scuba diving

[Phanuthier]

Thanks to all for the advice... much appreciated. Most rentals I see come with a dive comp, but it might be helpful just to really know and understand my own. I plan on doing shallow dives (<90 ft for sure, I don't think I'll be going to the divemaster level... might get my advanced though) for sure, and I'm not really looking to push any sort of limits (e.g. no decomp limits) ... just want to do it regularly, see some life under water, have some fun.

Thanks again

[alan21]

How did a diving thread on CP did not include a Canucks logo???

[Phanuthier]

Question 2, since I'm just getting into this sport (either going to Thailand or Ecuodor... might change over to Ecuodor's Galapogos since a few places in Thai are under water): Camera recommendations?

Looking around, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=AIIHUPKC8K4HS

I don't anticipate to be going below 90 ft... so 90 ft max..

[Dion]

Originally Posted by alan21

How did a diving thread on CP did not include a Canucks logo???

Good point

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Question 2, since I'm just getting into this sport (either going to Thailand or Ecuodor... might change over to Ecuodor's Galapogos since a few places in Thai are under water): Camera recommendations?

Looking around, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=AIIHUPKC8K4HS

I don't anticipate to be going below 90 ft... so 90 ft max..

Almost all under water housings can go well over 90 feet.

A review you may like:

http://www.backscatter.com/learn/art...icle.php?ID=57

I personally recommend Olympus cases. They are very well made and priced. They are coming out with one of the first ring flashes for point and shoot camera in November, which will really help with macro shots.

IMO the housings Canon makes a poor quality. I wouldn't trust an expensive camera in one. If you want a Canon, there are plenty of other options available, such as Ikelite, Sea and Sea, Aquatica, Nauticam etc.

Re: insurance - I've never heard of a recreational diver with dive insurance. I don't think it's necessary.

[mac_82]

I just arrived on Koh Tao in Thailand. Going to do my advanced OW and try to do some specializations. Pretty pumped to do some more diving over the next 10 days.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by mac_82

I just arrived on Koh Tao in Thailand. Going to do my advanced OW and try to do some specializations. Pretty pumped to do some more diving over the next 10 days.

Cool, you'll have to tell me how it goes! Koh Tao is a place I'm looking to go.

[mac_82]

I just finished day 1 of my advanced open water. I did the navigation and buoyancy dives. Dive sites were just off of Koh Nangyuan, which is a beautiful island off Koh Tao:




Twin Peaks was the name of one of the sites. It is the busiest dive site in SE Asia, but with good reason. Was a fun place to practice navigation. They have a ton of artificial reef structures down there:



Saw a lot of coral and wild life, including the biggest turtle I've ever seen. Got to swim with him at the end of my dive until I ran low on air.



Great first day! By the end of the week hopefully I can post some of my own pics and vids!

[drewboy12]

Originally Posted by mac_82

I just finished day 1 of my advanced open water. I did the navigation and buoyancy dives. Dive sites were just off of Koh Nangyuan, which is a beautiful island off Koh Tao:




Twin Peaks was the name of one of the sites. It is the busiest dive site in SE Asia, but with good reason. Was a fun place to practice navigation. They have a ton of artificial reef structures down there:



Saw a lot of coral and wild life, including the biggest turtle I've ever seen. Got to swim with him at the end of my dive until I ran low on air.



Great first day! By the end of the week hopefully I can post some of my own pics and vids!

swimming with turtles is my favorite thing to do... Although, still trying to get close enough to swim "near" humpbacks!

[Phanuthier]

That's sick mac! Thanks! I might switch my trip from Thailand to Ecuador, some part because I did want to do some touristy parts of Bangcock (another reason is I was hoping to do some deep water soloing rock climbing, but I'm not really in shape since I've had a bunch of injuries the past few months which is throwing off my training).

If I go to Ecuador, plan B is to do a 5 day dive in Galapogas. Diving looks pretty amazing there.

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

That's sick mac! Thanks! I might switch my trip from Thailand to Ecuador, some part because I did want to do some touristy parts of Bangcock (another reason is I was hoping to do some deep water soloing rock climbing, but I'm not really in shape since I've had a bunch of injuries the past few months which is throwing off my training).

If I go to Ecuador, plan B is to do a 5 day dive in Galapogas. Diving looks pretty amazing there.

No worries. I know that Bangkok is a bit sketchy right now, I'm flying through there in a week, hopefully there won't be much flooding. I would love to dive Ecuador or the Galapogos. So far my diving has been limited to Thailand and Greece.

Just finished day 2, dives 3+4 (deep dive + underwater photo). Dove at Chumpon pinnacle and Green Rock. Went down to 29m, could start to feel the narc at 28m, felt like I had drank a few heroin beers. I should have some photos to share soon. Didn't see anything too exciting, some trigger fish, eels and some big queenfish. We missed a whale shark by about 35 mins.

Tomorrow is the night dive, and then it's off to sail rock to do my underwater video course.

[Phanuthier]

Sweet Mac. I'm going to be doing a night dive for sure (Thai or Ecu). Can you tell me what you think of Bangcock, specifically Ayuthay?

I would love to hear what your favorite dives are. I'm actually sitting here planning out which dives to do for Thai as we speak. (At the same time, seeing what the penalty fee is to hi-jack this whole trip to Ecu)

[Cactus Jack]

Living in brazil, we're getting certified (18m) this month at Ilha Bela island for January when we're going to Thailand and will be hitting up a few dives there

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Sweet Mac. I'm going to be doing a night dive for sure (Thai or Ecu). Can you tell me what you think of Bangcock, specifically Ayuthay?

I would love to hear what your favorite dives are. I'm actually sitting here planning out which dives to do for Thai as we speak. (At the same time, seeing what the penalty fee is to hi-jack this whole trip to Ecu)

I've never been to Ayutthaya, but it looks amazing. And it sounds like Bangkok is doing better with the flooding. Well central Bangkok anyways.

Well over the last 10 days I did 13 dives around Koh Tao. I dove at Japanese Gardens, Twin Peaks, Chumpon Pinnacle, Green Rock, White Rock, Sail Rock, and Hin Pee Wee. I have also dove at Mango Bay and Aow Leuk during my open water.

As far as my favourites, Hin Pee Wee is pretty amazing, the wreck there is the Sattakut. I did my night dive there, as well as during the day with a camera. Sail rock is about 2 hours away, but it is the local site for divers on Koh Phangan. When we went the viz wasn't great, but when conditions are right it is one of the best sites, and a good bet for whale sharks. Twin peaks is another good site, lots of coral, nice anemone for fish and where I saw a turtle. I have heard good things about snorkeling in Shark Bay, it is pretty easy to see reef sharks, although I haven't had time yet to check it out. And Chumpon Pinnacle is another great site. Here is a map for reference:




I ended up doing all my dives with New Way. They are a great company and one huge benefit is they are the first boat out every morning. In a busy place like Koh Tao where as many as 5 boats (with 5-20 people each) can be at a dive site, it is nice to be coming out of the water when the masses show up. And they hooked me up with fat fish movies, who I did all my camera work with. They were both A+.

Here are some pics. Keep in mind these are video freeze frames. I won't edit the video until I am home around xmas.

[mac_82]

Phanuthier did you decide what you were going to do?

I just came back from Cambodia and I am back in the gulf of Thailand. I went diving on Monday to Sail Rock, the viz wasn't great, only 4-5m. Saw a giant moray eel, that was the biggest highlight. My luck with whale sharks is terrible, I missed this guy on tues...

[Phanuthier]

Ha I still haven't got a chance to book my scuba dives yet - I was out the past few weeks, then got to catch up with a 14 hr work day in the office yesterday . I have bought the tickets to Krabi / (Phukat?) (diving 4 days)... for 4 diving trips, what were your top 4?

I was looking at your recommendations trying to compile a "top 4" but if you wanted to do it for me...

[mac_82]

I haven't been diving on the west coast of Thailand before. I've heard good things about Koh Lanta. I'll ask next time I'm at the dive shop here.

[edmontonice]

I just got back from Nicaragua- went diving off little corn island (Caribbean side). Not the best diving, but had a couple awesome moments which made it worth it. Came face to face with a monster loggerhead turtle...his head was bigger than mine!!!

[MoneyGuy]

[/QUOTE]

Amazing photo.

[MaDMaN_26]

The insurance is called DAN - Diver Alert Network. They do fantastic work in research and development when it comes to understanding diving and how it affects the human body and they may well save your life.

A buddy of mine is a instructor, actually teaches on a regular bases - he went on a deep (200ish feet) trip in Thailand they were diving markings fisherman had identified they lost nets on - could be rocks or could be the mast of a lost ship - fisherman don't care they just mark it and avoid it and sometimes sell the co-ordinates to divers. My friend unknowingly had a heart valve issue. a "flap" didn't close all the way meaning his blood did not filter out nitrogen at the rate that is normally expected. He dove a completely safe profile and still got DCS, an "unjustified hit" as they say. These happen. The boat they were on kept him on pure O2 but because he was 2 days off the coast (given the max speed of the boat they were on) he was going to die and thought he was for sure a dead man... DAN intercepted the boat by sending a speed boat to meet them as far out as it could go. He spent a week doing chamber rides in bangkok... not pleasant and he had an operation to fix the heart valve... but plain and simple DAN saved his life.

I have been certified for a few years, have over a hundred dives. Advanced Open Water, Deep, Wreck, dry suit certifications and a few other meaningless ones, given the kind of diving I'm apt to do DAN is a must. I have never had a close call or any issues underwater. Not having DAN insurance is dumb. plain and simple. If you can afford to dive you can afford the insurance. It's a dangerous hobby and while has tons of safety features/procedures built in bad things can happen... things can go wrong. DAN will make it right no matter where you are in the world... plus you get a decent quarterly dive magazine.

I dive mostly in Lake Minnewanka for great practice... but I have dove off the west coast (Sechelt, Hornby), Thailand, Bahama's, Ontario, Mexico (ocean and cenotes) - I would not bother buying a BCD for travel... if your going to get your own gear consider a back plate and wing set up. BCD's you rent are usually no different than what you would own, whichever you choose do this last.. I would buy a computer and a regulator set first.

couple reasons - often computer divers will be put in a different group than non computer divers when on tour boats as you will have extended downtime, your automatically considered to be better divers because you have some level of commitment and you are no longer dependent on the weakest link in the tour group or a who-knows-how-poorly trained guide for your safety. You know exactly when to end your dive so that you have time for your safety stop, there is no guess work you are in control of your safety. Guides are to show you where to dive not how to dive... you should already know how to do that.

As for Reg's these are your life. Take them on the plane like a laptop bag. Take care of them, get them serviced etc... Not saying they will blow on you while under water, but far less likely to be an issue with your personal regs than rentals because you know they are in pristine condition.

Snorkel - you wont need one of these after taking wreck certification but yes own your own, it can be $.99 special though... Get wreck certified and get rid of it.
Mask 100% yes - get a good quality one that fits... your whole dive can be ruined with a crappy one. Bring a back up as well.

Fins... meh - up to you... they take up a lot of space... you may want to just rent - personal choice.

Calgary is possibly the cheapest place in the world to get certified. At least do your Classroom and pool work here. I recommend Aqua Sport in Marda Loop. If you certify and can dive comfortably in Minnewanka your going to be laughing in warm water. More challenges here than anywhere else in the world I think. Huge thick wetsuits (or dry suits), more weight, Extremely cold water, Altitude, almost no visibility. Mexico will be like a giant wave pool in difficulty comparisons.