However, we got a hotel room and had a restful few hours before getting up at 7:30 to head to the park. Dave was there waiting and once we got through the long line at the office (including some other unhappy website users) we lugged our gear to our spot by the water. I have to say, although there certainly are no challenges or tremendous variety of scenery there, I do love diving there.
Visibility wasn't as good as it usually is, even though we were one of the first group of divers in the water on Saturday. A LOT of people eventually showed up and while there were quite a few dive classes going on, I was surprised there weren't as many as usual. There were, however, more non-divers than usual there, so when it was all said and done it didn't take long for visibility to drop. I pointed out to some of our divers the "green" kicking styles of most of the student divers (e.g., bicycle kicking, etc.) which was the biggest culprit in the silt department.
We got a number of dives in and I was about to take someone through a Discover Scuba experience when a rogue thunderstorm developed, quite literally, over our heads. It was unbelievable! Blue skies in every other direction, but like a scene straight out of "The Truman Show" it was as if someone was in a control room programming a rainstorm on top of me. And then there was hail. Pea-sized, to be sure, but hail nonetheless. It then became a test of wills....who would stick it out: the storm or ME. Let's just say I did get that Discover Scuba done.
A brief but enjoyable cookout under one of the covered patios followed and by that time is was after 9pm. We packed up to head home, not looking forward to another four hours on the road. By this time storms were brewing all over the place, but thankfully we skirted around them, only getting a mist here and there and a pretty good light show. We arrived home at 2am.
It would definitely be nicer if we were able to stay a full weekend, but I do have responsibilities at church, so we enjoy what we can. What would have made this more enjoyable would have been a bigger group going.
