PADI scuba divers??

[Cupid Stunt]

Just posting in this thread so I can check it when I have more time to see if a question I have has already been answered before I ask it

[Fezant Pluckah]

For those who don't frequent the photography section, here are some piccies I took recently:

St John's Reef & Fury Shoals

Brothers & Daedalus

[Jasandjules]

rhinochopig said:

Slightly O/T. Do any of you SCUBA chaps enjoy free diving?

I don't "free dive" as such, but I can fairly easily spend 45 seconds at 10m just mooching around - which I know is not much, but it seems to be so much more than most people I know or meet who seem unable to even submerge without a weight belt..... I actually have a friend who tries to "dive" and just sits in the water with his head down, a**e up and legs kicking furiously, and he is still on the surface - it is very, very funny to watch and I still have no idea how he does this and why he can't actually get under the water.

[Landlord]

Jasandjules said:

rhinochopig said:

just sits in the water with his head down, a**e up and legs kicking furiously, and he is still on the surface - it is very, very funny to watch and I still have no idea how he does this and why he can't actually get under the water.

He sounds exactly like me. I must have a very bouyant arse. It figures, actually, you know size/displacement etc.

[Mr Darcy]

Only just found this thread!

Been a dive master for about 4 years. Absolutley love it. Means you can go on holiday, work a little and dive for free. Awesome.

Dived Indonesia, Red Sea, SE Asia out of all them Komodo was by far the best.

[Zod]

Landlord said:

Jasandjules said:

rhinochopig said:

just sits in the water with his head down, a**e up and legs kicking furiously, and he is still on the surface - it is very, very funny to watch and I still have no idea how he does this and why he can't actually get under the water.

He sounds exactly like me. I must have a very bouyant arse. It figures, actually, you know size/displacement etc.

Common beginner's fault: air left in jacket, holding up inflater tube, but there is air in the jacket above the level of the tube, so the diver is not going to be able to descend, unless he either pulls the release at the bottom back (assuming there is one) or returns to the head-up position to remove all air from the jacket.

[Mr Darcy]

CyprusCraig said:

Anyone else interested in Scuba diving.

Currently doing my rescue course then doing my divemaster by Christmas, only done 12 dives but loving every minute of it.

Going to Zenobia wreck dive on saturday.

Then hopefully travel the world for a year or two doing a divemaster before settling down with a "proper" job.

Jesus Christ! 12 dives and a rescue diver. Shocking but hey thats the padi way. If I remember my standards well enough you can lead divers round with just 20!

I have worked as a DM in many places and if you think your going to be be diving constantly showing people around sites forget it. In places like Egypt you need a CDMT card to show people round a site and you can only get one of these if you have a job and what shop is going to employ a DM when a instructor is far more usefull? Its the same situation in SE Asia but they let their DMTs take out divers (pretty dangerous as most are like you, inexperienced). I spent most of my time in the shop selling courses, getting people to fill in paperwork and sorting out the kit room and hire kit. A DMs life is pretty hard, poorly paid and very dry!

[krallicious]

Mr Darcy said:

Jesus Christ! 12 dives and a rescue diver. Shocking but hey thats the padi way. If I remember my standards well enough you can lead divers round with just 20!

I have worked as a DM in many places and if you think your going to be be diving constantly showing people around sites forget it. In places like Egypt you need a CDMT card to show people round a site and you can only get one of these if you have a job and what shop is going to employ a DM when a instructor is far more usefull? Its the same situation in SE Asia but they let their DMTs take out divers (pretty dangerous as most are like you, inexperienced). I spent most of my time in the shop selling courses, getting people to fill in paperwork and sorting out the kit room and hire kit. A DMs life is pretty hard, poorly paid and very dry!

I agree that 12 dives is shocking. Instructors are far more useful but do not think for a minute the pay is anything better than poor. I have not been able to find a paid job since I qualified in Germany and all the work I do in England is voluntary. I don't mind too much though as it is all good experiance. Right, off to teach modules 2 and 3 OW.

[Jasandjules]

Zod said:

Common beginner's fault: air left in jacket, holding up inflater tube, but there is air in the jacket above the level of the tube, so the diver is not going to be able to descend, unless he either pulls the release at the bottom back (assuming there is one) or returns to the head-up position to remove all air from the jacket.

I would agree with you, but I am talking about when he's snorkling - which is why it is hilarious!

[Starfighter]

I agree with much of the sentement on here - 12 dive and doing a DM actually wories me!

I've been diving for 9 months, qualified for 6 months and 20 dives - another 2 planned for the weekend if all goes well. I know that I'm not ready to do an AOW yet and I certianly won't be doing it in the Red Sea. My local club recommends 30 dives before an AOW and I'm seeing the logic in this with each dive I do.I want to train hard so I can dive easy and I don't see the logic in doing a navigation skills dive in 30m visibility when in reality I'll be diving in UK waters where I can see 6m on very good day.

I dived on holiday in Egypt and the school was pushing doing my AOW and I kept refusing it. After my third day and 6 dives my instructor gave up trying to sell the course and said he respcted my reasoning as it would make me a better diver in the long run without the cards to go with it. I'm much happier with my skills because when it has gone wrong (mask trapped on my hood and constantly flooding, lost guide, tangled DSMB, buddy OOA) I've just dealt with it.

I might do AOW over winter along side my dry-suit specialist.

[ss64ii]

Hi
Haven't read all the thread, but is there an age limit on diving? I'm in Northern Cyprus in August and would like to take my 10 & 11 year old boys diving, if possible.
thanks.

[PimpmyHotwheels]

Starfighter said:

I agree with much of the sentement on here - 12 dive and doing a DM actually wories me!

I've been diving for 9 months, qualified for 6 months and 20 dives - another 2 planned for the weekend if all goes well. I know that I'm not ready to do an AOW yet and I certianly won't be doing it in the Red Sea. My local club recommends 30 dives before an AOW and I'm seeing the logic in this with each dive I do.I want to train hard so I can dive easy and I don't see the logic in doing a navigation skills dive in 30m visibility when in reality I'll be diving in UK waters where I can see 6m on very good day.

I dived on holiday in Egypt and the school was pushing doing my AOW and I kept refusing it. After my third day and 6 dives my instructor gave up trying to sell the course and said he respcted my reasoning as it would make me a better diver in the long run without the cards to go with it. I'm much happier with my skills because when it has gone wrong (mask trapped on my hood and constantly flooding, lost guide, tangled DSMB, buddy OOA) I've just dealt with it.

I might do AOW over winter along side my dry-suit specialist.

If you haven't got a dry suit might want to wait for the dive show and hope some bargains come up.

[krallicious]

ss64ii said:

Hi
Haven't read all the thread, but is there an age limit on diving? I'm in Northern Cyprus in August and would like to take my 10 & 11 year old boys diving, if possible.
thanks.

If you want them to do a course then they can both do the junior open water (minimum age of 10) which consists of 5 confined water dives and 4 open water dives. The instructor/pupil ratio will be very good due to the age of your sons.

If you would just like them to experience diving for the first time then ask the dive centre about discover scuba diving.Once again, the minimum age is 10.

Pete

[Mr Darcy]

Can't quite remember the standards on this but they can do a course called bubble maker, not sure if it is open water dives? There is also something called seal team again not sure on if this contains openwater dives. there is a junior open water course but that limits them to 12M ( i think) and I also think they have to be 12 or over.

Will log on to PADI later today and check the manual as certain stuff has changed since or will be changing as of the 1st July.

[Starfighter]

PimpmyHotwheels said:

If you haven't got a dry suit might want to wait for the dive show and hope some bargains come up.

I know what you mean, the prices in London this spring looked quite nice. At present I'm renting kit and some schools will only rent a dry suit with a specialist card hence looking to do the course. Half my diving has been done dry (or on 1 dive damp!) and that included my qualifying dives with the buyancy skills and kit removal which is the main course content. My local DMs say they like doing the course just to watch student flounder around upside down but don't think I'll learn much. Put Another Dollar In!

[CaptainSlow]

Just finished my Deep Spec this morning.

Also looking for a new semi dry soon as mine is falling to bits.

re dry suits...

http://www.ndiver.com/ndiver_clearance/index.html

[Ayez beera]

ss64ii said:

Hi
Haven't read all the thread, but is there an age limit on diving? I'm in Northern Cyprus in August and would like to take my 10 & 11 year old boys diving, if possible.
thanks.

Where abouts in TRNC are you staying I can recomend a very good dive centre with top quality service and small ratio's for your boys!

[lawrence567]

Dear Divers....

I'm after soemthing which, i'm not sure exists...
I'm looking for a small ocygen tank, you've probbaly seen them on films like james bond etc, about the size of a deoderant can that give you a few breaths of air.
Do such things exist?

[CaptainSlow]

lawrence567 said:

Dear Divers....

I'm after soemthing which, i'm not sure exists...
I'm looking for a small ocygen tank, you've probbaly seen them on films like james bond etc, about the size of a deoderant can that give you a few breaths of air.
Do such things exist?

yes here

http://www.spareair.com/

Air rather than oxygen though, also please don't use one for diving.

[Condi]

Im in Oz and SE Asia for 12 months next year so will do some PADI stuff while im out there. It would seem a shame not to really. Any places/schools better/cheaper than others? I'll be on the east coast of Oz for 6 months and be travelling from there.