Good Job, PADI!

[xyrandomyx]

A lot of Cape Town locals write off our diving and either head for the east coast of South Africa (Umkomaas and Sodwana Bay), Mozambique or more distant tropical locations. I got certified here, headed straight off to do some diving in the tropics and now I'm trying to do as much diving locally as possible.

Having seen a little bit of both worlds, I think that locals who don't dive here are really missing out. Amongst other things, we have plenty of wrecks, seals, stingrays, kelp forests, several species of shark that can't be seen easily or at all elsewhere and an incredible variety of nudibranch species. It's not just a second-rate version of tropical diving, it's a completely different environment with its own unique appeal.

Realising that means that I won't be quick to ignore the diving anywhere else in the world. I'm pretty sure that every spot has its own attraction.

 

[Garrobo]

Local Ohio diving reminds me of sitting in bathtub full of water with your jockeys on.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Local Ohio diving reminds me of sitting in bathtub full of water with your jockeys on.

Shipwrecks and Maritime Tales of the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail

 

[Bogtrotter]

Certainly I would think that promoting local diving spots is the key to promoting the industry. Most people who don't live near the coasts can't afford to get to the ocean and tropics enough to make diving a true hobby or regular activity. I've been a warm water vacation diver for ten years and have mostly ignored the fact that I live amidst the Great Lakes and near the St. Lawrence river. There's some amazing wreck diving throughout the Great Lakes with excellent water clarity. I hope to do a lot more local diving starting this summer.

 

[Peter Guy]

The "Dive News Network" {http://divenewsnetwork.com/} appears to be trying to promote local diving throughout its marketing area. Our version, Northwest Dive News, always has several articles on local diving -- and kudos to Rick Stratton for doing the hard work for publishing local diving.

Query -- How many of you routinely get and read your local dive news magazine? And do you work with your local diving community?

 

[Tejasmtb]

We are looking into moving to Providence, RI so that the gf can finish grad school in the Boston area. Are there any divers here from that region that can shed some light on the diving possibilities around there? Thanks, Tejas!

 

[Trace Malinowski]

We are looking into moving to Providence, RI so that the gf can finish grad school in the Boston area. Are there any divers here from that region that can shed some light on the diving possibilities around there? Thanks, Tejas!

Rhode Island rocks! I dated a Delta flight attendant who used to have two layovers a week in PVD. She was also a diver. It used to kill her that I'd be going diving after we kissed good-bye while she was going to work. There is nice shore diving and the State of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations (smallest state with the longest official name) has more public water access for its size than many other states.

You may want to check out dive sites such as Narragansett Pier, King's Beach, Ft, Wetherill, Beavertail State Park, and the wrecks of the Black Point and the U-853 (which sank it) off Block Island to name just a few. Visibility is often decent and marine life is abundant. I love freediving and scuba diving in RI. The Picasso Open Spearfishing Tournament was always an annual event.

Charlie at Narragansett Pier Dive Center was always super friendly.

 

[Necklinsberg]

Local Ohio diving reminds me of sitting in bathtub full of water with your jockeys on.

There's a dive spot in OH warm enough to dive in your underwear?

 

[Searcaigh]

I consider myself very lucky as my local diving began in Scotland then moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and now United Arab Emirates and Oman.

I remember reading Skin Diver many over 20 years ago and the articles on Great Lakes diving, specifically on the wrecks and the history behind them, I really enjoyed these articles.

Strangely enough, I have never dived fresh water.

 

[knfmn]

I'm super fortunate in that I have world class diving literally in the town I live in on the North Shore of Massachusetts. I can get my gear and be diving with tons of lobsters, crabs and fantastic fish within 10 minutes of my driveway. I do like diving in tropical places, but it's hard to beat getting a nice dive in for the cost of a tank of air. Having said that, were my wife and I to move to some place without ocean nearby, I would be just as happy splashing around in a mud puddle in the back yard. It's all about breathing underwater and just being able to look at whatever critters are there for me. I'm pretty easy in that there's always something to look at whereever I go.

Kristopher