New To CHUM

[outback]

Hi and welcome to the City of Houston Underwater Mariners Bulletin Board. CHUM is a social dive club of divers based in Houston, Texas.

CHUM meets every 3rd Thursday of the month (except for December) at Jake's Sports Bar on Chimney Rock. Usually we'll have a guest speaker, or some entertainment and beers and cheers. All are welcome. For those of you logging in from out of town, the forums are for anyone, anywhere, so feel free to register and join in.

Once you have registered, please take a few moments to tell us something about yourself by replying to this thread. If you're new to diving, we have some experienced folk here on the site who'll be happy to answer questions, and if you are an old hand, then we're happy to ask you questions!

Check out our Upcoming Events thread to find out about upcoming meetings, dive and social events. And be sure to check out the Welcome to CHUM page.

 

[outback]

My 2c worth

I'm originally from over the pond, been in Houston for about 4 years now.

I originally learnt to dive in Kuwait in 1997. We had to do our AOW deep dive in the middle of the shipping channel as it was the only place we could hit 100'. Nothing to see but mud. Then as soon as one of us touched bottom, nothing to see but the inside of your mask. It was nice and warm though...

Since then I've managed to dive most of the major bodies of water around the planet and I'm starting to get into the tekkie world (welcome to the dark side...)

Gonna be fun!

PADI OWSI Instructor #186275.
IANTD Deep/Adv EANx
Lots of specialities I can't remember
Deep Guinness Speciality

 

[Sushi Boy]

my names Sushi Boy, and I'm a diveaholic...

Hi Everyone,

Take a sec and introduce yourself here (when you do, please let us know how you found out about us).

I'm the VP of CHUM, and when I'm not scuba diving, I work in sales to support my dive habit.

The best place I've been diving so far is the Galapagos, and I'm looking forward to upcoming dives in Roatan, Mexico, and Missouri.

Next...

 

[d1diver]

Hi all,

My name is Dione, am a native Houstonian, UT grad, who spent 14 years in the SF Bay Area. A newbie to diving. PADI Open Water Certification received in September 2004 as a birthday present from my family. My sister and brother in law got certified a couple of years ago and decided that I needed to as well. Yet another expensive sport for me that they introduced to me - the other being snow skiing. Just like skiing - I love it! I was on the swim team in for most of my childhood and in high school so being in the water is like second nature to me. We are planning our first major trip to Roatan this summer.

So glad to have been directed to this site by Sushi Boy. I look forward to get to know all of you, learning from your experiences and do some drinking em I mean diving! I will do my best to make it to the next monthly meeting.

 

[outback]

Hi all,

My name is Dione, am a native Houstonian, UT grad, who spent 14 years in the SF Bay Area. A newbie to diving. PADI Open Water Certification received in September 2004 as a birthday present from my family. My sister and brother in law got certified a couple of years ago and decided that I needed to as well. Yet another expensive sport for me that they introduced to me - the other being snow skiing. Just like skiing - I love it! I was on the swim team in for most of my childhood and in high school so being in the water is like second nature to me. We are planning our first major trip to Roatan this summer.

So glad to have been directed to this site by Sushi Boy. I look forward to get to know all of you, learning from your experiences and do some drinking em I mean diving! I will do my best to make it to the next monthly meeting.

Great to have you on the forum. Wait until you get into underwater photography if you think it's expensive so far!! You'll have a ball in Roatan - just make sure you get down to West End for sundowners and don't spend all the time at AKR.

 

[Sushi Boy]

just a note about this month's meeting

Due to the Irish and their rudely refusing to check our meeting schedule before planning their national holiday, our meeting will be bumped back until the 24th this month.

We WILL, however, be partaking of some green beer next Thurs., so when we figure out where, we'll let you know. Stay tuned...

(as close to a leprechaun as I could find)

 

[thermo]

Bollocks

Hello, I'm Thermo.

So named by Bill over at GMD because I complain about teaching scuba when it gets cold. As one of he original CHUMmers, I'm right proud of how the club has grown as well as proud and impressed by the works of the Officers. I miss being the first Poo-Bah which means I had no purpose except to get intoxicated for the general amusment of the membership.

It all started in Houston while I was working for SCI and teaching for GMD way back when. Now having quit my good paying job for a vow of poverty I own a boat in South Padre to service local dive sites and the Clipper. No retail though since it's a pain in the arse. I don't make a ton of money, but I do get to make what I do diving everyday in some capacity, so I can't complain.

I teach PADI and NAUI.

So I'm a satellite CHUM member now you might say. Anybody who wants to come dive the Clipper please do. I'll beat the other shop's price every day of the week and twice on Sunday for CHUMmers.

 

[Chunky]

Hello,

I'm Chunky, the self-proclaimed club mascot. I have no real function or uses here other than being annoying and being the chief cause of either loss of sleep, loss of appetite, or both in a majority of the club members at random times.I like to share, to the dismay of many(ask me to post my halloween pics sometime. I'm generally disgrntled and billigerent, so the best way to handle me generally is to ignore me.

As for diving I am a PADI assistant instructor and currently making my way through a series of technical diving courses. I have a bunch of random specialty certs and am currently looking to get into an instructor course as well as some gas blending courses.

 

[GWNDWN]

Hi

I'm GWNDWN,

I just your garden variety miscreant. I don't talk much but when I do it's usually of little consequence. I'm definately more interesting after a few malted beverages.....or so I've convinced myself.

Anyway. I've been diving for awhile, Became a PADI Dive Master in 1990.....ran out of dollars to put in so I mostly just dive. Working on technical stuff now and will probably go that direction for awhile.

Salud

 

[eddy]

It's a way of life...

Hi, I'm Nemarita and I was afraid of the water until the moment I strapped on a tank.

Seriously, I'm one of those people who had never gone underwater without holding my nose until the pool session of my Open Water Class. Since that time, I've found myself a new way of life. I run a scuba shop and spend all of my free time either planning new dive trips, or helping run local dives.....when I'm not in the pub with my dive buddies that is.

I'd also like to welcome everyone to this site. It is a true labor of love for those of us who started it and I hope to meet you all soon.

 

[dfishwoman]

Hello!

A warm South African in Houston welcome to all of our new members!

My name is dfishwoman, I dive and I am from South Africa (DUH!)! The accent tends to come out more after a few beers and then most people don't understand me at all, except maybe Outback, although Thermo is catching on quite nicely too!

Oh yes - Diving - Got my first taste in Greece on the island of Rhodes. All my FORMAL dive training was done in Cape Town, South Africa in COLD water. I even made it through a Dive Master class with 18 guys being the only woman - Don't EVEN go there!!! I am currently a NAUI Instructor, but dive purely for pleasure - a dive hedonist, if you will!

I have travelled extensively - lived in Cozumel for 4 months and now reside here in Houston.

 

[smash]

Lurker gone legit

Greetings! I've been lurking here since CHUM was founded, but I think I'll finally emerge from the recesses of cyberspace to say eh.

Anyway, many of you know me already, but for those who don't: I've been diving since 2001, PADI Master Scuba Diver (if Gigglin' Marlin and PADI will ever get that paper trail figured out), and underwater photography addict. Hoping to get a website up and running sometime this year. I've been lucky enough to dive in places like the Great Barrier Reef, Belize, Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Bahamas in addition to regular destinations like Cozumel and the Gulf of Mexico. Looking forward to diving many more great places and to meeting more CHUMmers!

Dive safe,
smash

 

[outback]

Good to have you on (the) board

Excellent, you finally came out of the lurker pool. Just so you know, we're planning on putting up galleries for photos in the near future. Until then, post links to your photos and we'll have a shufti

Cheers

 

[dfishwoman]

Shufti???

What is that? I understand you most of the time, but sometimes you just make it really difficult!

 

[Waterboy]

Hi you all!!!

Waterboy here, my name is Carlos AKA "Charlie". I'm here at this forum site thanks to Sushy Boy that gave us an invitation in another site.

I'm from South America, I learned to scuba dive back in Venezuela, my country about 12 years ago. I currently hold Padi Rescue Diver certification. Scuba is (of course) a pasion of mine even though I havent been in the water for the longest time and my "WET" suit is more dry than the Sahara desert. (shame to admite it)

Places where I have enjoyed diving... Of course back in my contry, most of the scuba sites are from the beach. So imagine your self camping and diving the whole weekend, no worries about boats, planes, altitud.... Also being in Bahamas, really nice dive. South of Cancun, in Playa del Carmen, also nice dive. And of course south Florida where I lived for few years.

 

[outback]

I'm from South America, I learned to scuba dive back in Venezuela, my country about 12 years ago. I currently hold Padi Rescue Diver certification. Scuba is (of course) a pasion of mine even though I havent been in the water for the longest time and my "WET" suit is more dry than the Sahara desert. (shame to admite it)

Places where I have enjoyed diving... Of course back in my contry, most of the scuba sites are from the beach. So imagine your self camping and diving the whole weekend, no worries about boats, planes, altitud.... Also being in Bahamas, really nice dive. South of Cancun, in Playa del Carmen, also nice dive. And of course south Florida where I lived for few years.

I travel down to Venezuela quite a bit (was in Caracas a couple of weeks ago) and have managed to dive at Margherita Island before, which was a lot of fun. It'd be great if you could start a thread of the best places to dive in Venezuela for next time.

And if you haven't been in the water for a while, the Comal river trip we have coming up should be an easy reintroduction to the wet side.

 

[d1diver]

Hi you all!!!

Waterboy here, my name is Carlos AKA "Charlie". I'm here at this forum site thanks to Sushy Boy that gave us an invitation in another site.

I'm from South America, I learned to scuba dive back in Venezuela, my country about 12 years ago. I currently hold Padi Rescue Diver certification. Scuba is (of course) a pasion of mine even though I havent been in the water for the longest time and my "WET" suit is more dry than the Sahara desert. (shame to admite it)

Places where I have enjoyed diving... Of course back in my contry, most of the scuba sites are from the beach. So imagine your self camping and diving the whole weekend, no worries about boats, planes, altitud.... Also being in Bahamas, really nice dive. South of Cancun, in Playa del Carmen, also nice dive. And of course south Florida where I lived for few years.

Hey, I know you! Nice to see you here.

 

[eddy]

A lurker no more...

Nice to see my old dive buddy pop her little head up out of the water.....

Welcome to CHUM Smash!!!

 

[Dee]

Newbie here

I found a link to CHUM on Scubaboard, I think it was posted by Leiserom/Mark. Looks like a very nice place!

Where is the Stag's Head pub? I live on the east side about 25 miles from Houston so I'm not real familiar with the watering holes in the big city. Don't know if I can make the meetings but I's surely like to join ya'll at some of the dive functions.

Beast and I generally dive Twin Lakes almost every weekend so I hope to meet some of you there.

 

[flipper]

Welcome to the Club

Welcome,

Here is the short answer. There is a map on the site, you can get the physical address and navigate your best course from http://maps.yahoo.com or your favorite map site.

http://www.stagsheadpub.com/location/index.htm


flipper