Saturday, April 12, 2008

Down the Line

I'm Jenny, and I'm excited about my first blog post about diving. If you've ever been SCUBA diving, you know that rush you get when you first plunge into the water, become weightless, and feel the air in your BCD carry you up to the surface before you descend into the completely incredible world beneath us. You know the peace that comes over you as the world becomes silent except for the bubbles of your breath. You know the sensation of discovering an eel hidden in coral or watching a school of spotted eagle rays swim above you. And even better yet, you know the great feeling of sharing that experience with your buddy and the handful of people diving with you.


If you haven't done it yet, it's incredible.

I have to say that although I am passionate about it now, I was a little hesitant before I tried it. I was in Cabo, I wasn't certified, and I met a local at the crack of dawn who agreed to take us out on his boat and rent us some gear. The only advice I got was, "If your mask explodes, don't worry about it. Just make sure you keep breathing." Needless to say, that was not the kind of instruction I expected. I got on the boat anyway - mostly just to make sure a guy I was dating thought I was cool. But when it came time to get in the water, I chickened out. I sat on a rock in the middle of the ocean and sang songs to pelicans and watched sea lions while the rest of my group went diving. And the guy ended up pretty smitten anyway.


I learned such a great lesson that day - NEVER dive if you aren't comfortable. I went straight back to California and enrolled in certification classes, determined to learn everything I needed to know to get back in the boat and into the water. I've been certified for four years now. After learning the ropes, I now know I would not go on an open water dive without having some experience. I needed to get used to the gear, to understand how things work, to learn hand signals, and how to be a responsible diver. Once I had that down, I was hooked. I'm including a photo from my first open water dive in Maui.

My favorite dive so far has been Molokini off of Maui, HI, followed closely by a fantastic dive in the Bahamas. I'm planning a trip to Bora Bora for August and I'm desperate to get to Turks and Caicos. I'll be posting about my dives periodically and I'll include pictures from some of my underwater adventures.

Jenny Mo

Cousteau Digs


This sounds like heaven on earth... could it possibly be this great? Read the following from the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort website:

The award-winning, five-star Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is one of the most renowned vacation destinations in the South Pacific. Located on the island of Vanua Levu on 17 acres of a coconut plantation, the accommodations overlook the peaceful waters of Savusavu Bay.

The acclaimed resort is an international favorite for romance, honeymoons and weddings; scuba diving; and families, who want to combine heavenly surroundings and exceptional dining with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities. A sister resort to the Post Ranch Inn and the Hotel Hana-Maui, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands resort is the only resort that employs a full-time marine biologist to help visitors appreciate the underwater world of Fiji.

No other Fiji Island resort combines relaxation and indulgence with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities when guests are ready to pick up the pace. Trip Advisor recently voted us the #1 World's Top eco resort
.


Ok, has anyone been here? Can you give me the real scoop? Should I pack my bags ASAP? AND... have you seen that article in Men's Journal about the Cousteau cousins? Fascinating. Why was I reading Men's Journal (it was some Men's Health mag)? I don't remember why I read it, it was just there! Anyway, who knew that the Cousteau family had such major tension among the cousins? See also http://www.cdnn.info/industry/i030303/i030303.html

Back to Fiji... who has been to the Cousteau resort or who agrees with me that this place looks like heaven? Check the website at http://www.fijiresort.com

Want to know more about traveling to Fiji? http://www.bulafiji.com

The picture is from the Fiji travel site... I wish I were snorkeling there!!!

Hugs and fishes,
Kari

P.S. Off to study for finals...

Girls Who SCUBA!


SCUBA * SCUBA * SCUBA * SCUBA * SCUBA * SCUBA * SCUBA SCUBA * SCUBA! Welcome to TwoTank. For those of you who dive all the time, you know what that name means:) This is a collective blog by four girls about to graduate from law school who love scuba! We are four friends who cannot get enough of the beach and the ocean, but we have different levels of scuba skills.

This is Kari, but in other blogs you will hear from Jen, Traci, and Z. Jen is the pro and has been on some really amazing, beautiful dives. Traci is the wild diver in the bunch and has been on some really exotic dives... I can't remember the names of the places, but she'll fill you in when she logs on. Z and I are the babies ... I've finished half of my certification (complete with a lake dive!!!), but due to law school, I haven't finished yet. Z is in about at the same place. After graduation (May baby!), Z and I are going to get our certification and you will hear all about it here at TwoTank. We will definitely be seeking some advice from the big boys out there that have been on the pro circuit for a while :) Meanwhile, Traci and Jen will be able to tell some awesome tales about the dives they've done while we've all been in law school. And more importantly, we need to get the scoop on the best dive spots! We are planning an all out girls trip and we want to know where we should go.

We are hoping to create a scuba community here at TwoTank - we are looking for advice and friends... maybe even some dive buddies! So, first question: after I take the bar, I am going to do some traveling... among the dive shops in the USA, what is the best place to get certified? How can you tell if you are working with a "good" dive shop? Do all certification processes take the same amount of time? AND, where can I get the cutest wet suit?

Thanks for your help!
Hugs and fishes,
Kari