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#23
03-27-2007, 09:03 PM
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I couldnt imagine being in the water with a shark......the harbour seals scared me in the first quick glance until I saw what it was....and they look like little blobs and move so easy....couldnt imagine a shark...
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#24
03-28-2007, 12:07 AM
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I am certified as well as my husband as "Open Water" divers. I have asthma but don't require an inhaler either....only if I get a cold with a cough do I have any troubles.....so needed nothing special or specific...I actually found it really really easy to breathe down there...no smog or crud in the air you're breathing.
I have been diving in Jamaica (absolutely gorgeous), Dominican Republic, and a few times in front of Quadra Island - just across the water from Campbell River (absolutely stunning stuff we have here!!!). Here, when we did our local diving, we did it with wetsuits only. You're fully gloved, full head to toe wetsuit with a hood. A bit chilly but ok, not painful by any means. If I were to pursue it a bit more locally, I would consider taking my Dry Suit course and purchasing one...but I enjoy the warmer water dives so would consider it a waste.
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No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Sarah
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#25
03-28-2007, 02:00 AM
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i've been diving full time and getting paid to do it for the last 12 years so unfortunately it's lost it's magic for me
 but i still love to see the look of excitement and wonder on my wifes face...even if there really wasn't anything good to look at! pure joy there! 
__________________
Darryl
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#26
03-28-2007, 02:04 AM
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I'm a Padi certified Instructor as well as an IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) instructor. I am certified as a gas blender and a scuba technician (scuba mechanic). I worked at one of the busiest stores in Vancouver for almost 3 years. My favorite class was teaching rescue divers and teaching night dive specialties. On one night dive in Campbell River we encountered a school of mud sharks and in with them were a few blue sharks. We saw a number of sharks over 6 feet long, all in a marina. Gabriola Island has some amazing diving as well, with Gabriola pass being the most amazing drift dive. We did one dive through the pass while a pod of Orca was going through, I myself didn't see them but you could hear them underwater. I was loving it until I reallized I was wearing a black dry suit I tought, Geez, I bet I look like a 200lbs seal... anyway fun was had by all.
You don't have to be a strong swimmer, I did the open water swim test on my back. After I got certified advanced open water I started swimming lessons. Asthma isn't an end all when it comes to scuba but you MUST talk to your Doctor about it. Don't forget the air you breath in scuba is probably the cleanest air you'll ever find. Scuba doesn't take much of a physical effort but if your asthma is stress induced it can be a problem. I've never been warm water diving but can honestly say, if Jacque Cousteau says Campbell River and Barkley Sound are two of the worlds best dive sites, that's good enough for me. FWIW I spent 5 years in the Navy, I got to dive on both of the ships I served on after they were sunk as artificial reefs. The feeling of diving on a ship I lived on was very very humbling. Doug
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#27
03-28-2007, 03:37 AM
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whooo master diver in the house lol. When i did my open water i kept wishing orcas would come say hi. ... never did think about the fact that i looked like a seal though, lol. only time Ive ever seen orcas was when i went sea kayaking... that was amazing.
Anyone got pics of a wreck dive? Ive always wanted to do one of those too.
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#28
03-28-2007, 03:50 AM
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Quote:
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#29
03-28-2007, 04:08 AM
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yeah just swim a few laps in a 25m long swimming pool. you can go as fast or slow as you want and the instructor will let you know when to stop.
one thing to think about is the fact that when you look up you won't see anything. One friend of mine (we did the padi open cert together) was a little nervous during her first dive when she looked up and couldn't see the surface. She quickly got over it though by being thoroughly distracted by various things on the sea floor.
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#30
03-28-2007, 04:54 PM
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I got certified just about two years ago and love diving! I've done a few local dives (mostly on Vancouver Island) witch has triggered my plans for a cold water reef tank. The life here is amazing! Octopus, eels and inverts galore!
Last year we did a trip to Aruba for a freinds wedding and snuck in a few days of diving. The corals are amazing and healthy and the water was 90deg. at 100'!!! There is nothing like being at 100' in nothing but your swim suit. We did Grand Bahamas Island earlier this year. Corals were not nearly as impressive as Aruba, but I got to swim with a bunch of 5'-6' reef sharks!
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