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Loving Africa Chaps
Dec 3, 2007


We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night, I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.

The open water curriculum is really quite basic and I really don't see the point in wasting holiday time in a classroom. When my friend did OW he did the theory online and had thought it was great.


I'm starting BSAC sport diver next Tuesday. Looking forward to seeing how they teach vs PADI and then diving in the north sea in winter :cmon:

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Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

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

Frogmanv2 posted:

I thought a large part of the point was that you could do the learning portion before you left for your destination.

I will certainly concede that point. I'm talking those instances where you want to refresh your memory before a dive, whether it be at your locale or on the plane there.

I got nitrox cert'ed two years ago but I'll be damned if I can remember all the nuances of oxygen partial pressures, for example.

What I'm saying is tht both have advantages/disadvantages (obviously).

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

Trivia posted:

I will certainly concede that point. I'm talking those instances where you want to refresh your memory before a dive, whether it be at your locale or on the plane there.

I got nitrox cert'ed two years ago but I'll be damned if I can remember all the nuances of oxygen partial pressures, for example.

What I'm saying is tht both have advantages/disadvantages (obviously).

Well the biggest point to remember about diving in the modern era is that we simply learn/teach theory to justify dive behavior, and then we can simply forget the theory. As an instructor, I cannot do that. But students should, because there is nothing about the theory that really matters, except in the way it justifies in-water behavior.

I really want students to learn that there is a very good reason for various things (in Nitrox, things like why we track O2 exposure, and why depth limits on Nitrox are no fooling around, actual real, hard limits), and then just act appropriately. All the understanding of theory in the world is pointless if the dive behavior is wrong.

Anyone diving Nitrox should be using a dive computer, and then it simply does not matter if the student can do the math.

lekki
Mar 29, 2008
Sorry if this was asked before, but what watches do you use?

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!
Dive watches are antiquated. They were used when you needed to time your dives, but with the evolution of cheap dive computers, they aren't necessary.

They are however, still kicking rad and if you want to wear one then by all means be a classy bastard.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum
Only a few weeks til our Aruba dive trip! We've booked 4 two tank dives with JADS and may get in a few shore dives too. This is gonna own.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

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

pupdive posted:

Well the biggest point to remember about diving in the modern era is that we simply learn/teach theory to justify dive behavior, and then we can simply forget the theory. As an instructor, I cannot do that. But students should, because there is nothing about the theory that really matters, except in the way it justifies in-water behavior.

I really want students to learn that there is a very good reason for various things (in Nitrox, things like why we track O2 exposure, and why depth limits on Nitrox are no fooling around, actual real, hard limits), and then just act appropriately. All the understanding of theory in the world is pointless if the dive behavior is wrong.

Anyone diving Nitrox should be using a dive computer, and then it simply does not matter if the student can do the math.

I used a dive computer in the Maldives and I will never look back. That thing was so damned useful that going back to tables would be like swimming without fins.

As for the forgetting theory part, I'll have to disagree. It seems that if you forget the theory as to the WHY, then you're more likely to gradually slip in behavior. Considering that diving is technically an extreme sport with a very real chance at death, I'd want to make sure anyone who dives realizes that and does their utmost to understand now just the how, but the why as well.

This is usually why I review the books before I go on a dive trip. Nothing like complacency to get you dead.

whaam
Mar 18, 2008
Some newbie diving questions. I'm going down south on my honeymoon in a few months and I'm going to get my PADI open water at the Sandals resort there. Does anyone have any experience with these resort courses? Are they pretty good or kinda lovely? For the price of the resort I would hope they are good.

Also, I live on the ocean in canada so I'm hoping to get into this as a new hobby once I get back. I do a lot of snorkelling and scalloping here in about 10-15' of water. At those depths with a scuba tank would I need to decompress? If so, what is the deepest you can go without worrying about needing to decompress afterwards?

Also is solo diving really stupid or can it be safe in the right conditions?

Bishop
Aug 15, 2000

whaam posted:

Also is solo diving really stupid or can it be safe in the right conditions?
this may be one of those "if you have to ask" questions. If you don't feel you have the confidence and redundancy to dive alone, don't.

Tomberforce
May 30, 2006

whaam posted:

Some newbie diving questions. I'm going down south on my honeymoon in a few months and I'm going to get my PADI open water at the Sandals resort there. Does anyone have any experience with these resort courses? Are they pretty good or kinda lovely? For the price of the resort I would hope they are good.

Also, I live on the ocean in canada so I'm hoping to get into this as a new hobby once I get back. I do a lot of snorkelling and scalloping here in about 10-15' of water. At those depths with a scuba tank would I need to decompress? If so, what is the deepest you can go without worrying about needing to decompress afterwards?

Also is solo diving really stupid or can it be safe in the right conditions?

One of the things you'll learn on your OW course is that recreational diving is only undertaken within no decompression limits. This means that, in theory it is possible to safely end any recreational dive without the need for decompression stops. So yes, to answer your question you wouldn't need to perform any decompression after a 15' dive other than making a normal, i.e slow ascent.

Decompression is not a matter of depth alone, but also related to the amount of time you spend at a given depth - which is why you'll hear divers talk about no decompression limits. NDL's are basically the amount of time you can spend at a certain depth before incurring a substantial risk of decompression sickness. It is possible to exceed and NDL at shallow depths, but in the real world it's somewhere in the 25-30 metre range where it starts to become a realistic possibility that you'll exceed an NDL before you use up all your air.

Of course these are things that you'll learn about in more detail in your course and should read up on more from known reputable sources (i.e not here!) Some resort courses do have a pretty bad reputation in general, but hopefully if you have an instructor worth his salt and a reasonably small group they will do things properly.

As far as solo diving goes - I totally agree with Bishop. Don't even think about it until you've gained substantial underwater experience first, at least enough not to have to ask that question!

I've got a vague question for the instructors here. I'm currently doing a Divemaster internship. Do any of you guys have any advice for DM's - either what you would be expecting to see in a DM as an instructor, or any tips and tricks you learned going through the system yourself? Particularly interested to hear from guys from other agencies - there's no BSAC club where I live in Australia so I'm with PADI but I get the impression that NAUI and BSAC have higher standards, so I'm keen to learn more.

Tomberforce fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Nov 24, 2012

legsarerequired
Dec 31, 2007
College Slice
Can people rent scuba diving equipment at tourist stops? Is there anything you should be wary of renting, or any equipment that is just better to own instead of renting?

If I decide to get certified, I plan on diving maybe one or two times per year, maybe less or more on some years. I definitely wouldn't mind owning my own mask, wetsuit, and flippers, but I don't know if I want to spend $1000+ on the more complicated equipment if I don't dive more often.

Finch!
Sep 11, 2001

Spatial Awareness?

[ ] Whaleshark

404 Not Found
Had a bit of fun yesterday... another DMT and I went out to follow a BSAC course who were diving on tables with a 16 minute bottom time. We were to hang out with them until they had to leave, then chill out and look for whale sharks by ourselves. On the first dive I was "leading" the two of us and on the second dive we swapped.

First dive: 29 metres, 50 minutes.
Surface interval: 61 minutes.
Second dive: 26m, 41 minutes.

My buddy went into deco at about the 25 minute mark of the second dive at around 20 metres depth :bang:

She learned some valuables lesson: if you're diving with a computer, make sure:

a) That you check it regularly and keep an eye on the NDL's;
b) That you know how to use it and what the screen display means;
c) Don't assume that all computers use the same algorithms or conservative factors.

Fortunately she didn't panic and we both followed the deco schedule the computer gave us. She was diving a Suunto Zoop, and when she went into deco my Oceanic Geo 2.0 showed me with something like 20 minutes remaining. I think she realised the seriousness of her gently caress up a few hours after the dive... I doubt she'll do it again. Our dive school gets really pissed when DMT's go into deco. Fortunately we didn't gently caress up too badly and delay a boat or need someone to bring down another tank or whatever. We made the BOB time by 25 minutes.

I also took a few things away from it, too:

a) I have ~100 dives more than her and knew she wasn't used to her (or any) computer. I should have been more attentive to her NDL's, even if I was following her lead.
b) I should have picked up her lack of experience on the first (small girl using more air than me AND occasionally swimming with her arms?) dive and taken that into account on the second dive. Hindsight.
c) When diving in current and poor visibility, make sure to keep the buoy line in sight when performing safety/deco stops (duh);
d) Plan better.

Good experience for us both even if there were no whale sharks :(

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


Finch! posted:

a) That you check it regularly and keep an eye on the NDL's;
b) That you know how to use it and what the screen display means;
c) Don't assume that all computers use the same algorithms or conservative factors.


It's probably worth adding that you should be aware of what the display looks like and what the various numbers mean when you go into deco. Many computers completely change their display. Underwater isn't place to learn a new display scheme.

Loving Africa Chaps
Dec 3, 2007


We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night, I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.

legsarerequired posted:

Can people rent scuba diving equipment at tourist stops? Is there anything you should be wary of renting, or any equipment that is just better to own instead of renting?

If I decide to get certified, I plan on diving maybe one or two times per year, maybe less or more on some years. I definitely wouldn't mind owning my own mask, wetsuit, and flippers, but I don't know if I want to spend $1000+ on the more complicated equipment if I don't dive more often.

Get a mask and some fins and rent everything else, it'll be fine

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Loving Africa Chaps posted:

Get a mask and some fins and rent everything else, it'll be fine

Also a wetsuit so you'll know it's pee history.

totalnewbie
Nov 13, 2005

I was born and raised in China, lived in Japan, and now hold a US passport.

I am wrong in every way, all the damn time.

Ask me about my tattoos.
I need a mask with prescription lens inserts and I am not so confident I can find a pair before my trip in Feb. How big a risk am I taking if I order a pair online as a last resort? (With fit, etc...) and, while I'm at it, same question with fins.

Gromit
Aug 15, 2000

I am an oppressed White Male, Asian women wont serve me! Save me Campbell Newman!!!!!!!

legsarerequired posted:

If I decide to get certified, I plan on diving maybe one or two times per year, maybe less or more on some years. I definitely wouldn't mind owning my own mask, wetsuit, and flippers, but I don't know if I want to spend $1000+ on the more complicated equipment if I don't dive more often.

I've been certified AOW for a few years now and still only own mask and fins, essentially (I also have boots, gloves and a knife, but they aren't that important depending on how/where you dive.) I only dive maybe 4 times per year so haven't bothered going any further with gear.
One of these days I might go for a wetsuit and a computer, but that's about it.

DreadLlama
Jul 15, 2005
Not just for breakfast anymore

Tomberforce posted:

I've got a vague question for the instructors here. I'm currently doing a Divemaster internship. Do any of you guys have any advice for DM's - either what you would be expecting to see in a DM as an instructor, or any tips and tricks you learned going through the system yourself? Particularly interested to hear from guys from other agencies - there's no BSAC club where I live in Australia so I'm with PADI but I get the impression that NAUI and BSAC have higher standards, so I'm keen to learn more.

:frogsiren: I am not an instructor but these are things I found to be helpful when I did my DMT. :frogsiren:

If you want to be the bestest most awesomest DMT ever, there are lots of little things you can do to help.

(In PADI) there are certain things that the instructor *must* do. Consider everything else something that you could do for him. Example; The instructor has to sign off on skills. But he doesn't have to kit the OW divers. You could do that for him, the instructor doesn't have to. You could set the sandcrew for OW#3 CESAs. You could hang a tank 5m off the back of the boat for the AOW Deep Dive safety stop. Keep an extra weight or two in your BCD for the OW students who can't keep from floating to the surface.

Try to think of all the things that need to happen before, during, and after the dive. Subtract all the things PADI (or NAUI etc.) says the instructor must do. Try to do everything else.

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

Tomberforce posted:

so I'm with PADI but I get the impression that NAUI and BSAC have higher standards, so I'm keen to learn more.

Don't believe the hype.

There are just many times more PADI instructors, so there are many times more bad PADI instructors, because any group of people has some idiots in it, and dive instructors in general are full of hot air and nonsense anyway, so the bad instructors look really, really bad.

If you are studying for DM, the first lesson to learn is that the people that talk the most about agencies are the ones who do all their diving on the internet instead of the water. PADI dominates the market in many/most parts of the world so people who want to put their noses in the air want to say bad things about PADI, but seriously there is almost no difference between agencies when comparing classes directly. (In other words don't compare a PADI Nitrox computer based course with a TDI Advanced Nitrox course, instead compare the PADI Nitrox course with the SDI Nitrox course, and you will find both courses are better in some places and lacking in others, but almost no different in practice.)

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

Loving Africa Chaps posted:

Get a mask and some fins and rent everything else, it'll be fine

Get a mask, and a wrist mounted dive computer, and let the locals provide the rest.

Don't buy fins, they will lead to excess baggage charges unless you specifically choose them on the basis of size and weight.

A wetsuit is pointless for anyone traveling because you will have the wrong exposure protection for almost anywhere your go. Wetsuits are tuned to the location, and fighting with a 3 mil suit in the tropics (or worse yet a 5 mil suit) makes diving a hassle. And wetsuits tend to get pretty crunchy pretty fast when dragged around in planes because of less than 1 ATM environment, and the fact they tend to be hung in really dry air for long period between uses.

On the other hand, though, do get a lycra rash guard with full sleeves and a hood, though, and some kind of swim trunks that won't end up bunching up under a wetsuit (triathlete supply shops are the best place to find these because triathletes don't have time to fight with bunched up swim trunks under their wetsuits), and board shorts with a zip pocket to go over them.

totalnewbie posted:

I need a mask with prescription lens inserts and I am not so confident I can find a pair before my trip in Feb. How big a risk am I taking if I order a pair online as a last resort? (With fit, etc...) and, while I'm at it, same question with fins.

Don;t buy a mask online, least of all a prescription mask. Call ahead to the destination and make sure they stock them, or better yet have them for rent. Most places do, because seeing is the point of diving.

If you have not tried diving yet, you may be surprised to find how well you can see underwater even without correction, too.

I always have students use a rental prescription mask before they buy it. Fit matters, but so does the fact that for some people the correction makes them far more prone to seasickness underwater. Seasickness underwater is a real issue in many places. I regularly have students puke in the pool just from the new feeling of weightlessness, and for some they are fine until they add the RX mask.

pupdive fucked around with this message at 10:08 on Nov 26, 2012

totalnewbie
Nov 13, 2005

I was born and raised in China, lived in Japan, and now hold a US passport.

I am wrong in every way, all the damn time.

Ask me about my tattoos.
My vision is god awful and I have snorkeled with some cheap generic lenses and I could still barely see.

I asked my optometrist about lenses for a diving mask and he said I needed to buy a mask first to get the polycarbonate lens inserts first (which they will then shape to my prescription).

I guess I will see if I can find a mask somewhere... And thanks for the warning about seasickness. Hopefully I will be okay because it would be pretty unfortunate if being able to see makes me ill :(

Collateral Damage
Jun 13, 2009

totalnewbie posted:

My vision is god awful and I have snorkeled with some cheap generic lenses and I could still barely see.

I asked my optometrist about lenses for a diving mask and he said I needed to buy a mask first to get the polycarbonate lens inserts first (which they will then shape to my prescription).
Some masks are designed with interchangable lenses for this specific reason. I use a Mares X-Vision with corrective lenses myself.

Talk to your dive shop first. If you're simply far- or nearsighted they most likely have premade lenses that are close to what you need. If you need more advanced lenses they can most likely outsource it to an optician.

If you go to an optician yourself they most likely have no idea about dive masks and will quote your something outrageous for custom lenses.

ljw1004
Jan 18, 2005

rum

pupdive posted:

Don't buy a mask online, least of all a prescription mask. Call ahead to the destination and make sure they stock them, or better yet have them for rent. Most places do, because seeing is the point of diving.

I wear daily-disposable contact lenses for diving (and open water swimming). I'm a little surprised that daily contacts aren't more commonly suggested. Is there any reason to prefer prescription masks over contacts?

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

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

Its time to DIVE

pupdive posted:

Don't believe the hype.

There are just many times more PADI instructors, so there are many times more bad PADI instructors, because any group of people has some idiots in it, and dive instructors in general are full of hot air and nonsense anyway, so the bad instructors look really, really bad.

Well I find lots of them to be actually arrogant and unsafe.. I get very worried and it can only be matter of time before somebody gets hurt imo..

Collateral Damage
Jun 13, 2009

ljw1004 posted:

I wear daily-disposable contact lenses for diving (and open water swimming). I'm a little surprised that daily contacts aren't more commonly suggested. Is there any reason to prefer prescription masks over contacts?
Not really. There's a small risk to lose a lens if you flood your mask, and having a prescription mask means one less thing to mess with on the boat (Ever tried putting in contacts in hard sea?). But mostly it comes down to personal preference.

Collateral Damage fucked around with this message at 11:32 on Nov 27, 2012

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

SlicerDicer posted:

Well I find lots of them to be actually arrogant and unsafe.. I get very worried and it can only be matter of time before somebody gets hurt imo..

It's too late for you then, since you already believe the hype. Hopefully it's not too late for the person who asked the question in the first place.

Diving seems to bring out the know-it-all in many people. One of the reason I prefer to teach Open Water to any other courses, because in OW training I do not have to listen to a stream of half remembered random ideas, like I do from Con-Ed students, none of which have really much of anything to do with actually diving, just with tangential stuff, like whether PADI (NAUI, SDI, TDI, GUE) instructors and arrogant and unsafe, and are likely to be the cause of the end of the world (or just the cause of 'someone gets hurt'.)

I still get to hear random nonsense from random divers who feel the need to share their 'wisdom' with me or my students. Diving seems to offer an opportunity for random, intransigent stances on just about anything except actual diving. Gear setups are a great example. 'The way is should be' is always based on something the 'diver' read on the internet or got from an instructor: "Split fins are bad" is the a good example.

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

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

Its time to DIVE
Bishop,

Some Tako for Front Page,



Uppity Turtle is Uppity





Welcome to the world of White Balance, I recently got me the Scubapro Jet Fins. From Japan the white ones I now have a mobile current proof white balance card.

And if the goons would be so kind as to help Maui... Save Olowalu the most awesome reef in Maui for size.



http://www.saveolowalureef.org/

https://www.change.org/petitions/save-maui-s-mantas-save-olowalu-reef

What we have here is SPESHO!!

http://stealthwater.smugmug.com/Underwater/Save-Oluwalu/

Thanks for looking I really appreciate it... I am going to go film the Manta's soon, if this is the end all be all I want them on film before they are gone :(

Asymmetric POSTer
Aug 17, 2005


Absolutely stunning shots, bravo!

What camera are you using?

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

SlicerDicer posted:

Welcome to the world of White Balance, I recently got me the Scubapro Jet Fins. From Japan the white ones I now have a mobile current proof white balance card.


Agreed, awesome shots.

Are the white Jet FIns Japan only? (Do they still make pink ones?)

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

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

Its time to DIVE

mishaq posted:

Absolutely stunning shots, bravo!

What camera are you using?


I am using a Canon 60D right now

pupdive posted:

Agreed, awesome shots.

Are the white Jet FIns Japan only? (Do they still make pink ones?)

Yep I had a Japanese friend bring them back with her. Its very hard to get them and I believe they still make the red ones.


And thanks for the compliments on my photos.

SlicerDicer fucked around with this message at 08:53 on Dec 3, 2012

Bishop
Aug 15, 2000

pupdive posted:

Diving seems to offer an opportunity for random, intransigent stances on just about anything except actual diving.[quote]This is true. There are lovely instructors everywhere. There are also good ones. The thing is PADI has so many instructors that you are bound to run in to terrible ones at resorts and such. The two best classes I've taken were GUE fundies and PADI rescue diver. The same instrustor was involved with both of them. (hint hint). Gear setups are a great example. 'The way is should be' is always based on something the 'diver' read on the internet or got from an instructor: "Split fins are bad" is the a good example
Real talk split fins are pretty lovely. Of course they work fine for most situations as well.

Gear arguments are moot for diving. Brand X regs will work as fine as Brand Y regs. There are tiers of regs though. I recently bought a bunch of Apeks first and second stages to phase out my old Sherwoods. This meant I had to adapt my Scubapro MK25s and G250s for my two deco sets. Everyhing seems to work out fine... I tested all the regs in a pool, but I won't know for sure until I hit the Spiegel Grove on sunday. After that I I'll try a tough dive with them. I'm pretty impressed with the Apeks though. They seem well built.

There are the GUE crazies, but I mostly see people that don't judge down in south Florida. I dive with a lot of rebreather folks and everyone sets their unit up a bit different.

Bishop fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Dec 5, 2012

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

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

Its time to DIVE

Bishop posted:

Real talk split fins are pretty lovely. Of course they work fine for most situations as well.

Gear arguments are moot for diving. Brand X regs will work as fine as Brand Y regs. There are tiers of regs though. I recently bought a bunch of Apeks first and second stages to phase out my old Sherwoods. This meant I had to adapt my Scubapro MK25s and G250s for my two deco sets. Everyhing seems to work out fine... I tested all the regs in a pool, but I won't know for sure until I hit the Spiegel Grove on sunday. After that I I'll try a tough dive with them. I'm pretty impressed with the Apeks though. They seem well built.

There are the GUE crazies, but I mostly see people that don't judge down in south Florida. I dive with a lot of rebreather folks and everyone sets their unit up a bit different.

When it comes to your life once you start doing technical diving its all what you know will save you.. I refuse to tie my tanks back on bungie's like most would as I am curious if I could get to my tanks as fast as I need. So they are sitting down lower but it works...

Everybody wants to do it their way but at the end of the day its will it work? And yes I love my Apeks, though all the others breathe the same, just can they take a 40cf tank falling on them from 4ft? I am unknown on this but my Apeks survived.

And yes you will drown with splitfins, sharks like aqualung? and jesus dove a backplate and wing.

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!
I could rant for pages about gear discussion and people forcing their personal gear choices on others. As long as you dive with gear thats safe, i don't give a poo poo what you do. Tech divers are the loving worst about this, and i usually end up wanting to punch them in the throat after hearing them talk. I had a tech diver trying to tell my open water student how his bcd was terrible and unsafe and scared the kid out of the water for 30 minutes until i traded him my bcd to get him back in the water. The thing was a kids medium and I dove it. Barely.

There really is something about diving that brings out the know it all pricks.

Bishop and SlicerDicer are legit tech divers though, they know their poo poo and aren't douches

pupdive
Jun 13, 2012

SlicerDicer posted:

jesus dove a backplate and wing.

I need this bumper sticker.

(I am not a BP&W guy, but that's a great enough line to become one for the purposes of humor.)

SlicerDicer
Oct 31, 2010

PAILOLO CHANNEL

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

Its time to DIVE

Crunkjuice posted:

There really is something about diving that brings out the know it all pricks.

Bishop and SlicerDicer are legit tech divers though, they know their poo poo and aren't douches

I really only care that people are safe! *I do not want died I want everybody to go home to their families with great stories* I would prefer somebody to be a dork diver and be safe than be unsafe.

But one could say what I do is unsafe so who am I to judge? The whole DIR stuff drives me batty.. Militant to the eleventh degree and would be impossible to plan my dives by their standards...

Also what I carry violates their rules.. I will lay out my entire kit and take pic of it for you guys so you can see the absurdity of my stuff. Feel free to laugh at me :P

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum
Not to start a religious war or anything, but why the hate for split fins? We're about to dive splits for our first time starting Monday and I was looking forward it. If they suck, that's fine, we paid very little for them so replacement won't be a big deal, but the reviews were overwhelmingly positive when we did some research.

e: I did read that you need to modify kick style with them, so we'll be working that out on dive 1 monday.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004
From what I understand, they don't work well for a lot of the tech diving type of kicks that people use when overhead is a concern. They're also not great in current from what I understand so if you do a lot of drift diving they may not be for you. They're very easy on the ankles though. I dove a pair when I did the Epcot dive back in August and for no current and a simple kick, they were really comfortable. I dive way too much in current normally though.

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!

jackyl posted:

Not to start a religious war or anything, but why the hate for split fins? We're about to dive splits for our first time starting Monday and I was looking forward it. If they suck, that's fine, we paid very little for them so replacement won't be a big deal, but the reviews were overwhelmingly positive when we did some research.

e: I did read that you need to modify kick style with them, so we'll be working that out on dive 1 monday.

They just don't have enough propulsion to deal with moderate current, and kind of suck for some kick styles which are necessary in wreck/cave/tech diving. For most diving, blade fins are the superior choice.

Split fins DO have some advantages though. They are a lot more comfortable on your joints than blade fins, so older people, people with injuries, lazy people (like me) like them a lot because they are easier to dive. I dive scubapro twin jets and i love them to death because i dive in no current fresh water for all of my diving. I don't need the extra power of blade fins, so why not enjoy the comfort of split fins?

It all depends on the type of diving you do, but blade fins are usually the best choice.

edit; Beaten by butthole rockcity apparently :(

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

rockcity posted:

From what I understand, they don't work well for a lot of the tech diving type of kicks that people use when overhead is a concern. They're also not great in current from what I understand so if you do a lot of drift diving they may not be for you. They're very easy on the ankles though. I dove a pair when I did the Epcot dive back in August and for no current and a simple kick, they were really comfortable. I dive way too much in current normally though.

I get the overhead kick issue, since that's basically what the docs advocated and I thought about the fact that it would be bad once we start doing caves and wrecks, but that's a ways out for us now anyway. I don't know if we'll be doing much current diving in Aruba, but there wasn't a lot of current in Curacao when we finished our OW a few years ago, so we'll see.

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rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

Crunkjuice posted:

They just don't have enough propulsion to deal with moderate current, and kind of suck for some kick styles which are necessary in wreck/cave/tech diving. For most diving, blade fins are the superior choice.

Split fins DO have some advantages though. They are a lot more comfortable on your joints than blade fins, so older people, people with injuries, lazy people (like me) like them a lot because they are easier to dive. I dive scubapro twin jets and i love them to death because i dive in no current fresh water for all of my diving. I don't need the extra power of blade fins, so why not enjoy the comfort of split fins?

It all depends on the type of diving you do, but blade fins are usually the best choice.

edit; Beaten by butthole rockcity apparently :(

Haha we even gave pretty much the exact pros and cons.

They make some blade fins that have soft middle sections so they blade cups the water more which helps solve the lack of power while also making the blade less stiff and more comfortable. I dive with Oceanic Vipers which have that feature. I think they call theirs a "power channel" or something dumb. I like them so far.

Edit: Here's a link to show what I'm talking about.
http://www.leisurepro.com/1/2/10278-oceanic-viper-open-heel-fins-black-regular.html

rockcity fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Dec 6, 2012

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