Any Divers out there looking to get deep diver certified?

[Spurs košarka kultura]

I'm trying to get a group together to go to the Valhalla Missile Silo, to get my deep diver certification this summer.
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/8215/dive_tx.html#Valhalla
Click on the orientation map

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Dude, unless you really just want to say you did this dive, go get deep certified in Lake Travis or head to the Gulf.

I've done Valhalla, it's cold, it's a long drive from anywhere, and it's easy to get vertigo (not speaking from experience, but have seen others experience).

If you're talking PADI you need (I think) three deep dives to get your deep diver cert. Are you just doing it to get more experience? If so, just go advanced and you'll get some diving background in a couple of areas.

Let me know what's up, I'm a certified Assistant Instructor for PADI.

[Spurs košarka kultura]

First of all let me begin by saying I'm glad to see there is another diver on this forum. Secondly I want to go to Valhalla more to check it out and see this rather dark piece of American history than for the dive itself, and from what I hear you can only go in a group. Yes it may be cold as well as sort of boring, but it is unique and I happen to have some friends in Abilene(sp?)

As for the deep diving certification, I have one rig dive logged with a max depth of 117". I know, I know to some, most likely including yourself that ain't shit, but to PADI and my instructor it counts as a deep dive. Plus I have another scheduled in July. Now as far as veritgo, while I appericate your concern, I have ( and I do not mention this to pontificate or boost my self image in anyway) been diving since I was 14. Though I must say your certification ranking is way above mine, you must have quite a few dives under your belt, and that is probably an understatement. With that I must ask, do you know anything about getting a scientific certificate to dive in the Edwards aquifer? That is something I would really like to pursue, any insight would be much appericated. Following that, where else have you dived? What were your favorites, and which would you say were the best bang-for-the-buck?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yeah the dive has to be in a group. I've got the web site somewhere, don't have time to mess with it right now, but will find it and get back to you.

My advice would be if you want to go up there and do the dive, do it, I wouldn't make it two dives (what you would need to get the deep cert.).

I threw out the vertigo thing because the conditions there are pretty extreme and some people aren't used to it. The water is 55 degrees, which means a thick wet suit (that usually doesn't fit perfect), not to mention the cold water is disorienting by itself if you're not used to diving in water like that.

Then the dive itself has no reference point - you're in a perfect cylinder, everywhere you look is just a concrete wall. I've seen people panic down there before and things can spiral out of control in a hurry (I've had to catch people from doing something stupid and hurting themselves before.

2 hours from a hospital and a looooooong helicopter ride to a deco chamber is no place to figure out at 130 ft. that you don't like extreme cold and round walls and wanna be on the surface (just a warning).

As for diving in the aquifer, I assume you mean caving. My recommendation is the same I make to everyone who asks about caving: don't do it. Too many people relative to the number of people doing it get hurt or killed. Overhead environments with no direct line of ascent to the surface that can easily be silted out are a deathtrap IMO.

And you don't really get anything out of it, there's nothing amazing down there to see other than rocks (my opinion). I'd much rather be out in the gulf or someplace tropical.

If you're looking for something with a scientific lean then go up to Aquarina Springs in San Marcos. It's like $180 for the scientific diver certification course and once you're certified you can go dive there for free for life (not a bad deal if you're in the centex region).

Just be sure you're money on your buoyancy as that's a lot of the course (swimming through rings, swimming under grids, etc.).

I've trained a little over 500 people and have just north of 200 recreational dives under my belt. Most of my diving has been in the Bahamas and Hawaii, and the Gulf.

Bang for the buck: Blackbeard's liveaboard in the Bahamas. Sails out of Miami, 6 days, usually get 18-20 dives in, all you can drink/eat, good dives, great shark dive, all for $900. http://www.blackbeard-cruises.com/

The Gulf of Mexico Flower Gardens trips are also good ones, and day trips out to the rigs (we usually hit three rigs on the trips).

The other good destination is Pensacola, lots of good diving and it's basically a days drive from SA (about 12 hours). You can go down on a Friday, get in 4 dives on Saturday, a night dive on the Saturday night, two more on Sunday morning, and then drive home (if you're up for that kind of drive after that much driving).

Pensacola's gonna be even better after June 1 or so - they're sinking a 900 ft. aircraft carrier off shore (it's called the Oriskany). I am teaching up in Dallas right now, and we'll probably have a trip set up to go to Pensacola within two weeks of its sinking, that's gonna be a kick ass dive.

[Slomo]

Yeah the dive has to be in a group. I've got the web site somewhere, don't have time to mess with it right now, but will find it and get back to you.

My advice would be if you want to go up there and do the dive, do it, I wouldn't make it two dives (what you would need to get the deep cert.).

I threw out the vertigo thing because the conditions there are pretty extreme and some people aren't used to it. The water is 55 degrees, which means a thick wet suit (that usually doesn't fit perfect), not to mention the cold water is disorienting by itself if you're not used to diving in water like that.

Then the dive itself has no reference point - you're in a perfect cylinder, everywhere you look is just a concrete wall. I've seen people panic down there before and things can spiral out of control in a hurry (I've had to catch people from doing something stupid and hurting themselves before.

2 hours from a hospital and a looooooong helicopter ride to a deco chamber is no place to figure out at 130 ft. that you don't like extreme cold and round walls and wanna be on the surface (just a warning).

As for diving in the aquifer, I assume you mean caving. My recommendation is the same I make to everyone who asks about caving: don't do it. Too many people relative to the number of people doing it get hurt or killed. Overhead environments with no direct line of ascent to the surface that can easily be silted out are a deathtrap IMO.

And you don't really get anything out of it, there's nothing amazing down there to see other than rocks (my opinion). I'd much rather be out in the gulf or someplace tropical.

If you're looking for something with a scientific lean then go up to Aquarina Springs in San Marcos. It's like $180 for the scientific diver certification course and once you're certified you can go dive there for free for life (not a bad deal if you're in the centex region).

Just be sure you're money on your buoyancy as that's a lot of the course (swimming through rings, swimming under grids, etc.).

I've trained a little over 500 people and have just north of 200 recreational dives under my belt. Most of my diving has been in the Bahamas and Hawaii, and the Gulf.

Bang for the buck: Blackbeard's liveaboard in the Bahamas. Sails out of Miami, 6 days, usually get 18-20 dives in, all you can drink/eat, good dives, great shark dive, all for $900. http://www.blackbeard-cruises.com/

The Gulf of Mexico Flower Gardens trips are also good ones, and day trips out to the rigs (we usually hit three rigs on the trips).

The other good destination is Pensacola, lots of good diving and it's basically a days drive from SA (about 12 hours). You can go down on a Friday, get in 4 dives on Saturday, a night dive on the Saturday night, two more on Sunday morning, and then drive home (if you're up for that kind of drive after that much driving).

Pensacola's gonna be even better after June 1 or so - they're sinking a 900 ft. aircraft carrier off shore (it's called the Oriskany). I am teaching up in Dallas right now, and we'll probably have a trip set up to go to Pensacola within two weeks of its sinking, that's gonna be a kick ass dive. I'm also an avid diver and if I remember a previous threads there are more of us on this board.

My opinion on the above post:
Cave diving - don't do it. If you have to do it go through a specialized training programme first. When choosing such a programme the longer and tougher - the better. I personally have always liked the approach that DIR divers take to cave diving (check their GUE website). As someone who has done some cave diving I disagree it's just rocks - some caves are absolutely incredible. But on the other side I have not lost as much friends to any other activity as to cave diving (and a couple of them were world class divers) - which is why I don't do it any more.

AHF, your description of the missile silo dive makes it a pretty demanding dive. Cold water and disorienting environment sneak up on you and a panic attack is never far.

I'm a lucky bastard since most of my diving is done with really smart and experienced friends who actually own a dive centre. Whenever we go for a more demanding dive (greater depth, video shoot - more bottom time) we always take all the precautions available to us with redundant bail out plans and emergency gas supplies on the ascent line etc... (and we have all gone through specialized trainings for those types of dives).

Scuba diving is a really fun and rewarding sport that you needn't be scared of as long as you remain within recreational limits. Outside those limits it becomes a very serious activity and should be approached very seriously. Again I have been to too many funerals because people thought they could handle it.

AHF I heard about the Pensacola aircraft carrier, but you say that diving is already good there. Could you tell me more about it? or just give me a link to some more Pensacola diving info?

[Spurs košarka kultura]

Aggie my friend, my hat is off to you, thanks for the advice. As far as the scientific cert. Aquarina Springs was what I meant. Have you been, and how was it is what I meant to ask. As for cave diving you are absolutey right I have no interest in it, that to me is as crazy as an ice dive. The Flower Gardens is the site I plan to visit this summer, mainly b/c for the most part it is close and cheap.


I'm a lucky bastard since most of my diving is done with really smart and experienced friends who actually own a dive centre. Whenever we go for a more demanding dive (greater depth, video shoot - more bottom time) we always take all the precautions available to us with redundant bail out plans and emergency gas supplies on the ascent line etc... (and we have all gone through specialized trainings for those types of dives).

I guess that I too am a lucky bastard as I have some of the greatest dive buds in the world, one is ex-coastguard. Honestly I think the best thing about diving is the camaraderie that is formed with fellow divers. As well as advice from others, and the professionalism divers strictly adhere to.

Now back to Vahalla, I too have seen people freak i.e.: get ahead of themselves, panic, lose their regulator, breath too quick, asend too quick and so on and so fourth. Temperature hasn't ever really bothered me too much, ( hey I can always pee in my suit, or as I call it thermocline :lol ) though I must say all this negativity toward the place is making me wonder why you went there? Any answer you give will be somewhere on the lines of mine, so you can surely understand my wanting to go.


Scuba diving is a really fun and rewarding sport that you needn't be scared of as long as you remain within recreational limits. Outside those limits it becomes a very serious activity and should be approached very seriously. Again I have been to too many funerals because people thought they could handle it.

Again I can't agree more, and I am hoping that you guys in no way think that I am anything but a true professional in my diving. I pride myself in being completely TEXTBOOK on each and every dive I take. I am very lucky to be in a family of very SERIOUS divers. What people don't understand is this is a sport that requires respect, more than just about any other sport, short of maybe rock-climbing. The SERIOUSNESS of which you speak is half of what is so appealing to me.


Pensacola's gonna be even better after June 1 or so - they're sinking a 900 ft. aircraft carrier off shore (it's called the Oriskany). I am teaching up in Dallas right now, and we'll probably have a trip set up to go to Pensacola within two weeks of its sinking, that's gonna be a kick ass dive.


Give me some dates I would love to go, though lately my lab work has been quite unrelenting.

[Useruser666]

Let's have a DTG!!! (Dive ToGether) :lol

[Slomo]

Let's have a DTG!!! (Dive ToGether) :lol
NO!








Beer doesn't taste very good under water! :)

[bigzak25]

you guys are nuts....me and my claustrophobic ass will stick to snorkeling.....i'll watch for you on the discovery channel though.....

[Shelly]

NO!








Beer doesn't taste very good under water! :)

Yeah, but if you drink enough of that pear brandy, it just might!