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February 25, 2007
Diving Year-Round
It's been too long since my last entry, and for that I must apologize. As we all know, sometimes life gets in the way.
You want to go diving, but the water is still too cold, eh? Well, we DO have options! You can book a trip to some exotic place, or you could check into taking a drysuit class.
Let's first discuss exotic places ...
As you may or may not know, I compiled a list of over 80 dive sites. Together, Conrad and I located all of these sites so you can see them from a satellite imaging software, plus we have added a few videos that actually show the locations. The list is not a complete list of all the places I've been, but it's a start. We will be adding more as time goes by.
Check with your local dive shop to see what trips they are offering. Divers often feel like they are drying out over the winter months and want to go somewhere warm and tropical. These trips can be anything from a long weekend to Cozumel, a driving trip to the springs in Florida, to week long adventures to the caribbean, or even extended trips to the South Pacific! It's all in what you want and what you can budget for.
Diving Dry ...
Local diving has it's appeal, as well. If you are like me, in that your local diving consists of rock quarries, take note ... The water is usually infinitely clearer in the winter, due to the lack of algae bloom and people stirring it up. It's not uncommon for a quarry to have 75 - 100 feet of visibility in the winter months!
But to dive for any length of time during the winter, a drysuit is often required. You don't have to own a drysuit to learn how to use one, but training is essential. Again, check with your local dive shop to see what they have to offer. The dive shop where I teach has a full line of DUI rental drysuits and undergarments in all sizes that are available for the training sessions and may be rented, as well. Worn with thick gloves and hood, your diving time can be tripled, at least! Wearing a wetsuit in frigidly cool water might get you through one dive, but that is all for most people.
It might be too late for you to budget for either of these options for this season, and local diving is just around the corner with warm days we will soon be having. But, keep in mind either getting the training you need in a drysuit for next winter, or check into a trip to a warm destination.
Next stop? Not sure yet ... Somewhere in the Caribbean, perhaps? :-)
Posted by Carol at February 25, 2007 04:10 PM