Me on the Moonstone this year!
On Sunday, Nov. 28th I planned to do one more peaceful NJ dive before the long winter sets in. I awoke to a 26 degree clear morning and realized it was going to be a cold one! So, I figured it would be better to wait until the sun is up and let it warm up a little before heading out. We went out under breathless seas, so calm... but, it was still very cold (low 40's). The surface water temp was 44 degrees with almost no surface vis. Lots of particulate matter was floating in the water column. At this point I was freezing, I really feel the cold these days. Therefore, there was no way I could get in the water. So when there is no diving what else do you do? Go Striper fishing! I did not catch any fish but, got to watch an amazing show put on by two very large gray seals. They swam around the boat checking us out and played together as if they were wrestling each other. I tried so hard to get a good photo of them but every time I clicked the camera, under they went. So in the end, I did get a last peaceful day out in the ocean, it wasn't diving but, it was still invaluable time spent out on the Atlantic Ocean with marine life.
Two seals in the distanceAs another NJ Wreck diving season comes to a close, I am feeling sad that there will be no diving for the long winter. This season was a tough one between constant blown-out dives and when the dives did go, that ever persistent green water with 0 visibility greatly hampered my joy of taking photographs. All in all, I still managed to complete 28 dives to wrecks such as the Varanger, Arundo, Southern Lilian, Max's Wreck (Montgomery), Yellow Flag, Moonstone, Offshore Paddlewheeler, 9 Minute Barge, Dry Dock, Conway, Pinta, Wellington, John Marvin, Patrice McAllister, San Jose, Double East and the Gloria. Some of the epic dives to the Cayru, Northern Pacific, Durley Chine and Oil Wreck were blown out repeated times and the Varanger, well I was blown out 6 times to it but did manage to dive it once this year. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to safely complete so many dives this year!
Just as this year's season was winding down, I was invited to dive on some new dive boats and also some new opportunities in the diving community are opening up for me. I was recently asked to model for a photographer on some NJ wrecks which I am really excited about. I do not have a lot of photos of me diving and always relish at the opportunity to be in some photos or video. It seems I am always the one taking the photos and not the model. I hope things work out and I get some awesome pictures of me on a wreck!
Over the winter I will post some more old photos similar to last year, it brings me a lot of pride looking over the older photos and remembering all that I have accomplished. I think I may also post some old trip reports from the pre-computer era. I am also going to spend time trying out some rebreathers. I've narrowed my choices down to the Meg and Kiss. I am still saving my pennies for a rebreather and since I have such a hard time getting air fills, it seems it will be worth the investment for my kind of diving. There were definitely some missed opportunities resulting in not being able to get fills in time this season. I also will be purchasing a new drysuit. Its time for my Bare drysuit to go to neopreme heaven.
In looking ahead, the 2011 dive season will be my 25th year as a diver! I cannot believe that I have been diving for 25 years!!! I can still remember becoming a certified PADI diver at Diver's Way in Long Island. I did my checkout dives in the Long Island Sound along the north fork in a town called Greenport. I had to lug all my gear down this huge hill, the current was ripping, the water was cold, and you couldn't see a thing. I completed 6 dives in these conditions over a few days and perform drills like buddy breathing, ditch n dong your equipment, remove your mask and put it back on etc. I still don't know why I actually stuck it out but, I did. I guess after this season not much has changed in all these years, the water is still cold, the vis is low, and sometimes the current is ripping. After I became certified I spent 6 months in St. Croix, USVI at college and dove almost every day...I was living the easy leisurely diver lifestyle and enjoyed a lot of 151 Cruzan rum too! It wasn't until July of 1987 that I actually dove on my first NJ wreck, the San Saba, I got jelly jars and buttons on my first dive. It was such a thrill to find artifacts on my first NJ wreck dive. I was hooked and the rest is history!
I have met so many inspiring divers over the years and also lost a few too. I have to tell you that it is not always so easy to keep up with the macho men that find their way onto the many dive boats. Sometimes I have been knocked down pretty hard by the most unsuspected divers and dive leaders. I am a sensitive person but, I somehow gather up the strength to continue on and keep on diving. Many people tell me that I am sooo strong, well, that's just on the outside. Those trips that I was not permitted on because I was a girl, only prepared me for greater dive adventures that eventually came my way. Who knows, maybe being excluded from a dive boat or dive trip was to keep me away from certain people or activities that could have resulted in compromising my safety as a diver. Things in life happen for a reason. In fact, I started this blog as a way to help myself get through some painful events that happened in my diving circle. I thought maybe I could inspire others to dive like so many divers have inspired me over the years and it would help me to heal and move on. I do truly believe that this blog has opened up my diving world and has enabled opportunities that may have never existed for me. I am grateful to all those divers and dive boats that have helped me to achieve my dreams and goals through diving. I am also grateful to those whom knocked me down and forced me to change my course because I would not be where I am today if it was not for them. I hope someday I will be remembered for my small contributions to wreck diving in NJ.
To celebrate 25 years of safe wreck diving I will be looking into diving wrecks in North Carolina for a week in June, so if anyone else wants to go let me know and we can get a small group together. I also hope to dive all of my favorite wrecks in NJ and to spend time out on the Atlantus, Independence and Gypsy Blood dive boats and some private boats too. This will also be a special year because my daughter will be learning to dive...I can't wait to take her on her first wreck dive! Hmmm what wreck will make an impact on her so great that she too wants to dive for a long time to come?
In looking ahead, the 2011 dive season will be my 25th year as a diver! I cannot believe that I have been diving for 25 years!!! I can still remember becoming a certified PADI diver at Diver's Way in Long Island. I did my checkout dives in the Long Island Sound along the north fork in a town called Greenport. I had to lug all my gear down this huge hill, the current was ripping, the water was cold, and you couldn't see a thing. I completed 6 dives in these conditions over a few days and perform drills like buddy breathing, ditch n dong your equipment, remove your mask and put it back on etc. I still don't know why I actually stuck it out but, I did. I guess after this season not much has changed in all these years, the water is still cold, the vis is low, and sometimes the current is ripping. After I became certified I spent 6 months in St. Croix, USVI at college and dove almost every day...I was living the easy leisurely diver lifestyle and enjoyed a lot of 151 Cruzan rum too! It wasn't until July of 1987 that I actually dove on my first NJ wreck, the San Saba, I got jelly jars and buttons on my first dive. It was such a thrill to find artifacts on my first NJ wreck dive. I was hooked and the rest is history!
I have met so many inspiring divers over the years and also lost a few too. I have to tell you that it is not always so easy to keep up with the macho men that find their way onto the many dive boats. Sometimes I have been knocked down pretty hard by the most unsuspected divers and dive leaders. I am a sensitive person but, I somehow gather up the strength to continue on and keep on diving. Many people tell me that I am sooo strong, well, that's just on the outside. Those trips that I was not permitted on because I was a girl, only prepared me for greater dive adventures that eventually came my way. Who knows, maybe being excluded from a dive boat or dive trip was to keep me away from certain people or activities that could have resulted in compromising my safety as a diver. Things in life happen for a reason. In fact, I started this blog as a way to help myself get through some painful events that happened in my diving circle. I thought maybe I could inspire others to dive like so many divers have inspired me over the years and it would help me to heal and move on. I do truly believe that this blog has opened up my diving world and has enabled opportunities that may have never existed for me. I am grateful to all those divers and dive boats that have helped me to achieve my dreams and goals through diving. I am also grateful to those whom knocked me down and forced me to change my course because I would not be where I am today if it was not for them. I hope someday I will be remembered for my small contributions to wreck diving in NJ.
To celebrate 25 years of safe wreck diving I will be looking into diving wrecks in North Carolina for a week in June, so if anyone else wants to go let me know and we can get a small group together. I also hope to dive all of my favorite wrecks in NJ and to spend time out on the Atlantus, Independence and Gypsy Blood dive boats and some private boats too. This will also be a special year because my daughter will be learning to dive...I can't wait to take her on her first wreck dive! Hmmm what wreck will make an impact on her so great that she too wants to dive for a long time to come?
The sun sets on the 2010 season
Keep warm this winter and if your diving throughout the winter, you are more courageous than I. If your bored during the winter, come visit my blog once in a while, I'll try to post some things to keep you entertained.. I am anticipating that my 25th year of diving will be my best year yet!!
2 comments:
Great report Kim, I am going to try ol' Salty this coming Sunday I know it's going to be cold but I'm doing it. May be in 2011 I can get those underwater pictures.
Alan Dynan
Kim,
I hope the 2011 dive season brings you great vis, calm seas and cameras that stay dry. It was a pleasure getting out diving with you and Bill a few times this year. Hopefully this coming season will be a memorable one for all of us!!
Take care...........Rich
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