Ask us about SCUBA (and other forms of) diving!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask us about SCUBA (and other forms of) diving!

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

macado posted:

double hose talk

Sup, double hose buddy!

It's awesome knowing there's another vintage equipment diver goon around. Bought my first double hose (a Royal Aquamaster ca. 1964) from VDH in 2007 and have never look backed.

Finally got my second double hose regulator in January - a DA Aquamaster ca. 1958-9 for $80 off ebay. My intention for this one was to buy and install one of the upcoming new PRAMs but the DAAM turns out to be in mint condition, so I'm having second thoughts about going through with it!

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 20:28

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 15:40

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

yep saw the new 2nd stage. Looks slick as hell and for only $50 I might just pick one up.

Have fun with your rebuilds! I think that's one of the best things I took away from double hose diving - learning how to service and rebuild my own regulator. Awesome that you have friends into vintage. All I got is my brother and sister-in-law who are newly certified and all :aaaaa:

that I dive without a BC!

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 21:41

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

BiggerJ posted:

I've never dived, but I've noticed that a lot of popular overseas diving locations are in poorer countries. Since diving is an expensive hobby, are divers from overseas ever automatically seen by locals as 'ugly Americans'? For those who want to visit such countries to dive there, what are some tips for careful, conscientous behavior? I've heard of some divers bringing supplies for local schools, which is admirable.

I've lived and dived in the Philippines and not at all are divers automatically seen as ugly americans. Most visiting divers are welcomed. Granted, there are rude people (not just from the US), but are still catered to with the same service as everyone else. In fact, North American divers are known to be better tippers than divers from elsewhere.

Some tips - pretty much the usual travel advice; the most important one is be respectful. For diving specifically, showing gratitude for the service provided is good. Gifts and supplies are not necessary, but I usually do that and the locals do appreciate it greatly. Sunglasses and ball caps for the boat crew, alcohol for my dive shop owner buddies, candy/chocolate, stuffed toys, and school supplies are some of the things I've brought.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2012 16:58

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

BiggerJ posted:

Bishop said that this should be done in private:

Is this the case in the Phillipines?

It really depends where you go but I can only speak for the Philippines. Over there, gifts from abroad is known as "pasalubong" and it's culturally okay to bring small gifts for distribution. I do agree that there's no need to trumpet your arrival bearing gifts nor any need to act superior to the locals. In some areas I'll just leave everything at the dive resort and word will get around to the locals and they'll drop by. Other areas I'll drop it off at the school or with a village official.

I don't want to derail the thread with non-diving talk, I'm sure the tourism & travel sub-forum would have more info regarding travel to less developed country.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 14:46 on Apr 2, 2012

# ¿ Apr 2, 2012 14:40

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

DarkHorse posted:

Can someone explain surface-supplied air for me? Someone I trust with a ton of diving experience told me they used a surface unit and therefore didn't need to worry about decompression limits. I may be way off, but my understanding of the mechanics involved tells me it shouldn't make a difference: you're still breathing air at the same ambient pressure, your body should absorb it the same.

Is there something I'm missing? I didn't get the impression he was talking about using a heliox or nitrox gas mix or anything like that, just a surface compressor.

Yep, your friend is way wrong. Decompression sickness can happen anytime you breathe compressed air at depth. For compressor diving, that air is still getting compressed to make it down to depth. edit: Caveat being shallow dives are pretty safe (eg < 30ft) - just found the thread I remembered from SB - http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ask-dr-decompression/119678-unlimited-dives-shallower-than-30-ft-min-s-i-2.html. If your friend is not going that deep, that's probably why he hasn't been hit, not because compressor diving transcends diving physics.

In fact, freedivers can be subjected to the bends as well, however, most DCI cases in freedivers are after hours of repeated dives to 100ft or greater (http://www.skin-diver.com/departments/scubamed/FreedivingCauseDCS.asp?theID=626)

Human Planet has a fantastic piece on compressor diving and the bends: http://youtu.be/c8jlazU0rkM?t=32m48s (the behind the scenes is a lot more interesting: http://youtu.be/c8jlazU0rkM?t=49m21s)

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Dec 17, 2012

# ¿ Dec 17, 2012 17:23

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

macado posted:

Well..forecast next few days is calling for high winds and 5-8ft seas.

Probably will not make it out to the wreck we wanted but will probably just end up doing some inner harbor wrecks and/or scallop diving. Still fun but I was looking forward to diving a different wreck this weekend.

Anyone have any experience with the DRIS 1000 lumens lights? Everyone that has them seems to think they make great backup lights. At 1000 lumens, they're brighter than some entry level can lights that people use.

http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/lightsrecreationallights-drisdivegear-1000lumendivelight-p-3380.html

They just released a shorty version of this that will fit perfect on my harness
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/lightsrecreationallights-drisdivegear-1kshortydivelight-p-3586.html

Just ordered one of the original ones and I am going to put it in on a goodman handle and compare it to my buddy's DiveRite 9W LED Can light.

hey cool, I also ordered the original DRIS 1000 light for my brother for christmas. He wanted to go with the tovatec first, but I convinced him otherwise after seeing all the raves about the DRIS.

Never noticed the shorty, but that's cool - maybe that would be more suited for a goodman handle?

Depending on how impressed I am, I'll be ordering one for myself too!

# ¿ Dec 21, 2012 15:46

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

macado posted:

Shorty just came out last week I think. It is definitely more suited for a goodman handle but it has a shorter run time. I think 2.5 hours (but only about 1.5-2 hours at max strength) from what I read. I'll probably pick a couple of those up and use them as my backup lights once I have some more cash.

There are some reviews of the light on cavediver.net forums. Seems likes a very good light.

I ordered longer one just because I wanted something with a longer runtime. There is a person who is doing a custom goodman handle for this and other handheld lights that I did a pre-purchase for.

http://www.indiegogo.com/gooddris

Just wanted to follow up on this. The DRIS light is awesome and I'm definitely grabbing one later this year. When my brother turned the light on in the crowded living room - everyone looked towards him like he just activated a lightsaber. :wookie:

Tried it in the pool - went well. The one thing I was worried after reading the complaints about the twist on/off being prone to user error. I've concluded that those complaints are voiced by retards.

Hope you're as impressed as I was!

# ¿ Jan 7, 2013 17:58

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Jeza posted:

The plot is that a currently nameless Icelandic diver, and small crew, are the caretakers of the facility. He dives down every so often to perform routine maintenance. Something happens, I wouldn't want to spoil it, that implies that this backwater place has somehow been tampered with. So he is ordered to go and check it out. I would expect the diving prep/dive itself to take up somewhere around half of the narrative, in between a bit of context and the reveal.

He probably has pretty decent gear, especially if he makes the same dive semi-regularly. So he has what he needs. He dives off a pretty techy research vessel as well, so there can be communication between him and the people above. Also I figure it makes sense to have this place at ambient pressure.

Hope that is enough info!

1st option: full face mask to communicate with dive crew and CCR setup. Theoretically there could be suspense in having to worry about CO2 build up in the full face mask if the diver exerts too hard...

bad rear end option: double hose regulator with twin manifold ala James Bond Henchmen.

Comedy option: single pony bottle with a spare air backup.

(go with the 1st option)

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Feb 21, 2013

# ¿ Feb 21, 2013 18:29

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Crunkjuice posted:

If he was a maintenance diver he'd never realistically descend from the surface without a support team. That would mean surface supplied air/commercial diving helmet unless he spent time on the station during his maintenance, then i could theoretically see a CCR. If he had a CCR setup, theres no way they'd let him down by himself though right other divers who know more about commercial diving than me?

you're definitely right, but for creating a story I figured a CCR would at least allow for longer NDL times. I don't even think many CCR divers use a FFM but he'll need to communicate with the dive team somehow. Unless the story can segue the decompression stops (or time in a decomp tank) the protagonist will have to do. Then commercial diving would be most accurate.

Adding support divers in water would be a nice touch as well, giving him the ok at different depths.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2013 18:53

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

Definitely try to do your bookwork before you go on vacation. The last thing you want is homework when you're supposed to be relaxing (not that it isn't hard, just a little time consuming).

I did my advanced in the Philippines and the desire to go out right after skills tests was pretty enormous.

hey cool where in the philippines? Most of my diving is done there.

edit: btw awesome sipidan pictures. Great that you got tickets to be able to dive the area so many times. I hear a lot of divers complain about getting shafted in the lottery.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Feb 26, 2013

# ¿ Feb 26, 2013 15:40

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

jackyl posted:

Hey y'all, we have a question that I could use some help on. Most of our dives have been deep south Caribbean (Curacao, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, etc etc), but we are going to be in Bimini in a week and a half, since it is cheap as all gently caress to fly out of Louisville just before Derby and back to Louisville just after.

But I just realized that water temps are going to be in the 70s and our 2.5MM shorties aren't really gonna do it. So, advice on new wetsuit thickness would appreciated... Is there any reason not to say gently caress it all and buy 5MM full suits and just start using those everywhere? Or should we just take one step up over our current suits and but 3MM fulls? I'm of the opinion that we may as well buy the 5MM fulls and just take them off out of water, but my wife thinks we should just get 3MM fulls since we pretty much only dive the tropics.

Anyway, we need to get more suits before next Thursday, so any advice will be appreciated! Also, with any luck, the water is cool enough that it is still hammerhead season in a week and a half and I can give you some lovely jackyl photos of hammerheads.

e: I'm looking at this.

I agree that it's a personal issue and that a hood will do wonders to keep you warm. I easily can do 3-4 dives a day in board shorts and a 0.5mm rash guard in the tropics. However, if you get cold easily then a 5mm is a safe bet in the tropics.

Buying from leisurepro is fine. I've bought lots of items from them and find they have great customer service and will honour the manufacturer warranty even if they aren't an authorized dealer. They are a good business that supports the diving community it sells to. However, with wetsuits you always want to fit them before buying. In this case, I'd recommend buying that item from your LDS.

Crunkjuice posted:

I gotta say, please don't buy from leisurepro. They buy from defunct dive shops, sell gear at a super low rate and aren't authorized manufacturer dealers . They are a lovely business, and take money away from the people who make this hobby worthwhile, dive shops. Dive shops make this hobby go, and its important to support them. Hell, i live in Dallas, and ScubaToys is a local competitor and i'd still rather you bought from them then loving leisurepro.

Many divers, such as myself, have no qualms buying from leisurepro instead of our brick and mortar dive shop when they need to. The LP discussion has been a mainstay on scubaboard for the last 10 years, so rather than rehash it on SA it's probably best to just leave it up to the goon where they want to buy their gear (unless it's super shady). It's always caveat emptor when buying online.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Apr 25, 2013

# ¿ Apr 25, 2013 16:45

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Golluk posted:

I thought you guys might appreciate a "I did a dumb thing" post....

ha I did the grotto free dive last year for labour day weekend. Water was freezing then, I couldn't imagine how it'd be at the end of October. I was going to bring my scuba gear but gently caress hauling it 2kms from the car.

When I did the swim through I was all decked out in my hooded vest, snorkel, mask, and freedive fins and cruising through the tunnel...surrounded by locals sprinting through with nothing but shorts. :stare:

Could you have also just swam around back to the grotto entrance or were waves crashing into there too? It's not a far swim especially with flippers on. Glad you made it out okay, but I agree that it was retarded that you:
1. didn't tell your friends. The Yogi on duty told me a lot of people misjudge the clearance and smack their head just before surfacing leading to concussions and stitches.
2. didn't check the conditions (on the open side). You knew it was windy. A quick peek from the cove could help.
3. didn't have a backup plan. possible to swim to the cove to the North (closer) or South (further)

Apologies if I sound holier than thou, but I think it's a good example for new divers reading this thread to show how a simple swim through tunnel can have problems if the risks are not managed accordingly. Thanks for sharing.

MA-Horus posted:

Tobermory! Ontario diving goon? I'm hoping to make my first trip up there in the next month or so.

I'm a warm water wuss, but I'm hoping to check out five fathoms park for the first time as well during labour day weekend. If you're up there, definitely check out the grotto with your mask and fins. Free diving the area was super fun - the flat step rock contour is an amazing scenery especially when it's +75ft visibility.

# ¿ May 5, 2013 03:05

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Gromit posted:

I mean, I've heard lots of divers correct people when they use "flipper" but is it only because it sounds childish?

It's because they're being pedantic stereotypical know-it-all nazi divers. Saying flippers, blades, or fins is standard nomenclature used interchangeably for anyone who grew up ~~competitive swimming and lifeguarding~~ doing water sports.

Dive fins are specific for diving. Golluk could very well have been using swimming flippers (he didn't indicate).

edit: VVV whatever. Sure let's be pedantic. First, Golluk wasn't scuba diving so we're not discussing scuba diving.

Second, it's not JUST a beginner thing to call them flippers but EVERY OTHER water sports in which you hear those terms. Many divers enjoy a whole array of water activities, hence, why they use different terms than you. Maybe it's even cultural - my aussie friend still calls them flippers after 8 years of diving.

Third, if you think nomenclature that minute equates to meriting an extra eye, then you're doing it wrong (maybe just ask them how many dives they have???). But sure, go for it, what do I care how you spend your time under water.

Just like how it's okay to order online from leisurepro, who gives a loving poo poo if they call them flippers, fins, blades, or paddles, etc... as long as you understand what they're talking about? Why be THAT guy??? VVV

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 01:21 on May 6, 2013

# ¿ May 5, 2013 14:15

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

I'll second the DRIS light. I grabbed one last christmas and had this to say about it a few pages back:

Bangkero posted:

Just wanted to follow up on this. The DRIS light is awesome and I'm definitely grabbing one later this year. When my brother turned the light on in the crowded living room - everyone looked towards him like he just activated a lightsaber.

Tried it in the pool - went well. The one thing I was worried after reading the complaints about the twist on/off being prone to user error. I've concluded that those complaints are voiced by retards.

Hope you're as impressed as I was!

Well worth the 90 or so bucks.

# ¿ May 15, 2013 17:12

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

pupdive posted:

I had a thing about that, but a student, who knew defog went on the inside, say that defog on the outside helps when walking to the entry with a mask on.

Especially for entry if there's lots of mist/spray/raining/drizzle and you have a scratched up mask. Having a layer of defog on the outside acts like rain-x for windshelds - it helps to reduce streaking.

# ¿ May 16, 2013 18:41

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

raffie posted:

Speaking of tec-ish stuff, i saw a video on youtube from Dive Rite about a more streamlined setup with the backup 2nd stage on a necklace and the primary on a slightly longer hose and with a 90-degree bend. The SPG hose is also shorter.

Basically this:

This setup appeals to me as the more i dive the more i'm finding my current "standard" OW/recreational setup to be irritating with all the hoses hanging, but not so radical as looping a 5" hose around my torso/neck ala tec style. I'm planning on switching to miflex hoses this weekend and was discussing the hose lengths/changing of the setup with my buddy but he advised getting some training (i guess the GUE fundies or some other intro to tec course) before trying out something new, although i'm definitely getting a short hose for the spg.

From what i'm seeing it would be a case of practicing new air sharing drills to get used to handing off my primary, which is something i can do at the start of my next dive (i'll be diving with a good friend whom i've never dived with before and would like to take some time to run over some drills with her anyway). What else am i missing here? Am i taking a change like this too lightly or is my buddy being abit too cautious or perhaps it's abit of both?

Many divers change up their hose lengths - just practice in a controlled environment to get comfortable with it and make sure your dive buddy is aware of your setup. You don't need official training for it, ~~that's absurd~~ your buddy is being too cautious.

If you want to streamline it even more, I've dived with buddies who attach the spg hose with bungee/bike tire down the corrugated hose: http://www.philtech.net/kag/single-tank_rig.html

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 23:36 on May 23, 2013

# ¿ May 23, 2013 23:00

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

raffie posted:

Got my hoses swapped out for miflex ones. Ended up only getting a shorter spg hose and followed the general concensus to leave my setup alone until a later date/i do a course.

The gently caress??? Seriously, why would you need a course to learn how to use your own OW recreational setup???

Courses aren't about equipment. They're about elevating your diving skills and comfort in the water, or in the case of tech courses, they teach how to dive outside of rec limits (which may require certain specialized equipment). In the end there is no course that will certify you to use your own rec setup, nor will any dive op turn you away for using that setup if it's just a rec dive.

Just practice in a pool until you feel comfortable with it. (But by all means, take a course to elevate your diving game)

edit: VVV ah, that makes perfect sense! carry on.

VVV

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 21:50 on May 25, 2013

# ¿ May 25, 2013 17:46

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Bishop posted:

What bugs me is not taking issues with someone's setup, but "I would not let you in the water as a DM" is a pretty strong statement, especially for something I see as a minor modification that makes his rig overall more streamlined.

Edit for some non-snarky content: In a real OH poo poo ALL OF THE SUDDEN I CANT BREATHE type OOG emergency, the diver (If we are talking about the type of divers who need instructors and DMs with them) is much more likely to panic and bolt, plus they are probably 5-10 feet from their buddy so the swim towards them is much more of a danger than that last few inches. If it's a situation where someone knows they are about to run out, I think the diference in hose length is trivial.

Well said. Plus seriously no one gives a poo poo who you will and who you won't dive with.

# ¿ May 27, 2013 17:45

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

IFTF, I agree with you with everything except not being able to frog kick. I have the picasso black team fins and frog kick all the time. Granted, these fins are plastic and not carbon fibre.

I had to wreck dive with them once. Bad idea.

Frogmanv2 posted:

Is there somewhere good where I can check out what these different types of kick styles are, because im pretty sure the most instruction I got was "kick with your thighs, not your calves" and thats about it.

you can look up whip kick for swimming videos. Proper swimming technique will help when kicking with fins.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2013 15:06

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

that makes sense and never realized that - the only long fins I've tried have rails extending from the foot pocket and only go part way up the sides.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2013 18:02

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Gindack posted:

Yeah I am taking my GoPro out with me the first time this weekend I just need to figure out what I wanna do for mounting. I may just grab a golf club shaft and rig something out of that so I can hold it forward a bit for getting into hard to reach places.

Mounting it on a shaft is also good for self shots. If you get the bike mount you can put the GoPro on any cylinder shaft. I used the bike mount with a broom handle and it worked great for me when snowboarding.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2013 17:42

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

TLG James posted:

How do you guys hold crap with bp/wings? Like a waterproof wallet or something.

Clip stuff to the D-rings with snap bolts. For a water proof wallet I'd probably clip it to the butt D-ring. Alternatively, Dive Rite has pouches that you can attach to the waist strap: http://www.divegearexpress.com/bcs/pockets.shtml

# ¿ Aug 30, 2013 05:14

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

I've been looking into all that diving, but I'll only be there for two weeks, and six of those days will be hanging out topside with friends.

I'm also interested in taking the Rescue Diver / Emergency First Responder course. Anybody care to weigh in on opinions there? The total price for the course will be about 600 bucks, which seems pretty standard from other sites I've looked at.

Debating whether it's worth using up 4 days of time to do the certification, or to take that time and do more varied dives at different locales.

TOO MANY CHOICES.

awesome. What kind of marine life do you want to see? If you'll be with non-diving friends, then for two weeks I'd recommend seeing two places: Puerto Galera and Coron (anymore than two locales then the travel just feels stressful). Plenty of good non-diving things to do in both places. Diving in PG is all around good (tons of macro) but be prepared for currents. For pelagics head over to Verde Island. Diving in Coron is all WWII wrecks (awesome), barracuda lake, and the marine sanctuary.

For the Rescue/EFR course: in Puerto Galera - Plenty of places but Sea Rider is my go to. In Coron - Coron Divers is my go to.

Another place I'd recommend is Bohol for the diving and topside activities. I'd recommend Malapascua, but there's not a lot for topside people to see. Although there's no where else you'll see Thresher sharks consistently and the diving is great. Seeing the whalesharks is only from Feb - May, so anytime outside of that, you're SOL.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Sep 30, 2013

# ¿ Sep 30, 2013 15:11

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

The tentative plan as it stands is to fly in to Manila, fart around a little to see some local sights (maybe 2 or 3 days tops), then fly over to Palawan. Not sure where we'll be in Palawan, still in the research phase. I hear nothing but good things about Coron. There'll be a group of 3 non-divers, but whom are also curious and may do a Discover Diving thing. After the trio leave (they'll leave before me and the gf), I think I may try for the Rescue / EFR course, while the gf does AOW.

After the courses are complete, maybe dive a day for Coron wrecks then head to see threshers and the sardine shoal. We were thinking of going to Moal Boal or Malapascua, or both, depending on time of course.

PG sounds cool, and I'm not afraid of currents, but I worry about my gf. She's not the most fit, and more importantly, a new diver. Not sure if she'd feel comfortable doing that.

As for the whale sharks, such is life. I've seen one in the Maldives so if I don't get around to it it's not the end of the world.

In Coron the non-diving stuff is amazing. Probably my most favourite place to go in the Philippines. As for the wrecks, just keep in mind that the viz isn't as great as other places in the PI. But it's a surreal place to dive and worth a trip. Coron Divers is my go to, but Sea Dive Resortis also very popular. I've heard nothing but good things about Rock Steady, but their shop is not located by the shore.

Both Malapascua and Moalboal are part of Cebu. There are flights to and from Coron <-> Cebu which is better than having to go back through Manila. If you go to Malapascua, hook up with my buddies over at Evolution Diving, especially if you'll be taking Rescue/EFR and AOW. They have the most qualified instructors on the island. Purple Snapper Divers is also a good dive shop, but their accommodations are 2 min walk to the beach front (albeit nice). Both dive shops cost 100-200 pesos more per dive than Thresher Shark Divers and Exotic, but Evo and PSD have given a lot more back to the community than they ever have.

The diving in Malapascua is a lot better than Moalboal, imo. However, Moalboal is a lot easier to get to. Moalboal is a bit too generic for me (like diving Mactan) but they do have the sardine shoal. I'd probably only spend a day diving there then going back to Cebu to fly out the next day.

Best be posting pictures when you get back. :colbert:

# ¿ Oct 3, 2013 18:26

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

Holy poo poo that is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. My time budget is pretty short so that helps narrow down choices.

Did some searching last night, and flights from Coron to Cebu seemed either in short supply, or difficult to find. I'll look again, but I have a feeling I'll be losing one day just in traveling. I might have to make a stop in Manila to get to Cebu.

Check this out http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/FlightSchedule.aspx . Says it's every Tu/Th/Sa. If you'll be arriving 2:40pm then you'll miss the last boat to Malapascua (5pm) so you'll have to hunker down in Cebu for the night.

Pretty much everywhere in the Philippines has dynamite fishing in proximity...it just depends on how well policed the area is. I never heard it when I visited Moalboal or Malapascua. For Malapascua - the locals don't dynamite fish but it's hard to stop non-locals coming in to dynamite since the whole peninsula is prime fishing ground and it's more remote so not as well policed. It's rare but you may hear a blast.

I'd go for Malapascua. Thresher sharks were amazing and there are manta rays in the afternoon. Malapascua has amazing macro life too. But as mishaq mentions, it will take half a day to get to. I'd say it's closer to 3-4 hours if you take the bus. I arrived Cebu airport 6am, and I made it to Malapascua around noon in time for the 1:30pm dive. See if you can fly back to Japan via Cebu. So for two weeks, spend at least 5 days in Coron and 5 days in Malapascua. The rest of your days should be used for travel. I'd forgo visiting Manila unless you want to do some shopping. Even then, I'd only spend one day (fly out the evening). It's not as impressive as Singapore or HK.

If you decide Moalboal, Savedra is one of the more well known dive shops over there and are known to have a top notch operation. I dove with Cebu Dive Center and Nelson Dive Shop, both good dive centers. ~~Although if you decide to do rescue/EFR check out my man Roger at Outer Reef Adventures for some great personalized service. It'll probably just be you, your girlfriend, and him going out.~~ (edit: just found out this weekend that Roger sadly past away after losing the battle to cancer. RIP Roger.

)

mishaq posted:

Threshers are easy to catch in Malapascua but unless you find a decent shop that will get up rear end early to be first at the site (Purple Snapper does! I've stayed there and they're decent) it's crowded as gently caress.

Holy gently caress that's one thing that pissed the poo poo out of me diving monad shoal - having to deal with the cattle boats and lovely divers. Evo was great - no more than 3,4 of us and we all dove nitrox. All the lovely divers and air hogs will go up after 20 mins so by the 40 min mark it's only us nitrox divers and the DM enjoying the threshers by ourselves:

So yeah, Trivia - definitely dive nitrox with the threshers. We had some awesome fly bys, some as close as 3 meters. :hfive:

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 13:05 on Oct 15, 2013

# ¿ Oct 4, 2013 21:32

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

Well poo poo, as it is I'll be in Manila for at least one day (our crew has staggered arrivals). We were thinking some of the outlying attractions, and maybe Intramuros. Not sure exactly what to do there (other than consult Lonely Planet).

I'll do my best to dissuade my peeps from staying in Manila. What specifically is so terrible btw?

Manila is not really a tourist friendly city. It's overcrowded, polluted, and full of traffic so a bitch to get from place to place. There are definitely a lot of things to do but it's exponentially better if you have a local friend who can show you around. Sure, intramuros is there but there aren't a lot if colonial remnants left (vigan is way more impressive). Only if you're interested in Filipino history would I recommend it. I'd rather check out the shopping malls, markets, and restos. The true beauty of the PIs is the country side. I would just go ahead to Coron and meet your friends there.
Edit: If you do stay in the city what's the itinerary? (one full day as in fly in the morning, spend the night, head out next morning?) I could throw out some recos.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 13:57 on Oct 5, 2013

# ¿ Oct 5, 2013 13:51

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

GrandMaster posted:

Just booked a trip to the Philippines in December - going to be diving in Coron, followed by a 4 night/5 day boat expedition through the islands to El Nido where i'll do a couple more dives.

Does anyone have any dive shop or site recommendations? I've heard the diving is incredible so I really can't wait. Unfortunately my wife doesn't dive so I'll probably only be able to squeeze in 3 days diving if I'm lucky - 2 days in Coron and 1 in El Nido. Will be doing heaps of snorkeling on the boat tour though.

Sweet, are you going with Tao Expeditions?

I made recos in a previous post for dive shops in Coron. 2 days is good to sample the diving there. One day I recommend you do Barracuda Lake, Siete Pecados, and Cathedral. The other day I recommend you do 3 wrecks. For diving in El Nido, Palawan Divers is my go too - they limit 4 per guide so no cattle boats. To be honest, the diving is nothing to write home about (you'll get the same experience as snorkelling, which is much cheaper), but what El Nido lacks in diving (compared to other Philippine locales) it makes up in everything else you look for in a tropical destination. Nothing beats the scenery and 100+ ft viz.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Nov 6, 2013

# ¿ Nov 6, 2013 17:16

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

GrandMaster posted:

Hah, she can't swim either so that doesn't really help! Even with a life jacket on, and me towing her around she's scared shitless but gets pretty excited when surrounded by fish. We actually spent a bit of money on some decent snorkeling kit for her for this trip instead of the foggy, leaky cheap k-mart crap so hopefully that will help her confidence in the water.

Yep, a friend did a tour with Tao about a month ago and had wonderful things to say about the trip - gonna be sleeping in hammocks, surrounded by palm trees and eating suckling pig and freshly caught fish

Thanks for the tips, will definitely check out those spots

Heads up - Coron got hit hard by the storm. Tao's boats are running relief supplies right now to the affected areas. Hopefully thing will get sorted by December but the airport runway is destroyed. I'm not sure how El Nido fared, but I'm hoping they were spared. Have you heard from Tao? I've just been following their facebook page. Since they run remote trips it might not be an issue, but they do use native huts so the structures could have been blown away (you might have to sleep underneath the stars on the beach instead).

Trivia - Malapascua got decimated. It's pretty bad there right now. The remaining outriggers are running relief supplies and will be doing so for the next few weeks. I've been following thresher shark divers and evolution divers facebook pages.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2013 22:37

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

yeah don't feel selfish, it's a perfectly valid response but don't worry - just because you can't go to Malapascua right now (or within the next month), there are plenty of other destinations that weren't hit by the storm. Bohol, Dumaguete, Apo Island, El Nido, and Puerto Galera are good alternatives.

For Coron this is what Tao had to say on their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Taophilippines-Expeditions/74026363044?fref=ts

tao expeditions posted:

Although RELIEF AID will help in the short term, what the community NEED is to secure their FUTURE. Local people will despirately need every penny they can get to help rebuild their lives. Local hotels and businesses should be promoting the fact that EL NIDO and many of the islands south of COULION have not suffered any damage as people may think, and that the area is still open for business. [and still as beautiful as ever]

Coron town is unable to accommodate visitors right now, so we are encouraging people to wait until they are back on their feet and then it is important that the visitors return as possible.

Tao are continuing to operate Expeditions. We are strongly encouraging guests to avoid cancelling trips to Palawan as this does not help anyone. The whole region is not devastated, so don't worry about being 'on vacation' whilst devastated villages are getting back on their feet.

Here is a reminder of just how beautiful the landsapes and people are, from happier days�.

So they're still running trips, which is awesome.

edit: If you haven't yet, follow TSD and Evolution on facebook since they are the only ones updating on the situation in Malapascua right now:
https://www.facebook.com/malapascua.island?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/evolutiondivingmalapascua?fref=ts

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Nov 13, 2013

# ¿ Nov 13, 2013 15:31

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

I got some good news from my dive operator in Coron! Evidently things are well on their way to recovery, so that leg of my trip is saved. No word about Malapascua though.

Awesome news. Malapascua is well underway in recovery efforts also. My buddies on the island say it could take 6-8 weeks. All the dive ops are pulling together to get things going. The road from Cebu to Maya is clear and there are boats running to the island now. They also got cell signal back 2 days ago so let me know what the dive shop you'll be using says. I'll be off to both Coron and Malapascua in Feb.

e: Evo just posted - 70% fixed by Christmas.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Nov 15, 2013

# ¿ Nov 15, 2013 17:52

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Trivia posted:

Merry Christmas you fucks! Coron Town here in the Philippines is ~*delightful*~.

I had a scare in Manila about a week ago - my (dive) camera was snatched right outta my hands! I was quite depressed as it meant I'd have no dive photos. However, the lord taketh and the lord giveth, and I happened to find another camera that fit my underwater housing! I couldnt believe my luck.

I start diving tomorrow. This first leg of my diving trip is WWII wrecks. Hopefully things go well and I'll have some great photos to post. After Coron it's off to Malapascua for Thresher Sharks.

The Internet here is total poo poo, and it'll only get worse in Malapascua. If I double/triple/quadruple post, I apologize.

Oh, and happy new year!

I hate to tell you I told you so about Manila but I'm glad you were able to find another camera. I'd love a trip report when you're back. I'm off to Malapascua and Coron in Feb and I'm curious to know how both locales have been affected by the typhoon. Who are you diving with?

# ¿ Dec 26, 2013 21:13

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

grover posted:

I'm very familiar with gopros; they're fantastic cameras, but not really what I'm looking for. For one, I'd like to have an LCD display. Also, I don't want to spend gopro money on this. I've seen several gopro knock-offs that have looked pretty good in the $100 range, and with LCDs on the back; was hoping someone here might have specific recommendations on whether that's the way to go, or there are a number of just plain waterproof point & shoots, too.

In terms of adventure PnS cameras, I've gone through olympus x2, panasonic, and nikon. None of them lasted more than a year - in cold no problem but the tropical weather did them in. Because of my lovely experience, I'm hesitant to try another adventure camera or recommend them (as much as I like eyeing the canon D20). But each one of them had their pros and cons.

I'd probably go with the cheapest option available. Or if it's just for vacation snorkelling, a dry pouch so you can use your smartphone.

re: GoPros - yes you're right, they are fantastic. I finally went GoPro last year. It was hard for me to see the screen with a mask on anyway so I figure I wouldn't miss it and there are ways to mark what you're looking at (it's also ultra wide lens). So far so good for snowboarding and free diving. Next test is scuba this Feb. The problem with the GoPro though is that the the colour tones are meh compared to the processing chips of PnS cameras - they are really meant to be post-edited in software. Since I don't have loving time to post-edit my poo poo, most of my recordings stay hidden on my computer.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2014 19:18

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

For $80 I'd try it out.

I wasn't going to bring housings into the mix, but the problem with a PnS housing is that models change year after year. So a case you buy this year may not be compatible 2 years later for newer models.

I bought a $$$$ ikelite housing for my canon PnS. 3 years later my camera clonked out and since canon stopped producing the model I'm now stuck with an overpriced ikelite housing. Housings are best left for DSLRs since the models are more constant year to year.

Durette posted:

I use the wrist mount for scuba and it works great. Just bring it up to eye level and fire. I also use the 30-per-second setting which makes sure I get what I'm looking at even if I'm bobbing around a little. Another option is to just let it roll in video mode and pick out single frames later.

I've found that the GoPro with a light on it works better underwater than on land thanks to the water filtering. Or at least doesn't need post-editing like you get from snow or really bright sunshine.

Yeah, I was planning to get a few filters but I'll probably need to post edit anyway.

For steady shots and video I place the gopro on my puckered lips and look at where I want to shoot. Sure I look stupid, but the framing is great. This guy has a few more good tips.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Apr 12, 2017

# ¿ Jan 4, 2014 08:22

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Crunkjuice posted:

I wouldn't try a gopro knock off. I haven't heard anything but poor reviews of them. A buddy bought one for his rock crawler and he shook the thing loose by engine vibrations alone. I really think gopros, while not having the specific features you may want, really are the best in that category and this falls under the old saying "buy cheap buy twice".

Seriously read all the posts before posting. We've all agreed that a GoPro is the best option but Grover does not want to drop cash on it. Give him an option in the ~100 price range. We've already discussed housings and adventure cameras.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2014 22:13

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Crunkjuice posted:

Have you had any experience with any gopro knockoffs? Because I have. I'll say it again, they aren't worth the money. They aren't, " less expensive than a gopro but good", they are "bad products 90% of the time". Anyone Ive ever seen buying one for extreme sports has eventually bought a gopro. I'm just sharing this experience and trying to save a diver some cash in the long run.

This hobby is crazy expensive as is, trips are expensive, and were arguing over 200 bucks for a camera. Jesus.

Instead of a knockoff get an older generation gopro that will still be better than the knockoff. That's my recommendation in the 100 dollar range.

For fucks sake seriously stop being a jackass diver nazi and read all the posts. Grover wants an LCD as well so GoPros are out of the question. He has also already done the cost analysis of a GoPro. PnS waterproof cameras are no more reliable than a knockoff - why drop $200 for one? By all means he can try score a second hand GoPro with LCD system (good luck finding it for $100!).

I've given my recommendation already - For Grover's shallow water purposes and for $100 I'd rather buy a good waterproof pouch for a smartphone than a cheap UW system (housings and knockoffs).

e: It bugs the poo poo out of me when nazi divers fall back on the "this hobby is expensive!". No loving poo poo but not all the expensive gear is glitter and gold. Just browse the GoPro forums, Wetpixel forums, or scubaboard forums and see the handful of divers who have complained about the housing failing. Many people work with a price range choose the best option out of that. I'd rather spend $80 and try this out than another $400 waterproof PnS camera - both will eventually fail. There are plenty of cheaper products out there that will work and are worth trying.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Jan 5, 2014

# ¿ Jan 5, 2014 18:37

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Crunkjuice posted:

You know it's possible to disagree and or ignore someone's advice right? I gave mine and my reasoning. Pretty simple right their chief. I'm not going to further poo poo the thread up proving you wrong.

In other news, I had a drysuit failure today. Buddies fins clipped my wrist seal and knicked it. They were old anyways but they blew at 70 feet and I had a partial flood. 52 degree water. Woof. I needed zip seals anyways.

You're way past making GBS threads up the thread since you suck at reading comprehension. We are in agreement with each other but your advice is irrelevant to what was asked and already addressed. Read. Pretty simple right there chief.

You should probably stop riding your dive buddy's rear end if he was close enough to kick you.

# ¿ Jan 6, 2014 00:44

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

Gindack posted:

You can fix it to your head or wrist, the problem is with the head alot of divers loose it and don't even realize it till after it is long gone. I use a 4 foot pole so I can get closer and in holes to check things out. Honestly the pole is nice because I am focused on that and I use my hands and arms less.

I had someone on the same dive boat lose his gopro that way. He was very upset. After that incident I've always got my gopro on a lanyard, even when attached to my pole or handle bars.

Cippalippus posted:

Speaking of gopro, went to buy a new pair of fins for the swimming pool and saw that Sony made a gopro imitation camera. The stand, promotional video and technical details screamed of "I'm just as good, I promise!", which added to the awkwardness of it; but what was really surprising was the price, it wasn't cheaper enough to be competing in the price. I suspect Sony is trying to attract customers with their own brand name, but I don't think they have sold many.

That 80€ camera has a few good reviews on the Amazon and it's just about the right entry level price, I will order one but I won't be diving before March since northern Italy is way too cold in this time of the year. Where do you fix a camera when diving? On the head? I'd hate to have to hold it all the time.

You can get a camara tray to help with stability or many people like the pole. I use this pole and people on scubaboard and wetpixel say good things about this pole. I've got my eyes set on this tray but there are plenty of cheap trays out there that will work well.

e: here's a scubaboard thread that may give you some ideas: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/413004-show-me-your-mount.html. If you don't want to hold it all the time, yes you can get a head strap, but as Gindack mentions just beware since it may fall off without you noticing. So a lanyard is a good idea. Some even have a mount attached to their mask (see the SB thread because there's an example of one in there). If you do have it mounted on your head, just be aware that the video may be a bit spazzy if you're looking all over the place.

Crunkjuice posted:

Ah yes, next time I finish teaching a specialty class in 4 foot visibility with students in drysuits I'll make sure to stay out of visual range of them! Thanks for the teaching insight, I'm sure it comes from loads of experience.

Not out of visibility, out of their kicking range. To be honest, I really don't give a poo poo what you do, you're an idiot for staying in his kicking zone. Pretty simple right there chief. Loads of experience. Enough not to think in absolutes. Get on my level, scrub.

e: seriously, not interested in getting in a pissing contest with you. I really don't give a poo poo about your diving experiences and how you dive.

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Jan 6, 2014

# ¿ Jan 6, 2014 02:53

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

xxEightxx posted:

I bought my wife the Octomask, built in housing. There is basically no way it can fall off. (http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Scuba-Mask-GoPro-Mount/dp/B00B57PHTQ). Drawback being you are pretty much limited to things you can get right up against and you have to make a decision about how to have it aimed. Using it to peer into cracks or smaller spaces is a lot more difficult, but it was nice that she had her hands free and didn't have to the struggle gripping a rock with one hand and trying to manipulate the camera with the other in our current\drift dives.

They do make poles and attachments that add buoyancy, so if it does fall off or something happens, it will go up, rather than down.

That's pretty cool and a good solution for handsfree GoPro usage. I did a quick search and saw they also have a frameless single lens version as well so there are options. You can even mount the GoPro the other way with the extended arms and take selfies.

All this GoPro talk has made me stoked for my Philippines dive trip next month. I've ordered my GoPro rig with torch mounts so I'm excited to test it out once it arrives.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2014 07:20

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

xxEightxx posted:

One last question about integrated computers, does the gas level monitoring affect anything other than the amount of gas left in your tank? If you program your computer for an air dive, and it has it's own algorithms or whatever to calculate bottom time\no deco time, does the amount of air you have\used get thrown into that equation? If the only thing I gain from having an integrated computer is gas level monitoring, I think I can skip that for now until I get more heavily invested into nitrox etc, type dives, since that info will be tracked on something attached to the reg anyways.

Yep, pretty much just gas consumption monitoring. Most people get an air integrated wrist computer to eliminate the SPG hose and have everything viewable in one location on the wrist. Instead of an SPG hose you hook up a transmitter to the HP port of the 1st stage. 1st gen air integrated computers had plenty of battery and wireless problems. Looks like they fixed a lot of it nowadays.

I agree that you can skip that - many divers use a decent air/nitrox computer just fine. These do not have a 1st stage transmitter as it only calculates your dive profile in real time based on your depth and time underwater.

Most computers brands within the same price range will have similiar functions and features. I reco you pick one based on its algorithm if you don't care for how it looks. I'm a fan of Aeris and Oceanic since they use more liberal algorithms than most other brands (suunto, uwatec, mares, sherwood, tusa...).

e:

Squashy Nipples posted:

Any advice on buying a dive mask with prescription lenses?

I used to have certification like 20 years ago. My equipment is old, and it was cheap to begin with. Now that I can afford nicer stuff I'd like to buy a mask. I'm not planning on doing any SCUBA, but I'm going on vacation and want to do some snorkeling.

what's your prescription? I bought the hydrooptix mask a few years ago and love it. They also sell regular Rx masks. http://hydrooptix.com/index2.html

Bangkero fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Jan 21, 2014

# ¿ Jan 21, 2014 20:05

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 15:40

Bangkero: Dec 28, 2005; I baptize thee
not in the name of the father
but in the name of the devil.

+1 for titan. Aqualung makes solid regulators. In fact, many of the 1st stage internal parts have not been changed since the 1960s. That's how solid they are.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 22:43

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