AZ Divers why don't you jump in a lake??? Poll

[shark.byte.usa]

just like getting certified in 50+ foot viz doesn't prepare you for lake diving. ...

True DAT! or California for that matter. I'm having a real quandary with my son right now. He got certified in Hawaii; we had a great time and did alot of diving beyond his OWC dives. But I didn't buy him gear cuz I knew he'd just grow out of it quickly, and I don't have that kindof money to throw away. Turns out I was right, he's grown probably 6"; gained weight, lost weight, gained weight..since our Hawaii trip last November, he's now taller than me :11:. During our Memorial Day visit to Socal the conditions were right and I decided it was time for him to break his cherry with CA shore diving; first time he'd been wet since Hawaii and first temperate/lower viz dives; which I don't think was really a factor. However his skills and awareness had diminished quite a bit and I was really unhappy about that, he wasn't familiar with his rental BC so his buoyancy was awful. I really wanted to take him to the lake to work on this stuff prior to the upcoming summer months, but at $50+ for rental gear/day, just to go burn a couple tanks at the lake; not to mention what do I do with my daughter while we're uw, and he's a teenager so anything that comes out of my mouth tends to be taken the wrong way. It just never happened. Now we have a boat trip to Catalina on the 22nd already booked and paid for; but I am hesitant letting him dive, I am trying to ask myself; am I being overly protective [which I am with both my kids] and overly critical of his skills when he's such an inexperienced diver, I mean I've seen a whole h-e-l-l of a lot worse divers. If I don't let him dive, how do I get him more experience without going broke? If I don't let him dive he'll probably just think I'm being an a-hole [what else is new]. I want him to dive, it's really our only common interest and "quality" time he'll spend with me, but I want it to be safe and FUN for the both of us, I didn't have fun last time. I was gonna start a new thread but didn't because of the flames and typical reponses I would have received, maybe I'll reconsider, sometimes somebody will post a gem.

Garrett

 

[broncobowsher]

OK, simple answer.
Lazy. Too lazy to head toward the lake. The current 110°+ temps have driven me into summer hibernation.
The boat sits, needing both carbs rebuilt. I can get it to idle with both mixture screws turned in all the way, so I know there is an internal fuel leak.

Besides, everyone wants to go to lake pleasant. Or as I call it lake unpleasant. If I go through the effort of heading to the lake, I plan to spend some time there. This brings me back to the boat. 16 foot boat with a flat V bottom does not like rough water.

I did actually get in a local lake about a month ago. Before it was nutty hot and only stupid hot I went to Saguaro lake. That was when I got to diagnos that I need carb work on the boat. But I did throw the gear in and hit a nice little cove that not many know about. Fairly rocky and steep. Few people take boats there because you can’t beach the boat.

Found a crawdad hiding in the shake under the boat.

I was off the lake by 10 that morning, when it started getting hot. Visibility was somewhere between kneecap and ankle.

The big problem is often just finding time to get out. Planning is a real pain. Hard to be impulsive when not many other people I know can pull off the same thing at the same time. Trying to meet up with someone is a pain. Hit a local dive shop and everyone has deeper pockets then I do and is doing big trips. Local lake trips tend to be for training and nothing else

If you want crystal clear water in AZ, go to the pool.

I would love to find someone to hit a local lake with, but I get out so little that never happens. Then throw life into a blender by selling the old house because I actually sold a house in this market and the new one isn’t done yet… Life is a little mixed up right now. That and Pleasant is on the other side of Phoenix.

In summery;
Life is busy,
Boat is broke (and will stay that way until I can work on it)
Hard to find anyone who is interested in going to a local lake, and if they do it is always at Pleasant and usually for a training dive for a vacation.
Summer hibernation.

 

[ScubaGoat]

Just wanted to put my two cents in...I got my OW-C in Hawaii three years ago and I've done nothing but vacation dives up until last month when I found this site. Two weeks later I went and dove lake plesant for the first time, let me say before going any further that all my ocean dives did nothing to help prepare me for lake diving. I did enjoy my two dives but my 3mm shorty wouldn't let me go below the thermocline. I want to start diving CA in the future so I will remedy that shortly after getting back from FL.
And now to answer your original post...I live in Morristown which is probaly closer than anyone I've seen here to lake plesant (20min to be in the water) but I am 1 1/2 hours away from a LDS, so as soon as I buy a new wetsuit and find a buddy willing to pick up air for me I will go jump in a lake.