Where do you dive?

[RonFrank]

In Colorado winter diving generally includes ICE!

There are very few places I can think of (in fact none) where the diving is reasonable, and the water is NOT frozen in Winter Time.

We do have rather GOOD skiing, in fact I'd go so far as to say some of the Best in the world... Diving.. not so much.

I generally do Blue Hole several times in the winter. I have done Rock Lake, but John maybe a bit optimistic in saying anyone can dive Rock even with some training. Rock Lake seems to me to be a if you a willing to go tech, and take some training (think 1K+ in gear and class expense) then you maybe allowed to join the handful of instructors allowed to dive Rock Lake. It is private, and an instructor must be present to dive it.

If I am wrong, let me know John, as I would like to dive Rock lake again.

Welcome to Colorado!

 

[boulderjohn]

I generally do Blue Hole several times in the winter. I have done Rock Lake, but John maybe a bit optimistic in saying anyone can dive Rock even with some training. Rock Lake seems to me to be a if you a willing to go tech, and take some training (think 1K+ in gear and class expense) then you maybe allowed to join the handful of instructors allowed to dive Rock Lake. It is private, and an instructor must be present to dive it.

If I am wrong, let me know John, as I would like to dive Rock lake again.

You should have checked her profile, Ron. She is GUE Tech 1 already, so she won't have any problems joining us.

As for you, if you are really nice for a while, you might be allowed back.

Yes, everyone who goes there must do so under the supervision of one of the handful of instructors who are allowed in, but that does not mean you have to be in a class. If George knows you, trusts you, and you have at least AOW, you can get in with us. The real concern is being known and trusted. The Blue Hole is pretty much bullet proof, and beginning divers can crash into the walls or the rock rubble bottom all they want. In contrast, Rock Lake is a pristine, natural environment. Many of its features are fragile.The owner is adamant about that fragile environment being preserved. Last year some people we did not know but who were recommended dived independently while we were there. They visited a specific rock ledge with fine silt and selenite gypsum crystals on it. Later on we visited that ledge, too, and saw the big hand print in the silt.

So, just keep demonstrating that good buoyancy and environmental awareness!

 

[zamburinha]

I can't ski yet ... so diving will have to do ... even if it is through ice :cool2:. I hope to get to join the Rock Lake trips at some point. I have some tech training (GUE T1) already as John mentioned, but almost no drysuit experience, as I used to live in tropical Singapore and I did most of my diving in very warm waters. I am looking forward to the new challenges and non-tropical diving tho

In Colorado winter diving generally includes ICE!

There are very few places I can think of (in fact none) where the diving is reasonable, and the water is NOT frozen in Winter Time.

We do have rather GOOD skiing, in fact I'd go so far as to say some of the Best in the world... Diving.. not so much.

I generally do Blue Hole several times in the winter. I have done Rock Lake, but John maybe a bit optimistic in saying anyone can dive Rock even with some training. Rock Lake seems to me to be a if you a willing to go tech, and take some training (think 1K+ in gear and class expense) then you maybe allowed to join the handful of instructors allowed to dive Rock Lake. It is private, and an instructor must be present to dive it.

If I am wrong, let me know John, as I would like to dive Rock lake again.

Welcome to Colorado!

 

[RonFrank]

Rock Lake is a cool place to dive, however not likey the best spot to learn drysuit diving. Why? I is almost 300' deep, and the walls are mostly vertical. Not somewhere you want to have an uncontrolled decent... This is one reason that the owners don't allow just anyone to wander in and dive.

You will likely be very happy learning drysuit diving at the Blue Hole, or Perch Lake. Rock, Perch, and BH are about 10 minutes from one another in Santa Rosa.

I am kinda getting the ich to dive again, so I will likely set something up in the next month, and you are welcome to join. Or maybe you will choose to take a dry suit class from George or John.

BTW, we almost all dive dry, so finding someone to show you the ropes is not much of an issue. I discovered when I started diving dry that a class can help, but it is really more about just doing it, and getting used to drysuit diving.

 

[RonFrank]

You should have checked her profile, Ron. She is GUE Tech 1 already, so she won't have any problems joining us.

As for you, if you are really nice for a while, you might be allowed back.

YThe real concern is being known and trusted.

So, just keep demonstrating that good buoyancy and environmental awareness!

Honestly, I have been diving now for some time, and I don't think buoyancy or environmental awareness have much to do with if I end up at Rock Lake!

 

[BigBubbaJ]

We are having a blast! Wish you were here

 

[robint]

You guys are F'ing crazy! Yeah, I know, my husband is over there with you today.

robin

 

[boulderjohn]

You guys are F'ing crazy! Yeah, I know, my husband is over there with you today.

robin

Yes, he was, but the wuss never got in the water. He didn't get there until (his opinion) it was too late to get in a meaningful dive. Of course, there might be other opinions.

Getting here was a real adventure. Snow all the way from Pueblo to Santa Rosa. A serious blizzard near Las Vegas. We did not get in until nearly 2:00 AM. We slept in and didn't get in the water until after noon.

The water was great! Visibility was much better than this summer. Some of us actually overdressed, mistaking air temperature and conditions for water temperature and conditions. I saw 59 degrees at depth on my bottom timer, which reads about 2 degrees warmer than most computers. I was actually a little too warm in my MK 2 underwear and jacket.

 

[RonFrank]

That is about as much snow as I have ever seen in the Santa Rosa Area!

Glad you guys made it there OK.