By Terri Skiles
It was in Woodville, Florida (1976) that I first heard about cave diving. During those years while at FSU I learned of a group of people who scuba dove into the many dark and scary holes filled with water in the earth which were throughout the landscape around Woodville. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to do that…
After moving to Jacksonville, Florida and taking a part time job whilst looking for the next step in my life, I had the good fortune to sell a guy a camera. His name was Wes Skiles.
Life became very exciting from that moment on. Wes taught me to dive with scuba gear first in open water then in caves. It was through his eyes I began to understand why those “crazy” people dove into those beautiful (for the most part) pools of water. For me, it was an awesome introduction to the sinks, springs and rivers of north central Florida.
One year later we were married, happily living in Branford, Florida and working at the infamous Branford Dive Center.
Through the years with Wes I have met so many wonderful people from all corners of the world and many walks of life. Met all types of adventurers from open water and cave divers to avid cavers who wanted to further explore their projects via scuba. Some were not even “technically” certified but were considered worthy explorers. I particularly liked meeting ordinary fun loving people who made up the background.
Wes was a member of a group of divers who loved to explore and that they did well wherever they went. Many, many discussions (some of those being top secret) took place in our home concerning dive plans, gear modifications, potential leads, land owner relations, map drawings and of course, booty scooping was always at the forefront. Safety was also of the utmost concern.
Wes studied the springs and the water flowing from them. In the beginning it was always about exploration. Over time his quest for knowledge of every aspect about the caves he loved to explore lead him to try to understand not only where the water came from but what it all meant. He built his life’s work around these awesome pools of water. Whether he was studying them, speaking to others about protecting them or capturing the most incredible images of them on still or moving film, Wes was passionate about this precious gift.
One could say that Wes accomplished a lot in his lifetime, so much so that it is impossible to list it all. In reality he didn’t care too much about the awards. He didn’t have to. A great man speaks through deeds.
It is so true that Wes loved his friends, fireworks and throwing a great party around a bonfire. He loved music and dancing in the rain. He loved his dog, his cats and his hamster, Puff but what really made his eyes flash were his kids… pure love, the future. Wes was and still is a tremendous father.
So friends, here’s to Wes my husband of thirty years. May we always remember him with a smile and never forget his enthusiasm within life, his compassion and that plain ole’ having fun spirit.
Photo by Terri Skiles