Search found 7580 matches

by CaptnJack
Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:15 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: Fish Kill down by Hoodsport?
Replies: 15
Views: 2254

Yeah we do. They are really hard to tell from herring while diving, just a silver flash.
by CaptnJack
Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:06 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: Why do divers dive solo for a recreational dive?
Replies: 93
Views: 12616

Honest question here to those who are in the "education" camp. Given someone who is not ready or capable of safely solo diving (for whatever reason)... Do you let them self-assess their capabilities or would you chime in as their mentor/instructor/friend and tell them they aren't well suit...
by CaptnJack
Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:48 am
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: White's Fusion dry suit -- Review
Replies: 12
Views: 1047

Not that we have the cash to drop on new suits. But a couple of questions...

Is the outer lycra skin not beefy enough to support pockets? Does the membrane support dry glove rings in some fashion?

Thanks
Richard
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:57 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Yeah I have also dove with several NAUI Tech and IANTD divers who were as good as they get. I don't think there's much market for a 24 dive, 6 week OW class (outside of a subsidized University situation with students who don't have to work 40hrs/wk or pay the full cost). So the GUE OW class even if ...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:32 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Usually, the message is that you don't even have to be a good diver to avoid death. Just be competent and stay within your experience level. Practice, more education, experience, all that is great but even that isn't usually needed. It's usually just common sense. How do you teach that? I think tha...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:21 pm
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: Who's got a boat here?
Replies: 15
Views: 824

Danforths are cheap enough maybe I should give another one a go. Without a windlass I am limited to arm juice getting the thing aboard. Thanks for the suggestions. Have you tried the Float with a ring trick for getting it up, my buddy swears by it, although I think he's about to put a windlass on t...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:59 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

I was asked yesterday does GUE require or suggest rescue training before learning Tech. I said I don't know and I wasn't certain if they offer a Rescue Course? They don't offer one and as a matter of policy they don't formally recommend courses outside of what they offer. That said, most people tak...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:45 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

mattwave wrote: I have recently added Rescue of a CCR diver for that exact same reason.
Nice addition. One reason why I don't dive in mixed teams (my own failings in this regard).
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:43 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Re: DIR: questions and answers

Sometimes you just have to "think outside the box" ... and in some ways, especially at the Fundamentals level ... GUE doesn't encourage that skill ... Very true. "DIR divers" who have only taken DIRF have really only been exposed to the physical mechanics of DIR, not the intangi...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:20 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Re: DIR: questions and answers

One of GUE's failings, to my concern, is that they teach no rescue skills at all until Tech 1/Cave 1 ... and then they're only geared toward helping a similarly configured, similarly trained dive buddy. It wouldn't be a problem except that they don't recognize the need to take any training outside ...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:12 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Yeah that's one thing about DIR, there's rarely anything hot off the design tables. But if you just got your OW cert seeing something like a backplate or argon bottle might be daunting. Then again DIR divers aren't dying and needing to be recovered by strangers in Cove2. The last few incidents I kno...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:43 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Re: DIR: questions and answers

Dropping the weights underwater is frequently going to result in just a body recovery as well. Dropping on the surface would be the best course. For the latest Cove2 recovery I would have dropped the weights if I couldn't figure out why the Air2 wasn't working. Or if he was so heavy that my BC woul...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:37 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Sure, in most situations I too could probably figure it out, but perhaps there IS benefit in learning about "the other side." Who knows?! Someone might even LEARN something!! :smt119 Yeah the question starts to become how much training do you want to go through (and keep up on) for non-bu...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:09 am
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: Who's got a boat here?
Replies: 15
Views: 824

That's great but I have HEAT :supz: Haha yeah I had lots oh heat and hot water in my 34ft trawler. But its was slow and a fuel hog. With that load you had I don't see any decrease in performance over an empty boat. Still 30mph (26 knots) - 46-4800rpm 8-9 gallons per hour. Add 1 more diver though an...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:04 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: NAUI lowers Age Req to 10 years old
Replies: 18
Views: 2818

I had a friend who took his son climbing for years. He was 200lbs while his son was about 50. He knew his son couldn't belay him at that weight so he soloed trailing a rope. Then belayed his son up. While he climbed at a level way way below his limit he coulda broken a hold or fallen sure. But its w...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:51 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Re: DIR: questions and answers

The potential issue, as I see it, is that the GUE-trained diver may not be qualified to affect a rescue outside his own team ... as illustrated by the recent incident at Cove 2. The first diver on the scene was someone from the DIR community. However, he had no rescue skills and had no clue how to ...
by CaptnJack
Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:35 am
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: Who's got a boat here?
Replies: 15
Views: 824

All good info on what others are using. I got the 15lb Navy (for pretty cheap) cause Rob Holman uses one for his inflatable and from a sheer mass perspective it seems to work well for him. Not working for me though. BTW the Polaris RIB with a 60hp can take 4 divers and 8 tanks (or even more if some ...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:56 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Re: DIR: questions and answers

Regarding the military drill team analogy...I was just getting at drilling and real life aren't usually the same. You're saying your S-drills prepared you for multiple drills later thrown at you in Cove 1. The real test would be how you react in real life when not diving with other DIR divers I sup...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:44 pm
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: Who's got a boat here?
Replies: 15
Views: 824

Yeah I've trying setting the anchor but for some reason on gravel it never takes. I've used a Danforth on my old 34ft trawler and it always seemed to take alot of scope to start to set. Otherwise the flukes didn't seem to wanna catch. I'm surprised you guys are getting away with such short scope. Da...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:14 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Right. The lights really went on for me (amusingly enough at the same time as all the physical lights were going out) in cave 1 about resource management. Yeah me too. I didn't really get this in Tech1 since I was part of a team of two and I was overloaded with the ascents (and they are relatively ...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:57 pm
Forum: Gear Central (Recreational)
Topic: Who's got a boat here?
Replies: 15
Views: 824

Who's got a boat here?

I have a boat, a 15.5ft RIB actually. This is my 2nd "dive boat", the first being a much smaller soft bottom 12.5 sport boat inflatable. I have upsized my anchor from my previous version but it still ain't cutting it. I have dragged the 15lb Navy anchor several times, mostly on gravel bott...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:42 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

GUE teaches us to go to a "working" regulator in an OOG situation. Durring all of my training through GUE never once were we told to try our neckless reg or our deco reg in an OOG. This is a very important point. Your buddies reg is working. Thats the one you want. I've been taught in mul...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:27 pm
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: No more diving at Langley?
Replies: 6
Views: 1978

Is there a (written) public comment period? I would think that letters describing why us out-of-towners come up to the Langely area to dive would be an asset. Their #1 goal is economic development, promotion of recreation, tourism, and industry. I couldn't find detailed plans online but their master...
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:07 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

Yeah I did my first checkout dive at Les Davis 15 years ago. If its 15 more years until my next dive there that's fine with me. I found it rather mundane. But hey at least we actually have backup sites. The last time I went out of state for diving the fires (and winds!) precluded diving in LA.
by CaptnJack
Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:03 am
Forum: General SCUBA Discussion
Topic: DIR: questions and answers
Replies: 86
Views: 9119

And then you go to Cove 2 :laughing3: Haha, nope then I take them to the Bomber, or Waterman's, or one of our other (relative) destination dives. You forget I have a boat :) We only do Cove 2 as a 3rd or 4th dive of the day in the summer when the patio's open for beers after \:D/ This last weekend ...