Any scuba divers out there?

Used to be a commercial diver back in the 70's. On one job we put together a Desco mask system using a regular compressor with mineral oil (instead of petro based) and a homeade filter packed tight with sanitary pads. Worked great, could stay down long enough to get hypothermia in the cold Puget Sound waters. Took a refresher dive a couple years ago & need to get another in before our sailing trip to BVI in March.

I've been diving for about 12-13 years now. Some years more than others. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to dive more. Starting with a trip to Bonaire in a couple of weeks (my second trip there).

I don't have a regular diving partner, and I live in an inland state, where most of the weekend dives available are going to be at the quarry (sort of like only skiing the bunny slopes), so they get boring after a few dives. My daughter's ex-boyfriend got certified, and we took him on a couple family trips to the Keys to dive with me. After he dumped my daughter, I told my kids any future dating partners also need to be divers. (Ironically, she just started dating again, and he is, in fact, a diver as well)

I picked up a nice drysuit that was a demo model relatively cheaply, so I am hoping to get in some dives off the Jersey shore next summer. All my prior cold water dives where in my 7 mm suit, which is a bit constricting. 

Got certified summer of last year.  So far had only been diving in New England oceans.  Yeah,  not  much, but this past summer we dived a ship wreck.  Don't have a wreck cert so my buddy and I couldn't go "inside".  Still very cool.  Also did some scalloping.

Will get a lobster license for next year.

This pretty much why I don't teach anymore.   I was first certified in 1974 and PADI only had two certification levels.   After pool training and a few river dives I went to Panama City and my first ocean dive was to 100 feet with the second dive being around 80 feet.     Those are the depths of the good dives in the Gulf.     Within a year I was diving the Empire Mica before a salvage hunter used explosives to free the prop so he would use it as a display item in front of his shop.    That dive was in water depth up to 125 feet.    This was the days before computerized diving.    With two years I was doing decompression dives. All this as a teenager.

Now one has to have a specialty class to do any of the real fun stuff.   Law suits and all that.    

You don't HAVE to have a specialty class to do any of that stuff. But what I see are several problems: first, a lot of shops push the classes as a money maker (PADI actually stands for Put Another Dollar In). Second, a lot of people take classes like they are collecting merit badges - so they have little real world dive experience, but call themselves AOW divers because they took the class. Third (and this is the flip side of the second), you get people who, newly certified, dive out of their safety zone - I recall my college roommate getting certified and going to the Keys with me one year. I had been diving maybe 5 or 6 years, and he had literally just gotten his C-card. He sped up past me on the reefs, then turned and kept going. By the time I caught up to him, we lost track of the boat, and ended up doing the "ride of shame" when he ran out of air and we had to catch a lift with a nearby boat. I am a fan of people getting knowledge and experience  - sometimes that means classes, and sometimes it means diving with people who are better divers than you (and patient enough to teach skills).

True, but if you are an instructor with one of the recreation diving associations that is what you are required to push.   If you are a full time instructor and that is your primary job then it's in your best interest to stress certifications.      That's why I chose YMCA over PADI or NAUI.  

Thanks for the input on the hookah setup.   Gives me an excuse to take the compressor apart.   Gold mining equipment sites have a plastic canister just for that reason.   Seems that some miners prefer to use hookah.   Learn sumpin new.   My mad money has ran out for this month but I'm not in that big of a hurry.      I love to tinker, and cracker engineer.

I agree with Gearboy.  I usually dive with 3 others friends along with a group in my dive club - one is my brother and he is usually my partner.  Sometimes one of us cannot make it and one had to partner up with a stranger.  

One of my friends is like "gear boy", who likes to play with equipment.  He is a photographer and right after certification he can't wait to start playing with stuffs underwater - plus all other non-photo accessories like blades, lights everything.  One time he was too busy taking photos he drifted further and further away and his partner had to chase him back.  As a beginner he went further than usual, got low in air and freaked out. The dive leader yelled at him afterward.  My philosophy is, underwater photography is fun, and I can handle the "photography" part.  But I need to make sure I am comfortable with the "underwater" part before I start playing with other stuffs. 

My 3rd open water dive was a 80-ft scallop dive.  My brother couldn't make it that time so I partnered with a stranger.   He is more experienced and made sure we do all the right things (checking on my air, checking time and directions, made sure I am not too cold, safety stops etc).  I felt confortable diving with him.  

This is why I waited until I had at least 40-50 dives under my belt before I started taking photos underwater. And I tell my friends who ask about getting started to wait as well - it takes a while to master all the tasks and still be safe, IMHO

I get that - it's one reason I haven't gone further in my own training to become even an assistant instructor. Sure, I would get lots of diving, and I would get to teach (two things I love), but the idea of upselling classes disturbs me. 

Thanks for the pictures!  It helps to wile away a cold winter's day.

Also certified for over 40 years.  I worked for the local scuba shop in San Diego and dove every day in the beautiful La Jolla cove (protected underwater park), and the La Jolla Shores (down into the San Andreas fault.  Every weekend we dove Mexico from La Bufadora way down into Baja both ocean and gulf sides. 

It is by far one of the greatests sport/hobies every.

Took the classes (twice) 20 years ago when I was living in Bermuda, but never made all of the certification dives. Pretty much just did a lot of snorkeling & free diving. Still have the dive tables around here somewhere.

My mom was at one time the highest certified female diver in the Great Lakes/Lake Erie region (in the mid-80's). Wrecks, caves, mixed-gas, etc... she did it all. 

Where at in HI are you planning? That's where I've done most of mine,,,,,,, actually most of my diving has been on one reef,,,, Puako.

To the OP, I got certified about 10yrs ago, have only dove a few places, Florida, Lake Mead and Hawaii.  Most of the diving we do is shore diving on the Big Island. June won't get here quick enough.

Here is one of my favorite videos, on the Purako Reef.

Should have been more specific. We'll be on Honolulu and will do most of our dives at Sharks Cove.

Great beaches up there and great diving, it won't disappoint!!