“Scuba Diving Myths”

Scuba Diving allows you to enter and explore a mysterious world, so by its very nature there is something almost magical or mythological about scuba diving. Certainly to the layperson there are still many misconceptions or misunderstandings about Scuba and what lies below the waves, here then are some of the most popular misconceptions, and the actual realities – about Scuba Diving.

One of the most common “myths” or misconceptions about Scuba diving is that you have to be a very strong swimmer or in a great physical shape to scuba dive. Not true, while being comfortable in the water is important, people that do not even know how to swim at all have been trained to scuba dive, and while there are certain medical conditions that may prevent a person from diving (check with your doctor) anybody who is in average physical condition can become Scuba Certified.

Another myth is that Diving is a sport or hobby only for men, in the early days perhaps that was true, as it was true with many sports, but today almost as many woman dive as men, last year 42% of new Diving Certifications were issued to women. Contrary to popular belief Scuba tanks do not contain “pure oxygen” and that is what helps scuba divers breathe differently or better underwater – scuba tanks contain compressed AIR – just like air on the surface – cleaner yes and purified, but air with its combination of Oxygen, Nitrogen and other elements. It is no more possible for a diver to live on and breathe “pure oxygen” underwater as it would be on the surface.

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“Lobster Diving”

Lobster diving or “Bug Diving” as it is known to scuba divers is very popular. Not only do hunting these crustaceans make for interesting and fun dives, but also the rewards of such dives are quite tasty.

Lobster diving is popular in both the Northeast where divers will go after the familiar Maine Lobster, or in the south like in the Florida keys, where its warm water cousin the Spiny Lobster is on the menu. The California coast is also home of California Spiny Lobster. In any case there all lobster dive areas have specific Lobster seasons and special dive tours organized around them. Check with local fish and game authorities for the official lobster seasons, the best time to dive for lobsters, and limits on size and amount of lobsters you can catch.

One of the great things about scuba diving for any species of lobsters is that the bugs inhabit some of the most interesting places you would want to be diving anyway – like shipwrecks and reefs both natural and artificial. Like anything having to do with diving, “bug hunting” takes skill and practice, and half the fun is in the learning. The cold water lobsters, the guys with the really big claws can be the most daunting. Those claws are strong and can give you a nasty bite, and lobsters are very fast in the water. You are more likely to loose your prey by it scuttling rapidly away from you, then getting bit. No special equipment is really required for “bug diving” except a good pair of gloves and a collection bag.

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“Scuba Divers”

One of the best things about having a friend or spouse that is an enthusiastic scuba diver is that they are easy to buy gifts for. There is always that new piece of gear that they need or want, and not to mention dive related books, movies, clothing and jewelry.

While diving is of course a participatory sport, and scuba divers enjoy most having their own experiences, there are some great dive DVD’s fiction and non-fiction that divers will love to add to their collections. Divers enjoy discussing their favorite “dive” movie, and from The Abyss, to The Deep, to my own personal favorite – “Thunderball” there is a wealth of dive fiction available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, E-bay, or anywhere else you buy videos. For those that prefer their underwater thrills be more documentary or instructional there are also many non-fiction DVD’s that make great gifts for divers from the many Jacques Cousteau Odysseys and National Geographic Specials, to the Award winning “Coral Sea Dreaming” which features probably the best footage of the Great Barrier Reef ever filmed. Of course there are also hundreds of books on diving and famous divers, and magazine subscriptions to any of the popular dive publications that also make good gifts for divers.

On the more “hands on” side are gear gifts. If you are not a diver yourself buying a gift of a piece of equipment for a diver can be difficult, because the selection of some pieces of gear is a very personal thing, or require special fittings, but one you can’t go wrong with is a Dive Computer. If your diver friend does not already have one, he or she will thank you immensely for this high-tech piece of gear that many are calling the greatest breakthrough in recreational diving in the last 10 years. While the Dive Computer, which can be worn on the wrist, is replacing the traditional Dive Watch these also still make great gifts for both men and women. Seiko is still one of the top names in Dive Watches and offers many types and styles to choose from. As does Citizen and Invicta. Digital underwater cameras continue to come down in price, and a high quality camera can be had for under 200.00, like the Bonica Digital Snapper a 3.2 MegaPixel camera with a 4x zoom lens rated to 180 feet.

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“Scuba”

Scuba as a recreational sport is really still in its early stages. Since the Aqualung first came available in the ’50’s, diving did not really catch on until the 60’s; it reached its heyday in the 80’s, and experienced a technological boom in the 90’s. Much has changed since the early days, mostly for the better, and since dive certifications are for life, what you learned during your original open water training, or even during a recent refresher course may have changed.

I for one received my Advanced Open Water Diver Certification over 20 years ago, and have been quite surprised at some of the new information and new practices that I have discovered while researching these articles. Like most divers I learned to “go deep” first. In other words to on any given dive descend to the lowest planned depth, and then gradually work your way upward, and also to plan the deepest dives in your day first. The rationale here was that the shallow depths will provide decompression for the deep dives that came before. But this year while the practice is still recommended – it is no longer a rule. The main reason is a technological advance – the Dive Computer. Dive computers take the guesswork out of nitrogen exposure, and are infinitely more accurate then using dive tables. More about Dive Computers, they are probably one of the single greatest advances in diving in the last ten years, and a must have dive accessory. Like with any piece of digital technology as the price of Dive Computers continue to drop, dive experts expect them to become mandatory equipment, soon rendering dive tables obsolete.

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“Scuba Diving”

Ears and your ability to clear them is the bane to all Scuba Divers, many a dive career both of the professional diver and the recreational diver has been cut short by ear pain. But that doesn’t have to be the case – short of permanent ear damage, there are things the diver can do to help with ear pain and ear clearing – and keep diving.

To understand dive ear pain, and how to avoid it – first we must understand ear anatomy. There are many causes of ear pain for Scuba Divers, but the most common is ear squeeze. This is a matter of basic physics as much as anatomy. Ear squeeze is what happens due to differences in pressure between the middle ear and the area outside it. Think of a conga drum, this is basically your inner ear, a hollow or air filled space – the Eustachian tube – which is like the base of the drum, capped off on one end by a “skin” in this case the eardrum.

When the pressure is greater outside the chamber, like when you are diving or flying, the space widens to allow increased airflow to equalize the pressure. As you descend you aid this process by “equalizing” or forcing air into the chamber by yawning, swallowing, or gently pushing air in by holding your nose and blowing. If the Eustachian tube fails to expand properly, or the changes happen too quickly for the tube to adjust accordingly, the ear drum pushes back painfully inward causing the “squeeze”. Continuing to descend during squeeze while being unable to equalize, is like over-inflating a balloon, eventually its going to pop – and then the party’s over. While a ruptured eardrum can heal, it will certainly ruin your dive trip, and could end your future dives all together.

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“Scuba Gear”

OK, you’ve booked that Scuba Trip of a lifetime to the Fareast or other exotic locale – and now you need to be sure all your scuba gear arrives there safely. Especially with some of the new TSA regulations there are a few things every diver needs to know about traveling with Scuba Gear.

Of course before packing any Scuba gear for travel it is best to have a complete gear “check-up” and make sure everything is functioning properly. Many divers will buy some spiffy new piece of equipment for a dive trip and never take it out of the box before they travel, not a good idea according to the pros – always test even brand new equipment before you travel with it.

Once you are sure that everything you want to take is working, the best way to pack gear for airplane travel is in a specific Scuba Gear Bag. There are two advantages to suing a gear bag. Not only are these bags designed to keep Scuba Gear safe, some of the airlines that fly to popular scuba destinations may allow you to check an official Scuba Gear Bag, and not charge you for an additional piece of luggage. Check with your specific airline for their policy regarding a checked scuba gear bag. A scuba mask should be protected by a hard case whether it is checked or in your carry on. Fins should be placed bottom-to-bottom, and wrapped in a towel. One-gallon plastic freezer bags are great for storing your divelog and other “keep dry” items – place these bags in an easily accessible exterior pocket of your dive bag. Since you likely want to be able to take your gear bag directly from the plane and just toss it on your dive boat when you head out, the pros suggest that you pack your gear in the reverse order of suiting up – in other words pack your fins first since you put them on last, and your Wetsuit last so it is on top of your bag as you put it on first. Here is a Tip: It’s a good idea to purchase TSA locks for your Scuba gear bags – these can be found online. They are TSA approved combination pad locks that feature a Red Diamond. They can secure your gear from pilfering, but TSA agents have a special key that can open the lock if they need to inspect your bag. If they do the Red Diamond on the lock turns green so you know your bag has been inspected. It is a good idea to catalog all the gear you are traveling with by description and serial number. Pack your BC in your checked dive bag, but wrap it securely to prevent any damage or punctures.

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“Scuba Accessories”

Every Diver knows the basic scuba dive gear and will at the barest minimum own their own mask, snorkel, fins wet suit, and bouncy compensator. But there is a wealth of dive gear and accessories that can make any divers underwater life a little easier. Here then is our list (in no particular order) of the ten “must have” pieces of dive gear or dive accessories.

1. A Dive Computer – Scuba diving computers eliminate the need for dive tables to calculate depth time and decompression needs. Dive computers are revolutionizing diving and have been one of the greatest innovations to diver safety since the invention of the aqualung. Dive computers can be no bigger than an ordinary dive watch.

2. A Gear Bag – If you are doing any kind of traveling with your gear, a scuba gear bag is absolutely essential. It is a small investment that helps you keep your all you expensive gear safe and secure while transporting.

3. A Dry Suit – Dry suits keep divers warm in a unique way. Unlike a wets suit as the name implies a Dry Suit uses air, not water trapped within the suit for insulation. Completely sealed, it allows you to wear clothes, even street clothes beneath it. A dry suit is a must have for any cold weather diving.

4. A Dive Knife – A dive knife is an indispensable diving tool. Read that “Tool” NOT weapon – a Dive Knife is not there to protect you from sharks or other denizens of the deep, but it can save your life if you become tangled up in netting or monofilament lines.

5. A Regulator – while many casual divers will rent regulators along with tanks, if you are going to do a significant amount of dives throughout the year it is best to own your own regulator, this way proper maintenance and functionality can be assured. With your regulator literally your lifeline underwater, this just makes good sense.

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“Top 10 Scuba Sites”

I’ve never really been fond of “Top 10 Lists” – after all they are highly subjective. And when it comes to putting together a Top Ten List of Scuba Sites – there are so many factors involved – Top 10 for what? For Marine Life? For Coral Colors? For Beginners? For Divers named Shirley? – Well you get the point. Still if you cruise the various “Top Tens” that have been put together over the years by the various dive magazines and dive enthusiasts you will find certain places that make the lists over and over again, despite the parameters, and so for what it is worth here is our list (in no particular order) of “The Top 10 Dive Sites in the World.”

1. Thailand’s Adaman Sea – From Barrier reefs, Corals, Wrecks and Caves the waters of the Adaman Sea off of Thailand’s Coast offer everything a Scuba Diver is looking for and more.

2. Darwin Island in The Galapagos – Easily one of the best Dive Sites to see large Sea Creatures. Sea Turtles, Hammerhead Sharks, Sea Lions and Seals abound here. Sighting a Whale Shark is not uncommon.

3. Bonaire – Unlike its cousins Aruba and Curacao, Bonaire in the Antilles is known for one thing – Scuba Diving. The entire island is a protected marine habitat, and probably the largest unspoiled underwater ecosystem on the planet.

4. Cozumel, Mexico – Cozumel is surrounded by reefs and clear warm waters. There are underwater formations with many swim-through opportunities and coals teeming with marine life, and visibility on a good day as far as 200 feet. Cave divers will find excitement in the fresh water caves of the Cenotes.

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“Scuba Diving Trips”

You’ve gotten your Scuba Certification. Maybe you’ve made a few dives in your local area, but you have heard about these wonderful and exotic dive locations all over the world and would just love to take a Scuba Diving Trips (Vacation). But you may be wondering while it sounds wonderful to dive with sharks, swim with dolphin or manatee, or spend days exploring a great reef or underwater network of caves – can I afford it? Yes you can. Truth is when planned correctly a dive trip or vacation doesn’t have to be any more expensive that any other kind of tour.

Like with any kind of discount travel the key to affordable scuba trips or scuba vacations is to find the package deal. There are a number of travel agents who specialize in Scuba Travel, and have done a lot of the work for you. One of the tops in the business is ScubaDiveTravel.com. They claim to offer the largest resource for tropical island vacations on the Web representing more than 200 dive resorts & 34 live-aboards in 30 countries around the world. Dive vacations at top resorts in the best dive locations in the world are available here including Belize, Fiji, Hawaii and Australia. Another site that specializes in Dive travel is www.worlddive.com. On their “Dive Deals” page you can find incredible packages on dive travel worldwide, like 5 to 7 night all inclusive packages to some of the most popular dive destinations like Bonaire or Belize for less than 500.00

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“Scuba”

Scuba diving, or at least underwater adventure is a hobby that can be enjoyed by the whole family. While there are age restrictions on Scuba Diving certifications, depending on the certifying organization, today children of all ages can take part to some degree of exploring the underwater world.

There is no age requirement to snorkel or skin dive. And if you are planning any kind of dive trip to well-known reef or other dive locations, there are always great opportunities to snorkel. The key to getting your kids to have fun with snorkeling or skin diving is to build their confidence and get comfortable with equipment. The best place to do this is in the bathtub believe it or not. Kids will get a kick out of this and have opportunity to get used to the feel of the mask on their faces and how to breath trough the snorkel. Then once you arrive at your dive destination, take a few spins in the hotel pool first. Again the pool will afford a great opportunity to raise your kid’s confidence level, in a clear fear- free environment. Kids will feel safer snorkeling in a pool where there are no waves, there are walls for boundaries, and no fear of what may be “lurking” below them. Once you get out into the open water with your now proud skin diver, still select a site for snorkeling that is calm, with minimal waves. For the young snorklers even who may be strong swimmers, it is a good idea to have them use water wings or other floatation devices, this way they are not using up too much of their energy just staying afloat on the surface before they slide under for a dive.

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