SCUBA Divers thread

[GreatwhiteNorth]

Looks like we have some divers here.
Please do not denigrate this into a sex thread - that is not its intention, thank you.

Now on to the subject at hand.
I'm a PADI certified open water diver (got my cert in 1973) and I have dove widely in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, and collected tropicals semi-professionally in the Florida Keys for many years.
Spear fishing was truly one of my first loves & some of my best memories of diving includes spearing Grouper, snapper, Goliath Grouper and catching Spiny Crayfish (lobster) by hand.
I'll see if I can dig up some pics in a bit.

 

[STACKB]

PADI certified as well when I was about 13 years old. Since then , ive dove hawaii, shipwreck in florida, and new england for some lobster hunting. Havent been out in years but definately want to get back into it. Hopefully I pick up a nice small boat this year.

 

[Figong]

Damn it, I was going to open up with a hell of a zinger, but I won't since you asked us not to Open, ice, and swift water/rescue here since 97'.. would love to be able to mix but haven't.. have been on the Regina in Lake Huron, and that's about it for shipwreck-like stuff. Other than that, shallow depths and just enjoying the time underwater. Would love to one day dive the Comet, but am by no means skilled enough to do that and many a diver who is semi-in their right mind wouldn't even try. She sits quite deep, very poor visibility, and nasty currents. I believe she's at 230ish ft, and that's why I say I'd love to, but am by no means skilled enough.. hahahaha

 

[MexicanCandy]

I'm dying to try scuba diving, I know it would be a perfect hobby for me and im determined to go soon. I'll be graduating real soon and im thinking of looking at jobs that include diving. It would be awesome to scuba dive for a living. What do you mean by you collected tropicals semi-professionally? I'm interested in hearing all about diving, subb'd

 

[lahadaextranjera]

Personally if I was to work in the dive industry I would like to do U/W videography. I completed my dive master course and the instructor course is only 2 weeks but I don't want to teach.

 

[brimck325]

not certified, but i've scuba off big pine few times with locals, and learned free-dive spearfishing in caico's islands.

 

[T444]

I'm an open water diver also, certified in '87 in New England, brrrrrr. Have done diving in Florida Keys, Mexico and Hawaii.

 

[see4]

I used to scuba. had a couple hours. then BAM! busted ear drum. Fucking fucky fuck fucker dick banger.

 

[GreatwhiteNorth]

I'm dying to try scuba diving, I know it would be a perfect hobby for me and im determined to go soon. I'll be graduating real soon and im thinking of looking at jobs that include diving. It would be awesome to scuba dive for a living. What do you mean by you collected tropicals semi-professionally? I'm interested in hearing all about diving, subb'd

If you really want to work in the dive industry, were I you my first step would be to obtain my open water cert (minimum) and sport dive for a while to make sure it is something you're comfortable with. Diving is a blast, but also a game of details - not paying attention & compromising safety is a good way of getting hurt or seriously killed ().

If after becoming familiar with the sport you are still enthusiastic about it - you might think of working in the oil industry. It's brutal, dangerous work but no better way of learning the intricacies of a subject than "total immersion". (sorry for the bad pun)
One of my best friends went this route & though it was tough the pay was over the moon.

As for collecting trop's, I did it in Key West free lance for several shops in the Miami area, most popular were morays, butterflys & angels. Catching baby sharks brought in pretty good $$ (nurse, lemons, bull's & hammers were my specialty). I did most all of my collecting night diving (mostly free) due to them being much easier to catch (as I never used chemicals like some SOB's).

If you've never been, there is nothing like night diving where you KNOW there are very large predatory sharks (Tigers, Hammers & Bulls) & being bumped by God knows what (InthefuckingDARK) - I'm sure that more than once I looked like an underwater police car with that light going round & round looking for whateverthefuck just thumped me only to find out it was one of my collection jars.
Then again, more than once it was NOT a jar.

Sorry for hogging the thread - I'll give somebody else a chance.

 

[neosapien]

Never been scuba diving myself. It sounds awesome. And ridiculously scary and exhilarating. The vast open ocean intimidates me. I have been wanting to get some equipment together and start leak detecting pools with it. Some serious side cash there I think.

 

[Eclypse]

This is something on my bucket list

 

[Indagrow]

Would love to go spelunking.. Caves are sick, scuba diving is sick, I was sick two days ago.

 

[cannabineer]

I went scuba diving once in my life. The equipment happened to fit like a dream, and my hosts believed in a sort of benign neglect once they taught me to mind my {word} gauge.

I have a great memory of taking one of those Jimi Hendrix sea urchins and passing it from hand to hand while it did its best to skewer me. Fat chance; i was the neighborhood's "Operation" champ. cn

 

[GreatwhiteNorth]

I've been skewered by those many times - mostly when feeling around for lobster in blind holes.
The black long spines are the worst - extremely sharp and brittle, once you're impaled they break off & you cannot get them out.
I used to have to soak my hands in white vinegar to try & help dissolve them.

 

[Figong]

If you really want to work in the dive industry, were I you my first step would be to obtain my open water cert (minimum) and sport dive for a while to make sure it is something you're comfortable with. Diving is a blast, but also a game of details - not paying attention & compromising safety is a good way of getting hurt or seriously killed ().

If after becoming familiar with the sport you are still enthusiastic about it - you might think of working in the oil industry. It's brutal, dangerous work but no better way of learning the intricacies of a subject than "total immersion". (sorry for the bad pun)
One of my best friends went this route & though it was tough the pay was over the moon.

As for collecting trop's, I did it in Key West free lance for several shops in the Miami area, most popular were morays, butterflys & angels. Catching baby sharks brought in pretty good $$ (nurse, lemons, bull's & hammers were my specialty). I did most all of my collecting night diving (mostly free) due to them being much easier to catch (as I never used chemicals like some SOB's).

If you've never been, there is nothing like night diving where you KNOW there are very large predatory sharks (Tigers, Hammers & Bulls) & being bumped by God knows what (InthefuckingDARK) - I'm sure that more than once I looked like an underwater police car with that light going round & round looking for whateverthefuck just thumped me only to find out it was one of my collection jars.
Then again, more than once it was NOT a jar.

Sorry for hogging the thread - I'll give somebody else a chance.

GWN brings up a very valid point.. if night diving around predatory things... throw on the bright neon green / yellow / pink something wet suit as appropriate. Black wetsuits in murky water with you moving slowly make you look like a wounded seal. If said predatory animals eat seals by their very nature, guess what's going to happen if you hold their attention long enough?

 

[Figong]

Never been scuba diving myself. It sounds awesome. And ridiculously scary and exhilarating. The vast open ocean intimidates me. I have been wanting to get some equipment together and start leak detecting pools with it. Some serious side cash there I think.

500-700 for entry level dive gear, I'd say.. and you wont need wet suit for a pool inspection. Much cheaper than ice diving setup.. drysuit, with a quality regulator, BCD, 4 knives (I would always go with 4 knives, one on each limb incase I was tangled and couldn't reach others), spare pony bottle, spare regulator, double tanks and other shit puts that setup around 3200-ish - as a comparison.

 

[GreatwhiteNorth]

Has anyone else been following the Lionfish invasion in the Caribbean ?
These things are apparently everywhere now & breeding like crazy - to the point that there are spearfishing contests just for the darn thing.

But speaking of spearing - this is pretty cool.

[video=youtube;ygAvRrU_VIY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygAvRrU_VIY[/video]

 

[Figong]

Has anyone else been following the Lionfish invasion in the Caribbean ?
These things are apparently everywhere now & breeding like crazy - to the point that there are spearfishing contests just for the darn thing.

But speaking of spearing - this is pretty cool.

[video=youtube;ygAvRrU_VIY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygAvRrU_VIY[/video]

Very interesting.. wonder what's missing from there that's kept them in check for a good while?

 

[GreatwhiteNorth]

Sorry, I can't help myself - here's another spearing vid that is not to be missed.

[video=youtube;KaTbI30H7ys]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaTbI30H7ys[/video]

 

[GreatwhiteNorth]

Very interesting.. wonder what's missing from there that's kept them in check for a good while?

Lions (Pterois volitans) is an Indo-Pacific native that aquarium enthusiasts (presumably) released off the Fl/Bahamas coast & having no natural predators are multiplying like mad.