augie
Guest
By way of introduction I'm a Florida resident/diver. I've been certified since 1985 and have dove severeal hundred times, but aside from reduced visibility training dives I've only been in the relatively warm and clear waters of the Atlantic and the Caribbean.
I'll be bringing my family out to California this summer - we have a family reunion the last full weekend of June in San Diego, and will then meander up the coast for a couple weeks until we fly home from Seattle on July 5.
My wife is a confirmed warm/clear/calm water diver only, as is my 16 year old son. My 14 year old is a polar bear compared to them and he expressed a strong interest in diving in CA, specifically in hopes of seeing seals, so naturally diving Monterey came to mind.
But after lurking on your board for a while I've come to the conclusion that I don't feel that it's very practical this time around since;
We have ZERO experience diving in water as cold as yours.
We won't really have the time to spend on training to do cold water diving.
We are ill-equipped to dive in the conditions we'd encounter and using unfamiliar rental gear would be one more factor we'd have to overcome.
And the biggest factor for me - at 14, with only a half dozen open water dives logged and on the small side, I don't think my son may be physically ready for that type of diving. Usually I take on the role of safety diver when my boys are in the water, but not having any local experience myself, I don't know how capable I'd be at that either.
So...while I hate the idea of going all that way and not getting wet, I think I'll have to veto the diving this trip. Maybe in a few years, when he's stronger and more experienced, and we'll have time to do it right...
Thanks for all of the advice I've received from you, even though you weren't aware that you were giving it to me!
I'll be bringing my family out to California this summer - we have a family reunion the last full weekend of June in San Diego, and will then meander up the coast for a couple weeks until we fly home from Seattle on July 5.
My wife is a confirmed warm/clear/calm water diver only, as is my 16 year old son. My 14 year old is a polar bear compared to them and he expressed a strong interest in diving in CA, specifically in hopes of seeing seals, so naturally diving Monterey came to mind.
But after lurking on your board for a while I've come to the conclusion that I don't feel that it's very practical this time around since;
We have ZERO experience diving in water as cold as yours.
We won't really have the time to spend on training to do cold water diving.
We are ill-equipped to dive in the conditions we'd encounter and using unfamiliar rental gear would be one more factor we'd have to overcome.
And the biggest factor for me - at 14, with only a half dozen open water dives logged and on the small side, I don't think my son may be physically ready for that type of diving. Usually I take on the role of safety diver when my boys are in the water, but not having any local experience myself, I don't know how capable I'd be at that either.
So...while I hate the idea of going all that way and not getting wet, I think I'll have to veto the diving this trip. Maybe in a few years, when he's stronger and more experienced, and we'll have time to do it right...
Thanks for all of the advice I've received from you, even though you weren't aware that you were giving it to me!