THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

http://www.gate.net/~dream2/trips/Scuba/girlcorl.JPG

http://www.aocruise2009.com/scuba_diving_20.jpg

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/scuba-cat-6.jpg

http://libraryontime.files.wordpress...cuba-horse.jpg

I figured we should start up an official DIVE thread for anyone and everyone who dives, "would rather be diving", dove once (twice, or three times a lady) likes "getting wet" and "going down" or saw it on T.V. and thought it was pretty cool so you decided to write a haiku about it.

So where'd you go last?

How awesome was it?

Any questions you might want to pose about anything dive-related?

Have you dived Palau, Yongala or your bathtub?

Any good advice or things to check out?

Post pics!

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I'll post some pics of my trip to St. John in 2007:

We took a trip from St. John over to the British Virgin Islands & dove the RMS Rhone (the wreck from the 1977 movie "The Deep" with Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset & Robert Shaw):

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/Rn...%20%282%29.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/Rn...%20%282%29.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/Rn...0OF%20ribs.JPG

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

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http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/Rn...0jan%20013.jpg

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/Rn...0jan%20033.jpg

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Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Scubaboard is a nifty scuba forum but I don't spend any time on there: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/matrix/

And if you haven't read this book:

http://www.sd68.k12.il.us/schools/or...w%20divers.jpg

You BETTER!!!

I coudn't put the thing down. True story of a German sub discovered off the Eastern Seaboard.

Oh, and I'm Advanced Open Water Certified, no more......yet....

Hey, has anyone dived the Andrea Doria??

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

While I have never been Scuba-diving (been snorking several times), my uncle is a professional photographer and has been exploring the Santa Barbara, CA reefs for years. The attached link is to his new book that contains many underwater photos http://seaoflight.net/items/books/book001-detail.htm. (go to view book in the top right hand corner).

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Thanks Ade!

http://seaoflight.net/images/spreads4.jpg

Awesome stuff!

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I miss diving. I think the last time I went was '01 or '02...its been awhile. I've dove the Keys (Islamorada, and Key Largo) as well as some places off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I definitely would go diving again, just don't really have the means to right now.

Maybe I'll try to get stationed on Okinawa or Guam for my next assignment haha.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

It's definitely a little costly, I hear 'ya. That part of Mexico is awesome...dove Cozumel back in 2005 or so.......best part of the dive was standing on the seafloor at about 65 feet with about 100 foot viz and only one other diver with me (the DM) and hearing a strange whirring sound coming closer and closer. Passenger sub comes right by us as we wave to the landlubbers inside.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I have wanted to get certified for YEARS, but living in MN doesn't provide a lot of opportunity (or a long diving season, locally). Usually go snorkeling when visiting the in-laws in FL, though. Saw some cool stuff in Aruba and off Looe Key when I've gone, though.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Been diving once, this past April when I was on holiday in Aruba. Did a resort course and had a 1-tank open water dive at about 25 feet. Loved it, as did my girlfriend. We've discussed getting certified, but not really looked much into it. How much are we talking in terms of hours/dives/$$$/etc?

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Aruba diving is pretty nifty....a bunch of very accessible wrecks and you don't need a Wreck Cert to do 'em! Aruba supposedly has the best wreck diving of any Caribbean island.

Where in Aruba did you go on your dive? We just got back from a wedding there in June...did a 2-tank morning dive to the Antilla & Pedernalis wrecks.

Certification isn't as time consuming as you might think.

I wouldn't get certified at a resort for two reasons.

1) Too expensive! Like $500 and up, for one certification.

2) Do you really want to be studying and taking tests and spend all your time on vacation doing dive tasks to earn your certification? If you do, go for it but I'd just prefer relaxing and save the course for when you get back home.

Back home, it'd cost about $250 including study materials. My shop, Pacific Wilderness out in San Pedro, required us to have a mask, snorkel, fins & booties. Everything beyond that, we were able to rent. Purchasing those items will likely put you out about $125 on the low end....maybe $150 on the high end, maybe more, depending on how fancy shmancy you want your gear to be.

We had four of us guys take a 'semi-private' course so that we could really pick our class & dive times and dates. The downside to this was that we had to opt out of the Catalina Island day trip and do both 'open water' dives at the beach. No biggie. We've since been to Catalina several times now. The normal cert class is classtime, pooltime, 1 beach dive & 1 boat dive.

But if you don't have an island about an hour away, your normal courseload would be (if I recall correctly):

1) Two weekend classes, Saturday & Sunday, 8 hours each, including pool time (for a total of 2 Saturdays & 2 Sundays)
2) 2 Weekend Dives (either both beach or a beach & boat or both boat)

How much studying time? Are the tests difficult? This ain't rocket science...you should read (so you can have the tools necessary if you encounter a problem) and you should do the quizzes in the book and you have to take the exams in class and pass or you don't get certified. But it's not tough stuff. A lot of it is common sense. And you can easily juggle the courseload and easy reading with your other daily tasks.

Anything on top of this as far as cost? Yeah, you'll need to rent a BCD(bouyancy control device), a Regulator (the thing you breathe through), wetsuit, tank & weights.....all this should come with the course fee for your initial dives.

Anything additional you do will set you back an additional $40 or so per day for gear on top of what you've purchased.

Hope that helps! You should get out & do it!

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Lobster divin' off Catalina Island!

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Frk_KfWB9tg/SS...2/IMG_0872.JPG

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

West Coast Lobsters are wack! Where are the claws!!! Lol, :r

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I got certified in 2007. If I could be in the water right now, I would be.
I love it.
I grew up on a lake and did a lot of snorkeling growing up. I snorkled Pennekamp in Key Largo and that's what made me decide to get my certs.
I can't wait to go again. :tu

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I don't know where exactly in Aruba we went. Was in/around an old wreck right off the resort beach area, maybe 5-10 minute boat ride from our hotel.

I was actually thinking about taking the course online, maybe doing the pool work locally, and just doing the open water dives the next time we are on an island near some good dive sites. There's a couple of Padi shops near where I live, but, tbh, I don't really want my diving to be in Long Island Sound...

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I am going to Guam for 4 months starting in October and plan on getting certified and doing a lot of diving there. I have heard it is some of the best diving in the world...I am really excited about it for sure. Any advice or specific things I need to check out, diving related, please PM. Thanks in advance :tu

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

haven't been diving seance 1996 got certified when i was Okinawa and did most of my diving over there. also been in the Philippines and Thailand and a couple of places in the states

there are good spots all over Okinawa you wont be disappointed if you get stationed there

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I certified in Guam back in 88 and was there for 5 years. Great diving and lots of places nearby. Was stationed in Hawaii for 3 years and had a great time diving there. I also take my gear with me when I deploy, so I've logged dives in the Philipines, Thailand, Bali, UAE, Jordan, Acapulco and Cozumel as well as several Islands in Micronesia.

My best advise is to certify as soon as you get there. Get yourself a good set of dive booties, gloves, fins, mask & snorkel right away and rent the rest until you decide to spend the cash on a full set of gear. There are too many great dive sites to list. I like clear blue water, so I did a lot of dives off Orote Pt and NAVFAC. There are plenty of good dives in Apra Harbor, though the visibility can be low. Double Reef, Taguison Beach and Gun Beach are really nice blue water dives. Once you are comfortable under water, try night diving. It's awesome...

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

:r

Nice!

I didn't even know you could do it online....the pool work & open water dives are part of the Certification so I'm not sure how they manage certifying you or even partially certifying you without pool/open water dives paired with the instruction...and when you go to that island paradise and want to dive, you'd need to either do a Resort Course at a resort (for a nominal fee & they rent you the gear & have a set, rather shallow (about 20 feet), area that you swim around to get your whistle whet), or pay to get certified while there. You can't just rent gear and go to any site on your own because shops won't rent to you without a C-card. I don't blame you about LI divin'!

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Do it, do it! From what GoatLocker says, it sounds great!

Sweet!

Awesome....you've been to some amazing spots! In and around L.A., I've dived Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, Catalina Island, Malibu and Newport Beach. Then outside of L.A....Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, British Virgin Islands, Cozumel, Aruba, Belize and Mykonos.

And night dives are awesome....I've only done night dives in Redondo Beach & Catalina Island.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I checked their site and there's a Padi shop about 10-15 minutes from my apt, so I'll probably just pop in there to ask about it, and look at gear. Not in any rush right now, as it will likely be next summer at the earliest before I am looking at actually doing the certification.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

I was certified in Washington when I lived there. I'm now in northern California. Haven't been in the water for oh about 2yrs now since I moved away from my dive buddy. Have all the gear sitting in my parents barn, tanks still aired up and dry suit hanging in the closet. I'm hoping to hit Monterey eventually and go kelp diving. I also have an inner ear issue where I get vertigo pretty easily when I ascend. It was quite disconcerting getting a bit hit at about 60ft after our 95ft dive for our deep dive class.

Chris

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Man, I want to dive Monterey badly! I hear it's a little rough (rough seas) out there but I'd like to try it. Hell, I went to high school & lived on the Monterey Peninsula for 4 years but didn't get my start diving until about 5 years ago.

Chris - Make sure you get your gear checked out by your dive shop before you head out again....two years is a long time to have tanks sittin'! And you're a lucky guy...drysuit, man, that'd surely make Cali diving easier!

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

i hate to say i'm old but i got certified in 1976. i'v been in all 5 great lakes the atlantic and the carabeian as well as the caves of notheren fla. i haven't been in the water since 2000 my gills have grown closed. i am certified open water, advanced ow, dive master,photography canvern and open water instuctor. i have more than 250 hour logged. also advanced wreck diver.



stinkie:ss

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

Nice! I'd love to check out the caverns in FL and the cenotes in Mexico! There's the Yukon wreck out in San Diego I'd love to hit too but I need a drysuit first I think and I'd feel more comfortable with a wreck cert although you can circumnavigate the Yukon without one.

Stinkie, you really should get out again...stuff's come a long way from:

http://www.divesitedirectory.co.uk/i...tique_suit.gif

http://www.antiques-marine.com/img.p...8/DSC02538.JPG

;)

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS uni
 

i've got one for sale if your interested . it's a posinden unisuit med .



stinkie:ss

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

Now this some were that i might just fit in cigars and diving nothing makes life better.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=5583

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

Rescue diver/solo diver here need to get back into it been taking a bit of a break.

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

Do diving for work sometimes ,pulling props and shafts,boat bottom inspections, my favorite part of diving is the watches:)

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

Dove key largo beginning of the year, was just beautiful, here are a few pics...I was using a desposible underwater camera that sucked, so bar with my pics, i now have a nice sealife i bought from another botl, that i cant wait to use... -(P

Re: THE official DIVE thread! SCUBA-DIVERS unite!
 

We went to Islamorada last year and it was so cold no one would take me out diving (and I didn't blame them a bit). So I bought a bunch of cold gear with the money I saved and froze to death snorkeling among all the dead stuff. Truly was amazing the amount of stuff that died on both the ocean side and gulf side in the keys.
We went to the dominican this year and I didn't even get to snorkel. The rip was so bad that the red flags were out the whole time we were there. Two days prior to our arrival, our hotel lost two guests to the surf.
We'll see what next year brings. :tu