chepar
Contributor
I am ecstatic to report that I finally was able to do a couple of dives this past weekend after a 4 month hiatus.
I had been forced to be dry for about 2 months starting in October due to a severe cold and subsequent rib fracture - and then my regulator going for service in November and not (yet) coming back. I finally decided that I would just use a rental reg and hit the water.
It was WONDERFUL! A little chilly, but it was so good to get back in the water.
Up until now, I guess it has been my good fortune to dive with people that had either decent buoyancy skills or were actively trying to better their skills. I had never really seen much of the much discussed standing on the reef, walking on the reef, kicking up a sandstorm, etc. behavior that has been discussed so much on the board. That is, until this past weekend.
I was amazed - I was buddied with this girl who sank like a rock to the bottom and consistently stood, stepped and whacked the reef with her fins. When we finned along the sandy bottom, each downward kick hit the bottom <whap!> and up puffed this enormous cloud of sand. Up on deck, she blamed being overweighted by 2 lbs for being unable to rise off the bottom.
On another dive I was in a group with a father and son - the son stated his last dive had been 2 years ago, his father's was 5 years ago. Wow - they didn't seem to be too concerned with the length of time since their last dive, though. They too churned up the bottom and beat up the reef, not to mention swimming over me consistently and kicking me in the face with their fins.
It was all an eye opener, to be sure. It made me feel grateful to the quality instruction I received and also to this great board for all of the continuing education it provides.
I don't really know why I'm rambling - I guess I'm just so excited to have been back in the water, I had to tell you all about it.
I had been forced to be dry for about 2 months starting in October due to a severe cold and subsequent rib fracture - and then my regulator going for service in November and not (yet) coming back. I finally decided that I would just use a rental reg and hit the water.
It was WONDERFUL! A little chilly, but it was so good to get back in the water.
Up until now, I guess it has been my good fortune to dive with people that had either decent buoyancy skills or were actively trying to better their skills. I had never really seen much of the much discussed standing on the reef, walking on the reef, kicking up a sandstorm, etc. behavior that has been discussed so much on the board. That is, until this past weekend.
I was amazed - I was buddied with this girl who sank like a rock to the bottom and consistently stood, stepped and whacked the reef with her fins. When we finned along the sandy bottom, each downward kick hit the bottom <whap!> and up puffed this enormous cloud of sand. Up on deck, she blamed being overweighted by 2 lbs for being unable to rise off the bottom.
On another dive I was in a group with a father and son - the son stated his last dive had been 2 years ago, his father's was 5 years ago. Wow - they didn't seem to be too concerned with the length of time since their last dive, though. They too churned up the bottom and beat up the reef, not to mention swimming over me consistently and kicking me in the face with their fins.
It was all an eye opener, to be sure. It made me feel grateful to the quality instruction I received and also to this great board for all of the continuing education it provides.
I don't really know why I'm rambling - I guess I'm just so excited to have been back in the water, I had to tell you all about it.