Written 4-29-07:

The past two weekends I've done dives #22-#23 with Dave in which I finally figured out (for now) the correct amount of weight for the combo of small fleece, drysuit, 3mm hood, 5 mm gloves, Reefrider BC. Dropped 4 lb. off. The Reefrider BC isn't meant to hold 20 lb. worth of weights so I've been doing 12 lb. in the pockets and then wearing 8 lb. on a weight belt.

I lost the weight belt and added a 2 lb. weight on either side of the tank. I've also started using my BC as well as my drysuit for buoyancy control. Not really supposed to do that in a recreational drysuit dive but I decided to try it and it worked out well for me. I didn't have a problem remembering that I had two devices to vent and work with. I was very pleased at the end of those dives.

Also started working on trying to figure out those different kicks. Most of the time I'm more comfortable to do a sculling type of movement with a few flutter kicks here and again but I've been wanting to start working on keeping my knees bent properly and using the frog kick. I also started trying to figure out the helicopter movement thing and also the kick used to stop your forward motion and remain still. Have LOTS of work to do on that stuff still and I haven't even attempted to try to swim backwards but that's sort of what I'm focusing on right now. The kicks and being able to maneuver a little better.

For dive #24, I had the chance to finally dive with Mel off of NCDivers. David dove as well and he led the way. It was a nice easy dive and I learned a bunch just by watching both of them.

I saved dive #25 to dive with Michael. It's the dive I've been waiting for now since I started. With the specialties needed to become an Advanced Diver already completed, I just needed to log 25 dives. I know that a lot of people don't get to dive maybe once or twice a year but I can't imagine doing that. So, it seems like it's taken forever to arrive.

We suited up and got in the water and Michael knew right away that something wasn't right with his drysuit. He kept feeling water entering the sleeve. He decided to go ahead with it anyway because he didn't want to disappoint me.

And it was a great dive for me. About 30 minutes finning around and back out. Sure enough, when he took his gear off, he was soaked from neck to feet. Apparently, a nail on the picnic table had snagged the wrist seal and put a dime-sized hole in it. And he was freezing. It's usually the other way around. Michael doesn't ever get cold and I freeze my butt off after the first 20 minutes. Poor man! So sweet to finish it out for me though. :)

Dave was proud that I had made it to #25 and came down from the shop to take a picture of us in front of the quarry to commemorate the dive. :)

I haven't seen the pictures yet and I'm sure I look just lovely but I'll post it as soon as he gets a chance to email them to me.

Dives #26 and #27 were done on this past Saturday evening.

My buoyancy was great, everything felt good, of course, my mask kept giving me difficulties and fogging up but that doesn't really bother me as much anymore. We had a nice long dive, went to the crusher and around and back. Still working on the different kicks and placement of myself in the water.

We had another buddy to dive with for the second dive which we did around 6:30PM. Kevin C. had come out to do a dive and he had arrived by the time we got out from the first dive.

So we all geared back up and went in. He had an awesome light (it was starting to become dark) and it seems like we covered the entire quarry. He led, then Michael and then me following. He took us down through some areas of the crusher that I had never ventured before and I wasn't quite sure it was a good thing but I watched Kevin go through, then Michael and I went in after. It wasn't a tight fit but still an overhead environment for a few minutes. No problems though. In and out in a flash, buoyancy still great, didn't get snagged, and off we went to the bus and the plane and the boat and down into the deeper section near the east wall.

The fish were really starting to come out and swimming right up near my face. They've not done that before and it was sort of cool. I was FREEZING my butt off at this point though and after about 40 minutes, we were finished.

Wanted to dive (and planned on it) on Sunday but we got busy doing some stuff at the shop/quarry and the time just slipped away.

Next up: Need 40 dives! Hope to do a U/W Navigation course in May sometime and then Rescue Diver in June (that's what I need the 40 dives for).

And my God, it'll be time to study for Divemaster then!!!!! Unbelievable.

I love it though. :)

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