What do you do over the winter?

[tkdgodess]

We dive. No fair weather folks taking our parking spots, asking us when we are leaving, or standing- stunned -slack jawed in the way while we are wearing 100+ Pounds of gear trying to enter the water.

Surface temps get a bit chilly if there is arctic outflow winds, but for the most part winter is better.

 

[DustyC]

3 trips every winter to the tropics.

I don't see any point to diving in a pool.once one is certified.

I can think of a few hundred reasons.

 

[oldschoolto]

I put the dive pool in to treat my MS with hyperbaric O2... But It'll be a fun place to play..

Jim...

 

[diver0008]

I can think of a few hundred reasons.

Not sure what you mean, unless you are an instructor.

 

[oldschoolto]

Not sure what you mean, unless you are an instructor.

You still don't get it....

Jim....

 

[diver0008]

You still don't get it....

Jim....

I guess you're right. Could you please let me know what I am missing?

 

[Marie13]

For this winter, I'll be diving. And won't be happy about it lol. The dive shop I'm using has an indoor pool, and if you're enrolled in a class, you get free use of it, as classes permit. I'll be doing lake diving too, as part of classes. And I'll be in Bonaire the first week of next month.

The same shop, does a $75 per year deal where you get free use of the pool (and air for pool use) any time it's not being used for classes, they have monthly meetings to help people meet other divers, and monthly dives from late spring to fall. And if you take a trip with them, you get $50 to $100 off the trip.

I wish I had access to a pool like that! Buddy of mine is in her shop's pool a couple of times a week. I'll have to be satisfied with 1-2 times a month over the winter.

 

[oldschoolto]

I guess you're right. Could you please let me know what I am missing?

Okay, Training is not something that you ever grow out of... I have more dives then I can remember and I'll still go play in a pool to knock the rust off or just to play around... I remove and replace my mask on every dive, I swap masks with my wife.. I'll swap out my mask with the spare in my BC pocket... I'll swap onto my pony or go on my wife's octo or buddy breath with her.. In the middle of a dive I'll ask her how to get back in a straight line to our dive start point.. I'll swim in the pool with only one fin on... And the list can go on and on...

The point is... YOU ARE NEVER SO GOOD THAT YOU DON"T NEED TO PRACTICE....

Jim...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I just started an OW class with one student and we will work through the winter. Check out dives in the spring or maybe a trip to Fla with a group from the shop. I haven't been ice diving in a while, so I might do that if we have ice and time permits. Over the winter I'll be working on photo skills in the pool and on land. New book is getting published next week and right now I don't have another writing project of my own lined up but one mfg has asked me about doing some work for them in that vein. Also, SDI/TDI has approached me about doing another project for them. I'm also starting a new monthly column series for Dive News Networks "SCUBA and H20 Magazine" so plenty of stuff to do. One thing that I would suggest to new divers is to decide on a path and then make your own opportunities. Volunteer at your local aquarium. Show up at your local public swim times with your mask, snorkel, and fins and get people interested in what you do. I got my part-time YMCA job doing this teaching the basics to kids until the budget got cut and the schedule changed.

 

[Neilwood]

Hopefully this winter I will get my MTM drysuit, cert and get diving a few quarries & lochs. No reason not to dive in a drysuit.