Who am I and what diving do I do?

[IanDennis]

Name

Ian Dennis

Location

Chalfont St Peter

First Qualified

1987 - Dorset Adventure Sports SAA Club Diver (seems like only yesterday)
2000- PADI Instructor

Club Member

Yes- two PADI schools and one club

Highest Diving Qualification

IANTD Advanced Recreational Trimix Instructor

Instructor

PADI MSDT
EFR Instructor
IANTD Instructor
SAA Instructor

What other training have you found most rewarding

Outdoor survival- taught me to pay attention and really listen to briefings.
Training with Phil Short


Standard Kit

DIR 12's /Ali 80/Ali 40/Protec/G2 - usual rig for pleasure dives
Single 12 for teaching - with a semidry if warm enough

Where do you usually dive

South Coast, Vobster,NDC, Wraysbury,Stoney,Scapa,Red Sea, Maldives, Malta, Gozo, California,

Number of Dives

2867 at the last count

Deepest Dive

UK - 68m Dorothea on trimix
Abroad - 56m at Blue Hole

Longest Dive

190mins

Favorite Dives

Tabarka
Giannis D
Maldives- Digga Thila night dive

Worst Dive

Various but still here and loving every minute of it

What dive /trip would you most like to do

2008 - back to Scapa - more of the same as this year but maybe outside the flow. After that Britannic in 2009 but need to complete some training first

Best Piece of Advice

Listen carefully, practice, admit when your wrong.

Ian

[Depth-junkie]

Name
Depth Junkie

Location
Wrexham

First Qualified
in the womb, i was born to do this

Club Member
DIAFWBSH (Do It All F*@kin Wrong But still here)

Highest Diving Qualification
Still here Pimps

Instructor Yes/No
No


What other training have you found most rewarding
Going DIVing, is what counts, Doing courses dont mean crap, bar i have a nice shiney new card.

What’s your standard Kit
Inspo Vision.

Where do you usually Dive
Any wear there is water

Number of Dives
Lost count

Deepest Dive
92m UK, 98m Red Sea

Longest Dive
3hr plus

Favourite Dive so far
Abu Helal canyon, and any big liner in decent viz

Worst Dive
Shit viz dives when its cost me £150 notes to get wet.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Britanic and the Lucy

Best piece of advice is practice a skill on every dive.
Always know my PO2

[Mrs F]

Slight update on mine - now AO & nitrox qualified! Yippeee!!

Rachael

[DougH]

I'll throw in my two pennies for sh*ts and giggles!

Name
Doug.

Location
London.

First Qualified
PADI OW 10/99.

Club Member
Used to be and then saw the light - if you make friends diving they will always ask you back.

Highest Diving Qualification
PADI DM (lapsed).

Instructor Yes/No
No, I'd rather spend my time diving, although I can see the satisfaction gained from teaching.

What other training have you found most rewarding
Seeing it in the TDI course I'm doing at the moment - Robert Cameron is a very good instructor. He's got my complete trust and that's the main thing on any course.

What’s your standard Kit
Twin 12's and a 7 litre.

Where do you usually Dive
Where ever the current drags me. Last time was a couple of weeks ago in Largs at the mouth of the Clyde.

Number of Dives
500+.

Deepest Dive
47 metres.

Longest Dive
1 hour 10mins - sorry Sonia!

Favourite Dive
A night dive on the Thistlegorm - my buddy (Jill) was on her 100th dive. My best memory was hovering in the hold and looking up at what seemed like a "skin" of fish silhouetted above me against the boat's Halogen lights on the dive deck. And to top it all when we surfaced, the crew out with their bongos on the dive deck singing and chanting to Jill and a large whiskey from my (dry) girlfriend while I dripped fully kitted. A memory that will stay forever.

Worst Dive
Worst and one of the best. The U260 in Baltimore, Ireland. 38m intact sub, brilliant 10m+ viz and the chance to stare into the periscope from the outside. Unfortunately the last guys off the wreak sent the shot up while we were hanging on it at 27m (Communication breakdown - not their fault). White lift bag flies pass "let go of the line"! Alone 10m below my buddy narced to buggery, mid water, and NOT going up. Doing a good impression of Louis Armstrong and my mind trying to tell me to calm down. I asked John the skipper afterwards what he thought when he saw the lift bag hit the surface. "Oh Feck" was the reply. But every now and then you need a kick in the arse where the "I'm an indestructible" diver part of your brain lives. Learnt a lot from that dive. The Kowloon Bridge and the U260 are great dives, I'm heading back next year for more of the same. Beautiful diving.

What ONE other question should I have included?
Have you ever thrown a grenade of a contentious dive question/theory at a table of your fellow divers in the pub, and gone to the bar, and what was it - FIRE IN THE HOLE?

[dantheman]

Name
Dan

Location
Troy, Michigan

First qualified
June 2006 SSI OW

Clubs
none

Highest qualification
SSI Advanced Open Water

Instructor
No, i don't have the number of dives yet.

What training have you found rewarding
O2 admin, and CPR

what's your standard kit
single 80cft and 40cft pony

where do you usualy dive
Orchard Lake (a mud hole)

number of dives
26, i just started

Deepest dive
100 feet

Longest dive
50 min

Favourite Dive
a penitration dive on an old sand sucker @ 100 feet

worst dive
when i got tangled in a fishing line at about 50 feet and i couldn't reach my dive tool.

What one question should I have included?
Don't know

[Aerodive]

Name
Paul
Location
sheffield, england
First qualified
PADI OW in 2000
Clubs
none

Highest qualification
PADI rescue diver
Instructor
No, i don't have the number of dives yet.

What training have you found rewarding
rescue diver and EFR
what's your standard kit
single 12 or 15L

where do you usualy dive
red sea
number of dives
43

Deepest dive
38m
Longest dive
56 min

Favourite Dive
anenome, shark and yolanda reef as a drift or the thistlegorm
worst dive
when dived with a hangover and my mask kept flooding one xmas in the dominican rep.
What one question should I have included?
Have you had any near-misses or scary moments?

[Jim Dowling]

Name
Jim

Location
Sharm

First Qualified
1995- Ships Diver RN

Club Member
None

Highest Diving Qualification
NSS-CDS Full Cave Technical
TDI Advanced Trimix
IANTD Full Cave Technical

Instructor Yes/No
YES PADI MSDT, TDI Deco

What other training have you found most rewarding
Long list......

What’s your standard Kit
Quad set alu 12's

Where do you usually Dive
Sharm, Egypt

Number of Dives
4000 odd

Deepest Dive
130m Both Sat and recently on OC in Sharm

Longest Dive
On OC 4.5hrs

Favourite Dive
Chamber of the Ancients, Carwash Cenote, Upstream, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Devils Finger, Ras Mohammed, Egypt.
Deep Cave, Jackfish Alley, Ras Mo, Egypt.

Worst Dive
Recovering lost mates body, 1996.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Truk, hopefully on honeymoon!

What ONE other question should I have included?
Don't Know


Juz
[/quote]

[Tassie Devil]

Name
Micky D

Location
Maria Island - Tassie (Goole Earth It - Paradise!!)

First Qualified
1995

Club Member
No

Highest Diving Qualification

Commercial Part2
Advanced OWI

Instructor Yes/No
Yep

What other training have you found most rewarding
Commercial Training, but can't beat real world experience


What’s your standard Kit
Mask, Wetsuit, Fins, Tank, B.C and Reg's

Where do you usually Dive
5min boat trip from my front door

Number of Dives
2000 odd

Deepest Dive
40-50m

Longest Dive
Buggered if I know, my brain went numb after 2hrs

Favourite Dive
Anywhere in Tassie, can only compare to the Barrier Reef though!

Worst Dive
No unfortunate accidents thankfully - so to me, no such thing, I get paid for all my shitty dives!


What dive/trip would you most like to do
Antarctica

What ONE other question should I have included?
Name one place that you've been to which offers great diving, a party atmosphere and really hot women - I'm thinking of going on holiday soon!

[MonkeyPony]

Name
Simon Beecham

Location
Aylesbury, Bucks

First Qualified
BSAC Novice - 1992

Club Member
BSAC - Aylesbury
Scubanet

Highest Diving Qualification
TDI ADV NX and Deco

Instructor Yes/No
No

What other training have you found most rewarding
BSAC PRM

What’s your standard Kit
Twin 12s + 7

Where do you usually Dive
Anywhere - have car, will travel!

Number of Dives
Dont have a clue - 150 in last 2 years

Deepest Dive
55.1m

Longest Dive
88 mins

Favourite Dive
Thistlegorm by night

Worst Dive
Lulworth Cove

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Britanic...

What ONE other question should I have included?
Should Gordon call an early election

[Skiverdiver]

Name
Roy Osborne

Location
Southbourne, Hants

First Qualified
BSAC Novice - Dec 1995 (Brighton Marina - Feckin freezing!)

Club Member
BSAC009 Southsea

Highest Diving Qualification
IANTD Tech Nitrox, MOD 1

Instructor Yes/No
Nah! - have a god daughter I can babysit!

What other training have you found most rewarding
HSE First Aid, AED, O2 Admin

What’s your standard Kit
Inspiration CCR

Where do you usually Dive
Southcoast

Number of Dives
Would be guessing - only a few hundred

Deepest Dive
46m

Longest Dive
120 mins - whilst being beasted by Phil Short on MOD1!!

Favourite Dive
Would have said Salsette, but the other week did the Basil (for about the 20th time!) - viz was unbelievable 15m!!!....

Worst Dive
Any 2nd dive that is a poxy drift!

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Norway - doing 2008!, then Jutland or Malin Head

What ONE other question should I have included?
How many bacon butties can you eat inbetween dives!?