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Wouldnt it maybe be better to get your cert before and not during the trip? Even if it meant certified in a dirty quarry somewhere. Not only will you probably receive better more personal instruction in a smaller non-vacation class setting, but you will have more time to focus on the incredible destination when you are there. Im with everyone else on the whole DIR thing. Lots of stuff that seems like everyone could benefit from ( hogartharian like rig, having non horrible trim, doing things alike with your buddies, sticking with your buddy, knowing how to fin) but too many practitioners take it to an all or nothing extreme that turns people off. Especially if you are in 30 feet of open water and not a cave. I mean, isnt that one of the core concepts of "DIR" that the complete system itself is most important and youre either 100% "DIR" or youre doing it wrong. IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 14:18 on Mar 28, 2012 |
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Mar 28, 2012 13:34
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My deco first stage has BURN MARKS on the inside of it! Pure 02 had to have been igniting a bit inside of the stage, probably while I was opening the valve underwater and/or breathing it. Scary as gently caress. New reg time.
Bishop fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 18:19
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Bishop posted:My deco first stage has BURN MARKS on the inside of it! Pure 02 had to have been igniting a bit inside of the stage, probably while I was opening the valve underwater and/or breathing it. Scary as gently caress. New reg time. I already planned not to go tech, but after my buddies accident and this, its pretty much sealed. Pure O2 is dangerous poo poo. I want to take the tec 40 or first tech class just to learn how to dive doubles, but thats about it.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:42
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I just use 50% on dives that are less than ~160 feet and I feel a lot safer with it. If I'm carrying 100%, it's my second deco gas and I'm probably heading pretty deep. I really don't know what happened, or when it happened. I noticed some corrosion on that stage before my trip a couple of weeks ago and I replaced an o-ring and did some basic cleaning, but I did not tear it down enough to see this. For all I know that's been there for months. The whole thing was 02 cleaned about a year ago so it has to have been some time between then and now. The thing I'm taking from it is that even though you use deco stages at shallower depths, that's no excuse to retire your old backgas stages to deco unless they are still in fantastic shape. This one was not. I guess another thing to think about is, 02 tank explosions are always publicized but they're still rare from a standpoint of incidents per 1000 uses or whatever. I'm getting more parinoid with time though, but I have to have pure 02 in many situations so the best thing I can do is have more diligence. edit: I'll add my what my equipment tech (who knows far more than me about these things) had to say about it: quote:I've seen this a time or two before, and I suspect it is some "flash" ignition when 100% oxygen is run through the reg if it is being used as a deco reg. On one hand, this is kind of scary, because it means you are getting some burning inside the reg. The way you can avoid this is to make sure that you open the tank valve SLOWLY when you are using this as a deco reg. It might be good to switch out of the Sherwood for that purpose, also because it can be prone to getting more contaminants on the inside. Bishop fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 18:55
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Ffffuck that. I know a number of tech divers but none of them have told me horror stories like that. Glad you caught it in time. Maintenance and Due Diligence! What am I doing tonight? Re-cleaning my poo poo that's what. 
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Mar 30, 2012 19:38
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Bishop posted:My deco first stage has BURN MARKS on the inside of it! Pure 02 had to have been igniting a bit inside of the stage, probably while I was opening the valve underwater and/or breathing it. Scary as gently caress. New reg time. GOD!!! seriously bishop... This is why you inspect your stuff... Some guy breathed off one of those and torched part of his lungs was in hospital for quite some time. Crunkjuice posted:I already planned not to go tech, but after my buddies accident and this, its pretty much sealed. Pure O2 is dangerous poo poo. I want to take the tec 40 or first tech class just to learn how to dive doubles, but thats about it. I will post a video of me boosting O2 so either I will survive or will explode! BTW I use pure O2 in my rebreather its all but impossible to not, I also carry a pure O2 bailout. So long as your careful and use extreme caution its not too terrible bad. ohh and use o2 compatible poo poo... SlicerDicer fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 20:07
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I've never dived, but I've noticed that a lot of popular overseas diving locations are in poorer countries. Since diving is an expensive hobby, are divers from overseas ever automatically seen by locals as 'ugly Americans'? For those who want to visit such countries to dive there, what are some tips for careful, conscientous behavior? I've heard of some divers bringing supplies for local schools, which is admirable.
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Mar 31, 2012 02:46
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Nthing the gently caress that poo poo. Ive heard a number of crazy things about 02 bottles as well. Like that guy in st pete who more then likely dropped a bottle on the way to the car. Of course its probably a tiny tiny fraction of diving accidents, but its a fraction id rather stay very far away from. Gonna go un-deep un-tech diving this Sunday. 30-60 feet freediving and some scuba probably. It should be a pretty good time, the wind has been blowing right so the viz should be good.
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Mar 31, 2012 05:06
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BiggerJ posted:I've never dived, but I've noticed that a lot of popular overseas diving locations are in poorer countries. Since diving is an expensive hobby, are divers from overseas ever automatically seen by locals as 'ugly Americans'? For those who want to visit such countries to dive there, what are some tips for careful, conscientous behavior? I've heard of some divers bringing supplies for local schools, which is admirable. It really depends on where you're going and what kind of diving you're talking about. Diving runs the gamut from party yacht folks drinking and diving their way around the Pacific Rim to casual vacationers trying out scuba in between Hawaiian luaus; there's popular dive resorts that have a dozen charter boats at every hole, and there's more remote places that only see a handful of eco-tourists each season. Overall I'd say that divers tend to be relatively responsible tourists - no doubt part of that is because diving requires a significant time and financial investment and precludes heavy drinking.
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Mar 31, 2012 05:38
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I've dove in some pretty poor areas of the Bahamas and I can say that just being nice to and hanging out with the locals while spending your delicious tourist dollars is enough. If you want to make some sort of donation to a local school or something, I think it would be best to do it privately, maybe after leaving. People have a lot of pride even in the poorer areas. Unless they're literally starving they don't want you to come in acting superior, etc. Just my experience. e: I'll add a pic of my first stage. As you can see, it's been completely broken down. The black marks you can see are more "charcoal dust" than burned into the metal. poo poo the more I think about it, I had that hose detached... I either missed something major or this happened when I was diving a couple weeks ago. Triple edit: There's no way I missed that. It had to have happened one of the last few times I used it. Funny thing is, it breathed great for all 7 deco dives I used it on. For the peanut gallery, this poo poo is absolutely not something you need to worry about when doing normal diving. 
Bishop fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 06:15
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Bishop posted:This poo poo is absolutely not something you need to worry about when doing normal diving. Yes, this is a good thing to point out. It seems the media never gets that one right when 02 bottles explode. They always call them "scuba tanks" causing people to ask me if im worried about my air tanks exploding. Scuba tanks are only filled "air" which is 21% oxygen 79% nitrogen oxygen and cant explode. Just like earf. What O2% was that reg rated for? IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 14:15
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BiggerJ posted:I've never dived, but I've noticed that a lot of popular overseas diving locations are in poorer countries. Since diving is an expensive hobby, are divers from overseas ever automatically seen by locals as 'ugly Americans'? For those who want to visit such countries to dive there, what are some tips for careful, conscientous behavior? I've heard of some divers bringing supplies for local schools, which is admirable. Some tips - pretty much the usual travel advice; the most important one is be respectful. For diving specifically, showing gratitude for the service provided is good. Gifts and supplies are not necessary, but I usually do that and the locals do appreciate it greatly. Sunglasses and ball caps for the boat crew, alcohol for my dive shop owner buddies, candy/chocolate, stuffed toys, and school supplies are some of the things I've brought.
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Mar 31, 2012 16:58
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Bangkero posted:I've lived and dived in the Philippines and not at all are divers automatically seen as ugly americans. Most visiting divers are welcomed. Granted, there are rude people (not just from the US), but are still catered to with the same service as everyone else. In fact, North American divers are known to be better tippers than divers from elsewhere. Bishop said that this should be done in private: Bishop posted:If you want to make some sort of donation to a local school or something, I think it would be best to do it privately, maybe after leaving. People have a lot of pride even in the poorer areas. Unless they're literally starving they don't want you to come in acting superior, etc. Just my experience. Is this the case in the Phillipines?
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Apr 1, 2012 13:36
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Some photos from backside of Lanai by barge harbor and Lighthouse.             Clear Water Indeed, this is my breather.  
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Apr 2, 2012 04:07
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BiggerJ posted:Bishop said that this should be done in private: SlicerDicer posted:Some photos from backside of Lanai by barge harbor and Lighthouse. 
Bishop fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Apr 2, 2012 |
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Apr 2, 2012 06:38
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BiggerJ posted:Bishop said that this should be done in private: I don't want to derail the thread with non-diving talk, I'm sure the tourism & travel sub-forum would have more info regarding travel to less developed country. Bangkero fucked around with this message at 14:46 on Apr 2, 2012 |
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Apr 2, 2012 14:40
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For the goon who asked last page (posting from phone) we ended up going with Scuba Junction as they seemed like a good bunch of people, not too big, not too small. My wife and I have our instructor to ourselves and finish our open water tomorrow. Rough waters and lovely visibility on our first day made for an anxious first lesson, but today was awesome. As if photography wasn't bad enough, why do I gravitate towards such loving expensive hobbies?
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Apr 2, 2012 16:44
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Studebaker Hawk posted:For the goon who asked last page (posting from phone) we ended up going with Scuba Junction as they seemed like a good bunch of people, not too big, not too small. My wife and I have our instructor to ourselves and finish our open water tomorrow. Rough waters and lovely visibility on our first day made for an anxious first lesson, but today was awesome. You clearly haven't looked at what underwater camera gear costs have you? Oh god, please don't look, think of the children! (I'm a photographer too and this is going to be the death of my wallet)
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Apr 2, 2012 18:18
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rockcity posted:You clearly haven't looked at what underwater camera gear costs have you? Oh god, please don't look, think of the children! Rebreather, Camera, Bailout tanks, Boosters AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Bishop posted:More great photos... The lighting and focus on your macro stuff is good as always. One day I'll buy/steal an underwater camera and try to take pics of stuff. Until then, I'll replicate the only photo you always post that I can, the myspace angle of me on an AP rebreather! Not underwater but I'm breathing on the loop damnit. Awesome that you are doing a breather. Just dont use splitfins you will drown! Also I am going to try to do my pictures slightly different and make them to where subjects are not centered. SlicerDicer fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Apr 2, 2012 |
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Apr 2, 2012 18:22
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I R Tard and broked this post. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Apr 2, 2012 18:26
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SlicerDicer posted:Awesome that you are doing a breather. Just dont use splitfins you will drown! I don't understand, why shouldn't he wear split fins?
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Apr 2, 2012 19:05
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rockcity posted:You clearly haven't looked at what underwater camera gear costs have you? Oh god, please don't look, think of the children!  That's four, yes four 50 watt HID lights. For reference, one 21 watt HID is a very good primary light for most cave/wreck divers. http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50188 Kaal posted:I don't understand, why shouldn't he wear split fins? Bishop fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Apr 2, 2012 |
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Apr 2, 2012 19:06
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Bishop posted:Potential huge derail here that eventually leads back to a DIR argument. So to start: use whatever fins you want. None are going to kill you. THAT SAID, I would never use split fins. I like stiff single fins. Jet fins ideally. I think the fine tune control they give you is superb, especially in environments where kicks are super important like overhead. Also I don't buy the argument that some split fins give you more power. I think they just make kicking easier because you aren't moving as much water. Willing to be proven wrong on that second point though. Possible huge derail indeed, but at least its scuba related. I agree for tech/rebreather you should use stiff, powerful single fins. You are carrying so much more gear/weight that you need the extra power, especially if you get into trouble. If you dive in the ocean, or water with currents, single blade fins are the way to go. Split fins have their role though. Their downside is they don't provide as much power as blade fins, so i too think the "more power" argument is false.Split fins also lose some power when doing alternate kick styles, so they aren't the best choice for wreck/cave stuff either. They are MUCH more comfortable on the diver. This is great for someone who has had ankle/knee/hip problems, or for someone who dives in lakes/no current water. That second category is me. I dive Scubapro Twin-Jet fins, as do a lot of local instructors. I like them for my diving because i dive single tank in a teaching setting, which by definition, isn't putting a lot of strain on the diver. Because its more comfortable for me, i get better air consumption, and better bottom time. I can make 4 open water training dives on a single AL80 tank, and i think part of that can be contributed to my comfort in the water, the split fins being apart of that. If i swapped fins to a stiff single blade would i lose bottom time? Who knows, but i'm happy with my gear and don't have any specific reason to switch. All in all, for a beginner/casual/vacation diver who doesn't do that intense diving, split fins are fine. If you get into harsher conditions, more advanced diving, the single blade fins are still the best.
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Apr 2, 2012 19:41
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Crunkjuice posted:100% truth
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Apr 2, 2012 19:55
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Bishop posted:Potential huge derail here that eventually leads back to a DIR argument. So to start: use whatever fins you want. None are going to kill you. THAT SAID, I would never use split fins. I like stiff single fins. Jet fins ideally. I think the fine tune control they give you is superb, especially in environments where kicks are super important like overhead. Also I don't buy the argument that some split fins give you more power. I think they just make kicking easier because you aren't moving as much water. Willing to be proven wrong on that second point though. Crunkjuice posted:Possible huge derail indeed, but at least its scuba related. I agree for tech/rebreather you should use stiff, powerful single fins. You are carrying so much more gear/weight that you need the extra power, especially if you get into trouble. If you dive in the ocean, or water with currents, single blade fins are the way to go. Ah sweet thanks. I was wondering if it was something breather specific (which I suppose it is because of the increased weight of the gear). I dive with Twin Jets too, and I totally love them, but it's cool to hear other takes on the Great Debate.
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Apr 2, 2012 20:25
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Bishop posted:OK now let's try and start an argument about the value of wearing a snorkel. GO! gently caress snorkels.
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Apr 2, 2012 22:04
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Crunkjuice posted:gently caress snorkels. I'm inclined to agree. Mine always kept getting stuck in the hoses coming off my first stage and it was yanking my head back. I had to modify it just so it wouldn't happen. I typically don't even dive with it anymore. Someone I dive with mentioned getting a collapsible snorkel to toss in a pocket, but I haven't gotten around to it.
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Apr 2, 2012 22:08
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I'm gonna have to wear one during DM training aren't I. I don't even wear a snorkel when I'm snorkeling.
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Apr 2, 2012 22:13
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Bishop posted:I'm gonna have to wear one during DM training aren't I. Yes you will. Protip = Get a roll up snorkel and keep that bitch in a pocket somewhere. The way the instructor manual is worded, you don't have to wear it, but have it.
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Apr 2, 2012 22:58
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Crunkjuice posted:Yes you will. Protip = Get a roll up snorkel and keep that bitch in a pocket somewhere. The way the instructor manual is worded, you don't have to wear it, but have it. Haha scrolled down to post exactly this. I had this great Tusa basic as gently caress model made out of the flexible material, no valve or stupid poo poo like that. Just kept it shoved in my BCD pocket when I could be arsed and slapped it on the mask for a surface swim (I preferred face in the water of on the back most of the time) but then it got stolen or something and they don't seem to make that model any more.  Studebaker Hawk posted:For the goon who asked last page (posting from phone) we ended up going with Scuba Junction as they seemed like a good bunch of people, not too big, not too small. My wife and I have our instructor to ourselves and finish our open water tomorrow. Rough waters and lovely visibility on our first day made for an anxious first lesson, but today was awesome. Yeah you pretty much have to roll with the pot luck on KT. Most days is not bad vis, some days lovely, some days loving fantastic. I remember one of my last dives at Shark Rock and it was perfection. It was like flying, or being in the most pristine aquarium with crystal clear water and at least 25-30M vis. I'd be lying if I said that was a typical day, I've never seen it that good before or since but sometimes you get lucky. Also, bad weather on top can often pay dividends when it comes to the underwater world so you can often get a pleasant surprise.
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Apr 3, 2012 00:13
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So I'm scheduled for Deco Procedures/Advanced Nitrox next month. Pretty sure I have a good hold on most equipment, I have enough regulators for multiple stages and/or deco bottles. Naturally, I'll discuss equipment with my instructor but just curios what others think? What's the consensus on what size deco bottles to use? Does it make sense to use AL80s since I have plenty of those or should I purchase an AL40 and use it exclusively for deco? I guess that means I'll also need to get some of my tanks O2 cleaned. I'm confident I could do that myself with simple green and Vance Harlow's book but I think i'll have someone else to do that this time around.
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Apr 3, 2012 01:15
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Crunkjuice posted:Yes you will. Protip = Get a roll up snorkel and keep that bitch in a pocket somewhere. The way the instructor manual is worded, you don't have to wear it, but have it. I also have to also agree with this. I've only just started helping to DM with classes but I do it in my normal gear, backplate/wing. I keep a fold-up snorkel in a pocket on my backplate's harness. There was some speculation on if I should be using a traditional jacket BCD but I feel that it's good to expose OW students to different types of gear. If they're going to be diving locally here, the odds are they will run into someone with a backplate/wing so it's good for them to at least see one in action. That's my whole take on it.
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Apr 3, 2012 01:19
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Crunkjuice posted:gently caress snorkels. I only recently took mine off when I realised that whenever I used it I ended up drinking seawater. Hated ever using snorkels.
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Apr 3, 2012 03:57
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macado posted:What's the consensus on what size deco bottles to use? Does it make sense to use AL80s since I have plenty of those or should I purchase an AL40 and use it exclusively for deco? Also it's a good idea to have your initials on your deco tank, as well as the maximum operating depth (MOD) if you plan to only use one gas with it. My 100% bottle has an "OXYGEN 20" decal, but my other deco bottle sometimes carries different poo poo so I put the MOD on it using duct tape and a sharpie depending. Both have my initials. You're only gonna need one deco tank for that class. ZoCrowes is a TDI instructor and may teach it so he might be a good guy to ask too. Bishop fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 07:07
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macado posted:So I'm scheduled for Deco Procedures/Advanced Nitrox next month. Have fun! Thats what I suggest! Bishop posted:I would absolutely buy/rent an AL40 for deco. 99% of dives I stage one 40 of 50% and if needed another of 100%. 80s are cumbersome to sling (much easier to sidemount but I doubt that's where you are going) and you aren't going to need that much deco gas for TDIs deco procedures class. Well I like the 40's as they are minimal in the buoyancy modification. I do not have to worry about them turning positive at 500psi.
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Apr 3, 2012 08:30
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Watching this video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWZoRaBJ-IM&feature=related I've got a possibly silly theoretical question about water pressure in Cave Diving for you techies! It seems like it should be obvious, but I've just been wondering about it, and I'm not too sure. Say, for example you have a sinkhole 80 metres deep. At the bottom of the sinkhole there are caves extending off horizontally. Is the water pressure exerted on the diver in these caves inclusive of the pressure depth of the sinkhole, or is it limited by the enclosed nature of the caves?
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Apr 3, 2012 14:54
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Tomberforce posted:Watching this video here: I'm not a diver but the physics of your question are pretty simple. Pressure is directly related to depth, and nothing else. That is, depth below the surface of the water, sea level in your case.
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Apr 3, 2012 15:04
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To continue the split fin chat, I was doing some reading and found a nice little scientific study that says that splits, jets, rigidity, etc., don't matter and so we may as well be strapping bark to our feet. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/3936/12841609.pdf?sequence=1 Well maybe not bark. But the next best thing. Their favorites were the Mares Attack and the Apollo Bio-Fin Pro. Kaal fucked around with this message at 16:20 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 16:17
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rockcity posted:I'm inclined to agree. Mine always kept getting stuck in the hoses coming off my first stage and it was yanking my head back. I had to modify it just so it wouldn't happen. I typically don't even dive with it anymore. Someone I dive with mentioned getting a collapsible snorkel to toss in a pocket, but I haven't gotten around to it. I hate having to wear one but I keep a collapsible in my pocket. I've had some long surface swims in rough current to get to the down line or back to the boat and every time I was glad to have a snorkel with me. If I have to wear one on my mask I've found here Scubapro Shotgun to be the least pain in the rear end.
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Apr 3, 2012 16:59
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Tomberforce posted:Watching this video here: Pressure is directly related to water column on your head... Nothing more.. 80 meters.. thats pretty drat deep too.
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Apr 3, 2012 18:23
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