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Count me as a diver here too. Certified YMCA, CMAS and SSI in 1992. My oldest daughter who is turning 16 this year is my dive buddy. She was certified SSI two years ago.

This will bring the true tech divers out. There was a time I'd consider doing this dive but as I grow older and outward. I know my limits and would not consider doing this dive now, besides theres lots to see and do in 70 feet or less.

Count the Mrs. and Myself in too. I'm sure that the flight deck and most everything that you are going to want to see are going to be at the 130' mark or shallower so it shouldn't be a problem.
We've been diving since '93. When we were in Costa Rica last month we were sitting on the beach trying to figure out just how many dives we had done. We figure somewhere around 450 to 500 was the number.

We're all divers. Dad got certified in 69, and we all got certified in 99. It'd be great to get some more parrotheads to dive with.

How cool would this be? A parrothead ocean dive where everyone has a fin on their head. We could have so much fun with this especially if we were diving near a public beach Lets see how fast swimmers can exit the water. Sorry evil thoughts are filling my head, but how funny would this be?

Reefdiver is correct. So much to see and do in the ocean. I live in Ohio and quarry diving is the only option other than lake erie. The quarries are so dang cold a dry suit is the best choice, if you want to dive deeper than 50 feet.

Gilboa is a cool place to dive and seems to be the best in Ohio.

Plum Run was in my opinion the best place to dive in Ohio. It was a very clear quarry and deep. I'm thinking it was about 80 feet deep and visability was around 30-35 feet at best. It had many training platforms at various depths and a helicopter. They started sinking more items like a silo and a bus and a couple of boats before it was shut down by the owner. It had the beginnings of being one of the best. Many attempts were made to purchase this quarry and the land surrounding it, but the owner was not interested.

I know others on this board are probably not from OH, PA or WV but it would be great to have a parrothead dive. Send me a private message if anyone would be interested in meeting and diving in a quarry sometime this summer. This could be fun.

I've heard of Gilboa. My local dive shop used to take trips there. Never had the opportunity to dive it though. There's also a place near Harrisburg PA that is supposed to be decent. Has lots of cars, busses, and a plane or two sunk for diving purposes. It would be pretty cool to have some type of Parrothead dive phlocking........but lets do it somewhere warm. After all,,, we are Parrotheads, and we like warm weather (and warm water). markruble, have you ever heard of Mt Storm? It's in WV.....supposed to be a power plant on it that heats the water year round. I'm going to try and make it there this summer , maybe we can hook up ?

Reefdiver wrote:I've heard of Gilboa. My local dive shop used to take trips there. Never had the opportunity to dive it though. There's also a place near Harrisburg PA that is supposed to be decent. Has lots of cars, busses, and a plane or two sunk for diving purposes. It would be pretty cool to have some type of Parrothead dive phlocking........but lets do it somewhere warm. After all,,, we are Parrotheads, and we like warm weather (and warm water). markruble, have you ever heard of Mt Storm? It's in WV.....supposed to be a power plant on it that heats the water year round. I'm going to try and make it there this summer , maybe we can hook up ?

The local dive shop is owned by a buddy of mine and he and a couple of other guys ( one is a BIG TIME Parrothead whose Dad owns a bar called "The Island Lounge") arealways running trips to the springs and Crystal River and Manatee Springs in Fla. Diving off shore here, viz is usually limited but can open up at the bottom. They run numerous other trips but have to check and see about them.

Gilboa is a great place but just like all quarries it is cold. I've never been to the trailer which is in about 90' of water. I believe it is the deepest this quarry gets. You need special equipment even in the hot summer months to go that deep. Regulators can freeze up due to the cold. Most of the quarry is in about 50' or less which makes it great for checkout dives.

Mt. Storm is a great place where the water is always a constant temperature. Even in the winter months. The lake is made up from the cooling water towers from the power plant. My local dive shop does their checkout dives there. They say its ok but nothing fantastic.

I agree that warm temperatures and warm water diving is the best. Many years ago I did my checkout dives in the Florida Springs. Morrison Springs and Vortex Springs. Can't beat the visibility of the springs but the water can still be a bit cold.

My favorite dive destination without a doubt is Bonaire. Been there 3 times and is the best! Water temperature is 80 degrees and visibility can exceed 100' but usually it is around 60-80 feet depending on the plankton bloom. If you want to see sharks, whales or tech dive then Bonaire is not the place to go. The Bahamas would be a better choice. A buddy of mine says the best all time dive destination is the forbidden fruit. Anyone but us U.S. citizens are allowed to travel there. He says Cuba has it all. Wall diving, old spanish ship recks, shore diving, easy to advanced diving and even cenote diving. He says the true treat in Cuba is the club life. Hot latino ladies dancing every night. It's a shame we can't normalize relations with Cuba and open it back up like it was in the 1950's.

I'd consider doing this once and worry about the legal problems later. He had no troubles but he lives in Canada.

markruble wrote:Gilboa is a great place but just like all quarries it is cold. I've never been to the trailer which is in about 90' of water. I believe it is the deepest this quarry gets. You need special equipment even in the hot summer months to go that deep. Regulators can freeze up due to the cold. Most of the quarry is in about 50' or less which makes it great for checkout dives.

Mt. Storm is a great place where the water is always a constant temperature. Even in the winter months. The lake is made up from the cooling water towers from the power plant. My local dive shop does their checkout dives there. They say its ok but nothing fantastic.

I agree that warm temperatures and warm water diving is the best. Many years ago I did my checkout dives in the Florida Springs. Morrison Springs and Vortex Springs. Can't beat the visibility of the springs but the water can still be a bit cold.

My favorite dive destination without a doubt is Bonaire. Been there 3 times and is the best! Water temperature is 80 degrees and visibility can exceed 100' but usually it is around 60-80 feet depending on the plankton bloom. If you want to see sharks, whales or tech dive then Bonaire is not the place to go. The Bahamas would be a better choice. A buddy of mine says the best all time dive destination is the forbidden fruit. Anyone but us U.S. citizens are allowed to travel there. He says Cuba has it all. Wall diving, old spanish ship recks, shore diving, easy to advanced diving and even cenote diving. He says the true treat in Cuba is the club life. Hot latino ladies dancing every night. It's a shame we can't normalize relations with Cuba and open it back up like it was in the 1950's.

I'd consider doing this once and worry about the legal problems later. He had no troubles but he lives in Canada.

It is possible to go to Cuba.Ihave had friends that have done it. I am not sure of the paperwork involved but I know it can be done. You are not allowed to spend any American currency if I remember correctly.

Yes sam I've heard of people who have done this, however I know of no flight from this country to Havanna. All flights would have to go through Mexico, Canada or the Bahamas. I would assume that the next problem would be the stamping of the passport. A fake passport or when arriving into Cuba you pay extra to not have your American Passport stamped. This would send up a big red flag to customs and immigration in this country. Then there is the issue of paying cash for everything. My buddy says when he was down there last which was several years ago they didn't accept any bank credit cards from the U.S. so this would have to be considered.

My buddy said if they (U.S.) did open up Cuba to tourist it might kill tourism to places like Grand Caymen, Bahamas or other islands. I don't think it would kill those places but it would seriously hurt for many years. Maybe thats the true reason.

markruble wrote:Yes sam I've heard of people who have done this, however I know of no flight from this country to Havanna. All flights would have to go through Mexico, Canada or the Bahamas. I would assume that the next problem would be the stamping of the passport. A fake passport or when arriving into Cuba you pay extra to not have your American Passport stamped. This would send up a big red flag to customs and immigration in this country. Then there is the issue of paying cash for everything. My buddy says when he was down there last which was several years ago they didn't accept any bank credit cards from the U.S. so this would have to be considered.

My buddy said if they (U.S.) did open up Cuba to tourist it might kill tourism to places like Grand Caymen, Bahamas or other islands. I don't think it would kill those places but it would seriously hurt for many years. Maybe thats the true reason.

Like I said I am not sure how it is done. Try going through Cnadian Embassy for example. I have a friend I have not seen in a long while that is from Cuba and flies or used to fly home to see his family and friends, from time to time. He was part of the Muriel Boat lift and is now a U.S. Citizen.

If I see him I will ask him and let you know. He flies in there somehow. People I know that have traveled to Cuba by boat I think they told me theywent through the Canadian Emabasy but I posssibly could be wrong about that, All I know for sure is that they did visit there and of items that were wanted by the people there. Not everyone there, loves Castro or what he has done to Cuba.

The Canadian government does not assist U.S. citizens in travelling to Cuba.

Many U.S. citizens travelled to Cuba on "educational exchange" programs arranged by Canadian firms. The Treasury Department interpreted many of these programs as little more than an attempt to circumvent the U.S. travel sanctions. The U.S. obtains passenger manifests of all flights that pass through U.S. airspace, so there are no secrets

Some U.S. citizens have flown to The Bahamas or Mexico and then on to Cuba. If there is a post-it note on a passport page, the Cubans are very careful to stamp on that and not on a permanent page (or so I'm told). The traveller removes that post-it before returning to the U.S. and does not disclose that they travelled to Cuba.

Currently the only way for a U.S. citizen to legally travel to Cuba is with a license from the Treasury Department. These licenses are mostly limited to journalists, religous programs and educational programs. Family visits are allowed less frequently and are more strictly controlled than previously.

Under the current regulations, it is (intentionally) impossible for a U.S. tourist to legally visit Cuba just for a vacation.


[soapbox]

The U.S. has had ten presidents since Castro came to power in Cuba. The sanctions have not ended his reign, but have created hardships for the people.

Those that feel strongly about wanting to visit Cuba should contact their representatives and senators and tell them that the regulations need to be changed.

[/soapbox]

Reefdiver wrote:210 feet is waaayyyy beyond safe recreational diving limits. Would have been nice if they could have found somewhere in the 130 ft range.

Reason it is so deep is because the top has to be deep enough for commercial traffic to pass safely by.

markruble wrote:A buddy of mine says the best all time dive destination is the forbidden fruit. Anyone but us U.S. citizens are allowed to travel there. He says Cuba has it all. Wall diving, old spanish ship recks, shore diving, easy to advanced diving and even cenote diving.

Actually, you can find all kinds of places to do these dives all over the world. From talking to some divers that have made the trip; it was good, but no better than anywhere else. Just because US citizens aren't supposed to be diving doesn't mean you don't have other tourists down there crowding the waters.

Elrod wrote:Under the current regulations, it is (intentionally) impossible for a U.S. tourist to legally visit Cuba just for a vacation.

Actually, its not illegal to VISIT Cuba. It is illegal to spend any money in Cuba. Where they get the average traveller is that you have to prove you did not spend a single cent in the Cuban territory; one of those guilty until proven innocent problems.

land_shark3 wrote:

Elrod wrote:Under the current regulations, it is (intentionally) impossible for a U.S. tourist to legally visit Cuba just for a vacation.

Actually, its not illegal to VISIT Cuba. It is illegal to spend any money in Cuba. Where they get the average traveller is that you have to prove you did not spend a single cent in the Cuban territory; one of those guilty until proven innocent problems.

The way around that is to convert U.S. $ into Canadian $ or Euros or British pounds or whatever and to spend them. However they get there ....I do know Americans are going there by boat and by aircraft.

Reefdiver wrote:

thegoatgod wrote:looks like there are more divers here then i relized, im thinking diving phlocking in the future?

Now THAT sounds like a plan !!! Lot's of good diving in the Keys. We could all start out in Key Largo and work our way down to Key West. Lots of good bars there for a little after diving imbibing. I hear that Jimmy Buffett guy even has a bar there.

Nice!!! GREAT idea!!!! Both of 'em! It could be the Fins in the Water Phlocking....or just Finz Underwater Phlocking (FUP) I'd be in!

hehe or we can just do it this way........

I also dive. We have already planned two trips to the coast this spring. I would assume that the profile of the O would put the tower and maybe the flight deck within safe limits.

Has anyone ever been to the Flower Garden Banks (?) off Texas? I have wanted to dive it for years.

For me the perfect dive trip would one that would leave a lasting memory. I've had a few over the years. Anyone care to share their favorite or lasting memory dive?

One of my favorites was in the Bahamas when we interacted with a pod of dolphins, or silly as it may seem another was diving the "Living Sea" at Disney. Yes for about 40 minutes I was the plastic diver in a giant fish bowl. The treat was not the fish but the interaction with the people. I made them smile and wave.