CMAS in San Francisco?

Thus spake "Euge" <euge@o2.ie> :

>Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
>Francisco area?
>I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
>conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
>Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
>And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
>Cheers
>Eugene
>

As far as I know, no such creature in the US? Why does it have to be
CMAS? Plenty of good PADI, NAUI or SSI oriented shops (some less than
others).
--
dillon

Anyone who says grown men don't cry has never
taken a differential equations final.

My qualification is with CMAS. It doesn't have to be exclusively a CMAS
operator or club, just somewhere who recognises it, that's all.

"Dillon Pyron" <dmpyronINVALID@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:c5elm1lhu4t88ao0b5amuaqbethk5ja09k@4ax.com...
> Thus spake "Euge" <euge@o2.ie> :
>
>>Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
>>Francisco area?
>>I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
>>conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
>>Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
>>And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
>>Cheers
>>Eugene
>>
>
> As far as I know, no such creature in the US? Why does it have to be
> CMAS? Plenty of good PADI, NAUI or SSI oriented shops (some less than
> others).
> --
> dillon
>
> Anyone who says grown men don't cry has never
> taken a differential equations final.

I can't talk about San Francisco or the west coast, but in the Northeast
credentials from any recognized certifying agency is accepted. This
obviously includes CMAS.

Euge wrote:
> Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
> Francisco area?
> I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
> conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
> Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
> And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
> Cheers
> Eugene
>
>

In article <dkf74b$f5q$1@reader01.news.esat.net>, Euge <euge@o2.ie>
wrote:

€ My qualification is with CMAS. It doesn't have to be exclusively a CMAS
€ operator or club, just somewhere who recognises it, that's all.
€

I don't know of any dive shop in the US that offers CMAS certification.
I don't know of any dive shop/operator in the US tha wouldn't recognize
a CMAS certification for equipment rentals or recreational diving.

As a Southern California person, I don't have much experience with
NoCal diving. But from the friends I have in the area, Monterey Bay
seems to be a preferred location. It's about 2 hours drive south of San
Francisco (about an hour south of San Jose). By my standards, it's
colder than normal. By your standards, it's probably about the same.





€ "Dillon Pyron" <dmpyronINVALID@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
€ news:c5elm1lhu4t88ao0b5amuaqbethk5ja09k@4ax.com...
€ > Thus spake "Euge" <euge@o2.ie> :
€ >
€ >>Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
€ >>Francisco area?
€ >>I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
€ >>conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
€ >>Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
€ >>And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
€ >>Cheers
€ >>Eugene
€ >>
€ >
€ > As far as I know, no such creature in the US? Why does it have to be
€ > CMAS? Plenty of good PADI, NAUI or SSI oriented shops (some less than
€ > others).
€ > --
€ > dillon
€ >
€ > Anyone who says grown men don't cry has never
€ > taken a differential equations final.
€
€

Cheers guys, I appreciate it. I suppose the question I should have asked
should've been whether most dive operators recognise CMAS qualifications.
Then again, who's going to turn away a paying certified diver?.
Thanks again.
"Barry" <bklein5@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:YrJaf.50148$rE2.7648@fe10.lga...
>I can't talk about San Francisco or the west coast, but in the Northeast
>credentials from any recognized certifying agency is accepted. This
>obviously includes CMAS.
>
> Euge wrote:
>> Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
>> Francisco area?
>> I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
>> conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
>> Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
>> And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
>> Cheers
>> Eugene
>

Most dive operators will accept it. They might ask you what your level
means, so if you can tell them its the equivalent of a PADI open water,
advanced, rescue or whatever you will be ahead of things.

I'm not familiar with diving the San Francisco area, but I have dove in
Southern California and the middle Atlantic. Most dive boats do not put
a dive master in the water with you. Some places in Florida do. In any
case, you buddy up with someone on the boat and hope for the best. Most
of the time you get a pretty good partner.

Are you bringing your own gear? Most boat will supply filled tanks with
air or nitrox (if you're certified) and weights. Check on the nitrox.
The rest of the gear you will probably have to bring or rent at a dive shop.

Based on my diving in Southern California, the water will be cold--dry
suit--and the visibility less than tropical. This link will get you
surface conditions http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/rmd.shtml from buoys.

Euge wrote:
> Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
> Francisco area?
> I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
> conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
> Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
> And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
> Cheers
> Eugene
>
>

Hi Dr Yak,

Thanks for the informed response. My question is well and truly answered. It
sounds as though the conditions are similar to the Atlantic coast of Ireland
in the summer, a bit on the chilly side (relatively speaking)16C/61F but
good viz. I'll just probably bring mask, fins, regs and BCD only and hire
the rest.
Thanks again
Eugene
"Dr Yak" <Dr.Yak@NoSpam.Com> wrote in message
news:n1Saf.4705$Kv.2431@dukeread05...
> Most dive operators will accept it. They might ask you what your level
> means, so if you can tell them its the equivalent of a PADI open water,
> advanced, rescue or whatever you will be ahead of things.
>
> I'm not familiar with diving the San Francisco area, but I have dove in
> Southern California and the middle Atlantic. Most dive boats do not put a
> dive master in the water with you. Some places in Florida do. In any
> case, you buddy up with someone on the boat and hope for the best. Most
> of the time you get a pretty good partner.
>
> Are you bringing your own gear? Most boat will supply filled tanks with
> air or nitrox (if you're certified) and weights. Check on the nitrox. The
> rest of the gear you will probably have to bring or rent at a dive shop.
>
> Based on my diving in Southern California, the water will be cold--dry
> suit--and the visibility less than tropical. This link will get you
> surface conditions http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/rmd.shtml from buoys.
>
> Euge wrote:
>> Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
>> Francisco area?
>> I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
>> conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
>> Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
>> And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
>> Cheers
>> Eugene

Hi
I am a Nor Cal Diver.
Your best bet for the area is Monterey.
You can shore dive near the Aquarium or next to the Coast guard pier.
If you dive from the pier, there is a portable operation that comes by and
fills your tanks for around $5.00.

Here is my recommendation.
Find someone with a boat, and head out towards the kelp beds due west of the
Aquarium.
About a 1/4 mile out.
Tie the boat (Kayak or zodiak is best) to the bouy, and assend down into the
kelp.
It is great.
Like flying through a forest, and the Sea Lions and Otters keep you company.

Remember....
Dress warm, and be aware sometimes the Viz stinks.

Good luck on your dives.

"Euge" <euge@o2.ie> wrote in message
news:dkd2f6$oef$1@reader01.news.esat.net...
> Just wondering what the situation is with diving C.M.A.S in the San
> Francisco area?
> I do most of my diving in Ireland so I'm well used to cold/temperate
> conditions. I'll be heading out the for a holiday soon.
> Anybody have any recommendations for operators/clubs?
> And of course the obvious question, what's the diving like there?
> Cheers
> Eugene
>