Any Divers Here?

[rob newland]

I just got back from a 2 week trip to the maldives with my folks, having taken my padi advanced open water qualification .
As it stands I have:
BSAC ocean diver (like padi open water, except much more thorough - it took me a year and a half to do!), and
PADI advanced open water.
Of course the marine life in the maldives is first class, so my dad captured a fare few fish on camera.
I dont have them off his memory card yet, but when I do there will be pictures of mantas, stingrays, turtles, moray eels and many other species for all to enjoy .
So, anyone else?

 

[andywg]

I know Arfie does some diving, but will let him tell you the agency/experience.

I hold my PADI (Put Another Dollar In) Open Water and am working on my BSAC Sports Diver.

The moment I have my SD I will be working towards anything else needed to start towards rebreather diving. Bubbles are sooo last century Sadly the first requirement appears to be the sale of a kidney...

There is the posibility of me doing the PADI AOW prior to the honeymoon to Fiji in September, but will wait and see.

 

[rob newland]

cool, i started my SD but never finished it... need to do my open water dives for it.
and its actually Pay And Die Instantly I think you will find .
Yeah rebreathers are very expensive and also very dangerous.
Im gonna get me a padi nitrox qualification next
rob

 

[clinton ><>]

i do diving i love the water lol

 

[rob newland]

cool what qualifications you got?

 

[Arfie]

I'm also PADI AOW, I did the EFR, but let it lapse as I never got around to Rescue Diver. I'm not bothering with RD this year, just gonna get loads of dives under my belt this year, then try RD next year I think. SPending too much time in puddles so far though as I don't fancy 3,4 or 5 hour drives to decent coast dives to have them canned due to the current weather.

I must admit I'm intregued with BSAC, but have been reading some very poor reports about the cliques that develop and the commitee style of organisation. Also for those with boats how the commitee seem to organise the trips which tend to be for more advanced divers, with wrecks that start in 35m water and go down. I would like to do the Sport Diver with them but will probably wait until I am a bit better, maybe until I have dipped in for a drysuit, for me BSAC seems much more thorough than PADI (Pay and Dive Immediately but the theme is the same ) Sadly there were 2 Chesterfield branches, one no longer operates (I know cos it's the centre I did my OW with) and the other one is seemingly in trouble with most of their subs last year apparently spent on pool fees, so I'd need to find one worth joining, who will do diving for pussies and preferably has at least one boat available to them.

I'm not at all jeleous about you being in the Maldives I was probably in Stoney Cove, Dosthill or Capernwray when you were there But I'm off to Hurghada in Sept, so that will take the edge off.

Get some pics up though

Edit: anyone heading off to the Dive show in Brum? I think it's in mid October I doubt Andy will being as he bought most of LIDS when he went Just think though Andy, all those shiny CCR units going cheap (well maybe for half a kidney anyway)

Arfie

 

[CAC]

Ive got my PADI open water, qualifyed easter last year in malasia. Just been diving in thailand for just over two weeks, koh tao and koh samui (theres a thread in the natural world section about it). Did my adventure deep dive, which is a nessisary part of the advanced course, so hopfully this year Im going to do my dry suit dive, navagation dive (which you have to do, like the deep one) and the underwater photography one, as I plan to spend a while out in koh tao to do my rescue and first aid coruses and then the divemaster one.
Anyone know of any cheshire clubs at all (or any in the devon area cos Im going that way this summer)...

 

[rob newland]

ahah stoney cove. Brrrrr. Yup I will get some pics up asap .
catfish are cool - I did:
Deep dive,
Navigation dive,
wreck dive,
drift dive and
night dive .
Night dives are definitely worth doing
rob

 

[andywg]

I must admit I'm intregued with BSAC, but have been reading some very poor reports about the cliques that develop and the commitee style of organisation. Also for those with boats how the commitee seem to organise the trips which tend to be for more advanced divers, with wrecks that start in 35m water and go down. I would like to do the Sport Diver with them but will probably wait until I am a bit better, maybe until I have dipped in for a drysuit, for me BSAC seems much more thorough than PADI (Pay and Dive Immediately but the theme is the same ) Sadly there were 2 Chesterfield branches, one no longer operates (I know cos it's the centre I did my OW with) and the other one is seemingly in trouble with most of their subs last year apparently spent on pool fees, so I'd need to find one worth joining, who will do diving for pussies and preferably has at least one boat available to them.

It all depends on the club. My club (in Basildon of all places!) is constantly training new divers. Even though we could cross straight in as qualified Ocean Divers with our PADI OW, we still did the pool and theory stuff. If all goes well I will be doing the dSMB dive and associated stuff (but not the rescue bits) in Guildy this Saturday.

If you get a bad club then it can be a nightmare, but our club is very active and organises regular training dives both in freshwater puddles and in the sea. The social side is also pretty good with our club, with a few describing it as a drinking club with a diving problem...

Edit: anyone heading off to the Dive show in Brum? I think it's in mid October I doubt Andy will being as he bought most of LIDS when he went Just think though Andy, all those shiny CCR units going cheap (well maybe for half a kidney anyway)

It is indeed in mid October and I shall be attending with Nina.

There's always more to buy though. Probably no rebreathers just yet, but a made to measure drysuit or two may just be in order. The problem with rebreathers is the wife (as of 10 days ago ) is not so keen. She is happy with mild poodles in warmish water, whereas I have plans on recreating Abyss.

Mind you, I am actually on the scout for at least one (possibly two) ex RN Avon NATO rubber drysuits. Can't beat rubber to dive in. If only you could get a gimp hood...

Edit---------------

In case anyone is not sure what Arfie means when he talks about me buying most of LIDS, I went there with Nina to buy two dive computers (Suunto Vyper, so slightly large wrist watches). We came back with the below (on the Tube, DLR and Trains and an MR2):

However, on internet shop prices, we saved about £900 in one fell swoop, so not too bad methinks.

 

[Arfie]

the wife (as of 10 days ago

Didnt know, congratulations

You need some bad influences on you Andy, you should look for shiny stuff at places like divingniknaks and kent tooling

Might see you at brum then you doing Sat or Sunday?

Arfie

Edit: I almost forgot, be careful at Guildy apparently there was a bit of nicking went off there last weekend, including a car getting done in the middle of the car park and a diver and his instructor lost their log books (instructor with 900 logged dives). Leave nothing on show!

 

[rob newland]

woah someone was busy at the dive show
i went to the brum one last year and got a Aladin Prime (uwatec) dive computer for 180 - saving 50 off rrp
Good luck with your dSMB dive - I have a self inflating one (comes with mini air cylinder that fills it) - so much easier
Also
I have some photos uploading here
not many at the mo', but im just hunting through the memory cards.
Rob

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Yes, My husband and I dive.

 

[andywg]

the wife (as of 10 days ago

Didnt know, congratulations

Cheers

Might see you at brum then you doing Sat or Sunday?

Haven't decided yet. Probably the Sat to leave Sun free, but I'm not sure. Will probably depend on if there are any dives going on that weekend.

Edit: I almost forgot, be careful at Guildy apparently there was a bit of nicking went off there last weekend, including a car getting done in the middle of the car park and a diver and his instructor lost their log books (instructor with 900 logged dives). Leave nothing on show!

Cheers.

We are always careful and I never leave anything on show in the car, especially not with diving gear. I never bother taking my log books with me to dives as it is all stored on the DC. Just do it all on the softwarer when I get home and then occasionally write up to the book.

 

[rob newland]

Indeed andy some congratulations are in order
Rob

 

[andywg]

And to thank peoples for the congo rats, a photo of me from the night: