|
Farecoal posted:How much skin does the average SCUBA suit cover? I'd love to scuba, but I would only dive if every part of me is completely covered. You're covering will depend on the temperature in the water usually. You can get a full body skin suit (lycra material), and with boots and gloves you will be fully protected outside of your head. You will get wet however. Parts of your face will ALWAYS be uncovered unless you are a commercial diver (underwater construction worker basically), even with the most advanced gear. With proper buoyancy control, injuries from touching things or things touching you are extremely rare. http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=Hotskin This is a full body lycra suit, that can be worn in warm waters or underneath a wetsuit. We have a really big group of experienced divers who can help with any fears or anxieties you might have about the water and animals within.
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2012 08:51
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 17:44 |
|
|
ZoCrowes posted:exhibit diving How did you get into exhibit diving? Also, what the hell do you do during exhibit diving? I'm pretty curious on the subject.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2012 02:06
|
|
|
Finch! posted:I generally (OK, it's happened twice) switch to my backup reg and puke into that. Leaves the primary pristine if I need to hand it off... or if I'm in a regular recreational set up I puke into the octopus because it's generally of lesser quality. I wouldn't for a few reasons. If there's an emergency, and someone grabs your puked out octo? That's just nasty but could also induce further incident in a panicked diver. Also, if you have an integrated octopus with your bcd (like me), you could potentially gently caress up your ability to adjust buoyancy, which could also be really bad. Obviously the chances of either are really slim, but still possible.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2012 01:14
|
|
|
standardtoaster posted:Can someone give a rundown and recommendations of the essential entry-level equipment needed for SCUBA? You could get a full setup for probably 600-800. I'll do a quick rundown of the gear/order you should get them in. The order can be changed up depending on your location/rental rates etc, but this is how i got my gear. Also, from a recreational standpoint. Mask/Snorkel/Fins 150-500 bucks. Absolutely first thing you need to get Wetsuit. 75-300ish . This is dependent on a few things, but if you are dive locally, and have not awesome warm waters, you're gonna need a wetsuit to stay warm. Regulator setup 300- 2000. All new modern regulators sold today are going to breath safely at recreational depths. I've put about 800 dives on a reg i got for 189 bucks, and it still works fine. Also, make sure to get an alternate second stage. BCD- 300-1000. There are many different features from bcds, and price ranges. What features your bcd comes with will determine the price. The two big BCD choices are jacket style (bladder around your body) or back inflate (bladder on your back). From there they will have different style inflators, dump valves, pockets etc. I have a Zeagle Ranger, and its a goddamn tank of a BCD. I can't say enough good things about it.Get one with an integrated weight system, weights belts are annoying. Computer - 150-2000. You can buy an entry level computer or a top of the line multicolor gas computer. You can get them air integrated with your tank to read the exact pressure (pricier), or just a wrist mounted unit. I have a crappy old computer that rocks nitrox up to 50% that i got new for 200. Tank- 80 used, about 180 new. Honestly, unless you do heavy local diving ( like me), you probably don't need a tank. It costs 20 bucks a year in visual inspections, and needs to be hydrostatically tested every 5. If you dive multiple times a month close bye, then a tank is useful. If you go out once every few months, renting is fine. Here are some premade packages from scubatoys, that'll give you an idea of what gear costs. Obviously, you can make your own for different pricepoints. http://www.scubatoys.com/store/search_results.asp?iLevel=2&subcat=32&txtsearchParamCat=18&txtCatName=2 As for what certification, do whatever your local dive shop does. PADI/NAUI/SSI are all universally accepted across the world. That being said, go PADI gotta whore out the brand Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Feb 22, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2012 01:56
|
|
|
standardtoaster posted:Does anyone dive anywhere other than awesome places, like brown lakes in the middle of Texas? There is a surprisingly large dive community in the Dallas area with a few local mediocre (for Texas, even though they seem terrible) dive locations. Of course most of these people only dive on vacation. I've always loved snorkeling and skimmed the surface of skin diving. I want to start diving but unfortunately I live in the middle of loving Texas and I'm not sure how horrible this is with regard to actual diving. OH WASSUP BROWN TEXAS WATER. Clear springs, athens scuba park, balmorhea, comal river, lake travis i've dove them all. I'm austin based, so lake travis is my standard diving spot. Texas divers are a passionate bunch because we dive in such lovely conditions usually, you have to love diving to do it. Most of the folks i know dive locally and try to make dive vacations as often as they can afford it. Where specifically in Texas? There's an annual dive around texas competition, and there are a bunch of site located here.http://divearoundtexas.com/
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2012 21:57
|
|
|
So i'm pretty sure god hates me and doesn't want to do fun diving things. This weekend was the Texas Dive Show in austin, and i had signed up to test dive a Titan Rebreather in a pool today. This just happened.  It was parked and unoccupied, and some fool managed to hit it on the street and push it on the curb. I should be more pissed about the car thing, but fuuuuuuck i wanted to play with a rebreather today.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2012 17:12
|
|
|
So if you are a diver, theres a good chance god is trying to kill us off today. My car got hit, and a tech guy i've dove with once was seriously injured in a car fire this morning. The two scuba cylinders as the news reported were his deco bottles, but i don't know what % O2 they were specifically. Police believe the tank or tanks were leaking into his car and ignited somehow. I'll update you guys as i know more. http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...ogs_the_blotter Today is a super lovely day. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Feb 26, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2012 20:55
|
|
|
mightychode posted:However, I know nothing about gear. What mil wetsuit should i get? used gear, or new? I saw that link for scubatoys, the midline package looked pretty good. Any advice would be great. Also always looking for a dive buddy! Thickness of the wetsuit will be determined by water temp, and how well you deal with cold water. I personally wouldn't buy a used wetsuit mostly just because of the fact other people peed in it. You could honestly shampoo the gently caress out of it when you get it, but i think its just better to buy a new one, as its such a personal fit for your body. Those packages will work fine obviously, but i just liked them to show a general price range of gear. As far as used everything else, thats totally cool. I would make sure to test every piece of gear before you purchase it, but scuba gear can last a REALLY long time if its properly maintained. About half of my gear was used, and you can get really good deals from people. A lot of times people get really excited about diving, spend a whole bunch of money on gear and then dive like 3 times in 5 years and most of the time it just sits in a closet, and people will get rid of it for cheap.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2012 20:55
|
|
|
MA-Horus posted:Here's a question. My dad was a diver in the 70s/80s and has a lot of his own equipment, such as reg/bcd/tank. Problem is they haven't been serviced in 30 years. Are thy junk now, or can thy still be refurbished? Tank, probably. 100% needs to be hydro tested. If it passes, it should be fine. Have it brought to a local dive shop and ask if its worth trying to salvage. My guess is probably not, but who knows. Worst thing that can happen is they say it's too old, and then you have some neat history. I personally would be interested in some photo's of them if you can.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2012 00:07
|
|
|
I've got some more info on my buddy who got burned. "Percentage of his body that is burned = “77%” No body parts were lost. His ears, nose, lips, fingers, toes are burned but not deformed. Eye site: He can see but still has burns on his eyes. Eye pressure is great, so long term prognosis is a full recovery. Hearing: He can hear. No internal organ damage (including his man package!) He is fully aware of everything going on around him. Recovery: The rule of thumb is 2 days per 1 % of burn, or 77% x 2 = 154 days. Burn recovery is a roller coaster of progress and regression. **Today is the most important day since the accident because they are determining the level of burn damage, ie: 2nd or 3rd degree and how many skin grafts will have to be done. 2nd degree burns will regenerate skin; 3rd degree will not and require multiple operations / grafts. REALITY CHECK: Although he is alive and his eyes are open, he is in constant pain. His words are very labored. He is in a burn suit that covers his entire body except his face, feet and a few fingers. He is not out of the woods be any means." It sounds pretty bad, but he's at Brooke Army Medical Center, which is where 100% of military burn victims are treated. Everyone is pretty optimistic, but we'll see soon enough the severity of the burns. VVV I have no idea if he was military or not. This happened in downtown austin, so maybe they are treating him there because of the severity. I'm not sure. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Feb 29, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Feb 29, 2012 03:00
|
|
|
I got NAUI open water certified through college, then went PADI because of the dive shop i found locally. In the long run, it doesn't matter who certifies you. Its all about the shop and the instructor. I went on a fun dive with the dive club, and my dive leader was loving fantastic. Tech instructor, super friendly, knew his poo poo. He became my divemaster instructor, and was the sole reason i went with that shop, and pretty much the sole reason I went PADI. On the other hand, if you go the professional route (DM/Instructor), PADI really does kick rear end. All of the negative things people claim about PADI start to be good things when you're apart of the organization versus a recreational diver. And i see i was beaten soundly by ZoCrowes, but gently caress it, i typed it out already.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2012 18:03
|
|
|
ZoCrowes posted:It's funny, I feel the exact opposite. I am a NAUI, SSI and TDI/SDI Instructor and I refuse to cross over to PADI. My father is all of the above plus he has been a PADI Instructor since 1975 and we have a few PADI guys on staff. I absolutely refuse to crossover to PADI unless I absolutely have to. Makes sense. There are a few competing dive shops in austin, but ours is by far the largest having 3 locations. The local dive charter is an instructor through us, and we honestly dominate the local dive scene. I'm sure i have a biased opinion of PADI since that's the biggest force i see around here. Also, i'm gonna pimp DUI here a bit since Susan Long (CEO) did my custom measurements for my suit and was super awesome. Everyone should try to attend one of these Dog Day Rallies http://www.dui-online.com/2012_demo_tour_participating.asp . Basically, you pay like 10 bucks or so and get to try DUI drysuits for a day. You don't need to be drysuit certified as you'll be diving with an instructor, and you get to play around with all their crazy new stuff like silicone wrist seals, electrically heated undergarments etc. Even if you have no interest in buying a drysuit, getting a chance to test them out is a lot of fun and is definitely a new experience underwater.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2012 18:28
|
|
|
IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:Whats the max water temp you can use a dry suit? I can imagine it being pretty hot and sticky in there. None. They make a tropical drysuit, the DUI 30/30 with ankle seals thats designed for warm water climates. http://www.dui-online.com/tech_warmwater.htm
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2012 20:43
|
|
|
ZoCrowes posted:How much do you want to spend? The Subgear XP10 is a rebranded Uwatec Aladin Prime and it won't break the bank. It's EANx compatible, has audible alarms, backlight uses an IR interface to connect to your PC so you don't have to buy a $100 cable and is pretty easy to use all around. It's probably our best selling dive computer. http://louisvilledivecenter.com/Louisville_Dive_Center/XP10.html Our shop sells subgear stuff and the XP-10 is a solid entry level computer. I see it around a lot. The level of money your willing to spend will determine a lot about your dive computer.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 4, 2012 18:24
|
|
|
Trivia posted:e: After thinking about it, I do believe it was the Zoop that I had used back in December. The only thing I really want function-wise is Nitrox and a backlight. Right on. You don't need to spend much for that functionality. Its possible i know a divemaster here who uses a Mares M2 as his primary computer and he's totally not a cheapass. I also hear he's a really good diver... sweet jesus its ghetto but it's backlit/nitrox to 50% so i can't complain for 70 bucks a few years ago when i got it
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2012 03:10
|
|
|
Trivia posted:How conservative is conservative? If I exceed no-deco time and have to do a deco stop, will the computer refuse to allow me a second dive before a 24 hour time period has elapsed? You'll be fine. Its seriously a non-issue for anyone who isn't in divemaster training, or a super gear queer. If you dive with someone else with a different algorithm, if you've been at the same depth/time as that computer, you might have a minute or two variance in your no deco time, or what depth/time your deco stop should be at. It reaaaaaaaaaly is complicated and bears little to zero weight on recreational diving.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2012 04:48
|
|
|
IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:What mechanism makes holding your breath to maintain an exact buoyancy not work on a rebreather? The counterlung. In open circuit, your lung volume helps with buoyancy. This isn't the case with rebreathers because when you inhale, the counterlung reracts the same volume as your lungs, and when you exhale, it expands as much. There's no net volume change of air when you inhale/exhale, so you can't control buoyancy with your breath. Oh, and another update on my buddy in the hospital. He just came out of surgery, and all of his 3rd degree burns have been grafted. It'll take a week to tell if they will all stay, but he's extubated and is pretty stable at the moment. All in all, as good as he can hope for barring infections/pneumonia complications. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Mar 13, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Mar 13, 2012 20:24
|
|
|
blackguy32 posted:Have you ever been diving in murky water before? That always creeps me out when you look underwater and can only see 5 feet in front of you. Out of all my dives logged, 95% of them are in lakes where visibility past your fins is a good day. My first clear water dive in cozumel (100+ foot vis) i was actually really anxious, since i actually got the whole " i'm in a giant loving ocean" feeling. Cresting out over a wall and looking down hundreds of feet i near had a panic attack. After i calmed down it was absolutely surreal and amazing, but gently caress it was scary.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 17, 2012 07:44
|
|
|
Bishop posted:I will also volunteer to "die" for every rescue class ever because drat that looks fun. Holy poo poo, being the active panic diver in a rescue scenario is literally my favorite thing about being a Dm. My instructor always tells me if I can get a mask/single fin from a student he'll buy me dinner. Out of 38 classes, I've only missed a free dinner once, and I weigh 150 lbs. The key to it is to pull their reg out first, then Jump on top of them to push them under. Its super easy to wrestle someone that way. Also, its legit because someone in active panic is going to seek air anyway they can, and climbing on top of the closest person will happen.the firs time the student should always fail anand get clowned (safely) to show them that a panic diver is serious business. 2nd go around, I generally let them win and make it seem like they won. Seriously, Dm'ing for a rescue class is the best.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 22, 2012 04:19
|
|
|
Bishop posted:I could not be in the water, either for liability reasons (not a DM yet) or because they don't trust me.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 27, 2012 19:34
|
|
|
Bishop posted:My deco first stage has BURN MARKS on the inside of it! Pure 02 had to have been igniting a bit inside of the stage, probably while I was opening the valve underwater and/or breathing it. Scary as gently caress. New reg time. I already planned not to go tech, but after my buddies accident and this, its pretty much sealed. Pure O2 is dangerous poo poo. I want to take the tec 40 or first tech class just to learn how to dive doubles, but thats about it.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 30, 2012 18:42
|
|
|
Bishop posted:Potential huge derail here that eventually leads back to a DIR argument. So to start: use whatever fins you want. None are going to kill you. THAT SAID, I would never use split fins. I like stiff single fins. Jet fins ideally. I think the fine tune control they give you is superb, especially in environments where kicks are super important like overhead. Also I don't buy the argument that some split fins give you more power. I think they just make kicking easier because you aren't moving as much water. Willing to be proven wrong on that second point though. Possible huge derail indeed, but at least its scuba related. I agree for tech/rebreather you should use stiff, powerful single fins. You are carrying so much more gear/weight that you need the extra power, especially if you get into trouble. If you dive in the ocean, or water with currents, single blade fins are the way to go. Split fins have their role though. Their downside is they don't provide as much power as blade fins, so i too think the "more power" argument is false.Split fins also lose some power when doing alternate kick styles, so they aren't the best choice for wreck/cave stuff either. They are MUCH more comfortable on the diver. This is great for someone who has had ankle/knee/hip problems, or for someone who dives in lakes/no current water. That second category is me. I dive Scubapro Twin-Jet fins, as do a lot of local instructors. I like them for my diving because i dive single tank in a teaching setting, which by definition, isn't putting a lot of strain on the diver. Because its more comfortable for me, i get better air consumption, and better bottom time. I can make 4 open water training dives on a single AL80 tank, and i think part of that can be contributed to my comfort in the water, the split fins being apart of that. If i swapped fins to a stiff single blade would i lose bottom time? Who knows, but i'm happy with my gear and don't have any specific reason to switch. All in all, for a beginner/casual/vacation diver who doesn't do that intense diving, split fins are fine. If you get into harsher conditions, more advanced diving, the single blade fins are still the best.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 2, 2012 19:41
|
|
|
Bishop posted:OK now let's try and start an argument about the value of wearing a snorkel. GO! gently caress snorkels.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 2, 2012 22:04
|
|
|
Bishop posted:I'm gonna have to wear one during DM training aren't I. Yes you will. Protip = Get a roll up snorkel and keep that bitch in a pocket somewhere. The way the instructor manual is worded, you don't have to wear it, but have it.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 2, 2012 22:58
|
|
|
So I'm finally getting contacts in a few weeks. Any special precautions I should take diving in them outside of being more careful to not get them wet?
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2012 15:16
|
|
|
Kaal posted:If you're new to contacts, be sure to give yourself some time to get used to them before diving with them. Your eyes will already be sensitive and the additional stresses of diving won't help matters. Solid plan. I've been glasses for 11 years. Getting a week or two experience under my belt would be smart before I took a deep class down to 100 feet.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2012 01:28
|
|
|
Kaal posted:Well dude, welcome to being awesome. Diving aside, contacts are so loving cool. I wore contacts and glasses for most of my life, and contacts were such an upgrade from glasses. Well done mate. My only tip is to not be a pussy about using that saline solution, particularly for the first few weeks. Your eyes will be dryer than normal, and loving around with it instead of putting the juice in your eyes is just stupid. I tried em out when i was 12 (11 years ago) when i was a really active. I have bad astigmatism, so i need toric lenses (weighted at the bottom so they don't rotate as much). When i tried them they were pretty new for astigmatism, really expensive, and not comfortable. Since i was so active, and they were such a pain in the rear end i got really turned off on them until recently where i realize that 11 years is a lot of advancement and worth it to try them again. In diving, i really never had an issue with my vision because i never really dive in water with vis better than 8 feet on a good day. I'm hoping the 2nd trip around, being a not retarded kid and newer contacts, will be the permanent solution. I'm glad there aren't any specific (besides flooding/getting them wet) issues diving with contacts. I can't tell you guys how awesome it will be to actually understand what students are signalling from the other side of the pool. Ladies though. 99% of the reason for contacts. The whole seeing when diving thing is just a perk.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2012 07:04
|
|
|
Slicerdicer/Bishop/anyone who knows about rebreathers. Why do combat divers have their breathers on their chests and not their backs?
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2012 02:47
|
|
|
DeadlyMuffin posted:I was with you up to this point. No underwater breathing equipment is made up of toys, open circuit or closed circuit. Rebreathers obviously require more training and attention, but it's quite possible to kill or injure yourself with open circuit gear. Many people have. What he's saying is that a rebreather, even when considered and made for recreational diving, is still an incredibly advanced piece of equipment and needs to be treated as such. With your normal recreational gear, you can just keep your regs/bcd in a closet for 6 months, pick up a rental tank and enjoy an afternoon underwater with minimal effort. With a rebreather, you need a LOT of careful maintenance, and a LOT of specialized knowledge/training to use that equipment, even for a recreational setting. If people see a rebreather marketed for "recreational depths", they might get the idea of "not dangerous" since its not technical rated. Have you ever not really planned a dive because "oh, its only 30 feet. What could possibly go wrong?" In open circuit that probably won't kill you. That poo poo will 100% not fly with a rebreather. You can't go on autopilot, you can't just not plan a dive. You have to be constantly vigilant with that piece of equipment. If people think they are recreational, they might not be and thats where it could get dangerous. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Apr 10, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2012 18:32
|
|
|
semicolonsrock posted:I'd just like to say that I never knew this stereotype existed. http://forums.somethingawful.com/dictionary.php?act=3&topicid=1977 Anytime a thread pops up in GBS there's usually some sort of cthulu reference and people freaking out at the crazy poo poo that lives down deep.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2012 21:00
|
|
|
I just wanted to give you guys the latest update on my buddy who got burned. HE'S HOME! 6 and 1/2 weeks after the incident he was released from the hospital. The doctors were amazed at how fast he recovered considering the amount of burns he had. He's still pretty banged up and will be recovering for a long time, but the fact that after that severe of burns, he's home before two months. Modern medicine is loving amazing.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 26, 2012 18:19
|
|
|
rockcity posted:Does anyone have any dive light recommendations? I'm going to be taking a cavern class soon and my buddy who is going to be the instructor told me I should get three lights, two smaller clip on style lights and one brighter wrist mounted one. I've only used a couple lights before, one was a pistol style light I used over a decade ago for general night dive use and the other was a small Intova that I borrowed from said instructor buddy for diving through a hole in a reef. For cavern, im sure any primary dive light will suffice since you have to stay within the light zone. For cave however, you need a big ol bitch of a light. Something like 10-30 watt HID canister light retailing from between 700-1000 dollars easily. The wrist mounted light i use is pretty good for a primary light if you've got the scratch to drop for one. http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=Sola1200DiveLight
|
|
#
¿
May 9, 2012 17:55
|
|
|
rockcity posted:Yeah, right now I don't have the kind of money for an HID canister style. My buddy said there's no need to get that crazy with lights for right now. I just plan to do some caverning for right now, though my buddy is big into caving and tech diving, so I'm guessing he's eventually going to try to get me into full on caving, but I'm a bit hesitant at the moment. For right now I'd say I'm looking more for the $200-300 range for the set of lights. From my research, the ones that people seem to go to for backups, Intovas and Dorcels seem to be about $40-60 each. The primary is more of what I've seen a boatload of recommendations on. The main thing I'm not sure of is what style of beam I'd want. It sounds like generally the caverns here in Florida have pretty excellent visibility as long as people aren't stirring the crap out of the silt at the bottom. Given the good vis, I'd probably want something wider and less focused right? Yeah, in good vis you don't need a cutting beal. Still, the more powerful the light, the brighter the wide beam will be. The dorcie backup light is really good, a LOT of tech people use it as their backup light around here. http://www.amazon.com/Dorcy-41-1467-Lumen-Super-Submersible/dp/B0023RSXSO Its a little underpowered for a primary, but its a good backup for any level of diving. Until i got the Sola 1200 new for 180 bucks i used this.http://www.dealextreme.com/p/diving-cree-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-flashlight-kit-2-18650-4-cr123a-4-16340-29069?item=28 Its a badass flashlight for 75 bucks, and puts out light comparable to something 4-5x the price. I put it through 80 dives with no floods, down to 130 feet. It doesn't put out 900 lumens, but is brighter than 500 for sure. It cuts through lake travis muck really well and is like a sun in clear water. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 21:26 on May 9, 2012 |
|
#
¿
May 9, 2012 21:23
|
|
|
IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:That things looks pretty rad. The both lights i linked (the dorcie/deal extreme dive light) have a powerful main beam that floods out. I would say the dorcie has a more focused main beam than the dx light, but since the dx is way more powerful, it evens out. Heres the DX light doing some tech diving http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OvKmh7Pow8c Heres the dorcy out of water http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxCs6VhVC8w (a great backup light) Daylight test of the Sola 1200 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7HbGatkGw Night dive with a Sola 1200 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r9trVicVJg&feature=relmfu Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 22:50 on May 10, 2012 |
|
#
¿
May 10, 2012 22:43
|
|
|
Haven't they been testing neon as a helium substitute? Maybe that's just wild speculation but I swear I heard someone talking about using neon in a mixed gas for diving.
|
|
#
¿
May 24, 2012 01:46
|
|
|
macado posted:Pretty awesome place to dive with great visibility for quarry diving but the only problem is that it is loving cold. 38-41f degrees at 135ft. I need to get some better drysuit undergarments and maybe invest in dry gloves in the near future if I'm going to be doing any sort of longer runtimes in that place. I never bought scuba specific undergarments, just a bunch of polartec fleece that i've found at army surplus stores/REI sales, etc. I feel the scuba stuff is WAY overpriced for what it is, and you can get stuff in the same material for way cheaper. I'm a fan of dry gloves for their thermal protection, but man doing any sort of manual labor in them sucks rear end. For recreational/not crazy tech diving in super cold water i'd wear them, but if i had manipulate a lot of things underwater with my hands like clips etc, i'd be wary of them because you lose a LOT of dexterity in them. Granted, with super thick neoprene gloves you do as well, but when i demo'ed some dry gloves, they were really tough to use.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 6, 2012 22:51
|
|
|
I just learned a buddy of a buddy is a trainer at Sea World in San Antonio. I learned this after my buddy said he got private tour tickets to play with sea lions tomorrow and had a spare. I jumped all over this, and mentioned that i was a divemaster. He got a text from his trainer buddy saying that it might be possible for me to dive with them, but he needs approval from the head trainer. I'm still doing the private tour BUT HOLY poo poo if it works out, i may have some awesome photos to share.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 8, 2012 05:04
|
|
|
Well, i got to dive at Sea World. Unfortunately, they would not let me take any pictures or have any pictures of me taken in dive gear since i wasn't an employee. I can tell you though what we did. A friend of a friend is a trainer, and he got us in early before the park opened to meet some sea lions. I fed a few, most notably a big ol 2600 lb walrus named dozer. He's a giant sweetheart. And by giant, i mean holy gently caress this dude is the size of a queen bed but loved to give you kisses. Here's a video of him making noises with a trainer http://youtu.be/G2osM_Gp5WY . (I didn't take the video, but that's the only photos i can find of Dozer because he's not park ready yet) I wasn't exactly going to say no to the dude. Anywho, after meeting/greeting animals in the back, some maintenance divers had to go into the sea lion tank to repair some valve or whatnot, i never got the specifics. There were 18 sea lions and 4 seals in the tank, and it was going to be a 25 minute repair in the enclosure. Since they couldn't take all the animals out, their best bet was to have a bunch of trainers feed the poo poo out of them in a corner away from us so we they didn't notice the divers. It was 2 maintenance divers working, and 4 "security" divers (3 trainers and myself). We only had pvc pipes that looked like a giant T to ward of things and basically say "hey, leave us alone". The sketchy part was there was no good entrance to the pool outside of where the guests view the tank. Aka, 15 feet above the water, so no matter how much fish there were, they were gonna notice us. We all drop in at once, and IMMEDIATELY get swarmed by sea lions/seals checking us out. Water is low 60's, and we're wearing 3mil suits. The trainers are throwing fish out like crazy trying to get them away from us, but honestly, we kinda got beat up just from the amount of animals pushing and shoving around us. The smallest one is about 150 lbs and they go up to 500 lbs. I had to physically hold my mask/reg because i was getting thrown around so much. After the food hit the water though, they left us alone and we completed the job with no real issues. To leave, they opened a grate to the sea lion show stage, and we exited the water on the main stage which was really cool. After that, i get to hang out in the "zoo" which is their not in the park animal area. Its where they keep animals who aren't trained, sick, not public ready etc. There i get to hang with trainers, feed sting rays, sharks, fish, dolphins. I learn some behavior commands for the dolphins which was UNREAL. Nothing gets you're blood pumping like telling two 400 lb atlantic bottlenose dolphins to do simultaneous backflips. This all goes until about noon (so 4 hours roughly), and then i get the rest of the day to spend in the park being a normal guest. What an unfuckingbelievable experience. I'm still shocked of all the things i got to do. The only picture of this is me giving a sea lion the behavior command to clap. I have a stupid poo poo eating grin on my face because it was awesome.  The picture was the only two thing i was allowed to leave with. Security checked my phone over CSI style to make sure. Apparently PETA is super pissy with sea world and they can't risk any photos of animals in a cage or something out in the open. I will say the animals are incredibly well treated with daily physicals and fantastic trainers. Trivia Time Sea World San Antonio is the most profitable of all the sea worlds per capita. Last year it made 1 million dollars in net profit because of how much money they put back into education, conservation, animal care etc. They have 5-6 killer whales and each one costs roughly 4.5 million dollars a year in upkeep. This includes food, trainer costs, water, maintenance etc. Sea world gets all their water from the city and makes it salt water themselves. The building that they use to make this is crazy cool. Yes, they have a giant MRI for animals. Yes, fat people from hospitals use it. I wasn't told how frequently, but was told ,"more than we care to admit". Dozer, that 2600 lb walrus eats 250 lbs of fish, clams (deshelled),squid a day. His shits remind me of the triceratops scene in Jurassic Park, though in the water. Oriental small clawed otters are mean as poo poo. They are super adorable until they think you have food and tear your arm a new one. Trust me on this Sea World San Antonio had live coral growing in 3 small tanks in its aquarium. They currently only have 2. Coincidentally, they don't have any lionfish anymore. Due to a federal judges ruling, trainers are not allowed to get in the water with killer whales anymore. This means during training or shows. No more trainer tows/jumps. One of the dolphins in Jaws 3 who helps at the end is at Sea World. His name is Kai, weighs 900 lbs and can hold 7 fish in his mouth at once. (He wouldn't close his mouth, so i kept feeding him fish and got to 7). He is very much the alpha. I'm sure i left a whole bunch of poo poo out, but it was an incredible experience. Crunkjuice fucked around with this message at 07:42 on Jun 11, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jun 11, 2012 07:14
|
|
|
MA-Horus posted:Would you guys suggest DAN insurance? It seems like a pretty good deal, 75 bucks a year or so. I borrowed a friend's PADI "Adventures in Diving" textbook and started reading up on the deep water diving...I'll admit it has me a little spooked. Great googly moogly yes. Any diving injury is 99% not going to be covered by health insurance since they consider it an extreme activity. If you dive regularly, its an absolute necessity in case of an emergency.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 18, 2012 03:13
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 17:44 |
|
|
This is probably the coolest kickstarter i've ever seen.http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...urce=newsletter
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2012 00:09
|
|