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Friday, July 17, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 11
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another world Scuba diving adventures captivate Bosek BY KAYLA ALBERS | STAFF WRITER
ALEXANDRIA — In Jeff Bosek’s 34 years of scuba diving, he has found a world of treasures: wedding rings, old cans and bottles, silver nickels from WWII, horses attached to wagons and an elk rack that was 400 years old. Bosek has been to many different places for scuba diving, and each place provides a new adventure, something Bosek loves about diving. His diving skills came about indirectly through his time in the military. He was stationed with the Marines in the Philippines, working as a sniper for special operations for four of his six years on two separate tours of duty. It was during that time when he had the option to take scuba diving lessons from a local, and having always wanted to learn, he seized the opportunity. He took a twoweek initial certification
course in 1986. For Bosek, it was the beginning of discovering a whole new world. After returning from overseas in 1989, Bosek worked at a Marine base scuba store. It was then that he got went to a commercial diving school and received his certification in that category. Bosek went on to operate a deer farm for 12 years, but then opened his own scuba shop in Alexandria, called Divers Clubhouse, in 2000, where individuals can go for lessons and to rent scuba gear. His fascination for diving began early in his life, though, long before he took his lessons. He wanted to learn how to scuba dive as a kid after being inspired by one of his all-time favorite movies, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” a 1954 Disney Film that he has
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Jeff Bosek holds a 400-year-old elk rack he found while scuba diving in Lake Carlos during the summer of 2008 near Alexandria.
seen more than any other movie. “The coolness of underwater farming and the peace and quiet of it all was fascinating,” Bosek said. Bosek also had a dream of becoming an astronaut one day. Becoming a scuba diver was the next best thing, since the gear is similar and he still gets to explore new
worlds. “What I always tell my students is it’s one planet, but it’s two worlds,” Bosek said. “Do you want to spend your whole life on just 25 percent of the planet?” Bosek has been diving in many different places, from lakes to oceans. He has been to the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Cozumel and Belize, where he dove the Great Blue Hole, the French Anchor and the Aquarium on the Belize Barrier Reef. Bosek said the French Anchor and the Aquarium are two of the best dives he has
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Located on Schneider Lake and Rich Spring Golf Course
Docks, patio seating and daily specials available! www.east-westrealty.com | 320-732-2222 221 Lake St S. Long Prairie, MN 56347
320.685.8810 www.shadysbg.com
CAJuly17-1B-WS
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While traveling in Cozumel, Jeff Bosek is pictured at the Felipe Xicotencatl shipwreck.
