How many of you dive or would like to dive a reef someday?

Are you a certified diver?

  • YES

    Votes: 323 46.5%
  • NO

    Votes: 132 19.0%
  • No, but would like to get certified

    Votes: 223 32.1%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 16 2.3%

  • Total voters
    694

Theulli

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Certified since 2002 by Wild Joe's Deep Sea Scooba and Jackalope Safari Outfitters "If you don't make it back, you get your money back" out of Casper, WY.
 

Larz_1

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Saw the ocean for the first time in 2005 on our honeymoon to Maui, HI.
That is when I got the saltwater bug and got my first reef tank.
Been back several times and snorkeled a lot.

I finally got certified in 2019 for my 50th birthday.
Did a few dives off Key Largo, FL then we went to Taveuni, Fiji for my first "real" dives. :)
Been back to FL a couple of times since then and we have a Cozumel trip planned for the end of June '21.

I wish I had started diving earlier - I LOVE it!

Here's a few of the better shots I took in Fiji with my point-and-pray camera

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And a few from Florida with a better UW camera.
(Still working on my photo and editing skills ... ;) )

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musaabi

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I’ve been qualified since I was 16 so 12 years now. I’ve dove Belize, Hawaii, Red Sea, and the Dominican Republic. Coney Island as well if that counts LOL. Done some shark dives as well. Here’s some pictures.
 

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P-Dub

The ocean is open to all, merciful to none.
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I have been diving since 1993. Open water through Dive Master, Mixed gas, and Technical. I have dove Maui, where I first learned, the Big Island, Throughout Southern California, Eastern Sierra including Mono Lake, Florida, Mexico through the Sea of Cortez, Guam, Saipan, Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Note to other divers, don't dive a liveaboard, you'll never want to do a dive vacation any other way. I stopped logging my dives after 3682 dives. I always had fish tanks growing up and would freedive and spearfish while a kid in San Diego. When I moved to Maui, a buddy I met there was an instructor, after that, I didn't look back at freediving till I moved to where I am now. While living on Maui, I got the Reef tank bug.
Favorite place is Palau. My wife and I have visited and dived in Palau 7 times. The most memorable dive, in a positive way, was a technical, deep, wreck dive on the San Francisco Maru in Chuuk. We are fortunate to be located in the tropics which affords a unique and interesting opportunity to have a reef tank and got back into UW photography. Since moving to our current home, I have gotten back into freediving and spearfishing and that predominates my time in the water now.
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brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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ok here's my bandit story of diving. flashback to 2009
on youtube, kids diving in their rich parent's pools with spare air units...im talking 4 year olds shooting around like a dolphin 10-0 feet full speed infant torpedo, were all the rage. I have been cert'd a while now

yes pool diving with a spare air is dangerous no doubt/holding breath we're aware. and no five year old youtube star even if trained should do it

but my kid lol was nine and and advanced tech offspringshoot. so we practiced breathing control using mask and snorkel. for weeks on end summer of 09

she can mask replace, clear outstanding. she always vents air, completely understands the rationale, we did the underwater small balloon trick in the ymca pool.

we began spare air practice in the 3 foot knowing well in planning that's the rapid-expand most danger zone she simply aced all skills test.

week later, moved to five foot, hover, no hold breath and she's able now.

then we're full deep end lol stay away from drain but edges are fun. we practiced abandoning the unit and letting air and rising, never holding breath the infant was trained as plain as day.

we then proceeded to rent rooms all over san Antonio and became the only micro diving family on the tourist circuit for the 5 foot hotel class. we even did some clandestine missions where we went into the san Antonio public pool with a 3 meter board, 25 foot deep hole and dived it by just de boarding gear from a nike bag and jumping in. didn't come back up a while

the way we refilled was a tank in the trunk. if you lay a wet towel over it the tank stays cool any time its handled, rather amazing physics. if I told you how much a difference one wet towel makes laid over steel, in an otherwise very hot trunk, you wouldn't believe me.
 
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BeTreyed

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I'd love to get certified someday, its such a cool experience to be out on the reefs.

I live in Florida and my wife and I's favorite happy place is down in the Keys. We both snorkeled on the reefs there. Also I took a college ecology course and visited Australia as part of the class. Snorkeled the Great Barrier and visited John Adam's University there. Got to meet some very cool professors there Dr Jamie Seymour (was with Steve Irwin when he passed) and Dr Terry Hughes (really cool reef scienctist).

Id love to go back someday and dive the reefs there again. Such a cool experience.
 

Paul B

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I have been diving since 1970 and got certified in I think 73 or so. First dive was on the Great Barrier Reef while I was on R&R. I had my own boat and equipment and did mostly lobster diving in New York but have been all over the place. I stopped diving a few years ago as my new knee doesn't like, and I got old so I knew when to quit. But I still have my boat.
My favorite dives were in the South Pacific off the Islands of Tahiti.
In those days the only certification was "Basic SCUBA Diver" That covered everything. :p
 

Scott97062

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Started Diving in 1996. Cancun & Cozumel. Been back a couple of times and several locations along the Mexican riviera. Don't get to half often enough. Absolutely love it.. Dove with sharks twice what an amazing experience.
 

cil311

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My wife and I are divers. Here is a shot when we went to the Red Sea.
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Sea Witch

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I have done shallow dives more than a dozen times... The Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii, all through the Caribbean and the South Pacific like Turks and Caicos, Aruba. I dove in the French Polynesia places like Fiji and Bora Bora. But once you've seen the Great Barrier Reef... Nothing will ever impress you again
... Except for some of you guys tanks... some of them are Absolutely cleaner than any natural reef you'll see. I'm not certified and don't have a desire to do so. There's a couple of ships in places like Barbados where you won't have to dive so deep to see a wreck. Most coral is near to the light and that's what I enjoy the most. I've traveled to Europe but missed our opportunity to dive. Now I just keep my lil fishbowl to look at and the memories... But I can't imagine not going.... Its just to beautiful not to see again and again. ‍♀️




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dvr3180

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Most of us saltwater aquarium hobbyists have a fascination for the ocean and more specifically coral reefs! Seeing the fish and all the critters zooming around a coral reef is really inspiring to those of us who are reef keepers. But how many of you are actually certified divers and have you got to dive any coral reefs yet? Let's talk about it!

1. Are you a certified diver and how long have you been diving? Seen any cool reefs?

2. If you're not a certified diver now, would you like to get certified in the future?



PS. Show off some of your dive pics and videos!
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dvr3180

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Most of us saltwater aquarium hobbyists have a fascination for the ocean and more specifically coral reefs! Seeing the fish and all the critters zooming around a coral reef is really inspiring to those of us who are reef keepers. But how many of you are actually certified divers and have you got to dive any coral reefs yet? Let's talk about it!

1. Are you a certified diver and how long have you been diving? Seen any cool reefs?

2. If you're not a certified diver now, would you like to get certified in the future?



PS. Show off some of your dive pics and videos!
bigstock-Scuba-Diving-on-a-Coral-Reef-w-26725130.jpg
Certified diver for 23 years and love it. Dive the beautiful Florida keys every year.
 

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NigelRichardson

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I don't work for the Government. I'm not in the tourism industry. So I'm not pushing any agenda here.... but....

As someone who grew up in the UK, and was fortunate enough to be "sent" to Australia for work (Sent here for a 12 month assignment, and I'm still here > 20 years later).... when this CV19 stuff is over, get yourself down to the Great Southern Land for some mind blowing scuba that you'll remember for the rest of your life.

Get yourself on a https://prodivecairns.com (Good) or https://www.mikeball.com (Best) live aboard and go lose yourself for a few days... (Anything close to the coast is too dived / fished / touristed out)

The reef isn't going to be there forever (Without getting political, the Government here isn't doing anywhere near enough to protect it), so get down here when you can and see it before its gone forever...

My photos don't do it justice, but 25-35 miles offshore the water is crystal clear, teeming with life and mind-blowing colours...

Our international borders are currently closed (and have been for > 12 months), but when they open again, I cannot recommend it highly enough...
 

SDJustin

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Here's a 100 second video of diving with sea lion pups off the coast of San Diego (actually Tijuana):

I was certified open water 1 in 1995. My first reef tank was 1996. Lots of certifications and dives and reef tanks since then.

Although it was re-runs of "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" as a kiddo where I first fell in love with the ocean.
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<seagull screech> "I love the ocean life (in French accent)" <seagull screech>
-Jacques Cousteau

that moment changed my life forever
 

Buckster

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PADI Open Water certified in 1984 along with advance certification. Enjoyed diving so much that I decided to continue my education and obtained my Rescue, Divemaster and Instructor Certifications. I have been to many islands and have seen an abundance of sea life. I could do an entire dive on a reef without extending the boundaries the size of a living room. Memories are coming back!
 

McPuff

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I got certified (SSI) in Cairns, QLD back in 1998 and my first dives were on the Great Barrier Reef. It was something I had wanted to do all my life and it didn't disappoint. Five subsequent visits to Oz but haven't been back up to Queensland. Definitely want to get back out there. Had a chance to do some snorkeling in Beqa harbour Fiji on that same trip in 1998. Mind blowing. Since then I have been to several places in the Caribbean, some lake diving (including ice) but nothing compares to Australia/Fiji. Wow.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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