Be Safe When Snorkeling
By Dean Novosat
Snorkeling is a fun and healthy way to spend a vacation or holiday. You don't need a lot of money or a lot of specialized gear to enjoy the undersea world that most people never get a chance to see. All you really need is a mask and snorkel. However, flippers can make it easier to maneuver underwater and you will be able to swim farther distances with flippers.
Remember so safety tips about snorkeling and you will have a much more enjoyable time.
- Always tell someone where you are planning on going! If you are at a resort by yourself, let the front desk know and have them check to make sure you check-in with them again.
- Know your limitations. Don’t swim in deeper water or stronger currents than you can handle.
- Check the weather. In the ocean, storms can approach very quickly and a calm and sunny day can turn into a tempest in a matter of minutes.
- Have proper safety gear. This may include a diving knife and a wetsuit to prevent scrapes from coral.
That being said, snorkeling can be enjoyed from almost any beach where there is a coral reef and swimming is safe. Try to find an area with snorkeling within about 150 feet from shore. If the best places to see fish and aquatic life are much farther out than that, it may be too safe to swim that distance. In that case, use a boat to get to the destination. There are boat trips available where you can visit many of the coral reefs and popular spots for diving. You will find different charters available that will take you out on 1/2 day or full day excursion to a few unique snorkeling areas. In some cases, all of your gear is included in the price of the charter. This allows beginners with no equipment or gear to try their hand at diving.
Snorkeling can be a great alternative to scuba diving. Sometimes you don't yet have the training or equipment to scuba dive. It can be a fun adventure for adults and children. Anyone that is comfortable swimming can master snorkeling in the ocean, this includes children.
Dean Novosat writes about scuba diving and snorkeling at http://www.snorkelingpro.com Snorkeling and scuba diving at Scuba Diving
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dean_Novosat
http://EzineArticles.com/?Be-Safe-When-Snorkeling&id=1923448
Scuba Diving in the Red Sea, Egypt
By A. Mahallati
People traveling to Egypt do not do so only to view the many fascinating historical sites stretching up and down the Nile River. They also come to take in the glories of the far Western Desert and its five large oases. Visitors also enjoy trekking and exploring through the Eastern Desert and the Sinai Peninsula as well. Currently, however one of the strongest reasons that people from around the world plan a visit is to enjoy the scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt.
Scuba diving in Egypt? Absolutely! In fact, the eastern coast of continental Egypt and the southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula (which is a territory of Egypt) are frequently referred to as the "Red Sea Riviera". This is for several reasons, but primarily due to the charming towns and villages that have grown to accommodate the enormous number of visitors who make a point of scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt.
The waters are famous for their remarkable conditions and sea life. Travelers to any of the popular towns and resorts along the coastal areas can learn how to snorkel, scuba dive, kite sail, surf and many other activities in this excellent region.
Scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt has become so popular in fact that the government has deemed most of the area as a protected region. Because the bulk of the waters off of Egypt's Red Sea coast are protected many visitors hoping to enjoy scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt will have to book passage with a diving company or private guide service. While this may sound like an annoyance, the reality is that divers frequently comment on the uncrowded conditions and the peaceful environment in which they experienced the diversity of wildlife and scenery beneath the waves.
The popularity of scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt has created an enormous range of accommodations from which visitors may choose. This includes many all inclusive resorts, with luxury amenities and diving certification courses. It also includes vacation rentals, which provide access to a private home or condominium in the town or nearby harbor. Finally, there are traditional hotels which deliver excellent service with Egypt's traditional and famous hospitality.
Additionally, the large numbers of tourists who choose to enjoy their scuba diving in this area have also motivated some small fishing villages to develop into significantly larger towns. Some provide incredible shopping and dining, while others are known as excellent spots to enjoy international night life. Clearly, scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt is a great way to plan an excellent vacation.
Virtual Egypt Travel Guide provides you access to everything Egypt. Through scuba diving in the Red Sea, Egypt, you can explore and experience everything the Red Sea and scuba diving in Sharm El Sheikh have to offer. For more information on scuba diving in Hurghada, visit the Virtual Egypt Travel Guide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A._Mahallati
http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving-in-the-Red-Sea,-Egypt&id=1924559
Scuba Diving in Malaysia
Malaysia has an array of fantastic diving destinations which beckon the divers all over the world. Sipidan Island and Layang Layang are the two most sought after places. Memories of scuba diving in Malaysia keep on delighting the visitors even after months have passed. Every diving spot in the country has something of its own, and together, they make the experience unparalleled.
Diving Spots
Most diving spots in Malaysia are located in Sabah. Apart from it, some popular scuba diving destinations are Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Redang, Pulau Kapas, Mabul, Kapalai, Pulau Tioman, Pulau Lang Tengah and Pulau Tenggol. Scuba diving here gives one the opportunity to enjoy fantastic coral and marine life. Varying depth of ocean around Sabah makes marine life here different from the waters of Peninsular Malaysia. Expert divers prefer to head for Pulau Sipadan or Layang Layang.
Variety of Diving Experiences
Malaysia arranges a variety of experiences for the visitors. One can enjoy muck diving in Pulau Lankayan, Pulau Mabul and Pulau Kapalai. Muck divers dive in coral rubble areas seeking out coral creatures. Recommended places for reef diving are Pulau Talang Talang and Turtle Rock off Sarawak coast. Malaysia has several places for wreck diving too. Several vessels capsized in Malaysian waters during the Second World War and have now become the places of effusive coral growth.
Sipadan Island
Any mention of scuba diving in Malaysia is incomplete without Sipadan Island. As one of the top scuba centres in the world, Sipadan is a must visit for any scuba diving lover. Sipadan is a well-known name in diving circles. Its name is synonymous with hammerhead sharks, colorful reef fish and sea turtles. The huge drop off in Siapadan is the destination of many a diver all over the world. Water conditions and facilities are fine.
Layang Layang
The island, located off Borneo, presents wonderful diving opportunities. Thanks to the coral atoll situated by deep waters, one can enjoy outstanding wall diving. Any time, one could meet species like hammerhead sharks. There is astounding variety of corals, both hard and soft. Creatures like turtles, triggerfish and manta rays are found in the reefs. Diving season in Layang Layang is between March and August.
Mabul
Mabul, located just 25 minutes off Sipadan, is another preferred place for scuba diving. The island's reputation rests as one of the world's best muck diving sites. The term is used to describe limited visibility dives at shallow sites. Muck diving offers one the opportunity to watch some unusual marine life. Macro photographers love to visit Mabul.
Dinesh Patairya is a seasoned traveler. He has been writing on travel and tourism for years for several online and offline publications. Malaysia is one of his favorite countries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dinesh_Patairya
http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving-in-Malaysia&id=1900612
New Shirt Shop
Hey.. Just wanted to let everyone know that Shannon and I have created a series of dive shirts. You can link to them through our website under the "stores" menu or you can view them here.
Here are a couple of samples.
Got Air?
Divers Do It Down Under
My Scuba Friend
Dive Training – Jan 24th 2009
Update:
Class went very well. We had lots of students and three of those were refreshing skills. We had three DivCons in the class, two helped with the open water pool session one. I had the opportunity to work with the refreshers. Boy, I will tell you, this is fun. The three students were pretty much perfect. I went over all the update skills with them without any issue. I do want to point one thing out, though this not the first time I have seen this it is very important. While acending do not put air into your BC! If you do you are looking trouble. The purpose of putting air into the BC is to keep you afloat on the surface and trim out your buoyancy while you are below. Anyway, just wanted to share. Enjoy the read!!!
-MJ
------------------
It is time again to start reviewing some of the skills I learned while going through the SSI DiveCon course. This coming up weekend, I will be assisting one of the Adventure Sports SSI instructors with dive class. From what I understand, we will have several newbies and a few updates. I will be reviewing the DivCon Scuba Skills update documentation in particular to make sure I do not miss anything. We as DivCons generally perform the Skills Update solo. Periodically reviewing the documentation keeps my mind sharp so that both the students and myself benefit from the training update. I will go ahead and post an update when the class is complete and let everyone know how it went.
Shannon will not be joining me for dive class as she has to work. We typically work as a team which allows some our classes to be a bit larger.
So if you are in the Kansas City area and with to get some dive training, do visit Adventure Sports. Depending on the instructor teaching your class, you may be working both Shannon and myself.
-Thanks,
-MJ