Mike Boswell
Contributor
San Diego is almost a diver's paradise. I say "almost" because the water is cold, and visibility along the coast is often only fair. Still, the ocean is rich with life, the kelp forests are amazing, and the diving is fun if you are adequately prepared. The diving here looks much easier than it is, and some who come here to dive are not well prepared.
Many who come here to dive don't have the right gear or exposure protection, have no experience with kelp, currents, or entanglement, and aren't physically able to handle shore entries, rips, currents, or large wave sets. Many are unused to wearing heavy wetsuits or drysuits and the ballast and buoyancy issues that go with them. Many aren't practiced at underwater navigation. Few newcomers know how to avoid the sting rays waiting in the shallows. Many don't realize that they can get badly sunburned by spending a few hours relaxing on a cool, foggy San Diego beach.
Dive classes talk about diving under the "condtions" in which you were trained. Since every dive area has it's own special condtions, I wondered if some of you would be willing to share some of yours with the rest of us. So my question is, if I were to visit you to go diving, what should I be aware of? What gear would I need? What special training or experience would I want to have?
Many who come here to dive don't have the right gear or exposure protection, have no experience with kelp, currents, or entanglement, and aren't physically able to handle shore entries, rips, currents, or large wave sets. Many are unused to wearing heavy wetsuits or drysuits and the ballast and buoyancy issues that go with them. Many aren't practiced at underwater navigation. Few newcomers know how to avoid the sting rays waiting in the shallows. Many don't realize that they can get badly sunburned by spending a few hours relaxing on a cool, foggy San Diego beach.
Dive classes talk about diving under the "condtions" in which you were trained. Since every dive area has it's own special condtions, I wondered if some of you would be willing to share some of yours with the rest of us. So my question is, if I were to visit you to go diving, what should I be aware of? What gear would I need? What special training or experience would I want to have?