Moving to Madison from California.

[John H. Moore]

Jon,

Yes, learning to dive through SoCal surf can be a challenge; and, sadly, too often the instructors don't cancel training dives on bad days... so the going-on-to-become-real-divers rate is even lower than it should be. Also, sadly, we lose a couple inland divers each year in the surf -- generally middle-aged out-of-shape folks on vacation who should have talked to locals about the conditions first. Very rarely do we lose them during a scuba dive... generally on the surface, especially in the surf zone.

I've often heard it said that if you can learn to dive well in California (surf, cold water, bad vis, deep), then you can dive pretty much anywhere. Don't know if it's true or just local hype, but so far my diving elsewhere has been pretty freakin easy in comparison!! (Though I haven't (yet) been places like Port Hardy (Vancouver)... which may be more of a challenge.)

Nice Children's Pool pics. That's been basically closed for years. The harbor seals took it over and the feds said, "no, no, no, no people allowed near the seals." I'm a certified fish hugger, but... that's a load of something smelly.

The Hogan gets dived on an irregular basis. You'll find some really nic pics taken not long ago on a great vis day ( ). It's mostly rubble pile at this point. It's on the deep side. I don't do 130 straight descents in open water, so haven't dived it yet. (I'd consider such a descent once I learn to dive trimix or in better vis...)

Dick Long has mostly retired. His daughter, Susan Long, is now President of DUI. Dick has been doing the travelling show -- you may have even seen him around here for the DUI Demo Days -- but I'm not sure if he'll even be doing that this coming year.

John