We're all a bunch of sissy divers anyway

[OreCoastDiver]

I've been trying not to follow the GUE-DIR-NWUE-UTD-vs.-everybody-else discussion, but it's kinda like an automobile accident: ya gotta look.

I recently went to a talk by Rebecca Harrison who wrote Deep Dark and Dangerous: On the Bottom with the Northwest Salvage Divers. It's a pretty good book with some great stories, some of which have the added advantage of being true. Turns out that hard-hat divers don't have a real high opinion of us scuba divers. They call us "those sissy divers." Kinda puts things in perspective for me.

[Pez7378]

Hey, I'm no sissy! But you're right, we aint got nothin' on the professionals, which includes the Military Divers. My hat's off to them!

[scottsax]

Of course, most commercial divers don't dive for fun, either. We at least treat our time underwater as the magical experience it is...

[enchantmentdivi]

Of course, most commercial divers don't dive for fun, either.

I once chatted with a commercial diver about this.....they don't dive on scuba for fun because they (this one at least) are SCARED to dive with just a little ol' tank on their backs. This guy said he likes having an unlimited supply of surface supplied air, and the thought of diving with just a tank on his back sends shivers up his spine.

So, just who are the sissy divers?? Hehehehehe.

[airsix]

Personally I think the freedivers going to 4 atm and beyond are the real superheros. Like in the pictures catherine96821 on scubaboard posted a few years ago. They were doing a wreck dive and there were freedivers hanging out on the deck of the wreck at 130fsw "not in a hurry to leave". I've done a few free dives to 60ft and it felt like the world was caving in on me. What those people do blows my mind. (I've never had any free-diving training but I think it would be fun to get some. I have a secret fantasy goal of free-diving the I-beams when a bunch of you are down there on a club dive. )

-Ben

[LCF]

Yeah, we had a freediver come down and join us at 35 feet in Edmonds one day. He was swimming along, smiled and waved at us, and about that time I did the huge double take of, "Hey, that guy hasn't got a TANK on!" He disappeared, and a few minutes later he was back. I was amazed at how long he stayed with us.

[Grateful Diver]

There's a freediver that shows up fairly regularly at Cove 2 who DOES go to the I-beams. Was down there with Jock a couple years back when the guy swam down, along the I-beams, tapped Jock on the shoulder, smiled at him, and ascended.

Jock later told me he thought he was experiencing the mother of all narcosis ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[lundysd]

One of the DMs on my trip to Cabo was a freediver. His personal best was 160ft -- i was flabbergasted. He said he likes freediving much more than SCUBA -- I can see where he's coming from, but at the same time I'll never be more than a casual freediver (I've been to 50-ish and don't want to go much more than that).

[ljjames]

I used to do that (the play in the bubble and harass the divers) at 100 foot rock... back when i was young and in shape and doing nothing but diving 24/7

[CaptnJack]

I ran into some expat Italians once at Madison Park. They introduced themselves as we were gearing up for a freshwater cave practice dive in AL80s. I guess we looked like locals and they wanted deeper free diving spots. The I-beams were too shallow for them.

[dieseldude]

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Smokey Point Dive Center but its owned & ran by former & current commercial divers with miltary background as well if I'm not mistaken-very nice bunch of guys & they love to scuba dive-I understand they still drag a hose for fun once in a while-If they think I'm a sissy they're awfull polite about it-they actually talked me out of pursuing commercial diving though it had more to do with my family committments & my age

[Pez7378]

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Smokey Point Dive Center but its owned & ran by former & current commercial divers with miltary background as well if I'm not mistaken-very nice bunch of guys & they love to scuba dive-I understand they still drag a hose for fun once in a while-If they think I'm a sissy they're awfull polite about it-they actually talked me out of pursuing commercial diving though it had more to do with my family committments & my age

Tim, Steve and Aaron are great guys and have a pretty nice shop. I always have to mention their settee area complete with comfy sofa, a coffee table full of dive magazines and the Bigscreen TV highlighting some of the great dive destinations of the world. I'd go up there to give those guys a hard time more often if they weren't so far north.

[Sea of Green]

Of course, most commercial divers don't dive for fun, either. ...

Funny you mention that. I just learned that not too long ago when I chatted briefly with a commercial diver on a non-diving forum. I was a little surprised by this, but maybe I shouldn't be. Does ANYBODY do their job for fun in their off time? I backed away from going "pro" with recreational diving because it took something I enjoyed and turned it into work, and it's work w/o a lot of incoming cash flow either.

[OreCoastDiver]

Of course, most commercial divers don't dive for fun, either. ...

Funny you mention that. I just learned that not too long ago when I chatted briefly with a commercial diver on a non-diving forum. I was a little surprised by this, but maybe I shouldn't be. Does ANYBODY do their job for fun in their off time? I backed away from going "pro" with recreational diving because it took something I enjoyed and turned it into work, and it's work w/o a lot of incoming cash flow either.

I work with folks who have literally hundreds, if not thousands, of scientific dives under their belts doing habitat surveys and such. Most were real enthusiastic rec. divers when they started and all but a few have given up diving for fun. The two dive buddies I often dive with are the exception. They are fantastic divers, as you might imagine. And scientific diving sounds a lot more fun that hard-hat commercial diving.

[smike]

One of my very best friends dove commercially harvesting in Puget Sound for over 2 years. He spent a lot of time down to 120' on a hose, collecting shellfish of various types. He tells stories of hanging for deco and taking a nap, and when his deco obligation for that depth is up, the boat operator turns off the air to wake him up, to move to the next deco stop. He has some great stories to tell, and we talk often about diving.

He was never paid well at all.
He no longer dives, and has no desire to.

S'Mike

[Tom Nic]

Hmmm.... so let's say I'm a commercial diver, I'm in a big, bulky suit (you think YOUR drysuit is bulky?!), I've got a full helmet on my head, and I've got 20 pounds or so of lead on each foot, and I'm doing whatever backbreaking work is required of me at depth, most likely in little to no viz.... Hmmmm.... Let's see, now just why WOULD I want to go diving on my off days?!?

Oh yeah, that's right, here's me in the water with a nice suit, warm undergarment, great trim, some 32%, weightless and moving effortlessly through the water column with a flick of a fin, not stirring up the bottom, enjoying the sea life, taking a picture or not taking a picture, hanging out with great buddies at the surface before and after the dives, wasting time on NWDC etc. etc. etc.

I almost feel sorry for these guys and feel like maybe we should set up remedial Discover Scuba" for some of the poor schmoes that need intervention...

And ditto to what everyone said about about freedivers. They are amazing!

[H20doctor]

Well I am a sissy... And its ok with me.

[Maverick]

I have seen that guy at hte i-beams before too, he's got some lungs