Since it's nearing the end of the season I'll bore on with another freediving report.
Today my daughter was otherwise occupied so I went alone. I decided to go to our usual spot - instead of a new one- and just play around with my new sporas. I saw a pair of cormorants as I was getting into my wetsuit - but also a diver's flag a couple of hundred meters out from my location. (grand traverse bay is a quite large bay off lake Michigan) I decided to drop in on the divers and began making my way out into open water with my flag in tow. Being labor day weekend the bay is a hell of large and small power boats and jet skis - so I was bringing my head up every few seconds to make sure my flag hadn't attracted any of them.
The Scuba's flag did not seem to be coming up as quickly as it should and it dawned on my they were swimming pretty much directly away from me out into open water at a good pace. I stuck with it and continued to gain. Slight cramp in my left foot which vanished when I relaxed it. Pretty soon I could hear regulators. I finally caught them about 4 or 500 meters off shore, matched their pace and tried to stock up on some air. (meanwhile - Cabin cruisers and cigarrette boats are slicing by all around - the sound of their props like dental drills at some undermined location in my skull).
Fatigued and not gaining much by slowing to their pace I powered down to the bottom and saw three well equipped divers truckin along the bottom.
The lead diver was out front and a bit above the other two - they all had very nice fins - mare's volos and the like - some of those split fins too - scubapros. (the fast clip they were maintaining was dictated by the lead diver - who had forgotten his weights and was having to book along to stay down..!) I formed up with these guys and waved but they totally did not see me - though I was practically colliding with them. Surfaced and grabbed more air while pacing them - this time I aimed ahead of them but the clear polycarb corners on their masks were evidently unutilized - because they still couldn't see me - I thought about grabbing the lead divers fin as it was right in front of my face but let it go and surfaced. By this time I was in serious recreational boating territory and decided to head back to the shelter of my friendly neighborhood breakwall. Pretty much powered in then rested and purused the breakwall.
Suprisingly my daughter suddenly appeared on the rocks with her friend. I climbed out and we got out the extra gear so the two of them could snork for awhile. She is about 5'11" and can usually wear my fins with a couple layers of socks - it was cool to see her try out the sporas. As the girls headed out along the far side of breakwall I panged a little on all the recreational boatage, but the sheriff showed and floated on station about 100 meters out from the breakwall - like an aquatic guardian angel..
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