SCUBA

[Cammalu]

I used to dive a long time ago and as my certification is good forever I thought about maybe taking it up again.

I don't have any equipment anymore and don't know if I want to buy or just rent.

Anyone else taking their diving hobby on the road??

 

[Queen]

I'm a diver too. As far as gear on the road goes I kept my reg and gauges, and my mask and find, everything else I'd rent. I'm not a fan of rentel regs since I don't know how well they've been maintained.

 

[Cammalu]

Right. I did think of that. Are you still actively diving?


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[MrNoodly]

There's the drawback of needing a dive buddy. That's kind of hard unless you have a fellow nomad diver, or diving friends you visit. But I still have my PADI card with me.

 

[Cammalu]

Duh, I don't know why I didn't even think about that. Maybe at a dive shop I could hook up with other divers.


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[Queen]

Right. I did think of that.  Are you still actively diving?


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Not since the knee replacement, I can't fin anymore. 

If you get a chance, sign up for a refresher, it's WAY different than it used to be. Very helpful when you have to use an "insta-buddy" on a dive boat.

 

[Cammalu]

I would have to have a refresher! I haven't been diving since I lived in Hawaii a jillion years ago.

I used to dive with a group and one guy just had one leg. He wasn't fast but who is underwater anyway. Maybe you don't have to use that leg.


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[Vagabound]

I first got NAUI certified in high school, and then couldn't continue because I was a poor kid who couldn't buy equipment. And then about 15 years later I went back to it. This time PADI and up through divemaster. Stuck with it for several years, and then life intervened. Kept all my snorkeling gear and sold everything else.

In the back of my mind I think I'll get back to it someday. I sure hope so because I enjoyed it , especially after I figured out how to actually do it. Which brings me to the comment about the one-legged guy not being very fast underwater. 

I think the biggest mistake that most people make diving is they think it's an underwater version of hiking. They go down and try to cover as much ground as possible, thinking it's going to make a good dive. Usually the reverse is true. One of the best dives I ever had was a time when I went down to the bottom of the anchor line, just held onto it, laid on the bottom, and didn't move until my air was nearly gone. I saw more interesting marine life in that dive than all the others.

Tom

 

[Cammalu]

Looks like there are enough of us to make some dives!

I sure understand about sitting on the bottom.

I used to go to the edge of the reef and sit and watch down into the deep drop off.

 

[Queen]

I used to dive with a group and one guy just had one leg.  He wasn't fast but who is underwater anyway.  Maybe you don't have to use that leg.

That's the plan, to try it with one fin.  I'll be the safety diver for some kids scuba camps again if I can get used to the solo fin style of diving.  Although during the pool work I only wear booties much of the time.

Hand signals are different now, and learning to dive can be done in a few hours so the skill level is much different than those of us who did it back in the day.

Like Vagabound I went up through divemaster but let it lapse because of the PADI insurance requirements.  Even diving for fun if you're on a boat and have a valid DM card, you can be held liable.  So I ditched it and just kept Rescue.

 

[Cammalu]

I only went as far as the first level Open Water.

Queen, since you have a bad leg/knee on one side and I have a bad leg on one side maybe we can tie the bad legs together and you kick on your side and me on the other like a sack race!!!!! [emoji3]


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[Queen]

Excellent idea!!

 

[highdesertranger]

I dive but different then all of you. never done the scuba. I have only done hookah and only in fresh water. I have no formal training, I was taught by a long time diver who was also my dive partner. he passed away last year, R.I.P. Robert. I have all the equipment, enough for two divers I only have one wet suit. I do this type of diving dredging for gold. you don't go very far or very deep. my dredges only have a working depth of about 18 feet, I mostly work in the 10 ft range. so maybe one day if anybody would be interested I would be happy to have you along. highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

Hookah diving! I think that would be a blast. I really didn't think of prospecting under water. You must be doing the prospecting big time if you have all this equipment.


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