Northwest Dive Club

The neutral vs. standard AL80 is something I didn't think of originally, but is a possibility. The two styles appear identical on the outside. The neutral versions are marked for 3300 PSI and labeled as either C80 or S80 N depending on manufacturer. I have a pair of neutral 80s, and they are about 5...

I think I'm available that weekend. I'm happy to be a big buddy, but I'll need some pointers on where to head for the goodies at this site.

Jeff Pack wrote:there's no requirement for stupid

But there is a certification. :-P

Well, I don't think any of the gear is going to change buoyancy between dives. That leaves the inside of the drysuits, and the insides of yourselves. When I'm diving with minimal weighting (as in forgot my 8 lb weight belt), I sometimes need to dolphin kick down from the surface, but can remain subm...

Welcome to the forum! The above advice on weighting may seem counter-intuitive, but it works. Think of the weight your adding (after getting neutral w/ a full tank) as replacing the weight of the gas you will use during your dive. You don't want to end up positively buoyant during your safety stop. ...

Since the backplate is likely to block X-rays, you'll probably be asked to open your bag so TSA can take a closer look at things. If your regs are in a separate bag, they might run this through the X-ray separately. No big deal. I went to Kauai last December with my gear split between carry-on and c...

A slung pony bottle is a completely independent gas source. Its second stage is separate from your necklaced backup reg or octo, and bungied to the bottle.

A pony bottle that is bracketed to your main cylinder presents different issues for carrying its associated regulator.

I carry EAN32 in my 40 cuf pony - same as my back gas for >90% of my dives. For short term bailout use, 32% is Ok for all recreational depths. The 40 slings really easily, and feels almost neutral in the water. One more thing: If you carry a pony, make sure you practice switching to it on a regular ...

Yesterday at KVI Tower and Maury Is barges: Vis was about 6' from the surface down to 30'. Then opened up to about 15' and gradually improved to 20' or more by the time we reached 75' depth. Vis at depth was strictly due to our lights.

Water temp here in Puget Sound is currently around 55 deg. Water temp in N. California is about 56 deg. The Oregon Coast would be in between. :-P An 8/7 mm semi dry suit would be the minimum recommended. I have heard of only a couple spots on the Oregon coast that are worth diving. Heavy surge is a ...

I've also heard good things about Monastery Beach, but alas have not been able to dive there or Lobos. The Breakwater and the Metridium Fields are Ok, and at least have fewer steps from the parking lot. Our local shore dives have more variety than those last two. We are definitely spoiled by Puget S...

How about having their certs revoked for STANDING on the wreck and having shit for trim and buoyancy control?

I definitely recommend a wrist mount computer with a large face for readability. A wrist mount computer travels easily, is streamlined and easy to check. The Suunto Zoop is a good conservative Nitrox capable computer. The next step up from the Zoop is the Vyper which adds a gauge mode and backlight....

Not to go against the prevailing recommendation of slinging the pony bottle; I'd like to offer some extra info. The first pony bottle that I carried was an Alu 19. I first used the QuickDraw bracket with the tank valve up. This was the easiest way to carry it with my old jacket BCD. As already noted...

Nah, red with flames & skulls.
I'm sorely tempted.

Although I may eventually consider a rebreather down the road, for now I would recommend learning to be relaxed in the water and lowering your SAC/RMV. My favorite tanks for local dives are Faber FX117s. They weigh less than an HP119 or HP120. These days, I can stay down for 60 min or more, and am u...

For someone to get as far as a course director and believe that water is an insulator inside a wetsuit is a scary thought. They would have to willfully disregard an overwhelming body of evidence to the contrary, including published material from PADI, SSI and others.

I will second the recommendation to have a plastic surgeon close the incision. After having having a few subdermal inclusions removed over a few years by various surgeons, I can say that the plastic surgeon will do the best job of minimizing visible scarring.

I use both Photoshop and Lightroom for editing landscape (topside) and studio photography. I started with PS back at version 4. Now that I have spent enough time with LR to be familiar with the way it works, I only send an image to PS if it needs extensive editing that LR can't handle. The newer ver...

That's pretty much it. I've got a white pastel pencil for those sorts of things, but even a soft graphite pencil will leave enough of a mark. Just remember that trimmed neoprene isn't easy to add back.

I would like to sign up for this opportunity. I don't have a facebook account, so I can't see the rest of the details. A PM would be greatly appreciated.

-James

CaptnJack is correct - keep your shoulder valve open enough so that it will vent properly when you lift your arm. If you have to close it more than a half turn to keep it from venting during good trim, then you are probably carrying too much gas in your suit.

I don't know if the Whites suits do a better job at reducing air spaces with their tight skin or not, but I suspect not. I tried a DUI membrane suit during a drysuit orientation, and didn't like the bagginess. I much prefer my Bare XCS2 compressed neoprene suit. That plus using just the right amount...

I'll be there for dive #2 to tweak my sidemount rig. I'm getting ready for a Sixgill search dive on the 27th.

I have a pair of XS Scuba (Worthington) XS-C80 neutral Alu tanks that I purchased for my sidemount rig. They are about 1.5 lbs lighter than the hot-dipped Worthington HP100 steel tanks. They remain neutral when empty, yet light in the tail with a reg attached. They are easier to unclip and swing for...