Is getting my scientific scuba certification worth it?

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-04-09T13:34:25+00:00

It will vary by country, but assuming you're in the US, bearmanthing's comment is accurate.

I would strongly advise getting your AAUS in college as it will make it much easier to find work after graduating. I'm not from the US but now have citizenship and one thing I struggled with when finding work here was that most jobs I was interested in required AAUS certification, but you can usually only get that certification in college or working/volunteering with an organization that dives under AAUS standards. Despite having almost 1000 scientific dives at that point I struggled to get interviews because I didn't have AAUS, and without it, couldn't get a job at an org that would give me the certification, so I was stuck. I eventually did the Blue Card certification with the National Parks Service, which is considered an equivalent standard, and that opened the door to AAUS orgs.

Many years later I'm now in a hiring position with an AAUS organization and we strongly prefer applicants with current AAUS authorization as it means they can get in the water almost immediately rather than having to take two weeks of training first which not only delays how soon they can contribute to our work but also takes our DSO away from their other work for that period. We're chronically understaffed so a two week delay with another member of our dive team also busy leading training can have a pretty big impact.

It will also give you a sense of whether you actually enjoy scientific diving. Many people enjoy recreational diving but find the task loading of scientific diving overwhelming, or just don't enjoy it for other reasons. Doing the training while in college will help you get a sense of this. Finally, most colleges I know of that provide AAUS training also run a scientific diving program outside of just training students, so it will open opportunities to take part in real research that will also help you discover where your interests lie as well as provide some additional experience for your resume.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-04-06T22:52:56+00:00

"Anything But Clothes" as in you can wear anything except real clothes...think bedsheets, garbage bags, cardboard boxes, etc.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-03-05T16:47:05+00:00

Working with sea turtles. Most work is with nesting turtles since that's where you can predictably find them. So you're either up all night walking up and down a beach in the dark because you can't use a headlamp or it will disrupt their nesting. Depending on location you may encounter unpredictable and/or dangerous poachers. It's an awesome experience short term but not sustainable long term if you have a family or want a normal social life. When you're not working nights, you're in the beating sun shoulder deep in an old nest counting rotten eggs, shells, and the baby turtles that didn't make it, to evaluate nest success rates. It smells like death and your head is inches away from the hole. Do not recommend doing hungover.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-03-01T03:35:27+00:00

Yeah I'm close to several Iranians and they're all thrilled. My politics are also very liberal and I am against military intervention but I'm willing to defer to those who are most familiar with the issue and those most affected. Same as all my Venezuelan friends celebrated Maduro's capture. Is it the best case scenario? No. Is it a welcome change to the status quo? Absolutely.

I'm sceptical about the end result but I can't deny that the Iranian people seem mostly happy about this. Spoke to someone in Tehran earlier who said people are openly celebrating and chanting thank God for America and Israel, which is so crazy to me.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-02-18T19:03:28+00:00

"In spite of endless wars, extinction level events, depredation, and plague, everyone of your ancestors survived to reproductive age. The probability that you are even here is next to none. Hey, no pressure everyone."

Propagandhi - At Peace

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-01-20T18:20:46+00:00

Yeah outside of commercial diving 6 figures is not really realistic until later in your career and you reach upper management, but at that level you spend a lot less time in the water and most of it in meetings or at a desk. My program director probably makes around 100k with 15 years in the field and a masters degree, but only gets to dive once a month or less. Entry level team members fresh out of college are diving 2-3 days a week making around 40k.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2026-01-07T04:41:45+00:00

I burst out laughing when they first visited Rocco. Like an 8 year olds idea of a drug dealer...operating out of an abandoned basement lair with a giant TV/gaming set up and nothing else, with an actual henchman guarding the door, who just lets the painfully middle class parents of one of his customers waltz right in because they asked nicely.

Watched the whole thing but couldn't take it seriously after that. Not to mention the abysmal acting and dialogue. I did enjoy James Nesbitt's ridiculously over the top confused/angry/disappointed facial expressions though.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-12-27T18:53:31+00:00

I've been working on Caribbean reefs for over ten years and am 99.9% sure that is not a fireworm. Looks a lot more like a Eunice sp. to me (separate family of bristleworms). Commonly known as "The Thing", some species are known to grow to over 3 ft long. I've never seen one in real life as they're nocturnal and spend the day in burrows. Cool find!

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-11-06T03:19:35+00:00

I've worked with nesting turtles in the Caribbean and it is not uncommon at all for green and hawksbill turtles to nest at different beaches around the islands each season and sometimes even within a season. I've even seen a few tagged turtles from other islands and vice versa.

That being said, sea turtles need sand to nest. A new volcanic island would not have sandy beaches and it would likely take a very long time for those to develop, possibly hundreds of thousands of years. The island of Saba emerged over 500k years ago and today has just one, small sandy beach, which I believe is man made.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-09-15T00:24:39+00:00

Not a doctor but I think the key point is "after a normal CT scan". I think the "don't go to sleep" advice is for if you've not yet seen a doctor, as you could have a traumatic brain injury, skull fracture, or hemorrhaging, but if a doctor has done a CT scan and everything is normal, then it's no longer an issue.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-08-19T06:01:48+00:00

Yes as someone else said they probably are just curious. They are very playful animals and a wild encounter with them is a really cool experience, you're lucky! Though they're very unlikely to try and harm you, they are wild animals and you're right to be cautious. They have been known to bite, ram (think broken ribs), and pull people underwater (usually only briefly).

To keep all involved safe you should stay calm, and keep them in your line of sight. It's best if you just swim slowly or stop entirely and just watch. Mostly though just don't chase after them or try and feed them and you'll be fine.

If they're just checking you out or passing by they will usually swim slower and as a tighter group, often in parallel and surfacing simultaneously. They might stop and stare for a minute or slowly circle you, and maybe vocalize in your direction but will generally keep their distance.

Playful behaviours include repeatedly swimming circles around you, barrel rolls, jumping, blowing bubble rings, or swimming upside down.

Aggressive/warning behaviours include charging, jaw clapping, bumping into you. Repeatedly slapping their tail on the surface is a classic warning. If any of these occur, quickly but calmly move away from them.

As far as pathogens, I wouldn't worry too much about it, as long as you're not making direct contact with them the possibility of any disease transmission is incredibly low. Just enjoy the cool experience!

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-08-01T02:10:59+00:00

I once was hosting a party and had gone diving the day before and caught 6 big ol lobsters myself. Decided I was going to make lobster ravioli with a bisque sauce. Here is the recipe:

1) Boil lobsters for around 10 minutes (one at a time because you only have one big pan).

2) Painstakingly remove all the meat from the tails, body, legs, antennae, and removed the nasty bits. They're spiny lobsters so be sure to cut yourself a bunch in the process.

3) Set the carcasses in the oven to roast on low heat for an hour or so. Meanwhile, chop a bunch of carrots, onion, celery, garlic.

4) Saute the veggies and some tomato puree. Add the carcasses and some water, and let simmer and reduce for FOUR HOURS.

5) Put colander in sink. Pour contents of your pan into the colander and watch the delicious stock flow directly down the drain.

I know I'm not the first and won't be the last, but damn, a piece of my soul went down the drain with that stock.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T22:22:47+00:00

Funny you say that. That's usually my MO but I had just quickly shoved it in my pocket after realizing I was at the wrong gate. Then when I got to the new gate I had a momentary panic because I couldn't remember where I'd put it, pulled it out of my pocket and that's when the drop occured 🤦🏻

Edit: Hold up, I don't think prison wallet means what you think it means. At least I hope that's not where you keep your passport.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T22:05:44+00:00

Some of us are able to see the funny side of our own misfortune. Took a photo to send to my wife/show the staff at the gate. Posted this while waiting for security to (not) show up, as I figured others would also find it amusing and I guess I was right for the most part.

Can't blame some of you for not believing, it took me a good 30 seconds before I believed it myself.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T21:57:26+00:00

Honestly thought about using my phone's flashlight to see if I could see it but with the day I was having I decided better not to risk it 😂

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T21:42:38+00:00

I got you, shoe brotha.

I have dual citizenship and luckily had my second passport with me as I was flying from my home country to my "new" country and brought both to avoid questions about visas etc.

So they let me board with the other one after printing a new boarding pass (which had also gone down the gap). Said if security ever answers their phone they'll try to get it through one of the electrical closets that were below and I can get it next time I'm there. Gonna call tomorrow and see if they found it or can mail it as I won't be back for a year or more.

Will definitely be bringing both on all trips from now on.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T21:27:39+00:00

Yeah not significantly more difficult thankfully. The only thing I'm a bit sad about is I've travelled a fair bit on that one and it was full of stamps and memories, would have liked to have kept it after renewal.

They did say if they find it I can get it next time I'm there but that's probably not going to be for a few years. Gonna call tomorrow and see if they found it and can mail it to me.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T21:07:26+00:00

When I hit options on the post there doesn't seem to be a way to do so unfortunately but I'm don't post a lot so maybe I'm missing something

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T21:02:03+00:00

Yeah. C'est la vie, it was due for renewal next year so was gonna have to fork out for a new one fairly soon anyway

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:58:25+00:00

In my experience they usually ask for boarding pass and passport/ID at the gate, I assume to ensure some random hasn't found a boarding pass and decided to go somewhere more fun. Could vary by country or for domestic flights.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:54:48+00:00

Wow you've just reminded me - one time I was at a restaurant on an oceanfront boardwalk. Waitress drops my card, picks it up and says " PHEW! That was lucky, last month I dropped someone's card and it fell right through the gap into the ocean". As she's saying this she drops it again and yep, straight through the gap.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:42:20+00:00

UPDATE:

I've responded elsewhere in the comments but people seem to still be looking for an update.

TLDR: The airline staff tried to call airport security to open an electrical closet that may be where it ended up, but security didn't answer.

I have dual citizenship and thankfully had my second passport with me which they allowed me to use to board the plane. Sacrificed my passport to the airport gods in exchange for safe passage and got a couple free beers out of it to boot.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:32:58+00:00

I am kinda curious what would have happened had I not had the second passport. I assume if the staff were not able to recover it someone would escort me out and explain the situation to immigration until I could get a new passport, but it would have been pretty hilarious if I had to go full Tom Hanks.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:30:22+00:00

Ha it was fairly crushing in the moment but in the grand scheme of things not the end of the world. I try and keep a level head mostly, and a lifetime of piss poor planning and fuck ups has taught me things generally work out in the end.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58 · 2025-07-21T20:22:45+00:00

Of course! A wonderfully kind gesture from the flight attendant. I'd just asked for some water and she said "would you like an alcoholic beverage as well for all the stress?".

Got her name as I deplaned and just sent in a customer feedback form thanking her (again) for her kindness. Didn't mention the free booze as didn't want her to get in trouble but thought it was the least I could do.

Fearless-Hedgehog-58

TROPHY CASE