This years analysis and next years aspirations ...

[Keith.M]

Completed Advance, Wreck and Rescue certifications.
7 dives short of my 100 dive milestone, but should have that accomplished before the end of the year.
Hoping to get back to Cozumel next year and stay for longer than the 5 days I did last year.

 

[tracydr]

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)

As an ex-Missile Launch Officer for Minute Man III, I think I'd love that Titan dive.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

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?

If you're talking about the one on Central Washington I'd say don't come all the way out here from Virginia for that. It's a nice "bucket list" experience for one day ... but I can't see myself wanting to go do it again. Two and a half hours to the west is some great diving that can keep you busy for as many days as you can stand it. And a bit further west in the San Juan Islands ... or north to Vancouver Island ... it just gets better.

So if you're gonna come all the way out here, and you want to do the missile silos, plan it for a day trip ... then spend the rest of your time exploring all the rest of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer ... above and below the water ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added November 24th, 2013 at 05:38 PM ----------

As an ex-Missile Launch Officer for Minute Man III, I think I'd love that Titan dive.

My friend and dive buddy John Nokes posted some pics of our dives there on his Facebook page ... if you have a Facebook account ...

https://www.facebook.com/john.nokes...56210181106.1073741847.100004601863515&type=1

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JMBL]

As far as I'm concerned 2013 was good, but started all wrong because of a louzy weather in spring and until mid summer. So I've missed ALL the trimix dives I had planned and had to cancel most of my cave dives as well. So, I couldn't log my 700th dive as I wanted to.

Still, I had the most pleasant trip to Paros, Cyclades. I had the bluest Med you can whish for and could dive for almost 2 weeks alone with a very good friend there. Even had the opportunity to dive Amphitritis cave there. My friend Sara is in charge of the exploration of that cave, it was just wonderful (see there Amphitritis cave).

Was glad also to dive in Juan les Pins where I had longed to go for some time : did both l'Arens and l'Enfer de Dante, just great.

Ended up my diving season at Cunhac, a cave dive I was compelled to postone last year because of a torn neck seal on my dry suit (see there Cunhac).

Had no training planned this year and I hadn't planned to buy new gear, but a couple of weeks ago I've found a S80 stage tank at a bargain price.

Hope to dive more next year and hope to begin by giving a shot at ice diving. With a bit of luck I might be able to try diving in the US as well. Wait and see...

Merry Xmas to you all and have a nice diving 2014.

 

[FaithC]

2013: I got my OW certification, took a buoyancy & control class and bought my own gear, got in 5 shore dives.
I wanted to get my first boat dive in, but the marine forecast had other plans that day. Overall, it was a great year for me.

2014: I have a dive trip planned with a buddy down to Key Largo, hopefully, I will get my first boat dive in and then some! Would like to add a GoPro to the mix in 2014 as well.

 

[uncfnp]

2013: Solo Diver certification and great dives in Bonaire and Florida. Lots of new gear...

2014: New Freedom Plate. Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures this spring. More great dives in Bonaire and Florida. More gear...

 

[Dirty-Dog]

2013 - circumstances prevented us from making more than one trip this year, so all we got was a couple dozen dives off Oahu. Gear wise, I bought a couple new SP regs, a BP/W with single and doubles wings and changed to a longhose system.

2014 - we've booked trips to Cozumel and Cancun, and are planning a fall trip to Bonaire.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[scubadada]

2013: made only 98 dives, of course, I was hit by a boat in August in FL and, with my fractured, lacerated foot, missed 10 days of prime diving. I did get my solo certification.

2014: make many more dives, avoid the boat. I will get off to a good start with a trip to Little Cayman in early Feb to celebrate my 60th birthday. I'll easily make 800 dives during that trip.

 

[mizzie]

This year: I got certified! After wanting to for the last 20 years. Also found a wonderful dive group that meets regularly. (just too bad they are a 2 hour drive away) Carved a pumpkin in 30' of fairly cold water the last weekend of October. Found a great deal on a BCD.

Next year: Go diving at Grand Cayman on my cruise in February. Get to know, and dive with, the aforementioned dive group as much as possible. Work on my buoyancy and *navigation awareness. Get a dive computer. Maybe get AOW.


*I tend to get sort of "lost" underwater, not really knowing where I am in relation to the shore. Obviously this is an issue. Thus far, it's been ok since I've only dived with people in the group who know I'm new and lead the dive, but I know it's not a good idea to rely on someone else this way.

 

[drrich2]

Made it to Bonaire last April (7'th trip) for a week of shore diving.

Did some solo diving at the local quarry; obtained & got a little practice using a 30 cf pony instead of slinging an 85 steel tank.

Made it to the Florida Keys the first time, stayed at the Courtyard Marriot in Key Largo, dove with Rainbow Reef Dive Center, crammed 20 dives into 5 days, 3 on the Spiegel Grove and 1 on the Duane. I learned about what diving the upper Keys is like, the structure and work-flow of a trip for us, and saw sharks & goliath grouper for the first time diving (reef sharks & nurse sharks). SAC rate on the trip tended to be the best yet I've had overall on a dive trip.

Just learning that a trip to Key Largo can handily match Caribbean diving was a serious benefit, and such a trip can be quite decently priced, comparatively.

For 2014, I hope to get 4 dives in on a cruise (2 St. Croix, 2 St. Lucia, neither of which I've dove before), and perhaps get back to Bonaire for more shore diving, this time solo.

Richard.