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Charun
Feb 8, 2003


Here's a good tip - attach everything to yourself with a bungee cable or something. You may think you'll have no problem holding onto your camera, but you may get distracted and welp.
Also put you name and number on your equipment.
Because of this, I can still hope someone finds and returns it. :smith:

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Bishop
Aug 15, 2000

Charun posted:

Here's a good tip - attach everything to yourself with a bungee cable or something
Elaborating on this, with the "standard" SCUBA setup, always try and keep your instrument gauge and octopus (backup regulator) clipped onto you. Another thing that I used to do is cradle them in my hands near my waist. This way you wont be dragging stuff around on the reef or entangling yourself. another benefit is that you know where they are when you need them. A instrument console or octopus can float around behind you in some awkward to find areas.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
On my last trip two people lost their cameras despite REPEATED warnings about it.
Even though I wasn't the one to lose a camera I still felt like poo poo.

This thread needs more awesome pics and vids.





Pics taken in Palau. Click for giant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9MC8lnGag8

Vid taken in the Maldives.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
And another benefit is that you will reduce your drag when moving through the water, meaning you exert less energy. Over a long dive trip, that can make a difference.

As for bungee cords and clips, they are a great resource. I would lose my mask if it wasn't attached to my head.

Ask me how I know :smith:

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

Bishop posted:

Elaborating on this, with the "standard" SCUBA setup, always try and keep your instrument gauge and octopus (backup regulator) clipped onto you. Another thing that I used to do is cradle them in my hands near my waist. This way you wont be dragging stuff around on the reef or entangling yourself. another benefit is that you know where they are when you need them. A instrument console or octopus can float around behind you in some awkward to find areas.

Agreed, I clip mine to the D-ring on my left shoulder strap. There is just enough slack to where I can read everything with it still clipped, but not enough to where it's swinging about.

Question related to freediving/snorkeling with a wetsuit. How much weight would you need to balance out a 3mm wetsuit roughly? I'm assuming just a few lbs. I've never worn weight when snorkeling/pseudo-freediving, but I've never done it with a wetsuit. I'm going to be passing through Venice, FL tomorrow and figured I'd swing by the beach and go dive for some shark teeth off the coast.

IM FROM THE FUTURE
Dec 4, 2006

rockcity posted:

Agreed, I clip mine to the D-ring on my left shoulder strap. There is just enough slack to where I can read everything with it still clipped, but not enough to where it's swinging about.

Question related to freediving/snorkeling with a wetsuit. How much weight would you need to balance out a 3mm wetsuit roughly? I'm assuming just a few lbs. I've never worn weight when snorkeling/pseudo-freediving, but I've never done it with a wetsuit. I'm going to be passing through Venice, FL tomorrow and figured I'd swing by the beach and go dive for some shark teeth off the coast.

It depends a good deal on bodyfat, lung capacity, and the exact makeup of the suit (2piece or not, hooded or not, etc). But people generally use around 10lbs of weight to become neutral at 20-30ft in a 3mm wetsuit.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:

It depends a good deal on bodyfat, lung capacity, and the exact makeup of the suit (2piece or not, hooded or not, etc). But people generally use around 10lbs of weight to become neutral at 20-30ft in a 3mm wetsuit.

It's a one piece, non-hooded wetsuit. I don't think I'll really be going that deep on this venture though. Most of the shark teeth are in shallow water from what I've read. I'd wager I'll probably be closer to the 10 ft range. I'm going to bring my whole set of weights with me to find out how much is comfortable for me.

IM FROM THE FUTURE
Dec 4, 2006

rockcity posted:

It's a one piece, non-hooded wetsuit. I don't think I'll really be going that deep on this venture though. Most of the shark teeth are in shallow water from what I've read. I'd wager I'll probably be closer to the 10 ft range. I'm going to bring my whole set of weights with me to find out how much is comfortable for me.

If you are diving shallow you can weight yourself towards the lower end of that 20-30ft number. But I wouldn't go too far beyond it.Maybe at most enough weight to be neutral at 15ft or so. Even if you are diving 10ft and it means never going neutral. Any more weigh then that and you will be too heavy on the surface, which is both dangerous and annoying (you will sink every time you exhale).

IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Feb 21, 2012

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:

If you are diving shallow you can weight yourself towards the lower end of that 20-30ft number. But I wouldn't go too far beyond it.Maybe at most enough weight to be neutral at 15ft or so. Even if you are diving 10ft and it means never going neutral. Any more weigh then that and you will be too heavy on the surface, which is both dangerous and annoying (you will sink every time you exhale).

Yeah, that was my thinking. I don't want to not be buoyant at the surface, but I don't want to be a cork with a full wetsuit with no weight.

standardtoaster
May 22, 2009
Can someone give a rundown and recommendations of the essential entry-level equipment needed for SCUBA?

I want to start with my own equipment, but want to know how much money I'm going to bleed before I go for it.

Also, what certification do you recommend for the US, PADI, NAUI?

standardtoaster fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Feb 22, 2012

Crunkjuice
Apr 4, 2007

That could've gotten in my eye!
*launches teargas at unarmed protestors*

I THINK OAKLAND PD'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS JUSTIFIED!

standardtoaster posted:

Can someone give a rundown and recommendations of the essential entry-level equipment needed for SCUBA?

I want to start with my own equipment, but want to know how much money I'm going to bleed before I go for it.

You could get a full setup for probably 600-800. I'll do a quick rundown of the gear/order you should get them in. The order can be changed up depending on your location/rental rates etc, but this is how i got my gear. Also, from a recreational standpoint.

Mask/Snorkel/Fins 150-500 bucks. Absolutely first thing you need to get
Wetsuit. 75-300ish . This is dependent on a few things, but if you are dive locally, and have not awesome warm waters, you're gonna need a wetsuit to stay warm.
Regulator setup 300- 2000. All new modern regulators sold today are going to breath safely at recreational depths. I've put about 800 dives on a reg i got for 189 bucks, and it still works fine. Also, make sure to get an alternate second stage.
BCD- 300-1000. There are many different features from bcds, and price ranges. What features your bcd comes with will determine the price. The two big BCD choices are jacket style (bladder around your body) or back inflate (bladder on your back). From there they will have different style inflators, dump valves, pockets etc. I have a Zeagle Ranger, and its a goddamn tank of a BCD. I can't say enough good things about it.Get one with an integrated weight system, weights belts are annoying.
Computer - 150-2000. You can buy an entry level computer or a top of the line multicolor gas computer. You can get them air integrated with your tank to read the exact pressure (pricier), or just a wrist mounted unit. I have a crappy old computer that rocks nitrox up to 50% that i got new for 200.
Tank- 80 used, about 180 new. Honestly, unless you do heavy local diving ( like me), you probably don't need a tank. It costs 20 bucks a year in visual inspections, and needs to be hydrostatically tested every 5. If you dive multiple times a month close bye, then a tank is useful. If you go out once every few months, renting is fine.

Here are some premade packages from scubatoys, that'll give you an idea of what gear costs. Obviously, you can make your own for different pricepoints.
http://www.scubatoys.com/store/search_results.asp?iLevel=2&subcat=32&txtsearchParamCat=18&txtCatName=2


As for what certification, do whatever your local dive shop does. PADI/NAUI/SSI are all universally accepted across the world. That being said, go PADI gotta whore out the brand

Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Feb 22, 2012

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
Personally, I started with a mask / snorkel and fins. I then bought a cheapie 2 mm full body wetsuit used. After that I bought a used BCD and got a camera and housing for a gift. What I really want is a dive computer. Once you've used one of those babies you'll never look back. Regulator is on that list eventually.

Prices vary but I recommend getting your own mask that you've tried yourself, which usually means going brick and mortar. A mask has a good seal if you can place it on your face (without the strap) while inhaling through the nose, and it doesn't fall. I use fins that require booties. Booties are an added layer of protection for your feet and heels during and between dives. Other pieces you can buy used online for pretty good deals.

And for those nervous about buying used, just remember: You're using used gear when you rent anyway, and chances are the piece online has had less use than the one at a dive shop.

From what I've gathered from more experienced divers, acquiring dive gear is a slow burn that takes years. Buy it all at once and you're looking at a pretty hefty bill. It ultimately depends on need and how much you're willing to haul all that poo poo around.

e: I also recommend a BCD with dump valves. They're very useful and much faster than the hose.

Bishop
Aug 15, 2000
I'd add that it's best to take it slow before going beyond the wetsuit purchase. Make sure diving is something you want to do as a fairly consistent hobby. The shops will push gear sales on you pretty early on because that's where they make most of their money. If you're only going to be diving every five years or something just rent.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004
I'd also like to add that when you're buying gear before you even try diving you have no idea what your preferences are in gear, especially with the BCD more than anything.

Personally I'd just start with a set of fins/mask/snorkel before starting your certification for a few reasons. The rest of the gear is provided for you in 99% of classes at no additional cost, so you're not saving any money going in with your own gear. Newcomers always say something along the lines of, I'd like to learn on my own gear since that's what I'll be using. While that's true, a regulator is a regulator for all intents and purposes. The big differences are subtle and as a new recreational diver, you won't notice anything but the airflow differences which are subtle in basic units. The big difference between BCD is the inflation style. There are three main types; jacket, back-inflation and backplate/wing. Jacket styles are what most people learn on for a few reasons. They're the most common in the industry and because the air bladder goes all the way around the body, it floats you upright on the surface. Backplates/wings are the exact opposite. They are very minimalist and all the inflation is on your back. They are basically a harness and an air bladder and that's about it. Back-inflation is a nice go-between and it's what I dive personally. The big benefit to having the air bladder on the rear is that it floats you horizontally in the water which reduces your drag in the water which makes kicking a lot easier and you consume a lot less air because of this.

After these items the main thing left is gauges/computer. You can get buy on gauges, but once you use a computer, you'll never go back. They make things a lot easier, especially when you're getting towards your nitrogen limits and no decompression time (you'll learn about these in class).

You can find some great deals on used gear if you look around, but you need to know what to look for and having an air tank to test things helps. If you know someone who has one, ask them to come with you to check things out. I got a bunch of steals buying things off of craigslist and scubaboard. Between buying fins and a mask as a package and buying the rest used/new from the aforementioned sources I got what was probably $1600 in gear for about $900.

ZoCrowes
Nov 17, 2005

by Lowtax

standardtoaster posted:

Can someone give a rundown and recommendations of the essential entry-level equipment needed for SCUBA?

I want to start with my own equipment, but want to know how much money I'm going to bleed before I go for it.

Also, what certification do you recommend for the US, PADI, NAUI?

Most of the big questions have been answered by others on here pretty well.

One of the nice thing's about dive equipment is that it tends to last. I've know people that have had the same equipment for decades. My father dives a regulator he bought in 1978 (and it's still in warranty!)

It's really a good idea to start with the basic personal gear (ie mask, fins, snorkel and boots) and kind of go from there. Just a few suggestions that are based around my personal preference and what I tend to find most pros go with after a while

Mask - A low volume mask tends to be preferable. A lot of new divers see the massive multi-window masks and they think "That looks great I can keep see out of the sides and and I won't lose my peripheral vision!" What they fail to realize is that light does not act the same way underwater that it does at the surface. It refracts and reflects inside and around the lens and can you wind up with heavily distorted tunnel vision in the side lenses. I suggest a low volume mask with a single or double lens. At the high end the Scubapro Frameless and Aqualung Mini Mask are great choices. Both are very easy to clear and offer great fields of view. Tilos makes a knockoff the Scubapro Frameless that is probably the best bang for the buck on the market.

Snorkel -You don't need anything fancy for diving. I'm a proponent of always having one on you. If you're in rough seas and have a long surface swim back to the boat you will be thankful you have it on you. I use an XS Scuba collapsible model (I think it's called the Cargo) that I keep in my BC pocket with me all of the time. It cuts down on drag but you've got it on you if you need it. I would stay away from bulky dry snorkels. A lot of people like them for snorkeling but I find that they get in the way.

Fins- A good pair of paddle fins will last you years. I personally prefer something that's a bit stiffer because it allows for more maneuverability. Someone with weaker legs may prefer a bit more flexible fins but what you gain in going for a lighter more flexible fin you lose in power and stability. The Scubapro Jet and Hollis F1 are stiff as hell but they are great for photo work and anything else you need maneuverability for. They are not great long distance swimmers though. If you don't have strong legs and need something without a bit more flexibility I would look at the Oceanic Vipers. The Subgear Wake is a good entry level, bang for the buck fin. It occupies a nice spot between the stiffer fins I mentioned and the Vipers.

Boots- Go with a 3mm high cut starting it out. It's your most versatile option.

Since someone asked about Great Lakes wreck diving here are a few I took last summer:


End of dive by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr


Round gobies by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr
These little bastards are Russian Round Gobies. They are an invasive species in Lake Michigan and they are EVERYWHERE! They've driven a lot of native species out of their natural habitats. It kind of surprised me the first time I saw them because I was not used to seeing freshwater gobies.


Round Goby by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr
Round gobies and zebra mussels. Invasive species galore.


Russian Guppies on the Tacoma by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr
drat gobies


Buccaneer Aft Deck by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr
Aft deck of the Buccaneer


Wreck of the Tacoma by christopherpaulscott, on Flickr

Vis was down a bit last year so I did not take as many wide angle photos of the wrecks as I would have liked. Hopefully it will be better thsi year

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004
Awesome photos. I love the black and white ones, it really fits well with the age of the wreck.

I can second you on the Oceanic Viper fins, it's what I dive with now and I like them a lot. They kick really easy, but still seem to have good power when you get moving. I have an Oceanic frameless mask that I like a lot too. Speaking of fins, I'd recommend going with the boot style vs. slip on style. You seem to get more power out of the boot style with the way the do the footbed and beyond that, you have something to walk around in either on the boat or the shore.

Kaal
May 22, 2002

through thousands of posts in D&D over a decade, I now believe I know what I'm talking about. if I post forcefully and confidently, I can convince others that is true. no one sees through my facade.

ZoCrowes posted:

Boots- Go with a 3mm high cut starting it out. It's your most versatile option.

3mm is a versatile thickness, but I really would recommend on talking to the local divers and having your gear be appropriate for the local conditions. And go warm rather than go cold. I've seen guys get a nice case of hypothermia because they tried to get their versatile tropic-water gear to work in my cold NW waters rather than shell out cash for a rental. Trust me: that's no fun for anybody.

ZoCrowes
Nov 17, 2005

by Lowtax

Kaal posted:

3mm is a versatile thickness, but I really would recommend on talking to the local divers and having your gear be appropriate for the local conditions. And go warm rather than go cold. I've seen guys get a nice case of hypothermia because they tried to get their versatile tropic-water gear to work in my cold NW waters rather than shell out cash for a rental. Trust me: that's no fun for anybody.

Good point, Pacific NW is a pretty big exception to that.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
As for booties, I recommend getting the thicker-soled variety. I have soft-soled and while they're very comfortable, they don't give much protection against rocks / coral.

standardtoaster
May 22, 2009
Does anyone dive anywhere other than awesome places, like brown lakes in the middle of Texas? There is a surprisingly large dive community in the Dallas area with a few local mediocre (for Texas, even though they seem terrible) dive locations. Of course most of these people only dive on vacation. I've always loved snorkeling and skimmed the surface of skin diving. I want to start diving but unfortunately I live in the middle of loving Texas and I'm not sure how horrible this is with regard to actual diving.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

standardtoaster posted:

Does anyone dive anywhere other than awesome places, like brown lakes in the middle of Texas? There is a surprisingly large dive community in the Dallas area with a few local mediocre (for Texas, even though they seem terrible) dive locations. Of course most of these people only dive on vacation. I've always loved snorkeling and skimmed the surface of skin diving. I want to start diving but unfortunately I live in the middle of loving Texas and I'm not sure how horrible this is with regard to actual diving.

If I'm not mistaken, Texas has a bunch of quarry diving that actually has some pretty clear water. I know that Lake Travis is also a big diving location for Texas, though I'm not sure how far that is from you. Keep in mind that just because you get dive certified, doesn't mean that you have to invest in your own gear. There are plenty of people out there who dive maybe once or twice a year and just rent gear when they go. The way I look at it is it's nice to have for those times that you take a vacation somewhere and you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't have your certification to go diving.

Crunkjuice
Apr 4, 2007

That could've gotten in my eye!
*launches teargas at unarmed protestors*

I THINK OAKLAND PD'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS JUSTIFIED!

standardtoaster posted:

Does anyone dive anywhere other than awesome places, like brown lakes in the middle of Texas? There is a surprisingly large dive community in the Dallas area with a few local mediocre (for Texas, even though they seem terrible) dive locations. Of course most of these people only dive on vacation. I've always loved snorkeling and skimmed the surface of skin diving. I want to start diving but unfortunately I live in the middle of loving Texas and I'm not sure how horrible this is with regard to actual diving.

OH WASSUP BROWN TEXAS WATER. Clear springs, athens scuba park, balmorhea, comal river, lake travis i've dove them all. I'm austin based, so lake travis is my standard diving spot. Texas divers are a passionate bunch because we dive in such lovely conditions usually, you have to love diving to do it. Most of the folks i know dive locally and try to make dive vacations as often as they can afford it. Where specifically in Texas? There's an annual dive around texas competition, and there are a bunch of site located here.http://divearoundtexas.com/

SgtScruffy
Dec 27, 2003

Babies.


Anyone have any experience diving anywhere in Virginia/DC area? My main options are a local quarry that the shops use for training, driving three hours to Lake Rawlings, a slightly better quarry, or driving five hours to Dutch Springs, PA, which is a slightly better quarry.

I've only dived the local one, and with visibility of about 3-4 feet and no real things to see except the occasional "wheeee sunken car!", it's only good for training and not having fun.

Have you guys been to Dutch Springs or Lake Rawlings?

Tomberforce
May 30, 2006

On a night dive last night, an octopus managed to steal and swim off with my buddy's torch, which was on. Funniest thing I've ever seen diving!

Calypso
Sep 28, 2001

Grimey Drawer

Tomberforce posted:

On a night dive last night, an octopus managed to steal and swim off with my buddy's torch, which was on. Funniest thing I've ever seen diving!

That's awesome. The funniest thing I've ever seen diving was a Grouper that had been somewhat domesticated and named, and we were told about him, he was following us around. I was upside-down, looking into a small cave with my flashlight, and all of a sudden he was in my face. I mean in my face. I screamed and then laughed. I think it was Grand Turk.

Bishop
Aug 15, 2000

standardtoaster posted:

Does anyone dive anywhere other than awesome places, like brown lakes in the middle of Texas?
Let me refer you to one crunkj... yeah he already got to you. I do quarry diving for classes and sometimes practice. The visibility sucks but at least they throw poo poo in the water like old buses, boats, and planes to keep you entertained. I actually do enjoy quarry trips. You're diving and hanging out with a bunch of other divers talking about diving and planning trips... so it's almost like being on a boat in the Maldives except not at all.

Tomberforce posted:

On a night dive last night, an octopus managed to steal and swim off with my buddy's torch, which was on. Funniest thing I've ever seen diving!
That is loving awesome. Reminds me of a training dive where we were launching surface marker buoys. After my buddy launched a 90 dollar lift bag with a 120 dollar reel, he attached the reel to a "rock". Turns out that rock was a live conch, which got up and made a run for it up current, reel and all. That was a fun chase.

Also Calypso, I've seen grouper like that before (think his local name was barry) and they will "kiss" you if you take your reg out of your mouth. I tried it back in my experimental phase. Groupers are lovely kissers.

ZoCrowes
Nov 17, 2005

by Lowtax

Tomberforce posted:

On a night dive last night, an octopus managed to steal and swim off with my buddy's torch, which was on. Funniest thing I've ever seen diving!

That's great! Octopuses are some of my favorite animals.

SuitcasePimp
Feb 27, 2005

SgtScruffy posted:

Anyone have any experience diving anywhere in Virginia/DC area? My main options are a local quarry that the shops use for training, driving three hours to Lake Rawlings, a slightly better quarry, or driving five hours to Dutch Springs, PA, which is a slightly better quarry.

I've only dived the local one, and with visibility of about 3-4 feet and no real things to see except the occasional "wheeee sunken car!", it's only good for training and not having fun.

Have you guys been to Dutch Springs or Lake Rawlings?

Apparently there are some OK dives to be had off the coast of southern VA/northern NC (lots of wrecks, but some are deep). I'm in Virginia Beach and newly certified, we'll be going on some of the weekend day dives out of Lynnhaven Dive Center this summer to gain more experience and see what is out there. We got certified there and everyone we met has been really cool so far. http://www.ldcscuba.com Its a bit of a drive for you but if you're going to be driving for hours to dive anyway you might as well see some dolphins and rays and stuff. Apparently in the summer some tropical fish come in on the gulf stream and hang around until it gets cold.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.

ZoCrowes posted:

That's great! Octopuses are some of my favorite animals.

Mine too! I finally got to see a wild one last December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXG8CFUZPGM

Royale with Cheese
Jul 26, 2006

They wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is.

SgtScruffy posted:

Anyone have any experience diving anywhere in Virginia/DC area? My main options are a local quarry that the shops use for training, driving three hours to Lake Rawlings, a slightly better quarry, or driving five hours to Dutch Springs, PA, which is a slightly better quarry.

I've only dived the local one, and with visibility of about 3-4 feet and no real things to see except the occasional "wheeee sunken car!", it's only good for training and not having fun.

Have you guys been to Dutch Springs or Lake Rawlings?

Sup DC area goon.

I've been to Lake Rawlings a few times on checkout dives. Visibility is good, they have all sorts of sunken ships, buses, and they added a plane a few years ago. Roughly half of the lake bottoms out at 30 feet, then it drops off sharply to 60 feet. Some friends in an AOW class went night diving as well. I'd be interested in diving this spring or summer, my local shop (MD) dives there almost every month.

SgtScruffy
Dec 27, 2003

Babies.


SuitcasePimp posted:

Apparently there are some OK dives to be had off the coast of southern VA/northern NC (lots of wrecks, but some are deep). I'm in Virginia Beach and newly certified, we'll be going on some of the weekend day dives out of Lynnhaven Dive Center this summer to gain more experience and see what is out there. We got certified there and everyone we met has been really cool so far. http://www.ldcscuba.com Its a bit of a drive for you but if you're going to be driving for hours to dive anyway you might as well see some dolphins and rays and stuff. Apparently in the summer some tropical fish come in on the gulf stream and hang around until it gets cold.

I'm actually from Virginia Beach, so I've been looking for excuses to go back home to visit the parents. I've just heard that Va Beach dives are either in terrible, awful conditions, or they're like 200+ feet. I actually used to live a two minute drive from LDS, so I should try to look into some of their trips.


Royale with Cheese posted:

Sup DC area goon.

I've been to Lake Rawlings a few times on checkout dives. Visibility is good, they have all sorts of sunken ships, buses, and they added a plane a few years ago. Roughly half of the lake bottoms out at 30 feet, then it drops off sharply to 60 feet. Some friends in an AOW class went night diving as well. I'd be interested in diving this spring or summer, my local shop (MD) dives there almost every month.


Once it gets warmer, I'm going to definitely check that place out. I don't suppose there's enough DC/Virginia diver goons to get a goonmeet going? :)

SgtScruffy fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Feb 23, 2012

LuckyDaemon
Jan 14, 2006

Lower your standards.
This means dating fat girls because you can't do better.
I would like to become better at free diving because my husband is a huge fan, 80 feet max depth. But I am a pussy and shoot straight back to the surface at the first hint of an urge to breathe. I'm been trying to hit 20 feet for 3 years now.

Can this be overcome--are there techniques you can use to make that "hey I need to breathe" feeling not so strong? Or is it just something you're born with because of lung capacity or something?

I really prefer the tank but I would like to see what it is about freediving that gives my husband such a hardon.

Second question--I moved to Massachusetts after living in American Samoa for several years. Is it even worth trying SCUBA here? :sigh:

IM FROM THE FUTURE
Dec 4, 2006

LuckyDaemon posted:

I would like to become better at free diving because my husband is a huge fan, 80 feet max depth. But I am a pussy and shoot straight back to the surface at the first hint of an urge to breathe. I'm been trying to hit 20 feet for 3 years now.

Can this be overcome--are there techniques you can use to make that "hey I need to breathe" feeling not so strong? Or is it just something you're born with because of lung capacity or something?

I really prefer the tank but I would like to see what it is about freediving that gives my husband such a hardon.

Second question--I moved to Massachusetts after living in American Samoa for several years. Is it even worth trying SCUBA here? :sigh:

There are 3 main factors in being good at freediving. They are basically:

Mental: Relaxation is absolutely key in freediving. Relaxing before the dive, staying calm during the dive, and having confidence in your abilities can really go a long way towards diving deeper. Its also important to not mentally translate that urge to breath into stress and anxiety as it tries to naturally do. This is something that takes practice.

Technical: Your lungs provide a limited amount of energy for a dive. As you dive you "spend" that energy. The harder you work, the quicker you spend, the quicker you run out. Using techniques (or gear) to make your body hydrodynamic and your fin-stroke more efficient means less work gets you deeper. For instance, I can rattle off 5 mistakes most people make in technique that greatly diminish their freediving ability by wasting energy. 1) looking down on the dive instead of foward increasing drag on your body 2) diving at an angle instead of straight down at 90* to the surface 3) Flailing fins in the air during the duck dive instead of waiting until your fins are submerged to kick 4) Thinking that "faster is better" when it comes to finning. Its more important to be efficient then to be quick 5) Being weighted incorrectly and fighting buoyancy.

Physical: This is the hard part. Its a mixture of natural physical ability, and just plain old training hard. There are many physical factors that determine and effect how well we can hold our breath. Lung capacity and diaphragmatic flexibily, cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength, dive reflex activation etc. Some people are born with more of this, but anyone can work for it and be amazing. The best training for all of the factors I listed is freediving. Second to that, diving in pools or doing simulated "apnea walking". But a longer breath hold just takes time, patience, and practice.

You dont want to train yourself to ignore the urge to breath. You want to train your body to consume air so slowly that it takes say 60 second at 60 feet for that urge to exist. If you train your body to ignore that signal, you are essentially training yourself to black out.

Competitive freedivers battle through and train to ignore that urge to the point where many have chest contractions during dives. But this is not something that recreational freedivers should be thinking about.

IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Feb 23, 2012

MA-Horus
Dec 3, 2006

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

Just finished diving Sheridan Caverns today on Kauai. Seeing green sea turtles in blown out lava tubes? This sport is the best.

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


Just wanted to toss my name in for the goon divers list!


DeadlyMuffin (San Jose, CA): I've been diving in Monterey/Carmel for a couple years now, I love the area. I own all my own gear so I'm flexible.

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

East gales to 35 kt. Wind waves 17 ft. Scattered showers.

Its time to DIVE
My two cents are in from Maui I will update more later.

SlicerDicer (Maui Hawaii) I dive here own all my own gear, I dive Open Circuit only as much as needed and am transitioning over to rebreather.

Bishop posted:

I'd add that it's best to take it slow before going beyond the wetsuit purchase. Make sure diving is something you want to do as a fairly consistent hobby. The shops will push gear sales on you pretty early on because that's where they make most of their money. If you're only going to be diving every five years or something just rent.

Always check when traveling what kind of gear is rented.. And it would be best to ask around find a shop that say has integrated weights over weight belt. Find out how old their gear is and if its maintained.

It would astonish you what I have seen pass as rental gear and I would kill myself before using some as it would likely kill me. I wouldn't even trust their viz on tanks.

SlicerDicer fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Feb 26, 2012

Crunkjuice
Apr 4, 2007

That could've gotten in my eye!
*launches teargas at unarmed protestors*

I THINK OAKLAND PD'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS JUSTIFIED!
So i'm pretty sure god hates me and doesn't want to do fun diving things. This weekend was the Texas Dive Show in austin, and i had signed up to test dive a Titan Rebreather in a pool today. This just happened.

It was parked and unoccupied, and some fool managed to hit it on the street and push it on the curb. I should be more pissed about the car thing, but fuuuuuuck i wanted to play with a rebreather today.

Crunkjuice
Apr 4, 2007

That could've gotten in my eye!
*launches teargas at unarmed protestors*

I THINK OAKLAND PD'S USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS JUSTIFIED!
So if you are a diver, theres a good chance god is trying to kill us off today. My car got hit, and a tech guy i've dove with once was seriously injured in a car fire this morning. The two scuba cylinders as the news reported were his deco bottles, but i don't know what % O2 they were specifically. Police believe the tank or tanks were leaking into his car and ignited somehow. I'll update you guys as i know more.
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...ogs_the_blotter

Today is a super lovely day.

Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Feb 26, 2012

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

East gales to 35 kt. Wind waves 17 ft. Scattered showers.

Its time to DIVE

Crunkjuice posted:

So if you are a diver, theres a good chance god is trying to kill us off today. My car got hit, and a tech guy i've dove with once was seriously injured in a car fire this morning. The two scuba cylinders as the news reported were his deco bottles, but i don't know what % O2 they were specifically. Police believe the tank or tanks were leaking into his car and ignited somehow. I'll update you guys as i know more.
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...ogs_the_blotter

Today is a super lovely day.

O2 clean is important.. There is the guy who torched that boat dunno if you read about it but the boat burned to the water in less than 5 mins.

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rockcity
Jan 16, 2004
I'm looking to replace my old Nikonos V camera with something digital that I can learn on before really investing in underwater camera gear. What are people's thoughts on this setup?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/classifieds-photography/412202-sea-life-dc-1000-extras.html

I have two Nikonos SB-105 strobes, so I could add one of those slaved as a second strobe. The big downfall for me is that there isn't a RAW mode so I'd have to use the preset white balance settings on the camera. Should I try making a lowball offer, maybe $400 to see if he bites?

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