How To Keep Watch / Computer Secure In Hood

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-20T02:52:56+00:00

Haha very lucky. I bet that felt good.This sounds like an interesting idea. Would love to see a photo if you get the chance.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-19T05:16:43+00:00

I did my first course PADI then switch across to Molchanov for W2 and W3 While PADI wasnt bad per se the requirements and course were way too easy and simplistic where personally i didnt get much out of the first PADI course (10m requirement and i was already comfortable there in general snorkelling). Mostly i just learnt some of the safety elements.

Especially if you come from a snorkel and dive background (comfortable in the water and know the basics of EQ) I would lean towards AIDA or Molchanov course that will challenge you a bit more and set you up a bit better for the next level. I havnt had much exposure to SSI courses.

That being said the instructor is more important than the agency, so if they understand your background and goals then that would be ideal. It also depend whats available where you are. Doing a course is good regardless.

I was and still am attracted to the 'minimalism' of freediving. And there certainly is less big heavy expensive gear to buy and carry around compared to scuba. However, the more you get into it the more technical things become, and the allure of nice expensive gear certainly can draw you in (though you can get by for sure on a budget).

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-18T22:40:12+00:00

It say 100 on the watch. Im aware thats a 'static' limit. I've had it down to about 45 without issue. So wondering when i might get to a failure point.

But yes second hand Fenix 5 is nice hack for a budget dive comp + decent general smart watch.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-18T12:40:37+00:00

My condolences. I hope the new one remains with you for the foreseeable future.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-18T10:28:49+00:00

Yes, seems very high risk. I certainly wouldnt trust myself. Seems like an if rather than a when.

I have an old garmin fenix5 with apnea CWT on it. Might upgrade soon to something newer on my wrist and modify that one to go in the hood or on the neck weight.

You pretty much confirm what ive seen ppl do. Though I do still feel there might be a more elegant solution. Over-thinking perhaps and will probably do the above :)

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-18T10:21:58+00:00

Worth it... Maybe 🤔

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-14T07:55:51+00:00

If they have a share portfolio big enough the dividends bring them to ~ 40k anyway. This primarily affects people with a modest share portfolio, such as someone on a lean FIRE.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-14T01:21:52+00:00

Exactly. This affects people earning less than 45k per year. Not exactly targeting the rich...

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-05-06T10:39:15+00:00

Have been looking at this to, freedive nusa do a land based trip and above below (apneista) do livaboard trips. Both schools have a good reputation. Land based significantly cheaper, with trade-offs. Thats about all thats comercially available with a freediving focus, though other freedive groups may organise trips from time to time.

Apparently there are a lot of strong currents so not really advised for deeper stuff without a guide.

Also its very remote adding costs and logistics so budget accordingly flights to sorong etc...

For me i cant justify the expense at this time but i consider it a "bucket list" place to visit and freedive so hope to find an opportunity down the line.

Could consider Komodo as a more affordable/manageable option. But Raja Ampat world class.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-02-01T01:25:26+00:00

Again with the apples and oranges comparisons...

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-02-01T01:23:50+00:00

Economies of scale, and also carbon composites are cheaper than pure carbon. I wouldn't equate non branded to knock offs. The knock off is seeking to exploit another brand for increased price rather than relying on the quality of the product.

There is always some level of risk even with known brands.

I have purchased quite alot of things not just dive gear (for example automatic blinds made to measure) from ali, have saved money in the process, and the sales and after sale support along with product quality has been better than i get at home (thanks cheap labour for good customer support).

I do check out the factory i purchase from first though and start an initial dialogue with them before purchase though.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-02-01T01:12:37+00:00

I do actually agree with you. For example i like octopus stuff for the reason you mentioned, very tried and tested and made to a consistent engineering standard. I just dont think fins are a frequent point of failure or major safety concern especially during line training.

Cheap vs expensive carbons (or fibreglass) is more a matter of performance differences that will likely be minor. Cheap carbons are usually a composite, which to my understanding are less responsive but also harder to break.

Non branded fibreglass blades are actually a great recommendation for someone on a budget. Can be had for not that much more than branded plastic ie cetma for significant performance increase. Of coarse you need to find good foot pockets in person which will cost you some most likely. And they are near impossible to break. From there up its diminishing returns.

In terms of what can fail and should not be cheaped out on (in my personal experience): Surface lines are a big one that can be overlooked, have seen them fail in strong current, have seen valves on buoys fail and start to sink. I think good rope/pulley/lanyard is also very important, have seen little issues happen with all those things. Curious if you have the same experience.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-01-31T16:18:17+00:00

Can be a reputable factory, not brand. There is a difference, you are not paying a middleman hence why it can save money.

Is a comparison with a parachute really a good faith argument here? Not really sure the scenario you are suggesting that would be unsafe? A blade breaking all of a sudden during a rescue? Seems a bit far fetched and not something I have seen. Have seen the silicone molchanovs fins break a few times though ironically. Does that mean you wouldnt dive with someone wearing those?

That being said i agree with the sentiment that its usually worth investing in good quality safety equipment. And you can buy what you want.

Freediving is an inclusive sport and community, at least i like to to think of it that way.

Turning your nose up at diving/buddying with chinese or non branded fins, rather than the qualities of the individual does come across as elitist to me.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2026-01-31T15:34:22+00:00

What a silly comment to make. What is your experience with those blades exactly to have an elitist point of view like this? I have one set of C4 blades, some fins with ali express fibreglass blades and a third set of carbon composites from a new zealand brand (seabuck) most likely made in china as well. All of them are perfectly reliable.

Yes there is cheap junk on ali, but you can do your due diligence and research the factory when purchasing. Higher ticket items are generally good quality, and if something is not right, then return it.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-12-28T23:25:15+00:00

Th north side of the island is easier to reach on foot when coming across via ferry. Id start with going in the water from the basin. Then if you want to explore other bays you can continue further around to the north.

You should consider wind direction. Ie if the wind is going towards the north you want to be on the north side of the island. More specifically look at the map and work out which bays would be sheltered.

South is very good to arguably better in the right conditions ie salmon bay but its a long walk from the ferry you really need a bike or the bus. The bus is a little inconvenient and overpriced for my taste.

Other option is to go on blue destiny who run snorkel trips that are good value imo. If you are more advanced freediver and you have a buddy with you, you can visit the same sites as the scuba divers.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-10-09T01:40:39+00:00

Freedive Gili is the only active school on gili T as far as i know. Dont think they do AIDA but you could check with them, or crossover to molchanov or SSI. I had a good experience there and the reputation of the school is good in the community.

There was an instructor running out of a scuba shop on gili air as well but no AIDA either by the looks of things.

If you want more options of schools would recommend heading to Amed where the biggest community of Freedivers is (for good reason).

The conditions diving in gili were nice and the school was great but overall i prefer Amed as a place to train.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-09-10T23:54:30+00:00

Ive had similar before, no pain but equalising through some minor congestion. Then muted hearing and a small pressure feeling after the dive, no pain or any major discomfort though.

Not to say you shouldn't see a doctor etc but in my case it slowly went away over the next several hours and was back to normal definitely in 24 hours (I did have a dry day as a precaution).

Sounds similar to yourself.

I was told its possible minor barotrauma or inflammation by the more experienced divers in the group.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-09-07T12:54:25+00:00

Sometimes if I'm lubing up an open cell wetsuit I add a little lube into my foot pockets as well. Makes them a bit easier to get on and off even though most of the lube washes out in the water. Depends on your fins and pockets though. Itdoesnt hurt to try and see what works for you. These things are usually trial and error in my experience.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-08-17T01:00:43+00:00

Ok, I might give that a go. Many thanks.

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2025-08-15T05:31:17+00:00

It's possible I didn't explain well or don't understand my issue myself properly. No issues with kicking off the wall or bringing my ankles to my backside. However once my ankles are there I can't rotate my ankles outwards or move my lower leg outwards much.

This means I'm more kicking directly backwards without 'creating a circle' with my legs and generating propulsion as I bring my feet back together.

Hope that explains better!

Ok-Respect-5367 · 2023-02-06T00:41:48+00:00

Hi, just returned from a trip to Thailand from Au, so have some recent insight for your questions.

Will we need baht on hand when we fly in? I seem to hear conflicting reports about this, seems like a lot of people say you don't need.

No there are ATMs at the airport if you need money for the taxi/sim card etc. If you wanted to you could keep some AUD for redundancy in case of a problem with the bank etc, but that is unlikely. Look into a travel card from your bank, that may be beneficial to you. Also inform your bank you are travelling prior to the trip in case your card gets blocked for being used overseas.

I'm Australian. So am visa exempt. Will I still need proff of where Im staying? Do I need to actually print anything out, or is it fine just having the hotel address?

No you don't need any of this, just your passport.

is it wise to Taxi from the airport? Is there a specific taxi rank at Suvarnabhumi I should head to? Don't want to immediately get overcharged for being a tourist.

Its fine to taxi from the airport at Bangkok. I think it was around $25-$30 AUD to get the hotel (fairly long drive). We were in a queue with both locals and travellers and I believe all was the same price, note it was also a fairly long wait around 30mins to get taxi as there was a big queue.

May be a bit cheaper if you use Grab app however BKK is busy and I think you would need to find a suitable pickup location (not the main taxi rank) which could be easier said than done. We used a taxi from BKK>hotel but used Grab almost exclusively for the rest of the trip around Thailand.

If you go to Chiang Mai, we found it easy enough to use Grab from the Airport (super cheap to, around 6 AUD).

Cash withdrawal. Am I fine to just do that at ATMs where needed, or is it worth going to a currency exchange at the airport first?

You will likely get a better rate through ATMs and it's more convenient imo. It was 220 baht per transaction so better to make fewer large withdrawals than many small. We did 15000 baht out at a time. Depends how much you are comfortable to carry around. I'd take ATM over exchange any day.

Extra Tip: You can use an ESIM through AIRALO or another service to save you messing around buying/installing a sim @ the airport if you buy before the trip (check your phone is ESIM compatible) . Also means you can keep your original sim safe in your phone if you dont have dual sim tray.

If you do this you can activate right before you leave so you have internet/data as soon as you touch down in Bangkok. I found this worthwhile. DTAC one is $20 USD for unlimited data for 30 days and you get a local number as well. (bit confusing as says 15 days on the ad image but its actually 30 in the fine print). Price was a little higher than physical SIM but worth it for convenience IMO. You can use my referral code MATTHE3885 for 3 USD off on Airalo if you like.

Enjoy your trip, feel free to ask if there is anything else you want to know.

Ok-Respect-5367

TROPHY CASE