This years analysis and next years aspirations ...

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

So what dive goals did you accomplish/failed to accomplish this year and what are you planning to do next year? Any particular gear purchases? Any new destinations in radar or plan to visit old ones? Specialties?

 

[TSandM]

Things I accomplished:

An open water sidemount class with Natalie Gibb. It was fun being a fumbling beginner again!

I did get to Mexico and get some cave diving done, and my favorite dive buddy came with us.

I dove with Jarrod Jablonski. That was probably the year's high point.

I bought yellow Jet fins. They rock! And I got a Santi dry suit, and it rocks, too.

Plan was to get through my IDC/IE in December, but that's not happening. But I may go down and do them in Mexico next year.

My biggest failure for the year was not getting anything to speak of done on our local fishy Project Baseline. I need to prioritize that and get it going.

Next year has a TON of travel in it, to make up for several quiet years. Two trips to the Philippines (one a fam -- familiarization -- trip, and the other leading a group). One to the Socorros. Hopefully two to MX. And I may find myself doing my first open water classes in Puget Sound.

 

[Scott]

Accomplished:
Explored two lakes that, as far as I could research, had never been dived before.
Obtain SM Instructor

Missed Goals:
At least two trips to SoCal to dive the kelp and Wreck Alley
Cavern and Cave training
Fiji
DEMA to find a new SM BC

2014:
Two weeks in Florida for cave training then one week in Mexico looking a pretty fish and wet rocks
One week in Bonaire
At least two trips to SoCal for kelp and wrecks.
Explore a couple local "targets"

 

[Deviance]

Accomplished
-Rediscovered diving after a 5 years hiatus.
-Got the Rescue Diver, Sidemount, and Nitrox cert

Goals
-Finished building my STSM reg
-Buy the X-Deep Stealth 2.0
-Buy a dry suit, hoodie, and gloves appropriate for Vancouver

(Which means that I need to find a job)

 

[Imla]

Accomplished:
Dived with Periphylla Periphylla (Night, midfjord, -2C, 350Deep, Jellyfish...)
GUE Fundamentals Techpass on the first try
GUE Tech 1
Maldives and Mantas
Wrecks in Ålesund, Norway
Wrecks in Mandal, Norway

Gear
Transitioned to BPW. (Halcyon steel plate/wing, APeks Regs
D8,5L, D12 and another D12 on the way.
SOLD singletank equipment
A lot of new (old) photoequipment
Brand new scooter

Goals:
Dive a whole lotta wrecks in Norway.
GUE Tech1+

I'll be a student from January, so money will be tight. No more gear-purchases next year.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I had three trips to first-time-for-me destinations ...

- Mexico caves in April
- Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan and Huron) in July
- Raja Ampat in October ... with a return to Lembeh Straits the week prior

More locally, I went diving in the abandoned Titan missile silos about 150 miles from my home ... it was one of those bucket-list things I've wanted to do for some years.

I built a small rock reef at one of our local dive sites ... which I'm happy to report has been nicely tenanted over the past few months.

I also had another record year teaching ... second in a row ... which is a lot of fun, but I'm looking forward to taking a couple months off from teaching to help renew my enthusiasm for it.

Next year's aspirations ...

- Return to MX, which happens on January 3rd
- Teach less, enjoy it more
- Renew some relationships with people I enjoy but haven't spent much time with over the past couple years
- Add some more structure to my reef
- Find one place in the world to go to that I haven't been to yet ... preferably someplace with mantas and/or whale sharks

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rich Keller]

You can list what you have done in the Mid-Atlantic region during the last 12 months by filling out this survey. This information is being gathered to determine current usage to be used for future resource management in this area.

http://www.surfrider.org/mid-atlantic-recreation/

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I had three trips to first-time-for-me destinations ...

- Mexico caves in April
- Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan and Huron) in July
- Raja Ampat in October ... with a return to Lembeh Straits the week prior

More locally, I went diving in the abandoned Titan missile silos about 150 miles from my home ... it was one of those bucket-list things I've wanted to do for some years.

I built a small rock reef at one of our local dive sites ... which I'm happy to report has been nicely tenanted over the past few months.

I also had another record year teaching ... second in a row ... which is a lot of fun, but I'm looking forward to taking a couple months off from teaching to help renew my enthusiasm for it.

Next year's aspirations ...

- Return to MX, which happens on January 3rd
- Teach less, enjoy it more
- Renew some relationships with people I enjoy but haven't spent much time with over the past couple years
- Add some more structure to my reef
- Find one place in the world to go to that I haven't been to yet ... preferably someplace with mantas and/or whale sharks

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Great! How was the Titan missile silo? I thought about doing that too but going there from DC just to dive in a missile silo? What do you think?

 

[Laurie S.]

Accomplished: my 200th dive, a solo dive to 100 feet, getting my first abalone free diving, and spear fishing my biggest fish to date (4-pound grouper). For next year, I want to get to 300 dives, do more solo dives, get deeper free diving and extend my time, and finish my AI program. Oh, and have a blast diving!

 

[AfterDark]

Went diving as often as I could, got to NC again and enjoyed myself. Plan to continue to diving all winter and enjoying it.