Where do you live and dive? What kind of diving?

[Peter69_56]

SoCal....love the kelp forests

Giant kelp forests are on my bucket list.

 

[Adam0322]

Southeast Alabama. Dive the gulf out of Panama City Beach or the springs in Florida, mostly.

 

[Peter69_56]

It is cold water diving (42F-51F depending on the season) which means you do need a drysuit (thick wetsuits are an option but few serious local divers use them).

I think in fact few serious divers (who can afford dry suits) use them. I would love a dry suit and its on my list of things to buy, however due to current financial constraints not within my control I have to wait.

I still dive every opportunity I can in a 6.5 mm wetsuit, so does this not make me a serious diver? I rather suspect those who chose not to dive at all due to the cold water are (to quote you) not as perhaps committed as idiots like me who persist even though my feet are often ice blocks. I love diving and do it every opportunity I can, to a fair degree regardless of temperature, visibility etc.

Now in saying all this I don't wish to flog you at the stake, boil you in oil, send you to depths unknown with 500 lb weight and 3 litres air. Just trying to say many divers are very committed and serious, but have to work within their financial or other constraints. Having all the latest toys and trinkets doesn't make you "A serious Diver", it makes you someone who can afford things.

:cold::cold::cold::cold::cold:

 

[boulderjohn]

I'm stuck on Hawaii diving and longing to be there, but I have heard here are other very good dive spots around the mainland U.S.

What I understand from this is that you did some diving in Hawai'i, loved it, and wished you had the time and money to go back and do it repeatedly. You are hoping for some suggestions for places that are cheaper and easier to get to.

I met a couple like that on a trip to Hawai'i. They had learned to dive in a cold water area in the mainland, went to Hawai'i, figured they had found diving heaven, and splurged on a trip there every year. When they learned that I had been to a lot of dive destinations around the world, they asked if any of the others were nearly as good as Hawai'i. I had to be honest--I thought most of the others were better than Hawai'i. (Hawai'i lovers, please don't flame me for honestly stating my opinion.)

From Ohio you should be able to get to a lot of good Caribbean sites easily. The Yucatan coast and Cozumel should work well for you. Florida has excellent diving.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I live in Sydney, capital of New South Wales, Australia. It is 15 minutes to the nearest shore dive, I can have my boat in the water and on a dive site in under one hour. We have dozens of excellent shore dives and hundreds of boat dives within an hour or two from leaving home. The diving is in water from 15 to 22C, reef dives and wreck dives. The visibility ranges from 7 to 30 metres (23 to 100 feet), with 10 to 12 m (33 to 40 ft) being an average.

We also dive other places in NSW. Each year we travel to a Pacific country, although this year we are off to Scotland to dive the Scapa Flow German WWI warships.

The diving in Sydney is as good as any in the world, and it would not worry me too much if I never dived anywhere else again.

 

[Peter69_56]

I live in Sydney, capital of New South Wales, Australia. It is 15 minutes to the nearest shore dive, I can have my boat in the water and on a dive site in under one hour. We have dozens of excellent shore dives and hundreds of boat dives within an hour or two from leaving home. The diving is in water from 15 to 22C, reef dives and wreck dives. The visibility ranges from 7 to 30 metres (23 to 100 feet), with 10 to 12 m (33 to 40 ft) being an average.

We also dive other places in NSW. Each year we travel to a Pacific country, although this year we are off to Scotland to dive the Scapa Flow German WWI warships.

The diving in Sydney is as good as any in the world, and it would not worry me too much if I never dived anywhere else again.

Michael, I am sure there is a rule here that you are not to make other posters jealous. Rule 5 dot point 6 para 3 etc etc. :rtfm:

Sydneysiders making (us) Mexicans jealous are also subject to flogging and forced breathing of exhaust fumes.

Went diving here yesterday in a balmy 10C with a leaking wetsuit, oh yum. 15C would have been warm in contrast.:coolingoff: You lucky dog you.


Scapa is on my list. Enjoy life as much as you can and have fun

 

[spectrum]

Where do you live and dive? Southern Maine/ mainely Maine

Is it close to your house? 10-60 minutes with occasional longer trips up or down the coat.

Anything special required to dive there? Simple single cylinder diving. Protection ranges from trunks to full drysuit. 7mm w/2X on the core is a common denominator that does the trick for many. Diving dry is nice but not at all needed to get started.

What kind of diving is it? Shore diving for the most part. Usually a very short walk from the vehicle. Depths mainly in the 20-40 foot range with some sites going to 100 feet or so. Rocky ledges, plenty of critters and pretty bottom plant life.

Pete

 

[Tigerman]

I live in Norway and I do some diving in the lakes where I live and the closest one is within walking distance (with kit on) of my lawn, but theres nothing interesting to see in most of them. The temp also goes from frozen over in the winter to 20 celcius in the summer, so I do SOME coastal diving, which is a 2 hour drive.
What I do if I have time and money to spend on nothing but diving is catch a plane to the red sea though..

 

[bubble-head]

I live fairly close to Virginia Beach, VA. If traffic is cooperative, I can get to the boat in about 1.5 hrs. I also dive off the coast of North Carolina.

Diving here requires a boat to hit the more interesting and deeper wrecks. They are at the deeper end of recreational (100'-120') to very deep technical depths. Being able to dive on any given day is very weather driven. Virginia Beach diving can be quite spectacular when the conditions are right and Morehead City, NC diving is just plain awesome.

 

[mat4ov]

I live in Michigan and love diving the Great Lakes. I also dive inland lakes and nearby quarries. The viz really varies - the Great Lakes can have viz as low as 30-40ft or as much as 100ft+ depending on the lake, weather, etc. The diving around here can be pretty cool (~40 degrees F at about 100ft two weeks ago), however I consistantly dive a 5mm wetsuit with 3mm hooded vest. As for equipment, I don't have anything special, wouldn't mind a dry suit though. Just my opinion, but if you want to dive wrecks then you need to try the Great Lakes.