strfsh
Guest
vicky once bubbled...
A few years ago we were diving in Ras Um Sid (Sinai) and we met a group of Italian divers who were diving from a boat. The guide provided the divers with gloves. Not neoprene gloves. He gave them rugged-canvas gloves, the type used for gardening, so they can hold the corals without damaging their delicate hands...
My friend just got back from diving in Roatan. They wouldn't let them use gloves at all and had to dive with their arems crossed across their chest to protect the reefs.
I'm sure damage was done on my OW class. At least 12 students went done with maybe 5 feet or less vis. They all clung to rocks and wouldn't move. I think they may have been scared or maybe thats what we were suppose to do. Anyway, they had knocked starfish off the rocks and made the vis. even worse. This is in Southern California. I haven't seen any "reefs" around here. Just lots of rocks and a couple of wrecks. I was very careful not to touch the wrecks. We did go inside one and I must have brushed against the opening going out, because I had some rust looking stuff on my wetsuit after the dive.
I've noticed on the dives I've been on here in California, the instructor liked to be right on the bottom. I perfer to hover off the bottom and he always told me to let the air out of my BC. I did because I was in the class, but I felt more in control being slightly off of the bottom......I know I damaged some kelp when I got stuck in it. I had to break it to get out. I'm sure there was other stuff I may have done, but generally I like to hover off of the bottom, I don't like to touch everything, and I really enjoy taking pictues and just leaving bubbles behind.