Scuba Dive Advisor

Advanced Open {COLD} Water

9 Comments / Scuba Dive Operators, Scuba Dive Sites, Training / By

“Meet people. Go places. Do things.” Those are our guiding principles for traveling the world. So, we decided it was time to take our certification to the next level. So, after 6 years of enjoying the wonderful sport of scuba as PADI Open Water divers, we figured we would take the next step and pursue our Advanced Open Water Certification. Keep in mind that Esther is from Miami. She grew up swimming in the tropical waters off the coast of Florida and is definitely not a fan of cold water. Me, on the other hand grew up in California surfing as much as possible and am a bit more comfortable committing to diving in the mid fifties. It took a couple of months (probably subliminally waiting for the weather to warm up) to commit to taking the plunge but once it was decided, it was off to our friends at Eco Dive Center.

We told the dive staff at Eco that we were interested in getting our Advanced Open Water Certification prior to an upcoming trip to Sipidan, Malaysia. Of course the ever positive and energetic team at Eco Dive Center were eager to help get us get in the water and get certified prior to our trip. As a matter of fact, the package that the team at Eco put together was so good that we committed to purchasing all of the materials to become Rescue Divers as well!

As many of you can imagine, there are numerous different reasons that someone would want to increase their certification level in any sport. Some people are interested in the education, others prefer the chance to work together and meet new friends while doing something they love, some (us) want to be able to volunteer at local aquariums and beach clean-up efforts. There are, of course, many other reasons that we decided to get our advanced certification, the main one being that we wanted to be better prepared for any situation that we may encounter. Let’s face it, the more prepared you are, the better you will be able to handle stressful situations in a safe manner.

About three weeks prior to our class, we began reviewing our SDI AOW dive manual covering the following topics :

  • Underwater Navigation
  • Deep Diving
  • Advanced Buoyancy
  • Boat Diving
  • Computer Diving
  • Drift Diving
  • Dry Suit Diving
  • Marine Ecosystem Awareness
  • Night Diving
  • Underwater Photography
  • Beach Diving (Esther’s LEAST favorite)
  • Wreck Diving

For those of you who are not fans of studying books, the SDI AOW book is an easy read that you can absorb in a couple of days. The coursework is geared toward real life applications for each of the subjects. Once we finished the reading, the class gathered at the dive shop on the Friday night before the weekend’s dives for a briefing and discussion of what to expect over the next two days.

Saturday morning the alarm came early at 5:00AM. We were literally getting out of a wonderfully warm bed to go drive to a local beach and plunge into the cold surf for two hours. Crazy? Maybe a little, but the payoff was so worth the work. Our first dives were at Veterans Park in Redondo Beach, California. We gathered all of our gear in the parking lot and made our way down the stairs to the beach. Once we go to the water, the interesting part began. We timed our entry into the water very well and no one fell over on the way out. Once out in the water with our patient and wonderful instructor Greg, his positive energy put us at ease in the near zero visibility that we were in. It turns out that the bad visibility of the beach dive was perfect for our first exercise of underwater compass navigation. Once under the water there was absolutely nothing but depth and your compass readings to keep you on course. With Greg’s expert approach to teaching and obvious experience in the water, everyone in our group did very well with the compass navigation and quickly got the hang of reciprocal, square and triangle patterns in the water.

Next up, were the pool exercises. Once at the pool, we learned how to tie a bowline knot, a half hitch and a sheet bend. All and all, the first day was a great learning experience and it was a good way to get to know our instructor Greg. Who we had the pleasure of spending the rest of our weekend with.

Sunday morning at 4:30AM came very quickly, but once again we were out the door to voluntarily throw ourselves off of a perfectly good, not to mention, warm boat.  We arrived at our first dive site and Captain George announced that the visibility was as good as it gets for California diving. As soon as we jumped in, you could see kelp forests as far as your eyes could see. To make things even better we were greeted by a sea lion showing off in figure eights and having a good old time just hanging with us as we made our descent. Unfortunately, as we submerged, Esther had trouble equalizing and we decided to abort the dive to get back to the boat to adjust while our group went on with their deep dive.

After our surface interval and some delicious chili (compliments to the Sand Dollar’s Chef) we hopped back into the water and made our second attempt at a deep dive. This time Esther’s ear was fine and she was able to equalize. Once down we circled a small sailboat wreck and saw a number of Garibaldi (California State Fish) along with huge kelp forests and loads of bait fish shimmering in the rays of the sun. About half way through the dive we stopped and practice deploying our safety sausages and used all of the knots that we had learned from the previous day. Thanks to great visibility and Greg, our amazing instructor, we had our first dive in California that was a complete joy filled with all sorts of beautiful sights.

For our last dive, the planned skills to practice were advanced buoyancy control and search patterns. We got right to business with buoyancy control and quickly after everyone was leveled out just above the bottom, we headed for the kelp and went for a nature swim right through the forest, it was absolutely breathtaking and we now long to go back for more. About half way through the dive we stopped at an opening in the kelp forest and ran search patterns for about 15 minutes before we continued our trek through the kelp forest. After hearing about how beautiful kelp forests are for years, we finally experienced it and recommend Southern California diving to anyone who is thinking about giving it a try.

So whether you are after more knowledge of scuba diving, want to become a more independent diver, want to volunteer at a local aquarium, or if you are interested in enhancing your certification to the next level, get out and do it! There is a great big ocean out there to explore and many people to meet along the way while you are doing it. With dive teams like the folks from Eco Dive Center, you can’t go wrong and you will have fun along with all of the hard work you do to enhance your certification.

Happy Diving! –Dan

Rodrigues… To the end of the World!

7 Comments / Lodging, Scuba Dive Operators, Scuba Dive Sites / By

As I was thinking about a topic to share this week, past travels came to mind, and I thought I would share a glimpse into one of our own adventures throughout this wondrous world. A few years ago, upon setting foot on our 100th country, Lana and I attained an unusual status as members in the eclectic Travelers Century Club. We have been blessed to travel extensively throughout this incredible world with a voracious appetite to continue our search in pursuit of the unusual or lesser known destinations.

With so many places to talk about, where do we begin? How do any of us begin to map out our strategy for sharing the experiences that tap into our own thirst to plan for the next trip? Do we trace our way through each continent or do we follow a chronological order? The answer is… There is no right way. Basically, our personal compass has pointed us in a direction of getting others excited about the destinations that have made a lifetime impression upon our soul. We aim to highlight the character of the people, the beauty of the land and try to showcase any diversity underwater.

Four years ago, guided by the mention of unique islands on the Traveler’s Century Club’s website, we made the journey to Mauritius, and traveled even further to the tiny island dependant, Rodrigues. Located smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean as you draw your eye away from Island nation of Madagascar, Rodrigues appears to be completely isolated. You may ask, “What brought you here?” Good question. As Lana and I reside in Calgary, we have always aimed to travel to the furthest places away from our home base and it seemed to be an interesting and inaccessible location in the world to explore. Let’s face it, few Canadians ever make it to Mauritius and looking at most travelers who arrive in Mauritius, few seldom consider the extra 1.5 hour flight to Rodrigues.

Our flying journey is not easy, as we must connect through Frankfurt, Kuwait, Dubai and Mauritius to get to Rodrigues. But arrival in this tiny Creole island takes you back to an era of travel most of us yearn for and the exhaustion from 26 hours of pure flying time is completely forgotten as the island’s warmth envelopes you in their own unique hospitality.

When we travel as a couple, Lana and I will quite often fly to a destination without a reservation. Sometimes, our version of “pre-planning” will involve us phoning ahead from the airport we are departing from to tee up some sort of reservation. We know this may be too whimsical for most, but we enjoy the challenges this strategy presents. We like to think it keeps our minds fresh and it is part of how we manufacture some of our adventures. We eventually settled on the Cotton Bay Resort.

Upon arrival at the airport in the SW corner of Rodrigues, it was easy to gain our bearings on the island. We realized most roads filter through a network of three tiny towns at the top of the mountain and they spider off in a structured NW, NE, S, E & W direction. To give you a sense of the island’s size and remoteness, one of those tiny towns held the island’s lone ATM bank machine and the only gas station was located at the end of the NW road in Port Mathurin. Something you would need to pre-plan if you have a rental car to drop off at the airport. Unusual? Certainly! That is part of the appeal to this fantastic place.

The Cotton Bay Resort seems isolated from the rest of the island with few services around the hotel area. While it is only a two-story low-rise, the hotels’ green-hued, corrugated iron roof punctuates the skyline and it follows the perimeter of the bay for which it is aptly named. Arriving at this hotel, the staff is warm and welcoming. Guests are familiarized with the hotel services and amenities and the free appetizers at happy hour was the one feature that seemed to resonate with us and the hotel includes a half-board option (breakfast and dinner) which simplifies your food options. The rooms are well-appointed and divers will definitely benefit from a room on the floor level, especially if you will be moving your equipment back and forth from the on site dive shop or your vehicle. While diving is offered, the resort only offers that as a component of many other outdoor pursuits.

It appears the three dive operators on the island have divided up the various dive zones (north, south and east parts of the island) due to access and convenience. During our first couple days on the island, we explored the dive sites along the channel to the south that empties the lagoon into the Indian Ocean. So we paid a visit to Bouba’s Dive Centre. The owner was distinctly French and had us laughing non-stop for two days of diving. Benoit’s rental gear was in great condition as he used a European favorite, Beuchat. Our favorite dive on the south side of the island was the “Canyon” dive site. The topography was unbelievable as we literally swam through vibrant canyons and in the words of our fearless divemaster, Benoit. “Bwahhhh” (We think it is French for something really awesome). Keep in mind that diving times may be adjusted by Benoit based on the tides. Definitely check out Benoit and Bouba’s Dive Centre.

The Cotton Bay Dive Centre  serves the East side of the island. Fantastic in their own right, they are set up with good equipment to rent and storage facilities for those with their own equipment. Most of the incredible dive sites we read about “La Passe St. Francois” and “Le Canyon” were located on this side of the island and they were absolutely stunning. Diving on this side is not for the beginner (as we were at the time), but we were so excited to dive these sites that my enthusiasm got the better of me and had me running from our room one day with Lana’s wetsuit (Lana sat out due to a cold) and my determination together with Fabio, our divemaster, and two other “buddies” helped me squeeze into her 3mm. And for all you girls out there, Fabio, is still the prettiest divemaster Lana has ever seen during our diving escapades. I can still hear Lana to this day, “It’s his eyes.” Definitely check out the diving on this side of the island.

The day before we departed, we kept this as a non-dive day and explored the topside of the island. We went for numerous hikes and found some completely untouched, white sand beaches. There were spectacular views at every turn. The island’s land based activities equally matched the wondrous diversity we had read about below the surface in the surrounding lagoon. The Francois Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave Reserve is a place to see the tortoises from the hatchery up until the one hundred year old big guys. This place was absolutely fascinating and the combined tour with the cave system was a well-spent half day of activities.

Rodrigues is blessed with wondrous diversity at every turn. We had only planned to stay for three days as a notch in our travel stick, but we enjoyed it so much that we sacrificed the island of Reunion from our trip to stay on Rodrigues for two more days. Borrowed from their website, the Mauritius Tourism and Promotion Authority sums up the island of Rodrigues the best: “The secure waters of the lagoon and the trade winds that gently buffer the island provide many opportunities for the adventurous. Rodrigues is a wonderful playground for scuba divers who quickly fall in love with the diverse coral reef eco-system and its colourful assortment of sub-aquatic flora and fauna.”

Happy Diving! –Tim

Mission Accomplished!

18 Comments / Equipment / By

Two weeks ago, we were evaluating whether we should make the purchase of matching dive computers or postpone this decision. Before I reveal my decision, some of you connected with us through Facebook, WordPress and Twitter to ask some questions and provide your input. To those of you who offered some insight, thank you. I look forward to addressing your feedback in future posts.

First, my non-scuba diver audience is feeling a little confused about the usage and application of dive computers. I must note that this blog will quickly lose its merit if we use excessive industry jargon and confuse those of you exploring the idea of taking up this sport. Our non-diving audience is just as important to us as our diving audience.

The computers, just like the tables, exist to tell us how long we can safely be under water at specified depths. Aside from the obvious limitation of how much air is in your tank, we are also limited by the length at which we can remain underwater the deeper we go. Why is this? Our bodies absorb nitrogen during a dive, and can tolerate a certain amount at specified depths before the risk of developing decompression sickness sets in. The algorithm (think of it as computerized dive table) used in a dive computer is based on decades of information and is used to safeguard divers from decompression sickness, keeping us diving smart. Despite the fact that it sounds complicated, this is easy to do and certified scuba diving centers will help you understand this.

Others have asked, why matching computers? It is not necessary to do this, but It is recommended to maintain parity with your buddy if you will be diving with the same person all the time. For example, a Suunto computer and a Sherwood computer behave differently with slightly different algorithms at varying depths throughout the dive. By owning matching computers, it will:

  • Help you understand the workings of that equipment and help your buddy.
  • It is now easier to default to the most conservative measure of the two computers.
  • Finally, it really helps justify your nifty purchase.

So now that we have addressed some of your questions, I’m certain you are curious to know what we bought? After sifting through the abundant choices, we selected a lesser known, Hollis DG3 wrist computer, and we made this purchase through our friends at The Dive Shop. So, what are the features that led us to this purchase?

  • Multiple Gas options (Nitrox and Air)
  • Air integrated, meaning we can look at the computer to see our remaining air quantity without a hose connected to it. This means less drag in the water and less chance of unintentionally dragging a hose on the reef.
  • Audible alarm as we approach numerous limits. The alarms can be set to your diving needs so it becomes “your computer.”
  • Price point was fantastic and equally matched any online offer close to our budget.
  • Ability to change our own battery (really important when you do most of your dives away from home). Some computers can cost up to $200 for a battery change.
  • Brilliant LED backlight for deep and night dives.
  • Larger and easy to use buttons for when we start dry-suit diving.
  • Easy to read interface which was similar to our Aeris XR-1 computers.
  • Additional service is easy through The Dive Shop.
  • And, we can easily download our dives to our home computer.

Basically, this computer meets our immediate needs, addresses some of the wants we are looking to gain and it will also allow us to “grow” into some of the features this dive computer offers as we advance our certification levels and demand more from our computers. Truly, the price was really competitive for all of the features it came with.

So now that we have our new dive computers, what do we do with our old ones? Colin from the Dive Shop echoed something I have heard many times before, “Keep your old computer and attach it to your BCD as a backup.”

“Why would I do that?”

“What if your computer floods? Battery dies? Or some other malfunction? This allows you the ability to finish your dive safely and continue to dive (within the limitations of that computer) until you get your computer serviced. This is especially good if you are traveling away from your home base.”

What a great idea to have a backup! So we are now studying the manuals, programming the dates and times and familiarizing ourselves with the computers. They are very similar in feel and navigation to our Aeris XR-1 computers. These new Hollis DG-03 dive computers may not be the sleekest looking computers, but they certainly are impressive and we are excited to use them.

So what have you decided for your next dive computer purchase? What are you currently using? Whatever you decide, we hope you find someone like Colin at the Dive Shop in Calgary to help detangle all of the issues and give you confidence in your purchase like he did for us.

Happy diving! Tim (and Lana)

A picture is worth . . . a thousand dollars?

14 Comments / Equipment / By

I know that I can’t possibly be the only person struggling with this issue. You know what I’m talking about. You want to take great photos underwater, but don’t know which direction to go. Do you buy a housing for your Nikon D90 or do you buy a new camera with a new housing?

I have to preface this by letting you know that I’m in no way, shape or form a professional photographer. I just love photography. And I really love my D90, which is why after tons of research, I have decided against purchasing an underwater housing for it. Besides the fact that the housing is more expensive than the camera, I just couldn’t bear the thought of the housing leaking on a dive. I know that the chance of that happening is slim to none, but it’s there, so another direction I went.

My next thought was to check out the GoPro cameras. I did some research online and everything looked great. The videos and photos on their website were spectacular. The price was unbelievable. You could dive to a reasonable depth with it. So, here I was, about to purchase one, when something told me to email GoPro to ask what accessories I should get along with the camera if I were going to solely use it for scuba diving. You can imagine my surprise when I got this email in response, “All of our cameras are waterproof that you can use for scuba diving. It’s just that the lens is not the best thing for scuba.” Well, there you have it folks. Thanks to the integrity of GoPro, I was off to do more research.

At this point, I was sick of staring at a computer screen trying to decide which direction to go next, so I did the most logical thing. I drove down to my neighborhood scuba shop. I’ve driven past this place a bunch of times, but never stopped in. I’m glad I finally did. It was a well stocked shop, complete with cameras! There were two brands that had prominent displays; GoPro (of which I have already decided against) and SeaLife.

As I was checking out the SeaLife cameras, I was approached by a gentleman, named John (who also happened to be the owner). I ended up talking his ear off for about 30 minutes explaining my situation. He gave me a lot of great feedback on the cameras that he had. After a lengthy discussion, I decided on the SeaLife DC1400 Pro Duo. If this thing does half the things it says it’s going to do, we’re in business! I really look forward to using it and seeing what you guys think of the photos and videos.

So, how many of you out there take a lot of photo and video underwater? What camera configurations do you use? Make sure to leave your comments below (and some links with some photos you took). I’d love to hear from you guys! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Diving! – Esther

How should I compute my next dive?

8 Comments / Equipment / By

Hunting for a dive computer is just like buying a home computer. Do I buy a Mac or PC? Once I choose my operating system, which model do I go with? I wish it were that simple in the diving industry. There are so many players to choose from which seems to complicate the selection process. I have found at least 5 operating systems among at least 16 brands and it seems that each has at least 2 – 15 models to choose from. Flat out, this is a time-consuming endeavour and I hope to peel the onion back to find out what considerations need to be made in purchasing the right dive computer for me and it is my hope that this helps you, too.

For those of you who are considering taking up the sport of diving, your first computer will be the same as ours. It is slick! This dive computer is paper-thin. Well, it pretty much is paper and processing speed in my model was terrible. Allow me to introduce the PADI Dive Table. While the PADI Dive Table is fundamental to safe diving and definitely works in a pinch, it limits you to fixed depths and dive times which has led us to consider an alternative.

Our next model was a larger model, and one that is especially used at dive resorts. It is an upgrade from the PADI dive table because it allows for multi-level dives and longer dive times. However, reliability was completely based on the “faith” algorithm, we like to call this the “Dive Master” Computer. The Dive Master watches us carefully as we follow his dive computer and he only has one rule: “Stay above me and you will be fine.” Obviously, this type of computer does not allow for independent multi-level diving and has inherent safety risks if the diver deviates from the plan. Even though we were successful with this model for about 25 dives, we knew we had to make the consideration for our own personal dive computer.

One year after getting into diving, Lana and I purchased 2 matching dive computers from our local dive store. We put a little thought into this purchase, but we basically asked the store clerk, “What is a simple dive computer for relatively new divers?” The diving pro was quick to show us the Aeris XR-1 and without hesitation, we made the purchase. It was the lowest priced computer at the time and, essentially, loaded with nothing. Now, stop your snickering because these computers have served us without fail on over 125 dives and continue to function well, aside from the periodic change of a battery, but, we need to make a change… Why? Primarily, the Aeris XR-1 is unable to compute Nitrox blends. Esther‘s previous article on Enriched Air has spurred us on to take the Nitrox course and advance our diving skill level. Also, just as in any other sport, we believe our skill level has improved enough to justify the upgrade. Therefore, we are looking to purchase a computer that matches our dive habits and commitment to the sport.

So, what and who influences our purchase? Obviously, like any other purchase, we listen, research and test. It is common to check out our peer’s scuba equipment and ask the normal questions about their experience with the equipment and it’s overall performance. We then sit down behind a computer and feverishly search the internet for hours as we read product reviews (a feature www.scubadiveadvisor.com will have once we are in full swing) and finally, we try to find some place we can look at these computers, play with them and hopefully make the best decision based on our needs.

Despite my conversations with friends, hours of online research, I feel like I am even more confused now than when we began our search. So the best thing for me to do is talk to someone I trust so I paid a visit to one of our local dive shops in Calgary to get some guidance. Thankfully, The Dive Shop‘s computer whiz, Colin, is there to help me out as we talk for almost an hour and a half and narrow down my options. Really, he is a computer programmer and technical diver. He truly understands the algorithms and features behind each brand (including the ones his shop does not sell) making him a valuable asset to the Dive Shop. Colin discussed the various computers available on the market and he steered the conversation in a different direction to figure out what may be the better options for Lana and I by interjecting the following questions (in no particular order):

  • “How often do you dive?” – I dive between 30-60 dives per year.
  • “What type of diver are you? Recreational or technical?” – An enthusiast as I stay within the “Recreational Diver” limits, but I like to occasionally have the ability to explore some wrecks at 50 metres.
  • “Do you dive in cold water?” – Not yet! I have heard about the wonders of the West Coast of Canada but the cold has been a deterrent (Dry suit… Brrrr… I’m sure this will be a future blog post).
  • “Are you familiar with the dive computer algorithms?” – Vaguely. I do know that some computers are more conservative than others.
  • “What is your budget?” – Good question. I’d like to keep this purchase around $600-900 each, but you tell me. Is that realistic?
  • “Are you looking for air integrated?” (This means the dive computer has a transmitter that reads your current tank air pressure) – I think so. It seems to be the next step. What do you think?

Colin asked questions I had already asked myself, but he also made me think of other factors I had not yet considered. These questions helped to identify which computer may be a good fit for my diving habits. A couple interesting notes that came up while talking with Colin is that sometimes the sleek little computers are not as handy during cold water dives because the small buttons are a little cumbersome to navigate when wearing 5mm gloves. Also, some computers tout multiple gases… Cool! But how does that benefit the recreational diver? It seldom does. This is a feature that appeals to technical divers and even so, most technical divers seem to opt for a non-air integrated VPM algorithm (complicated, right?). And this inevitably leads to the most important question: When am I buying too much computer? Are some of these features relevant enough for me to plan for in my diving future or should I just apply any savings to more diving or other equipment upgrades?

The list can be as specific as you want to make it, but the other factors we discussed included:

  • Ability to change your own battery. This can be costly and inconvenient with some manufacturers.
  • What type of backlighting is there for low visibility, dark conditions and night dives. OLED is a new and fantastic technology available only on technical computers.
  • Do I make an online purchase or brick and mortar purchase. Yes we did discuss this and while he agreed that purchasing online may offer a lower price, the ability to service is an inverse relationship to that benefit. (Meaning: many stores may resist in helping to repair an item purchased online and you will have to send it back to the company yourself).
  • Buying online is a good way to search out reviews and find price points, but you are unable to physically see and touch it.

So now that I have many of my own questions answered: Have I made the decision to purchase a computer? Yes! But have I decided which computer to purchase? I haven’t yet. But I have narrowed my search to consider the above factors and Colin is helping to research some computers that may be a fit for Lana and I. Therefore, during the next week, I’ve decided to listen to you, the reader, and get your opinions as well. Once I synthesize your comments, I’ll combine these with what I’ve learned online and from speaking with Colin, chew on it for a week and then make my decision. I’ll have an answer to everyone in two weeks. Follow us here on our blog (or Facebook & Twitter) for our first cliffhanger. To be continued…

Tim

To breathe or not to breathe….enriched air?

3 Comments / Training / By

I’ve been diving for almost six years now and for six years I’ve been meaning to become an enriched air diver. Better late than never, right? Problem was, I didn’t really know where to start. So, I did what any rational scuba diver would do, and contacted the dive shop that I got my open water certification with. I did all of my classroom and pool training with Eco Dive Center, so I trust them when it comes to certification.

I have to admit, when signing up to get certified to dive with Nitrox, I was fully expecting classroom sessions, a weekend dive or two and maybe some reading. When Beth advised that the class was online, I didn’t really know what to think. I also had several options with regard to who I wanted to get certified through. I ended up choosing TDI / SDI. To be quite frank, the only reason why I chose them instead of PADI is because I already have my open water certification through PADI and I wanted to try another company.

So, I paid for my course and got my eLearning code and off I went. First thing you do when you log on to take the course? Sign off on TWELVE disclaimers. Yes, 12. Which is fine. Scuba diving is a sport that should always be taken seriously. And I definitely wasn’t about to rush through a course that’s teaching me about an air mixture that I’m going to breathe into my body. Focus? Check! Disclaimers signed off on, medical history filled out, and now on to the important stuff.

Before I even start reading the material for my certification course, I get a summary of what I’ll be reading. I’m not going to lie. When I saw this list of seven chapters, it overwhelmed me a little. This looked to me like it was going to be a very long day.

  • Chapter 1 : This is Nitrox
  • Chapter 2 : How Nitrox Works to Give You More Bottom Time
  • Chapter 3 : Risks Associated with Nitrox Diving
  • Chapter 4 : Equipment for Nitrox Diving
  • Chapter 5 : Filling Your Cylinders with Nitrox
  • Chapter 6 : Planning Nitrox Dives
  • Chapter 7 : Extending Your Nitrox Knowledge

Well, lucky for me it was easy reading. It was easy because it was well written (lots of typos, though) and structured in such a way that it didn’t feel like it was a chore. After every chapter you had to take a quiz in order to move on to the next chapter. Don’t worry. Even if you don’t pass the quiz, you get the opportunity to take it again. After about two hours of intense reading, I passed the final exam at the end of the course.

I learned a lot and I’m really looking forward to doing my first dive with Nitrox in Sipadan in March. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes and whether I’ll choose to dive with enriched air from here on out, or if I’ll be making the switch back to regular air.

Happy Diving! – Esther

How many of you reading this dive with Nitrox? Likes? Dislikes?

NAFTA

2 Comments / About Us / By

Since Lana and Tim had taken to diving, it seemed to Lana as though every vacation focused around diving. Dive, dive, dive! So… President of the Skeet household Lana wanted a “no-dive vacation.” She liked the idea of settling into a sun destination, but did not want to tote around dive gear or plan her days around diving.

It was settled. Lana and Tim would plan their 2008 10th wedding anniversary trip to Bali, a place they had previously enjoyed in 2003 and 2004 for their anniversary. They wanted to share this experience with another couple, so they invited their good friends, Jason and Carissa, of Calgary, to enjoy this exotic destination with them. After a couple months of careful planning and coordinating with Jason and Carissa, the trip was nearly canceled as a result of two painful family events that took place just weeks before they were to depart. In true Skeet style, their positive nature took over and they decided that it would be best to take a break and truly enjoy their 10th anniversary relaxing and rejuvenating on the beautiful sun drenched beaches of the Indian Ocean.

Unbeknownst to Tim and Lana, Dan and Esther (whom they haven’t met yet) were trying to plan their vacation on sun drenched beaches as well. Having fallen in love with scuba on their trip to Tahiti during their honeymoon, two years had passed and Esther and Dan were ready for another dive adventure. “So where will our American Airline miles take us this year?” they asked themselves. After researching the best dive locations in the world they decided that the destination had to be somewhere in Asia. That somewhere, just happened to be in Bali, Indonesia.

After a stop over in Tokyo and two days of travel, Dan and Esther arrived in beautiful Bali. As the relaxing pace of the island began to sink in, Dan and Esther quickly fell in the love with the friendly island. After arriving at the Bali Intercontinental Resort, it was straight to bed at 1:00 AM local time and then early rise for breakfast and a day to relax by the pool. After sunbathing by the pool until noon, Dan and Esther decided it was time to make their way over to the pool bar to grab some drinks.

This is where the story becomes interesting. On Lana and Tim’s first day at the Bali Intercontinental Resort, while sitting at the pool bar, Tim was sharing with their friends, Jason and Carissa, “You know the other thing that is great about this place? We are far enough from home that we will seldom find any loud Americans.” Now Tim is not necessarily the benchmark for making any claims about being loud or quiet because it was obvious that he was being heard by at least the next couple at the pool bar. Being the social butterfly Tim is, turning to the “next couple”, Tim asks, “So, where are you guys from?” and this is how Lana and Tim (together with Carissa and Jason), met Esther and Dan. Many laughs ensued when they responded “from California, United States” which sent Tim’s foot flying into his mouth. At that moment the NAFTA talks began between the four Canadians their new friends Esther and Dan and a wonderful friendship began.

That day, it was discovered that Esther and Tim were equally loud. As Dan is remembered saying, “Esther, you’re a 9. Dial it down to a 4!” Dan and Lana have continually been the balanced and more socially aware pair. We found out much about each other and the obvious likeness to emerge from our conversations was the common interest in scuba diving. Their visit was short-lived, though, as Dan and Esther would be leaving the following day for another resort in the Northern part of Bali to scuba dive and then directly home after a week more. Too bad. These seemed like nice people.

The four remaining friends at the Bali Intercontinental were pleasantly surprised when Dan and Esther unexpectedly appeared two days later in the pool at the Bali Intercontinental. “We missed you guys so much we had to come back and hang out with you.” Esther and Dan said. The funny part about that is that it is not stretching the truth a bit. Dan and Esther truly did return because they simply wanted to hang out with their newfound friends. Now Tim really wanted to remain true to his commitment to Lana in not diving on the trip, but when Esther piped up and enticingly said: “So we’re diving with Manta Rays tomorrow. What are you doing?” Feeling bamboozled by the Murphy’s, and considering Lana and Tim recently had a failed attempt to see mantas in Yap, Tim (with a huge help from Esther) heckled Lana to commit, they acquiesced and joined the Murphy’s for ONE day of diving. Well, they hit the mother-load on that dive the next day with mantas everywhere on the ocean highway and “Crooked Tail” leading the train of mantas at a cleaning station. The four of them spent nearly an hour planted firmly in one place bobbing back and forth with the surge and watching manta after manta effortlessly glide over the top of them in pure amazement.

Esther and Dan continued to dive on that trip while Lana and Tim reverted back to a more sedentary and “resort” pace for the rest of the trip but they spent dinners, sun and pool time together before the ultimate commitment: Facebook friends.

Friendships can be made in a moment but it really is the meshing of personalities and the commitment to the relationship that will build an incredible foundation. Weeks after their mutual anniversary trips to Bali, Dan and Esther were on the phone with Lana and Tim one Saturday night, and Lana and Tim asked them: “What are you doing tomorrow? We’ll fly down in the morning and hang with you for the day.” Esther and Dan planned an exciting “Esther and Dan show Lana and Tim Long Beach in a day” day for Tim and Lana after they arrived at 10AM. Great times! Riding beach cruisers to Hole Mole (Dan’s favorite Burrito place), Belmont Brewing Company, Yard House and followed by The Auld Dubliner before dropping Lana off with a passed out Tim for their flight back to Canada at 4PM.

And so the adventure continues…

Are you here for scuba?

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I guess you can call it somewhat of a fluke that Dan and Esther ended up as avid scuba enthusiasts. Early in their relationship Dan and Esther discovered a love of the ocean, mainly because of its kaleidoscope of beautiful coral and tropical fish. Not yet knowing the detriment that having an aquarium has on the oceans of our planet, Dan and Esther found a mutual love of all things marine and decided to pursue a hobby in the husbandry of a marine aquarium with teaming coral reef. Quickly, the love for the ocean became an obsession, and then began the voyage of research to understand the careful balance that it takes to maintain “their own little ecosystem.” As they began to understand the fragile nature of “their own reef” Esther and Dan began to realize the negative impact of owning an aquarium. At first they decided to buy only fish and corals that were aqua-cultured (grown in an aquarium and not stolen from the ocean) but Dan and Esther quickly understood through their research that participating in any type of aquarium reef-keeping is promoting an industry that inherently destroys the worlds reefs. This reality became even more evident as Dan and Esther made their first journey to the tropical island of Hawaii.

Landing in Maui was a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Quickly Dan and Esther settled into island life and let relaxation take over. They attended their friends wedding and had a wonderful time drinking and dancing, but the best of Hawaii was yet to come. Once the wedding was done and everyone went their separate ways, Dan and Esther had their normal question, “what now?” Little did they know, they were about to take a huge step that would change their lives forever. They started off with all the typical tours around the island. But somehow, these tours just weren’t enough. Dan and Esther felt a draw to see more of the ocean. They decided to check out Maui Dive, a nearby dive shop,  just to take a look around. Noticing a sign for the PADI Introductory Dive, they immediately inquired what exactly “no certification or classroom work necessary” meant. Dan was instantly onboard and couldn’t wait to get under water. Esther on the other hand wasn’t feeling completely confident about the decision. After about an hour at the shop discussing claustrophobia, fear of sharks and drowning, Esther was finally convinced to take an introductory dive.

They arrived at Turtle Town, just off the beach at The Ritz Carlton. After getting situated, they began to make the descent into the open ocean. Esther was ready to quit after putting her head in the water. It took about  40 minutes for her to finally get comfortable with the whole notion of breathing under water. Finally under water, they made their way to the nearest reef. There were corals, beautiful fish and to Esther’s delight, giant green turtles.

Soon after returning home, Esther suggested that she and Dan get their Open Water certification. After searching for a dive shop to get certified at, they settled on Eco Dive Center. All of the classes went smoothly and everyone in the group had a blast thanks to Beth and Ron’s (the owners) excitement for the sport. If you live anywhere near Los Angeles, Eco Dive Center is a must visit.

After the classwork was done, Dan and Esther decided to do their certification dives in French Polynesia on their honeymoon. They chose Top Dive in Papeete. This is where they met Frank, who took them on four dives to finish their certification. Best part about getting certified in Tahiti? It will forever say French Polynesia on your certification cards.

So that is the story of how Esther and Dan discovered the wonders of scuba diving and the amazing people that make the industry what it is. 2006 will forever be the year that scuba diving changed their lives for the better and they haven’t looked back since!

Do You Scuba Dive, Eh?

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Lana and Tim (The Canadians), have always enjoyed snorkeling. Swimming in lakes, rivers and oceans has always been a normal part of their lives growing up. That being said, Lana and Tim never even though about learning to scuba dive.

Having explored much of the globe, Lana and Tim are intrepid travelers who would say they are only 40% of the way through their travel odyssey in seeing the entire world. Despite their current enthusiasm for scuba, they still intend to rail, raft, bungee, camel, balloon and cycle their way to new destinations and adventures. Prior to learning how to dive, Lana and Tim had even been to some of the more popularized dive destinations in the world where they snorkeled. i.e., Thailand, Red Sea, Hawaii and Caribbean. Before the “call to scuba” in 2006, the notion of diving had barely registered a chord. This makes them wonder today: “How many other people out there, like us, love to see it all, but fail to make the giant stride into the big blue?”

Lana and Tim did not voluntarily start scuba diving. Tim’s brother, Brad, was registering for a class at Adventures in Scuba because his new girlfriend was a certified diver, and they were planning a dive trip to the Dominican Republic in April. Brad basically told Tim at Christmas 2006, “You would take scuba diving lessons with me, right?” Brad’s question seemed more like a command and Brad was, therefore, the catalyst in getting Tim to sign up for his PADI Open Water certification. Being the couple that does everything together, Lana signed up as well to join Tim, not thinking that she would even like it. The first day in a PADI classroom, everyone is generally asked, “Why are you here?” That is a dangerous question to ask because Tim is sometimes brutally honest, and shared, “Well, you see… my brother next to me got ‘Dear John’d’ and his wife left him last summer. However, after months of being alone, he has finally met a girl, she dives, they’re going on a trip together, he must learn how to scuba dive, wanted a classroom buddy. Therefore, here we are.” Of course, Brad turned red, their instructor, Norm, and the classroom, laughed… and Brad is probably going to turn red again when he reads this story online.

Their PADI classroom and pool instructor, Norm, is ex-military and also an avid adventurer. With over 10,000 dives under his belt, Norm’s focus on precision, respect for the sport and sense of humour, made their learning environment a positive experience. At the time of Lana and Tim’s lessons in Calgary, Canada, the outdoor temperature in January 2006 was averaging -30 to -20 Celsius. (For our American readers… REALLY cold). Although the pool area was room temperature, wearing a 3mm wetsuit indoors against the frosted windows was still very cold. Therefore, they opted to do their open water dives in a tropical climate in lieu of the glacial-feeling Lake Minnewanka (Google that), set in the Canadian Rockies, in late June when the lake finally thaws.

A month after classroom completion, Lana and Tim went to Malaysia and registered with Borneo Divers for their 4 Open Water dives on Mamutik Island (just off Kota Kinabalu). Something about Borneo Divers just seemed perfect to them. Their dive instructor, Clarence, was both knowledgeable and his patience was stellar. Better yet, he gave Lana and Tim the confidence to tackle Sipadan (widely ranked as a top 5 dive destination). Clarence called ahead to fellow dive master and good friend, Eljer, to take them under his wing.

Eljer’s crazy sense of humour and passion for diving cemented Lana and Tim into this sport. Eljer’s ability to have fun resonated with both of them. Especially Tim, as they always “horse around”. Lana recalls Eljer having to work with 5 newbies in his group (3 Brits had just been certified as well) and she said they were always astray underwater. It was almost like herding cats. However, Eljer successfully kept his eye on all of his novice divers through every dive. Tim and Lana have become great friends with Eljer over the years. They mutually stay in contact with each other and this has resulted in Lana and Tim continuing to revisit Sipadan almost yearly (equally motivated by the chance to just hang out with Eljer and the Borneo Diver’s team as much as the incredible diving at Sipadan).

Lana and Tim recall their first experience with Borneo Divers to be, in a word, magical. It has set the tone for future dive expeditions to Palau, Yap, Fiji, Bali, Manado, Rodrigues (Mauritius), Lampedusa and Lord Howe Island. But the magic has always led them back to their favorite destination,”home” to their friends at Borneo Divers and their favorite dive destination, Sipadan.

Lana and Tim feel very fortunate that they had such a positive experiences from the onset. The sport of scuba diving has become the backbone to Lana and Tim “Meeting People, Going Places and Doing Things”. They continue to look forward to new friendships throughout the world as they seek out their next adventure.

Keep on Equalizing!

As a side-note:
All of you are probably wondering about Tim’s brother. Brad would later obtain his open water certification and dive holiday with Scuba Caribe in April of 2007. He continues to dive once a year on his various trips throughout the Caribbean and the Pacific. And he is still with the same girl… All because of the diving.

Kempang Baru : Bunaken Marine Park – Indonesia

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Unlike the first two dives, the landscape of this dive was a sandy bottom which demanded both solid buoyancy and limited movement to keep the sand from being agitated. This dive lacked the captivating colors of a soft coral reef wall, but was still rewarding with a few seahorses clinging onto a staghorn coral surrounded by numerous squid eggs. In between smaller corals with varying species of nudibranch, spotted blue stingrays could be seen chasing each other across the sandy bottom. A ghost pipefish was barely seen as it was well camouflaged and dancing among a feather star and camouflage seemed to be the common theme on this sandy bottom as an Aligator fish (a type of scorpion fish) remained patient and motionless, ready to strike. Only a couple of lionfish announced their presence with their bring colors as we finished a great first day in Bunaken.