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OP - there are very few people who regret taking the rescue course. I'm sure some people wish it was harder, easier, different, etc. But everyone picks up some new skills. One of the most valuable things I learned was assessing divers (esp. strangers) before an issue becomes a big problem...

Seems like Aldora could have let the customer know a previously-booked guide was sick. Or at least responded to an email with that explanation. Or at least something besides a snarky response to a very reasonable and factual piece of customer feedback. Other shops have big tanks and long dives...

An AL40 tank weighs about 20lbs (their production weight goal) and costs about $125. You could get a harness instead of a BC for about $50. And with some practice, you could last 60 mins @ 35ft. So, safety issues aside, I'm not sure what the advantages are? The fact that it's rechargeable vs...

Opinions will vary greatly, but if you shoot a lot of RAW and are willing to put in a little time to learn, Adobe Lightroom is a fantastic program for editing underwater photos. You can see evidence for this by the number of u/w photo shops that offer classes (and even entire trips!) devoted to...

Yes, it should be fine. I used it a lot without the ring and never had any issues with water proofness or operation of the camera.

If you giant stride from the lowest point, it's really not that far. But, in fact, there is actually a ladder. The kids who play there use it to get in and out. I have circled it in the one image from @drrich2 and there's another angle that shows it clearly. I've never used that ladder, but it...

You asked about getting brilliance of colors. It took me a long time to understand this, but it's worth thinking about some simple facts. When you dive, everything looks blue, or green. If you want brilliance of colors, you have to learn how to use your strobe. The colors only look brilliant...

pm sent.

I second Puako if the conditions are good and you like shore diving. My favorite site along Puako is called End-of-Road. Some people are pro-Manta Dive and some people are against it. It's a bit of a circus, but still a pretty spectacular sight. If you're feeling even more adventurous, check out...

I have 2 Zumas and hundreds of dives on them - pool, quarry, and tropical. I use between 10-20lbs in the pockets and have used 80cf and 100cf tanks. I've never had any stability issues, assuming you set it up correctly, following the instructions, and cinch the upper strap properly. I bought the...

It's not like anyone needs a trip report on Monterey, but I thought it might be helpful to describe my experiences in case any other experienced divers are wondering about diving in Northern California for the first time. Since I started diving, I have wanted to see the kelp forest environment...

OP - have you considered Hawaii? Have you ever been? Compared to other exotic destinations, it's a lot easier to travel there with a group of people. 2 medium flights from IAD, DCA, or BWI. There's great snorkeling, the diving is diverse, and the land-based scenery/activities are amazing. I'm a...

The likelihood of the reduction funnel phenomenon ameliorating in diving is pretty low. With condensed OW courses, more online content, and less instructor face-to-face time, it will probably only become more pronounced. Given that, I think it's important to consider how much harm will be done...

I will also admit that I do not "need" a Perdix for the type of diving that I typically do. However, I have no regrets about spending the money to get one. I do regret that they announced the AI model 2 months later, but I can't blame Shearwater for my bad timing.. The Perdix is one of the very...

It's a common argument on SB that the DM course does not make you a better diver. I think this is somewhat of a simplification. The content of the DM course does not focus on the diving skills of the DM, but rather on managing dive students and their safety during training and during certified...

I have a TG-4 in the Olympus housing and while it's a great little camera, there are some pretty serious limitations, especially for someone from the "old school" (like me). There is no full manual mode, and there is no shutter priority mode. You can control the ISO, but it can choose some...

Sometimes you get tired of reading the news and you just want to look at turtles for 3 minutes. For those times: Some footage snorkeling at Honolua, and then most of the footage diving at Mala pier.

To each their own I guess. I like long, shallow dives. At Puako it was easy to get in 90-120 mins and I managed to see much more than Shark Alley, Kaloko Pond, Kona Airport, and Leileiwi in Hilo combined (the other places I dove). 10 species of nudibranchs, frogfish, turtle cleaning stations...

I recommend shore diving at Puako. There are 3 or 4 good entry points and lots of cool, shallow lava tubes. When I went, we were staying in Puako and I went out with a company called LRB. They have since changed their name to Puako Dive Company. Great guide, long dives. Hopefully, they're still...

Assuming it's Danish Kroner - XE: Convert DKK/USD. Denmark Krone to United States Dollar $500! - A steal!