King_of_All_Tyrants
Contributor
Hi all-
After my OW cert, I didn't really dive much for several years [no $$, no time, and no opportunity]. But things are better now, so I'm considering my diving future. After a trip to the Galapagos I realized that I really need to dive more often if I want to enjoy this sport. I need to build comfort with my gear and with the underwater environment. So, after logging 8 dives in the past two months [the first dives since my cert 7 years ago], I'm mulling my options.
A bit about my situation. I live in the Washington DC area; there are a few quarries or lakes within about 2h of here. A bit further out there's the Chesapeake, VA beach, and even the Carolinas. No really great diving without a several-day trip, but nonetheless plenty of opportunities to keep my skills up. I get two weeks of vacation per year, one of which is spent with family, the other I'm free to do what I want.
I'm thinking of two different options
1. the minimalist option : in this case, I'd take either a dive vacation to a tropical location or a half shore/half land based dive vacation for a week every year or two. Before to this vacation, I'd do a dive refresh with my LDS (or at my destination) the month before the vacation. I'd rent everything besides MSF and wetsuit at my destination. Since I'm a cold wimp, I wouldn't dive anywhere a 3mm wetsuit won't be enough.
Total cost: about $200 a year+cost of week vacation.
2. diving becomes a major hobby : I'd try to log at least two dives every month or two, outside of any week long dive trips. I'd go for AOW, Rescue diver and try to do a one-day dive in VA beach or NC once or twice a year. Once I get to the rescue diver stage, I'd go with some of the crazier locals on the more difficult one-day dives around here. Since I travel on business a little, I'd also spend a weekend-day diving in various destinations like CA, inland quarries, the great lakes, Tampa FL, and heavens know where else.
The local diving can be difficult diving (cold, bad vis, sometimes strong currents), and I'll need a drysuit* for $2000. I'd also need a reasonably high performance regulator ($500 range) for some of the local diving plus all the other things you need to dive.
Total cost: $3000 equipment + probable $500 a year for the one-day "local" dives + cost of week's vacation.
I should be a reasonably skilled diver after 3-4 years of this.
So, my questions for everyone are:
1. what are your thoughts on these two options?
2. are there other options, or middle grounds that I've missed?
*looking hard at the DUI TLSSE, $2000 once underwear and all that's done with. I'll need a custom suit, and I figure trilam is easier to take with me to my various destinations.
After my OW cert, I didn't really dive much for several years [no $$, no time, and no opportunity]. But things are better now, so I'm considering my diving future. After a trip to the Galapagos I realized that I really need to dive more often if I want to enjoy this sport. I need to build comfort with my gear and with the underwater environment. So, after logging 8 dives in the past two months [the first dives since my cert 7 years ago], I'm mulling my options.
A bit about my situation. I live in the Washington DC area; there are a few quarries or lakes within about 2h of here. A bit further out there's the Chesapeake, VA beach, and even the Carolinas. No really great diving without a several-day trip, but nonetheless plenty of opportunities to keep my skills up. I get two weeks of vacation per year, one of which is spent with family, the other I'm free to do what I want.
I'm thinking of two different options
1. the minimalist option : in this case, I'd take either a dive vacation to a tropical location or a half shore/half land based dive vacation for a week every year or two. Before to this vacation, I'd do a dive refresh with my LDS (or at my destination) the month before the vacation. I'd rent everything besides MSF and wetsuit at my destination. Since I'm a cold wimp, I wouldn't dive anywhere a 3mm wetsuit won't be enough.
Total cost: about $200 a year+cost of week vacation.
2. diving becomes a major hobby : I'd try to log at least two dives every month or two, outside of any week long dive trips. I'd go for AOW, Rescue diver and try to do a one-day dive in VA beach or NC once or twice a year. Once I get to the rescue diver stage, I'd go with some of the crazier locals on the more difficult one-day dives around here. Since I travel on business a little, I'd also spend a weekend-day diving in various destinations like CA, inland quarries, the great lakes, Tampa FL, and heavens know where else.
The local diving can be difficult diving (cold, bad vis, sometimes strong currents), and I'll need a drysuit* for $2000. I'd also need a reasonably high performance regulator ($500 range) for some of the local diving plus all the other things you need to dive.
Total cost: $3000 equipment + probable $500 a year for the one-day "local" dives + cost of week's vacation.
I should be a reasonably skilled diver after 3-4 years of this.
So, my questions for everyone are:
1. what are your thoughts on these two options?
2. are there other options, or middle grounds that I've missed?
*looking hard at the DUI TLSSE, $2000 once underwear and all that's done with. I'll need a custom suit, and I figure trilam is easier to take with me to my various destinations.
