Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Your Favorite Dive Moment

When thinking of a subject for today's blog post, I considered posing the question "What is your favorite dive site?" But I thought that might be too specific for people in New York who might not dive regularly. So then I considered "Tell me about your favorite dive." But I abandoned that as being too broad. People might have several dives that are favorites for different reasons.

So I distilled that last one down to its essence, which is this post's title: Your Favorite Dive Moment. What is that one moment in time that stands out from all your other dives? That moment that you'll never forget? Chances are, it's the first one that pops into your head, because it's unforgettable.

I had the privilege and pleasure of working as a diver at Sea World a few years back, so without a doubt, my most memorable dive moment was that first time I descended into a pool full of playful dolphins. True, it was a confined water dive, without the sense of discovery that comes with not knowing what you might see on your dive. But it had as much magic as an unexpected meeting with a manta ray or a swim with a whale shark.

I had been tending hoses and hauling tanks for several weeks, awaiting my final checkout dive before being allowed into the water. During that time, I'd been hanging out as close to the animals as any of the trainers, so anticipation ran high. When I finally entered the water, I waded in from the waist-high shallow end. The dolphins, eager and rambunctious in the early morning fog, pushed each other out of the way to get to me. When I dipped my head below the surface, they circled me repeatedly, approaching within inches to check me out. As I worked, I would occasionally notice something out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I'd find one of the dolphins hovering right next to me, unmoving, watching me, as if saying "Stop working and come play with me!" Sometimes they even poked me in the head with their rostrum, not taking "No" for an answer.

What about you? What was your most memorable dive experience? Did it happen on your first or your 1,000th dive? Did it involve exotic animals, or just good times with a good dive buddy? Post a comment below and describe your favorite dive moment.
 

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