Greetings from chilly Vancouver!

[TooCold]

I've been visiting Scubaboard once in a while for years; reading the posts has been useful, informative, even educational, and always entertaining, but now I've finally got around to joining. Hello!

I'm a warm water diver at heart (ok, wimp), and in fact a warm weather person in my bones, but being stuck here in the north for more than a year now because of covid has finally got me off my butt and determined to dive more often locally. I admit it: I'm not a good Canadian - I really don't like winter.

When I first certified decades ago (NAUI) it was all wetsuit diving. For my first two ocean dives the water temp was 5, the air -3 and windy, and 3cm of snow on the beach. I remember the first dive I kept my mask on until after I was back on shore, and it had frozen to my face. With nowhere to go indoors, that was one miserable surface interval. Diving wasn't turning out to be the joyful experience I'd been anticipating... I did maybe 10 dives after cert then gave up. Fast forward 20 years and I decided to try again while on vacation in Rarotonga, so I recertified (PADI). Water 27 degrees, air 35: heaven. I've alternated vacation diving with sporadic local dives ever since. Is there anything to compare with the wonder, exhilaration, and pleasure of a great dive?

Cheers,
Allan

 

[formernuke]

Welcome. If your to keep diving up there I highly recommend a drysuit.

 

[TooCold]

Thanks @formernuke, I do have a dry suit now. My teenage experience cured me of diving wet in these waters. The drysuit has just hardly ever been used - right after I got it I had to stop diving altogether for a few years, and since then its still been pretty easy to find an excuse to not go. But I can't face another 6 or 8 months, at least, of no diving, so its time (past time?) to get positive about the riches BC waters have to offer.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Good for you, TooCold. Welcome to Scubaboard. We look forward to reading of your upcoming adventures.

 

[spc751]

Welcome Allan,
There are several FB groups for divers in the Vancouver area if you want to make more dive buddies.

 

[ChrisMBC]

Welcome! I’m just over the water on Vancouver Island. I learned to dive as a warm water diver, but being able to do pre-work dive 10 minutes from my house (or double-tank after work in the summer!) has completely revolutionized diving for me. It’s a slog, but getting happy in a drysuit is a game changer.