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

I was just wondering why, at the rate the LDSs in AZ crank out C-Cards, more people don't dive in the Lake? I got certified just a little over a year ago and certainly have become obsessed with the sport to an extreme perhaps, but I can't get to the ocean every weekend and the thought of not diving for weeks, months or a year or more is just unfathomable to me. I'm certainly not trying to be critical just trying to understand, in my 10 or so trips to the lake to dive, not counting OW classes, I most certainly can count the divers on my fingers and toes, and it's tough finding a dive buddy to go; although I've had some luck lately. I mean you guys go tie one on at happy hour once a month; why not dive?

Last year, I couldn't find a buddy to save my life [no pun intended]. I finally booked a spot on the Diver Down through El Mar, what a jip, I think it was $75, and we dove off the sherriff's dock for both tanks, I could've walked to shore and my insta buddy was a joke. But I persisted and found some other newly minted divers who just wanted to get wet like me and I went out a couple times to Desert Tortoise Rd; which was OK, just not a lot to see, but it was good we all worked on our skills and got wet.

This year, I hadn't been wet in awhile, been getting shut out on my dives trips in CA due to conditions and work was getting in the way of my diving [how dare it], so I somewhat begrudginly answered a post on this board and met Rob [Dive-a-holic] for a twilight/night dive at Scorpion Cove. It opened my eyes to lake diving; now granted it's not the ocean, but 25' viz and temps in the 70's and LIFE, I think I saw 1 fish in the lake up until that point. I've now been going once a week and having a blast.

You can burn two tanks on a Saturday morning; be home by noon, still have a day and a half to do the yard, clean the house, work on a honey-do list, kick the dog, yell at the kids, or whatever floats your boat.

Check out my photos [link in sig], it won't be 20' viz and 70 degrees for long. So go jump in the lake!

Garrett

I live in Tucson so it's farther than a quick morning dive...but after diving Midwest muck holes for YEARS I' looking forward to my first Lake dive on the 30th!

Queen:

I live in Tucson so it's farther than a quick morning dive...but after diving Midwest muck holes for YEARS I' looking forward to my first Lake dive on the 30th!

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Look forward to meeting you Queen; see you on the 30th.

I'd be in the lakes there everyweekend, plan to be once I finally get back home.
But for now I'm stuck here diving in okinawa with tropical water and great vis
been dry for the last few days stupid typhoons

Great post, Garrett! If I lived closer I would definitely be there more often, but it only works out to once or twice a month for me. I think the problem is that many of the LDSs don't try to get divers to the lake. They think they can't make any money that way. What they don't realize is that if people were diving more often, they would spend more on gear. I've tried with a few, but I don't think they'll ever get it. So they focus on the "exotic" trips and convince most of their divers to hold off for those trips. After all, it's okay to only dive once a year. Because that means more refreshers that can be charged for!

I say we just keep putting the invitations out to everyone. The following will continue to grow...

I'll be up in Lake Mohave this Sunday and Monday if anyone is interested. Hotel is only $25 for the night in Laughlin.

I'll also be at Lake Pleasant the 30th through the 1st. The 30th is the get together and we'll be there all day and into the night. Teaching a private on the 31st and 1st during the day, but the 31st at night is open if anyone wants to dive.

Just get wet!!!

I agree Rob, just judging by the sheer numbers of newly minted divers the LDSs are cranking out, I have to believe they go on their checkout dives and possibly go on some trip maybe even while doing their OW checkout and then that's it; that's a shame.

If the LDSs encouraged honing skills in the lake, I would think it would only mean more face time in their shops to sell gear & trips. I don't think they make that much on their travel packages cuz once the DM(s) or Shop Owner goes for free/discount it pretty much has to eat up the profits.

I know one West Side LDS that doesn't do Lake OW checkouts [which I don't disagree with; but a topic for another conversation perhaps] drives all the way to Suguaro Lake to do their snorkel dive [OW1], when Pleasant is 20-30 minutes from their shop. Perhaps so students don't see other OW classes doing checkouts or other divers diving, perhaps not. But I did get a little static from the shop owner last year when I showed up to get my log book validated and it had a couple [4] Pleasant dives in it.

Perhaps divers don't realize that diving in the lake and getting checked out in the lake are two totally different experiences.

Garrett

I know the shop you're talking about. Checkout dives can be done safely at the lake. The instructors just need to keep the number of students lower than standards allow for it to be safe. LDSs don't generally do that because it cuts into the profits. Personally, I won't take more than 4 OW students into the lake.

shark.byte.usa:

If the LDSs encouraged honing skills in the lake, I would think it would only mean more face time in their shops to sell gear & trips.

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Our shop does, or more specifically, our instructor did bring it up several times. Right after our OW check-outs, done at Pleasant, we were there several weeks in a row practicing skills. Now we try to get out to the lake on a regular basis, but it's usually a spur of the moment thing on a Saturday/Sunday when the prospect of yard work doesn't look so inviting.

Dive-aholic:

...Checkout dives can be done safely at the lake. The instructors just need to keep the number of students lower than standards allow for it to be safe. LDSs don't generally do that because it cuts into the profits. Personally, I won't take more than 4 OW students into the lake.

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Oh I don't doubt that they can be done safely at the lake [or a quarry for that matter]; I just think it doesn't prepare you very well for OW ocean dives, or at least some of the environmental conditions you can reasonably expect or etiquette expected of you, but as I said perhaps a topic of conversation for a different thread.

booth22:

Saturday/Sunday when the prospect of yard work doesn't look so inviting.

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That's why I have desert landscaping

shark.byte.usa:

Oh I don't doubt that they can be done safely at the lake [or a quarry for that matter]; I just think it doesn't prepare you very well for OW ocean dives, or at least some of the environmental conditions you can reasonably expect or etiquette expected of you, but as I said perhaps a topic of conversation for a different thread.

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True, just like getting certified in 50+ foot viz doesn't prepare you for lake diving. Basically, anytime you're in a new environment that's different from what you're used to, you should dive with someone who is familiar and experienced with it. That's why it's great that we're having so much more activity in this forum and at the lake. It helps get divers hesitant to dive the lake maybe feel a little more comfortable with it. So keep posting your upcoming lake trips!