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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.
1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil
2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl
After 6 months of toothin I have what I feel is pretty respectable collection of teeth for a short period of time. I have honed my beach combing skills and I have even started to dig a little in some promising looking fall material. This is fine but some of the recent posts with teeth that have been pulled from diving makes me think this is a very valuable tool in the fossil hunters arsenal!! My question to the divers is what is the best way to get started, certified, get equipment etc. Also how long would it really take to be safe enough to go into an "average" fossil river for teeth? I am a good swimmer, in good shape, and comfortable in the water, but the only "diving" experience that I have was an 1 hour "snubba dive" in Hawaii on my honeymoon 8 years ago!! Chris
The first thing you want to do is get certified at least at a basic level. You can buy all the gear you need to dive, but if you don't have your C-card you can't get air and all your new gear is a dust collecting appliance. Most medium to large size cities along the east coast seem to have a dive center that gives lessons. It's been years since I went through the course but you can probably expect to pay around $800 to $1000 for lessons and your basic gear that you have to buy. Most of the really expensive gear can be rented at dive stores. Diving in general is not at all like the tooth diving I do, and good swimmers don't always make good divers. There are several different advanced dive classes that I have not taken but the diving I do would be covered by the following classes: Night Diver, Wreck Diver, Underwater Navigation, Recovery Diver, and probably more. Most of the fossil rivers are dark water or black water diving and you always need a flashlight so every dive is a Night Dive. If you are claustraphobic you will probably not enjoy river diving. If you freak out when unknown things bump into you, you won't have fun fossil diving. If you are the kind of person who would panic if you get temporarily stuck in an underwater tree or fishing line or soil your suit when an eel swims up into your face to see what you are, you might want to stay on land. That said, if you can think your way out of the occasional rough spot while keeping a cool head and enjoy seeing things that few people will ever see, you might find yourself spending the weekends at the bottom of a river in a ripping current holding on to a screwdriver jammed into the bottom while panning your dive light in slow arcs looking for big triangles. If you decide to river dive start with a river that's 20 feet deep or less with a mild current and work into faster rivers until you're comfortable with your abilities and gear. Get good gear. Don't buy someone else's old junk. River diving is a lot more dangerous than pond or quarry diving and your gear is your life. Diving can be a source of great fossils but it's dangerous, expensive, and you have to work hard to find the good stuff. Most of what I find is average to below average quality but there are some pieces that make up for it. Also, every dive isn't a guaranteed fossil bonanza. I have dove three or four days in a row, at three dives a day, and found nothing fossil related. The other thing you will need for river diving is a boat. It's a lot to think about and not everyone can do it but it can be fun and rewarding.
BRM thanks for all the valuable info! It sounds a little more involved then I anticipated, but definitely something I will look into. I live close enough to Baltimore, so I should be abile to find a dive shop to get started. I wonder if maybe getting some good snorkeling equipment would be worth it in the right spots along the bay and Potomac. Shouldn't have to go that deep, and the water should be passasble with a hand held light...or is that just a complete waste of time??
I haven't found much in the shallows of the Potomac but there are several places along the bay that have teeth in less than six feet of water. You probably won't need a light in the bay for snorkeling. If you do decide to snorkel the bay keep an eye out for the sea horses. They are pretty bland looking but they get up to around five inches. They are usually hanging onto the sea grass by their tails. There are also some tropical looking fish in the summer. I mention this in case there aren't any fossils where you're looking and you get desperate to see something.
Thats cool. I didnt know the bay had sea horses??? The snorkeling might be the way to go at first, just getting used to id teeth and other fossils. Thanks Chris
The more I find out from those in the know make it seem like this is a project for down the road. I have two boats, but I also have an energy filled three year old boy at home. Finding time just to fossil hunt is difficult enough. I was not thinking about all the hazzards that one can encounter and time required to get the needed dive experience, but rather picturing me in 15 feet of open water under the cliffs of some Potomac hotspot making a monster haul on 5 inch megs. I am thinking the snorkeling is the way to "get my feet wet" with alternative ways to get the big ones. Chris
Chris,
You've gotten some pretty good information from other divers so I'll try not to repeat.
As an SCUBA instructor I get asked all the time to take divers on some of my fossil trips. I appreciate their willingness and eagerness to get into black water diving, but almost every one is not ready (in my opinion).
The MOST important thing in the responses I've read is from Scubapaul about being comfortable being alone, independant, and in zero viz. Most shops will not give you enough time during training to get you there. Being certified is not the end-goal to all types of diving (especially zero viz/fossil diving). It is just like any other specialty (night, deep, wreck, etc) it's best to take classes first, work on building experience by diving after training, then take another class/repeat the process.
Black water diving is not for the faint of heart or the foolhardy. It sounds like you are making the right decision about your first steps.
Good luck.
I think my mind is made up for this summer to give snorkeling a try, see how that goes, and then work into a scuba program. I have done some limited snorkeling at the beach and back bays. I have a nice pair of BZ fins that I have had for years and I am very comfortable with, but what would you recommend for a good quality mask and snorkel?? Anything else that would be a necessity, feel free to let me know. Thanks Chris
As far as recommending a specific mask/snorkel I can only tell you to try on as many as possible. Find the mask that fits and is comfortable.
High volume masks will allow you to have better vision, but are more "difficult" to clear (takes more air to displace the water). Low volume masks require less air to clear but do not have as much open space for vision.
Don't create a vacum (by inhaling through your nose) when trying the mask on to check for fit. Press the mask to your face lightly and look in a mirror. If the inner seal rests against your skin in the corner of your eyes the mask fits properly. If the inner seal rests against your eyebrows the mask is too wide/big.
My personal preference for snorkels would be to avoid all the gadgets (purges or any "dry" attachments) they only add cost with no real benefit in ease of use.
You get what you pay for with SCUBA equipment, but MFS will last a long time even if you get the knock-off brands and take care of them. Just be sure to get a set that fits and is comfortable!