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My very first dive trip, September 2004
It was awesome.
Not what I expected after watching someone else dive on TV,
reading about it, interviewing everyone I knew who had done
it and getting through dive class. It was so much more
wonderful. I was certified on September 13th, ten days
before I would be diving on the eastern side of Catalina Island.
Diving can be pretty intimidating - there are so many ways
you can hurt or kill yourself doing it. I found that
the amazing thrill and beauty of diving reduces the fears
until you find yourself feeling relaxed and at home in this
really alien environment.
Our friends Steve and Susan met us there after cruising their
boat down the coast from San Francisco. It was a beautiful
sunny day at Two Harbors. It was 85 degrees and the
water was clear and blue. Steve saw the ferry come in
and picked us up in his dingy to take us to Pacific,
which would be our home for the next four days, anchored in
4th of July cove. We caught up with our friends, learned
about the adventurous trip they had just completed.
After running a quick check on equipment, we enjoyed the BBQ'd
Halibut Steve caught on the way and went to bed.
The next morning the four of us headed to Ripper's Cove for
the first dive. We saw two small sting rays, a halibut
and lots of Garibaldi, a little yellow fish with big personality.
Most all of the wildlife we encountered seemed unimpressed
with us, but the Garibaldi were curious and friendly --and
I think, looking for breakfast. They would come right
up to your mask and stare expectantly. One of the best
parts of diving is the swimming. After you get used
to the equipment and can swim freely, it becomes like flying.
It was so fun to swim along side of a school of sardines and
then swim under the shiny, moving mass and look up at them
while swimming.
The first dive proved two things: I love diving and you gotta
have your gear in order, just like any other adventure.
My BC started leaking a small stream of bubbles and I had
comfort issues with my dive suit, so we went to shore to rent
a better fit and get a new Power Inflator hose.
Next day, next dive! Little Gieger's Cove for a beautiful
morning dive of reefs and kelp, shells and sea urchins.
I had fun trying to keep up with Dave through the kelp forests.
We stayed in the water all day snorkeling after our dive.
At the end of our last day, Steve, Dave and I took the dingy
out for one last dive. We went out to Bird Rock, a tall
rock island standing in the bay, not far out from Avalon.
This was a diving first for me, to be rolling out of a dingy
away from shore. It was a little windy and choppy and
I was excited and talking about what we were doing and ended
up swallowing some water. The whole area was reef, with
so many fish and activity. Dave pointed to a dark spot
under a rock and when I got there, I saw 9 or so lobster huddled
together in a line, just as if they were crowded into a tank
at a restaurant. Every rock seemed to have the same
scene. Finally we came upon a group with one really
big lobster. Now, lobster season was going to begin
in 3 days and the story we were told is that lobster hunters
will line up their boats until the moment the season begins
and race eachother to catch the limit. This granddaddy
lobster looked as though he had been through the ordeal before.
He pointed his antene towards us in an aggresive stance and
followed us with them. He was something else!
I was having a hard time clearing one ear. Later, I
was told that sometimes happens when you've been diving as
much as we had that weekend. So, during this dive, I
stayed closer to the surface than Dave and Steve. Steve
came to me and made a gesture for me to see a fish.
It was near the ground and dark, almost black. I thought
it looked like the 'sucker' fish we used to have in our fish
tank back at home. About 10 minutes later, he made the
same gesture and I saw a second fish, the same shape but three
times the size, with the unmistakable markings of a Tiger
Shark. Then I knew what his gesture meant - Shark.
That second shark looked no bigger than 4 feet long.
Steve says they were probably being closely watched by their
mother, which means so were we. My sister, who has been
diving for years, says I'm lucky to have seen a shark on only
my first diving trip. And, I agree! Seeing sharks
was something I thought I did not want in my diving experience,
but it was really cool.
The next day, we took the dingy out to visit the American
Pride, a tall ship that was anchored nearby. We
got a tour from the captain, our friend, Juliette. Then
Susan and I took the ferry back, headed for home. Steve
and Dave took Pacific the rest of the way up the coast
over the next three and a half days.
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