Forum Newbie Saying G'Day from the Sollies

[KaosMick]

Evening all, I've been haunting this forum from the shadows of the Interwebs whike setting up myself with the equipment I needed to get back into the sport... I am an Aussie living in the Solomon Islands for the next couple of years, and I am lucky enough to have some fantastic dive sites right on my doorstep... Literally. I did my OW certification in 1995, did a couple of follow up dives but once life got in the way I kind of forgot what it was I loved about it. A 20+ year stint in the Northern Territory (Google it if you aren't sure where it is hahaha), with its crocodiles, sharks, deadly jellyfish and 8m tides really didn't have diving very high on my list of recreational pursuits. Barramundi fishing however... But that's not a tale for here. I recently got the opportunity of a lifetime with work, a 2 year gig in the Solomon Islands, working out of Honiara on Guadalcanal. Within two weeks of arriving, I had loan gear thrown at me and was back in the deep blue... After two dives, I had remembered what drew me to diving in the first place. I haven't looked back since, and over the last six months have dived nearly every weekend as weather and work permitted. I have accumulated all my own equipment now, and have taken the time to set it up the way I like it, weight dialed in and all. It is a fantastic feeling. Now just waiting for my dive camera to arrive so I can start trying to capture some of what I see to show the family on top.
If you have any questions of me, feel free to ask away. Hopefully I can have some constructive input in the forum, even with my limited experience. I have a marine engineering background, and an unhealthy (for my wallet) attraction to Shearwater computers...

And no, I don't feel the need to go to a BPW just yet

Cheers, Mick

 

[Compressor]

Hi Mick: Glad you joined ScubaBoard. I liked your introduction. Nice and methodical.

 

[Yawana-Dive]

Hey Mick
I’m not sure if you’re still in Honiara or you were evacuated with so many other people. We are at Vella Lavella island in the Western Province.
That Shearwater computer addiction can be a killer, but if you trawl this website long enough you’ll find yourself going down the rabbit hole of DIY service and maintenance of your own gear (a good idea if you’re in the Solomons) then you really are stuck! Especially if get drawn onto the vintage Scubapro gear.
Cheers, good luck and hope to see you out our way sometime.
Andrew

 

[iamrushman]

howdy and welcome from southeast florida usa...can't wait to see some of your underwater photos from the Solomon islands..

 

[ToneNQ]

Shearwaters are the shizzle, I now have two. Guadalcanal appears to have some great wrecks, I'm keen to dive a few of them if the opportunity presents.

I find the BP&W is actually much more comfortable that a jacket BCD, even with a single tank. I have a ProQD that I have not worn since I got my harness. They do work best with pockets so tech shorts or thigh pockets on your wetsuit are part of the package. The BPW is simpler to breakdown and pack, wash, dry, etc, but it is most certainly about compromises.

 

[KaosMick]

Hey Mick
I’m not sure if you’re still in Honiara or you were evacuated with so many other people. We are at Vella Lavella island in the Western Province.
That Shearwater computer addiction can be a killer, but if you trawl this website long enough you’ll find yourself going down the rabbit hole of DIY service and maintenance of your own gear (a good idea if you’re in the Solomons) then you really are stuck! Especially if get drawn onto the vintage Scubapro gear.
Cheers, good luck and hope to see you out our way sometime.
Andrew

Hey Andrew, yeah mate I am still in Honiara, my family got pulled out but... Picked up a (non Covid) bug about a week and a bit ago, still recovering, so my diving has been limited to a shallow work related inspection on a vessels hull... I hear you on the gear maintenance and service, I've already had to get a couple bits for my Hydros to fix the previous owners fk ups... Hopefully my regs hold out until I can get them serviced in Aus when due, they are Apeks so should be ok for a bit, and I treat them very well... If I ever get back lol, not that I want to...
Got my Teric now, a truly magnificent piece of equipment, I do enjoy the level of detail I can have on a given dive... But still have the trusty Suunto Vyper Novo as a backup should the Teric fall off the perch.
Vella Lavella eh? One of the lads I work with is from there, and it sounds like a magic place. Hopefully I will visit out that way during my time here, be nice to meet a few new people
Cheers.

 

[RobbieBobbie]

Evening all, I've been haunting this forum from the shadows of the Interwebs whike setting up myself with the equipment I needed to get back into the sport... I am an Aussie living in the Solomon Islands for the next couple of years, and I am lucky enough to have some fantastic dive sites right on my doorstep... Literally. I did my OW certification in 1995, did a couple of follow up dives but once life got in the way I kind of forgot what it was I loved about it. A 20+ year stint in the Northern Territory (Google it if you aren't sure where it is hahaha), with its crocodiles, sharks, deadly jellyfish and 8m tides really didn't have diving very high on my list of recreational pursuits. Barramundi fishing however... But that's not a tale for here. I recently got the opportunity of a lifetime with work, a 2 year gig in the Solomon Islands, working out of Honiara on Guadalcanal. Within two weeks of arriving, I had loan gear thrown at me and was back in the deep blue... After two dives, I had remembered what drew me to diving in the first place. I haven't looked back since, and over the last six months have dived nearly every weekend as weather and work permitted. I have accumulated all my own equipment now, and have taken the time to set it up the way I like it, weight dialed in and all. It is a fantastic feeling. Now just waiting for my dive camera to arrive so I can start trying to capture some of what I see to show the family on top.
If you have any questions of me, feel free to ask away. Hopefully I can have some constructive input in the forum, even with my limited experience. I have a marine engineering background, and an unhealthy (for my wallet) attraction to Shearwater computers...

And no, I don't feel the need to go to a BPW just yet

Cheers, Mick

Hey Mick.

I'm looking to reward myself for living 60 years and taking a diving trip on a liveaboard in the Solomon Islands.

What advise can you give me?

Thanks, Rob in Canada

 

[Griffo]

Rob, might be worth posting in the pacific Islands forum. I've personally only really done Gizo and Uepi, but man.. beats any other diving i've ever done as far as marine life goes. Just go to youtube and search such as

 

[drrich2]

Welcome. Never been to that side of the world; read great things about Solomon Islands diving. On the forum, Raja Ampat and Komodo National Park seem to get the most discussion; Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands much less, though when mentioned, it sounds like the diving to leading edge.