Even before we moved down to the West Coast, both Marcin and me have been eager to try this free diving and just snorkel around in the sea here on the West Coast. Exactly what free diving is and snorkeling, I'm not going into more detail than snorkeling, it is when you mostly swim around on the surface and look down and do some short crackling dives a few meters down to peek and then up again. So I guess that's what I do, even though free diving sounds cooler.
Test dive in Kovikshamn
Although I thought I could wear my wetsuit I bought in 2007 from the Mares brand, Marcin had completely different opinions. It had to be a 5mm from Cressi with a built-in hood. Really comfortable suit that has zipper down at the legs which makes it so much easier for someone like me (with a little more powerful calends) to get the suit on. With a chain in front of the body makes it even better, especially for me who's been on a mouse shaft or something like that that has made me very stiff in my right arm. Mask, snorkel, fins and wet socks are of course in the same brand and really comfortable. However, I would like to try a little longer fins only. Everything we tested here at Kovikshamn where we usually go and take evening dip from time to time, a little unfamiliar to dive with wetsuit and the snorkel felt like my regulator but gives no air underwater I noticed when we tested everything, it became a bit instead like getting a cold soak of very salty pasta water. After that, I remember spitting out the snorkel when I want to dive under the surface.
Tjurpannan Nature Reserve
Marcin and Magnus had decided that we would meet where Magnus and his girlfriend usually snorkel and free dive, at Tjurpannan Nature Reserve. Let's get the cars out and head out to the rocks.
Once out by the cliffs it is so idyllic beautiful and the evening is like taken from an advertisement for something really Swedish and summer. It's almost windy and can't see a cloud in the sky. Let's change into a wetsuit and get in. The water is clear, not crispy but clear. At a pretty fast pace, we swim over to the rocks on the other side and I try a few times to dive down to test how I'm weighted. So far we haven't seen much spectacular but soon we'll get into the crevice we're going to swim through and there the view opens up and becomes crystal clear. We swim and squeak through the crevice, but in the end it becomes so shallow that we have to crawl over the bottom to get around. Magnus and Emelie turn around and say it's gone low tide.
On the other side awaits the reward of the claim. Of course and nice water and soon the next crevice awaits to swim through, this one a little deeper. It's full of mussels and starfish. Starfish are a clear favorite of all life underwater. We have time to swim past a giant jellyfish where I was swimming right into the rod precisely because it was so large and the rods then several meters long. We have time for another channel of shimmering water (senses that it depends on all the seashells on the bottom that reflect the water) before we get back to the entry point.
Tjurpannan with my daughters
Of course, the daughters will get a chance to snorkel on the West Coast as well. We had talked about going to Smögen to do this on Sunday, but since we thought it was so nice out at Tjurpannan we went there also on Sunday. The weather is not nearly as nice as on Saturday and the sky actually looks really dark, but according to the forecast, it should not get out to where we are going. How much you can trust a forecast so close to the sea. Once in place it is quite windy but the sky is blue and the sun is shining.
We'll pack it all up and go out to the rocks again. We change and help Jasmine and Miranda with weight belts and burn off their new masks. Soon me and the girls will be ready to jump in, Marcin's not far behind. I'll jump in first and receive Miranda. I am worried about her reaction as she was hungry for this but a little sceptic because of the water temperature. But even though the water seeps into the suit (as it should) and she thinks it gets a little cold, we manage to convince her to stop and wait for everything to warm up after a while.
We swim around and the daughters get to feel the equipment a little bit. Jasmine dives down pretty soon to peek while Miranda hangs out for Marcin as best she can. With horror mixed delight, she looks at all the jelly sets that have drifted into the bay today and tells Marcin to take pictures of them all. In the end, Miranda also tries to dive down a little and it also looks great. Both have some problems with their snorkels, but it can be fixed. I myself feel that a pair of longer fins would be good now, both for image and as I swim below the surface. Today I have had time to get really comfortable with this and can start playing around more under the surface. It's just such a wonderful feeling of freedom to dive around like this, without bottles and do tricks or just glide along.
Eventually, those dark clouds start to approach a little too well and so does the earlier more distant rumble starting to get a little too close. We'll get back on the rocks and change at a brisk pace. We set up a plan where I take a small light bag and go/run to the parking lot and pick up the car while the others take everything else, heavy (which has now become even heavier by all the water). Sceptic and brisk, I walk along the road under the power lines back to the parking lot and pick up the car. Just in time when I've met up with the others and we've packed everything in the back, the big water droplets start to fall. If I'd just taken it a little more easy or if I hadn't run part of the distance, the others would have gotten wet. I myself sit in the car, wet on my back with sweat but satisfied that the others did not have to get wet by the thunder.
I am so happy and proud after the weekend's tours. This is SUMMER. My children have made such progress in the water and are also excited about more tours like this which makes me so happy. Thank you my lovely Marcin for all the footage when I just want to enjoy the experience you are still always ready with the camera.
Comentarios