Any scuba divers out there?

[smfcpacfp]

Any other Scuba divers out there? My wife and i just came back from a three week diving trip to two places in the Fijian Islands and had a great time.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Yep. I'm certified. I got certified by Navy/PADI divers on Pearl Harbor when I lived in Hawaii, 10 years ago. I had some great dives out there... Shark's Cove, The Trench, Three Tables, Electric Beach, Makaha Caverns and even dove Ko-Olina Cove. There are other names, but I forget them now...have to go up and grab my dive log to get all the names.

I won't dive salt water anymore...my last dive was a nightmare...had an encounter with a 7' blacktip. He wanted the parrot-fish I had just speared more than I did. I was soon to leave the island anyhow, so it was no sweat. I may dive again one-day in salt water, but I won't be spearfishing when I do!

I had some great dives in NW Florida too. A place called Morrison Springs and another called Vortex Springs. Great diving, but I want to take an advanced course before I go back into the mouth of caves. My buddy and I wouldn't go in past the opening, even though it was lit with a huge guide wire to guide you. Just not my cup-o-tea.

I've got some great gear. Zeagle Tech BC and Atomic Aquatics T1/T2 reg. My dive computer is Oceanic. Mask and snorkel is US Diver and my fins are Blades.

Did you take any pics? Fiji...always wanted to go there, never made it

Podunk

ps. I checked out your bikes...I love the R1 and the Bonnie is a classic. I used to ride sportbikes...had a 1986 Honda VFR750, totalled it (young and dumb at the time) took a long hiatus, then in 2003 bought a new GSXR 750. Then in 2005, bought a new ZX-10R. That 10 was MEAN. I had a lot of mods on them both. Had a Yosh full system on the 750. Had an Akro slip-on on the 10. TRE's, BMC on the 10, K&N on the 7fitty. PCIII USB on the 10, had it dialed in...never put one on the 750. Steering damper on the 10 was GPR...too many other things to list...

 

[Jimmyp5]

Hi, both my wife and I dive. We normally manage at least two trips a year. We are off to Bonaire for our second time in May, we found so far Bonaire is the best for us. We have been diving for about 10 years now, and always are looking for a way to get to warm water. We got certified in cold water in VA, but now we have grown to be 80/80 divers... lol. 80 degrees temp and 80 feet vis.

 

[rtdiggr]

I use to dive alot, i was a certified instructor. I don't dive so much anymore,,, that thing called responsibility stepped in. I have a long commute to work with long hours so not much time for diving anymore.

Podunkadunk if you want to come for a visit in Canada we can go upto Tobermory no salt water there. But it is alittle cold okay really cold if you are down 100' it is 32degres even in the summer. But the ship wreaks are awesome.

Kingston Ontario has some beautiful wrecks aswell.

I never got into ice diving [that to is on my list of ways not to die] but i did do some cave diving in N Florida It was just stunning. You could see about 200'


Shane

 

[Podunkadunk]

Podunkadunk if you want to come for a visit in Canada we can go upto Tobermory no salt water there. But it is alittle cold okay really cold if you are down 100' it is 32degres even in the summer. But the ship wreaks are awesome.Shane

That's far too cold for me! My lips turn blue doing multiple dives throughout the day...in 80 degree water! Even in Hawaii, I'd be the only guy diving with an 8mm suit and still get cold. I'd get funny looks every time.

Thanks for the offer though

 

[Sigarms]

I use to dive alot, i was a certified instructor. I don't dive so much anymore,,, that thing called responsibility stepped in.

I was an instructor as well, however I gave up diving because I fell in love with whitewater kayaking

Never forget the time when I was working my way up the certification "ladder". Training for rescue diving, when I had to "subdue" the subject, I ended up losing the guys mask. Five of us out in the water couldn't find it. Turns out it was a prescription lens mask, ended up costing me over $100 (a lot at that time).

Diving in strip mines not being able to see your hand in front of your face during the middle of the day really makes you appreciate the water down south.

Podunkadunk, if diving in cold water and all you have is a wet suit, just drink LOTS of liquids before your dive

 

[rtdiggr]

I was an instructor as well, however I gave up diving because I fell in love with whitewater kayaking

Never forget the time when I was working my way up the certification "ladder". Training for rescue diving, when I had to "subdue" the subject, I ended up losing the guys mask. Five of us out in the water couldn't find it. Turns out it was a prescription lens mask, ended up costing me over $100 (a lot at that time).

Diving in strip mines not being able to see your hand in front of your face during the middle of the day really makes you appreciate the water down south.

I have done a few of those dives where you could not see your hand in front of your face not fun and not good if you are claustrophobic [which i am not].

Shane

 

[rtdiggr]

That's far too cold for me! My lips turn blue doing multiple dives throughout the day...in 80 degree water! Even in Hawaii, I'd be the only guy diving with an 8mm suit and still get cold. I'd get funny looks every time.

Thanks for the offer though

Cold that's not cold, 32degress on the surface,wearing a dry suit and having to put vaseline on your face and just hoping your face goes numb quickly, now that's cold. but i loved it. Man was i silly back then, i can't see myself doing that now.

Shane

 

[Sigarms]

Cold that's not cold, 32degress on the surface,wearing a dry suit and having to put vaseline on your face and just hoping your face goes numb quickly, now that's cold. but i loved it. Man was i silly back then, i can't see myself doing that now.

Hey, it gets cold when you can't take off your dry suit because the zippers are all frozen solid, and you have to jump in your vehicle with the heater going on at full blast just to thaw out the zippers to get undressed. Been there, done that. Funny, I look at those times with fond memories, but for some reason, no way in H E double toothpicks will I do it now

Does that mean I'm getting smarter or lazy in my "old age"?

 

[Podunkadunk]

Does that mean I'm getting smarter or lazy in my "old age"?

You said it yourself...

People don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing

 

[Sigarms]

You said it yourself...

People don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing

Very well said. Or should I say that to myself

You made me look. Only a 12 footer or so that was easy (when you hold the paddle in the air "showing off", it's easy).

Funny though, I ran 'em as high as 40', which I won't do anymore. Still do some 30 footers, but in my old days, I was always wondering about my next line once I hit the bottom. NOW when I approach that horizon line, I get butterflies in my stomach.

Wonder why that is

Apologies, getting off topic.

 

[sandman2234]

Been there, got the T-shirt.
When I got married, I was hoping for a dive partner, put the wife through class, bought her gear, although she really wasn't "into it". During a checkout dive, I realized I was barking up the wrong tree in a dive partner because she kept complaining about her feet hurting. When we went to get out of the water, I realized she had put her flippers on upside down and the curvature of the flipper was going the opposite way of the curvature of her foot. That was when I decided I didn't need to have her "checking out" my equipment before a dive, to make sure I didn't miss something.
David from jax

 

[Sigarms]

Been there, got the T-shirt.
When I got married, I was hoping for a dive partner, put the wife through class, bought her gear, although she really wasn't "into it".

You could of stopped right there. That's what I use to call "cheap gear sale!"

 

[rox]

Any other Scuba divers out there? My wife and i just came back from a three week diving trip to two places in the Fijian Islands and had a great time.

Yup I am certified but I ahve actually never dived after the classes. When i was 18 my best friend nancy had a georgeous older sister Janet. now the drinking age back then was 18 so we hit up bars etc but never found any 'nice" guys so we asked janet where we could meet some nice guys. Easy she says, take scuba diving classes. The classes are full of ncie guys and no other gals there for competition. So we paid ot money put on our bikinis, we all ahd the bodies for bikinis back then, and took scuba diving jsut so we could meet nice guys! We did meet them too! We ahd a whole pool of nice guys and only us 3 girlfriends. Boy did we work that he-he. We were so young and crazy. for our final certification dive we were supposed to go in a local lake but it was raining so the instructor jsut passed us anyway. I still ahve my official ID card. So if any of your daughters want to meet nice guys tell them to take scuba diving classes, they will ahve a whole pool full of nice guys.

 

[Sigarms]

for our final certification dive we were supposed to go in a local lake but it was raining so the instructor jsut passed us anyway.

Amazing.

I'm guessing the instructor was afraid that you'd get wet if it was raining?

YOU'RE UNDER WATER for God's sake!!

I'd guess the instructor was a skinhound himself

Apologies Roz, but if you didn't actually take the open water certification and the instructor lied about you passing, why keep the "official" ID card?

Apologies to an extent. I knew of instructors who didn't take their class seriously, and would "pass" people that shouldn't of passed (for various reasons) that could lead to future issues down the road.

 

[RobertN]

Wife and I arecertified. My wife has done hunreds and hundreds of dives, mostly around Monterey. Although she does not work in the field, she has a degree in Marine Biology; went to Moss Landing Marine Labs.

Since we met and I certified, we have dove Maui, Monterey, and a number of trips to the Channel Islands on the Conception and Vision(Truth Aquatics). Boat divin on the three day trips is awesome!

Have not been in a while; it is a 5 hour drive to any place worth diving, and the water is cold

My wife's dream is to dive Galopagos.

 

[rox]

Amazing.

I'm guessing the instructor was afraid that you'd get wet if it was raining?

YOU'RE UNDER WATER for God's sake!!

I'd guess the instructor was a skinhound himself

Apologies Roz, but if you didn't actually take the open water certification and the instructor lied about you passing, why keep the "official" ID card?

Apologies to an extent. I knew of instructors who didn't take their class seriously, and would "pass" people that shouldn't of passed (for various reasons) that could lead to future issues down the road.

Looking back I can't really diagree with you about passing us without taking the final open water test. Honeslty it was raining so we 3 girls complained and whined and he caved in and called it off. However I will say that we 3 chicks were pretty darned good in the pool, and we all aced the written exam so it is ot like we were just girlie girl air heads. Our motivation for starting the class was not pure but once we started the class we were all serious about it. It was impressed upon us the life and death nature of what we were learing. All 3 of us were pretty good at scuba diving by the time the class was over. I never ever did any scuba diving after i left that pool. i do remember that when you are ascending you can't hold your breath.
I hold onto the card purely for nostalgia. I see my pic on the card and remember a time before I was married, before I had 2 kids, a time in my life when I had a job, money and great girlfiends and fun times. Gosh it was a fun time.

 

[Tractors4u]

I probably have one of the more unique scuba experiences. I work for NASA and for a while was assigned to the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at Marshall Space Flight Center. It was a 40 ft deep, 75 ft diameter water tank that was used to train astronauts and develop zero gravity repair techniques. Of course you needed divers for that. I made 294 dives there. On one of my dives I didn't even get wet, I was in a space suit. When we would train safety/rescue divers, one of us would suit up to let the trainees practice on. Because the suit was pressurized, the safety divers had to add lead weight to the suit until it was neutrally buoyant. That was the best job I ever had.

 

[GarthH]

Unfortunately my diving days are fond memories. I never got down the South Pacific but many times in Bonaire, Mexico and some others. I'd tried diving in our area but like the others mention cold and no vis is not anything exciting. Bonaire was certainly my favorite. We usually did the Carib inn - Bruce and his crew were just wonderful to dive with. Like some of the others marriage has slowed the diving (or maybe stopped the diving). I dove with a large number of older people so I'm counting on my retirement years - sure hope their is still good locations.

My most memorable dive was a night dive from one of the Agressor Fleet. Pretty shallow water just looking for Rays and stopped to check out a fish hanging around a rock. I was nicely settling into the sand to take a picture - the **** rock moved - it was actually a 8 foot turtle - I think I sucked down half a tank which is pretty hard at 20 feet. It took the turtle several minutes to get enough speed to actually get up from the ocean floor. A couple of the pictures turned out - still on my wall today.

Great topic.

Garth

 

[Sigarms]

I probably have one of the more unique scuba experiences. I work for NASA and for a while was assigned to the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at Marshall Space Flight Center. It was a 40 ft deep, 75 ft diameter water tank that was used to train astronauts and develop zero gravity repair techniques. Of course you needed divers for that. I made 294 dives there. On one of my dives I didn't even get wet, I was in a space suit. When we would train safety/rescue divers, one of us would suit up to let the trainees practice on. Because the suit was pressurized, the safety divers had to add lead weight to the suit until it was neutrally buoyant. That was the best job I ever had.

Deleted dumb question. After thinking about it, came to an answer.