Rockhound
Guest
Hi ya'll,
I tend to be long-winded, so forgive me. I just type too fast, er, I think....
I'm new here, having just found this place today. After surfing through the threads a bit, this looks like a great resource for divers.
Some background:
I was certified in 1976, in Columbus, Georgia (NASDS). For many years after that, I was a very active diver and even considered a career in the Marine Biology. Most of my diving was offshore of the Florida Panhandle or in the nearby springs.
Eventually, I earned degrees in Marine Science and Geology at the U. of Alabama. I am now a petroluem geologist/geophysicist, specializing in offshore exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
After moving to Houston in 1990, I continued to actively dive and was an officer in a local dive club, occasionally writing articles for local diving publications and becoming an avid underwater photographer.
Unfortunately, in 1996, my youngest child, then a toddler , was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long, drawn out and difficult process that eventually ended in a successful bone marrow transplant. For that reason, I did not touch the water for nearly 5 years and most of my gear sat in the closet, completely unloved.
After thinking about it for a while, I have set off on a course to gradually get back into the sport. After a dozen dives or so over the last year, including a couple of trips to the Texas Flower Gardens and Panama City, FL, I still see that I have a ways to go. However, I am very patient. Mostly, I need to work on my confidence and composure, since I have felt oddly (and suprisingly!) anxious on a couple of dives (NEVER, not ONCE, had I felt this before). Anyway, I'm working on it......
Unfortunately, my gear is pretty old, some of it over 20 years old, so I hope to learn from you guys the latest and best routes to take for re-outfitting myself with better and safer gear in preparation for this new "dive" into the sport .
My fins were starting to crack, my mask(s) have deteriorated and my 25yr. old BC had seen much better days, so a gear reload is definitely in order.
Last week, I picked up a new BC (Zeagle Ranger, similar to my trusty AT-PAC in style and function), today I'm getting a new mask (Cressi Big Eye), but I still need to pick up some new fins, a snorkle, the pony setup, and maybe decide whether or not to send my old Monitor I computer in for a new battery (although this is an old computer and I have a newer Matrix, my old eyes prefer them big numbers).
I want to learn the pluses and minuses of split fin technologies, recommended sizing and mountings for a pony bottle (I do U/W photos, which means I'm often solo or with an SOB, but at depths "usually" above 100')
I'm also looking for recommendations as to whether or not I should upgrade my 17yr. old Oceanic Delta rig with a new "kit" recommended by a local shop (whatver that is), leave it "as is" (still in warrantee and well maintained), or get a totally new rig.
Anyway, I promise I'm not so long-winded in person. Thanks for any advice in advance.....
I tend to be long-winded, so forgive me. I just type too fast, er, I think....
I'm new here, having just found this place today. After surfing through the threads a bit, this looks like a great resource for divers.
Some background:
I was certified in 1976, in Columbus, Georgia (NASDS). For many years after that, I was a very active diver and even considered a career in the Marine Biology. Most of my diving was offshore of the Florida Panhandle or in the nearby springs.
Eventually, I earned degrees in Marine Science and Geology at the U. of Alabama. I am now a petroluem geologist/geophysicist, specializing in offshore exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
After moving to Houston in 1990, I continued to actively dive and was an officer in a local dive club, occasionally writing articles for local diving publications and becoming an avid underwater photographer.
Unfortunately, in 1996, my youngest child, then a toddler , was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long, drawn out and difficult process that eventually ended in a successful bone marrow transplant. For that reason, I did not touch the water for nearly 5 years and most of my gear sat in the closet, completely unloved.
After thinking about it for a while, I have set off on a course to gradually get back into the sport. After a dozen dives or so over the last year, including a couple of trips to the Texas Flower Gardens and Panama City, FL, I still see that I have a ways to go. However, I am very patient. Mostly, I need to work on my confidence and composure, since I have felt oddly (and suprisingly!) anxious on a couple of dives (NEVER, not ONCE, had I felt this before). Anyway, I'm working on it......
Unfortunately, my gear is pretty old, some of it over 20 years old, so I hope to learn from you guys the latest and best routes to take for re-outfitting myself with better and safer gear in preparation for this new "dive" into the sport .
My fins were starting to crack, my mask(s) have deteriorated and my 25yr. old BC had seen much better days, so a gear reload is definitely in order.
Last week, I picked up a new BC (Zeagle Ranger, similar to my trusty AT-PAC in style and function), today I'm getting a new mask (Cressi Big Eye), but I still need to pick up some new fins, a snorkle, the pony setup, and maybe decide whether or not to send my old Monitor I computer in for a new battery (although this is an old computer and I have a newer Matrix, my old eyes prefer them big numbers).
I want to learn the pluses and minuses of split fin technologies, recommended sizing and mountings for a pony bottle (I do U/W photos, which means I'm often solo or with an SOB, but at depths "usually" above 100')
I'm also looking for recommendations as to whether or not I should upgrade my 17yr. old Oceanic Delta rig with a new "kit" recommended by a local shop (whatver that is), leave it "as is" (still in warrantee and well maintained), or get a totally new rig.
Anyway, I promise I'm not so long-winded in person. Thanks for any advice in advance.....
