From the Times of Oman: Uncovering the undersea treasure
MUSCAT: Turquoise waters with bright yellow fish, vivid pink corals, and other sea creatures will captivate viewers when Oman’s first underwater documentary airs during the National Day holidays later this month.
‘Oman’s Undersea Treasure’ is a 45-minute documentary made by Mohammed Al Kindi, a director and script-writer at Oman TV. It is the first of a series of films that showcase the variety of species living along Oman’s coast.
“The target is to document our species underwater, show people what we have, and encourage them to go diving,” said Al Kindi, while talking to Times of Oman.
Al Kindi teamed up with diving instructor Sami Said Al Riyami, who has the experience of filming underwater. With the help of a few other Omanis, they filmed nine hours of footage for the documentary, which focuses on the waters of Musandam.
“I liked the idea and nobody did it before. One of the most beautiful things we have in Oman is under the sea,” said Al Riyami.
Al Kindi, who is from Nizwa, had to learn to dive and the team had to invest in special waterproof camera equipment and lights.
“I was in a different world my first time,” said Al Kindi, his eyes sparkling at the memory.
The team filmed underwater, going to depths of 30m, where they saw a plethora of species, including sharks, clown fish, hamour, shrimp, lobster, eels, corals, and jellyfish. They even saw a barracuda, which Al Kindi admits, was the most frightening moment since it tried to attack them.
The documentary also highlights the connection between the mountains in Musandam, the people who live there, and the sea. The mountains provide nutrients and breeding places for the fish, and the fish provide for the people.
“They are working in harmony,” Al Kindi explained.
Next year Al Kindi and Al Riyami will continue the series and make documentaries about the sea life in Batinah, Muscat, Sur, Al Wusta, and Dhofar. Despite the challenges they face filming underwater, such as currents, poor visibility and barracuda attacks, the men want to keep filming so they can share what they see with Omanis, and the world. Al Kindi said Oman TV wants to spread the film to other markets and attract more foreigners.
“I felt this film chose me. I felt it was my responsibility because Oman has many treasures and we need to show them,” said Al Riyami.
The men also love being under the sea because it gives a new perspective on the world. Al Riyami said he had gone on more than 6,000 dives in his life and the experience never gets old because the aquatic life is constantly changing.
“Each time I dive I see something new and each season it’s different. One movie is not enough,” Al Riyami said.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
New Divers Alert Network online video examines scuba diving fatalities
From Examiner.com: New Divers Alert Network online video examines scuba diving fatalities
Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) has added a new offering to its online education lineup: a new video lecture series. The scuba diving safety organization's new program features a look at diving fatalities presented by DAN President Dan Orr.
“Diver Fatalities: When Bad Things Happen to Good Divers,” takes a look at recreational diving fatalities using DAN’s analysis of nearly 1,000 diving fatalities cases. The 45-minute presentation also includes a discussion of diving hazard identification and mitigation with recommendations on how to improve safety.
“I’ve had the pleasure of presenting this lecture to dive clubs and groups around the country this year,” said Orr. “The reaction to it – in fact, the reaction to DAN’s fatality information for years – is not one of shying away but rather one of embracing the knowledge. Divers want to learn from case studies collected by DAN so they can learn to become safer divers themselves.”
“Diver Fatalities” is an ideal video for those wishing to highlight the topic in a group setting such as a dive club meeting. Available at no charge to DAN Members, the video can be viewed an unlimited number of times, so it’s also an excellent teaching tool for continuing education courses.
“The video lecture series is a great example of the benefits divers enjoy through their DAN membership,” said Orr. “Educating divers on dive safety and continually seeking ways to improve dive safety are core tenets of DAN’s mission, and the video lectures make available to everyone the popular – and useful – information we’ve previously been able to present only in person.”
The video series joins DAN’s online seminar series and its real-time webinars, and additional offerings to the series will continue to release throughout 2012.
“Good divers never stop learning,” said Orr. “We sincerely hope every DAN Member will take advantage of this benefit and feel free to provide feedback on other topics they’d like to see developed and added.”
Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) has added a new offering to its online education lineup: a new video lecture series. The scuba diving safety organization's new program features a look at diving fatalities presented by DAN President Dan Orr.
“Diver Fatalities: When Bad Things Happen to Good Divers,” takes a look at recreational diving fatalities using DAN’s analysis of nearly 1,000 diving fatalities cases. The 45-minute presentation also includes a discussion of diving hazard identification and mitigation with recommendations on how to improve safety.
“I’ve had the pleasure of presenting this lecture to dive clubs and groups around the country this year,” said Orr. “The reaction to it – in fact, the reaction to DAN’s fatality information for years – is not one of shying away but rather one of embracing the knowledge. Divers want to learn from case studies collected by DAN so they can learn to become safer divers themselves.”
“Diver Fatalities” is an ideal video for those wishing to highlight the topic in a group setting such as a dive club meeting. Available at no charge to DAN Members, the video can be viewed an unlimited number of times, so it’s also an excellent teaching tool for continuing education courses.
“The video lecture series is a great example of the benefits divers enjoy through their DAN membership,” said Orr. “Educating divers on dive safety and continually seeking ways to improve dive safety are core tenets of DAN’s mission, and the video lectures make available to everyone the popular – and useful – information we’ve previously been able to present only in person.”
The video series joins DAN’s online seminar series and its real-time webinars, and additional offerings to the series will continue to release throughout 2012.
“Good divers never stop learning,” said Orr. “We sincerely hope every DAN Member will take advantage of this benefit and feel free to provide feedback on other topics they’d like to see developed and added.”
Australia: Man uses scuba gear to evade Australia bushfire
An interesting story... from BBC: Man uses scuba gear to evade Australia bushfire
A man who stayed behind to defend his home from a bushfire in western Australia used scuba-diving equipment to escape the blaze.
While others in the town of Margaret River fled their homes, Peter Fabrici got his wife to safety and then went back to fire-proof his home.
Seeing houses in the distance going up in flames, he donned wet clothing, an oxygen tank and goggles.
When the flames got too close, he jumped into his neighbour's pool.
Red and black
Before the bushfire arrived, the 53-year-old stuffed rags into gutters and fixed sprinklers on the roof to prepare his house for the flames.
"There were spot fires everywhere, the wind was increasing, the smoke was getting thicker and I basically stayed with the house as long as I could," he told Australian broadcaster Channel 9.
Firefighters were battling to control the bush fire, as Peter Fabrici tried to fire-proof his home But when the flames approached, he was forced to submerge himself in his neighbour's pool and use the scuba-diving gear.
"It was 3.04 to 3.09, I remember looking at my watch. And just looking up and seeing the red and the black going over the top.
"I stuck my head up at the end of the lap pool, I had a direct view of our house and I was just absolutely amazed. There were no flames coming from it."
Mr Fabrici said his makeshift protective gear had made the difference.
"Without the clear vision and without a clear source of oxygen, there's no way of staying in a situation like that. But as it turned out, it all worked beautifully and the house is still there and I'm still alive."
At least 37 homes were destroyed and some 3,177 hectares (7,850 acres) burned by the bushfire.
A man who stayed behind to defend his home from a bushfire in western Australia used scuba-diving equipment to escape the blaze.
While others in the town of Margaret River fled their homes, Peter Fabrici got his wife to safety and then went back to fire-proof his home.
Seeing houses in the distance going up in flames, he donned wet clothing, an oxygen tank and goggles.
When the flames got too close, he jumped into his neighbour's pool.
Red and black
Before the bushfire arrived, the 53-year-old stuffed rags into gutters and fixed sprinklers on the roof to prepare his house for the flames.
"There were spot fires everywhere, the wind was increasing, the smoke was getting thicker and I basically stayed with the house as long as I could," he told Australian broadcaster Channel 9.
Firefighters were battling to control the bush fire, as Peter Fabrici tried to fire-proof his home But when the flames approached, he was forced to submerge himself in his neighbour's pool and use the scuba-diving gear.
"It was 3.04 to 3.09, I remember looking at my watch. And just looking up and seeing the red and the black going over the top.
"I stuck my head up at the end of the lap pool, I had a direct view of our house and I was just absolutely amazed. There were no flames coming from it."
Mr Fabrici said his makeshift protective gear had made the difference.
"Without the clear vision and without a clear source of oxygen, there's no way of staying in a situation like that. But as it turned out, it all worked beautifully and the house is still there and I'm still alive."
At least 37 homes were destroyed and some 3,177 hectares (7,850 acres) burned by the bushfire.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The 881-pound tuna that got away
Not a scuba story, but it's interesting. Seems like NOAA just likes to throw their weight around...
From South Coast Today: The 881-pound tuna that got away
This fish story may lack the epic qualities of Ernest Hemingway's 1952 classic "The Old Man and the Sea," but for New Bedford's Carlos Rafael, the outcome was about the same. In both cases, despite capturing and bringing home a huge fish, powerful circumstances conspired to deprive the luckless fishermen of a potentially huge reward.
Boat owner Rafael, a big player in the local fishing industry, was elated when the crew of his 76-foot steel dragger Apollo told him they had unwittingly captured a giant bluefin tuna in their trawl gear while fishing offshore.
"They didn't catch that fish on the bottom," he said. "They probably got it in the mid-water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon."
Rafael, who in the last four years purchased 15 tuna permits for his groundfish boats to cover just such an eventuality, immediately called a bluefin tuna hot line maintained by fishery regulators to report the catch.
Meanwhile, the weather offshore had deteriorated and the Apollo decided to seek shelter in Provincetown harbor last Saturday. Hearing this, Rafael immediately set off in a truck to meet the boat. "I wanted to sell the fish while it was fresh instead of letting it age on the boat," he said. "It was a beautiful fish."
It was also a lucrative one. Highly prized in Japan, a 754-pound specimen fetched a record price at a Tokyo auction in January this year, selling for nearly $396,000. These fish can grow to enormous size. The world record for a bluefin, which has stood since 1979, was set when a 1,496-pound specimen was caught off Nova Scotia.
However, when Rafael rolled down the dock in Provincetown there was an unexpected and unwelcome development. The authorities were waiting. Agents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement informed him they were confiscating his fish — all 881 pounds of it.
Even though the catch had been declared and the boat had a tuna permit, the rules do not allow fishermen to catch these fish in a net.
"They said it had to be caught with rod and reel," a frustrated Rafael said. "We didn't try to hide anything. We did everything by the book. Nobody ever told me we couldn't catch it with a net."
In any case, after being towed for more than two hours in the net, the fish was already dead when the Apollo hauled back its gear, he said.
"What are we supposed to do?" he asked. "They said they were going to give me a warning," Rafael said. "I think I'm going to surrender all my tuna permits now. What good are they if I can't catch them?
No charges have yet been filed in connection with the catch, but a written warning is anticipated, according to Christine Patrick, a public affairs specialist with NOAA who said the fish has been forfeited and will be sold on consignment overseas. Proceeds from the sale of the fish will be held in an account pending final resolution of the case, NOAA said. No information on the value of the fish was available Friday.
"The matter is still under investigation," said Monica Allen, deputy director with NOAA Fisheries public affairs. "If it's determined that there has been a violation, the money will go into the asset forfeiture fund."
From South Coast Today: The 881-pound tuna that got away
This fish story may lack the epic qualities of Ernest Hemingway's 1952 classic "The Old Man and the Sea," but for New Bedford's Carlos Rafael, the outcome was about the same. In both cases, despite capturing and bringing home a huge fish, powerful circumstances conspired to deprive the luckless fishermen of a potentially huge reward.
Boat owner Rafael, a big player in the local fishing industry, was elated when the crew of his 76-foot steel dragger Apollo told him they had unwittingly captured a giant bluefin tuna in their trawl gear while fishing offshore.
"They didn't catch that fish on the bottom," he said. "They probably got it in the mid-water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon."
Rafael, who in the last four years purchased 15 tuna permits for his groundfish boats to cover just such an eventuality, immediately called a bluefin tuna hot line maintained by fishery regulators to report the catch.
Meanwhile, the weather offshore had deteriorated and the Apollo decided to seek shelter in Provincetown harbor last Saturday. Hearing this, Rafael immediately set off in a truck to meet the boat. "I wanted to sell the fish while it was fresh instead of letting it age on the boat," he said. "It was a beautiful fish."
It was also a lucrative one. Highly prized in Japan, a 754-pound specimen fetched a record price at a Tokyo auction in January this year, selling for nearly $396,000. These fish can grow to enormous size. The world record for a bluefin, which has stood since 1979, was set when a 1,496-pound specimen was caught off Nova Scotia.
However, when Rafael rolled down the dock in Provincetown there was an unexpected and unwelcome development. The authorities were waiting. Agents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement informed him they were confiscating his fish — all 881 pounds of it.
Even though the catch had been declared and the boat had a tuna permit, the rules do not allow fishermen to catch these fish in a net.
"They said it had to be caught with rod and reel," a frustrated Rafael said. "We didn't try to hide anything. We did everything by the book. Nobody ever told me we couldn't catch it with a net."
In any case, after being towed for more than two hours in the net, the fish was already dead when the Apollo hauled back its gear, he said.
"What are we supposed to do?" he asked. "They said they were going to give me a warning," Rafael said. "I think I'm going to surrender all my tuna permits now. What good are they if I can't catch them?
No charges have yet been filed in connection with the catch, but a written warning is anticipated, according to Christine Patrick, a public affairs specialist with NOAA who said the fish has been forfeited and will be sold on consignment overseas. Proceeds from the sale of the fish will be held in an account pending final resolution of the case, NOAA said. No information on the value of the fish was available Friday.
"The matter is still under investigation," said Monica Allen, deputy director with NOAA Fisheries public affairs. "If it's determined that there has been a violation, the money will go into the asset forfeiture fund."
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
'Extinct' giant sponges, once used as bath tubs, are rediscovered
From MotherNatureNetwork.com: 'Extinct' giant sponges, once used as bath tubs, are rediscovered
It's the sponge that takes the idea of a sponge bath to a whole new level: the giant Neptune's Cup. First discovered in 1822, these sponges once grew so large that they were commonly used as bath tubs for children. However, that handy use quickly led to overharvesting, and the last time anyone saw one alive was in 1908. Many believed the sponges had become extinct.
That was until March of this year, when biologists doing a routine survey dive along Singapore's coast spotted something that none of them could immediately identify. Of course they couldn't: a living Neptune's Cup sponge hadn't been spied for more than 100 years.
But there it was — two of them, in fact, just 50 meters from one another. Sponge expert Lim Swee Cheng, author of the book "A Guide to Sponges of Singapore," was called in to confirm the finding, according to a report by Scientific American.
"My heart skipped a beat when I saw it in Singapore waters this year," Lim recently wrote on his Facebook page, after positively identifying the sponges as Neptune's Cups.
With diameters measuring 30 centimeters across, the pair of newly discovered sponges are tiny compared to legend, which described heights of more than a meter and diameters wide enough to hold a bathing human. These new discoveries are just babies, say scientists — but they are growing fast. And their presence may indicate that a more stable population exists nearby.
"The presence of two young Neptune's Cup sponges within a surveyed area of 50m by 50m signals hope that more are present within the area," said marine biologist Karenne Tun, one of the scientists to rediscover the species. "More importantly, [it] points to the possibility of adult populations present within Singapore's coastal waters."
Finding this pair of live specimens also means that scientists can study their ecology for the first time, as well as learn about how they can be conserved.
"Now we have the opportunity to study the biology and ecology of this impressive sponge and learn about its life cycle," said Tun. "We've already had the first surprise: The Neptune's Cup was thought to be a very slow-growing species. However, between our last visits in April and August, respectively, it had grown several centimeters. Looks like we might have to rethink some of these ideas."
Friday, November 18, 2011
Masons support scuba charity
From Ripon Gazette: Masons support scuba charity
Ripon Freemasons have donated £1500 to Scuba Diving for All – nine years after they first helped the charity set up.
Worshipful Master of the Ripon and De Grey Lodge David Broadley presented a cheque to Scuba volunteers Yvonne and David Covell, along with the lodge’s charity steward Mike Pallott.
The Ripon Freemasons secured a £1500 grant for the group from the Provinicial Grand Master’s fund after the group wrote asking for helping replacing much-needed equipment.
“We sponsored Scuba Diving for All when they first started. They do a really great job, and we were delighted to help,” said Mr Pallett.
Ripon Freemasons have donated £1500 to Scuba Diving for All – nine years after they first helped the charity set up.
Worshipful Master of the Ripon and De Grey Lodge David Broadley presented a cheque to Scuba volunteers Yvonne and David Covell, along with the lodge’s charity steward Mike Pallott.
The Ripon Freemasons secured a £1500 grant for the group from the Provinicial Grand Master’s fund after the group wrote asking for helping replacing much-needed equipment.
“We sponsored Scuba Diving for All when they first started. They do a really great job, and we were delighted to help,” said Mr Pallett.
Scuba Cats dive in to campus
From Kentucky Kernel: Scuba Cats dive in to campus
Nick Cappy began scuba diving when he was 15 years old, living for a brief time in Grenada. “I fell in love with the sport,” he said, and life since then has been an international experience — underwater.
Cappy’s scuba journeys have taken him from Belize, to the Bahamas, to California and everywhere in between, finally landing him at the land-locked University of Kentucky.
Not that that stopped him.
Cappy, a junior double majoring in economics and marketing, is the president of the recently formed Scuba Cats.
“We tried to start it freshman year,” Cappy said. “It officially became a club last spring, and we started holding meetings this fall.”
Scuba Cats is seeking to recruit members. The group attended the Discover Scuba Diving class, put on by UK campus recreation.
On Monday, 40 people came out to Lancaster Aquatic Center to learn the ropes of breathing underwater.
“It was a great time,” Cappy said. “We had a lot of people come out.”
Interested students hopped in the water and learned crucial scuba skills, such as mark removal and taking out their regulator. After a 30-minute class, the fledgling divers had a chance to go underwater and scuba dive in pool.
“It went really well,” Erin Engler, a biology freshman and club member, said. “We had a really good turnout.”
The event, which was sponsored by New Horizons Diving and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, will be a reoccurring event each semester.
The Scuba Cats meet the last Wednesday of each month, and Cappy has bright plans for the future.
“We want the club to grow in numbers,” he said. “We want to do trips — start locally and go as far as North Carolina or Florida.”
Cappy sees scuba diving as a unique way to explore the world.
“I hope that (people) are introduced to the sport and hopefully travel and learn about other places in the world,” Cappy said. “(Diving) is something we all share.”
Engler hopes students use Scuba Cats as a way to expand their horizons.
“Water makes up 70 percent of the world, and it’s a world that most people don’t see,” she said. “It’s good for people to get out and see that.”
If interested in joining Scuba Cats, meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month, from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. in Student Center room 205.
Students can also look into KHP 117, aptly named Scuba, should they wish to learn about scuba diving and scuba safety.
Whichever method, Cappy hopes more people come out and explore the world in a whole new light at a whole new depth.
“We want to get people out there, get people wet. Most have a good time and want to do it again.”
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Plenty of cool, new gadgets you can reel in Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/17/2505921/plenty-of-cool-new-gadgets-you.html#ixzz1dzKIRkx
From Miami Herald: Plenty of cool, new gadgets you can reel in
Among the new items coming out for divers are a spear/first-aid kit combo used to dispatch lionfish or treat the sting if one gets you.
By SUSAN COCKING
scocking@MiamiHerald.com
A compact caddy for beach diving; a spear designed to kill exotic lionfish; a handheld unit for locating a missing diver; and a rebreather designed for the recreational scuba diver were among the innovations displayed at the 35th annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) trade show held recently in Orlando.
Here’s a sampling of some of the new gadgets you can expect to see soon at a dive shop near you:
• AcuSpear and Hot Snapz: For about $140, you can dispose of and treat the stings from exotic lionfish that have made a recent unwelcome appearance in South Florida waters. Tom Snoddy of API Industries has come up with a close-range spear that you aim like a bow-and-arrow to dispatch the peppermint-striped invaders from the Indo Pacific. If your quarry should sting you with its venomous spines, Snoddy offers a special hot pack/first-aid kit to ease the pain and swelling.
• Oceanic Worldwide sport rebreather: Long the exclusive province of scientific and military divers, the rebreather is gaining increasing popularity among the recreational community for its lack of noise and bubbles. This specialized scuba gear works by recycling a diver’s breathing gas using a scrubber to get rid of carbon dioxide, allowing longer bottom times. According to Chauncey Chapman of Oceanic, the new closed-circuit kit has a pre-packed scrubber cartridge so you don’t have to add the soda lime yourself. It runs on Nitrox, an enriched air mixture intended for dives of 100-130 feet deep. The unit weighs about 35 pounds and is priced under $5,500.
• Cetatek Aquabionic Fins: Every year at the DEMA show, some company introduces a new type of dive fin, and this one is the latest. The Aquabionic ($225) is said to adapt to the type of a diver’s kick (frog or butterfly, for example), enabling faster and more comfortable propulsion. The middle of the toe section resembles a bat’s wing and is made of a flexible, fluted membrane. It’s one of those accessories you have to try out for yourself to see if it suits.
• Nautilus Lifeline: The benefits of this VHF-GPS device recently were demonstrated when two scuba divers were left behind in the ocean on a trip out of Miami Beach and drifted around for hours before being rescued. The Lifeline is a fully-functional hand-held VHF marine radio that displays GPS coordinates and is waterproof to 425 feet deep. The diver simply presses a button that transmits his or her location to any VHF radio in range. There’s also a hail-and-distress button that automatically goes to VHF channel 16 and a chat button to communicate with your boat or any other VHF on the same channel. A bargain at $300.
• Beach Buddy: Beach divers will love this compact, four-pound scuba equipment caddy that they can drag downstairs, over gravel drives, onto the beach, into the water — and then take it with them on the dive. It’s basically a fabric boot with a pull handle, bungees and straps on wheels. The scuba tank fits into the boot while your buoyancy compensator, fins and other gear are strapped down on top of the tank. You drag the entire kit into the water, inflate your BC so that the kit floats, stow the stainless-steel wheels into the base, slide the bungees out of the way, and take out the rest of your gear. Nothing is left on the beach. Price: $249.
The Beach Buddy was invented in 2008 by dive instructor Stacie Hill.
“I was taking a friend diving in Hawaii and she said, ‘I like the diving, but everything is so heavy,’ ” Hill said. “I grabbed a cocktail napkin and made a sketch, and two months later, I was at DEMA with a prototype.”
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
GEARBOX: Easy scuba photography
From Chicago Tribune: GEARBOX: Easy scuba photography
Name: Liquid Image Scuba Series HD720P Wide Angle Digital Camera Mask
What it is: A scuba-diving mask with an integrated camera that's waterproof to 130 feet (the recreational diving limit). You can shoot high-definition 720P video with audio or 5 MP stills while diving without worrying about holding a camera. The mask has a micro SD/SDHC card slot (and memory is expandable up to 32 gigabytes). It comes with a 2 GB micro SD card and four AAA Energizer lithium batteries. This mask's wide-angle lens keeps you from fretting over framing subjects. Images are easily downloaded from the mask to a PC or Mac via the included RCA/USB cable.
The good: Initially, I missed the display that underwater cameras provide. But after seeing video from two dives, I realized I didn't need a monitor because with its point-of-view orientation I could shoot what I was seeing. I clicked the left side of the lever (above the right eye) to turn the camera on, looked for the blue (video) or red (stills) light, then hung with the fishes while pressing the right side of the lever to capture video or photos. Although the audio captured only bubbles exhaled underwater, it's better than no soundtrack.
The bad: In low light at deeper depths, the video was a bit red or too dark. Liquid Images has sidelights that can be attached to the mask to solve this problem. Holding my dive light didn't provide adequate lighting in darker areas below 50 feet.
Cost: $350
Available from: liquidimageco.com and amazon.com
Name: Liquid Image Scuba Series HD720P Wide Angle Digital Camera Mask
What it is: A scuba-diving mask with an integrated camera that's waterproof to 130 feet (the recreational diving limit). You can shoot high-definition 720P video with audio or 5 MP stills while diving without worrying about holding a camera. The mask has a micro SD/SDHC card slot (and memory is expandable up to 32 gigabytes). It comes with a 2 GB micro SD card and four AAA Energizer lithium batteries. This mask's wide-angle lens keeps you from fretting over framing subjects. Images are easily downloaded from the mask to a PC or Mac via the included RCA/USB cable.
The good: Initially, I missed the display that underwater cameras provide. But after seeing video from two dives, I realized I didn't need a monitor because with its point-of-view orientation I could shoot what I was seeing. I clicked the left side of the lever (above the right eye) to turn the camera on, looked for the blue (video) or red (stills) light, then hung with the fishes while pressing the right side of the lever to capture video or photos. Although the audio captured only bubbles exhaled underwater, it's better than no soundtrack.
The bad: In low light at deeper depths, the video was a bit red or too dark. Liquid Images has sidelights that can be attached to the mask to solve this problem. Holding my dive light didn't provide adequate lighting in darker areas below 50 feet.
Cost: $350
Available from: liquidimageco.com and amazon.com
Monday, November 14, 2011
Asian scuba divers train in Jackson County
From JCFloridian.com: Asian scuba divers train in Jackson County
Divers from all over the world converged on Jackson County this week to take part in some specialized training or to dive on their own.
Three men from Korea and three from China were here to receive instruction on how to teach others how to use side-mount air tanks once they get back home.
Edd Sorenson, owner of Cave Adventurers in Marianna, and Jim Charles of Mobile, Ala., established the training program for their organization, the Professional Scuba Association International, and are the only two certified by the organization to train scuba instructors on side-mount tank training techniques.
Sorenson said side-mount tanks are different in several ways from traditional double-tanks which are carried on the back. Although side-mount tanks have been available for several years, they are gaining in popularity and more trainers are needed to meet the demand. Sorrenson said they allow divers greater freedom of movement and are less cumbersome, more versatile and more comfortable than traditional tanks.
Marianna Fire Chief Byron Bennett agrees. He started diving about four years ago, and is the only certified cave diver on the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office dive team.
He said side tanks allow him to maneuver in tighter spaces than the traditional tanks, an important advantage when on cave search mission s .
Bennett came to Sorrenson’s session Thursday, and said he hopes one day to train people himself.
Other divers were here on a side trip as they headed to their various homes on the way back from a scuba convention in Orlando.
More than 30 divers were here from Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, and various points in the United States.
Jackson County Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Hatcher said some would be here three to four days, while others might stay for more than a week. Many of them are staying in local motels, eating in local restaurants and visiting area merchants in their time out of the water.
He said diving venues like Blue Springs continues to make an increasingly important impact on the local economy.
When Hatcher took over the parks department a few years ago, the county was making an estimated $12,500 a year in dive fees. Hatcher successfully proposed a change in the fee structure to make diving here more attractive to divers as he sought to increase that aspect of tourism into Jackson County. Now divers can buy one daily pass for $25 and get all their consecutive days for $10 each, making it more feasible for them to stay a few extra days. They can also buy an annual pass for $150, rather than $300 as they had to do before the schedule changed.
Now, the county realizes between $25,000 and $30,000 in annual fees, Hatcher estimates. Lowering the fees helped increased use and, as word of mouth about the venue grew, the effect re-doubled, he thinks. In addition to straight revenue, diving boosts the economy of many local businesses, like motels and eateries.
Last year, 2,000 divers from 40 states and 20 countries visited here, and Blue Springs is considered a premier training spot because of the clarity of the water.
Divers from all over the world converged on Jackson County this week to take part in some specialized training or to dive on their own.
Three men from Korea and three from China were here to receive instruction on how to teach others how to use side-mount air tanks once they get back home.
Edd Sorenson, owner of Cave Adventurers in Marianna, and Jim Charles of Mobile, Ala., established the training program for their organization, the Professional Scuba Association International, and are the only two certified by the organization to train scuba instructors on side-mount tank training techniques.
Sorenson said side-mount tanks are different in several ways from traditional double-tanks which are carried on the back. Although side-mount tanks have been available for several years, they are gaining in popularity and more trainers are needed to meet the demand. Sorrenson said they allow divers greater freedom of movement and are less cumbersome, more versatile and more comfortable than traditional tanks.
Marianna Fire Chief Byron Bennett agrees. He started diving about four years ago, and is the only certified cave diver on the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office dive team.
He said side tanks allow him to maneuver in tighter spaces than the traditional tanks, an important advantage when on cave search mission s .
Bennett came to Sorrenson’s session Thursday, and said he hopes one day to train people himself.
Other divers were here on a side trip as they headed to their various homes on the way back from a scuba convention in Orlando.
More than 30 divers were here from Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, and various points in the United States.
Jackson County Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Hatcher said some would be here three to four days, while others might stay for more than a week. Many of them are staying in local motels, eating in local restaurants and visiting area merchants in their time out of the water.
He said diving venues like Blue Springs continues to make an increasingly important impact on the local economy.
When Hatcher took over the parks department a few years ago, the county was making an estimated $12,500 a year in dive fees. Hatcher successfully proposed a change in the fee structure to make diving here more attractive to divers as he sought to increase that aspect of tourism into Jackson County. Now divers can buy one daily pass for $25 and get all their consecutive days for $10 each, making it more feasible for them to stay a few extra days. They can also buy an annual pass for $150, rather than $300 as they had to do before the schedule changed.
Now, the county realizes between $25,000 and $30,000 in annual fees, Hatcher estimates. Lowering the fees helped increased use and, as word of mouth about the venue grew, the effect re-doubled, he thinks. In addition to straight revenue, diving boosts the economy of many local businesses, like motels and eateries.
Last year, 2,000 divers from 40 states and 20 countries visited here, and Blue Springs is considered a premier training spot because of the clarity of the water.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Divers find more Pendleton wreckage
From Cape Cod Times: Divers find more Pendleton wreckage
CHATHAM — The waters off Cape Cod are known as a graveyard for ships that fail to round the peninsula's greedy, outstretched arm.
Now local divers and shipwreck enthusiasts have a watery destination that is both eerily familiar and brand new: a recently discovered section of the Pendleton, one of two large tankers that split in half off the Cape during a storm in February 1952.
The stern of the Pendleton, about a mile east of Monomoy Island, has long been a popular dive spot. The ship is famous not so much for its sinking as for the four Coast Guardsmen who braved 60-foot seas and fierce winds in a 36-foot motor lifeboat to rescue 32 of the ship's crew stranded on the stern. The rescue has been called the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history.
When the Pendleton split in half, eight men, including the ship's captain, were stranded on its bow, which drifted south and eventually grounded near the Pollock Rip Lightship southeast of Monomoy. All the men onboard the bow section were lost. Only one frozen body was found when the Coast Guard and salvagers boarded the wreck a week later, according to "The Finest Hours" by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman.
The bow of the Pendleton was eventually towed — first to New Bedford and then to New York City — to be cut up and sold as scrap metal. For a half century, the story of the 503-foot, 10,448-ton T-2 tanker's bow seemed complete.
Until now.
Chuck Carey, a 61-year-old Hyannis-based commercial real estate broker and shipwreck enthusiast, was searching the ocean bottom around Pollock Rip at the end of August with a sidescan sonar towed from his 29-foot catamaran.
"I happened to blunder right over it," he said this week about finding a 100-by-170-foot section of the Pendleton's bow in about 30 feet of water. From the sidescan imagery, Carey couldn't tell exactly what he was seeing, and at first thought it might have been a scallop dredge.
Once he and other divers explored the wreck, however, it was clear that the heap of metal and marine life was part of the Pendleton, he said. "It's like unmistakable," he said.
The ride back after that first dive was "quite a thrill," he said.
While the T-2 tankers are not unique or extraordinarily old, the historic rescue connected to the Pendleton makes the find exciting, Carey said.
"As soon as we got under water, within minutes I (thought), 'God, this looks awful familiar,'" said Carey's fellow diver, Don Ferris, 52, an East Sandwich resident and the author of several books on shipwrecks, including an anthology of wrecks off the Cape.
The steel girders were the same as those on the stern section of the Pendleton, located more than five miles to the north of where the bow section was found, Ferris said. The rows of girders supported the ship's deck, he said, and they are now exposed because this section has been flipped upside down.
Ferris speculates that when salvagers towed the bow away, a section caught on the bottom. The tug operator probably increased power to pull it loose, and ripped a section off close to the original break, Ferris said.
There is probably more of the bow than what is visible, buried beneath the sand, he said.
"It does have a lot of life and growth on it," Ferris said, adding that, surprisingly, there isn't any indication that a dragger net or fishing lines had tangled in the wreck. The currents around the wreck are strong, but visibility is good at 25 to 50 feet, Ferris said.
"There are no dangers other than the fast current and a little bit of sharp metal," he said.
The sands and silt beneath the shallow seas in the area where the Pendleton sank are constantly shifting because of wind-wave energies, Theresa Barbo, co-author of "The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape Cod: the Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History," wrote in an email to the Times.
It's possible Carey and Ferris found wreckage from the ship even as the 60th anniversary of its sinking approaches, Barbo wrote.
Although the tanker itself may not have a big historical significance, it is still a grave site and the rescue associated with it adds value, said Victor Mastone, director of the state's Board of Underwater Archeological Resources.
Even if the bow section is in state waters — Ferris believes it isn't — commonwealth officials would probably consider it to be a recreational site, like the stern, Mastone said.
The find also may be important for anyone interested in engineering questions and in what caused the Pendleton to break in half, he said.
The Pendleton's age makes it eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but it is unlikely to ever be listed, Mastone said.
"Getting some press out there on the wrecks is always nice to us," Mastone said. "People are just intrigued by shipwrecks."
CHATHAM — The waters off Cape Cod are known as a graveyard for ships that fail to round the peninsula's greedy, outstretched arm.
Now local divers and shipwreck enthusiasts have a watery destination that is both eerily familiar and brand new: a recently discovered section of the Pendleton, one of two large tankers that split in half off the Cape during a storm in February 1952.
The stern of the Pendleton, about a mile east of Monomoy Island, has long been a popular dive spot. The ship is famous not so much for its sinking as for the four Coast Guardsmen who braved 60-foot seas and fierce winds in a 36-foot motor lifeboat to rescue 32 of the ship's crew stranded on the stern. The rescue has been called the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history.
When the Pendleton split in half, eight men, including the ship's captain, were stranded on its bow, which drifted south and eventually grounded near the Pollock Rip Lightship southeast of Monomoy. All the men onboard the bow section were lost. Only one frozen body was found when the Coast Guard and salvagers boarded the wreck a week later, according to "The Finest Hours" by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman.
The bow of the Pendleton was eventually towed — first to New Bedford and then to New York City — to be cut up and sold as scrap metal. For a half century, the story of the 503-foot, 10,448-ton T-2 tanker's bow seemed complete.
Until now.
Chuck Carey, a 61-year-old Hyannis-based commercial real estate broker and shipwreck enthusiast, was searching the ocean bottom around Pollock Rip at the end of August with a sidescan sonar towed from his 29-foot catamaran.
"I happened to blunder right over it," he said this week about finding a 100-by-170-foot section of the Pendleton's bow in about 30 feet of water. From the sidescan imagery, Carey couldn't tell exactly what he was seeing, and at first thought it might have been a scallop dredge.
Once he and other divers explored the wreck, however, it was clear that the heap of metal and marine life was part of the Pendleton, he said. "It's like unmistakable," he said.
The ride back after that first dive was "quite a thrill," he said.
While the T-2 tankers are not unique or extraordinarily old, the historic rescue connected to the Pendleton makes the find exciting, Carey said.
"As soon as we got under water, within minutes I (thought), 'God, this looks awful familiar,'" said Carey's fellow diver, Don Ferris, 52, an East Sandwich resident and the author of several books on shipwrecks, including an anthology of wrecks off the Cape.
The steel girders were the same as those on the stern section of the Pendleton, located more than five miles to the north of where the bow section was found, Ferris said. The rows of girders supported the ship's deck, he said, and they are now exposed because this section has been flipped upside down.
Ferris speculates that when salvagers towed the bow away, a section caught on the bottom. The tug operator probably increased power to pull it loose, and ripped a section off close to the original break, Ferris said.
There is probably more of the bow than what is visible, buried beneath the sand, he said.
"It does have a lot of life and growth on it," Ferris said, adding that, surprisingly, there isn't any indication that a dragger net or fishing lines had tangled in the wreck. The currents around the wreck are strong, but visibility is good at 25 to 50 feet, Ferris said.
"There are no dangers other than the fast current and a little bit of sharp metal," he said.
The sands and silt beneath the shallow seas in the area where the Pendleton sank are constantly shifting because of wind-wave energies, Theresa Barbo, co-author of "The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape Cod: the Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History," wrote in an email to the Times.
It's possible Carey and Ferris found wreckage from the ship even as the 60th anniversary of its sinking approaches, Barbo wrote.
Although the tanker itself may not have a big historical significance, it is still a grave site and the rescue associated with it adds value, said Victor Mastone, director of the state's Board of Underwater Archeological Resources.
Even if the bow section is in state waters — Ferris believes it isn't — commonwealth officials would probably consider it to be a recreational site, like the stern, Mastone said.
The find also may be important for anyone interested in engineering questions and in what caused the Pendleton to break in half, he said.
The Pendleton's age makes it eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but it is unlikely to ever be listed, Mastone said.
"Getting some press out there on the wrecks is always nice to us," Mastone said. "People are just intrigued by shipwrecks."
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Colorado: Avon lake leak plugged and holding
Okay, a stretch, as far as a scuba diving blog is concerned, but I thought it was interesting to see that artificial lakes could spring a leak.
Avon lake leak plugged and holding
AVON, Colorado — The leak in Nottingham lake has been plugged, and seems to be holding.
Town officials noticed in September that the lake was losing water, and started looking for the leak, or leaks. People from Beaver Divers donned scuba gear to look. Town engineers dropped milk in the lake, hoping to see some kind of a swirl in the 15-acre pond.
Nothing worked, and the lake's water level was soon down more than seven feet.
In October, local resident Harry Chu was fishing near the lake's fishing pier when he saw the swirl. Further investigation found a roughly 2-inch hole in the lake's liner.
That led town officials to take a hard look at the state of the lake's liner, which will need to be replaced sooner than later. In the interim, though, town engineer Jeff Schneider found a company that injected urethane foam into the hole.
Schneider told the Avon Town Council Tuesday that, so far, the plug seems to be holding. The lake is being re-filled, and, depending on how quickly it starts to freeze, it should be full again in a few weeks — perhaps by Thanksgiving
If the weather behaves as it usually does, “We should have an uninterrupted winter schedule,” Schneider told the council.
The town's first skating event is set for Dec. 17.
Meanwhile, work continues on finding ways for the town to pay to have a new liner put at the bottom of the lake, and when the work needs to be done. Whenever the work is done, the price tag will probably be $1.5 million or more.
Schneider said the town might have to change some funding priorities in its water fund. Town officials are also looking for grants from federal and state sources, as well as the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Given the application schedules for most of those grants, the lake could be drained, re-lined and re-filled in 2013 or so.
Avon lake leak plugged and holding
AVON, Colorado — The leak in Nottingham lake has been plugged, and seems to be holding.
Town officials noticed in September that the lake was losing water, and started looking for the leak, or leaks. People from Beaver Divers donned scuba gear to look. Town engineers dropped milk in the lake, hoping to see some kind of a swirl in the 15-acre pond.
Nothing worked, and the lake's water level was soon down more than seven feet.
In October, local resident Harry Chu was fishing near the lake's fishing pier when he saw the swirl. Further investigation found a roughly 2-inch hole in the lake's liner.
That led town officials to take a hard look at the state of the lake's liner, which will need to be replaced sooner than later. In the interim, though, town engineer Jeff Schneider found a company that injected urethane foam into the hole.
Schneider told the Avon Town Council Tuesday that, so far, the plug seems to be holding. The lake is being re-filled, and, depending on how quickly it starts to freeze, it should be full again in a few weeks — perhaps by Thanksgiving
If the weather behaves as it usually does, “We should have an uninterrupted winter schedule,” Schneider told the council.
The town's first skating event is set for Dec. 17.
Meanwhile, work continues on finding ways for the town to pay to have a new liner put at the bottom of the lake, and when the work needs to be done. Whenever the work is done, the price tag will probably be $1.5 million or more.
Schneider said the town might have to change some funding priorities in its water fund. Town officials are also looking for grants from federal and state sources, as well as the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Given the application schedules for most of those grants, the lake could be drained, re-lined and re-filled in 2013 or so.
Scuba diving on timetable for Hull school
From Hull and East Riding: Scuba diving on timetable for Hull school
IT'S not an activity you see on the class timetable.
But for pupils at one of Hull's newest schools, scuba diving could soon become a permanent fixture.
Youngsters at Winifred Holtby School were given a flavour of the sport, which teachers hope will prove not just a fun activity, but will also teach them about physiology and other aspects of science as well as open their eyes to career prospects for the future.
The sessions, it is hoped, will also instil teamwork into pupils, as well as the importance of listening and staying safe.
Steve Liddle, head at the Bransholme school, said: "It is about raising aspirations and giving them the chance to try something different, out of their comfort zone.
"But when you think about all the opportunities that are coming on board now in offshore wind energy and in that area, there is going to be opportunities to go into that business
"There will be organisations where they will need some form of underwater engineer or construction worker.
"We are trying to get them to understand that while it may be a lovely recreational opportunity, there are also other things to be had from doing it."
Six youngsters were given the chance to take part in an hour-long session with three instructors from Above And Below, which has dive centres in Hull and Pontefract.
The company offers a range of diving courses, from beginners' lessons to those for the more experienced.
Martin Ainsworth, of Above And Below, said: "As well as teaching them the basics of diving, this begins to instil in them life skills such as communication and teamwork.
"They are learning about physics and the human body at sixth form level and they are enjoying it, so they are a lot more keen to learn."
The youngsters were shown safety aspects of diving as well as how to use the equipment.
By the end of the session, the pupils were adept at swimming underwater and using the scuba equipment.
Amy Brown, 14, said: "It was really good. I really, really enjoyed it.
"It is harder than you think. When I went under the first time, I was screaming with my mask on.
"It is a great experience to be given in school. Not everyone can afford scuba diving and this allows people to try it.
"But it is not just the fun aspect. We learned about the science of it, as well as basic safety.
"It taught us what to do if we are ever in a dangerous situation, as well as working in a team."
Ellie Kerrins, 15, said: "It was good, but it was quite a challenge.
"I was panicking a bit when all the bubbles were coming out of the mask. "But it was really good. I'm glad we got to do it and I think it is something the school should do.
"It does not just teach you about the fun aspects, it teaches science, too."
Winifred Holtby is hoping to be able to put the course on for more of its pupils.
For those who like it, there will be the chance to take it further and go on to get a PADI certificate.
Mr Liddle said: "Another reason we want to do this is to provide this sort of opportunity for those who don't necessarily get on with traditional sporting subject areas – for example, those who don't like contact sports such as football or rugby, but want to do a sport for fitness and health."
Kieren Ramsden, 14, said: "I would recommend people give it a try if they have the opportunity.
"There is a science element to it, learning about the breathing equipment, but it also helps develop listening and team work skills."
IT'S not an activity you see on the class timetable.
But for pupils at one of Hull's newest schools, scuba diving could soon become a permanent fixture.
Youngsters at Winifred Holtby School were given a flavour of the sport, which teachers hope will prove not just a fun activity, but will also teach them about physiology and other aspects of science as well as open their eyes to career prospects for the future.
The sessions, it is hoped, will also instil teamwork into pupils, as well as the importance of listening and staying safe.
Steve Liddle, head at the Bransholme school, said: "It is about raising aspirations and giving them the chance to try something different, out of their comfort zone.
"But when you think about all the opportunities that are coming on board now in offshore wind energy and in that area, there is going to be opportunities to go into that business
"There will be organisations where they will need some form of underwater engineer or construction worker.
"We are trying to get them to understand that while it may be a lovely recreational opportunity, there are also other things to be had from doing it."
Six youngsters were given the chance to take part in an hour-long session with three instructors from Above And Below, which has dive centres in Hull and Pontefract.
The company offers a range of diving courses, from beginners' lessons to those for the more experienced.
Martin Ainsworth, of Above And Below, said: "As well as teaching them the basics of diving, this begins to instil in them life skills such as communication and teamwork.
"They are learning about physics and the human body at sixth form level and they are enjoying it, so they are a lot more keen to learn."
The youngsters were shown safety aspects of diving as well as how to use the equipment.
By the end of the session, the pupils were adept at swimming underwater and using the scuba equipment.
Amy Brown, 14, said: "It was really good. I really, really enjoyed it.
"It is harder than you think. When I went under the first time, I was screaming with my mask on.
"It is a great experience to be given in school. Not everyone can afford scuba diving and this allows people to try it.
"But it is not just the fun aspect. We learned about the science of it, as well as basic safety.
"It taught us what to do if we are ever in a dangerous situation, as well as working in a team."
Ellie Kerrins, 15, said: "It was good, but it was quite a challenge.
"I was panicking a bit when all the bubbles were coming out of the mask. "But it was really good. I'm glad we got to do it and I think it is something the school should do.
"It does not just teach you about the fun aspects, it teaches science, too."
Winifred Holtby is hoping to be able to put the course on for more of its pupils.
For those who like it, there will be the chance to take it further and go on to get a PADI certificate.
Mr Liddle said: "Another reason we want to do this is to provide this sort of opportunity for those who don't necessarily get on with traditional sporting subject areas – for example, those who don't like contact sports such as football or rugby, but want to do a sport for fitness and health."
Kieren Ramsden, 14, said: "I would recommend people give it a try if they have the opportunity.
"There is a science element to it, learning about the breathing equipment, but it also helps develop listening and team work skills."
Monday, November 7, 2011
Scuba Diving world unveils new products, discoveries at annual DEMA Show
From Examiner.com: Scuba Diving world unveils new products, discoveries at annual DEMA Show
The trade show is not open to the public, but we can expect good things soon!
(Orlando, FL) - For many scuba divers, the annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Show is like going to Disneyland. So it's somewhat ironic that this year's event will be taking place in Orlando, the home of Disney World.
The annual show brings together virtually every segment of the SCUBA industry for four days of product introductions, training seminars, presentations from travel destinations and other diving-related programs. According to DEMA officials, the event is the largest single gathering of the scuba diving trade in the world. More than 500 exhibiting companies and more than 10,000 participants are anticipated this week.
Diving website DiverWire.com reports that several innovative new products will be introduced when the show begins Wednesday morning. One of the most anticipated new products is a new scuba diving computer that combines diving information with an underwater camera - a hybrid of the popular "all-in-one" smart phone.
The trade show is not open to the public, but we can expect good things soon!
Scuba divers locate mysterious sunken boat
From the Pincher Creek Echo: Scuba divers locate mysterious sunken boat
Laboriously searching the cold, dark depths of Crowsnest Lake for a derailed train that rests on the lake bottom, a scuba dive team—comprised of Pincher Creek and Pass divers—recently stumbled upon and salvaged a sunken fishing boat.
For David Hartley, scuba instructor with Mountain Tide Aquatics out of Raymond, Alberta, the finding of the boat was exciting, but also quite mysterious as the sinking had never been reported to the Crowsnest Pass RCMP.
"It was an exciting find; usually you find a fishing pole or old bottles, but to find something nobody knows about, that nobody knows the back story, it's a little bit of a mystery," he said.
Twice a year, Hartley offers scuba diving courses in Pincher Creek and the divers who salvaged the boat had gained their dive certification after completing his course.
Basing their search off other divers' reports, Hartley and his team have been spending weekends searching specific areas off the lake's north shore in an attempt to find the train.
"While we were doing one of these searches to find the train, we literally ran into the boat under the water," Hartley said. "We came back and I phoned the RCMP, and I gave them a brief description of the boat."
According to him, the Crowsnest Pass RCMP had nothing about the boat on file and no record of it having been sunk. Hartley, who said the boat must have sunk two to three years ago, said he received the go ahead to salvage the find.
The 14 foot long fishing boat has yellow and black trim and was even found with lunches still in their shopping bags. Though the boat was old—made in the late 60s, early 70s—Hartley believes it had only recently sunk.
"That lake has a sulphur mineral in it and it crusts things over," he said. "You can tell by how much debris or crust is on there, you can get an idea how long it has been down. There is no crust at all; there's silt and dirt, but no actual crust forming."
Most of the salvage work was done in two stages on Oct. 22, he explained, saying they first flipped the boat, attached lift bags to it and floated it to the surface. Interestingly, Hartley and another professional diver sunk the boat again, giving his former students a chance to gain the experience.
The boat was pulled into shore, bailed out and still floated without taking on water. Though the engines are trashed, Hartley said if the original owner wants it back, then he will be paid a salvage fee.
On the other hand, if the owner does not want it back, then Hartley will polish it up and it will become a dive boat for his company.
"We'll keep diving with these same divers around here and it becomes part of the scuba diving legacy of this area; as more people dive and if we use that as a boat, they'll be able to say, I was one of the people who brought that up from the bottom of the lake," Hartley said.
Mountain Tide Aquatics will be offering courses at the Pincher Creek pool in November and another one in February of next year. Hartley hopes to offer a summer scuba lesson at the Crowsnest Community Pool in Blairmore.
The Crowsnest Pass RCMP detachment is working on finding the original owners of the boat and whether or not they wish to have it back.
Laboriously searching the cold, dark depths of Crowsnest Lake for a derailed train that rests on the lake bottom, a scuba dive team—comprised of Pincher Creek and Pass divers—recently stumbled upon and salvaged a sunken fishing boat.
For David Hartley, scuba instructor with Mountain Tide Aquatics out of Raymond, Alberta, the finding of the boat was exciting, but also quite mysterious as the sinking had never been reported to the Crowsnest Pass RCMP.
"It was an exciting find; usually you find a fishing pole or old bottles, but to find something nobody knows about, that nobody knows the back story, it's a little bit of a mystery," he said.
Twice a year, Hartley offers scuba diving courses in Pincher Creek and the divers who salvaged the boat had gained their dive certification after completing his course.
Basing their search off other divers' reports, Hartley and his team have been spending weekends searching specific areas off the lake's north shore in an attempt to find the train.
"While we were doing one of these searches to find the train, we literally ran into the boat under the water," Hartley said. "We came back and I phoned the RCMP, and I gave them a brief description of the boat."
According to him, the Crowsnest Pass RCMP had nothing about the boat on file and no record of it having been sunk. Hartley, who said the boat must have sunk two to three years ago, said he received the go ahead to salvage the find.
The 14 foot long fishing boat has yellow and black trim and was even found with lunches still in their shopping bags. Though the boat was old—made in the late 60s, early 70s—Hartley believes it had only recently sunk.
"That lake has a sulphur mineral in it and it crusts things over," he said. "You can tell by how much debris or crust is on there, you can get an idea how long it has been down. There is no crust at all; there's silt and dirt, but no actual crust forming."
Most of the salvage work was done in two stages on Oct. 22, he explained, saying they first flipped the boat, attached lift bags to it and floated it to the surface. Interestingly, Hartley and another professional diver sunk the boat again, giving his former students a chance to gain the experience.
The boat was pulled into shore, bailed out and still floated without taking on water. Though the engines are trashed, Hartley said if the original owner wants it back, then he will be paid a salvage fee.
On the other hand, if the owner does not want it back, then Hartley will polish it up and it will become a dive boat for his company.
"We'll keep diving with these same divers around here and it becomes part of the scuba diving legacy of this area; as more people dive and if we use that as a boat, they'll be able to say, I was one of the people who brought that up from the bottom of the lake," Hartley said.
Mountain Tide Aquatics will be offering courses at the Pincher Creek pool in November and another one in February of next year. Hartley hopes to offer a summer scuba lesson at the Crowsnest Community Pool in Blairmore.
The Crowsnest Pass RCMP detachment is working on finding the original owners of the boat and whether or not they wish to have it back.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
International Scuba Hall of Fame honours the best
From Cay Compass: International Scuba Hall of Fame honours the best
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet takes place at Grand Old House on Tuesday, 8th November.
It is the 11th year of an event that has helped to ensure Cayman’s status on the global map of dive, says committee member Rod McDowall.
“We had the `0th anniversary last year. We induct international scuba diving founders; people primarily in the recreational diving industry.
“It is extremely well-recognised by the industry. It is a great event; we get a lot of press and PR from all over the world. We’ve had South Pacific, Australia, Europe, North America. It is a great way to host and entertain the people who have made the industry so significant,” he says.
Best destination
Indeed, the event is also testimony to Cayman as a diving destination and its reputation as one of the best destinations worldwide.
“It was very opportune that 11 years ago the government and tourism people came up with the concept and have kept it going.”
The 2011 inductees include Howard and Michele Hall, Andre Laban, Clement Lee, Bev Morgan and Allan Power. Also recognised on the night will be diving pioneers Hugh Bradner, Louis de Corlieu and John Scott Haldane.
“The ceremony really is worthwhile - it’s like a great sporting event with the top people in the industry coming over. It is a great opportunity for the scuba industry to meet the pioneers and spend some time with them,” Rod says.
Scuba’s place in Cayman’s history, of course, is a central one over the past few decades and the hall of fame committee has ideas on how to take things forward by recognising the past. The latest idea is to try and establish a physical presence for the artefacts, photos and gadgets that have been a part of the sport over the years.
“We have been looking and even seeing if we can incorporate something within the Cayman Islands National Museum. I think it would be a great attraction. Over the years a number of items related have been purchased and of course there are great bios and photos of the people.
“After the hurricane the museum lost a lot of stuff and it would attract people to the museum; a physical presence would be neat for visiting scuba divers as well as the cruise ship visitors passing through.” You already have the infrastructure and staff and the costs are already there - you can get another attraction in place without going to any great expense.”
Film festival
The day prior to the Hall of Fame induction - Monday, 7th November - sees the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa’s Governor’s Ballroom host the annual International Film Festival. There will also be a presentation on the ex-USS Kittiwake, which was sunk deliberately in West Bay waters in January 2011 to provide a dive site and artificial reef. The night begins at 6.30pm with cocktails and a silent auction for charity, which always proves popular amongst the dive cognoscenti, and tickets cost $25.
Inductees 2011
Howard and Michele Hall
Howard and Michele Hall are award-winning natural history filmmakers and photographers perhaps best known for their underwater IMAX films. As director and producer, respectively, their IMAX feature film credits include the IMAX3D feature Into the Deep; Island of the Sharks, Coral Reef Adventure (in which they are also featured on camera), Deep Sea 3D, and most recently the IMAX3D feature Under the Sea3D. Howard has been the underwater cinematographer and/or director of underwater cinematography on four other IMAX features. Howard and Michele also have a history in television programming, and between them they have won seven Emmy awards.
André Laban
André Laban is a world-renowned French diver, photographer, author and painter. He was a pioneering member of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Calypso team, serving as chief engineer and diver. He developed early underwater cameras that were used in shooting The Silent World, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 1956. He shot several films in the Cousteau Odyssey series, co-directed three, and his distinctive bald head can been seen in several Cousteau films.
Bev Morgan
Bev Morgan began free diving and surfing in 1949, a year after leaving high school and became a Los Angeles County lifeguard in 1952. That year, he purchased an early Aqua Lung scuba unit and founded the Los Angeles County Instructors programme, which was the first scuba instructor’s programme available to the public. He also wrote the first instruction manual, which was based on the Scripps Institute programme and also the underwater safety, a standard diving book of the 1950s.
Allan Power
Allan Power has a vast knowledge of President Coolidge; he is the man they call ‘Mr President’. Nearly 40 years ago, Allan came to Santo on a salvage expedition and has remained to become the caretaker of this magnificent underwater adventure. With over 15,000 dives on the wreck his knowledge is arguably unrivalled.
In addition, the 2011 Diving Pioneers include: Hugh Bradner (USA), who developed the wetsuit, Louis de Corlieu (France), who is credited with inventing the swim fin and John Scott Haldane (Scotland), who developed staged decompression tables.
It is a great opportunity for the scuba industry to meet the pioneers of the sport
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet takes place at Grand Old House on Tuesday, 8th November.
It is the 11th year of an event that has helped to ensure Cayman’s status on the global map of dive, says committee member Rod McDowall.
“We had the `0th anniversary last year. We induct international scuba diving founders; people primarily in the recreational diving industry.
“It is extremely well-recognised by the industry. It is a great event; we get a lot of press and PR from all over the world. We’ve had South Pacific, Australia, Europe, North America. It is a great way to host and entertain the people who have made the industry so significant,” he says.
Best destination
Indeed, the event is also testimony to Cayman as a diving destination and its reputation as one of the best destinations worldwide.
“It was very opportune that 11 years ago the government and tourism people came up with the concept and have kept it going.”
The 2011 inductees include Howard and Michele Hall, Andre Laban, Clement Lee, Bev Morgan and Allan Power. Also recognised on the night will be diving pioneers Hugh Bradner, Louis de Corlieu and John Scott Haldane.
“The ceremony really is worthwhile - it’s like a great sporting event with the top people in the industry coming over. It is a great opportunity for the scuba industry to meet the pioneers and spend some time with them,” Rod says.
Scuba’s place in Cayman’s history, of course, is a central one over the past few decades and the hall of fame committee has ideas on how to take things forward by recognising the past. The latest idea is to try and establish a physical presence for the artefacts, photos and gadgets that have been a part of the sport over the years.
“We have been looking and even seeing if we can incorporate something within the Cayman Islands National Museum. I think it would be a great attraction. Over the years a number of items related have been purchased and of course there are great bios and photos of the people.
“After the hurricane the museum lost a lot of stuff and it would attract people to the museum; a physical presence would be neat for visiting scuba divers as well as the cruise ship visitors passing through.” You already have the infrastructure and staff and the costs are already there - you can get another attraction in place without going to any great expense.”
Film festival
The day prior to the Hall of Fame induction - Monday, 7th November - sees the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa’s Governor’s Ballroom host the annual International Film Festival. There will also be a presentation on the ex-USS Kittiwake, which was sunk deliberately in West Bay waters in January 2011 to provide a dive site and artificial reef. The night begins at 6.30pm with cocktails and a silent auction for charity, which always proves popular amongst the dive cognoscenti, and tickets cost $25.
Inductees 2011
Howard and Michele Hall
Howard and Michele Hall are award-winning natural history filmmakers and photographers perhaps best known for their underwater IMAX films. As director and producer, respectively, their IMAX feature film credits include the IMAX3D feature Into the Deep; Island of the Sharks, Coral Reef Adventure (in which they are also featured on camera), Deep Sea 3D, and most recently the IMAX3D feature Under the Sea3D. Howard has been the underwater cinematographer and/or director of underwater cinematography on four other IMAX features. Howard and Michele also have a history in television programming, and between them they have won seven Emmy awards.
André Laban
André Laban is a world-renowned French diver, photographer, author and painter. He was a pioneering member of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Calypso team, serving as chief engineer and diver. He developed early underwater cameras that were used in shooting The Silent World, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 1956. He shot several films in the Cousteau Odyssey series, co-directed three, and his distinctive bald head can been seen in several Cousteau films.
Bev Morgan
Bev Morgan began free diving and surfing in 1949, a year after leaving high school and became a Los Angeles County lifeguard in 1952. That year, he purchased an early Aqua Lung scuba unit and founded the Los Angeles County Instructors programme, which was the first scuba instructor’s programme available to the public. He also wrote the first instruction manual, which was based on the Scripps Institute programme and also the underwater safety, a standard diving book of the 1950s.
Allan Power
Allan Power has a vast knowledge of President Coolidge; he is the man they call ‘Mr President’. Nearly 40 years ago, Allan came to Santo on a salvage expedition and has remained to become the caretaker of this magnificent underwater adventure. With over 15,000 dives on the wreck his knowledge is arguably unrivalled.
In addition, the 2011 Diving Pioneers include: Hugh Bradner (USA), who developed the wetsuit, Louis de Corlieu (France), who is credited with inventing the swim fin and John Scott Haldane (Scotland), who developed staged decompression tables.
It is a great opportunity for the scuba industry to meet the pioneers of the sport
The mystery of Swissair Flight 111's diamond cargo
Okay, not really scuba related...but an interesting story...
From CBC News: The mystery of Swissair Flight 111's diamond cargo
Among the mysteries about the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1998 is what happened to diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other gems that were supposed to be in the cargo hold.
Today they would be worth half a billion dollars.
Very little is publicly known about the gems. Three days before the crash, a popular exhibition, The Nature of Diamonds, closed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. At least one piece from the exhibit was being shipped aboard the Swissair flight on Sept. 2.
Whoever had lent the item to the museum did not want any other information disclosed.
A total of one kilogram of diamonds and 4.8 kilograms of jewelry was being shipped on the plane. Jewelers regularly used the airline to transport gems.
The flight took off from JFK airport and then began to fly over the Atlantic Ocean, destined for Geneva, Switzerland, but a little less than an hour into the flight the crew noticed smoke and issued the international urgency signal "pan pan pan."
They were cleared to proceed to the airport in Halifax but crashed in the relatively shallow water off Peggys Cove, N.S. All 229 people aboard were killed.
98 per cent of plane recovered
The recovery effort, Operation Persistence, retrieved 98 per cent of the aircraft and much of the 16 tons of cargo. That effort included use of a suction-dredge vessel, which also retrieved rocks and other objects that had been at ocean bottom.
After being brought to the surface, the pieces, which numbered about one million, went to a sorting facility in Sheet Harbour, N.S. None of the diamonds and gems, or the stainless steel tube that held them, were found.
Other valuables were also in the cargo hold: a consignment of watches weighing two kilograms, almost 50 kg of paper currency from a U.S. bank and a painting by Pablo Picasso, Le Peintre (Picasso did several paintings with that title.).
Some of the watches, some currency and 20 square centimetres of the Picasso painting were recovered. Normal practice was to place all valuables in the same cargo hold container.
During the recovery effort, Swissair said in a statement, "It should be assumed that the valuables container did not remain undamaged in the crash."
What could have happened to the jewels? Had they really been onboard? Had unscrupulous divers taken them? Had they disappeared into the ocean?
Given the security for the recovery effort, it seems unlikely the diamonds could have been stolen during that time. It is also hard to understand how the shipping tube, or the jewels if it the container had disintegrated, could have had enough velocity to significantly penetrate the ocean floor.
Lloyd's plans to search for diamonds
Insurer Lloyd's of London paid out an estimated $300 million for the diamonds and jewels — their value at the time.
In 2000, CBC broke the story that Lloyd's had applied to the Nova Scotia government for a treasure trove licence so it could search the ocean floor in what was then a restricted area. Their plan was to use a small submarine to vacuum the ocean floor, something the investigators had already done. Some considered it a sacred area.
Lloyd's plans outraged many of the victims' relatives. "People were out there in a sea of blood," Ian Shaw told CBC reporter Rob Gordon. Shaw's daughter Stephanie had been onboard.
The anger did not dissipate and a few days later, the company informed the government it was withdrawing its application.
"Lloyd's would like to apologize to all families of the victims of the Swissair crash for any distress caused by its application for a licence to a right of recovery in the crash site. Lloyd's will not dive or explore the site," a company news release said.
Accident investigation but no criminal investigation
RCMP crime scene investigator Tom Juby, who was assigned to the Swissair Flight 111 investigation team, told the CBC's The Fifth Estate that he thought there should have been a full-scale criminal investigation into the crash, because of his doubts about the cause of the onboard fire.
Had that happened, there would have been more certainty about whether or not the diamonds and jewels actually were in the cargo hold. However, the Transportation Safety Board conducted an accident investigation, with the RCMP providing assistance evaluating the crash evidence.
The RCMP did not conduct a criminal investigation. Thirteen years later, the fate of a stainless steel tube and its valuable contents remains unknown.
From CBC News: The mystery of Swissair Flight 111's diamond cargo
Among the mysteries about the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1998 is what happened to diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other gems that were supposed to be in the cargo hold.
Today they would be worth half a billion dollars.
Very little is publicly known about the gems. Three days before the crash, a popular exhibition, The Nature of Diamonds, closed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. At least one piece from the exhibit was being shipped aboard the Swissair flight on Sept. 2.
Whoever had lent the item to the museum did not want any other information disclosed.
A total of one kilogram of diamonds and 4.8 kilograms of jewelry was being shipped on the plane. Jewelers regularly used the airline to transport gems.
The flight took off from JFK airport and then began to fly over the Atlantic Ocean, destined for Geneva, Switzerland, but a little less than an hour into the flight the crew noticed smoke and issued the international urgency signal "pan pan pan."
They were cleared to proceed to the airport in Halifax but crashed in the relatively shallow water off Peggys Cove, N.S. All 229 people aboard were killed.
98 per cent of plane recovered
The recovery effort, Operation Persistence, retrieved 98 per cent of the aircraft and much of the 16 tons of cargo. That effort included use of a suction-dredge vessel, which also retrieved rocks and other objects that had been at ocean bottom.
After being brought to the surface, the pieces, which numbered about one million, went to a sorting facility in Sheet Harbour, N.S. None of the diamonds and gems, or the stainless steel tube that held them, were found.
Other valuables were also in the cargo hold: a consignment of watches weighing two kilograms, almost 50 kg of paper currency from a U.S. bank and a painting by Pablo Picasso, Le Peintre (Picasso did several paintings with that title.).
Some of the watches, some currency and 20 square centimetres of the Picasso painting were recovered. Normal practice was to place all valuables in the same cargo hold container.
During the recovery effort, Swissair said in a statement, "It should be assumed that the valuables container did not remain undamaged in the crash."
What could have happened to the jewels? Had they really been onboard? Had unscrupulous divers taken them? Had they disappeared into the ocean?
Given the security for the recovery effort, it seems unlikely the diamonds could have been stolen during that time. It is also hard to understand how the shipping tube, or the jewels if it the container had disintegrated, could have had enough velocity to significantly penetrate the ocean floor.
Lloyd's plans to search for diamonds
Insurer Lloyd's of London paid out an estimated $300 million for the diamonds and jewels — their value at the time.
In 2000, CBC broke the story that Lloyd's had applied to the Nova Scotia government for a treasure trove licence so it could search the ocean floor in what was then a restricted area. Their plan was to use a small submarine to vacuum the ocean floor, something the investigators had already done. Some considered it a sacred area.
Lloyd's plans outraged many of the victims' relatives. "People were out there in a sea of blood," Ian Shaw told CBC reporter Rob Gordon. Shaw's daughter Stephanie had been onboard.
The anger did not dissipate and a few days later, the company informed the government it was withdrawing its application.
"Lloyd's would like to apologize to all families of the victims of the Swissair crash for any distress caused by its application for a licence to a right of recovery in the crash site. Lloyd's will not dive or explore the site," a company news release said.
Accident investigation but no criminal investigation
RCMP crime scene investigator Tom Juby, who was assigned to the Swissair Flight 111 investigation team, told the CBC's The Fifth Estate that he thought there should have been a full-scale criminal investigation into the crash, because of his doubts about the cause of the onboard fire.
Had that happened, there would have been more certainty about whether or not the diamonds and jewels actually were in the cargo hold. However, the Transportation Safety Board conducted an accident investigation, with the RCMP providing assistance evaluating the crash evidence.
The RCMP did not conduct a criminal investigation. Thirteen years later, the fate of a stainless steel tube and its valuable contents remains unknown.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Kickstarter: Scuba Capsule
Kickstarter is a website where people post appeals for funding. They've invented something (as in this case) or they want to cut a CD or make a movie, and they need help paying for it. They set up a specific amount that they're looking for, and people make donations via paypal. The money is not withdrawn from donaters' paypal accounts unless the entire amount of money has been donated. People who donate generally get prizes of some kind - in this case dive apps, t-shirts, and Scuba Geek Simulators.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/60867326/scuba-capsule
SCUBA CAPSULE features an easy to see all-in-one screen design of all dive critical information, such as depth, time, tank pressure, decompression status, temperature, oxygen limit fraction, compass, bearings, multi level dive graphs, and more...
Crafted from solid block of aluminum and bulletproof mineral crystal glass the SCUBA CAPSULE is the toughest, most reliable and full-featured dive computer with HD wide angle camera ever made, and there is a music player too!
We offers various configuration options for the Scuba Capsule. The versions include:
Scuba Capsule PRO, air integrated model featuring optional wireless tank pressure integration (MSRP $649);
Scuba Capsule TEC, featuring multi-gas support for Air, Nitrox, Trimix, and Heliox mixtures, as well as the closed and semi-closed scuba rebreathers support (MSRP $1199);
Scuba Capsule REC- full function non-air integrated model (MSRP $499);
Scuba Capsule LITE, dedicated for non-scuba diving water sports and in-pool relaxation with music (MSRP $249)
We are progressing well with the final tests procedures of the Gold Master prototype versions, and we are going to launch the manufacturing of the Scuba Capsule in January 2011. The funds raised here on kickstarter will help us to pay for the marketing campaign, as well as to add underwater communication feature to the Scuba Capsule dive computer.
MORE INFORMATION AND FEATURES - please visit: www.scubacapsule.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! When the project is successful we will organize gnarly open-air concert and humongous party for all our supporters.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/60867326/scuba-capsule
SCUBA CAPSULE features an easy to see all-in-one screen design of all dive critical information, such as depth, time, tank pressure, decompression status, temperature, oxygen limit fraction, compass, bearings, multi level dive graphs, and more...
Crafted from solid block of aluminum and bulletproof mineral crystal glass the SCUBA CAPSULE is the toughest, most reliable and full-featured dive computer with HD wide angle camera ever made, and there is a music player too!
We offers various configuration options for the Scuba Capsule. The versions include:
Scuba Capsule PRO, air integrated model featuring optional wireless tank pressure integration (MSRP $649);
Scuba Capsule TEC, featuring multi-gas support for Air, Nitrox, Trimix, and Heliox mixtures, as well as the closed and semi-closed scuba rebreathers support (MSRP $1199);
Scuba Capsule REC- full function non-air integrated model (MSRP $499);
Scuba Capsule LITE, dedicated for non-scuba diving water sports and in-pool relaxation with music (MSRP $249)
We are progressing well with the final tests procedures of the Gold Master prototype versions, and we are going to launch the manufacturing of the Scuba Capsule in January 2011. The funds raised here on kickstarter will help us to pay for the marketing campaign, as well as to add underwater communication feature to the Scuba Capsule dive computer.
MORE INFORMATION AND FEATURES - please visit: www.scubacapsule.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! When the project is successful we will organize gnarly open-air concert and humongous party for all our supporters.
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