Dive the Keys...

[qbee]

Diving is soooo much fun! I am an advide diver but not any where around here. The best (close) place to go is a fresh water spring called Lake Rawlings in Virginia. That is where Sea Dive (in Solomons) certifies their students for open water. By far the best place I have been diving is in Belize!

[Pushrod]

Originally Posted by clevalley

Wow - I would love to start diving again... I learned in Hawaii when I was out there TDY. Something I always wanted to do and got my PADI card!

I had a REALLY hard time clearing one of my ears (bad sinus problems plus I was smoking)... I always wondered if now that I don't smoke if it would be any different.

Does anyone dive around here??? Not that the scenery will be great...

There is lots of diving around here, unfortunately most of it is 'blackwater diving'. I've dove on the WWI sub S-49 off of point patience in the Patuxent River several times. It is down at around 120 feet with visibility ranging from 6inches to a couple of feet and lots of monofiliment.
I've also dove the German U-boat, U-1105, off of Piney Point in the Potomac a few times. It is not quite as deep as the WWI sub, but visibilities are about the same. Currents are usually a non-issue if you plan your dives accordingly.

As far as trying to spook a student in a pool, not a good idea. You can have a lung over-expansion injury in as little as 4 feet of water, with the greatest pressure changes being in the last 33 feet of water. I do, as per standards, a valve shut off exercise while students are kneeling in the shallow end of the pool, and also regulator removal and recovery underwater. You don't want to panic a student and have them swear off diving forever.

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Pushrod

There is lots of diving around here, unfortunately most of it is 'blackwater diving'. I've dove on the WWI sub S-49 off of point patience in the Patuxent River several times. It is down at around 120 feet with visibility ranging from 6inches to a couple of feet and lots of monofiliment.
I've also dove the German U-boat, U-1105, off of Piney Point in the Potomac a few times. It is not quite as deep as the WWI sub, but visibilities are about the same. Currents are usually a non-issue if you plan your dives accordingly.

As far as trying to spook a student in a pool, not a good idea. You can have a lung over-expansion injury in as little as 4 feet of water, with the greatest pressure changes being in the last 33 feet of water. I do, as per standards, a valve shut off exercise while students are kneeling in the shallow end of the pool, and also regulator removal and recovery underwater. You don't want to panic a student and have them swear off diving forever.

So people have done that sub. First I heard about that.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Pushrod

As far as trying to spook a student in a pool, not a good idea. You can have a lung over-expansion injury in as little as 4 feet of water, with the greatest pressure changes being in the last 33 feet of water. I do, as per standards, a valve shut off exercise while students are kneeling in the shallow end of the pool, and also regulator removal and recovery underwater. You don't want to panic a student and have them swear off diving forever.

...that sounds even better. My whole point is some sort of training to get a feel for the anxiety, and deal with it successfully, of not having air under water.

I've dove three times and seen one full panic and one on the edge. An awesome assistant stopped the first one before she made it to the surface and got her to calm down. The second one she got it back under control with a bit of coaxing from her hubby.

[kom526]

Slightly but did you guys look for the green flash down at Mallory Square?

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by kom526

Slightly but did you guys look for the green flash down at Mallory Square?

...read about the day after the first sunset we saw from there. The other two evenings, to our loss, we were not on the wharf and couldn't see it go all the way down.


Sunset in Key West is fun. The performers, the crowd. Good time.

[Bird Dog]

Originally Posted by kom526

Slightly but did you guys look for the green flash down at Mallory Square?

I was there last night with some friends. Great sunset, but no greenflash.
I think you need a lot of marguaritas to help you see the flash

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by kom526

Slightly but did you guys look for the green flash down at Mallory Square?

Been there a few times, went to the Square every evening, never saw one..

[kom526]

Google green flash at sunset and click images

[poster]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...that's scary. I think there should be some sort of stress training in the pool where the instructor sneaks up from behind and turns your air off or pulls your mouth piece out as people kneel in shallow water.
First dive in Jamaica a lady bolted for the surface and the assistant dive master was on her like a shot out of a cannon. Wrapped his legs around her and stopped her cold. Made her look in his eyes. He did a great job. Calmed her down and she finished just fine.

I was certified in the keys and this was done to us in the pool @10ft and on the reef @30ft. Our instructor turned off the tank, flipped off the mask and dropped your weight belt or hit some air in your BCD all at the same time. Was fun trying to keep up with him. Out of a class of 10 only 4 of us did well with this!!