Scuba Diving

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by dblplay1212, May 22, 2009.

  1. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Dove in Iceland, Belize and local certification dives in Texas. Magical
     
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  2. Tony Wonder

    Tony Wonder Well-Known Member
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    What were the dives in Iceland like?
     
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  3. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    I was just about to ask the same thing.

    I did Belize, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Texas and am looking at doing St. Lucia late this fall. It is one of my favorite things to do in the world.
     
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  4. Arliden

    Arliden Well-Known Member
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    Yea Padi’s what I’ve got and seems to be the most common world wide.

    My lady did the online course prior to her open water. She seemed to like it fine, you obviously still do your underwater skills and a couple dives after your elearning.
     
  5. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Well documented. It's a cold suit dive and sparse life given the temperature (~2F above freezing), but it is spectacular. Nothing like the carribean.

    Even though the dive is not for everyone (freezing, awkwardness of drysuit, super expensive) it's a must do for divers.

    one video, and link to more


    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=silfra+dive+
     
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  6. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    (caution: watching vids will spoil some of the the magic from doing it in person)
     
  7. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    SDI and TDI both solid....I have my advanced through SDI. When it comes time to do your Nitrox I would do it in a class setting.
     
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  8. dallasdawg

    dallasdawg does the tin man have a sheet metal cock?
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    PADI is the way to go absolutely
     
  9. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Going to Bonaire on 8-10, and trying to get certified before, but it's looking unlikely. I've already completed the classroom/online portion, and now I need to do the hands on shit. I'm annoyed. I was planning on driving to Pensacola this weekend to wrap it up, but they then told me it would be Thursday night, Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday. Fuck that, I'd rather burn 2 days in Bonaire.
     
  10. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    4days? That doesn’t seem right for the skill stuff. I did all my pool stuff one day, then open water stuff the next day....
     
  11. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    What certs are you trying to complete? Sounds like a bit much for just Open water or even AOW.
     
  12. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Open Water....

    I called the dive shop in Pensacola, told them I'd completed the course and was ready to finish it up and she told me all of the stuff I'd have to do. Either way, it's 2 days of "Open Water" and if I can just get the pool stuff out of the way prior, I'll make my friends do the open water dive part with me.
     
  13. BP

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    Gotcha. Have fun. A coworker went out there last year and just dived the entire time from a live aboard. Said it was unreal.
     
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  14. tylerdolphin

    tylerdolphin My spoon is too big
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    Yeah I did pool one day and the shallow water and 60 ft dove the next day.
     
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  15. Arliden

    Arliden Well-Known Member
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    I’d just hook up with a solid dive shop in Bonaire and do it through them.

    You really only do one dive where you couldn’t intermingle it with your friends, which is the skills dive, but that’s at most half of one day.
     
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  16. Biff Bridges

    Biff Bridges The words. You are good with the words man
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    Anyone been cave diving? It's unreal but I'd recommend doing several open water dives and feel pretty comfortable diving. Some dude died the only time I went because he freaked out and tried rushing to the surface but was in part of the cave that was completely filled with water.
     
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  17. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    I’ve done a ton of cavern dives, and fresh watch spring dives.....love them. Have been a few feet back in a few cave systems, however they aren’t my thing. I just can’t get into the caves....
     
  18. Biff Bridges

    Biff Bridges The words. You are good with the words man
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    The whole thing was a shitshow. Split my wife and I up when they divided groups and so we both thought it could’ve been our spouse getting CPR when we surfaced.
     
  19. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    That’s awful, is your wife your normal dive partner? If so I would have never let them split us up...


    Just nothing worth dyeing for in a cave imo. I have a bunch of buddies that are adrenaline junkies that do it, but it’s not for me lol.
     
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  20. Biff Bridges

    Biff Bridges The words. You are good with the words man
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    Was only our third ever dive and the guides were the ones that split us up. When I was under, my guide realized someone was having trouble and kinda left me on my own to wait on her. I had to get my bearings and kept watching my air level and eventually save myself and go to the top because she'd left me to try and save that other dude. When I surfaced the first thing I saw is them doing CPR on that dude and the second thing is my wife on the dock like 30 ft away. Pretty intense.
     
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  21. Vito Corleone

    Vito Corleone Deluxe Member
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    Cave diving is awesome. Only type better is wreck diving. However, you have to be comfortable and capable of achieving a consistent neutral buoyancy quickly. Otherwise, you die. Went once with some people who thouight they were experienced and knew how to. They had the whole diving in a pool and cabo level experience. Heard them banging their tanks on the edges the whole dive. One punctured a leak in their alternate and it sent them both to the surface thankfully.

    In short, it's amazing, but don't be dumb and also splurge on a great flashlight set
     
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  22. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    Love wreck diving, that’s my jam. Haven’t done a ton, mostly in the Keys and Mexico...but so many wrecks that are on my bucket list. Buddy and I are doing the u-352 dive soon...I’m excite.
     
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  23. Simon Templar

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    Love cave and wreck diving. Done plenty of both. My 12yo just got certified so we did his first couple real open water dives about a week ago. Saw some 12ft Galapagos sharks, a couple small white tip reef sharks, a bunch of sea turtles, played with a couple octopi we dug out, a manta ray...

    I tried to explain all dives aren’t like that but he’s totally hooked.
     
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  24. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    Cave and Cavern diving would be cool but terrifies me. Especially after listening to this story.
    17 minutes but worth it
     
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  25. SkilleyBinner

    SkilleyBinner Well-Known Member
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    Bonaire is awesome. Personally I would get certified before you go. The air rentals are unlimited, so you will get several more dives in yourself the first two days over doing just your cert dives that day. But either way, the place is amazing and you will be a skilled diver after that trip. I am super jelly.

    Also, a nitrox certification may be a good idea. It is very easy to get and with the volume of dives you will likely be doing it will significantly reduce your recovery/surface times.
     
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  26. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    Seen that, shits crazy
     
  27. -Asshole-

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    I read it as you like cave-wreck diving and immediately stared judging you as that guy that always to one-up a story.
     
  28. Simon Templar

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    Nah. We weren’t doing cave or wreck. He’s only junior open water because of his age so we are pretty confined (supposedly 40’) but we were around 70’ most of the time.
     
  29. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    I always say nitrox should be the second cert you get.....it’s worth it.
     
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  30. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    89F73CBD-D685-4CDD-8C58-A40556B08162.jpeg




    Doing a little diving on the Spiegel Grove....
     
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  31. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    We were living in Miami for the first three years of the spiegel after it was sunk prior to it being moved by Dennis. I’ve heard it’s awesome now but I haven’t dove it since early 2005. Wish we could get down there when we are in town at the end of the month but will probably just dive off Lauderdale since we only have one morning available to dive.

    What do you think of it now? Did you dive it on its side? Differences besides it starting shallower now? I imagine the reef is way more mature, who’s the variety of sea life now?
     
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  32. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    We’ve dove it 16 times, I like diving it now better....I like it being up right. The last time we were on it, I was at the bottom around the props....not paying attention and I heard the loudest thump I’ve ever heard. Almost shit myself lol.....it was the biggest Grouper I’ve ever seen. It’s a great dive, but my favorite dive is still the USS Duane. Have you been on that? Love the drift diving off Ft Lauderdale, so clear.
     
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  33. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    I have dove the Duane and agree especially from 02-05 it was way better than a newly sunk Spiegel. Lots of people that came to visit wanted to dive SG though. Haven’t been down there to dive in years but I agree on the drift diving. So nice. I used to run the marketing for a bunch of resorts in south Florida and was based out of Pompano Beach but lived down in Coral Gables.
     
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  34. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    So.... After taking the full SDI/TDI online course, I couldn't make it to the dive shop in Pensacola to complete my certification. I'm literally having to now do the full PADI online course before going to pool sessions tonight, and then will still have to spend 2 full days doing the open water certification in Bonaire on arrival. I'll be so happy to have this bullshit certification done and behind me. Wish I'd taken it in college or something, because doing this while working is on expensive pain in the ass.
     
  35. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    Man that sucks. Hopefully it’s not too painful
     
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  36. Gin Buckets

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    Just let me complain mk?
     
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  37. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    I was being serious. That open water class online is a lot to cram into one day.
     
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  38. Gin Buckets

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    Finished pool tonight thank god. Now just need the 2 open water dives and I'm golden.

    One of the girls on my trip is named Brittany, so my BWRAF acronym is Brittany Was Ripping Aggressive Farts. Haven't told her that yet though. Her brother, who is also going, is named Brett, and I originally had Brett Winked At Rusty Flirtatiously (we have a mutual friend named Rusty), but realized that wasn't the right order sadly.
     
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  39. Why?Pokes

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    Getting certified this week.

    Looking forward to handing the baby off to the in-laws and starting the confined/open dives—doing the coursework with a 6 mos old screaming in my ear has been a bit of a chore.
     
  40. Vito Corleone

    Vito Corleone Deluxe Member
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    Equalizing might not be great for your ears either

    Enjoy, it's my favorite hobby
     
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  41. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    haha yeah I’m in the ocean almost every day but do very little freediving. Every time I snorkel I squeeze the crap out of my airspaces. Hopefully the lessons will help me get more out of both.

    Got my dives lined up for tmrw, thurs, and fri. Fingers crossed the wind dies so they don’t cancel. The plan is to get me certified by the weekend when LadyPokes starts her vacation so we can do some dives together. We also have a buddy that’s out at least once a week who’s been begging us to join.
     
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  42. stangd

    stangd I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch
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    hell ya, enjoy. I absolutely love diving....it's so peaceful it my time to relax.
     
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  43. tylerdolphin

    tylerdolphin My spoon is too big
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    I got a go pro and a underwater case for it. I should probably upload a few of the videos I took and try get some more for this thread. I haven't been videoing as much as I should since usually get into a work rhythm and just forget to.
     
  44. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Got all my pool training done and 2 of my open water dives, just 2 more to go tmrw. Really clear and calm conditions, whales and dolphins everywhere. Saw a big octo and eagle ray, some other cool stuff, lots of healthy reef.

    Tsunami warning from that earthquake in NZ hit between the first and second dive. By the time I got back to my car had about 20 text msgs about it.
     
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  45. tylerdolphin

    tylerdolphin My spoon is too big
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    Whales? That's really cool. Never seen one in person.

    All of the guys in the boat I work on pretty much have a standing agreement that of any of us ever spots a whale shark while we are working, everyone is getting called over there and work is going on the back burner. A whale or whale shark is definitely on my bucket list.
     
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  46. Why?Pokes

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    Yeah we get buckets of them. Mostly humpbacks, but a lot of greys, blues, and a smorgasbord of others. We’re at the tail end of the season, this year has been really really good. I’ll spot a half dozen minimum just driving to the shore. I haven’t gone surfing the past few months without seeing at least 1 breach.

    I’d love to swim w/ a whale shark. Freedivers seem to have better luck b/c they move so fast. The true whales tend to stick to their spots (birthing season).
     
  47. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    It’s absolutely incredible. My son and I have seen some pretty incredible things but a whale shark is tops for me
     
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  48. Vito Corleone

    Vito Corleone Deluxe Member
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    I remember being at about 80 feet on a super sunny day when it got dark. I assumed it was a cloud, but nope, it was a whale shark swimming above me. Without a doubt the coolest dive experience of my life. I would pay quite a bit to get to swim around one again.

    #coolstorybro
     
    #148 Vito Corleone, Mar 5, 2021
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2021
  49. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    Even though they aren't hostile to humans, having a whale shark directly in front of you roughly 10 feet away is definitely an Oh Shit moment. So cool
     
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  50. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    Absolutely. We had about 20 just cruising around with some giant mantas. Just absolutely surreal
     
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