#I also want to make at least one more giant manta ray this weekend

[tj-crochets]

Hi TJ! Sorry if I’m just missing it somehow, but where are you posting your patterns now? With the polls you’ve been doing I’ve been getting pretty excited, but then I realized I didn’t know where to look for them when you were done?

Hi! I'm posting them here on tumblr, it's just been a few weeks since my last one. I did the polls, got super excited to share more patterns, then two of my coworkers ended up in the hospital for reasons that, as far as I know, are not work related and work has been stressful enough ever since that I haven't gotten around the sharing more patterns yet. Maybe this weekend though? I share each pattern as an individual post, usually as a reblog to the post with the pictures of the finished plushie. Then I update this post, which has all links to all the sewing patterns I've shared so far, so if you see that post floating around it's worth clicking through to the original post to see if I've updated it since whichever reblog chain you see gained traction

#ask away! #thanks for asking nonny! #between the work stress and the asthma flareup I've been a bit burnt out these last few weeks #(not even mentioning all the health insurance stress) #but I've almost got the rainbow quilt top finished and I'm...mostly on an even keel again #mostly. it's a work in progress but tomorrow I get to go get more of the one kind of salsa I'm not allergic to #and I'm very excited about that #it's only sold in one store locally and that store is in the next town over so I'm going to get like three jars of it #I also want to make at least one more giant manta ray this weekend

[rememberthattime]

Chapter 47. Fiji

I was born on May 13, 1989. I don’t remember much about the day, but from pictures, it looked like a great time. My parents were celebrating, there were balloons, someone brought a children’s Chicago Cubs baseball set.

Today is my 30th birthday, so I’m reflecting … looking back all the way to the very start.

It’s interesting to imagine my mom & dad’s thoughts in that delivery room 30 years ago. They must have been terrified by the responsibility of raising a toddler (I would be), but also excited for their new son’s future. What will he grow up to be? Where will he live? What will he do? Their dreams for me had to be bigger than their 1980’s hair.

In the least dramatic way I can say this: they couldn’t have predicted where I’d end up 30 years later.

Birthdays are important to celebrate, but especially milestone birthdays. This is mainly Chelsay’s influence speaking, but I agree with her: milestone birthdays are ones you’ll always remember. 15 years from now, we’ll think back and ask: “What did we do for your 30th birthday?” ... I won’t let that be an ordinary memory. Life is busy though, so it’s tough to carve out a day for festivities, let alone plan them. Even a month ago, Chelsay and I didn’t know how we’d be celebrating. Chels had plans in motion, but my work complicated things by scheduling meetings in Atlanta the week before. My trip back to Sydney would require 24 hours of flights, so would we still be up for a big celebration? The answer is Yes. I’m not 70, and I just said milestone birthdays were important, so we’re making this happen. Work would pay for me to get from ATL back to SYD via any route, so Chels and I started looking for convenient connecting destinations. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Patagonia, and Hawaii were all considered, but in the end, we found the perfect blend of celebration, relaxation, adventure, and convenient flights in Fiji. Fiji is a county made up of 330 islands, and each island chain has its own unique characteristics. Viti Levu is the main island and home to Nadi Airport, but most tourists don’t stay here. Near Viti Levu are the Mamanucas, small sandy dots amongst the expansive blue. The Mamanucas are stunning, but they’re typically more resort-y and popular with nearby Aussies & Kiwis. Then there are the Yasawas, where Chelsay and I chose to stay. The Yasawas are further from the mainland, and their remoteness means their less touristy.

This is a double-edged sword though, because less tourists means there’s less tourist infrastructre, so finding a comfortable option would take some research. We eventually decided on Paradise Cove, which perfectly balanced vacation comforts (comfy bed, outdoor shower, and excellent food, which can’t be understated on a remote island) with a sense of wild adventure (fewer guests, great snorkelling, and hiking paths around the large island).

I nailed my meetings in Atlanta, so my birthday weekend was off to a good start even before boarding the plane. For the next 24 hours of flights, I had nothing to worry about - just enjoying a few movies and catching up on sleep. Chelsay and I met up in the Nadi Airport after extremely disproportionate flight times (hers was only 4 hours), and caught a ferry to Paradise Cove. Seaplanes were an option, but they were 5x the price and this wasn’t our honeymoon. The other advantage of the ferry is that it allowed us to see the different Fijian islands up close. Viti Levu and the Mamanucas were very nice, but Chelsay and I knew we’d made the right choice as we arrived in the less crowded Yasawas.

We were in heaven as we stepped onto the sandy beaches of Paradise Cove. A jungle of palm trees lined the beach, at first hiding the resort before eventually revealing a dream island getaway: shaded cabanas, pool-side lounge chairs, and a bar concocting frozen, fruity treats.

The pineapple on top of this pina colada was that Chelsay told the resort it was both of our birthdays, so they upgraded our villa and outfitted it with balloons and welcome drinks. As birthday surprises go, drinks on a beach in Fiji was pretty good.

After drinks on the beach, scuba diving wasn’t really an option, so we decided to snorkel in Paradise Cove’s house reef. I was really surprised by its color. It was just last week that I wrote about the scale of the Great Barrier Reef... but out in the middle of the Pacific, Fiji’s immense soft coral, highlighter vibrancy, and sea life abundance were incredible.

Now, it was inevitable that jet lag would catch up to me. Atlanta is 16 hours behind Fiji, and I was mentally nearing midnight. Chelsay was also dealing with severe time zone change (2 hours), so she was equally down for a nap. We gave ourselves 90 minutes but would wake up well before our 6:30 dinner. Apparently we woke up to the alarm at 5:30... I don’t remember. I guess I turned it off and only woke up once Chelsay checked her phone. 6:20. Woof. I say all this only to give you an idea of the mental state I was in over dinner. It was similar to that infamous Innsbruck dinner, where Chelsay and I giggled through our whole meal in a tired haze. After our mains, I asked Chelsay if it was time to call it a night... Despite having sour straws in the room, she insisted we stay at the restaurant for dessert. “Alright, well if we’re going to be here awhile, I need some extra bug spray.” I stumbled back to the room and, as I was re-applying, I heard singing in the distance. “Must be the ‘Kava Social’ by the fire pit,” I thought. ...These resorts always put on a show. Still in a sleepy haze, I leisurely made my way back to Chelsay. As I got closer though, I realized the singing wasn’t coming from the fire pit… it was coming from the restaurant. I turned the corner and could see they were surrounding Chelsay and I’s table... and Chelsay had her hands clasped over her mouth... and they weren’t making eye contact with her... and they had a cake. OH NO! They’d been singing this whole time for me!!!! Ahhhhh-I rushed back to the table, face bright red, and started clapping along as they sang a Fijian happy birthday song. I don’t know what they sang actually... it could’ve been the alphabet. I just tried to focus on Chelsay and not on the fact that the song had been going for at least three minutes. I thought to myself, “Chelsay must be so embarrassed!” And then I thought, “Oh no everyone thinks I was taking a shit!” The song finally wrapped up, and the waiters were laughing with Chelsay and I. They accusingly pointed out that it was the longest they’ve ever had to sing happy birthday… “Guys, I swear, I was putting on more bug spray!” Luckily a nearby couple caught the awkwardness of camera.

The next morning, Chelsay and I had scheduled back-to-back dives. We’ve been diving quite a bit recently, but it was still fun to float around the bottom of the ocean. Much like the local humans, Fijian fish seemed incredible friendly: the sea life was very comfortable with divers, staring back at Chelsay and I from only a few inches away.

After our dives, Chels and I took a 1.5 hour hike around the island, stopping at a secluded beach for private snorkelling. Along the hike, the resort had set up a few small exercise stations. One station was a tire flip... like what NFL prospects train with. This is probably why all the Polynesian players are so big. Anyway, Chelsay challenged me to flip it and I did so without difficulty. It must not have looked hard, because Chelsay confidently stepped up to try it herself. She bent down, grabbed the tire, lifted from her legs for less than one millisecond, and walked away with nothing but a “Nope.”

At dinner that night, first of all, there were no birthday song surprises. Second, we had phenomenal steak with a spread of beetroot, pea, and garlic purée. It was exceptional, as was every meal we ate at Paradise Cove. This can’t be overstated. I mentioned earlier that food in many Yasawan islands is poor, often limited to rice and fries. These resorts just aren’t prepared to meet all vacation comforts... Paradise Cove was ready though. Over our three days, we enjoyed tasty local kokoda, beef lettuce wraps, coconut crusted chicken, and their many fresh catches of the day.

The next morning, Chelsay and I joined a snorkel excursion through a nearby island channel. In Fiji, these channels serve as a funnel for pods of manta rays, which are probably my favorite non-dog animal. See, ever since our failed hunt for mantas in the Maldives, I’ve had an appreciation for how hard they are to find. Even though we’ve since seen entire pods of mantas, I’ll always jump at the slightest chance to see another. Our boat between the two islands, and the guide jumped in the water. He wore a weight belt so that he could sink down where the mantas swim, which I only mention because I want to remember how easily he descended 10 meters (30 feet), sitting in the dark blue for 2 minutes before resurfacing. This guy is a fish. On the other hand, Chelsay had a less graceful descent. When we scuba dived the day before, we exited the boat by sitting on the ledge, tanks over the water, and just falling backwards. The weight of the tank would naturally fall into the water and 360-degree flip you back to the surface. When snorkelling though, you don’t have the weight of the tank. Chelsay threw herself back and entered the water, but was too buoyant to complete a flip. She’d contoured herself into an arch, with her belly sticking out of the water and fins frantically trying to rotate over. She probably scared the mantas away. It took about 30 minutes of tense anticipation, but while staring down at the blue abyss, we heard the guide yell, “Manta!” Chelsay and I swam over quickly to take in the majestic giant. At around 3 meters wide, this female manta was bigger than me, yet swam with such gentle grace. Its grace is deceptive though, because it’s actually still moving quickly - between our hunt and subsequent chase, I probably swam 3 km that morning.

Chels and I were tired when we got back to Paradise Cove, but it was our last day so we decided to snorkel the house reef one more time. It was cool to see the soft coral again, but we were pooped. I actually had to tow Chelsay back: you know, when I swim in front and my wife just holds onto my foot.

As I was towing her, we passed over a shallow part of the reef but I kept powering along. Suddenly, Chelsay let go of my foot and started slapping the water. I stopped in my tracks, unsure what she was freaking out about. She swam off, so I followed, and it wasn’t until we’d gotten to shore that she told me what it was: apparently a venomous white-banded sea snake popped out and launched within 1.5 ft of me. That was enough sea life for this trip, so we spent the rest of the day on the resort’s inflated jungle gym. We laughed, played around, and attempted backflips (key word: attempted). Just a reminder that I’d turned 30 a few days before.

That note actually transitions well into my conclusion…

A lot of people get anxious about their 30th birthday. It isn’t a vitality thing - too early for that - but the anxiety comes more from gauging where you are vs where you thought you’d be. Life isn’t a checklist, but it’s natural to have expectations for when you turn 30, 40, etc. Well, I’m writing this from my villa patio in Fiji, so I’m nailing the “Where you are” part. To answer that question less literally though, I’ll instead consider “Where I am” against Chelsay and I’s life motto, something we wrote in our wedding vows: “We’ll never let age get in the way of our youth.” This is perfect motto for age-related milestones because youth isn’t a concept tied to age. It isn’t chapter in your life that just fades away. It’s a mindset, and it’s one you can measure whether you’re 5, 20, 30, 40, or 80. To be youthful is to be energetic, playful, and optimistic. Now I’m technically 30, but this milestone age doesn’t bother me. “Where I am” is energetic enough to swim with Mantas, playful enough to laugh at awkward cake situations and splash around on an inflatable jungle gym, and optimistic enough to make a celebratory Fiji weekend happen despite all of life’s complexities. I’m not worried about turning 30, because after the past weekend, I know I’m as youthful as I’ve ever been.

[charllieeldridge]

Guide To Scuba Diving in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

You might be familiar with Puerto Vallarta as a vacation destination, but did you know it’s also a great place for a bit of scuba diving in Mexico?

This famous beach town is the perfect base for exploring some amazing dive sites in the area. We’ll take a closer look at scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta in this detailed guide. 

For more on travelling to PV, make sure to have a look at our complete guide to visiting Puerto Vallarta, where to stay in Puerto Vallarta, the best beaches, where to eat, the nightlife, and the top tours!

Here we go, our Scuba Diving Guide to Puerto Vallarta

Introduction to Scuba Diving in Puerto Vallarta

It’s a short and scenic boat ride from town to many sites in Banderas Bay, most of which are fine for beginners and advanced divers alike. Around PV, you can dive shipwrecks, caves, underwater mountain ranges, and much more. 

There’s lots of amazing marine life to see when diving around Puerto Vallarta. You can spot all kinds of rays and turtles as well as moray eels, dolphins, and even humpback whales.

  Scuba diving really is an incredible experience and is one of the best activities in Puerto Vallarta.

While destinations like Cozumel and Playa del Carmen on the east coast may be more well-known, Puerto Vallarta is a great diving destination in its own right.

In my humble opinion, it’s also just a nicer place to visit. I may be a bit biased, having spent the better part of the last three years living there, but there’s a reason I chose this beach town on the west coast of Mexico!

Although it takes a little while from town to reach the best dive sites, that’s half the fun. On these boat trips around Banderas Bay, you’ll be able to enjoy some postcard-worthy scenery en route to your dive site. It truly is a stunning place to visit.

Best of all, there’s so much to see and do in Puerto Vallarta when you’re not in the water.

This is the perfect destination if you’re hoping to do a bit of diving in addition to other adventure and cultural activities. Of course, you can always just kick back and relax on the beach with a margarita in hand as well!

If you’re planning a trip to do some scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta, read on for a closer look at the best time to visit, the top dive sites, and some highly-rated dive shops to go with.

When To Go Scuba Diving in Puerto Vallarta

The best time to go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta depends on what you’re hoping to do. Some would say the best time is between November and May when the seas are calmest. 

It’s typically sunny, warm, and dry during these months, so you can enjoy your time on land as well. That being said, the winter months also see limited visibility and the water can get quite chilly.

In February the water can get down to 72°F (26°C). Plankton blooms at this time affect the visibility, but that also attracts manta rays and sharks that you’ll hopefully be able to spot. 

On the website of one popular dive shop, they mention how the winter months bring very unpredictable conditions at many of the best dive sites.

Strong currents and winds at this time of year can limit or totally block off access to some of them, so it’s best to plan at least a week in advance. 

Peak travel season to Puerto Vallarta is between December and March, with things getting especially crazy around Christmas and New Year’s. Be sure to book your accommodation well in advance if traveling at this very busy time!

There’s another mini-peak season when Semana Santa (Holy Week) rolls around. This is one of the best times to travel Mexico if you’re into culture, but not if you aren’t a fan of crowds.

Summer means the rainy season in Puerto Vallarta, which has its pros and cons.

On the one hand, it’s very hot and humid with frequent downpours. Dealing with inclement weather means smaller crowds and lower prices, though.

The exception to this is weekends in the summer when Mexican families turn up in droves to enjoy la playa.

The water is also warmest at this time (around 85°F/30°C in August-September) and visibility is at its best, so it’s not a bad time to go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta. 

Best Dive Sites in Puerto Vallarta

While there aren’t many dive sites offshore or right around town, the boat ride to reach them is half the fun. Cruising around Banderas Bay on a beautiful day on your way out to a 2-tank dive isn’t such a bad commute.

Here are some of the best sites to go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta:

Los Arcos

Water Temp: 65-89°F (18-31°C) Average Visibility: 20-50 ft (6-15 m) Depth: 29.5-130 ft (9-40 m)

Perhaps the most popular spot to go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta is Los Arcos.

This epic marine park features arches (hence the name) as well as caves, tunnels, and a reef full of marine life like lobsters, octopuses, moray eels, rays, and all kinds of colorful fish. 

There are a few different trails that divers can follow at Los Arcos. These are suitable for divers of all levels as they range greatly in depth.

Beginners can enjoy “El Acuario” (The Aquarium) while more advanced divers can check out “La Quijada del Diablo” (The Devil’s Jaw).

Chimo

Water Temp: 65-86°F (18-30°C) Visibility: 20 – 60 ft/ (7-18 m) Depth: 40-80 ft (12-25 mt)

This secluded fishing village in the bay is a great dive site for more advanced divers.

On a 2-tank trip here, you can enjoy spotting tropical fish and large pelagic species. This includes manta rays, sea turtles, and even humpback whales between December and April. 

In addition, you can admire “Las Iglesias”, rock formations that resemble the pillars of a cathedral and “Las Torrecillas”, which is an impressive series of pinnacles rising up from the ocean floor.

Marietas Islands

The Marietas Islands are a national park located about an hour-long boat ride from Puerto Vallarta. This is considered the top place to go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta.

Since it’s protected from hunting and fishing, there’s an abundance of marine life here. On a diving trip, you might see giant manta rays, sea turtles, dolphins, eels, and possibly whales in the winter months.

It takes about an hour to reach the Marietas Islands by boat.

As you get closer to the islands, you can also spot several different species of birds, including the blue-footed booby. Best of all, divers of all levels can enjoy a trip to the Marietas Islands.

Water Temp: 62-86°F (17-30°C) Average Visibility: 40 ft (12 m) Depth: 25-60 ft (7.5-18 m)

The stunning Hidden Beach on Marieta Islands is amazing!

Cost of Scuba Diving in Puerto Vallarta

The cost of scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta varies depending on which sites you visit. As I mentioned, many of them are quite a long distance away from the center of town. 

For example, diving at Los Arcos costs between $90-110. Meanwhile, trips out to the Marietas Islands cost a bit more ($120-150). It’s a longer distance to travel plus most operators include lunch and drinks as well.

Two-tank tours to El Chimo average around $150.

Never been diving before? Puerto Vallarta is a great place to learn and start exploring the other 70% of the planet.

To give it a shot, you can sign up for a Discover Scuba Diving course for just $50. This gives you the chance to see if scuba diving is right for you.

Those who want to go all-in can sign up for a PADI Open Water course instead.

These typically take 2-3 days to complete. You can sign up for Open Water courses at Puerto Vallarta dive shops for around $450 total after the cost of learning materials. Once you’re finished, you’ll be certified and ready to rock!

Another option is to do a referral course for as little as $240.

This is when you complete the bookwork portion at a local dive shop back home before traveling to Mexico. Doing that allows you to take care of the studying part at home and spend more time in the water in Puerto Vallarta.

If you’re looking to take your scuba diving to the next level, you can also sign up for Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Deep Diver, and several other courses. Prices for these typically range from $350-500 and take a few days to complete.

Dive Shops in Puerto Vallarta

Quality of dive shops can change as the years pass by. Always make sure that the company you’re going with is PADI recognized, professional and follows proper safety guidelines. Also, always make sure to check recent reviews online, and your diving equipment before heading out.

Banderas Scuba Republic

Address: Lázaro Cárdenas 230, Zona Romántica

Reviews: 4.8 (51 reviews)

Web: Visit Site

BSR has been in the scuba diving business for many years and has earned rave reviews from divers the entire time. This is a professional operation through and through, from the equipment to the dive instructors. 

Vallarta Adventures

Address: C, Mástil 13, Marina Vallarta

Reviews: 4.4 (587 reviews)

Web: Visit Site

The biggest and best tour operator in Puerto Vallarta also does scuba diving courses and trips. You always know that the quality will be top-notch when booking with these guys. 

PV Ocean Tours

Address: Calle Pez Espada 197, Las Gaviotas

Reviews: 5.0 (25 reviews)

Web: Visit Site

Run by a father and son team from the UK, PV Ocean Tours started just a few years ago and is already one of the top dive shops in Banderas Bay. They are known for being very professional and personable. 

Hyperbaric Chambers in Puerto Vallarta

While scuba diving is generally a safe activity, accidents do happen. That’s why you always want to know where the nearest hyperbaric chamber is. 

Unfortunately, there is no SSS Network hyper chamber in Puerto Vallarta. The nearest one is over in Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur. You can click here to check out their site and get more information.

Los Arcos Marine Park

Before you go scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta (or anywhere, for that matter), make sure you have solid travel insurance. The DAN (Divers Alert Network) comes highly recommended for divers. Click here to learn more about their policies.

How to Get to Puerto Vallarta

Most visitors will arrive at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR). It’s always possible to find direct flights to PV from the US and Canada, with the most options during the high season (December-March). 

There aren’t a lot of other international options for arriving in Puerto Vallarta. You can get direct flights to and from Panama City as well as both London and Manchester, but that’s about it. 

If you can’t find a good deal on a flight to PV, I recommend checking out options into either Mexico City or Guadalajara. Both cities are lots of fun to visit and you’ll then be a very short and cheap domestic flight away from the beach!

Puerto Vallarta is also a major cruise ship destination. Those arriving for a quick excursion from a ship can still squeeze in a scuba dive (or two) in Puerto Vallarta.

The thing about traveling to Puerto Vallarta is that you have many options other than staying in town. By flying into PVR, you can also easily base yourself in places like Sayulita, Bucerias, Punta de Mita, Mismaloya, or Yelapa.

All of these places are easily reached by local bus or water taxis and will put you closer to some of the best dive sites in the bay.

Ready to Go Scuba Diving in Puerto Vallarta?

While it may not make many lists of the best places to go scuba diving in the world (or in Mexico), Puerto Vallarta is still a fantastic choice if you want to include a bit of diving during your beach holiday.

Even if you only visit one of the epic sites like the Marietas Islands or Los Arcos, it’s well worth it to try out scuba diving in Puerto Vallarta.

More advanced divers will definitely want to tack on a few extra days to visit some of the more difficult sites in the area such as El Chimo — where you’ll hopefully spot humpback whales from the boat!

When you’re back on land from a big day of diving, you can enjoy all the amenities of this beautiful town. Puerto Vallarta has some incredible restaurants and bars to choose from, making for the perfect way to unwind after a big day out in the water.

Images in this post were sourced on Shutterstock.

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