Hi everyone, I’m looking at liveaboards for a week in Feb 2025 and Oman came up as a possible diving destination. I’ve done a bit of research and it sounds good, with some macro diving, but wanted to survey the community and see if anyone had experience in the area around that time of year? If not Oman, any other recommendations for that time of year? Thanks!

Hey all! Was thinking of doing some diving in Miami Beach for my birthday around March (snorkeling for my non certified friends). I see plenty of dive shops but couldn’t tell how good the diving actual was.

For reference I’ve gone giving in South America and Asia. Love biodiversity and good visibility. Thanks!

I bought me and my daughter Mares Quad computers a couple of years ago and I feel like we’ve had nothing but trouble. Multiple times they would not read pressure until I turned the tanks on and off and bled gas through the regulator. We went yesterday and both of the transmitters on the tanks never came on (maybe dead batteries??, but the batteries were replaced 6 months ago and only used twice since then. If one worked all the time and it was just the other I would say it was a lemon but they both seem to do the same faults. Am I just a horrible user (inexperienced diver for sure, only around 20 dives) or have any of you had trouble with the Quad? I am trying decide if I should ditch them even though they are relatively new and get something else.

https://preview.redd.it/nqpl29ksennd1.jpg?width=2552&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fde6aa9a3c274d6cb05305af5c0e097cfbec80e

https://preview.redd.it/t0sdxf1vennd1.jpg?width=2295&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b62c66683162b9f6e23101abf0c8ffbf63b0c9b

https://preview.redd.it/s5yhobixennd1.jpg?width=869&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeaecb9efd8b0b49160240e8aa4b048df4b6b5eb

https://www.bluemagicscuba.com

They have some super affordable stay and dive packages. Has anyone tried them?

Alternatively, anyone know of other stay and dive things which are roughly sub 150usd per night/2 dives for a single (annoyingly, the ex does dive, but decided he wanted to be an ex 🤡)

Is there a safe lubricant I can use on the threads of a DIN first stage to A-clamp tank valve adapter?

I’m just back from ten days of diving. My partner uses a Scubapro A-Clamp Travel Adapter, so she can use her DIN first stage regulator on A-clamp tanks. It worked perfectly but I forgot to remove it after each day of diving, as the alloy of the adapter can bind to the metal of the first stage. I’ve had this happen before. Fortunately I managed to remove the adapter after the ten days of diving, though it did put up a fight.

Having had this style of adapter seize up in the past, and knowing how expensive the adapters are these days, I was wondering if some sort of lubricant might stop the threads from binding. I have a vague memory that compressed air plus oils can sometimes be an explosive combination. I did find a general lubricant, PTFE based, called Tribolube 71 but it is not specific about use in a high pressure environment. If it was t for the presence of compressed air, my usual treatment would be a smear of copper-based grease.

First time visiting Jamaica. Not primarily a dive trip. How’s the diving in January? Worth bringing gear along on an otherwise beach/resort vacation? (Montego Bay Area)

Hey reddit,

Iv just become a Padi instructor and learned side mount as a specialty. I want to buy a side mount rig so I can perfect diving with it. Im thinking about taking tech 40 and 45 soon but think I’ll wait a while to take 50. Im interested in cave diving but want to be extremely comfortable in side mount before I start.

I was about to buy the stealth 2.0 tec and a large smb for redundant buoyancy but when I went to the shop that sells them they think I should be getting the redundant bladder instead.

For now I don't need the redundant bladder im just trying to get comfortable diving in side mount. Apparently I can buy a stopper and remove the second bladder until I get to needing it. Is there any problems with doing this? Is there anyone who got the redundant bladder and wished they hadn't, or vice versa?

Thanks for any input, I really can't find much online about this.

Hey y'all, Does anyone know anything about the XT4 and the Hog regulators for sidemount? I can't find many reviews but I've heard good things about both. The Hog reg is about 300 dollars cheaper which is a significant amount of money.

I’m not really sure what to do.

The undergarment is tight around the shoulders and waist. It’s a large and it’s always been tight but I must have gained some weight and now it’s very uncomfortable and looks tight on me.

Would a basic tailor be able to help me size this thing.

Thanks for your help.

Hi all,

I was wondering what you were taught in your diving courses in order to estimate how much air you need in order to complete your de compression stops.

Example, your computer shows 10 min stop at 3 meters, you are currently at 30m. If you wanted to surface all by respecting your safety stops, how can you estimate the amount of air you'd need?

Obviously it depends in many factors such as temperature, stress, current and it also changes from one person to another, though you probably were taught a simple way of having a rough estimation. That's what I wanna hear.

Thanks,

EDIT:

Maybe I was not clear enough. So

• I am a ***start CMAS diver trained for deco dives.
• My question is just to know how other people do.
• Please do not do deco dives unless you are trained for and you have the required equipment.

Some analysis paralysis in a world of great choices. I recognize I can't really go wrong. Looking for some input if anyone has experience with all three.

Me -

• Northern California temperate water diver ~50F year round + warm water travel 1-2 times per year. EAN32. Maybe 40 at some point.
• Happily using a 25-yr old Atomic B1 upgraded to B2 except for the swivel hose. Serviced every few years. Rock solid.
• Family of 4 divers, with somewhat active son who dives California dry with me.
• Son's reg is an old Oceanic that can't be serviced anymore.
• Pretty much all rec attributes - no caves, doubles or sidemount. ~100ft-ish max depths

Reg options

• Prefer to buy from LDS which gravitates to Scubapro and Atomic. Intrigued by Deep6 and liked DiveRite via rental on a recent trip, but skewing SB and Atomic for the ease of service locally.
• Went in looking for affordable and recognizing our very basis requirements. Was considering upgrading myself (I've earned it after 25 yrs!) and handing down the B2. Or just getting him an inexpensive basic setup.
• Shop has the following all at similar price.

1. Atomic Z2 1st, 2nd, Z2 octo - used rental gear, <20 dives, serviced fully
2. Atomic M1 (no swivel hose) 1st, 2nd, Z2 octo - used, serviced fully
3. Scupabro Mk11/S270, R095 octo - new

All would be great! M1 might be overkill. Z2 rock solid. The scubapro is attractive because it's new and the size/weight would be nice for travel. Might be something to be said for staying in Atomic family.

Even "treating" myself and handing down my B2, don't think I need "more" than another b2. Anyone convince me to go SB MK11 for the boy, or M1 for myself, or $$ for an ST1? If not, seems the no brainer is the Z2....

trans divers, how do you bind while diving? is it okay to wear trans tape since it’s not really compressing your ribs/lungs?

You can check out my Instagram for more

https://www.instagram.com/cornmaster.pics?igsh=MWhoanNyODNnd3A5Mg==

Any idea what too to use to be able to remove the SP G250 2nd stage?

I have my travel to Gili T booked for the end of this month but really need advice on where to stay. I am an experienced diver, some GUE classes etc. and will be travelling solo to Gili T to do some fun diving. I will be taking a course from a friend of mine, but also want to meet a lot of new people and do some partying.

Is staying on a dive resort ($90+ / night) the only good option here if I want to be social? I am worried that the bungalows are 1/4 the price because they don't offer much in the way of big social groups. But I could also see these resorts being moreso for couples. Please give me your diving and accomodation advice!

Cheers

Was sad to see Baltic wasn't avail. What's everyone else using on Android?

Hello! Im thinking to complete my PADI rescue cert sometime next year July-Aug 2025. I would like to combine this with a trip and wanted your ideas for where to do it. I did both my OW and AOW in the Philippines. No restrictions as to where, any suggestions?

Hey guys. I'm currently in the market for new regulator setup. I found a pair of mk25evo + s620ti for sale for 600€ (so 2x 1st stage and 2x second stage for the price) that are around 4yrs old with about 100 dives that were regularly serviced. Would you consider that a good deal? I'd probably sell one of the first stages and use the second s620ti as my octo.

I’m British and going travelling. I don’t have primary insurance because I don’t need it at home.

I’m going to do some diving on this trip and some other stuff (city trips, kitesurfing etc) and DAN covers non diving stuff.

It specifies that it’s only secondary insurance though…I get that if I had other insurance, that would pay first. But I don’t, so does that mean DAN insurance covers all the health stuff?

Hi all,

I qualified ~3mnths ago and I’m going to Sharm in Sept/ Oct for 2wks. My 1st proper dive trip and… I. Can’t. Wait. But I’ll be with much more experienced divers (that I don’t know) and I don’t want to be ‘that guy’.

I’m planning on taking my own kit and 5mm semi dry. But any practical advice for a noob, day boat diver greatly appreciated.

The Moalboal dive shop says we'll be done at around 4pm, booked a driver to head to Maya Ferry is which is 5-6 hour drive and the ferry will already be stopped for the night. We are very limited on time, and could only dive for two days there so if we can't dive on day one, day two would be the only day we can dive. We do not have any option of extending the trip

I will be in Bimini in Dec on a cruise and I’m looking to do a day of diving there. However wife is a non-diver but would like to be able to go along and swim or snorkel. Anyone have any suggestions for operators that will accommodate both a diver and non diver? Also what would be good dives areas that might also be good for a non diver? Appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

Just wondering which offers the best value. Aka the best warmth and durability considering each respective price.

Both my partner will be buying one of these tops plus maybe leggings for her. She gets cold much easier, but I dive more. We are planning to dive in the next years in temps anywhere from 31º to 15ºC. (Obviously we would combine with other thermal protection like full wetsuits/hoods in the colder end of this spectrum, and not use at all/use halfway unzipped in the warmer end. Again, we have widely different cold tolerances, and the temp range will vary too much, so saying which ones we specifically would need for which temps would be too complicated, I'm more so just enquiring about intrinsic value for money of each.)

I'm in Malaysia at the moment, the prices for a long-sleeve hoodless top are as follows:

• Apeks THERMIQ CARBON Base Layer (3mm equivalent) -- RM 699 / $161 USD
• Sharkskin Chillproof (3mm equivalent) -- RM 880 / $203 USD
• Sharkskin Chillproof T2 (grey, updated version, 5mm equivalent) -- RM 1350 / $311 USD

I couldn't find a top of the Sharkskin Chillproof Titanium (black, original version, supposedly 5mm as well but less durable?) but they have the pants version priced at RM 699, which puts them significantly cheaper than the grey T2 pants at RM 980. I could shop around for the top if the consensus is that there is no significant difference between Titanium original and T2, besides the price. I know they both supposedly use microfibre tech to create infrared heating...? How much of an improvement is the T2 from the original, honestly?

Another option for Sharkskin is order them from Australia/have a friend ship them over, as they are significantly cheaper there. However, it seems some shops there don't have the T2.

Obviously, the Titanium2 looks like the best one. Just a question of if it's worth the money. Thoughts?

Cheers