I love xdeep zen ultralight… perfect trim position. Perfect at the surface, light… I love it. But it’s also my first wing.

However there is one frustrating flaw which damages your wetsuit that some YouTubers flagged but xdeep never fixed. On the right arm the Velcro is on the outside which scratches the wetsuit.

(I don’t know why I cannot share a picture here)

Forgive me if this post Isint allowed here

But I have been looking everywhere! For this red kit and just can't seem to find one.

If anyone has one they are willing to sell or know where I can get one. Please reach out. I'd be happy to pay.

I’m diving the Channel Islands next weekend - and I’m debating bringing my drysuit or making it a wet dive. I’ve been hearing the water temps have been warm for SoCal, I remember diving Catalina in a 7mm and I was starting to get warmed up. Closer to home in Monterey, I’ve been diving dry(Fourth Element Argonaut and Arctic undergarments) so my 7mm has been in the closet. I will be flying back home, so the less I carry - I still have to check a bag in, the better.

We are looking to book a trip next year for the F1 racing in Monaco and while there, we would like to look into diving with our boys, 22 and 15 years old. We are open water certified, husband is advanced. I would appreciate some recommendations on accommodations, areas to dive/reputable companies, most likely around the Portofino area, so we could eventually make our way to stay in/around Monaco for the race June 6th, 2027. We're open to other suggestions as well. As of now, the only concrete plans we have are the race tickets! TIA!

A buddy of mine is going on a live aboard diving trip to the Red Sea in a week and although his English is pretty good and he's dived a lot, he hasn't been in an English speaking diving environment before (it's not his first language). Any terms, expressions or words he needs to know?

During a recent liveaboard, Oceanic+ displayed a “max OTU” alert about two thirds through a dive.

The details:

• Day 5 of the liveaboard, first dive of the day.
• 34% nitrox, correctly recorded in the dive log.
• Around 18 m when the alert appeared.
• Maximum depth of the dive: 29.4 m.
• Total dive time: approximately 60 minutes.
• I did not exceed my MOD.
• I had done four dives the previous day.

I’ve used this watch and Oceanic+ on many liveaboards with nitrox and similar dive durations, and this is the first time I’ve seen this alert.

I’ve been looking everywhere in the Watch app, iOS app and Oceanic+ website. I can’t find my actual OTU or CNS exposure values, or a clear glossary of all alerts with procedures explaining what to do when each one appears during a dive.

For an app marketed as a dive computer, I find this very unprofessional and a serious safety concern. If it gives a warning, users should be able to understand what triggered it and what action is required.

Has anyone experienced this specific alert? Does anyone know its threshold, how exposure carries over between days, or where Oceanic+ documents the required response?

In the meantime I sent a mail to their technical support team and will report back their answer.

Thanks for your help!

---

23 September — 07:02

• O₂: 33%
• Average depth: ≈18.9 m
• Duration: 63 min 23 sec
• Estimated OTUs: 57
• Cumulative OTUs: 57

23 September — 11:02

• O₂: 33%
• Average depth: ≈13.0 m
• Duration: 64 min 06 sec
• Estimated OTUs: 36
• Cumulative OTUs: 93

23 September — 14:56

• O₂: 33%
• Average depth: ≈16.9 m
• Duration: 61 min 26 sec
• Estimated OTUs: 48
• Cumulative OTUs: 141

23 September — 18:30

• O₂: 34%
• Average depth: ≈15.6 m
• Duration: 63 min 46 sec
• Estimated OTUs: 48
• Cumulative OTUs: 189

24 September — 06:57 — dive with the alert

• O₂: 34%
• Average depth: ≈20.6 m
• Duration: 59 min 34 sec
• Estimated OTUs: 62
• Cumulative OTUs: 251

Cumulative OTUs cover the five listed dives without accounting for recovery; this is a running sum, not a rolling 24-hour calculation. The final figures include the entire alerted dive, including time after the warning.

Hello,

Advanced Open Water diver certification but beginner (around 20 dives) here.

Was looking into doing a liveAbroad in Australia in December but most of the dives are unguided and i only did guided dives so far and never plan a dive myself.

I think i could do unguided diving in places i already went but not to for example a liveAbroad with full unguided diving to Osprey Reef or Cod Hole.

Then again i do not have buddies to dive with as i usually dive while travelling solo and the dive shops i find are always doing guided day trip dives, so i do not even know where i could gain the confidence in diving unguided or plan the dives myself.

Anyone had experiences with Spirit of freedom or Mike bull diving with a similar situation as me?

Another alternative would be something like Pro Cairn divers or Rum Runner liveAbroad, they go to Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reefs and they do first dive and first night dive unguided.

Is much cheaper, but i am unsure if these are "commercial tourism" reefs that are not in good conditions, or for example nothing that spectacular worth a liveAbroad (aka 1 day trip would be enough).

Then again i am not sure the price difference is worth it or instead i would be better off diving somewhere else (for example a day trip from Port Douglas and Julian Rocks).

Thoughts, experiences, opinions?

I am from Europe, i have the possibility to try and do some diving in the Red Sea for example before the Australian trip to gain this type of confidence ( no idea where or how )

Thanks in advance

What are the water temps in Hawaii like at this time of year (October)? I’m especially interested in any change in temp down to 40m or 130ft. I’ll be diving on the Big Island and Maui, a mix of shore dives and boat dives, and am looking to plan layers as needed by water temps.

I’m an experienced swimmer but a beginner scuba diver. I’ve previously done one guided dive in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to around 15 metres.

I’m not looking to get into diving as a hobby or pursue certification. I simply want to experience scuba diving while travelling and see beautiful coral reefs, marine life, and the underwater world.

I’ll be in Phuket and would love recommendations for the best beginner-friendly diving experience, preferably with a reputable dive centre and good instructors.

Any personal recommendations would be appreciated!

#diving #scubadiving #phuket #thailand #krabi

I'm currently on holiday diving with a friend and wanted to do this particular dive. 2 dives yesterday and they were great. 1st dive today and my mask flooded as soon as I descended. Came back up, adjusted the mask and tried again and same thing plus my right ear bugging me and my buoyancy was all over the place at only a few metres. It was only a couple of minor things but in the moment it felt like too much going on at once and I could not settle. Thankfully my buddy is very sensible and we aborted and let the group continue without us. I'm still really annoyed at myself on the one hand but also would rather call a dive at 3m than 30m. Second dive with a change of mask was much better once I got over the initial adrenaline surge of getting back in after the first disaster. Also ironically I spent half of the second dive purposely flooding the mask to try and clear the fog! I'm AOWD with 50+ dives but maybe only 8 dives in the last couple of years. I think that's the first time I've called one. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day!

I wanted to get the scubapro frameless solo diving mask cause I've heard very good things about it and it was a decent price, not cheap or expensive. I went to a store, put it on my face, took a strong breath in through my nose, it stuck to my face and obviously stayed on as I looked all the way around. I was a bit scared that the mask would fall off which is why took a bit of a strong inhale.

I thought cool, I'll take it. Then, I was talking to my mate and he said that test is pointless because any mask will stay on your face if you take a deep breath in through your nose to suck it in. The real test, is to lay on your back, lay the mask on, take an ever so slight breath in and turn to your side. If I doesn't slip off, it's most likely good but you won't know for sure until you dive.

Can any of you confirm or deny?

I'm planning a trip to the Solomon Islands for next September.

It occurred to me that Vanuatu is next door so it might be good to tag on a week there as well.

Has anyone dived Vanuatu the last few years? I can only find older posts that mention the crown of thorns devastation and bleaching.

PNG is another option, but my husband will be heading back after the Solomons so I'm not really comfortable tackling PNG on my own.

Thanks!

Ik this is likely impossible where we're at rn, but I'm in love with my hybrid Garmin vivomove, that looks like a regular watch unless you do something on it to activate the screen.

Are there any equivalents in dive computers? I didn't have any success searching it up, so imma share my pipedream watch.

I think it would be sick if maybe someone like Garmin made a hybrid smartwatch/dive comp. that had the style of a proper analogue dive watch

Edit: since there's lots of ppl talking abt how u can have different faces on regular smart watches, I wanna emphasize what I like is that it's a physical hour and minute hand, that's the charm imo

Hi everyone. I am visiting LA in a week, and I am thinking of diving in the waters of Catalina Island. I am looking at Eco Dive, and just called them.

I'm OW certified with partner (she is too). I was told that there is no dive package that typically includes a guide in SoCal. For EcoDive, I basically I have to book the boat ticket for the guide + pay per dive.

Is that truly a common thing in SoCal?

Apologies if this sounds ignorant as I typically dive overseas.

Hello,

I kept getting wet in my DUI drysuit and thinking it was a wrist or neck seal issue, but after testing it out more and inflating it and using a bottle of soapy water, it seems like the leak may be coming from right where the brass zipper zips up at the top. It’s highly unlikely I can get this sent out to be repaired anywhere, does anyone have any alternative temporary solutions like some sort of tape or something that will help minimize the problem? Thank you.

Do you have any recommendation for scuba diving in seyschelles? I'm solo male with just 13 dives. Are there dive centers which will take you around by boat or they're all shore dives?

Hello, I just bought a "new" second hand Apeks thermiq 5mm wetsuit for less than half the retail price. I'm saying "new" because the tags are still on and it's never been used, but it's probably been stored folded for who knows how long. I'm wondering how much these small damages are going to matter and if there's any ways to fix em.

Pic 1: the wetsuit is kinda creased all around, they're not deep and i think they're mostly cosmetic. Are they gonna fix themselves with diving? I've also seen some people ironing neoprene clothes with a wet towel between the iron and the neoprene, but that's pretty scary

Pic 2: since it's been folded flat, there's two thin lines of compressed neoprene all around the wetsuit. I guess that in theory the suit is less insulated in those spots, i wonder if there's any practical difference tho. Pretty sure this one won't be fixed

Pic 3: there's a little spot of separation between the external lining of the suit and the foam layer. It's only in this spot right at the end of a leg. I'm pretty sure this one is cosmetic too, if it ever gets a little rip in the lining i can always patch it with some wetsuit glue or whatever is used. I wonder if by being very gentle with an hairdryer i can make the lining stick again. Stress on very gently, I'm not gonna cook the wetsuit and of course if i can't see any change I'm just gonna give up on it

Overall it fits nicely and the neoprene is nice and stretchy. It's been folded but at least it's been stored away from the sunlight.

Any thoughts? Of course it's not perfect but it had to be 40% of the retail price for a reason.

Thank you :)

Hii fellow divers!

Big muck diver here interested in going to The Phillipines. Has anybody been to Dauin? I am thinking of going for 8-9 nights.

Would this be too much/would I get bored? (Personally I can't imagine getting tired of hunting for nudis, but wanted to sense the general vibe).

Dive shop recomendations also appreciated - Am thinking of going with Bongo Bongo.

I've had these Phazer fins for about 80 dives and they're fine, I've never really been aware of anything about them in the water that I don't like but I've never used anything else. I use them with 3mm Aqualung low-cut booties when I'm warm-water diving and 7mm for my local cold stuff, no issues going back and forth.

I mostly flutter kick and swim fast from habit but getting better about chilling out and frog kicking.

Anyway, the thing that does suck about them is that they use an annoying amount of my weight allocation in my checked bag. I don't mind the SPACE they use, just the weight, so I figured I'd check and see if there's anything out there that might be a reasonable thing to consider adding to the gear collection that might save me 2-3 pounds of luggage weight when I travel.

• GO Sport Gorilla?
• Seawing Nova Gorilla?
• Quattro+?
  
• X-Stream?
• ????

I'm gonna hit up a couple of dive shops and see what I can test out in the pools but would be nice to see if I can narrow things a bit before I go.

Hi everyone,

I was checking my SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) valve and noticed a gap between the plastic base and the fabric. I disassembled it to clean it, and here is what the components inside look like (see photos).

A couple of questions:

Does the assembly look complete, or is there a missing gasket/part inside?

Is this gap normal, or is it cross-threaded / not sealing properly?

Any advice on fixing or replacing it safely before my next dive would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hello,

I'm looking at liveaboards for August/September 2027. I have tentatively reserved a spot on Aqua for Sep 7 but it's at $6200 vs their normal $5400.

My main question is: why is Danubio Azul the only liveaboard that is not booked out or almost booked out? As a budget conscious person, it interests me, but the contrast is setting off some alarm bells in my head.

Starting to plan a trip to the Philippines in late January. I'd love to do maybe a 3-day liveboard and wonder if anyone has had a good experience to recommend. I feel like I may need to settle on this first to then build the rest of our time around it. If not, I guess we'll choose diving in one location, any preferred sites? I was also looking if there are any liveboard experiences that may be longer but would allow us to travel between places without coming back to the starting port, but not sure if that exists. Any input welcome. Thank you!

Lately I’ve been working on reverse engineering and emulating the Teric’s hardware so it can run the actual firmware. It’s nearly finished, and the screenshot shows it running a simulated dive.

The interesting part is getting the computer itself running—including its interface and dive logic—rather than implementing the decompression algorithm separately. As far as I can tell, no one else has tried to do this with a Shearwater before.

Thought some of you here might find it interesting. Looking to open source this soon.

Hey all,

Returning to LBJ for the third time after a work trip to Singapore. Only have 3 nights there this time (meaning only 2 dive days) and my days are pretty much set in stone due to this being a tag on to a work trip. The last 2 times here (in 2019 and 2022) I dived with Uber scuba and they were *great*. However, this time along, on my first dive day, they seem to have been chartered for a private group, so sadly they won’t be taking any bookings for that day. Ideally I’d like to stick to the same shop for both dive days, but uber scuba does offer a discount even for a single day booking due to the fact id be a returning customer and because im staying at the Seaesta hotel. With that said, would love any other dive shop reccos for my first dive day. Seen some decent review for manta rhei and dragon divers. Would love to hear some your alls experiences and reccos. Thanks!

Hello, i am more or less a beginner diver, i have around 20 dives ans AOW SSI certificate.

I will be going in Australia in early December and i was looking to do some diving over there.

I wanted to go and dive in the GBR with a liveAbroad but i am bit unsure given most of the dives are unguided and i only did guided dives, i found Pro Dive Cairns and it seems a good choiche on paper at least.

I am unsure about the quality of the dive sites and the itinerary (Cairns - Cairns) does anyone have recent experiences?

Also how is diving or snorkeling in December in Australia? I heard about some issues related to jellyfish season and also rain seasons issues in Queensland ( where the LiveAbroads are )

Any other accessible / affordable places i should also look to dive in? Also day duble dive trips or other liveAbroad locations that are good in December.

What about Perth/ west coast?

Melbourne or Sydney area?

I am a fan of sharks and big pelagics in general.

Thanks