Channel Islands recap.

I'm going to be real lazy here.

Photos on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2963579&id=6823595&l=b6e2bfd744

Trip recap on NW Dive Club. http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=13751

In short, a fun road trip with friends that led to four days of nothing but diving was just what the doctor ordered. When the boat pulled away from the dock, all my responsibilities, worries and stresses were left behind. It was a chance get to know new friends better, spend some time with divers I hadn't seen in a while, and meet a few new people as well.

And dive. And dive. And dive again. I LOVED IT. The thrill of getting in the water so often and so easily overcame any sense of being tired. I was raring to go almost all the time. 16 dives in 4 days, some quite long. Most were shallow (less than 50fsw), but a few were 80-110fsw. My SAC was really good (matching really good divers around me). I was able to help some others, and gladly accepted help from others. A great group of divers.

It was cold water diving with a slight reprieve: water temps varied but were high 50's to high 60's. Most dives were without gloves or a hood, which made it feel wonderful. After the first day I stripped the 2nd layer of undergarment off, which left just the MK0 (moisture wicking bamboo layer) under my Fusion drysuit. Comfortable. Easy to don, and when we were out of the water I just threw on a t-shirt over the undergarment and ran around like that, taking in the sun.

It's refreshing to not give a worry about your hair, your makeup, your whatever. No one else cares, as long as you can play poker and talk diving. :) I'm a tomboy at heart, so that works for me. But I'll admit... divers are hot. There's something about a man all geared up that just... *swoon* And some of my diving friends are hotties to begin with. Put the two together... eye candy!

Diving with a group is just great fun. I love seeing a lot of divers in the water. A large group headed down together into the depths is like watching skydivers in slow motion. It's a visual that really thrills me.

We did San Clemente, then worked our way up. The sites were varied; from 40fsw to 110fsw (a few were deeper, but I didn't venture any deeper). Shallows, pinnacles, rocks to circumnavigate, kelp forests, open sandy patches... a variety of topographies. Overall the diversity of life was not as impressive as I'd hoped. Made me think fondly of the good old PNW, and think of a trip up to Canada...

But sharks, bat rays, sea lions, sea hares, giant sea bass, fish galore, etc. Wow.

This evening I enjoyed a new treat: downloading dive data from the 'puter instead of entering it manually. All the info including visual profiles into MacDive with just a few clicks. NICE. On the wish list now:

- New computer w/ air integration and download capabilities.
- New solid fins.
- New kick ass light.

Anyone need some freelance work they want to hire me for? =-)