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Scuba

Aussie571

Local Expert, Australia NSW
Member
Member

Builder II

I have my Advanced Open Water with SSI at Level 3 and live in Inland Australia....haven't dived for quite a few years now as life kind of took some major twists and turns as it does.
Have dived all the North Solitary Islands section off the Mid North Coast region of NSW.
 

HappyOurOverlanding

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member III

I have my Advanced Open Water with SSI at Level 3 and live in Inland Australia....haven't dived for quite a few years now as life kind of took some major twists and turns as it does.
Have dived all the North Solitary Islands section off the Mid North Coast region of NSW.
You need to get back into it then go dive with the WeedyDragons off the coast of Melbourne. Scuba Diving is a great adjunct to Overlanding. Nothing else allows you to experience the other part of nature which is Poseidon's playground. :wink:

View attachment 50137
 

Aussie571

Local Expert, Australia NSW
Member
Member

Builder II

You need to get back into it then go dive with the WeedyDragons off the coast of Melbourne. Scuba Diving is a great adjunct to Overlanding. Nothing else allows you to experience the other part of nature which is Poseidon's playground. :wink:

View attachment 50137
That sounds like a great idea and I agree wholeheartily...but Melbourne is a long way south of me...I live in northern NSW...Australia is not much different in size as mainland USA. That would be a major roadtrip! :smile:
 

HappyOurOverlanding

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member III

That sounds like a great idea and I agree wholeheartily...but Melbourne is a long way south of me...I live in northern NSW...Australia is not much different in size as mainland USA. That would be a major roadtrip! :smile:
Understood... Just wanted to encourage you not to give Scuba up completely. And Hey! it'll be a 'road trip.' I live in the high plains desert and have to fly to my preferred dive locations. :sunglasses:
 

Aussie571

Local Expert, Australia NSW
Member
Member

Builder II

Understood... Just wanted to encourage you not to give Scuba up completely. And Hey! it'll be a 'road trip.' I live in the high plains desert and have to fly to my preferred dive locations. :sunglasses:
No worries...Thanks for the encouraging words!
Have had some health issues the last 2 to 3 years so hopefully down the track I'll be able to enjoy the odd dip! (:

Sent from my SM-T580 using OB Talk mobile app
 

Polaris Overland

Ambassador, Europe
Moderator
Member
Member

Pioneer I

I’m a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
Started my diving career as a Ships Diver in the Royal Navy.
Did own a dive centre in Limassol, Cyprus for a few years but offshore work and overlanding meant I ended up selling.

We try to dive when overlanding and although my girlfriend and I both have our own gear we only take our masks, snorkels and fins.

Carrying our own kit is too bulky and heavy plus there are issues crossing country borders with dive cylinders.
View attachment 50487
 

HappyOurOverlanding

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member III

I’m a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
Started my diving career as a Ships Diver in the Royal Navy.
Did own a dive centre in Limassol, Cyprus for a few years but offshore work and overlanding meant I ended up selling.

We try to dive when overlanding and although my girlfriend and I both have our own gear we only take our masks, snorkels and fins.

Carrying our own kit is too bulky and heavy plus there are issues crossing country borders with dive cylinders.
View attachment 50487
Nice. You are a testament that Overlanding and Scuba go hand in hand... keep driving and diving....
 

grubworm

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

Got my NAUI certs in Hawaii when I was stationed on a submarine there. Loved diving and got out of the Navy and was a commercial diver for Oceaneering in the Gulf of Mexico and after so many years, just got burned out. Some of my gear is 30 yrs old, so I doubt its still good to use. I did sell my dive helmet because it was too expensive to keep around as a paperweight. It was a GREAT hobby back in my early 20's and it kept me in good shape and I spent less time in bars and clubs. Definitely does go hand-in-hand with the adventurous nature of overlanding if you can find a place with good vis and something interesting to see...
 
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Flipper

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

I had to go look, as I thought we had a SCUBA thread. Thanks for starting this!

I got my PADI open water certification in 1974, and had all US Divers/Aqualung gear. (Cue Jethro Tull getting stuck in your head...) I used it a bit for the next few years, mostly finding things friends lost in the lake where we lived. After moving back to Ohio in 1986, I sold everything except the mask, fins, and snorkel. They are terribly outdated by modern standards, but work well for me when we're somewhere I can use them.
Still have all my US Divers gear! Even my Cousteau Society/ Calypso hoodie! LOL!
 

MidOH

Rank IV

Off-Road Ranger I

I'm still a gas hogging newb. Still working on buoyancy and consumption issues.

But at least I've got my gear list down, like any proper overlander:

-HP100's for local quarries with AL40's slung ready to rock, but all my diving has been in the Caribbean so far.

I fly south with:
-Dive Gear Express, Dive Right XT stream lined regs kit.
-DGX mask, $30 and as good as anything out there.
-DGX prescription mask if I decide to dive sans contacts.
-Deep Sea Supply long SS backplate
-Deep Sea Supply conformal plate weights (10 pounds)
-Deep Sea Supply LCD 30 wing
-Scubapro Sewing Nova Full foot fins.
-simple roll up rubber snorkel. I hate having this in my pocket. But snorkeling on the surface calms me down and reduces my consumption underwater alot. Gasping for air in 4 foot waves seems to mess up my rhythm.
-2mm shorty. Jellyfish stings ain't nothing!

I'll be buying a Shearwater Terric before my cruise this Feb. I also just got some heavy Hollis F1 fins, if I make it to some dry suit training soon.

If you haven't done the RMS Rhone yet, with Caribbean Divers on Tortula, make a point to get there. Best dive around. 3 friendly BIG sharks, a shy but huge turtle, brown ray, giant barracuda, in the first 10 min of the first dive. Tons of fish on the rest of the dive.
 
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