Those ignorants...

[glidingray]

Since I received my C-card, I've been trying to entice several people to get certified. I don't know what's wrong with my way; I told them that it's incredibly beautiful - nothing above water can be compared to those under water; I told them that they need not be a racing swimmer - I too was a very weak swimmer when I started this; I told them that it's safe - at least if you do things by the book; I told them though it's expensive - it's worth it - and there are ways to do it cheaper; I gave them colorful magazine - full of pictures and not full of ads; now what is wrong? Why I did not succeed?

Care to tell your success story?

Ray

 

[AllenP]

I've noticed the same thing. I really don't think this is something you can talk someone into. Perhaps a person has to be comfortable in the water, and unless they are, nothing will convince them to dive. And maybe that's best.

On the other hand, I too would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Dstang65]

Here's one...

I am a college student, I met my girlfriend about a year ago, and neither one of us were divers. I got into the school run program here at U of Florida. When I told my girlfriend's family this, her brother went ahead and got certified(her Dad is already), and now that she is the only one not certified(her mom can't due to medical) she is as I type calling to make arrangements with a dive shop. My own family is also making arrangements for the near future. I hope this gives some hope to all who have failed. My selling points were pictures and the realization that when you have the Florida coast as your backyard, everytime you dive its like watching a discovery special and then some. Keep it up. Its their loss in any case if they don't see it our way.

 

[bio guy]

Find an area with something really cool and interesting to see that is shallow, calm and safe, and take them snorkelling...You'd be surprised how quickly they will say "wow, I wish I didn't have to keep coming up for a breath of air"

 

[Warhammer]

I'm in bad need of a local buddy myself and can't seem to convince any friends to join in the fun. My wife dives, but only in ideal conditions(100+vis in 80+ degree water and no ruff seas). As soon as my father found out that I was serious about pursueing scuba, he showed interest but has since said he's too old to learn new tricks. I probably could coherse him into it, but would feel really bad if something happened to him.

There is a local waterway system here that I would love to explore the bottom in. It's probably 15ft deep max, and not very good vis, but I'd still like to do it just to have a place close to go. Can't find a soul willing. They all say I'm nuts, nothing down there to see. To me, that's not what it's about. Sure I love to look at the pretty fish and reefs too, but for me it's more about being under than anything else. Guess that's bad, huh?

Speaking of this waterway, any of you have experience in diving in those conditions? It's like I said about 15ft to 20ft deep, half a mile wide in places, and has a lock/damn every 10 miles or so. Barges regularly travel through it and lock through the damns. When they come through or lock through, they suck enormous amounts of water out of the shallows creating a pretty strong current. A trolling motor can easily hold a boat against the current on low, but that's about all can tell you about it's strength. If a barge came through, they'd have trouble avoiding your flag if it were in their path. Think it's safe to dive in those conditions? How deep do they run in the water and how strong would the current be if you got caught under one as it passed over you?

 

[scubanole]

Hello, I don't post much, but I don't think I would want to be down when a barge came over IMHO. If you find someone to dive it with you have another person to some how let you know when a barge is coming and then you surface and let it go by(you did not say how much traffic). Just some ideas, hope they help.

good luck on getting others to dive. I agree that people will either want to or they want and you can not change their mind. My brother-in-law may do a discovery course at Ginne Spring if we go 1st weekend of Feb. You may get them to try it that way if they have any interest at all but may not be quite sure.

 

[Warhammer]

Yeah, I was thinking Don maight want to go, couldn't be as bad as a stock tank. LOL!! Seriously though, there isn't much traffic, maybe 2 or 3 barges a day. But like you said as shallow as it is, I think I'd want a lookout anyway. But I'm more interested in diving the back water parts of it and not out in the actual channel. Still though I beat the curent could get real strong, real fast. The local water rescue squad trains in this waterway, but most of there training is done just north of here, where it's bigger and deeper.

 

[Remora]

Hey Warhammmer

I would suspect those barges should be flat bottom and have a shallow draft, but if you really want to know talk to the barge operators. We dive in the Halifax Harbour all the time but first check with the Habour Master to get clearance to dive. We have had large Ocean going container ships pass by(not overhead) while under and the sound of their screws is unsettling even to the most experienced diver (you can feel the vibration of the prop turning in the water). Vis at depth is like jumping in to your closet with all your gear on and closing the door... pitch black, lots of sediment so even the aquasuns(75Watt bulb) have a hard time penetrating the murky water. Why do we dive it you ask...cause you can find some pretty cool stuff! Ensure you check the tides and the boat traffic sched cause you don't have alot of room to manouver in 15 ft of water. If all else fails I'am sure there is room in the stock tank!

 

[Warhammer]

Yeah, Don always has room in his stock tank except when it's froze solid.

That's a good idea about checking with the harbour master, trouble is there isn't one. This channel is man made and they're aren't any real marinas except a few for pleasure craft. The barges use it as a passage way to the Gulf of Mexico and there are a few wood mills and etc that also ship by way of it. It's maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers and they have several lock and damms up on it. The only people I can think of that may have a schedule would be the guy that works the lock and damm. I'll check into that. My diving interest would be more in the back water aeras where there are flooded forrests and such, and also where there aren't any barges. Probably one dive would be all it took to get it out of my system though. With all the locking activity, I'm sure the vis would be near 0 year round. I'm gonna have to get the boat out and scout it out more for a possible dive spot. 30 or 40 miles north of me is where it's the biggest and deepest. It gets as much as 120ft deep up next to the lock in that aera. Course I'm not about to dive anywhere near the locks. But that lake is probably my best shot at a desent spot. That's also where the rescue teams train. I'm gonna have to get to know some of those guys a little better!

 

[Warhammer]

About the barges being flat bottom....When they first built the channel (waterway, we call it), the talk around town was that the barges had trouble getting up and down it due to it being so shallow. The word was they were bottoming out. Wether that's true or not, I don't know. But I do know that every few years they have to dreadge it.