swimswitheagles
Registered
I ran into SB a few days ago while searching the Internet for great deals diving the Sea of Cortez. What a great site! I'm a relatively new diver with only 9 dives logged.
My first open water experience was VERY uncomfortable. I did my first 2 certification dives at Catalina in October. (Water temp was 63 degrees.) I couldn't find a rental suite that fit properly so I ended up going with a farmer jane that was just a little too big. The instructor was kind of doing two groups at once - an open water group and an advanced group. My group (OW) was left with a dive master to snorkel (in water that was 50' deep) for 45 minutes! Some of the divers weren't feeling too spiffy at that point. :sick: Then we had to go back through the kelp and be pulled out of the water to don our diving gear. Well, as I mentioned, my wetsuit didn't fit properly, so I had 63 degree water pumping down my back for the whole dive. :frosty: I shivered uncontrollably for 30 minutes after getting out. We had one more dive to do that day and I made it through, but I chickened out for the final two the next day.
I did my final two dives in Saguaro Lake with about 3' (if that) visibility. :wow_2:
Despite these dubious first dives, I did get in the water again in Maui and I am absolutely hooked. I spend a lot of time looking on the Internet and through travel books to plan future dive trips. I am the bargain basement queen, so if anyone has any tips to give me on finding spectacular (and I do mean spectacular) deals to diving destinations, let me know. I don't need luxury or fancy food, I just want lots of bottom time and a decent place to spend gassing-off time.
Thank you to everyone for making this a great site!
My first open water experience was VERY uncomfortable. I did my first 2 certification dives at Catalina in October. (Water temp was 63 degrees.) I couldn't find a rental suite that fit properly so I ended up going with a farmer jane that was just a little too big. The instructor was kind of doing two groups at once - an open water group and an advanced group. My group (OW) was left with a dive master to snorkel (in water that was 50' deep) for 45 minutes! Some of the divers weren't feeling too spiffy at that point. :sick: Then we had to go back through the kelp and be pulled out of the water to don our diving gear. Well, as I mentioned, my wetsuit didn't fit properly, so I had 63 degree water pumping down my back for the whole dive. :frosty: I shivered uncontrollably for 30 minutes after getting out. We had one more dive to do that day and I made it through, but I chickened out for the final two the next day.
I did my final two dives in Saguaro Lake with about 3' (if that) visibility. :wow_2: Despite these dubious first dives, I did get in the water again in Maui and I am absolutely hooked. I spend a lot of time looking on the Internet and through travel books to plan future dive trips. I am the bargain basement queen, so if anyone has any tips to give me on finding spectacular (and I do mean spectacular) deals to diving destinations, let me know. I don't need luxury or fancy food, I just want lots of bottom time and a decent place to spend gassing-off time.
Thank you to everyone for making this a great site!
