Hello from both Germany 🇩🇪 and Switzerland 🇨🇭

[Wildsparrow]

Hi there,
Greetings from Germany/Switzerland: I live literally on the border between these beautiful countries
I started diving several years ago in a cold lake in Germany. Soon after, I transformed to a typical holiday diver, with dives in Egypt, Thailand, Tenerife, Caribbean, Sardinia, and Maldives. And in between one more dive in Germany


As I want to become a better diver, and as there is a charm of diving in rivers and lakes, I‘m thinking of getting my own gear and start local diving beginning of next year (let’s wait for a warm spring).

I’m sure I’ll find useful information for dive gear here in this forum.

Most recent picture of me in Cagliari/Italy:

 

[PietroT]

Welcome!

It seems you live not so far from Bodensee.
I live in Switzerland (close to the German border) and dive all the year around.

You thinking in buying a drysuit? You will not regret it

Pietro

 

[Wildsparrow]

Haha, closer to Schaffhausen on the German side
Initially, I was thinking to get a semidry suit, but I quickly changed my mind and currently looking into the drysuit market. Probably visiting the “Boot” in January to see some suits in reality and then getting all the gear.

 

[splitti]

(whoops! How can I remove this empty post?)

 

[splitti]

Welcome to ScubaBoard! The group of swiss / German folks keeps growing
I'm from Zurich, but I do every now and then venture as far as Lake Constance or the Rhine river (Zollbruecke Rheinau is gorgeous). I definitely recommend getting a drysuit - rivers and lakes are even more beautiful (and clear) during the winter months!

Let me know if you wanna go dive together some time!

 

[Wildsparrow]

Thanks for the welcome
I’ll certainly message you once I got my gear

 

[admikar]

Welcome!

It seems you live not so far from Bodensee.
I live in Switzerland (close to the German border) and dive all the year around.

You thinking in buying a drysuit? You will not regret it

Pietro

Want to do some diving from Friedrichshaffen next April/May (depending when Aero 2023 is going to happen)?

 

[splitti]

I'd be up for that!

 

[scubayinzer412]

hey welcome from heidelberg
i would invest inna drysuite. than you dont need to be in sorrow. year around its fine.
i was here in a lake mid August, surface 26C, 20 meter deep 8C left
2 first stages is a most and a tank with double valve
i go sidemount. if you want to come more south let me know

 

[Wildsparrow]

Thanks
Yes, it will definitely be a drysuit and cold water configuration.
Not sure yet about sidemount. I had the chance to briefly test sidemount in shallow water, but I don't see the big advantages, unless you go full tec with different gas configurations and/or cave diving. I like the idea of the tanks on the side and to have 2 individual systems (especially in cold water), but I struggle with the added discomfort to get into and out of the water (I may exaggerate the discomfort). It may also be that back then when I had the chance to try the sidemount, there were so many things "different" (compared to backmount) with bungees here and there, clips and ropes all over the place, unclipping it then and now, attaching it again in the water and so on. Still considering it, though.