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Just got my certification card in the mail. Terrible picture, but that doesn't matter. Do people keep a log-book and their cards? It seems like just one more thing to take on a vacation.
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Feb 27, 2012 03:45
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MA-Horus posted:Just got my certification card in the mail. Terrible picture, but that doesn't matter. I keep my card in my wallet, mostly because shops should be asking for it if you're filling tanks and things like that. I keep my log book, but mostly just to jot down dive locations and dive times so I can track my total time underwater. When you have a dive computer it makes filling out a logbook really easy.
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Feb 27, 2012 04:29
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SlicerDicer posted:It would astonish you what I have seen pass as rental gear and I would kill myself before using some as it would likely kill me. I wouldn't even trust their viz on tanks. As far as the O2 cleaning... I do it, especially for my 100% bottle, but I think the need for it beyond that is overblown. O2 cleaning is not "bad", but it is a bit misleading because the moment you take your tanks out of the shop and use them they are technically no longer O2 cleaned. This is a decent write up of what I'm talking about. http://www.envirodive.com/chronicles_the_oxygen_clean_myth.html MA-Horus posted:Just got my certification card in the mail. Terrible picture, but that doesn't matter. As far as log books go, you get to a certain point where it does not matter if your goal is to just dive on vacation every once in a while. I'd recommend keeping a log book though because sometimes people want to see it, but also because it's cool to go back and look at dives you did a while ago. I talked about this near the end of the last thread, but I first got certified in 1997 (still have that bitchin card), but I only have my first 50 or so dives logged. Then there is a giant gap of 1,000+ dives. I started using wetnotes when I got into tech diving. They are a little notebook that you can carry with you and even write in while underwater. Even with a decompression computer, SOP is to have a backup plan in your wetnotes. After the dive I add comments to it about the dive. It's fun to go back and look at old dives, and I wish that I had logged all of them. So carry your card for practical reasons, but log dives for sentimental ones. Crunkjuice posted:Today is a super lovely day. Bishop fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Feb 27, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 05:26
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Bishop posted:I mostly dive off of my own boat or with shops that know me, but when I'm not I just carry whatever card lets me do the most poo poo. It's a good idea to keep your card with you, but dive shops with internet connections can look you up if you don't have it. I know for at least PADI, they can call to confirm your status as well. LOL agreed this is usually the case. I did however find going in asking for 3L cylinders for rent.. they did not ask for my card when I got that and absorbant. Either they figured I was certified or wanted to see a darwin award.
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Feb 27, 2012 16:12
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MA-Horus posted:Just got my certification card in the mail. Terrible picture, but that doesn't matter. You'll need to at least have your card or jump through some hoops if you want to dive since most places check your C-card at the same time they have you fill out the medical questionare. Logbooks are optional but useful; some dive shops want to see a certain number of dives before taking you to certain dive sites, or in the case of one dive op in Cozumel I like, before insisting you have a dedicated divemaster for your first day's dives. I have a bunch of cert cards (NAUI Scuba Diver, PADI AOW, NAUI Nitrox, PADI Rescue) so I usually keep my Nitrox card in my wallet and the others with my gear. And I make sure to use a NAUI card when travelling overseas, since NAUI doesn't have much presence outside of the US and the fact that they don't give out cert numbers to non-professionals (as in not a DM or Instructor) confuses the hell out of some dive operators. 
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Feb 27, 2012 16:50
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fordan posted:
Actually NAUI does give out certification numbers. They seem absolutely ridiculous at first but there is a formula. If your name is John Smith and you were born on April 1, 1988 and you have an Advanced Scuba Diver card your certification number would be smit04011988johasd That comes out to be (1) first four letters of your last name, (2) your birthdate in eight digits, (3) first three letters of your first name, and (4) the abbreviation for the certification. They are even printing it on the card now. That's changed in the past three years or so. What confuses most people about NAUI is that their Openwater Certification is called Scuba Diver while PADI and SSI's Scuba Diver card is not actually Openwater qualified. Of course NAUI has been calling their Openwater certification "Scuba Diver" since the 60s. They do put an Openwater qualifier on their card though. I personally think that having a non-Openwater qualified Scuba Diver certification like PADI has is absolute bullshit. It dilutes the market and does nothing except confuse customers and hurt the diving industry in the long run. ZoCrowes fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Feb 27, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 17:12
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PADI's Scuba Diver basically means that you can buy their equipment but are incapable of using it safely. (Usually because you're a child)
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Feb 27, 2012 17:18
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SlicerDicer posted:LOL agreed this is usually the case. I did however find going in asking for 3L cylinders for rent.. they did not ask for my card when I got that and absorbant. Either they figured I was certified or wanted to see a darwin award.  Bishop fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Feb 27, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 17:18
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Just chiming in as someone crazy enough to try to make a living out of this amazing sport. I'm on an island outside of Seattle, WA. All open circuit, boat, shore, always looking for dive buddies. Some underwater photo experience. I'm a PADI divemaster, technician, and dive shop lackey. I can answer questions about dry suit, cold water diving, regulator / tank repair, and what it's like be female in a fairly male dominated work environ (short answer: doesn't even come close to mattering among the kind of divers you'll want to be around!) My $.02 on the whole rent/buy debate on gear comes down to fit, safety, and where you're going to be diving. Mask? Definitely a need to own. Spend the $40-100 and know that it's going to fit your face, won't be leaking, and you can use a good silicone mask for decades. Decades! Notice I said silicone; not just for sex toys anymore. A lot of the cheap masks (Wal-mart, Costco, etc.) will smell like a shower curtain. This is because it's made out of PVC. Gross. It'll be cheap, sure, but it'll also last you about 2 years before it warps and won't fit. Most everything else? Take the time to try out your shop's rental fleet. Figure out where you'll be diving. Then start accruing all that gear. Though one anecdote of rental gear in tropical places that gives me pause. I worked for a very busy dive shop in the USVI that made me the tech after only seeing on reg be taken apart. The owners had no idea what an annual service was about and I was set loose with tools and the book. I literally poured water out of 1st stages on more than one occasion. There were pieces so corroded that it took all of my weight on a 1.5' wrench after vinegar soaks to get it to move. All of this was done after customers had 'problems' with the reg. Never preventative. Terrifying. So go home, hug your reg, and consider renting for vacation from your reputable local dive shop! /end soap box.
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Feb 27, 2012 18:08
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ZoCrowes posted:They are even printing it on the card now. That's changed in the past three years or so. What confuses most people about NAUI is that their Openwater Certification is called Scuba Diver while PADI and SSI's Scuba Diver card is not actually Openwater qualified. OK, so I use my old(ish) NAUI card to sow confusion when I travel then. I haven't had them try telling me that my certification isn't open water qualified, but I have PADI cards to fall back on if I need to. And I'm sad I didn't follow through on my NAUI Master Diver class which is a lot closer to Divemaster than PADI's Master Diver card which is what, 5 specialities? NAUI basically takes you through all the Divemaster knowledge without hitting the liability/leadership parts of full Divemaster.
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Feb 27, 2012 19:58
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I've had my cert for nearly 10 years (I'm 25) but only went with my dad who paid for everything and we always rented everything, all I own is mask/fins/snorkel. And don't know that much about diving except i friggin love it. I've dove maybe 6-10 times ish? Well, I live in Miami now and have only gone diving once since I moved down here (pathetic), and rented from the shop. it was 120 for all gear plus two tank dive. I'm a PADI open water. I want to buy my own gear and start diving more, both around Miami and the keys. However, I know nothing about gear. What mil wetsuit should i get? used gear, or new? I saw that link for scubatoys, the midline package looked pretty good. Any advice would be great. Also always looking for a dive buddy!
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Feb 27, 2012 20:43
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mightychode posted:However, I know nothing about gear. What mil wetsuit should i get? used gear, or new? I saw that link for scubatoys, the midline package looked pretty good. Any advice would be great. Also always looking for a dive buddy! Thickness of the wetsuit will be determined by water temp, and how well you deal with cold water. I personally wouldn't buy a used wetsuit mostly just because of the fact other people peed in it. You could honestly shampoo the gently caress out of it when you get it, but i think its just better to buy a new one, as its such a personal fit for your body. Those packages will work fine obviously, but i just liked them to show a general price range of gear. As far as used everything else, thats totally cool. I would make sure to test every piece of gear before you purchase it, but scuba gear can last a REALLY long time if its properly maintained. About half of my gear was used, and you can get really good deals from people. A lot of times people get really excited about diving, spend a whole bunch of money on gear and then dive like 3 times in 5 years and most of the time it just sits in a closet, and people will get rid of it for cheap.
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Feb 27, 2012 20:55
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mightychode posted:I've had my cert for nearly 10 years (I'm 25) but only went with my dad who paid for everything and we always rented everything, all I own is mask/fins/snorkel. And don't know that much about diving except i friggin love it. I've dove maybe 6-10 times ish? Well, I live in Miami now and have only gone diving once since I moved down here (pathetic), and rented from the shop. it was 120 for all gear plus two tank dive. I'm a PADI open water. I want to buy my own gear and start diving more, both around Miami and the keys. However, I know nothing about gear. What mil wetsuit should i get? used gear, or new? I saw that link for scubatoys, the midline package looked pretty good. Any advice would be great. Also always looking for a dive buddy! Like crunkjuice said, "comfortable" wetsuit thickness is quite varied. But I am from SE florida and will give you my opinion on what works for me. Through the months of about may-oct no wetsuit is needed at all. I dive in a rashguard or bathing suit. Between oct-may a 3mil wetsuit will be good about 80% of the time. The other 20% when cold fronts come through and get the water temp down you need either a "5/3/1" (thick in the body thinner on the arms), a full 5mil suit, or a hood and vest to go on top of the 3mil. IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 14:02 on Mar 1, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 22:56
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mightychode posted:I've had my cert for nearly 10 years (I'm 25) but only went with my dad who paid for everything and we always rented everything, all I own is mask/fins/snorkel. And don't know that much about diving except i friggin love it. I've dove maybe 6-10 times ish? Well, I live in Miami now and have only gone diving once since I moved down here (pathetic), and rented from the shop. it was 120 for all gear plus two tank dive. I'm a PADI open water. I want to buy my own gear and start diving more, both around Miami and the keys. However, I know nothing about gear. What mil wetsuit should i get? used gear, or new? I saw that link for scubatoys, the midline package looked pretty good. Any advice would be great. Also always looking for a dive buddy! You can find some great deals on used gear. So long as you make sure that it's been serviced it should be fine. The store I manage for has a used section and we sell gear packages at less than half of what they would go for new. We make sure everything is serviced before it goes out the door and some of it winds up being drat near good as new. You would be amazed at the amount of people who buy thousands of dollars worth of gear, keep it for a few years and only dive it a few times and then resell it for a fraction of what they paid for. Dive gear has pretty bad resell value. The only real expense you will come across is having it serviced. If you are not buying from a shop it could run you 100+ in parts and labor if you need to get it serviced before you dive it. ZoCrowes fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Feb 27, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 23:09
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Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished?
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Feb 27, 2012 23:35
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MA-Horus posted:Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished? Tank, probably. 100% needs to be hydro tested. If it passes, it should be fine. Have it brought to a local dive shop and ask if its worth trying to salvage. My guess is probably not, but who knows. Worst thing that can happen is they say it's too old, and then you have some neat history. I personally would be interested in some photo's of them if you can.
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Feb 28, 2012 00:07
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MA-Horus posted:Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished? As Crunkjuice said, the tank should be good if it passes hydro/visual inspection. BCD should be good as long as the bladder doesn't have any holes. The power inflator can usually be serviced if its gotten crusty over the years. As for the reg, it depends on the condition and brand. Dacor is really the only older common brand that cannot be serviced any longer. No parts! Your local dive shop should be able to tell you more/give you a cost estimate to make it functional again.
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Feb 28, 2012 02:00
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MA-Horus posted:Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished? It depends on the brand for the BC and Reg. A lot of old Scubapro and Aqualung gear is still going strong with parts still available. Older tanks you may have a harder time getting filled even if they pass hydro and visual. There are a lot of dive shops that are very paranoid about old tanks.
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Feb 28, 2012 02:34
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A lot of older aluminum tanks were made from a bad alloy. (google 6351-t6) In my experience a lot of shops refuse to fill or service tanks made before 1990.
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Feb 28, 2012 03:31
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Bishop posted:A lot of older aluminum tanks were made from a bad alloy. (google 6351-t6) In my experience a lot of shops refuse to fill or service tanks made before 1990. I've never seen conclusive numbers about how many actual accidents have been caused by that alloy. I've not done a very in-depth study into it but from what I recall the tanks that did have issue were not properly maintained (no visual or eddy tests conducted.) I have failed many pre-1990 alloys that did have noticeable cracking in the neck (easily visibile to the naked) or did not pass hydrostatic inspection. However, if a tank has a recent hydro and visual eddy inspection (that was done by a reputable operation) and it's pre-1990 I will go ahead and fill it.
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Feb 28, 2012 07:18
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Good stuff, thanks for the info. I don't have any more info on the equipment as I live overseas in Korea, and it's in my parent's basement in Ontario. But I'll certainly tell my dad not to throw any of it out. It's cool hearing about diving in the old days before power inflating BCs and such. Except when you hear about the time that he nearly got killed by not being able to inflate his BCD due to depth.
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Feb 28, 2012 09:01
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Bishop posted:An unwritten rule is that you don't card people buying rebreather stuff because they've paid for the right to kill themselves What old one? Some pics from today, To read that computer.. C1 is "Computer One" (With 1.30ppo2 maintain setpoint) There is a C2 that can be switched and used. The bar is heat moving through the CO2 scrubber showing what part is active. Its not intuitive in the sense of preventing hypercapnia it just gives a idea. The battery logo is how full batteries are. Then you have 1.29 1.31 1.31 this is partial pressure of O2 in the breathing loop. 16:31 min dive so far. Diluent is Air, Max Depth = 90.7ft 40min till no decompression limit. Depth 81.4ft  
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Feb 28, 2012 09:13
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ZoCrowes posted:I've never seen conclusive numbers about how many actual accidents have been caused by that alloy. I've not done a very in-depth study into it but from what I recall the tanks that did have issue were not properly maintained (no visual or eddy tests conducted.) *http://regulations.justia.com/regulations/fedreg/2006/08/29/E6-14255.html edit: also http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat if you're into metallurgy. Going off of a few reports on ruptures I looked at, It seems that they don't know exactly why 6351–T6 tanks are more prone to failure (specifically "sustained load cracking"), but they take it as a given that they are. Completely unrelated, but I got a good laugh at their notice of "Radioactively Contaminated Tissue Holders Purchased From Bed Bath and Beyond" SlicerDicer posted:What old one? Bishop fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Feb 28, 2012 |
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Feb 28, 2012 15:24
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Thanks for the advice guys! Can't wait to get in the water ASAP
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Feb 28, 2012 16:24
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Bishop posted:I thought you were switching over to an evoloution? Also one of your sensors is reading off by .02. BAILOUT!@$#!@$!@$ Negative, I was learning on a evolution. I own a Inspiration  MOAR SCRUBBERS and stuff. And yes MY GADS BAIL OUT!!! 
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Feb 28, 2012 19:17
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I've got some more info on my buddy who got burned. "Percentage of his body that is burned = “77%” No body parts were lost. His ears, nose, lips, fingers, toes are burned but not deformed. Eye site: He can see but still has burns on his eyes. Eye pressure is great, so long term prognosis is a full recovery. Hearing: He can hear. No internal organ damage (including his man package!) He is fully aware of everything going on around him. Recovery: The rule of thumb is 2 days per 1 % of burn, or 77% x 2 = 154 days. Burn recovery is a roller coaster of progress and regression. **Today is the most important day since the accident because they are determining the level of burn damage, ie: 2nd or 3rd degree and how many skin grafts will have to be done. 2nd degree burns will regenerate skin; 3rd degree will not and require multiple operations / grafts. REALITY CHECK: Although he is alive and his eyes are open, he is in constant pain. His words are very labored. He is in a burn suit that covers his entire body except his face, feet and a few fingers. He is not out of the woods be any means." It sounds pretty bad, but he's at Brooke Army Medical Center, which is where 100% of military burn victims are treated. Everyone is pretty optimistic, but we'll see soon enough the severity of the burns. VVV I have no idea if he was military or not. This happened in downtown austin, so maybe they are treating him there because of the severity. I'm not sure. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Feb 29, 2012 |
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Feb 29, 2012 03:00
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That is some sad poo poo mate, glad to hear he's in good hands though. Is he military? How'd he manage to swing BAMC? They're literally the best, though Landstuhl gives them a run for their money in terms of immediate care.
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Feb 29, 2012 03:44
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Good god crunk.. Very sorry to hear that..
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Feb 29, 2012 05:25
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Crunkjuice posted:VVV I have no idea if he was military or not. This happened in downtown austin, so maybe they are treating him there because of the severity. I'm not sure. Oh, if he's that close then it would probably happen as a matter of course. BAMC does treat local civilians. In that he's lucky, he really couldn't find better qualified professionals to help provide him care. Best wishes to full recoveries to both of you, mate.
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Feb 29, 2012 08:40
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I got certified about three years ago, but having two kids since then means I've not done any diving. I think I'm going to get recertified and start diving again. I'm told that the Monterey area of California has some pretty decent diving in the kelp forests. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
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Feb 29, 2012 16:31
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MA-Horus posted:Just got my certification card in the mail. Terrible picture, but that doesn't matter. PADI just started this new e-card thing. Basically its your cert card on your smartphone.
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Feb 29, 2012 17:39
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grinning cheshire posted:PADI just started this new e-card thing. Basically its your cert card on your smartphone. Absolutely, Amway Diving does whatever it takes.
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Mar 1, 2012 05:10
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Oxford Comma posted:I'm told that the Monterey area of California has some pretty decent diving in the kelp forests. Can anyone confirm/deny this? Confirm. There are good days and bad days, but the good days can be glorious. Why get recertified though? Do you feel like you've forgotten everything?
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Mar 1, 2012 06:28
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DeadlyMuffin posted:Confirm. There are good days and bad days, but the good days can be glorious. Why get recertified though? Do you feel like you've forgotten everything? Yeah, I do, actually. I only went diving a couple of times before the kid(s) were born. That was three years ago and my memory of some things is pretty fuzzy.
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Mar 1, 2012 16:14
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Oxford Comma posted:Yeah, I do, actually. I only went diving a couple of times before the kid(s) were born. That was three years ago and my memory of some things is pretty fuzzy. If you want, once you're recertified shoot me a PM. I dive in Monterey pretty regularly and I know a couple of shore dives that work well for new divers.
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Mar 1, 2012 17:40
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SlicerDicer posted:Absolutely, Amway Diving does whatever it takes. Clearly you have an issue with PADI and it would be useful to the thread if you would elaborate, I think. I'd like to get certified soon, and the local shop offers both PADI and NAUI. They're both the same price, so why does it matter that one is for-profit?
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Mar 1, 2012 23:47
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Erwin posted:Clearly you have an issue with PADI and it would be useful to the thread if you would elaborate, I think. I'd like to get certified soon, and the local shop offers both PADI and NAUI. They're both the same price, so why does it matter that one is for-profit? There is a feeling among some divers that diving shouldn't be accessible. I think it usually boils down to wanting to feel badass for being a SCUBA diver. If some fat lady at a resort can do it, they feel it makes their diving less impressive. I think the macho attitude is a big reason why the dive community (at least in my area) skews so heavily male. PADI gets a lot of flak because they're the biggest player and because they cater to new/casual divers. I'm sure there are many other, legitimate, reasons to dislike PADI, but in my experience that's what most of it has boiled down to. In my experience the instructor matters 100 times more than the certifying agency. If one shop offers both agencies it's probably the same instructor anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
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Mar 2, 2012 03:46
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DeadlyMuffin posted:There is a feeling among some divers that diving shouldn't be accessible. I think it usually boils down to wanting to feel badass for being a SCUBA diver. If some fat lady at a resort can do it, they feel it makes their diving less impressive. I think the macho attitude is a big reason why the dive community (at least in my area) skews so heavily male. I don't think pretentiousness is the only reason people are uneasy with how easy it can be to become certified (and stay certified despite forgetting everything). Just reading scubaboard's accident section quite often highlights the danger of thinking that scuba diving should be above all "easy and accessible". Diving is fun and safe, but it requires a floor level of training, knowledge, and skills, to really be safe. If it comes down to individual instructors providing better instruction over and above the curriculum to keep people safe there is in my opinion room for improvement in the curriculum. And as far as ive seen, NAUI does a bit better job of testing that divers are prepared. But in the end, its in the hands of individual divers to know they are diving safe. Padi is also way more "accepted" around the world. probably 80% of the world is "padi padi padi" so if you plan to travel... IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Mar 2, 2012 |
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Mar 2, 2012 03:47
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IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:If it comes down to individual instructors providing better instruction over and above the curriculum to keep people safe there is in my opinion room for improvement in the curriculum. And as far as ive seen, NAUI does a bit better job of testing that divers are prepared. My point is that the difference in the curricula are minor when certifying new divers and matter far less than the difference between a good and bad instructor.
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Mar 2, 2012 04:06
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DeadlyMuffin posted:There is a feeling among some divers that diving shouldn't be accessible. I think it usually boils down to wanting to feel badass for being a SCUBA diver. If some fat lady at a resort can do it, they feel it makes their diving less impressive. I think the macho attitude is a big reason why the dive community (at least in my area) skews so heavily male. I have nothing against PADI if you want to dive so be it do PADI. I am just merely saying they will certify anybody to build the PADI Pyramid. Basicly PADI means.. You can get AIR!!! IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:Padi is also way more "accepted" around the wold. probably 80% of the world is "padi padi padi" so if you plan to travel... Yeps Its the way the world learns to dive or some poo poo their motto. SlicerDicer fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Mar 2, 2012 |
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Mar 2, 2012 04:23
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