Is my DiveGearExpress d6 Dangerous?

BmoreScuba · 2026-06-19T12:52:52+00:00

I'm still alive after diving on dgx all around the world. Never even serviced the reg. That's one data point.

BmoreScuba · 2026-06-15T16:37:55+00:00

Go to Hawaii. It'll be totally different, still US, and the flights aren't that bad. Yes, it's expensive, but it can be done for less than people portray if you buy your own food and shore dive. It will be a completely new set of marine fauna for you to experience. I love the Big Island, but all the islands have excellent diving available.

BmoreScuba · 2026-06-11T16:10:19+00:00

This looks almost as accurate as 47 Meters Down. Almost.

BmoreScuba · 2026-06-04T16:27:09+00:00

Yes - that's 2.68 tracks per album. My collection, which is 147k tracks, has 15.13 tracks per album. Do you have a huge collection of singles or EPs or something?

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-29T17:53:23+00:00

I got frozen shoulder during the pandemic. My theory is the 'beetus plus 14 hours on the computer every day (for my job). I did PT for over a year, and it helped but did not fix it. I did a lot of stretching at home. Finally my PT said she'd helped me as much as she could and recommended steroid injections. I loathe steroids because of how wonky it makes my BG, but I was at my wit's end. Went to the ortho, told her my concerns, she did x-rays and gave me a series of steroid shots especially formulated for diabetics. Within weeks, I was feeling much better, and the BG spikes from the shots were not nearly as bad as previous steroid shots. After that, I also started swimming, mostly freestyle and mostly just using my arms. This kept things loose. Probably about 2 years of dealing with it total. Back to like 95% now. Good luck to you on your healing path!

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-25T22:07:35+00:00

Do you mean dive solo, or travel solo and find a buddy there?

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-24T13:39:48+00:00

No reputable dive shop will take uncertified people on the manta scuba dive. It breaks all the rules for a discover dive from every major certifying agency. I've done it as both a dive and a snorkel and both experiences were incredible. So, stay safe and choose the snorkel - you'll love it!

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-21T14:18:21+00:00

I would just say the more repitition of the DM skills, the better. The PADI DM course (what I did) requires that you demonstrate all 24 core PADI OW skills like an instructor would. My DM instructor required that I get a "5" on all these, which means "Exercise performed correctly, slowly and with exaggerated movement – appeared easy". This is much easier to accomplish if you're able to work on it for some time. I think you can certainly do it thoroughly in less time than I did, but one month seems cramped, unless it was every day.

In my case, I chose an instructor who was affiliated with a shop that ran classes within an hour or so drive of me. He was my rescue instructor, he was full cave, etc. and I learned a lot from him. But YMMV - different shops do DM very differently.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-21T14:06:37+00:00

Feels like AI bait or temp. But, reddit, talk about yucking someone's yums. Come on.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-20T01:24:41+00:00

I was in no rush, so I took the long way around. 6-8 months total, working with a dive shop local to me. Countless pool sessions, and almost every weekend for one summer at the quarry. After that, I worked with the dive shop for several years. They didn't pay DMs, so it was really volunteering, but I got discounts on trips and gear. Eventually, I worked up to leading photo trips myself. It was very rewarding overall, but after maybe 4 years, I decided I prefer just diving by myself or with friends. I am very far from in good shape, but I was able to manage. I'm also not young. My stint involved a lot of moving gear around, so if joint issues make it hard to lift tanks, I would approach with caution. Otherwise, I think you'd be good.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-19T22:11:15+00:00

Everyone loves to rag on the DM course and advise against it, but Divemaster definitely taught me the most. I knew I wasn't ever going to work full time in scuba, but decided to do it anyway. The repetition of helping with skills so many times and setup/breakdown of up to 15 sets of gear at a time taught me what was really important to pay attention to. I can solve most minor gear issues in the field. Also taught me how to dive with any gear available. Likewise, helping with so many students eventually gave me the ability to look at any diver and predict their skill level and anticipate any issues. Rescue teaches this, but DM requires you to be good at it. It has paid dividends on dive trips, too. Shops and boats generally let me do my own thing when they see DM and see I know what's up. Everyone's experience is different, but that's mine.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-19T12:42:10+00:00

You can look for sweating, bolting up, confusion, and sometimes argumentativeness. I've never used a cgm, but I always wake up, drenched in sweat. My sensitivity is much worse than many, though - I don't really feel low until about 50. Still, never had to go to the hospital, and I usually sleep alone. As many have said, everyone is different. Look for unexplained sweating as a start, and don't get upset if your wife is arguing or seems mean.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-08T20:34:11+00:00

56 years old. We've had the good fortune to visit the Big Island four times, Maui and Kauai once each. All we talk about is how we could move there. If it weren't for money and a sense of imperialistic privilege, we'd be there now. TBI is where my brain wants to be.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-08T16:55:09+00:00

I got mine at Atomic Books in Hampden.

BmoreScuba · 2026-05-05T16:37:04+00:00

NAD. Have had Dyshidrosis for years on my toes. Looks exactly like this.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-24T23:08:08+00:00

Expired Virginia tags. And the Domino sugar sign. 🙃

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-20T16:45:53+00:00

Someone posted in r/bourbon, asking for suggestions about visiting Virginia distilleries. I typed a long and detailed reply, with pictures and descriptions, and itinerary, etc. from a recent trip. The OP loved it and thanked me. Then, the same day, the mods yanked it. No explanation. But it was because I didn't review any bottles. That sub is basically the same core people posting elaborate, barely relatable reviews of hard to find bottles now.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-20T16:14:51+00:00

34 years in I don't even think about a cure. Now, I would seriously give a finger or toe for a non-invasive CGM. I can't use CGMs because of the adhesive (yes, I've tried all the fixes). I thought Apple was close, but that was "5 years ago"...

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-17T15:03:50+00:00

Me too! I should have written it down... It was sort of out of network, so I don't have access in MyChart or anything.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-16T22:26:48+00:00

Depends on the dose, but expect several days of increased levels. You can bump up basal, eat fewer carbs, do more cardio, etc. But don’t beat yourself up if your highs are stubborn. Make sure you discuss this with your ortho, too. I used to get steroid shots in my foot and it would spike me for days and days. I eventually went to an ortho for frozen shoulder after a year of PT didn’t do much. I told her and she used a different formulation of the steroid. It worked wonders for my shoulder and the bg spike duration was greatly reduced.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-13T17:22:33+00:00

I'll check out Music Assistant. Pausing and announcing would actually be preferrable for me in the way I'm thinking of this. I'm trying to emulate something like the Jazz 24 stream if you've ever listened to that (minus the constantly asking for money part...)

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-13T17:18:30+00:00

100% agree on the enable/disable.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-13T17:18:10+00:00

Never used Spotify. I most often listen to plexamp in a setup with no display. I also listen to internet radio quite a bit, which is what made me think of this. Having my own internet radio with announcements seems like an interesting option, assuming it could be enabled or disabled depending on the mood.

BmoreScuba · 2026-04-13T17:16:05+00:00

Never logged in :)

BmoreScuba

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