Scuba diving--still #1

[divingbiker]

How funny that this thread was resurrected recently...I just got back from a week diving in Curacao, so I do have more pictures! And I still really do love diving.

Somehow I got the knack of my camera (a point and shoot Canon in an underwater housing) and I got a lot of decent pictures this time. Here are a few of my favorites, either because of the subject matter or how cool the picture is.

My favorite, a four-eye butterfly fish looking right at me.


My other favorite, a juvenile trunkfish (with a feather duster). It's the size of a pea, and I've only seen this fish 3 times in my 25 years of diving. This one I found on my own. It made my trip.


This is what an adult trunkfish looks like.


My other favorite, a juvenile spotted drum. Just gorgeous.


There were tons of Christmas tree worms everywhere.


A school of squid in formation.


A frogfish. They look like sponges, and are very hard to spot.


Lots of small stuff, like this banded coral shrimp.


I have so many pictures of eels; here are just a couple.



A pufferfish. I saw a huge puffer, but the pictures didn't turn out very well.


One of the most gorgeous, a queen angelfish.

[7rider]

Oh, awesome!
I'm amazed you spotted that juvie trunkfish. And that queen angelfish is just beautiful!
Welcome back....
Are you going to put together a book for these trips???

[Pax]

Love the Christmas tree worms!! I spent an entire dive once just watching those pop in and out.

[Zen]

I don't trust those eels...
Really great shots, though!

[maillotpois]

Glad you added some more photos - those are great.

I love those worms - they are so funny. I'm with Queen - we could jut spend the dive playing with them.

[crazycanuck]

If you guys are interested, why not plan a scuba diving trip to sites in Western Australia? We have the Ningaloo Reef, Rottnest Island and many other places!

I'd love to scuba!

[Pax]

If you guys are interested, why not plan a scuba diving trip to sites in Western Australia? We have the Ningaloo Reef, Rottnest Island and many other places!

I'd love to scuba!

I'd love to dive in Australia! But having a non-diving partner is problematic when planning hugely expensive dive trips.

[crazycanuck]

Weeel..if you drink wine Western Australia has the Margaret River region. Wine n dine there plus the Margaret River Chocolate factory and Yahava Koffeeeee will keep you entertained.

[divingbiker]

Oh, I dream of diving in Australia, but I've never thought about the western side. And Palau and Yap and Papua New Guinea are on my list, too.

I've found a few more pictures from the Curacao trip that turned out ok...and Regina, maybe I'll try to do a little scrapbookish thing the next time you have a get-together.

An intermediate French angel (it will lose its stripes when it's an adult.)


A stonefish, camouflaged very well.


Two banded coral shrimp in a bunch of colorful coral and sponges.


A front-end view of a trunkfish.


A stoplight parrotfish.


A Pedersen's cleaner shrimp on some odd kind of anemone.


A flounder.


And since you love them so much, two more Christmas tree worms.

[Pax]

And since you love them so much, two more Christmas tree worms.

[7rider]

Weeel..if you drink wine Western Australia has the Margaret River region. Wine n dine there plus the Margaret River Chocolate factory and Yahava Koffeeeee will keep you entertained.

Ooooooo.....
Wine, dine, chocolate, coffee, and coral reefs.
Sounds like heaven!

[Flybye]

WOW!!!

I have had some friends pestering me to get certified and join search and rescue. To get shots like you captured would be the icing on the cake. What fantastic pictures! Hmmm.......... adding up the cost of scuba gear................

Thanks for sharing.

[awats]

Hi!
I was so surprise to find this subject in your posting! Diving and Biking consume my life! I've been a professional diver for years as an instructor, marine researcher and model/photographer/traveller. Looking over your comments, I too find it difficult in keeping up with both sports. I got burnt out on scuba diving from teaching too much and turned to biking lately and have been enjoying it for the past year. I was thinking the other day how it seems that biking has taken over scuba diving. But you're right, it's always going to be a love and a passion. I'm slowly turning into both a fairweather diver and biker and a balance is a good thing.
Nice pictures by the way. In response to some of your postings, a refresher course is always a good thing if you haven't been in the water for 12 months or more. They're normally very cheap and easy. Even if you do get in the water often, it's also good to do refreshers so that you can keep your safety skills up to date!
Also, I've had many students that have been scared of the water, etc. Some of them have even been poor swimmers that took scuba lessons just to get over their fears. I highly recommend it. Scuba classes help you ease into the sport and if you tell your instructor immediately, he/she can help you overcome your fears. I've found for both myself and my students that once you start diving underwater, your fears of the water disappear because you start to see what's underneath and how harmless it is.
Good luck and have fun to both bikers and scuba divers. If you have any questions about diving, I'm happy to answer any! As far as biking, thanks to this website for helping me with gear choices and training!

[withm]

Another biking scuba diver here - 32 yrs north Atlantic wreck diving. If I found myself in warm clear water I'm not sure I'd know what to do?

[KnottedYet]

I got caught in a riptide, hung onto a rock for dear life, ran out of air, and had a lovely panic attack.

2 weeks later a friend of mine got caught in a riptide with nothing to hold onto, got suit pinch and was unable to equalize her mask, was whipped down to 125 feet, and got some owies.

Can't dive anymore. Panic city.

But I can snorkel and swim just fine!

It's all good.