Search results

Some answers to your questions in this thread.

I've just been informed that the logs of my last 100 dives must be submitted on paper for the New Zealand government to grant me a licence to instruct diving.

I should have been more clear Kev, my gripe was solely to dives which must be guided. For example I've found many nudibranchs and pointed out these to my group. If there are other groups around I'll get the attention of my colleagues, who'll have a quick look for themselves, but very rarely show...

That's a good point. It is holidays at the moment so seeing the remaining boats at capacity is no surprise. But I think there will certainly be an opportunity for someone in the near future.

I hate the standard guided dive on the GBR. Basically follow a DM on a standard loop who is trying to show you as much as possible, whereas in reality actually shows you almost nothing. I can see why the operators do this, the experience of many 'certified' divers leaves a lot to be desired...

Thanks for the info. However I'm currently in New Zealand, might be quite a commute for me.

Unfortunately, tanks in Australia must have a hydro every year.

I've not had a problem with the shutter release spring, that one appears to be much stronger than the other buttons. However when one or more of the other buttons are depressed the camera locks up and will not shoot. The trouble is if I strenghten the springs through spacers, upgrades...

I have a housing rated to 40m but it is just about unusable deeper than 30m. The reason for this is that the button return springs are no longer strong enough to counter the pressure at depth. The buttons become constantly depressed on the camera and it ceases to work properly. Next time I...

Hi alewar. Thanks for your response. I may have been wrong in my assumption that Australia was one of the strictest countries when it comes to medical issues. However my post was aimed at divers diving or wishing to dive in Australia. The information you have provided may be better suited in...

Just FYI. Aristocat, a dive boat from Port Douglas with a poor reputation due to low passenger number cancellation, would appear to have stopped running services altogether. No confirmation as of yet, and their website appears to running as normal, but the rumour in the industry is that their...

Medical required for: Entry level (Open Water Course). Medical may be required: If you answer Yes to any question on the medical based questions for Certified Diving or Continuing Education dive courses. Medical clearance may be provided over the phone, but it may be best to assume for the...

Just a quick FYI post regarding medicals and medical issues in Australia. Australia has some of the strictest requirements for health status related to diving, and AKAIK only Norway has greater requirements. As it is a federation some of the states have stricter requirements than others. Some...

No the currents are not too strong, they are avoided by choosing different sites at different times. Operators to choose from are; Mike Ball, Spirit of Freedom and Prodive. Personally I would choose Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom as these two will take you to Steve's Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle, The...

OQ could be back by the time you travel. But that will depend on the mining boom, strength of the dollar, and tourist numbers.

A friend of mine is currently towing barges in WA. He was just outside Onslow when he took this picture. I understand why OQ is being used as accommodation for the miners when there are fewer tourists, but it's still a shame.

You'll find that dive boats up in the Coral Sea will avoid currents by choosing more appropriate and sheltered sites, offer drift dives, or choose a better time to visit a specific site. The biggest cause of current that affects the Coral Sea is the tide. In mid November here in Port Douglas we...

Different fish (+other species) do different things at different times of the day. There is always a good reason to dive; morning, noon, afternoon or night. If it's not your time zone then don 't dive

Bear in mind that a 3mm suit will be more stretchy and could provide a better fit than the same size 5mm suit. In this case the 3mm suit could be warmer than the 5mm. This is not always the case, but shows that you should get something that is a good fit, rather than believing that the...

8 degrees C, bloody cold if you ask me (I've persoanlly dived down to 2 degrees many times), and nothing like swimming pool conditions what so ever. But of course no mention of temp in the PADI IM. Then again I've been warmer on a dive in a drysuit at 2 degrees than I have been in a wetsuit...