Life under the sea

[Scubbie]

Ever wondered what the draw to go diving is like?

The article linked below may help. I won't cross post this one because this is most definately a case of 'a picture painting a 1,000 words'.

Coral in the Great Barrier Reef showcased in this amazing video | Mail Online

The embeded video is also available on youTube. However it isn't at full HD in the article, so I have linked it below:



Some more of Daniel Stoupin's work:

[gymno]

That is beautiful.

Although for those of a 'drier' persuasion, i've often thought that cacti, if viewed from a distance, carry a similar aesthetic pleasure:

[Scubbie]

Very nice.

One of the joys of Diving is that you can come across some wonderful sights, including the various fish and mammals.

On land they tend to run away from us, but under the sea humans are mostly unknown. so the will watch.

As for chasing them, yes I have seen some people attempt this, we aren't built with good hydrodynamics in mind, especially with a cylinder on your back. They just shoot off very quickly when they need to.

Below is a nice close up of a common fish in some areas, the Parrotfish. Whilst the picture is very good, with clear colours and no detritus reflecting back, the pose would otherwise be easy to get compared to what you need to do on land.

[gymno]

It's definitely worth getting wet then.

Despite the fact that that a densly packed collection of cacti can often appear as indistinguishable from coral, the only fauna one could expect to see with my 'dry' version are mealy bugs & red spider mites.
Which are a pain.

Still, better than sharks though.

[Scubbie]

Sharks? Lovely creatures.

There is a popular saying amongst the diving community. If you are on a boat and shout "Shark!" the snorkellers jump out, and the divers jump in. Believe me, it's true!

[gymno]

I know.
Presumably you've heard of Mike Rutzen?



Can't get my head round that kind of behaviour to be honest.
I mean, at what point do horror films & roller coasters stop being enough?

[dog-man]

I was going to be a diver when in the Royal Engineers until some stupid second lieutenant cocked things up!

I was on the waiting list to be assessed and then if successful to do a course at Southampton, I believe it was. Marchwood rings a bell in my memory, would that be right?

One Friday morning as usual, we paraded outside the HQ block before going about our daily duties.

My name and another was called out to remain behind, which we did.

We were asked by a second lieutenant if we were ready to go.

We both replied "go where?"

"To Kiel"(I think it was. I was stationed in Germany).

"What for?" we both replied.

"For the assessment".

"What assessment?" we replied.

"For an army diver's course".

To cut a very long almost comedy like conversation short..........

We had been selected to be assessed above hundreds and hundreds of applicants and were due to leave the barracks within 10 minutes for a weekend spent in a compression chamber.

I had to run 1.5 miles to my married quarter, pack a case quickly and explain to my wife that I was going to be away for the weekend.

I ran back and met up with the second lieutenant again.
The other soldier turned up and we were ready to go. Transport had arrived.

We were then both asked if we had our chest x-rays to take with us.

Obviously we hadn't had any x-rays because we hadn't been told about the course.

So we couldn't go and I never got the opportunity again.

The second lieutenant apologised and admitted that it was his fault and that he had failed to notify us of the course when he should have so that x-rays could be obtained and we would be ready to go.

When I left the army I never had the opportunity to do it privately because I became a single parent of two young children and now I am too old and have health issues that would probably prevent me from doing it.

[Scubbie]

Sounds like someone either did it deliberately or didn't know what he was doing.

Life is full of surprises and different opportunities. Some work out well, others don't.

[dog-man]

I am quite sure that he didn't know what he was doing. I recall that he looked very embarrassed and at one point he was being told off by the sergeant major very discretely.

Most officers below the rank of Captain tend to be incredible buffoons with no common sense or life coping skills at all!
I suppose it's because almost all of them have come from a life of luxury, nannies and servants where everything was done for them.

After any briefing from a junior officer we would always turn to a corporal or sergeant and ask what do we really do.

[Isitme]

I signed up for a diving course in Cyprus some years ago, but unfortunately before the course started, I went on a three day trip to Egypt and the Holy Land. I returned with a severe case of Delli-belly and was confined to my hotel room for the remainder of my holiday.
Curiously my wife who was not the least effected by the trip at the time, fell ill on the way home and was hospitalised for a week. She never smoked all the time she was ill and has not smoked since. That was 30 years ago and again, unfortunately, I am still a slave to the weed.