Scuba diving

[spyro76]

We couldn't SCUBA dive on our last trip to Florida, but we snorkeled in really shallow water where most of the SCUBA diving for the area takes place anyway. The ironic part of it is I'm good enough at free diving that I was down with the SCUBA divers a good portion of the time. We saw sharks and lots of barracuda interspersed with a lot of other fish.

[marhawkman]

I don't like barracuda. They think like sharks. The main difference is that they're harder to kill, their senses aren't as acute and they have duller teeth, but not much.

[Rosedamai]

I didn't know what barracudas were, so I looked them up, and.....ew.......I would panic at the sight of them.

 

*turns green at the sign of dolphins*

[Jet Raptor]

I love sharks. ._.

Yeah, I'll still get a little nervous around them...but they're just such interesting creatures. I like seeing them on dives.

My dad got bit by a barracuda one time. It wanted his shiny necklace. |3

 

On the Big Island of Hawaii, they do manta ray night dives. I got *this* close to going on one, but they had to be cancelled because of something...can't remember why. I think it might have been the weather.

 

One thing that I would absolutely love to see is a whale shark.

[Lythiaren]

Barracuda are awesome though. They may have nasty looking teeth but they're really neat, the ones we found just followed us around like curious puppies until they got bored. :3

 

But I think lionfish are the coolest things. It's too bad they're an invasive species in the Caribbean though, they have to exterminate them or they will wreck the whole reef. :x

 

But I will say they are quite tasty.

[angelkay]

Lionfish? Cooooool. I've never seen one before. :c

 

My step-dad was swimming after one and I was freaking out because it was my very first open water dive. Then it opened it's mouth and I really got scared. LOL.

 

 

I've gotten to hold a lobster underwater when we went lobstering... I think I held it a little too tight, though... I didn't want it to swim away.

Edited November 20, 2011 by angelkay

[Devious_Bookworm]

...where have you been, topic of my life?

 

Both of my parents were certified by the time I was born, so I grew up on boats, as I often like to say. Watching my parents do a giant stride off of the boat and waiting for them to come up...

 

I've been certified for three years, first as a junior open water diver and then a full open water diver once I was old enough. I haven't been able to go on many dives yet, but... man. I just love the feeling of floating... especially during drift dives along a wall... you get to just float and be lazy and let the current tug you along...

 

I'm a sucker for angelfish and sharks and octopi and butterfly fish. My parents used to own everything but the tanks, but they couldn't get them serviced anymore, so we're starting to recollect the gear again. We're actually going on eBay. While it's risky, there are some reputable sellers, and one should always test out their gear--whether new or not--in a pool dive before taking it out anywhere. I'm hoping to get a regulator for Christmas...or my birthday... I have a full wetsuit (and a shortie that I use most of the time), fins, a mask (it's custom with lenses that match my prescription), snorkel, and a BCD.

 

I've been diving in the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean, mostly, though I've been to Boracay in the Philippines a few times. I love wreck diving, though I've been to one so far. My issue with the dive wasn't the claustrophobia or inability to navigate through the wreck, oh no. It was the fact that my octopus decided it didn't like to stay in the clip in the borrowed BCD and was almost dragging along the floor of the ship. x3 Reason #13 why Devy wants her own gear...

 

Anyone else love dive masters (bless their hearts) who don't watch their computers and take you down deeper then you should? ...I got down to 100 feet once for a few minutes.

[angelkay]

...where have you been, topic of my life?

My first thought, exactly.

 

Both of my parents were certified by the time I was born, so I grew up on boats, as I often like to say.  Watching my parents do a giant stride off of the boat and waiting for them to come up...

 

I was certified before my parents were. It was kind of funny, actually, because then I got to watch them do their training and what not. ^-^

 

I've been diving in the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean, mostly, though I've been to Boracay in the Philippines a few times. 

 

I would love to travel to more places to go diving. So far, I have done all my diving in the Keys.

 

My issue with the dive wasn't the claustrophobia or inability to navigate through the wreck, oh no.  It was the fact that my octopus decided it didn't like to stay in the clip in the borrowed BCD and was almost dragging along the floor of the ship.  x3  Reason #13 why Devy wants her own gear...

 

Those darn octopus! Mine never seem to want to stay in the clip, so I always have to be reminded to keep putting it back. >.<

 

Anyone else love dive masters (bless their hearts) who don't watch their computers and take you down deeper then you should?  ...I got down to 100 feet once for a few minutes.

 

Sadly, I have not yet gone deeper than 40 feet. I would like to obtain my next level of PADI certification in the summer with my parents so we can go wreck diving and such (Since I'm not really certified to go lower than 50 feet...)

 

Sorry for all the quoting, I just had a lot to say. OwO

[Jet Raptor]

If I recall correctly, the deepest I've been was 120ft on a wreck dive. We hovered between 120 (at the floor) and 80 or 90 feet (towards the top of the wreck) during most of the dive. The only thing I didn't like about that dive was the amount of time we had to wait during decompression on the way back up. I swear I almost fell asleep. X3

[Lythiaren]

I went down 100ft on my cert dive because my instructor felt like cheating. The divemaster let us pair off and go wherever, which led to fun times as we went exploring around the reef fingers. It's a great thing when your instructor is friends with the divemaster in question. :V

[Trope]

Certified NELOS diver here. I'm currently one star, and am 75% done getting my second, as all I need to do are two tests (rescue diving, somehow I don't want to do that one ;-;, and swimming 500m with gear without actually using it.).

 

So far, I've been diving in Belgium, The netherlands and Spain. My dream destination is Saudi Arabia, but sadly enough it's very hard to go diving there when you're female. I'd like to become a professional underwater photographer.

 

I'll try to upload some l'Estartit pictures later. ^.^

 

Deepest I went was 60ft, since my school is very strict concerning the rules and that's the deepest I'm allowed to dive at. I also got net training, and boyah. I never guessed it would be that hard to get out of a net. >_>

 

Concerning gear, I own my own jacket, gloves, boots, net knife and wet suit, along with the basic equipment. I'd like to get fins and a Greenforce light next. ^.^

 

Picture time!

 

Edited November 20, 2011 by Trope

[Rosedamai]

Barracuda are awesome though.  They may have nasty looking teeth but they're really neat, the ones we found just followed us around like curious puppies until they got bored. :3

 

But I think lionfish are the coolest things.

*Shudders* I dunno, they still look pretty ferocious to me D:

 

Oooh lionfish they're so pretty! And their frontal "face" remind me of a teacher I once had...

 

 

Yep, totally the same expression

Edited November 20, 2011 by ylangylang

[angelkay]

I'd like to become a professional underwater photographer.

Me too!!!

 

Yep, totally the same expression.

 

LOL!!! Reminds me of my business/technology class last year...

[marhawkman]

I've been diving in the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean, mostly, though I've been to Boracay in the Philippines a few times. I love wreck diving, though I've been to one so far.

Have you done any reef diving around the Tongue of the Ocean? It's in the Bahamas at Andross. I've heard it's a really pretty place do dive. although it has treacherous/dangerous tidal currents that have been known to suck fishing boats into the reef.

[Jet Raptor]

@Trope: I squee'd at that octopus.

Now that I think about it, I don't recall ever seeing an octopus on any of the dives I've been on..... That's strange.... :/

 

I used to have an underwater digital camera...but the housing leaked on one of the wreck dives I went on. I almost cried. :C

 

Has anyone ever carved pumpkins underwater? I almost got to go with the dive club I used to be in, but I was too busy that day. They were having a contest to see who could carve the best pumpkin with a dive knife.

[Rachel72]

I have no desire to do this

[Obscure_Trash]

Word of warning, if you have asthma, they will not let you scuba dive without your doctor's permission. (Also a host of other illnesses and such - so if you have something, check the rules before you go so you can work on getting proper permission!)

 

Wasn't that a lovely thing for me to find out after we'd already signed me up to go (in another country at a resort - graduation present for me and my sister) after having wanted to try scuba'ing ever since I knew what it was?