Now that you have all the equipment and dive gear and training you could possibly want, except for a scooter which will come later, you are ready for the water. Location, location and location mean a lot. Sometimes you get into a rut going to the same places all the time.  However they are still great places to dive. Several times a year a couple of my old dive buddies dive in the Wilson River near the west coast of Oregon off Hwy 6. It’s not a real big place but a really good dive. We did not get below 25 feet and had a wonderful time just checking out the local fish life playing around in there. The visibility was 60 feet and the canyon like walls made it even greater. The location where we were had a nice little falls and it was great just laying at the bottom to watch the fish life doing what fish do to get up the falls. It was a real nice adventure to say the least.

 All your great dives are not in the larger open water areas. There are lots of good diving in lakes and streams. Remember that you are there only to observe and that as an observer you leave the wild life as you found them. The interaction with the life you find there can be fascinating and it gives lots of enjoyment to yourself and others who ask you about your adventures under water. Please remember that you should not take anything with you that you can’t bring back. This will help keep you and the fish life safe that you find there.

Most anyone will tell you that most injuries while diving are caused by carelessness when feeding or touching underwater life. It’s fascinating, but to avoid those injuries a good rule is to just leave them alone and observe them from a distance. The location of your dive and the country you are in will dictate the type of unpleasant encounters you might have. Two weekends ago I was diving in Hood Canal and the Killer whales were right in the dive area. We were just getting in the water when suddenly they appeared. Several other divers were at depth when they came right by them. What a treat to see such animals. “It was a star dive.”  However, they can be a real danger to a diver. I have never heard of a diver being injured by one; however I would not want to be the first. 

A simple rule will aid in keeping you safe. Just leave them alone and enjoy the surroundings. Your dive equipment will keep you safe from stings in most cases. It’s up to you to avoid the bite.

Remember that just diving in any body of water that has life, is a great dive; and you can learn a lot about what’s in there.

I would like to leave you with this simple note. Three-fourths of the earth surface is water and one -fourth is land. The good Lord’s intentions are very clear; man’s time should be divided accordingly, with three-fourths for scuba diving and one-fourth for work. 

 © 03-14-2005 G. McK.