End of 2019 and thoughts for 2020

[The Chairman]

maybe call in sick when seas are flat during the week.

DWAD: Ditch Work and Dive days.

I broke my leg in Fiji last June so my dive count is "off".

I have also gone through 15 deaths of divers I regard as friends this past year. 2/3s were diving and half of those were on rebreathers. It's making me rethink my priorities. I'll be in Little Cayman for my birthday in January and then to Anthony's Key in June. I do want to get more cave dives in. But I'm thinking about slowing down some this year. No, not broken leg slow, but I want quality, not quantity.

 

[Dan]

...
My 2020 bookings are now completed:
...
Dec - Bahamas

But 2021 may be better:
...
Jul - Malpelo
...

Too bad that our timing in Jan RA didn’t matchup. I’d like to join in one of your bucket list dive. Please tell me more about your Bahamas Dec 2020 and Malpelo Jul 2021. May be I can join you in one or both of those trips.

 

[Miyaru]

2019:
Completed several instructor courses, did some fundiving in the Canary Islands, deep diving in Egypt, cave diving in France, started with the paperwork for my own dive center, bought lots of BP/W sets, SM sets and regulator sets, rented a pool, published my book, overhauled two K14 compressors, built a filling station, and finally got Helium again.
2020:
Break even with the dive center investments by teaching courses, organize a club trip to France for cavern, to Egypt for tech and fundiving, more cave diving for fun (certainly France, maybe to the other side of the pond). More diving than in 2019? Nah...my GF would be flashing red.


Oh, and I promised my employer that I'll do some work in between.

 

[CWK]

Too bad that our timing in Jan RA didn’t matchup. I’d like to join in one of your bucket list dive. Please tell me more about your Bahamas Dec 2020 and Malpelo Jul 2021. May be I can join you in one or both of those trips.

I'll PM you.

 

[Efka76]

2019

This year was very busy to me but not in diving context. In 2019 my job contract expired and I moved from Mongolia to Edinburgh, Scotland (received a new job contract). Needed to move a lot of things, start in a new place. In Scotland water is cold and, accordingly, drysuit is required. So, I passed PADI Drysuit course in order to see whether I like cold water diving. I liked it and ordered my made to measure Seaskin drysuit. I waited for this duit to arrive exactly 3 months!

I enrolled into local BSAC diving club, got crossover to BSAC Sports Diver. I also, enrolled into BSAC Dive lEader program, passed BSAC Practical Rescue management course (it is a separate course, which is also a part of BSAC Dive Leader program). Due to the fact that I am thinking of becoming BSAC Advanced diver in the future I passed RYA VHF Marine Radio course (in UK marine radio usage is licenced activity and you need to take course, pass exam and get licence).

2020

My plans for 2020 re the following:

- To drink less beer, train hard in a gym and restore good physical form
- To complete BSAC Dive Leader course
- To frequently dive in Scotland
- To dive in Belize and especially Blue Hole (I already ordered air tickets to Belise)
- To take a liveaboard in Red Sea in October together with my wife;
- To take few BSAC dive courses (e.g. Oxygen administration, Dive planning and management, Boat Handling)

 

[DeputyDan]

2019
Did not have the opportunity to dive as much as I would have liked but did check off a bucket list item.
Two weeks in Alaska including salmon fishing.

2020
Taking two young nieces on their first liveaboard (the Juliet) as well as a couple of dives at the Blue Heron Bridge.
Also transitioning out of full time work - alas a full time salary goes away with that change

 

[Dan]

The end of 2019 highlight, diving with Elphinstone Longimanus.

 

[stretchthepenn]

2019:
got in 74 dives, mostly 100'+ deep, mostly at Kraken Springs in Georgia, with a few at Dive Land in Alabammy
helped install the "Kraken's Nest" attraction at the Springs
made brief dive trip to Myrtle Beach, NC
tried a CCR
learned how to dive manifolded doubles
finished Tec 40 class
finally got the work promotion I should've received in 2015 (f**k you very much, former colleagues)

2020:
practice tec diving
go somewhere, probably to Florida, on a brief dive trip
host international academic conference
take Tec 45 class?

 

[kensuf]

2019 - I taught way too much. I didn't dive as much for myself as I'd like to, but still managed some interesting dives (9 hour run-time on one).
2020 - Although I'm currently booked solid through the end of March, I'm going to teach substantially less and have some more time for myself.