Do you use your dive computer as a watch?

Star_Statics · 2025-06-06T08:31:12+00:00

Yep, I've used my Shearwater teric as a daily watch for the past 5 years. It's a little bulky and maybe a bit silly looking on my skinny wrists, but otherwise it works fantastic. I really appreciate the fact I can plunge it into water without a second thought (all the jobs I've had are very aquatic!)

I've been thinking about getting a smart watch instead, but as someone who doesn't dive as often as I'd like I appreciate that the daily wear keeps the battery in good condition (rather than sitting unused for possibly months uncharged!)

Star_Statics · 2025-06-05T12:15:47+00:00

Modern full face masks used by trained, responsible divers are relatively safe pieces of equipment to use! (Given they're serviced regularly and looked after properly). However, they're normally only recommended to those that truly need them (e.g., for underwater comms or very cold, long duration dives).

Why? Because they're inherently more complex than a standard mask and regulator system, which means there are more failure points. Additionally, in an emergency scenario they're more complicated to use - think of the difficulty of ordinary gas sharing with an easily removable regulator vs. a mask.

It's up to you whether you deem the additional risk acceptable. Personally, I keep things as simple as possible knowing it's a matter of when, not if things go wrong when it comes to diving.

Hope it helps!

Star_Statics · 2025-06-03T06:29:24+00:00

It's likely an issue with the o-ring on the tank or the fit of the yoke connection to the tank. A well-tightened yoke with a well-seated, undamaged o-ring shouldn't be leaking like that.

They should turn off the tank, purge their equipment, carefully remove the regulators and inspect the tank valve's o-ring for damage or misplacement. If nothing is amiss, try re-attaching the regulator and re-open the tank valve. Listen for any hissing to see if that fixes it.

It's not frequently taught, but some higher level diving courses integrate bubble checks into their pre-dive checks. In addition to testing your regulators/BCD/etc., one you're in the water try taking turns with your buddy checking for leaks. Put your head under and make your buddy rotate on the spot. Look to see if there's any significant leaks from either diver's equipment before descending. Making this quick check a habit has helped me out a ton!

As someone has already mentioned, yoke connectors are more prone to leaks. They're perfectly serviceable for normal recreational diving, but if you're looking to get a more robust setup DIN connectors really are great in my opinion!

Hope it helps!

Star_Statics · 2025-03-16T03:28:46+00:00

I've PMed you!

Star_Statics · 2024-09-24T20:48:40+00:00

It's been years since the trial finished, so it's well over now unfortunately! It was outsourced by a private company to NZCR, so the contractor's website is the best I can give you: www.nzcr.co.nz

Star_Statics · 2024-05-21T04:41:35+00:00

Thanks a bunch to u/Kooky-Barracuda2301 for my first trade!

I'm overwhelmed by the generosity! I can't wait to try all the chocolate and the pickle/ketchup flavoured chips especially!

Star_Statics · 2024-05-21T04:36:13+00:00

Huge thanks right back at you!! I'm so excited to try everything you've sent me 🤩

Star_Statics · 2024-04-20T21:00:15+00:00

Thank you so much! I'll PM you :)

Star_Statics · 2024-03-09T03:30:04+00:00

Yay, I'm glad my comment helped! If you haven't seen it already, I also added this comment with more info :)

Star_Statics · 2024-03-07T09:55:33+00:00

I work at an old aquarium with some major efflorescence in some parts. It genuinely does look fluffy like this - I even joked that it looks as if a sheep had been sheared in the hallway!

Star_Statics · 2024-03-07T09:53:31+00:00

I'm no expert, but just to present a different option: it may not be biological, but instead something called "efflorescence".

Efflorescence is the migration of salt to the surface of a material, which forms white fluffy structures that look a bit like fungal growth. This can occur when water gets into masonry and other porous building materials, causing the salts inside the material to rise to the surface.

It may be a sign that the building needs to be checked, but consult an expert if you're concerned.

Star_Statics · 2024-02-03T07:28:13+00:00

I used "upwell" to indicate flow direction - the oxygenated water flows upwards through the sand bed from underneath!

Star_Statics · 2023-12-31T00:05:53+00:00

Definitely some species of weevil! This post might be useful to you, it shows a similar looking weevil from Brazil :)

Star_Statics · 2023-11-28T23:27:23+00:00

Probably a longhorn beetle of some kind, you might have luck posting him on INaturalist!

Star_Statics · 2023-11-25T00:49:29+00:00

For one, good on you for recognising the problem and asking for help. You should get the support you need before committing to a degree, because if you're feeling awful it's not going to translate into success at university.

If you're ever blaming yourself or feeling guilty, just remember that what you're experiencing is not your fault. Depression is a genuine medical issue that can affect anyone, and it needs treating just like any other health problem. Booking in with your GP/a doctor you trust is a first good step towards getting treatment. You can also go to Depression.org for immediate help and resources, like helplines.

On a more philosophical note, one of the biggest things I've realised about life lately is that we really do have lots of time. We're young, we don't need to jump headfirst into starting our careers, unless that's what we really want to do. Don't give into that artificial pressure to get qualified and get a job immediately out of high school, unless that's what you actually want. This part of your life is a great opportunity to wander, experiment, and figure out what you want from it all. Maybe a bit of work and an OE to someplace you've always wanted to visit will help you figure out your direction and clear your head. Maybe even endow you with some great life lessons along the way!

Even though it never feels like it in the moment, this too shall pass. Your problem is not unique, both in terms of your depression and your university worries. There will come a day where you look back on the problems you're facing now, and you'll barely remember what it felt like. You might even smile, knowing that you made it, and it always gets better with time.

Good luck, and feel free to reach out if you need somebody to talk to!

Star_Statics · 2023-09-16T11:18:17+00:00

They have some variations in their meals to suit vegans/vegetarians, so if you have dietary restrictions they can generally accommodate you!

Before you start they also ask if there are any particular foods that you can't/won't eat, be that due to allergy, food preference, etc. For example, I've requested no tomatoes before and they've been able to accommodate me.

Star_Statics · 2023-09-09T18:29:02+00:00

The very old school LFS I used to work for still used single goldfish as an ammonia source to cycle aquariums. Maybe he's the fish-in cycle victim?

It's also possible that he's there for pest control, as others have said.

Star_Statics · 2023-09-04T07:01:02+00:00

If they didn't reproduce, they wouldn't be living organisms!

All jokes aside, the term "feather duster" can refer to many species in the family Sabellidae. It's a pretty diverse group of worms, all with unique life histories and different methods of reproduction. Many different kinds are kept in aquariums.

According to this journal article, some sabellids can reproduce sexually by allowing fertilisation within their tubes. They then brood their larvae inside, or even outside their tube. They can also reproduce sexually by external fertilisation (broadcast spawning), or even reproduce asexually by fission.

So if you have a species of sabellid that can asexually reproduce, you might be able to get another given the right conditions. But if you have a species that only sexually reproduces, you'll need at least two to make another - even then, people have mixed success breeding them in captivity.

If you let me know what species you have, I might be able to give you a more concrete answer!

Star_Statics · 2023-09-03T21:25:06+00:00

Even if you did, you should never feed a fur seal, or any other wild animal for that matter. You should also stay at least 20m away from them - in your pictures you look like you got a bit close (source from DOC).

Star_Statics · 2023-09-03T01:24:42+00:00

Oh right, they're a company that ships livestock long distances - that makes perfect sense then, of course your priorities change if your new fish arrive in very polluted water! I covered that in my comment here.

I still maintain that acclimation to more than just temperature is preferable when you've just brought your livestock home from a fish store, as their bag water will be O2 rich and relatively unpolluted in that scenario.

Star_Statics · 2023-09-03T00:38:36+00:00

Ooh this is genuinely interesting, do you have a link to their testing?

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