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Posted: 1/13/2023 12:34:31 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: A friend died in a diving accident within the past week. Just found out. Sorry to hear that. Sadly, it won't be the last time. I've lost about a dozen friends or acquaintances in diving accidents over the last 50+ years of diving. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 10:15:54 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: A friend died in a diving accident within the past week. Just found out. 
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Posted: 1/14/2023 11:47:46 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: Originally Posted By Marie: A friend died in a diving accident within the past week. Just found out. @jerrwhy01 It was the diver who died at Cow last weekend. No clue what happened. Hoping a report is released. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 12:17:39 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: @jerrwhy01 It was the diver who died at Cow last weekend. No clue what happened. Hoping a report is released. That report can take months to years to never going to get released. Sadly, in the world of cave diving the reality is that you’re going to see friends die in caves. It’s sad but that’s the unfortunate price of admission if you want to explore this world. Hoping his family finds peace in all this. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 2:17:44 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: @jerrwhy01 It was the diver who died at Cow last weekend. No clue what happened. Hoping a report is released. Cow, that’s the one with the tight bedding plane. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 4:26:23 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: That report can take months to years to never going to get released. Sadly, in the world of cave diving the reality is that you’re going to see friends die in caves. It’s sad but that’s the unfortunate price of admission if you want to explore this world. Hoping his family finds peace in all this. Yeah, I know. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 5:23:07 PM EDT
[#7]
Cow is one I have no desire to go into beyond the room on the right a bit after you go in.
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Posted: 1/14/2023 5:40:20 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By HeavyMetal: Cow, that’s the one with the tight bedding plane. That’s Jug. Cow is a different system. I’ve only dived Cow a few times so take it for what it’s worth. It’s deep, there’s a decent amount of flow so much so that there are places with thick chains to pull yourself along. In addition it doesn’t have a lot of the wear and tear that other systems do so a lot of that fungus is till on the walls making it seems darker than other caves. It’s a beautiful cave but in my opinion is a notch or two above the other systems in the area in terms of difficulty and complexity. |
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Posted: 1/15/2023 1:31:10 AM EDT
[#9]
Cow was one of my cavern class dives.
RIP to the fallen diver. |
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Posted: 1/15/2023 1:33:38 AM EDT
[#10]
Marie, next time you're near Branford, check out the Sausage Shack Deli. Get a Cuban Sandwich. You will not be sorry!
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Posted: 1/25/2023 2:01:57 PM EDT
[#11]
No diving since I got back from FL. Right knee has been bothering me so I decided to take the month off. Plan to dive the WI in Feb and March.
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Posted: 1/26/2023 4:00:00 PM EDT
[#12]
Got Bonaire scheduled for this October, finally getting to make the pilgrimage!
Wife and I both are very excited about this trip, and we are fortunate to be joining two other couples which have been going for almost 15 years each. Staying at Buddy Dive and did the "dive and drive" package. Anybody have some favorite spots or must-do's? I know our group members will be a huge help but still like to hear other opinions. Marine wildlife and wrecks are what we typically enjoy (the fewer sharks the better for my wife..haha). We also want to do an RV trip and head to some north FL springs beforehand (thinking late April), any recommendations there? |
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Posted: 1/26/2023 8:25:15 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Marie]
[#13]
Contacted one of my WI buddies yesterday about cave diving at the WI mine in the next couple of weeks. Very bummed to find out the mine is probably going to be off limits for fun diving. Not sure why. The use agreement is being renegotiated with the owners. Instructor will still be allowed to teach out there. Not sure what’s up with the owners. That’s a huge bummer. Awesome place to dive and I’d not gotten back to the ore certs yet! Had only done one dive out there this winter.
There’s a quarry in OH that’s open on winter weekends, but it depends on if there’s no ice. Plus it’s 6 hours away instead of 3. |
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Posted: 2/1/2023 8:06:40 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Marie]
[#14]
Double tap
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Posted: 2/1/2023 2:20:47 PM EDT
[#15]
Thinking about going back to MX to cave dive in early Dec. I’ve missed celebrating Christmas with friends at home the past two years when I’ve been in FL. I was thinking about skipping FL this year. The MX travel sucks, but the diving is so nice. If I go early December I get a winter trip in, but get to celebrate Christmas here.
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Posted: 2/2/2023 4:26:00 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Birddog1911: Nabbed this sucker at about 27ft. Visibility was horrible. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/180161/20170617-115202-233366.JPG I must has sticker. |
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Posted: 2/5/2023 10:01:27 AM EDT
[#17]
Definitely going to Playa del Carmen
 the first week in December. I hate flying so much I got a business clsss ticket. The hotel I stayed at in August didn’t have room. Got a condo on Airbnb for $70/night. Lots of other stuff that was cheaper but they had stairs (no-go for my knees) and no laundry facilities. This place is in an elevator building AND has a washer/dryer in unit. $200More than I spent for my week in a hotel in August, but well worth it to me. I won’t have to stomp my clothes clean while I’m taking a shower. Bought a business class ticket on AA. Non stop. $1073. Only $300 more than I spent in August to ride cattle class on Southworst. I’ve never flown anything but coach before. This will be NICE. Dive guide will be my full cave instructor. Can’t wait. The travel sucks donkey balls but the caves are so nice. Plus the dive porters (scuba sherpas) make it valet cave diving. |
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Posted: 2/19/2023 5:46:13 PM EDT
[#18]
The owner of the shop I get fills from down here asked if I wanted to get in on a pool session Sunday. So I’m wrenching on the CCR this weekend. Going to help me get my 50s trimmed out properly with the Bitch. He’s a CCR diver and will in the pool, as well as another CCR diver. Everyone has some tweaks they’re getting wet for the first time.
Added Dive Rite tech butt plate. Added bungees for SMing 50s. I love the DR adjustable bungees. No knots for adjusting loop bungee length. Put rigging back on 50s as they just came back from VIP. I trained with a single 40 last fall, but I’m moving to my 50s as they will allow me to take off about 4lbs of lead, plus they stay butt down as God intended. LOL. I have a new DR XT1/XT2 reg set for BO on right tank. My left tank is dilout (dil/BO combined), but I wanted separate BO. |
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Posted: 2/26/2023 3:02:21 PM EDT
[#19]
Nice pool session with the Bitch today. Tried out my 50s for the first time with it. They trimmed out great, just have to lengthen one loop bungee. Able to drop four pounds of lead. Added the Dive Rite tech buttplate to my rig to clip bottom leash to.
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Posted: 3/18/2023 2:30:45 PM EDT
[#20]
Got the Bitch in the water last Sunday. Pool only but it was good to get wet.
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Posted: 4/3/2023 10:09:09 PM EDT
[#21]
Anyone else diving?
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Posted: 4/3/2023 10:13:58 PM EDT
[#22]
Nope. Too cold for local, working big OT on an incident. I did see some drysuit divers pulling debris from the river.
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Posted: 4/17/2023 10:47:56 PM EDT
[#23]
Two more weeks for me!
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Posted: 4/22/2023 3:21:09 PM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#24]
Might be doing some diving when I go to Vegas in a few weeks - Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and/or the kelp forests in SoCal if we can swing it.
We’d looked at trying to go to Catalina Island but the cost is too much. If it’s not feasible this trip, then next perhaps it will be. If I was going out there specifically to dive, I would need a hard case for my Blacktip and it’s gonna cost me about $300, which I could afford but I just don’t want to fuck with right now. |
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Posted: 4/22/2023 3:44:52 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: Might be doing some diving when I go to Vegas in a few weeks - Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and/or the kelp forests in SoCal if we can swing it. We’d looked at trying to go to Catalina Island but the cost is too much. If it’s not feasible this trip, then next perhaps it will be. If I was going out there specifically to dive, I would need a hard case for my Blacktip and it’s gonna cost me about $300, which I could afford but I just don’t want to fuck with right now. You’re alive! 
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Posted: 4/24/2023 7:23:47 AM EDT
[#26]
I’m doing a maritime archaeology/underwater archaeology class through my local uw archaeology group (Great Lakes wrecks). It’s through the Nautical Archaeology Society in the UK. They do it through a partnership. I’m halfway through the eLearning and underwater portion is sometime in May. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but schedules never matched up. Diving portion will be at a local quarry.
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Posted: 4/25/2023 6:19:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: FB41]
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: Might be doing some diving when I go to Vegas in a few weeks - Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and/or the kelp forests in SoCal if we can swing it. We’d looked at trying to go to Catalina Island but the cost is too much. If it’s not feasible this trip, then next perhaps it will be. If I was going out there specifically to dive, I would need a hard case for my Blacktip and it’s gonna cost me about $300, which I could afford but I just don’t want to fuck with right now. @floridahunter07 Skip Catalina and book a trip to the Channel Islands. WAAYY better diving and kelp beds. You can also hit kelp beds off the city beaches in Laguna Beach (Moss St & Cress St. specifically- my favorites when I lived out there) but they're a pretty good swim. Of course, that's if they still allow diving from the beaches there- been a few years since I was there. Kelp diving tip: DON'T FIGHT ENTANGLEMENT. Yes, you WILL get tangled. NO, you won't die...IF you relax and cut your way out. If you can't reach your knife (you DO have a knife, yes?), fold the kelp strand over your fingers and snap it. |
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Posted: 4/30/2023 11:49:15 PM EDT
[#28]
All I have are Trilobite cutters, not sure if that will work on kelp.
Today was very... entertaining. Everyone say hi to me at 33 feet, at an arm's length from the camera!  Attached File(Yes, we decided to call this dive) |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 6:50:43 AM EDT
[#29]
Sheesh! Where were you?
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Posted: 5/1/2023 8:55:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#30]
Hospital Hole.
There’s a hydrogen sulfide layer that used to be located at around 80 ffw, and 10-15 feet thick. Apparently lately it’s around 30 ffw and goes down a considerable ways (hole is 145ish, maybe 150 with the water level in the river yesterday). Found a couple reports from 3-4 years ago that said it was occupying the entire water column 30-90 feet and one that said 30-115 feet. I figured all the rain we had the last few days would be pumping fresh water out, but nah. Also the first time I dove in a halocline too, which I forgot is present at that site and thought I was going blind after I struggled to read labels/price tags at CVS with my sunglasses on…   Attached FileSurface water was tannic/dirty as fuck too. On a positive note, I found out I can take AN/DP for less than I thought through my local shop, so I might knock that out later this summer. |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 12:50:53 PM EDT
[#31]
Encountered halocline cave diving in MX. Trippy as fuck!
How much for AN/DP? |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 4:13:07 PM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#32]
$325 per day, 3 days and I’ve already got the books.
I swear last time I looked at their prices it was like $1200-1350 or something for the combo class |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 4:22:29 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: $325 per day, 3 days and I’ve already got the books. I swear last time I looked at their prices it was like $1200-1350 or something for the combo class 3 days?! Seems a bit short to me. My CCR/cave instructor here has a daily fee that works out to $200. AN/DP OC is $800. |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 7:03:44 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: 3 days?! Seems a bit short to me. My CCR/cave instructor here has a daily fee that works out to $200. AN/DP OC is $800. It’s only six dives, why four days? |
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Posted: 5/1/2023 7:39:56 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: It’s only six dives, why four days? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: Originally Posted By Marie: 3 days?! Seems a bit short to me. My CCR/cave instructor here has a daily fee that works out to $200. AN/DP OC is $800. It’s only six dives, why four days? I had AN/DP combined with Helitrox on the brain. That was the difference! Duh oh! |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 11:30:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#36]
I'm looking forward to taking it. Ever since I lost the ability to stay at Dive Outpost (I don't trust the dog the new owners have, no matter what they fucking say about it) for dive trips to N. Florida, I haven't gone up there as much. Too long of a drive for doing one or two dives in a day, plus it's hard to find anybody to go with me now since my most frequent dive buddy moved to Vegas, the other two quit basically, and the fourth one is more interested in riding his motorcycles than diving... Having AN/DP would make trips to Buford more fun since that's the closest option I have for a real dive site.
Right now, I'm trying to figure out how the fuck I'm going to stand diving in Lake Mohave/Lake Mead with a bottom temp of 58 degrees, in a 5mil wetsuit. lol |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 12:07:02 PM EDT
[#37]
I used to enjoy diving. Had an Advanced OpenWater.
But as I got older, it got harder and harder to equalize and I had to give it up. More than once, I came up bleeding from an ear. Last time was the final straw. And it was at the start of a diving trip in SE Asia. I can barely manually equalize even riding in car or plane. Tight passages, I guess. Oh well, lots of other fun hobbies. |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 12:39:10 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: I'm looking forward to taking it. Ever since I lost the ability to stay at Dive Outpost (I don't trust the dog the new owners have, no matter what they fucking say about it) for dive trips to N. Florida, I haven't gone up there as much. Too long of a drive for doing one or two dives in a day, plus it's hard to find anybody to go with me now since my most frequent dive buddy moved to Vegas, the other two quit basically, and the fourth one is more interested in riding his motorcycles than diving... Having AN/DP would make trips to Buford more fun since that's the closest option I have for a real dive site. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how the fuck I'm going to stand diving in Lake Mohave/Lake Mead with a bottom temp of 58 degrees, in a 5mil wetsuit. lol Heh heh. My instructor’s shop in Madison, WI has 5mm rental suits. A friend who is an instructor just did an AOW class this past weekend. Air temp was about 40. Cold rain, bit of snow. Temps at depth were about 41. Friend said they were all college students with little to no body fat. On the deep dive, he only took them to 90ft due to the water temps even though they wanted to do to 100ft. I was starting to get my gear together for Saturday - first dives of the season at the quarry. Polypro base layer, merino wool, heavy double layer DUI fleece undersuit, fleece vest, heated vest. May not wear the merino wool and the fleece vest requires 2 extra pounds. Water will probably be around 45ish. Sounds like you need to borrow or rent a 7mm. |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 12:42:00 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Jodan1776: I used to enjoy diving. Had an Advanced OpenWater. But as I got older, it got harder and harder to equalize and I had to give it up. More than once, I came up bleeding from an ear. Last time was the final straw. And it was at the start of a diving trip in SE Asia. I can barely manually equalize even riding in car or plane. Tight passages, I guess. Oh well, lots of other fun hobbies.
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Posted: 5/2/2023 12:51:53 PM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: Heh heh. My instructor’s shop in Madison, WI has 5mm rental suits. A friend who is an instructor just did an AOW class this past weekend. Air temp was about 40. Cold rain, bit of snow. Temps at depth were about 41. Friend said they were all college students with little to no body fat. On the deep dive, he only took them to 90ft due to the water temps even though they wanted to do to 100ft. I was starting to get my gear together for Saturday - first dives of the season at the quarry. Polypro base layer, merino wool, heavy double layer DUI fleece undersuit, fleece vest, heated vest. May not wear the merino wool and the fleece vest requires 2 extra pounds. Water will probably be around 45ish. Sounds like you need to borrow or rent a 7mm. I think you may be right, honestly. Expanding my horizons from just spring/cave diving has kinda made me want a drysuit too. I don't know how long Cody will be living out west but I'm hoping I can make one more trip out past this next one I'm doing in a week, and do an actual dive trip like in the winter - hit the kelp forests in CA, maybe some specialty sites like a missile silo in WA/TX, Lake Mead, etc. and take my scooter too. |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 12:55:51 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Marie]
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: I think you may be right, honestly. Expanding my horizons from just spring/cave diving has kinda made me want a drysuit too. I don't know how long Cody will be living out west but I'm hoping I can make one more trip out past this next one I'm doing in a week, and do an actual dive trip like in the winter - hit the kelp forests in CA, maybe some specialty sites like a missile silo in WA/TX, Lake Mead, etc. and take my scooter too. A drysuit is really what you need. But pricey, unless you can fit in a used one. My DUI FLX Extreme was $4100 2.5 years ago. Custom and worth every penny. You and your scooter! ETA: and done up to the Great Lakes for some awesome shipwreck diving! |
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Posted: 5/2/2023 1:02:46 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: A drysuit is really what you need. But pricey, unless you can fit in a used one. My DUI FLX Extreme was $4100 2.5 years ago. Custom and worth every penny. You and your scooter! ETA: and done up to the Great Lakes for some awesome shipwreck diving! Definitely want to, one day! If he moves back to FL we already have plans for the Oriskany and Hydro Atlantic after I do this class
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Posted: 5/3/2023 12:58:41 PM EDT
[#43]
Drysuits are nice, but I've spent many an hour diving SoCal in a 5mm farmer john wetsuit, gloves and hood.
If you wear a lycra 1 piece underneath, you'll be toasty warm. A small knife is a must if kelp diving. It can be broken, but it's way easier to cut it. |
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Posted: 5/4/2023 7:53:23 AM EDT
[#44]
So much nicer taking three small 14cft O2 tanks and a pair of 50s for fills rather than a bunch of 85s!
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Posted: 5/4/2023 2:33:27 PM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Marie: So much nicer taking three small 14cft O2 tanks and a pair of 50s for fills rather than a bunch of 85s! I have an "in" with the local hydro guy, so I take my stuff directly to him rather than to the shop - he charges me slightly less than they would because he doesn't have to pick them up and drop them back off. Still dreading taking my other set of LP80's in for hydro/viz (hopefully they don't need brushed/tumbled like the first set did) and getting my O2 bottle hydroed again soon... pretty sure it expired in like 2016 and since I never took AN\DP, I just carry it along as an "in case" and have breathed off of it when I've gotten tired on long drives home before. |
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Posted: 5/5/2023 11:54:17 AM EDT
[#46]
Getting much quicker at building my CCR. Only took about 25 min last night and that included going outside and filling my scrubbers.
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Posted: 5/5/2023 1:35:44 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By floridahunter07: I have an "in" with the local hydro guy, so I take my stuff directly to him rather than to the shop - he charges me slightly less than they would because he doesn't have to pick them up and drop them back off. Still dreading taking my other set of LP80's in for hydro/viz (hopefully they don't need brushed/tumbled like the first set did) and getting my O2 bottle hydroed again soon... pretty sure it expired in like 2016 and since I never took AN\DP, I just carry it along as an "in case" and have breathed off of it when I've gotten tired on long drives home before. I have a in with my hydro guy. Don’t go through a shop. |
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Posted: 5/6/2023 9:14:40 PM EDT
[#48]
Had a nice dive today. 49F water. Viz was maybe 5ft. I stayed on the big platform at the quarry and worked on buoyancy, hover, and frog. Buoyancy has been much improved by switching to 50s and dropping 4lbs of lead. Did an hour solo dive.
An OW and AN/DP class came by. Boy, are those open circuit people LOUD, especially when there’s a bunch at once.
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Posted: 5/8/2023 12:32:03 AM EDT
[Last Edit: floridahunter07]
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By HeavyMetal: I have a in with my hydro guy. Don’t go through a shop. So much nicer getting the friend rate just for dropping them off and picking them up myself! Packing for Vegas is once again a cluster-fuck. Do I take dive gear? He hasn't gotten his tanks back from hydro/VIP yet, I guess we could rent a set but there's still the "entirely too cool bottom temperature" issue to deal with. Shooting gear, NODS, helmet, scuba gear, backpacking shit, minimal clothes, and the stuff I need to sustain my dieting through the last 2 weeks of 75Hard... I really do NOT want to pay additional bag fees on Southwest after doing it at Christmas because I had no choice. LOL |
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Posted: 5/10/2023 1:44:38 PM EDT
[#50]
Just found out that the instructor for the uw portion of the underwater archaeology class I’m doing doesn’t care if I dive my rebreather. Guy is recreational only and I didn’t know if there were going to be issues.
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