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]

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]

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]

Ok...

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]

Nope...

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]

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]

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]

...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!!

 

[clevalley]

Thanks for the responses - I would like to get back into it - or at least try a dive again to see if my one ear clears... then plan a trip somewhere!

 

[Rael]

We're going down to Key West this summer. I started looking into basic certification (which, of course they offer there). I've never done it before. I'm wondering if it is worth getting it if I'm only going to be there five days. May have to stick to snorkeling.

It does sounds like a lot of fun, though.

 

[Larry Gude]

Look into...

We're going down to Key West this summer. I started looking into basic certification (which, of course they offer there). I've never done it before. I'm wondering if it is worth getting it if I'm only going to be there five days. May have to stick to snorkeling.

It does sounds like a lot of fun, though.

...it. It's not much more to get certified than it is to do a couple of dives.

 

[Rael]

...it. It's not much more to get certified than it is to do a couple of dives.

Thanks, I will. I have a couple of HS buds that live there who should know the lay of the land (as far as business reputations). One of them went there 16 years ago with his wife on vacation, and they never came back. They marry people, run a photography business, and he captains a charter boat. What a life!

Can't wait to go! We've never been there. Any other advice from your time there this past winter?

 

[GWguy]

We're going down to Key West this summer. I started looking into basic certification (which, of course they offer there). I've never done it before. I'm wondering if it is worth getting it if I'm only going to be there five days. May have to stick to snorkeling.

It does sounds like a lot of fun, though.

You have to have SOME kind of cert before a dive charter will take you out, whether it's a full cert, or a resort cert. If you don't plan on diving much, it's not worth the time or money for a regular cert. Be prepared tho, to spend an hour or two getting the resort cert in the keys before you actually go diving. They give you just enough info so you hopefully won't kill yourself.

 

[Rael]

You have to have SOME kind of cert before a dive charter will take you out, whether it's a full cert, or a resort cert. If you don't plan on diving much, it's not worth the time or money for a regular cert. Be prepared tho, to spend an hour or two getting the resort cert in the keys before you actually go diving. They give you just enough info so you hopefully won't kill yourself.

A couple of hours doesn't sound too bad for a resort cert, hell, even if it took a whole morning or day. Less important to me is how long it takes for someone to say that I'm GTG with their piece of paper, than my feeling comfortable with doing it. I definitely don't look at even "amateur" diving as some kind of "no brainer" recreation. But I'm sure there are many who do.

Thanks for that.

 

[GWguy]

A couple of hours doesn't sound too bad for a resort cert, hell, even if it took a whole morning or day. Less important to me is how long it takes for someone to say that I'm GTG with their piece of paper, than my feeling comfortable with doing it. I definitely don't look at even "amateur" diving as some kind of "no brainer" recreation. But I'm sure there are many who do.

Thanks for that.

I used to teach open water SCUBA. Back then (70's) there was no such thing as a resort cert, you either went thru the whole training course or didn't go diving. The resorts soon learned that they were losing money, so the concept of resort certification came about. For those that only wanted to experience it, it was fine. For others who loved, it, they then went on and got full certifications.

 

[Nanny Pam]

 

[surfer1]

If you are looking for wreck diving amd beautiful clear water Morehead City NC has some of the best diving out there. Try this link. Fantastic crew. Very knowledgeable.

Diver Down Scuba Diving Charters - Captain Bobby Cox

 

[Rael]

I used to teach open water SCUBA. Back then (70's) there was no such thing as a resort cert, you either went thru the whole training course or didn't go diving. The resorts soon learned that they were losing money, so the concept of resort certification came about. For those that only wanted to experience it, it was fine. For others who loved, it, they then went on and got full certifications.

Makes sense about the $$$, always does Good to know the resort cert is okay, too though. Thanks again, GW.

Yes, it will be (if I understood you correctly) I've always liked to go places off season. Not because of price so much as minimizing the tourist factor.

If you are looking for wreck diving amd beautiful clear water Morehead City NC has some of the best diving out there. Try this link. Fantastic crew. Very knowledgeable.

Diver Down Scuba Diving Charters - Captain Bobby Cox

Thanks for the link.