make sure your DAN insurance is up-to-date.
N00b diving the flower gardens this weekend - any last minute tips?
- Thread starter Kaiser442
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Been to the Gardens dozens of times. The water can be rough, so if you get seasick be sure to take meds well in advance.
All dives are "anchor" dives with the severity of current varying wildly.
Monopolize the upper deck on the nite trip out... its a great place to party the nite before!
All dives are "anchor" dives with the severity of current varying wildly.
Monopolize the upper deck on the nite trip out... its a great place to party the nite before!
Guba
Contributor
About the wetsuit configuration...
Certainly, you won't need too much for the temperature, but I suggest having as much body covered as possible. This time of year there are lots of "stingers" and small jellies in the water column. Of course, they aren't that dangerous, but just for your level of comfort you might want some cover.
And that suggestion about the DAN insurance is a good one. Those helo trips and rides in the chamber can be VERY expensive. (I know, I know...no one plans on mishaps, but they do happen. Just ask Capt. Frank or Capt. Ken.)
Certainly, you won't need too much for the temperature, but I suggest having as much body covered as possible. This time of year there are lots of "stingers" and small jellies in the water column. Of course, they aren't that dangerous, but just for your level of comfort you might want some cover.
And that suggestion about the DAN insurance is a good one. Those helo trips and rides in the chamber can be VERY expensive. (I know, I know...no one plans on mishaps, but they do happen. Just ask Capt. Frank or Capt. Ken.)
OP
Kaiser442
Contributor
mmm - hadn't thought about the jellies. I'll definitely bring the suit along just in case.
I brought all my gear into the dive shop over lunch and one of the owners was nice enough to go over all of it with me to make sure there weren't any obvious problems. The BC and regulators are all basically new stuff (maybe a year and a half old with a half dozen dives on them... probably about due for servicing but not dangerously out of date). Unfortunately the pool wasn't available for a quickie test dive but I'm not too concerned about that. I'm very comfortable in the water and can handle gear failure and things like that calmly. My concerns are more along the lines of getting lost, washed too far down with the current etc - so that's where I'm focusing my attention.
I bought a Dive Alert - does anyone know if it can be used underwater to signal your buddy like the sub duck thing - or is it for the surface only?
My DAN insurance has lapsed... I'll go see if I can update it on their website.
I brought all my gear into the dive shop over lunch and one of the owners was nice enough to go over all of it with me to make sure there weren't any obvious problems. The BC and regulators are all basically new stuff (maybe a year and a half old with a half dozen dives on them... probably about due for servicing but not dangerously out of date). Unfortunately the pool wasn't available for a quickie test dive but I'm not too concerned about that. I'm very comfortable in the water and can handle gear failure and things like that calmly. My concerns are more along the lines of getting lost, washed too far down with the current etc - so that's where I'm focusing my attention.
I bought a Dive Alert - does anyone know if it can be used underwater to signal your buddy like the sub duck thing - or is it for the surface only?
My DAN insurance has lapsed... I'll go see if I can update it on their website.
ianr33:
No kidding, make sure there is a chase boat. Even if there is only a mild surface current, you can quickly get far enough away from the boat that swimming back is not an option.
Stay safe...
OP
Kaiser442
Contributor
I don't know if they have a dinghy with a motor or what... will definitely bring this up...
Okee - I'm up to date with DAN now
Okee - I'm up to date with DAN now
ianr33
Contributor
Kaiser442:
Surface only.
Please do check on the chase boat situation. it is a VERY big ocean out there.
captain
Contributor
I will assume that the sailboat also has an engine. One option if there is no chase boat is a large orange bouy of the type used by commercial fisherman. If a diver is swept away by the current and other divers are still down the boats anchor line can be tied to the bouy while the boat retreives the swept away diver. Also have at least two GPS receivers on board.
captain
Contributor
I will assume that the sailboat also has an engine. One option if there is no chase boat is a large orange bouy of the type used by commercial fisherman. If a diver is swept away by the current and other divers are still down the boats anchor line can be tied to the bouy while the boat retreives the swept away diver. Also set out at least a 100+ foot drift line with a float on the end off the back of the boat and have at least two GPS receivers on board.
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