Giant Steps are what you take - walking on the moon...

[Mo2vation]

About 4 years ago (maybe 3? I dunno) Arnaud and I met. On our first dive in the Dive Park at Casino Point, he said he wanted to go "Moon Walking..." I'm all - "OK, whatever."

We get to some open ground, and dude purges his BC, purges his drysuit and tucks his fins under a rock... then he proceeds to go all Neil Armstrong - bouncing along in slow motion. I spit the reg, I was laughing so hard. I took my turn next.. holy cow. Its so much fun. You need to be sure someone in the group is a spotter (i.e: finned up and ready to assist) but it is such a blast. Prepare to hoover your gas and completely PigPen the dive site as you bounce around... but its so much fun.

So ever since then, about once or twice a year I take a small group of friends out to go Moon Walking.

This weekend at the SoCal Avalon Dive I took a group out, and also took the Camera. So after I did the demo, I grabbed the camera and shot some of the group as they slipped off their fins, got neg and did a little bouncy bounce.

This was the most creative group ever. Back flips, cork screws, swan dives, and my fav of all - Adam, setting the bar WAY HIGH by going all Matrix and leaping up to the 6' platform from the bottom, then going into a high flying back flip... Very nice.

It was amazing. Adam, Josh, Claudette - you guys rock!

---
Ken

Adam's post-matrix hop up back flip. An instant classic!

Claudette sticking the "Adam hop up" (while Josh looks on)

Claudette launching into a Back Flip with Twist (while Josh looks on)

Josh vaulting into a fine hand spring!

Josh lining up for his massive, high-flying double back flip

The beginning of the Back Flip (no face plant on this one!)

`Chica Swan Dive

 

[Dave Zimmerly]

On our last trip to Coz, one of our DM's did the same thing. We came to a sandy stretch, he got negative, took off his fins and started to run across the sand bar. Had us laughing through our regs.

Dave (aka "Squirt")

 

[CompuDude]

LOL Nice! As long as you're in a clear sandy area so as to not hurt the critters, that looks like a lot of fun.

 

[neophyte]

It really, really was.

Really!

I'm not even sure I would've traded it for a giant sea bass dive, and that's saying a lot.

It's also left me with perfect avatar material.

Thanks so much.

Edit: I tried to tighten up some (painfully) twisted syntax and redundant word choices.

 

[Glycerin]

That was a blast. Thanks for showing me that Ken. Between that and the GSB it was one of the best dives ever.

 

[Jcsgt]

I still think I'd find a way to hurt myself. Looks like a lot of fun, though. You should video it.

 

[neophyte]

I still think I'd find a way to hurt myself.

I nearly did, but even that was worth it. I've "known" Ken has the skills to be on top of something starting to go wrong underwater, but it's great to really know, you know?

He was SO right there next to me, on top of it, hand on my shoulder and primary ready to donate while I worked things out/cleared things up. Some of this I felt, and some I was told later by others. They were just as impressed.

It was also nice to come as close as I have so far to having a problem underwater, and handle it reasonably well.

Thanks again Ken!

 

[Mo2vation]

I nearly did, but even that was worth it. I've "known" Ken has the skills to be on top of something starting to go wrong underwater, but it's great to really know, you know?

He was SO right there next to me, on top of it, hand on my shoulder and primary ready to donate while I worked things out/cleared things up. Some of this I felt, and some I was told later by others. They were just as impressed.

It was also nice to come as close as I have so far to having a problem underwater, and handle it reasonably well.

Thanks again Ken!

But that's the thing - working through them. I haven't seen the situation that flaps you, yet. 90% of the divers would be pretty shaken up after what you went through on Sat afternoon (or the other week at Vets... the zero gas surf exit, remember?)

For those of you who weren't there - Adam was Moon Walking. Something happened and he flooded his mask at the same time he lost his primary reg - with no fins, in about 60 feet of water, in a dust cloud, very negative, breathing very hard from laughing and tumbling underwater, etc, etc.

Dude calmly stood up in the sand and switched to his back up reg and cleared his mask. He replaced the primary, took a breath and got a mouth full of water... went back to the back up reg, purged the primary, switched again, and then all was good.

I took him by the arm and led him back to his fins (sort of gave him a ride, really...) Upon arrival at his fins, what does he do? Instead of getting on his fins and going back to diving like any normal person, dude shakes it off, climbs up and does another stage dive. I couldn't believe it.

Adam and I have been through a couple of nervous moments, but the guy holds it together and works it out. You were nails, my friend. I was just the back up plan.

---
Ken

 

[Empty V]

Nice work my friends! If something were to go wrong with my diving or gear(God bless me it doesn't happen again), I'd want to be around this group of people(and a few other individuals).

This looks like so much fun, when do I get to play?

Billy

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Nice work my friends! If something were to go wrong with my diving or gear(God bless me it doesn't happen again), I'd want to be around this group of people(and a few other individuals).

This looks like so much fun, when do I get to play?

Billy

July 23rd

LOL Nice! As long as you're in a clear sandy area so as to not hurt the critters, that looks like a lot of fun.

Actually, sea cucumbers soften the landings....

(Kidding, man!!!! Kidding! Don't shoot me!!! :14: )

We caused about as much disturbance as a flock of feeding bat rays.
It's all Good.