Returning to ScubaBoard...and Hopefully Diving

[Aquatic Eagle]

Good evening!

My name is Colin and my last post on ScubaBoard was in...2010. I was very active here for a few years, starting when I became an instructor in 2003. Back then, my username here was NatureDiver and I was much younger and greener. I used to be an instructor on Norwegian Cruise Lines and before that, I worked on a dive boat in St. Thomas and made a big stink here on SB about that boat operations terrible practices, which led to them shutting down. I doubt anyone will remember me from that far back but, you never know. I was browsing just now and saw that Dr. Bill died a couple of years ago. That's pretty sad. I remember looking forward to his contributions to the 'Board very much.

My last dive was in 2010 because life started to get real...kids and career. I'm hoping to reconnect to the water in a few weeks and get back into diving. All these years later, I now have a son and daughter who are old enough to get certified so maybe that is in their near future. I'm located in Hurst, TX.

 

[happy-diver]

 

[drrich2]

Welcome back, to ScubaBoard and to diving.

Richard.

 

[Green Frog]

While I wasn’t as early a contributor nor as highly trained as you, I too played hooky for about 5 years and only returned about 2-3 weeks ago. I’m getting the barnacles scraped and getting ready to go back to diving in the next couple of months. I’m gratified to see how friendly and welcoming my return has been.
Regards,
Froggie

 

[scubadada]

While I wasn’t as early a contributor nor as highly trained as you, I too played hooky for about 5 years and only returned about 2-3 weeks ago. I’m getting the barnacles scraped and getting ready to go back to diving in the next couple of months. I’m gratified to see how friendly and welcoming my return has been.
Regards,
Froggie

Many of us had a diving hiatus and can relate to your story. I dived actively for 10 years and then did not dive for 17 years. I have now been diving very actively for the last 26 years

 

[Pressurehead]

Many of us had a diving hiatus and can relate to your story

Welcome back, I also had a hiatus, not from diving but from this site for a time.
Somethings had changed , like Nitrox is not 'Voo do' gas, you will die etc, solo diving, also you will die.
You may find the people posting more polite than in the past [I did, or is it, with age you care less?].
Enjoy.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

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[Aquatic Eagle]

Welcome back, I also had a hiatus, not from diving but from this site for a time.
Somethings had changed , like Nitrox is not 'Voo do' gas, you will die etc, solo diving, also you will die.
You may find the people posting more polite than in the past [I did, or is it, with age you care less?].
Enjoy.

I stopped by a local dive shop this past weekend and the person running the counter said that weight belts are pretty much extinct industry-wide. When I was last diving, integrated weights were definitely becoming more and more popular but to hear that weight belts are totally gone was surprising. Is that really so?

 

[Pressurehead]

but to hear that weight belts are totally gone was surprising. Is that really so?

No, not here, I don't know about in the US.
Most dive boats here have weights on a belt, if you want them integrated you pull them off a belt and place them in your 'whatever you use' system, weight pockets, trim pockets etc.

 

[Brett Hatch]

Integrated weights are pretty common in my area. People typically dive with 20-30 lbs of lead here, and I find lost weight pouches with 10 lbs or so of lead in them every now and then. Mostly at the open water training sites.

Personally, I prefer to put most of it on a stretchy weight belt, with 4lbs or so in trim pouches on my backplate cam straps. One of my main dive buddies here puts it all on his backplate webbing, and I do not see the upside -- way heavier on the surface.