Open water class+cold January=CRAZY

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:15 pm

We did checkouts with 7 open water students this weekend and all of them were in wetsuits. It was amazing but...every one of them finished and graduated. :wav:

Yesterday, we were at Redondo. After dive 2 tour, we popped up and it was snowing. It was beautiful for about 30 seconds. The bay was dead calm, and the snowflakes fell so beautifully. It was really cool. Then, reality set in. However, we did get a photo of the class in the water with the snow. $\:D/$

Today we were at Les Davis. Vis was okay, but with students at 25 feet...yeah, you guessed...silt city. It was so bad that we did students, one-by-one. I was divemaster today and the instructor team was in the water for about 2 hours on the 2nd dive. I was pretty cold.

The students...they were all amazing.

All of them were cold. Most of them were shaking so bad when they got out we helped them with fins. All of them were smiling and happy though. 7 new divers and all of them ready to dive more. Most walked back into the shop though and went straight for the drysuit section.

The little bit I did see while touring yesterday and today was good. Vis was about 10-15 feet but not many fish. I stayed pretty warm, until the 2nd dive today. Then, my hands got cold. Besides that, the water was much warmer than the surface.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:25 pm

I saw several people getting their OW certs this weekend at Cove 2. I was there doing a tech class- we were all supportive and encouraging- I probably wouldn't have been out there if it wasn't for the class I was in either, but- more power to the newbies for snowdiving in wetsuits! I'm sure they'll all be telling their friends about their crazy adventure when they get back to work tomorrow!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:13 pm

Wow! Way to go newbs!

If they stuck this out they'll be having a blast diving in the PNW in no time! :rr:

Sergeant Pepper · Post by **Sergeant Pepper** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:53 am

I'm only a semi-noobie, and I still dove in a wetsuit during winter time... once.

Dmitchell · Post by **Dmitchell** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:45 am

Wow!

My staff and I decided a few years ago, that we wouldn't take openwater students out unless the air temps were higher than 35 degrees and all of my students wear drysuits.

That's a tough group!

Dave