Barotrauma, donkey basketball, and a new friend from the river...

[@AzulUnlimited]

Did you know donkey basketball was a thing? I still can't believe it 😆 ✅ Join the Azul scuba community: www.patreon.com/azulunlimited Dive with me 2023/2024: azulunlimited.com/upcoming-diving-expeditions/

[@mahnkemachine3281]

To your comment on weighting…. You will find most of us in the north diving steel tanks. I, personally, need about the same amount of weight diving in my dry suit with a steel tank, vs diving a 3 mil wetsuit diving an AL80 in the tropics. Granted, part of that has to do with freshwater vs saltwater, but still, the buoyancy characteristics of steel tanks are preferable up here. That’s less weight we have to carry, when the gear isn’t light in the first place! Considering that an AL80 is close to the same weight and dimensions as a steel HP100, it just makes sense. When it comes to freshwater diving, I’ll agree that it holds no candle to saltwater diving. Up here, in the Great Lakes, there isn’t much to see but sand. Fortunately, we have some spectacular wrecks to dive! They make it worthwhile up here! But I’m not going to lie, it’s not warm down there! Average temps at depth are around 40F!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thank you for that information. I’m still learning so much about diving with different sized steel tanks. It’s a trip! One of these days I’ll make it to the Great Lakes.

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

Here in the mid west We dive because we love to dive

[@AzulUnlimited]

You guys rock!

[@timgosling6189]

I dive because I love the sensation of diving, of hovering in space in a strange world. It doesn't matter whether it's a cold lake or a warm sea, that feeling is the same.

[@AzulUnlimited]

That’s awesome! I feel the same way, but videos are hard to make when there’s not much to film😆

[@timgosling6189]

@@AzulUnlimited I guess I’m lucky. To paraphrase John Lennon, ‘content is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans’🤿😳😊👌

[@davidb5195]

ririe is for sure an interesting place to dive

[@AzulUnlimited]

It was really fun. Crawdads are silly😊

[@vincentsubmarinismo774]

Wishing you well in Baja sarah 🤿 Hugs to Abby and yourself 🤗🤗🇬🇧

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thank you! Can't wait to get to the heat - commenting back from my chilly van in Oregon :)

[@vincentsubmarinismo774]

@@AzulUnlimited same here😁, I head to the Yucatan peninsula end of next month, looking forward to warm weather ☀️and cool cenotes 🤿🇲🇽

[@AzulUnlimited]

Amazing! Have so much fun!!

[@vincentsubmarinismo774]

@@AzulUnlimited thanks, I absolutely will! 🤿😁🇲🇽

[@stucorbett]

That shop looked awesome. Also, I tried to watch your your last live post but couldn't find the link on both KZbin and Patreon. Not sure what I was doing wrong as I've always been able to find it. I'll figure it out for next time.

[@AzulUnlimited]

Shoot! I’m so sorry. I just sent you the link on patreon🙏

[@troop1026]

Glad to see you posting. Thought maybe something happened to you. I was going to call and make sure you where good. I love land locked diving. It makes me appreciate going to the Caribbean that much more or diving up around the Seattle area.

[@AzulUnlimited]

I’ve had a lot to manage with teaching in person and some new projects coming up. I should be back to posting regularly soon. So much to do all the time! 😆

[@troop1026]

@@AzulUnlimited glad to here your back teaching in person. I have another class just started here in Montana. I know you talked about having to be resilient in one of your videos. That’s what I was going to call you. Glad to know you’re OK. Take care sister you’re one of the best.

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thanks so much!

[@Yggdrasil42]

Looks similar to here in The Netherlands. I drive to salt water a few times a year but my weekend diving is in lakes. Mostly clay and mud, some fish depending on season but nothing spectacular. Our dive clubs sink wrecks and other objects like busses or statues to attract divers. Those can be fun to see. Today I spent an hour looking for a wreck that I didn't find because the viz was pretty bad. At least the weather was nice. Dive #399.

[@AzulUnlimited]

Nice! Hey, you dive what you have, right? It’s just nice to be in the water🤙

[@nfthach]

OMG. I had my first brush with barotrauma last weekend - ignored a pain behind my eyes that wasn’t a headache, I attributed it to dehydration. My last dive for the weekend I had trouble equalizing and kicked up a few feet to equalize with no issues. I noticed brown droplets in my mask - took it off, cleared it, but it came back. I surfaced with a bloody nose. I saw bloody clots during a sinus rinse. Lesson learned, I can thumb the dive if I have sinus issues. I want to join one of your expeditions - I’ll wait until I get more experience as a diver and my AOW - maybe late 2024/early 2025?

[@AzulUnlimited]

I’ve never had the bloody nose issue but I’ve seen it plenty of times with clients. Always a good call to listen to your body! As for expeditions, you’re more than welcome to join the Baja trip. It’s perfect for beginners. If you’re interested, just email me [e-mail] 🤙 regardless, it’d be great to have you join whenever it works for you

[@00bikeboy]

That seemed like a missed opportunity to knit yourself a new sweater 😊

[@AzulUnlimited]

Noooo pobrecito 😆 It was having a tough enough time being lost

[@samuelcolt4591]

Dang I could have met you! Benjamin is my side mount instructor, we dive up at Ririe quite often

[@AzulUnlimited]

Aww sorry we didn’t cross paths!

[@MikeDodds]

Abby was like, “That is the weirdest dog I have ever seen!!!! I’ll protect you mom!!!”

[@AzulUnlimited]

She’s all growling and no action😆

[@MikeDodds]

@@AzulUnlimitedNever forget, she’s the biggest baddest dog named Abby that she knows!!! 😂

[@paulstolzer1452]

Where will you guys be diving in Komodo ( live a board, scuba junkies etc)…I’m interested.

[@AzulUnlimited]

We’ll be diving in Komodo center and north (one day trip on my old boat and the liveaboard will be with Uber Scuba. Email me for details! [e-mail]

[@Teampegleg]

As a diver with frequent allergies diving stuffed is a major issue, I've missed a number of dives due to them. And most often happens when an out of town friend is down to dive. Your weighting math doesn't really jive. Typically going from AL80s to most common HP100s is to remove 4-5lbs per tank. Weighting with SM and drysuits is a pain in the rear, because I never get down to reserve pressure, and varying amount of tanks I carry, my weighting is at best a guess based on trial and error. Often I am starting the dive super negative with the wing nearly completely filled, ending with the wing completely empty

[@AzulUnlimited]

I’m still figuring it out and I don’t get experience with steels very often. I was just super overweighted the entire dive so that’s what I guessed. Thanks for the feedback though!

[@gbsailing9436]

I think I've lost my youthful diving mojo. I can't dive in creepy places like dams, sink holes and silty rivers anymore. I guess I did too much of that when I was young and became aware of some of the dangers...It's the open ocean for me now. Plenty of dangers there thankfully! 🤣🤣🤣

[@AzulUnlimited]

Makes sense😆 I’ll always take the ocean😍

[@gbsailing9436]

@@AzulUnlimited Well with poor visibility and really low light levels, you're faced with the dangers of submerged trees and branches which you gear and horses can get hung up on - a buddy coming to help might find they get into an even worse problem, and back out doesn't always fix the problem. Then there's the unknown likelihood of swimming under ledges or into small caves without realising it, if something were to happen and you wish to go up, you've got problems. Clear - un-panicked thinking is what is needed at those times. Without good surface support, I think it can be a little risky. As I've grown older, I prefer not to have the nightmares at night. SO it's the ocean for me.

[@caro_santamaria]

Noooo barotrauma is horrific 🫨🫨🫨

[@AzulUnlimited]

Very much so!

[@brandonscheer3151]

Are you adventuring up to NW Montana at all. Would love to catch up for a dive if you are!

[@AzulUnlimited]

I wanted to get up there, but didn’t quite make it. I’m back on the west coast