"I learned to dive in the 70's. My instructor was "Deep Diving Deiks(sp?)", a retired Navy Seal Master Chief out of San Diego, CA. I remember how exciting it was when he turned out the lights and we swam around the pool. I swam in the dark holding hands with the cutest girl in San Diego. I also remember rocking to the waves in a little dive boat as we pulled out of the harbor for our open water dives. Colorful sea chanteys played from the speakers and mixed with the crisp aroma of salt spray. Sea gulls cried and darted about in the air currents at the rigging above. Life was exciting and I could feel it all around and through me. Later that day, I remember being upside down in the water while breathing on Scuba - and being startled by a frightening lobster emerging from a crack in a rock. I remember how excited I was when I found a green abalone moving slowly across a large rock. I remember the intense beauty of tall strands of kelp gently swaying and reaching upward towards the life giving sun. Schools of tiny fish darted around the kelp as it glistened in a thousand shades of green - colors, rich and exquisite, danced around me. My life was fundamentally altered by my open water dives. I discovered excitement and beauty in the salt water at the Kelp beds off Point Loma, California. I was hooked on diving.

In the mid to late 80's I made hundreds of dives with my buddies from the Engineering station at Keyport and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Ray Chittenden, Duane Nightengale, John Burwell, Bruce Frye, and "Killer Mike" a.k.a. Mike "Hosebag" Trask to name a few. We dived all around Puget Sound, and a few of us dove the Straits of Juan de Fuca out to Neah Bay in semi-annual diving expeditions of huge proportions. We would often take 70, 80, or 90 scuba tanks with us because no one wanted to baby-sit the compressor during evening beer drinking and BS sessions.

I don't have much to say about the 90's other than to say, it just kept getting better. Quite a few dives were made exploring Lake Union and Lake Washington. I found an area we nicknamed "The Graveyard" that had about six good sized wrecks clustered together.

In the 00's Highlights included: Diving in Alaska for King Crabs, off-shore diving at Tattosh Island and Duncan Rocks, becoming a scuba instructor, teaching staff and other students to dive, and drift diving on the edge of the Gulf Stream with friends Gary Andolina and Smiley.

Now that were in the 10's, I am diving strictly for pleasure. Lately I've enjoyed UW metal detecting and sport diving with staff, family, and friends. It is hard to beat a sharing good dive and a fine pizza and cold refreshment afterwards. You can't have a richer life than that of a diver.

I sincerely hope you have as much fun diving and snorkeling as I've had. Let me know if we can help you. Diving and snorkeling isn't about gear, it is about having fun with others in and around the water. That being said, you need your own equipment so that you can be comfortable, safe, and able to focus on having fun. I know you can buy gear anywhere but it would be our honor to serve you." Best Wishes, John

John dives with a Sherwood Magnum or a Genisis GS 2000 regulator set a Henderson Hyperstretch Wetsuit (comfort, simplicity, and summer coolness), and Black Pro Force Fins (easy on-off, maximum maneuverability, & easy kick). His next drysuit will likely be a used one (he likes to conserve). John travels with Henderson wetsuits, lightweight travel fins, and a ancient BC.

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Michael
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