O'Malley
Contributor
...this past weekend, completed class/pool portion with Underwater Safaris in Chicago and next weekend, will complete open-water cert at Haigh Quarry. My motivation? after the last two vacations, I said to my wife, if snorkeling at the surface is this intense, imagine the intensity 25+ feet below the surface. Well, imagine no longer! As a prospective student, ScubaBoard was a great reference and as a new diver...I look forward to your insight. "Purchasing gear"...I read many, many threads recommending skipping the entry level gear and purchasing "up" to avoid the additional cost of upgrading down the road. Well, after frequent visits to LDS and studying product reviews, I decided to make the investment...ScubaPro KnightHawk BCD, MK25/S600 reg, SmartCom console and Twin Jets (black), Atomics SS1 alt, Cressi Focus with corrective lenses and Henderson Aqua Suede wetsuit. My instructor for the class/pool portion stated he has been diving the same equipment he purchased many, many years ago...I too, plan on having this gear for a long, long time because quite frankly, dropping two grand did cause me a sleepless night or two. However, the upside...the door to the world's aquarium is a whole easier to open and, perhaps this is new diver anxiety, the familiarity with one's own gear is reassuring...sense of security. I sure hope all goes well this weekend...we already booked our first trip to Cozumel next month and I have reserved 3 days of diving with Emerald Dolphin Dive...hopefully, I will have the opportunity for a night dive. All this being said, I simply wanted to say hello and express how excited I am to join the diving community. My wife is also excited...I finally quit smoking (If I was going to dive, I wanted to last more than 15 minutes below the surface) and have seen my dentist for the first time in 4 years (the thought of a tooth squeeze, that could have been easily prevented, scared the hell out of me)...that bought me a lenghty lecture!
