Scuba Shack Radio: Recent Episodes
Jeff Cinciripino
Scuba Shack Radio has wrapped up but there is more in store.Specifically - I will be launching a new podcast - Scuba Educational Alliance Ocean Podcast on September 19th, 2024.This new podcast will be dedicated to ocean health, sustainability and fostering a new generation of ocean stewards through scuba diving education.I hope that you will tune into the new podcast coming soon.
The time has come to wrap up Scuba Shack Radio. After 142 episodes, I have decided to end the podcast as I look to focus on other initiatives. The podcast has been a rewarding endeavor. I have enjoyed the research, preparation and delivery of a show every two weeks over the past 5+ years. As I began season 6 earlier this year I knew that someday I would move on and after a great deal of thought, here is the Round Up or final episode of Scuba Shack Radio.
It seems that we are using the term complacency to talk about various incidents or accidents in scuba diving. Is it really complacency or is is something else. Are divers being careless, irresponsible or reckless. As scuba divers we know the inherent risks of entering this incredible environment. So when we don't take the appropriate action to minimize this risk are we really being complacent.=========================================Wet Notes updates include - Amazon plans to end use of plastic pillows in North America Iceland continues to allow whale hunting DEMA hosted a webinar on lobbying efforts for the scuba industry Treasure hunters in Florida find 214 coins and artifacts from 1715 shipwrecks Scuba divers find 25 kilos of cocaine while doing reef cleanup in Key Large REEFest 2024 is now open for registration Coming in July a new three part series from Brian Skerry - Sea Change - The Gulf of Maine
We hear the terms mastery, competency and performance when discussing scuba training, but what do these terms really mean. Let's talk a little more about these terms. How do we achieve mastery or competency? Should there be repetition standards? Are all the skills necessary for basic open water? There is a lot to think about when it comes to mastery, competency and performance in scuba diving.Wet Note discusses Faroe Islands Grindadrap continues Big Blue achieves UL 2054 certification Alert Diver 2nd Quarter 2024 edition published REEF finds an endemic fish in the Caymans Shackleton's last ship (Quest) found "The Last Breath" movie coming soon
Here is an update on my reading list for 2024.The second batch of books that I finished include: Arctic Drift - Clive and Dirk Cussler A Message from Martha - Mark Avery Built to Fail - Alan Payne Crescent Dawn - Clive and Dirk Cussler A Furious Sky - Eric Jay DolinOn my reading list for 2024 summer and beyond include: Poseidon's Arrow, Havana Storm and Odessa Sea - Clive and Dirk Cussler Losing the Signal - Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff Gone - Michael Blincowe American Buffalo - Steven Rinella Spartan Gold, Lost Empire and The Kingdom - Clive Cussler and Grant BlackwoodWet Notes Updates include Sharks in MPAs Sharkangels online auction Quagga mussels in Lake Michigan JetBlue flights from JFK to Bonaire Southwest flight changes to Grand Cayman G-Shock Frogman watch
Innovation, technology, and market forces can drive inflection points for business or industries. Inflection points are times of significant change and transformation is necessary for sustainability and growth. Whether it be new training models, like subscription-based learning or new products that create inventory challenges for small dive shops, these changes are signals of an inflection point. Local dive shops remain a key pillar in the creation of new divers and as more close, are we creating dive shop deserts? Listen for more of my perspective on this topic.Wet Notes provides updates on Aluminum cylinder laser engraving A dive mask with wiper blades The new Shearwater Peregrine TX NOAA's "State of the Stock" report Another right whale entanglement NovoScuba - a new subscription-based dive training agency
Becoming a competent and confident diver is a progression that involves training, gear and diving. We often call these the three Es - Equipment, Education, and Experience. But just taking the next course or buying another piece of gear is not the answer. Divers need to progress with the right training with the right equipment at the right time. Without the proper foundation in diving, training may not be effective and mastering the use of the new equipment can be problematic. Or maybe, the diving may be beyond their capability.Wet Notes updates SportDiver Ultra announcement DAN Professional Liability Insurance offer Another worldwide coral bleaching event Coral Reef Foundations 2024 Coralpalooza Sawfish rescue in the Florida Keys Europe chooses reuse
How would you rate customer service across the dive industry?How do you define good customer service for a dive operator, dive shop, or dive resort?Listen to an example of very poor customer service that we recently experienced plus some examples of how we think about good customer servicePlus Wet Notes provides updates on The DIVE BOAT act The FISHES act Orca Torch ZD710 pricing and new products Scuba Diving Magazine's 10 best wetsuits Shearwater Research's new website Update on the April 3rd cave diving fatality DEMA Show registration opens
Martha was the last of the passenger pigeon species and died on September 1, 1914. The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird on the planet and within a few decades this species went from billions to zero. We need to hear the message from Martha to protect the ocean species from extinction including sharks, rays and whales. Loss of habitat, ocean warming, overfishing, plastic pollution and ghost gear continue to threaten our ocean creatures.Wet Notes updates us on Orca Torch ZD710 New Sola Goodman handle Lake Hydra news Q1 2024 Alert Diver Magazine Another right whale death New rules for the Endangered Species Act
In 2022, NOAA released recommendations for vessel speed restrictions in an effort to protect the North Atlantic right whale. NOAA not only expanded the area dramatically, they also expanded the vessels being covered. The new rules would restrict most vessels 35 feet or larger to 10 knots in these seasonal zones. Approval of this proposal however is stalled. There are too many competing interests and a large number of people are opposed to the changes. In the end the whales lose. Another calf was struck recently be a vessel and died. The North Atlantic right whale is critically endangered with less than 400 left so every death is devastating. These whales are very slow swimmers and cannot avoid the high speed vessels. Public comment on this proposal ended in October 2022. It is time to approve NOAA's recommendations.Plus Wet Notes looks at 2025 REEF trips Bizarre fish behavior in the Florida Keys New SeaLife SportDiver dome port Red Sea Liveaboard problems Secrets of the Octopus Earth Day 2024
Dive computers are powerful, reliable and an essential part of your scuba kit. There are many affordable dive computers on the market today that allow divers to fit this into their budget. Is it okay to tell divers that they don't need to use a dive computer because the dives are going to be shallow? This is not how we dive and not how we counsel our divers. In my opinion, a dive computer is as essential as any other part of your rig. Listen to hear about who is telling divers they don't need a computer.Also listen for some Wet Notes updates on: The Immerse Yourself Empress of Ireland presentation A humpback whale and calf encounter Humpback numbers are dropping SSI's new dive computer specialty Dive travel statistics Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarship and Grant update
In this episode, I discuss why you might find it a challenge to rent scuba gear from your local dive shop. The local dive shop is a small business and as such must make investments in equipment and time to those areas of the business that keep them profitable. Renting scuba gear may not be one of those areas that generate the revenue versus the investment. Not all local dive shops are the same.Wet Notes updates include DEMA 2024 hotel block 100% PADI or not al all? Oceanic+ housing update Q4 2023 open water certification update Deep Water Horizon impacts Lake Hydra information
In this episode, I discuss the results of the a survey conducted by the Business of Diving Institute on training agency net promoter score. The results are a bit surprising on how various stakeholders view the numerous agencies in the scuba industry.Wet Notes news and information updates include: Challenges for aging divers A new regulator bag from Akona An update on the Oceanic + housing and app Halcyons updated carbon-fiber BC system Clearly Cayman Resorts great customer service REEF's new logo Dr. Deep Sea de-aging
The tipping culture is deeply embedded in the dive industry. It is critical for dive professionals around the world to make a living. But the tipping culture is a challenge for divers. There is no standard method for determining how much to tip and who to tip. Also, it seems that every place does it a little differently.Is there a better way? Listen to hear my thoughts on the challenges of the tipping culture for dive customers.Wet Note covers Fourth Element Seeker Mask Oceanic + Dive Housing DAN's post on a challenging event The Shearwater Peregrine, Tern, Tern TX, and Teric Latest magazine releases
Wet Notes Updates Changes at Aqualung DEMA Town Hall meetings regarding 2024 show New industry trade magazine from William Cline Latest edition of Scuba Diving Magazine New Fourth Element Arctic undergarment History of Diving Museum 2024 Immerse Yourself seriesThe first seven books on my 2024 reading list - The Underworld by Susan Casey Trojan Odyssey by Clive Cussler Rocket Men by Robert Kurson Black Wind coauthored by Clive and Dirk Cussler Ocean Outbreak by Drew Harvell Treasure of Khan also by Clive and Dirk and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Fredrick Stonhouse
Season six will feature a few changes to the format.Sea Hunt It's Still Alive will be on hiatus for a while. After five years it is time to give Mike Nelson a bit of a break.Every show will also feature an update from the dive shop. In this episode I talk about some of the "fun" year-end activities.Wet Notes will continue on with news, information and product updates - in this episode learn more about The Oceanic Plus dive housing Two scuba shows here in the Northeast - Boston Sea Rovers and Beneath the Sea An accident in Kaneohe Bay A record sale for a vintage dive helmet News from the Clearly Cayman Resorts DEMA Town Halls regarding 2024 Las Vegas ShowMy commentary will be broken out as an individual segment - this time I talk about the need to use a dive computer (there are still folks who don't see the need).
On this last episode of season five of Scuba Shack Radio I will take a look back at the very successful and very busy 2023 year at Scuba Shack. Hear about all of the training and travel that made for an incredible year.
The Sea of Tomorrow Society of Beneath the Sea is offering a number of scholarships and grants for 2024. You can apply online at www.beneaththesea.us/scholarships. The scholarships and grants will be awarded at the Beneath the Sea Show in March 2024.The Q4 2023 edition of Alert Diver from Divers Alert Network is out. Once again it is packed with information including an article of diving in Connecticut plus travel options to St. Eustatius.The DAN Annual Reports for 2021 and 2022 are due to be released in 2 - 4 months.Sea turtle nests in the US are breaking records but climate change is still a major threat. Florida, North Caroline, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia all reported increases but high tides, floods, sea level rise, hurricanes and hotter sand and water are taking a toll.PBS Nature recently premiered a new series "Spy in the Ocean". The four episodes incorporate underwater video shot by marine-life shaped animatronics puppets.Dr. Alex Brylske has a new online course - The Sustainable Dive Leader in cooperation with the Ocean First Institute.CommentaryDo Black Friday and Small Business Saturday matter to small local dive shops. While many people like to go out shopping on these two days, many are content to stay home and make their purchase online. Small dive shops also face direct competition from their suppliers who offer deals at deep discounts. These deep discounts make it very challenging for your local dive shop to compete. The latest research by the Cline Group shows that there are only 851 true brick and mortar dive shops in the US. What will that number be like a year from now or maybe three years from now. I suspect it will continue to shrink.The DIVE BOAT act stands for Don’t Imperil Vessel Employees, Business Owners and Tourism. This act is in response to the Small Passenger Vessel Act (SPVA) that was passed last year as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The SPVA specifically targeted dive boats both day boats and liveaboards as a result of the Conception disaster. The cruise ship industry is excluded as is the entire fishing industry. This new law removes the limits of liability from dive boats as well as allows claims to be made for up to two years. The result are astronomical increases in insurance rates. The DIVE BOAT act is a bill that tries to change the SPVA. It looks to lower the exposure limits on liveaboards to one year and for day dive boats revert back to prior limits. Support the DIVE BOAT act by reaching out to your federal representatives.
The Dive Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Show took place in New Orleans November 14 - 17, 2023.The show continues to recover from the pandemic with a significant increase from the 2022 event.In this recap, I will give you some insights into the energy within our scuba industry. The show offers dive professionals the opportunity to attend training classes, various seminars and presentations, and meet with a variety of dive equipment and dive travel exhibitors.Additionally, there are numerous networking events.DEMA Show is a critical event for the scuba industry.
PADI AWARE Foundation has updated the Project AWARE Specialty course to be the PADI AWARE Specialty and includes electronic learning along with a take action workshop that you complete with your PADI Instructor of dive shop.How much trash is in the ocean? Ocean Conservancy recently published a blog post - let's just say it is way too much.Fourth Element has released another new product - the Seeker mask. This mask has two objectives - provide a near natural field of vision and fit almost everyone. It comes in three colors Deep Blue, Gray, or Black. The single window mask comes with either a clarity or contrast option.The November issue of Scuba Diving Magazine is out and features the readers choices for diving destinations and operations. Over 13K people responded to the survey.The Emperor Echo - a liveaboard dive boat in the Red Sea recently was blown onto the reef at Fury Shoals where it suffered irreparable damage to the hull. Fortunately everyone was evacuated safely.CommentaryOn our recent trip to the Philippines, I witnessed just how bad and big of a problem trash entering the ocean can be. Overnight, the water right in front of the resort was inundated with an incredible amount of trash. This happened because of heavy rains in the mountains that washed the trash into the river that dumped all this disgusting debris right in front of our hotel. The next day it was gone. It wasn't cleaned up - it just moved. Unfortunately, this is not isolated to this area - it is something that happens world-wide. While it seems to be an insurmountable problem, we can take small steps by ensuring that we manage our own waste responsibly.Man Overboard was the final episode of season 3 of Sea Hunt. In this episode, Mike is called to search for a man overboard from a pleasure craft - the Sea Dragon. Gwen Hardy's husband has gone missing and her sister Lola and Gwen's friend Lee Bottom tell us he went over the side. Mike cannot find him even though the area is easy to search. Mike is then hired by an insurance investigator - George Emerson, to investigate the missing person. This episode has it all - a big spear gun, underwater chase, an underwater fight, man-eating vines and an improvised snorkel made from Mike's double hose regulator. Mike saves the insurance company a cool quarter million dollars - a lot of money in 1960.
In this episode, I will tell you all about our exciting dive trip to the Philippines where we spent an incredible 10-day visit at the Atlantis Dive Resort in Dumaguete.I will tell you about getting to the Philippines, the incredible diving in Dumaguete, our trip to Apo, our snorkeling adventure with whale sharks in Oslob, plus the absolutely amazing service provided by the staff at Atlantis.At Atlantis you most certainly "Arrive as a guest and leave as family".
The 2023 Iceland whale hunt season is over and resulted in the deaths of 24 fin whales. The season was shortened by the Iceland government because the hunt failed to comply with Icelands Animal Welfare Act. For the record there are three countries that still hunt whales - Japan, Norway and Iceland.Whale deaths along the Northeast coasts continue to rise. The numbers keep going up. There are a number of obvious reasons like vessel strikes and entanglement but there are also the impacts of climate change and plastic pollution.The Oceanic + Dive Housing is set to be released. This housing will turn your iPhone into a combination underwater camera and fully functioning dive computer. The Oceanic + app is needed and you can license the app for $10 per month or $80 per year. This is something of a game changer.Orca Torch has a new underwater video light - the D710V. This is an affordable yet powerful light with a top end of 2000 lumens on the brightest white light setting. You can also dial it down to 600 lumens, plus you also get a red light and to top it off there is a UV light.DEMA Show 2023 in New Orleans is just around the corner and I will be doing a presentation at the show on new diver motivation. If you are at the show, come by on Tuesday November 14 at 3 PM.CommentaryThe Faroe Islands are a small group of islands halfway between Scotland and Iceland and they have a grizzly ritual of killing pilot whales and dolphins. This ritual killing is called grindagrap. The whales and dolphins are headed into shallow bays where they are hooked, pulled ashore and slaughtered. Many organizations now indicated that this practice is not sustainable, not humane and no longer culturally integral. 69% of Faroe Island residence oppose the grindagrap while only 7% strongly support it. Traditions and rituals are important however, when we understand the impacts or gain knowledge, it should be time to end those rituals.Group dive travel is a pillar of the local dive shops business model. We train people how to dive, ensure they are properly equipped to scuba and then take them diving, normally to some very cool dive destinations.Here are the main reasons you should consider group dive travel with your local dive shop Convenience Experience Camaraderie Memories
Scuba Diving Magazine's September/October issue is their 2023 Photo Issue. In this issue they present the 2023 winners of the Through Your Lens photo contest.The Women Divers Hall of Fame is now accepting applications for their 2024 Scholarship and Grant programs. Deadline for application is November 15, 2023 at 5 pm eastern. More info.Ocean Explorer Trust had released footage from the EV Nautilus expedition where they surveyed three historic WW II aircraft carrier wrecks from the Battle of Midway. Three videos from the exploration of the Japanese carriers Akagi and Kagi along with a video of the USS Yorktown are on the EV Nautilus YouTube Channel.Here are the latest firmware updates for Shearwater dive computers. Peregrine - V86, Perdix and Perdix AI - V93, Perdix 2 - V95 and the Teric - V23CommentaryEarlier this month we had another local dive shop close here in Connecticut. While there are a number of reasons why this shop closed there is one element that we cannot ignore. Many local dive shop owners are getting older and there will come a time when these dive shop owners will retire. What then? There are two options - find another, younger owner to take over or close the shop. With so many headwinds, running a full service local dive center is complicated. Will the local dive shop model evolve from the high flow business of the 1980s and 90s? Only time will tell.The 2020 Divers Alert Network Annual Diving Report provides information from 2018 on diving related fatalities, injuries as well as information on equipment failures. The report is 92 pages and broken down into five sections and five appendices. DAN started this report in 1988 and plans to release the next Annual Diving Report before the end of 2023. If you are a DAN member you can download a copy and then share it with your dive buddies.
REEF's 2023 Discover the Sea Underwater Photo Contest is now accepting entries through September 18, 2023. There are several categories including fish portraits, macro, and more. You can check it out at www.REEF.org/photocontestThe third quarter 2023 Alert Diver Magazine from DAN arrived. This edition features Stan Waterman as the profiled diver. You can also learn about diving in San Diego, Lembah, Palau and Turks and Caicos. Check out the DAN was there for me section for another story of why DAN membership is so valuable.The Toronto Star newspaper had an article "New government rules spell end for Nova Scotia's distinctive shark fishing derbies". After 30 years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has decided these tournaments no longer serve any scientific purpose and will only issue licenses under certain conditions. Turns out the tournaments aren't able to meet those conditions.NASA's Climate Change Newsletter reported that according to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, July 2023 was the hottest month on record since 1880. Still think climate change is a hoax?CommentaryBeing prepared as a diver is critical. Two stories demonstrate the need to be prepared. These two stories had positive outcomes but could have easily been very different. First, there were four divers rescued 50 miles off the coast of North Carolina. They got caught in a current and couldn't make it to the boat. Fortunately, one of the divers had a strobe that was spotted by a Coast Guard plane. They were ultimately picked up by a Navy destroyer. But what happened to their boat. Did they have anyone onboard? Being 50 miles offshore takes more preparation and perhaps they should have also taken a portable GPS in the water with them - especially if they didn't have anyone onboard while diving.Then there is the story of a diver in Florida being rescued by two off duty police officers who were out fishing. They saw a diver flopping his arms in the water and they thought it was a bird. Turns out, the diver also got caught in a current and was pushed two miles from his boat. There was someone on the boat but couldn't spot their missing diver because of the swell. I don't think this diver had an SMB and it sounds like they were diving alone. Also, did the person on the boat, know how to effect a rescue.In this episode of Sea Hunt - Base of Operations - Mike is testing out a new underwater platform for sustained diving operations when he encounters two well-known underwater photographers who want him to help them with a deep dive to a wreck. When Mike refuses to help them, they decide to practice their deep diving alone. They get in trouble with nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. Mike must first fight the narc'd diver and then take the other one down to his Base of Operations for in-water recompression. Mike pulls out all of his tricks to save the diver.
PADI Club recently completed their latest club trip to Belize where they had 38 divers from around the world participate. There is another trip planned for Bonaire in September. PADI Club continues to grow their benefits.
A team of divers from the Musee des Ilse de la Magdalin have discovered 7 shipwrecks believed to be from the 1800s. The shipwrecks are off the Magdalin Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
REEF is holding their 14th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby and Festival - September 7 through September 10. The hunt happens on September 8 and 9. The festival concludes on Sunday September 10 at the Postcard Inn on Islamorada.
United is adding more direct flights from Newark to Bonaire starting January 2024. There will be two more flights added each week. In addition to their Saturday flight, they will also add a Sunday flight and a Wednesday flight. The flights will run through April 2024.
Maui needs visitors. In the wake of the devastating wildfires, people were asked not to head out to the island, but now, the island which is so dependent on tourism, needs visitors. While West Maui is closed, there is still plenty of other locations on the island to enjoy this magical island.
Commentary-
In my opinion - climate change is NOT a hoax. We have seen record high temperatures, the hottest month on record and the hottest single day in recorded history. We have seen incredible wildfire destruction, storms hitting areas that are not prone to these conditions and water temperatures in Florida closing in on 100 degrees. We cannot deny the evidence. It is like ignoring a serious medical condition like cancer - it doesn't cure itself. We have the information, knowledge and expertise to battle the climate change issue but do we have the sustained leadership to meet the challenge. We cannot change our direction every four years on this one.
New divers often ask about what is next after gaining their open water certification. First and foremost, my advice is to tell them to get out and go diving. That isn't always easy or practical for some. They still want the guidance of dive professionals until they gain their confidence and become better scuba divers. So here are my three steps for new scuba divers.
Become a certified Enriched Air Nitrox diver. By diving with enriched air, you are not only gaining longer no decompression limits, it becomes part of your risk mitigation strategy. Less nitrogen being absorbed in your tissue is a good thing. Your advantage is extended when doing repetitive dives Get more training on buoyancy, control and propulsion. There are number of ways to do this. Training agencies have specific classes on buoyancy. This provides valuable experience. Also, some dive shops have specialized classes to give people this training. You can even get one-on-one private lessons with a dive professional. You are now ready for the rigors of Advanced Open Water certification. With Nitrox and buoyancy, you are better prepared for the task loading of navigation, and deep along with other things like search and recovery, or delayed SMB deployment. By completing steps one and two, you will get a lot more out of your advanced training.
A week onboard the Rocio del Mar liveaboard dive boat in the Sea of Cortez is an adventure. It is an adventure that starts from Phoenix, AZ through the Sonoran Desert through Gila Bend, Ajo, Sonoyta before entering Puerto Penasco and starting your journey south on Rocio del Mar.
Listen for more details where we talk about the boat, the diving, and interesting aspects to that truly make this a scuba diving adventure. I also provide some tips to get you ready and make the most of the trip.
The wreck of Omani Bay (CVE 79) a WW II Escort Carrier was discovered in the Sulu Sea in July. It was sunk by a kamikaze strike on January 4, 1945 with the loss of 95 sailors. The wreck is in over 100 m of water.
WestJet has announced that it will be implementing a non-stop flight from Toronto to Bonaire starting on December 12, 2023 and that it will run through April 2024. The flight will run once a week on Tuesdays.
Whale shark tourism is big business but at what cost? There is a study that looked at the impacts of whale shark feeding in Oslob, Philippines. It doesn't paint a good picture.
There has been a spike in shark hunting in Egypt following the mauling of a tourist in the Red Sea. Local officials believe the shark attacks might be participated by the dumping of dead animals in the area.
Autumn Blum from Stream2Sea recently was interviewed for an article in Bloomberg News related to hidden ingredients being put into mineral sunscreens. April calls it BS.
Kraken Rum and PADI Aware Foundation have teamed up to support beach and ocean clean up. If you participate in the beach cleanup at Brighton Beach in the UK, you can get a Kraken Rum drink by using the litter you collect as currency.
Commentary
There are so many positive aspects of our diving industry. From the dedicated, passionate dive professionals who invest so much time and energy into teaching or taking people diving, to the long-time divers who support the industry in all aspects and finally the new divers who are beginning their journey. We have a lot to be thankful for as we continue our journey.
For this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive we head to season one episode 28 titled The Lost Ones that premiered on July 19, 1958. This was a bit of a family affair for this episode as it also featured Lloyd Bridges wife, Dorthy Dean and his son Jeff Bridges. In this episode, Mike has to save two kids from a cave that is filling with water as the tide rises. Mike makes great use of his large underwater scooter in this episode as he races to save Davie and Karen from this underwater death trap.
Registration for the DEMA Show is now open. DEMA members can register for early bird pricing of $55 until October 16th. After that the price jumps to $75. Non-DEMA members rate is $180 for the full package. The show is open to all dive professionals, dive shops, resorts, manufacturers and travel agents. This year the show is in New Orleans and runs from November 14 - 17.
The 39th annual Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival took place on July 8, 2023 at Looe Key Reef. The purpose of the music festival is to promote coral reef conservation. Several hundred snorkelers and divers participated in the event.
Oceanic 31 is an exhibit of shark art that is sponsored by the Shark Trust. It is billed as a shark art exhibit and what they did was to get a group of artists who are passionate about sharks and conservation to create 31 paintings, drawings, sculptures and digital media representing a species of sharks or rays that live in the ocean.
OCEARCH is a non-profit organization that is conducting unprecedented research on sharks. Their mission is to accelerate the ocean’s return to balance and abundance. OCEARCH is affiliated with Jacksonville University and was recently awarded a $5 Million grant from the state of Florida to build a new headquarters.
Commentary
As dive professionals we have a duty of care to our students. We must keep them safe. We cannot compromise on this duty. It is too easy to lapse, so we must be diligent. Our students equipment must be functioning properly. You cannot put a student in the water with gear that is compromised. Also, we should not overweight our students. Getting weight correct is a challenge for new divers. Take the time to dial it in as best you can. Also, we cannot take students into environments that they are not ready to encounter.
My top five destinations for new divers based on the distance from my home in Connecticut.
Fort Wetherill, Jamestown, RI Key Largo Grand Cayman Bonaire Philippines
Joe Dituri recently completed a 100 day mission underwater with Project Neptune 100 sponsored by the Marine Resource Development Foundation. He smashed the old record of 73 days. Find out more at mrdf/project-neptune.
Mark and Sherry Grishom of PSI/PCI (Professional Scuba Inspectors / Professional Cylinder Inspectors) were recently honored by NASA for their work on the Resupply Air Tank Team for the International Space Station.
Aqualung announced that the company is being acquired by Barings Investment. Barings had been providing financial support to Aqualung since it was sold in 2016 to Montagu, a private equity firm. The sale is expected to close later in 2023.
The NOAA Ocean Podcast's latest episode is all about rip currents, a timely conversation. The podcast features Greg Dusek, a senior scientist for NOAA working on rip current modeling and prediction. You can find out more - https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/june23/nop66-rip-currents.html
Commentary
Being prepared as a diver encompasses many facets including training, practice, experience, and equipment. Part of this equipment is your safety gear. Signaling devices are a critical part of this safety gear. Sometimes divers might not think they need this but you never know when it will make a difference. Not only do you need to have this safety equipment with you, you also need to know how to deploy and use the gear. Remember, when you actually have to use the safety equipment, the situation will be stressful. That is not the time to learn how to use it.
The US EPA has developed a Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution in April 2023. The draft strategy is currently in a comment period that has been extended to July 31, 2023. This strategy builds upon our National Recycling Strategy with a focus on actions to reduce, reuse, collect and capture plastic waste. The three top objectives are:
Objective A - Reduce pollution during plastic production
Objective B - Improve post-use material management
Objective C - Prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering entering waterways and remove trash from the environment.
You can provide review the draft strategy here - https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/draft-national-strategy-prevent-plastic-pollution
PADI Club has two trips planned for 2023. The first trip is to Belize running July 29 to August 5 and the second trip is in October to Bonaire. That trip will run from October 7 - 14.
The History of Diving Museum has a new exhibit - Aquanauts to Astronauts. This exhibit opened on May 20, 2023 and runs through December 31, 2023 and will educate folks on the unique relationship between diving and space exploration.
The latest edition of Alert Diver from Divers Alert Network is out. A great publication with a wealth of information. In this edition you can learn about protecting Hawaiian fishes, crime scene investigation and unique ways to share air in an emergency. There is something for everyone in this edition.
Commentary
My non-profit - Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut is in the midst of teaching an open water class for one of our local high schools. Listen how rewarding this course has been for both the students and me.
In this episode of Sea Hunt - Mike and his UDT buddy Sam Carter are working on salvaging a wreck that they have found when they encounter underwater pirates. A reverse booby trap trips up the pirates and Mike and Sam must save one of the bad guys.
The Great Shark Snapshot is back for its second year. Divers and snorkelers are asked to record all their sightings of sharks and rays in the Shark Trust Shark Log. This event runs from July 22 -30, 2023. Last year over 200 divers from 14 countries provided 1800 entries into the log.It has been 50 years since scientist first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch 600 miles northeast of Hawaii. It has grown to 1.6 million square miles - two times the size of Texas.Divers Alert Network and PADI conducted a day-long Safety Seminar for the Dive Community at PADI HQ in CA. The seminar featured a number of short presentations along with in-water demonstrations. The event was open to PADI Club members and dive instructors.Aggressor Adventures is now offering a consumer protection program StormCheck for missed days of diving due to named tropical storms. If you diving or charter is impacted by a named storm, you will get a voucher for the missed days.CommentaryRecently Aqualung has announced that they will return to the DEMA Show in 2023. This is very welcome news as in the past several years, major scuba equipment manufacturers have not attended. DEMA Show is our big opportunity to interact with various exhibitors, evaluate product, engage in dialog and make future purchasing decisions. It is vital to a health dive industry. I commend Aqualung on this decision and hope that other big players come to the same realization. This trade show matters.Oceana recently published a report titled A Simple Solution - How President Biden can meet offshore clean energy goals and prevent new offshore drilling. Here are their four recommendations. President Biden must uphold his promise to end new offshore oil and gas leasing in his 5-year plan. Use his authority under section 12c to permanently protect areas from new offshore drilling Congress must pass legislation to reverse the linking of offshore wind leases to offshore oil and gas leases BSEE must seek transformative changes to oil and gas safety culture through inspection and enforcement and reduce the reliance on industry-written standards.
Black Spot Syndrome (BSS) is impacting the Tropical Western Atlantic. BSS is caused by a parasite that gets under the skin or on fins of fish. The parasite comes from marine snails, settle on the fish and then end up in osprey who eat the fish.Aquarium fishers are threatening Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu. These fishers are not very well regulated and the trade is pretty lucrative. An aquarium fisher can get between $300 to $500 for a single yellow tang.MrBeast and Mark Rober, two big YouTubers have started a program #TeamSeas for ocean cleanup and they have raised over $30M so far.Fourth Element is continuing their conservation efforts. Their latest program is Plant for the Planet. They will plant a tree for every order they receive. They have partnered with Ecologi for the reforesting efforts.Archeologist divers have found a sunken 19th century hospital and cemetery off the Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys.CommentaryLocal dive shops are not only facing competition from the manufactures selling direct and the big online retailers, we are also facing challenges from dive professionals who may not fully understand the value of a local dive shop.Scuba diving teaches us a lot of things - Carrie Miller outlined her five things in a recent article in National Geographic. I'll take you through Carrie's five things and give my perspective on these items.
There is a new die off of sea urchins in the Caribbean. This latest event impacting diadema antillarum started in February in the Virgin Islands and has since spread as far west as Jamaica. Efforts are ongoing to find the cause and try to restore these gardeners of the sea.Shearwater Research has recently announced the release of two new editions of their Peregrine recreational dive computer. These two new versions are the Peregrine Adventure Lite and the Peregrine Adventure Dark.REEF is conducting another webinar as part of the Oceans for All series. Join them for Exploring Diver’s Experiences in Marine Conservation on May 24, 2023 at 8 PM with this fantastic panel.The latest Journal of Diving History from the Historical Diving Society had an article about the inspiration for the HDS Explorer Mission that occurred May 8 - 12, 2023, the 1995 Scott Carpenter Man in the Sea (MITS) program.Scuba Diving Magazines latest edition is their liveaboard edition. It also reviews some great options for both travel and boat bags.CommentaryRecently we received a notice from one our vendors indicating that they had a deal on purchasing a regulator package. If we purchased a specific first and second stage, we would get the octopus at a discounted rate. Sounds like a good deal. Well, this vendor also sells direct to consumers and they offered a different deal. If the consumer purchases the same first and second stage, they would get the octopus for free. It seems like local dive shops are in direct competition with the very same vendors that we invest in as full service dealers. As more and more local dive shops face this type of competition, it will be difficult to continue to operate. We will become extinct.In this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive we head back to season 3 for episode 19 titled Cross Current. In this episode Mike is headed to the Caribbean to help a scientist, Sherry Bishop. When Mike arrives Sherry is missing. He battles a strong underwater current as he searches for Sherry. Mike ultimately finds her but must figure out how to get her back.
If you like the Florida Keys, then check out floridakeystv.com. You will get your fix of the Keys with globally streamed videos about all aspects of the Conch Republic.The Q4 2022 new diver certification statistics are out. The downward trend continues. We still are trying to understand the long-term impacts of the pandemic.Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) continues to spread. It is now impacting Bonaire. But there is good news in the battle with this bacterial pathogen - a probiotic treatment that stops or slows the spread.If you are a dive watch junkie, check out the top five dive watches for 2023 according to Deeper Blue. They are the Citizen Promaster Aquaplaned, the Casio MDV106 dive watch, the Casio Frogman, the SDC Black Tip Ocean Rider and the Rolex Submariner.CommentaryNew divers continue to enter the ranks every year but do these new divers stay engaged. Do they get out and dive? We stress the importance of more training and classes. Is this the right approach or should we be getting them out there diving first?The Dive Equipment and Marketing Association conducted a diver behavioral research project in late 2022. The results were recently published and give us some insight into our industry. Listen for some of the details from the survey.
In this special episode, I reconnect with Dr. Alex Brylske for a discussion about his new book - Beneath the Blue Planet - A Diver's Guide to the Ocean. Alex tells us about his inspiration for writing this guide to the ocean, its ecosystems and its conservation. He takes us through the book and gives us some insights into the various chapters and what he hopes the readers take away from Beneath the Blue Planet.
Beneath the Sea scuba show made its return after a four year hiatus in Secaucus, NJ on March 25 and 26. The show brought together divers from around the northeast. The show featured training agencies, dive equipment providers and dive travel opportunities.A bill was recently introduced in the Florida house to ban the release of balloons. If passed it would eliminate the release of all balloons and restrict the release of those labeled eco-friendly as well.The most recent PADI Club Speakers series featured Tec Clark. The speakers series is a benefit that is only available to PADI Club members.If you need another reason to be a DAN member and purchase their accident insurance, check out the DAN Was There for Me article in Divers Alert Network.The REEF Act (Reusing Equipment for Environmental Fortification) is a bi-partisan bill introduced to direct the Secretary of the Navy to notify Congress of pending retirements of any naval vessel that is a viable candidates for artificial reefing. There is also a companion bill in the Senate.Commentary -Here in the northeast we tout the value of diving a drysuit. We take time to educate our customers on the different aspect of a drysuit. It is a significant investment for our clients both financially and in time and training. It takes time for them to commit and then once they commit we are facing significant lead time on delivery. These lead times could be as long as 18 weeks. Listen for my perspectiveSea Hunt It's Still Alive reviews an episode from season 2 - The Persuaders. In this episode Mike is forced to work for two "business men" who are really narcotics dealers. They need Mike to dive and retrieve a canister of drugs worth half a million dollars. Mike is in a no win situation. He decides to destroy the narcotics and try to out fox the business men.
Members of the United Nations recently approved the High Seas Treaty. This treaty if successful will protect two-thirds of our oceans.Norway and Japan continue to hunt whales. Norway killed 560 whales in 2022, the highest in six years. This at a time when the demand for whale meat continues to drop around the world.The University of Miami recently deployed two new artificial reef structures off of Miami Beach as part of their EcoReef program.REEF has released their 2024 REEF Survey Trips. They have a very full schedule that will take you all around the world. You can get more information on their website along with availability and pricing.Fourth Element is a leader in scuba diving exposure protection along with other new innovative products. They are also a fierce advocate for the environment and the oceans with their Ocean Positive initiative.Commentary -What is the state of the dive industry? Hopefully we will get a little insight when the results of the State of the Industry survey is completed. Perhaps we will get some data on the long-term sustainability for the local dive shop model. It seems like we hear about more and more dive shops closing after being in business for a very long time. It doesn't seem that there are opportunities to sell the businesses perhaps because the model is too difficult to maintain. A local dive shop must pull all of the fragments of the scuba industry together and take a great deal of risk. When local dive shops close, local divers are left without many options and may tend to fade away from diving plus we no longer have a pipeline for new divers.In March 2020, the scuba magazines were filled with optimism. I'll take you back to the first quarter of 2020 and discuss how Alert Diver from Divers Alert Network, The Undersea Journal from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and Dive Center Business from Dive Training Magazine. Dive travel, training and conservation were front and center. The industry was looking forward to a great year with economic indicators all pointing upward.
The Boston Sea Rovers are transitioning back to the traditional March timeframe for their show. 2023 is the transition year and will be a one-night only film festival at the New England Aquarium on March 18, 2023. The 70th annual Boston Sea Rovers clinic is planned for March 2024 in Danvers, MA.Beneath the Sea is making its return after four years. The show is being held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey on March 25 and 26, 2023.Oceana's National Business Coalition for the Ocean is a group of like-minded businesses that promote Oceana's programs with sign-on letters, petitions and other initiatives.When did you last change your dive computer battery. If you don't know then maybe it's time to get that battery replaced, especially if you are headed out on a dive trip.Find out more about our recent trip to Bonaire where we stayed at Divi Flamingo Resort and did our diving with Divi Divers. The resort is strategically located and you can walk to town for dinner or shopping. The resort also has two restaurants - Chibi Chibi and Pureocean. The rooms are clean and comfortable.Divi Divers run several different boats and get you to the Bonaire and Klein Bonaire dive sites quickly.Water temperature in late February and early March was a consistent 79 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 degrees Celsius. Visibility was consistently 80 to 100 feet. With seahorses on five dives, octopus, frogfish and more, you'll encounter a lot of small reef fish and creatures.
William Cline recently released Q4 statistics regarding the scuba industry. It would seem that overall certifications are flat when compared to 2021 as is equipment sales. Scuba related travel is up however. We will see how things progress in 2023.Nature Communications recently published a study that indicates 59% of coral reef sharks, rays and skates are threatened with extinction due to overfishing.The first quarter edition of the Journal of Diving History is out. Find out about the first hydrogen dives in this longest running US magazine about diving.The new Cayman Aggressor IV is operational with seven-day cruises around all three Cayman Islands.There is a new artificial reef off Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, FL. The R/V Manta was sunk in 111 feet of water about 16 miles south of Destin.A service and maintenance department in a scuba diving center represents a significant investment to the center with tools, equipment, repair and spare parts, along with training and certification. Is it worth the investment? Not everyone feels like they need to have their gear serviced as they should and the revenue from services is not there. What if your local dive shop no longer serviced gear? What would you do?New divers have already made an investment in their mask, snorkel, fins and boots. When these new divers ask about what equipment should they buy first, I turn that question around and say - here are the three core pieces of gear that you will need to really become a safe and competent diver. These core pieces of scuba gear are a buoyancy compensator (BC), a regulator, and a dive computer. Yes, there is a lot of other gear that we use to breathe underwater. Listen to may reason for why I think these are the three core pieces of scuba equipment.
Dr. Alex Brylske has teamed up with Divestures to deliver a series of six presentations called Oceans Update. The first presentation was on January 25, 2023 - Secrets of the Coral Reefs. Next up is Understanding Coral Reef Fishes and it will be held on February 22, 2023. Find out more and register at https://www.diventures.com/oceans-update/Over the holidays a cruise ship from Australia, the Coral Princess was bound for New Zealand when they were delayed due to an infestation of snails. The ship required cleaning before it was permitted to enter New Zealand. They take invasive species seriously down under.The Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo is accepting applications for their Spring/Summer 2023 internship program. You can check out all the requirements for application. The deadline is February 24, 2023.The SECONN Skin Divers New England Wreck Symposium is scheduled for March 4, 2023. Tickets are available on their website. Registration starts at 8:30 with the first presentations starting at 9:00 am.Should there be quality standards of some sort for dive shop business operations? Why not? We have standards for training and safety but business operations can vary significantly across dive shops. There are a number of examples of where poor business operations give the entire industry a black eye. Returning customer phone calls, emails and messages is essential. Keeping a schedule is critical. Getting gear serviced in a timely manner is necessary. I believe quality standards for dive shop business operations are just as important as the standards we set for our training and safety.Sea Hunt It's Still Alive takes us back to season 1, episode 7 of Sea Hunt - titled - Mr. Guinea Pig. In this episode Mike is engaged in research on improving skin divers lung capacity when he is approached to help an old flame. Jennie is trying to get a job as an underwater photo journalist. Problem is - Jennie is a bad diver. Mike doesn't want to help. Let's just say, Mike relents and decides to help Jennie, who gets into trouble underwater. Bottom line, Mike's research on increasing divers lung capacity pays off.
The Driftnet Modernization and Bi-catch Reduction Act was included in the 2023 spending bill and signed into law by President Biden. This law will help protect marine life from this destructive fishing method.If you want to see the boat used in Sea Hunt, then head out to the Long Beach Scuba Show in June. The Argonaut (Five Sea Sons) is the Trojan Sea Breeze boat built for the final season of Sea Hunt. Find out more at argonautwm2050.comIf you are looking to learn more about diving here in New England, check out the expanded website from Maura Keane - iDiveNewEngland.comShearwater Research has released an update to the firmware for the Perdix 2, Petrel and Teric dive computers. The Perdix 2 and Petrel are at V95 while the Teric is at V23. If you own a Perdix or Perdix AI, make sure you are at V93. The Peregrine is at V86.One of the major challenges facing scuba shops is access to pools for training. Each dive shop must try to solve this issue alone. We must seek out, convince aquatic centers that we are a valuable customer and then contract at a reasonable rate. This continues to get harder. Is there an opportunity for the industry to address this challenge collectively. Maybe. Perhaps the various training agencies could leverage their influence to engage nationally with large pool operators, like maybe the YMCA, to make more pools accessible to dive centers.Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever takes us on a journey of discovery about sharks following his witnessing a destructive shark tournament that he describes as a murder scene. McKeever focuses on four major shark species to learn more about sharks. He learns about the great white, mako, hammerhead and tiger sharks. He seeks out experts from around the world to understand shark physiology, behavior and their habitats. From there, McKeever then moves to the perils facing sharks. The human perils of destructive fishing methods, shark finning, and shark tournaments. The final part of Emperors of the Deep we are introduced to those individuals who are dedicated to protecting sharks. He completes his two-year journey by diving with great white sharks off South Africa.
The Professional Association of Diving Instructor's Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) was a revolutionary development promoting safe dive planning for recreational divers. Up until this time, most dive planning centered around Navy dive tables that really didn't fit what recreational divers were doing. In the early 1980s Dr. Alex Brylske was on the PADI staff and right in the middle of the development of the RDP. In fact, Alex took the first call from Dr. Raymond Rogers who was instrumental in the creation of not only the RDP but also the PADI Wheel.Listen to the complete interview with Dr. Alex Brylske for the behind the scenes development of the PADI Recreational Dive Planner and the PADI Wheel.
Scuba Shack Maui is for sale. If you want to own a dive shop and live on Maui, you might consider the turn-key operation in Kihei.Find out more about Scuba Shack Maui.Lake Hydra (the former Dutch Springs) is scheduled to re-open in 2023. The original plan was to open in April 2023 but it looks like that might be delayed. Ken Kraft is hoping to have part of the quarry open by June.The Small Passenger Liability Fairness Act was signed into law when it was added to the defense authorization bill. It is expected that this act will seriously impact liability insurance for dive boat owners.When it get's cold in Florida the manatees head for warm water sites. They will seek warm water over eating, so the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has set up one feeding station at the Cape Canaveral warming area.Commentary - Is the drysuit causing a decrease in northeast diving? How can that be - drysuits allow us to dive year round here in New England. But drysuits are expensive, require additional training and experience. By touting the drysuit are unconsciously causing new divers to NOT dive here in the northeast. What do you think?In this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive we are heading back to season 4 for episode 3 titled The Destroyers. Mike is working with a Coast Guard team to figure out how two Navy destroyers collided when the radars were jammed. Mike must fight off two scooter divers. He uses razor sharp coral to shred one bad diver hose and rams a second diver with a Porto Sub to capture the saboteurs.
The Coral Restoration Foundation recently did a webinar on their accomplishments in 2022. It was a record year for them where they out planted about 44K corals, plus so much more.Divers in North Jersey are in search of Old Bergen - an 1812 cannon stolen in 1980. They were diving in the Hackensack River. They think they heard metallic noise when probing. They will need to head back later to attempt to find Old Bergen.NASA is projecting an alarming rise in sea level in the next thirty years. This rise impacts all US coastal areas. The study is based on 30 years of satellite observations.On December 14, A Dram of Diving hosted a live facebook event on the Power of Podcasting. I participated in the panel and you can watch the event on the Dram of Diving Youtube Channel.The 2023 Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Board of Directors election is now open for voting. I have been fortunate to have been nominated for a position on the board representing the Retailer segment. Voting continues through January 2023.Scuba Shack Radio Episode One premiered on March 17, 2019. I launched the podcast to add my voice. Listen to my reflection on four years and 100 episodes of Scuba Shack Radio.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recently agreed to strict new import and export regulations on over 50 species of sharks. Great news for these apex predators.The scent is back in Sink the Stink. The new 40% stronger version is our go-to wetsuit and neoprene cleaner with the clean, fresh scent.Oceanic has released their dive computer app for the Apple Watch Ultra. Their app turns the watch into a fully compatible dive computer. There is also a companion iPhone app. The Oceanic+ app is a fee based app that range from a daily rate, monthly, or annual. There is also a family plan. Oceanic will also be releasing a housing to take you iPhone underwater and display the computer.The bell from the Great Lakes shipwreck, GP Griffen, a passenger steamer that sank in 1850 has been donated to the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, OH. The bell is the only thing that is left from the wreck and was found in 1974 by a local diver, Louis Key. Key's family donated the bell.On December 14, 2022 I will be participating in a panel discussion on A Dram of Diving. This will be an encore of our panel discussion from DEMA that was hosted by Tec Clark. The live event will be on Facebook and Youtube starting at 7:30 eastern time.Last month on A Dram of Diving they had a discussion on the experiential scuba programs - like discover scuba or try scuba. The discussion centered around the risk and value of the program. The risk was centered around the level of professional conducting the program. As a PADI dive shop, we routinely conduct Discover Scuba Programs. If done correctly, with properly trained and certified professionals, the program is valuable to our industry.
Coral Restoration Foundation's Coralpalooza 2023 is set for June. You can get a jump on early registration by signing up on their website.
Did you know that there are four grades of oxygen. Listen for a brief update on O2 grades.
Oceana has had some big wins in 2022. Here are a few quick updates.
The Nation's Attic next vintage dive gear auction is set for December 10, 2022. There are some interesting old helmets on the list along with a great vintage Rolex.
If you are an underwater photographer, you can enter the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com
Clearly Cayman and Reef Divers Resorts have announced that they have sold Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman. This sale will allow them to reinvest in their other three properties on Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Turks and Caicos.
Sea Hunt It's Still Alive takes us to season 3, episode 1 - Asylum (also known as Canal Escape). Mike's mission is to rescue a freedom fighter from a small island embassy off the coast of South America. He must navigate a heavily guarded canal system, reach the embassy, teach the freedom fighter how to dive and make his canal escape.
The Emperor penguin is now on the US endangered species list due to habitat loss and could be extinct by 2100 if we don't curb greenhouse gas.
According to the latest statistics from DEMA - new diver certifications for Q3 2022 are down by about 4.8% from Q3 2023 and the trend continues to go down.
There was a new shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior. The whaleback barge 129 was found off Whitefish Point in about 650 feet of water.
Coral reefs can recover if they are properly protected. Kiribati has protected their reefs and they have been able to regenerate.
The REEF trip to the Caymans in May 2023 has changed location. Originally planned for Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman, the trip has relocated to Cayman Brac.
The Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut (SEACT) has obtained 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit corporation. You can make tax-deductible donations at seact.org
The Dive Equipment and Marketing Association - DEMA Show 2022 ran from November 1 - 4, 2022. This year's show was certainly a bounce back show with about 50% more exhibitors and attendees than 2021. Listen for my take on the show. It was a jam packed four days with so much to do and learn.
Halycon now has a new color to customize your wing - Tie Dye. You can check it out on their website.
Divers Alert Network is having the DAN Party at the DEMA Show this year. It will be on Tuesday November 1 at 6:30 at the Rosen Center.
Erik Petkovic on M/V Explorer recently found a World War I German U-boat off the coast of Virginia.
The Travel and Leisure Show is introducing a Dive and Water Sports Pavilion at all of their shows.
How do sponges get rid of mucus? The sneeze.
Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboards have some interesting programs to help you dive with a purpose.
Our week of diving at Little Cayman Beach Resort is in the books. It was an absolutely amazing dive trip. Because of the size of our group, we had two boats with Reef Divers - Paradise Diver and Island Diver. The resort, diving and dinning is top-notch. Every time we run this trip, it sells out. Listen for my recap on our week on Little Cayman.
The PADI Club trip to Key Largo in Florida was a great success with about 30 divers making three great stops in Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West.
The Florida Keys Tourism Council has put out a new video - "Dive Safely in the Florida Keys featuring Steven Frink and Dan Dawson.
There is a new dive operator in South Maui - Island Style Diving. Javier and Christina Cantellops have purchased Mike Severns Diving and the boat Pilikai.
Where is the dive industry going. One report tells us that equipment sales is expected to grow over the next three years but at the same time another report shows that diver participation is dropping as compared to other outdoor water sports.
The Boston Sea Rovers 68th Annual Clinic was held on October 1 and 2, 2022. The pre-clinic workshops started on Friday September 30 along with an exhibitor appreciation cocktail party, the Boston Sea Rovers Intern benefit dinner and the speakers cocktail party.
Saturday and Sunday featured two full days of seminars covering shipwrecks, maritime history, exotic places, sharks and underwater photography. The exhibit floor featured a range of destinations, training agencies and equipment vendors.
The main event is the Saturday night film festival. This year Chuck Davis served as the master of ceremonies and was also named the Boston Sea Rovers Diver of the Year. The award was presented by Brian Skerry and Bob Ballard who zoomed into the film festival from the research vessel, M/V Nautilus somewhere in the Pacific. Also featured in the film festival were Joel Penner, Jim and Pat Stayer, Keith Ellenbogen and Tara Roberts. Chuck also presented a tribute to one of his mentors, Ernie Brooks.
The Boston Sea Rovers is switching back to its traditional March timeframe in 2024. The plan is to have a film festival in 2023 to keep the streak going at 69 and then in 2024 the show will pick back up with the 70th anniversary.
The Beaufort Gyre is a whirlpool in the Arctic that stores fresh water, sea ice and heat as it rotates. Every five to ten years the current changes direction and releases this sea ice and fresh water into the North Atlantic. There is an issue. It hasn't reversed in over twenty years. When it finally does release, there will be greater impacts to Europe and the North Atlantic fisheries.
NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Blueprint calls for the elimination of shark feeding. This ban does not impact those who chum for catching sharks. DEMA opposes this ban.
Lake Hydra (the rebranded Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA) has release more information on diving at the Lake Hydra. You will only be able to dive there with a dive professional that is insured. The plan is to open in April 2023 and more details about their reservation system will be release later.
According to an article in Hakai Magazine by Jea Morris, beach showers are sending a flood of harmful contaminates into the ocean. These showers are not connected to municipal sewers and dump all of their runoff into the sea.
At the upcoming DEMA Show, Tec Clark is moderating a panel discussion on the Power of Podcasting as it is related to the dive industry. I have been asked by Tec to be part of his panel.
Sea Hunt's 1959 second season ended with the episode titled - The Raft. In this episode, Mike is called to blow up a wreck that is containing high explosive that propose a significant danger. Mike must find the highly volatile explosives, secure them, and finally detonate them. Mike dives doubles and then needs to free dive into the wreck to complete his mission. But danger abounds as he tries to escape the ultimate explosion.
The Women Divers Hall of Fame is now accepting applications for their 2023 scholarship and grant programs. Deadline for application is October 31, 2022. Find out more at wdhof/scholarships.
There is a new show coming to the Discovery Channel on diving. It is called Destination Dive. Their first episode aired earlier this month. It was about the Florida Keys. New episodes however won't be aired until the summer 2023, but you can check it out on their YouTube channel.
Maui County is banning all chemical sunscreens. This prohibition will start October 1, 2022 and includes the sales, distribution and use of all chemical sunscreens. You can only buy and use sunscreens with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.
NASA has reported that the loss of Antarctic sea ice has double it's previous estimate.
The Florida Manta Project has teamed up with the Angari Foundation and Digital Life to create the first digital anatomically accurate animated model of a manta ray.
The Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut is a new non-profit organization to foster the development of a new generation of ocean stewards through scuba diving. Because learning how to dive or extending diving education can be cost prohibitive for young people, SEACT will look to provide financial support through grants and tuition assistance/scholarships. Our plan is to launch our Ocean Steward I program in the spring of 2023. Other programs are in development.
You can find out more about Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut at seact.org.
SEE Turtle, a non-profit protecting sea turtles has developed an app - SEE Shell to detect illegal trade of tortoise shell.
Moon jelly fish are invading Alaskan waters. Why?
The Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo has announced four Dive and Snorkel program dates for September 2022.
The Historical Diving Society, USA has announced their 2022 HDS USA Pioneer Awards. This awardees are Sheck Exley and Edwin Link.
The results of the Great Shark Shapshot 2022 are in - listen for the numbers.
Thanks to the work done by The Spicy Shark and others, the last shark kill tournaments in New England have been cancelled.
In 1983 PADI released a completely revised Standards and Procedures Manual along with a new and improved product catalog. The new Standards and Procedures Manual reflected the significant changes from the course revisions in 1982, that supposedly made it easier for individuals to take up diving. They also talked about changing the academic requirements.
Back in 1983, teaching with slides and cassette tapes was big along with the new VHS material. Beta was special order.
The Rosalia Project has teamed up with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to remove debris from the Gulf of Maine. The Ocean Conservancy blog provided an update.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) was instrumental in convincing the American Medical Association (AMA) to advise against unsafe mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy in mild hyperbaric treatment facilities.
If you like deep shipwrecks, listen for an update on Dusty Klifman's dive to the wreck of the John V. Moran - a deep Lake Michigan wreck at a depth of about 400 feet.
PADI AWARE Foundations' AWARE Week 2022 will take place September 17 to 25, 2022. Check with your local dive shop to see what activities they might have planned.
If you know someone who is new to the dive industry and is making waves consider nominating them for the DEMA 2022 Wave Maker Award. The deadline for nominations is August 22, 2022.
The USPS has release a 16 stamp series on Marine Sanctuaries. The 16 stamp forever stamp pane is at an affordable price of $9.60.
The first and second quarter new diver certification numbers in the US are available. It is a bit of a challenge to understand where we are with a recovery from the pandemic but the trends look like they are going down when compared to where we were in 2017. These numbers are just one indicator on the health of the scuba diving industry here in the United States.
Stream2Sea has been named the number one reef-safe eco-friendly sunscreen by Rolling Stone Magazine for the second year in a row.
Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute's president Peter de Monocal recently penned an op-ed piece in the Boston Globe title "Turning the Tide Against Climate Change."
The NOAA Administrator - Dr. Richard Spinrad has affirmed the ban on swimming with dolphins in Hawaii. This ban is known as the approach rule and should put an end to the lawsuit being filed on the validity of the ban.
Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA has closed, but it is being resurrected as Lake Hydra. It will be exclusively for scuba diving and should be up and running by mid-April 2023. Great news for northeast diving.
iDiveNewEngland.com is a new website by Maura Keene that is a great reference site for all things diving in New England. Maura has done a great job compiling a wealth of information.
Shameless plug for my upcoming Boston Sea Rover's workshop - You Can Do It - Writing and Publishing Your First Book.
The Shipwreck finds Mike adrift in a life raft with three other shipwreck survivors off the coast of Baja. It is a fight for survival as Mike uses all his experience as a Navy UDT diver to save the group.
Congratulations Tec Clark on the release of his Risk Management for Dive Professionals course. If you are a dive professional, you should seriously consider this class on scubaguruacademy.com
Listen for an update on the recently completed shark fishing tournament that took place in Florida in early July.
A group of Chinese scientist have come up with a tiny fish robot that eats plastic.
More innovation from REEF. They are introducing SMILE - Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates. They are using a special 3-D camera to support this effort.
Divers Alert Network has now introduced a new Spanish emergency hotline and they will also have hotlines for Australia, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.
Tickets for the Boston Sea Rovers 2022 clinic are now on sale. The clinic dates are October 1 and 2, 2022.
The Book of Eels by Patrik Svennson is a combination memoir and history of the scientific efforts around one of the most mysterious creatures in the natural world. From Aristotle to Sigmund Freud, to Rachel Carson - all have had a fascination with eels. The mystery of where eels are born was finally resolve in 1921. An award winning book, worth putting on your reading list.
Plastic Free July is a global initiative started in Western Australia in 2011. It is easy to participate. Just pick one plastic item to avoid in July and beyond.
REEF is conducting a Fishinar titled Adventures under the Blue Heron Bridge. This is an absolutely amazing shore dive and you can find many unique species at the bridge.
Did you know that you can buy a wallet or sneakers made from lionfish leather? Inversa is producing leather made from lionfish skin.
The Great Shark Snapshot is just around the corner. The Shark Trust is asking that divers record all sightings of sharks, rays, and skates between July 24 and 31, 2022.
PADI Club is sponsoring an exclusive trip to the Florida Keys for club members. The trip runs between September 3 through 9. You'll make your way from Key Largo to Key West. The trip is limited to 60 club members.
The Atlantic Right Whales are staying in Cape Cod Bay 18 days longer than in the past. This presents some challenges with increased boat traffic as well as lobster fishing.
Single-use plastic accounts for about 40% of all plastic produced. Used once, these pollutants enter our environment. Here are the top 10 single-use plastics according to the World Wildlife Fund from Australia:
Plastic straws Plastic drink stirrers Plastic balloons and balloon sticks Plastic cotton buds (cue-tips) Coffee cups Coffee cup lids Plastic cutlery Plastic drink cups Take out food containers Plastic disposable plates
Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) is sponsoring a diving scholarship - the NextGen Scholarship. The deadline for this program is July 1. Listen for more information on the specifics of the entry requirements and the benefits offered by this scholarship.
The Crown of Thorns starfish can cause havoc on the reef. Now there is a simple solution for controlling the predator - kitchen vinegar. Seems it is effective without causing adverse impacts.
A tech diving team - Darkstar recently completed an expedition to the WW I wreck of the SS Libourne. The ship was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1918. The Libourne was carrying a unique cargo. Listen for more details.
REEF is having their 13th annual Florida Key Lionfish Derby and Festival this September. Early bird registration ends August 9th.
Scuba Diver Destinations - a publication from the Scuba Diver brand was introduced in 2019 to serve the US and Canada markets. With that in mind, the magazine is being rebranded as Scuba Diver North America.
In this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive I review a season 4 episode titled Confidential Mission. In this episode, Mike is on a secret mission for the government to try and get pictures of an underwater missile system being installed just off the coast of a Caribbean island. Mike gets into an underwater fight with two bad divers, gets away and tosses a grenade at them. But there is more. Check out Confidential Mission here on Scuba Shack Radio.
Congratulations Leslie Leaney on receiving the 2022 California Scuba Service Award.
There is a new bill making its way through Congress. House Resolution 7431, titled the Don Young Veterans Advancing Conservation Act or VACA if passed will be a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA grant program providing funding to non-profit groups who hire, retrain, and redeploy veterans to conduct coastal, Great Lakes and underwater conservation missions.
The second quarter Alert Diver magazine from Divers Alert Network is now available. One article that may cause a lot of stir around the dive community is the one on the placement of an octopus alternate second stage regulator.
There is a new recall notice from Aqualung for their i330R dive computer. It is for all computers made and sold in 2021 and 2022.
Big news from Shearwater Research this week regarding their top of the line Perdix dive computer. They are releasing a new version of the Perdix. It will be the Perdix 2 and come in two different versions, the TI or TI Black.
Some more good news on the pandemic recovery front. The Philippine government has announced that it will no longer require a PCR or Antigen covid-19 test for fully vaccinated and boosted tourists as of May 30, 2022.
The British Sub Aqua Club Diving Manual from 1976 was a comprehensive guide to the techniques of swimming underwater. This manual listed all of the training requirements necessary to progress from a snorkel diver through their 3rd class, 2nd class and 1st class scuba diver. Listen for more information on the requirements to become a BSAC diver.
May 23, 2022 is World Turtle Day, now in its 22nd year. A day to "shellebrate" and take a "shelfie".
The second quarter Journal of Diving History is now available. As always, it is packed with some great information. Get yours delivered to your home by joining the Historical Diving Society, USA.
If you are into Ikelite gear, you can tag your gear with their new stickers. You can get a three-pack for $2 from the Ikelite store under their logo gear menu.
NASA Climate Change Newsletter reports a four inch sea level rise since 1990. This is based on satellite data and shows the alarming trend.
Halcyon is discontinuing its Traveler and Traveler Pro BC. They are replacing this lightweight travel BC with their Adventure Series. You can get the Adventure or Adventure Pro with the carbon fiber backplate.
The Spiegel Grove artificial reef turns 20. The ship was sunk on May 15, 2002. It is the third largest ship ever sunk as an artificial reef and has a very interesting history.
Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols was published in 2014 and is subtitled the surprising science that shows how being near, in, on or underwater can make you happier, healthier, more connected and better at what we do. The book takes us through a great deal of the neuroscience of how our brains react to water. Dr. Nichols also tells us about those of us who work or play in the ocean have a profound relationship with water.
DEMA has released the results of their survey related to opening up the DEMA Show to consumers. The survey results indicated that 62% of respondents were opposed so the board has decided that the show will remain exclusively a trade show.
Some Hawaii business have brought a lawsuit against the US government on their regulation that bans swimming with spinner dolphins.
Lake Mead is at a record low. The 1971 water intake valve is now exposed. More evidence of the impacts of climate change.
Ocean Reef, the maker of full-face masks for scuba divers has released a new dive light for their mask. It is called the Vesper.
The Coral Restoration Foundation is well ahead of schedule on their out planting of boulder coral. They are already over 50% of the way toward their 2022 goal.
Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA will be opening on May 12, 2022 on a rolling three-week schedule while the final agreement is reached. One last hurrah for Dutch Springs.
In this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive, I take you back to season 3 episode 18 titled Cindy. Cindy premiered on May 7, 1960. In this episode, a little girl, Cindy has fallen down an abandoned air shaft. The old mine is underwater of the man-made lake. Mike tries to get to Cindy but reaches a dead-end and is trapped as the ceiling crashes down on him. He escapes with one last breath and heads to the surface.
There is another way to get in. Mike and his partner Tom head back underwater. They find the air shaft and rescue Cindy.
Are you a dive watch junkie - check out the new book on vintage dive watches.
Want to visit a private island resort - Scuba Diving Magazine lists some really cool places to visit.
The Bonaire Bond is a pledge you can take to protect the reefs in Bonaire and help them plant more corals.
Stream2Sea is stepping up again - they are making a donation for every tube of mineral safe sunscreen they sell to Reef Renewal.
If you are looking for some summer reading about the ocean, check out Katie Hogge's blog post on the Ocean Conservancy website.
The NASA website on climate change you can subscribe to a monthly newsletter related to climate change. It is easy to find at climate.nasa.gov.
In the April issue you can read an article titled Too Hot to Handle - How climate change may make some places too hot to live. You can learn about wet-bulb temperature and how it impacts humans.
Heat stress continues to be a leading cause of weather related deaths in the US.
Will DEMA Show open to consumers? Find out more.
Green Fins is offering an environmental e-course for dive professionals.
NOAA finds the wreck of a whaling ship in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge go diving in Belize.
Great news for humpback whales. Global population is now tops 80,000.
The first edition of the NOAA Complete Underwater Diving Manual was released in 1977. It was developed to provide NOAA divers with the necessary fundamentals for safe and efficient diving. The manual has seventeen sections along with four appendices. Learn more about some of the interesting aspects of the manual now in its sixth edition.
REEF has announce their 2023 REEF Survey Trips - they have 16 planned trips on the calendar.
Divers Alert Network (DAN) is now offering two levels of memberships starting in 2022. You can choose either Regular or Enhanced Membership. Listen for more details.
California Diving News is back in publication. After a 2 year hiatus due to Covid-19, it is back. Great news as we recover from the pandemic.
More good news. It is looking like Shearwater is back to producing their Perdix and Peregrine dive computers. They are working on the backlog and we should be seeing shipments soon unless there are more supply chain issues.
Researches have found about 60 million icefish nests in Antartica. Wow, that's a lot of nexts.
Sea Hunt It's Still Alive takes us to season 2, episode 12 - The Dam. This episode premiered on March 22, 1959. Mike is hired by a company to head underwater security for a new dam that was built in a subtropical country. The chief at the dam is not too happy to see Mike show up. Mike must foil an attempt to blow up the bridge. The chief's right hand man, Fitch is in on the plot. Mike has to fight off a bad diver in a knife fight, and then content with Fitch and his spear gun. Mike saves the dam by foiling Fitch, Lalo and the other bad diver.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife commission has approved a highly regulated goliath grouper harvest for the Spring of 2023.
The Cayman Islands continues to battle Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. Progress is slow but the Caymans are leading the way.
Dive RAID International recently announced a new diver certification - The Indoor Diver.
Aggressor Adventure is launching a new liveaboard on April 9, 2022 - the Philippine Aggressor.
The price of raw aluminum spiked 25% last month and is up about 50% in the past year. We just don't know where the price of aluminum scuba cylinders will end up.
If you are a professional first responder you can enter a drawing for a premium dry suit from Diving Underwater International (DUI).
Your Next Dive takes us to the wreck of the Antilla in Aruba. The Antilla was a German freighter that was scuttled just off the beach in Aruba at the beginning of World War II. This massive 400 foot shallow wreck is a must dive if you are in Aruba. The wreck is split in half around mid-ships and lays on it's port side. Exploring the wreck is easy given the depth and warm temperature. We were fortunate to get in the water early and have the entire wreck to ourselves for the first part of the dive.
Hawaii has recently banned shark fishing in Hawaiian waters. More protection for these apex predators.
Sea turtles on the verge of extinction in the Maldives?
Ghost Divers removing fishing nets from deep wrecks. Hear more about their latest effort.
The Nautilus Lifeline Marine Rescue GPS. Should you be carrying one on your next dive?
In addition to their new Rec Fins - Fourth Element is also releasing a Tech Fin in 2022. These fins look very cool.
Immerse Yourself at the History of Diving Museum - virtually.
Edward Ellsberg was not only known for his incredible salvage work prior to and during World War II, he was also a prolific author.
Ellsberg graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1914, transferred to the Navy's Construction Corp in 1916 and became a leading expert in underwater salvage. He was in charge of the efforts to raise the wreck of the submarine S-51 from 132 feet.
After leaving the Navy in 1926, Ellsberg started to write. His first book recounted the salvage efforts of S-51. The book was published in 1928 and is titled On The Bottom. Prior to World War II he continued his writing. His next three books were fiction about salvaging sunken treasure (30 Fathoms Deep), submarine warfare in World War I (Pig Boats) and S-54. He also wrote a trilogy of juvenile books on underwater adventure. Right before the war started he published Hell on Ice and Captain Paul.
During World War II, Ellsberg led efforts to clear a Red Sea port of scuttled ships and dry docks. Then he led all salvage efforts in the Western Mediterranean. He also was largely responsible for setting up the artificial harbor during the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach.
He wrote another trilogy about his World War II work and includes, Under the Red Sea Sun, No Banners, No Bugles and The Far Shore.
The Dive Medical Screening Committee has updated the Diver Medical Questionnaire by taking out all references to Covid-19. Progress.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has a virtual book club. The Into the Blue Book Club is a virtual club that meets quarterly to discuss different books and normally have the author participate. www.Reef.org/bookclub.
Climate change with warmer water temperatures are causing tiger sharks to migrate to areas they normally do not inhabit. According to the University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Program, this expanded range will cause ecological imbalances.
The first quarter 2022 edition of the Journal of Diving History from the Historical Diving Society USA has arrived. This edition kicks off their 30th anniversary. Great magazine.
You can be a citizen scientist by participating in the Great Shark Snapshot sponsored by the Shark Trust. The Great Shark Snapshot runs July 24 to 31, 2022.
Fourth Element wants you to Reduce Your Finprint with their new recycled fin. The Rec Fin is made from 97% recycled plastic.
Sea Hunt It's Still Alive reviews Female of the Species from season one in 1958. In this episode Mike takes on the challenge of teaching a woman how to dive. He doesn't know why Kay Dalton wants to go to 150 feet but one thing he does know is she is not good in the water. After many mishaps, Mike tells her he won't teach her anymore.
That doesn't deter Kay. She goes out and buys her own equipment. It's then that we are introduced to an insurance investigator, Pete, who tells us that Kay is really Joanna Morrow who's boyfriend stole industrial diamonds. Her boyfriend is in prison so they figure Joanna is trying to find the diamonds.
Joanna makes the dive and finds the drum containing the diamonds. As she cuts the line and starts riding the drum to the surface, Mike catches up and stops her from the rapid ascent and saves her. The diamonds are recovered and Mike and Pete agree to let Joanna off the hook.
PADI has announced a partnership with National Geographic Pristine Seas Initiative to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.
SUUNTO is being sold to Leashing - they will however remain in Finland for now.
Shearwater has also announced a special edition Teric - Journeys Edition Teric.
Coral Restoration Foundation had a remarkable 2021 and plans to do even more in 2022.
There are signs that we are getting back to some sense of normalcy after Covid. The Scuba Show in Long Beach CA will be a physical event and the Philippines is set to open to tourists on February 10, 2022
One of my more memorable dives was off West Maui in 2010. We were blown out of a dive to the back wall of Molokini and our boat captain suggested we try a place called Manta Point. Sometimes you are disappointed with a dive because you don't get to see what you had hoped to encounter. Well, Manta Point did not disappoint. We were fortunate to get to dive with three large mantas.
The New England Wreck Symposium has been rescheduled to March 26, 2022 due to the current Covid-19 spike.
Gray Quarry in Gray, TN used an aerating system to make it into a diving destination.
Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA may be open to reservation-only diving in 2022.
Beware of stolen Shearwater computers. Seems like a number of these high-end dive computers were stolen from dive shops using bad credit cards. Only buy from a certified dealer.
Virtual Divers International (VDI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI) have announce a partnership.
Good news on the North Atlantic Right Whales. To date, the New England Aquarium reports that 11 calves have been born this season.
Dark Descent by Kevin F. McMurray details diving on the Empress of Ireland wreck in the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Empress of Ireland sank in 1914 claiming the lives of over 1000 people. After salvage operations in 1914, the wreck was unvisited until five friends decided to find the wreck in 1964. From there, Kevin takes us through the various twists and turns and politics that surrounded the wreck. He tells us how he first did a dive on the Empress of Ireland in 1971 while attending Syracuse University and that he knew he would need to return.
In 2002, Kevin ran an expedition to the Empress of Ireland. He details this unique experience and then tells us about the expedition he conducted in 2003.
Virtual Divers International has released a virtual dive program that touts training divers at all levels. Available for both iOS and Android operating systems.
The Maldives Manta Research Expedition explored the northern part of the Maldives where they studied the manta population back in October. The first two episodes detailing the results are on YouTube.
The SECONN Skin Divers and UCONN Avery Point Scuba Club are hosting a New England Wreck Symposium on January 29, 2022. It will be at the UCONN Avery Point campus in Groton, CT. You can get your tickets at the SECONN website.
Aqualung issued a recall notice for Calypso 1st Stage regulators (both Yoke and DIN) due to a quality control issue. Approximately 1545 regulators were impacted, so check with your local dive shop to see if yours might be subject to a recall.
Here is a feel good dive story from Wyoming. A scuba diver was able to recover a very sentimental fly fishing rod from the depths of a reservoir.
Sea Hunt - It's Still Alive takes us to season 4 episode 34 titled "PT Boat". This episode takes place in Nassau where Mike is helping a millionaire inventor, Ken Calway, to develop an underwater controller for boats and ships. After having success with their first try, Mike enjoys three days of fun in the sun in Nassau with Ken's sister - Linda. As Mike and Linda are having fun, we find that Ken has gotten into trouble. He bought a PT boat, installed the controller and wrecked the PT boat on the reef. Turns out someone moved the underwater controller so that the boat would crash on the reef in the hopes that they could steal the device worth multi-millions. Mike has to catch the bad guys. Another underwater fight scene where Mike prevails and gets the girl in the end.
Divers Alert Network has released a special edition of Alert Diver Magazine. This year-end special edition is a compilation of some of their best articles. This is a great reference.
According to the Alaska Daily News, there has been a successful clean up effort in Dutch Harbor where they have removed over 1 million pounds of old fishing net and line.
Divers Alert Network has funded a study with Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine to research the safety of Full Face Snorkel masks. They have recently released their results.
The December issue of Scuba Diving Magazine is now available. The December issue is their gear guide edition. Check it out.
A couple of paddle boarders out in CA were treated to an encounter with a very large Mola Mola - the ocean sunfish.
The Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, FL is definitely a bucket list dive. Just off of Interstate 95 and just north of West Palm Beach it is easy to get to and easy to park and set up your gear. You can pick up tanks, weights, and a dive flag from Force-E dive center just minutes from the bridge. Diving is from the Phil Foster Park. The park has a full bathroom along with an outdoor fresh water shower to rinse the sand and salt from your gear. Your dive should start 30 to 45 minutes before high slack tide. You will get in at least a 90 minuted dive where you will see all kinds of fish and critters. With water temperatures in the 80s and visibility between 50 to 70 feet, you will love this dive. The Blue Heron Bridge is most definitely a place that you will want to dive multiple times and even get in a night dive.
The 3rd and 4th quarter issues of Alert Diver from DAN is on the streets. It is packed with great articles. One article in particular is from Becky Kagan Schott regarding her work on creating 3-D print outs of Great Lake shipwrecks.
Sunset House on Grand Cayman is getting ready to open in January 2022. Great news from a great dive resort.
Why are there two different dive flags? Scuba News recently ran an article of how this came about.
RAID shook up the scuba training agency industry this week by offering free membership to their professionals and shops. Could this be a game changer?
Last month I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Roxane Boonstra from the Coral Restoration Foundation. Roxane talks a little bit about her journey in the dive community that led her to CRF. Quite an interesting background.
Roxane has been the coordinator of diving operations at the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo and tells us about the volunteer program.
Roxane also coordinates all of the training for interns as well as volunteers.
Is there a blood test on the way to detect DCS? Research is ongoing but how close is it?
Shearwater has now indicated that production has been halted on the Perdix dive computers along with the Peregrine (they use the same screen). According to Simon Morris from Shearwater it may be March 2022 before they are again shipping the computers.
Stream2Sea will be offering a new sunscreen in 2022. It is being branded as An Everyday Sunscreen with Eco-Safe Zinc. This is a great new product that is absolutely reef safe.
Diving Unlimited International is about to release a redesign of their DuoTherm undergarment.
Need to take your car key fob diving and want it to be safe, then look at DRYFOB.
The Dive Equipment Marketing Association - DEMA 2021 Show was an outstanding success (in my opinion). Despite all of the headwinds and challenges and negativity from may, DEMA persevered and produced the show. It was what the scuba diving industry needed.
I connected with Tom Ingram, the president and CEO of DEMA. He is cautiously optimistic about the future. He recognized this year as challenging but with the commitment of the board of directors, they forged ahead.
The full slate of seminars was outstanding. They covered a wide range of sales, marketing, leadership and motivational topics. This access is a tremendous value.
The exhibit floor was noticeably smaller but what lacked in quantity made up in quality. The exhibitors were easily accessible and able to spend time to really have a great dialog.
You just can't beat the networking opportunities.
DEMA is an association that is critical to our business and we all need to think of what the future of the show will be - not what it was.
Dan and Betty Orr have a new ebook titled "101 Tips for Scuba Divers". You can get it online at Apple Book Store, Amazon or wisediver.com for $9.99.
The Shearwater Peregrine computer is currently on back order. The delays may last until early January 2022.
Alert Diver from Divers Alert Network is combining their third and fourth quarter edition. It should be hitting the streets in mid-November.
4Ocean is cleaning up a section of Osborne Reef. In the 1970s, just off Ft. Lauderdale over two million tires were placed in the ocean to create an artificial reef. The tires are now tearing up the reefs and 4Ocean has obtained a permit to cleanup a 34 acre area just north of the reef. It is being funded by the 4Ocean Osborne Reef Bracelet.
Stuart Cove is back with some new installments of Last Man Diving.
Your Next Dive takes us to Pompano Beach where we do some diving with South Florida Diving Headquarters. It is easy to get to Pompano Beach by flying into Ft. Lauderdale Airport and taking a short ride to Pompano. Staying at the Sands Harbor Resort in the same marina as the dive shop. The rooms are what you'd expect for a hotel that does cater to divers. South Florida Diving Headquarters operates several boats. Be prepared to potentially go out with a partner dive boat. We did one day of diving with Scuba Tyme. The diving off of Pompano was excellent. There were some great wrecks and healthy reefs. With great visibility and warm temperatures, it was great to get back in the water. Listen to the podcast for more information on the diving operation.
Andy Leisner is PADI's Chief Consumer Officer and is responsible for Scuba Diving Magazine, Sport Diver and PADI Club along with other areas of accountability. Andy tells us a little more about his background, this new role at PADI, PADI Club, the benefits and some new and exciting ideas in the pipeline for PADI Club as we move into 2022.
It looks like the "highly regulated harvest" of goliath grouper in Florida was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee in early October. Final approval is set for March 2022. If that were to happen, the harvest would begin in early 2023. There is a lot of opposition to this proposal. Hopefully, there will be no reason to kill these gentle giants.
The Women Divers Hall of Fame provides a number of scholarships and grants to help individuals in pursuit of their studies of the ocean and the underwater world. The deadline is October 31, 2021 to apply. You can do this online at their website. https://www.wdhof.org
If you want to get some great discounts you might consider joining PADI Club. You can get a 20% discount on the SeaLife SportDiver Smartphone housing, plus 20% off 17 different electronic learning courses from PADI. A great deal for the $50 membership fee. You can get a 45-day free membership at https://www.scubadiving.com/padiclub45
If you are on the fence in buying the Shearwater Peregrine because you are concerned that it might become air integrated in the future, don't delay. Shearwater doesn't have any plans to make the Peregrine air integrated. The price point for the Peregrine makes this a great affordable recreational dive computer.
Raise the Reef is the Coral Restorations Foundations annual gala for reef conservation. It will be held in March 2022.
Sunset House made the list as one of the 12 best house reefs according to a PADI blog.
The Boston Sea Rovers 67th annual clinic took place on October 2 and 3, 2021. The move from March to October allowed for time recover from the pandemic and safely stage the event. Friday is mainly a workshop day before the show officially opens. With 39 daytime seminars, the film festival, plus an exhibit hall with over 40 booths, you stay very busy. The exhibit hall also featured artifacts from the Andrea Doria to mark the 65th anniversary of the sinking.
It demonstrated that with tenacity and good planning that an in-person scuba show is possible. Congratulations to Nick Fazah and all the Boston Sea Rovers for a job well done.
Scuba Shack Radio is proud to now be the Vurbl Ambassador for Scuba Diving. We are proud to gain this designation. Check us out at Scuba Shack Radio and please consider subscribing.
Congratulations to Tec Clark and The Dive Locker Podcast on celebrating their 2nd anniversary. The Dive Locker podcast is a weekly podcast for dive professionals but is very relevant to all divers. Tec also hosts a podcast called The League of Extraordinary Divers. Please check out both. Scuba Shack is a proud patron of The Dive Locker.
Another message in a bottle story. This time a bottle was found in Hawaii after being tossed in the ocean in 1984 from Japan. Wow!
Bad news from the Caymans - the borders will be closed until 2022.
DEMA has no plan for cancelling. It will be happening in Las Vegas in November.
You can take your smartphone underwater with the Sea Life Sport Diver Smartphone housing. Rated to 130 feet with a color filter and bluetooth enabled, you can travel light with this interesting piece of underwater camera gear.
Sea Hunt It's Still Alive takes us back to season 3 episode 38 titled Diplomatic Pouch. Mike is back in a small Latin American country working with Paul Alexander trying to recover a diplomatic pouch from a wrecked US airplane. Problem is the country has been taken over by a dictator not friendly with the US. Mike and Paul must figure out a way to get the Diplomatic Pouch. How will Mike succeed? Listen to find out.
If you want to dive with a purpose, check out an opportunity next year to spend a week at the Atlantis Dive Resort in Dumaguete in the Philippines participating in a program led by the Coral Restoration Foundation.
This year the PADI AWARE Foundation's AWARE Week is set for September 18 to 26, 2021. AWARE Week's goal is to empower the global dive community to lead or take part in conservation activities and courses focused on local action for global impact.
The 2022 Aqualung buyers guide was recently released and they a lot of new products and colors coming out next year. First there is a new regulator - the Helix Pro and the Helix. Additionally they have reworked their Aquaflex wetsuits and now have Aquaflex Mens and Aquaflex Womans along with the FreeFlex 2 mm suit. New colors include Sand, and Petrol along with Red and Orange on some different equipment. Apeks also has a new regulator - the XL4 Ocea - billed as a totally sustainable regulator made with post consumer waste. Also, Apeks is releasing its first dive computer - the DSX - capable of programming 6 gases and can monitor 6 transmitters.
Your Next Dive takes us to Gloucester, MA where we will dive the wreck of the Chester A. Poling. The Poling was a coastal tanker that sank on January 10, 1977. The ship split in half with the stern section coming to rest just off Eastern Point, Gloucester in 75 feet of water while the bow section went down about 4 miles from Eastern Point in 190 feet of water. Subsequent winter storms moved the stern about 800 yards off of Eastern Point in about 90 feet of water. The stern section is upright. Summer bottom temperatures range from the upper 40 degrees F to the lower 50s. Visibility can be up to 30 feet. You can book a charter with Cape Ann Diver 2 out of Gloucester. Just remember you need all of your own gear.
A study published by Niklas Boers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research indicates that the Gulf Stream is on the verge of collapse. This would dramatically change the weather in North America and Europe - making it colder. Additionally there would be sea level rise, disruption of the monsoon patterns and impacts to the Amazon rainforest and Antarctic ice sheet.
Do you miss Dive Training Magazine? Word from Catherine Castle Garcia is that they are hoping to be publishing again in the fourth quarter of 2021. Looking forward to a new edition coming soon.
The Boston Sea Rovers annual show is still on track for October 2 and 3, 2021.
Here is the latest update on Dutch Springs. Last week the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission reviewed the plans. They were not supportive of the plan but there may be little that can be done to stop the proposed warehouse development. PADI also has developed a white paper outlining the economic benefit that Dutch Springs generates as a diving venue. The developer is working with local officials to "offload" the quarry but not sure exactly how this would work.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a team of Navy divers was tasked with the salvage efforts for the US Pacific Fleet. The book Descent Into Darkness by Commander Edward C. Raymer is a memoir of one of these divers who spent most of the war working on the salvage efforts on all of the battleships damaged at Pearl Harbor. Commander Raymer also spent about eight months in the South Pacific doing salvage operations in the Solomon Islands. This book provides a great insight into the courage and stamina that these men exhibited doing a very difficult task.
The owner and operator of Dutch Springs since 1980, Stuart Schooley has decided to retire and I congratulate him on this well deserved milestone. Stu is selling Dutch Springs to a Texas developer who plans to create a 300,000 square foot warehouse facility on the property. This development will restrict access to the quarry and with that it looks like Dutch Springs will close at the end of the 2021 season. This is extremely sad news for the northeast diving community. So many dive shops like Scuba Shack have made Dutch Springs an integral part of their diving culture. Very sad and disappointing news.
Shearwater just announced a new wireless pressure transmitter. It is called SWIFT. The SWIFT is said to maintain a highly reliable connection to the dive computer and it apparently listens for other transmitters and only communicates when the channel is clear. The SWIFT is backward compatible with all existing Shearwater air integrated enabled computers. You just have to do a firmware upgrade. With this firmware upgrade you will be able to monitor up to 4 SWIFT transmitters on your Shearwater. It looks like it will retail for $395 US.
On this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive, we go back to season 2 episode 33 - Proof of Guilt. This episode premiered 62 years ago on August 16, 1959. In this episode Mike is in the Hawaiian Islands testing underwater film and television cameras. His underwater cameras are needed by the owner of a private island, Sandy who grows cultured pearls. It seems that thieves are stealing the pearls but Sandy needs proof. That is where Mike's cameras come in. Mike agrees to help Sandy and as you can guess there's trouble ahead. It's three against one during these underwater fight scenes. Mike and the Honolulu police prevail and Mike gets a well deserved vacation with Sandy on this mythical Hawaiian Island.
The 2nd quarter 2021 edition of Alert Diver Magazine from Divers Alert Network (DAN) is out. A great publication packed with so much great information. You can learn about shallow water arterial gas embolism, and travel to Roatan. You can also read about the Flower Garden Banks and Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuaries. It is a cover-to-cover read.
The Cayman Islands are still not open to tourists at this time but they have put forth a five phase plan for reopening. The next milestone is September 9, 2021 when they will open for vaccinated tourists to enter with some restrictions but only if 80% of the island's population is vaccinated. If that is achieved then by October 14, 2021 the plan is to admit vaccinated visitors without quarantine restrictions.
Great news out of Washington, D.C. - the US Senate passed the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2021 with a vote of 68 to 34. With bi-partisan support and sponsorship the bill is now with the US House of Representatives where hopefully it will make its way to President Biden for his signature protecting these apex predators.
On this installment of Your Next Dive we will be heading to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands - no passport necessary. You can get in some great diving. If you like wrecks there is the Wit Shoal, Miss Opportunity or the Kennedy Barge. For reefs you can experience Sprat Point or Amando's Paradise. With water temperatures in the mid 80s and visibility between 60 to 100 feet you won't be disappointed. As for dive shops you might check out Admiralty Dive Center.
Take a tour of the island and head to Mountaintop for a fantastic view and the world famous banana daiquiri. Some good places to eat include the Green House, Glady's Cafe or Coco Beach Club.
The Boston Sea Rovers clinic is set for October 1-2, 2021. This is a new date for the show which normally was held in the March timeframe. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday and Sunday clinic along with the Saturday night film festival. Check out the Boston Sea Rovers Site.
Need help identifying fish - check out namethatfish.com
Reef Divers who run the dive operations at the Clearly Cayman Resorts (Cobalt Coast, Little Cayman Beach Resort and Brac Beach Resort) is expanding their operations to Turks and Caicos. They are partnering with East Bay Resort on South Caicos starting in August 2021.
Washed Ashore is a non-profit organization that creates marine related sculptures from plastic debris that has washed up on the beach. With over 14,000 volunteers they are doing some incredible work.
Deep Dive Dubai is now the world's deepest pool. It is an amazing 60 meters or 197 feet deep with 14 million liters (3.7 million gallons) of water. It is themed as an abandoned sunken city.
Farallon Industries is another company that produced some innovative scuba equipment. Started by Ralph Osterhout who build a diver propulsion vehicle that was purchased by the US Navy. Farallon developed the Fara-Fin, the Fara-Lite along with some of the most accurate instrumentation for the time. Farallon was ultimately purchased and folded into Oceanic by Bob Hollis.
REEF Fest 2021 is scheduled October 14 through October 17, 2021. Four great dives of activities - diving, kayaking, seminars, workshops, and social gatherings. Activities are also scheduled at John Pennekamp State Park, the Coral Restoration Foundation, the History of Diving Museum and the Florida Key Wild Bird Center.
Olympus cameras are still available. A new company OM Digital Solution is producing the Olympus cameras, binoculars, and audio gear. You can check them out at getolympus.com.
Some sobering news on Florida manatees. As of June 4, 2021 the mortality rate of the manatees is up 151%. So far this year 782 have already died. The record number for an entire year is 824. The cause is simply starvation. The sea grass is being killed off by over saturation of nutrients. Calls are going out to place the manatee back on the endangered list.
Sea Hunt It's Still Alive takes us back to season 1 episode 26 - The Hero. In this episode, Mike is employed by a millionaire to teach him and his wife to dive so he can hunt big sharks and giant squid. Just who is the hero. It turns out to be the millionaire, Elliot Conway played by none other than Larry Hagman for Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie fame.
Today's installment of Wet Notes introduces you to a new BC tag being offered on Bonaire using recycled plastic. PADI has also recently announced that Project AWARE is now the PADI AWARE Foundation - leveraging the power of the PADI brand and operations. Oluwalu Reef on Maui is now a Mission Blue Hope Spot - great news for a reef that is under sever strength. If you are thinking about becoming a PADI Divemaster - learn about a new program from PADI - Introduction to PADI Divemaster.
On this edition of Your Next Dive I take you to a dive mecca here in the United States - Key Largo. It is easy to get to, especially from the eastern part of the US. Being a dive mecca there are a number of dive operators there. Two options include Horizon Divers or Rainbow Reef. You can dive some great shallow reefs and wrecks (the City of Washington, the Hanna M. Bell or the Benwood) or get in some deeper wrecks (Spiegel Grove, Duane, Bibb). You'll have many options for dining or other topside activities like a visit to REEF HQ, the Coral Restoration Foundation or the History of Diving Museum.
In this installment of Wet Notes I talk a little bit about the new Stuart Cove location in Nassau, DAN tags, the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Disease (SCTD) on Grand Cayman, a new five-part series podcast from Hakai Magazine: The Sound Aquatic - The Ocean and the Anthropause and more.
What is the Jet-O-Sen? This is a vintage piece of scuba equipment developed by Jim Sawtelle in the early 1950s. The Jet-O-Sen was a quick release device for a scuba tank from the harness. Until the Jet-O-Sen, scuba tanks were bolted to the harness and difficult to release for transport or filling. Jim constructed the device our of aluminum bar stock and coated it with plastisol. There is a great article in the first quarter 2021 Journal of Diving History written by Jon Council.
This time on Wet Notes I talk about an interesting new exhibit at The History of Diving Museum in Islamorado, a t-shirt design contest from Ikelite, an important scuba tank safety note from PSI-PCI, diving with a purpose on Lake Tahoe and more.
On this installment of Sea Hunt - It's Still Alive I review The Invader. This episode is from season 3 and premiered July 30, 1960. In this episode Mike Nelson is in a small unnamed Latin American country where he is assigned to create an underwater demolition team. While he is completing his assignment, a revolution takes place, the President is abducted and Mike with his team (that includes a traitor) develop the plan to rescue El Presidente. Mike and Indio capture the traitor on their team and then attack the island where Mike armed with a small revolver captures the revolutionary leader and rescues the President. Mike gets his first medal from a foreign government.
On this installment of Wet Notes I provide some interesting information on some WW II bombs found off of Lanai, some plastic eating mushrooms, a proposal in Florida to open up a harvest of Goliath Grouper, an update on traveling to the Bahamas, and more.
This latest edition of Your Next Dive takes us to Curacao one of the ABC islands. If you visit Curacao you can opt to stay either on the west side of the island or closer to the city of Willemstad. If you stay closer to the city you have a couple of options - either Sunscape Resort or Lions Dive Beach Resort. Both have onsite dive operators - Ocean Encounters. An option for the west side is All West Apartments and dive with Go West Diving (formerly Ocean Encounters West). There is a signature wreck - the MV Superior Producer just outside of Willemstad. On the west side be sure to dive Mushroom Forest. If you go in October you can expect bottom temperatures around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Curacao is open to US visitors with certain testing requirements.
In this installment of Wet Notes I cover the record proposed NOAA budget in 2022, a message in the bottle found in Grand Cayman, some news from Shearwater and more.
Poseidon is a company founded by Ingvar Elfstrom in 1958. The company is based in Sweden. Poseidon was an early innovator of regulators with their Poseidon Senior (double hose) and Cyklon Junior (single hose). The company also innovated both wetsuit and drysuits. Additionally, they developed the SEVEN+ rebreather - dubbed the world's first recreational rebreather. Poseidon is still going strong with their regulators, rebreathers, BCDs and computers.
On this episode of Wet Notes I give you an update on Seaspiracy, how scientists are using fin whale songs to map the ocean, the sale of the Luxfer US plant to Metal Impact, a potential new artificial reef in Florida and more.
On this edition of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive we review The Alcatraz Story. This episode premiered on January 4, 1959. This time Mike is in San Francisco. He is hired to teach two brothers how to scuba dive. They claim to be abalone fishermen but there is more to that story. They are trying to spring their brother from Alcatraz by using scuba gear. Mike finds them out, hitches an underwater ride on their boat and has two underwater fights with the brothers. Some great underwater action.
On this edition of Wet Note, I talk about REEF Survey Trips in 2022, saving a whale on Maui, new Aqualung branding, a DEMA 2021 update and more.
In Part 2 of the Project Sealab 1 Summary report I will cover the mission, the findings, conclusions and recommendations coming from the report that was developed by the Office of Naval Research in 1965. While we were at the height of the space race, the USA was also exploring inner space.
On this edition of Wet Notes we give an update on Dive Training Magazine, when will the Caymans open, the fight against plastic pollution and a new Netflix documentary - Seasipiracy and more.
Part one of the Project Sealab 1 Summary Report will take you through the build up to the deployment of the Sealab habitat. The report was developed by the Office of Naval Research and published on June 14, 1965. The report is numbered ONR Report ACR-108. This 62 page report is filled with many of the details in getting the project up and running through the mission. Part one will take you up until the time that the aquanauts entered the habitat to start their 11-day mission. Part two will then take us through the mission, the findings and conclusions.
In this premier segment of Wet Notes - Scuba Shack Radio's bi-weekly news segment we talk about using corn starch to dust your dry suit seals, resorts offering Covid testing, big news in the scuba tank business and more.
For Your Next Dive we are going to tell you what it is like to go on the Scuba Shack dive trip to the Bahamas where we stay at Orange Hill Beach Resort, dive with Stuart Cove and experience some fantastic dinners. Let's go diving.
We all use our GPS devices to help us navigate. Great if we are driving our car or looking for a specific location, but right now using GPS to navigate underwater is a bit of a challenge. While there are technologies on the horizon that use GPS for underwater navigation, they are not yet practical. That is where you will need to depend on tried and true underwater navigation techniques. The compass is the primary tool for knowing where you are going and how to get back. We learn basic compass use in our first open water class and then get more in-depth training during advanced open water. If you are serious about becoming proficient in this capability, you can take an underwater navigation specialty course. Being able to navigate underwater gives you confidence and competence that makes your diving less stressful and more fun.
Turtles Fly Too is a 501(c)(3) organization that has a mission to coordinate and facilitate the use of general aviation to transport endangered species, critical response teams, and to educate the community on conservation of marine life. It started in 2014 in response to an unusual start of the cold stun season in the Northeast. That is when water temperature drops and turtles body temperatures fall below acceptable limits. With no capacity in the Northeast to care for them, Kate Sampson of NOAA turned to Leslie Weinstein who owned an aviation company and was also on the University of Florida Sea Turtle Research Development board. Leslie organized flights and it continued from there. Last year, they flew 536 cold-stunned sea turtle and other marine mammals. Turtles Fly Too is based out of Boise, ID and also has an office in Miami, FL.
Sea Hunt - It's Still Alive takes you to season one, episode two titled Flooded Mine. This episode premiered on January 11, 1958. Mike is called to a mine where there has been an explosion that killed 20 men. Mike must find out the extent of the flooding. During this exploration, Mike finds two trapped miners in an air pocket and the air is running out. Mike can only bring one miner out. As they are buddy breathing, the miner panics and fights with Mike. Back to the air pocket, Mike decides to take the other miner out. This goes okay but Mike wants to go back for the other miner. Problem is that he doesn't have any gas left. So Mike finds an oxygen tank from a welding torch. He uses the oxygen tank to go back and rescues the second minor. Only Mike Nelson can buddy breath, no mask swim through a flooded tunnel while carrying an oxygen tank.
A PADI Pro Night is a time to get together with a PADI dive shop to learn more about what it takes to become a leader in the scuba diving community as a PADI Professional. It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned diver or just starting out. A PADI Pro Night will give you the information you will need to make this journey. You will hear from dive professionals and get to ask questions about you can expect by embarking on this rewarding career.
The Grouper Moon Project is the most advanced tropical fisheries research program in the world. The project is a joint program run by Reef Environmental Educational Foundation (REEF), the Cayman Island Department of Environment, Scripts Institute of Oceanography and Oregon State University. The study is conducted off Little Cayman during the winter aggregations of Nassau grouper for spawning. The project incorporates research, monitoring and outreach. It has been instrumental in progressive rising policies in the Caymans. It is working. The Little Cayman aggregation grew from 1200 fish in 2009 to over 7000 by 2018. Check out more at the REEF website.
U.S. Divers was another one of the five original scuba equipment manufacturers in the United States. It started out as Rene Sports in Los Angeles that was owned by Rene Bussoz. Rene was born in Paris in 1906 and emigrated to the US in 1939 after visiting with his father who was an inventor delivering slot machines to Las Vegas. Rene was introduced to Cousteau's aqua-lung and wanted to become the West Coast distributor for their units. Along the way, Rene got the license agreement to make the aqua-lungs in the US. He formed U.S. Divers out of Rene Sports in 1952 and registered the name Aqualung. By 1956, it looked like he would lose his licensing agreement and after tense negotiation he sold U.S. Divers to L'Air Liquid with Jacque Cousteau becoming the chairman of the board of directors. In 2003, U.S. Divers was renamed Aqualung America. Rene moved back to France after selling the company and passed away in 1989.
The PADI Equipment Specialist course is a combination of electronic learning and classroom that can be either in person or virtual. This course is not a service technician course. Rather it is designed to give you the knowledge of how and why certain pieces of gear work. You will learn the benefits of owning your own gear and then dive into all the gear. The course covers tanks, tank valves, regulators, rebreathers, dive computers, SPG, compasses and enriched air. After completing the online course, we conduct 3 sessions totally over 6 hours of demonstration, dialog, discussion and questions. Our studio allows for remote broadcasting from our service department to add to the experience. While you won't become a technician - you will have a deeper understanding of your gear.
The Paris Agreement of 2015 was executed by the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 12, 2015. This agreement is a legally binding international treaty where the parties agree to limit greenhouse emissions to keep global warming well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels with efforts to keep warming below 1.5 degrees C. The uniqueness of this treaty is that we are all in this together and that developed nations should be helping developing nations. Each party creates their nationally determined contributions or NDC. The United States officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement on November 4, 2020. It appears however we are prepared to rejoin very soon.
Where would you go if you could jump on a plane right now, head to a great dive location and giant stride in and not be worried or constrained by the pandemic? There are so many places. We all have our go-to spots. Here a few great spot. First, Sunset House in Grand Cayman. It is easy to get to, has great shore diving, cool boat dives on the wall and a great on-site dining. Diving is open twenty-four hours. If you have the time you can head to Dumaguete in the Philippines and dive with Atlantis. Diving and dining is absolutely fantastic. Biodiversity is amazing. You can also get to Turks and Caicos and dive with Dive Provo for a little less diving but have an opportunity to get to some great restaurants. Finally, Little Cayman Beach Resort is absolutely fantastic with a lot of diving and a lot of food. Where would you go?
One of the ways you can ensure that your buoyancy compensating device (BCD) is operating properly is to make sure that you properly clean and inspect the BCD after diving. First you will want to clean out your bladder. If you've been diving in salt water it is important that you drain and rinse out the bladder to avoid salt crystallization inside. Also, make sure that the over pressurization valve (OPV) is operating properly. Rinse your low pressure inflator valve to remove any salt residue or sand. Check the velcro and buckles for any issues. Properly cleaning and checking your BCD after diving is an important step to ensure you are ready for your next dive.
Oceanographic Magazine is a bi-monthly marine lifestyle magazine with a focus on ocean conservation, exploration and adventure. First published by CXD Media, Ltd in May 2018 they are currently up to issue 16. They donate 20% of their annual profits to marine conservation charities. Oceanographic Magazine partners with Project Aware and Blue Sphere Foundation. They also sell their magazine in Crew Clothing Company stores where they make a donation for every issue sold in the store. Each issue is 116 pages long with 16 pages of advertising leaving 100 pages for editorial content. Each magazine has incredible imagery and very readable articles. You can either subscribe for a physical copy or digital version.
Sea Hunt's fourth season premiered on January 7, 1961 with an episode titled Point of No Return. In this episode Mike is working on a research project where is is living in an underwater habitat at 250 feet. The habitat is called a scuba sphere. Dottie Mayfield is a reporter who is onboard the Coast Guard cutter running the research in search of a Mike Nelson story . Well, problems come up during a tropical storm. A tank breaks loose in the sphere and renders the hatch inoperable. That means they can't bring Mike up. Well, as the storm progresses the scuba sphere breaks free of the cable and settles on the bottom. Mike has to improvise in order to be saved. Listen to find out what Mike does.
Geoengineering can be another weapon in the fight against climate change. Geoengineering refers to large-scale schemes for intervention in the earth's ocean, soil and atmosphere with the aim of reducing the effects of climate change. There are two broad categories of geoengineering - Carbon Geoengineering focused on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and Solar Geoengineering centered around solar radiation management (SRM). SRM can be done by either deploying sulfates or diamond dust in the upper atmosphere to deflect sunlight. Also, SRM can be done by spraying sea water into the atmosphere to create marine clouds. On the CDR front there are many different ways to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequestering it in various storage systems - like concrete. Lets hope that we can use all the tools at our disposal to reduce the impacts of climate change.
DACOR was one of the original five US manufacturers of scuba diving equipment. DACOR is short for The Davidson Corporation started by Sam Davidson Jr. in 1953. Sam was a US Marine who became interested in the underwater world when stationed on Guam in World War II. When Sam got back from the war he decided to build his own regulator. Along the way, he was able to sell 300 to a department store chain and his company was formed. DACOR was an innovator in regulator design and development along with all type of scuba equipment. In 1980 they introduced a dive computer - the DACOR Dive Computer (DDC). Sam died in 1987 and his wife Joan took over until selling the company to Mares in 1998. You can see all of their innovative ideas by taking a look at their old catalogs (check out CG-45 website)
When is the last time you had your underwater camera system out. If it has been a while you might want to consider taking it out, making sure it was properly cleaned before you put it in storage, and that you do an inventory of all the components. Then familiarize yourself with how to put it all together and make sure that it operates properly. Also, it is a great time to familiarize yourself with the camera, its settings and ensure you develop the muscle memory so when you are underwater things come naturally. Just because it is winter or your are not traveling doesn't mean that you shouldn't have some fun with your underwater camera system.
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program's 2018 Strategic Plan focuses on four key pillars: 1 - Increase resiliency to climate change; 2 - Improve fisheries sustainability; 3 - Reduce land-based sources of pollution and; 4 - Restore viable coral populations. Each pillar is supported by one or more strategies that have both short-term (2 - 5 years), mid-term (5+ years), and long-term (2040) goals. The plan is an 18 page document that is packed with some powerful information. You can check it out at coralreef.noaa.gov in the About us - Who we are tab.
Your Next Dive is in Aruba - one happy island. Aruba is one of the ABC islands that includes Bonaire and Curacao. These islands are independent nations that are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. If you dive from the west side of the island you can use Red Sails Sports and your trips can either be on the west side or the south side. The south side tends to have deeper dives while the west end has shallower dives. The west side also includes the signature wreck dive - the Antilla. This German freighter was deliberately scuttled in 1940 on the outbreak of World War II. A massive 400 foot shallow wreck sitting in about 60 feet of water. Don't sell Aruba short if you are going on vacation where you want to get some diving done.
The Dive Equipment and Marketing Association held it's annual conference virtually this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show featured a number of virtual presentations that were fairly effective and gave a feel to being there. The exhibitors featured a list of many different vendors. The experience with vendors is one of the big reasons we attend and this is where there were I hope that we find a better way of doing virtual trade shows in the future.
The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 became a law on December 23, 2000 and had great bi-partisan support when it was signed by President Bill Clinton. Both Democrats and Republicans had legislation making its way through Congress. The law requires that a Coral Reef Action Strategy be developed along with a report to Congress every two years. The latest strategy published by NOAA is from 2018. More to come on that.
Sea Hunt's Synthetic Hero - season 3, episode 20 premiered on May 21, 1960. In this episode Mike is working in the Caribbean with a dredging operator when he finds an uncharted wreck that he identifies as the LST 4277. This ship went missing in action on September 12, 1944. Mike is asked by the Navy to find out what happened. He is joined by two survivors of the sinking. One of them has a secret. Listen to find out just what that secret is and how Mike has to deal with that.
Tank valves are sometimes taken for granted. Although seemingly simple there are a number of parts deep inside you valve that will deteriorate over time. Tank valves should be periodically overhauled. One recommendation is that you can have it overhauled every five years when you are having your tanks hydrostatic test. Listen for some details about the parts inside the valve and how they work together.
The Ocean-based Climate Solutions Act of 2020 was introduced to congress on October 20, 2020 by Congressman Raul Grijalva who chairs the House Natural Resource Committee. The Ocean Conservancy calls this the first comprehensive US bill on ocean-climate solutions actions. HR 8632 calls for protecting and promoting blue carbon, expand marine protected areas and develop massive offshore renewable energy. As Congressman Grijalva states "A healthy ocean is key to fighting the climate crisis"
Richard E. Anderson was a pioneer of scuba diving in the United States. He started his career in diving by working for Rene Bussoz at US Divers in the early 1950s. He also worked with Paul Arnold and Bill Arpin on the DIVAIR regulator before working with Disney on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He graduated from E. R. Cross commercial diving school. Dick joined Healthways in 1956 where his innovation in single-hose regulators set the stage for all modern regulators. Dick Anderson was a support diver for Hannes Kellers 1000 foot dive. He also took Lloyd Bridges from Sea Hunt on a dive to 120 feet. Diver Dick also worked on Jaws the Revenge and Baywatch.
Decompression theory is the study and modeling of how inert gas gets from our lungs to our body and then how it is released from our body. All decompression models have evolved from the work by John Scott Haldane. Haldane introduced the concept of tissue compartments that take on nitrogen at different rates called half-times. This work was done in the early 1900s. In the mid-1960s, Dr. Robert Workman developed m-values or absolute inert gas pressure that a tissue compartment can take without presenting symptoms of decompression sickness. Half-times and m-values are used to develop the algorithms in your dive tables or dive computer.
The PADI Dive Against Debris Specialty course is a fun and rewarding course. In this course you will learn about marine debris, where it comes from and what we can do about it. You also learn how to conduct and record a dive against debris survey. Once you conduct your dive and pull out the trash from underwater you follow the five survey steps - weigh, sort, record, dispose and report. It is a great way to dive with a purpose and make every dive a dive against debris
The Cayman Brac Beach Resort is located on the western end of Cayman Brac close to the airport and is part of the Clearly Cayman Dive Resort collective owned by the Tibbets family. The resort has 40 rooms that were completely rebuilt by 2015. The all-inclusive meal plan is outstanding. Reef Divers operates 4 Newton dive boats. There are approximately 70 named dive sites. Many of the sites are on the western end of the island making for short boat rides. You normally get to do a two dive excursion to Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall. You will also get to dive the signature wreck on Cayman Brac - the MV Captain Keith Tibbets.
The PADI Rescue Diver course is an extremely challenging and rewarding evolution. Our course consisted of knowledge development - done through a thorough and comprehensive electronic learning, a review of that material through a virtual meeting, an intense pool session to demonstrate and practice rescue exercises and the open water practical scenario. The class also introduced teamwork among the rescue divers to fully handle an emergency. There are 10 rescue exercises and 2 rescue scenarios in the PADI Rescue Diver course that provided the confidence needed should something go wrong.
Chasing Coral premiered in July 2017 and won the People's Choice Award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Nature Documentary. The documentary was conceived by Richard Vevers, current CEO of The Ocean Agency and produced by Jeff Orlowski who runs Exposure Labs. It took three years to shoot over 500 hours of incredible underwater footage. Thirty countries contributed to the documentary and there were more than 500 volunteers involved. This film documents the peril that corals face due to climate change that results in coral bleaching. The documentary is about 90 minutes long and can be streamed on Netflix.
Cave Diving is from season 2 of Sea Hunt and it premiered on May 24, 1959. In this episode Mike is working with a geologist - George Bryan who is trying to find uranium in an underwater cave. While trying to find the uranium and underwater landslide traps George in the cave. Mike goes back to the surface, calls for help and out comes a boat with George's wife Suzie ready to dive and assist. They try to use hooks to pull the rock away but it fails. In the commotion Suzie's hose gets fouled and they need to buddy breath to the surface. Now Mike and the captain Pops concoct a plan to use a fish to thread a line around a rock. It works (really!)
Regulator pressure is a critical component of your regulator maintenance. Every year you should have your regulator's pressures checked and adjusted whether you are having an inspection or overhaul. The intermediate pressure (IP) of the first stage should be within manufacturer specification which is normally between 125 and 150 PSI. If you have an unbalanced first stage, the intermediate pressure should be checked for high and low tank pressure. A balanced first stage should have a consistent intermediate pressure for a full or low tank. For the second stage, a magnahelic gage is used for measuring the cracking pressure. Cracking pressure is the minimal amount of inhalation effort required to begin airflow. This measurement is in inches of water versus pounds per square inches. This fine tuned adjustment is extremely important to avoid free flow or difficulty breathing.
The Coral Restoration Foundation was founded by Ken Nedimyer in 2007. Ken at the time was a commercial fish collector and live rock farmer who noticed staghorn coral starting to grow on his underwater farm. Ken saw the potential of replanting coral. Over the years the Coral Restoration Foundation has grow. They invented Coral Trees for use in the nurseries. Their nursery off of Tavernier, FL covers 1.5 acres. They return tens of thousands corals back into the wild every year. Coral Restoration Foundation in partnership with NOAA and others are involved in Mission Iconic Reefs where they plan to restore 7 reef sites in FL comprising 93,000 square meters. Coral Restoration Foundation is committed to survival of this critical ecosystem.
Ed Link was born in 1904 and as a young man he had a passion for flying. As an inventor, he developed the Link Trainer for training pilots. His trainer was used to train half a million airmen during World War II. By 1951, Link developed a new passion - for scuba diving. His new passion was for underwater archeology and research. He wanted to dive deeper, longer and more securely. In the early 1960s, Ed developed a project in concert with the National Geographic Society called Man-in-Sea. By 1964, Ed's project progressed to complete a dive in a small habitat that went down to 432 feet where two divers stayed for 49 hours. Ed Link also created a mini-submarine called Deep Diver that took two divers down to 700 feet. He then created another underwater vehicle called Johnson-Sea-Link. Tragedy - the loss of his son in 1973 turned Ed Link's attention to a rescue vehicle called the Cabled Observation and Rescue Device (CORD). Ed Link died in 1981.
Scuba air quality is imperative in diving. Scuba grade air must adhere to the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) standards. The standard for scuba is Grade E and outlines the limits for contaminants in that air. Ensuring that your air meets these standard uses a three prong approach. The compressor must have routine maintenance, proper filtering and periodic testing.
The third annual Project AWARE week runs from September 19 - 27, 2020. This year PADI has teamed up with Project AWARE to jointly celebrate the power of the global community. This year's theme is that one person can make a difference. One way to make a difference is to become a PADI Torchbearer. Torchbearers are committed to the health of the planet and taking steps to heal the environment. Become a PADI Torchbearer and Seek Adventure, Save the Ocean.
Coco View Resort is located on Roatan in Honduras. When you arrive at Roatan International Airport you will be greeted by the resort staff and make your way to the small key where the resort is located. You'll have 24 hour a day, seven days a week to dive their "Front Yard" where you can explore Coco View Wall, Newmann Wall, or the wreck of the Prince Albert. Their 50 foot custom configured boats get you a wide array of dive spots quickly. You can have an over-the-water bungalow or choose a cabana or ocean front room. All your meals will be in the clubhouse restaurant. The clubhouse is also a great gathering spot for your favorite beverage, entertainment or games.
We recently incorporated the delayed surface marker buoy adventure dive in our advanced open water class. Listen to our reasoning and how beneficial this was to both our students and instructors. Being able to deploy your surface marker buoy from depth is an important skill to have.
Plastic bag laws work. There are 8 states that currently have statewide plastic bag laws. These states are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Every county in Hawaii have laws restricting use. There are also 500 local ordinances across 28 states. Unfortunately, there are 15 states that have preemptive laws that restrict local ordinances on restrictions. They won't act statewide and prohibit any local laws to ban use. Plastic bag laws stop windblown litter, minimize impacts to the marine environment and improve waste management.
Midget Submarine is from season one of Sea Hunt and premiered on March 29, 1958. In this episode Mike is helping a friend with the check out of a midget submarine he is building. Mike is approached by a woman with a Russian accent - Maria Wenzel and she wants Mike to use the sub to rescue her father a Soviet scientist from a spy ship in the Pacific. Mike agrees and rescues John Wenzel from the Russian ship. This episode premiered in the middle of the cold war. Listen to hear all about Mike's adventure.
ER Fenimore Johnson had a company named FENJOHN that build and sold underwater photography equipment along with a wide array of scuba diving equipment. The company was based out of Ardmore, PA. The 1954 catalog featured the FENJOHN Bantam 16mm underwater motion picture camera for the hefty price of $1990 ($19,010 in 2020 dollars). By 1956, the catalog had a lot more equipment listed. He was distributing for a number of companies. In an undated catalog from around 1961 or 1962, the catalog is expanded and is geared more toward the recreational diver. FENJOHN claim to be the worlds oldest and largest manufacturer of underwater photography equipment. ER Fenimore Johnson was a pioneer of underwater photography and an unsung hero of our diving history.
World Ocean Observatory (W20) is the realization of the work done in 1998 by the Independent World Commission on the Ocean formed by Mario Soares. The report called for an ocean observatory to be a focal point of communication for ocean-related information on the world wide web. The mission of W2O is to be the leading organization advocating for the health and sustainability through an accessible worldwide network of communications. Their new strategy - W2.0 will expand their mission beyond advocacy and into action. One of these initiatives is called Transforming the Blue Economy.
In 1948 LCDR Fenimore Johnson again uses his expertise in underwater photography to work with the Navy's Underwater Demolition team. The Navy doesn't really believe that the divers can do all the things they report that they are doing. That is where Fen Johnson comes in. He will document their work using both film and photographs. This ground-breaking work is the visual evidence the Navy needs to see that UDT divers can get in and out of a submarines, use a small submersible boat and also dive at night. Fen Johnson, Doc Lambertson and CDR Douglas Fane save the Navy's Underwater Demolition team.
Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA is a limestone quarry created by the National Portland Cement Company. When the company went out of business the quarry flooded and created a 50 acre lake that was turned into a scuba diving recreational facility in 1980. The quarry reaches depths of up to 100 feet, has several training platforms, and many attractions at various depths. During normal years you can camp at Dutch Springs. There are two bath houses and a snack bar (currently not open due to Covid-19). Gear rental is available as are air fills. Nitrox 32 is not available this year. With plenty of places to stay and eat in the area, you can make a great weekend of diving at Dutch Springs.
ER Fenimore Johnson was a pioneer in underwater photography. He was born in 1899. His father was the founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company. Fen Johnson worked for the company until it merged with RCA in 1927. Fen got involved in diving using a Miller and Dunn shallow water helmet first to clear lines around the propeller of his yacht and later to do underwater photography. His company Mechanical Improvements Company created underwater photography equipment including still and motion picture cameras. With the onset of World War II, Fen Johnson was commissioned in the US Navy and worked with the Bureau of Ordinance - Mine Countermeasure Research Branch.
Fenimore Johnson was put to work developing cameras to document and assess damage to ships, identify mines underwater and study cavitation of propellers. He donated the use of his company's staff and yacht to the war effort. His company build the Model A25 camera for the Navy.
After the war, ER Fenimore Johnson continued to work with the Navy as a reserve officer. We will pick up next time with the work he did the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team.
In this installment of Sea Hunt It's Still Alive we review an episode from season 4 titled "The Defector". In this episode Mike is on vacation in the Bahamas when he takes on training a guy. Mike has to solve the mystery of why this guy needs to learn to dive. Could it be an insurance play or something else? Tune in and find out.
Amy Lee is REEF's (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) Engagement and Communications Manager. In this episode I had a chance to catch up with Amy and chat a little about her background, her work at REEF, her recognition as the 2019 DEMA Wavemaker and some of her favorite dive destinations.
Amy has been with REEF since 2014 and is an avid fish surveyor and fish identification expert.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there
On this special episode of Scuba Shack Radio I sit down with Peter Katz - PADI Master Instructor to talk about his trip to the Maldives. Peter was fortunate to get his trip to the Maldives completed just before the pandemic lockdown. We talk about his adventure onboard the Emperor Explorer, the diving, the routine, the food and how he got out to the other side of the world.
The Maldives certainly is an amazing dive adventure and Peter has some great insights.
Every diver should have a save-a-dive kit and your kit should be tailored to your gear and your configuration. Every diver should have o-rings in their kit. Tank valve o-rings and hose o-rings are very important. You should have a spare mask strap but make sure it fits your mask. If you have replaceable fin straps - ensure you have the right ones. Additionally, you should carry a spare regulator mouthpiece preferably the same one that you are using. An air spool or swivel pin is another spare part for your kit; make sure it is the right one for your submersible pressure gauge. And be sure to carry some zip ties.
Remember your save-a-dive kit should also contain some tools to make the appropriate repairs. You should carry a small adjustable wrench, a small phillips head and flat head screwdriver, a set of allen or hex wrenches, a pair of needle nose pliers, and some silicone grease.
Healthways was one of the original five US scuba equipment manufacturers. It was started by Richard Klein and by 1954 Healthways was selling waterspouts equipment and obtain distribution rights for the LG Arpin DivAir regulator. In 1956, Healthways started to developed their own regulator and named it SCUBA. They also copyrighted the term SCUBA. The regulator was produced between 1957 and 1959. Healthways continued to develop their products including a scuba pack harness, the Scuba Star, Scubair, and something called the SnorkAir. By 1962, Healthways started to developed a line of professional equipment called ScubaPro. Healthways however went into bankruptcy in December 1962. Dick Bonin and Gustave DellaValle - who worked for Healthways bought ScubaPro from Healthways for $1.00 and started what we know today as the manufacturer ScubaPro.
Healthways survived bankruptcy, continued to make scuba equipment, was acquired by Eldon Industries and distributed their products to Sears and K-Mart into the 1970s. Somewhere along the way Healthways and Eldon Industries faded into history.
Wireless underwater communications for scuba divers have come a long way since the 1970s. Today there are a number of options if you are ready to go the full-face mask route, whether it be an AGA, Spectrum, Kirby-Morgan, Guardian or G-Diver. Your options include the Ocean Reef GSM G-Diver, Divelink's COM-FF or the OTS Buddy Phone - D2. They all operate with 1/2 watt power and can have ranges between 150 to 1500 feet depending on conditions. All have surface units available.
The 2020 World Economic Forum report on Fostering Effective Energy ranks the United States #32 out of 115 countries. The report measures energy system performance and the enabling environment for energy transition. The United States declined for the second year in a row. In 2019 we ranked #27. While our energy system performance stayed flat, we dropped 3% for our enabling environment for energy transition. Sweden ranks #1 while the UK ranks #7 and France is at #8. 94 countries improved.
Changing Patterns is from season 3 of Sea Hunt and it premiered on August 6, 1960. In this episode Mike is visiting his mentor Ben Craine who is a hard hat diver struggling as he gets older. A freighter has sunk that was captained by on of Ben's friends. The captain and crew survived the sinking and now they turn to Ben to salvage the wreck. The wreck site is not conducive to hard hat diving. Mike tries to teach Ben scuba but he has difficulties with his ears. Ben is not deterred from trying to salvage the wreck using his hard hat. He gets into trouble and Mike must save Ben.
Your Emergency Action Plan is an important part of your preparedness in the event of something going wrong. It consists of information regarding where you will be diving. Things like the location of hospitals, hyperbaric chambers, or other facilities. Your plan also should include equipment. Do you have a first-aid kit and is it up to date. Is your emergency oxygen kit in working order and do you know how to use it. You should also practice your EAP. Emergency Action Plans are not just for dive professionals. Everyone should have one.
MarineBio is an all volunteer non-profit of marine biologists, students, professors and conservation advocates used for sharing the wonders of the ocean realm, providing marine education, and tools for marine scientists. It is also a forum for communication. The main categories of information on the site include marine life, conservation, science and education. There is an extensive section on species of birds, fish, reptiles, seals, sharks and rays, squid and octopus, and whales and dolphins.
Sunset House in Grand Cayman is a fantastic place for a dive vacation. The diving is outstanding whether you are diving the house reef, the wall on the west side, the shallower reefs or the dive sites over on the south side. There is so much to see. The hotel rooms are neat, clean, well maintained. The dining is very good at either the Sea Harvest Restaurant or at My Bar. Downtown is just a 10 minute walk or short cab ride.
A dive flag is a very important piece of your safety equipment especially when shore diving. A dive flag let's boat traffic know that you are in the area. A flag must be within 50 feet of you and be able to be seen from 100 yards away. It should also be flying and 3 feet above the surface. You need to check out the specific regulations for where you are diving. You will need to be proficient in handling the dive flag underwater including keeping it within 50 feet and not allow it to drift too far behind or pull it underwater.
EN-ROADS stands for Energy Rapid Overview and Decision Support and is a climate solutions simulator. It was created by Climate Interactive and allows you to adjust up to 18 parameters to see the impacts on global warming. You can adjust coal use, energy efficiency, renewables and carbon removal. It is easy to use and very informative. It shows that we have a lot of work to do to slow down or reverse climate change.
Deep Descent by Kevin F. McMurray is a book that covers diving on the Andrea Doria. In the book, Kevin relays a story about an incident that took place in July 1985. During her dive to the wreck Sally Wahrmann was crashed into by another diver and was plummeted into the wreck to a depth of 250 feet and had her masked knocked off. I talked to Sally at the Boston Sea Rovers show and we had a chance to discuss the incident. It was a pleasure to chat with Sally. Check out Deep Descent.
The dive shop has been closed since mid-March. As we learn to be more virtual, I recently practiced doing a remote interview. I interviewed Donna who was in our dining room while I was in my office in the basement. We used the internet to conduct the interview and talked about how she is trying to keep things going while we are closed.
The National Marine Life Center is a hospital to rehabilitate marine mammals. They are located in Buzzards Bay, MA on Cape Cod, a hotspot for stranding. Their mission is to rehabilitate injured and sick marine mammals and to release them back into the wild. NMLC focuses on rehabilitation, science, and education. They have a full slate of virtual programs and offer various activities. The best time to visit the National Marine Life Center is between Memorial Day and Labor day.
Diving for the Moon is from Sea Hunt season 2. It premiered on February 15, 1959. In this episode Mike is training four pilots to be astronauts. Their 6 hour mission at 60 feet is seriously impacted by a hurricane, forcing them to stay below longer than anticipated. They must battle the elements and sharks as they wait out the hurricane. Because their boat has broken from its mooring they must construct a raft from used air cylinders. This episode is almost all underwater with some really interesting elements.
In this episode we discuss dive lights, the Plastic Redesign Initiative, and Your Next Dive takes us to Turks and Caicos where we will dive with Dive Provo.
If you are going to do night dives you will need a good dive light. My choice for a primary dive light is the Light and Motion Solo 800 S/F. The Solo is a hand-mounted light with a spot and flood capability. In the flood mode you will get 70 minutes of burn time with 800 lumens. If you go to the spot mode you will get 500 lumens. You can set power at ¼, ½ or full power. Other options include the Light and Motion Gobe 500, the XS Scuba LT100, or LT 350/360 micro USB. UK also has several options including the SL3 or the Mini-Q40Mk 2.
The Ocean Foundation is sponsoring a project called The Redesigning Plastic Initiative. This project is in collaboration with The Plastic Pollution Coalition and The Break Free from Plastic Coalition. This project is tackling this project from a manufacturing standpoint. Consumers can only do so much with recycling. The project wants to get to production based solutions. They want to phase out products that are unnecessary and unrecyclable.
Dive Provo is located on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos. Their dive shop is in the Gracebay area and they operate three dive boats from the Turtle Cove Marina and the Caicos Marina and Shipyard. Two of the dive boats are 36 foot Newtons; the third boat is a 36 foot Jardine and Sewell. Most of the diving is wall diving starting at about 45 feet. Nitrox certainly provides an advantage. With clear warm water you'll get to do swim throughs with abundant fish life. If you stay at Ports-of-Call right next to the dive shop there is a grocery store right across the street and there are a number of places to eat that are within walking distance
This is a special edition of Scuba Shack Radio. We took the podcast on the road to the Boston Sea Rovers 66th International Ocean Symposium and Film Festival where we had the opportunity to connect with some old friends and meet new folks across the dive industry.
I want to thank my guests – Rob Kohl - PADI Northeast Regional Manager, Les Corkhill - Atlantis Dive Resort, Patrick Flannigan – Ocean Learning Laboratory and Immersive Experience (Ollie), and Faith Ortin – Blue Green Expedition.
The show was recorded just prior to the dramatic events that have unfolded related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
My hope is that this episode will give you a little reminder of what normal is like.
Please stay safe.
Jeff
In this episode we discuss SAC rate, the state of solar power in the US, and Voit – an early scuba equipment company.
Your surface air consumption (SAC) rate is an important consideration in planning and executing your dives. Your SAC rate tells you how much air you consume at the surface and when you are planning a dive you can determine the amount of gas you will use during that dive. It isn't difficult to determine and with air integrated computers you can track your SAC rate real time during your dive.
Solar power contributes 71.3 GW of power or 2.4% of the energy produced in the US and can power 13.5 million homes. There are 2.2 million solar energy installations across the country. California leads the way producing 26.2 MW with 1 million installations. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) had a goal of taking solar energy to 20% by the end of the decade. Let's hope we can get there.
Voit is a company that started in 1922 as a tire retreading company that moved into the manufacturing of athletic equipment – specifically with a patent for an all-rubber inflatable ball. They moved into a full line of scuba equipment in the 1950's and were one of the first five manufactures in the US. Those five were – US Divers, Dacor, Healthways, Swimaster, and Voit. Voit provided all the equipment for Sea Hunt. Listen for more information on their early regulators.
In this episode we discuss boat diving etiquette, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive – the Aquanettes.
Boat diving is fun and convenient. Boats however are small and move around a lot and can present some challenges. With a little common sense and etiquette you can make it enjoyable for everyone. My number 1 rule for boat diving etiquette is to follow the boats rules even if they do things differently than you are accustom to doing. Be mindful of your gear. Don't spread it around. Follow the boats procedures for getting in and out of the water. If you want to do something different – just ask. Remember you are not just a paying customer on the boat you are also their guest.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was signed into law on October 21, 1972. This act called for the protection of marine mammals with a moratorium on taking and importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products. It also called for the protection of marine mammals from commercial fishing operations and mandated the development of commercial fishing gear to eliminate harm to marine mammals. This law also established the Marine Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisor that are both still active today.
The Aquanettes is an episode from season 4 of Sea Hunt and aired on March 25, 1961. In this episode Mike is training 3 women "Astronettes" who are going on a mission to Venus. A little bit of science fiction for Sea Hunt. One of the women has some problems and panics a couple of times underwater and it causes a fight between two of the Aquanettes. Mike breaks up the fight by throwing them both in the water. One of the women decides to go in on her own to make up for her panic attack. Now Mike and the others must find the missing Aquanette. Sharks are in the area and causing a problem with the rescue. Mike is ready to fight off the man-eating shark with a knife but ultimately uses a spear gun to save the day.
In this episode we have our first interview with Ron, discuss the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course, and Your Next Dives takes us to Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas in Nassau.
From the very first day I started Scuba Shack Radio, Ron Weller – one of our dive instructors has been talking about getting guests on the show. For this 25th episode, I thought it was appropriate that Ron be my first guest. Ron talks about how he started diving, what keeps him motivated and describes a couple of his most memorable dive.
Are you prepared to act if someone needs emergency oxygen? As we are taught from the beginning in scuba diving, oxygen is a primary treatment for both decompression illness and near-drowning. While scuba diving has an outstanding safety record, sometimes things go wrong. You can be the person to help by knowing how to administer emergency oxygen. PADI offers the Emergency Oxygen Provider course for everyone. You don't need to be a certified diver to gain this valuable specialty. Be the one who can come to the aid of someone in need.
Stuart Cove Dive Bahamas is located on the southwest side of New Providence Island in the Bahamas. You can stay at any number of affiliated hotels and take the Stuart Cove shuttle to the dive shop. We normally stay at the Orange Hill Beach Inn. Stuart Coves locations is built like a seaport fishing village and was once used as a movie set for the film "Flipper". They have full facilities including a retail store, photo center, classroom, rental shop, gear lockers and showers. The 46 foot Newton dive boats are spacious and well maintained. They also have several other boats. You can dive wrecks, reefs, walls and experience sharks. Our trip with Stuart Cove has been running for over 15 years now.
In this episode we discuss dive travel insurance, the current state of wind power, and Scott Carpenter – Astronaut and Aquanaut.
Who doesn't like a great scuba diving trip? As we know, we need to plan our trips well in advance and in many cases make a significant investment. Things happen and we should really protect that investment with trip insurance. There are a number of products out there to insure your dive travel. Divers Alert Network and DiveAssure offer a variety of products that cover single trips or annual trip insurance. You can check out these options on their websites.
https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/travel/
https://diveassure.com/en/home/
2019 was the 2nd warmest year on record. No doubt that carbon dioxide is contributing. Wind power is a great option to help reduce emissions. You can gain a great deal of information on the state of wind power in the United States at the American Wind Energy Association web site. https://www.awea.org In 2018 wind energy reduced 201 million metric tons of carbon dioxide avoided the equivalent of taking 42.7 million cars off the road. Wind energy is part of the solution.
Scott Carpenter was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and he was also a pioneer aquanaut. His book that he co-authored with his daughter details his journey. He joined George Bond as part of the Navy's saturation diving program and participated in both the Sealab I and Sealab II projects. His 30 days underwater on Sealab II was a record for living underwater. After his diving career was finished he rejoined NASA and was instrumental in the development of underwater training to simulate being weightless. Scott Carpenter was a true American hero.
In this episode we discuss the PADI referral process, the North Atlantic Right Whale, and another installment of Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive.
If you live in a part of the country or the world where it gets cold in the winter you might not think you can still learn to scuba dive. You can by doing something called a referral. Essentially, you do your confined water training with your local dive shop in a warm pool and then go someplace warm for your open water certification dives. Work with your local dive shop to set up the referral, make sure all of the paper work is in order and to understand what you will experience when you arrive. Better yet, travel with your local dive shop to someplace warm to get your open water scuba diver certification.
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered species on the planet. With only 400 to 450 of the whales left, they are experiencing low birth rates coupled with unusually high mortality rates. Since 2017 there have been only 12 births while there have been 30 deaths. The North Atlantic right whale is threatened by entanglement, vessel strikes and noise pollution. You can learn more about this whale from the following sites - https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/north-atlantic-right-whale https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/north-atlantic-right-whale/
For this installment of Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive, I review an episode from season 3 – Pirate Gold. In this episode, Mike is in the Bahamas working for a construction company creating a new channel to a marina. The story is about a boy who is scuba diving with his friend trying to find pirate gold. The boys find some dynamite before going diving, set the timer and go diving. While diving, one of the boys gets trapped underwater because of a blast. The other boy (Jeff Bridges) goes for help. That help is Mike who saves Joey after many challenges.
In this episode we discuss Sink the Stink, 4Ocean, and Your Next Dive takes you to Atlantis Dive Resort in Dumaguete Philippines.
Sink the Stink is our go to product for cleaning our neoprene wetsuits and boots. The product is based on technology developed by Bob Denton based on work he had been doing for the oil and gas industry to remove contaminants using bacteria. As an avid diver Bob realized that there was an application for using bacteria to clean wetsuits. The technology is based on good bacteria in Sink the Stink eating the bad bacteria in the neoprene that causes the bad smell. A little bit of Sink the Stink goes a long way in cleaning your gear. Check out Sink the Stink. http://sinkthestink.com
4Ocean is a global organization based on optimism with a single purpose of ending the ocean plastic crisis by cleaning the ocean and coastline and stopping the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits. It was founded by two friends – Andrew Cooper and Alex Shulze who were disappointed with the amount of plastic they encountered on a trip to Bali. Their response was to establish a business model where they would sell bracelets and pledge to remove one pound of trash for each product purchased. It is not a non-profit organization and does not accept donation. 4Ocean is a making a difference. Find out more at https://4ocean.com
The Atlantis Dive Resort in Dumaguete is located about 300 miles south of Manila – a short 1 hour flight from Manila to Dumaguete. The resort is located on a private beach in Dauin – 30 – 40 minute ride from the airport. The rooms are very nice with either a king size or two queen beds, a couch and desk. Some rooms have double sinks with a walk in shower. Toko Restaurant is where you will take your three meals featuring an ala carte breakfast followed by a blackboard menu for lunch and dinner featuring soup, salad, up to four entrees and dessert. The diving is close to the resort with 10 minute boat rides. The biodiversity is outstanding. With trips to Apo Island to see amazing coral diversity and Oslob on Cebu to snorkel with whale sharks you won't be disappointed. We are looking forward to our trip in 2021.
In this episode we discuss the Ikelite Olympus TG-6 package, stony coral tissue loss disease, and some history of New England diving.
The Ikelite Olympus TG-6 package comes with the Olympus TG-6 camera, the Ikelite housing, the action tray II with left handle, RC1 TTL (Through the Lens) receiver, a fiber optic cord, the Ikelite DS51 strobe and the compact ball arm for quick release. The camera features four underwater modes – normal, wide, macro, and microscope with 3 filter settings including shallow, mid and deep. You can add a 3 or 6 inch wide angle dome port. The camera shoots both JPEG and RAW formats. If you want to edit RAW images, you can download the Olympus Workspace application. You can edit JPEG in your favorite editing software.
Stony coral tissue loss disease was first detected in Florida in 2014 and has spread to Jamaica, the Mexican Caribbean, St. Martin, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic. It is suspected to be caused by bacterium but still not definitive. You can get a great deal of detail on stony coral tissue loss disease on the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) program website https://www.agrra.org/coral-disease-outbreak/. This outbreak is different because of the number of coral species effected, its high prevalence, rapid mortality, the high rate of transmission, its large geographic area and the long duration of the outbreak. Interventions include topical application of chlorine and amoxicillin, epoxy, amputation or relocation.
Jim Cahill was a New England diver who is one of the pioneers of scuba diving in the United States. An original Navy Underwater Demolition Team member who started a salvage business after getting out of the Navy. He is credited with being a co-founder of NAUI, an original member of the Boston YMCA Sea Rovers and started New England Dive. Some of Jim's adventures are recounted in a book written by his brother, Robert Ellis Cahill, titled "Diary of the Depths". This book has some interesting stories. A couple of chapters are stories by Frank Sanger and double amputee diver who worked with Jim. You can read about the early days of salvage diving including a highly publicized murder case in MA, recovery efforts on a jet that crashed in Boston Harbor and the Texas Tower in the Atlantic.
In this episode we discuss the Suunto SK-8 compass, Ballast – a five part podcast from Hakai Magazine and another installment of Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive.
The Suunto SK-8 underwater compass is my compass of choice. The compass is billed as the world's most popular dive compass. The SK-8 is a liquid filled compass. Suunto claims that both the Northern and Southern hemisphere models can be used over a wider area of the glob based on their upgraded magnets. The compass is 2.58" x 2.58" x 1.72". We prefer to wear our compass on our wrist and you can get it with a wrist strap or a bungee mount. One of the biggest benefits of this compass is its ability to function with a high degree of tilt - +/- 30 degrees. Additionally, the bezel ratchets every 5th of a degree making it turn smoothly in all conditions.
Ballast is a five episode podcast brought to you by Hakai Magazine hosted by Elin Kelsey. It seems like a pretty dull subject but if you listen to the podcast, Elin makes the topic quite interesting. From the history of ballast, to how ballast effects living things, to ballast in skyscrapers, I think you will enjoy. Here is a link to the website for "Ballast" https://www.hakaimagazine.com/ballast-podcast/
Sea Hunt season one, episode 35 is titled "The Amphibian". It was released on September 6, 1958 and was filmed in Silver Springs, Florida. Mike is hired to supervise a group of local skin divers on an outing to an offshore island – San Granata. The local skin diving group includes Queenie Miller(Zale Parry), Courtney Brown (DeWitt Miller) and Jon Lindberg (Jack Padgett) - he is Charles Lindberg's son. There is a lot of underwater footage of Zale and Courtney. Turns out one of the divers is a bad diver with a scooter and a double barreled spear gun. The bad diver – George Peterson uses his scooter to go into a restricted Navy area to take pictures of a secret underwater rocket launcher. Mike saves the day. A lot of action and some interesting underwater shots. Another great episode of Sea Hunt. We picked this one because it featured Zale Parry who I had the pleasure of talking to at DEMA.
In this episode we discuss our time at DEMA, clothing made from recycled plastic, and another installment of Your Next Dive – Little Cayman.
Our three days at DEMA was packed. We had a chance to meet with all of our partners, look at new products, research various travel options, talk with organizations involved in ocean health and sustainability and meet some interesting people in the dive community. We talked to Autumn Blum - founder of Stream2Sea, Bob Denton - the inventor of Sink the Stink, Cathryn Castle Garcia - executive editor of Dive Training Magazine, and Stuart Cove. We also had a nice chat with Zale Parry of Sea Hunt fame.
Clothing made from recycled plastic sounds like a great idea. On one hand it is taking plastic out of the ocean but at the same time may be putting it back in a different way. Turns out that synthetic fibers shed when being washed and produce microfibers that can't be filtered out in our treatment plants. There are two different types of fabrics that are being made that if washed properly will result in positive outcomes. The two fibers are Repreve and Econyl. Some options to reduce microfibers include hand washing, using Cora balls, Guppyfriend washing bags, or a Lint LUV-R washing machine filter.
If you've never been to Little Cayman – get there. If you've been there before I am pretty sure you'll want to get back there soon. The Little Cayman Beach Resort is a top-notch resort with great rooms, a fantastic all-inclusive dining facility and large pool and bar area. You can also relax in a beach-side hammock. The onsite dive operation – Reef Divers run 4 - 46 foot Newton dive boats that accommodate up to 20 divers. They are truly valet diving that get you to Bloody Bay Wall quickly. The diving on Bloody Bay Wall is some of the best I've encountered.
In this episode we discuss the Halcyon Traveler BC, the Keeling Curve, and some more of our diving history with the salvage of the submarine S-51 in 1925/26.
The Halcyon Traveler BC is a great light weight BC with the control and stability of the backplate and wing configuration. The Traveler BC is a 30 pound lift capacity wing and weighs in at just about 7 pounds – half the weight of the Infinity BC with a stainless steel backplate and tank adapter. The nylon backplate has four weight pouches that can hold up to 12 pounds total. You can also add the Halcyon active control ballast pockets on the waist band or the trim tab pockets on the tank bands. The Halcyon Traveler BC is fantastic for dive travel to warm water destinations.
The Keeling Curve is a graph of the accumulated CO2 in our atmosphere from 1958 to the present. It is named for the scientist Charles David Keeling. It has been described as one of the most important works of the 20th century. It shows the rise from 315 parts per million (PPM) in 1958 to 406 PPM in 2018. This dramatic increase is alarming. The Keeling Curve also shows the seasonal variation of CO2. Until the mid 20th century scientist thought the ocean would easily absorb the excess CO2. Now we know that isn't happening.
The book "On the Bottom" by Commander Edward Ellsberg is the story of the salvage of the submarine S-51 that sank after colliding with a steamer in 1925. The book tells an incredible story of our diving history. Working at a depth of 132 feet, the divers needed to secure the submarine inside and outside and then rig it for lifting. The salvage operation required a great deal of innovation and ingenuity along with unbelievable courage.
In this episode we discuss Project Aware and the PADI Specialty, Marine Protected Areas, and another installment of Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive
It is called Project Aware because it started in 1989 as a project with PADI to support ocean conservation. AWARE stands for Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education. Project Aware focused on 10 ways that divers can protect the underwater environment. These 10 ways have evolved into the 10 tips for divers to protect the ocean planet. In 1992 it officially became a separate entity called the Project Aware Foundation. Listen for more information on Project Aware and the PADI specialty or go to https://www.projectaware.org/
Marine Protected Areas are any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein. MPA came into being with Presidential executive order 13158 signed by President Clinton on May 26, 2000. MPA are managed by the Commerce Department under the direction of NOAA. The executive order supports another law called the National Marine Sanctuary Act first passed in 1972. You can read more about marine protected areas on the NOAA site at https://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/
A diver find a sunken Japanese submarine with a lethal nerve gas agent seeping out. That is what season 2 episode 15 of Sea Hunt is all about. "Nerve Gas" premiered on April 12, 1959. Mike and his dive buddy Stan – an LAPD police officer who is a judo expert are dispatched to help a diver who started freaking out after finding a submarine. While trying to revive the diver (Leonard Nimoy), Mike also becomes effected. Turns out the problem is nerve gas leaking from a sunken Japanese submarine. Mike and Stan have to seal up the leaking submarine – but not without problems. Listen to hear more about all the action in "Nerve Gas"
In this episode we discuss DEMA, the latest IPCC Climate Change report, and introduce a new segment called Your Next Dive – first up Maui
DEMA is the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association with the mission of bringing business together to grow the diving industry. DEMA has more than 1400 member businesses. They have a number of strategic goals and objectives along with tactical goals. You can read more about DEMA at their website https://www.dema.org. One of their tactical goals is to put on an annual trade show. That is the DEMA Show and brings together over 9000 buyers, vendors and dive professionals with a focus on education, products, services and networking. DEMA Show has been ongoing since 1997.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published their latest Summary for Policy Makers on September 25, 2019 titled "The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate". The report was created by 65+ drafting and contributing authors from around the globe. The ocean and cryosphere comprise over 80% of the world. The findings are dramatic. You can download a copy of the report from the IPCC website. https://www.ipcc.ch
Your Next Dive takes you to Maui. If you are going to Maui and staying on West Maui our pick for dive operators is Lahanai divers. They run two 42 foot Newton dive boats that are comfortable, roomy and ride nice. You can dive multiple islands with Lahaina divers – Lanai, Molokini, Molokai, and Maui. In the winter (February timeframe) water temperatures are between 75 and 77 degrees F. Dive sites on Lanai include First and Second Cathedral, Mempachi Cave, Sargent Major, and Monolith. Molokini includes inside the crater as well as the backwall. You can also dive the wreck of the Carthaginian or Mala Wharf.
In this episode we discuss the value of a log book, the Sea Turtle Conservancy, and motion sickness
I consider your log book as a very important piece of your dive gear. Unfortunately, the dive log is often neglected by divers. It is your dive diary. If you keep your dive log up-to-date you will be able to look back and relive those dives. You will know how the dive went, what you wore on the dive, the conditions and so much more. Be a conscientious diver and maintain your dive log. Listen to a couple of my dives from my dive log.
Sea turtles have been under threat for a very long time. The Sea Turtle Conservancy https://conserveturtles.org has been working to protect sea turtles since 1959. Originally the Sea Turtle Conservancy started as the Brotherhood of the Green Turtle in response to the book The Windward Road by Dr. Archie Carr. One of the threats currently faced by all sea turtles is artificial lighting. Listen for more information on how the Sea Turtle Conservancy is helping to address this problem.
For some divers boat diving is a challenge. It is a challenge because of motion sickness. We just don't know why some people are prone to seasickness while other aren't. There are several articles on the DAN website that discuss possible causes, medications and other remedies. A lot of great diving is done from dive boats. Hopefully if you suffer from motion sickness you will be able to find the best remedy for you.
https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/Motion_Sickness
https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/Motion_Sickness_Updated_2003
https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/Transderm_Scop_The_Patch
In this episode we discuss scuba tank visual inspections, age and diving, Sea Hunt – the other pilot episode
We learn early on in our training that there are two different types of inspections for scuba tanks – hydrostatic (every 5 years) and the annual visual inspection. Only the hydrostatic test is mandated in the US by the US DOT. The visual inspection is a scuba industry standard. It all came about in the 1970s in response to a study conducted by the University of Rhode Island on behalf of the National Underwater Accident Data Center titled Investigation of scuba cylinder corrosion – phase 1. The findings were powerful enough for our industry to self-regulate on this critical safety inspection.
As we grow older, we are not able to do some of the same physical things that we did in our youth. Diving should not be one of those things. There is a chapter in The Complete Diver by Dr. Alex Brylske that discusses age and diving. There is some great info in this chapter along with the reference to a study published in 2003 that shows that age does not dramatically impact diving as long as we stay physically fit.
Mark of the Octopus was actually the first episode of Sea Hunt that was ever produced. It was a pilot episode used to try and sell the show to networks or syndicators. We are introduced again to Mike Nelson fresh out of the Navy, his boat, and the gadgets like an underwater TV camera. Mike is working again for Marine Land of the Pacific at the start of the show. When two divers go missing he is hired by a mining company to find them. One of the divers turns up dead with octopus like marks on his leg but Mike is skeptical and turns out he is right. Underwater fights, spear guns, regulator hose cuts, feeding eels, capturing porpoise, trying to catch a manta ray make this a must see episode.
In this episode we discuss Nitrox, whales and ocean noise, and where did the term SCUBA come from (you might be surprised)
Enriched Air Nitrox is one of PADI's most popular classes. Why – longer no decompression limits, especially on repetitive dives. With a combination of electronic learning, classroom lecture, use of the dive computer and practical application, you are ready to manage the risks associated with Nitrox, mainly oxygen toxicity and have more fun. Nitrox is an essential class for all scuba divers.
The ocean is a noisy place and getting louder all the time. Whether it is from shipping, seismic testing or sonar, the noise is doing great harm to the ocean inhabitants, especially whales and dolphins. You can check out a couple of web sites – https://us.whales.org or http://wildwhales.org. The film titled – Sonic Sea is a powerful documentary on this serious threat. You can order it on Vimeo.
Where did the term SCUBA come from? It wasn't Jacque Cousteau. It was coined in a paper written by Dr. Christian J Lambertsen and Walter A Hahn in 1952. The report is titled "On Using Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus". It was written for the National Academy of Sciences National Resource Council as Publication 274. Dr Lambertsen was also the inventor of the Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU) - a very early rebreather.
In this episode we talk about the Surface Marker Buoy, hyperbaric chambers and "The Terrible Hours"
Several years ago PADI introduced deploying a surface marker buoy as a key skill into their Open Water certification. A very important safety feature that every diver should understand and be able to execute in the real world. Sometimes you will need to deploy the SMB when on a drift dive or if you aren't in the vicinity of the boat when you surface, you will want the boat to see you and come and pick you up. Always carry a SMB when diving in the ocean.
Sometimes divers experience decompression sickness where nitrogen comes out of our tissue too quickly. The hyperbaric chamber or recompression chamber is used to treat this problem by recreating the environment of the dive at depth and slowly bringing the diver up at a controlled rate. Treatment can last several hours to multiple days. You should always know the location of the closest hyperbaric chamber to where you are diving and don't forget to purchase your dive accident insurance.
https://www.sportdiver.com/how-does-hyperbaric-chamber-work
The Terrible Hours is a book written by Peter Mass about the rescue and salvage of the USS Squalus, a submarine that sank off the coast of New Hampshire in 1939. The submarine was in about 240 feet of water and the rescue of 33 men from the vessel under the direction of then LCDR Charles "Suede" Mumson who was the pioneer of submarine escape and rescue. It is an incredible read and will definitely keep you riveted.
In this episode we discuss function checking your dive equipment, seafood waste and the first episode of Sea Hunt.
Too often we read about diving incidents that could have been avoided had the diver completed a simple pre-dive function check. It is simple, easy and takes very little time to do. Once everything is assembled, simply turn on your gas, check both regulators (primary and alternate second stage) by breathing both, then power inflate the BCD to ensure it properly inflates and that the over pressurization valve releases. Finally, deflate the BCD. With your function check complete to can now have the peace of mind that your life support gear is working properly.
There is an article in Hakai Magazine by Sasha Chapman titled "Wasted" and it discusses the issue of seafood waste. The article points out that 27 % of fish caught is wasted. This waste happens along every link from harvesting, processing, manufacturing, distribution, retailing and consumers. Sasha discusses the varying causes and points out that it is cheaper to discard than re-purpose.
The first episode of Sea Hunt aired on January 4, 1958. It was titled Sixty Feet Below. There were 39 shows in season 1 and it ran through October 4, 1958. This episode introduces us to Mike Nelson an ex-Navy frogman working at Marine Land of the Pacific. The show is about a downed Navy experimental jet that has a pilot trapped inside. Mike's job is to mark the jet and rescue the pilot. With time running out on the pilot's air supply, Mike saves the day.
In this episode we discuss boat bags, IUNC Red List,, and the movie that inspired Sea Hunt - Underwater Warriors
Once you get to your dive destination and are ready to go to the dive boat you will want a boat bag to get all of your gear to and from the boat. Two options are the Akona Delux Mesh Duffel and the Akona Delux Mesh Backpack. Both bags are durable, pack nicely for your trip, and make hauling your gear to the boat practical.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) Red List of threatened species is now over 100,000 species. Sadly, no species improved their status during the recent reporting period. Many turtles and sharks are on the endangered list. For more information, use the links below.
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/07/18/record-high-number-species-threat-extinction/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
Underwater Warriors is the movie that inspired Sea Hunt. The movie was released in 1958 and was produced by Ivan Tors. It is based on the book by CDR Frances Fane – a pioneer with the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team. The movie traces the evolution of the UDT from swimmer, to rebreather diver, to open circuit aqualung diving. The movie stars Dan Daily and Ross Martin. Zale Parry of Sea Hunt fame is also featured.
In this episode we discuss why buying a regulator from your local dive shop matters, bamboo and global warming, and the World Recreational Scuba Training Council
Regulators are a critical piece of your dive gear and represent a significant investment. As we all know, there are a lot of options for purchasing online. Why not buy your regulator online? Well for one thing, brand new regulators are shipped in a box and not assembled. Unless you are comfortable and capable of properly assembling your new regulator, you are taking a risk. When you buy from your local dive shop, the regulator will be properly assembled and more importantly tested to ensure the adjustments are proper. Don't leave it to chance. Your local dive shop can compete on price plus adds the value of personalized service.
Bamboo is technically a grass that can be an important cog in the climate change battle. With its incredible ability to sequester carbon along with its compressive and tensile strength it is one of the most versatile plants on earth. Bamboo can be used to replace high emission material like cotton, plastic, steel, aluminum and concrete. Bamboo grows readily on degraded or abandoned land and if we increase our acreage by 37 million, this plant can take 7.22 gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The links below provide more detail.
https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/land-use/bamboo
https://www.inbar.int/global-warming-of-1-5-c-how-can-bamboo-help/
The World Recreational Scuba Training Council or WRSTC is dedicated to world-wide safety of recreational scuba. They produce the minimum standards for training agencies. There are four different components. RTSC for the US, RTSC Europe, RTSC Canada and RTSC Japan. RTSC US is based out of Stuart FL and has 9 member training agencies. PADI is one of those agencies. They publish their standards on their website. It might make for some interesting reading.
https://wrstc.com/
In this episode we discuss deep diving, cleaning stations and Sea Hunt – It's still alive – the final show "Round Up"
What is deep diving? According to many training organizations it is any dive below 60 feet. Why? There is a section in Alex Brylske's book "The Complete Diver" titled Deep Diving Re-examined. Dr. Brylske talks about what he considers deep diving – the range between 80 and 130 feet or as he describes it the forgotten 50 feet. He also discusses things to consider before venturing deeper than 60 feet, specifically experience and training. As for training PADI has a great Deep Diver specialty course that consists of 4 deep dives and you must have the experience of either PADI Adventure or Advanced Diver with 20 logged dives to participate. Stay safe with experience and training and minimize the risks.
Observing a cleaning station on a coral reef is fascinating. Cleaning stations are a classic example of symbiotic mutualism. The cleaner and the client both benefit. There is a two-part article in the winter and spring editions of Alert Diver magazine from Divers Alert Network by Anna and Ned Deloach on cleaning stations titled "Pest Control". They discuss some interesting elements of the Bluestreak cleaner wrasse and the Pederson cleaner shrimp. Here are some other links that have more information on cleaning stations.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/the-fish-that-makes-other-fish-smarter/554924/
http://www.cleanerfish.com/the-cleaner-fish-chronicles.html
https://www.caribbeanreeflife.com/caribbean-reef-life-blog/archives/12-2017
The final episode of Sea Hunt titled "Round Up" aired on September 23, 1961. The new underwater sequences were filmed in Nassau. Mike had 2 jobs in this episode. One was to recover floating bombs from a wreck and then blow up the ship. The second job was to recover and disarm a torpedo that was fired into an underwater pipe at a hydroelectric plant. The first job was really a repeat of an earlier episode with a new twist. On the second job Mike finds the diver who sent the torpedo into the pipe and wrestles him to the surface. The diver is a young Jack Nickelson who says "How many times to I got to tell you there ain't no bomb". Well there was. Mike saves the day and closes the show by saying see you next week, but now we know that wouldn't happen. The series is over after four years and 155 shows.
In this episode we review some new Osprey Dive Bags, Climate Change – the book and introduce a recurring segment called "Sea Hunt – It's alive"
Going someplace great to dive means that we have to get our scuba gear there in a tough and durable bag. There are many great bags out there and we recently brought in some new dive bags from Osprey. Two of the bags that I think are really awesome are the Transporter Wheeled Duffel 90 and the Shuttle 130L/36. First they are super lightweight. On my scale the Wheeled Duffel came in at 7.9 pounds and the Shuttle was 9.6 pounds. My current dive bag is 12 pounds empty. I then packed my Apeks XTX 50, RK3 fins, 3 mm wetsuit, Light and Motion Solo, boots and Halcyon Eclipse 30 with the backplate and two masks . I still had some room in the duffel and had all kinds of space in the shuttle for packing another 9 pounds of stuff. All-in-all, the Osprey bags are incredible and I will surely have one when we hit Little Cayman and the Philippines later this year.
"Climate Change – What everyone needs to know" written by Dr. Joseph Romm is an important read if you are concerned about what we are doing to the planet. The NY Times Magazine calls it "The best single-source primer on the state of climate change". Dr Romm takes you through the basics of climate science, extreme weather, projected impacts, avoiding the worst, politics and policy, the role of clean energy and climate change and you. I particularly found his discussion on the challenging aspects associated with transportation enlightening. We need to find a way to curb our use of petroleum-based transportation.
In this new recurring feature I will be reviewing an episode of Sea Hunt. Sea Hunt was a television program that ran from 1958 to 1961 (four season) with 155 shows. It featured Lloyd Bridges as ex-navy frogman Mike Nelson. The show was filmed at Marine Land of the Pacific, Catalina Island, Paradise Cove Malibu, Silver Springs FL, Cypress Garden FL, Tarpon Springs FL, Nassau and Grand Bahamas. We are big fans of the show and hope you will enjoy our reviews on future episodes of Scuba Shack Radio.
In this episode we discuss wet suits, The Ocean Foundation, and the History of Diving Museum
One of the questions we often get at the shop is what thickness of wet suit should I buy. Our answer is it depends. It depends on where, when and how you dive. A 3 mm wet suit gives you a lot of mobility and lessens the weight that you need to carry. A 3 mm wet suit might be the best option for water temperatures at 77 degrees of above. You might choose a 5 mm wet suit if water temperatures are below 77 degrees. If you aren't sure, the 5 mm wet suit might be the most versatile option.
The Ocean Foundation is a unique community with a mission to support, strengthen and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of oceans environments around the world. They have spent $48 M over the last 13 years on marine conservation. They also sponsor a program called Seagrass Grow – a program for carbon offsets. Here are couple of links to the Ocean Foundation and the Seagrass Grow program.
https://www.oceanfdn.org/
https://www.oceanfdn.org/calculator
The History of Diving Museum is located in Islamorada, FL. It was founded by Drs. Joe and Sally Bauer in 2000, opened to the public part-time in 2005 and finally full time in 2006. It is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting artifacts, antiques, books, documents, photos and oral history relative to the history of diving. The museum also is home to The Bauer Diving History Research Library.
https://www.divingmuseum.org/
In this episode we review a couple of dry suit vests, talk about plastic and chemical pollution and discuss the merits of a dry bag.
The Thermalution Yellow Grade is a battery powered heated vest using two lithium polymer batteries housed in a sleeveless rash guard type vest. It uses a wireless transmitter on the back of the vest controlled by a small controller you wear on your forearm. It has three settings, rated to 300 feet, can be worn wet or dry and has an advertised heating time of 180 – 240 minutes.
The Fourth Element X-Core vest is also sleeveless and is made from post-consumer waste (like plastic bottles or ghost fishing nets) which is part of their Ocean Positive series. It is engineered to retain the body's own heat. It is described as their answer to the electronically heated vest.
The Thermalution vest heats on your back and not the chest. It does heat up fast and you can definitely feel the different settings. When diving wet, the warmth was felt at shallower depths but when taken deep the warming effect was pretty negligible. The X-Core vest lived up to its description. It really warmed the core and stayed warm the whole dive. The X-Core line also comes with leggings. For price and performance the X-core is the best choice.
Plastic in the ocean by itself is a problem but it also causes additional concerns. A recent blog post on Ocean Conservancy describes how the plastic in the ocean also absorbs chemicals and then transports them great distances thus creating more pollution around the globe. There is nothing good about plastic getting into our water system. Here is a link to the blog post. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/04/23/plastic-pollution-chemical-pollution/
You are about to get on a dive boat and are carrying your backpack with valuable items when suddenly you drop it and it ends up in the water. The crew fish it out but oh no, what a mess. This can be avoided by carrying all the things you want to stay dry in a dry bag. Dry bags are relatively inexpensive and give you the peace of mind when getting on a boat because boats get wet.
In this episode we discuss Sunset House in Grand Cayman, defogging a mask, and Project Drawdown.
Sunset House in Grand Cayman has been serving the dive community for over 60 years now. Let's hope they keep up the good work. Sunset House's rooms provide all the essential amenities you need to make you stay comfortable. Their boats are well maintained, convenient for diving and offer relatively short trips to some great reefs. Shore diving is spectacular with so much to see. Throw in My Bar and I rarely leave the grounds. Town is a short walk or complementary shuttle ride away. Keep up the good work Sunset House. https://www.sunsethouse.com/
Defogging a mask is a relatively simple skill. Too often however we see that this skill was probably not explained very well. If the mask is properly cleaned then a drop or two of any defog solution will be enough so long as you don't wash it off by rinsing too hard. We use Sea Drops from Gear Aid and it has served us well. Couple of drops, let it dry, quick rinse before entering the water and you will be all set. Simple but often not done correctly. We sometimes see people putting on the sea drops and then doing a heavy rinse essentially wiping out the benefit.
Project Drawdown is described as the most comprehensive plan ever produced to reverse global warming. It is that point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begin to decline on a year-to-year basis. Project Drawdown was founded in 2014 by Paul Hawkins, author, entrepreneur and environmentalist. Check out the 100 Solution to reverse global warming. https://www.drawdown.org/
In this episode we discuss a visit to REEF HQ in Key Largo, Hakai Magazine, an update on Plastic Bank
During our recent dive shop trip to Key Largo, we conducted a PADI Fish Identification course in conjunction with REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation). Our visit to REEF included an introduction, lecture on the various fish encountered in the Florida Keys, and how to conduct a fish survey. The next morning we were off to do two surveys, diving with Horizon Divers. Our surveys were conducted on The Wreck of the Benwood and Sand Bottom Cave on Elbow Reef.
Hakai Magazine is an online magazine started in 2015 with a mission to explore science, society and the environment from a coastal perspective. Hakai Magazine is funded by Tula Foundation. You can find out more about Tula here - https://tula.org. Hakai Magazine is fascinating with great articles and audio versions. Two articles in particular that are of interest (both audio and written) are "Citizen Science comes of age" and "Hey Beacher, leave those fish alone". Here are links to both.
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/citizen-science-comes-of-age/
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/hey-beacher-leave-those-fish-alone/
Plastic Bank is an organization that stops ocean plastic while reducing poverty. Essentially, they pay people to recycle plastic. The plastic is then recycled and sold as social plastic. You can get all the details regarding their work on their web site. Recently they announced a partnership with SC Johnson to open 8 recycling centers in Indonesia along with the first mobile recycling center.
https://www.plasticbank.com/sc-johnson-partners-with-plastic-bank-in-indonesia/#.XKZ5qZhKiM8
In addition to Indonesia they also operate out of Haiti, and the Philippines.
In this episode we discuss car tires and micro-pollution, the Aqualung Reveal mask and diving in Key Largo.
According to the National Resource Defense Council as we drive we leave tiny flecks of tire behind. These little flecks are like microplastics that make it to our water ways. Unlike micro-beads this problem is much harder to address. Awareness is important and more studies need to be done. Here is a link to the article. https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/tires-emerging-threat-our-waterways-our-seafood-and-ourselves
Fit and comfort are the most important features of a dive mask. We like the Aqualung Reveal mask for its fit and comfort. You can check out the features and see all the color combinations by following this link. http://www.aqualung.com/us/scuba-diving-gear/reveal
If you are thinking about a quick getaway for some diving in the U.S., you should consider Key Largo. https://fla-keys.com/key-largo/a-dive-wonderland/
Welcome to the first episode of Scuba Shack Radio - a bi-weekly podcast in support of our mission of empowering individuals to venture underwater and to advocate for ocean health and sustainability.
In this episode we discuss dive computers, growing coral in Bonaire, Beneath the Sea in New Jersey, and some discussion on ocean conservation.