So, for our 1 year anniversary, my wife and I are going to be in the Sanfransico Bay area.  We got married on September 17 last year.  She has a big test (she's getting her PHD at the UofC - that C is for Chicago you Californians) around that time so it will be the 3rd week before we can actually go on our trip.  I've got clearance to go on 1 or 2 dives.  I've been looking at the Monterey area.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to what dives to do and who to go through?  Keep in mind I'm a slight newb.  I'm kind of interested in shore dives.  I've never done one and I think it'd be fun.

My wife's goal is to become a teacher after she graduates.  She's been looking at UC San Diego as a potential school she'd like to teach at.  I'll admit, this would be A-OK by me.  Of course I'll go wherever she really wants, but that would be great.  It'll be a couple years before that happens so I shouldn't get too excited.  But a guy can dream, eh?

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In an effort to spend even more money, I've been looking at underwater photography.  I've found a great website that many are probably familiar with: wetpixel.  I love browsing the forums looking at peoples galleries.  I think perhaps I'll eBay my film SLR and look at getting a digital SLR.  Tana (my wife) would really like it I think.  We have a point and shoot digital camera that we've been enjoying, but the flexibility of different lenses really is fun.  Tana likes telephotos.  I'd like to try some wide angle shots.  We both love to travel so I think it would be a good investment.  Although, maybe I just like toys.  My boss has a Nikon D70 and loves it.  He was a professional photographer before he was an engineer (he decided he like to eat - his words, not mine).  It would seem that this camera is also a favorite of armature underwater photographers as well.

However, before I take the plunge into UW photography, I need to master my boyancy and get comfy with my own equipment.  Task loading is a sure way to invite problems.

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Thanks for all the comments.  I'm really glad you like the links.  The great thing about the interweb is how one can be reading about one thing, and soon is browsing topics that he/she has never even though of reading about.  It excites me the amount of information that is out there.  That is provided by many people who are just enthusiasts makes it even better.  What cool times we live in.  Hopefully we can make it available to more and more people throughout the world. 

Well, I did my dive.  It was ok, but not amazing.  My buddy had trouble descending.  He didn't seem to have enough weight, and I think he was moving too much.  I had too much weight and had a hard time finding neutral.  Once things settled down, it was enjoyable.  I settled into my breathing and was doing pretty well on air.  The accent however was not textbook. 

We were diving around the wreck in a counter clockwise turn.  I wanted to completely circle it and start the accent with about 1000 psi back at the mooring line.  However where I expected to find the mooring line there was no mooring line.  For some reason, the state didn't put the line on the hull of the ship, but rather out in the debris field - which made it difficult to locate for a novice.  I couldn't find it, and my buddy needed to ascend due to air (he was about 800), so we decided to go up sans line.  Neither my buddy or I have been diving regularly for a while so we were rusty when it comes to controlling buoyancy.  We swam up from 60' a little faster than I would have liked, but I still think we were within the 1/second rule.  But when my buddy hit about 15, he started having trouble staying It wasn't a completely uncontrolled accent from there, but it wasn't good either.  I continued to swim up (still a bit faster than I would have liked) and didn't get my safety stop. 

Our max depth was about 70'.  Average was about 56 I think.  We were only down for about 16 minutes.  Both of our computers show us in the clear, but still.  Not a good way to end the dive.  Its kind of funny, I'm paranoid now.  Any itch becomes a big deal.  *sigh* 

Not sure when I'll get my next dive.  Might not be for a while though.  What I'd like to do is find a nice place to review the fundamentals and figure out my weight.  That would go a long way to making sure this doesn't happen again and ensuring I enjoy my dives. 

Summary
Max Depth:      70'
Visibility:           15-20'
Surface temp:   70 or so (Balmy, I know)
Bottom temp:    something insane like 48 (not so balmy)

Dive time:         16 minutes
Verdict:            mild success assuming I don't get bent in the next 24 hours.  :P

Tomorrow will be my first dive in a couple of years.  I had to bust out the ole PADI book and go through it to make sure I remembered the important things.  Something about not coming up too fast... :D

I told a buddy at work about the dive and I found out that he got onto the same one.  I'm a bit nervous.  Not like an ?oh my god I'm going to die? nervous, but more of a "hope the wetsuit fits enough so I'm not friggin cold and burn all my air up quick" nervous.  I ordered a mask last week in the hopes that it would get here today, but alas, delivery is for tomorrow, and since I have to go straight there from work, I'm sunk (pun - sorry).

I mentioned the dive a couple of days ago, so I won't re-hash it.  But I'm really excited. 

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Been thinking about drysuits.  I really want to get one, and was thinking about one on sale at a LDS that didn't fit perfectly.  It would appear that according to the fashion industry, people with arms as long as mine also have necks as thick as my thigh.  The dive industry seems to be related.  Maybe they're cousins or something.  Or at least know each other at the apparel industry family reunions. 

I think I'm going to just keep my money and save up for one that I find that fits just so, or get one custom fit.  All the reading I've done and it seems everyone says the biggest deal about drysuits is fit.  Fit first, features second.  I've been looking at the Diving Concepts (why does they're website kinda suck?  Think if I offered to help them out, they'd outfit me?).  They seem to offer custom fitting for $100 over stock prices.  Better than a kick in the head.  I also think I'm leaning towards a trilaminate or crushed neoprene. 

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Congrats to Missy for her discovery.  If I want a book signed, where do I go?

Still trying to decide on this drysuit (Diving Concepts Neo Z).  I think its really good, but its just a bit short in the arms.  I?m not sure if it is a big deal.  The seal ends about 2 inches short of the beginning of the hand.  If I wear gauntlet style gloves, it?s not like I?d have any exposed skin there or anything.  The salesman says it should be ok anyway.  I don't know him well enough to know if he's going for the sell (although its such a deal, I can't believe he's trying to rip me off).  Its still a chunk of change and I don?t want to regret this purchase.  I suppose if I really don?t like it, I could probably recoup almost all my money by selling it because I?m getting a decent deal.  Must be time for bed.  I'm rambling.

Signed up for a charter dive through a LDS, Deep Blue.  The staff there has been really friendly.  I expect they?ll be getting a chunk of my money in the months to come.  We are diving a wreck in Lake Michigan called the Dredge #906 (some pictures courtesy of another Milwaukee LDS).  This will be my first dive in a while, but I?m hoping to use the opportunity to try out some gear.  It will be rental, but maybe I can pick some stuff that I may be interested in buying.  Its kind of neat to be able to go after work.  It also won?t be a drysuit (not trained in that yet) so we?ll see how it goes.  Being tall and skinny has made for some cold dives in the past due to badly fitting wetsuits. 

I did order a mask today.  I decided to get the Aqualung Mythos.  It fit well.  I would have got it at the LDS, but it was at least $20 dollars cheaper online.  I figure the more I save, the more I can spend locally on some of the more expensive stuff.  Or, at least that?s what I?m telling myself.  $20 is a drop in the bucket when you?re looking at everything else.  It adds up though.

I could have got a whole regulator setup off eBay for about $255.  I passed though.  I got to thinking, +$20 for shipping, probably about +$100 for servicing.  All told, about $370 until a working setup.  I don?t think it was a bad deal, but I just wasn?t sure so I figured I?d wait.  I want to be comfortable in my purchase.  I also would like to get a BCD first.

Off to the gym for me.  As part of my returning to diving, I?m trying to get into some semblance of shape.  Reduces chances for injuries, and heck, I should just do it to be healthy. 

The idea with my gear is to get good enough stuff that I can dive year round in Wisconsin, but not spend a bunch of cash.  All divers seem to feel strongly that their way is great.  Their brand is great.  Here is my first stab at it.  Let me know if you disagree. 

I think I?m going for the Aqualung Mythos.  It seems to fit well and have a wide view.

I have no friggin clue what to get.  This area seems to be where the most gimmicks exist.  Its like the Nigerian bank scam of diving.

A LDS (local dive shop) has offered me a good deal ($625) on a new Diving Concepts Neo Z.  I originally was thinking about getting a Trilaminate one, but the price is right.  It may be a tad short in the arms, but I think its ok.  If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.  I just can?t spend $1500+ right now on a suit, but would really like to start diving. 

 
Undies

Thong all the way.  Oops...wrong website.  Thinking about just getting some fleece from a surplus store.  I?ve been told the neoprene suits are pretty warm.  One shop worker told me he dives in jeans and a sweatshirt.  *shrug*  I don?t think I need to spend $200 on a special long-john set.

 
Back-plate, harness, wing

I?m not getting a jacket style BC.  I didn?t like them much in my class.  The backplate/harness seems like a great idea.  Its absurdly simple, but very versatile.  I can change wings if needed.  I can expand to doubles.  I think I?m going to go with the halcyon SS (stainless steel) with a 40lbs eclipse wing. 

The amount of lift needed is something I?m just not sure about.  Everyone says something different.  One guy says 27lbs, one says 36lbs or 40lbs.  Can I get 50?...SOLD to the man in the wetsuit!  I just don?t know. 

regulators

The apex systems seem about the right quality/price ratio.  I'm thinking about getting a TX50.  People use them for tech diving so they should probably be good for me and my gold water adventures.  I?ve been eyeing some on eBay.  Hopefully this isn?t a dumb idea.  I figure they should be easy to service. 

I do think I?m going to go for the DIR system of a 7? hose for my primary with the secondary under my chin on a bungie.  I like the idea of being able to share comfortably.  And I do think that in an OOA(out of air) situation, most people will probably grab your primary.  Hey, it?s the one they know is working.

Bottom timer / computer

Not sure here either.  DIR says screw computers.  But lots of people use them.  I must admit the computer geek in me would love to have a fancy log of all my dives complete with dive profile printouts.  The suunto gekko looks kinda good. They say it doesn't download to a PC, but in the shop, it had a interface hookup.  Not sure what the deal is with that.  Maybe a vyper is better.  A good bottom timer is probably good to have either way.  

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free.  There is so much out there, it?s a bit overwhelming. 

While stumbling about the interweb looking for review and recommendations on gear I stubbed my toe on this thing called DIR.  If you happen to be stumbling around like me, then let me educate you.  It means ?Do It Right.?  I say this not to be pedantic, but because it took me a couple of searches to figure out what it actually was.  What I did know from the first thing I read about it:  many feel very strongly about it one way or the other.

As near as I can tell, DIR was developed by a group of technical divers WKPP.  These guys kind of developed a set of gear setups that all in their group would follow to the T.  The idea is a good one.  If there is an emergency, you know your kit, you know your buddies.  More importantly, the kit setup doesn?t change between different types of diving (well, obviously things like the type of exposure suit might change but that?s splitting hairs).

Gear is not the only thing covered under DIR.  I don?t have much knowledge of the details of their ideas, but there are some. 

One result of this system is that you don?t tend to dive with anyone who isn?t DIR.  These folks are called strokes.  Strokes also hate babies? and puppies.  Calling someone a stroke makes people feel bad and will get you flamed in forums. 

The reason I?m interjecting this DIR stuff is that if you are starting to buy equipment, you may want to take a look at DIR gear setups and let them influence your buying.  Or you might decide like one local dive shop owner, ?DIR is a system to make you buy a bunch of gear.?  This comment struck me as a little odd as one of the main principle of DIR is to dive with the minimum amount of gear you need to be safe. 

His comment (and further reading) has lead me to believe that there are several types of DIR people out there.  There are those who use it as an excuse to buy a bunch of stuff with H?s plastered all over it (H stands for Halcyon).  There are those who like to say they are DIR to sound very technical and impress chicks.  And then there are those who embrace the spirit of DIR in their diving and their buddy choosing to make themselves and those around them safer.

I think I?m going to be one of the latter.  So, keeping this in mind, lets set out to find some gear.

Hi, my name is Matt, I?m living in Milwaukee, and I?m getting back into diving.  I suppose some my have issues with my using the term ?back into.?  I was certified in about 98 in a college phy-ed class.  The school I was attended required all students to take 2 physical ed classes, so downhill skiing and scuba sounded pretty cool to me. 

I never got a chance to buy my own equipment because I ended up moving to Japan for 1.5 years doing a study abroad program.  Did some diving on a vacation in Thailand (spoiled me real good).  After that, I transferred to UW-Madison.  This would have been a perfect place to get back into it, as the Hoofers have a very active club.  I didn?t though.  Maybe because of money.  I?m not sure. 

Graduated, got a job in Milwaukee writing software for a large company.  ? 2 years of the daily grind... Got married last September to my long-term sweetheart.  I got the itch to start diving (or I should see a dermatologist) around the great lakes, so I started looking into getting equipment.

Man, the only thing more expensive that scuba diving is cold water scuba diving.  Going from no equipment to a full kit is not a cheap endeavor, however I?m going to see what I can do.  The first portion of this blog is likely going to focus on this process of discovery.

I?m on a limited budget.  Like most people, there is car payment, insurance, rent, paying off the wedding (which was really cheap as weddings go), etc.  But wife has been very encouraging and supported so long as I don?t go insane (I must admit I could be guilty of this occasionally ? so the suspicion is justified).    

So for the last week or so I?ve been running through options and I think I have a good start as to what I need.  In order to acquire:

1. Mask
2. Fins
3. Dry Suit + weights
4. Undies
5. Back-plate, harness, wing
6. regulators
7. Bottom timer / computer

I know that?s not a complete list, but its most of the major stuff. 

Next Post:  Brand/Style debate, or DIR.