scuba?

[Archaea]

Well, to shorten a potentially lengthy post, the family is headed to the seas for winter vacation, causing the mother to point out "discount" scuba lessons were offered.

Discount in our household usually means it must be purchased at all costs. So two youngsters and one parent, yours truly, signed up in the midst of our coldest part of the winter. It involves one class day, two pool days and four open water days over two days.

Lake Mead is our open water. It is 26 degrees ambient air temperature and around 50 to 60 degrees water temperature. Needless to say, cold is the operative term.

However, great joy swells up in the bosom of a father whose children ages 12 and 17 ace the dives and show that the island holiday will be fun.

The 12 year old is already discussed deep water dives and DPVs. Topping it all off, the 7 year old passed his blue-green karate test. Yeah. And the runner daughter could have easily won her age group for her 5K, but stopped to help a friend. Good day.

Merry Christmas to all.

[il Padrino Ute]

and know that I'll be freezing my hiney off back here in SLC. It's been unusually cold for Salt Lake for this time of year.

I have no desire to get involved in scuba. I'm not much into the water sports, unless flyfishing is considered one.

[MikeWaters]

I may try to ski for the first time. In Oregon.

[Archaea]

but I can't remember the first time.

Skiing will be easier than trying boarding, but one progresses faster in boarding than skiing. Skiing is a thinking person's sport, whereas boarding belongs to athletes.

Good luck, it is a blast.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by Archaea

but I can't remember the first time.

Skiing will be easier than trying boarding, but one progresses faster in boarding than skiing. Skiing is a thinking person's sport, whereas boarding belongs to athletes.

It may also depend on whether or not you have any boarding experience in the water or on the road. If you have been wakeboarding, you'll find snowboarding similar. If you were a skateboarder in HS, or have been surfing you may find snowboarding easier. Either way you'll have a good time. I still prefer skiing to snowboarding, but I like both.

BTW, I picture Archaea to be one of those crazy double black diamond guys you see in a Warren Miller film.

[Archaea]

but sadly the elegance of those guys no.

I ski powerfully, not gracefully. I just learned boarding last year, so I suck basically.

Yet, cuz the kids can't keep up, I now board with them.

[SteelBlue]

I liked snowboarding, but I had this feeling the whole time that my knee was going to explode.

Do you like Wakeboarding Archaea? If you ever find yourself near Redding, CA we have Shasta Lake a wakeboarders paradise. We could have a Norcal Cougarguard Boardfest. Umm, we'll need to borrow your boat though. Neither the bluegoose nor myself have actually purchased one yet. It's still all about mooching for us.

[il Padrino Ute]

who jumped out of the tram at Snowbird? Or did you ever see it? Well, that was my cousin. He taught me to ski by taking me on Gad 1 and said that he'd meet me at the bottom and left me.

The guy was nuts then and still is. He once packed a small chute when he hiked the trail to the top of Angel's Landing in Zion and jumped off. Of course, he got arrested for the stunt, but he felt it was worth it.

[Archaea]

Remember Steve McKinney and Tamara McKinney, they taught me to ski but were truly nuts.

However, I have duties, so I keep it calm nowadays. Plus I don't have the same balance or fitness.

[il Padrino Ute]

but I just can't picture the faces.

My cousin thought I was nuts because I would willingly stand in front of home plate and allow people to try to run me over and knock theball out of my glove.

I guess nuts is as nuts does, eh?