This weekend we went scuba diving at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach, CA, which is about a 2-hour drive north from where we live. It was a beautiful day with perfect conditions for diving. While this dive wasn’t my finest moment, I will definitely keep working on my skill set as well as my confidence in the water. With practice I am certain these will improve. Getting out of your comfort zone is the only way to promote growth and test your mettle. I can’t take credit for this picture of the cove as I was too intently focused on waddling around 75 pounds of gear down the steps and onto the beach! Of course, I wasn’t helped along by the thick 7MM wetsuit I was wearing to keep myself warm in the chilly Pacific water!
I am still working through confidence issues when it comes to diving. Last summer, I completed a 3-day PADI open-water certification course, which was heavily focused on making sure you had the skills to get yourself out of trouble should things go wrong. While I appreciate that knowledge, I wish we’d had more training on how to maintain neutral buoyancy or comfortably swim underwater with fins!
Greg was adorably patient with my struggles. I dropped my fin in the surf and he dove around until he found it and then helped me get it on. It took me three tries to descend! We thought we had the appropriate weight dialed in, but Greg ended up adding one of his weight pouches to my pack (which then created a challenge for his descent). He actually pushed me downwards on the last try and then caught up with me! Once below, Greg held my hand and we explored around the reef and kelp, seeing an assortment of colorful ocean life. I can’t take credit for these pictures either, but it gives you an idea of our day.
Some grouper and sea bass seemed quite interested in us, coming closer than I expected. Greg calls the garibaldi bulldogs because they seem fearless and like to get right in your face. There were plenty of spiny lobsters hanging out under the reef ledge and sea cucumbers resting on the bottom. I watched a small halibut resettle into the white sand. We saw two of the Spanish shawl nudibranchs, their vivid orange and purple like a delicate, underwater orchid.
My anxiety levels were high when I got into the water and I used entirely too much oxygen working on the descent. However, once I was swimming around, I felt much more comfortable actually being under the water and breathing on the regulator. I was able to calm my breathing and take in the sights. When we resurfaced and were swimming back towards shore, Greg grabbed my BC and started towing me. Some other divers were nearby and when I petulantly told Greg, “I can swim you know” they laughed and suggested I enjoy the “concierge” service! I struggled to get my fins off when we hit the shore and was face planted by a breaking wave (losing my snorkle mask in the process). Between the pull of the waves and the heft of weight on my back, I could not have gotten on my feet without Greg’s help!
After the dive, we watched a fellow riding towards the beach on a motorized hydrofoil – he certainly made it look like so much fun! We then had a lovely dinner in downtown Laguna Beach. We didn’t have time to explore it properly, but the town certainly has a boho, artsy feel about it. There are tons of art galleries, shops, and restaurants with houses nestled tightly along the mountains. I have never seen so many BMW’s, Maserati’s, and Jaguars in one place, weaving around the city trollies!
