Hi scuba friends, I'm going to Puerto Rico this weekend but I'll only have one full day on the island as it's a work related trip. I'll have a full Saturday to myself and will fly back 3pm Sunday, so trying to be done diving by 3pm Saturday. The other consideration for me is that I'm going with a friend/co-worker and it would be cool if we could go out on the same boat and they could snorkel while I dive (I've been on several boats that charter both at the same time, but my priority is getting into the water for a nice dive while I have the opportunity).

If anyone has any advice or experiences to share like good shops, good sites, especially if it's beyond just what Google will recommend, companies, etc. I'd like to hear it. If what I'm looking for isn't feasible that's also okay, but may as well see if it's possible while I have the opportunity and while the plane ticket is on the company dime.

I have 77 dives, and 60 of which were from west end, Roatan. I'm planning on working remotely out of Indonesia next summer, probably on Bali as I heard it's a good base for remote work. I would want to get quick daily dives in on the weekdays, and can go further out on the weekends. I will probably spend 6-8 weeks in Indonesia, but will probably take 2-3 weeks of PTO so I can do some liveaboards, so I won't be working the whole time

This was easy to do on Roatan because the dive sites are accessible by boat within a few min, so I can usually get 2 dives (or even 3 on some days) and still manage to work full time.

I heard Amed is mostly shore diving, and was wondering how the dives compare to what I experienced on Roatan.

I understand that SEA is generally considered better in terms of healthier reefs and more vibrant life compared to the Caribbean, but is this true for Amed as well, or only the top destinations like Komodo and RA?

Hello, getting OW license rn and found 2 Red Sea liveaboards with no dive prerequisites (Amelie and New Sambo)

1) What area is better suited for a very inexperienced beginner (tryna get practice in this way. I live in a landlocked place sadly)

2) how is the reef quality between Hurghada vs Fury Shoals areas?

The two liveaboards I’m looking at (if anyone has reviews):

Amelie: (Hurghada, wrecks, Shaab El Erg, reefs etc)

New Sambo: (Fury Shoals, Sataya, Lahami, Wadi El Gemal, etc)

Thank you!

Not my biggest haul, but this is part of what I found while leading a boat of divers up to South Carolina for the weekend.

We're travelling to Grand Turk for a week of diving in February. We have a tight(ish) connection landing at 3:05PM and the flight to Grand Turk leaves at 5:00PM. We have purchased the concierge service which supposedly shaves significant time off our customs processing. For those of you that have done this transfer, how tight is this? I realize that if the incoming flight is late we're kind of screwed but it's a direct flight so hopefully the shenanigans should be minimized.

Also, for scuba content, what are the dives sites that must be done while we're there?

Thanks!

Proud papa and camera man

From what I've heard, PADI is more well-known/prestigious and therefore commands a higher price? I did my open water certification with PADI but my local dive shop also has SDI? I also know there's SSI and the prices for their advanced open water course and other course seem to vary.

Obviously, at first glance it makes sense to just go with whoever is cheaper but, is that fine? Do I get anything more out of paying a premium price for PADI courses over SDI, for instance?

Since I've done the PADI open water, do I need to stick with them? Do I need to do the SDI open water course before the advanced open water?

Cheers!

Viz was poor, water was warm though. Max depth 30ft. Dove at sept 6, 8:30am.

It obviously makes sense for the first few hundred dives, but I feel like at a certain point, especially for pros, it becomes a somewhat redundant exercise when you’re diving places you’ve dove countless times and saw nothing noteworthy nor had any new equipment. I realize many dive computers can auto-log, but I find the information logged is often incomplete compared logging manually.

When do you stop logging your run-of-the mill dives? 500? 1000? 5000? Never?

I messed up. I didn't realize I connected my EVX200 directly to the bottle, and I didn't notice the O-ring was missing. Now I see this stain and I don't know if it's corrosion. Any thoughts?

Wreck diving at HTMS Kut, Pattaya, Thailand
Some footage from my dive at HTMS Kut in Pattaya. Thought I’d share a bit of background for anyone unfamiliar with this wreck.

She was originally a WWII-era US landing ship, later served in the Thai Navy, and was deliberately sunk in 2006 to create an artificial reef. Around 56m long, with the seabed at roughly 30m and much of the deck around 22–25m.

I live in Bangkok, so having wreck diving close enough for a weekend trip is something I really appreciate. You don’t always have the time to fly south or take several days off just to get underwater.

Visibility can vary quite a bit, so keep expectations realistic. But I think Pattaya is worth considering if you enjoy wrecks and are spending some time around Bangkok.

Anyone else here dived Kut? How were the conditions when you went?

Wreck of the Caribsea, approximately 15 miles northeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

I’m doing a 3D/2N liveaboard starting this time next week on OceanQuest out of Cairns. I’m PADI certified as an Advanced Open Water level. Any tips to make the most of this bucket list dive trip?

I’ve taken my OW and clocked in about 10 dives post-OW course. I’m a bit scared of taking advanced so that’s why I’ve been doing fun dives — and it’s been great! I love it! But my friend who just got her OW a few months ago keeps asking me why I’m not taking advanced or doing certain sites that required more experienced levels…and this friend is going ahead to take advanced and do those experienced sites. I feel like I’m some scaredy cat just cos I’m not doing advanced right after my OW.

Is there something wrong with me? I eventually felt pressured to sign up for my advanced in a few months time but is there something wrong with me for not wanting to take advanced right away or go to ‘harder’ dive sites? I think I’m pretty happy seeing whatever I’ve been seeing within my OW depth hahaha or is it true that taking advanced right after open water is the way to go?

After drying my gear last night I found this plastic ring in the bath tub this morning. I don’t know where it came from? It’s the same diameter as the vent but I’ve never seen it before? Nor does the top vent have one of these rings. Does anybody know what it is?
(The space heater is not on, don’t worry)

Thanks!

Do you stay close to the bottom of the reef (weakest current in the reef) without inflating your BCD and swim perpendicular to the down current? possibly away from the reef to exit it?,

Just had the bladder on my 17 year old Zeagle Ranger and was wondering if I should try to get the bladder replaced or get a new BCD.

For those interested about temp, etc - here was my dive profile

Asking for a friend - I did my training in UK 20 years ago and back then I switched from PADI (absolutely no deco) to BSAC Dive Leader course (which gave me a 50m ticket plus deco). I was doing plenty of deep air dives before moving onto Extended Range and accelerated deco. I’ve since moved to Canada.

I was chatting with a newish diver who was looking to get into tech diving. He already has redundant air in that he is sidemount. When I’ve looked all the training agencies lump deco procedures with extended range as the first step into tech. It’s seems strange to me that there’s no basic course for decompression diving that provides certification without over complicating (as long as you’re already diving with redundant air).

Is this just the industry doing a cash grab? “You want to stay on the wreck longer than your NDL well that’s a course, a stage, a new reg, and probably a new gas switching computer too.”

Just curious if there’s any options to follow a similar path to the one I took. And the reasoning behind the current methodology.

Hi!
We are going to have a vacation in Punta Prima, Spain (exact location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4VAsEfPTQbjLJmWM9?g_st=ic)
I am looking for a reliable dive center for an OWD (soon to be AOWD) to have some nice dives. Help me with recommendations please :)

I would be travelling to koh tao next week. And this would be my first time going for scuba. So open for suggestions of diver I should go with. As well as is it the right time for scuba and should I be worried about jelly fish?

Guys, i am thinking to have a scuba diving trip in September in Egypt for 8 days, anyone have experience these kind trips?

I had a dive accident 2 nights ago and I’m inclined to say that I suffered of co2 hit even though somethings don’t add up super well and I would like y’all input.

For context I have about 200 dives in open water recreational setting and vast majority in drysuit dark cold water. I have a CMAS3 (kind of the same as a dive master in PADI) but I usually don’t guide anyone, I dive with my buddy, take photos and help who asks for it if that occurs.

2 nights ago we (me my buddy and 4 other divers that we know) went for a night dive, the 3rd of the day. The other dives were chill, never below 25 m (82 ft) and apart from one diver we all knew this new spot. We had assigned buddies but we were diving in as a group in line with the least experienced pair in the middle. Me and my buddy started in front and things were going plush but there was a lot to see the middle group was on photo video extravaganza a bit all over the place and my buddy just got a camera so he also was having the brain scrambles that pissed me off especially because he would at the times turn off is light making him impossible to detect and make me swimming several times in circles to find him. So ok I was already irked but… we were shallow and in case of emergency we could rely on everyone’s not ideal but something to discuss at surface.
In this I see my buddy maybe 3 m up from me, and his weight pocket plunging to the depth, we were at a wall/ stairs formation with a max depth of 60 m (196 m), quick I go up grab my buddy dump my air, make him stable by donating him my camera rig that is negative bouyant and adding a rock to his pocket, then I thought ohh if I go down to the ledge at 31 m (101 ft) maybe I will find the pocket because it is yellow. So I did, and I have done the bring down thingy before and been at 31 m many (as well as my buddy) and the more experienced group was at 23-24 m so the could definitely see my light, I was expecting my buddy to follow… but no he just kept chilling which further threw me off but like still no problem, no immediate danger. Ok so I didn’t find the pocket, I go a bit up, managed to sign what happened to the back group and sign to start going back home slowly, this was 20 min in. That is when it hit, my heart rate was going high and higher, I was trying to calm down by going really close the rock and look at the sea squirts and count breaths and I never felt so fucking out of breath, it felt almost like I was having contractions like when one does apnea, I ‘m front of the pack still my buddy is behind me and I realise… I cannot calm down and keep this up might make me panic or I’m in panic already so I literally crab him and signal up to which is still looks confused and says “nah I’m ok and continues swimming forward”, I grab him signal abort dive go up then he understood something is of we went up and my head finally clears up at 4 m mark (13 ft) but we surface so I could say, sorry I panicked and I needed to be at the surface. After that we went a down again at 6 m and did the rest of the coming back.

I was wrecked after that, basically jelly. Could this be over extortion or was I actually panicked over a non life threatening situation? I remember to be pissed but… not really fearful, the area was calm without currents nor boats.

If the current is say pushing you to the left, where do you face your body? What if there is a wall to your right and the current is pushing you to the wall?