Howdy! I'm Brian

[Arizona Kid]

18 hours ago, WeFloB said:

Sooo. I just got 100percent rated 5 months ago.

What exactly do you mean? Will you get tax free full payment from the US govt. disability payments? If so how can you be enjoying diving and other things if you are 100% disabled? Just asking. 100% disabled to me would mean that you can't work anymore. Please clarify.

[WeFloB]

I dont really work for money. I do alot of service work like volunteering. I try to earn my tax free paycheck by doing free work. When I say Im working, its more like floating and putting smiles on faces...or 'waking' up a lost dude, or whatever it is that takes me out of the equation.. In return it fills that 'thing' I was missing. Planting coral, diving against debris do the same. I just happen to love the ocean, plus since I cant run anymore it keeps me fit😁They arent real labor intensive. 

Umm theres also a misconception about VA 100% and SSI 100%. 

Social Security Income100%= cant work ( there are no other percentages either -100 or 0.

VA 100% = can do whatever. Evealuated at 100% compensation for wages potentially lost from injury. ( theres 10%, 20%, 30%,50% etc)

My buddys that lost limbs get paid alot more than us that didnt through another scale.

Hope that kinda clarifies the system a bit.

[WeFloB]

Thanks for the shout, Danny. I'll check those spots out as well. 

Ohhhh the Keys... I moved here in August 2017 (right before the hurricane!) So I havent been here long. I'll save the KW story...we all have one! Same as any expat! S***, Ive been one of those too!!

Key West is packed right now as we sit. I live on Big Pine at Mile marker 32. It usually takes me 1hour 1:15 to get to Duval. It took me 1:45 at 7am to get there this morning and 45 minutes to get back to my house at 10. Its the season and since all of the RV parks finally re opened and the cruises all started coming in again..everyone is making up for lost time. Its great for the folks in the service industry....The weather has been garbage for offshore though. I'm fair weathered spoiled though! If I get out in anything over 2 ft, I dont walk for a week! 

The backcountry has been ROCKIN though. Im gonna run aroind the corner tonight and net a couple dozen shrimp. Theyre in thick this season! Lobster season came late. The mini season still sucks and HOLY GOD!!! Being on the conservation side but also having a ton of bubba in the middle of this huge reef sanctioning debate is just crazy! I could go on and on about the Keys but I love it. I have my motorhome and my little lot out by the Key Deer Park. Oh! and I make trips to Ft Jeff to help the NPS guys out. I volunteer with them and NOAA. Thats part of my crew. The reef is sad...REALLY sad. The one at Ft Jeff still looks pretty though. I have some good video freediving the one by the lighthouse...(volunteer conservation diver perks!!)Part of the reason for the Phillipines is to do reef stuff. From what I hear though is that Key West has gotten way too Americanized in the past 20 years. Its crazy expensive. still. Yeah, with rent alone for my RV space, I wont loose much $ by coming to the phillipines for 2 months..and that includes storage for my truck and 33'RV, plane ticket, and rent in Phi! 

...but! If I didnt love the people and my lifestyle, then I wouldnt be here!

Its my goal to split time between FL and the Phillipines.

Thanks again, Brian

[GeoffH]

Welcome to the forum Brian

[Viking]

14 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

If you've not booked anything also try Puerto Galera on Oriental Mindoro.  Probably the best diving in the Philippines and enough ex pats to warrant being able to get Western essentials without feeling like you're back in the West.  You can pretty much cover a 30 mile radius in 40 mins as the traffic is just local tricycles and the odd jeepney. 

Puerto Galera is a nice place even if I dont agree with you that it has the best diving in the Philippines, I would still recommend it. Moalboal is also nice as other people already said. You will have excellent diving at Apo Island, not far from Dumaguete. If you ask me, you will find the best diving in Philippines at tubbataha reefs, this is not an easy or cheap place to dive but it is really good 

Welcome to the forum Brian!

[WeFloB]

Thanks for the Hello's. Viking... Apo, Tubbataha will definitely be visited. One of my instructors here in key west dove out of a couple of the shops on Apo Island. I have Malapasqau down as well to get my Thresher Shark specialty card.

 

[Gary D]

Just a small warning about volunteering in the Philippines. In the wrong circumstances it can land you in a lot of trouble. If it's considered as taking work away from a local and someone complains you could even be deported.

[Jollygoodfellow]

9 hours ago, WeFloB said:

Thanks for the Hello's. Viking... Apo, Tubbataha will definitely be visited. One of my instructors here in key west dove out of a couple of the shops on Apo Island. I have Malapasqau down as well to get my Thresher Shark specialty card.

 

Welcome Brian

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