The "Diving to the Depths of Grace Bay" Story

Friends Randy on the left and Tom on the right.

It was an ordinary day.  Waiting for the sun to set over Grace Bay in Provo.  We arrived late this afternoon and after a quick dip in the ocean are anxiously awaiting the first of what we hope will be many gorgeous sunsets over one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  I have my Sony Alpha DSLR camera ready to document the sunset.  Will try to take it with and without the polarizing filter that I always use when photographing sunsets.  As I await the sun to drop into the horizon, I look to my left and see this fellow with a large camera bag over his shoulder, carrying a camera that has a lens to die for.  He checks up and down the beach and settles on a spot close to me.  He looks like he has taken this same shot many times and knows where the sunset will be the most spectacular.  I watch him prepare, looking for the overhanging palm branch or the spot in the beach grass that will allow him to frame the shot to make it interesting.  I turn toward the sunset, take a few shots of the sun as it drifts behind the clouds and turn back toward the fellow.  Not there!  He has seemed to have vanished.  Maybe I will get another chance to talk with him again.  You see, I am a photography nut who enjoys taking photos of just about anything and enjoys talking with like souls who share my passion.  Well, the next night I get a chance to meet him as he arrives again with his camera and camera bag.  Tom is his name as he introduces himself as well as his friend Randy.  Randy owns one of the units at Ocean Club East were Carol and I, as well as our traveling friends Jerry and Just Sue, are staying for two weeks.  Tom is not only a skilled amateur photographer, but also a scuba diver as is Randy.  Right off the beach sits Randy's 9.9 HP Zodiac that carries the two of them off into the distance to dive beyond the whitecaps.  Depths of well over 100 feet create fantastic chances for Tom and Randy to dive as well as take photos.  During my two weeks on the island I got many chances to talk with both of them about the island as well as their love of the sea.  They both are residents of New York and met while working for Verizon.  Randy bought his unit in 1989 and found that after 9/11 his wife didn't care to fly anymore, so he had the chance to have Tom spend a few weeks in paradise with him, scuba diving and taking photos.  Randy started his scuba experiences in 1967 in the local lakes of NY while Tom took up the hobby in 1978.  Tom now uses his Canon G9 DSLR, housed in a waterproof unit to document the dives that the two friends take most days that the weather will permit diving.  One evening as Carol and I and our friends were having our evening meal at the Cabana Bar and Grill on the premises of Ocean Club East, Tom pulled up a chair next to us, sat his laptop on the table and proceeded to show us some of the most spectacular underwater photos I have ever seen.  He and Randy not only know the names of the sea life we are watching on the screen, but the history and mannerisms of all of the colorful species we are viewing.  It was as if we were watching a National Geographic episode on TV.  During the remainder of my vacation I talked with and picked the brains of both of them.  Found out that Randy knows most of the history of the island and a few of my stories I have published or will publish in the future were done with his help.  He also offered me a ride in his water vessel, but I wasn't able to pull myself into it in the rough waters.  I did get to take his underwater Sea Doo scooter for a short ride one day.  I have traveled to many locations in the Caribbean in the past 10 years and have met many wonderful people, both locals and visitors, but have never found two guys that have been as interesting, informative and just plain friendly as Tom and Randy.  I hope I can stay in touch with them some how and maybe meet up with them again someday.  Their friendship made our vacation something special this time around; thanks to both of you for befriending us!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The photos I have included are photos that I took from a CD that Tom gave to me before I left.  See if you don't think they are amazing.  Please remember that they are copyrighted.