Very "light" scuba diving

[pisoiu]

When I go diving with an agency and with another divers, picture is clear, complete scuba donning, going seeing something, coming back, etc.
But there are times when I go to a beach just for tanning purposes, with my wife and kids. Some of us will do some freediving in such condition, others will just swim around in waters. Personally I do not find any of those two options appealing. What I would like is to take my 4.5 liters pony with one second stage, a shorty wetsuit and fins and to fool around under 3-4 meters of water for 10-20 minutes. No bcd, buddy, no deeper than few meters, not even close to NDL, just wanting to have few meters of water above me even if there is not much to see underwater of regular beaches.
I never tried it before. Do you think someone (especially beaches responsibles) will have anything against it? I am talking mainly about beaches in my area, Europe (Croatia, Greece, Turkey, etc).
Thank you.

 

[victor]

No scuba police that I know of. However I can see some potential issues in pollitically correct Europe.
I would sugest you keep well away from areas where there are a lot of kids and I would sugest that you do not take a camera with you.

 

[pisoiu]

Good point with kids and cameras, thank you. I would imagine there will be some folks which would think I am some obsessed freak.
Well, I am obsessed with scuba diving anyway, but that's the end of my obsessions.

 

[Hickdive]

Be wary in Greece, they have some very strict rules on scuba diving in order to protect their antiquities.

 

[MasterChief D]

Be wary in Greece, they have some very strict rules on scuba diving in order to protect their antiquities.

You are right - diving in Greece used to be permitted only in specially designated areas; everything else was off limits (for the protection of marine antiquities). A few years ago however, in an attempt to attract more scuba divers, Greece changed the law and opened most of its 15,000 km coastline to scuba diving (diving is now allowed everywhere, except explicitly designated areas of archaeological interest or marine conservation areas).

 

[pisoiu]

I would imagine that such archeological sites are not right near regular beaches where people are going for a tan.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Don't know the regs in your area.....but here we call it Monkey Diving.

Good times


Sent from my iPhone from my momma's basement

 

[pisoiu]

Didn't knew that, sounds funny , thank you.

 

[alewar]

That's what snorkels are made for. With a little practice you can stay down for a couple of minutes and you don't have to take care of bottle, regulator, filling...

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I have done what pisoiu is proposing a couple of times, but with a 20 cu ft tank. I though it great fun. I had hundreds of dives of experience behind me before I engaged in this type of minimal equipment diving. I think pisoiu may want to get a little more experience before doing it. If he does, the key is to remember you are still breathing bottled air under pressure, even if limited pressure and depth. Ascend slowly, and do not hold your breath. Be sure someone knows where you are, and consider a dive flag which you should keep with you.
DivemasterDennis