What trips do you have planned?

[drbill]

Hoping over the next two years to do the following:

1) Bonaire and Venezuelan Islands (Las Aves, Los Roques)

2) Galapagos

3) SE Asia: Malaysia, Bali, Vietnam... and China (Hainan)

4) Red Sea and/or Mozambique/South Africa

Always on the lookout for an intelligent, attractive woman diver to join me... preferably Asian or at least dark-haired and slender! Oh, independently wealthy would help, but I'd gladly settle for independent adveturous spirit!

Dr. Bill

 

[ABQdiver]

Tell me more about Rock Lake. What are the requirements? How do you arrange it? What is it like?

You have to have a AOW card and photo copy of it to leave with Ladyhawk. She charges $20 per day to dive, liability waiver. And, the most important we need to get a instructor with insurance that will release her and the ranch from liability.
The dives have to be scheduled with her (which can be fun, since she's hard to get a hold of) and then it all good.

If some of you are interested, I'll work on some dates in March or April that might work. Usually a Saturday/Sunday.

 

[Bill H]

I will be at the Habitat in both Bonaire and Curacao. Glad to hear you liked it..

Except for it's isolated location and odd billing system (the hotel, the restaurant and the dive shop are all separate operations) Habitat (Curacao) is an excellent dive resort. It's a long and expensive ($35) cab ride into Willemstead and the resort bus runs only a couple of times a day. Rooms are clean, food is fairly good, service is slow.

We found the dive operation, Easy Divers, to be very accomodating of the various levels of experience of the members of our group. Once checked out, everyone basically went their own way. The boats are small, and good dive sites fairly close. Diving on the house reef was better than expected, and the night diving was spectacular. You should have a great time.

...IIs it worth the trip? I would not go for it alone, but in a warmer month I would include it in a trip that includes the hole, if just for the variety. It is definitely better than anything I know in Colorado.

Thanks for the info on Perch Lake. I guess I would have heard more about it if it was anything other than an "also" dive for the Blue Hole.

 

[boulderjohn]

You have to have a AOW card and photo copy of it to leave with Ladyhawk. She charges $20 per day to dive, liability waiver. And, the most important we need to get a instructor with insurance that will release her and the ranch from liability.

More questions:

1) Is it worth $20?
2) Does it have to be an instructor? Assistant Instructors and Divemasters are allowed to lead dives, and they should also have liability insurance.

(I am a DM right now, and I should be an AI by summer--taking the slow and casual route through IDC. I would not be able to get there until late summer, though--see my schedule at the beginning of this thread for an explanation.)

If it has to be an instructor, I can almost cartainly get someone to come.

 

[drbill]

Just realized this was in the Rocky Mountain Oysters section, thought it was general diving. Sorry.

Dr. Bill

 

[Wijbrandus]

Dr. Bill, you are welcome anyway.

We make exceptions for very few Californians.

 

[drbill]

Dr. Bill, you are welcome anyway.

We make exceptions for very few Californians.

Appreciate that but I think diving in your region may be more challenging (and colder) than I can take at my advanced age! All the more power to those who do it wihout getting frostbite!

Dr. Bill

 

[knotical]

Appreciate that but I think diving in your region may be more challenging (and colder) than I can take at my advanced age! All the more power to those who do it wihout getting frostbite!

Dr. Bill

Hi Dr. Bill.

I’m sure you’re joking about Rocky Mountain diving being too challenging for someone of your “advanced” age. I know from a post you made to another thread that I’m older than you, and I’m only the third oldest active instructor in my shop!

Rocky Mountain diving is no more challenging than what you’re used to on the left coast. It’s just different.

True, in winter, most lakes and reservoirs provide very cold water, or ice diving.
Still we have places like Blue Hole, always in the low sixties year-round, and Homestead always in the low 90s year-round. In late summer many lakes and reservoirs make it up into the low 70s.
True, the air is thinner, and all our dives must be altitude adjusted.
True, our visibility often leaves a lot to be desired.
True, thermoclines can be a (literal) pain.
True, our wildlife is nowhere as varied as yours.

But:
Except for river running, our currents (and waves) are minimal, and surge is nil.
It’s harder to get permanently lost in a lake than an ocean.

OK, on balance yours is better. But you’re still welcome to come join us. (I know you can spell “dry suit”)

knotical