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[AngryMoth]

I’ve been learning to dive in Thailand recently and seeing that night diving thread pop up the other day made me wonder if there is any demand for a diving community thread where people can share experiences/photos/recommendations, etc. Let’s give it a try!

Can start by posting your certification level and where you’ve been diving if you like.

I’m PADI advanced open water with deep, wreck and nitrox specialities.

Only 21 dives so far (all in thailand) but I think I might be addicted, about to book a liveaboard in the red sea in a couple of weeks time since I still have some time on my hands this summer. Going in search of sharks!

Please let me know if anyone has suggestions for things to add to this OT

--------------------------------------------------

FAQ

Disclaimer - I’m not the most experience diver so please feel free to suggest additional info / corrections

Q How do I get started? How much does it cost?
Gonna use Thailand as my reference for prices here since that’s where I leaned and it’s one of the cheapest places in the world to do it, so bear in mind other regions maybe be a little more expensive. You can try a discovery dive where you will be carefully guided by an instructor on a short dive, max depth of 10 meters IIRC, although I would only recommend this if you are unsure about whether you want to do the open water because they are pretty expensive for what you are getting and the open water course is much more rewarding.

PADI Open Water - Become a certified diver and go to 18 metres ~$260 (sometimes with free accommodation)
You will learn the basic of scuba diving, about the risks of and how to manage them, how to set up and use your equipment, and basic skills for handling hazardous situations and emergencies. Most courses include training dives in a swimming pool followed by 4 open water dives. With this qualification you and a buddy can technical rent and boat and some equipment and go diving by yourself - although I sure as hell wouldn’t recommend that until you have more experience lol.

PADI Advanced Open Water - More adventurous diving plus get certified to 30 meters ~ $250 (usually discounts are offered for doing this in combination with the regular open water course)
5 dives. Deep dive (to 30 meteres) and navigation dive (using compass) are compulsory, then you can choose 3 others from various adventure dive options such as drift diving, wreck diving (no penetration), fish id, dry suit diving, photography, night diving, and more. Would highly recommend this as it’s more relaxed and fun the open water course imo and being certified to 30m is gonna be very useful for a lot of places.

After you are qualified fun diving is $20-30 depending on how many dives you book, including equipment rental (again, I assume this will be more in some places in the world).

Going further….
Specialities range from $150 to $250 depending on how long the take. With 5 specialities, the PADI rescue diver course, and 50 logged dives under your belt you can apply to become a master scuba diver which is the highest recreational qualification.

Q Is it safe?
In a word, yes. Of course there are risks that you will learn about if you do the open water course, but they are manageable and as long as you dive with reputable companies and follow proper procedure it’s extremely unlikely you’ll run into any problems. A lot of places don’t actually let you go diving without a local divemaster/instructor who will be checking with you for your air and NLDs. If you are with a dive master the only way I can think of where you could potentially harm / kill yourself is by breaking the number 1 rule of diving which is holding your breath while ascending, and you will have it drilled into you not to do this if you do the open water course.

As for aquatic life, don’t touch anything and you’ll be fine. Almost everything in the ocean will not attack you if you don’t provoke it - including sharks. Sharks attack people on the surface because from below they look like seals but underwater they can see you are not prey and will leave you alone if you don’t bother them. Divemasters will always brief you on dangerous fish you may run to along with the corresponding hand signals and they are usually experts at spotting them.

Q Do I need my own equipment?
No, you can always rent equipment. However for beginners I would recommend that you get your own mask because having a decent mask that fits you properly can measurably improve your enjoyment of diving. Once your are qualified you might start thinking about getting your own dive computer.

Q Can I go inside ship wrecks?
Only if you do the wreck speciality course, where you will learn about the extra equipment and training you need for penetrating wrecks (which is awesome btw). But like seriously, don’t try it without training because it can be very hazardous.

Q Nitrox, what’s that?
Nitrox or EANx is air with higher than normal oxygen concentration (and more importantly lower nitrogen concentration). Using this means you absorb nitrogen more slowly which give you longer “no stop” limits. There is however increased risk of getting oxygen toxicity so never dive with nitrox unless you have done the appropriate training (PADI nixtrox speciality course)

Q How deep can you go?
The maximum depth for recreational divers is 40m. Things get dicey after that due to the fact that you're using your air 5 times faster than at the surface due the pressure. If you want to go deeper you'll need to get into the world of tec diving which takes a lot of extra equipment and training. I heard about a guy from one of my instructors who went to 240m and it took him 14 hours and 50 cylinders to ascend, or something along those lines.

I’ll add to this if more questions come up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s a few pics I’ve taken.

Golden Damsal

Moray Eel

Parrot fish?

School of 1000+ chevron barracuda

Longfin Bannerfish

Sattackut Wreck, a US WW2 navy boat where I learned wreck penetration

 

[GoodMorningPluto]

This is exciting! I always wanted to dive, but I am kinda terrified of the sea at the same time (and don't really have the money for this, haha).
What camera do you use?

 

[v1lla21]

How expensive is it? I've always wanted to do it but idk how much it costs. This and going into a a shark cage are on tip if my list.

 

[AngryMoth]

This is exciting! I always wanted to dive, but I am kinda terrified of the sea at the same time (and don't really have the money for this, haha).
What camera do you use?

Used this camera. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01G35EIFI/

Photos aren't the best tbh but it shoot 4K video and was pretty cheap comparatively since it goes to 30m without housing and housing seems like it can be pretty expensive.

How expensive is it? I've always wanted to do it but idk how much it costs. This and going into a a shark cage are on tip if my list.

I think Koh Tao in Thailand is meant to be one of the cheapest places to learn although I've seen pretty similar rates in Europe tbh.

To do the PADI open water which is the entry course that qualifies you to go fun diving to 18m is about 9000 baht there (~260usd) and is usually 4 open water dives. If you wanna do the advanced which will give you more skills and let you got to 30m thats about the same again although if you do them together like I did there's usually a discount. A lot of the schools on koh Tao were doing free accommodation for students too which was nice. Once you are qualified fun diving is $20-30 per dive depending on how many you book (varies wth region I'm sure).

The alternative to the PADI courses is SSI which is meant to be a bit cheaper but I don't know anything about them.

 

[GoodMorningPluto]

Do you need to renew your license (like, once a year or smth) or you just get it and go diving whenever you want?
I guess that's some entry-level questions, if there is some FAQ pls point me to it, so I wouldn't bother you with noob stuff.

 

[v1lla21]

I thought it'd be more expensive. Camera is cheaper than I thought too. Gonna look further into this.

 

[AngryMoth]

Do you need to renew your license (like, once a year or smth) or you just get it and go diving whenever you want?
I guess that's some entry-level questions, if there is some FAQ pls point me to it, so I wouldn't bother you with noob stuff.

Good idea, I'll work on an FAQ later.

The recreational licences are good for life but most places like you to do a short (half day I think?) refresher course if you haven't dived for 6 months.

 

[Fat4all]

 

[Paganmoon]

I've got PADI Advanced open water, and Nitrox. Planning on getting Deep and Wreck certs soon. Done pretty much all of my 15 dives in the Philipines, but might do a few local dives, but need yet another cert for that (Dry suit), water is too cold for long dives even in the summer here.

 

[AngryMoth]

Ok I added a quick FAQ, let me know if there's anything I should add

 

[firehawk12]

I have nothing to contribute other than I watched a show called Descending recently that was a sequel to the travel show Departures, but they go diving around the world:

https://www.oln.ca/shows/descending/

(Funny enough there was an anime about diving in the last couple of years called Amanchu, but it's probably not relevant beyond showing you how to clear a mask in an emergency. lol)

 

[Scarecrow]

I've been wanting to dive for a long time. But it looks like me having asthma disqualifies me from the hobby. It's a real drag since I have a deep passion for the sea.

 

[AngryMoth]

I've been wanting to dive for a long time. But it looks like me having asthma disqualifies me from the hobby. It's a real drag since I have a deep passion for the sea.

Depends on how bad the asthma is but if you symptom free at the time of diving and not prone to getting attacks due to stress you can probably do it, albeit with some additional risk. Obviously you would need to consult a doctor about it though first.

 

[The_Endless]

Yay for diving!

I just clocked my 82nd dive (I think, I don't really keep logs anymore after losing a few books). Advanced open water here, with wreck and night dive. Nitrox is a godsend.... I did 22 dives in 6 days on a liveaboard in Thailand in January, and if I had done that on air, I would have been a corpse for days.

Went for six dives in Tioman off Malaysia over the weekend. Saw some awesome stuff during the night dive, including a mantis prawn, cuttlefish and a fucking venomous sea centipede swirling around in the water.

Here some pix from that trip:

 

[AngryMoth]

Nice photos man! What camera are you using? My night dive photos all came out blurry as fuck due to the long exposure time haha

 

[Alienfan]

I finished my open water dive course a month back. Loved it, with the exception of equalising. I never quite mastered it (maybe it helps if you're fit?). I've only dived in Dunedin (New Zealand), where the water is freezing, visibility is terrible and marine life was minimal (mostly cod). But despite all that, it was truly a magical experience. Your first breath is unforgettable. After being under for longer than you can hold your breath, you feel like you've entered a whole new world. Everything happens in slow motion underwater and after you've achieved neutral buoyancy, gravity has little effect on you, you become weightless. It complexly changes the way you perceive your environment, how you move about and interact. The peace and solitude make it one of the most relaxing things I think you'll ever experience

 

[AngryMoth]

After being under for longer than you can hold your breath, you feel like you've entered a whole new world.

Yeah that's what I've said to people, it's the closest experience you can have to going to another planet.

Equalising will come with a little more experience don't worry. I already don't think about it, just wiggle my ears a little when I'm going down and that does the job.

 

[The_Endless]

But despite all that, it was truly a magical experience. Your first breath is unforgettable. After being under for longer than you can hold your breath, you feel like you've entered a whole new world. Everything happens in slow motion underwater and after you've achieved neutral buoyancy, gravity has little effect on you, you become weightless. It complexly changes the way you perceive your environment, how you move about and interact. The peace and solitude make it one of the most relaxing things I think you'll ever experience

Yup! Every time I hit the water and descend, I just feel like I'm home and at peace. It takes a while for beginner divers to remember all the nuts and bolts, but somewhere in the first 10-15 dives, it'll suddenly click and becomes so natural.

Nice photos man! What camera are you using? My night dive photos all came out blurry as fuck due to the long exposure time haha

I'm using a Seashell with my Canon Ixus. I used to use a Canon Powershot G2 with underwater casing but seawater got in and ruined it.
The Seashell is pretty decent but because it's designed to fit a variety of camera types, you only have access to basic shoot and power functions. No fiddling with light settings and balance once underwater. And no toggling flash, which is a bummer for macro stuff. I edited the images in Photoshop to get a better approximation of colour. Am saving up for another camera... probably another Canon Powershot.

For night diving, I find it's actually easier to have my buddy shine the torch while I work on steadying myself and taking the shot without flash. Saves me from having to worry about lighting!

 

[Darren870]

I grew up in a family of divers, so I got certified at 15. Both my brothers were 12 when they got certified.

I don't keep a book but I've got way over 100 dives under my belt. Been going all over the world as I travel but just never recorded any.

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[entremet]

This is great, OP. I've always been interesting in scuba diving.

 

[AngryMoth]

Had the most amazing time in the Red Sea the last few weeks. Spent a weeks seeing the reefs and wrecks of the north then a week looking for sharks in the south. Saw pretty much everything we could have asked for; dolphins, turtles, stingrays, oceanic while tips and what can only be describes as sharknados of hammerheads. Had a school of 16 circling and dancing for us at one point.

Here's a few highlights:

 

[Poindexter]

I recently went diving in costa rica. I did two open water dives and now I want to get my PADI certification. It was mind blowing! Great thread.

 

[Mik2121]

Got my license, but I have been so busy for the last two years that I'd need to do the test again to update my license. I definitely want to get back to it though, but right now I got way too much stuff going.

I loved diving when I was doing it up until 2 years ago though.

Great photos!


Edit: Damn Thai is so cheap. One fun dive here (18m) is about 7000 Yen or more Not so much fun!!
I only have the PADI license for 18m though. Wanted to get the 30m one but most of the places we were diving around weren't that deep anyway so...

 

[Panthalassic]

Hello SCUBA GAF. Got Open Water certified in 2011 but only got back to it in 2015. I work for a conservation agency in The Bahamas so I mostly dive for science these days (scientific assessments of coral reefs to determine health of the reefs) bit occasionally get to do some recreational stuff.

I actually got bent back in March but it was mostly my fault. Bad surge, I'm overweight, eyes were burning, trying to do work, had a panic attack. Luckily it wasn't too bad (joint pain and unusual fatigue) but we were doing work in a really remote location so I couldn't get treated for three days. Live and learn I guess.

Haven't had a chance to go diving since, but hopefully I will be next month.

 

[tuxfool]

I'm an Advanced Open Water Diver, but I haven't been diving in years.

I should get back on that train.

 

[The_Endless]

Had the most amazing time in the Red Sea the last few weeks. Spent a weeks seeing the reefs and wrecks of the north then a week looking for sharks in the south. Saw pretty much everything we could have asked for; dolphins, turtles, stingrays, oceanic while tips and what can only be describes as sharknados of hammerheads. Had a school of 16 circling and dancing for us at one point.

Here's a few highlights:

Awesome pix! And hammerheads! Never seen one and this makes me want to go to the Red Sea so bad. Maybe next year. Sounds like you did a liveaboard?

I'm planning to do some dives in Oman in September, Phuket in October, and hopefully Myanmar and Komodo liveaboards next year!

 

[Saya]

Been a while since my last dive. I really miss it. Here are some pics from my trip to Bunaken. I love macro diving and observing the small creatures.

 

[Violet_0]

Ko Tao? Did you dance with the triggerfish?

e: I plan to go diving in the Red Sea this winter. The largest aquatic animal I've seen in person during a dive until now was an eel, heh, and I have done about 20 times dives

 

[Chittagong]

Awesome thread, awesome hobby.

I did my OWD in 2013 and my AOWD in 2016. Have logged just over 100 dives now.

Below are some thoughts of places I have been diving in, and gear I have.


Trips

Thailand - Phi Phi island. Good place to learn, although not tons to see underwater, but the party makes up for it. Some of the wreck dives are way too hard for starting OWDs though.

Turks & Caicos - Providenciale & Grand Turk. Easy wall dives. Our first dives without an instructor. Just dive along the wall against the current, and turn back at half tank. Lot of beautiful coral and some medium size sea life. Great visibility.

Maledives - Rashdoo Atoll & live aboard. Best diving In my life, so far. Big sea life - white tip sharks, reef sharks, nurse sharks, mantas, turtles, whale shark... you name it. Drift dives, start from one point, end at another. Reef hooking. Great visibility. Just phenomenal diving.

Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman. Quite similar to Turks & Caicos, easy-ish dives with coral and moderate sea life. Decent visibility.

Great Barrier Reef - live aboard. Absolutely spectacular coral (no, 95% of GBR is not bleached), lots of sharks, turtles, but very few mantas. Decent to poor visibility. Add in the risk of Irukandji, and it's not worth going more than once, in my opinion.

Palau - Yap - Guam - both from shore and live aboard. Just booked this for January next year, a month of diving. Super excited. Should have tons of manta rays, beautiful drift dives, and a lot more.


Gear

Computer - Liquivision Lynx. Superb OLED computer with air intergration, shows both your air and buddy air. Unfortunately the company has been discontinued, and no other product is quite as good - the clunky new Suunto is the closest I guess.

Regulator & first stage - Scubapro MK25 EVO T/S600 Titanium. Spectacular reg and first stage, supposedly they remain trustworthy in all kinds of difficult conditions.

BCD - Scubapro Hydros Pro. Really nice, light BCD which folds into a backpack that holds all your other diving gear too. Weight pockets. Dayglo colours for easy identification of other divers.

Gauge - Scubapro 3 gauge. Good backup for the dive computer. Has come handy when batteries have died.

Octopus - Scubapro 195 Octopus. Not much to say really, nice and yellow, does the job.

Fins - Scubapro Seawing Nova 2. Awesome fins with a strong kick. You'll use diving shoes inside them, which is very handly, makes the fins easier to get on too.

 

[AngryMoth]

Awesome pix! And hammerheads! Never seen one and this makes me want to go to the Red Sea so bad. Maybe next year. Sounds like you did a liveaboard?

I'm planning to do some dives in Oman in September, Phuket in October, and hopefully Myanmar and Komodo liveaboards next year!

Liveaboard is the way to do the red sea basically because most of the best sites are offshore reefs except Elphinstone. You can do some day trips in the north to Ras Mohammad and Thislegorn but it's long way to go. And the value for money on liveaboards is pretty great there.

The place we saw the hammerheads is called daedalus reef and according to our dive guide it's the only place in the world where they will actively seek out humans and they come closer that pretty much anywhere else in the world. We did 6 dives there and saw at least 1 every dive.

These are taken wide angle without zoom to give you idea of how close they'll come, pretty incredible.

 

[Chittagong]

Liveaboard is the way to do the red sea basically because most of the best sites are offshore reefs except Elphinstone. You can do some day trips in the north to Ras Mohammad and Thislegorn but it's long way to go. And the value for money on liveaboards is pretty great there.

The place we saw the hammerheads is called daedalus reef and according to our dive guide it's the only place in the world where they will actively seek out humans and they come closer that pretty much anywhere else in the world. We did 6 dives there and saw at least 1 every dive.

These are taken wide angle without zoom to give you idea of how close they'll come, pretty incredible.

Wow, now I'm jealous, I've never seen hammer heads in real life. On Maledives they tend to stay so deep that you need to be really lucky and have great visibility.

I'll have to check out Red Sea!

 

[KeyBladerXIII]

Going scuba diving is something I've always wanted to do. Manta rays are one of my favorite animals and it'd be a dream come true to go scuba diving and see one.

The problem I have is the breathing apparatus. The first time I went snorkeling I was extremely uncomfortable because I couldn't breathe through my nose. Are there scuba diving masks that allow you to do that? I think I remember seeing them before. If not, scuba diving might be an impossibility for me.

 

[Saya]

Going scuba diving is something I've always wanted to do. Manta rays are one of my favorite animals and it'd be a dream come true to go scuba diving and see one.

The problem I have is the breathing apparatus. The first time I went snorkeling I was extremely uncomfortable because I couldn't breathe through my nose. Are there scuba diving masks that allow you to do that? I think I remember seeing them before. If not, scuba diving might be an impossibility for me.

You will have to breathe through your mouth if you do scuba diving. You use your nose to equalize if needed. But don't worry, you'll get plenty of practice in a pool or shallow sea setting first. After a few times you'll get more comfortable being under water.

And if you really want to see manta rays, you could also see them just by snorkeling in certain spots like Bali and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. You can also swim with whale sharks there and just snorkel.

 

[Chittagong]

Going scuba diving is something I've always wanted to do. Manta rays are one of my favorite animals and it'd be a dream come true to go scuba diving and see one.

The problem I have is the breathing apparatus. The first time I went snorkeling I was extremely uncomfortable because I couldn't breathe through my nose. Are there scuba diving masks that allow you to do that? I think I remember seeing them before. If not, scuba diving might be an impossibility for me.

I personally find snorkelling harder and more uncomfortable than scuba, since there is no pressure through the snorkel, whereas a regulator gives you an effortless stream of air.

There are full face masks and rebreathers, but I would certainly first try out a normal reg in a swimming pool and see how that feels.

 

[ahoyle77]

Hello Scuba Gaf! About to take my certification course with my 12 year old son. We are both excited. We love to snorkel and cruise about once a year, so looking forward to this.

Any advice on a mask that doesn't break the bank?

 

[Cilidra]

I enjoy diving but I don't do it much anymore (kids...).
The Caribeans (Curacao, Cozumel, Bahamas, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Cuba) have been my best dives. The coral reefs is were all the colors come alive.
Curaco west end in particular is by far my favorite. The reef and giant sponges teaming with fishes is breath taking. You can dives right off the beach (there is a dive shop there at dive site is called Alice In Wonderland). Even though it was only 30 feet deep and right off the beach, I never came across a more beatiful diving site.
There was this warship they sunk near Cancun (to create a diving reef) that was really nice to see. Was fully of animal life. It was quite deep (nearring 100 feet deep) at the time, unsure if it moved since them ( was like 18 years ago). I remember vividly the eagle ray that was swimming above the forward gun station, it was surnatural...
Pacific sea life (Puerto Vallarta) is great but there is minimal coral life compared to the Caribeans. The animals are much less colored bu still nice to look at. If your lucky you can come across manta rays.
Did a few shark dives but I find it more impressive if you just come across them in a 'regular' dive than if you sit at the bottom near chum and watch them feed.
I did a cenote dive (cave) in Playa del Carmen but really I don't recommend them unless your more into geological structures than sea life. They entrance of the cave was full of fish but as soon at you enter, there is pretty much no animals. I found it mostly boring though there is a few interesting feature. I am more a animal person than rock person...
The few fresh water dive I have done (in Canada) have been mostly boring compare to the ocean one. Fresh water here contains mostly 'brown' fish that are quite timid. Fresh water is more murky that tropical water (sediments and microscopic life make it more murky) even though you still can find some clear enough water, I'd say it's more to feed the diving bug and keep up the skill than a 'must see' type dive.
While I have not done it, apparently the St-Laurence estuary is not bad diving.
When diving in new place always use a reputable diving shop. There is a big difference in the quality of the dive depending who you dive with.

 

[ahoyle77]

I should have added we will be doing dives in St Thomas and Tortola in March now if anyone has recommendations there (also we port at Nassau, anything good there?). Also live in Orlando so might try to get in a day trip or two prior to that.

 

[TheShocker]

Subscribed. I've been looking into getting my PADI open water cert here recently. i found a place about 10 minutes from my house that offers courses online with weekly meetings for dives and what not.

 

[Cilidra]

I should have added we will be doing dives in St Thomas and Tortola in March now if anyone has recommendations there (also we port at Nassau, anything good there?). Also live in Orlando so might try to get in a day trip or two prior to that.

Don't need to buy a fancy mask. Don't get one with a valve. Usually you want one that has a good fit on your face and has minimal air space (bigger air mean more volume of air you need to adjust going down or up). 2 lens ones (versus one glass ones) usually have less space. 30$ mask may fit the bill. Don't spend too much as you may lose it (it's a piece of equipment that often get lost and break the fastest).

 

[p2535748]

I got certified way back in 2003, but only dove ~20 times, and haven't in years. Honestly, I miss it. I dove in Hawaii a few times and the Great Barrier Reef, and they were some of my favorite travel experiences.

Sadly, at the moment, my wife has no real interest (and is probably not a strong enough swimmer to certify) and I've got two little kids, so there's little chance I can go anytime soon. My goal is to raise my kids to love the water as much as I do, and maybe get back out there in a decade or so.

I dove the Great Barrier Reef in 2004, and it was crazy how sensitive anyone in Port Douglas was about Open Water and the story behind it. Even mentioning it got you a huge rant about how it wasn't the dive companies fault. Seriously, I heard that from like 10 different people, some of them completely not associated with diving.

Back when I dove, I was considerably heavier, and so wore a really heavy weight belt (like 60 pounds). On one of my dives on the reef, my mask broke and I couldn't clear it, so I decided to head back to the ship. They sent a zodiac out to meet me, but it turned out they were really just there for my stuff. The guy kept trying to get me to give him my BC first, until I very forcefully told him that no, I'd be giving him my belt first. Don't want to think about what kind of trouble I would have ended up in with no vest and 60+ pounds around my waist.