An Absolute Dream Dive Location

Unfortunately in the short term there is no plan to reopen diving in Bikini. If they reopen you can bet it'll be on my bucket list!


http://www.bikiniatoll.com/

PADI Diving Society

Join the PADI Diving Society- your passport to discovering an active scuba diving lifestyle.Whether you’re a beginner or pro - take advantage of Society Membership and enjoy:

• Members-only publications*; Sport Diver, Sport Diver UK, or Scuba Diver AustralAsia magazine
• Scuba gear rebates and incentives
• Exclusive scuba diving trips, travel specials and local Society events
• Earn more than just a certification with Specialty of the Month 
• Personalized membership card
• Savings on dive insurance*
• Meeting new dive buddies
• Membership supports Project AWARE environmental initiatives

Photo at the top

The first person to name correctly 4 of the 9 divers in the photo at the top of the blog will get 20% off select items in the store!

Sorry staff members are not eligible!

A tool for the weight conscious traveler!

As many of you know the airlines have gotten to the point of lunacy with their weight restrictions on  flights. The link below is a weight calculator for travel! Aqua Lung has some of the lightest gear for travel! Between the Apeks Flight regulator and a Zuma BCD you're only looking at a grand total of 6.3 pounds! You can kiss those over weight fees good by! You can even afford to have your wetsuit wet on the way home (although I don't think you bag will smell very good)!

http://www.aqualung.com/us/content/view/488/

Dispelling the top ten myths about diving!

Myth: Diving--that was my grandfather's sport

Truth: If you think scuba isn't extreme enough for you, you're not seeing past the first step. Sure, a lot of people never go beyond puttering around in nice, calm water, looking at nice, calm fish. But if you get the right training and equipment, you can get radical with this sport. Try swimming through the surf zone off Southern California and it's you who'll need the Geritol, not Grandpa. Need more? Ever hand-feed a shark? Explore the far reaches of a flooded cave? Chase a 400-pound fish through the legs of an offshore oil rig? Go inside the rusting hallways of a sunken ocean liner? Swim beneath the polar ice caps? These are just some of the experiences that divers--and only divers--get to have. But you've got to build up to it, junior. So check your ego at the door, show Gramps a little respect and take the first step--earning Open-Water certification--before you start talking smack. Or better yet, pull Grandpa aside and ask him to tell you about that dive he never told Grandma about.

Myth: Diving is only for people who live in the tropics

Photo by Brandon Cole Truth: There are few things that rival the experience of being suspended weightlessly in warm, clear tropical water while floating effortlessly along a colorful coral reef. Unless, of course, it is the experience of drifting through a California kelp bed with a pod of sea lions. Or exploring the amazingly preserved ruins of a wooden shipwreck in Lake Michigan. Or finding a million-year-old shark tooth completely intact in South Carolina's Cooper River, or ... the list goes on and on. No matter where you are, chances are there's a popular dive site somewhere nearby. Don't believe me? Just ask anyone with the red and white diver down flag on his car. Lakes, quarries, rivers, flooded mineshafts--almost anywhere there's water, you'll find divers. Heck, outside of Abilene, Texas, you can even dive in a flooded underground missile silo. Each of these sites provides its own unique dive experience and a chance to get started in the sport. Not every dive site is for every diver, but scuba diving is not just a sport, it's also a lifestyle and a very social activity. So even if your local swimming hole isn't a world-famous dive site, an outdoor grill, a cooler, a couple of tanks of air and a dozen of your new best friends can still make for a whole lot of fun--palm trees, optional.

Myth: There are sharks in the ocean and they eat divers. Don't try to deny it--I saw jaws and open water

Photo by Stephen Frink Truth: Don't tell Hollywood, but the factual record on shark vs. diver is pretty dull: Sharks just don't make a habit of munching on divers. In fact, except in certain conditions and environments, they don't even stick around when divers get in the water. Let's look at it from the shark's point of view. You're out cruising the depths, when out of nowhere this noisy, bubble-blowing pack of creatures that looks and moves like nothing else in the ocean drops into the water and starts flashing lights (i.e., camera strobes) at you. It's got to be the shark equivalent of Close Encounters. The first thing most sharks do? Turn tail and run. It used to be that divers could go their whole lives without ever seeing the beauty and majesty of a shark up close. Today, carefully managed encounter dives--from cage diving with great whites off Australia to hand-feeding reef sharks in the Bahamas--abound, and there is no better way to gain a true understanding of these amazing creatures than to see them up close. Still not convinced? Then let me give you something serious to worry about instead: your dog. Yep. Behind those puppy dog eyes and that happy-to-see-you personality lurks the heart of a cold-blooded predator that's statistically far more dangerous than any shark. According to emergency room records, "man's best friend" killed 27 and seriously injured or maimed 4.7 million people in 2005, and that was just in the U.S. According to the International Shark Attack File, only four people worldwide died from shark attacks in the same 12-month period, out of 58 total recorded incidents. Based on those odds, you're safer in the ocean than taking Rover for a walk.

Myth: I have to buy a ton of gear just to learn

Illustration by Dan Vasconcellos Truth: Scuba is a gear-intensive sport, but you only need three basic items to start lessons--a mask, a snorkel and a pair of fins. These are personal gear items and they need to fit well for you to have a good time, so it's worth buying them even if the shop provides loaners. All the other gear is available to rent, usually at a discount rate to students, and sometimes the use of the more complex equipment is included in the dive package price. Once you are a full-fledged diver, you will ultimately want to purchase your own gear. It will be tempting to max out the plastic and buy everything in one fell swoop, and if you've got the room on your cards, go for it. But most beginning divers continue to make use of rental gear and acquire their own items one piece at a time.

Myth: You have to be a speedo-sporting competItive swimmer to be a diver

Illustration by Dan Vasconcellos Truth: Sure, ultra-fit, competitive swimmers make great divers because they're comfortable in the water and they're in great shape, but if the logic of this myth were true, I suppose only Tour de France racers would ride bikes. Diving is an active sport and the better shape you're in, the easier it will be, but any healthy individual with at least an average fitness level can do it. This myth is most likely fueled by the fact that there is a basic swim test at the start of scuba lessons. You'll need the endurance to swim about 200 yards nonstop, but there's no time limit and it's not a race. The instructor also needs to know that you have basic water skills and are comfortable submerging your face in water. That's it. And when you consider that there are divers from age eight to age 80 who have passed this grueling test of physical ability, it's pretty clear that anyone with an activity level above that of a chronic couch potato can do it. So, get off the couch and go diving already. And please--regardless of your fitness level--leave the Speedo at home. OK?

Myth: Diving is a macho sport that is not female-friendly

Truth: This might have been true, back in the 1950s Sea Hunt era when men of steel like Mike Nelson (played by the late, great Lloyd Bridges) were out there spearing fish with their bare hands and rescuing damsels in distress. Only it wasn't really true then, either. The lovely Zale Parry, the actress who played the damsel, was one of the most accomplished divers on the set. And when Sports Illustrated decided to feature the young sport of scuba diving in its May 23, 1955, issue, it was Parry who made the cover.
It is true, however, that men have always participated in the sport more than women, but the gap has been closing steadily since the 1980s. Today, the male/female ratio is roughly 60/40 and everyone from equipment manufacturers to tour operators offer products specifically for female divers. And there's no glass ceiling to this sport--there are female instructors, divemasters, boat captains and resort owners.

Myth: Diving will make my ears hurt

Truth: This one's true--but only if you don't equalize the pressure in your ears as you descend. That's one of the first things they teach you to do in scuba lessons. It's called the Valsalva manuever and it's falling-down simple: Pinch your nose and blow gently against your nostrils until you feel relief. Try it. See? It's easy. Don't you wish you'd known this trick back in fifth grade when you were diving for quarters at the bottom of the YMCA pool?

Myth: Certification is way too expensive

Truth: You don't get out much, do you? Check the price for a decent dinner, movie tickets for two, throw in some popcorn, after-movie coffees and you'll drop $100--easily--assuming, of course, there was no drive-through involved in ordering dinner. So, how does that compare to scuba? Depending on where you are in the country, the average certification class runs between $250 and $500, or just a few of those dinner-and-a-movie dates. In return, you get an all-access pass to a world of aquatic adventure, not to mention a great new lifestyle you can brag about at the office. Go on: Compare the cost of scuba lessons to almost anything and you'll see it's a bargain, especially compared to greens fees, lift tickets and the cost of that home gym collecting dust in your guest room.

Myth: I can't dive. I have (insert name of medical condition here)

Truth: Why not get a second opinion? Doctors are a very cautious bunch and often don't understand the sport of diving, so if you ask about scuba with regard to a specific medical condition, their likely answer will be the safe one: No.
But before you let a lifetime of adventure slip away, you and your doctor should consult the diving medicine experts at the Divers Alert Network (DAN). This nonprofit safety organization is affiliated with the Duke University Medical Center, and they can help you better understand the physical demands of diving and how it relates to your health. Call their nonemergency questions line at (919) 684-2948 and you may be surprised to find the answer is: Yes, you can dive safely.
In just the past 10 years, for example, asthma and diabetes have gone from being absolute disqualifiers to conditional ones. In both cases, if the condition is carefully monitored and controlled, and the patient can tolerate physical exercise, the pool is usually open.

Myth: Snorkeling is just as good as scuba diving

Photo by Stephen Frink

Truth: Don't get me wrong. I like to snorkel--floating around on the surface peering down on the reef from above is a great way to spend time between dives. But just as good? No way! Not if you like action.
Snorkeling is sort of like watching a football game from the window of the Goodyear blimp high above. Diving is like suiting up, running down the tunnel and getting in the game. Strap a tank on your back and you are a player--swimming with the sharks as equals, getting up close and personal with giant Goliath grouper, or, for a good laugh, looking up and seeing the soft, bulging underbellies of all those snorkelers drifting like flotsam on the surface and blocking out the sunlight.

Project AWARE Foundation: Petition

Project AWARE Foundation: Petition

Please show your support in the ban against shark finning by signing the petition!

Ever wonder how PADI got their start?

The PADI Story

Two Friends, a Bottle of Scotch and an Idea

It’s hard to believe that the world’s largest scuba diving training organization was dreamt up by two friends in Illinois over a bottle of Johnny Walker in 1966.

 

John Cronin, a scuba equipment salesman for U.S. Divers, and Ralph Erickson, an educator and swimming instructor, were concerned about the scuba diving industry. They felt that the current scuba certification agencies were unprofessional, didn’t use state of the art instruction and made it unnecessarily difficult for people to enter the sport. John and Ralph knew there had to be a safer, easy way for people to learn to breathe underwater.

In 1966, John brought a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and thirty dollars to Ralph’s Illinois apartment in Morton Grove.  They decided it was time to start a scuba training organization. John insisted that the word “professional” be in the name of the company. Ralph wanted an “association of diving instructors.” After a few scotches, the acronym PADI was born:
Professional  Association  of  Diving  Instructors

The Underground Office

 

The initial start-up meetings took place at several restaurants in Morton Grove and Niles, Illinois. In a few months, Cronin finished a portion of his basement in his home on Main St. in Niles, Illinois to become the headquarters for PADI. He eventually hired his next door neighbor to be a part time secretary. His son, Brian stuffed and sealed envelopes (he now holds the CEO title at PADI today).

The goal: Give more people a chance to enjoy the underwater world by offering relevant, instructionally-valid scuba diving training to create confident scuba divers who dive regularly.

A Torched Logo

When they were struggling for a logo design, John mentioned he wanted something classy like the National Geographic look. Years later in an interview, Ralph said that idea changed the way he was looking at this small two-man operation. At that moment, he could see a big vision for PADI.

 

Ralph was responsible for putting together the first PADI Logos. After many long hours of working with stick-on letters, he inadvertently left out the word “Professional.” The documents went to print and were used for almost two years before enough people noticed the error. One of the original documents was missing the “e” in “Professional” and hangs in Founder’s Hall at the PADI Americas office in California.

PADI Grows

In the early years, PADI grew slowly. By the late 1960s, PADI had 400 members and it was still a struggling entity. John Cronin had been promoted to Sales Manager at U.S. Divers and had moved the family to Huntington Beach, California.

 

Cronin went to a huge National Sporting Goods Association show in New York City. While he was there, he met with Paul Tzimoulis, who later became the editor of Skin Diver Magazine. Paul suggested that PADI put the diver’s picture on the certification card. That was a strategic move that helped PADI’s eventual global recognition. 

Cronin and Erickson hired Nick Icorn from U.S. Divers’ engineering team, who worked with Erickson to develop a modular training program for the PADI Open Water Diver course. It started to catch on.

In the late 1970's and early 80's PADI began creating its own integrated, multi-media student and instructor educational materials for each course. This developoment spawned an incredible growth period for PADI and  made it unique from other agencies.

By the late 1980s PADI was the leading scuba diving training organization in the world. With so many new people introduced to the activity, PADI felt a responsibility to teach divers about their interactions with the underwater environment.  PADI had worked very hard over the years to keep the scuba diving industry as free from legislation as possible. Cronin knew the organization had a responsibility to protect the marine environment or risk the government doing so. John Cronin said:

 

"We want to feel that our children, their children and generations to come will be able to enjoy the underwater world that has given us so much. There are so many significant problems facing mankind, but as divers, this is truly our cause. If scuba divers do not take an active role in preserving the aquatic realm, who will?"

Out of a true concern for the environment, the Project AWARE Foundation was formed.

PADI Today

 

In 2003, John Cronin passed away. His friend and PADI co-founder, Ralph Erickson, also passed away three years later. They proudly carried PADI’s torch for many years before they confidently put it in the hands of today’s generation, who continues to introduce the world to scuba diving.

PADI has issued millions of scuba certifications worldwide. There are more than 5800 PADI Dive Shops and Resorts worldwide.

With close to 400 employees in PADI corporate offices around the world, PADI works hard to be the best partner to its members and is committed to:
1. Safe and responsible diver acquisition and retention
2. Quality member acquisition and retention
3. Financial prosperity
4. Worldwide alignment in message, products, systems and procedures

The Fully Equipped Diver

Check out this link for the fully equipped diver. Interesting for any technophiles!

http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-gear/intro-to-scuba-dive-equipment/default.aspx

Be A Diver Pool

How cool is this?! A traveling pool for people to try scuba! It comes to Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium every summer.

The “Be A Diver” pool is a 20-foot by 30-foot, 15,000 gallon mobile pool which traverses the United States stopping at 2 and 3 day, large scale venues. It is complete with a portable setup that includes dressing rooms, towels, all the newest diving equipment including wetsuits and fins, an air compressor, and a pavilion for registration and consumer interaction.

Epic Scuba Jokes!

One day, a diver was enjoying the aquatic world 20 feet below sea level. He noticed a guy at the same depth he was, with no scuba gear on whatsoever.
The diver went below another 10 feet, but the guy joined him a minute later. The diver went below 15 more feet, a minute later, the same guy joined him.
This confused the diver, so he took out a waterproof chalkboard, and wrote, "How the heck are you able to stay under this deep without equipment?"
The guy took the board and chalk, erased what the diver had written, and wrote, "I'm drowning, you moron!"

Young attractive male seeks female dive buddy for shared recreation and friendship, must have boat. Please send photo of boat.

Two divers go spear fishing. They catch a lot of fish and return to the shore.
The first one says, "I hope you remember the spot where we caught all those fish."
The other answers, "Yes, I made an 'X' on the side of the boat to mark the spot."
"You idiot!" cries the first, "How do you know we will get the same boat tomorrow?"

A man is stranded on a desert island, all alone for ten years. One day, he sees a speck in the horizon. He thinks to himself, "It's not a ship." The speck gets a little closer and he thinks, "It's not a boat." The speck gets even closer and he thinks, "It's not a raft." Then, out of the surf comes this gorgeous blonde woman, wearing a wet suit and scuba gear.
She comes up to the man and she says, "How long has it been since you've had a cigarette?"
"Ten years!" he says.
She reaches over, unzips this waterproof pocket on her left sleeve and pulls out a pack of fresh cigarettes. He takes one, lights it, takes a long drag and says, "Man, oh man! Is that good!"
Then she asked, "How long has it been since you had a drink of whiskey?
He replies, "Ten years!"
She reaches over, unzips the waterproof pocket on her right sleeve, pulls out a flask and gives it to him. He takes a long swig and says, "Wow, that's fantastic!"
Then she starts unzipping the long zipper that runs down the front of her wet suit and she says to him, "And how long has it been since you had some REAL fun?"
And the man cries out, "My God! Don't tell me you've got a set of golf clubs in there, too!"

A diver was shipwrecked up onto a lonely and tropical shore. As he stood up he noticed his hands were purple, he looked at his feet and they were purple, worriedly he unzipped his wetsuit and his chest and stomach were purple. With his head in his hands he cried, "Oh my God!, I’ve been marooned!"

How To Fail Your Open Water Test.
a. Tell your instructor you will race him to the surface.
b. Lie face down and motionless while holding your breath.
c. Loudly proclaim that safety stops are for "wossies".
d. Show up with a set of tables based on your own algorithm "that's WAY
better".
e. Spit in your wetsuit and pee in your mask.
f. Ask your instructor, which fin goes on which foot.
g. Tell your instructor there is no way you can lift a cylinder with 2000
pounds of air in it.
h. When asked for your dive plan, you hand over a bundle of travel
brochures.

When Do You Need To Practice Better Buoyancy Control?
a. You rely on the silt trail you always stir up to find the shot line at
the end of the dive.
b. You insist that you never wear fins because it makes it more difficult
to walk on the bottom.
c. The only place you can hover is at the surface.
d. On ascents, your entire body clears the surface of the water.
e. You use 50 bar for breathing and 150 bar for your BC.
f. You are certain you went for one dive, but your computer has logged
three.
g. You think being neutral in the water means that you don't fight with
your buddy.

A dive boat runs into a terrible storm. Rain and wind and huge waves pound the boat. The divers are quiet but really scared. They are sure the boat is going to sink and they are all going to die. At the height of the storm, a young woman jumps up and exclaims: "I can't take this anymore! I can't just sit here and drown like an animal. If I am going to die, let me die feeling like a woman. Is there anyone here man enough to make me feel like a woman?" One of the dive masters stands up – a tall, handsome, muscular man, he smiles and starts to walk up to her. As he approaches her, he takes off his shirt. She sees his huge muscles – already, she is glad for her decision. He stands in front of her, muscles bulging, shirt in hand and says to her: here, Iron this!"

How to avoid shark attacks:
1.Never Leave Utah
2.Roll in manure before diving. Sharks hate anything breaded
3.Always dive with a buddy. On sharks approach, point to buddy
4.Dive with a briefcase. Shark may mistake you for a lawyer
and leave you alone out of professional courtesy.
One should never make a night dive on a coral reef after taking:
1.Acid
2.Marijuana
3.Black Russians
4.Prosaic
5.Sleeping Pills You can spot divers by:
1.Funny Tan Lines
2.Big Watch
3.Says "Huh" alot
4.Bad shocks and springs in car
5.Scars from trigger fish bites
6.Expertise on anti-histamines
You can spot old time divers by:
1.Funny Tan Lines
2.Big Expensive Watch
3.Old Jeep with bad shocks
4.Log Book has a volume number on the cover.
5.Deaf in at least one ear.
6.Has multiple scars.
7.Has cylinders older than you are.
8.Talks about making their first wet suit.
9.Dive gear is faded.
10.Limps from Dysbaric Osteonecrosis.
You can spot newbie divers by:
1.Sunburned
2.Timex Watch
3.Nice car
4.Fills in all the blanks in their logbook
5.No diving related scars
6.Says "Wow, did you see that" alot
7.Equipment looks nice
8.Perfect hearing

Good Things to say to Students:
 Welcome to the food chain folks, you are no longer on the top!
So what's your point?
Ah, we did cover this in class didn't we?
What part of this did you understand?
No, descending butt first is not acceptable
You couldn't make it to class because your what died?
I'm sorry, but no matter what the store owner said I'm not going to carry all your gear around for you.
Yes Sir, a bad attitude does come with the job
I see, you just forgot to mention the epilepsy
Yes, I know you were scared, but don't ever bite me again!
What do you mean you always bleed like that?
You don't want to do the buddy breathing because you have what!
No, this isn't all I do for a living
Yes, this is what I do for a living...why?
No Sir, I really can't explain all the biochemical reactions in the body to hyperbaric stress..
BTW, what did you say you did for a living?

Things Dive Masters Say:
 I don't care who the hell you are Mr. Cousteau. Everyone does a pool checkout!
To a nice looking lady carrying her handbag onboard:
Can I help you with that mam?
To a guy carrying a set of twin 12's onboard:
Looks heavy mate!
You should've been here last week, the visibility was great
You didn't see the whale shark?
This is just my day job. I want to be an instructor and make the big bucks
Things Store Owners Say:
REFUNDS!..We Don't Give No Stinking REFUNDS!!!!
Ok, it's 2 AM, you drive till we get there
As their instructor, they trust you..so sell like hell!
Look, I'm, letting you take the boat trips for free, what else do you want?
I can't pay you anymore, you know I don't make money on classes
I can't pay you anymore, you know I don't make money on trips
I can't pay you anymore, you know I don't make money on equipment sales
Sorry about the problem with that cheque
Well, I couldn't find the student certification forms you signed, so I signed them off myself.
BTW, did I mention that I had enough certifications now to get my Master Instructor!
Let's see, that will be £3,289...ooops! I forgot the mask clear, that will be £3,292.45!
If I gave you 10% off, I couldn't stay in business!
It's the instructor's fault
Sure, anyone can learn to dive, now what was that problem you had?
Ok, so your out of the hospital, when can you take another class?
You want a compass...hmmm, you must mean a directional monitor
I would love to see pictures of your latest trip, right after you've bought something.

Fun in the Sun!!

Did you know when you travel with Splash Water Sports you get the professionalism and experience of a dive professional! What better way to get the most out of your vacation! All the details are planned and all you need to do is either dive like a maniac or kick back and relax. The beauty is it's all up to you!!

When is a deal too good to be true?

There are many web sites offering life support equipment at extremely low costs. The question remains where did they get that equipment? The answer is GRAY MARKET. I personally would be very hesitant to use equipment purchased from an unauthorized dealer. The consequences are too great to risk!

When a consumer examines what they receive for the retail price of an item they often find that the retail price is better than the discounted web price! Typically a local dive center offers perks only open to retail customers. A web business CAN NOT offer a free pool session to familiarize yourself with the equipment, or a free class, or trade in upgrades! These are just a few of the services offered by an authorized dive center. When you buy from an authorized dealer you also receive free parts for as long as you own the equipment (as long as the terms and conditions of the warranty are met annually)!