Divers? Anyone else?
Discussion
Phud said:
what we call a sea urchin, this is it's anus. Unlike the tropical ones, ours are round and short spines
Ahh, didn't pic up the shape from the close up.These are the most common local version, the Rock Boring Urchin. Regularly found on harbour walls and easy rock exit points just to fk with you after a dive.
This week's effort
Brown Moray with Cleaning Shrimp nr Lighter Rock
The Spotted Moray's here can be a bit game. I have a pic somewhere of one eating the gopro.
Off to a pleasant wall site tomorrow pm that ends in a small cavern with a cave to the rear that I have yet to poke around in. Getting chilly now, 22c average and 19c min. May need to hang up the shorty.
Off to a pleasant wall site tomorrow pm that ends in a small cavern with a cave to the rear that I have yet to poke around in. Getting chilly now, 22c average and 19c min. May need to hang up the shorty.
Going diving in a pothole in a river tomorrow.
Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
I don't think dive computers have sat nav on them so don't forget to take a line reel to find your way back out again, have fun!
I'm just about to book a couple of weeks at the Coco Reef Hotel in Tobago for the end of April. Dive centre at the hotel, windsurfing centre 10 minutes walk up the beach and a golf course 15 minutes drive away, what more could a man want!
I'm just about to book a couple of weeks at the Coco Reef Hotel in Tobago for the end of April. Dive centre at the hotel, windsurfing centre 10 minutes walk up the beach and a golf course 15 minutes drive away, what more could a man want!
Ayahuasca said:
Going diving in a pothole in a river tomorrow.
Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
That will be a st dive. Far to many risks there for my liking. You'll be scuppered by a buddy who hasn't dived for years. They will be puffing like a steam train if the viz is st.Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
What are you diving for? Shopping trolleys?
Safe diving!
HairyMaclary said:
Ayahuasca said:
Going diving in a pothole in a river tomorrow.
Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
That will be a st dive. Far to many risks there for my liking. You'll be scuppered by a buddy who hasn't dived for years. They will be puffing like a steam train if the viz is st.Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
What are you diving for? Shopping trolleys?
Safe diving!
Looking for some advice - I'm off to the Red Sea in a few weeks and was wondering about doing one of the 'taster' diving courses while there.
The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
Condi said:
HairyMaclary said:
Ayahuasca said:
Going diving in a pothole in a river tomorrow.
Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
That will be a st dive. Far to many risks there for my liking. You'll be scuppered by a buddy who hasn't dived for years. They will be puffing like a steam train if the viz is st.Never dived in a river before - check
Never dived in fresh water before - check
Never dived in a pothole before - check
Never dived with metal-detecting equipment - check
Nobody has ever dived that spot before - check
Long way from back up - check
My buddy hasn't dived for years - check
If you don't hear from me again after this weekend you will know why.
What are you diving for? Shopping trolleys?
Safe diving!
WannaNiceCar said:
Looking for some advice - I'm off to the Red Sea in a few weeks and was wondering about doing one of the 'taster' diving courses while there.
The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
Which area, sharm or hargada? you should be out on the house reef, however I have seen folks on a wreck, not my idea of a sensible try dive.The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
Enjoy looking at the cost of housings, I would suggest you ask the center if they can take photos.
Do it, relax and have fun,
WannaNiceCar said:
Looking for some advice - I'm off to the Red Sea in a few weeks and was wondering about doing one of the 'taster' diving courses while there.
The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
PADI is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. PADI are a diver training agency that originated in America and now cover most of the world. They have a professional code their dive centres are supposed to comply with, but as with most organisations, there will be good and bad members. There are other training bodies, but PADI seem to have the lion's share of the market. SSI are becoming popular, and a new one called RAID seems to be picking up pace. BSAC is a UK based agency, but they are primarily a club and commercial dive centres are less common. The best thing to do is look for recommendations for a dive centre. The Dive Forum is a good place to go for recommendations. Some PHers may have some recommendations, so it would be useful if you tell us where you are staying (unfortunately I haven't done the Red Sea yet, so I can't help!).The hotels dive place claims to be a five star IDC PADI centre (No idea if that's good, bad or indifferent)
Would you say that it should be safe for a first timer and how deep would we be likely to go? (want to get a suitable camera / housing)
Five Star centres are supposed to be the best, but in reality it probably means they have handed more money over for the prestige. Some information here: http://www.padi.com/scuba-diving/about-padi/dive-c...
IDC means Instructor Development Centre - i.e. they train instructors. Obviously a good thing to have, but don't view it as a guarantee of quality.
As Phud says, camera housings can be expensive. Most of the basic ones will be rated between 40-50m and you'll be going nowhere near that depth. PADI call their taster sessions Discover Scuba Diving and the maximum depth is 12m.
Watch out for cameras that say they are waterproof without a housing - something rated to 10m is often rated for a static pressure, which can be exceeded when you jump in. Again, as Phud says, the dive centre may not want you taking photos. If I was taking a novice in the water for the first time, I'd want them concentrating on their buoyancy and contents gauge - not a camera. They will be used to people wanting photos so most should be happy to take some photos with their own camera for you.
Get a go pro if you can afford it for video. And a red filter.
Problem with camera housing ( which can be expensive ) is that it is mated to the same camera. Mine is now 15yr old!!! So things gave came a long way in picture quality but I didn't want to shell out on a new camera and housing.
Next buy will be a dedicated underwater camera.
Although my wee Nikon coolpix with housing isn't too bad.
And had the versatility for taking other holiday snaps.
All of the above depends on how serious you are going to be going forward.
Problem with camera housing ( which can be expensive ) is that it is mated to the same camera. Mine is now 15yr old!!! So things gave came a long way in picture quality but I didn't want to shell out on a new camera and housing.
Next buy will be a dedicated underwater camera.
Although my wee Nikon coolpix with housing isn't too bad.
And had the versatility for taking other holiday snaps.
All of the above depends on how serious you are going to be going forward.
Some great information and photos there, especially the one of the Masked Puffer as it is one of my favorite puffer fish - Many thanks.
For the questions asked, we will be going to Hurgada as Sharm airport is still deemed unsafe (even though the rest of the resort is).
I won't be buying a proper case for either of the SLR's at this stage - I've already picked myself up off the floor after seeing the prices! I already have a couple of compacts that we use for snorkeling but I was pretty sure that they wouldn't survive the depth as I have previously killed one that was supposed to be good for 10m.
I was considering getting one of the cheaper GoPro knock offs as a simple way of getting some video and hopefully some stills from that but if you think that it would be a bad idea to try using a camera on the first dives, which makes sense, then I probably won't bother.
For the questions asked, we will be going to Hurgada as Sharm airport is still deemed unsafe (even though the rest of the resort is).
I won't be buying a proper case for either of the SLR's at this stage - I've already picked myself up off the floor after seeing the prices! I already have a couple of compacts that we use for snorkeling but I was pretty sure that they wouldn't survive the depth as I have previously killed one that was supposed to be good for 10m.
I was considering getting one of the cheaper GoPro knock offs as a simple way of getting some video and hopefully some stills from that but if you think that it would be a bad idea to try using a camera on the first dives, which makes sense, then I probably won't bother.
Make of my case for Nikon and its lasted for 15 years still on original seals etc.
http://www.ikelite.com
http://www.ikelite.com
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