|
eviljelly posted:I've only ever dived in areas where DMs and instructors were a dime a dozen. I'm not sure why you guys want to jump down my throat about this, I was just asking a question because it really baffled me. I'm not really a PADI qualified diver (did my OW a long loving time ago now) but I've progessed a bit as a British Sub-Aqua Club one and the basic progression model for diving with them is 1) Learn to look after yourself underwater 2) Learn to look after your buddy 3)Learn to look after trips 4) Learn to look after trips where more poo poo can go wrong. Of course that's only the contingency/rescue side of the training but I'd imagine PADI has some similar elements. I can understand not seeing any definitive need for it if you assume there will always be a DM nearby but if you've got the diving experience necessary, you enjoy the sport and you have the money; why would you not want to learn to be able to help out in an emergency situation? Also the fact that there are DMs on the boat doesn't equal them being there to assist if something goes wrong. Personally I'm aware that the sport is safe but if things go wrong it can be bad and being as well prepared as possible is the best approach.
|
#
¿
Mar 25, 2014 17:26
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 17:34 |
|
|
Tomato Soup posted:And if you're serious about snorkeling, I would suggest buying the mask in person so you can find one that fits your face well. General tip for a mask, even if you're set on getting it as cheaply as possible off the internet, try it on in person. Put the mask on your face without the strap and see if you can create a seal by breathing in with your nose a little bit. If you can create enough of a vacum seal this way then the mask fits you well enough to consider.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 23, 2014 20:33
|
|
|
Trivia posted:I'm under serious consideration about going to Indonesia's Lombok or Komodo Islands for some diving in August. Anyone have any advice for either of those (or Indonesia in general)? I actually went diving from Gili Trawangan 2 or 3 weeks ago, had a great time. The vis is pretty good and there are a poo poo load of turtles around the Gili dive sites. The reefs aren't in amazing shape but some of them are fairly health and they are apparently getting better as they've made a real effort to stop dynamite fishing/boats anchoring on the reefs/etc. Lombok itself is cheaper and the sites around there are really good for macro stuff (although it's also like 15 minutes from most of the Gili sites so there isn't really a hard choice between them). Can't give recommendations on where to stay or anything since there are different dive shops between them but the diving itself is pretty nice. Also have a pic from Seahorse Bay just by Lombok: 
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2014 01:26
|
|
|
I dived with Manta Divers as well, they've got good equipment and nice people although if you're already qualified I found they were very cursory in terms of dive briefs or prep for the dive. The DMs and instructors are all nice and professional though. They also offer UV night dives although that wasn't particularly interesting when I tried it. Heard very good things about Big Bubble too. Blue Marlin however left one person I talked to on the surface for an hour after she couldn't clear her ears and scrubbed the dive. Trawangan was definitely more party place so you might prefer Air although it wasn't hard to find quiet bars or beaches. I now really want to do a trip to Bali since Manta rays are pretty much the only big gains I want to dive with.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 18, 2014 04:01
|
|
|
Now that I've finally started again I need to organise another diving trip in SEA. My current preference is Bali, just to get a chance to dive with Mantas but some of the reports I've seen are saying that in high season (now till October) it's just way too crowded at most sites. Has anyone here dived around Bali and can comment on that? Or recommend part of Bali for diving (as someone who likes to go out for a drink in the evening but isn't looking to stay at party central). It'd be my first choice unless it's going to be an overcrowded mess until low season starts. Alternatively any recommendations for other places to go in Thailand or East/West Malaysia? I've been to Perhentian and Gili islands so far, which were both nice places. Though I've heard there's some good wreck diving in the Phillipines... Oh god decisions...
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2014 02:33
|
|
|
It's not going to be a big trip, I'm currently living in Kuala Lumpur and can get 5-6 days off so it'll end up being like 4 days of diving at a time. Palau sounds like it could be fantastic though for somewhere new, although I love wreck diving and that has definitely been disappointing in Malaysia.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2014 10:49
|
|
|
Schmoli posted:New WA SCUBA-goon here. I'm currently only one pool day into my SDI OW course at my local dive shop (Anacortes Diving, WA) [I also took an 'intro' 1-night pool dive, so I guess I've been in the pool twice] but I'm absolutely loving it and already trying to convince myself to at least finish the OW course before I spend a ton more money. I've already got the basic gear minus BCD/Tank/Reg, and am currently just debating what I want for those items. I read back a few pages and saw someone asking about the Hollis 500SE/DC7 kit and I am pretty interested in that, and I'm reading a lot about the pros/cons of back-inflate vs jacket bcd's (we are using jackets in class). Personally I absolutely love wing style BCs. They feel much less encumbering and, particularly if you're in a drysuit and have extra pockets anyway, do the job just as well. I also found it more comfortable for lying on at the surface (at least the largeish wing that I've got). However different strokes for different folks, most important thing is see if you can try it out before you buy it.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 12, 2014 03:48
|
|
|
pupdive posted:. It's not really diving if you don't get an ice cream headache.  I haven't really gone diving in almost 3 years now.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 16, 2014 16:12
|
|
|
Mad Wack posted:Did three OW dives this weekend - really enjoying diving so far. I met an instructor who told me PADI is garbage and I should get my certs through NAUI? Is this true or just playground trash talking? Yeah, it depends on the local centre. There's a lot of anti-PADI stuff, of varying degrees of seriousness, from other agencies (I should know I'm with one  ) Put it down to PADI being the biggest and so everyone having experience with PADI trained divers/instructors who are of varying quality. I've met very few really bad divers from other agencies but then outside BSAC divers I've dived with in the UK I've met very few divers who are with other agencies, so generally when people meet a bad diver they're PADI trained. Likewise if an instructor doesn't really give a poo poo about training people but just wants a job they'll probably be with PADI (since that's going to have the most job opportunities).If your local place or the place you want to train through is decent then the agency really isn't that important. As long as they're competent, don't have terrible reviews and you feel comfortable learning with them then they're probably ok.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 8, 2014 13:41
|
|
|
eviljelly posted:That's exactly how most people I know pick their gear. I would add that you should get brands which are popular in your area. Koh Tao is basically a Scubapro/Aqualung island, for instance, but French divers seem to favor Beuchat, which is unfortunate because they have trouble getting their gear serviced. Some people swear up and down about how bad/great certain brands are, though, so Yeah I'd say the biggest thing to consider is servicing availability and costs. I know in the UK circles Apeks are super popular, generally because they're reliable, cheap and cheap to service. I've got a Mares and Scubapro regs, no big difference in using them although the Mares Proton metal is nice and shiny. However I got it sent over to me in Malaysia and my dad (who took it over) decided to check it, something in the first stage got bent apparently and it requires a part to be ordered from Italy that will take something like 6 months. So yeah, make sure whatever you're using is going to be easy to get fixed, aside from that choose something that's in your budget and you like the look of.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2014 10:41
|
|
|
Nah I'm going to be home for Christmas so will get it serviced then but it's some pin inside my V32. The shop staff weren't overly specific in their explanation. Thanks for the offer though!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2014 15:58
|
|
|
Unhepfully generally areas where it's allowed are ones where scuba diving isn't very nice. Norway apparently allows spear fishing and I know the UK is fine with taking anything you can by hand (hello fresh scallop/lobster for dinner on dive trips!) but it's definitely outside the norm.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 28, 2014 16:53
|
|
|
I've seen that configuration (yay diving in France!) and it's very much not an international standard. Personally I think modern first stages shouldn't have a great problem with supplying air even to two hard breathing divers (although in cold water this can increase the chances of a free flow, especialy with cheaper first stages or ones designed for warm water diving). That's really the only advantage I can see, it costs more and adds another potential failure point if anything goes wrong with an O-ring or one of the first stages themselves. That said in the UK I've done a bit of diving with twin sets and those have the same set up. I could also see the advantage with using a 3L pony cylinder or similar with the emergency air in case of an out of air situation but personally I'm not sure how beneficial doubling up the first stage is. Of course if we go back to the 80's/90's, I'm lead to believe, first stages in cold water were more likely to freeze up and free flow when under pressure so I could see why the practice was adopted by CMAS.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 11, 2014 03:30
|
|
|
Having done a fair number of twinset shut down drills I am totally with you on that. And yeah I can see the point regarding hose routing being easier. Though I have once in my life had an O-ring blow on my first stage, fortunately it was on a shore entry and I was only up to my chest in water.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2014 15:42
|
|
|
Zoop is a great entry level computer and I'd say works fine for everything short of tec diving. I've got an Aladin Prime which I really like but it's got the same functionality and works great. I really need to plan a proper dive trip, I now live in freaking South East Asia and haven't done more than 1 day of diving since June. gently caress rainy season and being lazy about booking holiday. I also miss being able to drive to dive sites with a club over a weekend.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2015 13:59
|
|
|
Cippalippus posted:The knife isn't only permitted in some places, it's mandatory. Here it is. I carry a couple, a shorter one attached to the BCD and one strapped to my leg. If knives aren't allowed (or even if they are) a line cutter and pair of shears is a really good alternative. The line cutter (obviously) deals with getting tangled in line, the shears will deal with any kit or belts, etc. that you might need to ditch quickly or get rid of in an emergency and the quick release isn't working (or you are DIR and there isn't an easy release method for an incapacitated diver). For normal warm water diving I think just a line cutter would be enough, thouh admittedly it doesn't look as a cool as a massive dive knife.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2015 14:45
|
|
|
Also because I've paid good money for a waterproof torch and God drat it I'm going to use it!
|
|
#
¿
Feb 7, 2015 05:43
|
|
|
Also beyond 15m or so torches can do a good job of bringing out the colours, can be useful for picture taking or just enjoying the pretties. I'm thinking about buying a travel wing since I like wings and it'd be nice to use that instead of rental BCs. Anyone have experience with any bits of kit? I kind of prefer simpler set ups, the Halcyon Traveller looks pretty nice but I can't shake the feeling that their stuff is a little overpriced. The Frog Indigo wing looks nice too and is pretty small (not sure what the weight is though). Any recommendations?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 7, 2015 15:45
|
|
|
I've used DUI suits which were great. I had a typhoon that was second hand that worked fine until it developed a slight leak somewhere that service people were never able to pin down. If you're in the UK then Outer suits are pretty solid as well. Of course these are all diving suit so may have extra valves you don't need. If it's a more general question then it will depend a lot on what use your planning for it. Neoprene suits are tough and provide good thermal protection but if you're doing diving you have to take into account needing more weight. They also tend to be a bit less flexible. Membrane suits are better on that front but you will need an undersuit for thermal protection and they tend to be a bit more liable to small tears.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2015 11:38
|
|
|
Kazak_Hstan posted:Planned use is just ocean swimming in Alaska, I want to be able to distance swim, and a wetsuit thick enough to do it is substantial added effort for swimming. Might potentially use it for scuba down the road, I'd maybe like to go hunt halibut. Unfortunately I don't think the dry suit route is going to be what you need, at least from my experience diving. The two problems you've got are that you still need thermal protection and so the dry suit will either be quite bulky if it's neoprene or you'll need to wear thermal stiff underneath if it's membrane. Secondly from experience dry suit seals, especially around the wrists, can let in water if your tendons are sticking out to create little channels. Moving around a lot tends to exacerbate this. I can't say for sure it won't work and there may be options out there I haven't come across. I don't know anything about cold water distance swimming but I've never heard of athletes using dry suits so I'm guessing there's some sort of reason for that.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2015 01:38
|
|
|
From personal experience, temperature does seem to have an influence on some of the negative aspects of diving. I've personally felt more narced in cold water and DCI incidents are much more common at shallower depths. I'll admit I haven't seen a study on this but of all the DCI incidents I'm aware of, the majority involve cold water diving and those are usually in depths and general conditions people don't seem to have problems with when warm water diving. Of course that isn't necessarily directly caused by temperature, cold water diving involves a lot more gear as well and the additional exertion could have a big effect on the DCI thing. Cold water also tends to be a lot darker and along with all that other gear there's probably more stress involed at similar depths so it could be much more of a cumulative thing.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 15, 2015 02:16
|
|
|
Yeah, dry suit diving adds a fun new element (enjoy relearning trim and bouyancy). The BC (unless you're doing fun tech diving with lots of extra ballast) becomes a strict redundanct source of buoyancy in case of suit failure. As has been said you have to use the suit to 1) Prevent suit squeeze and 2) Insultate yourself since water is a good thermal conductor and air isn't so you really want a layer of air between you and the suit. If you're familiar with having to add and dump air from the BC, imagine balancing this with also adding and dumping air from your suit as you ascend or descend on the dive. The potential for losing track of where the air is and potential for panic if you start an uncontrolled ascent gets much, much higher.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 20, 2015 04:23
|
|
|
Quick question on backplate and wing, I've ordered one from the States as I really prefer them, my own in the UK is for doubles and dive centres pretty much never have them as rental gear, but after clearing customs and everything, turns out the shop forgot to include the waist buckle and the bolts for attaching the plate to the wing. It's an Oxycheq wing and light plate, it's got 2 cambands so I'm wondering if anyone here has experience and could tell me if I need the bolts to keep everything stable or if it should be ok when the tank is strapped on. It's an issue since if the stuff doesn't arrive in time (it's en route but I'm expecting customs here to keep it for a couple of weeks because of course they will) then I'd still like to be able to dive with it. The buckle is a standard weight belt style one so no problem borrowing a replacement.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2015 13:04
|
|
|
Awesome thanks. Yeah it does feel fairly stable on land when fastened onto something, just wanted to make sure I wouldn't die when doing it at depth. Super excited for my trip next week, although one of my friends informed me he managed to get stung by a box jellyfish in the same place last year. It was not so fun apparently.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2015 04:42
|
|
|
Servicing costs aren't huge, generally, and annual servicing isn't 100% necessary but definitely a good idea and shouldn't be left too long. It should also be done if it's been a while since the regs were last used. Reg servicing, generally, will be replacing all the wearable parts (like O-rings and valves) and cleaning the metal parts to get rid of corrosion, dirt or whatever. It is definitely intended to be preventative and if you've got a sonic bath you could do most of it yourself. Not something I'd do personally. Brand wise I'd always recommend Subapro or Apeks, both brands do well priced lower end models and are popular enough worldwide that you can be pretty confident about getting parts or servicing wherever you are for a reasonable price. I've got a set of scubapro R95s and they're great. I've also got a Mares Proton metal which is shiny and I love but it's pricier to service and a little more finicky. Also since I moved to Malaysia, parts for it need to be ordered from Italy if the service centre or shop doesn't have them in stock and it can make finding places difficult. If cost is a big concern, don't be at all tempted by shininess or lots of techinical jargon. Basic entry level regs from any of the big manufacturers will work pretty much as well as the higher end ones. Swivel turrets and other things, personally, are more things to go wrong so I'd really say see what deals you can find on basic scubapro or Apeks and just get that.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2015 10:23
|
|
|
If the wing is configured for twinset diving it may be too big for a single tank. It may also just be a an rear end getting the twinset off and setting it up for single tank diving, in which case there's nothing wrong with a jacket BC and it's easier. At least that would be my assumption for why you'd use a wing for deep/overhead stuff and a jacket for recreational open water diving. I've just gotten to try out my new single tank wing, with a lovely light backplate for travel, and it feels freer movement wise to me than my jacket. That said I find jackets tend to be quite loose on me unless inflated or I size down and then they're super tight when they're inflated, so if you've found one that's comfortable generally there's no great need to move to a wing set up. Wings take a bit more fiddling with to get set up as well, not very much and I think it's definitely worth it but if you're the sort of person who adamantly refuses to have to do anything with their stuff to make it work *insert Apple user burn here* then I can see why you might be leery of getting a wing.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 17, 2015 14:14
|
|
|
So I got back from Koh Lanta diving last week. It was the end of the season and things were super quiet, never managed to get out to Hin Daeng due to not being enough people to go any of the 5 days I was diving. On the upside I had some awesome dives and there were never more than 12 people on a boat that normally takes about 20 divers and 20 or so snorkellers, so stuff was very relaxed. Some cool things seen: These Batfish were fun, followed us around for about 5 minutes like lost puppies.  A young whale shark came over and just swam around for about an hour. Eventually got bored before he did.  We managed to find a seahorse out at Koh Haa that the dive guide had been looking for on and off most of the season.  And an artsy shot for shits and giggles.  Had fun on a neat little wreck. We failed to find the frogfish there but it was nice to see some metal again  Some awesome Zebra/Leapord sharks at Koh Bide. They were also super chill and I got to see two of them swimming together for a while too. With the very, very brief sight of a Blacktip on an earlier dive it brought it up to 3 different shark species in one week of diving. 
|
|
#
¿
Apr 25, 2015 13:28
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:Someone try and convince me from pulling the trigger on a really good deal on a used Waterproof D7 drysuit. You're taking to a guy who bought his last DUI after using it for a weekend because mine developed a torn seal the owner was selling it for cheap. I felt less bad though because he had like 6 suits he'd bought on various whims.
|
|
#
¿
May 15, 2015 13:31
|
|
|
In living and working in KL but not getting to dive nearly as much as I'd like simply due to the need to travel to get to sites.
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2015 14:20
|
|
|
When I was in Thailand last month I got talking to a guy who was planning to head to Cambodia for some diving. I really need to see if I've got his email address and see if he survived...
|
|
#
¿
May 18, 2015 08:59
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:
I used the arctics as summer thermals in the UK and they worked pretty well in a membrane. I think adding an extra layer to them would do the job. It won't work as well possibly as all the 4th element stuff but it'll keep you warm and costs a lot less. I had a Weezle for winter diving but that would probably be overkill for what you're describing
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2015 03:00
|
|
|
If you're thinking about minimising costs, go with a thicker undersuit and be prepared to sweat profusely on the surface in the summer. Really comfort topside is the only reason I got summer thermals, in the water I was perfectly comfortable. I also got a cheap second hand set off ebay, which isn't too bad as long as you make sure to wash them and never ask how they were used. Really any old thing will do to keep you warm, the more expensive diving gear is only worth it if 1) You're diving in seriously cold water or 2) Your suite leaks as they are all engineered to prevent water affecting their insulating properties. I had a 1 inch hole in a neoprene neck seal while diving off the West of Scotland in January a few years ago and was still perfectly comfortable in my Weezle undersuit. Merino would probably do a good job of that though too, I know a few old school divers (albeit with neoprene drysuits) who just bought a cheap set of Merino thermals every year.
|
|
#
¿
May 26, 2015 12:32
|
|
|
If you've never done it before I'd personally recommend renting at first. Frequently rental gear is not the most awesome and it's well used but it will be serviceable and I found that I was more concerned with the fact I was underwater for the first 30 or so dives than much else. Ideally of course you'd be diving with good stuff you like for the beginning but... well to know if you like equipment you've got to try it out, in order to do this you've got actually dive with it and really you need to dive with other stuff so you can compare it. Dive gear isn't cheap enough to buy and replace frequently and definitely doesn't hold its value well enough to buy stuff and resell it to try something else. That and of course you might try it and discover you have ear issues or you just don't like it (some people are crazy  ) Renting in the short term (or long term if you're only going to use it once a year or something) isn't any more expensive and ideally you get to try a few different kit set ups before purchasing.Quick edit: If you're set on snorkelling then you might want to consider getting your own mask and possibly fins. Mask and snorkel are worth it anyway and aren't too expensive, try the mask in the shop and make sure it fits your face and isn't touching the bridge of your nose. You might even want to contact some of the dive shops in Florida as some will let you try masks on dives to see what they're like in the water before buying. Fins, I've got Mares Avanti Quattros which are pretty solid. There are definitely some preferences about but go for one of the big names and you'll probably be all right. Consider getting them off eBay or Craigslist if you can as there's not a lot of damage someone can do to them that isn't obvious and you can save a bit in case you decide to change. MrNemo fucked around with this message at 19:15 on May 31, 2015 |
|
#
¿
May 31, 2015 19:10
|
|
|
If you've got the basic stuff already then yeah, basic dive computer like a Suunto zoop or viper would be a good buy. It's good for you to be aware of your own deco over multiple dives, especially if you might be diving with a different guide or something since very few places will go to the trouble of tracking you on tables.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 1, 2015 18:12
|
|
|
Been a few years since I've done any drysuit diving but I had good experiences with my DUI suit, that was crushed neoprene (iirc) which was fairly nice feeling with similar thermal properties to tri-lam. Since you're in the EU, Otter made good made to measure stuff in the UK for Tri-Lam. If there are any manufacturers in Norway it might be worth seeing what they offer as you've got the opportunity to get something made to measure. Also look into undersuit stuff, Weezle (again a UK bias from my experience) make some really nice stuff.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 10, 2015 21:21
|
|
|
On the neck seal, Silicone seals work fine though I find they have a greater tendency to be tight, don't provide insulation (which isn't actually too much of an issue for most people) and can rip more easily if you're not careful or are very, very unlucky. My first dry suit had one and there wasn't any problem but I much preferred the neoprene neck seal. That said neoprene do have a tendency for many people to let in a little bit of water, not an issue I personally found though. If you're comfortable with silicone than a DUIZip type system is probably the best one since ripping a neck seal isn't an immediate day of diving gone, or longer if you consider having to spend time letting the suit dry out and then removing everything and letting the glue fully dry. I've had a suit with attached boots and soft socks with rockboots and personally I much preferred the rockboots. They felt much more comfortable walking around on the surface and are definitely worth considering if you do a fair bit of shore diving. I haven't tried turbosoles though, they may be just as good or even better. I'd say best advice would be to see if there are any manufacturers or shops that will let you test a few different suits. And plusplus for the telescoping torso on suits, it makes it actually possible to get the suit on and off by yourself which sounds minor but when there's two or three of you coming up from a long dive and you all need the bathroom it definitely makes a difference!
|
|
#
¿
Jun 12, 2015 15:47
|
|
|
I've just moved back to the UK so it looks like dry suit diving is back on at some point in the near future. I sold my dry suits before I left so need to look at a replacement but I haven't really kept up with things if there have been any changes in quality/pricing. My last suit was a 2nd hand DUI so I'm probably a bit spoiled since I really liked the flexibility of their material along with the membrane style suit. Front entry is a must.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2015 07:35
|
|
|
Cost wise might be similar but for winter RIB diving it's pretty horrible for the surface interval.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2015 10:17
|
|
|
Squashy Nipples posted:So, what is the appeal of a Liveaboard vacation? I get that it maximizes your dive time, but it just seems like... a crappy vacation. I feel like I'd get claustrophobic being on the boat for a week straight, and frankly, I really like hotel amenities like full-sized beds and full-sized toilets. In general liveaboards are only to be considered if the reason for you trip is going diving. You're right that you lose out on some of the nice things about vacations and you cut your options down pretty much entirely (it's really not good form to tell everyone on the boat you're bored after 3 days and want to get back to try some different restaurants). However you cut out pretty much all the normal travelling times diving involves from a land base. You go straight from the boat wherever you are and you finish the dive back where you were, there's not 25 minute boat trip to the dive site and back. You also know exactly where all your fellow divers are and all the equipment is right there so no getting stuff back and forth from the boat. The result of this is that it's pretty easy to manage to do 3 or 4 dive days, if that's the reason for your holiday it's a good thing. The other, and I would say bigger, reason is that without the back and forth travel time you have the opportunity to hit up a wider range of the best dive sites in a big area. When you're diving from an island you will pretty much be diving sites that are within an hour or so journey of that island. If you want to do somewhere further out it will usually involve finding enough other people that want to do it, getting up super early and maybe only doing 2 dives that day. There will be sacrifices and additional logistics involved. You can also have some really magical moments simply because you'll be spending evenings out in the middle of a sea or ocean without being able to see land. It's awesome but you don't necessarily need a liveaboard for that. It's also worth bearing in mind that the quality of liveaboards can vary quite a bit, some of them are pretty luxurious and do pretty good food. I'd say that in terms of amenities they'd be as good or better as most islands in Thailand or similar. What you miss out on though is the opportunity to explore a new place and severely reduce socialising opportunities. Like I said, I'd only consider it if my reason for taking the holiday was diving. Hell most of the diving holidays I've taken have been limited in those terms. Spending a week in a rented cottage in Scotland with people from my diving club meant an hour and a half drive to the nearest proper town so we were pretty much just stuck in the cottage. It was not that different from being on a liveaboard. Edit: Also Mandibular cheers for the Santi recommendation. They're one I was looking at but I don't know anyone who's got one and they're not cheap. My other current thought is Otter suits simply because nearly all of the ones I've known and have been good (aside from 1 person's) and they're quite a bit cheaper. Guaranteeing being dry might be worth the price though... MrNemo fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Sep 27, 2015 |
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2015 21:04
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 17:34 |
|
|
Forget the shears, you need a good 3ft knife with a brass handle to strap to your leg and look like a proper 'ard bloke. Also to use to hammer portholes off wrecks you can mount over your fireplace. I think I've spent too much time with old British divers recently...
|
|
#
¿
Oct 12, 2015 23:26
|
|