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Introductions and GreetsNew to Scuba? Or maybe just new to these forums? Well, by all means, start off here with a quick hello to introduce yourself. We promise, we don't bite... much...
Please note: The last reply in this thread was more than 3 month(s) ago.
you won't regret learning to dive. I have always wanted to, and in 1997, I convinced my husband to learn too. We go diving as often as possible - which for us is only once a year usually. It is always the highlight of the year. Diving is something that cannot be rivalled by other sports. You will love it!!!! I am 44 years old, living in Wyoming, and also with 2 kids - happily married (because we dive together, of course!)
Marcy
I'd suggest you PM Dive_aholic for some advice on who to use as an instructor in Tucson. He used to live there and instruct there. He's Full Cave and a cavern instructor now in Florida; I'm quite sure he'll know who to refer you to to get the best possible education where you are.
you won't regret learning to dive. I have always wanted to, and in 1997, I convinced my husband to learn too. We go diving as often as possible - which for us is only once a year usually. It is always the highlight of the year. Diving is something that cannot be rivalled by other sports. You will love it!!!! I am 44 years old, living in Wyoming, and also with 2 kids - happily married (because we dive together, of course!)
Marcy
Yeah, at least here in Tucson, we only have a 6 to 8 hour drive to arrive at the ocean. Wyoming is a heckuva lot farther from any decent diving than we are.
Granted, you do have some very beautiful land scenery nearby...
If there isn't any problem with her taking the lessons, I plan on taking them as well, since the shop offers a 2 for 1 deal (second person just has to pay for the books). I should hear back from her orthopedist on Thursday, and I think I'm going to go visit the Dive Shop this afternoon and look at a couple of things.
I'll need to get her a mask that accepts prescription inserts, as she's nearly blind without glasses (and what fun would diving be if she can't see anything?). I think, though, that I can probably manage all this without spoiling the surprise.
If her prescription is that strong you might want to consider a prescription mask instead of a regular mask with prescription inserts.
I dive with a prescription mask and would not have it any other way.
Some other might disagree. With prescription mask there are not insets to stick on and the mask is closer to regular eye glasses.
You also don't have to worry about getting gunk around the inserts the each lens is one solid piece of glass. This is even true if you wear progressive lens eye glasses like I do.
Does your wife wear contacts? I started with a prescription mask, but have dove with contacts for about 30 years with no problem; one advantage is I can see when I take of my mask.
Once you guys get certified, check out the Wrinkles dive schedule in the SoCal forum, it's a once a month group dive for ScubaBoarders where you can meet other divers, get free guided tours of our favorite dive spots, and pig out at the potluck.
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The fact that you're paranoid does not mean that they're not out to get you.
Since I've signed up to ask some questions before deciding to take lessons, I guess it's only fair to introduce myself.
My name is Rick, though I go by Hoomi more often on the internet. The nick started as a phonetic pun in an online game we used to play, and just kind of stuck ever since. I'm 48 years old, have been happily married since 1980, and together my wife and I have raised two terrific kids. We currently live in Tucson, Arizona, with a small pack of Australian Shepherds, two cats, a bird, a snake, and about a bazillion geckos that hang around our porch light during the summer months.
I've never gone Scuba diving, though I've snorkeled in Okinawa and Hawai'i way back when I traveled with the Air Force. My wife lived in Hawai'i with an uncle and his family for nearly a year when she was a teenager, and did some snorkeling there as well. She's expressed an interest in learning to dive a number of times in our years of marriage, and repeated that desire last night while we were watching a movie.
I asked DebbyDiver a couple of questions, and she recommended I pop over here and ask those with more recent instructor experience, so here I am. Provided nothing precludes being able to do so, I expect to surprise my wife with lessons for her birthday next month, and we can start doing another one of those things we've only talked about previously.
Anyway; that's the Hoomi story in a nutshell.
Hoomi,
I have a question for you. Why did you not get certified when you were stationed at Kadena? Kadena Marina offers Open Water for about $150 when you were here. Okinawa is one of the worlds top 5 diving spots. I also missed my opprotunity my first time to Okinawa in 1997. I made up for it when I returned in 2005 and now I am addicted to scuba diving! As of today I get paid to be a Divemaster for Kadena Marina, sponsoring boat dives in the Keramas.
As a child I watched Neil Armstong walk on the moon. Since that time I thought it would be great to be weightless in space. Well I did not have smarts to get into the Air Force, so my dreams of being an Astonaught have been shattered. Being a scuba diver is much like being an astronaught as you are weightless and put into an alien environment. The cool thing is that is does not cost much to see what is covering 2/3rds of our planet. More men have walked on the face of the moon than have ever ventured to the bottom of the ocean. We know so very little about the ocean it is the final frontier on our planet.
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General Rules for Diving
[left]1. Safety Stop for 3 minutes at 5 meters/ 15 feet is required if the diver comes within 3 pressure groups of no-decoression limit, and for any dive of 30 meters/ 100 feet or greater
2. Emergency Decompression If a no-decompression limit is exceeded by no more than 5 minutes, an 8 minute decompression stop at 5 meters/ 15 feet is mandatory. Upon surfacing, the diver must remain ot of the water for at least 6 hours prior to making another dive. If a no-decompression limit is exceeded by more than 5 minutes, a 5 meter/ 15 feet decompression stop of no less than 15 minutes is urged (air supply permiting.) Upon surfacing, the diver must remain out of the water for at least 24 hours prior to making another dive.
Linear Mode
