scuba lessons

starcrafttom":zktjiply said:
Another question. How many of you dive from your c-dory? how many dive from there dory in the sound or san jauns?? what are some good spots to go? How about in canada? if I go up to the islands in the summer where are some good boat dives that a newbie can do? Has any one here dobb narrows? I was told it is fun.
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I will be diving from the Tomcat when I take delivery. I have not been diving from a C-Dory yet. The basic issues for boat diving are gear storage and getting back aboard. I dive with double tanks when boat diving and though the Tomcat can handle it, I am going to opt for a lifting davit to save transom stress. Particularly if I were suited for deco diving with more gear, deco bottles, etc. and climbing out in pitching seas. The force on the transom would be unreal in pitching seas. Many also just tie off their gear to a trail line, climb aboard, then hoist the gear over the gunwales. This is a nut buster with double tanks though.

I dove up in your neck of the woods in April of this year, specifically off of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. I made two dives on the HMCS Cape Breton. It's a fantastic wreck! Not a site for a newbie however. I know there is a robust diving community in that area. ScubaBoard.com is the very best resource for online diving information. Another poster mentioned the fact that it's not as nice a community as C-Brat's. However with that grain of salt in mind you will learn the reputable participants and get lot's of advice.
 
I dive from my CD22, here's a pic of the dive post;
RIMG0118.sized.jpg

I suit up and fall backwards into the water from the side opposite the ladder. When I return, I clip a line to the BC then remove the BC, climb in and pull the BC/tanks in.
 
Warren, the brackets for the christmass tree dive ladders are relitatively small, and easy to mount on the sides of boats--I have done this in the past--as well as put them on the transoms of several inflatables--makes it much easier betting aboard with the gear--although as Mat, I prefered to take the tanks and BC off before comming up the ladder.

One point about fins. As you start to train, the good finds seem like too much work--but after you are in condition, the larger and more powerful fins are really your fiends--so try out different fins as you mature in your abilities.

The Tom Cat makes a great dive platform--but all of the C Dories are very capable. Mat, the Armstrong bracket is made to take the forces of both the weight and force of the engines as the boat is going at high speeds in rough water. I think that the amount of stress on the transom placed for a diver and his gear is only a fraction of that--even in choppy conditions. Swim steps can be very dangerous in a pitching boat, so at times it is better to board from the side, where there is less chance of being slammed by the swim step.

Valkarie, the dropping of the swimming requirement was the cause of a number of deaths in classes which were given in some public highschools in S. Calif. in the 70's--and that was one of the madates we came up with. Another was an underwater signling device to alert all divers to return to the commercial dive boat. Not a bad idea if there are several pairs diving off a private boat--and a motorized dinghy, which could pick up a diver in distress, without raising the anchor of the larger vessel. Another problem was diving in Kelp, for people who had never been in this situation--and is probably one of good reasons to take a lesson if you are going to be in an area where there are some unique hazards which you have not encountered before. Also it is a good idea to have some idea of what medical facilities there are which will handle diving accidents and what the protocol is for an accident if you have one in a specific area. In Pensacola, we trained the 911 operators how to respond, and had a specific rendevous point for medical aid, where a life flight chopper could land, and where the knowlege of where an open recompression chamber was available.
 
I took a scuba course early on (high school?), but could never clear my ears in a 10 foot swimming pool, I don't think I have endured as intense pain as the pressure in the pool, and try as I might, I just could never do it...sort of like the lug nut I guess...end of my scuba aspirations. It sure sounds like a blast though.
 
Back in the mid to late 50's when I was still in school, my brothers and I would rent scuba gear and go out Alki Point in Seattle and Scuba Dive. Never had lessons and did not know what we were doing, but we had fun. Did not have a wet suit. Put rocks in our pockets to hold us down. Don't think we ever got more than 20 feet deep.

Unknown to us, there was an un-treated sewer discharge on the south side of the point and our first dive was near it. We went down to investigate the big pipe we saw and UGH. We did not dive there anymore.
________
Dave dlt.gif
 
starcrafttom":3svsu2qc said:
I plan to have susan re-cert in the sound at edmonds with a dry suit to see if she likes it.
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Tom,
Something to consider...

Diving in a dry suit brings it's own challanges. They're usually bulky, require more weight than a wetsuit, hard to get on and off, require ankle weights, frequently confining, require experience to operate, and hell, ya can't even pee in them! You might be pushing you luck to expect Susan to have a positive experience in the Sound in Jan/ Feb with all the hassle of a dry suit on top of everything else. What I think I would do in you shoes is have Susan recert (as much as she can do) in the pool, go to the Caymans in the spring, come back and dive with a wetsuit in late spring when the water is getting more tolerable and things are blooming underwater.

Don't get me wrong- drysuits are great and the only way to go if you want to dive a lot in the Sound. However, get the basics down first.
 
Chris , susan tried the wet suit in summer thing and it was just to cold. She has already stated that she will not dive the sound in a wet suit ever again. . If a dry suit allows you to stay dry and faily warm then I'm not going in with out one. Now as a marine I was taught not to pee on my self. Susan has explained the whole piss in the suit thing to me and well its just not going to happen. Piss before you go and hold it while your under, real easy. Now from talking to my dive insturctor yesterday I was told that the new dry suits have a device that allows you to pee and it goes out a valve??? I will have to see how that works.
 
starcrafttom":2fxlf802 said:
I was told that the new dry suits have a device that allows you to pee and it goes out a valve???
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In the late '60s and early '70s, I used a wet suit in some cold Montana lakes and in the San Juans. It was certainly "doable" then but I don't think that I'd enjoy the "cold water wet suit" experience now that I'm much more matured.....(read "Older"...). I have however spent some time in the past three years in the rivers around here training for swift water rescue and we wear them when operating our hovercraft. (In fact we are able to don the dry suits while responding in our rescue unit). I've found them to be comfortable and after you put them on a time or two, it becomes not much different than putting on a wet suit in my opinion. Now if you can find some kind of "pee valve", that would be a great improvement.

(FYI Tom, the Snohomish County Sheriff Dive Team all wear dry suits in their dive operations in the sound and the rivers).

(My introduction to Scuba diving was in the mid '60's, with a double hose equipped regulator (think Lloyd Bridges and what was the TV show "Sea Hunt" ?)
 
starcrafttom":1cyxxgkm said:
Now from talking to my dive insturctor yesterday I was told that the new dry suits have a device that allows you to pee and it goes out a valve??? I will have to see how that works.
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Jet aircraft pilots on extended missions have for years had a "pilot's relief tube" system.

I believe the original concept eons ago with many types of airraft was just a funnel and a tube directed outside the aircraft, but with modern jets and the advent of pressure suits, a system with an internal component inside the suit and a tube leading outward had to be developed.

When perusing surplus government property in the name of science education, I spied what appeared to be heavy duty condoms with a tube (hose barb receiving) fitting on the end. Couldn't find any classroom use for them, though.

No doubt such a device could be adapted for underwater use. I understand there is a ladies model, too.

New slogan:

Instead of the old "Don't Eat Yellow Snow"

we'll have

"Don't Follow that Fellow with the Yellow Tell-Tail"

By the way, can't you younger folks go 4-6 hours w/o taking a leak? How long are you going down for? Does the water pressure somehow not equal out at depths and compress the bladder unmercifully? Have we discovered a new form of interrogation torture? Is this discussion headed down the Yellow Brick Road? Will Tom and Susan find Happiness and Great Relief underwater after all? Will Mike censor this this post or Bill lock up this thread?


:hug :shock: :shock: :shock: :hug2 <<<That Gotta Go, Gotta Go, Gotta Go Look!

Joe. :teeth
 
There is a system for the drysuit, you wear what is basically a condom connected to a tube with a one way valve. Here is a reference link:

http://www.dui-online.com/tech_p_valves.htm

There are similar systems for ladies, but from my anecdotal experience most prefer to wear adult diapers. Some men do as well.

There is NOTHING like diving dry. Once you dive dry, you will never go back to a wetsuit for cold water diving and wonder why you ever bothered. It's that good....

There are additional challenges to diving dry. You need to manage an air bubble in your suit for buoyancy and warmth. You also need to be able to connect/disconnect the drysuit inflator hose, recover from a feet up position, and learn how to vent air if your regular arm vent fails, etc. All these things will become second nature once you have some experience though. If you're going dry, I would also recommend going straight for dry gloves as well. It will add to the cost but also significantly add to the comfort.

There is a huge price range for dry suits. From $600 to over $3000. In my experience however, the higher end suits are not warmer than the lower cost suits. I have a neoprene drysuit that cost $750 brand new, plus $150 for thermals, plus $190 for dry gloves. One of my regular dive buddies has a $2400 crushed neoprene DUI suit with dry gloves and there is no apparent difference in our comfort. You can choose between latex and neorpene neck/wrist seals and in terms of suit material neoprene, crushed neoprene, trilaminate, and vulcanized rubber. The vulcanized rubber suits are usually only used by professional commercial divers and are the most expensive. The regular neoprene drysuits will be the least expensive. Each material offers advantages and disadvantages. Neo requires more weight but is easier to repair and offers the thermal protection of a wetsuit in the event of a critical failure compared to trilaminate suits for example. etc., etc., etc.
 
Actually the flight relief tube is a take-off from an apparatus that probably preceded flight, it was called the concert bag, in use in orchestras. You never see a musician leave the stage for a potty break. Your brush with culture for the day.
 
lloyds":tc13nqiz said:
Actually the flight relief tube is a take-off from an apparatus that probably preceded flight, it was called the concert bag, in use in orchestras. You never see a musician leave the stage for a potty break. Your brush with culture for the day.
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And I suppose it's use was initiated with the first playing of Handel's "Water Music"?

Joe. :lol:
 
matt_unique":2448yjn0 said:
There is a huge price range for dry suits. From $600 to over $3000. In my experience however, the higher end suits are not warmer than the lower cost suits. I have a neoprene drysuit that cost $750 brand new, plus $150 for thermals, plus $190 for dry gloves. One of my regular dive buddies has a $2400 crushed neoprene DUI suit with dry gloves
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Tom after reading what Matt wrote above...........and you thought "BOAT" meant "bring on another thousand"? :disgust That's just for something to wear....add on tanks, regulator, extra gauges, fins, speargun, underwater intercom so you and Susan can communicate with each other.....etc. etc. etc. (Have you considered taking up dominos instead? :mrgreen:

I guess that's why I gave up skydiving years ago.....I was afraid I'd end up feeling obligated to purchase an airplane....$$$$$$$$. (of course I was spoiled since the Army paid ME to jump.... :wink
 
Daves, yeah its going to cost $$$$ to get to the caymans but $$$$ to get geared up and $$$ to get cert. You cant take it with you and you can always go get more. This has been susans dream to goto the caymans for 9 years so whats a guy going to do???? If I am going to spend the money to get quailed then I'm going to use the training more then once a year. Some people, susan included, will not go in cold water and would rather spend $$$$$ flying half way around the world for something they can do here at home. From what I have been reading the north west is rated as one of the best dive sites in the world. I was looking at all the diving around nanimo up north. the 2nd largest artifical reef in the world plus a lot of other ships. Well thats a weekend trip in the SsuanE. When I get certified I will be diving edmonds a lot.
 
Fishing in the open ocean west of Bamfield, off the tip of Effingham Island, I used to see open water diving charters all the time. They would park near some local attraction and offload a group of divers then drift off and wait for them to surface. Those waters are supposed to be pretty spectacular. Same with a lot of spots right near seattle, like over at the dive park at blakely rocks or down by alki. But I can certainly appreciate the pursuit of warmer water.
 
There is a diving resort at "God's Pocket" on Hurst Island, BC--outside of Port Hardy (Vancouver Island) to the North East. (Browning pass) On their web site are a few photos of the diving in those waters.
http://www.godspocket.com/M1024.htm

Some other photos at: http://seaotter.com/marine/html/gpbay.html

The owners are wonderful hosts, and although we have not been diving there, we have had dinner and enjoyed their photographs of the dives.

There are soft corals in this area which are very colorful. (Early in life,I was under the mistaken impression that corals were warm water organisms. ) There are over 4,000 species of cold water soft corals--but there are also some cold water hard corals and stony corals.
I'll confess, that I also much prefer the warm water views!
 
Some of you may know that I do own a Dive Shop in Virginia. I am a NAUI instructor and am willing to assist any of you Brats with advice or equipment. This is NOT a shameful attempt at getting more business. It is an offer to help out any BRAT any way that I can if you are interested in SCUBA Stuff. (or anything else that I can help you with for that matter) Just PM me.

John
Swee Pea
 
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