Any Scuba Divers here?

[Hunter]

Im now planning my scuba diving training in East Sussex, theres a club/shop fairly near me, and I think it will be a great new (expensive) hobby! Always had an interest in it, but now that it seems so readily available to get into I think il go for it.

 

Anyone here dive? id love to know your experiances and tales. Also where the best places are for kit etc.

 

Cheers!

 

[auto culto]

i,m a diver and instructor. If you have my number still from when you bought the tig from me, give me a buzz and i will answer your question to the best of my ability. I will pm you my number if you no longer have it.

 

Matt

[Hunter]

Cheers Matt! still got your number somewhere, buried in the welding docs folder

 

Unfortunatly due to me being ill I can hardly talk at the moment But im sure you have plenty of good advice on it. Il give you a ring in a day or two when me throat has sorted itself out

[sjk88]

Hi Hunter,

 

I have got my PADI Advanced Open Water, which I completed in October '06.

On my first course one of the quarries we dived in was absolutely rubbish, I won't mention the name but the visibility was poor, which didn't make it a very enjoyable dive. On this dive, I was also provided with a drysuit which was a couple of sizes too large meaning that I ended the dive with half the quarry water in it, Don't let this put you off though.

There are plenty of decent inland dive sites throughout the country and I believe diving holidays in the Red Sea (some of the best diving in the world) can be quite cheap.

I have dived both Malta and the Red Sea and they were both amazing. It was nice to dive in warm water, lol, and the aquatic life was so diverse.

Good luck with your diving and I hope you have many good dives to come.

 

sjk

[dazzyboi]

i enjoy diving, Lancs Lad dpes also, although he is more qualified that me, he has done his PADI open water, im waiting for the summer to do mine

Edited January 26, 2008 by dazzyboi

[me and my lad]

On my first course one of the quarries we dived in was absolutely rubbish, I won't mention the name but the visibility was poor, which didn't make it a very enjoyable dive.

 

sounds like astbury (sp?)

 

me and the wife did a TDI cavern course with martyn farr in the brecon beacons, you should try a cave dive with a blacked out mask, bit spooky to say the least

[sjk88]

On my first course one of the quarries we dived in was absolutely rubbish, I won't mention the name but the visibility was poor, which didn't make it a very enjoyable dive.

 

sounds like astbury (sp?)

 

me and the wife did a TDI cavern course with martyn farr in the brecon beacons, you should try a cave dive with a blacked out mask, bit spooky to say the least

 

No, wasn't astbury. Was a quarry in the midlands called Dosthill. Oops, just said the name when i said i wudn't

 

I don't no if I'd be able to do a cave dive, I was considering doing the wreck diver speciality course though.

 

sjk

[Hunter]

Thanks for your replies guys

 

Probably a good idea to wait for summer, but as soon as I have saved up a little more I wont be able to wait any longer

Ohhh the kit, loads of nice stuff. But it can really cost. Still, its a special hobby, just like shooting. If I can get an FAC I can get a PADI certificate

 

I have just been looking at the Mini Breather kits, they look like a lot of fun in a simple contained package.

[Sako7mm]

If I can get an FAC I can get a PADI certificate

 

/quote]

 

If you can get your money out of your pocket you can get a PADI certificate!

My experience is that BSAC trained divers tend to be far more competant.

[kdubya]

been diving for the best part of 30 years now just about finished with the "hard stuff" getting older and stiffer, mainly done wrecking, got bells, telegraphs, lamps , all the usual stuff ( all listed to the reciever of wrecks by the way)done scapa, done normandy, done dogger bank, you name it probably done it in uk waters , dived the red sea many times,must thave been on the thistlegorm ten times, gibralter many many times, cavalaire , malta, greece, italy, estartit , etc etc , got my own dive / fishing boat, wish I could turn back the clock but there you are age gets you, by the way no slur intended at all but wish I had apound for every newly qualified padi "open water" diver that turned up at my club and asked to join only to be told ok no prob but you will have to do bsac traning first, last time I was in the red sea the dive leader ( absolute **** of a man) allowed the dive to go "off course" 2 hours spent on the surface waiting for our boat to find us bare in mind it was july!! guy was nearly strangled back on the boat, I was actually asked to lead the next dive.

cheers KW

[me and my lad]

On my first course one of the quarries we dived in was absolutely rubbish, I won't mention the name but the visibility was poor, which didn't make it a very enjoyable dive.

 

sounds like astbury (sp?)

 

me and the wife did a TDI cavern course with martyn farr in the brecon beacons, you should try a cave dive with a blacked out mask, bit spooky to say the least

 

No, wasn't astbury. Was a quarry in the midlands called Dosthill. Oops, just said the name when i said i wudn't

 

I don't no if I'd be able to do a cave dive, I was considering doing the wreck diver speciality course though.

 

sjk

 

 

dosthill used to get quite busy, mucky bottom that got kicked up all the time.

the wife heard of them emptying the toilets into there, how true that was i dont know.

 

the padi wreck course is a bit naff, if you fancy doing something like that go for a TDI or IANTD course

[taz24]

been diving for the best part of 30 years now just about finished with the "hard stuff" getting older and stiffer, mainly done wrecking, got bells, telegraphs, lamps , all the usual stuff ( all listed to the reciever of wrecks by the way)done scapa, done normandy, done dogger bank, you name it probably done it in uk waters , dived the red sea many times,must thave been on the thistlegorm ten times, gibralter many many times, cavalaire , malta, greece, italy, estartit , etc etc , got my own dive / fishing boat, wish I could turn back the clock but there you are age gets you, by the way no slur intended at all but wish I had apound for every newly qualified padi "open water" diver that turned up at my club and asked to join only to be told ok no prob but you will have to do bsac traning first, last time I was in the red sea the dive leader ( absolute **** of a man) allowed the dive to go "off course" 2 hours spent on the surface waiting for our boat to find us bare in mind it was july!! guy was nearly strangled back on the boat, I was actually asked to lead the next dive.

cheers KW

 

 

Hartlepool Eh.

Iv'e spent a few nights in the Hartlepool clubhouse

back in the eighties when you used to host the small

boathandling competions.

 

Are you still in the docks area or have you been relocated

so they could be developed.

 

Im 30 year experience as well and have dived the places you state.

Small world Eh. No bells for me though (I'm jealous).

I'm a wreck diver. I've never been intrested in much

other than wrecks. Did a lot of my diving with the branch and also

with Scarborough branch. Deep wrecks of the east coast.

 

Did you read about the two Scotish divers last week who

located a U boat of the east coast of Scotland.

Only took 5 years

 

I've spent many an hour trying to find virgin wrecks out in Brid bay

and up the coast to Hartlepool and beoynd.

 

Cheers taz.

[mr_colt]

Did my diving training up to open-water level with a SAA club. Had some wonderful dives in Stoney Cove (Outside Leicester.) I actually used a hired semi-dry suit for those dives which; was not too bad on a good day in March.

 

I had to give it up after my health went belly up in 2005 though. My brother is now diving at club level with the SAA and is an open-water diver with PADI I think. He went to Egypt last year and loved it apparently. So I gave him most of my equipment. Ironically I had to do pool-dives in boot fins as; my feet are size 13 and you can't get slip-ons to fit for love nor money. Boot fins are much better in my opinion anyway.

 

Money is everything with diving as well; I used to get really annoyed at having to work with the bullman tables while everyone had nice sunito diving computers doing the calcs on their wrists for them. Still at least someone had a set if the computers failed. Much akin to a hiker keeping a map and compass with them for when the GPS decides to fail.

 

I really miss it and hope I'll be able to get back into it one day, but I'd likely get back into shooting first. It's cheaper and easier for me to get back into.

 

mr_colt.

[kdubya]

Hartlepool Eh.

Iv'e spent a few nights in the Hartlepool clubhouse

back in the eighties when you used to host the small

boat handling competitions.

 

Are you still in the docks area or have you been relocated

so they could be developed.

 

 

I remember tha comps and the occasional boat going into the wall? used to be the SAA then, we have had a number of clubhouses since the one you are talking about, we now although I rarely use it these days ( still got some of my portholes, and lamps on the wall and telegraph stood next to the bar) have apurpose built job next to navigation point on the marina, the club is now a scoobie do jobbie, way of the world I suppose, we where underwater burglars but new generations come along take over and run things their way, the " docks" is now the marina and is used for training two forty foot trailers painted white are placed on the bottom this allows "training" to take place without stirring the bottom and losing viz,

 

as for virgin wrecks off hartlepool I have the locations of wrecks that have never been dived and or dived once, more than enough for a lifetimes diving , they ARE there I remember the Scarborough lot used to come up for a drink and do a bit off hartlepool, cant remember names but didn't the "leader" ( mad dog?) buy the Jane r and run aground at Islay nearly killing a party from teeside university? shame that spent a few happy weeks on the Jane r before its demise, remember diving the aurania off mull and getting a cracking porthole ( its on my garden wall) when back in oban after the week was over a chap came up to us and asked if we had been on the Jane r ? yes I said to which he replied I have been on that dived the aurania only time I have seen an intact porthole, but we coud not get it off? I lifted my boot land said did it look anything like this? seeing another nine from other wrecks did not help his lip stay in position?

GOOD days

cheers KW

[Dirty Harry]

Kdubya,

 

I take it you don't rate padi qualifications?

I am an openwater padi diver and have been for about 10 years.

I did it to get a bit more experience and understanding as I had done a few try dives on holiday and how I survived I dont know.

I did a dive with no training from a boat in open water in Turkey. I had about 10 minutes training on the equipment and another 10 on how to breath under water. I spent most of my time stuck on the bottom while the instructors watched the other 10 divers with no experience an tried to rescue them.

Now I can dive with the Mrs on holiday and we can be safe in the knowledge that we can trust each other and dont have to rely on the Instructor.

 

Cheers

Harry

[new to the flock]

ACUC qualified level IV Search and Rescue.

 

In the past I worked body recovery, open water and cave/ Crime scene Investigation/ munitions and explosives removal....mostly sweaty old dynamite found in flooded quarries and mines. Have also done alot of wreck diving and under ice diving.

 

However diving in Canada is cold no matter what time of the year, and my legs have not been able to take it for about the last 10 years. So only will dive in the Carribian now.

 

 

NTTF

[taz24]

as for virgin wrecks off hartlepool I have the locations of wrecks that have never been dived and or dived once, more than enough for a lifetimes diving , they ARE there I remember the Scarborough lot used to come up for a drink and do a bit off hartlepool, cant remember names but didn't the "leader" ( mad dog?) buy the Jane r and run aground at Islay nearly killing a party from teeside university? shame that spent a few happy weeks on the Jane r before its demise, remember diving the aurania off mull and getting a cracking porthole ( its on my garden wall) when back in oban after the week was over a chap came up to us and asked if we had been on the Jane r ? yes I said to which he replied I have been on that dived the aurania only time I have seen an intact porthole, but we coud not get it off? I lifted my boot land said did it look anything like this? seeing another nine from other wrecks did not help his lip stay in position?

GOOD days

cheers KW

 

Good days indeed.

 

The guy from Scarboro was Godon and he owned the Massie Graham.

It was the Masie he sunk and with the money he then went on to buy the Jane R.

I've done a few with the Jane R. and he was still going last time I spoke to him.

He may have renamed it the Masie thats why it seems to have disapeared.

I've dived a few subs your way up but we don't talk of that

In the old days it was more throw them in and if they came back for

more they would do. Deep Dark and Dangerous.

 

Cheers taz

[vole]

I have my Open Water only but have just over 100 dives. Best of which was Saudi Red Sea. other dives have been off Sharm, Andaman Sea ,Indonesia and Barrier Reef.Admit to being a bit of a ponce about proper diving like my Bsac hairy ****** mates do tho.Next trip I hope will be Dahab again.Unforgettable some of it.

[kdubya]

Yes thats it the masie graham! thought he had changed its name as I knew he bought the Jane R,think his name was wadsworth? I MUST have met you, I had the reputation as being a bit of a cowboy ( nothing further from the truth) but the by the book lads did not like a "couple of us" one bit, mind you me joints dont half suffer now! ever do the labrador at Mkenzies rock middle of knowhere south of tiree? just shows at low water,( the rock that is) fished whilst waiting for slack water double figured pollack EVERY drop lost a LOT of gear ? did that whilst on the Jane'R fantastic dive loads of portholes lifted ( all bronze not brass) got back on the boat only to see a school of orca swim past

yep good days indeed

all the best KW

[taz24]

Yes thats it the masie graham! thought he had changed its name as I knew he bought the Jane R,think his name was wadsworth? I MUST have met you, I had the reputation as being a bit of a cowboy ( nothing further from the truth) but the by the book lads did not like a "couple of us" one bit, mind you me joints dont half suffer now! ever do the labrador at Mkenzies rock middle of knowhere south of tiree? just shows at low water,( the rock that is) fished whilst waiting for slack water double figured pollack EVERY drop lost a LOT of gear ? did that whilst on the Jane'R fantastic dive loads of portholes lifted ( all bronze not brass) got back on the boat only to see a school of orca swim past

yep good days indeed

all the best KW

 

 

You would not have been thought of in a negative way by the

people I dived with. Experience and opportunity ruled the day.

The group I dived with were serious wreckers, so like minded

divers would of been good drinking buddies. 30 to 40 mtrs nil

vis was always the best cure for the hangover.

 

I don't dive much now just on holiday.

 

I have dived Coll and Tiree but not with Gordon (Wadsworth. Yes)

 

Most of the diving I did with Gordon I did off the east coast upto

the Firth of Forth.

 

My joints arn't too bad but I have had the niggles in my shoulders

on a few occaisions.

 

Cheers taz.

[TRAPSHOT]

HI This is my first post so Ile probably c$$k it up. Well Ive been a comercial diver/fisherman for 30 years I own a dive shop scuba school and charter boat and most of my mates have earnt a living from diving for thirty years from the north sea to mexico so ime probably qualified to answer you question. Well first thing it will be the best thing you have ever done , you will see things that will blow your mind, its not rocket science and if you can tie your own shoelaces you can dive. Where to learn? PADI , or BSAC. Well the Padi way is the quickest you can go to the red sea and get an open water in a few days,and you will have a lot of fun you can even do your advanced but when you get back to the UK who will you dive with??. You might find a Padi school that is more thah teach you and goodbuy , but my advice is join a local club, they will teach you properly but just as important you will get mates to dive with. They will probably sell you all the old kit they cant get rid of but thats normall. Where to buy your kit (FROM ME) lol its very simple if you want it cheap, E bay If you want it fixed when it goes wrong support you local dive shop they are all suffering from the internet and if they dont get some support they will all be gone soon they cant make a living just pumping your tank. As for what gear well its simple, forget all the dive mags and the bloke on the checkout at the supermarket who knows it all(I speak from experiance) look what the guys who have done it for a while are using, they have tried it all and what they use now has proved to be the best. Keep it simple you dont need twenty parts in a second stage (the bit you put in your mouth) to make it work well, They designed the perfect reg twenty years ago the add on bits nowdays are just a selling gimmick. Buy the best regulator and fins you can afford the reg keeps you alive and the fins are your engine, the rest old will do fine till you can afford better. Do It, your only regret will be you diddnt do it sooner. Regards Graham Trapshot

[Hunter]

Thanks guys! lots of good posts.

 

Its my aim to get into as many interesting sports and hobbies as I can.. live life to the max as you only get one chance.

Theres more to this world then pubs and clubs, and I intend to get qualified in every interesting sport I can afford. Shooting, diving, parachuting etc. Nice to see the world from all angles, and when (if) I become a grandad, il have some interesting real bed time stories for the grand children Failing that, just interesting pub talk.

 

For my age (19) I have already done a lot more then the average kid by simply growing up without tv, I was forced to find interesting hobbies to do instead.

 

The shop that organises the PADI course, also has its own club, that accept PADI members. (PADI really sounds childish ) They do 2 swimming pool sessions a week for training, testing, and having fun. I will do plenty of pool time to get the hang of things, and practice blindfolded pretty much, so everything can be done safely in murky open water.

 

 

Heres a qeustion:

Is Spearfishing legal in the UK? I have been watching lots of spearfishing vids, and it looks like great fun. And effective..

I asked in the local Sailing store, and the woman in there (sold me a lovley diving knife) told me it was not legal, and generally sounded like an Anti. Be great to give that a go while im at diving.. plenty of nice Spear/harpoon guns on ebay.

[me and my lad]

Heres a qeustion:

Is Spearfishing legal in the UK? I have been watching lots of spearfishing vids, and it looks like great fun. And effective..

I asked in the local Sailing store, and the woman in there (sold me a lovley diving knife) told me it was not legal, and generally sounded like an Anti. Be great to give that a go while im at diving.. plenty of nice Spear/harpoon guns on ebay.

 

not sure on the legalities of spearfishing, but the wife has some good stories of spear fishing in the main tank at the blue planet

[taz24]

Heres a qeustion:

Is Spearfishing legal in the UK? I have been watching lots of spearfishing vids, and it looks like great fun. And effective..

I asked in the local Sailing store, and the woman in there (sold me a lovley diving knife) told me it was not legal, and generally sounded like an Anti. Be great to give that a go while im at diving.. plenty of nice Spear/harpoon guns on ebay.

 

not sure on the legalities of spearfishing, but the wife has some good stories of spear fishing in the main tank at the blue planet

 

 

Spearfishing in the UK is perfectly legal.

 

There is an unwritten rule that says that spearfishing should

be done while snorkelling and not while using subaqua equipment.

Some people frown on it because they claim it gives you an unfair

advantage, but anyone who has attempted it will probably testify

that the fish has all the advantage.

 

If you act sensibly like all sports you will be fine.

Bit like guns realy

 

 

Cheers taz.

[Hunter]

Spearfishing seems legal, but after reading some topics about it on a forum, it seems 99% of the UK scuba divers treat every fish as a pet!

 

One post was:

 

''Fish are our friends''

 

'' this is a speargun unfriendly zone!!!!''

 

''Not sure what you're expecting to spear actually, and why you would even want to.. hungry family to feed?.. nah.. no money for the chippy?.. nah.. little man wanting big gun, hmm.. maybe..''

 

So I think il wont be joining that forum or il end up getting banned.

I cant help it. I grew up hunting and fishing

 

As much as I love to watch certain fish, others simply look appetising to me

 

Does anyone here spearfish?