As you can see from my username I am a scuba diver, well was but not recently. So is Mrs PD. Has anybody tried it and then decided to take it further,or tried it and not liked it. Has anybody, after qualifying abroad dived in this country and said "No Way". The reason I ask is that on TV the other night someone said they had tried it and didn't enjoy one little bit. Mr PD couldn't understand why. She likes anything to do with water either in it, on it or under it. I was wondering what others feel.
------------- Pitdiver
Welsue's other half and also a ,Camper, Sailor and a nearly Outdoor Person.
Something I always wanted to do when I was a kid. There was a subaqua club at my local pool & I was always fascinated by the aqualungs etc. Couldn't afford the kit though.
I always enjoyed diving to the bottom of the pool. I could even hold my breath & dive to the bottom of a 16ft pool when I was about seven. I used to dive to the sea bottom off Clacton & could see nothing at all.
Eventually went on hol to Cornwall & it was a revelation. Clear sea. I got a mask & flippers for the first time. Never dived with an aqualung though & now in me 60s I probably never will. I still enjoy swimming but I don't dive to bottom or dive off high boards anymore.
Scuba is short for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus". I never knew that until I googled it a minute ago.
Quote: Originally posted by pitdiver on 14/11/2016
As you can see from my username I am a scuba diver, well was but not recently. So is Mrs PD. Has anybody tried it and then decided to take it further,or tried it and not liked it. Has anybody, after qualifying abroad dived in this country and said "No Way". The reason I ask is that on TV the other night someone said they had tried it and didn't enjoy one little bit. Mr PD couldn't understand why. She likes anything to do with water either in it, on it or under it. I was wondering what others feel.
Snorkelling is the closest I have been to being under water for any length of time and I used to do lots of that in my younger days, usually in warmer climates than here in the UK. I suppose at the time it was fun but these days I would sooner be above water than below it with the fishes and anything else lurking in the depths. I think with age comes excessive caution and I know how dangerous the sea can be even close inshore and I now try to keep out of it and not take risks in anything...even climbing a ladder is scary these days...oh, and passing motorway slip roads
I've been a qualified scuba diver since 2001 and a certified teaching assistant for PADI courses since 2011. Next year I'm planning to get certified as a course instructor.
So as you might have guessed, I absolutely love it. Whether it's looking for marine life in the crevices of the rocks and reefs of Pembrokeshire or the West Country (yes, there are reefs), diving with seals off Northumberland (they're wonderful, a bit like underwater Labrador puppies), some famous wrecks and crystal clear water in Cyprus or the Egyptian Red Sea, or some spectacular intact reefs off Malaysia (where I was lucky enough to first get qualified) or Thailand (haven't been but it's on my wish list!) there really is a whole new world down there.
Bob61 - yes, diving involves a human having to breathe air under water which is not man's natural environment, and so it's not without risk. But like most things, you can reduce the risk to a minimum by being sensible, using equipment that's been regularly serviced and not going to depths that you're uncomfortable with. A bit like you probably wouldn't drive from London to Edinburgh in the old banger your dad had bought you the day after you passed your driving test.
Opensauce - you're never too old! We get quite a lot of people who try it for the first time after they've retired and get years' worth enjoyment out of it. Provided you're in a reasonable state of physical health there's really no need to worry.
With regard to cost, provided you have your own mask, fins and dive computer (around £300 for the lot) you can hire everything else from most dive centres. That said, kit's cheaper now than it's probably ever been, most likely due to a combination of more people taking up the sport and online retailing encouraging competition. You can get everything you need - including a drysuit for UK diving - for around £1500 which I believe makes it cheaper than playing golf.
Two tips for anyone thinking about giving it a go. Firstly, if you do a taster session (often called 'Discover Scuba Diving' (DSD for short) or 'Try Scuba') and struggle with something, don't be put off. Of the people we teach, the ones who keep coming back for more are most usually those who have overcome a difficulty during the training - it seems to give them more satisfaction somehow. And secondly, do your training in the UK, preferably in a drysuit. This involves getting used to more challenging conditions than in more exotic environments (colder water and usually - though not always - lower visibility for a start). But if you can dive in those conditions, you can dive anywhere in the world!
Great advice from Sam. Although, dissapointingly, I have not dived for 6 years I have a few hundred under my belt.
I started diving in the mid 80s after my body started complaining after years of playing rugby, learning with the British Sub Aqua Club, BASC club in Totnes, a wonderful club with some top rank, highly qualified and experienced instructors. Things have changed a little, but I went through the ranks and achieved Advanced Diver/Club Instructor, and taught people this wonderful hobby, leading them on their first open water dive was always gratifying and rewarding.
I absolutely loved it, and so lucky to live in Devon with the divers paradise of the South Devon coast on my doorstep. So many wrecks and reefs to explore, endless diving opportunities, shallow reefs to deep, 40mt plus, wrecks, drift diving along the current.....Fantastic fun.
I kind of drifted away from it for some reason, kids and work I guess, but always hanker for the sea and never go anywhere without my mask, snorkel and fins. I just love the underwater world, my last scuba dive was on the Great Barrier Reef 2010, simply stunning. The dive leader, a tall, young, handsome, suntanned girl magnet....Ba****d, was a great bloke who went to uni in Exeter, he said "you have done a bit before mate" I told him who I had trained with and that I was a BSAC Advanced Diver to say he was impressed was an understatement, to learn and get to advanced diver in the UK is well looked upon in his circles. Learn to dive here with sometimes low visibility, cold water, strong tides etc is a real good grounding for diving around the world.
I did do some snorkelling a few months ago and got bumped by a 4.5 meter female Great White Shark, one of 5 I saw that day! But don't worry, it was in South Africa and I was in a cage, an amazing experience.
But just to add to what Sam said about minimising the risk, get good instruction and training from a reputable organisation/club, it will stand you in good stead. But of course only being slightly biased, the British Sub Aqua Club is THE BEST.
Final tip: Learn to use a drysuit for diving in the UK, forget a wetsuit.
I started this thread back in 2016 to guage peoples thoughts about diving. Since then I have done a few pool dives just to ensure that I remember what to do. However I haven't done any diving at all for the last two years and have no intention of doing any in the future as I can't summon up any enthusiasm for it.
------------- Pitdiver
Welsue's other half and also a ,Camper, Sailor and a nearly Outdoor Person.
I was a member of the British sub aqua club branch Northwest Kent in 1974 and dived lots of places but waters around Kent were 3 ft visibility you had to travel south for better diving and Jersey was fantastic, but it was a very expensive hobby
I have a friend who does a lot of diving off the west coast of Scotland. Dry suit essential, fabulous clear waters, Spanish galleons etc. He has some brilliant photos & videos off his Go-Pro.
Never tried it as I'm very short sighted & astigmatic too. So getting a prescription lens in the goggles was probably going to be expensive. Do glasses fit inside the goggles?
My old mask had legless glasses that fitted inside the mask.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
You can buy dive masks that are designed to have prescription lenses fitted into them. Cost would probably be between about £70 and £120 depending on the prescription and the mask you buy in the first place (they're not all the same - find one that seals well on your face).
Not a lot in relation to the cost of the rest of a set of dive gear, or the price of a nice holiday
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
There are specialist companies who sell sports glasses. Boots Opticians used to have an extensive catalogue supplying glasses for all sports, swimming, diving, skiing,squash, shooting etc.
OH has some for badminton, not dead cheap, but kitemarked and effective.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Scuba Diving
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