REEF recently announced their field survey schedule for 2007. If you haven't ever taken one of these trips, maybe now's the time to consider it. Not only are they fun, educational, and conservation-minded, they're tax deductible! Who ever heard of taking a tax-deductible dive trip?! Thanks, REEF! Upcoming trips include:
Grand Turk, February 17-24 -- 7 nights/8 days - $990
Tortola, British Virgin Islands, April 14-21 -- 7 nights/8 days - $974
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, May 22-27 -- 5 nights/6 days - $TBA
St. Vincent, June 9-16 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,050
San Juan Islands, Washington, July 23-26 -- 4 days/3 nights - $818
Kona, Hawaii, August 4-11 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,485
Woods Hole, Cape Cod, September 11-16 -- 6 nights/5 days - $509
Bonaire*, September 22-29 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,063
Utila*, October 20-27 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,110
Anguilla, November 10-17 -- 8 days/7 nights - $975
Cozumel, December 1-8 -- 8 Days/7 Nights - $544
All prices quoted are per person, based on double occupancy. An additional $300 REEF fee will be added to each trip to cover the cost of the group leader, seminars, survey materials, and data management. For more details, you know where to go. *Trip led by Paul Humann, recent inductee into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.
Beach diving is an inexpensive and fun way to explorer your underwater world. I love La Jolla Shores in San Diego, it has bathrooms and showers for quick after-dive rinse, it keeps my car and gear a whole lot cleaner.
But what about when your diving in an area with out showers? I've seen surfers use water jugs/bottles to get the sand off there feet and gear but it's not as convenient when your trying to spray off sand from all your dive gear.
Enter in HotJugz. No, it's not some dodgy Internet site that you shouldn't be visiting at work but a portable pressurized and insulated shower.
It works like a hand-pressurized pesticide sprayer, you pump the handle, it pressurizes the contents and has a shower head with a coiled hose.
But wait! There's more! It also is insulated so you can keep the water hot or cold over a longer period. So, you could fill up your HotJugz (I love typing that) with hot water, do your dive, come back to your car and get a hot shower.
Brilliant!
They range in price from $50 to $60 dollars, so while not cheap they are a great idea.
You know my thoughts about redundant scuba web sites but here's one with a good premise: DiveBuddy.com. Touting itself as a "social network for scuba divers" it offers members a way to find a dive buddy around the corner from you or at your next dive destination.
Membership is free and offers a profile page, buddy search, blogs, classifieds, event calendar, and photo galleries. The blog entries were fun to read and presented in more of a "blurb" style (quick to read) than a conventional blog post. The photo gallery doesn't hold a candle to This Is Why We Dive and I fear the event calendar is doomed to a life of neglect.
To find dive buddies I'm guessing most divers reach out to the shop that trained them, but if you hate your shop or live in an area devoid of one, this may be a useful resource. Sign-up if you're remotely curious since DiveBuddy's success hinges on building a large network.
Jack Connick has started writing a monthly column for Northwest Dive News. Discusiing underwater photography, Jack plans to concentrate on cold-water dive photography, but I'm sure tropical divers will learn lots, too. Fortunately, he plans to re-print the articles on his blog, so check in often if you don't subscribe.
In his first article, Jack discusses the importance of experience and not engaging in unnecessary task-loading. He also goes over important questions to ask yourself before making the often-expensive leap into underwater shooting. What do you want to do with your photos? Where are you going to be shooting? How much can you really afford to spend? These are some of the questions Jack walks you through.
In November, Divester reported on an underwater poker tournament-slash-fundraiser in Colorado. Organized to assist a Marine reservist on his third deployment in Iraq, the High Plains Scuba Center raised $1600 for Brian Ivers and his family. This past weekend, some of the same folks got together for another round of underwater festivities. Instead of playing cards, though, about 30 certified divers ranging in age from 13 to 60 competed in the 11th Annual Scuba Olympics. This year, the event also served as a fundraiser for Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros, two high school wrestlers whose legs were amputated after they were struck by a car. According to Scuba Olympics Coordinator and High Planes Scuba Director Mark Williamson, all the money collected from the $10 Scuba Olympics entry fee are being given to the families of the boys to help cover their medical bills.
What happens at a Scuba Olympics? In one event, divers had to swim through a series of rings without touching them. In another event, divers were required to assemble a bag of wooden parts, nuts, and bolts underwater. Among the other events staged were the Pin Pong Push, the Dart Throw, and the Golf Ball Crawl. If you're interested, David Buffalo walked away with the gold at this year's Olympics. But all the participants are going to receive Divester's coveted Hero of the Week Award!
DAN's latest medical FAQs cover what some might call a very important topic for anyone living in Los Angeles: the implications of cosmetic surgery and diving. Whatever your latest enhancement there's good news: in a few months you'll be back in the water.
It seems the biggest concern with breast implants and diving isn't the adoring the new looks from your dive buddies, but getting your buoyancy back: "Breast implants filled with saline are neutrally buoyant. Silicone implants are heavier than water, however, and they may alter buoyancy and attitude (trim) in the water, particularly if the implants are large. Appropriate training and appropriate adjustment of weights help overcome these difficulties."
That would be an interesting PADI course to teach.
Earlier this month, we told you about Ocean: The World's Last Wilderness Revealed. Recently, I got my hands on a copy, and I'm so happy I did. This amazing reference guide is brimming with charts, tables, maps, pictures, drawings, and information -- so much information! -- that it's almost overwhelming. However, sit down with a cup of coffee, slowly turn the pages, and you'll see that...no...it'll still be overwhelming. However, looking at Ocean is overwhelming in the same way that the world's oceans themselves -- huge, sprawling, bottomless, and beautiful -- are overwhelming: despite their size, you still feel compelled to dive right in. Quite simply, Ocean: The World's Last Wilderness Revealed is the ultimate reference guide for our planet's most precious resource.
Next time I head down to the Florida Keys, I may have to swing by the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Located in NOAA's Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex on the Truman Annex waterfront in Key West, the Center features over 6,000 square feet of interactive, dynamic exhibits that interpret and explain the resources and management efforts of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, two national parks, and four national wildlife refuges. That suggests lots more models of animals than real animals, but I'm a fan of learning.
Highlights of the museum include a simulation of the Aquarius underwater research habitat, and a high-def theater showing a 17-minute video about the National Marine Sanctuary by filmmaker Bob Talbot. Admission to the Center, which is open Tuesday - Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free. Even if you stay until closing, that still leaves plenty of time (and money) to get to Mallory Square and chug a beer in time for Sunset Celebration!
Recently, I had the chance to read The Art of Diving. Written by Nick Hanna and photographed by Alex Mustard, The Art of Diving is absolutely mesmerizing. I took it to the beach. I read it in bed. I examined it over coffee. I was totally enthralled.
Never before has a book about scuba diving been so beautiful, so literate, and so spot on. I can come up with at least 10 reasons why this book belongs on every diver's shelf.
In May 2002, Martin Blackley, a 26-year-old marine, was home in the UK on sick leave. His friend, James Bell, asked him to help clear out his father's 50-foot-deep fish pond. Unqualified to undertake the dive, Blackley became entangled in a sock rope within a salmon cage and drowned.
According to Desmond Leslie who presided over the case, "This project was ill-fated from its inception. The safe systems of work designed to prevent an occurrence of this nature were disregarded at every level of the operation. The approach taken was casual in the extreme." Over-reaction? Hardly. Leslie's words appear to be an understatement, as the dive operation had:
an inadequate number of dive members for the activity;
unexperienced people overseeing the dive;
inadequate equipment;
failed to undertake a risk assessment;
no two-way communication system between staff;
no emergency oxygen;
and, in fact, no real dive plan whatsoever.
The owner of the fish farm was fined £5500 ($10,800) for failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of an employee, and for failing to insure employees against bodily injury.
There are a smattering of clubs across the globe that bring underwater shooters together, but there hasn't been a good one in New York. Until now. Now, there's one in Manhattan.
The New York Underwater Photo Society (NYUPS) aims to bring together underwater photographers and videographers from the tri-state area to share and learn about the world of underwater imagery. Each month, NYUPS will host workshops and speakers (think: underwater photographers, filmmakers, marine biologists, explorers, and adventurers). In 2008, NYUPS plans to host photo expeditions to some of the world's most biodiverse hot spots, and it'll even launch an international underwater photo and video competition/festival. Sounds like a busy club! You know why I'm sure it'll succeed? Because of the people involved, which include Jason Heller, Larry Cohen, Robin Dyleski, Pasquale Pascullo, and Wendy Heller.
The Society's first meeting is in April. Check the website for details concerning time and place.
You've seen the bloated contents of my dive bag so today we'll take a look at something more svelte. Marc Lyng's warm water setup is direct and to the point but not as flashy as Willy's. I envy you warm water divers but at least hauling my bag around is a good workout. If you want details on the gear in the photo, head over to Marc's Flickr page and hover over the photo.
Want to go diving in June but don't know where to go? If you're an underwater shooter, you might want to head to Bonaire. The crew at Reef Photo has organized a trip to the island, and they're bringing their brains along with them (which is quite the opposite of what I do when I go diving). Reef's staff will be available for one-on-one hands-on help with camera gear and techniques during the week. Moreover, award-winning shooter Rand McMeins will also be on the trip, providing inspiration and advice.
Reef will be carting A/V equipment to the island to facilitate the sharing of the day's images every evening. Warning to the competitive: this is not a competition, but allows divers to share what they experienced throughout the day. Heads-up for the competitive: they are sponsoring a "best shot" contest at the end of the week. If you're interested, the package runs $1025 and includes:
For today's Dive Video of the Day, I thought we'd do something inspirational and educational. Here's a 4-minute clip showing 29-year old Matthew Johnston -- who suffers from muscular dystrophy and is capable only of moving his thumbs -- preparing for a pool dive. Matthew recently became the first ventilator-dependent person to dive in open water, and I thought the process he has to follow to prepare for a dive was worth looking into more deeply.
If you're interested in learning more about Matthew, be certain to check out this clip from the Today Show, in which Ann Curry interviews him and discusses his recent open water triumph. Whether or not you're an Ann-fan is irrelevant; the piece is truly excellent.
Responding to someone's question about how to sanitize dive gear, DAN crafted a detailed response. Don't use household cleaners, go to your dive shop and buy one specially formulated for scuba diving equipment. Follow the directions and don't forget to rinse your gear with fresh water.
Really people...disinfect your gear? DAN claims there is no documented proof of viral, bacterial, or fungal infections brought on by diving.
How do I clean my gear? I hang it up outside and douse repeatedly with fresh water. Drip dry, return to storage. When I lived in an apartment I let it soak in the tub for awhile before the drip dry.
Considering my entire body is immersed in the ocean and has touched my lips and been ingested in small amounts, disinfecting my gear is probably the least of my worries.
REEF recently announced their field survey schedule for 2007. If you haven't ever taken one of these trips, maybe now's the time to consider it. Not only are they fun, educational, and conservation-minded, they're tax deductible! Who ever heard of taking a tax-deductible dive trip?! Thanks, REEF! Upcoming trips include: 
Beach diving is an inexpensive and fun way to explorer your underwater world. I love 
You know my thoughts about 
Jack Connick
In November, Divester reported on an 
DAN's latest 
Earlier this month, we told you about 
Next time I head down to the 
Recently, I had the chance to read 
In May 2002, 
There are a smattering of clubs across the globe that bring underwater shooters together, but there hasn't been a good one in New York. Until now. Now, there's one in Manhattan. 
Want to go diving in June but don't know where to go? If you're an underwater shooter, you might want to head to Bonaire. The crew at 
Responding to someone's question about how to sanitize dive gear, DAN 
