Open Water Certification

Fantasy Lake, Rolesville, North Carolina...Let me get this straight we live in Wrightsville Beach, but we are going to drive 3 hours inland to do our Open Water Certification dives? Now, I am not the smartest guy in the world and God knows I have made my fair share of poor decisions over the years, but leaving the ocean to go diving made no sense to me, what a waste of time! Call me close minded if you want, I do not care about inland, I am a beach person, an ocean person, always have and always will be.

 Leaving the beach that morning I couldn't help but remember the 1st and last trip to this strange land they call Raleigh, our States Capital. I missed great waves that day and vowed to never come back. Raleigh reminds me a lot of Long Island, New York; minus the ocean and sound! Lets not forget that I moved for a reason.

 I was very excited to get in the water and dive, but in the ocean; not some lake in the middle of nowhere! My first image of the lake was breathtaking! I admit that I was wrong; this place was amazing! The water looked crystal clear, I have never seen visibility like this.

  The "lake" was a rock quarry beginning in the 1800s, and remained so until the 1950's. Then workers struck a natural spring which rapidly filled in the quarry, the rock crusher still remains at the bottom. Boats, planes, cars and even a school bus are submerged here making for great diving.

 The water was a balmy 46 degrees, dry suits were necessary in these conditions. I have surfed in water much colder than this and felt well prepared for the shock of water this cold...once again I was wrong. I could not catch my breath to perform the required skills at first. I give all of the other divers in the group a ton of credit for doing this! Many, if not all of them, had never been in water this cold. Great job everyone! Much respect!

 Once we got out of the shallows and got underwater I actually felt more comfortable. My head acclimated to the cold also making it a bit more comfortable. It is a challenge controlling your buoyancy in a dry suit, and I found it easier in deeper water. After my first 20 minute dive I was very disappointed with my performance. I couldn't wait to get back in the water!

 After about an hour and a half out of the water it was my turn again to get wet. Our fearless leader told us that we were going to dive around the school bus! Now we're talking, something cool; FINALLY! Breathing underwater while swimming around a school bus, 25 feet below the surface was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! Now I don't feel so bad about spending what little money I had saved on this course! Who needs to eat anyway!

 It was getting close to sunset as we surfaced from the bus. On the ascent from the bottom I thought about the fact that I was watching the sunset underwater. It was at this moment I knew that I would be doing this for the rest of my life!

 Two more dives the following day and I would be a certified diver with a specialty as a dry suit diver. After Fantasy Lake the next dive site was way more than a disappointment. Lake Leamon; what a S*#thole. It's more of a mud puddle than a lake. Less than 5 feet of visibility at best! I did the 2 "dives" and we left...thankfully! I do not recommend going to Lake Leamon...ever!

 I am a certified open water diver now. I look forward to using the skills that I have learned...but I am more excited about taking the Basic Freediver Course next month! See you in the water somewhere...