So here goes my story around the kayak diving... which turned out to be not a kayak dive !
Basically we all met in Marblehead, Chandler Hovey Park. Great parking (free), pebble/rocky beach. After loading our kayaks with the gear and securing everything on them to make sure nothing could fall if we capsized, we headed out.
Actually only us 2 since our "guide" was still preparing his kayak as it was more delicate to handle than ours (beginners...) ! The third guy went out far before me, so I was catching up, in direction of a small island in front of us (Cat Island if I'm right), when I capsized trying to change position as my back was suffering
No big deal, right, just had to get back on it. But when reorganizing everything on my gear I realized I forgot my camera on the beach near the rocks... I caught up the third one, told him I had to go back, checked with the guide on my way back if he had seen and taken my camera by any chance... nope... so we all went back. The wind was so strong that it took us probably 25-30min to get back ! Hopefully we found back my camera on the beach but there was no way I would do it a second time, especially the way back after a dive... exercise after diving is really not recommended, this would have been too much for me. So I ended up doing my dive solo on the shore while they went back out with the kayaks. I missed the dive from the kayak but did my first real solo dive (only consumed 1/4 of my tank for 46min but did only ~25ft). I also had taken back my semi-dry suit as I thought it would be easier for the kayak and I did not regret it. I did not feel cold at all 
I saw plenty of lobsters, probably only 1 or 2 keepers (I had no gauge so took no risk with my brand new permit !), saw 3 nice flounders but did not have my spear since it was initially a kayak dive, keep the gear to a minimum... I encountered a very big and nice Sea Raven again, I love these fishes ! Saw a couple funky small ones, one that was entirely white and big head compared to the others, have no clue what it was. At the end of the dive I saw a nice gonnel, in the purple/red colors !
So you might wonder where are my pictures... right ? well... When I turned on my camera under water, I saw I had no flash card in !!!! This was meant to be the day I screwed up everything with my camera !
After my dive, I got back to the car, used my "solar" shower to rince all my gear and started to pack everything. When I was all ready to leave I just went back to the shore checking if I could see my buddies that went back for their kayak dive, and they were well on their way back actually, so I waited for them to help a least with the kayaks and stuff. The third one clearly recognized I made the right choice to stay ;o) The guide, recognized that we might have been good if we did not have to go back and that if we did not fly straight to the cat island, he would have gone straight to the closer Marble Rock... Well, too late ;o)
The good news is: they came back with Scallops ! ~30 of them and they really kindly insisted for me to take a few home... so I came back with 12 ! I could not believe it, he probably wants me to come back ;o) They were of course delicious Cleaned them back at home and stored in the fridge until we cooked them !
I can not thank them enough for this really unexpected sharing of scallops, these were my first ones from local harvesting, what a great new experience. I now wished I could be with them to do the harvesting and really "earn" them !
I will definitely try it once more, only when conditions are a bit better and for the closer Marble Rock
The guide knows now where to find the scallops and he goes for lobsters too even if he did not get back with any, next time I might learn more on how to catch them
Here was my story... funny one, strange onewith mishaps. We all learned from it and discussed what we should have done differently, which I believe is the most important for next time and other new persons trying it.
Just in case you wondered, this was organized in our club, the NEAQ Dive Club and probably only accessible for members, but that does not mean you can not find a way to experience this outside...
Had to share this story ;o) Hope you liked it and that it reminds you to really plan ahead.
Basically we all met in Marblehead, Chandler Hovey Park. Great parking (free), pebble/rocky beach. After loading our kayaks with the gear and securing everything on them to make sure nothing could fall if we capsized, we headed out.
Actually only us 2 since our "guide" was still preparing his kayak as it was more delicate to handle than ours (beginners...) ! The third guy went out far before me, so I was catching up, in direction of a small island in front of us (Cat Island if I'm right), when I capsized trying to change position as my back was suffering
No big deal, right, just had to get back on it. But when reorganizing everything on my gear I realized I forgot my camera on the beach near the rocks... I caught up the third one, told him I had to go back, checked with the guide on my way back if he had seen and taken my camera by any chance... nope... so we all went back. The wind was so strong that it took us probably 25-30min to get back ! Hopefully we found back my camera on the beach but there was no way I would do it a second time, especially the way back after a dive... exercise after diving is really not recommended, this would have been too much for me. So I ended up doing my dive solo on the shore while they went back out with the kayaks. I missed the dive from the kayak but did my first real solo dive (only consumed 1/4 of my tank for 46min but did only ~25ft). I also had taken back my semi-dry suit as I thought it would be easier for the kayak and I did not regret it. I did not feel cold at all I saw plenty of lobsters, probably only 1 or 2 keepers (I had no gauge so took no risk with my brand new permit !), saw 3 nice flounders but did not have my spear since it was initially a kayak dive, keep the gear to a minimum... I encountered a very big and nice Sea Raven again, I love these fishes ! Saw a couple funky small ones, one that was entirely white and big head compared to the others, have no clue what it was. At the end of the dive I saw a nice gonnel, in the purple/red colors ! So you might wonder where are my pictures... right ? well... When I turned on my camera under water, I saw I had no flash card in !!!! This was meant to be the day I screwed up everything with my camera !
After my dive, I got back to the car, used my "solar" shower to rince all my gear and started to pack everything. When I was all ready to leave I just went back to the shore checking if I could see my buddies that went back for their kayak dive, and they were well on their way back actually, so I waited for them to help a least with the kayaks and stuff. The third one clearly recognized I made the right choice to stay ;o) The guide, recognized that we might have been good if we did not have to go back and that if we did not fly straight to the cat island, he would have gone straight to the closer Marble Rock... Well, too late ;o)
The good news is: they came back with Scallops ! ~30 of them and they really kindly insisted for me to take a few home... so I came back with 12 ! I could not believe it, he probably wants me to come back ;o) They were of course delicious
Cleaned them back at home and stored in the fridge until we cooked them !I can not thank them enough for this really unexpected sharing of scallops, these were my first ones from local harvesting, what a great new experience. I now wished I could be with them to do the harvesting and really "earn" them !
I will definitely try it once more, only when conditions are a bit better and for the closer Marble Rock
The guide knows now where to find the scallops and he goes for lobsters too even if he did not get back with any, next time I might learn more on how to catch them
Here was my story... funny one, strange onewith mishaps. We all learned from it and discussed what we should have done differently, which I believe is the most important for next time and other new persons trying it.
Just in case you wondered, this was organized in our club, the NEAQ Dive Club and probably only accessible for members, but that does not mean you can not find a way to experience this outside...
Had to share this story ;o) Hope you liked it and that it reminds you to really plan ahead.
