Scuba Diving Basics

There is nothing quite like scuba diving. I remember my first scuba dive. I was visiting Tobago with a friend and I decided on the spur of the moment that it was something I wanted to do, so I went to the local dive shop and signed up for the class. There were only three of us going on the dive, and the two others accompanying me were fully PADI certified, so they didn’t need any instruction. That particular dive required that I have classroom lessons that lasted 4 hours. There was a lot that the instructor explained to me during that time like how to use the equipment, what decompression is, what to expect, how to use the buddy system, etc. We did a confined dive first, the afterwards went out to the reef for the open dive.

The dive itself was amazing and exhilarating for me even though it was what is called a non-decompression dive, only to 40 feet. I had been a snorkel for years, but had never been that close to a reef and fish.

For those who crave more diving adventure such as deep sea diving and wreck diving which would take them much deeper in the water they would need much more training, and PADI certification.

It’s easy to learn to dive. Not as hard as you might think. PADI certification can be obtained fairly easily, and at your own pace. There are books and videos that you can obtain to help you through the course. Your instructor will give you a short test at the end of each course. After you have completed what is called knowledge training you start diving. You first experience confined dives and then open water dives. Confined dives take place in a pool or a shallow body of water. The first time I put on the equipment and went in the water we were just waist deep. Once you have mastered confined dives and proven yourself to your instructors you will have the opportunity to go on open water dives with the instructor.

Where you will be diving will make the decision for you as to what type of equipment you are going to need. As my dive was in the warm Caribbean waters I didn’t need any type of wet suit. I wore a BC vest. However, on deeper cold water dives you will want to make sure you are equipped with a dry suit that will handle cold.

You’ll need a good mask. One that seals against your face well. A pair of booties and fins. You’ll need a snorkel, a buoyancy compensator vest and a regulator with a gauge and a second mouthpiece.

You’ll want to do a lot of research on equipment before buying. As with most things technology is constantly changing scuba equipment. You’ll want to talk with friends and instructors as to their recommendations. There is a fairly large initial investment and you want to get the best you can for the money you spend. You also want to make sure that you’re comfortable in all the pieces of your scuba gear. If your mask isn’t tight enough and leaks, or if your fins are too tight and rub your heels that is what your mind will be on instead of the wonders of the sea.

via Scuba Diving Advice: Scuba Diving Basics.

All About My Scuba Diving Experience

December 30th, 2008

Scuba diving is a great way to experience the underwater kingdom. It gives you the chance to unveil the mysteries and the wonders of the environment which covers the majority of our planet. It is believed that once you learn all about scuba diving, it will become a lifelong obsession. After I had a private lesson, it is time to take an exam for an open water dive certificate. My exam took place in Boracay Island. Boracay is a famous tourist destination. With its white sandy beaches and blue clear water, it is considered a paradise island. Many wonderful and interesting marine lives can also be found in the dive sites. The marine life is very diversified that a diver will definitely enjoy and love diving in.

To view the complete article via Atlantis Divers.

New Scuba Technology

December 30th, 2008

A low-cost training course has been launched that gives seafarers and marine workers the ability to access the underside of their vessel in an emergency. Shallow water scuba diving technology is now available as a solution that can permit emergency inspections and minor repairs to be performed by trained crew using Mini B scuba gear. This can be for personal use or in compliance with relevant health and safety regulations.

To view the complete article via Atlantis Divers.

Atlantis Divers

Thailand – A scuba Diving Haven

December 30th, 2008

Monday, 29 December 2008

Considered as one of the more exciting places in the world, Thailand is sure to thrill most adventure enthusiasts. Commonly known for its huge shopping malls and complexes, extreme elephant rides and exotic adult clubs, Thailand is also a premier scuba diving destination. Diving Thailand has increasingly become a favorite for many tourists worldwide that are searching for that special experience.

Thailand has a warm climate with the months between October and April being the best time to visit the country. The waters around Thailand at this time of year are ideal for scuba diving. The rainy season falls outside his window.

To view the complete article via Atlantis Divers.

Atlantis Divers Podcast Episode 2

December 30th, 2008

Now you’re certified! How do you decide what you need to purchase after you have invested in your basic scuba gear? In this episode, we share with you the different types of safety equipment scuba divers should invest in plus a few extra tips on making your dive adventures safe. If you are outside of the Richmond, VA area, these helpful tips will certainly benefit you as well.

http://atlantisdivers.podbean.com/

New Year’s Day Dive

Don’t let your first dive of the New Year be in COLD water!!! Come join us in Hatteras on New Years’ Day, 2009 for a two tank Gulf Stream Dive on the Proteus/Dixie Arrow for only $125 per diver.

The buoy temperatures are registering between 68 and 76 degrees! Call today and register!! Spaces are limited.

Atlantis Divers 804/320-7000

“On March 26, 1942, the Dixie Arrow was traveling unarmed and alone, approaching Cape Hatteras, enroute from Texas City, TX to Paulsboro, NJ with 96,000 barrels of crude oil. The U-71 had spent the night waiting near the Diamond Shoals Light Buoy hoping to intercept targets. With the breaking dawn, the u-boat captain, KK Walter Flascheenberg, was about the order his boat to the bottom when he spotted the masts of the approaching tanker on the horizon. He manuevered his boat against the zig-zag course of the Dixie Arrow trying to get the tanker between the U-71 and shore.”

“At 0858 EWT, 3 torpedoes slammed into the starboard side of the Dixie Arrow and in less than 1 minute the tanker was mortally wounded and engulfed in flames. The first torpedo hit at the midship deckhouse, destroying it and killing most of the deck officers. 60 seconds later the 2nd and 3rd torpedoes hit just aft of the deckhouse and cracked the tanker in two.”For more information on the Dixie Arrow, visit: http://www.nc-wreckdiving.com/WRECKS/DIXIE/DIXIE.HTML

Bonaire Sweeps Scuba Diving Magazine’s Reader Choice Awards 2008 with Nine #1 Ratings

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Once again the island of Bonaire has swept top honors while continuing its reign as one of the world’s top dive destinations:  For the seventh consecutive year, Bonaire has been rated the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2008.

Bonaire also received the #1 rating in eight other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Marine Life, Top Marine Environment, Top Macro Life, Top Shore Diving Destination, Top Destination for Underwater Photography, Top Destination for Beginners, Top Value, and Top Snorkeling.

“This certainly demonstrates that Bonaire is the Diver’s Paradise. To have received nine #1 rankings reinforces that Bonaire’s continued vigilance and efforts to protect the island’s coral reefs are producing a superior dive product and in turn an amazing dive experience for our visitors,” said Ronella Croes, Director of the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).  She continued, “Such constant diver support clearly indicates the value of conservation and preservation efforts, such as those afforded by the Bonaire National Marine Park.  With roots going back as far as 1979, the park set a high benchmark for today’s marine environmental standards.”

For the Reader’s Choice awards, thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and web users rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five.  Results of the 2008 Awards will be featured in the January/February 2009 issue of Scuba Diving magazine. (Source:  TCB-NY)

To view this article: http://www.bonaireinsider.com/index.php/bonaireinsider/bonaire_sweeps_scuba_diving_magazines_reader_choice_awards_2008_with_nine_1/

The Pacific Lionfish Continues Spreading Southward in the Caribbean Region

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

As a followup to a prior story, the invasive Pacific fish, the lionfish, has now been sighted in Belize, the first such sighting in Central America.  As the species spreads southward, the Bonaire National Marine Park is making plans for its arrival on Bonaire.

Although not yet sighted in the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba, it’s only a matter of time before the lionfish makes an appearance in local waters.  Certain research by Mark Albins in the Bahamas indicates that a single lionfish transplanted onto small patch reefs can reduce the recruitment of natives fishes by 80%.

Because of the effect the species may make on Bonaire’s reefs, STINAPA and the Bonaire National Marine Park are making proactive plans for the fish’s arrival.

The lionfish has no natural predators in the local Caribbean waters, which is one reason why it can easily consume a large number of small reef fish.  Therefore, STINAPA is instituting a plan to use the island’s dive guides, who are in the water each day, to immediately notify the marine park when a lionfish is spotted.  When this occurs, Bonaire National Marine Park staff will enter the water at that dive site, and each ranger will be carrying two aquarium-type nets, and their plan will be to catch the fish and thus remove it from the area.  STINAPA does acknowledge that this plan may have to be adjusted as time passes, depending upon the number of sightings reported. 

Lad Akins, from REEF, provides some valuable web site links for lionfish information and reportings of sightings.  He reports that many have already been collaborating on research, education/outreach, early detection/reporting/rapid response and control, and many lessons have been learned from the past few years of intense work in the Bahamas, Bermuda, the US East Coast and the northern Caribbean.

For those of interested in staying current on lionfish distribution and new reports, please consider signing up for the USGS early warning notification system.  All data that is received is forwarded into this master database and any new records of lionfish or other non-native species are broadcast to those signed up for the early warning system. You can access the site at by clicking here, and just follow the links to subscribe.  For each of the records listed in the lionfish distribution map, additional information is accessed by clicking on the map dot.  Records in this system are well vetted and QA generally requires an image or very strong evidence of occurrence before inclusion.

Another site of interest may be the lionfish progression map showing the spread of this invasion by year, available by clicking here.  This map is updated regularly though not daily.

Sightings of lionfish and other non-native species can be reported via either the REEF Exotic Species Reporting page or the USGS NAS System. (Source:  NACRI and STINAPA (Bonaire National Marine Park)

To view this article: http://www.bonaireinsider.com/index.php/bonaireinsider/the_pacific_lionfish_continues_spreading_southward_in_the_caribbean_region/

Can Antioxidants Protect Scuba Divers?

December 25th, 2008

 

A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows that acute oral intake of largely accepted antioxidants Vitamin C and E prior to a scuba dive can reduce alterations in cardiovascular function, particularly acute endothelial dysfunction, that are caused by a single field air dive.

People scuba dive for recreational and professional purposes. However, only recently has evidence of the different cardiovascular changes that appear after each scuba dive been seen. In most cases those changes are silent or subclinical, posing little or no threat to the health of divers, but is that always the case?

Obad, Dujic and their colleagues at the University of Split School of Medicine, collaborating with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, studied a group of professional scuba divers before and after a moderate load scuba dive (a dive to a depth of 30 meters for 30 minutes, similar to those enjoyed by countless recreational divers). Different cardiovascular parameters were investigated, including endothelial function. A single scuba air dive induced mild changes in cardiac function and a significant decrease in endothelial function. The authors thought that these changes could be influenced by oral ingestion of antioxidant vitamins C and E prior to diving, and that endothelial function, in particular, might be preserved.

This intervention showed a positive effect on vascular endothelial function, whereas other cardiac functional changes were unaffected. Although generally very safe, diving may be associated with serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences, which are usually related to decompression sickness. These new data raise the possibility that pre-dive intake of antioxidant vitamins may prevent some of the negative effects of diving on vascular function. The results of this study are of interest for those involved in all types of recreational and professional diving.

To view the full article: http://www.bigbluetech.net/big-blue-tech-news/2008/12/23/antioxidants-protect-scuba-divers/

China’s Largest Cyber Store Ban Shark Fin Trade

December 25th, 2008

 

December 25, 2008

(Beijing) – The International Fund for Animal Welfare congratulates Taobao, China’s largest shopping website for its ban on the sale of shark fin products on the site. Taobao.com announced to its 400 million online members that all shark fin products will be banned from trade on Taobao.com starting 1, January 2009…

The announcement was made as part of a campaign IFAW (IFAW-www.ifaw.org.cn) and Taobao (www.taobo.comcn) collaboratively initiated to combat online wildlife crime. In the unprecedented collaboration, IFAW and Taobao.com share information about online illegal wildlife trade and jointly raise consumer awareness about the detrimental impact wildlife trade has on species in the wild.

Asia is the main market for shark fin products. In major cities in China, shark fin soup is readily available on the menu in restaurants. With the coming of Chinese New Year Festivals, shark fin soup consumption will significantly increase.

However, fueled by big profit margins and the increase in shark fin consumption, overfishing of sharks is threatening more than 50 percent of the shark species with extinction. As top predators in the ocean, sharks play an important role in keeping ecosystem balance. However, an estimated 100 million sharks are killed globally each year.

“Consuming shark fin is not only harmful to the marine biodiversity, but promotes the cruel practice of shark finning, where sharks had their fins cut off then thrown back into the ocean, still alive, die a horribly painful death.” said Grace Gabriel, IFAW’s Asia Regional Director. “It is our choice as consumers to say No to shark fin products. Consuming wildlife equals killing.”

Taobao’s decision to ban shark fin was also applauded by its users. In an online message, an Hangzhou netizen condemns the shark fin trade by posting shocking pictures of shark finning. According to this posting, 5000 Kilos of shark fin are consumed daily in Beijing alone. Active Taobao users also call on others to report online shark fin sales to site management when the notice takes effect in January.

Peter Pueschel, IFAW’s Program Manager hailed the move. “This is really amazing and wonderful that the leading cyber market provider in the biggest shark fin consumer nation bans shark fins. What a strong signal to other auction sites and governments in other parts of the world!”

To view the complete article: http://www.divenews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6698