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I AM AN AQUAPHILE. (A lover of water, not a lover in water — big difference.)

My wife says it’s because I’m a water sign (Cancer), but I think it’s because from my earliest memories on I was being tossed into the wet stuff. Aquaphilia can be passed on genetically, and in my case I caught the water bug from my mom, who bathed my tiny body in sinks, enrolled me in swimming lessons, and raised me to water ski and jump off docks in a rainy land beside a gurgling, crawdad-filled creek.

Photo: Author

Fast forward to Florida, whose gulfs, lakes, marshes, beaches, lagoons, and islands conspire to make America’s southeastern frontier really, really wet.

Marco Island Watersports operates directly in front of the Marco Island Marriott, so as soon as my feet hit the sand I was signing my waiver, meeting my guide, and straddling my WaveRunner. The 10,000 islands tour saw my small group blow past the resort-lined beachfront of Marco Island and wend through the matrix of mangroves and islands that comprise most of Florida’s southern tip.

Jupiter Beach and Harbor Beach join Marco Island as the setting for my Floridian aquatic escapades. Beachfront balcony views can only hold me so long. I grab my goggles and wade in.

Just being underwater (warm, clear, animal-filled water is preferable, but beggars can’t be choosers) makes me feel calmer, happier. Because when I hear nothing but the trillion bubbles tickling my face and see nothing but sunlight warbling against the surface, I not only feel at home, I feel in love.

[Editor's note: Josh was a guest of Diamond PR, Angler’s Boutique Resort, Marco Island Marriott, Sandpearl Resort, Jupiter Beach Resort, and Harbor Beach Resort.]