When this club was started

[Zmann]

When Playfair and I started this club it was only suppose to be a Winter pass time. The original plan was reefing in the winter and diving in the summer. Well as you know Spring has arrived and we are now starting to plan charters to the St. Lawrence, Long Island and North Carolina. These are obviously not reef dives but wreck dives. For all those that dive let me know if you would like to join us. For all those that are not Scuba certified let me know and I will help you make a choice for the best instruction or the cheapest instruction. Certification runs between $250 to $450. Then you have to purchase gear which will run you about $1000 for all the basic necessities. The deeper you go the more expensive it gets because of the extra training you must take and the gear that you should be using. Don't even try to guess what I have wrapped up in Scuba. Put it this way, I could of purchased a 1000gal reef and all the trimmings in what I've spent over the years. This is the Upstate Money Pit Society (UMPS). Join us.

[Playfair]

Oh boy, is it dive season already? lol

Would love to see some of you guys "get your feet wet" instead of just your hands! It's awesome fun diving, but even more fun when you know everyone on the boat...

[Gary Majchrzak]

Man, you guys know I wanna. But even the next trip to the public aquarium might push my marriage 'over the falls'! :strange:

[Zmann]

Come on Gary don't use that for an excuse. Get her to do the classes with you. I'll let you borrow my video's of Grand Cayman and you both can sit down and watch them together. Tell her how great it would be if both of you went down to a Palm Tree filled Island and enjoyed the crystal clear warm waters with beautiful corals and fish every where. Recreational Scuba diving in a place like the one I described is one of the easiest most relaxing sports I have done. Although wreck diving in the St. Lawrence isn't that relaxing the girls still like to do that every once in awhile. (Dave's wife Chris and my half wife Theresa).:fish1:

[saltwaterfishlover]

Gary thanks again for the organge and the unkown item. starting to look better. snails are going to town cleaning so in a month or 2 might actually see the frag. JUST KIDDING. It was a great time at your place yesterday and I really enjoyed your tank and conversation. hope the cloves are opening good.
andy

[Gary Majchrzak]

Andy, the cloves are open and nice! MY snails feel CHEATED though, as there was no algae that hitch-hiked in on your frag to munch! ;) It's been a pleasure.Good thing Jamie and Dave 'got the ball rolling'with the local reef club thing...

[kcolagio]

Ahhh...diving...and even snorkeling...how I wish I could afford to continue doing that...

I did snorkeling in: St. Tomas (US Virgin Isle), St. Martin, and Jamaica. I did scuba in Barbados (the intro program....1 1/2 hour class, 1 hour dive).

Loved it all...but to try and drop $1500 into it knowing that I can't afford to go more than once a year.....*sigh* I just can't do that right now.

Maybe after I turn this obsession into something that makes a little money....(HAHAHA)...

And trying to get my better half involved won't work...the tanks bother her (extra weight, etc...). Maybe it was just the situation, but I don't think so.

Maybe if I can get the kids hooked. *evil grin*

[mirski57]

I forget how long cerifications last. I got certified in 1993....whew....that long ago ?....I think it's NAUI Level 1 which will let me go 30-40 feet.

Anyway. I did a wreck in '94 (half-wreck...whatever's left after almost 200 years) dive in Lake Erie off the Fredonia/Dunkirk area.

Anyone know if I need to get re-certified or how that works ?

Mirski57

[Playfair]

mirski57 - your certification is for life. Of course, if you could take a "refresher" if you wanted before diving again. The cheaper way would be to re-read the book (hopefully a newer version than your original) and you could even get into a pool with a discover scuba class for about $30. I did this before going away on a "big" trip to practice skills, and check all my equipment out. Bottom time was 2hrs before I was totally bored out of my skull! lol

kcolagio- I had to coerse my wife into diving, as she's never been much of a water person. She does love it, once past the "awkward" stage (and with water temps above 70). However, she STILL won't go swimming anywhere other than a clean pool! Says its different when you are able to "see" what creatures are eyeing you...

[kcolagio]

Jo's claustophobic...and the tank on her back is too much (especially with how they had the seating...a hole for the tank to go in while you sat on the seat)...

I don't think she's really that interested, but if we are down in the carribean again, maybe I can talk her into trying it.

She liked the snorkeling though.... :)

[Zmann]

kcolagio,
One dive a year. Sh-----t You could get an easy 50 a year. I take it you wouldnt be interested in doing shipwrecks. Once every other weekend in the Summer time we try to do a couple of different wrecks each trip up to the St. Lawrence. Its a blast!!! More people that go up the more fun it is.