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Neat insight Mark, as usual -- have to remember that idea.

Psyched -- once that comes in I have to find out what it takes to do a crossover from PADI DM to DorkMaster :)

Are the barge near the maritime museum and the stacked hulls at Portsmouth Harbor still in decent shape? I was looking at popping over on 8/18 for a change of pace, introduce a few NY people to the area. (I know the Cardinal/Prescott dives, am specifically looking for a few Kingston area spots...

Another couple of good shore dives, suitable for beginners, are just over the Ogdensburg bridge in Canada. The Connie and the Rothsey are both nice, and there's also a scuba park there, a reasonably short circuit with things to check out. The 18th I expect to go on the Cape Vincent ferry to...

I recheck my save-a-dive, make sure the wrenches haven't disappeared. Never had to change my own hoses on a trip, but I have had to lend them to friends. I also stock bonine and Sudafed, plus ear dry (SwimEar or any of the generic store brands do fine -- just read the ingredients) -- helpful...

Oh, my -- actually several constructive comments without a random bash against ponies. :)

I dive an HP100 with just a core warmer, fresh water, still seem to be alive (though maybe this is all a dream). Other than for Caribbean wall dives, in which case I don't have the 100 and do have an extra 6 lb of salt water buoyancy, the places I dive have hard bottoms, just plain not an...

Air -- pony means the dive's over, I don't sweat nitrogen buildup in that phase. It also makes it a lot simpler for fairly frequent topoffs (practice).

Love my springs -- they don't break, aren't a hassle to put on or take off, do stay on nicely (that's why they make the different sizes -- I tried mine on in my LDS, with the fins, to make sure I had the right size).

I dive with a pony bailout frequently. Pretty much the only time I don't is if it's shallow and I'm with a known buddy. (Practice is key -- knowing that the bailout is sufficient for the profiles you dive, including safety stop(s), using it often enough that it's not an issue when needed.)

I've done four vacations the last 2 years, Keys, Utila, Roatan, Curacao -- zero problems traveling with a pony. Checked luggage, valve removed and a plastic bag put over the end, in my main dive travel bag (a rolling Aeris) with BC, fins, lights. The only thing that the destinations asked is...

No problem with your approach if, of course, the person practices it a lot, so it's truly automatic. I heard about a near miss recently, where in the "fog of battle" it sounds like the OOA ended up with the turned off pony reg, sucked water (upside down reg, as well as air off), ended up with a...

Ahh -- this one is a kinda-sorta rehash of the conversation from A&I that ended up getting split off into its own thread. Kind of like the troops are fighting multiple skirmishes. I wish the pro section had a flame zone, too, one where the Instructors could do these threads. Reading the...

If buddy has a pony, check to make sure that that is on too, the reg live.

Too bad there isn't a forum, preferably flame free, for the pros to haggle over the sequencing of the standards they teach to, methods used, technologies. Many of these posts are way down in the mud, concerning open water -- far too low a level for a new person, someone just considering taking...

I believe there was a recent DAN writeup on decongestants, in Alert Diver, considered old Sudafed, the new Sudafed PE, and Afrin. (I'm no MD, don't even play one on TV.)

I use a pony as a bailout bottle, sized to have enough air for a normal ascent, halfway stop for 1 minute, plus full safety stop. A 19 does what I need. (A 30 offers more air, of course, but everything in life is a decision -- the 19 is small enough that it's comfortable to travel with, does...

Thanks -- I thought so, but wanted to check (little buggers were everywhere in Curacao)

Would this little beauty be a stone fish or a scorpion? http://markfm.dynalias.org/Photos/Curacao0307/album/slides/P3120136Scorpion.html Thanks!

Daryaw's good, but the current can be a bit of a challenge -- it was pretty strong last weekend, only my buddy and I completed the full circuit, out of a group of 12. Lilly Parson's also fun, a classic second drift dive. Note -- the rope at the end of the drift is cut, only extends to about 25'...