@@AzulUnlimited Thank you for your transparency. I am a new diver and seeing you guys who have thousands of dives under your belts still learning helps me avoid that pesky Dunning-Kruger effect.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, the positive and the learning opportunities. We often see the glorious side only and then have no frame of reference when we personally experience the learning moments solo. By you sharing it all, you’re helping us grow. Thanks!
Hi Sara. As one of MI to another you rock. We always tell students hydrate hydrate hydrate but forget ourselves. I have followed you for a couple of years and this is the first time I remember you in this situation. As a solo sidemount diver myself I tend to be mindful of location and hydration. Keep up the great informative videos and stay safe. Happy diving
I always enjoy your honesty of the realities of what you are doing. The van life and scuba is my dream and you do a great job showing the good and bad parts of it! Still want to do it though!
Hi Sara. Been watching your videos for a while now. You give great advice on subjects like altitude diving and solo diving (I do have a self reliant diver certification from PADI and a solo diver certification with SDI). I’ve been diving with backmount doubles for almost 4 years now (I have an Intro to Tech and Advanced Nitrox certification with TDI).I own my own backmount doubles (80cf3/11L tanks) I will do the PADI Tec 40 class this summer after I complete my deep diver certification in April in Cancun, Mexico under PADi. Afterwards, I’ll take my Deco Procedure course under TDI next year. Anyway, I,hope to see more videos from you on anything pertaining to scuba and free diving in the near future. Thanks for posting videos with some wonder footage of your travels and information. 👍😁
Good on you Sarah for sharing and promoting this topic, even through the difficulties you experienced! Tech diving does open up some wonderful dive sites and adds safety significantly to the dives of course through the addition of gases and extra bottles, which is great. Personally, I just can't afford to do it currently. It's good to see a PADI shop taking the courses so seriously too. I feel for you in your van life struggles, but you are winning - as you say, you get to go to some great places and dive them on the cheap! Yay! 🤣
You must've been looking through my journal... I know about dehydration all too well. We call it a rookie mistake, but us old timers are just as guilty, and getting a pee-valve installed is a brilliant invention. Let's just say, I've been down that road too.
Haha! Yes, what's that saying about "old dogs and new tricks"? Maybe it's something I will have to look into with my drysuit. I've heard it really is a game changer.
You really saw a lot of creatures under the sea & on the surface too! Great video! Sweet Abby wanted Mama to stay with her on land … so precious… Sorry you got dehydrated…it’s good you knew what it was… Hope you are feeling much better now… As a non-diver … I thought everyone just urinated in their wet or dry suit and clean it afterwards?
😊 the sea lions were so much fun! You got it right about the wetsuit, but you don’t want to do that with a drysuit. You stay warm in a drysuit by basically wearing pijamas under the suit and the suit allows you to have an air pocket between your body and the water that keeps you warm.
13:38 Yep removed the carpet and installed hard wood in the basement 🤣 Tip carry guillotine cigar cutter in your kit and cut about half of the tip of that condom catheter off before terminating to the pee valve hose so it doesn't get pinched or kinked while diving. The cigar cutter can be very cheap for less than a few buck. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter
Tribal knowledge shared from my local dive peeps. We need to stick together on the knowledge share as it raises the bar and often promotes safer dive practice. 😃🤙
Sorry you had to suffer dehydration, I got seriously dehydrated once (non diving related) and it was deeply unpleasant and nearly an emergency situation. However something I shout about whenever dehydration comes up in diving now, is that overhydration is also a problem, as it's a risk factor for IPO (or IPE for Americans). Always worth mentioning so people don't hear the message about dehydration and then overcompensate. The key is to stay normally hydrated.
Wow! I had no idea! Thank you so much for the information. You're right, everyone always warns against dehydration, but I've never really heard of warnings agains OVER hydration. You learn something new everyday!
@@AzulUnlimitedYou're very welcome, that's why I shout about it, lots of well informed experienced people aren't aware. It's only in the last few years we've come to understand how many "drowning" or "heart attack" deaths in diving are actually IPOs, and lots of agencies haven't updated their materials yet. It's also worth people understanding the main signs (divers saying out of air when they're not, and refusing working alternates as not working) and first aid (o2, sit up, NOT lie down, don't give fluids). I had some sources with info (so it's not just the rambling of a madman on RUclips :-), but RUclips won't let me post links in comments.
Next time you’re at Lobos we’ll show you our shore diving sidemount method. Spoiler: we use buoys to stage off the end of the ramp. But I agree with using BM for tech courses. SM is great for penetration like cave or wreck, or if you have shoulder issues and can’t reach your valves well.
Video and music beautiful as always. Just starting my tech journey with TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco later this year, just so I can spend some more time exploring. For me I agree it's not about depth, just time, and a chance to broaden and improve my skills.
The financial struggle is real for all of us. That being said I will find a way to transition from open circuit recreational diving straight to rebreather instead of the open circuit tech route. I'm not into all the excessive tank hauling and heavy steel 100 twin set I already own. At fifty I'm still viable but not getting any younger. Keep up the fight you're looking great in all your adventures! Cheers, #SeattlRingHunter
Yes unfortunately the she pee process not so hassle free as it is for us men. I have learned over the years having fun is a hell of a lot of work! 🤣🤙💪🤿😎❤️
Diving most of the year in a dry suit, the pee situation really is annoying for female divers. I tried a "she pee" and diapers so far, but finally ended up to go to the toilet at the dive shop. Luckily my dry suit diving is limited to lakes in Germany with dive shops around.
Pee Valves and technical diving go together like peanut butter and jelly. Yes it sucks particularly for women, I know someone that describes a Shee-pee as "Arts and crafts for your nether regions," but getting bent in a foreign country with limited access to proper medical care like a certain RUclipsr is worse. I got to say that the instructor is quite right about depth, I do quite a bit of deco as part of my normal diving. My longest deco ummm... "hang" was 40 minutes of laying on a log at Little River, max depth 107ft just a solid 90 minutes at that depth.
I’ve just heard how challenging they are to attach and many of my friends have ended up peeing in their suits because of malfunctions. It all sounds messy
That’s why I’ve just been avoiding the situation😅 I’ll have to figure out an option that works for me, especially since I’m heading into the caves in a couple of weeks…
@@AzulUnlimited Adult diapers... It's just something else to add to the mental game, as the thought isn't that nice... But even as a man I'm not keen on a pee valve. And anything less than three hours dive time a diaper is fine. Plus a diaper covers the other need, should that very unfortunate necessity arise, where a pee valve does not...
Stay hydrated, friends!
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Both you and Woody from Dive Talk are sharing stories recently about the importance of hydration on these kinds of dives! Glad you are safe.
It’s important to talk about! I like transparency in the diving world🤙
@@AzulUnlimited Thank you for your transparency. I am a new diver and seeing you guys who have thousands of dives under your belts still learning helps me avoid that pesky Dunning-Kruger effect.
Love your videos, thank you for sharing your awesomeness with the world.
Aww thank you so much for watching 🙏
Abby was not having it with you 😂. She is so awesome. Glad you're feeling better!
Thank you! Oh I know, she’s very expressive😆
Thank you! I am really enjoying your videos!😊
Glad you like them!
Thanks for sharing your experiences, the positive and the learning opportunities. We often see the glorious side only and then have no frame of reference when we personally experience the learning moments solo. By you sharing it all, you’re helping us grow. Thanks!
You’re so welcome! We’re all here to learn from each other😁
Hi Sara. As one of MI to another you rock. We always tell students hydrate hydrate hydrate but forget ourselves. I have followed you for a couple of years and this is the first time I remember you in this situation. As a solo sidemount diver myself I tend to be mindful of location and hydration. Keep up the great informative videos and stay safe. Happy diving
Thank you! I’m usually better about it but my discomfort with the bathroom situation was something I had to overcome🤣 now I have another skill😆😆😆
❤love your videos as always!
Thanks so much!🙏
I always enjoy your honesty of the realities of what you are doing. The van life and scuba is my dream and you do a great job showing the good and bad parts of it! Still want to do it though!
Awesome! If you ever have questions about going for it, send me a message on ig or an email🤙
Hi Sara. Been watching your videos for a while now. You give great advice on subjects like altitude diving and solo diving (I do have a self reliant diver certification from PADI and a solo diver certification with SDI). I’ve been diving with backmount doubles for almost 4 years now (I have an Intro to Tech and Advanced Nitrox certification with TDI).I own my own backmount doubles (80cf3/11L tanks) I will do the PADI Tec 40 class this summer after I complete my deep diver certification in April in Cancun, Mexico under PADi. Afterwards, I’ll take my Deco Procedure course under TDI next year.
Anyway, I,hope to see more videos from you on anything pertaining to scuba and free diving in the near future. Thanks for posting videos with some wonder footage of your travels and information. 👍😁
Thanks so much for following along! I really appreciate you. Have fun with your courses!!
Good on you Sarah for sharing and promoting this topic, even through the difficulties you experienced! Tech diving does open up some wonderful dive sites and adds safety significantly to the dives of course through the addition of gases and extra bottles, which is great. Personally, I just can't afford to do it currently. It's good to see a PADI shop taking the courses so seriously too. I feel for you in your van life struggles, but you are winning - as you say, you get to go to some great places and dive them on the cheap! Yay! 🤣
Absolutely! I’m open to doing more technical diving, but I still love simple dives in open water where I just get to chill with an octopus or ray 🤓
Well get your arse over here to Australia and I'll show you some nice dives here in Sydney.
@@AzulUnlimited
Wow, such a lovely video. You are a true inspiration ❤️
Aww thanks. You’re too kind
You must've been looking through my journal... I know about dehydration all too well. We call it a rookie mistake, but us old timers are just as guilty, and getting a pee-valve installed is a brilliant invention. Let's just say, I've been down that road too.
Haha! Yes, what's that saying about "old dogs and new tricks"? Maybe it's something I will have to look into with my drysuit. I've heard it really is a game changer.
You really saw a lot of creatures under the sea & on the surface too! Great video! Sweet Abby wanted Mama to stay with her on land … so precious…
Sorry you got dehydrated…it’s good you knew what it was… Hope you are feeling much better now…
As a non-diver … I thought everyone just urinated in their wet or dry suit and clean it afterwards?
😊 the sea lions were so much fun!
You got it right about the wetsuit, but you don’t want to do that with a drysuit. You stay warm in a drysuit by basically wearing pijamas under the suit and the suit allows you to have an air pocket between your body and the water that keeps you warm.
Another great video. Thanks for everything you do Sarah.
Sending big hugs to you! See you in April😊
13:38 Yep removed the carpet and installed hard wood in the basement 🤣 Tip carry guillotine cigar cutter in your kit and cut about half of the tip of that condom catheter off before terminating to the pee valve hose so it doesn't get pinched or kinked while diving. The cigar cutter can be very cheap for less than a few buck. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter
That’s a great tip! Thank you🤙
Tribal knowledge shared from my local dive peeps. We need to stick together on the knowledge share as it raises the bar and often promotes safer dive practice. 😃🤙
Sorry you had to suffer dehydration, I got seriously dehydrated once (non diving related) and it was deeply unpleasant and nearly an emergency situation.
However something I shout about whenever dehydration comes up in diving now, is that overhydration is also a problem, as it's a risk factor for IPO (or IPE for Americans). Always worth mentioning so people don't hear the message about dehydration and then overcompensate. The key is to stay normally hydrated.
Wow! I had no idea! Thank you so much for the information. You're right, everyone always warns against dehydration, but I've never really heard of warnings agains OVER hydration. You learn something new everyday!
@@AzulUnlimitedYou're very welcome, that's why I shout about it, lots of well informed experienced people aren't aware. It's only in the last few years we've come to understand how many "drowning" or "heart attack" deaths in diving are actually IPOs, and lots of agencies haven't updated their materials yet. It's also worth people understanding the main signs (divers saying out of air when they're not, and refusing working alternates as not working) and first aid (o2, sit up, NOT lie down, don't give fluids). I had some sources with info (so it's not just the rambling of a madman on RUclips :-), but RUclips won't let me post links in comments.
Tech diving is nice.
Yes it is!
Next time you’re at Lobos we’ll show you our shore diving sidemount method. Spoiler: we use buoys to stage off the end of the ramp. But I agree with using BM for tech courses. SM is great for penetration like cave or wreck, or if you have shoulder issues and can’t reach your valves well.
Ah yes, I’ve done that at Lobos. Buoys are great tools 😁
Video and music beautiful as always. Just starting my tech journey with TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco later this year, just so I can spend some more time exploring. For me I agree it's not about depth, just time, and a chance to broaden and improve my skills.
You’re gonna love it! Let me know how you get on with the course👏
The financial struggle is real for all of us. That being said I will find a way to transition from open circuit recreational diving straight to rebreather instead of the open circuit tech route. I'm not into all the excessive tank hauling and heavy steel 100 twin set I already own. At fifty I'm still viable but not getting any younger. Keep up the fight you're looking great in all your adventures! Cheers, #SeattlRingHunter
Thanks so much. Yeah I think rebreather could be in my future one day too. It does make a lot of sense-just a huge investment
the regs looking sick!!! cant wait to try them out.pee valve is the only thing i miss from uk diving
Thanks so much! I feel like I’ll have to give in to the pvalve one of these days but… eeep.
Install a pee valve in your dry suit Sarah! You can install it onsite yourself. It just a small hole and some aqua seal. Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter
It’s not the installation that worries me. It’s the setup and use for women that sounds freaking awful
Yes unfortunately the she pee process not so hassle free as it is for us men.
I have learned over the years having fun is a hell of a lot of work! 🤣🤙💪🤿😎❤️
Diving most of the year in a dry suit, the pee situation really is annoying for female divers. I tried a "she pee" and diapers so far, but finally ended up to go to the toilet at the dive shop. Luckily my dry suit diving is limited to lakes in Germany with dive shops around.
It's definitely a struggle. I know divers who just hold it until they can surface. But they typically only do 1 hour dives.
Pee Valves and technical diving go together like peanut butter and jelly. Yes it sucks particularly for women, I know someone that describes a Shee-pee as "Arts and crafts for your nether regions," but getting bent in a foreign country with limited access to proper medical care like a certain RUclipsr is worse.
I got to say that the instructor is quite right about depth, I do quite a bit of deco as part of my normal diving. My longest deco ummm... "hang" was 40 minutes of laying on a log at Little River, max depth 107ft just a solid 90 minutes at that depth.
Nice. Omg I love that comment. Arts and crafts… yeah, it’s a bit intimidating but I’m sure I’ll cave and install one at some point
@@AzulUnlimited Join the pee valve mafia we have cookies.. though they are made out of plastic and I probably found them randomly inside the cave.
Don't want to invest in a She-P?
I’ve just heard how challenging they are to attach and many of my friends have ended up peeing in their suits because of malfunctions. It all sounds messy
This is why a seven mil wetsuit comes in real handy. You can drink and pee as much as you want.
I know! I was regretting not wearing it for the course, but hey, I got over my fear of peeing off the back of the boat😆
@@AzulUnlimited well then we learned a new skill. PADI could make that a new specialty. Hahaha. Glad you recovered.
I’ve been told by female divers the pee valves situation sucks in regards to leaks so they use adult diapers
That’s why I’ve just been avoiding the situation😅 I’ll have to figure out an option that works for me, especially since I’m heading into the caves in a couple of weeks…
@@AzulUnlimitedcurious to know how you solve the issue. I think both solutions suck. Not sure which way I'll go...
@@AzulUnlimitedWish I was there with you! Next year, hopefully 😊
@@AzulUnlimited Adult diapers... It's just something else to add to the mental game, as the thought isn't that nice... But even as a man I'm not keen on a pee valve. And anything less than three hours dive time a diaper is fine. Plus a diaper covers the other need, should that very unfortunate necessity arise, where a pee valve does not...
Who owns a drysuit without a pee valve, that’s just dumb. Even my wetsuit which I Never wear has a pee valve!!!!
The whole set up for women sounds like a a nightmare, so no, I haven’t committed to it
Married me ❤😍😘
Erm, haha! Thanks for the compliment...