Best vs. Worst Diving Experience

[cam]

Calling all diving memories...

Here's a thread to chime in on your own personal best and/or worst diving experience.

What would you do again?  What would you NOT do again?

Thanks in advance!

[sum-yung guy]

some many good ones and a lot of "interesting" ones.....where to begin....

[smoothfin]

as far as locations?  i'd probably do them all again, even Lannon if I absolutely couldn't find anywhere else to go for whatever bizarre reason.  Best dive location is a toss-up  between everything Bonaire and some of the wreck dives in Lake Michigan, like the Northerner, car ferry, and willie.
as for bad dives, they've always yielded some lessons learned, but probably the worst mistake was a wetsuit dive in a very cold Lake Michigan in March, and just staying in longer than I knew I should have.  No damage done, but a dumb thing to do.  best dive experience was a toss-up between a pre-dawn-to-dawn dive in Bonaire on the Carib Inn house reef and diving the Northerner for the first time.

[oldtimer]

Best, worst..... hmmmm.  Not too many bad ones over the years.  Busted gear due to a careless charter boat captain soured a day or two.  Most memorable was being face to face with a Jew fish about the size of a VW beetle and my dive buddy pushing me in uncomfortably close so I could get his photo.  I did get several good ones. Ha.  Diving the kelp forests off Monterey California was really cool.  It was the first time I experienced aggressive marine life.  Quite a change from Lake Michigan.  On one of my first wreck dives I swam through the spokes of the Niagara's paddle wheel.  It's ashame its gone now. 
      Yeah, this is the topic for a warm fire place on a winters night, while planning the next ice dive. ha.

[Chris H]

One of my favorite dives to date is the first time I saw Sturgeon in the Wolf River.  It was amazing to be with them.

The SS Florida in Presque Isle, Lake Huron and the Gunilda in Lake Superior are right up there, but I need to get more time on both of them to know for sure.

I guess I've been pretty lucky, a worst doesn't stand out for me.

[Vtach]

I'd have to say that the worst AND best was a dive during the winter season on the Milwaukee.  The short of it is that I was diving with cheap, convoluted, malfunctioning gear and it failed me in over 100 feet of water leaving me with a trickle of flow from one reg and a blasting freeflow from another.  The reason why it was the best dive is because it forced me to open my damn eyes to how quick things can go to shit and just how important the proper equipment, training and mindset is.  After that, I sought proper education, training and spent a good dose on the appropriate equipment.  All that was put to good use on some fantastic shipwrecks like the Vernon, Florida, Windiate, Gunilda, etc...  Those are truly the best but without proper training, planning and equipment you are just rolling Darwin's dice.

[Chris H]

That dive was sort of a mess.  I'm glad MY convoluted stuff was working ;D

[matt t.]

I'm glad I didn't know you guys yet at that point  >. My worst time diving was the shallow water skills dive for my advanced nitrox/deco procedures class. It opened my eyes as to what a putz I was/am. My best dives (up to this point anyway) have been on the Lakeland this past summer. Everything came together with great conditions, a solid plan, long bottom times, and good buddies to share it with  .

[Dewit2it]

Worst

Some guy doing Discover Scuba in Redgranite with only one system.  Had a reg fail dead, then started somewhat working again.  Had to chase a kid thru the gloom. 

Reg was happy again when it got checked. ???

Best

No bodies from the above, and first open water dive in 12 years!

Next time, I cut the HP hose, and walk away! >

[cam]

speaking of...http://www.scubadivingtube.com/play.php?vid=351