I think I’m getting obsessed. It’s been two weeks since my last dive and I feel like I’m in withdrawal. I’ve spent time in the pool both at Diventures practicing diving skills and swimming at our local community center but it’s just not the same. This weekend, a friend of mine was able to work his schedule to join me for a couple of dives at the dive park at Beaver Lake.
Getting the Gear Together
My friend Austin has been diving for a few years and has all of his own gear. I had some rental stuff from Diventures but we stopped at the Beaver Dam Dive Shop so I could check out the wetsuits. They carry some of the larger sizes in stock (and for rental) so I was able to try some things on to see what I might look for in the future. So far, I know that Henderson 6XL will fit me and now I know that Akona 5XL will as well.
This was my first time to really try donning a wetsuit with my Lycra skinsuit on. I cannot describe how much easier that made things. It just took a few seconds to pull both legs on and get the wetsuit up to my waist. My arms went in just as easily and the only point where I needed help was getting it completely over the shoulders and zipped. With a few more pounds lost, I may be able to get into a wetsuit on my own.
The shop is well stocked not just with dive gear, but some other lake basics including some snacks and drinks. I also picked up a waterproof visual fish identification guide, which I have been perusing since we returned trying to remember exactly what we saw on the dives.
Getting Ready
We pulled into our parking spot a little before 10 and I immediately saw that there were going to be a lot of divers out today. There were multiple dive shops setting up for the day. I did see several people from Diventures as Austin and I got ourselves prepped for the day. They were there for a junior diver’s event. It was pretty awesome seeing all the kids getting ready to dive.
I’ve been exercising as much as I can to be in better shape for more diving and I’ve lost weight. However, it is really helpful to have a diving buddy who is helpful by nature, younger, and most importantly, a lot fitter than I am. Austin was a huge help in getting some of the gear down to the shore. It’s probably the only thing I’m not as fond of at Beaver Lake. The paths to the shore are short, but rocky and not especially great for solid footing, so when you’re lugging 80 pounds of diving gear you need to be careful.
Updates at the Beaver Lake Dive Park
There’s a guy we met after diving who has apparently spent the summer updating the guidelines at the dive park. Those lines are ropes that are run from known locations to the various sites underwater. The original ones were white, sort of thin, and once covered in lake muck, very hard to see. The new ones are bright yellow, very thick, easy to see even if dirty, and have signs on them! The signs tell you what each line leads to, so you know where you are going.
Dive 1
We swam out a bit on the surface and then descended right to a sailboat. The visibility was quite a bit better than my last time at the dive park. Austin and I checked out the sailboat and then followed a line to the pirate ship. It’s actually another larger sailboat that looks like a pirate ship. The new lines made finding it quite easy. We spent some time exploring and I think Austin was pretty excited about the entire thing so far. He’d been diving at Beaver Lake previously but not at the dive park.
I had buoyancy issues on this dive. It was frustrating until I realized I was diving in a 5mm wetsuit and hadn’t done that in a while. All of my practice had been without a wetsuit. As a result, I also burned through a ton of air, leading to a shorter dive than I had hoped for the first one. I did account for the wetsuit with my weights but not in my mind. This matters. The one thing I’m really learning is that diving well really is about being relaxed and I wasn’t.
Dive 2
This dive, we decided to explore a bit. We dropped back to the sailboat but went the other way, following the line to the car (an old Mazda) and then exploring on. Since I was thinking more clearly about my buoyancy and the wetsuit, things went much better. I didn’t change the amount of weight at all. I also didn’t alter anything about my gear. It was 100% in my mind. So, I was able to find the lines we followed, stay a couple of feet above the lake bottom, and just go.
We saw several more sites on the dive and really enjoyed the time. When we finally had to surface because we were both running low on air (we had plenty of safety space), we were surprised at how far we’d gone. It was just . . . fun. I don’t know how else to explain it. We had just cruised around for about 30 minutes, enjoying the water, enjoying the lake, and relaxing. I could get very used to that.
Austin is a good friend and now a great dive buddy. We’re both anxious to get back out and explore more.
Up Next
I’ll be diving at Table Rock Lake for a cleanup dive with H2Ozarks and Diventures (and maybe I’ll get in a couple of fun dives). It’s part of H2Ozark’s annual Missouri Shoreline Cleanup. I’m also still working on getting an easy to manage camera so you can see some of the fun. If you’ve browsed other diving stuff on social media, you know that some of the sites and experiences cannot be described with words.
