AK Austin
New
Hey everyone - I just thought I would introduce myself, and as I am still pumped up from my first dive experience after my cert, so I have to share
I live up in Juneau, Alaska so we naturally dive drysuits. A buddy and I drove out to a local dive spot with shore access and waded it. The air temp was around 22 or so when we went in. The visibility was pretty good for Juneau, probably around 25-30 feet. Not much to report for the first bit of the dive, except for seeing a massive king crab.
Before too long we saw our first sea lion. It was a pretty small one who just came swooping in a couple times to check us out then left. We both thought that was the last we would see of them but we kept swimming the same direction (depth was around 35ft). Pretty soon seven came into view. We just sank down and hung onto the bottom and watched them (I'll admit I was pretty nervous, but having the time of my life). They would come within a couple feet of us, give us the shifty, then swim off.
Once we started heading back we would see them from time to time when all of a sudden nine pretty much pop out of no where. We sunk down again and watched them, thankfully they didn't feel the need to yank on our fins when we headed away. They all seemed to be female, so I was a little worried that we would have a big bull come to see who was putting the moves on his ladies, but one didn't show up.
After the first dive we went and grabbed the other tanks, meanwhile ice started forming on our gear and getting my gloves back on was definitely interesting. We hopped back into the water and made it a quicky as it was starting to get dark and we were both pretty cold. Not as much excitment the second time in but every now and then a solitary sea lion would come blasting out of the darkness to check us out before leaving again.
All in all it was an amazing first dive experience (aside from some frozen digits). We are going out tomorrow with an instructer to do the peak performance bouyancy class, and I can't wait to get back into the water.
I live up in Juneau, Alaska so we naturally dive drysuits. A buddy and I drove out to a local dive spot with shore access and waded it. The air temp was around 22 or so when we went in. The visibility was pretty good for Juneau, probably around 25-30 feet. Not much to report for the first bit of the dive, except for seeing a massive king crab.
Before too long we saw our first sea lion. It was a pretty small one who just came swooping in a couple times to check us out then left. We both thought that was the last we would see of them but we kept swimming the same direction (depth was around 35ft). Pretty soon seven came into view. We just sank down and hung onto the bottom and watched them (I'll admit I was pretty nervous, but having the time of my life). They would come within a couple feet of us, give us the shifty, then swim off.
Once we started heading back we would see them from time to time when all of a sudden nine pretty much pop out of no where. We sunk down again and watched them, thankfully they didn't feel the need to yank on our fins when we headed away. They all seemed to be female, so I was a little worried that we would have a big bull come to see who was putting the moves on his ladies, but one didn't show up.
After the first dive we went and grabbed the other tanks, meanwhile ice started forming on our gear and getting my gloves back on was definitely interesting. We hopped back into the water and made it a quicky as it was starting to get dark and we were both pretty cold. Not as much excitment the second time in but every now and then a solitary sea lion would come blasting out of the darkness to check us out before leaving again.
All in all it was an amazing first dive experience (aside from some frozen digits). We are going out tomorrow with an instructer to do the peak performance bouyancy class, and I can't wait to get back into the water.
diving in those temps, but sounds like the seals made it very worthwhile!!! Also sounds like you've been seriously bitten by the dive bug and we'll being seeing lots of you around the Boards here!
:dancingsnoopy:
