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Here's a question for the group: When I took my AOW training (via PADI), 2 of my 5 specialties were boat diver & drift diver. However, in the PADI curriculum for both of these specialties there apparently is not instruction included in the proper deployment of a SMB, particularly at depth &...

Thanks for the nice words Dennis & I'll definitely have to check out your book. In retrospect, I should have added: #11: Pay close attention to the teacher/leader/instructor & follow they're directions. Working in the K-12 education field & being a leader in my son's cub scout pack for a...

In the case of drift dives in the ocean, your own boat that's maneuvering around above/nearby you picking up other divers. When you're floating down Rainbow River, it's the careless kayakers who ignore your dive flag & then silently skim right over your head from behind you when you're about to...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to finally experience for the first time, with a great group of close dive friends from my area, some of the outstanding offshore diving available in both Pompano Beach & West Palm Beach. Prior to this weekend, my only salt water experience was a single...

My 11 year old son has an XS Scuba Fusion 2 Junior that fits very nicely. I had a hard time finding him a good mask for snorkeling but got lucky with this one. I got it at Divers Supply in Jacksonville. Here's the link from XS Scuba if you want to take a look at them. XS Scuba MA220 Fusion 2...

Thanks for the info. I'll check those out. Part of the reason I got away from the solo was getting in/out was difficult, especially on land, since there's only 1 strap & it connects to the BP at both ends. If I need to drop the Elite 2 in an emergency it's just "click, click, click" on the...

Whooops, scratch that. 1.75lbs empty buoyancy, ~2lb full & tank wt ~ 3.5lbs. Still enough to definitely notice however.

Thanks for the info! It looks like there's almost 2lbs difference when empty & almost 4lbs when full. Glad I wasn't hallucinating! Gonna have to try adjusting my ditchable weight a bit next time.

I have a quick question. I recently purchased 2 used Luxfer Aluminum S080 cylinders, born in 2002. Is there any weight & buoyancy difference between these and generic Catalina AL80 tanks, both full and empty? I've primarily dove with rented/borrowed Catalina AL80s thus far & noticed that I...

I don't know if anyone who has one of these harnesses can assist with this (or if a Hollis rep monitors this board) but I have a question. I recently received this harness for Xmas to go with my aluminum BP & S25 wing. (It replaced an older solo harness.) After consulting the Hollis website for...

If Santa can afford one, either a Hollis Elite II harness, a nitrox certification or at least 1 tank. (A gently used AL80 in good shape w/hyro/vip would do fine.) If Santa's too tapped out for those then at least a couple of tank rentals & a day's admission to dive in one of the springs in N...

An odd issue I've encountered thus far in my few experiences diving in near zero visibility is my ability to control my trim. I've gotten much better at staying more horizontal descending when I can see the bottom or a reference (wall, line, etc.) which helps me to control my descent speed, but...

I did my first salt water dives last weekend (#23,24) & it took me a couple of minutes to adjust to the different buoyancy but once I did, it was fine for the rest of the dive & the next one. The biggest thing I didn't expect was having a current to deal with so I had to keep some extra space...

On my very first salt water dive ever this past weekend offshore of Jacksonville I got to see a nurse shark about 15 minutes into the dive. He was about 5 feet long & lying on the sandy bottom, underneath the bow of the barge we were exploring - just sitting there hanging out. I was the lead...

Thank you very much for your reply Bob. Like I said earlier, I understand that govt regulation is a highly passionate topic & it's definitely NOT my intent to stir up emotions or pick sides, just get a simple "yes" or "no" to an innocent question & maybe even a "why" if anyone cares to elaborate...

After reading through the posts I have a thought I'd like to toss out for the discussion that I'm not sure anyone may have had. As everyone knows, homeland security events have changed the way business is done in this country in a variety of ways. Obviously, gun purchases are regulated (at...

Well, scratch that last marine forecast I had. Now it's 5-7 foot seas near shore both Saturday & Sunday. :( Anyone have any suggestions/recommendations for a good charter out of either Clearwater or even Panama City Beach? I used to live in PC years ago & as well as the Bay area so I'm very...

I'm really bummed about the storm too. I've had a trip booked to WPB since June for this weekend as well. I'm supposed to have a 2 tank charter on Saturday afternoon, a night dive at BHB Saturday evening & a 2 tank charter Sunday morning. Even though the NWS marine forecast calls for a west...

Thanks - I'll check into that one too.

Can anyone tell me what the dimensions are for XS Scuba's single weight pocket (WB 101)? This is the pocket that comes in either black, blue or yellow, can accept up to a 2 inch wide webbing & is commonly used as a tank trim weight pocket. (They're around $ 8 - 9.00 on Leisure Pro, Scuba Toys...