Scuba Divers???

Chaos-Engine

Hey!
Any SCUBA Divers among the boards.
I'm a member of DSD(Dalkey Scuba Divers) and from October I'll be in Trinity SAC...

I have 30 dives up. I'm a CFT/CMASS diver... And i took lots of photos of my last few dive trips.

I'm off to El Hierro with Shane Gray and co in October for a week of Alcohol fueled Equatorial Altantic Diving.

yeah I'm nuts...

Jak

Aye, was a PADI diver with an initial course from a nice warm spot in Barbados, then returned to do a course with Shane in Flagship.

Since then have joined the UCD club where I will remain, trying to clock up final dives for 2* CFT - but not in any hurry.

We had the boat at the marina in DL for the summer and dived mostly out at the Muglins and Dalkey Is., I usually headed out on a midweek evening dive.

Right now boat is back on mooring (no showers ) but still ...

If you are with TCD now I am sure we may likely bump into each other at some stage during the year.

JAK.

TacT

I did my padi course with dsd about 8 years ago and the only thing that held me back from it was the cost of it all. I got a dive in on holidays while in France there a few weeks back and it's revitalised my interests as it's unbelievable fun!

I have a mission for you scuba divers underwater football with a coconut

A mate of mine just came back from a big long trip in thailand and this sounded absolutely class! They did it with fins on and fins off using rocks as goalposts and 3+ on either team!

Must look into what I need to sort out again to qualify myself to dive. Probably just a stamp from the doc on a medical cert and one in my book?

[/sidenote]My first dive was off hook head in wexford and when we finished our dive and were up on some cliffs the instructor kindly showed us a lovely jump back into the water from a ridiculous height! A few of us jumped and got a wee additional stamp from Dalkey Leapers, was great craic![sidenote]

So whens the boards.ie scuba weekend coming up?

hmm in fact if your going to a site for a dive I'd love to tag along to go snorkelling myself. Do they still go snorkelling around dalkey island on sunday mornings?

Why can't I find someone who wants to freedive/spear-fish!

JayK you've been the only man to display an interest by saying that you would like to come along and try it out. I'll be sure to give you a heads up as soon as I get a new gun.

offroadannie

How much is it to join DSD? Just back from travelling around the world and want to start diving here in Ireland - Is there anywhere I can do a dry suit diving course? (Bit cold here)

Jak

Originally posted by tactical anni
I did my padi course with dsd about 8 years ago and the only thing that held me back from it was the cost of it all. I got a dive in on holidays while in France there a few weeks back and it's revitalised my interests as it's unbelievable fun!

I have a mission for you scuba divers underwater football with a coconut

Aye the UCD club play Underwater Rugby on occasion not played myself mind

A mate of mine just came back from a big long trip in thailand and this sounded absolutely class! They did it with fins on and fins off using rocks as goalposts and 3+ on either team!

Must look into what I need to sort out again to qualify myself to dive. Probably just a stamp from the doc on a medical cert and one in my book?

Yah you will need to get the health check again and unfortunately as a PADI diver you will usually be asked to redo CFT courses to dive with a CFT club - though there is some crossover for people with certs above Advance OW. If diving with a PADI center you will just need a refresher course

[/sidenote]My first dive was off hook head in wexford and when we finished our dive and were up on some cliffs the instructor kindly showed us a lovely jump back into the water from a ridiculous height! A few of us jumped and got a wee additional stamp from Dalkey Leapers, was great craic![sidenote]

So whens the boards.ie scuba weekend coming up?

Never too many people would die needlessly

hmm in fact if your going to a site for a dive I'd love to tag along to go snorkelling myself. Do they still go snorkelling around dalkey island on sunday mornings?

There are always loads of boats out and about even midweek at Dalkey (though this will slack off now as we come into winter and late evenings) - approach one of the clubs and ask, but generally I've found clubs can be a little cautious about taking non members out purely because of Insurance - and if anything should happen it would be the death of the club. Join a club ... solves everything

Why can't I find someone who wants to freedive/spear-fish!

JayK you've been the only man to display an interest by saying that you would like to come along and try it out. I'll be sure to give you a heads up as soon as I get a new gun.

You should really consider joining a club Tac, you would certainly meet other free divers and folk interested in it, and as well would get more and more chances to go out snorkeling with the boat. As opposed to shore diving which we would be limited to at the mo.

As well worth noting that UCD is open to non student members (and is in fact mostly made up of post grads and working folk) - could be worth thinking about.

JAK.

TacT

I'll have another look into it

Chaos-Engine

If you are interested in joining Dalkey Scuba Divers give the Dive Officer Nigel Hanlon a call on 087 8615251...

I payed €450 for a 1* course and a years membership. That included the use of the trainee gear for the year(very handy). We usually do our trainee weekend in Killary.

I don't really Snorkle round dalkey most sunday mornings. Just once a month at the very most. At the moment I'm doing alot of night dives. Last night we dived the Bollievard on the Kish bank it was fantastic to drop down to it in total darkness... lots of eels and scorpian fish... I have to put it to Padraic our Cox'n. He found the wreck with no GPS just his nose and a bearing from DL...

I do alot of NON-Club diving with a few divers most Saturday mornings and the odd wednesday night off Sandycove. Lots of Octopus and bolders...

Next year I probably won't be in Dalkey as I plan on concentrating my club diving in Trinity. Dalkey is great craic and probably has the best divers in the country(e.g. next week we are doing altitute diving at 370m above sea level 0.96 Bar).
Dalkey however is alittle on the old side. I'm just 20 and well below the average Dalkey Diver age of 35+. Perhaps when I'm the big 30 I'll join again. But I'll make the most of the club that I grow up with till xmas. I'll still be diving with many of them in Killary, Sandycove, Dalkey... Hell I'll still be diving with them just not in their club.

P.S. PADI course through Dalkey Scuba Divers. Are you sure???
Yes we have the odd PADI instructor in the club but the club itself isn't the the business of PADI. To be honest the only PADI diver that I would dive with that isn't an instructor would have to be my little brother as 150 Dives is enough experience. I just prefare CMASS divers mostly as they have more rounded knowledge(plus they drink far more).

Any how. Safe diving to all. And don't turn your back on a conger... Their Evil I tell ya..

TacT

I'm sure it was a padi course, it was 8 years ago
Our Instructor was more than knowledgeable and with the tech involved I felt in complete security, he had a crazy number of dives under his belt and as far as I remember his name was Paul.

I did my trainee weekend at Hook Head in Wexford. Then did another in Dalkey.

I paid somewhere in the region of 650 irish at the time of the course.

I was 16 at the time and was the youngest member there. It took a little persuasion and after one night's introduction to the pool training they welcomed me aboard. 16 being the minimum age requirement they were v.skeptical about taking me on

As for the risk of diving with someone who is a CMASS etc, I would not give a flying tootsies as long as their is a computer on someone's wrist and they know how to use it

Chaos-Engine

Originally posted by tactical anni
as long as their is a computer on someone's wrist and they know how to use it

Well then stay the hell away from me. My Comp tells me I'm at 10m then suddenly 2m, then 4, then 7... etc... Its totally fecked. I use my ears to gauge depth mostly. Put everyone should have atleast 1 computer each.

Paul Cullen or Paul from Oceantech or Ciaran Molten?

Was the DO of Dalkey Ed "Eddie" McGuire at the time???

So many Questions.
Any how. I'm going diving in the morn.
7 hours sleep and a hang over

Here is an experiment.... Drink EVIL amounts the night before a boat dive in Killary. Then the next day you are in teh middle of teh atlantic in the off shore with Killian Gray taking the piss. You kit up and go on a 25m+ dive know full well that you should have thrown up well before you went under.
Vomit into your reg at 25m near fish. Its interesting...

I wanted to do it thats why i did
twas alot easier than i expected. My buddy didn't even notice.. lol
Advice: NEVER take the reg out of your mouth if you want to vomit. Otherwise you will gag and swallow water right after you vomit. Keep it in and perge when you are done... Advice from the Puke Brothers(My bro and myslef)

TacT

lol! nice tip
I'll be sure to try that, surely the fish start swarming around you and feeding on the food you have dispensed for them :cool:

jd

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine


Here is an experiment.... Drink EVIL amounts the night before a boat dive in Killary. Then the next day you are in teh middle of teh atlantic in the off shore with Killian Gray taking the piss. You kit up and go on a 25m+ dive know full well that you should have thrown up well before you went under.
Vomit into your reg at 25m near fish. Its interesting...

I

I have gone right off my breakfast....

Chaos-Engine

Puke. The fish love it

Went on a fantastic Shore dive in Sandycove this morning. The water was beautiful. Saw lots of unusually friendly Gobbies at the start of the dive. Found an octopus in a hole. Took out my knife and put it under it. The cold blade made it come out to play. It took my buddy by suprise and he lost his mask for a second.

Then found a large(about as big as a car) flat rock with 7 dog fish hidding under it. Why hidding???
A huge baby seal was at lunch

He followed us for the rest of the dive cause he knew divers find food better than any seal. He scared the pants off me when he wedged under myself and a load of kelp... LoL

Oh yeah. Twas interesting diving with another diver that had a reg with no contents gauge and no octopus. I only had a reg with no octopus myslef but atleast I had a contents gauge. Seen as I generally use more air then him ( I diving 1 year, he diving 20) it was grand. After 40 mins I had only used 80 Bar so I guessed he used 65. He only used 40.... ffs ??

Anyway. Get down to Sandycove for a shore dive before the sun is gone. Its almost as good as the red sea. I mean it.

P.S. It was Paul Aires that did the padi course

Jak

Twas interesting diving with another diver that had a reg with no contents gauge and no octopus. I only had a reg with no octopus myslef but atleast I had a contents gauge. Seen as I generally use more air then him ( I diving 1 year, he diving 20) it was grand. After 40 mins I had only used 80 Bar so I guessed he used 65. He only used 40.... ffs ??

Em ... who does your fills and who do you dive with again out of interest?

Diving without a working contents gauge ain't clever, and neither of you with an octo isn't exactly ideal either. As for 40 mins and 40 bar ... I assume you were at about 3m so - which would explain the poor kit.

Diving ain't a competition pal.

JAK.

Edit: Genuinely don't mean to offend - but seriously I get sick of the - "how little air I used" and "bare minimum kit" diving talk.

Chaos-Engine

I feel attacked. I mean I would consider myself a very very safe diver. I have seen some real mavericks diving before and out right refused to dive with them.

Most of the Dive was at 8-10m.
As it was a shore dive and well with in No-Deco it was fine. I wanted to end the dive when I had 100Bar left. I ended it at 120Bar anyway. That is Safety.
Yes Diving with no Gauge is HIGHLY Dangerous. But it wasn't my decision. If something went wrong (i.e. Out of air) then we would deal with it. Or my buddy would just surface. The buddy in question had an equipment failure at 40m and dealed with it(Free assent then under with 4 other divers straight after for recompression and deco)
Any Dive with in 12m has NO-Deco.
With a max bottom time of 30mins there is very little risk.
With NO physical work during the dive there is little consumption.

I personally would never dive without a Contents gauge.

But even with the added safety risk it was one of the most enjoyable and interesting dives I have ever had. And probably the best dive ever possible on the East coast.

Jak

I'm aware of ND limits. My point is simply that in my experience of diving (and all the divers I know) - rules and practices are very strictly adhered to.

No more than something as trivial as taking your mask off before getting back into the boat - you just do not do it - initially I thought this was silly and people over reacted - but I accepted it.

There are plenty of dives where I have thought - 'ahh sure absolutely nothing could go wrong' but that does not mean I adopt a different set of rules.

Finally - if you are diving it is always your decision.

Again, apologies if you feel attacked - just commenting.

TacT

Yes it was indeed Paul Aires, he was also my dive buddy
Nice bloke, say lo from Duncan. The other instructor was a lady named jean (sp?) if I remember correctly?

We jumped off a big cliff down in hook head after our dive too, was mad laugh, had an incredible weekend down there. The life down there was nothing short of breathtaking.

As for the safety, well I just wouldn't dive without adhering to every and any rules that apply, cowboys are everywhere, even under the water
Funny though after telling me about preference to diving with a CFT/CMASS diver as opposed to a padi diver that you're in fact theh one who would be breaking the rules