h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Popped over and read the diving comment on your space, just discovered it this year and did my PAdi open water locally , the sea dives in a dry suit in the freezing Irish Sea where an experience believe me.

Was in Dahab to dive in the Red Sea earlier this month, totally hooked on the whole experience, the sport should carry a government health warning "Diving can damage your wealth"

Hi Dai,

I think I've got a fair idea of what diving in Irish sea can feel like coz i've dived in north wales, but it wasn't in a dry suit though.I'm really not used to them.

But as said in my journal, I found it great !!

and i've discovered hootooo through diving which is another good thing diving brought me (in addition to a best friend, a second family, possibly a boyfriend ... and of course great dives !!)

lol for "Diving can damage your wealth" , that's a very good one !!

Good grief, diving has done a lot for you, so how long you been involved with the sport?

Speaking of Sport, did you know Easyjet don't consider it a sport? You cant classify your dive gear the same way you can golf clubs and the like and pay to have them carried which is much cheaper than an excess baggage charge.

Flying out my bag was over the limit by 8kgs but the girl at Belfast let it go through, on the way back at Gatwick they wanted £32 in excess charges and my friend was in a similar position.

Ever resourcful and on a point of principal we unpacked the BCD's, put them on and I stuffed the pockets with stuff from the case. The check in girl had a fit telling us we ould not do it, we argued they were jackets nd who was she to critize oour choice of fashion We got away with it but you should have seen the looks we got walking about Gatwick!

that must have been a really funny moment !!

I've been diving for 8 years but most of time in swimming pool (I got really few occasions to dive in sea but took them anyway)
what's great is that it was always in the same club which means that I grew up with the club (I was 10 years old when I begun)

will you carry on diving (even if that's true that it's expensive)?

Oh definetly, I'm totlly addicted and bit the bullet and got mmy own gear, to be honest it won't take theat many sessions to cover the cost and I'm sorting out a few weekend dives locally at the moment.

Just got an Email from Explorsers with some offers for Dahb and Sharm, very very tempting.

Have you had the chance to dive abraod yet?

I've dived in north Wales , which is abroad to me

Otherwise I hadn't had a chance to dive abroad, but I'll be in Canda next year (another cold cold _let's face it freezing _ water) and I intend to try ice diving

I've dived in South France in Mediterrannée, which would be abroad to you

"it won't take theat many sessions" I didn't understand that part, in my club, you pay for a year (trainings at the club's swimming pool...) and you can borrow the club's gear and stuff (even if many members have their own material)

Im not sure how it works with clubs, I was getting at the fact if diving on a holiday for example you can have costs of renting gear and if I would want to go with a dive company locally they charge a daily rate for equipment hire.

Yes in the end, it's cheaper to buy your own stuff than to pay each time to rent it
but in my club, you can take jackets or bottle (not suits) away for your holidays for free i think,but i'm not completely sure of it though