Scuba anyone?

[Giles]

Damn, Sent our regs in for service.

Paula's 100% OK. Both my first stage and primary are pretty shot "may be able to salvage them, we'll let you know", they are awaiting parts and won't know until they arrive. Trouble is, we are off to the Phillipines in 3 weeks.

So I may have to bite the bullet and replace.......

And in "any other Scuba news", I have one of these to attach to the first stage when I get it back/new one
arrives.

I'm very persuaded that losing a hose, and a dangly octopus is a good thing......

[Karol]

@Giles ahh man I feel it. but sometimes the time comes.
How about this? - https://uk.apeksdiving.com/products/mtx-rc-single-cylinder-set-dive-regulator

Its a workhorse and the service sets are available everywhere

[Giles]

I think I'm going to go this......

https://diveshoponline.co.uk/product/apeks-xl4-regulator-set-din/

[Karol]

@Giles I mainly warm waters

[Giles]

Yeah, I have nothing to do with cold water diving

[Karol]

@Giles dry suits are so nice nowadays but jokes aside I know what you mean. I prefer it on the warm side as well.
On the colder side, this bloke seems to enjoy himself, and I enjoy his videos

[Giles]

These were the bits swapped out in Paula's reg service. God knows what mine was like

[Karol]

A bit salty

[Giles]

My new rig, pretty happy with it. Philippines here we come…..

[Giles]

https://web.facebook.com/Sheila.Mckay.Angeldelight/posts/pfbid0pW31MoLuZoa9VVYzEagizRUCctgRrs92P8221VAUXEDC25yqbwoaqpPMYjnWwbcl

If you dont do facebook.......

I don't dive with a camera....well I have bought an iPhone housing with me, so will give it a go tomorrow. But, some of these are some of the critters we saw today. When I say saw, I did see all of these, but frankly, could only guess at what they were until one of my dive buddies showed me her photographs. Some of these little guys are no more than 3mm across.
I knew I was in for trouble when the owner of the resort asked me if I was into macro or super-macro.

[Giles]

[Karol]

@Giles a heaven for macro Photography

[Giles]

Just ordered very expensive magnifying glasses. Honestly, even if I had 20:20 vision, these little fuckers are minute

[Karol]

That should do it! I had the same situation when I went to Lembeh Strait. Suddenly everyone started to pull their magnifying glasses and I was like WTF!
It feels that the photographers have the most fun in such conditions, but for me the whole muck diving experience was less impressive compared to regular dive in the Red Sea.

[Go For Chill]

Mala Pier. An old cruise ship pier that failed and sunk in Maui.

[Giles]

@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:

for me the whole muck diving experience was less impressive compared to regular dive in the Red Sea

Different strokes.....

I absolutely love diving here, I feel that I am going to find something really worth seeing at all times. I'm doing 65 minute plus dives and want them to go on for ever. The Red Sea, I find crowded and uninspiring, won't be going back......

Anyway today, I dived with my iPhone and housing for the first time.

This is some sort of Nudibranch. Species yet to be confirmed. Edit: It is a Phyllodesmium briareum

A very large Frogfish....

[Karol]

@Giles The housing and the phone work just right - cool photos, and since you like it so much I guess we have another muck diving enthusiast among the divers.

[Giles]

I do love diving here (partly because above the water, the place is wonderful - Sharm and Hurghada are the polar opposites of here), but I also love big stuff too. We have some Shark and Manta stuff planned for later this year.

Thank you, re: the photos. I will never become an underwater photographer, but I will likely dive with the phone and housing in a pocket for when I see something outstanding. I do NOT want to become a diver who takes slightly out of focus, incorrect colour balance photos (like the Frogfish above) and then proudly bores the shit out any poor soul who shows a modicum of interest.

I like to live in the moment under the water and am more than happy just looking. Plus (gets onto soapbox), it's inherently dangerous playing in a world we do not belong in, we don't need distractions.

[JDelage]

WRT the Red Sea, I think the way to get the most out of it is to do a live aboard and go to the pinnacle islands way off shore (Brothers, Daedalus, etc). You get both small reef life and large pelagic, and no crowds. I loved it.

[Karol]

@Giles You said it well about the shoreline cities in Egypt. I only go for safaris, so luckily, I don't really spend much time there, but when You mentioned the crowds, I immediately thought about situation that happened to me first time I was diving in south Red Sea .

We were at one of the decent reefs, maybe Claudia or Brothers, and all went well during the day. There were several other boats but we were not seeing any traffic underwater. Then the time comes for a night dive. We went in and on the surface went over to the reaf and then down. As soon as I descended I realized thet we are in between two groups that are heading in opposite direction. We just landed between them. Holly shit, sudenly in 29 degrees celcius watter Im beeing pushed to the reaf by a guy in a drysuit, and with fucking gloves! Freaking bedlam. Our group got compleatley lost and for next 2h after dive we were collecting people from various boars where they eventually ended up when they joined wrong teams