When it has been three months since your last dive and you are getting used to new gear, that first back roll off the boat into the water isn't without a few butterflies in your stomach.
But may I say the new computer is AMAZING. I love how I can see not only all the basic information needed, but also how many minutes I have left to dive, whether that is due to air consumption or no decompression limits (NDLs). It performed flawlessly, as did everything else and both dives were great.
Dive One was at Palancar Gardens; I've dived it plenty, but today the visibility (vis in diver speak) was somewhat lacking for Coz, where typical vis is 80+ feet. I'd put today's vis at 60 or so. A host of characters waiting for us today; us consisting of myself, my neighbor Chuck, and another couple I have dived with before on live aboard dive boats, Ric and Kayte. My favorite dive master, Pedro Pablo, was our DM today. Pedro brings a special zen to diving and he can find everything you want to see under water!
The characters were legion. Two free-swimming nurse sharks, two turtles, and numerous lobsters (one the size of a cocker spaniel puppy) were there, along with a spotted moray eel, a large crab, and my personal favorite, a Splendid Toadfish. If you want to see a Splendid Toadfish, you have to come to Cozumel, because they only live here. Once I learn to use the camera, I will post more toadfish than you'd care to see.
Dive Two was at a dive site called Delila. Always full of fish and creatures, Delila didn't disappoint. Along with yet another shark and two more turtles, there were nine squid! You don't see those often, so that was a treat.
Tomorrow starts coursework for my Advanced Open Water certification. I don't think I've been a student in this sense since maybe 2005. AP or IB training isn't the same; I'm proficient at what I do, so additional training is just building on a 15 year foundation. I've just been putzing about enjoying the scenery as a diver; I've not had to really work hard or put myself out in a while.
This will be different.
No comments:
Post a Comment