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Perhaps some confusion. I'm aware of the DAN "Voyager" and "Elite" plans (of the past) that had some very nice coverages for Emergency Evacuation, Medical Expenses, Trip Interruption, etc. And, yes these were not equally available in all states of the USA. However, I was referring to the the...

I received some answers from DAN. The way that I interpret this: The dive-insurance coverages previously offered under “membership” categories of “Guardian,” “Preferred,” and “Master” have been separated into categories of “membership” and “insurance.” For me to obtain the same insurance...

Encouraged by the dive-trip operators that I travel with, I have been a “Preferred” DAN member for several years. This year at renewal time, I noticed the former three levels of DAN coverage with “Preferred”$$ in the middle (flanked by “Guardian”$$$ and “Master”$) has been replaced by...

I do sidemount with tanks up to 120cf. I use the Hollis 75. I dive wrecks not caves. I don’t do extended deco which would probably mean 80cf pony tanks. If I plan for some mild deco, I carry one 40cf with oxygen and another 40cf with the Nitrox mix for the first stop. Both pony tanks are hung in...

I’ve been doing solo for about 5 years and sidemount technical before that. Sidemount is my preferred setup for solo. When solo, I limit myself to no-decompression limits and seem to consume about 80cf per dive regardless of depth (deeper depth greater consumption and shorter stay). With my...

I dive sidemount off boats. Some boats have walk-through transoms, some have step-over transoms, some have narrow stairs or ladders with railings. I usually find a way to wear both sidemount tanks and get into the water. When getting out of the water, I usually “hand-up” or hang the right tank...

. Congratulations on the tech diver certification. I also dive sidemount in cold water. My tech diving course was taught by an instructor wearing sidemount. I don’t always carry 100% but when I do is hung on the right side. I was taught to place deco tanks above the main tanks. In my...

Ditto—I have the FLX (neoprene lower and TLS top). When the water is 40F, I sometimes experience cold shoulders and wish I had the CF200. My recommendation is to opt for the custom fitting. I didn’t and eventually had it tailored.

I learned to dive back in the J-valve days. ( I did use a submersible pressure gauge). There is a difference in the sensation of emptying a tank vs closing the valve. I’ve only breathed a tank down to zero twice. As the tank pressure approaches the first stage intermediate pressure the...

I was to Turks & Caicos in Dec 2018 and recently (May 2019). Yes to French Caye and West Caicos. I’m not an expert, but the reefs seemed to be in good shape. There is a modest reef restoration project (coral Christmas trees) in progress. Night dives at 8:30pm. (also a pre-dawn 5:30am dive). The...

I just returned from a ver pleasant dive trip aboard the Turks & Caicos Explorer II. There was a crew of 6 (captain, purser, engineer, chef and two mates). The crew members were scuba instructors. The first thing that impressed me was the energy and passion of the crew. The food and...

Haugh (no dive plan) and Gilboa (Dive plan if deep) quarries accept Solo cert. All boats I’ve been on don’t allow solo (in the waiver) due to insurance. I’ve solo dived at Bonaire quite a bit with the knowledge of the tank rental facility; but the operator didn’t wish to see my card. I have...

I agree. I was really OOA only once (crazy busy day and I had redundant air) and fortunately there was plenty of warning. Initially the reg seemed a bit harder to breathe but I could still take full breaths. With my steel tank there was also an interesting sound or tone during inhalation of the...

Recreational diving is governed by insurers. Back in the day, I have been told that I am not allowed to dive off a particular boat with a back-inflate BC, or to use Nitrox, or to fill my steel tanks above 1800 psi (yes really), etc. I came to understand that these were often stipulated in...

I don’t know which type of Apeks low profile valve I replaced. It was originally purchased in 2014. As I indicated, using measurements both valves appeared similar except in how many clicks of clockwise rotation were required to obtain a given vent pressure. While diving I notice a slightly...

I was disappointed in having what I considered “an excessive bubble” in my drysuit when I ascended. This sometimes made it difficult to stop at 15’ or 20’. The SiTech vent valve has received lots of praise. So, I decided to replace the original Apeks with a SiTech. I fabricated a tool to help...

I’d say train the way you are going to dive. Your task as the rescuer will be to remove gear from the simulated victim and perform rescue breaths while you transport the simulated victim to shore. And, you need to be able to control the situation if the simulated victim ‘wakes up’ and wants to...

In the Great Lakes, bottom temperature can be as low as 40F in mid summer. The water temperature under ice in mid winter is typically 35F. It’s not that bad under ice. Of course the air temperatures are much different. Around here the practice of ice diving varies with the group. Some groups...

Thank you Richard. That is exactly what I’m looking for. I will check into it.

I’m a Great Lakes wreck diver. I was just presented with the opportunity to stay in Kitty Hawk the first two weeks of November. This is my visit to this area. I’m seeking information about diving-perhaps the Hatteras area. I notice that the dive charters appear to end in September or October. If...