Last Years recap and new years dive resolution

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

2012:
Training (Feb): Refresher Wreck Penetration Course with UTD and AG as Instructor (and had my ass handed to me as usual); mixed-team of conventional backmount doubles teammate pair, and myself in Z-system sidemount doubles.

New Equipment (Jan):
Purchased Liquivision Zen Bottom Timer

Dive Trips:
Apr --cancelled South China Seas Wreck Trip due to ruptured left cornea.
July --cancelled Cocos Island/Costa Rica Trip due to ruptured left cornea.
Oct --Chuuk Lagoon and Palau for entire month; only returned home to vote in 06Nov General Election.
Nov --Return Chuuk Lagoon again! 17 thru 29Nov. Got 1000th total career dive on the Kansho Maru. Dodged Typhoon Bopha which later struck Palau & Philippines. . .
Dec --currently in Santo Vanuatu diving on the SS President Coolidge Troop Transport Wreck, 02 thru 12Dec; returning again to Chuuk Lagoon 14 to 31Dec

2013:
Dive Trips:
Jan --possible quick sidetrip to Palau 31Dec to 06Jan to see how friends fared in the aftermath of Typhoon Bopha.
Apr --one week South China Seas Wreck Trip (Battleships HMS Repulse & HMS Prince of Wales)
Jun --one month on liveaboard M/V Windward in Bikini Atoll to dive the "Atomic Fleet" (USS Saratoga Aircraft Carrier; HIMJS Nagato Battleship; USS Arkansas Battleship; USS Apogon Submarine et al).

That is some serious diving dude! Being a whole month in palau? Nice.

---------- Post added December 4th, 2012 at 09:43 AM ----------

2012 has been pretty good for me too despite an ear problem last April

The list:
a) Gear: Set of doubles (7.9L x2), Dive Rite wing x2 (one travel wing), wet diopters for super macro, new focus light and a dry ear mask
b) Training: PADI self sufficient diver course
c) Dive Trips: Usual east coast UAE plus two trips to Philippines (Puerto Galera in April and Anilao/PG in Oct/Nov)
d) Number of dives: Target was 52, currently at 74
e) Fitness: Ear infection in April whilst in Puerto Galera, lost 3Kg so under 70 now lifting doubles helps

2013 Plan

a) Gear: no plans
b) Training: no plans
c) Dive Trips: Something special in June for my 60th birthday, hoping to have the time to return to Anilao, Philippines.
d) Number of dives: target 52
e) Fitness: Not to have an ear infection and stay below 70 Kg

How is the diving in UAE? I heard its just sand?

 

[Searcaigh]

How is the diving in UAE? I heard its just sand?

Off Dubai it is with some wrecks, viz is cr@p

East coast is different though some decent diving, few wrecks too from 20-110M if you are so technically inclined.

 

[RMVSAC]

2012:
...
2013:
Reinvent myself as an instructor. No safety net but no albatross around my neck either. I'm reminded of a quote from a book: "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly" In 2013 Diver0001 takes flight.

R..

In my books, that resolution alone warrants some celebratory bubble making. Truly inspirational 2012 accomplishment, if I may say so.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

2013 is starting to shape up nicely ...

- Mexico cave diving trip in April
- Great Lakes wreck diving trip in August
- Rajah Ampat in September
- Isla Mujeres, probably in the June/July timeframe ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MaxBottomtime]

107 dives so far. I'm hoping to make at least 20 more this month. Merry and I made our first warm water trip in August. Cozumel, Mexico had 82° water. I dived in shorts and a t-shirt the entire time. We made one trip to Morro Bay to dive under the North T Pier, and hope to do it again New Year's weekend.
Highlights of the year include finding a wolf eel at the Redondo Beach artificial reef, Mola Mola cleaning stations and hatching octopus eggs.
In January, I laid lines between five pilings off the Topaz Jetty. In August, the area began to get covered with crap from Marina del Rey. Among the trash we collected while diving was a five gallon bucket of used oil (full), more than eighty balloons and a plastic trash bag full of soiled diapers and about one hundred syringes. Yuck.
In May I finally published my long awaited book, Diving the Palos Verdes Peninsula. I was surprised to sell more than five copies, but tonight will be my fifth presentation. I'm talking at the Sea Divers meeting. Hopefully I can dive some of the deeper sites I plan to put in Volume 2 soon.
Lowlight of the year was flooding my camera a few weeks before the Cozumel trip. DAN insurance was great. I was able to get a new camera, lens and housing before we left.


Some dives from 2012;

 

[Merlin1392]

2012 was VERY good year! My daughter finished her DiveMaster Certification. I completed Dry, DPV, Night, and became a Master Diver. (I was on the DM track, but had to jump off for work reasons :-( We didn't do any exotic diving, but hit the local quarry several times. I've even gotten into a couple of Dive Podcasts to keep the excitement high! Scuba Radio gets high marks on my listening list. Scuba Obsessed doesn't rate as high with me, but only because of the audio quality for guests. As a Northern podcast, I also wish they would spend more time on local "stuff".

2013 Hope and Dreams...
Plans are definitely being made to attend Our World Underwater in Chicago in February. I almost made it last year, but didn't. I'm also looking for a live-aboard trip. SR has me intrigued with Explorer Ventures. Now if I can only get the budget that far A couple of new, closer quarries are also on the "todo" list this year. We have lots of other exciting dry elements in our lives this year, but I plan to get as wet as I can!

 

[nimoh]

2012
a) Gear purchases - a few extra tanks and a doubles config (with regs)
b) Training - GUE-F and TDI AN/DP
c) Any new dive destinations (or even older ones revisted) - PNW, Mexico, Lake Superior
d) Number of dives - 60
e) Dive Fitness - needs work but getting better, started swimming twice a week, then once a week, now need to start again

2013
a) Gear purchases - scooter
b) Training - Finish GUE-F tec rating, TDI Trimix
c) Any new dive destinations (or even older ones revisted) - back to PNW, back to Mexico, Milwaukee Wreck Diving
d) Number of dives - 100 (lofty goal for me)
e) Dive Fitness - back to swimming twice a week, and playing hockey once a week

 

[COWSskateGOOD]

2011 Certified Naui

2012: Purchased 5 al80 tanks as I found them on sale
Purchased new BC/Computer after outgrowing and learning what I really wanted
Participated in invasion in Cozumel and had phenomenal dives
Found my first 5'+ Meg tooth
Did about 50 various dives, including sharks teeth, spearfishing, shipwrecks, ect....
Became AOW/Nitrox
Realized I was in love with scuba diving

2013: Keys trip for lobsters,
Would like to camp and dive off some island somewhere
Dive the Mohawk
Rescue Class
Dive Greenbridge
Find some more Meg teeth
Found a small shipwreck near me that hasnt been dove in quite some time, and is listed under an incorrect name... will be diving that.
Buy a new Hog reg setup with going tech in mind (years from now)

 

[NAUIDiver1]

From the training perspective, while I signed up for my DM course in 2011, I finally got to start it in the fall of 2012, to be completed in 2013. After completing the DM course I would like to get started on some of the more technical dive training as many of the wrecks I want to visit are in the 200 - 300 feet range.
Trips completed in 2012:
Fiji in March onboard the Na'ai - fantastic trip!
Just got back from diving with Ocean Frontiers in Grand Cayman over Thanksgiving.

Equipment:
Just ordered a complete doubles setup

For 2013 I plan to do more local diving, off NJ/NY for me.

 

[bayates99]

2012 Was an important year for me and diving. I had a heart attack in June 2011 and was not sure I would requalify to get back in the water. But after some hard work my Dr. signed off on my medical and I was ready to roll. I dove Hawaii in late 2011 as my starter. In 2012 I started the year by diving Homestead Crater in Utah. Lots of fun for a long weekend drive from San Diego. I may my forst cavern dive in Florida in March as well as dove the Disiney Living Seas. Dove in our home waters alot and over at Catalina Island a few times off our boat. My favorite dive each year is the Underwater Santa Event sponsored by the San Diego Dive Club. I work as a photographer and we have a blast with all the people. My most dissappointing diving issue for the year was my Cobra bit the big one. Although 6 years old it only had 60 dives on it. Pretty dissappointed in the overall quality if it only survived that long and of course out of warranty. 2012 purchases bought a DataMask and love it, Sealife DC1200 with dual strobes.

For 2013 going to dive Arizona and New Mexico as well as a trip to Black Beards in the June timeframe. I would like to take a dry suit course and purchase the suit. Will all depend on how much fnding is left after purchasing new sails for the boat.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, Dive Safe.