SCUBA diving anyone?

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sidguppy
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SCUBA diving anyone?

Post by sidguppy »

out of sheer curiosity and also because I've been diving my ass off the last few weeks:

anyone else having this addiction to sucking air from a pressurized bottle at x metres depth?

as for me: I learned to dive 3 years ago in Australia, Queensland; Magnetic Island.
done my open water, advanced and specialty courses there (all SSI, not Padi)
now I've been in Thailand for 4 weeks; spend most of my time on Koh Tao (wich is basically paradise :D ), revving up the ol' skills, done a refreshment course and went at next levels with a vengeance!

got my Stress & Rescue diving course; first aid including CPR, Nitrox, more deep diving, navigation, logged over 50 dives and reached Master Diver level.

I'm as happy as a 'coon in a garbage-can :roll: :lol:

and on one of my dive I actually encountered a catfish as well! a really old scarred Plotosus lineatus wich was lazily swimming out and about, completely unfazed by divers and all the nasties out there (stingrays, loads of baracuda's, triggerfish, trevally's; you name it); typical poisonous animal behaviour!
I've seen sea-snakes, puffers and lionfish doing exactly the same: they completely rely on their venom to defense themselves and are without fear.

so; anyone else got hooked bigtime? chime in!

1 last anecdote: got attacked by a pair of Titan Triggerfish yesterday (1 was the notorious Trevor the psycho Trigger) and you should see the state of my fins......pretty scratched up :shock: :wink:
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Seedy
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Post by Seedy »

Hey Sidguppy! I am also SSI open water certified since 1997. Unfortunately since I moved inland about 5 years ago I haven't had many opportunities to use it...

My favorite dives have been at Palancar Reef in Cozumel MX(swim through reef caves are amazing)and along the edge of the submarine canyon in La Jolla CA and the kelp beds off of Santa Catalina Island in CA. I have heard we have an "underwater park" in one of the clearer lakes here in Oklahoma...supposedly they have sunken jets and ships and such...

I have also heard of many a scuba diver out here who also "noodles" for Catfish...For those not familiar with "noodl'n" that means sticking your bare hand back in a flathead catfish's hole (underwater) and catching the fish by either shoving your hand down it's throat or getting it to bite your hand...Some people (the really crazy ones) noodle without scuba gear, free diving under the edges of river banks and up under submerged roads stiking their hands blindly in holes...

Most hardcore noodlers are missing a finger or two from snapping turtles and or beavers/snakes....
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sidguppy
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Location 1: Southern Netherlands near Belgium
Location 2: Noord Brabant, Netherlands
Interests: African catfishes and oddballs, Madagascar cichlids; stoner doom and heavy rock; old school choppers and riding them, fantasy novels, travelling and diving in the tropics and all things nature.
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Post by sidguppy »

I have also heard of many a scuba diver out here who also "noodles" for Catfish...For those not familiar with "noodl'n" that means sticking your bare hand back in a flathead catfish's hole (underwater) and catching the fish by either shoving your hand down it's throat or getting it to bite your hand...Some people (the really crazy ones) noodle without scuba gear, free diving under the edges of river banks and up under submerged roads stiking their hands blindly in holes...

Most hardcore noodlers are missing a finger or two from snapping turtles and or beavers/snakes....
I heard about this gruesome "hobby" and about the only thing I can say about it is this:
these people give divers a BAD name! :evil:

cause they forget the first and foremost "rule" that EVERY single diver or snorkeler should follow:
take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles, stay the F!k away from the animals, leave them in peace

people that willingly/knowingly abuse and trash animals for "fun" are in the same league as people that willingly/knowingly trash humans for "fun" and should be treatyed accordingly IMO.

there are few catfishes in the Netherlands, and also "hobbies" like this are highly unlikely ever to catch on over here, but if I see someone doing an act like this while diving I might be sorely tempted to "forget" the fact I'm a rescue diver and sort of "anti-rescue" such a person.

stuff like this makes me mad and also very very sad. :(
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Seedy
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Post by Seedy »

I don't know that most people who "noodle" are doing it strictly for fun or to hurt the fish. The fish are almost always eaten. I don't see it as any different than any other kind of sport fishing.

I myself don't take part in this activity. However, I consider most people who stick their hands into holes underwater where alligator snapping turtles, poisonous snakes and beaver live a bit crazy!
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Post by Kostas »

I too like diving very much,last year managed to do two try dives at Skiathos after wanting it for years and now i returned there and did my Open water course...I will try to dive whenever i can and hope to do the Advanced open water next year...Also next year i plan to go to Miami and the Keys for vacations so i can see the beautifull tropical reefs from close :razz:

Personally i dont like at all divers that hunt with the scuba equipment...Its not fair,you strike from far and have all the time yours...
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