Any avid divers on TRF?

[Lew_Ashby]

Any avid divers on TRF?

1. Are NAUI or PADI?
2. Open or Closed circuit?
3. Favorite Dive Location
4. How often do you dive?
5. Best experience?
6. Worst Experience?
7. Where and when were you certified?

I started diving in the late 80’s and received my first PADI cert card in January or February of '88.

All of my cards are PADI as my best friend was a dive instructor and PADI was his game.

I learned to dive in LA and performed my open water dives at Shaw’s Cove (Laguna Beach) and off of a 6-pac at Twin Rock (Catalina Island).

Most of my diving is open circuit. I typically run EAN32 as I prefer the shorter surface intervals (especially during winter months) and most of my diving is relatively shallow (80ft or less).

Best experience: Diving Isla Guadalupe or Lord Howe.

Worst experience: Watching a brand new diver perish.

Favorite spot: Whites Point, San Pedro, CA as it’s a 15 minute drive from my house, moderately easy entry, doesn’t seem to be prone to too much surge.

[brandrea]

Sounds like you’re a veteran

Lots of folks here who will chime in with great stories and photos of their dives too.

About all I have in common with some of you, are that I love dive watches … never learned to swim though

[Xenophon]

Cert: BSAC/PADI/CMAS (1990s)
Type: Open - Air & Nitrox
Often: Haven't dived for 15 years (done about 300 excluding training & certification dives)
Best: St. Abbs Cathedral Rock (Scotland - North Sea)
Worst: Getting kitted up in drysuit, twin tanks, etc only to abort before entering the water (many times)
No. 7: Don't understand

[Xenophon]

St. Abbs 2000 - Rolex 14060 Submariner on my wrist

[Dan Pierce]

I used to but can no longer read the refrigerator sized computer strapped to my arm due to age. Already lost about half the hearing in my left ear due to barometric trauma using a new full face mask and that was enough for me.

My son continues to dive and really enjoys it.
dP

[SearChart]

Such a cool sport, always enjoy seeing diving pics, pics of diving gear and dive watches
I just don't have the balls to do it, but I'm sure it is magnificent!

[Beo3]

I just got certified (PADI) and will experiencing my first dives this week in the Dominican Republic.

[joli160]

Decades ago I did a lot of recreational diving, feeling too old now.
I used a Citizen Aqualand analog, great watch.

1. PADI
2. Open water
3. Cuba, don’t remember the name but was my first fresh water cave dive.
4. Not anymore
5. Exploring old car wrecks in Curacao together with turtles and barracuda’s.
6. Steep drop off dive and at -41m, removing air bottle to enter a very narrow tunnel going up again.
I got a bit scared and had to use all my will power to stay cool, used lots of air and was very glad I had a more experienced buddy with me..

[Lew_Ashby]

Originally Posted by joli160

Decades ago I did a lot of recreational diving, feeling too old now.

You’re not alone, I feel the same way each and every time I shore dive. I find it much easier to dive off the back of a boat.

Originally Posted by Beo3

I just got certified (PADI) and will experiencing my first dives this week in the Dominican Republic.

Fantastic and welcome to the club! Enjoy your adventure!

Originally Posted by SearChart

Such a cool sport, always enjoy seeing diving pics, pics of diving gear and dive watches
I just don't have the balls to do it, but I'm sure it is magnificent!

. You spent the first 9 months of your existence in water; you need only knowledge, preparation, planning, and a modicum of common sense to dive.

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

I used to but can no longer read the refrigerator sized computer strapped to my arm due to age. Already lost about half the hearing in my left ear due to barometric trauma using a new full face mask and that was enough for me.

I’m saddened to read that and can empathize with you as I injured one of my ears in apx 15 fsw during a descent. I can no longer tell if, and when I adequately pressurize that ear so I stick to rather shallow reef diving. Not to worry my friend, father time has a plan for each of us.

Originally Posted by Xenophon

St. Abbs 2000 - Rolex 14060 Submariner on my wrist

[Chewbacca]

Triple Lindy since 1986

[Dan Pierce]

Here’s a video my son and I did right after certification. Make sure the settings are hi-rez and turn it up!
dP
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzcv...9hRA0M0l6MVQsQ

[Ferdelious]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Triple Lindy since 1986

Mellon! We need ya!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beo3]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Here’s a video my son and I did right after certification. Make sure the settings are hi-rez and turn it up!
dP
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzcv...9hRA0M0l6MVQsQ

Great video Dan!

I especially liked the Benny Hill music.

[padi56]

PADI BSAC instructor's but now long retired favourite dive sites Red sea, Bali Indonesia and the many reefs around the Maldives .

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Here’s a video my son and I did right after certification. Make sure the settings are hi-rez and turn it up!
dP
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzcv...9hRA0M0l6MVQsQ

I remember this one from when you first shared it, great video Dan

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by padi56

PADI BSAC instructor's but now long retired favourite dive sites Red sea, Bali Indonesia and the many reefs around the Maldives .

Would love to see some pictures of some of your dives Peter

[TheVTCGuy]

PASI instructor number 14708 Worked professionally on the Great Lakes as a teenager and off the coast of California during college. That was quite a few years ago

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by Beo3

Great video Dan!

I especially liked the Benny Hill music.

Originally Posted by SearChart

I remember this one from when you first shared it, great video Dan

Thank you, gents!
dP

[Maleg]

Diving since the early 70’s. I was trained by some buddies that were ex Navy divers. I later became certified with PADI. I’ve been diving my 5513 since the early 80’s.

PADI certs: OW, AOW, DM, Tec Trimix (hypoxic), Tec Gas Blender, Tec Sidemount, OC and CC

I started having back problems in my 60’s and switched to rebreathers to lighten the load on my back. I highly recommend CC diving for photographers and folks with lower body and back ailments.

Best dive was the U-533 off the coast of the UAE. It’s at about 360 feet and near the shipping lanes. On the day we dove it she came into view at about 165 feet. Visibility on the bottom was about 50 feet. I wish I had pictures, but Nauticam only certifies my housing to 330 feet.

Worst dive was Lake Michigan, Door County Wisconsin in 1975. A schooner at 100 feet in 38 degree water and a rubber wet suit and hood. My primary reg started to freeze up about the time my brain started to freeze. To this day I feel it was an act of providence that I survived the dive. I have not dived cold water since.

[Cambo]

PADI open water and dry suit (never used).
Been diving since 1995. Was the reason for my first Rolex purchase (16613).

[MrGoat]

Padi AOW, Nitrox, Rescue. I own OC and CC. Dive everything from dry suit to just board shorts depending on clime and place. Some tech dives (doubles with a pony).

Certified in 1996 @ 12 yrs old.

Love the Duane and the Vandenberg. Any wrecks or cool stuff makes me happy.

Best dive was on the rocks on the pipeline in the gulf. 14’ pregnant tiger shark treated us like her baby’s and protected us from the other sharks during our quick dive and deco stop then while we were on top of the water once back on the boat and decided to snorkel with her.

Worst dive- had a new diver lose their crap at 60’ in 5’ viz.


Sent from my Apple privacy invasion product

[7sins]

Diving is my biggest passion and what I plan my vacation around, try to get in ~40 dives a year. Hoping to climb the professional PADI ladder to teach when/if I make it to retirement. Last month dove in Grenada and off to Sipidan on Tuesday for a week of diving I am very much looking forward to and Bali drift dives in Sept.

OW - Belize
AOW - Cozumel
Rescue Diver - Malta

Favorite Dive - Roatan Night Bioluminescence dive or Kona Manta Ray Night Dive
Worst Dive - Mallorca
Bucket List: Galapagos Liveaboard & Palau - Hopefully knock one off this year, Galapagos ideally during migration season

[Lew_Ashby]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Triple Lindy since 1986

[Lew_Ashby]

Originally Posted by 7sins

Diving is my biggest passion and what I plan my vacation around, try to get in ~40 dives a year. Hoping to climb the professional PADI ladder to teach when/if I make it to retirement. Last month dove in Grenada and off to Sipidan on Tuesday for a week of diving I am very much looking forward to and Bali drift dives in Sept.

OW - Belize
AOW - Cozumel
Rescue Diver - Malta

Favorite Dive - Roatan Night Bioluminescence dive or Kona Manta Ray Night Dive
Worst Dive - Mallorca
Bucket List: Galapagos Liveaboard & Palau - Hopefully knock one off this year, Galapagos ideally during migration season

Nice! I haven’t been to the Galapagos but I’m sure it’d be worth the trip. I went to Palau in the early part of this century and it was fantastic.

[hdrazor251]

Multiple certs from SSI and PADI. Highest is Dive Master from PADI.

Favorite dive was Kona manta ray night dive.

Favorite place is Turks and Caicos.

Worst dive was Costa Rica.

Bucket list is Iceland’s Silfra fissure.

[Lew_Ashby]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Here’s a video my son and I did right after certification. Make sure the settings are hi-rez and turn it up!

Originally Posted by padi56

PADI BSAC instructor's but now long retired favourite dive sites Red sea, Bali Indonesia and the many reefs around the Maldives .

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

PASI instructor number 14708 Worked professionally on the Great Lakes as a teenager and off the coast of California during college. That was quite a few years ago

Originally Posted by Maleg

Diving since the early 70’s. I was trained by some buddies that were ex Navy divers. I later became certified with PADI. I’ve been diving my 5513 since the early 80’s.

PADI certs: OW, AOW, DM, Tec Trimix (hypoxic), Tec Gas Blender, Tec Sidemount, OC and CC

I started having back problems in my 60’s and switched to rebreathers to lighten the load on my back. I highly recommend CC diving for photographers and folks with lower body and back ailments.

Best dive was the U-533 off the coast of the UAE. It’s at about 360 feet and near the shipping lanes. On the day we dove it she came into view at about 165 feet. Visibility on the bottom was about 50 feet. I wish I had pictures, but Nauticam only certifies my housing to 330 feet.

Worst dive was Lake Michigan, Door County Wisconsin in 1975. A schooner at 100 feet in 38 degree water and a rubber wet suit and hood. My primary reg started to freeze up about the time my brain started to freeze. To this day I feel it was an act of providence that I survived the dive. I have not dived cold water since.

Originally Posted by Cambo

PADI open water and dry suit (never used).
Been diving since 1995. Was the reason for my first Rolex purchase (16613).

Originally Posted by MrGoat

Padi AOW, Nitrox, Rescue. I own OC and CC. Dive everything from dry suit to just board shorts depending on clime and place. Some tech dives (doubles with a pony).

Certified in 1996 @ 12 yrs old.

Love the Duane and the Vandenberg. Any wrecks or cool stuff makes me happy.

Best dive was on the rocks on the pipeline in the gulf. 14’ pregnant tiger shark treated us like her baby’s and protected us from the other sharks during our quick dive and deco stop then while we were on top of the water once back on the boat and decided to snorkel with her.

Worst dive- had a new diver lose their crap at 60’ in 5’ viz.


Sent from my Apple privacy invasion product

Originally Posted by hdrazor251

Multiple certs from SSI and PADI. Highest is Dive Master from PADI.

Favorite dive was Kona manta ray night dive.

Favorite place is Turks and Caicos.

Worst dive was Costa Rica.

Bucket list is Iceland’s Silfra fissure.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Would love to see some pictures of some of your dives Peter

Picture of myself on one of the reefs in the Red Sea taken by my diving buddy for many year's and a close friend.Unfortunately he was killed in the terrorist attack at the Ghazala Gardens hotel Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheik in 2005. Myself was working in Sharm with him at that time, but had to fly home back to UK as my mother was taken very ill and expect I would have been there with my friend.I sold all my dive and camera gear years ago when I retired from diving.But made one last visit to Sharm in 2007 and made my last dive with a few friends, we put a memorial stone on my friends favourite reef that was a sad day but glad I done it.

[Lew_Ashby]

Originally Posted by padi56

Picture of myself on one of the reefs in the Red Sea taken by my diving buddy for many year's and a close friend.Unfortunately he was killed in the terrorist attack at the Ghazala Gardens hotel Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheik in 2005. Myself was working in Sharm with him at that time, but had to fly home back to UK as my mother was taken very ill and expect I would have been there with my friend.I sold all my dive and camera gear years ago when I retired from diving.But made one last visit to Sharm in 2007 and made my last dive with a few friends, we put a memorial stone on my friends favourite reef that was a sad day but glad I done it.

I’m very saddened to read that, there are precious few words for such tragic and senseless loss of life.

[joeychitwood]

Certified as a divemaster. Training done in Minnesota lakes. Favorite dive spot is Cozumel. Favorite dive resort is Scuba Club Cozumel. Most interesting dive trip was to Chuuk (Truk) Micronesia. Dove two to three Japanese WWII shipwrecks and aircraft a day for three days.

[7sins]

Originally Posted by padi56

Picture of myself on one of the reefs in the Red Sea taken by my diving buddy for many year's and a close friend.Unfortunately he was killed in the terrorist attack at the Ghazala Gardens hotel Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheik in 2005. Myself was working in Sharm with him at that time, but had to fly home back to UK as my mother was taken very ill and expect I would have been there with my friend.I sold all my dive and camera gear years ago when I retired from diving.But made one last visit to Sharm in 2007 and made my last dive with a few friends, we put a memorial stone on my friends favourite reef that was a sad day but glad I done it.

Wild to see what the reefs looked like back then, sad to report the reefs have had a bit of white washing and decay last time I was there in Sharm el Sheikh ~3 years ago. Suppose not uncommon for most of the vivid reefs in the world. Sorry to hear about your friend, the world can be quite unfair at times.