after sunset and was always able to get enough lobster for us all. By the time I came up, most of the food was well on its way and the steaks were on the barbie. My date would have already taken a hot freshwater shower, so I would hand over the bugs, they would get thrown ion the barbie, and I would take a hot shower and change into clean clothes. Friends and lovers would all sit around the spacious back of the boat eating steak, scallops, abalone, salad and fresh lobster and enjoy chatting. I would usually take my date to the pier after dinner and we would go for an evening island stroll holding hands, sometimes stopping by one of the restaurants for some relaxing drinks and good conversation. In the evening it was back to our stateroom and more intimacy...
Sunday we would wake up and I would spend the day on Catalina with my date doing whatever she wanted, snorkeling, swimming, sunning in our own private cove, often me giving a massage if we were too busy having fun singing the day before, go for an island tour, a bike ride, taking her for a breezy Mr Toads Wild Ride tour on a golf cart...I would take her to a nice dinner restaurant, go for a evening walk together....then head back to the boat. We always soon departed late Sunday evening, and while motoring back, we usually just relaxed in eachothers arms into a blissful nap till we arrived back in MdR.
Eventually Mike sold his boat to buy a house......
Till then, ah.....those were the days...