Ok everyone, not a CIA style investigation or dating website questionaire (!) but I thought it may be interesting to see who some of us are (outside of our screen names!), what our levle of diving is, and any other information you may like to share - interests, family, interesting stories!

I will happily kick off...

I am an 31 year old, ex-pat Brit and I've been over here for two years now. I met and married a kiwi girl in London and we were there for about 5 years before we decided to move back here. We have a house in Onehunga along with our son Nate (3 months as of this post), a ginger cat and the worlds largest chocolate labrador.

I work for APN, running one of the advertising sales teams, and to be honest , really enjoy my job! (If you want to do some advertising I'm your man!)

I've been diving now for about 18 months, after getting my qualifications for basic in September 06. I did the first SODS advanced course with Azza (much respect on that!) and have been diving on that level for nearly a year now. I'm currently refining my equipment set up, after doing the classic run out and buy everything from an LDS and then thinking about how I may use it! (see my thread re computers currently for prime example!)

Best dives for me so far have been at the Poor Knights (tie dye arch!) and off Little Barrier Island. But trying to get more done when I can - which currently with a three month old is definitely challenging! I have a week in Vanuatu this year and hope to get a dive or two done up there.

I'm the treasurer of SODS, which really just means that I control the cash flow and will be chasing you all up in 6 moths for year two subs! We're trying to make the club and this website better all the time, and will soon be posting up some social events so we can meet you all properly.

Other interests for me are most sports, Rugby is my true passion but I still keep up with the premier league from the UK and I have an interest in most other sports (apart from Netball which I just don't get!). I used to ride motorbikes (but not allowed anymore by order of 'er indoors!) and I love to play poker too.

So that is me, we'd love to know more about our members, and I'm sure my fellow board members will be putting their own stories up here soon.

Tall girls, short skirts.

Hi, my name is Phil, and it’s been 2 days since my last dive.

It all started back in 1996 when I got involved with the wrong crowd. They took me under their wing and over a 3 month period got me hooked on breathing compressed gas and the best practice art of wielding a crow bar down at 30m; they called it ‘BSAC Sports Diving’. Despite this initial addiction, I was pretty much in control of the situation, only dabbling in scuba during the summer months and whilst on holiday (it’s always hard to ‘just say no’ in Ibiza). After a brief stint in the US, I moved to New Zealand in 2002. This is where all the troubles really started. I fell in with a local group who introduced me to new and more potent mixes – nitrox & O2 during various courses up to TDI Extended Range. I used to just dabble from time to time. Then it became every dive.
All dives are good dives, but the 40-60m range is where I love it most. I’ve done around 200 dives to date in many locations around the world; I rate New Zealand as being consistently the best.
Recently I’ve been drawn in with a new set – GUE, having just complete the Fundamentals training. Here though, once again, I know they’re going to push me on to the most expensive hit of them all – Helium. I’ve managed to resist the temptation so far, however it’s just a question of time.

So yeah, my name is Phil, just taking it one dive at a time…

I'm Judy, my sister is Wendy....my brother's Raymond (...ok, he doesn't dive). I'm the eldest of the lot, watched divers on TV when I was little, thought it was amazing, but wasn't allowed, so when I broke free from the chains (financially, mainly) I dragged my sister to an SSI OW course with me about a year ago. Recently I've again dragged her to an AOW course training under Azza (the great!).

I'm a pharmacist, working 9 hours a week, yes - 9. Rest of the time, I'm a research student at the UoA, this is my last year hopefully, meaning LOTS of stress and not enough sleep. Diving is my stress-reliever, um...you don't want to be anywhere near me during winter I'm trying to get a drysuit so I can relieve more stress later this year when I start to write up my thesis (...again, no one wants to be near me at the time). People keep asking me what I want to do after I complete my degree, I don't really know up until last month, but now I know...wreck diving!

Diving is great!

Ha haaa!! Yup the Lerm will do that to ya..

Oh right I guess I better do the intro thing too..

I'm Rob, 35, Live in Christchurch, moving to Welly very soon and have been a professional Firefighter for about 10 yrs...

I have a fondness for DIY dive gear and I like to /vigorously debate.

Im Greg. Engaged to the beautifull Catfish and father of Charlie and Ella.
I started diving in 2002. It was a slow start taking 2.5 years to clock up 100 dives. In the next 3 years I clocked up nearly 100 dives a year for a current total of 373 logged dives.
I started with SSI OW then did my deep, night and wreck as a package between 100-150 dives. To be honest I was very disapointed with the level of training I recieved. It was after this that I started to consider "tech diving" (A term I dont really like). So I did the SSI EAN course then brought some twins and spent time getting used to them and advancing my skills.
I did my 300th dive during my TDI advanced nitrox and deco procedures course in march 07.

A few months ago I broght a O2 rebreather setting off my interest in RB's. I soon realised how limiting this unit was so I brought a IDA 71 Russian rebreather with the aim of converting it to a full mixed gas mCCR rebreather in several stages. Stage 1 is almost complete.

Like Flipper, diving to me is an addiction (just ask Cat).
And like PB I enjoy the DIY side of dive gear.

my name is Kris... I am an alcoholic

Live out West Auckland, Been Diving for for just over a year now, also currently doing my AOW.

Currently Married with a new xbox partner on the way in July... (any ideas for names??)

Thats me

I’m Aaron but everyone calls me Azza.
I’m in my early 30’s and have been diving since 2001. A mate of mine invited me on a 6 month tour of Central America and suggested I learn to dive first because Belize has some great diving. So I took an OW course then decided to do my AOW course then a year and 135 dives later I was a broke Divemaster with all my own gear (the latest and greatest apparently) and never did get to Belize.
I have now sold all that “wonderful latest and greatest” gear and moved to a much better (and would have been cheaper in the long run) gear configuration.
I have been a TDI Decompression Procedures Diver since 2003 and an Extended Range diver since 2004 and a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer since 2005 with probably close to 1000 dives mostly in cold low viz water and around half of these in depths below 30 metres but still feel I am an average diver with average skills with LOTS more to learn.
I have been obsessed with diving since I started but are now having to slow down as I have a crippling mortgage since the banks put up their interest rates.

I have a wonderful wife and two Chocolate Labradors (about half the size of Alex’ horse..err..Labrador) and have been drawn into the world of Gundog Trialing and hopefully some great bird hunting this coming season.

My favourite kind of diving is wrecks as I love to explore and to me that is what diving is all about. I don’t mind big deep deco dives or wee baby 6 metre dives and all in between as long as I am underwater.

I enjoy mentoring and helping new divers discover great diving and infrequently run dive courses or sessions for SODS members at/near cost with one condition attached.
The condition is that (I am doing club members a favour by doing these courses at cost) I expect all who undertake these courses from me to pay it forward and one day take a newbie under your wing and help them gain some skills and confidence underwater. If you see someone experiencing issues with buoyancy for example I expect you to give them a bit of a hand and pass some of your experience on with some tips you learned on your course.

I also do my own private training at prices roughly around twice to three times the price of the dive industry. This is because;
A. I don’t sell C Cards, I sell training and it may take more than the bare minimum according to standards to get your cert card from a course.
B. I often teach one-on-one or sometimes two-on-one and put a lot more effort and time in than the average dive mill…err…shop. Some of my students have done over 20 dives while attempting to get a C Card of me.

I sometimes come across as fiery on forums but can assure you I don’t bite and often am smiling away to myself as I post. I simply believe in what I say and will defend my viewpoint so to some I may appear aggressive on the forums. I don’t think I am but feel free to PM me if you have any concerns about my posting because I truly never have malice in my posts (although some don’t realize that) but am not always the best communicator with the written word.
I am also straight to the point and don’t beat around the bush and cover my words with flowers and cherries. If I have something to say I will give it straight. (My wife reckons this is my major downfall in life as most people nowadays don’t actually like honesty..they prefer to be bullshitted and walk away smelling like roses).

If I can help any of you in anyway shape or form please do give me a PM or a phone call. If I can’t help I can probably find someone that can.

Cheerio

Looks like I scared everyone away again

real Names Nigel Harkness married and have a one year old named Nathanael i have managed to log 7 dive including the 4 i did getting my ow
in September am a teachers aid. i run the youth group at our church Redoubt North Wesleyan. I am starting to feel a little more confident in my diving but still have a long way to go to feel at home. hoping to get in some more dives these holidays if I can shake my cold. If not there is always next holidays.

Hey hey

My name is Mel and I have been diving since June 2007 where I learnt in Raratonga. I am 32 and single with no kiddies!

Have fallen head over heels in love with diving and try to get out as much as possible but with work at thye moment it is very limited!

Have meet most off the forum and they are lovely, warm, inviting friendly crew!

Mel

Hi there, I'm Andrea.

I started diving about three years ago and have mainly been a vacation diver so far, but want to improve and make more of all the fantastic diving we have on our doorstep! I've dived Great Barrier, Fiji, Similans (Thailand), Poor Knights and the Lake . I'm half way through my AOW and will hopefully be completing the course up in Tutakaka some time this month.

In order to get dive money, I am a primary school teacher, which has the wonderful side effect of giving me lots of holidays to go to exciting places. Next stop is Tonga in July (hopefully with humpback whales!).

Looking forward to meeting you all!

Andrea

Hi Andrea
Thanks for filling us in and we too hope to catch up for a dive with you one day.

Being a diver would make for some wonderful education opportunities for your kids. Good on you.
Cheers
Azza

I'm Greg (but my friends call me Bluey)

I started diving in 1990 while living and working in Fiji for a year. Didn't do a heap of diving at that point as I was saving money to travel farther and was living in Lautoka which didn't have great local sites (needed a boat).
I got back into it in 2006 and am real fully hooked this time. I have completed around 80 dives and have my own kit now.
I enjoy all types of diving and like to go slow and check things out. Not really into hunting much though.
I enjoy learning new skills and fine tuning my equipment as I'm an engineer by trade. I am now self employed making traditional tents e.g Tipis and Mongolian Yurts. http://www.jaiatipis.com

I look forward to meeting and diving with some of you

Bluey