SCUBA - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**lilwings** · 05-14-2006, 05:30 PM

Are there any SCUBA TPunks out there? Where have you been with your gear? What advise to have? Tips? Did you rent? Did you bring your stuff with you? Where did you stay? What was diving goal?

Come on... give us the silt on diving 'round the world?!!!

**freespiritz** · 05-14-2006, 07:22 PM

I'll share in two months when I get certified in Sipadan, Borneo. I'm excited!! :D

I'd also love to hear from anyone else about their first-time experiences, and anything I should know/expect during my course and as a noob diver.

**benna2** · 05-15-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lilwings@May 14 2006, 04:30 PM
Are there any SCUBA TPunks out there? Where have you been with your gear? What advise to have? Tips? Did you rent? Did you bring your stuff with you? Where did you stay? What was diving goal?

Come on... give us the silt on diving 'round the world?!!!

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I got my Advanced Open Water Certification here in Sosua, DR. I don't own any gear because it is cheaper for me to rent but also just more practical because where I live in Canada, there isn't too much diving. Buying my own equipment doesn't make any sense right now.

I will say that being underwater is amazing and anyone who likes trying new things should give it a try. My sister took up diving in Australia and Thailand and just loves it. It is a sport that you can become addicted to.

Let us know how you make out!

**lilwings** · 05-15-2006, 04:20 PM

I ended up getting my own gear, minus the tanks. From what I have found, tank rental is easier and cheaper than owning, due to servicing and storage.

**benna2** · 05-15-2006, 04:25 PM

Probably a good idea. And Tanks are a BIT too heavy to actually travel with. A simple gear back with wet suit, fins, mask and snorkel should do you good.

Have you been diving already? I am just wondering if you have actually tried out the sport before investing in the equipment?

thatgirlwholaughs · 05-15-2006, 05:31 PM

the most i've ever done with scuba is get in the neighbor's pool (with his supervision) with all the stuff on. i couldn't really move-and i seem to remember being really scared. maybe it's cuz i was 15.

**bluepea** · 05-15-2006, 05:36 PM

I got scuba certified a few (like six

) years ago. The people who certified me had the equipment so I just used theirs'. I've never been any place cool (just lakes) yet, but am hoping to change that in the future. It's the most amazing experience in the world (to me!). We hope to move south in the next few years and then I'll probably invest in my own equipment.

**travelpunk** · 05-15-2006, 05:45 PM

I was PADI certified, but need a serious refesher course to get re-certified.

SCUBA rocks

!

**LiveFreeorDie** · 05-15-2006, 11:13 PM

I have my AOW and have been diving in Australia, Thailand, Maine, Massachusetts along with Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. Its great fun - and its an activity that generally leads to meeting great people.

I have a full kit for diving around where I live, but when I travel overseas I rent. It's just easier. As long as the diving company is reputable, the equipment is generally okay. Just try not to think about all the other mouths that were sucking on that rental regulator and hope that no one blew chunks in there!

If anyone wants to read an interesting book about diving with some history thrown in, check out Shadow Divers. Great book about divers who discovered and explored a WWII Nazi Sub that went down of NJ in over 200ft of water.

**tumblezweedz** · 05-16-2006, 12:04 AM

My dad's been doing scuba for the past 25 years, now - took it up at 45 and now he's 72 and still going strong. (So it's never too late!) He has done a little diving in southern waters, but mostly he spends his time exploring the PNW. Cold water diving, and since he's a photographer, he mostly dives in winter. Youch! I've been on the boat while he's down, and have seen many a slide show, but I could never get comfortable with the breathing, so I've never made it past the snorkelling stage.

If you're interested in marine life, dad's just had a book published - it's a pictorial encyclopedia called Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb and Bernard Hanby. There's more info about it in the Book Club forum.

**Joker** · 05-16-2006, 09:26 AM

Been thinking about getting certified when I'm completely healed. Done a fair share of snorkeling but after a conversation last night, I really oughta have it just for the helluva it.

As for Scuba 'round the world, I have friends that go to Bonaire for it. Google that place, looks like paradise.

**lilwings** · 05-16-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by benna2@May 15 2006, 05:25 PM
Probably a good idea. And Tanks are a BIT too heavy to actually travel with. A simple gear back with wet suit, fins, mask and snorkel should do you good.

Have you been diving already? I am just wondering if you have actually tried out the sport before investing in the equipment?

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I have been diving for the past year. If you're able to keep up the hobby, it's economical to get your own gear. I recently purchased my own BC, and found it's a lot nicer to have my own, specifically fitted, well- cared for compensator. My other recent, and very worthwhile, purchase has been my own regulator. More so than just having your own wetsuit or mask and snorkle, having equipment that your life might depend upon is very comforting. I know when I was renting, I was less attentive to to my actions with rented gear. I am much more inclined to put my equipment through an extra rinse off and so forth because it's all mine.

Since I got to the Nashville area, I have been diving in quarries... cold, but just as rewarding as open water. Once you have your own equipment, you'll be more inclined to continue diving once you're certified.

**MolsonGirl** · 05-17-2006, 02:54 PM

Yeah I was a total idiot when I went for my refresher in the DR... but once some bits and peices are given to you again it all comes flooding back...

I don't find diving so addictive... perhaps cause I always feel like bum when I get out of the water.... and after a while, coral all looks the same :P

**mowark** · 05-17-2006, 11:24 PM

It's been a few years, but I'm PADI certified. I haven't done that much scuba travelling, just Cozumel and Hawaii, but I rented both times. I remember my instructor telling me that he's been scuba diving for like 30 years. He takes travel groups all over the world to scuba dive more than 12 times a year, and he always rents. He said that it's not a bad idea to take your wetsuite, mask, snorkel and fins if you have them, but welt belts, bc's, regulators and especially tanks are always easier and cheaper to rent because taking them with you is a hassle and destructive. Hope that helps.

Hollz · 05-18-2006, 08:39 AM

I'd really like to try Scuba diving when I'm in Europe in Aug-September.
Can I get some recommendations on where I should try it out - both pricewise and experiece-wise? I could do it in Croatia by Hvar and Dubrovnik, or the Greek Islands in Mykonos, Ios, Paros, or Santorini. I'll be in Cinque Terre as well but I haven't heard anything about Scuba diving in that area.
Thanks!

**MolsonGirl** · 05-18-2006, 03:22 PM

You can't just try out Scuba, you have to be cert to do it... and that takes about 3 full days to do.

**omisan** · 05-18-2006, 04:05 PM

Sure you can! You can do resort dives, which is 1-2 short dives at a depth no more than 20m, fully supervised... after a quick orientation course on the boat/dock that tells you all the basic do's/don'ts. You don't get any credit for them toward a certification or anything, but they are certainly possible.

Hollz · 05-18-2006, 04:27 PM

Yeah, I already checked out some places in Hvar, they have some half day intro courses where they take you out in a boat after a crash course in the morning. I just wanted to know if there was any places that were absolutely amazing that I should try over another place.

**benna2** · 05-18-2006, 04:52 PM

Yeah I wanted to try a dive before I signed up for the course because there was really no point in getting certified if I hated diving.

Ask about a Discovery Scuba. It's basically a pool session to give you the basics and then one dive, accompanied by a dive master or instructor. He/She pretty much has you in their vision the entire time and they stick really close to you, but it gives you the dive experience.

Have fun! And remember to bring an underwater camera!

PS. And MG wasn't as bad as she thinks at her Refresher course in the DR...she did great.

frankspins · 10-28-2006, 07:56 PM

Hello everyone

Just became PADI open-water certified at the Great Astrolabe Reef (east coast of Kadavu, Fiji) a couple of weeks ago. It was a blast!!! One of the first times down to 22 meters i was only 4m away from a shark!! Pretty crazy feeling b/c you think it wants to eat you. It just swam about for a bit then made its way off. Plan on getting the Advanced cert at the Somosomo strait in 2 weeks. They say the Great White Wall there is amazing