The 'Rouquayrol' diving device of 1865 vintage, (named after its inventors
Benoit Rouquayrol and Auguste Denayrouze) was one of the very early halfway
succesfull attempts at making autonomous breathing under water a
possibility.

I live in Southern California and I want to learn how to scuba.  The
ones I hear about the most are from Sports Chalet.
Has anyone had any experiences with them?  Are there better instructors or
classes?

any recent experiences and contacts  with dive operators in these locales'
greatly appreciated!
Marco
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Does anyone know the rules about carrying dive equipment on-board
domestic/international flights?  I can meet the in-cabin size & weight
requirements, however I wonder if security screeners have rules specific to
regulators/computers and the like nowadays.

Folks,
We're looking for a location for a resort-type holiday
(Sandals/Beaches or similar most/all inclusive deal) with some
half-decent diving options. If they serve nitrox, so much the better.

The Raleigh Ski & Outing Club meets at 7:30 pm next Tuesday (Feb 8) at the
Brownstone Hotel on Hillsborough St.  There will be a cash bar available.
The RSOC Newsletter can be found at:
http://www.raleighskiandoutingclub.org/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=153&pubm
enuoptID=1217

Does Canada use the same threads on their SCUBA tank valves as the US does?
Or do they use the M25-2 thread like Europe?  I need to find a replacement
valve for one of my Spiro tanks and shipping from Europe appears to be
rather overpriced...

What do you folks think about the weight plate that goes between the
aluminum 80 tank, and the boot? My BC is not a weight integrated, so
I have alot of weight around my middle. I would like to farm out some
of this weight, without messing up my dynamic weight distribution.

We will be camping at the Florida Caverns SP over Easter weekend.  We
have room for 4 more campers on our site and I will be bringing my
extra canoe for our guests.  Dive plans include some on the Chipola
river and some on Merrit's Mill pond.