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

Haydn

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Ex-diver- BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club) Open water instructor, mixed gas/trimix qualified.

Warm water- Red Sea, Maldives, South Africa, Philippines, Cuba. Cool water- Mediterranean. Cold water- Norway fjords, Baltic, Seas round the UK, too many f/w lakes to remember.

Best reef dive- every one of them! Most interesting- 83M on a WWII submarine in the North Sea UK. Deepest (don't tell the wife!) -100M wreck dive Scapa Flow, Scotland. Notable encounters- Swimming with Basking Sharks off Cornwall, UK. Manta rays in SA. Spending over an hour at 8M cataloguing the fish/invert life living on a 1M round table Acropora head.

Ex diver because I had a heart attack in 2009 and had to give up, my diving now is restricted to cleaning the bottom drains in the Koi pond a couple of times a year:(
 

islandgirl1976

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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
Maui, Texas, Florida, Cozumel! I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder a few years ago so had to hang up my regulator but I live 4 miles from the beach and my 60 gal salt tank keeps me busy!
 

islandgirl1976

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certified Open Water 1984
certified PADI Instructor (now retired) 1987

reef dives: Florida Keys, Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Brac, Hawaii

most memorable dives:
Cayman Brac ( my first salt dive) positioned to do a backwards roll, the tank, with the regulator, slipped out of the rental back pac in to the water. the captain looks over the side, looks at me and sez "that's 60' . hope you can hold your breath." ;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious
WW2 tank in 60' off of Mauii
Lava Tubes off of Mauii
holding a 4' green moray in Belize
Coast Guard cutter wreck in the Keys
wall dives in the Bahamas

best memories are while snorkeling though.
manatees in Crystal River, Fl.
turtles off a beach in Kauai.
tarpon in Belize
sharks in the Keys and the Bahamas
Yes!! Crystal river is a blast!!!
 

Nobbygas

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I'm a qualified PADI Divemaster. Most of my diving has been in the Red Sea, but I've also dived in many other places including South Africa, Mozambique, Sudan. I've dived on Précontinent II, near a reef known as Sha’ab Rum off the coast of Sudan which was the underwater living experiment conducted by Jacques Cousteau. It was diving that gave me my 'need' to have a saltwater aquarium.
 

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

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
 

rantipole

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Been diving once and loved it! My brother-in-law and I are planning on getting certified this coming winter.

On a related note, has anyone dived in the Galapagos? Is that possible?

Cheers,
rant
 

Zionas

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I would love to explore the Pacific shipwrecks of sunken USN and IJN ships. Savo Island would be really cool. The Atlanta, an AA cruiser, was sunk by Japanese gunfire and its wreck is about 430 feet below the surface.

Exploring the Yamato and Musashi would be even cooler but they’re way way down deep. During the Battle of Okinawa they had a plan to beach the Yamato and turn it into a stationary gun battery that would smash the landings of the Army and Marines.

Oh well, this is not a history forum ahaha.
 

jopo4343

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I would love to go diving. Especially moving to Florida in two years but ....... I don't know how to swim.... that seems kinda important in this.
 

unchaotic

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Probably won't ever get into it considering I live in North Dakota. But we did some snorkeling a few years back in Cancun and got to meet some very curious colorful fish.

Unfortunately I was SEVERELY hung over (threw up something like 15 times that day) so I didn't fully enjoy all of it. But when we were suddenly swimming in a large school of barracuda even the hangover couldn't stop me from enjoying that, I love those beasts!
 

Sonor

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I got my first scuba cert in 1972. Most of my diving was in Calif. waters (local). They included night, wreck, and a lot of kelp diving. Also a member of a local underwater photography club for 4 or 5 years. Some other areas I was fortunate enough to dive were the Bahamas, BVI's, Hawaii, and American Samoa. The majority was in the 70's and 80's. Now I have some great memories, photos, and enjoy my mixed reef tank.
 

SMB

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I was certified in 1970 and hung up my gear after logging my 2000th dive. It just got too hard to travel with dive gear and cameras. 99% of my time underwater was spent on tropical reefs. I just don't think there is any better experience than exploring the incredible biodiversity of a reef. I was lucky to spend several years living on a Caribbean island and teach underwater photography.
Funny thing is, I had my first marine aquarium with bleached coral and Three Spot damsels before I had ever thought about learning how to dive. But Mike Nelson (some of you will get that) got me hooked.
I would bet that most of the folks on this site who have spent time underwater on a reef can be identified by the aquascaping of their aquariums.
20111207_Day 4 Siquijor_204809_25645.jpg
 

CanuckReefer

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Been diving once and loved it! My brother-in-law and I are planning on getting certified this coming winter.

On a related note, has anyone dived in the Galapagos? Is that possible?

Cheers,
rant
It certainly is, and one of the best places on earth to do it. Deep water pelagic species especially.... it was almost....booked, and then....The Vid. It will happen for this guy eventually lol....
 

NM All beach no ocean

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Paid Certified in 1985
Open water diver, Advanced Open water diver, Equipment diver, Rescue diver. Started diving when I was stationed in Okinawa. Further fueled my interest in SW aquariums which began back in 1978.
 

MarineBiologist!

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I have not been certified, because it was more about the money at the time, now it's the lack of time.

However, I have been given some of the most incredible opportunities to do snorkeling and some free diving. I did Maya Rivera Mexico, Maui, CocoCay in the Bahamas (one of my favorites actually), Barbados and my favorite of all time... The Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos was incredible! So cold that I couldn't even feel the jellyfish sting The sea lions like to help you snorkel too.

One day I do plan to get around to being SCUBA certified, but until then, snorkeling is just fine with me.
 

Birthisel

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Diving 50 years, mostly in the FL Keys. I grew a bit bored and disillusioned with environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. I started a deeper phase of diving about 25 years ago when I began farming the ocean by raising the full spectrum of reef animals and plants in a deserted area of sand just outside the main reef line. The now-business supplies living coral reefs for aquarists, particularly zoos and public displays. Now I see biodiversity increasing and it is a much more enjoyable experience. Diving aquarists are invited to harvest their own reefs, and even grow their own ocean gardens with our expert guidance, See www,terrasubaqua.com
 

Freenow54

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This is for all those people wanting to learn to dive. When you take the course you will find out very quickly whether you can do it. Before you go make sure you get lots of swim time in. Also be very careful who you dive with. You need someone you can trust completely. I had three experiences where I was abandoned. I was asked to take an inexperienced diver under my wing, on a wreck dive zero visibility. This guy took off on me as soon as we hit the wreck. Only 40 feet but he was my responsibility. I chased him trough the whole dive. Him kicking me in the face with his fins. Finally he stopped turned around and I put my mask right against his. He realized he had no clue as to where he was. I didn't either but I knew where up was. His eyes got as big as saucers and was going to panic. I had to go to extreme measures to calm him down and get him back on the boat. At least the day wasn't ruined as the Canadian National Exabistion was on and it was the air show. Fantastic BBQ and air show.
My worst experience was in Cozumel Mexico. We were doing a shore night dive. Again my so called buddy took off. I ended up losing him he went into a sunken US bomber. The dive was spectacular. Everything is swimming freely that you don't see in the day. Then my flashlight went out. Quite the feeling. No moon totally black. Not a comfortable feeling. I hugged the bottom coming up only to get my bearings. Went I got to shore there was my " buddy " laughing it up with some others totally oblivious as to what he did. I wanted to do something pretty drastic lets just say. But I did not think Mexican jail would have been very good. Instead I sat at a cabana drank beer with a couple of German tourists that did not speak English , and had lost there luggage.
Anyway I did photography, but was a long time ago, and was with a Nikonos all my pictures are on slides.
Diving came so natural to me it is the one thing I found I was meant to do. But be aware if you dive down south you wont want to dive anywhere else. Here for me all is grey no color at all
 

Laith

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I'm a dive instructor on the side (more as a hobby) and I've had the chance and opportunity to dive all over the world... Corsica, Crete, Croatia, South of France, Red Sea, Seychelles, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji, Palau, Cook Islands, Australia, Papa New Guinea, Baja California, Belize, Roatan, Mexico (Cozumel) among others. Many of my dive trips have been on dive cruises where you live on the boat and go to places not easily reachable on a normal day dive trip and where you can dive three or four times a day ;Happy. Two on my list that I have not yet dove are the Cocos Islands and Galapagos (hammerheads!!).

For coral diving, the best I've dove is the Red Sea and the Maldives. Overall I rate the Red Sea as in the top three destinations, if not the top one for the coral and diversity and quantity of fish life. And I'm lucky that it's only a 3-4 hour flight from home! ;Joyful

The least impressive diving I've done has been the ones in the Caribbean (though I haven't dove the islands, only the western Caribbean in Belize, Roatan and Mexico). I just found that though the visibility was sometimes fantastic, there was a lack of abundance of both fish and coral gardens... and NO CLOWN FISH! ;Wideyed

The Mediterranean is great diving for things like wrecks (but usually deep technical dives) but is not at all tropical diving with little to no coral.

My avatar is a picture I took of an oceanic white tip shark while on a dive cruise mid Red Sea.
 

CanuckReefer

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I'm a dive instructor on the side (more as a hobby) and I've had the chance and opportunity to dive all over the world... Corsica, Crete, Croatia, South of France, Red Sea, Seychelles, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji, Palau, Cook Islands, Australia, Papa New Guinea, Baja California, Belize, Roatan, Mexico (Cozumel) among others. Many of my dive trips have been on dive cruises where you live on the boat and go to places not easily reachable on a normal day dive trip and where you can dive three or four times a day ;Happy. Two on my list that I have not yet dove are the Cocos Islands and Galapagos (hammerheads!!).

For coral diving, the best I've dove is the Red Sea and the Maldives. Overall I rate the Red Sea as in the top three destinations, if not the top one for the coral and diversity and quantity of fish life. And I'm lucky that it's only a 3-4 hour flight from home! ;Joyful

The least impressive diving I've done has been the ones in the Caribbean (though I haven't dove the islands, only the western Caribbean in Belize, Roatan and Mexico). I just found that though the visibility was sometimes fantastic, there was a lack of abundance of both fish and coral gardens... and NO CLOWN FISH! ;Wideyed

The Mediterranean is great diving for things like wrecks (but usually deep technical dives) but is not at all tropical diving with little to no coral.

My avatar is a picture I took of an oceanic white tip shark while on a dive cruise mid Red Sea.
Very nice list of destinations, I thought mine was big!
I am wondering if the impressive marine life in Red Sea has anything to do with what I have heard it is higher salinity than most places?
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
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