Search results

Agreed, generally speaking. These boards get a fair number of posts from new-ish divers asking whether becoming a DM is a good path towards becoming a better diver. The real answer, in my humble opinion, is mostly no, but with a qualified yes. But only in a specific way. First, overall, this...

I agree that you should try to find another brand hood that fits both your neck as well as your head. Another solution is to use a hood that has zipper at the back of the neck. These will typically be bibless hoods, but there are some (I know Aqualung makes one) that still has a bib long...

How deep do you want to go? White Star is shallower than Gilboa, and so it is generally warmer (as the season progresses). It gets to about 46 degrees or so down at the tubes in Gilboa, even in the late summer. At the platforms and shallower section, it will be in the upper-60s to low-70s by...

The last question is the most important one. That answer is no, it is not worth it unless you intend to work (full-time or part-time) as a dive pro. Even then, DM is generally used as a step towards instructor. As for how many dives you’ll do, it depends on the op. But you can generally expect...

According to the CDC, Roatan is considered to be a malaria transmission zone, and anti-malarial prophylaxis is recommended. (Atovaquone-proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine)

Glad you got a local to respond. I was going to say the same thing. Luquillo is a great area to stay in, with some really fantastic food options. Try La Parrilla if you get the chance.

Are you talking about going overseas to work at a shop as an instructor, or are you talking about leading dive trips to overseas locations and perhaps teaching (finishing up student certs, doing an AOW or other continuing ed cert, etc.) while there? If the latter, do you have a current group of...

I tend to agree. But the airlines created this mess in the first place. They charge for checked bags, encouraging people to bring the largest bags they think they can get away with in the overhead bins. Then, because people get antsy to board so they can be sure to get overhead space, they are...

I put my regs and computers in a small backpack as a carry on, along with a t-shirt, board shorts, and a book, and small personal items. If there's no overhead space, I just put the backpack under the seat in front of me. That won't work if you bring a larger bag of course, but works fine for...

I dove with Tres Pelicanos and had a good time. I will say, though, that the dive briefings were, well, very brief. "Ok, this is [site name]. We'll go down to 80, 90, maybe 100 feet. Ok, let's go!" As a more experienced diver amongst other experienced divers (all or most of whom were single...

My review of diving in Bonaire is far from negative. The diving everywhere in the world, and particularly the Caribbean, is suffering from a host of issues (this also includes freshwater sites as well), and isn’t what it used to be. As Sylvia Earle says when asked where her favorite place to...

I second this. Plus, they are great for traveling since they are relatively compact and very lightweight.

Depending on how many bags you have to lug, you can just walk across the street from the airport to Diego's taqueria, have yourself some awesome fish or shrimp tacos, and then catch a cab right there. There are usually taxi drivers waiting outside Diego's, but if there aren't any just ask them...

You REALLY have to inflate the crap out of a Fusion to get so much air in it that it will blow off rock boots and fins. You were probably massively overweighted.

Since it’s so easy to learn to manage two buoyancy controls, and since most divers don’t dive doubles, why is it such a big deal? Again, dive however you want. And I certainly agree that you will pretty much have to use your BCD if you dive doubles. But it’s not a problem at all to use your...

I don't really understand those who say that using a drysuit for primary buoyancy compensation is dangerous. If it was good enough for Dick Long, who, if I have my diving history correct, wrote the first training standards for drysuits, then it's good enough for me. The issue is to be properly...

I recall reading an article (perhaps on Scubanomics?) that said something about the number of active divers decreasing in recent years, but the number of new divers slightly increasing. These new divers tend to be younger than the active diver population, but are also less likely to continue...

Perhaps. But we don’t know for sure because it wasn’t studied as part of an experiment. There was no control group, we don’t know how rigorous people were in adhering to the protocols, etc. It’s entirely possible that the situation would have been worse, or gotten worse faster, if not for the...

It’s the color coding STINAPA uses for dive sites and SCTLD. Orange means caution is advised and red means SCTLD has been found at the site and is actively spreading.

No one is denying that the Caribbean reef ecosystems are struggling. But when you come in hot with a statement that Bonaire reefs are "dead" - your word - it is indeed hyperbole. Where do you get your 75% dead coral figure from? PS: White Hole is on the east side and is easily accessible...