Anybody here SCUBA dive?

[sharathpaps]

Hey, I have been dreaming of SCUBA diving for as long as I can remember and I have finally saved enough money to take a holiday+diving certification course this October.

Anybody here SCUBA dive before? Any tips?

[Paqman]

Anybody here SCUBA dive before? Any tips?

Consider getting your own mask. Go to a shop and get one that fits you well. Everybody's face is different, there is no "one size fits all" for masks, and a poorly fitting one will detract from your enjoyment of the dive. It doesn't have to be expensive, just right for you.

Other than that: find somewhere nice to dive! I've never understood why people dive in quarries. I was lucky enough to do my PADI Open Water course in Fiji and the reefs were amazing.

[rax_m]

Consider getting your own mask. Go to a shop and get one that fits you well. Everybody's face is different, there is no "one size fits all" for masks, and a poorly fitting one will detract from your enjoyment of the dive. It doesn't have to be expensive, just right for you.

Other than that: find somewhere nice to dive! I've never understood why people who dive in quarries. I was lucky enough to do my PADI Open Water course in Fiji and the reefs were amazing.

I second that!

A good mask is really important.
And cold water diving sucks(for me)!

Where are you holidaying?

[sdowney717]

Get into boat hull cleaning. My bottom is in serious need of a good scraping.

Considering the haulout costs, and repaint, hull cleaning is cheap.

[wojox]

Yes and it's Awesome. It truly is another world. I recieved my NAUI cert. back in Florida. You are going to love it. :P

Tips: Have Fun. Stay Calm. Dive with a Buddy. :P

[mips]

Other than that: find somewhere nice to dive! I've never understood why people who dive in quarries. I was lucky enough to do my PADI Open Water course in Fiji and the reefs were amazing.

Dunno what the ocean is like at Kerala India but only 700km away are the Maldives Islands and that is awesome! Normal snorkeling would even be a joy there.

[zombifier25]

This is OT (I don't scuba dive), but I have to post anyway:
Elite Hacker + Scuba Diver = Linus Torvalds.

[Gone fishing]

Make sure you learn at a good center (like a Padi 5 star) with good gear, learn in warm water diving in inch thick wet suits with 100kg of weight to pull you under isn't the best. The Caribbean beats Cape Town in this regard - at least in my opinion.

[sharathpaps]

@Paqman and rax_m: Will definitely look into getting good masks. The trouble is that in India, SCUBA diving is still a very rare recreation and there aren't too many places or people I can go to for help or buying gear.

@Mips: I will be going to Havelock Islands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havelock_Island) in the Andaman and Nicobar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands) islands. I want to do the NAUI Open Water Diver certification course at the Dive India (http://www.diveindia.com/) diving school

One of the things I am worried about is my eyesight underwater. I use prescription glasses for myopia. Something like -2.5 Dioptres. I either have to use soft contact lenses or do without them underwater. I hope it won't spoil my experience or my ability to function several feet below.

[mips]

@Mips: I will be going to Havelock Islands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havelock_Island) in the Andaman and Nicobar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands) islands. I want to do the NAUI Open Water Diver certification course at the Dive India (http://www.diveindia.com/) diving school

One of the things I am worried about is my eyesight underwater. I use prescription glasses for myopia. Something like -2.5 Dioptres. I either have to use soft contact lenses or do without them underwater. I hope it won't spoil my experience or my ability to function several feet below.

That should be really cool, close to Indo as well. Still wanna go surf Indo one day.

You have several options wrt myopia. You can buy a mask to which corrective lenses are fitted or you can get some soft daily disposable contacts. I would suggest the soft contacts, if you need to 'flush' your mask under water just close your eyes. They generally stay in your eyes if there is no violent water action, I surfed with them for a while so they wont come out. Many people dive with contacts.
Ended up getting LASIK surgery many years ago to rid me of glasses & contacts.

Also check with the dive centre if they don't have corrective masks if contacts are not a option for you but then you are back to using a mask that might not fit you so well. Maybe they have stick in lenses, you never know.




Make sure you learn at a good center (like a Padi 5 star) with good gear, learn in warm water diving in inch thick wet suits with 100kg of weight to pull you under isn't the best. The Caribbean beats Cape Town in this regard - at least in my opinion.

Anybody that sticks as much as their big toe into Cape Town water is mad! Water on the west coast is freezing. Now if you came to the east coast it's a completely different story. Been surfing in 26°C water lately, nice and warm.

[Peripheral Visionary]

Plan your dive, then dive according to the plan! Leave some wiggle room in your dive plan too.

Leave only bubbles, take only pictures, and spend only time.

There's no such thing as "one size fits all," and no "this brand is best." What's best is what's best for you. So rent stuff like masks and BC's and regulators and fins, trying out different makes and models and then choose what's best for you before you spend money on gear. They don't all fit the same on every diver.

Try the low-volume masks (they fit close to your face, no side "windows" (they make me dizzy!) or other fancy stuff. Believe me, diving in a current is a pain with those big fancy masks.

The "lazy" diver is the best diver. In a current, do what you see the fish doing! Hug the reef or the bottom to stay out of the current and minimize turbulence. Make it easy for yourself!

Try reef dives, float dives, wreck dives, night dives! They all rock in their own wonderful way.

I always swim the anchor down and tie it off to the reef on reef dives. That's my backyard down there, and people who drag the anchor leave damage that looks like tire tracks on the reef where the flukes of the anchor have chewed up the reef. Some of the most popular dive spots offer buoys for boats to tie up to. They're anchored on the bottom very securely and are there to prevent the kind of damage I described caused by dragging anchor on the reefs.

It's the most awesome fun! You will absolutely love it. Even more fun when the wonder and beauty are shared with others!

NAUI-certified in Palm Beach, Florida

[Bandit]

Consider getting your own mask. Go to a shop and get one that fits you well. Everybody's face is different, there is no "one size fits all" for masks, and a poorly fitting one will detract from your enjoyment of the dive. It doesn't have to be expensive, just right for you.
....

This++

I dont SCUBA dive, but I used to do some pretty high end snorkling at about 30 to 40 feet. A good fitting mask and little anti-fog for the lense will make a world a difference. Plus used mask you run the risk of pinkeye.. It happend dont ask..

[sharathpaps]

From all these replies I gather that the mask is the most important piece of equipment that I shall have on me.. makes sense though. I wouldn't be able to do much if I can't see isn't it? :? :p

I plan to do the NAUI certification course too. From what I read their training is more rigorous than the PADI course and includes one extra dive at the beginner level.

Also.. do we use something like ear plugs to reduce the effect of pressure on the ears or do we do perform a valsalva manoeuvre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver) each time?

At what depths do typical beginner open water divers get to dive to? How long can I stay beneath the waves?

[Bandit]

.....

At what depths do typical beginner open water divers get to dive to? How long can I stay beneath the waves?

Normally everyone starts in a swimming pool about 4 feet deep. There is more to learning to dive then just diving. You will learn to get used to the equipment, learn how to breath using the equipment and learn to communicate underwater using hand signals. When the instructur is confident you have mastered the kiddy pool you may move on to deeper deaphs and more.
But honestly were all geeks here, about the most swimming you will get here is watching Laura Crofts digitally mastered rear end do some cave diving..

[Paqman]

Also.. do we use something like ear plugs to reduce the effect of pressure on the ears or do we do perform a valsalva manoeuvre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver) each time?


Valsalva. Learning to equalise your ears is one of the main skills you'll learn on your early dives. Once you've nailed that and buoyancy the rest is just a few drills for emergencies and that's it, you're now a scuba diver!

How deep you go depends on what kind of course you're doing. Recreational dives are 30-40m tops, but the deeper you go the less time you have, so there's nothing wrong with diving shallow if there's enough to look at. How long you stay down depends on how deep you are and how hard you suck on your air. The trick is to relax, breathe slowly and don't exert yourself. I'm an air pig, so I always blow out my air a long time before I'm ready to come up, but every dive I get a bit better.

[mips]

Also.. do we use something like ear plugs to reduce the effect of pressure on the ears or do we do perform a valsalva manoeuvre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver) each time?

At what depths do typical beginner open water divers get to dive to? How long can I stay beneath the waves?

NO. Using earplugs will create a air pocket in your ear preventing equalization and can be quite dangerous should the pressure suddenly change. Generally not recommended. You do however get vented ear plugs which allow for equalization
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=33
http://www.proplugs.com/scuba.html example

You will not go past 6m (18ft), I know a lot of instructors don't exceed 5m (15ft) for beginners.

[wojox]

At what depths do typical beginner open water divers get to dive to? How long can I stay beneath the waves?

You can expect up to 60 foot MAX. That's all my NAUI cert will allow.

How long you stay under depends on how much and how quick you breath. 15 - 20 minute increments at first.

[Peripheral Visionary]

Omygoodness, NEVER use ear plugs! Also if you need to, do the valsla before you feel any discomfort in your ears, and just keep doing it on the way down. Why create a problem and then solve it when you can avoid it altogether, right? After a bunch of dives your ears kinda get used to it and you need to valsalva less.

As for depth, it seems to me that the biggest changes (volume and pressure) occur in shallow water, and the deeper you go the less frequently you have to make adjustments. But I know that most instructors start newbies out in shallow water. Once they master neutral buoyancy and stuff in shallow water, the deeper dives are actually easier! It's just that newbies need the sense of security they have in shallow water.

Get ready for awesome fun!

I chose NAUI because it's not owned by a SCUBA gear manufacturer with products to sell. I like the independent schools and associations without corporate obligations or sales goals to be met.

[wojox]

Learning to equalise your ears is one of the main skills you'll learn on your early dives. Once you've nailed that and buoyancy the rest is just a few drills for emergencies and that's it, you're now a scuba diver!

That really about sums it up right there. I forgot about that bouyancy at first Paqman. :P

If you are planning on using a wet suit sharathpaps, make sure you have enough weight. Don't fight the suit. :lolflag:

[Gone fishing]

In my opinion don't buy equipment until you've qualified and your sure your going to dive regularly. If you are going to buy first buy a mask, snorkel and fins. Book your course with a good center - I'd suggest 5 star Padi but a good Nuai center or similar will be fine and they will provide you with good equipment.

Mips I've mainly dived recently in SA and usually dive at Aliwal sometimes Sodwana, I have dived off Cape Town and didn't like it much although some folk like falsebay.

[Peripheral Visionary]

If you are planning on using a wet suit sharathpaps, make sure you have enough weight. Don't fight the suit.

That reminds me of a really funny story. We brought a VIP with us on a scuba trip. The place he wanted to see was a deep dive (90 feet), so we planned it early with all the deep water "protocol." He shows up on a hot summer day with this fancy looking 2-inch-thick wetsuit "because it makes me look cool."

"But the water is nearly 80 degrees today! And we're not going to be down there for long. Wear a sweatshirt or something else to be cool-looking. Besides, there's a good 2 and a half knot current where we're going."

He insisted on wearing his super-cool-looking two-inch-thick neoprene wetsuit. He compensated for all that extra buoyancy with about 30 pounds of weight! Yeah, okay, but at 90 feet down, that buoyant 2-inches was little more than 1/4 inch. All that buoyancy was lost, now he's 30 pounds too heavy.

"No problem, I'll simply inflate the ol' BC and be neutrally buoyant again."

Yeah, but in a swift current that inflated BC acted like a pair of water wings, catching the current like a sail and threatening to carry him away in the Gulf Stream. He fought and kicked and was breathing so hard we could hear the tank ring with each breath! Three minutes into it, he's nearly out of air and has to be escorted back to the boat. Yeah, but at least he looked cool.

The rest of us enjoyed another 15 minutes exploring a cool wreck and a leisurely ascent filled with great memories.

[mips]

...although some folk like falsebay.

Great White capital of SA [-o<

[Gone fishing]

indeed a friend of mine was diving in the kelp and come out and saw a great white. Makes the bush camps a Unfolozi seem quite tame = certainly too much excitement for me.

[forrestcupp]

I used to know a guy that was an underwater welder. That's not the type of SCUBA diver I would want to be.



But honestly were all geeks here, about the most swimming you will get here is watching Laura Crofts digitally mastered rear end do some cave diving..
:lolflag:

[mips]

I used to know a guy that was an underwater welder. That's not the type of SCUBA diver I would want to be.

Depends, some people have a passion for it. I know a local guy that lives here about half a year holidaying and the other half he spends south from your neck of the woods in the Gulf working for oil rig companies, lives in one of the southern states not sure which one. He's a qualified Master Dive Instructor and he makes a killing, I don't even think he dives much if at all, just manages operations stuff. I don't it's a easy job getting to where he is now though and not something I would like to do with all it's associated risks.

[Mopar1973Man]

As for recreational diving it absolutely fun and relaxing. I got my cert. back in California and enjoyed just cruising the coast line and watching animal life happen.

sad though I moved to Idaho and haven't been back out diving in a very long time...

[Paqman]

I used to know a guy that was an underwater welder. That's not the type of SCUBA diver I would want to be.


Good money from what I've heard.

[jtarin]

I don't think diving is allowed in the forums......but I could be mistaken. :)

[dbombtek]

Diving is a must do if ever there was an experience that you must do it would be to dive.

[Statia]

Hey, scuba friends, did you see that the man himself (Linus Torvalds) cooperates on a scuba log that will also connect to your dive computer?

http://subsurface.hohndel.org/

It works well with my Suunto Cobra 2. It does not have as much functionality as Suunto Dive Manager, nor such fancy graphics, but it is still work in progress. Most important functionality is there.