Any scuba divers here?

[427cobra]

I've been thinking about taking up scuba diving. Anybody here dive? I'd like to learn as much as I can about it and any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[#1tankcomander]

I've been thinking about taking up scuba diving. Anybody here dive? I'd like to learn as much as I can about it and any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yep. What ya wanna know?

 

[427cobra]

I don't even know what questions to ask, that's how basic it stil is to me. What should I even think about asking. Anything you want to tell is fine by me. I'm all ears!

 

[freakygirl]

Mr Freaky used to do it all the time.

His advice is.. take a class. It's the only way to learn.

 

[427cobra]

Mr Freaky used to do it all the time.

His advice is.. take a class. It's the only way to learn.

Yeah I was going to start looking into it, but thought I'd I'd ask around here too. Did your husband enjoy the experience?

 

[427cobra]

Are there any particular associations that I should know about? Like divers groups and such?

 

[freakygirl]

Yeah I was going to start looking into it, but thought I'd I'd ask around here too. Did your husband enjoy the experience?

He loved it. He started real young when he lived in Cuba. He only gave it up a few years ago. Still have all of his gear too. I might be able to talk him into doing it again this summer. He needs a damn hobby. LOL

 

[427cobra]

He loved it. He started real young when he lived in Cuba. He only gave it up a few years ago. Still have all of his gear too. I might be able to talk him into doing it again this summer. He needs a damn hobby. LOL

Why'd he give it up? Time? Health? Pretty wife?

 

[#1tankcomander]

Take classes from a reputable bussiness. Call around, find out everything you can from all the shops in your area. Go in and ask questions about classes, what gear you need to buy for classes.

When you buy equipment make sure it's in good condition IE: tand hydrostated reciently, but I'd buy a new regulator, you never know what you get!

Call travel agencies and see what license is common in the places you'd like to dive. Some places don't recognize some of the most common ones. You can't get air or equipment rental without it.

Buy a good mask and snorkle. You need the nose pencher type for the ears.


Pm me if you are serious. It's not a cheap hobby!

 

[freakygirl]

Why'd he give it up? Time? Health? Pretty wife?

Time and money...

I don't know his wife.. so I don't know if she is pretty or not. I'm just the girlfriend.

 

[427cobra]

Time and money...

I don't know his wife.. so I don't know if she is pretty or not. I'm just the girlfriend.

Sorry, hope I didn't step on any toes there.

 

[freakygirl]

Sorry, hope I didn't step on any toes there.

LOL. I was joking.

He isn't married

 

[427cobra]

LOL. I was joking.

He isn't married

*wipes brow* Ok, good! Sometimes it's still tough for me to tell here.

 

[427cobra]

I'd guess first rate gear would be highly expensive, but how little should I not spend. If I went too cheap that'd probably be bad too, right?

 

[SkAoUt]

I too am thinking of taking a course.

I've got to be decisive since the course starts tonight.

A couple questions:

Tank mentioned its an expensive hobby. How so? I thought that once you have the gear it gets pretty cheap. Just tank rentals and chartering or renting a boat. At least thats what I've been led to believe.

Also once you got your certificate or license did you rent gear or what? What would a beginner expect to pay for basic equipment (I'd be going the used route where it was safe to do so)

 

[Cleopatra]

I too am thinking of taking a course.

I've got to be decisive since the course starts tonight.

A couple questions:

Tank mentioned its an expensive hobby. How so? I thought that once you have the gear it gets pretty cheap. Just tank rentals and chartering or renting a boat. At least thats what I've been led to believe.

Also once you got your certificate or license did you rent gear or what? What would a beginner expect to pay for basic equipment (I'd be going the used route where it was safe to do so)

The gear itself is expensive - wetsuits, dry suits, fins, mask, regulator, weight vests, etc.

You can rent gear, but you want to rent from somewhere reliable - if you go out of the US, many places don't maintain their equipment all that well, and I don't know about anyone else, but if I'm going to be 60 ft down, I want to be confident that my equipment is going to work properly.

It's been a while since I bought my stuff, so I don't know current prices, but if you have an interest, take the class. You can always get your PADI card and then renew it if you want to continue, or if you go to a resort, many places will give a couple hour quickie "learn to scuba" in the pool and take you out.

 

[Guest]

 

[SkAoUt]

Thanks Cleopatra

Tank mentioned about asking if the tanks have had a hydrostatic test recently which I will do.

Any ideas about the price ranges for equipping oneself with the the necessary basic equipment? It may be gauche to ask but how much was your gear?

I imagine that one needs a partner to go diving. I don't know anyone who dives. So finding a partner is something else to think about. Have any of you litsters that dive had problems finding dive partners?

 

[SkAoUt]

I've joined up for a course.

Tonight is the first class.

45 hours of instruction (over the course of a month) for PADI Open Water Certification.

 

[Cleopatra]

Thanks Cleopatra

Tank mentioned about asking if the tanks have had a hydrostatic test recently which I will do.

Any ideas about the price ranges for equipping oneself with the the necessary basic equipment? It may be gauche to ask but how much was your gear?

I imagine that one needs a partner to go diving. I don't know anyone who dives. So finding a partner is something else to think about. Have any of you litsters that dive had problems finding dive partners?

I'm sorry, SkAoUt, but I have no clue as to prices. As I said, I got my stuff a long time ago, and I didn't pay for it. I imagine it would be easy to check prices online.

I didn't have a dive partner, but I wanted to learn because I was going to the best place on earth to dive, so I learned. At the resort, I was able to sign up to go with a group. I imagine you can do that, unless you are going to be really serious about it as a hobby - then you could probably find like-minded people in your area through the place you get your gear. Good luck.

 

[Gringao]

PADI is probably the more well-known certification body, but I've found that NAUI courses are more rigorous and leave you with more confidence in open water.

You won't need a wetsuit if you stick to diving in warm water, like the Virgin Islands, Caymans, etc.

 

[SkAoUt]

PADI is probably the more well-known certification body, but I've found that NAUI courses are more rigorous and leave you with more confidence in open water.

You won't need a wetsuit if you stick to diving in warm water, like the Virgin Islands, Caymans, etc.

thanks

I'm going to need a wet suit probably 13 mm too. the water here (Victoria B.C. Canaduh) is cool.

Instead of asking too many questions I'm going to spell out this course over the next little bit and maybe if someone is interested then they can do a search and hopefully this may help them.

I wonder if hijacking 427s thread is going to cause me grief?

So the course is a month long tuesdays and thursdays 6:00 - 9:00.
Tues in the class and thrus in the pool. plus 3 full days near the end of the month for actual dives.

Tonight we learned how to hook up the BCD (buoyancy control device [basically a vest that hold the tank to your body and also inflates etc..) to the tank. And the regulator to the tank via the k valve.

We got into the water and suited up (just short sleeved wet suits) put the boots on. Put some weights around our waist and then put on the BCD. Next were the fins (use your buddy to lean on for that one) and mask.

We practiced inflating our BCDs and floating and sinking (the neutral buoyancy thing) without the regulator. Next was getting comfortable breathing under water with the regulator. Also a bunch of exercises regarding clearing your regulator underwater and finding it if it got knocked out of your mouth etc... Clearing your mask of water while underwater came next. Then onto deeper water where we cleared our ears by holding your breath and nose and "breathing out".

There was some other stuff but that was the second lesson.

Some of the golden rules of scuba are never hold your breath and keep your stick on the ice.

Next week maybe we will learn about planning our dives using residual nitrogen times and no decompressing limits. Apparently its easy using the dive planner or if you have some extra cash a dive computer will do all the calculating.

 

[warrior queen]

i used to dive heaps.
lived on a yacht for near on 12 years, and dived some of the best places on the planet.

then i blew both eardrums when i went underwater while spinnaker-flying one day - and <BANG> end of diving for me.
can't pass the medical now

 

[Meekail]

I am not a professional but i do go for diving sometimes. I think i could help you out. Just give me a couple of days.

 

[SkAoUt]

I am not a professional but i do go for diving sometimes. I think i could help you out. Just give me a couple of days.

Thanks.

I'll be here all week.

i used to dive heaps.
lived on a yacht for near on 12 years, and dived some of the best places on the planet.

then i blew both eardrums when i went underwater while spinnaker-flying one day - and <BANG> end of diving for me.
can't pass the medical now

I'm jealous.

not about the eardrums though.

Sounds like the life.