First off, this is not what I was expecting. It's quite a bit smaller in diameter than the training lake in OKC. Deceptive, though.
This was not my first experience with cold water, but it was my first open water cold. The day was sunny, but very chilly with a pretty good breeze.
In preparation, I'm wearing a 7 mm over my 1 mm over my shark skin. You may think it overkill, but I get cold. In case you missed it, the water temp is 61. Brrr. Once we geared up and jumped in, it was time to explore. The hole was pretty deep, I got to 82 feet. The sides were stuffed with little tokens from previous divers, so there was a lot to look at. Also, diver graffiti. I added my own in the algae. JEN WAS HERE.
Due to some unfortunate accidents, the rest of the cave system had been closed off, but peering into the grated off dark hole was a little thrilling.
I could feel my brain functions reacting slower than usual, due to the cold. I spent a total of 20 minutes in that water the first time. Enough to make it an actual dive. I'm not ashamed. It was freaking cold. It made me appreciate the warm Caribbean waters. Even the summer training lake water!
During the surface interval, I peeled back a layer and basked in the sun, trying to shiver myself warm. Getting back in the water was an exercise in will power,
My second dive was another short one. A measly 20 minutes. But, it goes in the log and counts. It was worth the trip out to get my fins wet. I also learned about myself as a diver. I am a warm water diver, or I need to get dry suit training.
Getting to dive with my bff is not a bad thing, either.
By the end of diving, I was found huddled under the warm showers.
