Scuba Diving

I'm a non-current PADI instructor - but don't dive any more - last time was about 17 years ago, doing core samples on the bottom of a reservoir for a marine geologist. Damn, that was cold. Lost ALL light within 10' of the surface due to algae. Took a 500 watt spotlight down to see if that would help. Turned it on... nothing. Looked at it and I could see the coiled filament glowing a dull, dull red. Water ate all the light. Did I mention cold??

;)
 
PADI Open-water certified. Use it just often enough to remember, each time, "boy, I forgot a lot!"

One of Celia's better ideas.
 
This forum is so, well, mensch. What a pleasant change!
[am I allowed to say that?]

Has anyone thought about having a mask and semi-inflated BC, with pony bottle hooked up, beside you or in back on a long over-water flight. Engine goes, grab the stuff and shove it in the opened door before you hit. Would make the wait for the helo a lot more pleasant. Have a long knife in your socks as well of course.
 
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yeah, just don't pop the inflator cartridge on the way to the door . . .

"...can't ... squeeze...out..."
 
Chas said:
This forum is so, well, mensch. What a pleasant change!
[am I allowed to say that?]

Has anyone thought about having a mask and semi-inflated BC, with pony bottle hooked up, beside you or in back on a long over-water flight. Engine goes, grab the stuff and shove it in the opened door before you hit. Would make the wait for the helo a lot more pleasant. Have a long knife in your socks as well of course.
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Chas i thought about doing that going to OSH. across lake Michigan.
Dave G
 
Shipoke said:
.Planning on going to Florida this winter and swimming with the Mannatees at Crystal River..
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The Manatees are great. I have been doing that in Crystal River and neighboring Homosassa Springs sonce the 80's. A couple of hints. Forst skip the charters, they are expensive, crowded, and not always taking you to the best locations.

The better thing to do is to rent a small motor boat from one of several place and visit on your own. Start early in the morning as the Manatees are just waking up, go in January when it is more likely to be cold and the T's will be up in the spring. Then head to the Three Sisters Spring in Crytal River. This has the best vis and is not as likely to have the tour boats. Go slow, and stay away from the crowds of people. The T's are more likely to come to you if you do not chase them.

Also there is Homosassa springs. Rent a small boat or pontoon boat and cruise up the river to the spring head. The water is warm and the vis is ok.
 
etsisk said:
yeah, just don't pop the inflator cartridge on the way to the door . . .

"...can't ... squeeze...out..."
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Dating yourself with that comment Tom :D

BCDs since about the late 80's early 90's stopped using the CO2 cartridges for emergency inflation. Now it is just oral and low pressure inflator. You cannot even buy an upgrade option for the CO2. Seems too many people were popping the darn things at depth by accident and got into a runaway ascent. The accident data shows that most decompression illiness is from ascending too fast so the industry eliminated the CO2 inflator.

Now we teach the two method to inflate at the surface and go over weight dropping drills which will make you very postively bouyant.
 
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Scott,
Thanks for the explanation, I didn't really understand the reference to popping a cartridge, since I've never seen one on a BC. But I enjoyed the irony of the situation that Tom was envisaging, just the sort of thing that might happen to me!
The talk of watching manatees in FL is fascinating. I used to watch them in tanks, rather sad, when I was a kid visiting my grandparents in Bradenton. If I get the chance, I'll do as you suggest. They are such wonderful beasts. I'd also like to watch hippos in the wild from below, but probably wouldn't have the nerve. They are very short-tempered and headstrong. I was charged by one in Uganda once (in a Land Rover), fortunately it did not really hurt itself.
 
NASDS in 1975 (the year of "Jaws" - saw it just days before my open water ...) converted to PADI when NASDS went defunct. Dove at nearly every port of call the Navy gave me on the Med and WestPac cruises. Dove at least 3 times a week for 10 years in San Diego after the Navy. Moving to Colorado has crimped my diving and I'm down to once or twice a year in Cozumel et al.
 
Well you guys, i figured there was a few diver/pilots but i really didnt think there would be so many in just the POA.And there is probably more that dont read the posts regularly. Thank You
Dave G.
 
I have been a PADI certified diver since 1975. I have been in the water all over the world and in some pretty high lakes in northern California. Here in Nothern California the water is COLD and a full wet or dry suit is required. I do a lot of diving in Fort Bragg, CA where the water is clean with lots of wild life. Haven't spotted a Great White yet, but have swam with a Nurf Shark in Japan.


Stache
 
Shipoke said:
Well you guys, i figured there was a few diver/pilots but i really didnt think there would be so many in just the POA.And there is probably more that dont read the posts regularly. Thank You
Dave G.
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Dave it probably speaks to our spirit of Adventure.
 
Nav8tor said:
Adam, you should come along the next time Dave and I go to the quarry. If you havent' been to Dutch Springs in a while you'll be amazed at how clear the water is. There's been an overgrowth of zebra muscles which filter the water. The result is visiblities upwards of 30 feet. The clearer water also means warmer water temps. It's like a different quarry than the one you dove in back in 1985.
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Sounds like it could be fun Lee. Nice to hear the quarry is better. When I went I frozed my keister off even with a quater inch wet suit and the viz was arms legnth.
 
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