(no subject)

No scuba certification this fall. I just couldn't get far enough underwater. A 7mm thick wetsuit is a workout to put on, even before you get near any water. Add a 5mm hooded vest under it and 5mm gloves that turn your fingers into sausages (which condition makes some of the skills you're supposed to be proficient at an absolute pain in the ass; just you try taking out weight pockets when your fingers are suddenly three times their usual size and each pocket weighs 5 lb), AND 8mm of combined neoprene socks and scuba boots, and no wonder I couldn't sink. Neoprene has a lot of air in it until you get down about 10 feet and it starts shrinking. I would have had to stop breathing entirely, for entirely too long, to get down that far. No wonder diving in warm water is so popular; you only need a 3mm wetsuit and boots for that and it doesn't even need to be full length.

I am not, however, massively disappointed. It would have been nice to get the certification this fall, but it's not like I MUST do it NOW because otherwise my already-booked diving vacation will be RUINED. I know better than that in the first place. I got far enough in the process to get free pool sessions for life, so if I want to go once a week all winter, I can do that and work on my breathing. All of my instructors (I've had six) have wanted me to make progress and have fun, so I'm going to the dive shop on Tuesday to talk to the guy in charge of training. He sent me a very nice email expressing sympathy with how frustrating it must have been for me today, and telling me not to lose hope, he has ideas.

I have to go to the shop tomorrow and bring back the rental gear. After that I seem to have a car all day, because I got two days of Zipcar since I thought I was going ocean diving tomorrow, but I ain't. At least I got myself out of having to be in Beverly at 8:00 tomorrow morning to go diving in Gloucester in nasty weather. I don't have to be anywhere until after 10:00 tomorrow morning.