|
I remember one of you knew a guy named Justin, who works on one of the Blackbeard boats and that you had been some level of instructor for him. If that’s you, PM me.
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2021 03:48
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 02:03 |
|
|
Dr. Bill Bushing, the famous marine biologist, scuba diver, and Catalina resident passed away.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2021 05:46
|
|
|
Just did a few dives on the pacific side of Costa Rica and it wasn't spectacular. But it was so nice being back in the water after 2 years. Visibility was pretty crap for most of the dives. Then to add injury to insult I got stung by a jelly fish on my last day. So now I have a painful hickey on my neck. I am started to loathe anyone that dives with a camera. Almost all of them will just park in front of anything the dm points out so you can get a look, and they pay even less attention to their surroundings then most divers. I need to see if there are dive shops that advertise small groups because diving in big groups is just the worst. Nothing like having the ocean feel claustrophobic because there are people everywhere crashing into you. E:tons of seahorses and reef sharks though which was really awesome.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 01:56
|
|
|
Pay extra for a private guide. And camera-havers are, in general, the worst.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 03:34
|
|
|
Yeah underwater camera work is so loving difficult that doing it on a group dive sounds absolutely awful. Either the photos will be crap, or it'll be incredibly disruptive to everyone else.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 04:20
|
|
|
In retrospect my ex's obsession with underwater photography was a signpost on our road to divorce (her photos were excellent though)
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 05:45
|
|
|
I'm a pretty big photo nerd but just can't be bothered with doing it underwater. I've taken a GoPro a few times though and that was cool to record the awesome turtle you saw and what not. Maybe I was just lucky but I've never had more than like 4-5 people in a group dive so far. As for site reviews, I only managed a few dives on Malta. Rozi and another wreck IIRC, and it was meh. Like the wrecks are interesting but it takes a while to get there and there's nothing else going on. No complaints about water though, nice temperature and visibility.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 09:25
|
|
|
GoPro users are fine. They do video and it's wide angle so it's not as annoying. It's the giganto rigs that slow things down.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 10:34
|
|
|
I take my camera down on dives semi-frequently but all my diving is done in buddy pairs and we're pretty comfortable loving off and looking at stuff. I cannot imagine having one or two in a large group with a guide who is just waiting for everyone to have a look at whatever they've pointed out before moving on, that sounds like the most frustrating way of doing a dive one could devise.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 13:10
|
|
|
mobby_6kl posted:As for site reviews, I only managed a few dives on Malta. Rozi and another wreck IIRC, and it was meh. Like the wrecks are interesting but it takes a while to get there and there's nothing else going on. No complaints about water though, nice temperature and visibility. Good site for a check dive since it's easy to get in and out, but yeah by Maltese standards it's a bit of a trip if you're staying in Valletta.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 15:02
|
|
|
Demon_Corsair posted:Just did a few dives on the pacific side of Costa Rica and it wasn't spectacular. But it was so nice being back in the water after 2 years. And when people ask why Bonaire is so nice, I'll point them to this post.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 16:35
|
|
|
Does anyone have recommendations in the Caribbean to get dive master certified that is cheap to live and cheap (relatively) for certification?
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 20:37
|
|
|
Tiger Crazy posted:Does anyone have recommendations in the Caribbean to get dive master certified that is cheap to live and cheap (relatively) for certification? I would be interested to hear about what you learn. I would like to play dive master for a few months a year once I retire.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 21:15
|
|
|
MrNemo posted:I take my camera down on dives semi-frequently but all my diving is done in buddy pairs and we're pretty comfortable loving off and looking at stuff. I cannot imagine having one or two in a large group with a guide who is just waiting for everyone to have a look at whatever they've pointed out before moving on, that sounds like the most frustrating way of doing a dive one could devise. Yeah, I'm in this boat too. I cringe a bit at the "all camera havers are bad", but I certainly see the assholes. Large groups in general are awful. The vast majority of my diving has been unguided, so having a DM leading me around is obnoxious most of the time. It's the difference between going on a nice hike with a friend and going on a field trip in elementary school. If we're bitching about diver stereotypes: the pokey sticks people carry around in the tropics should be banned since they're almost exclusively used for poking wildlife, and the use of a tank banger or, God help you a horn, in a non-emergency situation should result in a stern talking to. And you shouldn't be carrying around a camera underwater if you don't have everything else dialed in already. I'm grumpy this holiday season... DeadlyMuffin fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Dec 24, 2021 |
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2021 22:44
|
|
|
Tiger Crazy posted:Does anyone have recommendations in the Caribbean to get dive master certified that is cheap to live and cheap (relatively) for certification? Utila. I did rescue there and it’s cheap. Good diving, food can be sketchy - the best place we found was the Fu King Wok but that was years ago so who knows.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2021 06:06
|
|
|
DeadlyMuffin posted:Dr. Bill Bushing, the famous marine biologist, scuba diver, and Catalina resident passed away. Man that's a bummer he was a really nice guy. I meet him a few years back Diving at Casino Point and he was a wealth of information and was more than happy to share what he knew.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2021 17:00
|
|
|
EugeneDebsWasCool posted:Man that's a bummer he was a really nice guy. I meet him a few years back Diving at Casino Point and he was a wealth of information and was more than happy to share what he knew. There's a push to name the dive park after him, I hope it happens.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2021 20:08
|
|
|
Tiger Crazy posted:Does anyone have recommendations in the Caribbean to get dive master certified that is cheap to live and cheap (relatively) for certification? How cheap are you talking? And what type of place are you looking for? Someone already mentioned Utila, which I know is cheap. Same with Roatan next door. Riviera Maya is probably near the same price point, if you are cool being off resort. I think the DR is also pretty reasonable. After that I think you have Jamaica, Baja, Belize and Puerto Rico. And then Bahamas, Caymans, Virgin Islands and all the lesser antilles.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2021 23:37
|
|
|
Went for a dive this afternoon. Winter diving around here is normally quite cold but it’s been close to or just below freezing for the last week, which is very unusual. Bottom temp was ~20 degrees above the air temp at the surface. Vis was pretty bad and there wasn’t much to see, but we did find two giant pacific octopus 
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2022 01:30
|
|
|
First proper dive since early 2018 yesterday. Wasn’t amazing but great to be back in the water. Forgotten how drat tiring diving can be though, was shattered last night. Anyway the gear obsession rears it head again. What’s everyone’s favourite bag situation? I need one that has a dry section that I can put gear I’m not using. It’s annoying to have to wash everything because it was all in the same bag even if I didn’t use it. This doesn’t need to be a flying bag, I assume I’ll get one for that when/if travel comes back.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 00:42
|
|
|
I dump the gear I use regularly into a rubbermaid tub and keep anything that doesn't come out on every dive in a separate bag.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 00:52
|
|
|
Get a bag with a rectangular shaped opening, not just a straight zip. Makes it waaaaay easier to pack your poo poo. Make sure all zips are either plastic or brass/stainless steel.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 00:54
|
|
|
Electoral Surgery posted:I dump the gear I use regularly into a rubbermaid tub and keep anything that doesn't come out on every dive in a separate bag. This isn’t a bad idea when I think about it. Does this get annoying on those odd times you need to carry stuff a distance? I was thinking a bag with a dry compartment and main wet compartment with a bung so I can use it to rinse in a pinch. Wheels might be a bonus, although it might be getting annoyingly big then. Don’t wanna be the “guy with the huge bag on the boat” when I’m already often the only dry suit guy. Definitely on board with the plastic zips. My reg bag had some cheap one which rusted and fell off after 6 months, so dumb. Now I need to buy a new one of those when I fly for diving.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 01:29
|
|
|
Loving Africa Chaps posted:Crazy that they still work so well after 32 years! Super jealous. drat, its now 42! Time flies, also whats up divers.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 21:52
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:First proper dive since early 2018 yesterday. Wasn’t amazing but great to be back in the water. Forgotten how drat tiring diving can be though, was shattered last night. You want a mesh bag with both backpack and shoulder straps. Most of those have a “dry” pocket but it’s really not that dry, if you care about whatever you’re putting in there use a ziplock too. E: the point Trivia makes is right too. That bag should have a top opening. And a side zipper.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2022 05:10
|
|
|
If you don't want straps or don't get them, consider a collapsible hand cart.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2022 05:20
|
|
|
Not sure if this is the thread to share our own scuba stuff or not (it's the only one that came up after a cursory search), but I just finished a week of cavern diving in the cenotes of the Yucatan and figured I'd share some alien landscapes  https://i.imgur.com/zfYYaA4.mp4 https://i.imgur.com/XEJJ7zZ.mp4
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2022 15:26
|
|
|
Objurium posted:Not sure if this is the thread to share our own scuba stuff or not (it's the only one that came up after a cursory search), but I just finished a week of cavern diving in the cenotes of the Yucatan and figured I'd share some alien landscapes Breathtaking. Thanks for sharing. Welcome back from literally space.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2022 03:49
|
|
|
Objurium posted:Not sure if this is the thread to share our own scuba stuff or not (it's the only one that came up after a cursory search), but I just finished a week of cavern diving in the cenotes of the Yucatan and figured I'd share some alien landscapes These are awesome. I've dialed things back because I'm not diving as much due to the pandemic, and people were making GBS threads on divers with cameras a bit :-\
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2022 03:59
|
|
|
Kesper North posted:Breathtaking. Thanks for sharing. Yeah that turned out really well! Very cool dive.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2022 04:09
|
|
|
those caves look very cool and also terrifying
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2022 05:20
|
|
|
I’m doing tech training today and tomorrow, and halfway into our second dive a sixgill shark came up to check us out. Totally derailed the skill practice, even the instructor was flipping out.
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2022 05:26
|
|
|
Well, it finally happened. My second stage, bought used and saddled with at least 800 dives, has finally fallen apart. It was a Micra ADJ and my god I loved it. It had an excellent flow rate knob as well as a venturi. Unfortunately the model was discontinued in 2006 and I can't find parts online. Does anyone have any recommendations for second stages? I plan to continue using my 1st stage. I would love to have something similar to the ADJ if possible (small profile, flow rate knob, venturi).
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 10:46
|
|
|
Trivia posted:Well, it finally happened. My second stage, bought used and saddled with at least 800 dives, has finally fallen apart. It was a Micra ADJ and my god I loved it. It had an excellent flow rate knob as well as a venturi. Unfortunately the model was discontinued in 2006 and I can't find parts online. Does anyone have any recommendations for second stages? I plan to continue using my 1st stage. I would love to have something similar to the ADJ if possible (small profile, flow rate knob, venturi). I love the ScubaPro S600, my wife and I both use it with ~1000 dives and they're both still going strong. It uses a REALLY common SP service kit and is pretty easy to service if you have the tools. If mine died I would get another one without hesitation.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 20:31
|
|
|
SuitcasePimp posted:I love the ScubaPro S600, my wife and I both use it with ~1000 dives and they're both still going strong. It uses a REALLY common SP service kit and is pretty easy to service if you have the tools. If mine died I would get another one without hesitation. That's my recommendation too. I use them on my doubles rig and have had no issues in many hundred dives.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 20:54
|
|
|
Trivia posted:Well, it finally happened. My second stage, bought used and saddled with at least 800 dives, has finally fallen apart. It was a Micra ADJ and my god I loved it. It had an excellent flow rate knob as well as a venturi. Unfortunately the model was discontinued in 2006 and I can't find parts online. Does anyone have any recommendations for second stages? I plan to continue using my 1st stage. I would love to have something similar to the ADJ if possible (small profile, flow rate knob, venturi). What parts are you looking for? The service kits are pretty readily available and I've done quite a few of them myself. https://aquasportscuba.com/products/aqua-lung-micra-second-stage-service-kit This is the parts kit for the Micra https://www.manualslib.com/manual/826700/Aqua-Lung-Micra-Adj.html And this is the service manual. If it's something you can't do yourself any Aqualung dealer should be able to get it back up and running. If you don't have a regular service tech Kevin Clifford at the Louisville Dive Center is a wizard at bringing old dead regulators back to life. If you are just jonesing for something new the Scubapro C300 series is very similar to the Micra in size. It also has the lever that drops below the air barrel which allows for that smaller size. The S600 is a fantastic reg but it is quite a bit bigger than the C370 (or whatever they are up to) but not all that heavy compared to similarly performing regs (like my beloved G250s/G260s) EugeneDebsWasCool fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Feb 5, 2022 |
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 21:00
|
|
|
Icon Of Sin posted:I remember one of you knew a guy named Justin, who works on one of the Blackbeard boats and that you had been some level of instructor for him. Month late on this one but that's me. I taught him how to dive and did quite a bit of his instructor training. EugeneDebsWasCool fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Feb 6, 2022 |
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 21:07
|
|
|
I live in Thailand so getting a service kit isn't easy. I also need a replacement purge cover and vent cover as well. I'd be happy to service things myself but I have none of the tools, nor the money to purchase them (turns out covid really fucks with tourism). I'll look into those websites though. If I could keep this one going that'd make me really happy.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2022 02:22
|
|
|
Trivia posted:I live in Thailand so getting a service kit isn't easy. I also need a replacement purge cover and vent cover as well. You might have an easier time getting them than you might think. Shops in Europe will sell parts to people in Europe and Asia that they won’t in the USA. Check the schematic in the back of that service manual. It will have the parts number you need. With that reg there’s not really any special tools needed and it should be fairly easy since you’re not servicing the first stage.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2022 07:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 02:03 |
|
|
The first stage was successfully serviced when I sent everything to Phuket (I guess all equip is sent there for servicing). They sent back my package with my second stage disconnected saying "no parts, don't bother." Obviously a ploy by them to have me buy a new second stage, but I cannot argue the thing is beat up. I'll continue to look around a bit.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2022 10:11
|
|