Well we are just coming up on 5 fsw in our sixteen and a half hour decompression, and I find myself with mixed emotions as we approach our final three and a half hours on this five day dive in Aquarius. No matter what the length of stay down here, one is always ready to hit the surface and see the sun, feel the ocean breezes, and return to a normal life. However, it is always sad to say goodbye to all our swimming friends here, both of the fish variety and those we saturated with on the mission. This has been my first opportunity to saturate with my good friend and co-worker Jim Buckley, and I thank Jay, Otter, and James for making that possible. I have really enjoyed all my excursions with Capts Wilkins, Murray, and Helmkamp, and with their help we have accomplished much. Not only have we gotten a jump on our winter shutdown of the way stations and other support equipment here at Conch Reef, as well as surveyed and marked two new deep under water fill station sites for the 2004 research season, but we have had many talks about how we can share resources and work together to foster cooperative efforts, bringing military, scientific, and commercial diving closer together. Our commercial diving representative Ross Saxon sadly wasn't down on the mission with us, but he was at the watch desk during the entire dive and no less a participant than if he was here. Ross we missed you, but were grateful for all your discussions and support.
No mission can be completed without the outstanding topside support all our NURC brothers (and sister) lend from above, our hats off to all of you, it was especially nice coordinating the work with sat and surface divers together.
Without taking anything from my fellow aquanauts from previous missions, I will always look back on this mission as one very special time in my life underwater.