Embracing the Darkside...

Last night I faced a challenge and overcame... You see I don't often tell people this, but I have a small discomfort or for lack of a better word fear of the dark....lol.  Now it's nothing where I need lights on in the house or a night light or can't walk somewhere on my own, it is more that I have a VERY vivid imagination, as a child this is a great thing, even as an author this is a useful tool, but as an adult who has spent many a night walking alone, often through dark places, this is not often helpful.  While most people see a dumpster, I imagine all of the horrible things that could potentially jump out or be inside.  People see trees, I see locations to hide my body...lol.  So the thought of the ocean, an already interesting enough environment, in the dark... gets the imagination flowing.  I mean we all grew up with the woman out for the cool evening swim, whose body parts they found washed up a few days later to kick off the first of the Jaws trilogy of movies.  Anyone who has seen a National Geographic has seen the horrors caused by Jelly Fish (who are attracted to light by the way...)  We have Octupus, Squid, Seals, Sea Lions and Killer Whales... HELLO... Lions and Killers....I can't wait!  Now, just so that you can't see them coming, lets go in the water at night! 

So now you can see what my imagination was doing to me the few nights leading up to actually getting into the water.  By the time last night arrived, I was pretty sure I was gonna get eaten, but i was bound and determined to enjoy the dive for as long as it lasted....lol.  After arriving and gearing up, it was a quick briefing, equipment check, and a short walk to the edge of the water (down a really steep hill... in the dark...).  Once in the water, fins on, and a short surface swim along the rocks of Whytecliff Park, it was the moment of truth.. time to descend.  For tonight's dive, Denis (our fearless leader and instructor) accompanied by a soon to be Dive Master, lead the way towards the bottom and along the rocks for our first dive, a short tour and familiarization of the deep dark.  Prawn everywhere with their glow-in-the-dark eyes, and hermit crabs darting in and out of shells.  Fish of all shapes and sizes sleeping in the drift and massive schools of other tiny fish out for their evening swim.  I soon found myself more comfortable under the water than I feel above it... funny how that happens sometimes. After a quick 26 minutes I had consumed my air so it was ascent time and a slow surface swim back to shore discussing my need to get bigger tanks...lol.  Looks like I'll be needing to look at buying tanks sooner than I had planned if I want to extend my dives...lol.  Well, that's it for now, time to grab a quick nap before I head off to do it all over again tonight.  This time two dives, the final of which I get to spend the last three minutes of, lights off, sitting still.. in the dark!

Dived and gone to heaven!

Earlier today marked my last certification dive and the first of MANY, purely recreational dives.  Our final certification dive was not completed last week due to unexpected excitement, see Seals to Emergencies for the full story.  So it was back to Whytecliff this morning to make up for the dive, and Ocean Pro Divers and Shannon, always wanting satisfied divers, not only arranged for the one dive but also supplied the gear for a second, purely recreational dive... I LOVE THIS SHOP!!  Our first dive was more or less recreational as well, with only one skill to complete, and with the awesome class I was a part of  and thanks to the amazing instruction by Virpi, we were able to complete it within a minute or two of reaching the bottom, then off on our tour.

It is hard to describe how truly amazing diving is, is it scary... sure it has it's moments.  But no more or different that trying anything that could potentially end in injury.  Anyone who is a parent and has ever had the wonderful experience of teaching your child to ride a bike, knows what this is like, as can anyone who remembers learning themselves.  Despite the number of times the parent says, "it's ok, I won't let go until you are ready", the child still has fear.  Fear of the unknown ("what happens if.... ") and the known (Wow... that concrete is hard!").... lol.  But once they are riding, wobbling at first, they begin to build confidence.  Here is the breaking point for people though... you see some will stay within reach of their parent, and within their own personal limits, while others will push beyond their parents and their limits until they get hurt or hurt someone else.  This is much the same and often the case in diving, while there is always a chance of an accident, the majority of injuries and issues come as a result of someone trying to push beyond their limits without proper instruction or supervision often resulting in injury to themselves and/or their partner(s).  So for all of you who have contacted me or messaged me, rest assured, I am well aware of my limits as a beginning recreational diver, and I will be staying well within them.  When the time comes for me to branch out and push the limits, it will be done under the supervision and instruction of one of the many wonderful staff at Ocean Pro.  Sleep well, I am in great hands!

So, dive one of the day (dive 5 so far), took us to 60' along the right side of the bay at Whytecliff, with a quick stop along the way to allow us to quickly demonstrate a low pressure hose remove and replace for those of us finishing our dry suit specialty.  Then it was off to explore and follow Dennis through a world experienced only by those lucky enough to scuba dive.  Along the right edge of Whytecliff we moved towards the marker slowly drifting a little deeper, it is amazing what you can see down there, the marine life and colors you'd never think possible.  Starfish and sunfish everywhere, at one point I thought the wall was moving beside me until I noticed it was hundreds if not thousands of little starfish moving across the rocks. 

For our second dive, our first purely recreational dive as Certified Open Water Divers with our Dry suit specialties, we headed along the left side of Whytecliff right along side where three Harbour Seals were sunning on the rocks.  Unfortunately they chose not to swim with us today but i was very surprised to see how close we were able to get to them.  They are so cute!!  There were a few minutes I thought Virpi was going to climb out of the water so she could touch their bellies and play with them.. lol.  So down we went, again to 60' (I actually reached about 62' at one point, but shhh, don't tell anyone... lol).  Again the wildlife was amazing and I have attached some photos of some of the things we saw, (no these are not my photos, these are borrowed from the internet).

Harbour Seal

Harbour  Seal

Kelp Greenling

Kelp Greenling

Lingcod

 

Painted Greenling

Painted Greenling

Plumous Anemone

Plumous Anemone

Red Rock Crab

Red Rock Crab

Rockfish

Rockfish

Sea Cucumber

Sea Cucumber

Tube Worm

Tube Worm

On our surface swim back in, Virpi let us know that if we were interested and knew which specialties we wanted to try, she would help us arrange to do our Advanced course with her coming up.  We will just have to get it arranged with the shop.  Now it's just a matter of me figuring out what equipment I will buy now, and what I will wait a while for.  Plus I need to get into the shop and pay for my next classes...  I never thought i would be this excited to be back in school, the kids don't seem anywhere near as excited as me that they are going back... I just don't get it...

As this concludes my Open Water course, I want to thank my classmates, you know who you are, for making this an experience of a lifetime.  It was an amazing experience getting to know all of you, and I look forward to diving with each of you as we progress further into this amazing activity.  For those who were unable to finish the program with us, HURRY UP!!... no, I mean, it was a pleasure getting to know you as well and I can't wait until you are back in the water as well.  Thank you especially to Ocean Pro Divers, their owner Shannon Kozak, the shop staff Ashley Graham and Stewart Hoyt, my instructor Virpi Kangas, and the amazing Dive Masters I have had the opportunity of meeting and diving with, Dennis Chow, Ward Conley, Michael Klaver, and Matt Mendes you are all such amazing individuals, instructors, mentors and friends, I look forward to many more adventures as you take me "In Over My Head..."