New member
Mar 10, 2019 18:16:26 #
Max Bottomtime
Loc: Torrance, California
My name is Phil Garner, but many people know me as Max Bottomtime on various scuba forums. The handle comes from a dive computer manual. I've been diving for more than three decades but didn't begin shooting underwater until 2005. It's still a huge learning curve.
I'm currently shooting with a Nikon D3x in a Subal housing. My go to lenses are Sigma 15mm, Nikon 60, Nikon 85mm1.4g and Nikon 105. I also use a Nikon 16-35 occasionally, but I have to pry it away from my wife, who also shoots underwater.
I'm currently shooting with a Nikon D3x in a Subal housing. My go to lenses are Sigma 15mm, Nikon 60, Nikon 85mm1.4g and Nikon 105. I also use a Nikon 16-35 occasionally, but I have to pry it away from my wife, who also shoots underwater.
Mar 10, 2019 19:54:55 #
Welcome, Max. I'm a scuba diver too. I was first certified in 1975 on Guam. Are you going to be posting in the underwater section of the forum?
Mar 10, 2019 20:25:08 #
Mar 10, 2019 22:37:14 #
Max Bottomtime
Loc: Torrance, California
I didn't even know there was one! Thank you so much. I'll check it out.
Mar 10, 2019 23:26:45 #
Mar 11, 2019 00:06:53 #
Mar 11, 2019 01:43:02 #
Mar 11, 2019 06:34:22 #
Mar 11, 2019 06:51:20 #
Max Bottomtime wrote:
I didn't even know there was one! Thank you so much. I'll check it out.
Hint: If you click on "Quote Reply" we'll know to whom you are replying.
Mar 11, 2019 07:51:08 #
Welcome Phil. I use to patrol the Torrance area. Our office was on Maple Street. Welcome aboard.
Mar 11, 2019 08:36:30 #
Mar 11, 2019 10:14:12 #
Mar 11, 2019 11:01:08 #
Hi, Phil,
I'm a new member of the 'Hog', and my Nick is Scooter, and I as well used to Scuba Dive, here along the South Texas Gulf Coast. Known as "Hurricane Alley". I also ride a 'HOG', a Harley Davidson Heritage Classic! Cobalt blue with silver trim.
I loved going out from Aransas Pass out into the Gulf about fifty miles out, where the water is a Spectacular Cobalt Blue!
I liked to perch on the Bow of the Dive Boat sometimes and watch the little 'flying fish' take off like mini rockets, as they skipped across the Ocean's waves. Otherwise, I'd lay some soft life vests on the boat's motor housing and sleep during the four hr. ride out to the Southern Oil rig.
I loved it when we hit the 'Sweet Spot' at our Dive Locations when the Tide was In Between and there was absolutely No tidal flow. Nothing is worse than going out on a dive, only to have it coming in or going out Strongly!
So many folks think that Oil Rig Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are an Environmental Disaster. Unless someone screwed the pooch, like the one they made the Movie about, the older Rigs in close to shore are EXCELLENT dive locations. In fact, it is where a lot of Pet Fish Stores for Salt Water fish come to COLLECT their Tropical Fish.
They use a three inch to six inch PVC pipe with slightly smaller one inside, which allows them to 'suck' the pretty fish into the tube with touching them, thereby not harming them in the capture, stick the end of the tube into a Plastic Bag and Push the tube's plunger and insert the fishies into the plastic Travel Bag.
Having placed them in the plastic bag, when they get back up on Deck of the Dive Boat, they insert a small plastic tube into each bag one at a time and turn on the Valve of their Pure O2 tank to give them Pure Oxygenated water into their Travel Bag, so that they survive the ride in to the Coast.
There is a whole world of Tropical Fish around the legs of the Rigs. If folks are not told the photos or videos were of an Oil Rig, they'd say "I never knew we had Coral Reefs here along the Texas Coast".
The Barracudas are all around the Rig's legs .... in various packs and they couldn't care less about Scuba Divers! But when they launch an 'attack' at some fish, they ripple through the water so fast, at first you wonder 'why' is that sunlight rippling through the water? Until it Stops, with a fish snatched in its mouth.
There actually IS a Coral Reef up closer to the Latitude Houston is on, but out in the Gulf. It is not down here by Aransas Pass.
I liked using my NITROX enriched O2 air mix, so that my body didn't get too much Nitrogen in-take. After a Two Dive day, with regular air, by the time you get home .... you crash into bed, like you're coming down with a Cold. With NITROX, you don't even feel like you'd been diving at all.
WARNING: Never go below 100 ft. using NITROX - Enriched Oxygen content is DEADLY at deeper depths, there is No Warning, you just simply Die! Buy them books and send them to school and Still some don't believe the Warnings. Oooh wellll.
God's way of thinning the "Bad Genes from the Pool" or something like that . . .
I'm a new member of the 'Hog', and my Nick is Scooter, and I as well used to Scuba Dive, here along the South Texas Gulf Coast. Known as "Hurricane Alley". I also ride a 'HOG', a Harley Davidson Heritage Classic! Cobalt blue with silver trim.
I loved going out from Aransas Pass out into the Gulf about fifty miles out, where the water is a Spectacular Cobalt Blue!
I liked to perch on the Bow of the Dive Boat sometimes and watch the little 'flying fish' take off like mini rockets, as they skipped across the Ocean's waves. Otherwise, I'd lay some soft life vests on the boat's motor housing and sleep during the four hr. ride out to the Southern Oil rig.
I loved it when we hit the 'Sweet Spot' at our Dive Locations when the Tide was In Between and there was absolutely No tidal flow. Nothing is worse than going out on a dive, only to have it coming in or going out Strongly!
So many folks think that Oil Rig Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are an Environmental Disaster. Unless someone screwed the pooch, like the one they made the Movie about, the older Rigs in close to shore are EXCELLENT dive locations. In fact, it is where a lot of Pet Fish Stores for Salt Water fish come to COLLECT their Tropical Fish.
They use a three inch to six inch PVC pipe with slightly smaller one inside, which allows them to 'suck' the pretty fish into the tube with touching them, thereby not harming them in the capture, stick the end of the tube into a Plastic Bag and Push the tube's plunger and insert the fishies into the plastic Travel Bag.
Having placed them in the plastic bag, when they get back up on Deck of the Dive Boat, they insert a small plastic tube into each bag one at a time and turn on the Valve of their Pure O2 tank to give them Pure Oxygenated water into their Travel Bag, so that they survive the ride in to the Coast.
There is a whole world of Tropical Fish around the legs of the Rigs. If folks are not told the photos or videos were of an Oil Rig, they'd say "I never knew we had Coral Reefs here along the Texas Coast".
The Barracudas are all around the Rig's legs .... in various packs and they couldn't care less about Scuba Divers! But when they launch an 'attack' at some fish, they ripple through the water so fast, at first you wonder 'why' is that sunlight rippling through the water? Until it Stops, with a fish snatched in its mouth.
There actually IS a Coral Reef up closer to the Latitude Houston is on, but out in the Gulf. It is not down here by Aransas Pass.
I liked using my NITROX enriched O2 air mix, so that my body didn't get too much Nitrogen in-take. After a Two Dive day, with regular air, by the time you get home .... you crash into bed, like you're coming down with a Cold. With NITROX, you don't even feel like you'd been diving at all.
WARNING: Never go below 100 ft. using NITROX - Enriched Oxygen content is DEADLY at deeper depths, there is No Warning, you just simply Die! Buy them books and send them to school and Still some don't believe the Warnings. Oooh wellll.
God's way of thinning the "Bad Genes from the Pool" or something like that . . .
Mar 11, 2019 11:20:46 #
Welcome Phil and I love underwater shots of any kind as I once did your hobby as well. Good luck sir.
Mar 11, 2019 13:21:56 #
You are most welcome here! Be sure and check out the "All Sections" link at the bottom of the page - tons of topics, ideas, images, etc. to excite your photographic palette! 
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