The bug bit me (the Diving bug) :D

[s.iker]

You can buy electric air compressors certified for breathing air, that will give you enough pressure to fill your tanks. They won't be as fast as a shop's compressors unless you spend a lot of money on one, but they will work. Just make sure you don't get a standard garage/shop compressor; they'll put oil in the air, which can be fatal under pressure.

Cool, thats good to know. thank you very much....

Unrelated to this, for divers that have boats... what do you do with them? we don't have tie ups in the middle of the lake like they do here in the Caribbean... Do you take a third person to watch the boat... (kinda boring for that person... maybe) or how do you anchor down the boat, say if its super deep..

 

[stuartv]

Cool, thats good to know. thank you very much....

Unrelated to this, for divers that have boats... what do you do with them? we don't have tie ups in the middle of the lake like they do here in the Caribbean... Do you take a third person to watch the boat... (kinda boring for that person... maybe) or how do you anchor down the boat, say if its super deep..

I don't have any experience with this myself.

But, the question makes me wonder: Why would you want to dive somewhere that's too deep for you to get to the bottom? I mean, I guess it could be a wall dive. But, in a lake won't you want to dive in places where you can get down to the bottom? In which case, you could anchor the boat.

I still think you'd probably want to leave someone in the boat, though. So, maybe 3 divers go and take turns staying on the boat, so everyone gets to do 2 dives?

 

[archer1960]

Cool, thats good to know. thank you very much....

Unrelated to this, for divers that have boats... what do you do with them? we don't have tie ups in the middle of the lake like they do here in the Caribbean... Do you take a third person to watch the boat... (kinda boring for that person... maybe) or how do you anchor down the boat, say if its super deep..

I doubt you'd be diving in water deeper than you can anchor in, so this isn't likely to be an issue. Following the anchor line down and back up is a standard technique.

 

[Belzelbub]

Unrelated to this, for divers that have boats... what do you do with them? we don't have tie ups in the middle of the lake like they do here in the Caribbean... Do you take a third person to watch the boat... (kinda boring for that person... maybe) or how do you anchor down the boat, say if its super deep..

Definitely take a 3rd person to watch the boat. There are plenty of stories where divers surface to find the boat gone. Anchor didn't hold, etc. Now they are up, but have no way to find the boat. Not a good idea.

Around my area, you can either anchor or a lot of guys have someone run the boat while the divers are down. This keeps the boat mobile, so if the divers drift, the boat can stay near them. Boat can also move to keep other boats away from the divers if needed.

It is not advised to dive with no one on the boat. I've heard far too many stories, and know people who've picked up divers that couldn't get back to their boat.

 

[dmaziuk]

how do you anchor down the boat, say if its super deep..

People diving super deep tend to have an entire support crew on the boat, not just someone to watch it. If it's super deep and you're not diving super deep then what are you planning to see mid-water in the middle of nowhere?

 

[They call me Tater]

I recommend you continue your research but then use that research to go visit with local dive shops. Ask them questions (even if you think you know the answer) and try to get a feel for how the shop treats you. Ask about their rental gear ( it can give you a sense of their thoroughness). Do they stress safety or just want you to sign up and get through the class. Do they do local fun dives outside of classes so you can practice your skills. Go through that process with a few shops and then go back for another round. You will be able to get a sense of who you want to work with. Many will tell you how important that is, but the truth is you don't know what you don't know.
Some of the questions you've posed are variable depending on local situations...as are some of the answers...speak with someone local and in person. Do so with an open but skeptical frame of mind...to many you are $. To some you are a potential dive buddy.
Enjoy the ride!!

 

[uboettger]

Hey Samantha,

from the other side of the pond and from a county where there is no warm water for diving: Go and do your diving training in your cold lakes. Diving outside of warm-water locations is so much more demanding from a training and equipment point of view. It is not uncommon in Germany to do OWD training in a dry suit from the first dive on. You will learn to handle tanks with two valves, with two first stages. Your face will burn, your feet will be cold but you will get a much better training than in warm water at a tourist location.

As Tater wrote go and see the local dive shops. Maybe you will find a place where you can also talk to some experienced divers who are willing to go diving with you on a regular basis later on. Cold waters are no places for insta-buddies.

Recently I have seen a number of excellent underwater pictures of schooner, tug boat and cargo ship wrecks from the Great Lakes. They were amazing. Maybe I will see some of these pictures from you next year?

Best, UB

 

[s.iker]

Taking people diving who have not had any training is really not a good idea. Especially if you are a relatively new diver yourself
I wouldnt plan to take anyone out until i have a lot of experience.. Im talking years from now. Yea, if ppl wanna come with me, i'll get someone who has that experience to come out too... but im talking about in the way future.


If you just watch Craigslist and the ScubaBoard classifieds, you can probably pick up a few tanks for yourself for cheap and then just make the 2 hour round trip periodically, to get them all filled. The more tanks you have, the less often you'll have to make that trip
Not a bad idea, I could do this till i can afford a compressor... cause they aint cheap as i just looked them up...

Besides, until you have all the other gear, you'll have to make that drive to get rental equipment anyway, right?
I guess i was meaning say i own everything. All my own gear, tanks etc.


BTW, there are a lot of great wrecks in the Great Lakes. They are generally well-preserved, too, because of the water being fresh and cold. I haven't been up there yet, but I certainly have it on my To Do list.
Thanks. I cant wait to explore them. Ive been looking at a few that ive been looking to do.

---------- Post added September 18th, 2015 at 01:10 PM ----------



How much can you get one for? I've only seen ones that are well over $2000, I think.

On one site i found the cheapest for 3000+ something..... not cheap... but depending on how often one would dive, it might be worth the investment... expeceally if the closest refill would be an hour away.....

 

[SFLScubapro]

Q: After i get this "certification", can i go home to my water (lake Michigan) and start diving? Yes.

Q: At some point i really want to buy my own equipment, and to be able to take my family and friends if they want to go diving, but i dont want to drag them through a course if they dont like it, or have them pay a guide (same reason). Most dive shops offer a Discover Scuba course: It's inexpensive (sometimes even free), and a great way to see if Scuba is something you like: PLEASE Don't take your family out diving without proper training. The big blue is unforgiving and all sorts of bad things can happen. It is FAR better to do it the safest way possible to mitigate dangers, but still have lots of fun!

Q: How does a diver fill their tank(s)?" LDS (Local dive shop) does the fills, usually for 3-10$ per fill depending on the shop (or even free in some circumstances, like beach cleanups sponsored by a LDS).

As to lake diving: You're always welcome to visit South Florida; we like tourist money and we dive year round with great visibility usually.

 

[s.iker]

Thanks guys, and to the boat related questions, i ask because there are some places in the lake that are pretty deep.. I just didnt know what people do in that situation. And yes, I do plan on talking with people from dive shops etc.. but right now, im not driving an hour to my nearest one just for S&G than an hour home after a conversation.. (yes i can call but thats not as personal as actually meeting the people) So until i do actually go and meet the dive shop and possibly sign up for the class (pending if i like them), im on here asking and learning questions...