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I'm one of those people who will do every possible dive, so liveaboards are just about perfect. I had a bit of a hard time when I was in Bonaire because the group I was with only really wanted to do 2 dives a day.
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Feb 17, 2018 02:03
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Collateral Damage posted:If I'm doing three dives a day I'm usually using all my available surface time to eat and sleep. That's exactly what I did, and I made it through without the fatigue issues everyone else seemed to have. The rocking of the boat in the waves just put me to bed without any effort, I'd get in my bunk to edit video and grab stills then the next thing I know, it's time for the next dive 
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Feb 17, 2018 02:13
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DeadlyMuffin posted:I'm one of those people who will do every possible dive, so liveaboards are just about perfect. I had a bit of a hard time when I was in Bonaire because the group I was with only really wanted to do 2 dives a day. We want to try a live aboard at Truk lagoon but I’m not sure we will do more dives we will see.
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Feb 17, 2018 02:24
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If you go with the same liveaboard that I did, you can do up to 5 a day. That was a bit much, I cap out at 4 on a good day.
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Feb 17, 2018 06:16
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4 seems like a full schedule to me. 3 a day is where I top out if I’m keeping it up for a while, though.
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Feb 17, 2018 10:35
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4 a day is pretty exhausting, and really only doable if you're diving close to your base camp or from a liveaboard, otherwise packing up your gear and traveling to/from the dive site eats too much time. Collateral Damage fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Feb 17, 2018 |
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Feb 17, 2018 11:14
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Trivia posted:If you go with the same liveaboard that I did, you can do up to 5 a day. That was a bit much, I cap out at 4 on a good day. I’m sure that 5 dives a day would kill me.
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Feb 17, 2018 12:21
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I didn't do it, but the captain said the option was there. There was also a giant tank of helium for the techies. It was $1,000; all-or-nothin'.
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Feb 17, 2018 15:20
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Diving a zoo aquarium today, feeding the fish and making kids laugh through the glass. Feels good!
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Feb 17, 2018 18:05
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GORDON posted:Diving a zoo aquarium today, feeding the fish and making kids laugh through the glass. Feels good! My favorite kind of diving Kids seem to love it when I take out my reg and smile at them, and I had one stare at me in utter awe when I took my mask off, took out my reg to smile, and then put everything back on and signaled “Ok!” 
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Feb 17, 2018 18:11
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Trivia posted:If you go with the same liveaboard that I did, you can do up to 5 a day. That was a bit much, I cap out at 4 on a good day. I've done 6, which was a bit much since I started to feel rushed at the end. I only had that opportunity once though. I'll happily do 5, especially if the 5th is a night dive. It also really depends on the location for me. If it's a site I've dove a million times and conditions are starting to turn? I'm okay to punt (I did it this afternoon!). If I'm somewhere tropical and the choice is between a night dive and a night cap? I'm diving.
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Feb 19, 2018 01:37
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Aye, I'll always take another dive over a beer, in most cases. I don't pay thousands to get there and sit on a deck and drink overpriced swill. Always be divin'.
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Feb 19, 2018 04:53
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Hey all, I just had my first two back-to-back days of scuba training (first time!). It was really nerve wracking the first day but the second day I felt great! It was a ton of fun. Today everything hurts (I am not in the best shape though I am certainly not in poor health), including my chest if I take a deep breath. Obviously since it was all pool diving under tons of supervision I am not worried about DCI or anything but I just wanted to double check that my chest is probably just sore because I am not used to breathing so much compressed air for so long?
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Feb 19, 2018 19:35
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I am not a doctor but if you admit you're not an active person then I most certainly think it's all manner of physical fatigue. If you've ever gone swimming or played in the water for long periods you'll know that even your lungs can feel sore.
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Feb 19, 2018 20:10
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Knifegrab posted:Hey all, I just had my first two back-to-back days of scuba training (first time!). It was really nerve wracking the first day but the second day I felt great! It was a ton of fun. Today everything hurts (I am not in the best shape though I am certainly not in poor health), including my chest if I take a deep breath. Obviously since it was all pool diving under tons of supervision I am not worried about DCI or anything but I just wanted to double check that my chest is probably just sore because I am not used to breathing so much compressed air for so long? Its my opinion that exercise should be a part of everyone’s routine if they want to scuba dive.
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Feb 19, 2018 20:58
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Aren’t most scuba incidents related to out of shape fat dudes having heart attacks or whatever?
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Feb 19, 2018 22:40
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cowofwar posted:Aren’t most scuba incidents related to out of shape fat dudes having heart attacks or whatever? I believe I have read this too. I am a stick thin scrawny dude. I hike a fair bit, and go on walks/runs a lot with my pupper but I don't typically "hit the gym". I was able to pass the swim test though it was harder than I expected which probably does not bode well.
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Feb 20, 2018 00:08
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Knifegrab posted:I believe I have read this too. I am a stick thin scrawny dude. I hike a fair bit, and go on walks/runs a lot with my pupper but I don't typically "hit the gym". I was able to pass the swim test though it was harder than I expected which probably does not bode well. I’m not that great of a swimmer either, that’s why I bring my air with me 
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Feb 20, 2018 00:21
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cowofwar posted:Aren’t most scuba incidents related to out of shape fat dudes having heart attacks or whatever? Based on my flight home from Bonaire the title of scuba diver means you are at least 50-100 pounds overweight. One really nice woman we met this week was telling me she wears 24 pounds of weight “because I am fat”, she was definitely on the large size but that cant be right can it? I suggested she see a different dive instructor and work on trim and balance.
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Feb 20, 2018 01:05
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Ropes4u posted:Based on my flight home from Bonaire the title of scuba diver means you are at least 50-100 pounds overweight. One really nice woman we met this week was telling me she wears 24 pounds of weight “because I am fat”, she was definitely on the large size but that cant be right can it? ~16 lbs is close to normal for me in saltwater, using a 5mil (at least, when my 5mil was brand new  ) and I'm lean-ish, so that doesn't seem too far out of the question.
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Feb 20, 2018 03:43
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cowofwar posted:Aren’t most scuba incidents related to out of shape fat dudes having heart attacks or whatever? There's actually some question marks over that, there's a suspicion at least that a lot of those cases might be misdiagnosed pulmonary oedema and actually that is the leading cause of death. Differentiating it requires an autopsy (iirc) though since the symptoms are pretty similar. I'm not sure if it has any actual relevance for divers beyond maybe requiring some more specific health issues to be aware of. I've just finished up running my club's first training trip of the year in Lanzarote. It's been pretty middling diving but saw an well garden for the first time, a few cuttle fish and some rays. Also free accommodation and diving since the students cover that for instructors
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Feb 20, 2018 11:40
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I wear 8 pounds and think that 6 possibly four is doable with my 1.5 mil suit.
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Feb 20, 2018 22:12
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I need a good quality video light to go with my gopro. How many lumens should I get? 5k? 3k? What is a good one with a nice wide beam. I took a video in Ginnie springs this weekend and it came out...awful
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Feb 20, 2018 22:50
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When I looked into lights there was some good advice/advertising on https://www.backscatter.com/
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Feb 20, 2018 22:54
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lord1234 posted:I need a good quality video light to go with my gopro. How many lumens should I get? 5k? 3k? What is a good one with a nice wide beam. I took a video in Ginnie springs this weekend and it came out...awful I have had really good luck with the L&M Sola Series with gopros. They are sealed so you don't have to worry about o-rings, easy to operate underwater, and some have both flood and spot beams for added versatility. I use one as a primary light for night dives sometimes (spot beam on low)... on high it's like a light saber underwater. Instead of one mega-light you might want to consider 2 less bright lights. I started w/ a gopro & filter, then got a single handle tray w/ 1 light, then added a 2 handle tray with another light. That last one made a HUGE difference in stability and lighting in videos. The gopro FOV is so wide that with one light its hard to get the left and right evenly lit so you end up with dark areas on one side or the other.
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Feb 21, 2018 04:35
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cowofwar posted:Aren’t most scuba incidents related to out of shape fat dudes having heart attacks or whatever? A DAN study done a couple of years ago during lobster mini-season in the Keys had ~70% or so of the deaths caused by some health issue IIRC. Anecdotally in Key Largo it seems like it might be even higher based on rescue stories and new articles. A lot of divers look like they only leave the couch to go to work and back. Combine that with heat, dehydration, heavy gear, and then fighting your way through the (relatively cool) water because you are severely overweighted and you have the makings of a cardiac event. It happens to snorkelers pretty often too surprisingly.
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Feb 21, 2018 04:51
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I used a Tovatec 530 for all of the pics posted in this thread, but I want to get a tray setup with lights sooner or later. I talked to my buddy who took some amazing pics on the same trip as me, and he was running dual 3500 lumen lights. I think it may have been a bit overkill for the clear water of the Bahamas, but those exact same lights would probably be perfect in the more murky waters of NC where we normally dive.
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Feb 21, 2018 04:52
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Spring Break 2018 scuba trip booked, yay! Hitting Ginnie Springs, Florida, first. Anyone ever dive there? Is there enough to see for two dives for a couple people who aren't cave certified, or should we plan on just tubing the river after the first dive?
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Feb 23, 2018 19:27
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GORDON posted:Spring Break 2018 scuba trip booked, yay! There's plenty for 2 dives! There are 2 sides to the springs, one of them is the Ballroom and I could easily spend all day in there (flashlights required on this side). The other is where the actual caves are, and you can wander down to the entrances/Grim Reaper signs (no flashlights allowed on this side, unless cave certified). You can get down the little crack into Little Devil, go visit Devil's Eye, and depending on the visibility of the river you can get out to Devil's Ear. The water there will be the clearest you've ever seen, I'll go grab some pics from my last trip there and put them in another post.
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Feb 23, 2018 19:40
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In no particular order: Looking up out of Devil's Eye, from ~25ft down:  Looking up out of Little Devil:  The turtles gathering:  Swimming down the spring, away from the Ballroom:  Another turtle:  Where the spring meets the river, Ballroom side; the water in the spring is always ~72F, and the river fluctuates based on season. The net result is a thermocline that is effectively a wall instead of a floor. 
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Feb 23, 2018 19:50
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Got my first ocean dive tomorrow and I am nervous! Wish me luck!
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Feb 23, 2018 20:29
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GORDON posted:Spring Break 2018 scuba trip booked, yay! Also, when will you be there? My shop is running a trip there for the first full week of March. e: Ginnie, Blue Grotto, Devil’s Den, Paradise Springs, and Troy Springs (I think)
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Feb 23, 2018 21:02
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SuitcasePimp posted:I have had really good luck with the L&M Sola Series with gopros. They are sealed so you don't have to worry about o-rings, easy to operate underwater, and some have both flood and spot beams for added versatility. I use one as a primary light for night dives sometimes (spot beam on low)... on high it's like a light saber underwater. This is awesome and exactly where I’m heading. Currently using a single arm with filters. What lumen Solas would you recommend?
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Feb 23, 2018 22:41
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Knifegrab posted:Got my first ocean dive tomorrow and I am nervous! Wish me luck! Relax, keep breathing, and have fun :-) Let us know how it goes!
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Feb 23, 2018 22:41
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Icon Of Sin posted:Also, when will you be there? My shop is running a trip there for the first full week of March. Last week in March for Ginnie, then down to the Keys for a few days, and then rinsing the salt out of our gear at Blue Grotto and Devil's Den on the way home, first week of April. (Yes I know we'll be rinsing the salt out after each ocean dive, just being literary) Staying in one of the little cabins at Blue Grotto. :-D Been to BG and DD a few times. My kid and I love those two. BG was his first dive as a certified Jr. OW diver.
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Feb 24, 2018 03:01
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Knifegrab posted:Got my first ocean dive tomorrow and I am nervous! Wish me luck! Is "seasickness" still an unknown factor?  I have adorable pics of my kid leaning over the rail, his first ocean dive. We learned a lot that day.
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Feb 24, 2018 03:03
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GORDON posted:Is "seasickness" still an unknown factor? We're walking in through the surf!
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Feb 24, 2018 03:48
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Icon Of Sin posted:There's plenty for 2 dives! There are 2 sides to the springs, one of them is the Ballroom and I could easily spend all day in there (flashlights required on this side). The other is where the actual caves are, and you can wander down to the entrances/Grim Reaper signs (no flashlights allowed on this side, unless cave certified). You can get down the little crack into Little Devil, go visit Devil's Eye, and depending on the visibility of the river you can get out to Devil's Ear. The water there will be the clearest you've ever seen, I'll go grab some pics from my last trip there and put them in another post. Please do not do the above "wandering down to the reaper". You are going to go into there in pitch dark and if you don't know what you are doing you could kill yourself. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. OW certified divers are not allowed to bring lights into the Eye/Ear, you also will probably not know how to deal with flow and will potentially hurt yourself. Go play in the ballroom(though one would argue this is a cavern dive), or go to Blue Grotto, which is an excellent dive for OW divers as well(at a similar price to Ginnie Springs). I just spent the weekend there, and would like to continue doing so.
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Feb 24, 2018 04:36
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It's perfectly fine, and even spelled out as such in the rules for Ginnie Springs.quote:Even from the very bottom, it is not unusual to look up through the clear water and be able to count the leaves on the trees over head. Devil’s Eye is a round opening, 20 feet across and equally deep. At the bottom is the entrance to a small, intricately decorated cavern. Certified divers may enter the cavern and explore up to the limit of what they can see, using available sunlight. http://ginniespringsoutdoors.com/devils-spring-system/ The sign I'm referring to are still found in the photic zone, and are found at the entrance to the caves before you even have a chance to get lost. At the location of this picture:  If I turned left and looked down, I could see the white sign from where I'm sitting. Clearly visible, still in the light zone, nowhere to get lost.
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Feb 24, 2018 06:47
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So, a new coral species was just discovered off of NC! I've seen Blue Ivy Coral on the wreck of the Alexander Ramsey, only 3 miles offshore from Wrightsville Beach, NC. This is my only pic of it, with a photobombing nudi: Nobody could ID it when I first saw it, because it had never actually been ID'ed before. It's thought to be invasive to the area (only showing up around 2002-2004, based on diver accounts and pictures) but nobody has any idea where it came from either. The paper I linked mentions "no known tropical relatives", which is pretty loving wild.
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Feb 27, 2018 19:44
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