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Red_Fred
Oct 21, 2010


Fallen Rib

let it mellow posted:

Be careful with combining a light and a red filter, it won't be good. Also you'll find that the light doesn't do a thing for you that the filter doesn't, except when you're trying to take photos or videos of a lobster or something like that in a crevice. Anyway, you'll figure it out pretty quick.

Can you elaborate a bit on this? I thought that pretty much lights always meant better colours?

There was a pretty good article on the Wirecutter which explained a lot of this but I don't recall there being any mention of lights and filters not working together.

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GORDON
Jan 1, 2006

by Fluffdaddy
Well the idea of a light source is that you are putting back the wavelengths that are being absorbed by the water above you, so I am not sure what the point of a red filter and white light would be.

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



I'm going to be a volunteer diver for our local aquarium soon! 🙂 Had the swim test this morning, just waiting for the safety officer to get back to me now with whatever else they require.

GORDON
Jan 1, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

Icon Of Sin posted:

I'm going to be a volunteer diver for our local aquarium soon! 🙂 Had the swim test this morning, just waiting for the safety officer to get back to me now with whatever else they require.

What certs did they require? Just curious.

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



GORDON posted:

What certs did they require? Just curious.

It was essentially an open water class swim test. Swim 400m in under 12 min, tread water for 10 min normally (or for 2 min, hands out of water). Open water certification is the only required one for here, but they're going to have me do a series of training dives with people already working in whatever exhibit I get assigned to. Rumor has it that they have someone who can teach the AAUS Scientific Diving specialty, so I'm jumping on that if I get the chance.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
Hands out of water tread is an idiotic test. :argh:

Especially when you're like me and still sink like a stone.

Bangkero
Dec 28, 2005

I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.
Over a decade ago a company marketed out a setup exactly like this (can't remember which company) and it became a point of heated discussion on scubaboard. Although you couldn't refill the tank like in this setup. The general consensus before was that the only practical application for this would be for boat/dock owners wanting to check/quickly clean their dock structure or hull of their boats while in water.

Ropes4u
May 2, 2009

The red filter would be resold when or if I buy lights.

MrNemo
Aug 26, 2010

"I just love beeting off"

If you do buy a decent light set up make sure it's strongly attached. Having it drop off when you're standing on the platform of a hard boat in challenging conditions with 0.5m visibility you probably won't get it back.

Just hypothetically if that were to happen.

Squashy Nipples
Aug 18, 2007

How the gently caress is this possible?



I was under the impression that remote submersibles and other robots are steadily taking over this work.

Squashy Nipples
Aug 18, 2007

I have no idea if this is a good deal or not, but someone at one of my local dive shops is selling a scuba camera rig.

https://www.facebook.com/CapeAnnCharters/photos/pcb.569753259897632/569752959897662/?type=3&theater

quote:

I'm selling a Nikon D7000 with a Sea&Sea Housing, plus 2 Sea&Sea YS 100a
$2500 or best offer (goes to ebay Monday)
One owner
mmarcoux4 at GEEMale
Thanks!

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Red_Fred posted:

Can you elaborate a bit on this? I thought that pretty much lights always meant better colours?

There was a pretty good article on the Wirecutter which explained a lot of this but I don't recall there being any mention of lights and filters not working together.

this is the answer:

GORDON posted:

Well the idea of a light source is that you are putting back the wavelengths that are being absorbed by the water above you, so I am not sure what the point of a red filter and white light would be.

if you have both lights and a red filter, you are doubling up on making up for your red loss, which means you end up with a mess of too much red.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Squashy Nipples posted:

How the gently caress is this possible?



I was under the impression that remote submersibles and other robots are steadily taking over this work.

Commercial divers are a thing that isn't talked about in this thread at all. Those people spend idiotic amounts of time on deco because they are welding oil rigs at ridiculous depths. We met a guy in the keys who used to do that and he talked about spending 6 hours in a bell on the ascent....

MrNemo
Aug 26, 2010

"I just love beeting off"

Commercial divers make up a pretty broad range of jobs, you're referring to saturation divers who hit the limits of deco(which is actually much better understood than recreational deco diving as we know about how much gas the body can hold and how long that takes to get out). It also covers scallop divers, boat cleaners, salvage people, etc.

Not sure why it's such a growth area though.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum
Yeah, that's fair, the point I was making though was that "commercial diving" is a hell of a lot more involved than what you can do with a remote controlled submersible.

Tree Dude
May 26, 2012

AND MY SONG IS...
I know a guy who's a commercial diver. Haven't talked to him about it much but from what I understand a lot of his jobs he's not even diving. They're used any time a job requires someone to use oxygen. Like weird subway tunnels or sewage pipes.

Red_Fred
Oct 21, 2010


Fallen Rib

let it mellow posted:

this is the answer:


if you have both lights and a red filter, you are doubling up on making up for your red loss, which means you end up with a mess of too much red.

Yeah this makes sense to me now. I'm not convinced that using lights instead of filters won't improve things though. Unless you mean 5m and shallower?

MrNemo
Aug 26, 2010

"I just love beeting off"

Lights are really the better option if you've got a good light set up. Red filters have a set amount of red so at very shallow depths pictures will look red, deeper than their range and things will still look blue. Might be a bit harsh on filters, a smaller scale lighting set up isn't going to do much for wide angle, scenic type shots which they work for.

I guess really it depends on what type of shooting you want to do and budget. If money is unlimited then lights are always the better option.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Red_Fred posted:

Yeah this makes sense to me now. I'm not convinced that using lights instead of filters won't improve things though. Unless you mean 5m and shallower?

Like anything else, it depends. Yes, generally speaking light is better than compensation for light loss, but some of it depends on the water clarity, the distance of the shot and how easily you can aim your light away from your subject. Google back scatter to see what I'm talking about.


My comment earlier about a red filter making it easier to take pictures immediately was for that reason. You'll get great pictures with lights, but you'll also get a bunch of lovely ones as you learn how it works. You're more likely to get a higher percentage of acceptable pictures with a filter.

And at shallower than 5 meters / 18 feet no, it doesn't really matter assuming good visibility. I'm talking more in the 18 meter / 60 foot plus range.

Red_Fred
Oct 21, 2010


Fallen Rib

let it mellow posted:

Like anything else, it depends. Yes, generally speaking light is better than compensation for light loss, but some of it depends on the water clarity, the distance of the shot and how easily you can aim your light away from your subject. Google back scatter to see what I'm talking about.


My comment earlier about a red filter making it easier to take pictures immediately was for that reason. You'll get great pictures with lights, but you'll also get a bunch of lovely ones as you learn how it works. You're more likely to get a higher percentage of acceptable pictures with a filter.

And at shallower than 5 meters / 18 feet no, it doesn't really matter assuming good visibility. I'm talking more in the 18 meter / 60 foot plus range.

I probably should have been more clear and said I'm shooting video with a gopro. The red filter works pretty well but overall it's still a bit washed out unless I'm really shallow or really close up.

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


Red_Fred posted:

I probably should have been more clear and said I'm shooting video with a gopro. The red filter works pretty well but overall it's still a bit washed out unless I'm really shallow or really close up.

A filter can only remove light, and will only be "correct" at a single depth. A light doesn't have that problem, but for video you can need *very* bright lights, especially if you're shooting wide angle.

You could also try shooting without the filter and post-processing or doing white balance at depth. That should give you all the benefit of the red filter without the light loss, plus you can do it with the equipment you have now.

DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jan 10, 2017

GORDON
Jan 1, 2006

by Fluffdaddy
My local zoo just put out a call for volunteer divers for 2017... fingers crossed!

SuitcasePimp
Feb 27, 2005

Red_Fred posted:

I probably should have been more clear and said I'm shooting video with a GoPro. The red filter works pretty well but overall it's still a bit washed out unless I'm really shallow or really close up.

FWIW, I have been getting some good colorful GoPro videos using both a red filter AND a video light. I'm using the 20-50 foot filter from backscatter and a single Sola 1200 light. The light as you would expect brings out the colors of the main part of the scene but I am finding that the filter really helps everything else look less washed out and makes the blue background look a lot better. If you keep the output of the light from being too dim or too bright it can make the scene look pretty natural IMO.

Here's an unedited example from a Hero 3 of a balloonfish chilling in some surge. You can see where the light hits the gorgonians and the fish, but the filter makes the ones in the background and outside of the light circle look more naturally colored.
https://vid.me/Xd1f

This article sums it all up and has some other awesome GoPro tips:
http://www.backscatter.com/learn/article/article.php?ID=176

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


SuitcasePimp posted:

Here's an unedited example from a Hero 3 of a balloonfish chilling in some surge. You can see where the light hits the gorgonians and the fish, but the filter makes the ones in the background and outside of the light circle look more naturally colored.
https://vid.me/Xd1f

This article sums it all up and has some other awesome GoPro tips:
http://www.backscatter.com/learn/article/article.php?ID=176

That video is awesome! Where was it taken? Caribbean somewhere?

To be honest, that's much much better color than I expected with a red filter + light.

DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Jan 10, 2017

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

DeadlyMuffin posted:

That video is awesome! Where was it taken? Caribbean somewhere?

To be honest, that's much much better color than I expected with a red filter + light.

:agreed: whenever I put a light on my wife's filtered GoPro, it ended up poorly.

E: maybe the filter matters? Don't remember which one she has but I'm sure we can figure it out before the next dive trip

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



Crystal River manatee snorkel is tomorrow morning, and Rainbow River drift dive is tomorrow evening! I'm excited to lead this trip, I can't wait to take our people out on them tomorrow. Pics and video to follow...😊

Red_Fred
Oct 21, 2010


Fallen Rib
Snorkeling with manatees? That would be so awesome.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
Anyone have any Caribbean recommendations?

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Trivia posted:

Anyone have any Caribbean recommendations?

Yes, I have a bunch. But what are you looking for and what is your price range? Without knowing either of those, I will suggest our favorite place. Stay on grace bay in Turks and Caicos and dive with aqua tci. Stephanie and Bill own.

E: that's where we went for my 40th birthday trip recently, it was my choice for anywhere to go

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.
Usually when scouting for a dive locale, I find the best place and then wait for an airfare deal.

I've not dived in the Caribbean. I don't know what to expect nor what to see, so I'm open to recommendations. I'd be diving with my parents, so someplace that has good relaxation (beach bars, etc) would be nice as they can't do 4 dives a day like I can.

They've been to Cozumel and Bonaire already, so any places other than those will be taken into consideration.

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



Red_Fred posted:

Snorkeling with manatees? That would be so awesome.

Oh it was cool. I had one that I kept trying to swim away from/get out of its way, but then I realized it was following me and wanted a belly rub ☺ It swam right up next to me and rolled right over after I brushed my hand across it's back. It was ~5ft long too, so only ~2 years old. Apparently they live up to 60 years :stare:

We're going to Devil's Den this morning, before heading back home. I had 5 dives at Blue Grotto yesterday, all 90-95 ft depth. Did 2 drift dives on Rainbow river 2 days ago, so this has been a pretty solid trip :) Great group, great dives, 10/10 would go dive with this group again.

Squashy Nipples
Aug 18, 2007

Icon Of Sin posted:

Oh it was cool. I had one that I kept trying to swim away from/get out of its way, but then I realized it was following me and wanted a belly rub ☺ It swam right up next to me and rolled right over after I brushed my hand across it's back. It was ~5ft long too, so only ~2 years old. Apparently they live up to 60 years :stare:

Yeah, this is definitely on my list, I just don't take vacations to Florida. My parents are planning on moving there, so I'm sure I'll get my Florida stuff in then.


Trivia posted:

Usually when scouting for a dive locale, I find the best place and then wait for an airfare deal.

I've not dived in the Caribbean. I don't know what to expect nor what to see, so I'm open to recommendations. I'd be diving with my parents, so someplace that has good relaxation (beach bars, etc) would be nice as they can't do 4 dives a day like I can.

They've been to Cozumel and Bonaire already, so any places other than those will be taken into consideration.

Ok, now that we have more details, we can give you advice. Otherwise, "The Caribbean" is just too big. :)

Just last week I commented that I was considering bringing my elderly parents back to St. Thomas (my mom still dives), because the diving was so easy and so rewarding. No currents, fairly shallow dives in protected marine sanctuaries brimming with fish and reef life. Some great beaches, too, and I love love love the National Park on nearby St. John. The Virgin Islands have tons of small, uninhabited islands nearby that you can visit by boat tour.

However, it's pricey because everything is in hard currency, and parts of the island are not safe.

Based on what you are looking for, I'd have to 100% recommend Barbados. Great diving, snorkeling (several different turtle snorkel spots) and surfing, with some of best sandy beaches in the Caribbean (many of which have that lovely pink sand). The people are super nice, and the food and booze are fantastic. Also, the economy is strong, so there is little poverty and crime. Some of the roads are a little scary, but it's safe to drive, and the drivers are very polite and tolerant of tourist stupidity. Not the cheapest of islands, but the currency is pegged at 2-1, so your dollar goes pretty far.

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

Trivia posted:

Usually when scouting for a dive locale, I find the best place and then wait for an airfare deal.

I've not dived in the Caribbean. I don't know what to expect nor what to see, so I'm open to recommendations. I'd be diving with my parents, so someplace that has good relaxation (beach bars, etc) would be nice as they can't do 4 dives a day like I can.

They've been to Cozumel and Bonaire already, so any places other than those will be taken into consideration.

Still sticking with Turks and Caicos. Other spots that stick out are Aruba and Ambergris Caye in Belize. All offer what you are asking for, but it is a haul to West Caicos so you will be on a relatively long dive day, but not 4 dives a day. Aruba and Ambergris will be shorter ( except the blue hole, that's an all day trip)

bonds0097
Oct 23, 2010

I would cry but I don't think I can spare the moisture.
Pillbug
Anyone recommend a dive guide in the Ocala Florida area? Gonna be there the second half of February and would like to do poo poo like devils den and paradise springs but I'm not going with any divers so I need a guide/buddy.

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



21 people, ~10 dives apiece, and a manatee snorkel later, I'm home from FL. Pics are still coming in (my camera died fairly early on, and someone was using my backup) but initial wave looks pretty solid. Someone snapped this of me in Rainbow River (I think?):

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


Trivia posted:

Usually when scouting for a dive locale, I find the best place and then wait for an airfare deal.

I've not dived in the Caribbean. I don't know what to expect nor what to see, so I'm open to recommendations. I'd be diving with my parents, so someplace that has good relaxation (beach bars, etc) would be nice as they can't do 4 dives a day like I can.

They've been to Cozumel and Bonaire already, so any places other than those will be taken into consideration.

Saba is the best Caribbean diving I've done by far (I've also been to Cozumel, Bonaire and Turks and Caicos). I highly recommend it. It is a pretty tiny island though, with no beaches since it's volcanic and super steep. There are bars and the like though, and the weather is quite pleasant since most of the civilization is at a bit of altitude.

Sea Saba was the outfit I dove with.

DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 05:09 on Jan 20, 2017

Icon Of Sin
Dec 26, 2008



bonds0097 posted:

Anyone recommend a dive guide in the Ocala Florida area? Gonna be there the second half of February and would like to do poo poo like devils den and paradise springs but I'm not going with any divers so I need a guide/buddy.

So based on your post, I went and looked at pics of Paradise Springs. Long story short, I made a rough itinerary for a spring break trip that includes Paradise, Ginnie, Devil's Den, and Blue Grotto :v: Going to try and get it approved for my university's scuba club now :getin:

let it mellow
Jun 1, 2000

Dinosaur Gum

DeadlyMuffin posted:

Saba is the best Caribbean diving I've done by far (I've also been to Cozumel, Bonaire and Turks and Caicos). I highly recommend it. It is a pretty tiny island though, with no beaches since it's volcanic and super steep. There are bars and the like though, and the weather is quite pleasant since most of the civilization is at a bit of altitude.

Sea Saba was the outfit I dove with.

Saba's one of the few places we haven't dove in the Caribbean - will look into it based on your rating over Bonaire and Turks and Caicos, both places that we loved. Thanks!

DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007


Don't get me wrong, I thought Turks and Caicos and Bonaire were both wonderful and I especially loved how easy it was to get around Bonaire to shore dive all over the place, but I thought Saba was really something special. My favorite spot was Man of War Shoals.

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Ropes4u
May 2, 2009

Leaving for two weeks in Bonaire in a couple of hours. I love the ease of access, cheap nitrox, and the peace and quiet of the place we stay.

But we are considering a couple of weeks in Roatan next year so we check out some new spots.

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