Posted on Apr 24, 2009 under Scuba Diving |
diving courses
Did your heart skip a beat when Captain Nemo saved a South Indian fisherman while scuba diving in the Jules Verne Classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea? Do you daydream about finding Blackbeard’s treasure chest in his submerged ship? Does watching the Discovery Channel make you yearn to learn to scuba dive? Perhaps you should turn your dreams into reality and investigate scubadiving as a new hobby. It’s easier than you think!
You can learn to scuba dive in just a few hours, but if you want to be swimming ancient ruins in Egypt’s Red Sea or investigating Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, you will need diver certification. There are a number of valid certification agencies out there (such as PADI, SSI and NADI) that all pretty much provide the same service for $350 to $450. You will experience a combination of classroom, pool and open water instruction, while learning not only about swimming and breathing techniques, but also about equipment and first aid information. Some people visit their local scuba dive shop, while others prefer to spend vacation time learning something new. While it may seem like an expensive hobby at first, most divers say that it’s comparable to ski resort and golf course prices.
Why would one want to learn to scuba dive, you ask? Aside from it being a mind-blowing vacation addition and rewarding hobby, there are career and practical reasons too. Commercial divers build boats and docks, excavate ancient ruins and shipwrecks, survey tectonic plates and underwater volcanoes, construct pipelines and dams, or repair bridges and submarines. Scientists dive all the time to study marine biology, underwater species and habitats and archaeological finds. Additionally, combatant divers have completed military assignments underwater for centuries.
Whether for sport or pleasure, you won’t regret your decision to learn to scuba dive. If your interest really piques, you may want to join a scuba diving club with weekly dinners, movies, excursions and social gatherings. Others go on to independent studies and become instructors themselves. A third option would be to find a career calling as a search-and-rescue diver, marine biologist, underwater photographer or excavator.
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Posted on Mar 19, 2009 under Scuba Diving, scuba wetsuits |
scuba gear
Dry suits are the key to diver comfort in cold waters and extreme situations, so when choosing one, you’ll want to research the different options before you get to the dive shop. The last thing you want is to walk away with a $3,000 suit you’ll never use or a membrane suit that will leave you trapped underwater and freezing.
Wet suits are great for warmer water dives because the neoprene material allows water in and traps it against the body, which then heats up to your temperature and insulates the body. The general rule of thumb for wet suits is: the tighter the fit, the better. Otherwise water will just keep entering and exiting the suit, without time to heat up against your body. You can choose from 2 – 9mm thicknesses and from shorts or full-length styles. Shipwreck or cave divers are best off purchasing full-length diving suits with toughtex neoprene, which provides an extra layer that’s snag-proof. You’ll want your suit to hold up in the tightest squeezes and off the sharpest coral. However, for diving in water less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, dry suits are the only sensible choice.
Dry suits can be made out of several different kinds of material: neoprene, membrane or a hybrid of the two. Neoprene is made out of synthetic rubber and is the most rigid type of suit and though difficult to get on, will keep you the warmest. Another advantage to neoprene is that it’s less susceptible to rips or tears and will maintain functionality and buoyancy if a rip were to occur, making it perfect for those cold water wreck or cave diving expeditions.
Membrane shelled suits are generally the most comfortable — made of thinner nylon or vulcanized rubber material, waterproof and breathable — and are recommended for divers who will spend a lot of time out of the water on the boat. Because the material is thinner, divers will need to wear an under layer made of polyester or another tight-fitting material. The latest models are hybrids with a rigid, overall-style neoprene bottom that supports proper kicking and a looser-fitting membrane top to allow easy arm maneuverability.
You may be shocked at the cost of buying new dry suits. The cheaper ones go for no less than $500, while the more high-end diving suits can cost as much as $2,000. Lessons usually include wet suit rental or offer them for a small fee. If you’ll just need a dry suit for your vacation, you can rent them for $40-$50 per day. Some dive clubs will offer specials, like buy one day get the second half off or weekly rentals for as little as $30.
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