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- Ginnie Springs - Mar 8-9 2008 -- Cavern Diver
I took a cavern class at Ginnie Springs this weekend and managed to obtain my NSS-CDS Cavern Diver certification. This was a great but difficult course. My instructor was Reggie Ross (CDS #286). I learned lot about safety, gear setup and new diving skills. The course took 2 full days (9am-7pm). Day 1 morning: theory (protocols, communications, turn around pressures, NDL, cave formation, the Golden Rule); afternoon: gear configuration and land drills. Day 2: Cavern training drills: guideline use, with and without visibility, sharing air without visibility, and with no mask, light failure, lost buddy / entrance recoveries, gas sharing and exit using touch-contact communications. Did 6 short, 20-30 mins, dives. 5 were caverns for a cumulative of 1h50 of cavern time. I was fortunate to finish early enough and do a couple fun cavern dives as we were running fine on time. I dove Ginnie Springs, Devil`s Ear and Devil`s eye (cheminey). The flows at Devil`s ear and eye were pretty impressi ...
Sun, 9 Mar 2008 23:02:00 CST - Epcot Dive Experience
I think this is a trip and dive I may ned to plan for in the near future. Especially with a young daughter getting to the age of being able to enjoy a Disney Park... http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=EpcotDiveQuestTourPage ...
Sun, 9 Mar 2008 21:27:00 CST - BTS 2007 Report
Here`s the link to the 2007 BTS review: http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/beneath-the-sea-2007-dive-show-report/ ...
Sun, 9 Mar 2008 18:42:00 CST - Destin Conditions 03-09-08
Seas 1-3 choppy, poor vis (10 foot at best)at Tri Ledge Area. less vis closer in. ...
Sun, 9 Mar 2008 12:52:00 CST - Destin conditions 03-08-08
5-7 foot seas no gulf diving, Bay to murky. ...
Sun, 9 Mar 2008 12:49:00 CST - Florida Trip: March `08
I have booked my dives for my first trip to Key Largo, Fl!! Two reef dives in the AM: Fire Coral Cave and Eagle Ray Alley. Followed by two mixed dives in the PM: Benwood Wreck and Christmas Tree Cave. Dive shop is Rainbow Reef Dive Center. ( I am saving the deep wrecks for next time, after I get Nitrox ). Really looking forward to this trip!!! ...
Sat, 8 Mar 2008 11:57:00 CST - Santa Rosa, NM - 26/27 Jan 08
I took advantage of a business trip to Denver in January by flying there early and spending the weekend diving. Divers Reef in Colorado Springs was diving in Santa Rosa the weekend of 26-27 January. I was looking to work on buoyancy skills and get some certs (Peak Perf Buoyancy, Multilevel/Computer, Altitude). They gave me a great deal providing air, weights, a ride in their van to & from NM, plus the instruction for $200. I arrived at the dive shop on Friday after lunch and hung around until we left. I helped load their van w/ tanks and gear. We were on the road around 4pm. Saturday, I learned more about diving at altitude. Different ways to account for altitude. Also, since air density can change, it was interesting that my dive computer had us about 2k feet higher than we were (7k feet instead of the 5k reading I should have at 4600 ft). So, in that sense, the computer was definitely a plus that accounts for weather changes at altitude. While there is a table that ...
Fri, 7 Mar 2008 09:47:00 CST - Kauai
Just got back from a week in paradise. Did a total of 12 dives, (1 night dive). It was unbelievable the number of turtles on the south shore of Kauai. Saw a ton of whales from the dive boat and could hear them singing really loudly underwater. Also I almost got to play with some spinner dolphins but they left just after our 2nd dive started - Bummer. couple of white tipped reef sharks and more fish that I could shake a stick at. Fantastic. ...
Fri, 7 Mar 2008 02:14:00 CST - Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat is a destination that is fast coming to the forefront of world dive destinations. It is said, that it may even eclipse PNG for wealth in biodiversity (hey, it`s just a different side of the same island!). I went there to do a trip on the liveaboard Odyssea 1 based out of Sorong.We found it to be a well equipped boat designed around the needs of divers with an emphasis on dive photography This is the camera room where downloading and charging was done. The boat was very comfortable with large staterooms, compared with other liveaboards I`ve been on. The showers were huge! Room for a party (sorry, no photos there!). The diving was difficult, but stunning. The currents were not for the fainthearted. The visibility was not the best, but all that biodiversity has to be fed and those particles are food. What you did see was a mass of wildlife with no end. I finally got to see my first blue ringed octopus, happily munching on a crab. I`m a nut for pyg ...
Thu, 6 Mar 2008 13:42:00 CST - Lembeh Strait
I finally got a chance to get to the Lembeh Strait off the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. WOW! What isn`t there to see?? We stayed at Kasawari Resort, which had recently opened. It was a beautifully designed resort with charming and elegantly appointed buildings The diving is off of native styled boats which proved to be very comfortable and easy to dive from. The dives were effortless and interesting. After hitting the bottom and looking around at, what first appears to be bare black sand, you are wondering why you came halfway around the world to see this. The sand bottom is sprinkled, here and there, with human trash. AH!! But look a little closer... There is so little habitat/cover on much of the bottom, that ANYTHING added quickly becomes habitat. Don`t get me wrong, there are beautiful reefs in Lembeh, but the real treasures are found in the "muck". If you love the bizarre and unusual...if you like seeing things that you would search a lif ...
Wed, 5 Mar 2008 13:15:00 CST - Cozumel 2008
Just got back from diving in Cozumel. Loved it! If you`ve never been there befrore I would Highly recommend you make it your next dive priority. :) ...
Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:21:00 CST - 1 mile reef
We went on a dive last weekend and had a great time. The water temp was 65 and the visability was about 10 feet at a depth of 25feet. Our dive site was 1 mile reef out of bradenton beach. It is a very goog site with lots of reef and fish to look at. Our friend was able to spear a hogfish that they took home and grilled, very tasty fish. After the dive we had lunch at Annies by Cortez bridge. I recommend this dive site to anyone looking for a good dive. It`s a nice boat ride and not far out at all. We hope to get out to Venice beach next weekend to hunt for Megaladon teeth. See ya next weekend! ...
Mon, 3 Mar 2008 09:19:00 CST - Caymans
Heading out for Spring Break to the Grand Caymans. Staying at Sunset House. Has anyone been? Feedback on must do`s and dont`s, send me a note. ...
Sun, 2 Mar 2008 20:31:00 CST - San Andres Island
I just recently got back from San Andres Island. It was a fabulous experience, both for myself and for my girl-friend... who did her 4 Open Water certification dives while there. We stayed at the Decameron Aquarium Hotel; room, food, beverages... were all fabulous. We dealt with a local dive shop, and they treated us like royalty. I will definitely be going back again! ...
Sun, 2 Mar 2008 20:02:00 CST - A Warmer way to stay Wet
GirlDiver just became a Mares dealer and brought in all new equipment for our students to use. The most exciting piece of equipment for my wetsuit diving DM (our team is in drysuits...) was the Mares Isotherm Semi-dry. GirlDiver Leigh Ann was shocked at how warm it was and will never go back to a standard wetsuit. Mares new Isotherm semi-dry suit offers divers a second layer in critical areas under the suit, Trilastic under the arms and sides for better movement and a metal skin seal at feet, arms and neck for less water movement. The 6.5 mm hood, that comes packaged with the suit, adds another layer of warmth to your head. Mares understood the environments that cold water divers were diving, and beefed up the soles on the boots so even the most challenging walk to the waters edge is covered. ...
Sun, 2 Mar 2008 07:15:00 CST
