Eric Gill <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:Xns94F3568D3D7B1ericvgillyahoocom@24.93.43.121:

Even if you're just snorkeling. I had a day shot completely to hell in
the prettiest water I've ever seen - Belize - because I got lazy and
rented a snorkel and mask. Not being able to clear your snorkel
properly, whether because it's in bad shape or you're just not used to
it, usually means getting a lung/bellyful of water, in this case some
*very* salty water.

Nasty. I'm not looking forward to my first experience with that. Before I
go diving or anything more involved than floating, I'm going to get some
lessons (since I can afford it, now), if only to have someone around to

me turn green from guzzling some seawater.

I think I paid $30 for the set--snorkel, fins, and mask. That wasn't the
best in the store, but it was far from the worst. Still a lot of room for
improvement, once get enough skill to know what'll work.

*nemo* <nemo0037@earthlink.dieSPAM.net> wrote in
news:nemo0037-1A3568.05482824052004@news06.east.earthlink.net:

In article <Xns94F2CAB866ED7askifyouwantit@216.77.188.18>,
Doc Smartass <gekiskivviesdo@astroboyskivviesmail.com> wrote:

So...anyone got some stories?

I'm a pretty experienced diver, with 48 dives in my log. My son and I
mostly get wet off the coast of north Carolina and South Carolina, but
we've been diving out at Oahu and Maui. The kid has a couple of dives
in the Bahamas and went snorkling in the Galapagos islands.

I want to get into SCUBA...if only to go to some of the places near
Pensacola:

http://www.mbtdivers.com/

*nemo* <nemo0037@earthlink.dieSPAM.net> wrote in
news:nemo0037-1A3568.05482824052004@news06.east.earthlink.net:

In article <Xns94F2CAB866ED7askifyouwantit@216.77.188.18>,
Doc Smartass <gekiskivviesdo@astroboyskivviesmail.com> wrote:

So...anyone got some stories?

I'm a pretty experienced diver, with 48 dives in my log. My son and I
mostly get wet off the coast of north Carolina and South Carolina, but
we've been diving out at Oahu and Maui. The kid has a couple of dives
in the Bahamas and went snorkling in the Galapagos islands.

I want to get into SCUBA...if only to go to some of the places near
Pensacola:

http://www.mbtdivers.com/

We're getting the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany as an artificial reef:

http://www.mbtdivers.com/Oriskany%20Misc.htm

My favorite experience was a few years ago, when we were diving on a
wreck off of Wilmington. We were 60 ft down and I was happily checking
out the scenery when this huge shark, 6 to 8 ft long, comes cruising
past. It passed my son about 10 ft behind him, but he was looking in
another direction. Poor dope never saw it.

Ha! Before putting on the mask for the first time last week, I'd have
wondered how anyone could miss something as big as a shark--even a 6 to 8
footer. But I'm remembering that last Wednesday, I couldn't even see the
bottom of my kayak from 3 feet away unless I was looking right at it.
Forget peripheral vision ;)

Of course, I was once too sea sick to be looking up during one surface
interval, and missed seeing a manta ray jumping into the air near our
boat. Oh well...

*huuuuurrrrrk!*

I think I made it to the bottom of a 12-foot-deep pool once (and only
once); but my friend had to bribe me. He tossed a model of the orignal Trek
Enterprise into the pool and told me it was mine if I went and got it. He
even schooled me a little in diving--but no mask, no fins, no snorkel. I
was 11, I think, and I coveted that damn model. I took it home with me that
day!

Not bad for a kid whose main swimming style was still dog-paddling. :p

In the years since, I've never really developed strong swimming skills,
breathing technique, and all that. Now I'll have to get some proper
training.

I have been certified scuba diver since I was 14. On 17 July <hint!>
that will be a 30 year anniversary for me in scuba diving. Since 1994
I live in Thailand, one of the best places in the world for ...
diving!!!!

I have _got_ to go back to Key West once I get some experience. What I
could see of the coral and creatures there was utterly captivating.

And within a few months my company will be doing diving tours as well.
Guess who has to contact and try out operators??? I admit, it is a
though job, but someone's gotta do it!

That brought to mind a conference where everyone's in office attire, but
with SCUBA gear, and communicating with hand signs and white-boards!

Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote in
news:Xns94F2E028BC25Dvicman@216.148.227.77:

One day in alt.atheism, Also Sprach Doc Smartass:

Yo, yo, yo!

I'm getting into snorkel-diving lately and am wondering who all in
godlessville is into it, too.

Wednesday was my first time; all I did was paddle around on the
surface, staring down at the baitfish, hermit crabs, and one
white-with-red-claw- tips crab that had buried itself in the sand. It
was waving a pair of antennae, hoping to lure a fish close in for a
dance.

So...anyone got some stories?

I bought a little face-mask and breathing-tube at my resort in Jamaica a
few years ago and floated out to sea one afternoon. It was amazing how
far one could drift away from shore in that part of the world, and still
stand on the bottom - keeping one's head above water. The barricuda and
jellyfish were equally amazed.

I haven't seen even a useful percentage of the critters I know are lurking
in the brine; I've been enviously watching divers out at the beach and on
various TV shows ("Deep Sea Detectives" is one). I'm hoping that this

I'll be able to at least swim _near_ dolphins (if not with them), if only
to top last year's "kayaking near dolphins":

http://bellsouthpwp.net/g/e/gekido/dolphins.jpg

Imagine how that scene would look from underwater!

One thing that struck me while I was just paddling along on the surface,
staring down at the plants, was that I was flying low over a forest. I
haven't had that feeling since the flying dreams I used to have as a kid.

Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote in
news:Xns94F2E028BC25Dvicman@216.148.227.77:

One day in alt.atheism, Also Sprach Doc Smartass:

Yo, yo, yo!

I'm getting into snorkel-diving lately and am wondering who all in
godlessville is into it, too.

Wednesday was my first time; all I did was paddle around on the
surface, staring down at the baitfish, hermit crabs, and one
white-with-red-claw- tips crab that had buried itself in the sand. It
was waving a pair of antennae, hoping to lure a fish close in for a
dance.

So...anyone got some stories?

I bought a little face-mask and breathing-tube at my resort in Jamaica a
few years ago and floated out to sea one afternoon. It was amazing how
far one could drift away from shore in that part of the world, and still
stand on the bottom - keeping one's head above water. The barricuda and
jellyfish were equally amazed.

I haven't seen even a useful percentage of the critters I know are lurking
in the brine; I've been enviously watching divers out at the beach and on
various TV shows ("Deep Sea Detectives" is one). I'm hoping that this year,
I'll be able to at least swim _near_ dolphins (if not with them), if only
to top last year's "kayaking near dolphins":

http://bellsouthpwp.net/g/e/gekido/dolphins.jpg

Imagine how that scene would look from underwater!

One thing that struck me while I was just paddling along on the surface,
staring down at the plants, was that I was flying low over a forest. I
haven't had that feeling since the flying dreams I used to have as a kid.

http://bellsouthpwp.net/g/e/gekido/dolphins.jpg

Imagine how that scene would look from underwater!

One thing that struck me while I was just paddling along on the
surface, staring down at the plants, was that I was flying low over a
forest. I haven't had that feeling since the flying dreams I used to
have as a kid.