My Blog
May 10. 2026
Puget Sound is Cccccold
I started in the summer of 2022 with mask and snorkel and layers of clothes. I purchased a triathlete swim outfit, (no, I’m not even close to a triathlete), a beanie, gloves, and booties. I purchased a stout plastic bag for my camera. It didn’t work. I bought a new camera and a new bag. That failed too. I purchased a waterproof camera and it died after three months. I bought another camera and a hard case and that worked. Yeah!
I found other wetsuits at thrift stores and I purchased a dive belt with weights to counteract the bouyancy of all the neoprene. It is impossible to sink down to photograph a crab when your body rises to the surface without weight. My son gifted me a 5 mm wetsuit with a hood and I received my sister’s camera and case as her final gift to me before she passed. We shared a bond of saltwater and sea animals, although she lived in Hawaii and the water was warm.
In the water, I feel free (and really cold). I’m alone with my thoughts, with the animals around me, seeing life that few people see. Scuba divers do see these animals, but not regularly. I expect they see more as well. I’d love to try this one day, but for now, I stay shallow.
Shallow is best for snorkeling in Puget Sound…
April 1, 2026
The Lure of Sea Water
Most people don’t appreciate the lure of very cold salt water. I get it/ When it’s 90* or higher, it’s refreshing to wade in, maybe splash around a bit, or even jump off the pier and scream on the way down as our local teens are fond on doing. They talk and laugh, jump and shriek, and climb up the ladder to celebrate. A few hardy souls enjoy a “dip” regularly. In fact, that’s how I started.
A friend was a regular in this past-time. Every day, without fail, she’d head out to the water, dunk three times, swim a few strokes, and exit. I watched and found the idea tempting, so I joined her. It is not, perhaps, the best idea to begin this hobby in November, but I was determined and we conversed and laughed and other people looked on.
In May she said she wanted to jump off the pier for her birthday. I said I’d go with her. She jumped and screamed. To her surprise (she thought I was just planning on watching), I jumped and laughed. For her, it’s a challenge, for me a joy.
Soon another woman joined us, then another, and another. We’d talk about what was going on in our lives as we shivered with the cold, then exited to sit in the sun and continue to bond. This group of women are all absolutely amazing, but when colder weather returned, we only gathered for the winter solstice.
Others in the neighborhood started to join us. Once we had 20+ women and one gentleman come for a large group dip. But the lure of the water and the business of life intervened. And I wanted to do something more - to see what was in the water, living life around our freezing legs and feet.
