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Question to all the Divers out there...
....and I know there are more than a few...
Anyone ever make it to the Gulf coast of FL to do any shark tooth/tank dives? I searched about diving but only found things related to SF/SEAL diving, technical questions, and the popular spots one normally associates with SCUBA diving. If anyone ever makes it down the the Venice/Sarasota area, I can personally recommend a good shop out there run by a very good guy with a good staff that runs charters as well. PM me if interested. In addition: Anyone have any funny diving stories out there:eek:? I found a few, but no dedicated thread. Thought this might be a good place to share some of the more interesting ones... |
I vacationed in Sandestin a few years ago. Didn't go diving but saw some shops in the area.
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Diving in FL
We went diving in the Destin area a few weeks ago, this was just a try it and see thing for me. Our divemaster was a former 5th grouper. I'd have to look to see if I have his name in any of our paperwork. He and my 18E who is already PADI had a good conversation about SF.
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Honduran Bay Islands
The only two places I have ever dived is Cancun (crappy crappy crappy). and the Bay Islands I got my open water certification in Utilla and spent a lot of my year and half in Honduras diving in Roatan. From what serious divers tell me, the reef off the Bay Islands in Honduras is only second best to the reef in Australia.
If my husband and I retire in the way we want, it will be back to Roatan, with our own dive shop and bar. |
a funny rant....
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That means cold water, low vis, and dumb fat divers. My favorite. Reminds me of a good story.... Rewind back to 2004. I was the mate on the boat for the previously mentioned charter and shop. One of the most popular dive charters for this shop is the famous Shark Tooth Dive. I believe the Travel channel did a little blurb on it recently. In this dive, we would throw 12 divers into the water two times per trip. Some days, we would run two trips per day. One at 0900 and one at 1400. For those that don't know, the idea of these trips were to dive and collect prehistoric shark teeth and various fossils that had accumulated mainly during the Pliocene era as the area used to be a river-bed during those times. The clientele for these trips were usually out of shape (with the exception of a few very good divers), and most did not belong in the water. Never the less, it was my job to make sure they didn't drown and to make sure they left happy with some teeth in their hands. On one occasion, this woman happened to stumble on to the boat (approx 250-300 lbs) and decide that she was going to give it a go (even though I would bet that she couldn't climb a flight of stairs without being winded). The usual case with these people is that they can't get below the surface without throwing on much more lead than is typically needed and typically require a lot of attention. Fast forward to the end of the dive. Towards the end, she had managed to drift behind the boat even after I had free-dived down there and gave her the "you need to go this direction" signal. My boss and I saw her flag slowly drifting further and further behind the boat before she surfaced and so we threw the 100M line and float out behind the boat. At this point we were hoping we could "reel her in" when she surfaced. She managed to drift behind this as well, so I had some fun double timing it to throw some fins and a mask on when this woman finally surfaced just in time to miss the float. On top of it (of course) she was panicking, had about 100PSI left, and couldn't figure out that she needed to either A) inflate her BC or B) ditch her weights. Let's just say it was a fun swim after I finally got to her and calmed her down all while trying to keep her from drowning. I ditched this woman's weights, inflated her BC, swam her back 50M to the float and then 100M more because she was too physically exhausted to pull herself in. After all that, I got a snitty remark about not saving her lead (that wasn't hers to begin with) and a $5 tip. But hey, at least I got some experience and a funny story...:boohoo My old boss still loves to mess with me over that one. |
A message to all...
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On a more serious note, a business colleague of mine has property, more specifically an island, in the sea of Cortez. Once accomondations are finished, all are invited. WD |
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We down to plan a dive requal out of NEDU. Great bunch of people down there, very helpful. Great support. Sightseeing diving isn't worth a crap there but the spearfishing isn't half bad.
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A friend of mine writes for Scuba Diving Magazine. Here is a link to an article he wrote about Venice Beach.
http://www.scubadiving.com/travel/20...nice-beach-fla He told me it was one of the more interesting dives he's been on. |
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I kick myself just about every day for not buying it then. The place is worth about $5M now. |
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As a rescue-recovery diver for the King County Sheriff's department for many years I also dove in most all of the many lakes in that county and a few others, they were usually cold as well. (Spring or glazier fed.) The apparatus for being able to pee in your drysuit (which I had) was sort of a pain in the ass. One has to put on sort of a condom device that hooks to a tube that hooks to a one way valve installed in the suit. Most times the hair around the penis gets rolled into the condom and hurts when you remove it! Female divers in dry suits had to hold it or use a diaper, in those days. I wonder if they have solved that problems yet. :D |
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