Fin For YourSelf» Scuba

New Atomic Aquatics T2X

Mike — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:51:36 +0000

I typically purchase a new SCUBA regulator every few years. When I first started SCUBA, I purchased an Atomic Aquatics Regulator with a B1 first stage. Thus fur that is by far the best regulator I have ever used. The down fall is that it was quite expensive to service. In my opinion, the quality and performance out weights the cost of servicing it. I recently picked up a new Atomic T2X. I can’t wait to start using it. I am going to try and test it out in the pool during a training session. If things work out, I will head down to Beaver Lake with Adventure Sports and do a deep dive with it before heading to my next SCUBA trip in Dominica. I always support the local SCUBA shops in my area. So I purchased this locally from Skin-n-Scuba in Kansas City.

Here is some information on my new regulator.

First Stage:

First stage components precision-machined from solid bar
Titanium that is lightweight and corrosion-free
Atomic Jet Seat high-flow piston first stage
Freeze protected factory-sealed first stage also prevents contamination such as silt and sand
Nitrox ready for dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%
New T2x for non-dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%
First stage ports: 2 HP fixed / 5 LP on swivel cap

Second Stage:

Patented Atomic “Seat Saving” Orifice (Titanium)
Patented Atomic Automatic Flow Control (AFC)
Rapid adjustment knob for manual second stage de-tuning in special situations
All-Titanium Atomic Comfort Swivel standard on all T2x regulators
A new high-flow second stage case and magnum lever design that significantly lowers breathing effort at any depth from shallow water to beyond the limits
Dual material second stage cover enables entire front to be used for purge
Dual silicone comfort fit mouthpiece with tear-resistant bite tabs
Metal-accented front cover ring, adjustment knob, and AFC cover
Deluxe padded travel bag
2 year / 300 dive service interval
Limited Lifetime Warranty – not contingent on proof of service
Combined weight of the Atomic T2x First & Second Stage is under 2 lbs.

Great Florida Diving Sites Along the Atlantic Coast

Mike — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:03:23 +0000

By Stephen Harold Brown

Many open water divers attend Florida diving basically because there are plenty of diving sites found around the coast of Florida. A little known fact is that apart from being located in a nice and warm region, Florida has the longest coastline of all the states in the U.S.

When we first look at the Atlantic coastline you will find a series of reef lines creating an outer reef, inner reef and middle reef. These reefs run along the coastline providing different diving experiences from north of West Palm Beach all the way down the coastline to The Keys. A fantastic event up and down this coast is the perpetual current of warm water which is The Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream runs near to the shores heading north before veering out into the Atlantic. The Gulf Stream provides a cleansing action for the marine bio system and brings with it nutrients which provides essential food for the growing marine system.

Florida diving centers are able to find a variety of dive sites along the coast.

Florida Diving Sites: West Palm Beach - Miami

West Palm Beach has a fantastic variety of dive sites with loads of wrecks to explore such as the Thozina which is just one of three ships making up one dive site known as Governor's River Walk Reef.

In West Palm Beach Florida diving beginners can still enjoy a pulsating experience scuba diving well known reef systems such as Breakers Reef.

Travel south down the coast and you find Ft. Lauderdale. Known as "The Venice of America" this is a wonderful place to visit on any Florida diving trip.

Apart from the canals and waterways Ft. Laud offers extraordinary diving opportunities such as Tenneco Towers or Oil Platforms. Venture further south and you arrive at Miami.

Miami. Culture, fashion, sport and 'er' Army tanks waiting to be explored on the sea floor!

Apart from all the cultural things you can do around Miami on your Florida diving trip there is also a great variety of scuba dive sites that provide novice and experienced divers plenty of chance to have fun.

Florida Diving Sites: Key Largo - Key West

Beyond Miami and travelling further south, no Florida diving schedule would exclude a visit to Key Largo or Key West.

When you catch sight of the vast choice of diving sites available it's easy to see why Key Largo is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world.

The locale around Key Largo is amazing in its diversity with shipwrecks, reefs and caves to be explored. The biggest wreck ever sunk off the coast of Florida is the Spiegel Grove and this challenging dive is rewarded with the astonishing sight of one huge shipwreck now occupied by some very great fish. The are many other ships including the U.S.S. Duane and U.S.S. Bibb which can be dived by less experienced divers.

When it comes to underwater photography or macro photography Molasses Reef provides an interesting opportunity to perform your underwater skills with the shallow waters and amazing marine life providing the fantastic colors and lighting.

Key Largo is the finest known by the Florida diving community for its wide choice of diving sites but Key West is the location to go for the nightlife and culture if you do travel to The Keys.

Key West provides some of the best entertainment in The Keys with the streets full of jugglers, singers and other entertainers going through their routines in the street. With some great dive sites Key West is many peoples favorite destination.

So many places and so little time and what's more we haven't even looked at The Gulf of Mexico on Florida's west coast. That we will do in an additional article.

Written by Stephen H Brown you can find more on Florida diving sites at this Florida scuba diving website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Harold_Brown
http://EzineArticles.com/?Great-Florida-Diving-Sites-Along-the-Atlantic-Coast&id=3526544

Scuba Diving on Kauai

Mike — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:01:16 +0000

By Steve J. Grant

If you are looking for a great scuba diving experience, we recommend that you to go to Kauai and enjoy the warms waters of this island. Diving on Kauai is where you can discover amazing sea life and be able to swim between schools of fishes that will take your breath away. It is an experience you must not miss and you don't need to be a certified scuba diver, but you can become one if you take lessons while you are here.

If you want to try scuba diving you can get a tour where you will be guided by some qualified instructors. They will let you know how to properly use the equipment and take you to an area where you will have a wonderful diving experience. Most of the time the groups are small so that the instructors can spend more time with each of the guests and provide a more personalized service.

Kauai is also known as "The Garden Island" and this island is surrounded by warm tropical waters that make it perfect to enjoy scuba diving while looking at marine life and wonderful coral reefs. There are a lot of companies which provide scuba diving services including Adventure Travel Kauai, Dive Kauai Scuba Center, Snorkel Cat Adventure tours, Sunrise Scuba Adventures and Kauai Nitrox Divers.

If you want to experience a totally different way of diving you can do it in Kauai. On this island you can enjoy the best night diving experiences. You will be able to do it in the Pacific Ocean and you will be able to see some of the rarest creatures in the world. Dive master guides can show you how amazing the Kauai night life is under the water.

Scuba diving is just one of the many activities you can enjoy when visiting Kauai Island, so take you time and enjoy all that this place has to offer.

For more information on Kauai please visit: Kauai also if you are interested in Scuba Diving in Hawaii be sure to check out our new guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_J._Grant
http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving-on-Kauai&id=3531890

Scuba Diving, Colorado Style

Mike — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:39:31 +0000

Scuba Diving, Colorado Style

By Wayne Hemrick

Colorado is a landlocked state hundreds of miles from the nearest coast, but you can still enjoy scuba diving; Colorado has a number of lakes and rivers that can offer challenge and enjoyment. A Colorado scuba dving vacation is not as far-fetched as you might think. For those who are "hard core" about their scuba diving, Colorado lakes and rivers are just as good as anyplace in the world.

The Town That Drowned

One of the more interesting destinations for a Colorado scba diving vacation is Horsetooth Reservoir southwest of Fort Collins. In 1946, the federal Bureau of Reclamation chose the site of the town of Stout, located along the La Poudre River. By 1949, the dam was completed and Stout, which had been established only seventy years earlier as a camp for stone quarry workers, had to be abandoned. The remains of the town are still under water at the lake's southern end; with proper training and dive equipment, Colorado scuba divers can enjoy a fine adventure.

Historic Mining

After outfitting at their local Colorado diving gear supplier, scuba diers may wish to head for the high country to the historic mining community of Leadville, where scenic Turquoise Lake is right nearby. The lake offers some excellent opportunities for exploration through scuba diving; Colorado's mining industry was the heart and soul of the state's economy for decades. Given the nearby town's historical significance, who knows what interesting artifacts one might encounter on a Colorado scuba diving vacation?

Getting Your Dive Equipment

Colorado has its fair share of stores that sell proper equipment, staffed by experienced personnel who also offer certification courses. Colorado diving gear suppliers can also give you insight as to where in the state to go. If you have the time and money to go further afield, however, the fine folks at Colorado diving gear supply stores can also arrange scuba diving vacations to other, more exotic destinations as well.

In any event, you will need to be certified before you go scuba diving. Colorado requirements are just as stringent as other places in the U.S., and this of course is for your own safety; you'll need to know about the normal hazards, safety practices and how to properly use and care for dive equipment. Colorado instructors can take you through this process and help you get ready for scuba diving colorado style.

Wayne Hemrick writes about--Scuba Diving, in Colorado

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Hemrick
http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving,-Colorado-Style&id=3087313

Diving – A Start Up

Mike — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:34:47 +0000

Diving - A Start Up

By Bina Bakshi

Dolphins with a smirk on their faces glide alongside your boat & when you see them you know why they are called the Mona Lisas of the ocean. They have an enigmatic smile plastered on their faces perpetually! Diving is a transcendental experience. The silence & the colors of the deep beckon you as you sink down at a speed determined by the pressure you can feel in your ears. You are hit by the vastness & the shadows of the ocean as you begin your descent...you finally realize what it means to be completely alone yet serene!

Although the sport appears to be risky & adventurous, only the diver can harm himself underwater. Due to ignorance & being in a hurry. Before you don your diving suit & air-tank, you check your basics to see everything is functioning as required. You are made aware of life underwater, the personality (poisonous, angry ones.), & appearances of the objects you will encounter underwater. The Sea Cucumber, though a pretty black & orange in color is poisonous, so no one touches it. But on the ocean floor, a lot of us divers play football w/ it, when there is a lull in activity. Sharks though maligned by the film JAWS never accost you, infact they keep so much distance that you end up chasing them to get a closer look!

The leftovers from your lunch (fish bones, chicken pieces) go into the doggy bag around your waist. When you are down below you use these to attract schools of fish to shimmer around you as you frolic with them. Or the bones are held out to coax the fearsome but shy More Eel to come out from behind the coral rocks. The scorpion fish is a strict no-no. Looks like a colored rock & if you stamp on it, it stings you a shaft of poison.

It is required of every diver that he educates himself about life underwater...so he can enjoy & be cautious too. The only time divers are vulnerable is during the descent & ascent in the ocean. Since there is difference in pressure as you begin going down, you sense out your speed depending on the reaction of your eardrums.

Once you reach the ocean floor (which is at 15-20 Mts. for beginners) the instructor tests you. He may close the valve to your breathing apparatus, pull off your mask or give you signals to see your competence in a tough situation. When the mask is pulled out water rushes into your eyes, but if you are calm you can find your mask, pick it up & wear it again. All this at a depth of 10-15 Mts.! If you panic and start shooting up, or stop breathing you are never certified as a diver. Besides being brave one learns never to panic underwater. You are also taught how to help your partner (one always dives in pairs, never alone) incase she is having a problem or she signals for help.

There are times when one has had to abort a dive ...while the rest of the pack continues descent, which is a heart-breaking situation for any diver. You go up & wait in the boat & fry in the Sun till the divers come back o tell all the gorgeous things the saw down below! Because only today they saw a Shark or Stingrays or a Turtle!

You have the Oriental Sweet lips (w/ lips like Mick Jagger's), Napoleon Wrasses, Parrotfish, Lionfish, and Clown Triggerfish & Pillow Starfish who abound the coral Reefs. When you come back up you can see the sun filtering down to you, a beacon on the surface.

Diving is a lifetime experience. The beauty is preserved diligently by each diver, who never litters the ocean & picks up debris, which is non-bio degradable, bringing it to the surface to be taken back in the boat. The bonding between divers world over is deep because they consider their sport as sacred!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bina_Bakshi
http://EzineArticles.com/?Diving---A-Start-Up&id=3073288

Catalina Island Scuba Diving

Mike — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:26:55 +0000

Catalina Island Scuba Diving - The 4 Best Seasons to Dive Catalina

By Tim Sanchez

Catalina Island, CA offers excellent diving opportunities year around. The following is a snapshot of what you may expect when diving Catalina island in all 4 seasons.

January - March: Expect the water to be the coldest of the year, between 54 to 62 degrees, but you can also expect the best visibility of around 50 feet and sometimes much more. The kelp thrives in colder water so the kelp forest will be lush thick and healthy. This time of year you can look for migrating grey whales, jelly fish, white sea bass and plenty of the usual customers; sheepshead, kelp bass and Garibaldi. Winter is my favorite time for night diving as schools of squid come near shore to mate and lay eggs. The scavengers are out in full force so expect to find an abundance of lobster, torpedo rays, angel sharks, horn sharks, sheep crab and much more. Night time turns every dive site into a sea life wonder land.

April - June: The water starts to warm up to an average of 62 to 68 degrees. This time of year we start to see the bat rays out foraging in the sandy sea floor and the pelagic fish are starting to come around to hunt as the large schools of bait fish gather near shore.

July - September: Make your reservations early because this is the best season for diving Catalina Island as an almost warm water destination. Water Temperatures range from around 68 to 75 degrees and visibility from 20 to 30 feet with quantities of sea life that you would think is only possible to be seen in an aquarium or on one of those nature shows on T.V. This is the time of year to see Giant Black sea bass, huge schools of bait fish, yellow tail, bonito, leopard sharks, soup fin sharks and many other warmer water fish to many to mention.

October - December: As the summer high tourist season ends, the crowds are smaller and the town is a little more quiet but the diving is as spectacular as ever. The water is starting to cool down but with a good wetsuit it is still comfortable at 65 - 70 degrees and the visibility is improving to 30 to 40 feet and sometimes much better. The kelp forest is still teeming with life and there is still a chance to see the giant black sea bass and leopard sharks and some of our other summertime visitors along with plenty of the kelp forest locals that we all love to see year around. The Autumn season also marks the beginning of Lobster hunting season when many hungry scuba divers come around to try to catch these delicious but elusive crustaceans.

So, you may need to switch from a 7mm wetsuit to a 3mm wetsuit as the seasons change but one thing does not change; Catalina Island diving is among the best diving in the world every month of the year and if you have not tried it, you are missing out. Make your plans to visit Catalinia Island soon and experience giant kelp forest diving at its best.

Tim Sanchez is a scuba instructor and former resident of Avalon, Catalina Island. My website is an informational website created to encourage and help others to enjoy the wonderful sport of scuba diving by providing information and reviews of interesting diving locations, scuba education, photography and scuba gear. Please visit http://www.vistasbelow.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Sanchez
http://EzineArticles.com/?Catalina-Island-Scuba-Diving---The-4-Best-Seasons-to-Dive-Catalina&id=3058612

Washington State Approves Mooring Buoys in Puget Sound

Mike — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:31:07 +0000

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has approved the installation of up to 19 mooring buoys at popular dive sites in five counties around Puget Sound and Hood Canal. DNR worked on this effort with the Washington Scuba Alliance (WSA). A five-year license with WSA for the buoys ends May 31, 2014.

In Case of Emergency – The Five Minute Neuro Exam.

Shannon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:42:52 +0000

Michael and I have been diving for years without incurring or observing any serious accidents taking place. We follow all the rules, as we have a strong aversion to the possibility of getting a case of the bends. Even when obeying EVERY rule, however, a person may be physiologically susceptible to, or just be plain unlucky enough, to develop symptoms caused by breathing air at depth. If there is a diver who surfaces, or exits the water with complaints that lead you to believe he may have suffered a dive related incident, or if you notice someone acting strangely, be sure to incorporate The Five Minute Neuro Examination as learned in your Stress and Rescue course while awaiting the input of medical personnel. Components of the test are as follows:

Do an orientation check. Ask the diver his/her name, the date, and to explain what happened on their dive. Answers to these questions may demonstrate the diver has some confusion. Even if answers to these questions are correct, make sure general conversation is making sense.
Eye test- With the head held still, have the diver follow your hand while it moves in upwards/downwards, and in side to side directions. Your hand should be placed approximately 18 inches from the person's face. The eyes should track smoothly in every direction and should not exhibit any jumping/bouncing around while tracking. Look at their peripheral vision - when are they able to see an object coming around from behind their head? Is it symmetrical on both sides? Shine a flash light in their eyes. Do their pupils get smaller, then larger again when the light is removed?
Forehead - With the divers eye's closed, lightly touch their forehead and face. Are they able to feel your touch and is it the same on both sides of the face? Check strength by trying to open the divers eyes (from above their brow) after they have shut them tightly. Ask them to furrow their brow. Is there a difference between right and left brows?
Observe the divers face. Is the diver able to pucker his lips to whistle? Is the diver able to smile? Have them clench their jaw and have the examiner feel if both sides of the jaw are exhibiting equal strength. Is sensation present?
Check the ears. With the divers eyes closed, ask them if their hearing seems normal. Hold your hands 2 feet from the divers ear. Rub your finger and thumb together, and gradually move closer until the diver is able to hear you.
Check the gag reflex. Does the diver's "Adam's apple" move up and down when you ask him to swallow?
Have the diver stick their tongue out. Make a note whether the tongue comes straight out or moves to one side or the other.
Check the shoulder strength. With your hands firmly positioned on the divers shoulders, ask them to shrug their shoulders. Is one side stronger than the other? Do the shoulders have any sensation here?
Check arm strength. Ask the diver to squeeze your fingers. Is one hand stronger than the other? Have them raise their arms to chest level straight in front of them. Push down gently, then pull on elbows with the diver attempting to resist the motion. Is one side stronger than the other? Are they able to feel both their arms?
With the diver's eyes closed, check sensation their chest.
With diver lying flat, have diver raise and lower their legs with resistance. Note if there differences in strength between sides. In standing, check balance and coordination by asking them to walk in a heel-toe fashion. Guard closely, as falls should be avoided. Is sensation in the legs present?

If the diver is unable to complete one of these tests, indicate which test was omitted and why.

Repeat the tests every hour. Make sure results are documented and present them to medical personnel.

Notice how the exam moves in a head to toe direction. The body parts are highlighted, and work their way from mind/brain to the feet. These two things may help you remember the steps of a complete exam. Hopefully this tool is one you'll never have to utilize, but as a responsible diver, you should review and practice it frequently so that if you find a diver in need, you'll be able to step up and help.

-- Shannon

Pre-Dive Safety Check

Maldivian Government Underwater – Literally!

Mike — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:15:04 +0000

Cabinet officials from the government of the Maldives are taking very unusual action to help combat climate change. On October 24, all 14 cabinet members will assemble UNDERWATER to conduct their business.

Palau Announces Plans for Shark Sanctuary

Mike — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:44:43 +0000

During the recent United Nations meetings, the President of Palau, made a bold announcement - his country is creating the world’s first shark sanctuary. The goal is to protect endangered species by banning all commercial shark fishing within its territorial waters.