Who here does scuba diving? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sabbo
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Persephone87
Parlez Francais!
It was the best diving experience Ive ever had. Its like another world, eerie. vis wasn't that good, but not much light gets in anyway. But what is a little alarming is when there is a ceiling not far above you and a floor/surface not far below you. PPB was really good for that though.
Kwayera
Passive-aggressive Mod
It was THE BEST. Kinda like flying underwater.
Silver Rose
Member
Scuba diving is on my list of things to do before I die. I'm hoping I can start looking into it after the HSC. Seeing as I want a career in marine biology, I figure it might be a somewhat useful skill.
So, any advice on where to start? Short and long term costs? Best places to begin with (other than the swimming pool?)
I'm hoping I can start looking into it after the HSC. Seeing as I want a career in marine biology, I figure it might be a somewhat useful skill.So, any advice on where to start? Short and long term costs? Best places to begin with (other than the swimming pool?)
SoCal
Hollywood
I have done it a couple of times. I don't see what people see in it really, is quite boring in my opinion. I find Spear Fishing/Snorkeling, much more challenging and interesting.
.HeyOriginally posted by Silver Rose
Scuba diving is on my list of things to do before I die.
So, any advice on where to start? Short and long term costs? Best places to begin with (other than the swimming pool?)
I reckon it's great that you want to "take the plunge"
Best thing would be to have a look around some dive shops in your area, talk to the people there, see if they have any 'try dives' on so you can have a feel of what it's like basically just see who you feel COMFORTABLE with.
Also get an idea about the course pices and what is included (eg course material like books, gear hire etc).
The basic open water course will probably cost around $400 but that's just at the dive shop I go to so don't take my word for it.
Yeah cost, the only negative thing I could say about scuba diving
. Well it's not too bad. I mean you can always hire gear and slowly buy it whenever you have the spare $$. You can also get some bargains with 2nd hand gear.It's difficult to put a price on it. It depends where/what you buy
The basic course includes theory lessons, pool sessions and then sessions in the open ocean.
If you have any questions feel free to ask
Sebastian
Last edited:
HehOriginally posted by Merethrond
I have done it a couple of times. I don't see what people see in it really, is quite boring in my opinion. I find Spear Fishing/Snorkeling, much more challenging and interesting
Oh well it's not everyone's cup of tea. I just enjoy the weightless feeling, peeking under rocks etc, I find it quite relaxing actually
SoCal
Hollywood
You can do all that with a snorkel, but you have the added challenge of having to hold your breatheOriginally posted by Sabbo
Heh
. But if you like Scuba Diving, go for it for sure, everyone is different.
Kwayera
Passive-aggressive Mod
Boring? Obviously, then, you've never done a high-speed (3kts or more - that's REALLY fast underwater) drift dive shark-watching! It's sad that you find it boring, actually.Originally posted by Merethrond
I have done it a couple of times. I don't see what people see in it really, is quite boring in my opinion. I find Spear Fishing/Snorkeling, much more challenging and interesting
You can't see that much with a snorkel - you can't explore much of reefs, can't stay in a drift and just watch while hanging onto the rocks for an hour, can't explore a wreck... snorkelling is inferior to Scuba Diving. I look down upon it in the same way Skiiers looks down upon Snowboarders.Originally posted by Merethrond
You can do all that with a snorkel, but you have the added challenge of having to hold your breathe
SoCal
Hollywood
I actually have no idea what you are talking about
.I don't see the big deal in exploring reefs though, you see one, you have seen them all. I don't go snorkeling to explore the reefs either, I do it to spear fish
.
Kwayera
Passive-aggressive Mod
No, obviously not.Originally posted by Merethrond
I actually have no idea what you are talking about
I don't see the big deal in exploring reefs though, you see one, you have seen them all. I don't go snorkeling to explore the reefs either, I do it to spear fish
Seen one, you've seen them all?! That's utter heresy - you obviously have no appreciation for the individual beauty and pure uniqueness of every reef. It's actually quite sad - if you can't open your eyes enough to see that amazing variety, you don't deserve to.
SPEAR FISH?! You - you disgust me. That's wrong on so many levels - so much so that I can't even begin to - no. Just - no. *shocked and horrified*
SoCal
Hollywood
Hey, I am sure I appreciate things that you don't. Everyones different, don't take it so personallyOriginally posted by Kwayera
No, obviously not.
Seen one, you've seen them all?! That's utter heresy - you obviously have no appreciation for the individual beauty and pure uniqueness of every reef. It's actually quite sad - if you can't open your eyes enough to see that amazing variety, you don't deserve to.
.Um, what is so disgusting and wrong about it? So many people do it. If you are going to claim that it puts fish through pain, then you are wrong because I kill them as soon as I catch them. Actually, fish probably die a slower death when they are caught on a line. Some people just catch them and through them in a box full of water, where they slowly suffocate, or worse still, throw them straight into a dry box or iced esky
.
SoCal
Hollywood
I know what I am shooting and I eat the fish (even though I don't like it but I know it is good for me
), and what I don't eat the rest of my family eat. You must realise that while there may be people who spear fish and don't eat them (e.g. in competitions - which I don't partake in) there are also some people who catch fish on a line and don't eat them (e.g. in competitions).
Kwayera
Passive-aggressive Mod
I suppose that understandable - as long as you eat what you catch, and as long as you don't catch anything that you're not supposed to.
What really gets me about spearfishing, however, (and I'm not saying you do this) is that it encourages people who don't know a damn thing about the laws and regulations (i.e. idiots) and who think it's a great macho thing to go and kill something with your bare hands (or rather spear, which is excrutiating to the animal that has just been gutted, and that provides an amazingly long death if the animal is not immediatly slain, i.e. the spear is lost) and then don't eat the finished product.
It pisses me off in the same way whaling and shark finning does, even if on a much smaller scale.
What really gets me about spearfishing, however, (and I'm not saying you do this) is that it encourages people who don't know a damn thing about the laws and regulations (i.e. idiots) and who think it's a great macho thing to go and kill something with your bare hands (or rather spear, which is excrutiating to the animal that has just been gutted, and that provides an amazingly long death if the animal is not immediatly slain, i.e. the spear is lost) and then don't eat the finished product.
It pisses me off in the same way whaling and shark finning does, even if on a much smaller scale.
SoCal
Hollywood
It is pretty much impossible to lose the spear
.That guy is obviously a moron
.
Persephone87
Parlez Francais!
I wouldn't say that. It's happened before - mostly to drunk machos.
(by the way, this is Kwayera speaking, hijacking her sister's account.)
(by the way, this is Kwayera speaking, hijacking her sister's account.)
swisstruffles
Member
if there's one thing u should do in life, its to go to the Great Barrier Reef. Whether u snorkel or scubadive, its one hell of an amazing experience. anyone who goes there and says theres nothing special hasnt got their head screwed on straight.
i went last summer and my mouth was constantly dropping literally (underwater!) with delight and awe at the most beautiful coral and fish and marine life u see down there. i snorkled most of the time (and thats good enough to see much) and scuba dived for the first time- at Norman Is. which was at the outer BR- we saw a huuuge Maori Wrasse! and its was lifechanging; so peaceful, still yet scary at the same time. I even saw a shark!!
we also went to Fitzroy Is. (ppl screwed the place up) for kayaking, Green Is (hell of a lot of biting insects, saw Nemo) and Michaelmas Cay (lots of birds, saw stingray).
When i came back, i really wished i could have a boat and moor it in the GBR so u could jus dive in whenever and see all this beauty. Nothing in this world could ever compare!!
i went last summer and my mouth was constantly dropping literally (underwater!) with delight and awe at the most beautiful coral and fish and marine life u see down there. i snorkled most of the time (and thats good enough to see much) and scuba dived for the first time- at Norman Is. which was at the outer BR- we saw a huuuge Maori Wrasse! and its was lifechanging; so peaceful, still yet scary at the same time. I even saw a shark!!
we also went to Fitzroy Is. (ppl screwed the place up) for kayaking, Green Is (hell of a lot of biting insects, saw Nemo) and Michaelmas Cay (lots of birds, saw stingray).
When i came back, i really wished i could have a boat and moor it in the GBR so u could jus dive in whenever and see all this beauty. Nothing in this world could ever compare!!
Kwayera
Passive-aggressive Mod
I'm sorry - but there ARE greater things than GBR, and they're simply breathtaking.