Scuba expansion??

[foxt]

I have been certified since '85, and keeping marine tanks since slightly after then. I live in NY, so don't get to do much reef diving, but would love to see a section of R2r carved out for this ....

 

[Tautog]

I too got my certification here on LI, PADI, and didn't see it mentioned, but if your going get certified here in the states, I did in 1977 while in HS, 12 week course, it's worth it's weight in gold, and your life. Buy top quality equipment, it will last forever.

 

[GHsaltie]

@smokin'reefer I got certified in ginnie springs and blue grotto. I could care less to go to ginnie springs again, way too much of a tourist attraction, idiot drunk people all over the place trying to run over the divers and the river is so murky you can't see anything. Blue grotto I really liked, nothing spectacular but it's somewhere I would like to go again.

 

[smokin'reefer]

I too got my certification here on LI, PADI, and didn't see it mentioned, but if your going get certified here in the states, I did in 1977 while in HS, 12 week course, it's worth it's weight in gold, and your life. Buy top quality equipment, it will last forever.

It seems the best I've been able to gather is it is all split up now. I got my open water and it is basically a beginners permit. I can only go down to a max of 65 ft. All of the other specialty are seperate. Whether they did that for financial reasons or to better address each item Idk. I have already got my enriched air (nitrox) and am signed up to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy class. Hoping to work my way up to my advanced by January or February. That's when we have a slowdown at work.

I agree entirely with your gear recommendation. I got pretty good gear. Although not top of the line, but a good second or third. My buddy got some stuff off of Craigslist and I'm concerned about going more than 20 or 30 feet with him in it.

 

[Tautog]

Don't worry, there's not much to see beyond 65'. Colors fade, believe me, it's not worth hurting yourself to visit a plane or ship that's deep. I don't dive anymore than 60-70 feet. I went 180' once, it's just not worth the damage

 

[smokin'reefer]

That's what my guy from my LDS said. Most of the fun stuff is in that 40 to 60 foot range.

I still want to go down and at least experienced it once. It's probably like Disney. It's magical and mystical to you finally go there and realize "it's a small world" is a bunch of plywood cutouts.

Oops sorry * spoiler alert. *

 

[Tautog]

Hate to burst your bubble, but do the math, just under water your at 2 atmospheres or about 29 lbs / sq inch of pressure on your body, every 33' add 14.7 lbs/ sq. Inch, at 180' it feels like your between 2 walls pushing in on you with no place to go. Stand next to a wall, get your big, strong friend to push you against the wall with all his strength, that's what it feels like, but all over your body, it's not fun, and very dangerous. Please take the warning

 

[smokin'reefer]

Hate to burst your bubble, but do the math, just under water your at 2 atmospheres or about 29 lbs / sq inch of pressure on your body, every 33' add 14.7 lbs/ sq. Inch, at 180' it feels like your between 2 walls pushing in on you with no place to go. Stand next to a wall, get your big, strong friend to push you against the wall with all his strength, that's what it feels like, but all over your body, it's not fun, and very dangerous. Please take the warning

I am definitely not interested in going to 180'. I might max out at 100' and at that maybe only once.

I have a friend that is retired army. He was a rescue diver and did a lot of deep stuff. But it was short-lived because of the damage that it did.

I definitely take yours and His warnings both very seriously. I am over 50 years old and definitely do not want to do any more damage.

 

[Shon]

I second the idea for a new forum section. Maybe as a subsection in Lounge?

I have only been in a grain silo style pool (for my first check out), 40'-60' deep tree laden holes in the ICW (only/last time I used my BCD) and then nothing but salt swamp on a 100ft hooka rig. When your on the bottom you taste eggs in your regulator. I have been interested in going offshore, just never got the chance.

All of the other specialty are seperate. Whether they did that for financial reasons or to better address each item Idk

PADI and others probably got tired of open water divers dying in caves and other simular situations. Alot more to learn and know for certain types of dives. The islander 2hr course certs are dubbed "kill me course" for some reason. ;Dead

 

[smokin'reefer]

I second the idea for a new forum section. Maybe as a subsection in Lounge?

I have only been in a grain silo style pool (for my first check out), 40'-60' deep tree laden holes in the ICW (only/last time I used my BCD) and then nothing but salt swamp on a 100ft hooka rig. When your on the bottom you taste eggs in your regulator. I have been interested in going offshore, just never got the chance.



PADI and others probably got tired of open water divers dying in caves and other simular situations. Alot more to learn and know for certain types of dives. The islander 2hr course certs are dubbed "kill me course" for some reason. ;Dead

That's what I was thinking.

Or its own category like the photography forum has. With a Decompression lounge for sharing pics and dive experiences and possibly another sub-category for gear and equipment questions and trading.

 

[BrettMallette]

I got certified years ago i think i was about 12. So thats going on 18 years ago now. My love for diving tranfered into becoming a surfacw supplied diver. Only tickets i dont have for surface supplied are bomb diffusal since i didnt join the navy or get training through it or ROV pilot. ROVs were just becoming a big thing in the industry when i retired years ago due to an undeserved bend in my shoulder. Id like to scuba dive again but its always gonna be a gamble to get bent again. I have been to some awesome dive sites and have had the joys of doing 500 foot bell dives as well :)

 

[BrettMallette]

Hate to burst your bubble, but do the math, just under water your at 2 atmospheres or about 29 lbs / sq inch of pressure on your body, every 33' add 14.7 lbs/ sq. Inch, at 180' it feels like your between 2 walls pushing in on you with no place to go. Stand next to a wall, get your big, strong friend to push you against the wall with all his strength, that's what it feels like, but all over your body, it's not fun, and very dangerous. Please take the warning

Depends how your diving. Wetsuit youll feel a pinch like no other. Dry suit and full helmet on the other hand and ull feel like your floating on the moon. Unless your wearing a Mach helmet then ull feel like your inside a giant balloon with a tuna can on your head.

 

[smokin'reefer]

I got certified years ago i think i was about 12. So thats going on 18 years ago now. My love for diving tranfered into becoming a surfacw supplied diver. Only tickets i dont have for surface supplied are bomb diffusal since i didnt join the navy or get training through it or ROV pilot. ROVs were just becoming a big thing in the industry when i retired years ago due to an undeserved bend in my shoulder. Id like to scuba dive again but its always gonna be a gamble to get bent again. I have been to some awesome dive sites and have had the joys of doing 500 foot bell dives as well :)

Super cool. Bet you have some great to to share with your experiences.

 

[BrettMallette]

Super cool. Bet you have some great to to share with your experiences.

Wish i still had all my dive footage. My logbook has 1231 dives logged from work alone. Will dig thru my pics when i get home. I know i have a pic of me in a Jap hat but dont know what i have for work projects or recreational diving its all on hard drives somewhere. Coolest thing ive seen or done is dive with narwhals and beluga whales in Hudsons Bay. Or possibly my many encounters with 8+ foot sturgeon in dam tailings. All my deep stuff was on oil rigs in the gulf of mexico with no cool visitors some of the guys got to see whale sharks and sea turtles i was never lucky enough, just remoras here and there as well as the odd shark shadow off in the distan e.