--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1200030 Date: 01/01/96 From: LAURENCE CHARLOT Time: 06:43pm \/To: GEORGE MARETT (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: advance vs. open wate -=> Quoting George Marett to All <=- GM> I have a ?.What is the difference between the open water cert.From GM> the advance open water.I was certified by P.D.I.C. open water and I As far as PADI goes, the "advanced" open water course gives you introduction to the following: Deep diving (below 60'), Night diving, Underwater Navigation, and 3 or 4 electives that will depend on where you live and dive. These electives can include: Altitude diving, Search and Recovery diving, Boat diving, Underwater Naturalist, and many others. As for the 3 "core" dives, PADI is quite explicit: Basic Open Water divers are not supposed to dive below 60', dive at night, or dive at elevations above 1000' above sea level. The Advanced course will teach you additional skills and procedures to allow you to safely dive in these more complex and demanding areas. --- HyperMail! v1.22 * Origin: Omni - (916) 388-0905, longest running Sac BBS (1:203/3333) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1200031 Date: 01/01/96 From: LAURENCE CHARLOT Time: 07:07pm \/To: PAUL DAVIS (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Just beginning. -=> Quoting Paul Davis to All <=- PD> My wife and I just got our OW certificates and log our first dive by PD> ourselves. It was not a fun dive at all. :( When we got suited up PD> My question for all that have dove on the West Coast, Is there PD> anyway to prodict the visiblity? And what is better to start a dive It is not possible to COMPLETLY predict the visibility, but here are some suggestions: If it has been raining within the last week or two, vis is likely to be bad, because of runoff carrying silt from the land into the ocean. The less wave action at your dive site, the better the possibility of good vis. Plankton and algae blooms can wreck the vis. Check with local dive shops for info on what season(s) of the year are best/worst for plankton. PD> in, Low slack tide and High slack tide? And does anyone know of any I like to dive on a rising tide, say three or four hours after low tide. Avoid diving on an ebb tide, unless the current patterns at the dive site do not pose a risk of the ebb carrying you out to sea. PD> My next question, Would you concider that dive to be a simple PD> dive? We dove on Half-Moon bay in Winchester Bay. I have never been to that site, but I have made over 100 dives in Monterey and Sonoma counties, in visibility ranging from 2' to 60+' I wouldn't call your experience a "simple" dive. I hope this one bad day won't sour you on diving. There will other days of calm, warm water, excellent visibility, and these will make up for the bad days. If you stick with it, you will probably do some scuba diving in tropical water, like Hawaii or the Caribbean. It's glorious! Visibility of 100' or more, 82 degree water so you can shed that awkward bulky wetsuit, dive with 10 lbs of lead instead of 35 pounds... One dive trip to Cozumel, and you bless yourself for sticking with scuba diving!!! Good luck on your future diving life! --- HyperMail! v1.22 * Origin: Omni - (916) 388-0905, longest running Sac BBS (1:203/3333) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1200032 Date: 01/01/96 From: ROBERT ST.CLAIR Time: 04:38pm \/To: PAUL DAVIS (Read 2 times) Subj: JUST BEGINNING. Paul, PD>MSGID: 1:152/48 30e6b114 PD>My wife and I just got our OW certificates and log our first dive by PD>ourselves. It was not a fun dive at all. :( PD> Upon the decent we relized that we couldn't PD>see PD>our own elbows, so seeing each other was impossilbe. PD> PD> My question for all that have dove on the West Coast, Is there anyway PD>to prodict the visiblity? And what is better to start a dive in, Low lack PD>tide and High slack tide? And does anyone know of any good beginner dive PD>sites PD>that would be good. My wife and I would like to log a lot of simple dives PD>before we take on anything too difficult. PD> PD> My next question, Would you concider that dive to be a simple dive? PD>We PD>dove on Half-Moon bay in Winchester Bay. PD> PD> We were hopeing that the seas were claimer but being 2 hours from the PD>site and having a Mountain between you the the ocean it is hard to tell. I gather from your reference to Half-Moon bay that you are in S.Cal or ?? I do most of my diving in Puget Sound where we are always concerned with vis and currents. There is no way of predicting vis. untill you put your face in the water ;) There are some generalities that can help though. Winter is better vis. less sunshine less plankton growth. On the other hand winter. more storms thus reducing vis. Often times the vis at one dive site may be different than at a dive site a few miles away. As far as the tide currents go, we depend on tide and current tables and experience. Usually the best time to dive is at high or low slack water. Here, in Puget Sound, slack water does not always occure at the same time as high or low tide. That is why we need the current tables. Also the experience of others who have been there before is invaluable in determining the best time of the tide exchange to dive the site. Suggestions.... Talk to people at the local dive shop or others who are familiar with the dive site before hand so you have plenty of time to plan your dive.....Use your tide and if necessary, current tables to determine the best time to dive.....There is no dive, especially one with current of vis problems, that is worth risking an accident for. I know how tough it is to abort a dive after traveling a long distance but there is always another day... SEA YA (:)-) BOB ___ * UniQWK #5011* Come celebrate the Tacoma Rain Festival - Jan 1 thru Dec 31 --- FLAME v1.1 * Origin: Total Access News & Info Sys, Tacoma, WA 206-472-9884 (1:138/103) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300000 Date: 01/01/96 From: CRAIG BRUDENELL Time: 06:00pm \/To: LEE BELL (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: COLD WATER -=> Quoting Lee Bell to Alan Bethell <=- LB> a wrist mount configuration. I don't want anything on my wrist, it LB> just does not fit the diving I do, and prefer to have the computer LB> attached without having to put it in pockets, etc. A console works LB> very well for me. Does the Nemisis come in a console configuration LB> and, if so, how does the price compare to the Air-X? i don't think it does, but your best bet is to give Cochran a call. they're in Texas, phone 214 644 6284, fax 214 644 6286. as far as the price goes, here in Oz the cost of the dive computer and the pc upload accessories was about the same as the Air-X by itself (i think you have to pay a couple of hundred dollars extra for this). btw, i don't know what sort of diving you do, but since i moved from a console mounted Aladdin to the wrist mounted Nemesis, i've found it great. no more searching for that console. when you're patting that fish or poking that octopus you can also see your dive info. might have to look at getting some sort of protection for it though. don't want to scratch it up sticking my hand into small holes! cheers, brudy. --- Blue Wave/RA v2.12 [NR] * Origin: OzWorld BBS - SCUBA Diving in the land of Oz. (3:713/601) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300001 Date: 01/01/96 From: ERNEST CARDEN Time: 12:56pm \/To: LEE BELL (Read 3 times) Subj: Re: Wife and Nitrox Our insurance (regular) also covered some of it, but for 75 dollars a year dan covers it all Up to 150000 in hyberbaric, then there's the life and loss of limb. (what was that sea hunt hose cutting you were talking about he he he...) But I am very gald that lynn is still here to dive. She snorkled ith a group and I and touched her first manatee, and the joy and childlike gleem in her eyes brought a whole new level of intense fullfillment to my dive. Dive safe and stay wet... --- Renegade v5-21 Exp * Origin: The Officer's Lounge, Tampa, Fl. (1:377/102) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300002 Date: 01/02/96 From: STEVE ELLIOT Time: 09:38am \/To: PAUL DAVIS (Read 2 times) Subj: Just beginning Welcome to the Fidonet Scuba echo, Paul. Glad to hear that you and your wife are now certified divers, and also glad to hear that you learned from your diving experience -- even though the dive didn't meet with your expectations. > My question for all that have dove on the West Coast, Is there > anyway to prodict the visiblity? And what is better to start a dive in, > Low slack tide and High slack tide? And does anyone know of any good > beginner dive sites that would be good. My wife and I would like to log > a lot of simple dives before we take on anything too difficult. I'll leave it up to the locals in the Pacific Northwest to make specific comments about Half-Moon Bay as a dive site. I'd suggest that you check with the local dive shops and ask about dive boat charters or dive clubs. That's the easiest way to meet other divers who would have more experience with the dive sites in your area. It's also a great way to meet people who share your interest in diving. Visibility is generally affected by wave action, temperature, currents, tidal surge, plant life (kelp forests?), microorganisms in the water (plankton bloom?), and such. Again, the locals could give you a better idea about diving conditions in your area and suggest some dive sites for beginners. OOo O Steve Elliot O oO FidoNet Scuba Moderator o [\] Diver Down BBS [\] _____ o o Ft. Lauderdale, FL (_/-\_).. 305/436-3937 ===(O). --- Run GETALIFE.BAT * Origin: [\] Diver Down BBS [\] Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (1:369/134) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300003 Date: 01/02/96 From: STEVE ELLIOT Time: 10:24am \/To: KEVIN REID (Read 2 times) Subj: Hi KR>Heck I might even send you a card, of course it will KR>have love mom scratched out and Steve put in it's place.:) Words cannot describe the warm, fuzzy feeling that I am now experiencing.... KR>You need to come over one weekend and do some diving KR>with mmy CrEw. We are more than welcome. Are you guys in Tampa or Sarasota? I need to plan a trip over to see Al Franklin and John Schuckman one of these days as well. --- Run GETALIFE.BAT * Origin: [\] Diver Down BBS [\] Ft. Lauderdale, FL (1:369/134) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300004 Date: 01/02/96 From: STEVE ELLIOT Time: 10:26am \/To: RICK MORIN (Read 2 times) Subj: Web pages RM>Does Dan have a Web Page? I just saw the msg with RM>Naui and Padi's addresses. Yup. DAN's got a real nice Web page at http://www.dan.ycg.org Also take a look at Rodale's Scuba Diving web site: http://www.scubadiving.com/ --- Run GETALIFE.BAT * Origin: [\] Diver Down BBS [\] Ft. Lauderdale, FL (1:369/134) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300005 Date: 01/02/96 From: STEVE ELLIOT Time: 10:33am \/To: JAMES GAMPPER (Read 2 times) Subj: Sharks JG>Nope, don't believe in killing anything like that. I JG>think that we should leave them to their own devices JG>in their own territory and not encroch as we have with JG>all the land animals! Somehow I think the sharks might have a few things to say to us if we started trying to force them out of their homes. I've noticed that the echo has taken on an "environementally freindly" tone as of late, which doesn't surprise me. I'd be willing to bet that most divers have a real appreciation for the underwater world, and as such, they are determined to protect it. (Similar to what Cousteau has been trying to accomplish.) JG>I've "encountered them" on many occasions, but have never JG>made any attempts to get close, or feed them, etc. Take JG>nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints (bubbles?) Sounds like the old Sierra Club's motto. :) --- Run GETALIFE.BAT * Origin: [\] Diver Down BBS [\] Ft. Lauderdale, FL (1:369/134) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 186 SCUBA Ref: D1300006 Date: 01/02/96 From: LEE BELL Time: 11:44am \/To: CRAIG BRUDENELL (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: COLD WATER -> btw, i don't know what sort of diving you do, but since i moved from -> a console mounted Aladdin to the wrist mounted Nemesis, i've found it -> great. no more searching for that console. when you're patting that -> fish or poking that octopus you can also see your dive info. might -> have to look at getting some sort of protection for it though. don't -> want to scratch it up sticking my hand into small holes! -> -> cheers, brudy. I do just about everything. My U.S. Diver's Monitor I came as a wrist or hose mount and I didn't care for it. I've been known to stick my hand in holes fishing for lobster, tropicals for my aquarium, etc. The combined risk of damaging the computer and possibility of getting hung up with my arm in a hole up to the shoulder caused me to look for someone who'd sell me a console, compass, air pressure guage, etc. for the Monitor II (which came as a console mount). I run the hose across my chest and secure it with a hose clip to the right side of my BC. It's always been convenient and readily available. If I turn it just right, I can even see it hands free. A matter of preference, but a pretty strong one. Lee --- PCBoard (R) v15.22/M 2 * Origin: The Cross Roads BBS Ft. Lauderdale, Fla 954-791-9325 (1:369/97)