Any Scubadivers?

[cruiseroutfit]

Candace and I just got back from a week on Oahu hanging out on the beach and diving with her fam and some freinds. We've now done ~12 dives and I'm honestly a bit burned out with it after 6 dives this last week.

So whats the secret? So far we are into our equipment about $300 each (mask, snorkel, fins, boots, gloves) and I can't honestly see myself wanting to go enough to warrant $2k in BC, regs, computer, etc... especially when we can rent for $60 for a week (and all of our chartered dives were the same price, with or without gear).

We did do some great dives, a couple of wrecks including a WWII Corsair plane ~100ft, and some great cave and reef diving... Its an expensive sport! I could go to Moab for a week just on the dive charges, that doesn't include getting to the destination.

So, who dives, how long, still go often? Own/rent??

 

[Rusted]

Like you I own about the same equipment, plus my own dive computer. Then I rent the BC, reg, tanks, etc. I can't justify buying all that equipment when I live in a desert!

It has been about a year now since I have been on a dive, but the few summers before that, and before kids, I had the chance to take a few cool trips. On a vacation we would get all the diving in we could, but once you get home going to the crater is just not very exciting.

You would not have talk very much to get me to go on a dive again, after awhile of not diving you start to miss it again.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Your not kidding about the crater... just not the same as open ocean diving. I've never done Blue Lake or SeaBase, but I have heard they are pretty dull... Then there is high Uinta, Flaming Gorge, Mead??? I guess I will have to give lake diving a try. I can't imagine the low visibility will be too lending to the eye??

 

[Rusted]

I certified in (not so) blue lake. It is local year round diving, but is nothing to brag about. After my final cert dive I swam around and got into a strange mud cloud that was so thick I could not see my fingers until they touched my mask. I also hit Bear Lake one day, it was very plain. Last summer in yellow stone I watched some guys dive under a waterfall. From the surface it did not look like anything special, but they said that it went down 70+ feet if I remember right. I would not mind trying that, but it looked very cold.

 

[sibeta]

i am certified. Spend 10 days in San Carlos, Mexico diving every year. I rent everything except snorkel fins etc. Much cheaper to rent if you only go once a year. We go down and do two dives a day for 5 or six days and then we get sick of it. My buddy leaves his boat down there all year. So if we get sick of diving we end up trying to waterski on the ocean or just mess around mexico. Blue lake is fun during the winter when it is all snowy and you havent been diving in a while. What needs to happen is a wheeling trip down through baja and then dive while driving through.

 

[StrobeNGH]

Its an expensive sport! I could go to Moab for a week just on the dive charges, that doesn't include getting to the destination.

It's ironic to hear someone who is into 4-wheelin' complain about another sport being expensive . . . gives me an interesting perspective, and the urge to NEVER try diving.

Your not kidding about the crater... just not the same as open ocean diving. I've never done Blue Lake or SeaBase, but I have heard they are pretty dull... Then there is high Uinta, Flaming Gorge, Mead??? I guess I will have to give lake diving a try. I can't imagine the low visibility will be too lending to the eye??

Go to Flaming Gorge when they are stocking the lake with fish.

I've heard stories (probably urban legends, but still . . .) that divers have seen fish as big as their legs come up from the deep to snack on the stocked fish.

Come to think of it, every other trip down the Green (A section) we see divers in the river. Some of the holes are around 40' . . . and you can find some cool stuff in there!

Edit: and the only people I know who own their own equipment are those who live near great diving locations, or are filthy rich.

 

[00Buck]

Believe it or not, but last year was my first time ever seeing the ocean. It was a 10 day vacation in Hawaii. The wife and I went diving in Molokini, it was absolutly amazing. Within our first 10 minutes we saw a white tipped shark about 30 feet away. Then our second dive we dived with a bunch of sea turtles that were around a sunken ship. There was only 5 people all together in our dive party. I would do it again in a second if I had the $2k.
Yep first time seeing the ocean and 33 years old. Loved it.

Rusted- if you still have the pics that I sent you - feel free to post them up.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...What needs to happen is a wheeling trip down through baja and then dive while driving through.

That would be VERY cool... combine the two

 

[Paudrhound]

Certified, 30 years now. Still enjoy it. Still rent get all the latest equip and all and no stroage issues. Best dive feeding morays off Tijuana about 100 miles. I have dived most all lakes in Utah. Night dives in Bear are fun seeing huge macs in Fishlake way cool. Most lakes are very merky and not much to see. As for the Macs coming up to feed they can get big.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks for all the comments... seems my thinking on renting is up to par. To be honest, I don't know if I will even dive again until possible next summer sometime. My BIL and FIL got waaaay into it and already dropped over $2k just on basic eqipment, then cameras, etc... They have been to Mead (said it was lame) and are heading somewhere near Venezuala next month. There are a couple dive outfits in Utah (Dive Addicts in Draper and Dive Mates in SLC) that host alot of neat trips, but as usualy its ~$2k+ per person by the time you get there. I can do alot of wheeling on $2k

 

[sibeta]

yeah it can be pricey depending on where you go. Last trip to san carlos cost me only about $600 for 10 days.

 

[Jay5.9L]

I got my certification long time ago at Sea Base.....not the nicest place to dive but its not bad for the desert.

 

[Bart]

I've been certified (in diving) for about 15 years. Like you, I wouldn't buy all the equipment. I haven't dove for about 5 years but will again soon. My favorite trip was 6 day sail boat dive trip out of Miami into the nothern Bahamas. We did 3 day dives and an optional night dive every day.

The coolest dive was when the divemaster cut up all the baracuda and left over fish and put them on skewers. We dove 30 feet down and lined up with our backs against a semi circle, cove shaped rock with natural isles. The raw cut meat lured in sharks up the isles. There were Nurse and Reef sharks swarming the guys with the fish. It got crazy for a while when the fish pieces and blood was floating all over the place. I had a Nurse shark come straight at me and passed less than two feet from my head as I was laying on my back. I was reaching for the knife on my ankle at the time, it was kind of scary but a real thrill for sure.

We also did a couple of wreck dives, one at night. Saw a lot of turtles and stingrays. It was a great trip.

This is the company we went with.
http://www.blackbeard-cruises.com/blackbeard.html

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I've been certified (in diving) for about 15 years. Like you, I wouldn't buy all the equipment. I haven't dove for about 5 years but will again soon. My favorite trip was 6 day sail boat dive trip out of Miami into the nothern Bahamas. We did 3 day dives and an optional night dive every day.

The coolest dive was when the divemaster cut up all the baracuda and left over fish and put them on skewers. We dove 30 feet down and lined up with our backs against a semi circle, cove shaped rock with natural isles. The raw cut meat lured in sharks up the isles. There were Nurse and Reef sharks swarming the guys with the fish. It got crazy for a while when the fish pieces and blood was floating all over the place. I had a Nurse shark come straight at me and passed less than two feet from my head as I was laying on my back. I was reaching for the knife on my ankle at the time, it was kind of scary but a real thrill for sure.

We also did a couple of wreck dives, one at night. Saw a lot of turtles and stingrays. It was a great trip.

This is the company we went with.
http://www.blackbeard-cruises.com/blackbeard.html

Wow, that looks like a blast , price isn't too unreasonable either That may be something I do down the road...

 

[1\4elliptic toy]

We (wendy and I) have been certified for almost 10 years now, Jerica has been certified for 2 years. We own our gear, We just got back from california monday and picked up our newest rig (see attached pic's) we went diving on the "great escape" (www.diveboat.com). Had a great time although it was cold water diving. I don't mind the cold but wendy don't care for it. We are going to Truk and Palau in 08 for 4 weeks live aboard.