OMG, what a weekend! This will be a short report...it's late and I didn't take my camera (too much to think about for my certification and no partner to share the picture taking with).
I met our group at Tahoe on Friday night...two brothers in our class have a family cabin there. Saturday morning, after a little nervous sleep we headed to the lake...

The first dive was a little ahhh, stressful...almost lost my weight belt trying to cinch it up, had trouble breathing at the altitiude (Tahoe is at 6,226 feet) and was, just a littled frazzled...so by dive 2 I regrouped and ... stayed a little dizzy and nauseated....for hours....GREAT, I'm thinking...maybe I can't do this... So, I stayed at the cabin after dinner to relax while the others went gambling, meditated and started over this morning.

PHEW! The dives today went GREAT, I went at my own pace, made it through all the skills and had a nice little trip around the rocks along the egde at the end where we saw a few minnows, some crawdads and BEST OF ALL

GOT MY CERTIFICATION!


Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to move on with doing this, especially Martine, Cynde, Kelly, Tom, Jos, Igor, Mary, Annie, and Diana!!! I can't wait to see those of you who will be on Bon when I get there in a couple of weeks and hopefully more of you at some time in the near future!

(Message edited by babsoleary on July 12, 2004)

Going to try to post the pic again....
THERE WOULD BE A PIC HERE IF THE SOFTWARE WAS WORKING!!!
(and no, I still haven't had time for a makeover since I left the lake)

(Message edited by babsoleary on July 12, 2004)

Congrats, Barbara!! This is great news!!! Yippee.....you will go nuts diving on Bonaire. Have a great time and enjoy it thoroughly. This is a great accomplishment for you. I know you and your daughter will fall in love with Bonaire the minute the plane is flying over the island just prior to landing....how exciting for you!! Ayo. Carole

Barbara

Congratulations !!!!

Way to go !
I remember the thrills of the first dives : just the thought of actually being able to do it "breath under water" still gives me goose-bumps.

You are soooooo much going to like/love diving on Bonaire , trust me .

Going on your own pace is the only way to do it imho.
If you get rushed you get stressed and you use up your tank way to fast , no point in doing that ( except if you have to outswim a great big white shark )


sjosss

Wow, congratulations Barbara! See you underwater somewhere! :-)

Congratulations Grasshopper:-{)} Your trips to Bonaire and many other places just got better!

Congratulations Barbara, See you on the Reef Cams!!!

Congratulations Barbara. Well done gal. I knew you would do it. See you at the reef cam soon. Annie B.

Barbara,

Do not forget to take your temporary card with you on your trip.

Boy, if all you saw on your tour was minnows and crawdads, you are going to LOVE Bonaire! There's a serious amount of life on the reefs there. Congratulations!!

Faith

Congratulations Barbara. That had to be a cold water experience. I have never dived in water colder than 78 degrees and prefer over 80F. See you on the cams.

I knew you could do it!!!
Now you have to work on your daughter to take the classes.. she is 12 or more right?? she can do the junior cert..then you will have a dive buddy!!! This opens up a whole other opportunity for your traveling as well.. South Pacific, Australia's great barrier reef.. Bonaire at least twice a year..Honduras,Galapagos, Palau, Yap.....on and on and on.. Even NYS LI diving..!!
YIPPEEE for you!!!

Thank you all, you are all the best! I did mean to mention Freddie and Elvira in the list of folks that sent me an encouraging e-mail (so I hope I didn'f forget anyone else in my anoxic post dive state )
I am sooo looking forward to meeting you all some time on a future dive!

CONGRATULATIONS/FELICITACIONES!!!!

We knew you could do it - way to go.

Barbara, I thought about you all weekend ! (well when I wasn't thinking about Mary packing up and leaving us.. lol) I'm so happy for you ! We will have so much fun diving, I feel so privileged I get to be your FIRST dive buddy ever. Lucky lucky me !!!

Congratulations Barbara!!!!

Great job, I knew you could do it. Lake Tahoe's a pretty cool dive spot and I would dive there in a heartbeat.

As Dr Seuss would say - Oh, the places you'll go! The rest of the blue planet just opened up to you. Way to go, Babs!

Barbara, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Woohooo! When you get back from Bon, you will have to make a trip down south and dive the Kelp Forests of Catlaina with us!!!

Barbera, Welcome in the world of happy divers!! What a great accomplisement! You can always come and dive with me in Holland!!

Barbara:

Let me add my congratulations, also! Getting that C-Card was one of the most challenging things I've ever done...but the rewards are MORE than worth it!

Sally

Neat photo, Cynde!! A real kelp forest...absolutely beautiful! What are the dimensions on the ones in the photo?? Age?? Carole


Have any more???

Carole, those are probably 40 feet high. They depend on the light to grow, and can grow up to 2 feet a day! They "recycle" so they die off every few years and new ones grow...they spawn a couple times a year (fronds at the bottom of the plant have gametes and release them)...Giant Kelp is what it is, and it is unbelievably beautiful to look up and see the sun shining through and schools of blacksmith or perch swimming around...Also, there is an entire ecosystem that lives in the "kelp forest." Here is a kelp bass...


one of my favorites of Michael and a garibaldi...


Michael peeking from behind the kelp...

Also, here is a horn shark, these little guys get to about 3 feet...they are great for photographs because they let you get real close before they take off!


Here is a horn shark egg we spotted on one dive a couple years ago...(actually, Michael spotted it, I was obviously looking at something else!)

Thank you, Cynde!! That must be sooo neat to be able to dive the kelp forests and to be so actively involved in the preservation and reforesting of it, too. Thanks for sharing the pics with us....beautiful! I love the pic of Michael hiding in the kelp and the garibaldi, too...such striking color!! Ayo. Carole

Cynde, Thank you for the invitation and the beautiful pictures ! It looks like I'll need to spiff up on my bouyancy skills so I don't get all tangled up and have to do the BCD remeoval skill!

(Message edited by babsoleary on July 12, 2004)

Martin, would that be more alpine lake diving? I'll take you up on that next time I'm in Holland!

Barbara congrats on the c card . Are you a sniver or a diver ? Make sure when you are diving in bonaire to go around 5 to 6 in the eve was my fav time of the day seeing the reef full of fishes and the sun rays glowing down on the reef.
Fyi daughter says dont go in the early one morning to the shock of her parents her sister and her got up at 6:30 am because of best new bud chuck said was doing a early morning dive (chuck idea of early morning dive 5am no later than 7).
Well they were on the back of the house reef and went by a big grouper who had breakfast in his mouth they startled him and he shooked his head and she got a chunk of fish that hit her leg wearing a shortie was not her most favorite dive moment

Barbara, that's why you stick close to your buddy diving out here...they can help you get untangled if you happen to catch some stipes (they are the long thin part of the kelp that have bladders on them...they are usually the culprit that gets hooked on your first stage of fin strap...do I sound like I've "been there done that???"

Great pictures, Cynde

Cynde, love the pictures!

Barbara, I live in The Netherlands, the old name was Low lands... So no alpine diving, just a nice 15 deg. C. and a vis of 3 to 4 meters today. Just got back from a nice and relaxing dive. But be welcome to join me...

Geez, Martin, that 15 degrees would certainly make up for the lack of alititude in terms of stressing one, huh? And me with no dry suit!

I would be very happy with 15C! That's 59F, which is a bit warmer than our dives on Saturday, which were more like 55F (13C)...

Faith

I see what you mean Faith...I did a poor calculation from C to F! The Tahoe dives were 60 degrees...not bad, the altitude made it easier to breath from the tank than the air!

Barbara, Even I dive wet at the moment...

Faith !!! I agree I would be happy with 59degrees F I have been diving wet into thermoclines of 48degrees F{almost ice cream headache, yes you know what I mean!!} and then hanging at a balmy 60 degrees F..... Have a good day all...

Barbara! Big Congrats to you! Lake Tahoe! Very cold...and very deep....and I'm very proud of ya! Lots of fishes waiting to be discovered...see you underwater!

BARBARA - CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Sorry for the late post - I was on my Bonaire at the time!!!

I know you will love diving in Bonaire!!!! Wish I could be there with you!!!!