Raquel ‘Rocky’ Dakota didn’t receive the best edit on Below Deck Season 3. Her fling with Eddie Lucas painted her in a bad light, which was incredibly hard to watch. You see, Eddie had a girlfriend back home, so he didn’t want their trysts to air. Therefore, when Rocky slipped and told her costars about their laundry room activities, Eddie basically said, immediately no.
In addition, Rocky’s quirks seemed to paint another target on her back. When speaking, she’d grow animated, and her eyes would always travel up to some unknown spot on the ceiling. As for her work ethic, this wasn’t great either. She clashed with Kate Chastain, but on the plus, she bonded with Chef Leon Walker, becoming one of his only confidants onboard.
When Leon got the axe, Rocky stepped in as the little chef who tried. She made grenadine oysters and salads with crushed Oreos, which caused a charter guest to vomit. On the flip side, Rocky entertained the heck out of me, and also the guests, as she gave zero f*cks how she presented. She jumped off of the yacht in her thong, swimming angrily away when pissed, while when happy, she’d gracefully dive off, sometimes with a mermaid tail attached.
To be abundantly clear, I have a soft spot for Rocky. Underdogs are kinda my thing. I’ve been following her online for years, so I figured that I should probably just go ahead and update the masses on what I’ve been observing, just in case anyone else out there felt similarly. The good news is, after Below Deck Season 3 kicked her whipped-cream-wearing tail, Rocky’s now thriving.
A tragic death forever changed Rocky’s life in 2017
Yes, I know that I said Rocky’s now flourishing. However, I truly believe that in life, beauty can take root where suffering used to live. This lesson arrived from my own traumas, and I think that Rocky would read my opinion and likely agree. To explain, in 2017, Rocky’s little sister, Sophia Tiare Bartlow, left this world behind, following a tragic car accident on the North Shore of Oahu.
Before her death, Sophia ruled the seas. She was a paddle surfing champion, known by the locals as “Sea Sister Sophia.” As for their lineage, these two girls have an iconic mother in Jericho Poppler, a world champion women’s surfer. This all tracks, as Rocky’s an overall amazing surfer, diver, and swimmer, which we all saw signs of on BD.
Born just two years after Rocky, on the same exact date, these sisters were extremely close. Despite her devastation, Rocky and her sister’s friends held a memorial and paddle out in Sophia’s honor. Her ashes were spread into the ocean by her family, as the surfing community covered the water’s surface with flowers and leis, chanting and cheering Sophia’s name, splashing the ocean’s water up towards the sky.
According to The Orange County Register, Rocky’s sister had “a new-found love for Jesus.” Her pastor stated, “I would minister to her, and she would minister to me.” Rocky spoke as well, and she also read an excerpt from her sister’s journal. Here, her sister had written an excellent reminder for us all, penning “Note to self: continue to be awesome.”
Rocky turned to her faith
After losing her sister, Rocky found Jesus, and no my sassy friends, Jesus wasn’t lost. Instead, Rocky just found herself in His identity. Gone are the days of feeling ostracized by her crewmates, as now, she’s found herself a supportive, genuine community of believers, whom she posts often on her socials. Alongside her newly found network of friends, Rocky’s main outdoor group activities these days include camping and beach hangs.
For the record, her page isn’t all PG, as her thongs are still present as well. On this note, Rocky, please come to Florida and train me. I need to find my abs.
She’s still looking for Mr. Right
For several years, Rocky had been posting with a guy that she was dating. Yet, just two months ago, she posted a cryptic video, which leads me to believe that she’s now single. Walking away from an unknown location, shaking her head, and expressing words of no, Rocky says “The guy that’s gonna have to be for me is gonna have to seriously love Jesus. He’s gonna have to be like [start singing here, because Rocky did] just super accepting. He’s gonna have to love so big.”
Well, that stinks. But I love that Rocky knows her worth. She’s clearly walking away from a no. And soon, she’ll hopefully walk right into her yes.
She’s still Rocky
You never know what you’re going to get when following Rocky. But what I dig is that she’s still being true to herself. She’s still out there dancing, diving, swimming, skiing, and also, singing loudly at random. Unlike some of her other reality television cohorts, she truly doesn’t care what other people think. And honestly, I love that for Rocky.
TELL US – HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING ROCKY SINCE HER DEPARTURE FROM BELOW DECK SEASON 3?
