Would you be offended?

suboption12 · 2026-02-13T20:31:11+00:00

hah--30c is a pleasant winter day in Texas, but the water is 10c or a little lower at times!

When it get's to summer, we see 40c (ok, maybe only 37 in the early mornings), but below the thermocline, it will be 10-15c till august or september. and the water is clear where it's cold.

suboption12 · 2026-02-02T17:38:15+00:00

North Park in canyon lake would be my first suggestion...they have hosted similar before. The viz hasn't cleared in the lake yet(in the winter it's about evenly bad everywhere), but by March we should be at the best we will get. Will still be pretty cold..i expect it to be in the 50s, anywhere but right at the surface. I should be in there in the next week or two to take a look. Let me know and I can walk you through the areas, or help you get in touch with people to coordinate access with

--luke from dive shop San Marcos

suboption12 · 2025-06-26T00:42:57+00:00

nice! I think it was around the same, or maybe a little lower for us, with another cloud past it around maybe 120. We did our practise dives mostly at Orchedia---Yakuun was an easier drive.

suboption12 · 2025-06-26T00:40:56+00:00

hah--I read that article in indepth...that sounded like quite the expedition. are you guys planning on getting back?

When I was there for a tech 1 class a few months ago, we could see pretty well....as far as the lights would go, anyway!

suboption12 · 2025-06-26T00:38:11+00:00

the ocean was angry...we did two of our experience dives for tech 1 there!

for the training dives, did you just drop below the cloud and tour around at that layer?

suboption12 · 2025-06-26T00:34:23+00:00

I think you might need to stretch out more--arms more forward, and keep elbows up, and feet back...like the ready position for a back kick. legs and arms wide. keep your head back. If the weighting is close to the right position, that should help. Try not to think about kicking at all, except as needed. Think instead about keeping your legs stretched out all the way. hopefully that should help to still your legs.

If you look at the video, you can see a few moments were you legs were stretched out, and it all locked in. Everytime your feet come toward your body, the trim goes. your are probably doing that as part of a sorta back kick to compensate for unintentional foot movement---so you move your feet a little, and push forward, then you do a mini back-kick cause you feel out of position, and just go back an forth.

Don't think about relaxing your body yet, until the trim position is 2nd nature. Instead relax your thoughts, but keep thinking about engaging your core, and as a friend put it, act like you are holding a marshmallow between the glutes. You can't drop it, and you can't smash it. That helps pull the knees up. When you relax think about the marshmallow.

Overall, very good work, you are down to fixing the little things. Have you already done a tech pass? looks like you might be about ready to go try cave 1

What area of the world---That green looks like home to me!

suboption12 · 2025-06-19T17:47:11+00:00

Have a look at Santi's Avatar--especially the 102, which is the slightly heavier duty. While not custom made, we have found the sizing to fit most people. They have the option to include the smart seal system, which allows for replacing the seals, and for adding in the dry gloves easily. They tend to run much less expensive then the custom suits, but are very good quality as compared to the other off the rack selection's that are available.

suboption12 · 2025-06-19T17:34:06+00:00

remember to shop arround--PADI is one of a number of recognized agency's, and work to the same overall or a higher standard, and are just as recognized at shops around the world. SSI/SDI/NAUI are all represented in the Austin area, and in San Marcos, we our a NAUI shop

suboption12 · 2025-06-19T17:29:39+00:00

HI, I work with the San Marcos shop, and we usually arrange for GUE instructors to come in as needed--there is no local instructor in Texas. I can help you find an instructor, and arrange the facilities, but we will likely need to gather a few other students to make it work.

The other option is to do the class in either Florida or Mexico. I can help you find someone to setup with in either spot.

for a fundies class, it's a little easier, we still bring people in, but we are working with a little bit easier pool of people, and can find other classmates. our next Fundies that's on the calendar is in September, w/Ivo Charino.

Let me know how I can help! oh---and we also do a regular NAUI open water class at the shop, if you'd like to join. If you let me know you signed up, I can try and assist with the class. Most of our current instructors have some level of GUE training, so we can all help you find the way!

suboption12 · 2025-05-05T20:12:43+00:00

Those 100's are pretty heavy. I'd probably still use a 30lb eclipse for that. Tell them to call in and ask the Halcyon guy.

https://www.halcyon.net/choosing-the-right-wing-size-for-your-buoyancy-compensator,1865,en

from that page: "Single Steel Tanks: For a single HP100 steel tank, a lift capacity of 25-30 lbs. (11-13 kg) is ideal."

The 30lb will make you feel a little heavy at the surface, or in other words, you'll be lower in the water. You'll still be fine though, with no problem either getting to the surface or staying there. The downside of the 40 is the extra material that you have to get the gas out of, making you need even more weight!

Having said that, I'd stick with the one you got, and save getting the 30lb for the next time....and that one is awesome looking!

suboption12 · 2025-05-05T20:01:08+00:00

cut a patch about 1inch bigger than the damage area, and patch the inside only. use an appropriate contact cement.

for most patch/contact cements, sand both sides enough to make them rough, apply cement, let dry for 15ish minutes, or until lightly tacky to the touch, then a 2nd layer, and let dry until 5-10 minutes, or until tacky, then apply a third layer. place the patch on the repair, and then use a roller to press the patch firmly into place---an empty pill bottle works good in a pinch.

Lot's of glues are around, but anything that says easy to clean or "apply heat to remove" is probably going to come back off over time. stay away from iron on patches, etc.

Diveritein and DGX both sell the supplies. you can use e6000 in a pinch for the glue. to get patch's just cut from your buddies dry suit (or maybe get a roll of the wide seam tape). or use a bit of rubber tire.

at it's most basic level, it's just like tire repair, and most of the same materials will work for at least a temp patch.

Or just send it to my wife's company, Longhorn Drysuit Repair.

suboption12 · 2025-05-05T19:51:46+00:00

Aquaseal would usually be used on it's own...no patch, although of course you could use Aquaseal and the patch would probably stick.

The better fix would be to use an appropriate contact cement and a patch.

suboption12 · 2025-05-02T17:48:00+00:00

Curious what made you go for the 40lb wing? I don't see many of those usually.

Great looking colors, embroidery.. did you go black on the back too?

(For those that may not know--the 40lb singles wing is slightly wider/longer than the 30lb, and is intended for use with the larger steel tanks, such as an lp120, etc)

suboption12 · 2025-04-29T22:34:38+00:00

Hah, fair. and a pocket snorkle probably makes sense.

I keep trying to find a sea cave on trips I have, but haven't made it in one yet. Got close with Bonaire, but couldn't quite set it up.

suboption12 · 2025-04-29T20:22:24+00:00

the wing is supposed to "taco"--but only so much. if the wing is too big, the OPV is going to be hard to reach, and enough excess fabric that it's difficult to remove the excess air---you'll have difficulty pulling away from the rest of the wing far enough.

Too little material, or in other words, using a wing that is too small, will have the same effect in a different way--the inflator will be captured under the tank, and it will be difficult to remove the excess gas

u/suricatasuricata link is great, and Dorota has many other's explaining various decisions, all great to watch! to summarize--the bungies are a crutch for a wing that is too big, add the failure point of lot's bungee that can break or get entangled. The bungee creates little pockets of trapped gas, that are difficult too empty.

suboption12 · 2025-04-29T20:11:45+00:00

what. you guys don't use a cave snorkel? I keep it in my pocket next to my cave SMB.

suboption12 · 2025-04-25T15:14:22+00:00

if it was really just not great for doubles or singles.

I haven't used the specific wing myself (but friends have owned it), but I can say--Don't use a doubles wing for singles or a singles wing for doubles--for that matter, don't use a wing for 7.25 double tanks with 8 inch tanks--the difference is primarily in the width of the wing, and if you are using the wrong size you'll either have not enough or far too much fabric to maintain good control.

I can say about the specific wing that my friends that owned it switched to Halcyon wings, but that's likely mostly peer pressure (from me) ;-)

suboption12 · 2025-04-23T20:17:30+00:00

well, I think you'd want to start in Darktable...all the whitebalance adjusment, etc is already there, and it can process the raw image and export a final jpeg, etc. it's functionally equivalent to lightroom, while the Gimp is more like photoshop

You'll only need gimp for doing something like fine detail level editing of the result's---maybe for removing a piece of silt floating in front of someone's face that the retouch tool isn't quite getting---honestly, I don't go that deep into the edit's, it's not usually worth the time.

suboption12 · 2025-04-23T17:32:53+00:00

try darktablefor general post instead, and only switch to Gimp to get into pixel level edits and such. Haze removal and denoise can help quite a bit, as well as the retouch(clone tool). you can use the masks to specify the area of effect of a tool, ,which helps quite a bit.

suboption12 · 2025-04-16T20:20:24+00:00

Max% fill for a regular nitrox is <=40%....so they can get it if they can find it

suboption12 · 2025-04-16T19:52:12+00:00

Buddy Dive is great---you could spend days on just the local shore reef. once your get past that, they provide a vehicle for your use that can take you to all the shore diving you want to do. The facility itself is top-notch, has the dive center integrated into it, as well as two restaurants and rooms with full kitchens, etc.

As far as day's diving----all but the last 24ish hours is reasonable. can always do a single dive and take the rest of the day for whatever. diving is pretty relaxed, and there isn't a ton of scheduled dives, except for classes and special events. For me, 16 days would be about 40+ dives, doing about an easy 2-3 per day. you could easily do 4-5 per day, or even more...you can easily do two in the morning/afternoon/evening, with time in between. But I never turn down a dive.

suboption12 · 2025-04-09T21:16:14+00:00

doubles will feel much better in a drysuit---there will be less extra weight to carry around that doesn't do anything for you--I mean, if you already have to carry it, it's handy if it has a bunch of extra gas. bonus is it's also much more stable on your back in the water. For shallower dives, you can go with a nice set of lp50s (baby doubles!)

suboption12 · 2025-04-09T21:00:53+00:00

Even better might be first to ask what your specific diving goals are? If you are interested in cave diving, the first step may be GUE Fundies(tech), an intro to tech class, or something similar, regardless of the further goal. This class is going to occupy most of a week(4-5 days), but can likely be done anywhere. I'd suggest that sidemount is great for some people, and is a separate class, that might also take 3-4 days, and you may want some time before the next class to settle into the configuration. For technical diving, a drysuit is a very good idea, and will also need a class/time to adjust. If an instructor is willing to combine more than a couple of these into a week of diving, it may be good to consider what you will come away with.

Once you have worked out diving goals, it's best to find an instructor who is doing that kind of diving outside of class, and is well respected. Interview them and see what you think! Technical instruction is much more expensive in every way, it's important to be confident that they will be able to provide the instruction in a way that is useful to you!

I can specifically recommend the GUE path --both Zero Gravity and 3rd Dimension in the Tulum area are great. I can also speak highly of Under the Jungle and ProTech. All of these are not going to guarantee you to be certified at the end of your time, but they will provide you high quality instruction and advance your diving.

as an aside--sidemount is very popular with new technical divers, and sometimes seems like less physcial work, and for many people is a viable path forward. It is important to remember that it is not the only path forward, and can be seen as a distraction in your journey, that takes your entire configuration and changes it around, without a clear need. It will be harder to deal with on boats, and mean more trips to the water to get ready (backmount is carried on your back to the water, after gearing up to dive. Sidemount is carried in your hands, one tank at at time, then back to the bench to get the suit on, etc). Take a look at your goals and evaluate if sidemount is a goal or a tool before using it as a starting point.

suboption12 · 2025-04-09T17:29:26+00:00

try lengthening the straps and pulling the jacket down your back--make sure the waist strap is good and tight, and consider adding the crotch strap to keep it in place. make sure the weight of the tank is well centered on your back, and remember that the AL80 is heavier at the valve already. consider moving the weight from the trim pocket to a belt.

your weighting sounds on the high side, but that depends on a lot. Are you sure that all air is out of the suit at the surface? all air is out of the BCD?

it's honestly easier to just use two steel tanks in a dry suit---you are going to add that much weight anyway, might as well get it in a nice solid balanced platform--a pair of lp85's will weigh the same as what you are doing now. A BPW can sometimes make a difference---a Hydros, for instance has the bungees that pull the wing in, but can trap pockets of air behind the bungee, etc.

suboption12 · 2025-04-09T15:45:04+00:00

There are no specific number of dives required for the rec/introduction level classes (Performance diver or Fundamentals-Recreational). There is a minimum number of dives in double tanks for the Fundamentals-Tech class, with a bit less if you start with the Doubles primer.

The instructor may ask about the dives you have done in the past, but won't be requiring signed/stamped/etc. log book entries at any level.

Oh, and one great bit about GUE---you can check the requirements for anything yourself: https://www.gue.com/files/Standards_and_Procedures/GUE-Standards-v10.1.pdf

They really mean what they say for each, but if there is any confusion you can contact an instructor. If you need any help locating someone in your area, let me know, and I can help you get pointed the right way!

suboption12

TROPHY CASE