Any SCUBA divers here?

[Gunslinger808]

Yup, my wife and I hit up the lakes every Monday.
We usually hit up the party areas at Canyon and Apache lake to find all the stuff folks lose.
We find jewlery, cameras, sunglasses, fishing gear, wallets, money, and all sorts of crazy stuff.
If we can find the owner we do, otherise we sell it to fund our Quarterly trips to California for live aboard trips to either the Channel Islands or Catalina.
You should see my collection of sunglasses!

Giant stride entry at Santa Rosa during bug season:

 

[relic]

Yup. I'm one too. PADI Dive Master & Master Diver. Had many great dives on Atlantic and Gulf wrecks. Also former NSS-CDS (Natl Spelo Soc -Cave Dive Sec.) and NACD (Natl Assoc Cave Dvrs). Laid some line and published some cartography we were proud to share.

Really enjoyed the sport. Can't submerge now with an open urostomy. Sure was fun wile it lasted.

 

[kwselke]

Another ex-diver here. Health issues forced me to give it up.

I attained a PADI Instructor rating. I have made dives in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Bonaire, Curacao, Utila and Roatan Honduras, Truk Lagoon, Santa Catalina and the Los Angles area, Gulf rigs off of Galveston, Florida springs, and many lakes and mud puddles in TX and OK.

When I gave up diving, was when I switched my primary hobby interest to guns and hunting. Guns are cheaper than my diving ever was.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

NAUI certified in '77 by Roy Damron

Gone thru 2 boats, sorta stopped after I got married.

Ran out of dive buddies and boats.

Still have my important stuff.

 

[Texas Star]

I don't, but my son did for some years. He had a few adventures and loved it.

Furtherest afield was off of Guam.

I have asthma and doctors advised against it. But I've enjoyed watching it on TV and reading about it in books.

 

[Fishslayer]

I got certified at Rosey Roads Puerto Rico back in the 70's.

Never really kept it up. When you've laid on your back at 100' and can read the numbers on the boat, and you're wearing a Tshirt to keep from getting burnt & chafed... the 60* water with 30' visibilty in SoCal just doesn't cut it.

 

[mwtdvm]

bt, dt, have t-shirts

Since 78, NASDS cert. Last dove in '95. Bonaire, Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cozumel, Chub Cay and Walter's Cay in the Bahamas and Great Barrier Reef in '88 or '89. Bonaire was the best shallow water diving I've done. Cozumel was the biggest cluster foul up I ever experienced. The Caymans ended up being my site of choice because of a relatively cheap place to stay and it was for two weeks a year. When I last snorkeled there in '07-08, the reefs were still pretty beat up from Ivan('04). I think the Caymanians were the friendliest folks of all my dive destinations. The Bahamians were the least .."Welcome to the Bahamas, spend your money, now leave".
ymmv

 

[DeadAye]

Since 78, NASDS cert. Last dove in '95. Bonaire, Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cozumel, Chub Cay and Walter's Cay in the Bahamas and Great Barrier Reef in '88 or '89. Bonaire was the best shallow water diving I've done. Cozumel was the biggest cluster foul up I ever experienced. The Caymans ended up being my site of choice because of a relatively cheap place to stay and it was for two weeks a year. When I last snorkeled there in '07-08, the reefs were still pretty beat up from Ivan('04). I think the Caymanians were the friendliest folks of all my dive destinations. The Bahamians were the least .."Welcome to the Bahamas, spend your money, now leave".
ymmv

A stance that the Native Americans should have taken a long time ago.
Your visa please.......

 

[Big Cholla]

Raised on the shore of Lake Mead, NV. I started SCUBA at the age of 19 using US Divers dual hose regulator. I went to 207' in Lake Mead on a body recovery effort for the Sheriff's Dept. Dove Cozumel, Cancun, Belize, FL Keys, Catalina Island, Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake (under the ice), all over Baja Mexico, San Juan Islands, WA, Juneau, AK and Amchitka Island, AK. I was a Construction Engineer and used the SCUBA for inspection jobs. As a young Millwright I used SCUBA inside an unfinished generator at Hoover Dam while adjusting ball valve seals. My dive partner and I pioneered drift diving the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. That became a huge commercial dive trip for years. Now in my 74th year I just use my dive gear in really cleaning my swimming pool.

I nevered bothering with certification until I just couldn't get any dive shop to sell me 'air'. I then became PADI Open Water certified just because I didn't want to purchase an air compressor. ........... Big Cholla

 

[OneJzsupra]

I'm stationed in Guam and just finished up my Padi cert a month ago, I'm also a pro photographer so it kills me not to bring my camera with me underwater.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Started diving around 1975. NASDS cert. Mostly FL Keys, a little elsewhere. Only a little over a hundred dives. Did a little UW photography and spearfishing (pole spear).

 

[islamoradamark]

i still dive but leave tanks i boat i use a 100 foot air hose only go down to 10 t0 18 feet looking for lobster and old bottles. i do the current changess at the bridges here in the keys thats where i find cool stuff a few anchors also summer is best till thanks giving then water get s to cold for me and i like it calm.

 

[Jessie]

Dove all over Fl. when I lived there. Great wreck diving in the Keys and around Miami. Left my gear with a friend when we moved north. I'll do it more when I go back down for visits, but I'm not into cold water diving.

 

[Comrad]

Does this count? I still have mine and it works.

 

[Stevens]

In the early 70s I was working in Puerto Rico I did lots of snorkeling on the reefs, I speared up 17 lobsters one day. We had a feast that night!
Steve W

 

[Llando88]

PADI DM here.

Been diving for 20+ years, have to start back up soon as I havent been in a while.

Funy to see Haymarket Quarry mentioned, helped in a lot of classes there in the early 90's. Cold water lol.

 

[Tom Beavert]

SCUBA

I dove from '60 until about '72, haven't had a tank on after that. My son dove the west coast while at Ft. Ord,
Fun stuff
tb

 

[S&W357]

Diving the 7 seas !!!!!

Did you say Diving !!!! I started in 1970 -- in 72 got my Padi dive certification . I dove Long island waters - beach and boat diving. With my buddy Sal Nobile -- Sal was a diver for the midatlantic dive club. Very hard club to get into- Got to know allot to dive with them.
Then i meet Capt Ken --Jeanmarie Dive Charters out of Hampton Bays-L.I. He had his boat next to mine. That's when the fun started- Dove lots of wrecks -From 60 to DEEP !!!!
Capt. Ken die in a car crash with his wife Jeanie in 2004.
Sal Nobile die in Sept this year.
My best two friends .
When Capt. Ken past on, i couldn't dive those waters any more or even fish them. I got out of dodge and moved to the beaches of Delaware. I still dive but with my son now.
'my son--His first dive at 17- At the Ponquogue Bridge-hampton bays

 

[M29since14]

...I think the Caymanians were the friendliest folks of all my dive destinations. The Bahamians were the least .."Welcome to the Bahamas, spend your money, now leave".
ymmv

That was my impression too, but my experience in the Bahamas is dated. Maybe it is better now. I always loved Grand Cayman (particularly the North shore) - before the hurricane and the cruise ships. It's a lot different now. Too bad.

Started in the mid '70s with PADI Instructor #33 (Bill Koughn) and ended up a PADI "Rescue" diver. Never went further, for the various reasons understood by most divers. I would like to do some more Caribbean diving, but my favorite diving chum is more or less resigned to give it up. He is a bit older and has a few health concerns.

 

[S&W357]

Yup, east coast "Gorilla Diver"! Go out of the Indian River Inlet, Ocean City and Virginia Beach areas wreck diveing. Also hit the Florida keys, lot's of fun, also dive the local quarry's and such to stay in shape. I'm an old PADI (put another dollar in) diver, started in 1979 but I'm temporarily dry-docked until my cardiologist gives me the ok to get back in the water again.

I live 5 min. from Indian River Inlet. If you want to go fishing or just take a ride on the boat with the misses.. PM --me.
SW357