Hello from Slovakia

[Ivan Kebisek]

Hello to all divers,
I am new to this forum and would like to introduce myself shortly.

My name is Ivan and I am from Slovakia. I am a recreational diver (PADI DM) and love to make UW photos/videos during my diving trips. I used until now compact cameras only underwater - started with Canon G7X ~ 10 years ago in Canon UW case (get drowned in Coco Island) and than Sony RX100VA in Fantasea housing (works reliably until now).
Before my next trip beg. of May, I decided to upgrade to Canon R50 in Nauticam NA-R50 PRO housing and WWL-1 (gears already arrived). I have seen here some information about this setup from the owners - will really appreciate any advice/experience for use and settings.

Ivan

 

[Lorenzoid]

Welcome to SB!

 

[happy-diver]

Fantastic Ivan from Slovakia sounds like you enjoy yourself, thanks for coming here to enjoy some more

I am new to this forum and would like to introduce myself shortly.

Here fits English word "briefly" not shortly

briefly

shortly

English too complicated

 

[Green Frog]

Welcome to the ScubaBoard from VA. I have spent time in Slovakia, primarily in Bratislava and Kosice, as well as out in the countryside (ever been to Chvojnica?) As here in the mountains of VA, I don’t think of Slovakia as a dive destination, but I see you are traveling to dive as many of the rest of us must do. In the several trips I took to your fair country, my itinerary was fairly well set, so I never thought about this, but do you have many opportunities in-country to dive in lakes, rivers, caves, flooded quarries, etc? That’s how I got a lot of my early training between trips to more distant sites.
Best regards,
Froggie

 

[Ivan Kebisek]

Fantastic Ivan from Slovakia sounds like you enjoy yourself, thanks for coming here to enjoy some more



Here fits English word "briefly" not shortly

briefly

shortly

English too complicated

Thanks Happy-Diver - sorry for my English.

 

[Ivan Kebisek]

Welcome to the ScubaBoard from VA. I have spent time in Slovakia, primarily in Bratislava and Kosice, as well as out in the countryside (ever been to Chvojnica?) As here in the mountains of VA, I don’t think of Slovakia as a dive destination, but I see you are traveling to dive as many of the rest of us must do. In the several trips I took to your fair country, my itinerary was fairly well set, so I never thought about this, but do you have many opportunities in-country to dive in lakes, rivers, caves, flooded quarries, etc? That’s how I got a lot of my early training between trips to more distant sites.
Best regards,
Froggie

Thank you for warm welcome Froggie. Glad to hear about your experience in Slovakia. I am living close to Chvojnica, by the way - just 50 km from there! I love to ride my motorbikes at Strazovske vrchy (the mountains around Chvojnica).
We have here a few lakes and flooded quirees around, suitable for diving, rivers are not good for diving. There are also a few really special places for cave divers - like flooded opal mines (OpalDivers - Diving tours in a flooded opal mine in Slovakia), I have been there, but not for diving (I am not cave diver), just walking in not flooded zone.
I very rarely dive in Slovakia and if so, mainly here: www.KurzyPotapania.sk - TECHNICKÉ KURZY / DIR / HOGARTHIAN - Nitrox, Trimix, Cave.. Visibility is generally not so good, and I prefer warm water, corals and reach marine life, therefore I am travelling for diving.
Regards,
Ivan

 

[chillyinCanada]

Thanks Happy-Diver - sorry for my English.

Welcome to Scubaboard! Please don't apologize for your English. This is an International board and we are very forgiving.

Just ask happy-diver. His first language is English. Occasionally, we're not sure what the heck he's saying.

So jump right in!

 

[Green Frog]

Wow, Ivan! I only mentioned Chvojnica to let you know I had actually been there… not many Americans have. I did some volunteer church work there and in Kosice several summers back in the ‘90s and early oughts. I love the country, and had the opportunity to tour some on my time off. I guess I remember the castles the best. The legends about the evil countess of Cachtice castle… her story reminded me of our Salem witchcraft trials, wondering how much was an excuse to get her land.
We do a lot of our training dives in abandoned, flooded quarries when we don’t want to travel so far, and Virginia has many caves, but I’ve been lost in some of the dry caves, so I surely don’t want to go underwater and risk an out of air situation. That kind of diving is a whole other specialty (and I gladly leave it to others.). Nobody ever told me about opals in Slovakia while I was there. In which part of the country are they found?
I dream of going back and visiting friends I made in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Moldova on past visits there, but at 75 years old, I doubt it will happen!
Best wishes and good diving!
Charlie aka Froggie

 

[Ivan Kebisek]

Wow, Ivan! I only mentioned Chvojnica to let you know I had actually been there… not many Americans have. I did some volunteer church work there and in Kosice several summers back in the ‘90s and early oughts. I love the country, and had the opportunity to tour some on my time off. I guess I remember the castles the best. The legends about the evil countess of Cachtice castle… her story reminded me of our Salem witchcraft trials, wondering how much was an excuse to get her land.
We do a lot of our training dives in abandoned, flooded quarries when we don’t want to travel so far, and Virginia has many caves, but I’ve been lost in some of the dry caves, so I surely don’t want to go underwater and risk an out of air situation. That kind of diving is a whole other specialty (and I gladly leave it to others.). Nobody ever told me about opals in Slovakia while I was there. In which part of the country are they found?
I dream of going back and visiting friends I made in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Moldova on past visits there, but at 75 years old, I doubt it will happen!
Best wishes and good diving!
Charlie aka Froggie

Opals mines are in east part of Slovakia, very close to Kosice, by the way. (Home - Slovenské opálové bane / Krása sa skrýva v podzemí). It is possible that when you have been there, back in 90’s, they were closed for public.
Many castles here (unfortunately, most of them just ruins now, but beautiful anyway), if you like, here are some videos from drone what I did:

 

[happy-diver]

Just ask happy-diver. His first language is English. Occasionally, we're not sure what the heck he's saying.

Yeah, so I suppose you are too polite to tell people they have a booger on their face at parties

What I'm doing is helping the guy so he doesn't repeat his mnor mistake for the rest of his life

In my second language!