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20 years. PADI. Most of the specialties. I'm in California. Surge, surf, current, and pretty cold water compared to most spots in the world. Never did dry suit. There are 2 ships they sunk just off the coast of San Diego. The Yukon ( A Canadian Destroyer 366 feet long and 40 wide) and the Ruby E. ( originally built as a Coast Guard Cutter) which is 156 feet long and 40 wide). They are both only about a mile offshore and about a third of mile apart. Just about 100 feet underwater. You can wreak dive them as they were gutted, but every year, it seems like at least 1 person will die because they don't understand the redundancy of SCUBA diving and what can wrong 100 feet underwater when you can't see your hand in front of your face because your light went bad and no back up, and they didn't have a guide line to get them back to where they started. SAD.

I had a 7mm wet suit (now 9mm) when I dove the wrecks (multiple times) but right around 45 to 50 feet down, you hit a thermocline layer. The wreaks were sunk just outside the channel that goes into the harbor. The currents can be very strong on some days and sometimes they won't let you dive and dives are canceled for the day. When you hit that thermocline, the temperature drops to 40 to 42 degree's EVERY time I've dove it. You just tough it out for 10 minutes or so and enjoy putting your head into gun turrets because they are so big. Amazing.

Caribbean, Fiji (feeding of the Bull and Tiger sharks), and The Great Barrier Reef, northern end) outside of Port Douglas. Funny thing for me is, when ever I dove outside of California, I never needed a wetsuit. Never used a wetsuit outside of California, only a rash guard so my BCD wouldn't tear me up. Every where else was just like diving in a bathtub for me. Warm water. Although, I did have to where a "rash guard suit" while in Australia because of the jellyfish. You definitely didn't want a jellyfish grabbing on to your hairs while you are sitting in a pool of jellyfish doing your safety stop and the end of your dive, and that happened a few times. Mostly small jellyfish. Only about 1 to 2 inches long, but they can still leave a sting if you don't wear something. One diver didn't. He got stung all up in his privates. Not a good decision.

We know more about the stars and planets above us than what's already in our own backyard.....the ocean. Hope someday that changes. Lots to learn down there.