First Deep and First Wreck dives :)

[MasterChief D]

Well done! Congratulations on your new cert level!

Yes IC1 and IC2 are the same vessel type - when you dive IC10 (just off the Fujairah port) you'll see how they used to be (wheelhouse and all) before Gonu redecorated them...

I don't want to start religious wars here but imho Apeks regs are great - these are the ones I'd be diving if I were not diving MK25/S600s; I wouldn't give them back...

Any frogfish on IC1?

 

[chadmeister]

Oh my!! Frog fish!! Honestly, I even left my light in the mesh bag because I was a little nervous diving a whole new gear set (new BCD and regs and first time in a shorty, I started diving this summer and all I was wearing are my board shorts and a rash guard!! Haha) but yes, I do think I saw one though I'm not too sure. My buoyancy was a little all over the place.

I know Apeks are great which is why I'm a little bummed that happened to me. And the dealers here (I think you know who they are) did do a full check on them that I paid for. That's why I was surprised that had happened. Not too sure what to do. They also had a kind of murmur/wheezing/vibration thing happening while I breathed with them...

 

[Searcaigh]

Congrats chadmeister, I am just back from Fujairah after 5 days of intense diving too, albeit slightly deeper than 30M, although today it was 30M as we had to abandon the Ines since somebody decided to park their 240M ship a mere 100M from our marker buoy, so we headed back to Fujairah, picked up some 32% and headed to Inchcape 1.

Had the wreck to ourselves and finished off and perfected some of my new skills, but these pesky lion fish were too curious for my liking, Glenn managed to fend them off using an S40

 

[Freewillow]

Just curious, 30m, deep dive? I thought that deep certification was more like 40m. Of course, you have to start somewhere. Just a question, no criticism intended.

Well done.

 

[chadmeister]

From what I gathered, anywhere between 18-40m is considered recreational deep diving and I think in Dubai it's standard to go down to 30ish since going any further wouldn't be easy. And 40m is the limit... I don't know if they're even allowed to take a new diver to the limit. Also, in reality, it was 32m I think. Need to look up my computer again.

---------- Post added September 27th, 2015 at 02:48 AM ----------

@searcaigh, IC1... It was quite murky though. And I didn't think most people would go in, did you go in? It seemed quite tight to try to squeeze in... What skills did you learn? And 5 days??? Wow! Intense! Hehe

 

[Searcaigh]

Hi Chad,

I was finishing my Normoxic Trimix course with CTD, staging tanks, passing tanks of different sizes, stacking tanks, gear removal, one handed mask changes etc., all good fun.

Glenn's latest OW student (now AOW) also joined us for 20 mins, have a look at his buoyancy and trim, not bad for somebody with 20 dives

 

[chadmeister]

Yeah, looks like he's doing well! My buoyancy still needs a bit of work, but the instructor was ok with it. My hands are still flailing a bit and having weights integrated was a little bizarre to get used to. The kit on my back felt much much heavier! Hehe took me a few seconds to figure out why! (It was a bit too early in the morning for me to think too hard). I'm def in love with the whole sport though. I'm hooked and will be staying in it. Just need to figure out a way to get a lifestyle where I can also go off for 5 days! (Need to afford it in time more than money, money always has a way of manifesting. Time on the other hand. Quite finite and linear... Lol)

 

[MasterChief D]

Glenn's latest OW student (now AOW) also joined us for 20 mins, have a look at his buoyancy and trim, not bad for somebody with 20 dives

OW with a Petrel? Full marks for commitment!

 

[Searcaigh]

OW with a Petrel? Full marks for commitment!

SJ is committed, and with Glenn as his instructor he is going to be an amazing diver, and has also been working as the standby diver during our deep dives, comes down to visit with bottles of Pocari Sweat during our 24 min deco stops at 6M

He even jumped in after I passed up my stages and took my twin 80s up the ladder, now that is service

Chad,

I suggest that you get some better training from another dive shop than who you are using at the moment, they may be cheap but you really get what you pay for.

 

[chadmeister]

That's awesome! Are Petrels even sold here? I haven't seen them anywhere or found them online here either... I've read up quite a bit about them and they seem top notch!

---------- Post added September 27th, 2015 at 05:29 PM ----------

Chad,

I suggest that you get some better training from another dive shop than who you are using at the moment, they may be cheap but you really get what you pay for.

I am, don't you worry. Just getting the lessons I paid for over with then I'm out still got rescue. Their EFR course was good though, I had it done in private only for me, so I got to practice it all myself and the dummy and I'm much more confident in that than any other class I've had with them!!