19 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

Ok so how far will you go to 'Get Wet'???

How far will you go for 'blue water' aka ocean diving? Will you go as far as you did a year ago? Will you go as often? Will you spend more or less? Will you do 1 big trip or two smaller ones?

And how about 'local' diving? For some that is blue water if you live near a coast...but for many of us that is a quarry, lake, river or some other body of fresh water...muck diving it is sometimes called...mud diving or river ratting. Whatever you call it...how far will you go to DIVE????

And on that note...are you willing to drive longer distances to dive someplace 'new' or with gas prices so high...is the same ole watering hole you usually dive just fine to "GET WET"???

So please tell us just how far you'll go....



to get wet that is! -ww

[PerroneFord]

A few hours. Maybe 6 or 8 for something very special.

[Terri]

Ok so how far will you go to 'Get Wet'???

How far will you go for 'blue water' aka ocean diving?

There is NO limit! I've been as far away as Fiji (with SD), and as close as the Flower Gardens (local when I lived in Houston, but 5 hour drive now).

Will you go as far as you did a year ago?

Definitely!

Will you go as often?

Probably more often!

Will you spend more or less?

Depends on the trip! And when you're diving the great blue ocean, who cares!?

Will you do 1 big trip or two smaller ones?

I'll likely do 1 big trip (more than 10 days) and several small ones (1 week or less)

And how about 'local' diving? For some that is blue water if you live near a coast...but for many of us that is a quarry, lake, river or some other body of fresh water...muck diving it is sometimes called...mud diving or river ratting. Whatever you call it...how far will you go to DIVE????

I honestly have no interest in local diving! (I live in Dallas!)

And on that note...are you willing to drive longer distances to dive someplace 'new' or with gas prices so high...is the same ole watering hole you usually dive just fine to "GET WET"???

I'd prefer to fly!

[AliKat]

I'm with Terri. Even though I live in Hawaii, I don't find the diving on Oahu worth the effort - and too many things competing for time when I'm home.

But, I'll travel as far as I need to for a good trip and spend as much as I can afford. For the next two years, I'd like to do one big trip a year and one or two smaller ones. After that I'll be retired from the Navy and the big $$ will be gone, so will depend on what I can afford

[ScubaPunk]

I will go as far as my $$ will take me. That might mean one, more expensive trip or two less expensive trips, depending on which ones seem more interesting to me. I am fortunate to live close to the Gulf so I can do some local diving for less $. If I am really broke, or if it's between the blue water trips, I will dive in the local lakes. The diving in local lakes is a great way to stay in touch with my diving buddies, keep in practice, and make sure all the gear is still tip top! In another year or so, the kid will be out of college, the car I bought him will be paid off, and diving will be much more affordable.

[Latitude Adjustment]

I'm with Terri too, there are no limits other than time and I only get five weeks vacation time. So far this year I have three overseas trips but none as far as last years trips to Fiji and the Galapagos.
I do some local diving and drive the east coast regularly to dive.

[Brinybay]

What about green water? The water around here is green, aka "The Emerald Sea". I do a lot of local diving, mostly from shore. That's because many of the best sites in the state are accessible from shore (plus I'm cheap). I try to get in at least one dive a week. A dive trip for me would be to BC, Canada.

[annasea]

Seeing as I had an aversion to cold water diving even before I was certified, I'm probably prepared to travel further than most in my location. I reckon Hawaii is probably the closest (flights around 7 hours), with Florida being another realistic destination at around 9 hours flying time.

[Racer184]

I have to be careful about how far I will drive to go diving.
Usually 7 or 8 miles is about as far as I can go. Any farther and my truck would get washed away at high tide.

[tonyinasia]

Two weeks ago I returned from the Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea (Thailand). This was the sixth consecutive year that I've made this trip. Transit time usually ranges between 29 to 31 hours from the time I leave my house to the time I get to a hotel in Bangkok. As I type this it sounds crazy to spend so much time in transit, but in a way that makes the trip seem special. If nothing else, you're thankful for just getting there.

I'll go all the way even if it takes 31 hours to arrive.......................................

.......at a dive location.

I'll continue to make a trek like this - or something similar (Palau, Truk, Indonesia, etc) - once per year.

Regretably, it only happens about once per year

I spent about the same amount of money this year as I spent last year. I did not spend as much on dive gear before this trip - the only purchase being a new doo-rag. But spent several hundred dollars more on airfare. I should have not bought any new dive gear prior to this trip, but I can't help myself. You gotta have something new to try out before a big dive trip.

The next dive trip will be a small jaunt - a destination not more than 2 time zones away from home, but far enough to claim that my company cell phone can't work.

[annasea]

How was your trip, Tony? Any recommendations/advice for Thailand virgins? (I'm hoping to go next year.)

[tonyinasia]

It was a wonderful trip - worth going half way around the world. Diving at all the Similan island sites was great, but most impressive were the four dives we made at Richelieu Rock. With only a slight current, and abundant sea life the dives were spectacular. Following the Similans liveaboard trip, we made a 2 day boat trip to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. Both of these sites were spectacular as well. Hin Muang was simply fabulous.

If you plan a trip to Thailand I'll be happy to help in any way.

[drbill]

I'll go as far as I can... oh, wait... you meant to get in a dive.

Of course some great diving is a half mile or less from my house and I go there (or out on the boat) as often as possible.

Financial picture wasn't great the past year so the only dive travel I got in was to the mainland... you know, "26 Miles Away." Hope to get to Africa and South America next year.

[BoomhowerSpeaks]

I'm actually really mad at myself at the moment, I got certified last year, but I spent the four years before that knocking around the pacific. When I think of all the great dive spots I've been to, including some that are a real pain to get too, like the Marshall Islands, and the fact that I never had time to get certified before I went I want to kick myself. Now I have to go back to all the places , not that I mind I had a blast the first time and I'll have a blast the second time. I just have to find a dive buddy who wants to do a month or two in the Pacific. Anyway that was my long winded way of saying I'll go anywhere, as long as I can scratch up the dough.

[dive1dennis]

I'm really fortunate, my local dive spots are in Lake Michigan. A 20 or 30 minute drive gets me to one of two ports where we have access to a dozen or so wrecks. Make it a two hour drive and the count goes way up. I feel for those that have to travel anytime they want to do more that a muck dive
For Great Lakes weekend trips I will drive up to about 5 hours probably more if the opportunity comes up.
Trips that require airfare... I've only done a couple of tropical dive trips. I'm thinking that I need to start planning at least one per year. The mid-winter break is just what the doctor ordered in the middle of a long WI winter. I'm starting my new resolution with a little Cayman trip at the end of January.