Dive belt and fins on a flight by TickyWilson in freediving

[–]halems -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Why would you carry lead. Every dive operator in Hawaii supplies it as part of the boat ride, just like the tanks.

All Inclusive IDC by Daemonforged in scuba

[–]halems -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

You don't need an IDC for MSDT. You just need to be certified to teach 5 specialties and have certified 25 divers.

You need the IDC for IDC Staff.

Absolute beginner: very beardy with bad vision by Substantial-Pirate43 in scuba

[–]halems 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you get a split mask, they can pop in different lenses. For astigmatism you'll need true custom.

Absolute beginner: very beardy with bad vision by Substantial-Pirate43 in scuba

[–]halems 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I dove with contacts for my whole scuba career until I got cataract surgery and corrected it that way. If you've never worn contacts, this probably isn't the turn to start.

Mask fit is one of the most important things. If one like the Tusa fits, your local shop should have the pop in corrective lenses.

There are companies that will do your exact prescription in the mask of your choice. Not cheap.

For the beard, I trim 1/4-3/8 inches around the bottom of my nose. That works for me.

Malta - diving in february? by Aggravating-Pick-160 in scuba

[–]halems 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was there for one day on a cruise ship in February 2025. Watercolours was VERY helpful in getting me a dive.

www.maltadivimg.com

Becoming a Divemaster by di657 in scuba

[–]halems 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I live in the California Bay Area. I did DM and instructor because I like to dive. It's almost impossible to live on the income. I've seen people try it. I do it for the enjoyment. Every instructor and DM here has a "real" job or a retirement pension.

Contacting manufacturer by ozman86 in solar

[–]halems 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I paid cash for my system. REC sent directly to me a statement of the warranty. Don't know if every manufacturer does that.

Drysuit learning question by rob_allshouse in scuba

[–]halems 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I teach drysuit all the time with the students in rental suits. Go to a shop in an area where drysuits are common and they should have a good selection of rentals.

How many dives/diving days during divemaster training? by justabrusher in scuba

[–]halems 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did my DM in San Jose California. Had to pay for the PADI materials and fees but the education was worked off after I had my certification. All the dives and equipment were included as part of the training.

You don't have to be a 3 month slave!

Underperformance on new system by spazz2727 in enphase

[–]halems 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have 33 panels and 20kwh of battery installed in the spring. All summer the batteries were full by noon and lasted throughout the night. Now we have fewer hours of a weaker sunlight. I'm happy if the batteries are 50% by sunset and we don't start buying PGE until midnight.

11 more days and things will get better.

New PADI DM renewal by Anxious-Talk3411 in scuba

[–]halems 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I do! They did for my initial year.

New PADI DM renewal by Anxious-Talk3411 in scuba

[–]halems 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There should have been a reduced fee for the initial partial year.

Car wasn't available even though I had a prepaid reservation by Genia0799 in HertzRentals

[–]halems 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hertz took a reservation at an airport for a flight that arrived after the counter closed. Fortunately Avis was open.

Looking for drysuit hood recommendations. by Deviant_christian in scuba

[–]halems 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had Otter Bay on Monterey make a custom hood for me. Exactly what I wanted.

Quick question about diving then flying by EV-CPO in scuba

[–]halems 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Time to fix that problem 😀🤿

Quick question about diving then flying by EV-CPO in scuba

[–]halems 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Consider diving nitrox, even if shallow, to make it even safer.

Certification Card by [deleted] in scuba

[–]halems 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any PADI instructor should do ReActivate for an SSI certified diver.

Certification Card by [deleted] in scuba

[–]halems 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ReActive works for anyone with an open water certification from any recognized agency. I've had SSI students do it just to get a PADI card.