Where do you go to quick practice or try a new piece of equipment??

[Iceman900t]

I was just wondering where everybody went(assuming you don't live next to a nice diving spot!) to quick get some practice in, or check your buoyancy, or try out a new piece of gear. I'm not talking about a 2hr trek to the quarry or lake(or do you just wait until you can get to something good like this?), but like right nearby. Say you got a new wetsuit(as I have!), and want to check your weighting and buoyancy and just check out the wetsuit in general, but won't be able to make it far for a little while. I don't have a whole lot of patience, so I would probably run over to my fiance's pond. It's about 18' deep, and not really any vis to speak of, but it's wet. Does anybody else run to their local YMCA pool or neighbor's pond?? Where do you go!?

Thanks!
Ben

 

[Don Burke]

I was just wondering where everybody went(assuming you don't live next to a nice diving spot!) to quick get some practice in, or check your buoyancy, or try out a new piece of gear. I'm not talking about a 2hr trek to the quarry or lake(or do you just wait until you can get to something good like this?), but like right nearby. Say you got a new wetsuit(as I have!), and want to check your weighting and buoyancy and just check out the wetsuit in general, but won't be able to make it far for a little while. I don't have a whole lot of patience, so I would probably run over to my fiance's pond. It's about 18' deep, and not really any vis to speak of, but it's wet. Does anybody else run to their local YMCA pool or neighbor's pond?? Where do you go!?

Thanks!
Ben

There are a couple of dive shops with pools near here. I've also gone to a local marina and just jumped in.

 

[FreeFloat]

Ditto on jumping in at the marina. As long as you're not in anyone's way they really don't seem to care.

 

[ElectricZombie]

I have a decent quarry about 1.5 hours from my home. That's where we do a lot of our gear testing and practice sessions. The low vis makes things a little different. The other quarry we use is about 3 hours away.

 

[detroit diver]

We got to a local pool that my LDS rents out for OW classes.

 

[theskull]

I make the drive to local quarries or lakes just about every weekend anyway, so I try out new stuff there. (1 1/2 to 4 hour drive)

theskull

 

[Mo2vation]

I was just wondering where everybody went(assuming you don't live next to a nice diving spot!) to quick get some practice in, or check your buoyancy, or try out a new piece of gear. Thanks!
Ben

Its an hour boat ride, its mellow, protected, lots of people, the chamber is nearby, its safe, not too demanding. I go there to try all my new stuff.

K

 

[DeepTrip]

Many option for me. First, I join a local dive club, and they rent a pool nearby for training or gear testing purpose once a week. The pool is 6m deep.

Or I might try it in the dive shop where I got my OW certification. I know my instructor quite well, so he would basically allow me to use thier pool. It is not too deep though, only 3m.

 

[eod]

I guess that I could have taken the gear to the pool and try it out, but I went to one of the quarries nearby (30 min or so). Good vis (normal 30 feet), good depth (max 35feet, most of it is about 20 feet) and absolutely nothing to distract you (maybe a fish or two).

 

[DBailey]

Any motels/hotels near you? A conversation with the manager can usually get you in their pool for free early Saturday morning or something like that. Even offer to pay $10 for an hour in pool.