Drive by the shop on any old morning, and the sign in the window says it's open. Come back at midnight. Same sign, still open.
"I have customers who will call me at 10 o'clock at night and say they're coming over," says shop owner Eddie Francis, with a chuckle.
"I live around back, so it's no problem."
Francis is 60 years old. He has a graying beard and the wiry frame of a man who's been diving all his adult life. He credits the old TV show "Sea Hunt" for piquing his interest in all things underseas.
"People don't just drive by and see a scuba shop and say, 'Hey, I think I want to scuba,' " he explained.
Though impulse divers may be few and far between, Francis sells gear at his shop, organizes an annual diving trip to Cozumel, and teaches certification classes to around 150 students every year. During winter classes, his students dive in the warm waters of Pirkey Lake, and in the summer they complete their training at Tyler State Park.
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