By Popular Request

[bruciebabie]

I did my Divemaster over 2 years ago (in Manado, Sulawesi with Eco Divers) and with over 600 dives thought it time to further advance the PADI ladder with an IDC/IE. By way of prep I did all the long study hours and also the AI course with Hidden Diving in a drysuit in Dosthill. Then it was out to Red Sea Diving College in Sharm el Sheikh for 2 weeks very hard work. I chose the College because I believe it to be the best diving trainer within a reasonable plane ride.
Once there the days were long and hard. 6AM to 11PM with short breaks for bodily functions. The instructor course is demanding on many levels. You need to master the academics (some failed the final exam on this) as well as the vast body of PADI standards that comprise their system. Physically you have to be fit but also develop the psychomotor ability to show off the skills to demonstration quality. Then you have to learn to teach in three different environments, the classroom, confined water and open water. Oh, they also throw a rescue demonstration at you for fun.
At the end PADI send out their own examiners for a 2 day exam. Here choosing the College and all the hard work paid off with 100% in 4 exams and just a couple of questions dropped in the other 2. In the confined water teaching I got a perfect 5 and only dropped one point in the skill circuit for 24 out of 25. Nothing in the whole exam got below 4 out of 5. This was followed by lots and lots of beer.
So now I can teach and certify Open Water, Advanced, Rescue and Divemaster. This is part of the philosophy of use it or lose it. As you get older you need to keep taking on challenges or you become a vegetable. I'm setting up an internet company next.

>> Edited by bruciebabie on Tuesday 17th May 17:29

[_VTEC_]

Well done Bruce. Unfortunately, ambition is something I don't know much about.

[FHCNICK]

good stuff, are you not intending to use your new qualification though?

[nervous]

i cant even smell umbition.

[FHCNICK]

Have you got any good photos from any of your dives? whats your favourite dive site? sorry about the questions but it is one of my favourite subjects

[diddyman]

FHCNICK said:

Have you got any good photos from any of your dives? whats your favourite dive site? sorry about the questions but it is one of my favourite subjects

You like pickies?

Here you go
And here
And some more
And even more

Happy fishing!

[bruciebabie]

FHCNICK said:

Have you got any good photos from any of your dives? whats your favourite dive site? sorry about the questions but it is one of my favourite subjects

I'm not a believer in underwater photography, however I have a few videos taken when I have dived. My favourite sites thus far are probably Blue Corner in Palau, South Plateau at Shab Rumi in Sudan, Maya Thila in the Maldives as a night dive and Richelieu Rock in the Andaman Sea. Look them up in Google if you want to know more.

[diddyman]

bruciebabie said:

I'm not a believer in underwater photography

Would that be "I don't like underwater photography", Bruce, or are we talking BMW/fox hunting/smoking kinda stuff here?

>> Edited by diddyman on Tuesday 17th May 17:48

[bruciebabie]

diddyman said:

bruciebabie said: I'm not a believer in underwater photography Would that be "I don't like underwater photography", Bruce, or are we talking BMW/fox hunting/smoking kinda stuff here? >> Edited by diddyman on Tuesday 17th May 17:48

No, I am not a believer in it. Though I have done the PADI photography speciality and own both a film and a digital underwater camera so do have some knowledge of the subject.
1) Photographers are in reality solo divers and do not properly follow the buddy system.
2) 99% of damage I have seen done to reefs has been done by photographers.
3) I prefer to experience the dive properly, not as a series of photo opportunities seen through a viewfinder.
4) Any photo I might take I can find done much better and download for free from Google Images.
5) Photographers tend to be selfish to get their shot. They barge other divers out of the way and chase stuff away.

[alexkp]

bruciebabie said:

I'm setting up an internet company next. >> Edited by bruciebabie on Tuesday 17th May 17:29

You do realise this is 2005, not 1999 right?

[nervous]

it is? oh feck. im 6 years late.

[chim_knee]

bruciebabie said:

2) 99% of damage I have seen done to reefs has been done by photographers.

Whilst no where near as experienced as you bruciebabie, are you sure 99%?! What about inexperienced divers finning all over the place, fishermen - trawling, dragging nets, dynamiting in some places! I don't think 99% of damage could sensibly be attributed to the occasional knock with a camera.

bruciebabie said:

3) I prefer to experience the dive properly, not as a series of photo opportunities seen through a viewfinder.

Viewfinder? I didn't think that was practical whilst diving - I thought plastic aim-thingys were used. I've never seen a photographer dive with the camera pressed against their face, missing the bulk of the dive. Quite the opposite in fact, photographers tend to far more observant. Kind of tautalogical if you ask me.

bruciebabie said:

4) Any photo I might take I can find done much better and download for free from Google Images.

Surely, therefore, watching someone else dive who is more experienced than you would be preferable? Admittedly that is tongue in cheek, but do you see the point. It's not how good you are, it's the taking part and the sense of personal achievement.

I'm not actually sure why I bothered to reply to this post - I am sure most of it will be lost on you, but I've typed it now so its going up.

[nervous]

hiya Phil nice use of a tautological, not nearly enough of those around these days.

[chim_knee]

nervous said:

hiya Phil nice use of a tautological, not nearly enough of those around these days.

Thanks Matt... it was a late addition and almost didn't make it.

Replaced "fking obvious"... in case you're interested.

Oh, and what are you doing upsetting BrianTheJammy - you nasty man...

>> Edited by chim_knee on Tuesday 17th May 18:39

[nervous]

thanks phil, you just made my day mate

[nervous]

is brianthejammy the guy that used to be briantheyank?cos he seemed to a) hate me and b) have had a sense of humour bypass too. i should hate to think Ive got two enemies called brianthe, unless of course you can do swaps on these things to enable you to collect the whole set. got...got... need..

either way, brianthe I'm very sorry. please keep taking the pills.

[FHCNICK]

well i thought i might have found a subject to which i could relate with you upon brucie but alas i have failed again i wouldn't consider taking 15 shots on an hour long dive (or 3 mins of video footage for that matter) to be a "dive wasted" in fact quite the reverse, it is a great way of showing non diving friends the beauty that the undersea world has to offer. i can assure you that i am competent enough with my bouyancy to manage to take pictures without the need to hold onto the reef structure or fin like crazy. in your absence i'll try to post a pic a few people might like

<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y151/fhcnick/smile.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">

[FHCNICK]

diddyman micronesia is my next destination funds permitting

[nervous]

is that where micromachines come from?

[FHCNICK]

nervous said:

is that where micromachines come from?

tis the land of micro everything hence diddyman knows all about it