Diving Into Blue

Ever since our last dive trip, Greg has been yearning for a video camera (and housing) that we (really he) can use. A still camera takes great pictures but to really see the motion, the fish, and the colors, you really need a video camera.

So, Greg did his research--days and days and weeks of research. I questioned Ken. Greg compared different brands. We talked to the dudes at BestBuy. And finally, he made his choice. We're the proud parents of little Sonita--a Sony HDR-HC3. It's a high-definition camera.

Searching for just the right housing was also a chore. Only the best for little Sonita! And I must say, this housing is awesome! To make it complete, Greg also purchased a compact monitor that goes on top of the housing. When it works, you don't have to look through the little viewfinder while your videotaping. Right now, it's not working because you have to charge it. And to charge it, you need a charger. We didn't get one. Opps! We've been e-mailing our sales dude, Russ. We'll get a charger when we get home. But I digress...

Greg didn't take little Sonita on our first few dives. We just needed some time alone so we could get back into diving by ourselves. The first day little Sonita came with us, we also brought along a nanny to care for little Sonita before and after the dives. And that's all it took until we had little Sonita in a routine.

Greg carries little Sonita down to the boat wrapped in a towel and lays her gently on the small berth in the bow of the boat. It's the mates responsibility to hand little Sonita to Greg once Greg is in the water. And the mate is there at the end of the dive to take little Sonita from Greg and place her back on the berth.

Once we're done diving, Greg gives little Sonita a bath to clean all the saltwater off and places a towel over her to keep her warm overnight. She sleeps in the bathtub, by the way.








Every day, Greg gets better and better using little Sonita. We were looking forward to talking with the videographer from the dive shop when we got here. We could use some helpful hints. Unfortunately, they don't have a videographer right now. But they do have the computer set up. Carlos, the manager of the dive shop, was going to work out a deal with us. Probably a little kick back if we were to videotape the tourists during their dive and sell them a DVD.

I looked at Greg. Was it fate? Could we really sell all our worldly possessions and work in Cozumel as a videographer and editor? My eyes lit up.

"Not so fast," says Greg.

Maybe some day in the future...