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Just signed up for a diving class with Barnacle Busters! My ultimate goal is to dive in the Channel Islands here in Southern California.

http://www.barnaclebusters.org/

Any other divers?

The key thing about scuba clubs is to suck up (so to speak) to the members who own boats. It's much cheaper and more convenient to have friends with boats than to own one yourself. And they need to invite friends along for the weekend, to help pay for the fuel. On the other hand, if you enjoy being sucked-up to (so to speak) and can afford one...

You can dive from shore, but the options expand exponentially with a boat. And when you surface, cold and tired, it's so much nicer to have someone motor over and pick you up (hot shower on the swim platform anyone?) than to have a long swim through chop, currents, - and up here, maybe snow - back to the beach.

If you've got four to six guys, it's also not too expensive to charter a decent cruiser for a few days.

mindgarden saidThe key thing about scuba clubs is to suck up (so to speak) to the members who own boats.

^ I love this!

Shore and jetty dives are great, but nothing beats going 30m+ to look at a wreck 2 hour from land..

I've been diving for nearly 2 years now and I love it. There are just so many reasons to Scuba - exploration, photography, sea life, wreck penetration and the list goes on!

I initially started to dive because it was a form of sport that isn't competitive. Now I am finding myself pushing to do things that I thought I didn't want to achieve from Diving. I have got over the going to the limit of 40m+ and have just purchased a camera with a housing and plan on taking a picture of every fish in my Australian identification books.. That should keep me going for a while! lol

Getting all ones equipment asap is one of the keys to constantly diving. It is a VERY expensive hobby, especially in Australia, but going and seeing if hire gear fits and is OK, getting a tank and returning it is just a pain.

Here is hoping for you obtaining your goal! Then you can make another ;)

You'll love SCUBA! I do it every chance I can get.

Hmmm... I was afraid it might be expen$ive! Hmmm...

Yes, it definitely will. If I had to do it over again I'd just buy the computer and octopus setup, mask and fins. You'll never save enough to justify not renting, and if you did, your equipment will be ancient by then. You can rent an octopus too, but I prefer knowing how my primary life support gear has been maintained especially when traveling to a 3rd world destination.

Or you can save big dough on Ebay and Craigslist, if you don't mind slightly used.

Yeah agreed...having your own wet suit can be a lot more confortable and you don't have the who peed in this last feeling but It's such a pain to bring especially if you dive mostly when you travel...plus if you're like me and hate to be too warm you need 2 or 3 to cover temp ranges

Me in the poor knights in New Zealand...

Thanks for all the great replies! Great pic AMT87!

Just did the first class today! So awesome!

Good for you!
I remember my first class in the ocean, very well.
January of 1990, it snowed that day.
Still dive whenever I get the chance.

enjoy the adventure !
I would defientely suggest buying your own snokle, and fins as you'll always be using those. If you have the cash for your own wet suit and octapus thats a huge bonus. I wouldnt buy anything too expensive until you've been out diving for a couple months, and know what you life, where you like to dive and what you feel comfortable with (in regards to spending and your environment).

Good luck

Bumped my head the other day in class. Don't do a pike dive with scuba equipment!

oui, i never took to scuba diving, it never felt right to me. i learned how to do it and i did but i didnt like the feeling at all, it was to unnatural

chaos444 saidoui, i never took to scuba diving, it never felt right to me. i learned how to do it and i did but i didnt like the feeling at all, it was to unnatural

Lots of things feel unnatural when you first do them.

Passed my Scuba Diving written test. Now for the da ocean!

Amazing! Saw a school of sardines, all kinds of fish, including a bat-ray! wow!

I am so glad that you are having a great time!

People that haven't dived just cant imagine what is waiting for divers that sink below the surface.

Seeing fish and other marine life in their natural habitat is just simply amazing. Interacting with it is just off the scale!

Just yesterday I sunk below the waters of a nearby jetty - right into a large school of fish called Sweep. They are rather curious and I spent about 10 minutes watching them come up and have a look, circle around my head and even come up and kiss my mask! It was just so amazing that they were not afraid.

I believe it is these experiences that make life worth living.

Just thought I would bump this thread with a few pics that I took last Sunday at a place called The Bluff, Victor Harbour in South Australia. I've only really started out taking photos, so most of the stuff that I took pics of didn't actually.. move.. :S

Hope you like them!



Sea Urchin! Few of these.. had to be careful not run into them!



Eleven Legged Starfish..



..and another..



..and another! The place was littered with them! This one had friend though ;)



Some weird seaweed I found - it was very colourful so it deserved a photo.



Seasponge - They open and close if you go to close. Very interesting.. and entertaining.. :S



Spotted Starfish - which isn't native to South Australia, so it did travel far!



My boyfriend Brenton - A new diver trying to keep buoyancy by clasping his hands together.. didn't work to well for him though..



A Cowfish - These are very pretty. This one didn't mind me coming near him - until I dumped some air to get a better pic and nearly landed on him!



This is one of my favourites! The is a Leafy Seadragon - Very elusive and VERY beautiful. Particles courtesy of Brenton lol Sort of gave it a aura though.. not complaining!

I'm one. I got my certification in Thailand about 8 years ago. I've dived there....and Belize, and Oman. Never been to Australia.

Tork saidJust thought I would bump this thread with a few pics that I took last Sunday at a place called The Bluff, Victor Harbour in South Australia. I've only really started out taking photos, so most of the stuff that I took pics of didn't actually.. move.. :S

Hope you like them!

This is one of my favourites! The is a Leafy Seadragon - Very elusive and VERY beautiful. Particles courtesy of Brenton lol Sort of gave it a aura though.. not complaining!

Awesome pics!

I'm going to Cozumel in October. My first time! Word on the street is that it'll be a blast!

I've lived in the Turks and Caicos for the past four years and still haven't tried SCUBA. Something about the sea creatures and having to be contained in a mask, etc... freaks me out. I'm cool snorkeling, but I'm not sure how to get over my fear of SCUBA.

Swimbikerun, it sounds like you and I were in class at the same time. I just got my open water cert (NAUI) in July, and I'm taking the Advanced/Master Diver class now. I guess this means soon I can expect everyone to call me "Master", right? Anyone uncomfortable with that can just stick to my usual name of SIR.

I've lined up a trip to the other side of the planet in November. 3.5 days in Auckland and 3.5 days in Sydney. I will defintely be spending at least one day diving, but I'm still researching the places around there. Anyone with suggestions or experiences in Australia is welcomed to share it here or drop me an email.

swimbikerun saidBumped my head the other day in class. Don't do a pike dive with scuba equipment!

My situation like that was the time I forgot to gather up ALL my hoses and noodly appendages before doing a giant-stride entry. My pressure gauge hit the water first, perfectly flat, and just a milisecond later my left elbow SLAMMED into the top of it, and of course at high speeds all that soft rippling water acts like a fricking brick wall.

There was nothing remotely funny about that "funny bone" encounter. I lost feeling from my elbow to the tips of three fingers for about five minutes, thought I had broken something or severed a nerve and was going to have to abort the dive. Sensation slowly returned after about eight minutes, but it hurt like a !&(@#$ for two days.

That is the kind of painful lesson you will only ever need to learn once.