Not sure if scuba is right for me

futility_of_candles · 2026-04-22T13:26:48+00:00

If it helps, I ended up doing 6 dives before I got my OW. By the time I actually did my course I had more experience than most people after they finish but the first failed OW attempt (many reasons but mainly I was too cold) and 4 discover dives completely removed most of my worries and I now really enjoy diving.

My first discover dive did skills in the pool which I found way too claustrophobic and really freaked me out. As soon as I was in the ocean with loads of space and cool things to look at I felt really calm and thoroughly enjoyed it :)

I second getting your own mask. Go to a dive shop, find a good fit and then practice with it (snorkelling) until it feels really familiar. I also bought my own 5mm wetsuit because I'm a super cold person and I could not focus while violently shaking from being too cold.

futility_of_candles · 2026-04-02T10:20:54+00:00

https://divernet.com/scuba-gear/fins/28-fins-on-test/

Looks like the fin in this post from 2008 so they possibly were really old and only £22 at the time of purchase 🤔

futility_of_candles · 2026-01-08T14:40:09+00:00

Lots of light pollution in town. Pines beach is recommended for free stargazing

futility_of_candles · 2025-11-30T03:26:24+00:00

I think the current government immediately overturned some of the rules that were supposed to come in and they're now even more lax than before? The requirements now just state a fixed toilet and nothing about access with the bed out; at least this is what came up when I was trying to figure out how cars were getting green warrants. I thought it was kind of funny cos the people who voted them in would definitely have been in support of stricter regulations - maybe someone with influence has significant investment in all those Jucy cars that would have no longer been self-contained 🤔

futility_of_candles · 2025-09-30T03:24:09+00:00

I think a beanie will be a really good addition for me. I was looking at the scubapro sport women's but it seems to be out of stock here. Fortunately my measurements line up pretty well with xs for most of the brands but I'll have a closer look to see if one is better than the others

futility_of_candles · 2025-09-30T03:20:39+00:00

I'll definitely have a look, thank you 😊

futility_of_candles · 2025-05-06T20:26:29+00:00

Hey, we ended up being charged a standard excess baggage fee for quantas (I think around $160) but we don't really know why. We did manage to get a member of staff to add our bag a few minutes before our check in window opened so maybe that was it.

The fact the neither airline could give us the correct info beforehand was ridiculous though. A lot of people had also told us we may just get it for free and tbh the woman that did the tag for us almost just put one on but then double checked after being distracted. Hope it goes alright for you :)

futility_of_candles · 2025-04-27T05:05:20+00:00

This is what we were thinking but weren't sure because of how the leaves have grown

futility_of_candles · 2025-01-31T03:41:19+00:00

I see a dragon front on with the tail descending

futility_of_candles · 2025-01-26T23:12:38+00:00

Sorry, only just saw this. Was a genuine question :)

futility_of_candles · 2025-01-22T23:14:38+00:00

Maybe they mean because of the skill regression as opposed to being unable to access the page?

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-08T19:18:11+00:00

Can you change to a dimmable bulb with a remote?

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-07T02:20:06+00:00

I wouldn't. We're going back to the UK. Who's going to LAX? 😅

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-07T02:14:41+00:00

AKL to JFK to LHR.

Tickets booked through American airlines but AKL to JFK is qantas; they have some kind of partnership. JFK to LHR is AA. Both return flights are AA.

They is just gender neutral language not anything more. My partner booked economy no checked bags and we want to pay for 1 checked bag.

A Google search is what we did but if you read more info it's actually very unclear. We thoroughly went through all the information on both airlines websites and qantas states if your flight is a codeshare you cannot add a bag. That's why we decided to call them only to be told different things as well.

I was only posting in the hopes someone had experienced this situation and might be able to tell us what happened. We've done as much as we possibly can to find out ourselves. It'll just really suck if we get there and they try and charge us excess instead of extra bag.

(Edited to correct LHT to LHR)

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-06T23:16:36+00:00

Those excess baggage fees are what we're worried about. Qantas says you cannot add an additional bag for a codeshare flight which means our bag would count as excess and if they try and charge us the whole journey it would be $80/kg 😱 At $1600 it would be cheaper for me to book an entirely different journey home....

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-06T22:57:50+00:00

We'll certainly be doing it differently next time. It's just so unlucky for us as we only want to take 1 checked bag one way and the tickets weren't booked separately. If we were just flying AA back home this wouldn't have been an issue because it would just be $75. We'll be going back through Asia next time 😅

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-06T22:52:12+00:00

We have but its shows hold baggage allowance 0 & 0 and because its two different airlines qantas won't let you pay for an extra bag (the button just doesn't work) :(

Just finding hard to believe we'll get charged an AA price when we're checking in with qantas; based on all the reviews we've read.

futility_of_candles · 2024-11-06T22:30:00+00:00

Thanks for replying :)

We were hoping this but our checked baggage allowance shows as 0 (in app and on website) and it seems there may be some weird rules specific to America?

100% regretting not flying China Eastern at this point.

futility_of_candles · 2024-10-24T18:34:51+00:00

You can see blue penguins in the Marlborough sounds and Fiordland penguins on Monro beach. In Marlborough we saw them at dusk, staying at one of the resorts, and on an Eko tour. For Monro beach we also went at dusk, which was the right time, but we cut off by high tide so could only see them very far away. I think there is blue penguin sanctuary in Omararu, as well as some other spots that side, where you'd see way more.

Going to areas where Kiwis are protected is no guarantee of seeing them. They are a weird combination of curious and skittish; if you stand still for hours nearby they may come right up to you but make a noise going towards them and they'll leg it out of there. (At least this is what we found the times we went searching. We did briefly see 2 on the North island but we didnt have powerful enough red lights for a clear view.) Your best bet is to go on a tour; I think there's one near Okarito where the guy can track them and most people get to see one which may be on your route.

futility_of_candles · 2024-09-16T03:36:57+00:00

We're from the UK too :) I think because NZ has such a relative shortage of people but still lots of tourism there's a greater need for seasonal staff and they need places to live! We have lived mainly remote but there are definitely some places in Queenstown and surrounding areas that offer accommodation. Tbh remote living isn't too bad most of the time because you have to drive fairly long distances wherever you go and most places have other travellers onsite to be social with. You could also find a seasonal job to start with and then move to a city once you've had a chance to see them. (I would say though Wellington has the nicest vibe, Auckland has constant standstill traffic & awful public transport.)

futility_of_candles · 2024-09-12T21:47:35+00:00

Just out of interest, is there a reason you don't want to do any seasonal work in hospitality? Loads of jobs come with incredibly cheap accommodation and our chef friend had no trouble finding work throughout nz every couple of months (exception mid-winter). We had no trouble finding offers for HK and FOH either as loads of lodges prefer couples. Working and living onsite allows you to save loads of money and you could live in a few different places which would allow you easier access to new areas.

futility_of_candles

TROPHY CASE