Any divers out there?

[Erikte]

Hi,

I am a PADI Master Instructor, and have been scuba diving since i was 16 years old (40 now ooohhh). Still active with around 100 scuba dives every year. It helps being owner of scuba diving center and repair facility. Have educated ca. 1.200 scuba divers.

Most of my scuba dives is north of the arctic circle (in North Norway) and also some ice dives (in winter time).

My scuba centre is Polardykk Bodø AS

Happy scuba diving everyone.

Erik

[Borealis]

Did someone say dive!?!?! Thats what I live for...literally...hmmm, now that I put it that way maybe I should get 'A LIFE'! Actually Im commercial hard hat diver and I founded my own business so it puts bread on my table, also i am a diver for the US Navy (Reserve EOD SCUBA). BUT!...alas, I love to shed the weight and drama of customers and contracts and gear and make a splash to go look at really cool stuff and take pics. I mostly dive in my home waters of Puget Sound.

[S.I.T.S.]

How does a thread survive for 5 years? Yeah I dive. Going through my DM right now. Within two years I will have a Leopard 45, install dive compressor... sail.. dive... eat..sail dive and not necessarily in that order.

Bruce

[Canibul]

I put my first steel 72 with a Voit "V-66 Navy" double hose regulator on my back when I was 12....so I been diving now for 45 years. After I had been diving for six years, I took a NASDS course to get "certified". I lost track of my certification card from 1969 probably twenty years ago, misplaced probably in one of the many moves over the years. I used SCUBA for many years installing and inspecting oceanographic instrumentation. I never bothered trying to replace the card, I usually had my own compressor for filling tanks. Company paid for all my gear. A few years ago, before moving down to the islands, I thought I would contact NASDS and see if they could send me a replacement card. I figured I would probably need one here to get tanks filled. Found out NASDS doesn't really exist any more, and all their records were burned up in a fire. So I keep diving. These days I use a Brownie's Third Lung hookah setup. Almost all our diving is shallower than 60 feet. If I need to bounce down deeper for something I can connect the hoses and get down to a hundred feet.

Anybody here collect old diving gear? I ran across an old Italian SOS decompression meter in one of my boxes of junk the other day. I was using that to decompress from a wreck at 180 ft. thirty years ago, you young whippersnappers with your BCDs, dive computers, and certifications...!!

I just realized, I guess I am not a SCUBA diver, since I use a hookah these days. Oh well, all those thousands of hours underwater all for nuthing...

[yachtrodney]

Hi DiverGirl




This was taken a couple of years ago.

I took up scuba diving when I headed off on my first adventure back in 1988 and had the pleasure of doing the course diving in the Solomon Islands.

Thereafter - I just about lived in the water every day for the next 3 years - and dived some of the most beautiful and exciting spots in the Western Pacific. Including staying in Truk Lagoon for about 6 months with the yacht.

When I came home - and embarked on many years of boatbuilding this yacht - I gave it away - until a few years ago - returned to diving enthusiastically here and up and down our own coast.

I haven't been now for about 18 months - and with the big yacht here in the middle of Botany Bay - I'm keen to do some more dives - so if there is anyone in this area of Botany Bay - Port Hacking - who could use another dive buddy - I would love you to contact me - via here - or email me: rodneyfield@thedogpaddler.com and maybe we can get together and do some local dives.

I've also got 2 good runabouts behind the yacht - that I've dived from many times in the past - and they have excellent scuba boading platforms - specially designed for a giant diver like me and all his gear.

So I would love to hear from any locals - and go diving with you.

Oh - by the way - did I mention that Penny likes to go on scuba diving trips too?

Rodney

[Morgan Paul]

I hate to say it, but I think DiverGirl got the bends.

[hellosailor]

Canibul, I too found out that SSI acquired NASDS and for a mere $45 (then) they'd replace my old C-card which looks like it came out the wrong end of a long large critter. I said thanks, I don't want microfiche, I don't want lists, I just want a card which costs someone $2 and I'll gladly pay them $20 for it--but no more.

So I keep diving with something that looks akin to a regimetnal comdom.

Apparently SSI schools have the discretion to replace it for far less than list price, maybe one day I'll run across a sympathetic one. Till then...packing tape works.[g]

SITS-
Have you foigured out what running your own compressor costs you, in terms of filters, disposables, oil, fuel, amortization...all the nasty numbers, as compared to dragging it ashore to the usual medley of "Nah, no one here could have promised you that tank THIS month...Didn't you know you need a special VIP+ inspection and anew hundred dollar o-ring?...Yeah, we always put a little oi, in steel tanks..." impressive dive shops? (Here in the Northeast, that's all sadly more common than not.)

[At Ease]

Hey Everybody, Cave only for the last 20 yr. Never tried open water but sure would like to some day.

[SilentOption]

Retired SEAL, Wet submersible pilot since 1977 now working as a Trainer and tech rep for a company that builds the best wet submersibles in the world.

[JB]

Both of us are certified Rescue divers. Keep all of our dive gear aboard, had a compressor for several years until the salt water monsters ate it! Diving and Caribbean crusing are like peanut butter and jelly - a perfect combination.

[vtdiver]

Divegirl,
Scuba and Commercial If your ever in VT. try some of the wreacks in Lake Champlaine. They vary from shallow 40 Ft-to beyond Rec limits

[Little Otter]

I'm certified but haven't done it in 2 years.

[SilentOption]

I will be diving in Marathon Florida until 12 June if any of you are about let me know and we'll have a beer or two and talk diving and sailing.

[svcattales]

My SCUBA diving is mostly limited to working on boat bottom, props, zincs, and unwrapping lobster pots. I keep one tank onboard with a 60ft hose to the regulator. It lets me put the tank in one place and clean the entire bottom without moving the it. This rig would also help with a fouled anchor, but never had to use it for that.

I prefer to snorkel when we cruise since it requires less equipment and the best scenery seems to be in the first 20 feet anyway.

[skifinnatic]

I am a PADI instructor. Sailing away soon and teaching abroad