ancientdiver
Frequent Poster

About ancientdiver

Biography:

Life long diver. I'm older than dirt - just ask my teenage sons - lil' sheets call me dad-o-saurus! Started when I was 14 on a double hose regulator (was that in the Cretaceous Period or the Devonian? can't remember). Have always been in love with it since. Divng is not for everyone, in spite of the certification agencies brainwashing the public that it is. No doubt the next certification for the agencies to roll out will be "Geriatric Divers", - you know, get a bus load of nursing home patients, strap scuba cylinders to the back of their wheelchairs, then roll them off the deep end of the nearest pier! Seriously though, risk management is the key to fun safe dives, IMO. Seems like many seem to be unaware of this principle or choose to ignore it. The sport/recreation is made worse by young, inexperienced dive masters/instructors afflicted with acute testosterone poisoning, often synergisticlly multiplied by their own naïve sense of invulnerability. I've had lots of close calls, mostly from my own stupidity and lack of planning, which have taught me preparation and back up planning are essential to a safe, fun dive. It's also helpful to acquire the self-confidence and judgment to cancel a dive when conditions are not good (if a dive starts out bad, I guarantee it will get worse), and have a "Plan B" dive location or destination already figured out. I now have two sons, ages 14 and 17, certified since 10, my diving buddies. The dad in me makes me more cautious for them than I ever was for myself. We go to the Keys 2 or 3 times a year for a week or a long weekend, and do the east coast of Florida once a year, and hit Ginnie Springs once a year, and dive local when seas are flat and water is warm. This summer we snorkeled in Steinhatchee (that's "steen-hatche" for those who haven't been there yet) and just killed the scallops - limited out in 3 hours - great fun. We all have suits but hate wearing them. Now looking at international dive travel soon for the three of us, (my former passion), if the 16-year-old can stomach hangin' with dad. Life is Good!

Location:

Sarasota, Florida

Interests:

Kayaking, travel and when possible, staying at a luxury hotel. Avid grower of rare and exotic tropical fruit, a habit acquired from too much dive travel in tropical locations, (mangos diced with lime juice go well with grilled fiish). Thai cooking.

Occupation:

Pharmacist, real estate investor, former geologist/geological engineer

Gender:

Male

Certification Agencies:

NAUI, SSI, PADI

Dive History:

places I have dove: Grand Cayman, Walkers Cay (Bahamas), Roatan, Guanaja, Belize, Hawaii, Palau (best of the best), Phukett (Thailand), Isla Mujeres (Mexico), lots of Keys diving, east coast of Florida (used to live in West Palm area), Sarasota, Florida, some springs in N. Central Florida, Crystal River, Tarpon Springs Florida, lakes in Texas (and my bathtub).

Certification History:

various agencies

Certification Level:

Search/Resuce

# of Logged Dives:

1,000 - 1,999

Dive Classification:

Experienced Diver

Years Certified:

Ten Or More Years

Dive Equipment:

Have a garage full of crap; 9 tanks, 4 B/Cs, tote n float, 3 kayaks & sweet lil' trailer, surface "kayak hoses", Daryl Wong guns, PosiedonSub Gun. Been diiving 40+ years, but most of my gear fairly new. Have seen a lot of changes in gear. Modern gear is great, but all this gear bites.