GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Went the BSAC route but, only being home in winter, got fed up with Dcold sea and even colder orothea quarry so keep gear on the boat now. Also dive with a local Padi group, only 30 euro to dive from their rib.
How many of you are also SCUBA Divers?
- Thread starter LadyInBed
- Start date
pagoda
Well-Known Member
A similar tale to several. Started with BSAC in early 70's - having done a fair bit of snorkelling ( and spear fishing) on the west coast.
I eventually lost interest in the actual diving, but continued snorkelling whenever I had the opportunity. There was an element of testosterone macho nonsense in BSAC at the time, one guy (ex RM) had a habit of killing & skinning seals whenever he got the chance. Most off-putting I can tell you.
I did a OW PADI course in the Turks & Caicos a few years ago, and made more dives, but came to the conclusion that snorkelling over eagle rays in 7m of water was far more rewarding than messing about at 30m! Ditto for watching turtles in Barbados.
I have wondered about keeping a mini bottle/regulator on the boat - for urgent below water checks.. but not got round to it yet.
Graeme
I eventually lost interest in the actual diving, but continued snorkelling whenever I had the opportunity. There was an element of testosterone macho nonsense in BSAC at the time, one guy (ex RM) had a habit of killing & skinning seals whenever he got the chance. Most off-putting I can tell you.
I did a OW PADI course in the Turks & Caicos a few years ago, and made more dives, but came to the conclusion that snorkelling over eagle rays in 7m of water was far more rewarding than messing about at 30m! Ditto for watching turtles in Barbados.
I have wondered about keeping a mini bottle/regulator on the boat - for urgent below water checks.. but not got round to it yet.
Graeme
stuartwineberg
Well-Known Member
Warm water
PADI Advanced Open Water with about 200 dives. Trained in the UK but like to see where I am going so dive in warmer waters. No connection with my sailing but feel very comfortable snorkelling under the boat to look at anodes etc. Always keep a 3mm suit, mask, fins and a weight belt on board
PADI Advanced Open Water with about 200 dives. Trained in the UK but like to see where I am going so dive in warmer waters. No connection with my sailing but feel very comfortable snorkelling under the boat to look at anodes etc. Always keep a 3mm suit, mask, fins and a weight belt on board
lustyd
Well-Known Member
In dot it probably wasn't a faulty reg, more likely that it iced up due to the cold (made worse by you sucking compressed air through it). Regs for use in that kind of environment tend to have a control on the side to lock them off, or even better wear a twinset with separated sides
Gerry
Well-Known Member
Learned with Padi in the Red sea back in 1979! Still got the original certificate with a very young and dare I say handsome pic on it!
In those days the exam involved a free ascent from 100 feet.
Working in Saudi my one day a week off was spent trudging across a mile of reef to the drop off and then walk back carrying all the kit in over 100 degrees, ah the joys of youth.
The diving was pristine and has pretty much spoiled me for anywhere else in the world, best diving recently was in Cuba with Bonaire a close second.
These days I mostly use the kit for scrubbing the bottom of the boat and untangling ropes from the prop.
In those days the exam involved a free ascent from 100 feet.
Working in Saudi my one day a week off was spent trudging across a mile of reef to the drop off and then walk back carrying all the kit in over 100 degrees, ah the joys of youth.
The diving was pristine and has pretty much spoiled me for anywhere else in the world, best diving recently was in Cuba with Bonaire a close second.
These days I mostly use the kit for scrubbing the bottom of the boat and untangling ropes from the prop.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
+1 It wasn't the point of the thread. Divers is Divers
When was that?
I volunteered and was surprised to get, as I was serving in NI at the time, the Diving Supervisors job in Belize - Jun to Aug 78.
I ran one week (5 days) Adventure Training courses, two and a half days training in the open water pool on St Georges Cay, plus a couple of lectures then two and a half days diving in 7 to 20 mtrs.
I had two assistant instructors and we could go off on Saturdays to do deeper dives and took any of the guys from the course that showed promise.
We even got a helicopter trip out to dive off Lighthouse Cay (buzzing the 'Blue Hole'). Some RAF divers that were based there weren't allowed to dive as they didn't have a Supervisor, so they made me an offer I couldn't refuse
They would provide the helicopter and inflatable if we would go with them 
agurney
Well-Known Member
I learned to dive with SSAC (Scottish sub-aqua club) in the early 1980s, around the time I was training as a dinghy sailing instructor.
Diving instructor & deep water rescue, but membership lapsed and not done any real diving for several years.
I used to do a lot of diving off my yacht; sailing and diving went well together.
Diving instructor & deep water rescue, but membership lapsed and not done any real diving for several years.
I used to do a lot of diving off my yacht; sailing and diving went well together.
Monique
Well-Known Member
Learned while in the military...
Became a PADI instructor while living in Aruba.
Became a PADI instructor while living in Aruba.
V1701
Well-Known Member
I learned to dive in Colombia, did all the PADI courses up to divemaster then worked as a guide for a few months until visa ran out. Worked my way up through Central America on the Caribbean side diving lots of places, finishing up in Mexico with 4 months voluntary reef survey diving. Moved over to SE Asia, did PADI instructor in Philippines, taught in Thailand for a while. When work ran out I'd never sailed so tried to get some crewing & ended up sailing 1500 miles from Thailand to Maldives which was pretty much my first proper sail. The whole thing took 3 years, now back in UK living on my Vega, have full dive kit on board but only diving I've done here is under boats, cleaning etc...
Homer Simpson's Lovechild
Well-Known Member
Fancied the diving lark back in the 80's so went along to local SSAC at the pool. Syllabus similar to BSAC so spent weeks holding breath and picking up bricks from bottom of pool. Not allowed near a scuba set and had to suffer endless war stories from the members about "zero vis and hanging like a flag in the breeze off the shot line in freezing water " Concluded that beard,wooly jumper and taste for warm lumpy beer were a requirement of the sport. Gave up and signed up for commercial course at Fort William. Aptitude test consisted of donning a blacked out masked and scuba kit ,being thrown into Loch Linhe and told to find a pile of pipe work and flanges and try to bolt them together. Safety brief was "Don't hold your breath!" Passed.
Spent next ten years as commercial diver and worked in everything from shyte pipes in canals,piles full of drilling mud in a Singapore tube station, laying pipes across pristine reefs in gin clear tropical water and ultimately deep saturation in the North Sea and all points south. Loved it, made the cash and got out alive and still young enough to do a proper job.
Breath normally,don't hold your breath,don't panic. If you can't see it in 60 foot of clear water it's probably not worth looking at. It's the first 30 feet that will kill you. Don't listen to "scooby-doo's" with beards who drink warm beer. It really is that simple.(oh! and don't worry about big things with teeth, it's wee things with spikes that you need to avoid)
Spent next ten years as commercial diver and worked in everything from shyte pipes in canals,piles full of drilling mud in a Singapore tube station, laying pipes across pristine reefs in gin clear tropical water and ultimately deep saturation in the North Sea and all points south. Loved it, made the cash and got out alive and still young enough to do a proper job.
Breath normally,don't hold your breath,don't panic. If you can't see it in 60 foot of clear water it's probably not worth looking at. It's the first 30 feet that will kill you. Don't listen to "scooby-doo's" with beards who drink warm beer. It really is that simple.(oh! and don't worry about big things with teeth, it's wee things with spikes that you need to avoid)
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Ariadne
Well-Known Member
Started a BSAC course in the early 80's and as said before, went weeks without being allowed to use any gear; so I gave up.
Last September my 2 kids wanted to learn to dive so we all the PADI open water in Gran Canaria, and last week we all did the advanced open water here in Tobago. 20 dives each and we all love it. long way to go yet to master scuba diver but we'll get there and my daughter wants to teach so its great for all of us.
We carry 1 full set of kit on bopard just in case, but often hire kit when we want to dive as well.
Last September my 2 kids wanted to learn to dive so we all the PADI open water in Gran Canaria, and last week we all did the advanced open water here in Tobago. 20 dives each and we all love it. long way to go yet to master scuba diver but we'll get there and my daughter wants to teach so its great for all of us.
We carry 1 full set of kit on bopard just in case, but often hire kit when we want to dive as well.
maybh1
Well-Known Member
uxb; Got rid of BSAC as they adore black rubber said:Fits me and Mr S to a tee(except that I am not balding)
Mr S rose to the dizzy heights of advanced instructor in a very short time within our club (which put a few noses out of joint) whilst I stayed a novice just enjoying the odd dive whilst we were in sunny climes
Now both too old and fat to bother
May
Xx
thomshap
Well-Known Member
Never done the black rubber thing as hate diving in cold water but am fat and balding
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southace
New Member
Sailing n diving
My 37ft yacht currently holds 4 tanks on the stern and 6 down below the best diving for me is 6 hours sailing out to the Great barrier reef in Qld Australia.... With a buddy this allows us 5 dives each. The last trip we seen a manta ray,sharks and many fishes, and was very happy to find and dive a 50 mtr vertical wall. I'm diving now with a full camera and housing set up including strobe which I find works well to maintain all on board.My only wish is to purchase a dive compressor so I can refill tanks......! Peace down deep!
My 37ft yacht currently holds 4 tanks on the stern and 6 down below the best diving for me is 6 hours sailing out to the Great barrier reef in Qld Australia.... With a buddy this allows us 5 dives each. The last trip we seen a manta ray,sharks and many fishes, and was very happy to find and dive a 50 mtr vertical wall. I'm diving now with a full camera and housing set up including strobe which I find works well to maintain all on board.My only wish is to purchase a dive compressor so I can refill tanks......! Peace down deep!
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
"Peace down deep" Are you not worried it may be RIP with sharks around? I like diving but wouldn't have the bottle for that!