Friends and video games
https://vine.co/v/MMLpB9bKrPu
Month: March 2014
Zachary Price’s post on Vine
My first ever vine (made for class). Don’t judge too hard
https://vine.co/v/MbruaF1xhWJ
Five Great Dive Sites in the Continental US
Athens Scuba Park
This spring-fed lake southwest of Dallas is owned by divers and has been hosting our tribe for nearly 25 years. A dozen docks with nearby shady pavilions offer easy access to the water (in which viz can reach 70 feet), where more than 30 underwater attractions — including busses, boats, motorcycles, a Lockheed C-140 jet plane and a space capsule — can be explored. Bathhouses with hot showers, overnight camping, on-site air fills and night diving round out the amenities.
Location: Athens, Texas
Entry Fees: $15 for divers; $5 for non-divers
Contact: www.athensscubapark.com
Casino Point Marine Park
Boasting a protected underwater park loaded with great sights, including several small wrecks, giant kelp and heaps of marine life, Catalina’s Casino Point is one of California’s most popular dive spots. Take the ferry from Long Beach, Dana Point or San Pedro to Avalon, where you’ll find several dive shops, hotels, storage lockers, restaurants and lots of great company — all within walking distance.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Entry Fees: There are no entry fees to dive the park, but roundtrip ferry tickets to Catalina Island cost around $70.
Contact: www.catalina.com
Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs, in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, is a flooded limestone quarry turned 47-acre diving attraction that also includes a water park, adventure ropes course, rock climbing, camping, PADI Recreation Center and great spots for picnics and parties. Underwater highlights include a plane, a helicopter, a fire engine, a trolley and lots of freshwater marine life.
Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Entry Fees: $36 for divers; $24 for non-divers ages 10 and up; $15 for non-divers ages 5 to 9.
Contact: www.dutchsprings.com
Gilboa Quarry
One of Gilboa’s main attractions are the resident paddlefish, 5-foot-long, toothless filter feeders that were once heavily fished across North America and now thrive only in a few locations. There is also a 65 foot-long Grumman airplane and several boats to explore. With depths of more than 130 feet, the quarry is even suitable for tech training. Amenities include camping, cottages, concessions, on-site dive support, changing rooms with hot showers and plenty of non-diving fun, from zip lining to rock climbing and more.
Location: Gilboa, Ohio
Entry Fees: $21 for divers and snorkelers; $6 for non-divers
Contact: www.divegilboa.com
Ginnie Springs
Ginnie is a Central Florida scuba landmark, thanks to world-class spring diving in water that’s always crystal clear and 72 degrees — perfect on a hot summer day. Even more, there are number of caves and caverns for more advanced divers to check out. Set up for easy diving, there are multiple dive sites, including a drift down the lazy Santa Fe River, and a full–service dive shop on site, as well as camping, a bath house with hot showers, rental cottages and loads of fun activities for the whole family.
Location: High Springs, Florida
Entry Fees: $22 for cave divers, $30 all other divers; $12 for non-divers ages 15 and up; $3 for non-divers ages 7 to 14
Contact: www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com
More Diving Myths Debunked!
MYTH: I’m too old to learn.
TRUTH: We regularly hear about people diving, and learning to dive, well into their eighties. In fact one of the most active “groups” of divers is in the age range from 38 to 53. On the whole, this group dives more regularly, travels more to dive, and even takes more classes than most other “groups.”
MYTH: When you dive you are breathing pure oxygen.
TRUTH: Certified “open water divers” breathe the same air that we breathe on the surface. The air is filtered, the moisture is removed and the air is then compressed into a scuba tank for use by the diver. On television and in the movies, when you hear that the diver is grabbing his “oxygen tanks,” you’ll automatically know the movie dialog is way off base!
By the way, divers CAN easily be trained in the use of breathing gasses other than air, but this involves different training and equipment than you’ll have in your open water scuba course.
MYTH: Dives are usually between 50 and 200 feet deep.
TRUTH: The limit for most recreational dives is 100 feet of depth, but most dives are far shallower. With most of the light and most of the critters living in less than 50 feet of water, this is the best depth to see the majority of things you’ll want to see while underwater. Divers CAN be trained to go deeper in an advanced-level course, and many find this a rewarding experience once their initial certification experience is completed.
MYTH: It’s dark and murky underwater and difficult to see.
TRUTH: Most dives do not require a light since sunlight penetrates far deeper than the depth to which most divers go. Even when diving in very deep water, beyond 100 feet, divers can see quite well without any artificial light. Interestingly, colors are absorbed by the water, so while it may be very easy to see, most of the color begins to be absorbed beyond 30 to 50 feet of depth, rendering most everything blue.
Most divers do not dive in water with limited visibility unless they are looking for something special, like a lost wedding ring or an outboard motor from a neighbor’s boat. Some of these locations can give the diver the opportunity to see wrecks or find treasures, and with the proper training, limited visibility is not a significant diving obstacle. Diving in your local lake or quarry, as well as diving in the clear waters of Hawaii, can each provide their own brand of fun!
MYTH: When you dive you breathe differently than you do on land.
TRUTH: Breathing naturally while underwater is one of the most terrific sensations you’ll ever experience, and one of the first things you’ll learn in your certification course. You will find that about the only difference between breathing air on land and underwater is that you must breathe through the regulator in your mouth – and since today’s regulators are so well made that breathing is made very simple and natural, even this part is easy.
Get Paid to be a Diver
SCUBA diving is a shared passion between an ever growing community, that spans the globe. Some of them remain amateur divers for their entire diving career, while some pursue higher levels of certifications. A handful of divers strive for professional levels of certifications.
However, not all of them take the right steps and end up high and dry. There are two classes of professional SCUBA diving within PADI; dive master and instructor. The PADI System of diver education allows you to progress at your own pace and encourages you to take continuing education programs that enhance your enjoyment and safety. In addition to the prerequisites listed below
The steps to becoming an instructor are detailed in the following link:
The steps to becoming a dive master are detailed in the link below:
Drinkin, Drugs, and Nitrogen Narcosis
A quick look into what it means to be “narced” (under the effects of nitrogen narcosis)
Diving Myths: Debunked
MYTH: You have to be in top physical condition to dive.
TRUTH: Like any active sport, diving is more enjoyable if you’re physically fit. And you do need some basic swimming skills in order to learn. But it’s nothing extreme; if you’re comfortable in the deep end of a pool, can swim, and you can walk for several minutes without getting winded, you can probably learn to dive.
MYTH: Learning to dive/becoming a certified diver takes too long.
TRUTH: You can become a certified diver in a very short period of time, or you can take your time and learn at your own pace. Retail dive centers and instructors can be very flexible to fit your schedule, or you can sign up for a class that has set meeting dates and times. Times can be shortened by the diver by reading ahead or taking private instructor time for confined water or open water learning. You’ll be diving in less time than you think!
MYTH: Diving is complicated and difficult to learn.
TRUTH: Learning to dive is easy today. Professional diving instructors use all the learning materials and proven strategies to make it simple and fun to learn. Before you know it you’ll be breathing underwater and using all the cool “toys” that make diving easier than ever before to learn and participate regularly.
MYTH: I’m too old to learn.
TRUTH: We regularly hear about people diving, and learning to dive, well into their eighties. In fact one of the most active “groups” of divers is in the age range from 38 to 53. On the whole, this group dives more regularly, travels more to dive, and even takes more classes than most other “groups.
MYTH: I have no one to dive with.
TRUTH: Diving is an exciting and unique experience that many people take up while on vacation or as a life-long activity. Finding buddies with which to dive is as easy as visiting your local dive retailer and signing up for one of their local or destination dive trips. You’ll probably have ready-to-dive buddies that you’ll meet during your scuba certification course. Chances are you’ll find that you have lots in common with these other divers, usually more than the diving experience itself!
Diving/Snorkeling Tips
DIVING/SNORKELING TIPS
To get the most out of your snorkeling experience you may find these tips helpful. Also, the crew is always happy to answer any questions and to provide any assistance.
Using the Mask
To try on the mask, move the strap out of the way, brush your hair out of the way, and gently push the mask onto your face. Gently inhale through your nose to seal the mask to your face. If the mask remains there unsupported, then it is making a good seal. It is best to try on and adjust the mask straps before entering the water. If any assistance is needed one of the crew will gladly help. In order to prevent the mask from fogging up while in use, there is defogging solution aboard the boat.
Using the Snorkel
To keep the snorkel upright while you are swimming face down on the surface of the water, you may need to adjust the snorkel strap properly on the mask strap. Now you can just float or swim along the surface, breathing through the snorkel and observing the underwater world below.
Fins
Fins aren’t really a necessity for snorkeling, but they do help you to move around more quickly so that you can see more of the underwater world. Before entering into the water, one of the crew will provide you with a pair of fins. It is easiest to put the fins on while sitting on or near the diving platform. Walking with your fins on is not the easiest thing to do, not to mention it looks pretty funny! When you wish to return back onto the boat it is easiest to take your fins off near the ladder and hand them up to one of the crew before attempting to climb out of the water. One of the crew is always on or near the platform to assist you getting back onto the boat.
Still need convincing to get certified?!?
Some Reasons to start SCUBA!
- You and your friends are trying to figure out something to do; movies, eating out, going out for ice cream… been there, done that. How about scuba diving? This is a fun alternative that never gets old! With so many dive sites around the world, this is always an awesome past time to enjoy with your friends and even family. .
- Some of your friends probably have epic stories about how they went skydiving, saw a ferocious animal in the woods, etc. Scuba diving provides you with an opportunity to have some incredible experiences and of course bragging rights. I for one, have many stories, some of my favorites include my first manta ray encounter as I and another instructor were teaching 12 kids how to dive, and when a turtle swam right up to me while I was on a dive, etc. Next time, you can be the life of the party with some of your epic tales!
- Every once in a while, you just want to relax and forget about all the stresses you may have. When you plunge beneath the waves, you can rest assured that there is so many things to see, and distract you, that the world above will be a distant place. Personally, I love the fact that you can’t talk to anyone and all you can hear is your breathing and the clacking of fish munching on corals. It is easy to achieve a state of relaxation with just a little practice and the pay-off is well worth it.
- This world is pretty big… but what I find most impressive is that 70% of it is water. The oceans are the last unexplored frontier; there are so many things to discover! So if you think you’ve done everything on land, why not brave the sea and see what there is to discover?
- Have you ever seen on TV an astronaut walking on the moon? They look weightless; they take one step and seem to soar. You probably think it’s impossible to do here on earth… But it’s not! In fact, astronauts train underwater before heading off into space because you get that same feeling of weightlessness underwater that you get in space. When you first don on your scuba equipment it seems impossibly heavy… Take a step into the water and that weight seems to disappear.
- Prices for seafood can seem very high sometimes for things such as lobster, hogfish, etc. Do you want to bring seafood to your plate for a relatively low price though? Scuba diving might be the answer. During lobster season in Florida (with the proper permits) you can catch up to six lobster a day. Hogfish are also fair game and even better, lionfish, they make excellent ceviche (and you’d lend a helping hand to the ocean in the east coast of the United States).
- Trying to take your photographic skills to the next level? Or maybe you want to challenge a new and different environment from land-based photography. Well, there is an endless supply of photo subjects underwater!
- If you’re looking to have a career in the marine sciences, a scuba diving certification is definitely a plus to have on your resume. This sport can open up a whole new realm of possibilities, giving you a chance to see the subjects of your studies up close.
- Honestly, this is my favorite part: all the creatures! They are so incredible and all so different. You have the turtles, which can be either really shy or will swim right up to you, then there’s the 500+ species of sharks, so many fish on the reefs that we’ve discovered (and many more that have yet to be discovered), the dolphins, the rays… The possibilities are endless, and once you start diving you’ll become addicted to trying to see all these things underwater.
- Dive boats are a great place to cultivate friendships. Just think about it- two people that love the same thing? Perfect. There’s a new dive buddy for you!
Social SCUBA Diving 