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August 5, 2006
Getting ready for first ever open water dives
Well, it's 6AM and in an hour I am supposed to meet the rest at Browns Ravine on Folsom Lake for what will be my first ever Open Water dives. I am still waking up, having my coffee, and wonder what kind of experience it will be. My PT Cruiser is loaded up with all the gear: wetsuit, BC, two 80cu-ft tanks, fins, mask, snorkel and all my gear. The Folsom Lake Marina Cam may or may not show the exact place where we'll be.
Truth be told, I am rather apprehensive. In my head I go over and over again about what it may be like. Certainly much different than going to the 15-foot "deep" end of the indoor pool. At Folsom Lake we'll be going down to 40 feet or more. Will my ears equalize properly? What will the water be like, look like? Will the visibility be totally different? Will there be gunky stuff? Fish? How will we change? Where will be leave our stuff? Will someone watch over it? Where do I put my car keys? And this morning my back hurts a bit?
Am I jeopardizing my health by getting into a sport that requires heavy lifting and negotiating all that weight on my back? After all, only a few years ago I had almost resigned myself to a life of constant, permanent backpain that then miraculously disappeared. Will lifting the tanks and all make it come back?
All this is going through my head as I am getting ready. Hey, even other stuff? What if I get lost and don't find Browns Ravine? Will I forget some crucial part of my gear? I wish I had a buddy to meet beforehand and go there with. Right now, I feel alone. I know this is the start of something new, something that probably will get me places I've never been to, the start of a new life in many ways. Right now it just feels like this big thing ahead of me. I also know that a mere six hours from now, I'll have done my first two open water dives and will probably be thrilled with excitement. I sure hope so.
Well, wish me luck. And those of you who are experienced divers, I hope you remember your own mixed feelings before your first forway into open water... Oh, and today would be my dad's 87th birthday if he were still alive. I am pretty sure he wouldn't have any fears at all, and just jump right into it all.
Posted by conradb212 at August 5, 2006 10:50 PM
