SCUBA diving meetup?

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I used to hang out regularly on rec.scuba and I noticed that there are a lot of gun owners there (in fact, there is more discussion about gun control than diving). I've also noticed more than a few casual references to diving here, which makes me wonder if there's some sort of correlation between interest in firearms and interest in diving.

So, here's a quick poll to see how many OCers are also divers. If there are a lot, maybe we should organize a "meet" on a dive boat somewhere.

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I got certified right before I left forboot camp, and since then have found few chances to get in the water. I love it everytime I go butjust can't seem to find the time to go more often. It suredoesn't help being stationed in a desert.

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a friend of mine owned a scuba store. he tried to get me interested, but I am not much of a swimmer.

he did a lot of the more technical stuff, even made new equipment for the industry.

he liked fiddling around with gas miztures, and such. thought partial pressure equations were cool (retired mechanical engineer).

they since moved to florida. i miss him.

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Most of the people I've dived with were not really interested in guns one way or another, although my best friend from college is both a diver and a gun nut... er..."gun enthusiast".

On the topic of linking guns and diving, I once dove on a wreck of a WWI Navy ship and managed to find some unfired 30.06 cartridges. They were encrusted with barnacles, and the lead had swelled up and was pushing through the jacket, but I put them in my rifle and fired them!

(JUST KIDDING)

Actually, I took them home to put on display. After a month or so, my dad and I decided to open them up and get the propellant, if any, out so they would be safer. With a soft clamp vice and soft pliers we carefully wiggled the projectile out of the first casing, and suddenly water squirted out explosively and scared the crap out of us. After over 70 years of sitting at 100' + of depth, water had seeped past the bullets and filled up the casings, at 3+ atmospheres of pressure.

After we removed the bullets we let the casing dry for a few days, and then dumped the powder grains out onto concrete. When we put a lighter to it it burned nice and bright, after 70 years of immersion. Pretty cool.

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In case my SN and avatar didn't give it away, yes I scuba dive. The only reason I don't qualify for "I'm a fish" (which is how many of the professional staff friends I dive with refer to me) is my lack of time to go diving.

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Group scuba diving trip?

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yankees98a wrote:

Group scuba diving trip?

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[ears perk up]

OC meetup in Morehead City, NC this summer?

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Tomahawk wrote:

yankees98a wrote:

Group scuba diving trip?

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[ears perk up]

OC meetup in Morehead City, NC this summer?

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Who was saying they're just a technology geek?

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Citizen wrote:

Tomahawk wrote:

yankees98a wrote:

Group scuba diving trip?

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[ears perk up]

OC meetup in Morehead City, NC this summer?

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Who was saying they're just a technology geek?

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SCUBA gear is technology.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/scuba.htm

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WOW! I'm like 20 minutes from Morehead City! This is really funny, actually. I went to the local gun shop earlier in the week and there was a jeep with for sale signs out front. I got caught looking at it by the owner so her and I started chatting. SHE is a dive instructor, and was chatting with one of the gun store employees, as he is an avid diver as well. He asked if I was into it, and I said I was very interested, but I can only afford one expensive hobby at a time, and guns are it for me!

If you guys get together in Morehead, LET ME KNOW. I have never dived before, but I would love to learn.

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I did a resort dive a few years back.

I have two words, but I'm not sure if they should be "ear block" or "never again."

The wierd thing about me is that I hate swimming, i hate skiing, but I looooooove boating, and I looooove seaplanes. I guess my job is to stay out of the water and in the boat or in the air.

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I don't know where yankees98a is from, but these pther posters are from as far away as Utah, so a NC meet-up would probably be mostly east coasters. There's gotta be more divers around. I need an excuse to go diving again. The older you get, the more spread out your buddies get, be they dive buddies or shooting buddies.

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swillden wrote:

I used to hang out regularly on rec.scuba and I noticed that there are a lot of gun owners there (in fact, there is more discussion about gun control than diving). I've also noticed more than a few casual references to diving here, which makes me wonder if there's some sort of correlation between interest in firearms and interest in diving.

So, here's a quick poll to see how many OCers are also divers. If there are a lot, maybe we should organize a "meet" on a dive boat somewhere.

Click to expand...

Another question would be...What kinda gun would you OC while scuba divin?:celebrate

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Nevermind, didn't see this was a meetup thread.

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Tomahawk wrote:

I don't know where yankees98a is from, but these pther posters are from as far away as Utah, so a NC meet-up would probably be mostly east coasters.

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I could be there. I've long heard about the NC wreck diving and this would be a great excuse to go, with good local guides. I fly a lot for work, so getting there is no big deal; I usually have more sky miles than I can spend.

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This thread is not really all that gun related is a SCUBA gathering.

Now to keep it legit... how many here OC while they SCUBA??

Anyone ever need to defend themselves under water with a gun? How do you store your gun? Pelican case or Ziploc bag?

But seriously... My wife and I are certified and would enjoy a SCUBA trip. It has been a long time since I have gotten wet.

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LEO 229 wrote:

Now to keep it legit... how many here OC while they SCUBA??

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A semi-serious gun and SCUBA-related question, though: What do you with your gun when you go diving? If you're shorediving you can easily just leave it in the car. You could certainly do the same while diving from a boat, but that means you're unarmed from the time you board the boat until the time you disembark. If you take it on the boat but leave it aboard while you dive, how do you secure it? Leave it with the captain?

Has anyone tried to carry on board a commercial dive boat?

Personally, I think I'll just leave my weapon in the car.

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LEO 229 wrote:

This thread is not really all that gun related is a SCUBA gathering.

Now to keep it legit... how many here OC while they SCUBA??

Anyone ever need to defend themselves under water with a gun? How do you store your gun? Pelican case or Ziploc bag?

But seriously... My wife and I are certified and would enjoy a SCUBA trip. It has been a long time since I have gotten wet.

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I've OC while SCUBA diving: http://www.divers-supply.com/Spear-guns-s/27.htm

I've also OC my XD while around the quarry. I have not had the chance to go in the "big pond" yet, so the dive boat has not been a problem.

Great timing on this thread though, my wife and I stopped by a store to get a refresher class - we have not been since the kids were born. We do call the them SCUBA babies because our last dive was before we knew they were in there.

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Tomahawk wrote:

On the topic of linking guns and diving, I once dove on a wreck of a WWI Navy ship and managed to find some unfired 30.06 cartridges. They were encrusted with barnacles, and the lead had swelled up and was pushing through the jacket, but I put them in my rifle and fired them!

Click to expand...

Now, if you had said you found unfired 7.62x39 cartridges and put them into your AK-47, I might have believed you...

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We used to scuba with a state cop who carried everywhere including while scuba diving. Usually a compact Glock in his BC pocket. In an abandoned quarry converted to scuba operations, with no dangerous water life, it seemed pretty silly to me.