What have you seen

daveg · 03-07-2003 9:05am #1

Since things are a bit slow lately I said I'd start a new thread. MY question is whats the best thing you've seen/experienced when diving. Has anyone swam with a whale shark or anything?

For me it would have to be 2 lesser spotted eagle rays off the Florida keys this year. Amazing stuff.

Evil Phil · 03-07-2003 6:14pm

So far the best for me was standing on the sea bed with 5, count them 5, black tipped reef sharks circling us. There was a little one who got quite curious and would nip in and out for a closer peak at us.

I also quite like Octopus.

[off topic]
Where, if anywhere, can you dive with basking sharks in Ireland?
[/off topic]

MadsL · 03-07-2003 9:25pm

I had four ragged-tooth sharks circling me on my very first dive...

But it was in a shark tank!!

Hooked ever since..

daveg · 04-07-2003 8:26am

Originally posted by Evil Phil

[off topic]
Where, if anywhere, can you dive with basking sharks in Ireland?
[/off topic]

The instructors up in scubadive west told us before they have dived on occasions in Killary with Basking sharks but tbh I think it would be very difficult to predict where they will be.

Personally I know if I'd like to dive with one... huge creatures...

Mick L · 07-07-2003 10:55am

Just back from Scapa Flow yesterday and what can I say??? Fantastic wrecks. Very hard to pinpoint one experience, from the line of 5.9 inch turrets just a metre or two off the seabed on the Markgraf to the penetrations into the wrecks.

As for sealife, unfortunately I didn't spot any sharks in the Red Sea when I was there but we did get to snorkel with a pod of dolphins.

daveg · 08-07-2003 9:10am

Originally posted by Mick L
Just back from Scapa Flow yesterday and what can I say??? Fantastic wrecks. Very hard to pinpoint one experience, from the line of 5.9 inch turrets just a metre or two off the seabed on the Markgraf to the penetrations into the wrecks.

As for sealife, unfortunately I didn't spot any sharks in the Red Sea when I was there but we did get to snorkel with a pod of dolphins.

Where is scapa flow mick?

Peace · 08-07-2003 11:10am

[off topic]
Where, if anywhere, can you dive with basking sharks in Ireland?
[/off topic]

I think i saw a program (travel show) where some dude was going to the isle of man to snorkel with some basking sharks. Apparently before the local yocals went baslistic and killed them all there used to be thousands.
I also spotted one off the coast of waterford once when i was fishing - a place called Helvic Head, near dungarvan. He/she was just cruising along the sirface. Sweet.

My best diving experience was probably drifting from Anemome city through the blue to Shark reef. You drift over a 500m underwater canyon. Felt like i was flying.

The swim with wild dolphins is No.1 though, but that wasn't with scuba gear. Unbelievable!!!

Sarky · 08-07-2003 11:23am

Originally posted by Evil Phil

[off topic]
Where, if anywhere, can you dive with basking sharks in Ireland?
[/off topic]

You might try off the coast of Achill Island? Particularly in good weather, I understand they like to, well, bask, in that area occasionally...

I haven't dived in too many different locations (all in Mayo or Donegal), but I've seen plenty of unidentified fish, a couple of large dogfish close up, a school of baby squid or cuttlefish or something(sorry, not too well up on marine zoology:) ), a few congers of various sizes, and one absolute MOTHER of a lobster off Rosroe pier in Killary, this thing was as big as my torso! (and yes, that's after taking the magnification of the mask into account...) Was scary stuff, as it was one of my very early dives...

Chaos-Engine · 08-07-2003 11:30am

Originally posted by Sarky
and one absolute MOTHER of a lobster off Rosroe pier in Killary, this thing was as big as my torso! (and yes, that's after taking the magnification of the mask into account...) Was scary stuff, as it was one of my very early dives...

I have a very very close up shot of it... I sware the claw on it is the size of my arm... The Lobbie was as big as a kitchen table...
I'll post the pic up later on tonight

Was diving up in Mulucmore on the weekend. Did an amazing new dive up there in a gully.. all hard rock... Beautiful. ONly ever seen something like that in El Heiro before... There was tonnes of life in it.. DOzens of congers everywhere u looked... Scary

daveg · 08-07-2003 11:42am

one absolute MOTHER of a lobster off Rosroe pier in Killary, this thing was as big as my torso!

This reminded me one time we did the conger run dive in scubadive west. The weather was really bad an vis was at zero. We went down the anchor line and swam a bit. I went to stand on the ground when I looked down and saw the biggest fúcking spidercrab I had ever seen and there was me about the stand on him.... :eek:

tomcosgrave · 08-07-2003 11:55am

I've seen some monster - and I mean monster - lobsters while diving off Rockport beach in Massachusetts - about the size of a kitchen table, as Sarky has seen.

Diving with stingrays in the Caymans was also amazing. Greedy little buggers ;-), they just go for the squid you bring down with you to feed them.
On that dive there was also a huge green moray eel that was sticking his head out of his pile of rocks. You wouldn't have wanted to go near him - his big mouth and hungry looking eyes made you wonder if perhaps he was going to jump out from his rocks and chase you ;-)

Also in the Caymans (where I've done most of the limited number of dives I've been on), I had a bag of fish food in a pocket of my BC and when I went to open it the wrapping disolved in my hand - thing is, I was stuck down between two large corals and got mauled by tangs, snappers and all the rest. A swarm of fish all over me for about a minute. I got bitten on the hands a couple of times.

I think the most amazing experience I had there though was swimming as close to the coral as was possible and just staring at all the infant fish - the colours are amazing, and it's really a different planet down there.

daveg · 08-07-2003 12:11pm

I think the most amazing experience I had there though was swimming as close to the coral as was possible and just staring at all the infant fish - the colours are amazing, and it's really a different planet down there.

the Kelp in Killary just doesn't compare does it :rolleyes:

Chaos-Engine · 08-07-2003 1:17pm

Originally posted by daveg
the Kelp in Killary just doesn't compare does it :rolleyes:

Jesus!!
Killary isn't that great you know. Its just accessable... But ffs. Ireland is huge and there us thousands of amazing places to dive. Most much much superior to Killary. I mean SDW is a total joke. They have practically scared every club in Ireland off with their money grapping and lack of respect for others. I mean ffs. They wanted someone I know to work for them for just €80 a week and thats with just one day off and no chance of doing any personal diving what so ever...
Oh yeah. Then u got to find a place to stay too...

If u want a better dive centre go to Mulucmore, Valentia, Cahardaniel... ANy of them...

tomcosgrave · 08-07-2003 1:59pm

the Kelp in Killary just doesn't compare does it

I honestly didn't mean to be showing off about that, sorry :-/

Sarky · 08-07-2003 2:14pm

There's a lovely wee place in Donegal called Malinbeg. Shallow(10-15m) inlet that gets quite deep as the bay opens up. The water's pretty sheltered and there's some great diving to be had there. The bottom has a fair good mix of rocky and sandy areas, and cliff faces, and there's a sea stack in the middle that you can poke around. Shallow, but very enjoyable. If only there weren't about 70 steps to carry the compressor down and up...:(

Mick L · 08-07-2003 8:46pm

Scapa Flow is in the Orkney islands just off the north tip of Scotland. the German High Seas fleet from WW1 was scuttled there. Most of the ships were salvaged but there are still 7 large ships there, 3 of them are battleships, more than 25,000 tons each.

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine
Jesus!!
Killary isn't that great you know. Its just accessable... But ffs. Ireland is huge and there us thousands of amazing places to dive. Most much much superior to Killary. I mean SDW is a total joke. They have practically scared every club in Ireland off with their money grapping and lack of respect for others. I mean ffs. They wanted someone I know to work for them for just €80 a week and thats with just one day off and no chance of doing any personal diving what so ever...
Oh yeah. Then u got to find a place to stay too...

If u want a better dive centre go to Mulucmore, Valentia, Cahardaniel... ANy of them...

I've been to Scuba dice west a few times as well as Valentia (only been there twice though). I've never had a problem with SDW and the guys there have always been decent and ver professional. I don't see why you would consider their operation a joke???

Evil Phil · 08-07-2003 8:49pm

I've climbed on Gola Island in Donegal. It looks like there is some amazing diving in the bay on the ocean side of the island. Does anybody know of dive sites there? There's none on the web and I haven't really looked any further than that. Of course, maybe its just waiting for a boards.ie expedition to open up the diving ...

I trust that everybody in here is trying to keep their temper

Evil Phil · 08-07-2003 8:55pm

*cough* lobster picture lackage *cough*

Peace · 09-07-2003 8:56am

*cough* lobster picture lackage *cough*

Size matters...whip it out lalalalala

daveg · 09-07-2003 9:19am

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine
Jesus!!
Killary isn't that great you know. Its just accessable... But ffs. Ireland is huge and there us thousands of amazing places to dive. Most much much superior to Killary. I mean SDW is a total joke. They have practically scared every club in Ireland off with their money grapping and lack of respect for others. I mean ffs. They wanted someone I know to work for them for just €80 a week and thats with just one day off and no chance of doing any personal diving what so ever...
Oh yeah. Then u got to find a place to stay too...

If u want a better dive centre go to Mulucmore, Valentia, Cahardaniel... ANy of them...

You may have missed my sarcasm there Chaos. I have no problem with SDW. Had some good dives their but their prices are high.

daveg · 09-07-2003 9:20am

Originally posted by Evil Phil
*cough* lobster picture lackage *cough*

Yes come on post the pic. You can't say "I saw a lobster and it was this big <

> without photographic evidence

Peace · 09-07-2003 9:22am

That reminds me, i shagged britney spears the other night and video taped it.....if i could just find it i'd post it

Mick L · 22-07-2003 4:09pm

Originally posted by MadsL
I had four ragged-tooth sharks circling me on my very first dive...

But it was in a shark tank!!

Hooked ever since..

Hang on there a second, just reread this thread, your first dive was in a shark tank??? How did that come about?

I'm assuming it wasn't on your OW. What a way to start a course that would be.

"Now class, for your first closed water session just get used to breathing underwater....ignore those sharks circling you and remember to breath

:eek: , welcome to Scuba Diving

"

Evil Phil · 22-07-2003 6:28pm

Shagging Britney Spears on your first confined dive would be way better though.

Mick L · 23-07-2003 8:22am

So we're agreed then that the new outline for the OW starts with shagging Britney in a shark tank.

I can see this sport getting real popular fast, just imagine what we can come up with for the advanced course!!!

What have you seen

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