A couple weeks ago I finished my PADI Open Water, and Dry Suit certification. I found diving to be a new passion for me and the people I have meet who are involved with the local diving community are as interesting as they are great to be around. I wrote this just after we got back from Waterton.
The weight of the tank and BCD is bearable but I wouldn't want to shoulder it for long, especially since I am wearing the equivalent of waterproof chuck-Taylor (canvas shoes) and walking through 8” inches of spring snow. Continuing to weave my way through the bare poplar trees that line the beach, my focus to maintain balance is the only thing that temporarily relieves my anxiety. I have to be honest, I am nervous as hell and why wouldn’t I be? I am walking towards the edge of Cameron Bay on the North end of Waterton Lakes National Park, dressed from head to toe in cold-water SCUBA gear and it is the 18th of April.
According to my guide and open water instructor Ken Pon, our
excursion may be rare for this time of the year but not unheard of. In fact Ken
was part of an ice diver training course only a few weeks ago on Lake
Minnewanka where he and a few other instructors taught the finer points of
rescue and dealing with conditions under an enormous 20 inch thick sheet of
lake ice. This fact, and the idea that today’s open water and spring conditions
could give us an excellent dive still challenges my minds foundation of reality
that it is still winter. For Ken, an extremely experienced diver and major
pillar of the land locked Alberta SCUBA instruction community; it just means we
won’t have to cut a hole.
This is cold water diving and if you live in Alberta and
really want to get some time in the water you know that this is a part of life.
The diving season here is at best one third as long as anywhere in the world where
you might find comfort in a simple wet suit, so unless you’re into rocketing
all over the globe to get your log-book filled, you will find ways to dive in
the cold. In my case today I am wearing a rubberized laminated dry suit,
thermal underwear and heavy neoprene protection for my hands and head. Comfort
is extremely important when diving here so we base out of an enclosed cook
shack complete with wood fireplace and tables. Sheltered from the wind, the
fire is going and we take our time preparing for our dives both technically and
mentally, adding a little light-hearted humour in exchange for anxious
anticipation.
Ken Brennan very relaxed at 40 feet in the 34 degree water.
After my dives Ken tells me that most students don’t
remember much about being under. The focus on skills and overwhelming new
environment reduces ones perception to the task at hand and staying within
reach of something to cling to. As new as this world was for me it is not the
first stressful training series I have gone through and I forced myself to look
around, to experience a few moments in the purest certainty with 25’ feet of
water overhead.
I have often heard about the “flying” sensation or how close
the experience is to what astronauts get on a space walk and I get that. But
what really set my mind on fire was the beauty of the spaces, colors and
textures as I moved effortlessly (albeit clumsily) through this mostly
undisturbed liquid environment. To my right, a 70 degree corrugated wall of
fine red and white gravel punctuated by fist sized stones that look like they
could tip and glide to the bottom at any moment. On my Left is a deep water
column of graduated color with translucent blue at the top and every color of
green as it descends into a black void below. Ancient trees seem to materialise
ahead of us, bearing fine silt and algae like felt covered bones of some long
dead giant creature whose territory we now lurk. My senses are heightened,
colors are brighter, the smallest details scream for my attention; I am filled
with a mix of wonder and appreciation that I am not in my natural environment.
Then what seemed like hours but really only minutes, the
dive ends and we begin our standard safety stop and ascent to the surface.
Gravity welcomes us back to our world as we walk out and exchange handshakes
and hi-fives, talking excitedly on our way back to the shelter about the
clarity of the water and how much I bumped into things (I felt like a pro but
the video footage shows otherwise). A quick warm up while doffing and packing
our gear, jump in the truck in no time and we are on the road back to Calgary.
Stories and laughter make the trip short, friends and future dive partners are
made and my head is still reeling from one of the coolest things I have ever
done. It’s official, I am a diver now and the best part is that I am happy being
a cold-water diver. Supportive Dive Shops, knowledgeable and confident
instruction, and an emphasis on a good experience have given me a foundation to
enjoy diving for years to come.
