How do you guys like the cold water diving compared to warm water diving and also fresh compared to salt?
Cold water diving is the world I live in. It's the diving I can make on a whim and it's what lets me be a frequent diver. I happen to find it interesting and our visibility is usually nice enough to have a stress free dive as a 2 or 3 diver team. It's where I get to see the changes of the seasons as life cycles go forward. As we get into winter weather it takes on a more tactical feel as you figure out how to get out of wet great without suffering frostbite.:11:
In many ways I find our cold water plant life more interesting and colorful but I have been accuse of being a nut case on this observation
Warm water is a treat, what's not to like about warmth, less rubber and weight?
Salt/Fresh?
Well we say that Salt water is about what you will see and freshwater is about what you will find. To me being neutral is what it's all about and the site is secondary.
The ocean has by far the biggest abundance of critters and plant life. We need to be mindful of tides and more mindful of the marine forecast, Visibility is more variable too.
Here in New England fresh water is rich with artifacts from yesteryear and many sites are a bottle hunters paradise. Thermoclines are more pronounced in some seasons but the shallower depths offer us a taste of tropical dives with temps in the 80's for a few summertime weeks at the right sites. Freshwater is a good fall back when the ocean is stirred up, like right now. Freshwater dives are easy to clean up after. A rinse for good housekeeping never hurts but generally it desalinates our gear.
Florida springs were a big disappointment to me. The visibility and temperature were nice but I found them to be mainly dead holes in the ground. Little in the way of life and not big.
Quarry's are like a divers theme park with stuff to do and lots' of space. Visibility, temperature, attractions and critters vary widely.
Take your pick, variety is good, it's all fun!
With regard to gear cleaning in general,
here's my story.
Pete