Off Season

Welcome to winter and colder weather!  Normally, this would not be so exciting, but in a few days, I will be picking up my very own Everdry 4. Dry suit diving, here I come!

A trip has been planned next month to go explore some colder water.  I am looking forward to staying warm and dry, what a concept!

Sealife differently!

Blue Hole, New Mexico Nov 2014

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.  

Aftermath

So, this is the end.  The end of this chapter of my life.  Hell, maybe the end of an entire book.  Looking back, I don't know how I managed to survive.  I will say that I survived by living one day at a time.  When that was too difficult, I lived an hour at a time.  There at the end, I got all the way down to one minute in front of the other.  I survived, thanks to all of the wonderful people in my life.
I know that I have had the opportunity to be the lighthouse in someone else's storm.  This felt so much like a storm that would never end, that I could never see the end.  And there were so many beams of light that kept me off the shoals.  There can never be enough "Thank You"s.

The silent head butts of camaraderie.  The nights spent holding hands in grandma chairs.  The "I'm getting you out of the house, and you have no say in the matter". The phone calls while I fall apart.  The text messages.  The breakfasts, lunches, dinners.  Beer.  Ice cream.  Rum.  Lots of rum.  I can never repay what you have given me,  But, you can bet your ass, I'm there for you.

I have decided to leave my home state.  For adventure.  For no one else but me.  This decision was a long time in the making.  I spent time really thinking about what I wanted.  That's the real question here.  "What do you want?"  I want... And the cursor is infuriatingly still here... flashingly mocking me.  I DON'T KNOW.  But, I'm going to have one hell of a good time finding out.

So, I'm leaving everything that is comfortable.  The job I have been in for 13 years, 8 of which at the same location.  I'm staying with the same company, but that's the only thing that's not changing,  A new state.  A new city.   A new place,  All my own.  I never really thought of myself as a material girl.  Living in what was all but a show home for 4 months, I realized maybe I was, just a little,  I'm looking forward to unpacking all of my boxes.  And having a home.  (And my library!!)

At one point, the prospect of going somewhere I don't know a soul would have terrified me.  Not that I'm doing that, per se.  I know a few souls.  But, you get what I'm saying.  Having to build a circle from the very beginning now looks like the kind of hard work I am capable of.  It will be different, and it will not be soul deep, at first.  I'll get there.  Because I survived, and the struggle has made me more beautiful for it.

Table Rock Lake, MO July 2014

A great trip, invited by one of my favorite dive buddies.

Instructor Mike and I loaded up my car with dive gear early Monday morning.  We got on the road and spent the morning driving, listening to classic rock, and munching on road goodies.  Road goodies sometime consist of things like Snickers, Red Bull, chips, and beef jerky.

We met up with Chris and he unloads from the family car in a Chinese Fire Drill to end all others.  We pack his dive gear, into the already full Volvo, add Chris, and we're full to bursting.  A bit more travel to get to our destination.  We pull over near the lake and find a good quiet spot in a neighborhood to change, get geared up, and we dive into the lake,

The water was refreshing, at first.  The day was warm and sunny, and donning the wetsuits and tanks made me a little sweaty.  A local guide Chris talked to told us about underwater statues that mark an underwater cave.  Mike set his compass and we started the snorkel out.  The water was a little rough and I get a little winded by the time Mike pulls up to reconvene.  I try not to show that I'm huffing through my snorkel, but I'm not fooling anyone.  Looks like more cardio for me.  Mike suggests that we drop down and follow the bottom out.  I turn and smile through my snorkel at Chris.  Yes, please.

The water cleared up after a few feet.  The bottom was a combo of silt and rocks.  Not a fish in sight.  After a short swim, Chris points at something unusual in the landscape.  It's flat and has straight edges,  I investigate and pull out a For Sale sign.  I hold it up and Chris snaps a photo.

(Insert underwater pic of me holding sign.  Waiting for the photographer to deliver the goods)

By the time we get out past the peninsula, we have gone through half our psi.  We abort the underwater cave search, since we didn't see a single underwater statue.  This will be the theme of the dive trip, things not being where guides tell us.

Our surface interval was spent looking for a new dive site.  We end up at a boat ramp and relax in the shade.  Mike dozes in the back and Chris and I pass the time like good dive buddies do, chatting.  As we start to plan our next dive, a local lays some knowledge on us about the site.  Specifically, he was shocked that we were going to dive in the channel that was no more than 2 feet deep.  He says he's been fishing here all his life and thinks we should pick another site to dive.  Chris, Mike, and I put our heads together and decide to chance it.  At the very least, we can see what's under the couple of docks we can see floating on the water,  May be some fun recoveries.

We snorkel out to the middle of the channel, the water is much calmer and we have no problem keeping up.  Right in the middle, Mike signals our descent and we submerge into pretty murky lake water.  Just about the time the water clears, I am faced with the bottom.  About 40 feet.  We pick a direction and head out.  There is a very cool feature of this channel; a ridge that has all kinds of treasure to be found.  We don't see much wildlife, but I kept finding golf balls, boat propellers, and anchors.  Max depth was 46 feet.  Not bad for an off the cuff dive.  Good to think our gamble paid off.  We ended the dive and as we were putting our gear away, I pulled out the 7 golf balls I had recovered.  Mike came away with 2 pairs of sunglasses.

Post dive, I am always ravenous,  We get cleaned up and go on the hunt for food.  What is the most delicious post dive?  Beer.  And steak.  So that's what we have.

Day 2

We went to the marina and a scuba boat was ours for the morning.  Fancy!  We got to load our gear in wheelbarrows, and that was entertaining.  I made the snap decision to take my reg out of the bag and hang it in my BC, so I could travel a little lighter and leave the bag in the car.  This will be a bad decision later.  We got a map and some local sites from the owner penciled in.  The boat ride out was fun.  It was sunny, warm, and the breeze was perfect.  Getting to the first site was complex.  The dive sites are not marked with any kind of buoy system, so we were relying on landmarks on shore.  The problem with that being we could interpret one finger of land to be another and be in the complete wrong place.  We shoved ashore on what we thought was close to the dive site.  The site is supposed to be a wall dive, so going pretty deep.  I plan on many layers.

As I am gearing up, I realize I am missing probably the most crucial part of my equipment.  My computer is packed away neatly...inside my reg bag...back in the car...at the marina.  So, my dive day has just been cancelled, until Mike comes to the rescue with a wrist depth gauge.  Going old school for me, then.  We jump in and start exploring the area.  Chris pulls up and points to something in the water.  Upon further investigation, a tiny freshwater jellyfish.  My surprise is hardly contained.  We continue away from shore.  As the terrain becomes nothing but sandy hills and no drop off, we confirm that we are in the wrong place.  The water is so murky, Chris and I are nose to fin with Mike, trying not to get separated.  We decide to turn around and explore the cove we parked the boat in.

As we plan our next dive, Mike wants to see how deep the lake actually is.  He has plenty left in his tank, as do I.  We boat out to what looks like the middle of the lake.  Mike starts gearing up and I, again, have the realization that I am sans computer.  No deep dive for me.  But, better safe than sorry.

Our 2nd dive of the day should be easier to find, as it's off one of the islands in the lake, pretty shallow.  We surface interval on the way to the site.  Here would be where a dive operation would hand out snacks and such.  I didn't plan that well.  We get the boat anchored and are ready for the next dive.  There is supposedly a wreck somewhere in the vicinity.  We jump in and start exploring the area, looking for a lead about 15 feet that will take us to the boat.  We do a lazy pattern not really looking too hard for the lead.  Straight lines catch my eye underwater.  Figures, since you don't find them in nature.  I had found the lead.  We followed it down, max depth 71 this time.  The thermocline was shockingly chilly.  I was glad for my layers.  The wreck was not one that could be penetrated, so it was mostly surface exploration.  Still, a fun dive.  On the way back to the boat, we explored the shallow drop off and saw lots of fish.

All in all, a very good trip.  As a Rescue Diver, I learned that a quick equipment check before the boat shoves off is a good habit to get into.

Divorce

I don't need saving.

I opened this from 9/24/14, not sure what I would read.  I couldn't remember what I had written about such a life event.  My friend was curious about what I had stuffed away in such a draft.  When I opened the entry and all we found was one single sentence, we both were reduced to laughter.  That about sums it up, I think.

So, yea.  My name's Jen Hale and I am divorced.  And, I don't need saving.

Favorite local dive site: Lake Tenkiller

I imagine going through my Divemaster program is going to be a long, difficult process, as it should be.  I have been pipe dreaming scuba into a career, and wondered if I would get the chance to dive for pleasure once I'm a professional.  I may just be putting the cart in front of the horse, since I just started Divemaster.  I sometimes wonder if my prestigious dive instructors ever want to just go diving for the fun of it.  No students, no check out dives, just diving for the joy it brings.  I am going to try to steal them away every chance I get.

Not too long ago, I was able to accompany the Scubabros to a local lake, just for fun.  Lake Tenkiller, located about 2 1/2 hours east of Oklahoma City, is a great place to dive.  We planned a day trip, there and back.  Starting the trip off, we loaded the truck with all the essentials, tanks, weights, dive bags, dive flag, and O2 kit; we were ready to roll.

I always get nervous/excited before diving and can never eat a meal prior.  This day was no different.  But, once we got a few hours down the road, and my tummy was growling.  A pit stop, luckily, was in my future.  I go for a gas station breakfast and favorite dive snack: Snickers.  For some reason, it never upsets my stomach while I'm diving, like lots of other foods.  Fueled, we hit the road again.  We start to discuss plans for the dives.  Dive 1: Mike, Zach, and I are going to lead the other divers to one of the wrecks, then head over the ledge for a deep dive.  I am trying to break my personal record of 95 feet.  Dive 2: As simple as getting in the water and seeing what we feel like.

The day is sunny, warm, and muggy.  The Oklahoma summer promises to be a scorcher, but for now, it's pretty pleasant.  The state park for Lake Tenkiller has a dedicated scuba park.  We have the ramp and wrecks to ourselves, without having to worry too much about boat traffic overhead.  We start donning our gear an Mike calls over, "Want to do your Divemaster deep dive?"  It feels like my face pales.  "What?" My internal monologue gulps.  He reads off the objectives from the slate.  "We are going to drop the group off at the bus, navigate down deep, and you get us back to the ramp, with a safety stop with no reference."  "OK", I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel.  Navigation has still been something that has eluded me.  But, only practice makes perfect.  And I am up for the challenge.  

We finish gearing up, do our buddy checks, and are off.  The first wreck we encounter is a boat, about 20 feet of of the ramp.  We need to turn south at about 210° to get to the bus.  One our way there, I am counting kick cycles, so I can navigate back to the ramp later.  Once at the bus, Mike signals to Zach that I am driving.  I get my bearings and set my compass (upside down, so Mike has to move the bezel...doh!) and we descend over the ledge.  At about 100 feet, my lips start to go numb from the cold, and I start breathing like a train.  Inoutinoutinoutinout.  At 106, I'm trying to see my computer, compass, grab my flashlight, and put air in my BC.  I manage to only grab Mike's arm out of all those options.  He signals a hover and I recover.  I turn around to touch Zach to make sure he is still there.  Even though I can see both of their lights.  Calming down..... I do a little fist pump, celebrating a new personal record!

I set my compass correctly and start to ascend.  I can see the sunlight returning.  Whew.  We come back over the ledge and head west back to shore.  Every few feet, I'm looking down my belly to see that they are both still behind me.  Yup.  I'm sure that I am close to the ramp and about 12 feet, I feel my fin catch on something.  Zach's got it.  I turn around and he signals "safety stop".  Well, crap.  I was going to find the end of the ramp and do it there, but I've already gone past. I turn around and we sit in the 15 foot range for our 3 minute stop.  Zach pulls out his back up mask and switches it to see the difference.  It's a tinted one, where you can't see the divers eyes.  He hands it to me and I switch.  The tint is blue, but the visibility is less.  I gently shake my head.  Not the mask for me. 

A few kicks back to the north, and I see the end of the ramp, I turn, all Vanna White, like Tadaaaaaaaaaa, I did it!  Here's the ramp.  A successful navigation, but a failed safety stop.  We surface or our interval and regroup.  We want to see the north side of the scuba park.

As we plan the dive, we decide that we will go as a group. There are 4 buddy pairs. How will we stay together, I wonder... Delta formation. Zach and Mike at the head, one pair follow Zach, one pair follow Mike, and my buddy and I follow the 2 pair, diamond shape. It goes really well, surprisingly.  One a few hiccups where I lose sight of the diver in front of me, once when I turn to my buddy for an air check.  I whip out my Orca dive knife and bang on my tank to signal. I hear an answer and follow the sound. We reconnect with the group and continue.  We are really hauling on this dive, and my air is steadily racing towards empty.  At whatever predetermined spot, we turn around and take the reciprocal heading back to the ramp.  A swimming safety stop this time and I surface with 500 psi. Good dive!

What I love about Lake Tenkiller is that it has a dedicated scuba park. Plenty of wrecks to explore, navigation challenges, deep dives, and loads of fish to find.  Every time I visit, there is a new dive that awaits me. Soon, I will have to really take the island challenge, which consists of a long snorkel across the channel. Nothing my Divemaster training hasn't prepared me for
                                                   .

Fit for Scuba?

This article was inspired by Stevie Armstrong, my Divemaster.

When I started diving, almost a year ago, I was a heavy girl.  I tipped the scales at 220 and was pretty out of shape.  Sure, I tried that running program that gets you off the couch.  And I can be good at diets for about a week or so at a time.  But, nothing has been as constant as scuba.

Just putting on equipment is a workout when you are out of shape.  Hauling that same equipment to the shore, or edge of the pool seems like a feat for Hercules.  Once in the water, though, the gear becomes almost weightless.  Your movement gets slower and more fluid.  You're now really only working your legs, as an amateur.  This is just after my Open Water certification.

Going through the Advanced certification did not seem to tax me any extra.  My buddy would lift the tank for me to strap into, I would use a steady surface to put on my fins, and once in the water, the only thing that plagued me was calf cramps.  And boy, were they bad!  While developing my open water skills, I learned that core muscles helped keep you in the right position, and they should be working during your dives.  Here's the end of Advanced.

Rescue class was rude awakening to what is really required, physically, from a diver.  Getting my divemaster, who is a petite young lady, out of the pool nearly had me on the victim end of the spectrum.  Having to tread/swim and get my instructor out of his gear, as well as my own, had me winded for a while after the end off the exercise.  This was about the time I noticed a change in my physique.  My clothes had started to fit a little loosely.  I was less hot and sweaty in air conditioned environments.  This is right before Rescue certification.

If Rescue was a rude awakening, Divemaster has been a 5 alarm fire, so far.  The physical tests have been intimidating for me, being so out of shape.  Since Rescue, I have been lifting, core building, and working on the elliptical.  Admittedly, not religiously, but preparing equipment for class, loading and unloading the truck, and lifting tanks for students on a semi regular basis has replaced much of my at home workouts.

I earned that 21 of 25 points, but that makes me a "B" student.  All in all, an impressive score, all things considered.  I would like to keep training and, at the end of Divemaster, time myself on those skills again.  I would be interested to see if I am able to do better on the free swim, which I earned a 3 on, the snorkel (4), and tow (4). My never ending quest for perfection.

Diving has toned my muscles, and helped shed some pounds.  I am now only 15 pounds from the "ideal" weight all those charts seem to indicate I should be at, for my height and weight.  Now, only 95's make me wince when I lift them. What's really important to me is that I feel comfortable in my own skin.  Being around my dive crew sure would give me a complex, since they are very fit and athletic, but I am my own seashell.  I am who I am and I only change because I want to.  My most recent photo from this weekend:

And just for fun: