Finally!

After all these years, I have FINALLY gotten to dive the ocean. My son and I just got back from Ft. Lauderdale, and had a wonderful time with South Florida Diving Headquarters. I had an initial weighting problem due to the salt water, but resolved that quickly and had some memorable dives. It was great to finally see everything that had, thus far, been lifeless pictures in a magazine. We dove the Abby Too reef several times, the Ancient Mariner and the Sea Emperor. Next step: getting a book so I can identify all of the fish we saw (I know...should have done that first).

Now, to just get rid of this ear infection! But it was worth it.

Congrats, I am you had a great time!

Reef Fish Idenitification Reef Creature Identification Reef Coral Identification. All of them have Florida, Carribean and Bahamas under the titles...3 books in all for about $100 or you can get them seperately

I went down to Ft. Lauderdale in June. We dove on the Tenneco Towers among many others. Did you do any reef diving? It can be dove from the shore but our capt. let us drift dive them.

Thanks Cocoajoe, I will look for them. Mopar, the only reef we dove was Abby Too. It's the 3rd reef line off of Deerfield beach. They dropped us on it each day. It seemed to be their favorite.

Pauly854:

After all these years, I have FINALLY gotten to dive the ocean.

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W00T!

I've diving for 10 years, and in all that time I've never dived in fresh water! I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where nearly all the "regular" divers dive in the Monterey area (disclaimer: we also have lots of warm-water-only divers, and nearly everyone who dives cold water also dives warm). Monterey is about 1 hour's drive from where I live, so it's possible to do a day trip to either shore dive or dive from a day-trip charter boat.

In fact, as I think of it, I'm not sure I know of any place nearby to do freshwater diving! I know we have reservoirs and the Bay nearby, but nobody dives them because of a lack of viz and anything interesting to see. In the mountains we have flooded mines that people occasionally dive, and classes go up to Lake Tahoe to do altitude diving classes.

If you start doing fish ID, please consider joining REEF and help out by doing fish counts. It's a great way for amateurs to learn more about their environment while contributing to scientific inquiry and resources management.

I was lucky enough to have my first dives (outside of Check out dives) in the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago at PCB. Absolutely loved it. Already planned a trip to the NC coast for October. I am getting addicted pretty quick. Have a feeling any $$ I have will be thrown at diving trips and equipment!

Welcome to the club.
Watch out for "Scuba Pox"
Symptoms:
1. Compelling (uncontrollable) need to commune with outer afflicted individuals.
2. Often a glazed faraway look, planning the next round of treatment
3. Obsessive behavior, can't leave a dive shop without spending at least $100 for something they
already have, but feel they need a backup.
4. Has more dive shirts in their closet than any other cloths
5. Has have more ‘C’ cards than credit cards in their wallet
6. They think their neighbors vacation to the Caribbean was a waste of money because
they didn’t do any Scuba Diving.

Recommended treatment:
1. Breathing compressed gasses at water pressures greater than 1 bar
2. Total relaxation

Recovery rate:
Zero, it is a life time affliction.