Do you dive locally?

[KJackson60]

I dive localy in the Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin region and Lake Michigan. I can't wait to get back in the water this year. As soon as the water becomes "less stiff" and gains a little tempurature I am in!

 

[Crush]

It seems as if we are sounding out two different kinds of divers:

1. Those who dive because of where they live; and
2. Those who dive despite where they live.

(I am #2).

 

[Jimmer]

The vast majority of mine are local, in the Great Lakes. Primarily Erie, but I have been down south a couple of times.

 

[Rainer]

A little over 95% of my dives have been "local" (either the North East or CA).

 

[BrotherBear]

I have been following a thread at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5084126-post341.html where the statement was made "if all we served were local divers, probably 2/3rds of the shops here would close." How do you feel about this? Do you primarily dive locally, or primarily on vacation?

I realize that the fact that you are reading this on SB may well indicate that you are a dedicated diver who dives locally and the results will be biased...

Since your poll is missing a category for me I voted with where I stand now as a "vacation diver" who got certified in the islands. This isn't really in keeping with the intent of your poll as I'm just starting out and have identified and hooked up with an LDS and an instructor who is a tech diver. I plan to start diving locally as soon as things start warming up around here...since I've only dived warm water I figure it wouldn't be prudent to make my first local dives in winter weather.

So, my actual answer would be that my INTENT is for 78.3% of my dives to be local and the remaining 41.2% would be on vacation.

 

[Meggie66]

I've not been back into diving long (can't wait until I can stop using that qualifier!). In my past dive life I was almost exclusively a vacation diver, but now I dive almost exclusively locally (with the exception of a dive off the Coral Coast in Fiji, which is what made me get back into it in the first place). Now, I do 1-2 double shore dives a week in Sydney, and will keep doing so through winter (which is approaching on this side of the world). Not coral reefs, but fantastic diving nonetheless - you always appreciate the beauty more when you have to look a tiny bit harder for it (not that you have to look too hard off Sydney!)

 

[ScubaSteve]

.....is for 78.3% of my dives to be local and the remaining 41.2% would be on vacation.

<snicker> This is awesome

 

[BrotherBear]

<snicker> This is awesome

What can I say...I really like diving and I want to do it a LOT!

 

[ScubaSteve]

What can I say...I really like diving and I want to do it a LOT!

Just be sure to give it 119.5% all the time

 

[drrich2]

I'm in southwestern KY & have done some local quarry diving, although I prefer to head to Bonaire for most of my diving, or take advantage when I'm in the Caribbean for whatever reason.

I believe the thread that inspired this one bore the concern that some mainstream agencies certify divers at the OW level whose skill set may be adequate for warm, clear, high-vis., calm tropical waters like coral reef diving in parts of the Caribbean, with a Dive Master leading them (perhaps unless shore diving, such as in Bonaire), and may fail to instill the competency needed for harsher conditions (i.e.: north Atlantic, I think it was?) - rougher seas, lower vis., no Dive Master, etc...

This seems to give the impression that 'Vacation Dive' = calm, high-vis., tropical, with a Dive Master, and 'Local Dive' = rougher water, chilly enough to require wet suit or dry suit, lower vis. (from a few feet to 50 at most, perhaps), and harder entries & exits if shore diving.

What I see from this poll, and contrasting my experience with the local diving discussed in the other thread is, not all local diving is like that. People doing most of their diving in a local rock quarry may have good vis., very calm water, and in the height of summer enjoy warm water (long as you stay above the thermocline).

Richard.