From Naples, Florida USA

[rfulton]

heya Robert, welcome to the Board!!!

Same back to you.

Regular lobster season is open here as of today and my freezer is empty. I want to get wet !!!

Robert

 

[murphdivers286]

Welcome Aboard!!!

It's addictive, but who cares?!?!?

Good friends and good info. What could be better???

P.S. - If you have not already done so, please fill out your profile.

 

[Sportsgirl112]

Robert,

Welcome! I am new, too!! Must say that I am envious...Naples is beautiful!! Do you dive around Naples? Am planning a trip shortly to see a friend and would love to hear what dive spots to hit while there!

Thanks!

Susan

 

[rfulton]

You should get 3 dives out a tank that size in those depths. Increased fitness will increase your SAC rate. Getting larger tanks is not always the answer, especially being above 100'

BTW...Welcome to the board, lots of great info here!

John -

Thank you for the feedback. And I agree that the SAC rate (which I am working on) is the bottom line. I have improved, know what to avoid, but have always had a LARGE lung capacity and reserve. (I got that information from a test I took when I was still a smoker). But I never really understood how much air I normally move around until I started diving.

I predict that I would probably get TWO dives out of a 140 if I go in that direction. One interesting thing is that right now I dive with an aluminum 100 and a HP steel 120, and the weight of HP steel 140 or 150 tanks is not that much more than either of the tanks I am now using.

I got my HP steel 120 when I began replacing my aluminum tanks. Most of my friends have steel 80 and 100 tanks, and this is my first steel tank. I went larger than any of them. I am selling all of my aluminum 80s and using this one last auminum tank, the 100, until I replace IT. I want to avoid having to keep inserting and removing back trim weights to compensate for the changes in tank bouyancy between aluminum and steel dives.

Right now I am probably just using some of the "bigger is better" thinking, but have not yet closed the subject. Occasionally I am on a boat where sitting on the deck is really the only place to gear up. That can be a fun-filled experience with my present tanks when the seas are up a bit. Gearing up while sitting on the deck and then standing up with a 140 or 150, and then quickly into the water if the seas are rough, would be a real challenge without some considerable help.

And since any tank is going to cost some $, I want it to be one that I will be HAPPY with as I continue to use it. I think I will probably go with a 150 unless I come across some other good reasons to change my mind.

(If I ever go on a commercial dive boat I am certain they would request that I leave my own tanks at home.)

Thank you again for your thoughts. Happy diving.


Robert

 

[rfulton]

Welcome Aboard!!!

It's addictive, but who cares?!?!?

Good friends and good info. What could be better???

P.S. - If you have not already done so, please fill out your profile.

Back to you -

Thank you for the thought. I also like the quote that "nothing is work unless you would rather be doing something else."

Robert

 

[rfulton]

Robert,

Welcome! I am new, too!! Must say that I am envious...Naples is beautiful!! Do you dive around Naples? Am planning a trip shortly to see a friend and would love to hear what dive spots to hit while there!

Thanks!

Susan

Susan -

Naples is a beautiful place to live. It has been the fastest growing area in the United States for most of the past five+ years. It is expensive, also.

I would recommend diving in this part of the Gulf of Mexico only if you consider 20 feet or less to be good visibility. You need to go out about 30 miles to get good vis, and then it is nothing but sandy bottom.

The good diving is in the Atlantic. There are three coral reefs, starting shallow and going to 100 feet plus, within several miles of shore. In less than two hours I can go from my driveway to Ft. Lauderdale and be loading my gear aboard a boat. It is worth the trip. The Keys are not very far, either.

I dive out of Ft. Lauderdale with a small group of people on private boats. Sometimes we trailer to other locations. If you would like to get linked with a local dive center to plan some diving while you are here, I could make some recommendations. Contact me privately for that.


Robert

 

[CBulla]

I would recommend diving in this part of the Gulf of Mexico only if you consider 20 feet or less to be good visibility. You need to go out about 30 miles to get good vis, and then it is nothing but sandy bottom.

Oooooooooo.. ouch! Thats rough!! We have had a great vis at the local artificial reefs.. much higher than 20'!! The past few months its not been uncommon to have 40-60' of vis in 60' of water @ 10 miles off shore. For instance, 2 weeks ago at School Bus we had 40+ vis, 65' depth, 13mi from shore. It made for some beautiful dives.

We're going to ARC and Belton Johnsons this Sunday.. check the Conch Divers section for a report!

 

[rfulton]

Oooooooooo.. ouch! Thats rough!! We have had a great vis at the local artificial reefs.. much higher than 20'!! The past few months its not been uncommon to have 40-60' of vis in 60' of water @ 10 miles off shore. For instance, 2 weeks ago at School Bus we had 40+ vis, 65' depth, 13mi from shore. It made for some beautiful dives.

We're going to ARC and Belton Johnsons this Sunday.. check the Conch Divers section for a report!

Hello, back cBulla -

Your Sunday dive sounds like it will be fun.

Thank you for the posting from Ft. Myers, FL about the visibility there. My comments are about going out from the Naples area. If you go farther north (as where you are in Fort Myers, Venice, etc) or farther south to the Keys, visibility improves. Right here there is so much surface runoff, coupled with a long distance of shallow water, that it takes its toll.

Robert

 

[bebo]

Welcome.
You just found the best divers, the funniest people, the best...well, you know the rest.

 

[rfulton]

Welcome.
You just found the best divers, the funniest people, the best...well, you know the rest.

Bebo -

It certainly looks that way. It is easy to spend some quality time here.

Robert