Monday, June 15, 2009

Scuba Diving in the Rain

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

I saw this quote and loved it. But I think I'll need to modify it to read: "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to scuba dive in the rain."

A huge rainstorm came about while we were diving the Cooper on Saturday. It was an amazing sound to hear as we were 14 ft. below the surface. So now, I can officially say, I've gone scuba diving in the rain!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Photo Highlights

Here are some photos from this weekend. More posts to follow...

The Thrill of Black Water Diving

Black water diving is an adventure. It is enjoyed by those of us who love the sport of diving and the quest of finding underwater fossils and historic artifacts.

Yesterday I experienced my second round of black water diving along the banks of the Cooper River in a section called the French Quarter. Each of the three times I entered the brackish water, I found myself immediately immersed in varying degrees of wet, liquid darkness. And just in case you're wondering, unlike the blue water diving I'm accustomed to - or you may have seen in PBS specials - , there really is no visibility.

My two flashlights emit only small beams of light as I crawl on my belly along the bottom in search of hidden treasures. And as the current moves the water, I'm sometimes surprised by small glints of sunlight that permeate the murkiness.

I must say that I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is the slight bit claustrophobic or fearful of what lies below. In addition to the darkness, there is plenty of mud and critters that crawl along the bottom. Yesterday I unearthed some baby flounder and crab that surprised me when they moved as my light passed over them.

Many people I've shared this adventure with are amazed that I would even want to participate in such an activity. And I must admit, I wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy it my first time; but I was willing to give it a try. And I quickly discovered that black water diving is pretty cut and dry - either you like it or you don't. And if you haven't guessed it by now - I like it, a lot!

Personally, I find the watery, darkness to be soothing and comforting. Of course, let's not forget that I'm not down there alone. I enter the waters with my dive buddy/love, Lee, who has dove the river 100s of times. And, most importantly, he is always eight feet or less away from me because we're tethered together by a bungee cord.

So, where is the thrill in all this, you might ask. For me it's in so many things, from enjoying the beauty of nature on the boat ride, to diving to find treasure. But most importantly, the thrill is in discovering artifacts that are millions of years old. Ahhhh, but that is another post in my blog, yet to be written. Stay tuned for more reef rants...

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Black Water Diving this Saturday

Well folks, my diving addiction continues. Yes, I guess I could now be affectionately called a frog lady. LOL It seems like the advent of "dive season" (meaning when the water is warm enough to dive without a dry suit) changes my life so much that my calendar is built around two things - work and my next dive. It's a good thing Lee likes to dive or he'd never see me on the weekends! :-)

Since I was working my butt off in San Diego and San Francisco all last week, I didn't get to dive. Of course, I thought about it. In fact, I eyed Mission Bay pretty closely as we crossed the bridge from the airport... wondering what could be found underneath the gentle waves found there.

Saturday will find Lee and me out on the Cooper River basking in the sun in between dives on Phil Myers' boat. And digging on the bottom of the river looking for hidden treasures such as fossils and civil war artifacts. The last time I did this I didn't find that much to write home about, but it sure was fun! I can't wait to see what we'll uncover... stay tuned...