Search results

Wow, the "rookies" have it. I'm religious about logging (maybe because at 24 dives, the novelty still hasn't worn off). And I feel like I'm just now leaving the steep part of the learning curve, so every dive so far has been uniquely meaningful. I've got a trip planned once a month for the...

I'm embarrassed to say that I checked "sometimes". The good news is: when in California, I dive exclusivley with my girlfriend, and we have an informal ritual in which we check and double check our gear, talk about our plan for the dive, check our fills, and go over hand signals and...

My list is lil', but growing: Monterey & Carmel, California Kona, Hawaii Saanich Inlet, BC, Canada Soon to add the Channel Islands and the Coronados (both California)...

Wow, thanks to everyone for the very useful feedback. I really appreciate it. DNAXdiver, that's an excellent idea. I'll let you know how it goes. best, steve

I'm a student at Berkeley and so I just can't shell out for charters all the time (though I've had good experiences on the Cypress Sea). This means that my girlfriend and I do mainly shore dives in Monterey and Carmel. To reiterate: stay away from the breakwater on weekends (but don't skip...

Up until last weekend I thought I preferred boat dives unilaterally to shore dives. Then I dove Pt. Lobos. Make a reservation and go! It's got the ease of entry (and lack of sand) that I thought belonged only to boat dives, and it totally lacks the crowds and sense of urgency found on boats...

I dove the Saanich Inlet (north of Victoria) last summer and had a GREAT time. My buddy dove dry; I had on a rented 7mm farmer john/jacket combo with a separate hood. I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to cold, but even that far north I was good for about 25 minutes at depths around 60 - 70 ft. I...

Another entry in the endless debate over which reg to buy: Based mainly on what I've read around here, I decided that the regulator for me is the Apeks TX-50/DS4, and I figured I'd order it from DiveInn. However, when I asked around my LDS for (obviously biased) opinions about regs, they...

I did three dives with the Xcel 8/7/6 this weekend (one at Coral St. in Pacific Grove and two in Whaler's Cove in Pt. Lobos). I can't say enough about the suit! Granted, I have only me experience with two-piece rentals for comparison, but this was the first time I've done cold water dives...

On the other hand, someone's about to get a great deal on an Apeks ATX-200. A buffoon who got lucky?

In cold, low visibility conditions, I prefer just one buddy. Particularly when we're exploring a new site, it's a heck of a lot easier to make decisions with (and keep track of) just one other person. In Monterey, I dive almost exclusively with my girlfriend. On the other hand, when it's...

I just watched some one drive an Apeks TX-50/DS4 up to $312 (and still six days to go on the auction)! Dive Inn's got it for $239.36, and I bet it arrives faster...

Hi all - I'm a fairly new diver and brand new to the board, so I thought I'd stop here and say that this is the single greatest SCUBA resource I've yet to find! Thanks to all for the informative discussions. Here's my scoop: I live in Oakland, CA, and I'm a grad student at Berkeley. I...

Hi Jason - (Don't be confused by "astrofunk" -- I just replaced my boring "sdawson42" with something with a little more color.) My LDS said much the same - that Xcel's arbitrary use of "semi-dry" for the 8/7/6 was simply window dressing to get you to buy their latest model, and that prior...