zilch

well just had to do it, was in Oz for the last 3 weeks, did an open water course (SSI) and some dives on the GREAT barrier reef, have to emphasis the GREAT, the ozzies do..

Amazing, not sure why i did not take Scuba up earlier, or was it i could not afford to go to the tropics and the UK is to cold

How many other Scoobynet subscribers are certified (should be anyway for owning a scoob and taking up diving i suppose )

Cheers

Jim

dpb

Yep count me in certifiable - went windsurfin march no wind -so learnt to dive padi open water,another expensive sport -lookin at red sea maybe- prolly get out more often than on the wave boad tho lol

Pistol_Pete

I qualified in 1984 (BSAC not padi) when I was 15 and loved it, sadly dropped it when the work, drinking and girls took up all my time. Keep on saying that I am going to retrain but never have.

My sister is a PADI instructor and she gets paid to take people to all the exotic parts of the world and teaches them to dive. How cool a job is that ?

ozzy

Not certified yet myself. There's a couple of PADI & NAUI certified divers at my work. One even ran his own diving school back in SA for about 10 years.

I did start training in Scotland before Xmas, but the only benefit of training in the UK is being able to dive here in cold water. You need your own dry suit and at £400+ and me probably only diving abroad, I've decided to wait until I get to Oz in August.

Jim, where did you do your course. I'll be in Sydney and the East coast for 4 weeks, so I'd love to do the course whilst I'm there.

Stefan

harvsta74

i learnt to dive in '96 in koh tao thailand. i loved it so much that i am now a divemaster, set up a dive shop on the island with a thai frien. the shop was called Budha View Diving, worked thier for 1 year(the little bubbles got to me). am leaving for the carribian next week for some scuba, watersports and marlin fishing,(oh, and getting married too!!)
let you know how it goes

wakeboardar

me and the missus qualified in thailand too samui

cancun was good for diving too

bit bored of it now to be honest havent been under for 3 years

harvsta74

i was when i left thailand and havnt dived since
but looking forward to it again, were going to nevis

Mossman

harvsta,

YHM a message mate!

I qualified in Koh Tao too ... what a place! Brings back the memories!

Mossman

BexTait

In middle of BSAC Ocean diver course at the mo, have the exam on thurs then I can do open water training which I'm really looking forward too. Cost is alright for me cos I'm doing it through uni SCUBA club so compressor fees, equipment, training, BSAC membership, OD certification etc is all included for £90. Good fun though

Daz34

PADI Rescue Diver & ANDI Advanced Technical Nitrox

Darren

Steve Perriam

my fiancee is PADI Advance certified.

i did my first ever dive 6 weeks ago whilst we were in Tenerife

loved it.

we're getting married in Kenya in a few months so planning to do more whilst over there to

Simon C

Am I the only nutter here that dives in the uk??? I qualified as a PADI Open Water in 97, then crossed over to BSAC. I went back to it last year after writing mydelf off in a bad accident. Corssed fingers that I will get some more diving in this year but its looking doubtfull. You only need a good semidry to dive here, its not that cold!!!!!!

Steve Perriam

reckon u r simon.

rachel wont dive in this country now.

poor water clarity, not so much to see, cold etc etc only bothers these days when abroad on holiday

ozzy

Simon,

Where are you diving? I can tell you it's feckin cold up here in Scotland

Stefan

BexTait

Once i am able to do open water dives, I will mainly be diving in the UK, tho i will most probably get a dry suit. I can't wait until I can dive in open water rather than a pool!

zilch

Stefan, Whitsundays in Queensland, did an SSI (not PADI) course, but they are all about the same..There are quite a few schools in Airlie Beach..and its a popular activity there

Cheers

Jim

tonybooth

I qualified (PADI) in Cozumel - fantastic place. Next dive will be in Rhodes this summer. Sod diving over here - too cold

TONY

JimmyRB5PRO

i am going to tabia heights which is great but have read that if you have asthma you are not allowed to scuba dive just snorkel ?? Is this correct ??

pbee

Been Advanced open water since 99,

All of you not diving in the UK are missing out, cornwall and wales are fantastic, in the summer you only need a semi to stay warm ive done it in a 7mm 2 piece before. in spring late summer would recommend a dry suit

list of exotics, Cancun, Maldives, Red Sea (2 weeks on a boat :-)).

gonna do some lake diving when im next in canada, some of the lakes are completed trench with sunken logs supposed to be very eiry.

BexTait

NOt necessarily, I know that for BSAC diving you need your doc to say it's OK, but I dunno about PADI or any others.

Daz34

Nah I am another nutter. UK diving in my opinion needs a dry suit
Plus cold water regulators, a good torch, a good buddy, delayed SMB & the ability to laugh off the trips that get blown out, poor vis, strong tides etc.

On the plus side we have a sea full of historic wrecks

zilch

Managed to get a few piccies of me and the better half..(hope they can be accessed)

1st one is the dive boat, Reefjet, awesome, takes 30-40 divers/snorkellers in comfort, do not be deceived by the photo, its 3/4 front on so you loose the size perspective.. it can basically moor in just over a metre of water..

http://img7.photobucket.com/albums/v...ch/reefjet.jpg

The next one is the missus doing her "bouyancy bit" just above some coral,, well women are better equipped for it aren't they

http://img7.photobucket.com/albums/v...1_floating.jpg

and finally, moi, just giving a boring ok..

http://img7.photobucket.com/albums/v...ch/jim_ok1.jpg

Got a video as well, but nowhere to store it..

Next trip, Red sea about September i think, if the sponds will stretch to it

Cheers

Jim

BexTait

Nice piccies. Hopefully I should be diving in open water soon since I've just passed my diving theory exam (yesterday) and pool training should hopefully be completed tonight.

zilch

Good luck and hope it all goes well, we were able to get all the skills out of the way on the first open 2 dives, well then nasty skills, like full mask clear, mask removal, buddy share etc .. the next 2 dives were just pleasure with a few surface skills to conclude the certification..what are you doing.. PADI, NAUI, BSAC ?? i did a SSI course

Water was a cool 26c , like diving into a bath..until you went thru the thermoclime rapid change in temperature

Cheers

Jim

BexTait

I'm doing BSAC, so have had theory lectures, theory exam and am doing pool training, which includes learning the skills you mentionned- mask clearing, mask removal, taking out and replacing regulator etc. Once the theory test is passed, you then have to complete 5 open water dives before becoming qualified. Most of my Open water diving will be in the UK, but I will do some abroad, and hopefully much more once I can afford it!

Mungo

I did my advanced open water at Buddha view in Nov 97!! It was an excellent place, really enjoyed it. Koh Tao was lovely then, but I've spoken to people who've been recently and there are about 50 diving schools on the island - the sea must be just full of divers...

zilch

Seems the courses are a muchness, we did the same, video's, books with us having to do write ups for each section covering theory (including all the nasty stuff that can happen (narcosis,emoblisms, bends etc etc)), final exam, 2 days in the pool honing skills, setting and kitting up,buddy checks, reg retrievals, mask skills, kit off and kit on (surface and on the bottom, incl weight belt), 2 types of buddy air shares, entry and exit skills for boat(s), how to try and fill your BCD on the surface when out of air (that was fun and knackering), bouyancy etc..etc and then let loose onto the barrier reef to repeat them all again, excellent and glad i have done it..

Where you off, Stoney Cove ??

Cheers

Jim

BexTait

Not sure TBH. I know the club use Vivian quite a bit, and also go to other parts of the coast as well as off th ebeach here in Aber when the weather permits.

zilch

Well just hope its not to cold have a good one

Cheers

Jim

BexTait

Just after a bit of info here, which is better, membrane or neoprene drysuit? Or is it down to personal taste? TIA,
Bex