So my wife's best friend has never been to Lake Tahoe. She wants to go there for her birthday in early May, and I will likely be dragged along because the gals like to hang out together, and I'm the only one who can make her husband behave beyond direct line-of-sight female supervision.
All three of the others are non-divers. I'm holding firm in my demand that I won't go unless I get two days of diving. This negotiation strategy worked in the past when we traveled with this couple to the Big Island and to the Mexican Riviera, so I think it's safe for me to start researching Tahoe diving.
All I know about Lake Tahoe is that it's more than a mile above sea level, it's extremely deep, and it's very cold. I've never dove at elevation, never gone deeper than recreation limits, and seldom been in water less than 65 degrees F.
My initial questions are:
Is the PADI altitude diving specialty course worth taking on this trip or before it? Or would it be sufficient to read the chapter on altitude diving in the PADI AOW manual, get smart about the altitude functions on my computer and the eRDP, and do some additional homework (open to suggestions on what to read)?
Would a 7 mm wetsuit with hood be sufficient for recreational-depth dives in early May, or should I take a drysuit course beforehand and plan to rent one? I've read that neoprene has extra buoyancy at elevation--does that mean it also provides more warmth for a given thickness or does that advantage go away as soon as you descend and the water starts compressing it?
If you had only two days to dive there and you're likely never to have the chance to go back--and you're not a technical or drysuit diver--what dive sites would be at the top of your list?
Are there any dive shops or clubs you particularly recommend at Lake Tahoe?
I would gratefully welcome any additional information or advice.
Regards,
Scraps
(so nicknamed because I'm very helpful at getting rid of leftovers)
All three of the others are non-divers. I'm holding firm in my demand that I won't go unless I get two days of diving. This negotiation strategy worked in the past when we traveled with this couple to the Big Island and to the Mexican Riviera, so I think it's safe for me to start researching Tahoe diving.
All I know about Lake Tahoe is that it's more than a mile above sea level, it's extremely deep, and it's very cold. I've never dove at elevation, never gone deeper than recreation limits, and seldom been in water less than 65 degrees F.
My initial questions are:
Is the PADI altitude diving specialty course worth taking on this trip or before it? Or would it be sufficient to read the chapter on altitude diving in the PADI AOW manual, get smart about the altitude functions on my computer and the eRDP, and do some additional homework (open to suggestions on what to read)?
Would a 7 mm wetsuit with hood be sufficient for recreational-depth dives in early May, or should I take a drysuit course beforehand and plan to rent one? I've read that neoprene has extra buoyancy at elevation--does that mean it also provides more warmth for a given thickness or does that advantage go away as soon as you descend and the water starts compressing it?
If you had only two days to dive there and you're likely never to have the chance to go back--and you're not a technical or drysuit diver--what dive sites would be at the top of your list?
Are there any dive shops or clubs you particularly recommend at Lake Tahoe?
I would gratefully welcome any additional information or advice.
Regards,
Scraps
(so nicknamed because I'm very helpful at getting rid of leftovers)