I will often go down the left (up) side. You bet. In summer, I'm in a dry suit, schlepping a huge camera rig and a scooter. No way I'm waiting for 15 empty-handed students and instructors in wetsuits on the down side. If the line is long, I dip under the rail and go in on the up-side.
Back in the Dark Ages, when I first started taking students to the Avalon Underwater Park . . .
THERE WERE NO STAIRS!!!!!!
How on earth was it even
POSSIBLE to get
ANY diver in the water - let alone students - without . . .
STAIRS???????
Amazingly, we discovered this very useful entry point called . . .
ROCKS!!! And you know the best part about this???
THE ROCKS ARE STILL THERE!!!!!
If the line is long/slow/whatever, what is the world is wrong with doing a nice wash-off to go out and wash-on to come in. (You can even do it with a camera - I certainly have.)
The point of this is that ever since the stairs went in, everyone - especially newer instructors - seems focused on the idea that that's the
ONLY place you can possibly make an entry. It's not.
There are at least three other rocky entry areas to the left of the stairs and more to the right. Advantage of using these?
(1) You don't wait in line
(2) You don't get in people's way
(3) You don't violate local protocol
(4) You don't set a bad example
(5) You don't overheat waiting to get in.
The next time you're in Avalon - even if there's not a line -
GIVE THE ROCKS A TRY!!!! In fact, I'll tell you right now that I'll be over there on Sunday, September 20, starting at about 11AM and will be happy to show you how to do it if you don't know how. As you face the water, I'll be to the left of the stairs, set up on the ocean side of the seawall. Come find me and I'll show you a new trick.
As the saying goes: What's old is new again.
- Ken