SCUBA / Diving / Diving license

[Kim]

Doesnt matter whether you do it in warm water or cold water. As long as you pass, the certification is good everywhere.

I had a few people do the pool sessions with us then went to Hawaii or Belize for their open water dive. :jealous

 

[Charmed]

Here's a few shots from my last trip to the Channel Islands. Remember kids, the only way to grade PADI exams is while drinking cheap beer

 

[Dmitriy]

Doesnt matter whether you do it in warm water or cold water. As long as you pass, the certification is good everywhere.

But when you show your Monterrey cert. card in places like Hawaii you get instant street cred, kinda like an AFM license

It will not matter where you get certified but you'll get a level of comfort getting it done in cold water that WILL help you in the future.

 

[Kim]

But when you show your Monterrey cert. card in places like Hawaii you get instant street cred, kinda like an AFM license

It will not matter where you get certified but you'll get a level of comfort getting it done in cold water that WILL help you in the future.

As it should be! Monterey was freaking COLD! It took me a few minutes to try and take my mask off without hyper ventilating and breathing in water through my nose.

 

[Cincinnatus]

But when you show your Monterrey cert. card in places like Hawaii you get instant street cred, kinda like an AFM license

It will not matter where you get certified but you'll get a level of comfort getting it done in cold water that WILL help you in the future.

I went thru Sports Chalet in Pleasanton and did my open water cert at Monterey, no problem. Cold as hell, but the water trapped in your suit warms up and adds an extra layer of insulation. Yeah, you do end up losing heat, but much slower. Stay focused on the tasks, think ahead of what's going to be tested (navigation, etc.), relax & look at the fish, see how far you can see. Have fun, and go for it.

 

[Volcomism]

w00t! Big thanks to Dmitry today who TOTALLY hooked it up by finding someone on Craigslist who had 2 twin steel 80's, and 2 aluminum tanks for sale. We drove out at 530am to meet with her and she even hooked it up with tank spacers and weights as well.

I took the tanks over to Any Water Sports to have them visually inspected. We'll see how they turn out

Other news: Just found out my O2 Transmitter for D9 is flooded because the twat in Indonesia didn't replace the battery correctly :'( $450 lost there. Suunto is more than likely not going to cover it.

On the upside: I bought myself new undergarments for the Drysuit, new reel and sausage, and signed up for Any Water Sport's Divemaster program. So after Nov 10th, I'll be the AI in most weekend classes in Monterey. What better way to work out some new gear, than by hanging out with some new divers?

Excellent! You're ready to bust your cold water cherry. I understand dry suits come with a whole new set of buoyancy issues. You'll have to let me know how you adapt.

Basically you use our Drysuit to adjust trim and buoyancy and keep your BCD nearly deflated the entire dive, til you surface. Should be... interesting lol.

Here's a few shots from my last trip to the Channel Islands. Remember kids, the only way to grade PADI exams is while drinking cheap beer

It's damn near part of the job! I can't even remember how many cert exams I had to look over in Indonesia while sipping on some Bintang!

 

[billswim]

Other news: Just found out my O2 Transmitter for D9 is flooded because the twat in Indonesia didn't replace the battery correctly :'( $450 lost there. Suunto is more than likely not going to cover it.



Basically you use our Drysuit to adjust trim and buoyancy and keep your BCD nearly deflated the entire dive, til you surface. Should be... interesting lol.

I've heard so many people having troubles with the transmitter for one reason or another. Not worth the extra trouble IMHO. I'll stick with my air integrated computer. I'm definitely NOT an early adopter lol

Damn, that's how I dive already. I use as little weight as possible, run my BC at next to nothing and use my lungs to adjust my buoyancy.

 

[Volcomism]

I've heard so many people having troubles with the transmitter for one reason or another. Not worth the extra trouble IMHO. I'll stick with my air integrated computer. I'm definitely NOT an early adopter lol

Damn, that's how I dive already. I use as little weight as possible, run my BC at next to nothing and use my lungs to adjust my buoyancy.

What computer do you have right now? I actually like the Uwatec's a bit, but not sure if I want to make the effort to crossover.

 

[billswim]

I've got an ancient oceanic pro plus. Its simple, easy to use and gives me automatic time to fly as soon as I'm out of the water for 30 minutes. Keeps track of multiple dives, saturation levels, can do deco if needed but not the best for something like that. Not sure if its adaptable for nitrox but I dont plan on diving nitrox any time soon. And I can still get seals, batteries, and the little scratch cover for the display.

It wont down load to a PC for your log book but I stopped keeping a log book years ago. Just too much paperwork for very little gain IMHO.

Basically, I just want to dive, know how deep I've been, and my saturation levels. Hell, I still time my dive with my watch just in case my computer fails.

KISS principle.

 

[Volcomism]

I did my first "test" dive with my drysuit, and HOLY HELL does it make a world of difference. I'm now toasty when I dive. The squeeze of the suit can be a little uncomfy while descending but add a little air to the suit and it's very comfortable. I'm going to have to change my diving profile a bit as I like to keep my arms folded, but I'll manage.

Anyone up for some Great White Shark Cage Dives in the Farallons on November 10th? You get nearly as much time in the cage as you handle, and you'll have the privilege of having me be the DM as I do my best to distract the shark from eating you

 

[Kim]

Do we get a discount?

We didnt get to see any last time

 

[MikeyRocks]

Anyone up for some Great White Shark Cage Dives in the Farallons on November 10th? You get nearly as much time in the cage as you handle, and you'll have the privilege of having me be the DM as I do my best to distract the shark from eating you

Man, sounds like fun but I won't be certified until mid December... Maybe on the next trip...

 

[Kim]

FYI when I went cage diving i think 2 years ago now? I was not certified. You dont need to be if youre going to be in a cage.

 

[Volcomism]

Do we get a discount?

We didnt get to see any last time

This will be my first time on this boat, so no discounts just yet

I know.. Vanessa (our DM last time) said she saw 2 female 16 ft's last time

Man, sounds like fun but I won't be certified until mid December... Maybe on the next trip...

What Kim said. vv

FYI when I went cage diving i think 2 years ago now? I was not certified. You dont need to be if youre going to be in a cage.

 

[Anti-Hero]

You up for another course? I'm talking to GUE about allowing me to join the Tech Diver 1+ Course w/out taking their pre-requisites, and could use a buddy.

Not going to happen. GUE doesn't recognize certs from other agencies, and not to diss PADI, but their AI course is not even scratching the surface of what a GUE Tech 1 cert.

At best they will make you take Fundies, if you get a tech pass, you can sign up for T1. But getting a tech pass right out of the gate is rare.

- A GUE diver.

 

[Volcomism]

Well I met up with one of the GUE Tech Instructors on Thursday at SJSU. I let him know my situation, and how I'd rather go the GUE Tech 1 Class rather than Tec 40 route, but not necessarily willing to cough up another $700 just to take the Fundies course to be permitted.

I just got an email stating they'll waive the Fundies Course Fee (I still have to attend the class in January) if I pay for the Tech 1 Course. Only catch is... I've got to fly to FL in March to take the course. Oh well DEAL!

See... doesn't hurt to ask. I've already thrown another $3k (and have another $2k to go) to complete both my rec and tec rigs. Saving $700 here just paid for my new first & second stage on my doubles

 

[Anti-Hero]

Cool!

Be warned, fundies/GUE is going to change your whole outlook and thoughts about diving. You're going to quickly realize how much precision and control is possible, and how important a unified team is.

Who is the instructor you're working with?

 

[Volcomism]

Cool!

Be warned, fundies/GUE is going to change your whole outlook and thoughts about diving. You're going to quickly realize how much precision and control is possible, and how important a unified team is.

Who is the instructor you're working with?

I've been called "The PADI DM" who wants to learn to become a real diver many times in the last week lol.

I'm working with Beto and Robert.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I've been called "The PADI DM" who wants to learn to become a real diver many times in the last week lol.

I'm working with Beto and Robert.

Beto and Rob are amazing. Beto has been my instructor for 2 GUE courses, and Rob is an amazing diver/teacher as well.

 

[Volcomism]

Yea I'm stoked. My friend Kevin was telling me about Beto's cave dives in the Cenotes where they found the oldest remains in the America's. That's insane.