Thread: Scuba Diving

I love diving. Between mine and my brother's Facebook pages, every dive I've been on is cataloged via a photo album. My dad used to dive in the 80s, so he go my brother and me lessons and gear for Christmas in 2006. The 3 of us now go on an annual dive trip in the Caribbean; it's great. I've dove in Florida, Hawaii, Cozumel, Bonaire, and Little Cayman (part of the Cayman Islands).

Little Cayman was the most amazing place I've ever been diving. If you haven't been there, do yourself a favor and go. There are some amazing coral structures and swimthroughs with wildlife and beautiful colors to boot.

I hope to one day make it down to Australia and knock out the Barrier Reef.

I completely agree with you that anyone who has any inkling to do it should just go for it. It's one of the best investments you can make, and there's nothing that's even remotely similar to the experience.

I haven't been scuba diving but do try to go snorkeling as much as I can.

I've only been snorkeling in Greece tho but the water there is very clear.

My cousin goes scuba all the time and is a master diver I think. I know he goes all over whenever he can. I'm gonna try to go with him sometime next year.

Sailor, you've gotta try warm water diving. As a New England diver, my first exposure to Florida waters was unbelievable. Before going in, I asked a diver who had just come up, how the visibility was. He said, "Terrible. No more than 15 feet." I thought he was crazy. I was used to five feet. Last year, I got to dive in Honduras for the first time. It made Florida seem murkey.

Originally Posted by leadduck

Sailor, you've gotta try warm water diving. As a New England diver, my first exposure to Florida waters was unbelievable. Before going in, I asked a diver who had just come up, how the visibility was. He said, "Terrible. No more than 15 feet." I thought he was crazy. I was used to five feet. Last year, I got to dive in Honduras for the first time. It made Florida seem murkey.

Florida is green, murky, and cold as far as I'm concerned! Go diving in the Caribbean and you'll realize how amazing it is!

I was certified a few years ago, but have no gone diving since a year or so. With school, work, and all, there is just not enough time. Maybe one of these days I will get the chance to dive again, but not right now

Originally Posted by leadduck

Sailor, you've gotta try warm water diving. As a New England diver, my first exposure to Florida waters was unbelievable. Before going in, I asked a diver who had just come up, how the visibility was. He said, "Terrible. No more than 15 feet." I thought he was crazy. I was used to five feet. Last year, I got to dive in Honduras for the first time. It made Florida seem murkey.

Thanks for that. If i'm ever to visit near tropical waters i will surely try. I've seen so many documents and movies about the awesome nature and visibility there is. It must be great.
I never cared so much for the cold, as we use only dry suit with several wool overalls, both summer and winter as the water is almost +4C when you go deeper than 6 or 7 feet. In winter it gets warmer the deeper you go.
What i really missed was visibility. Typically it is say 1 - 5 feet within 20-30 km of shoreline, little better when you go further.
I once spent a week in diving camp near Kirkenes, Norwegian city up north near the Russian border. Visibility in the fjords and Barents Sea was great, almost 60-90 feet but the underwater currents made diving almost impossible, specially in the fjords.

Originally Posted by Sailor

I used to scuba dive as a hobby when younger. Worked extra as a diver at the local shipyard for few years also, but now i haven't been underwater for about 6 or 7 years or so. Still do some surface things at work every now and then.

I've never been diving on a warm waters although it would have been most interesting. Visibility here in Baltic Sea is not worth mentioning.

Here's some old pic of me coming up.

LOL,

That does not look like my idea of a good time! I'm purely a warm water wuss.

A moot point since you've already bought your own gear, but it will never pay for itself if you're diving three and a half times a year. It would be less expensive and a lot more safe for you to simply rent gear. Please don't forget that your dive gear needs regular maintenance and things like hydrostatic tests on the tank(s).

But, yes, diving is 'da bomb. For me, there's nothing like the feeling of slowly descending towards a reef and then getting myself neutral in a strong current and flying along the reef.

And don't get me started on diving on wrecks - one of my lifetime goals is to dive the South Pacific. Man, to dive Truk Lagoon - how cool would that be?

Diving Wrecks of Truk Lagoon - Blue Lagoon Dive Shop

Certified, but haven't done it in several years, back surgery will do that to ya...

Originally Posted by danbrew

A moot point since you've already bought your own gear, but it will never pay for itself if you're diving three and a half times a year. It would be less expensive and a lot more safe for you to simply rent gear. Please don't forget that your dive gear needs regular maintenance and things like hydrostatic tests on the tank(s).

But, yes, diving is 'da bomb. For me, there's nothing like the feeling of slowly descending towards a reef and then getting myself neutral in a strong current and flying along the reef.

And don't get me started on diving on wrecks - one of my lifetime goals is to dive the South Pacific. Man, to dive Truk Lagoon - how cool would that be?

Diving Wrecks of Truk Lagoon - Blue Lagoon Dive Shop

Cool link, thanks!

I'm going to be diving more than three times a year, I live a hundred yards from the Atlantic, and an hour and fifteen minutes from the Med and a little less than 2 hours away from Gibralter where there is tons of wrecks to go and check out.

It is just winter time and I'm on nights till April, come springtime I plan on diving at least every other week. My Spanish is slooowlly getting better so that should make it a little easier as well, I won't be dependent on diving with other American co-workers, LOL.

I'd like to go now, but I can't seem to motivate anyone at work and the dive shop that I want to go out with is shutdown for the holidays, maybe the end of Jan start of Feb they will be doing some local dives.