Ericlt1
Contributor
My best day diving
I just got back from diving the Yukon in San Diego. I am completely exhausted but need to get this onto Scubaboard ASAP.
Yesterday I attended the GUE Demo Day in Reseda (you can read more about that here). At the end of the event I was invited by Bob Sherwood and Steve Millington to do a wreck dive today. I was a little apprehensive at first because of the following:
1. I had never dove nitrox
2. I had never been past ~50-60 ft
3. I had never dove a wreck
4. Perhaps most important my overall skill level was so far behind the other divers I didnt want to impose or impede them with my ignorance.
They all encouraged me to go and told me it would be no problem. This looked like an opportunity that I would regret passing up. One of the divers, Cody, generously offered to let me borrow one of his tanks since I only have one. Another awesome person, Nicole, said I could borrow a pair of her husbands fins since I was unhappy with mine. Steve even offered to let me ride down there with him.
The conditions could not have been better. The ocean was flat, and the visibility was ~70. This; however, is not what made the dive spectacular. What made this day so great was the team of people I went with. Everybody was kind, helpful, fun, and safe. Even though these dives pushed my skills to new levels, there was not a single moment where I felt uncomfortable. Every single diver there was ready and trained to assist me should I need it. The entire time I was observing the other divers, and working on honing my own skills.
The first dive was a blast and very challenging. Although we dove the same spot the second dive, the second dive was even more exciting and challenging than the first. I am not sure who, since everybody looks the same in a DUI drysuit
, but somebody let me use their scooter
what a blast that was. After exploring the entire length of the ship I signaled to Bob that it was time to head up based on my remaining gas. Instead of just heading up, Bob deployed his long hose to me and we worked on sharing air. We cruised around the ship for a while and then methodically executed our ascent. There was no limit to the opportunities and skills these divers could offer me.
In conclusion
The group I was with was a GUE DIR team. They were the most generous, open, and friendly divers I have encountered. I know there are a small group of relatively loud, self proclaimed DIR experts on these forums who can poorly represent the DIR community. Please ignore them. The people at Hollywood Divers, Karim and Steve, as well as Bob from GUE, are not only THE experts, but also friendly, and professional. They are who you need to dive with and learn from. Thank you to all the divers on the boat today. Now I must sleep before I collapse.
I just got back from diving the Yukon in San Diego. I am completely exhausted but need to get this onto Scubaboard ASAP.
Yesterday I attended the GUE Demo Day in Reseda (you can read more about that here). At the end of the event I was invited by Bob Sherwood and Steve Millington to do a wreck dive today. I was a little apprehensive at first because of the following:
1. I had never dove nitrox
2. I had never been past ~50-60 ft
3. I had never dove a wreck
4. Perhaps most important my overall skill level was so far behind the other divers I didnt want to impose or impede them with my ignorance.
They all encouraged me to go and told me it would be no problem. This looked like an opportunity that I would regret passing up. One of the divers, Cody, generously offered to let me borrow one of his tanks since I only have one. Another awesome person, Nicole, said I could borrow a pair of her husbands fins since I was unhappy with mine. Steve even offered to let me ride down there with him.
The conditions could not have been better. The ocean was flat, and the visibility was ~70. This; however, is not what made the dive spectacular. What made this day so great was the team of people I went with. Everybody was kind, helpful, fun, and safe. Even though these dives pushed my skills to new levels, there was not a single moment where I felt uncomfortable. Every single diver there was ready and trained to assist me should I need it. The entire time I was observing the other divers, and working on honing my own skills.
The first dive was a blast and very challenging. Although we dove the same spot the second dive, the second dive was even more exciting and challenging than the first. I am not sure who, since everybody looks the same in a DUI drysuit
, but somebody let me use their scooter
what a blast that was. After exploring the entire length of the ship I signaled to Bob that it was time to head up based on my remaining gas. Instead of just heading up, Bob deployed his long hose to me and we worked on sharing air. We cruised around the ship for a while and then methodically executed our ascent. There was no limit to the opportunities and skills these divers could offer me.In conclusion
The group I was with was a GUE DIR team. They were the most generous, open, and friendly divers I have encountered. I know there are a small group of relatively loud, self proclaimed DIR experts on these forums who can poorly represent the DIR community. Please ignore them. The people at Hollywood Divers, Karim and Steve, as well as Bob from GUE, are not only THE experts, but also friendly, and professional. They are who you need to dive with and learn from. Thank you to all the divers on the boat today. Now I must sleep before I collapse.
