New diver from Argentina

[emoreira]

Hi all :

As it should I'm introducing myself.
I live in Argentina, Buenos Aires.
I'm 47 years old. I've got my SSI OWD certification last year. I did the OWD check-out in Bombinhas - Brazil in October 2007. I've also checked night and board diving.
Diving has been a long debt to myself. I love everything related to water.
I'm naval architect, however, I'm not working in the marine industry but in the Telecommunications industry, where salaries are much higher and permit me to practice diving and Jetskiing, my second or first hobby. Of course I had to reinvent myself to work in this industry, go back to the university.
Up to now I have 10 logged dives. Soon I will go to and on-board life off the coast of our Patagonia where I will check deep-diving and dry-suit (here the waters are so cold !). I plan to do, at least, 8 dives in this 3 days trip.

 

[drbill]

Welcome to ScubaBoard. I'm glad we are seeing more members from "The Other Down Under."

 

[floridanewbe]

Welcome aboard thanks for Tevez (man united fan) and of course the greatest player ever DM.

 

[pgcosta]

Hi, vecino!!

Welcome aBoard!! As Dr. Bill said, it's good to see more people from "our side" of DownUnder...

I've been to Bombinhas, but didn't dive there. Water is colder than in southeast, but not as much as where you are planning to dive. How about visibility in Patagonia ? And what about marine life over there? I've always been curious about what's alive u/w in such cold waters. Are there any sharks ?

If you ever come to Rio, or plan some dives nearby, at Arraial do Cabo or Buzios, for instance, please let me know. It will be a pleasure to help you out!! January and February are great, and next year's Carnaval is in the end of february (21~24)...

Have fun and watch out for the cold waters!!!!

 

[emoreira]

Hi pgcosta :

I'm just back from my 3 days on-board diving in Patagonia. Water temperature was around 12 degrees. Diving with dry suit is fantastic. The single little problem was that the dry suit was so worn that some water could enter through the release valve and in one leg. A cloth change after each dive was the only thing to do.

I could dive at night and also with sea lions. Wonderfull. I was so exited that my lungs were so inflated that I went to the surface. A very recomendable experience.

Unfortunatelly, the marine life in the Golfo Nuevo has been severely afected by the introduction of the undaria algae (un alga provoca daños ecológicos en Golfo Nuevo) via the balast water of cargo ships comming from Asia.

I will spend my next holidays in January in Bombinhas. I love that place !
I will be diving with Submarine (SUBMARINE) again.

Waters are not so warm, but you can do repetitive dives with 5 mm neoprene suit, no gloves and open fins.

 

[pgcosta]

WOW!! Incredible!! 12 degrees and sea lions!! I think I''ll start saving for a dry suit... By the way, someone here in Brazil told me the prices for dry suits are lower in Argentina. Here they charge around 2000 US for a DUI. How is it in BA ? Until last year I've been to BA once a month, since exchange rates were really favorable, so we just went for the weekend, eat excelent food, drink very good wine and walk a lot, in Palermo Hollywood mostly... This year I was assigned to a project in the Northeast (Alagoas) and my time got short for holidays. Maybe next year...

I will try to schedule a dive trip to Santa Catarina next summer. If my job assignment lets me go, I'll make contact, maybe we can get together over there for some dives and a beer !!

Hope to hear from you soon!!

 

[emoreira]

Hi pgcosta :

You mean buying a Dry Suit here in BA ? I think itŽ´s not advisable to do that. Besides, scuba gear in BA is very expensive compared to some other places. The exchange rates are convenient for people abroad, but those things (scuba gear, electronics, etc) are still expensive compared with USA.

I'll arrive to Bombinhas on 12th January. If you are around for that date we can dive together.

 

[Michel Braunstein]

Patagonia looks like an exciting dive place!
Welcome to Scubaboard

Michel

 

[pgcosta]

Hi again!!

The dry suit being cheaper in Argentina than in Brazil was something I heard while chatting with fellow divers at a surface interval last month, so I just thought it would be interesting to check it out...

Hi pgcosta :
I'll arrive to Bombinhas on 12th January. If you are around for that date we can dive together.

Please, before you come, be very careful and check out all the conditions in the area, because of the very serious floods that are sending all of Santa Catarina under water these days. I hope they will be able to start reconstruction soon, but I'm not sure there will be good conditions for tourism this summer. All the beautiful towns and beaches along the northern coast are completely flooded and there are lots of people homeless and in need of governmental help right now.

But, if conditions improve, it will be great to go to Bombinhas for some diving!!

Watch the news, especially via internet (O Globo Online :: Notícias dos jornais O Globo, Extra e Diário de São Paulo is the url of O Globo, one of brazilian's most respected newspapers) and keep in touch!!