I just got back from my SCUBA refresher course, and am pleased to say that the water was not as cold and murky as so many people made it out to be. Sure, fifty degree water is certainly not warm, but I felt much colder when I was on a surfboard a few weeks ago in Huntington Beach.
While on the bottom, at Breakwater, I went through all of the safety drills and then spent another twenty minutes trying to optimize my buoyancy over sand, rock, and kelp. While on the bottom, we encountered many perches, a baby flatfish, a greenling, senorita fish, kelp fish, a rock fish, tube anemonies, various sea stars, and countless other invertebrates.
It was nice not to have to buy any new gear, as I have all of the neoprene needed, and was able borrow the rest (thank you, you know who you are). So now it's a little before ten and I've already been up for four hours. Perhaps it's time for a hike...
Hey SCUBA buddy! I'd love to go diving with you, but it would probably take a lot of hair conditioner to get me into my old wetsuit.
Hope you have a computer now instead of using the tables - much more fun.
Dude, you owe me a dive, so you had better break out that conditioner!
Come down and we'll go!