New guy from NorCal

Howdy folks!
My name's Ron Smith and I live in Truckee CA. I've been scuba diving for about 11 years and started freediving and spearing in NorCal a couple years ago. Since the closest saltwater is over 5 hours away, (Monterey, Ca), I don't get to hunt nearly as much as I want to, so I read these boards and live vicariously though you more active folks!:thumbsup2: I just learned about this board and browsed it before joining. Just wanted to say I'm impressed by the knowledge shown here and I'm sure I'm gonna learn a lot from y'all!
Ron.

Well thanks guys, I really appreciate it! Hey polegun, here's a little story to make you miss warm water even more...
I got certified in Monterey, CA, in relatively cold water. Just after being scuba certified, my wife and I took one last vacation to hawaii before my twins were born. I got to dive 80 degree water with 100' vis, and saw everything from pods of dolphins to Eagle Rays. After the vacation we came home to Truckee. It was late fall and I had a training dive for work at Donner Lake right after arriving home. I went from wearing a 2mm shortie, no boots, gloves or hood, to wearing a drysuit, 5 mm hood, boots, and walking through 3" of fresh snow to get to 38 degree water, all to see dark murk and a few crawdads! Well yesterday was my twins' 12th birthday. What they don't yet know is that this summer we're planning a trip to Hawaii. They are good snorkellers and beginner freedivers, and always dream of diving "tropical" waters. I can't wait to share that with them, and don't even plan to take a speagun, just the freediving gear and underwater camera.
The moral of this long winded story is, if you're fortunate enough to dive warm, clear water, then cherish and remember every second of it. If for no other reason, then for those of us that don't get there as often as we'd like!
Ron.