Does anyone dive?

I did my open water and advanced in Manchester and the Carribean last year. (Guess my favourite?) Then dived the Red Sea, Marsa Alam.

I want to book a holiday for later this year but can't decide where to go.

I've never dived in the UK but I know some people swear by it. Personally I'm not convinced about cold water diving. Not so much the temperature as "what's to see?"

Where are your best dives?

And does anyone know if a dive bag will fit in a Spider boot?

Got my PADI license years ago, had a blast diving in the Dutch Antilles but then never had a chance to do it again

Dutch Antilles? Saba? Satia? Bonaire? St Maarten?

Why did you stop?

Aruba.

I stopped because I got married and the wife isn't into it. Plus with the kids now it's impossible to find the time.

I'm off to Stoney Cove at the beginning of July... I've got a 5mm over shorty, plus a 5mm semi-dry suit....i'm hoping it'll be enough to stave off the cold!!

Bob Soto's in GC, when the lungs were flexible, in years past.: Too creaky nowadays, so just look at the pictures.: Have fun.

Im in full agreement about diving in the uk - just dont bother. All you will see is algae, kelp and maybe the odd cortina...... the stoney cove crew go mad when they see a solitary lobster wow!

Save your money and go to the red sea or indian ocean.

So far my favorite dives have with a whale shark in the national park in sharm, in the middle of a fish ball surrounded by sharks in the north male atol maldives, manta ray cleaning station in maritius and in a reck surrounded by tuna in the seychelles.

IMO dive computers are not to be encouranged for inexperienced divers (under say 100 dives). Much better for them to work out how to dive correctly relying on the skills taught in the course before becoming lazy with the gadgets dive computers tend to make people ignore their dive planning skills

If you want to do underwater photography choose that as one of your specialties in the advanced open water advanced course, then get yourself a little compact digital camera and housing. I use a canon ixus 750 with a 2 gig card. Its never let me down.

Some good advice there ukoldschool thanks

I would love to dive abroad more, but I'd rather dive frequently in this country purely to keep my skills up! Sure maybe I won't see much, but as long as I become an expert at navigation and technique it'll be good.

As for camera, I've got a Canon G9, just need to get a decent underwater housing for it!

Oh! If I manage to get there again ever, I will have a trip in the glass viewing Nautilus Sub if it still runs? Just about right for an 'oldie'. Don't fancy that diving bell trip off the shelf, what if the rope breaks?

Mrs DR & I did our open water at Oban in December a few years back....that was an experience especially as Mrs DRs dry suit wasn't very dry.....I would love to do an underwater photography course, that sound really cool!

I did my PADI in Turtle Bay, Kenya. It was mind blowing down there. I wouldn't even consider diving in the UK.

Diving in the UK is great, loads of cool stuff to be seen, very different froom tropical waters but still good. You just need to be able to sat warm and a leaking dry suit in mid December is not the way!

The red sea is amazing. I had the brilliant experience of meeting a group of 5 playful dolphins on a dive from Hurghada in February this year. I came in last minute, as work had taken me to Cairo with a few unexpected days off - only ONE day diving... and then a days rest before flying back to office in a rainy France

I took my AOW some years back on Koh Tao in Thailand - and my humble opinion is: If you have a chance of taking two weeks off... or more... I REALLY recommend you to go there Life is good there - and every day spent on that island will make you consider staying for a divemaster and a new career in ever increasing detail

I'm PADI qualified to Advanced Open Water. Next course will be rescue diver i think. Its now number one priority when i book holidays.I've managed to dive on four continents! I tried diving in the UK and it sucked.

6miester: what specialities did you chose for your AOW course?

Originally Posted by Fyrfad

I took my AOW some years back on Koh Tao in Thailand - and my humble opinion is: If you have a chance of taking two weeks off... or more... I REALLY recommend you to go there Life is good there - and every day spent on that island will make you consider staying for a divemaster and a new career in ever increasing detail

I wholeheartedly agree
I went there originally on the recommendation of some buddies who'd gone out there to learn and had been able to stay and teach Thailand, in general, is a very special country and Koh Tao (as opposed to it's more commercial larger neighbour Koh Samui) is a beautiful place. Even if you’re not a diver you’ll get a quiet and chilled out paradise . Much fun had there tearing up and down exploring the island on a hired "motorbike"

I could live on Pad Thais and Blueberry Lassis

I'm looking forward to returning and taking the bambinos

Just don't go in the monsoon season

Originally Posted by FoxRacer

6miester: what specialities did you chose for your AOW course?

I'm pretty sure you had to do Underwater navigation and deep. The other two i did were AWARE-fish identification and underwater nature study. I was lucky enough to do mine in Fiji and i can't tell you how much i enjoyed it.

The deep (30m) dive was amusing. Its amazing how depth affects your judgement.

I passed my OW at Stoney Cove today...doing my AOW in a few weeks in Spain...should be a bit warmer, and hopefully with vis more than 1m!!

Saw a dark metallic grey GT at Stoney...did that belong to anyone here?

Been diving off Gozo yesterday and today, doing open water and loving it took me a bit of time to get used to breathing underwater with no mask though it appears when I breath in I always breath in through my nose as well as mouth. Not a good idea underwater should be back in uk on Friday a qualified open water diver

I am totally hydrophobic.

I cannot even swim - I went to beginners classes 40 years ago and have tried, on and off since then. I just sort of float on the surface but , despite how I move my arms and legs, I go nowhere. Over the years people have seen me as a challenge and, despite their truly best intentions, have been unable to convert me to moving in water.

So why am I posting here? - well I would really love to be able to dive as it seems such fun to do. The freedom of movement is something I would love - however I am, apparently, totally landlocked.

Paul.

Diving in gozo at the mo

Lucky. I could go diving right now its raining so hard...

Need to book this years holiday soon, Papua new Guinea is looking good.