It’s all about the equipment

[deanme]

I was sharing the experience with my adventures yesterday with a friend, and it hit me. I was talking more about the fun I had acquiring spare parts for diving then I did the dive itself. Bill Rennaker’s place is famous for having all kinds of spare parts for diving. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I can spend hours going through all the bags of spare parts he has hanging on his walls throughout his shop.

My philosophy is, if they have it, get it. How many times have you been in a dive store and asked for a $3.00 part, and they don’t have it. Over time, I’ve developed a spare parts bag, where I buy 2 or 3 or 10 of something, so I have it when I need it. It’s kind of like collecting fine wine, only on a budget.

So when I go to Bill’s store, I’m a little overwhelmed. He has almost everything. And when I asked if they had something I could not find, Lyn Rennaker looked up the item in the computer, and wamo, inventory showed they had 14 pieces somewhere in the store. It became a mission with both of us searching, kind of like when someone loses a golf ball and all 4 players pitch in to help find it, and minutes later we located the part.

Maybe it is the obsessive nature we all share as cave divers. So I thought I would share with others who can relate.

By the way, the dive at Peacock doing the Grand Traverse was great. Water was a bit cold (70 degrees), but the viz in the cave was wonderful. Viz in Orange Grove is about 2 feet, if that.

Sidenote: I’m planning another spare parts trip this coming weekend at Mill Pond at Edd’s. Anyone interested in sharing the cost of a dive boat to dive Hole-In-The-Wall on this Saturday, September 19th, please send me a message. I would like to do two dives, one upstream and one downstream.

[w ripley]

My UPS delivery man and I have been on a first-name basis for several years. Each time the front doorbell rings my wife just shakes her head. You would think that eventually you wouldn't need anything else, and then someone comes out with a new this or that, or there is a sale, or there is a scuba flea market, or a hose wears out, or...

[Meister481]

I was sharing the experience with my adventures yesterday with a friend, and it hit me. I was talking more about the fun I had acquiring spare parts for diving then I did the dive itself. Bill Rennaker’s place is famous for having all kinds of spare parts for diving. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I can spend hours going through all the bags of spare parts he has hanging on his walls throughout his shop.

My philosophy is, if they have it, get it. How many times have you been in a dive store and asked for a $3.00 part, and they don’t have it. Over time, I’ve developed a spare parts bag, where I buy 2 or 3 or 10 of something, so I have it when I need it. It’s kind of like collecting fine wine, only on a budget.

So when I go to Bill’s store, I’m a little overwhelmed. He has almost everything. And when I asked if they had something I could not find, Lyn Rennaker looked up the item in the computer, and wamo, inventory showed they had 14 pieces somewhere in the store. It became a mission with both of us searching, kind of like when someone loses a golf ball and all 4 players pitch in to help find it, and minutes later we located the part.

Maybe it is the obsessive nature we all share as cave divers. So I thought I would share with others who can relate.

By the way, the dive at Peacock doing the Grand Traverse was great. Water was a bit cold (70 degrees), but the viz in the cave was wonderful. Viz in Orange Grove is about 2 feet, if that.

Sidenote: I’m planning another spare parts trip this coming weekend at Mill Pond at Edd’s. Anyone interested in sharing the cost of a dive boat to dive Hole-In-The-Wall on this Saturday, September 19th, please send me a message. I would like to do two dives, one upstream and one downstream.

I can't get out of Edds under a grand. I swear it's impossible. If you waited a week I'd be all about it. Hole is my new Fav cave.

[BecKave]

My UPS delivery man and I have been on a first-name basis for several years. .

and the Fedex and Post office! =)