Liveaboard diver killed from shark attack off the coast of Florida
February 26th, 2008 Filed Under Uncategorized
Via the Palm Beach Post.
A diver on a live-aboard out of Florida was killed from a bite to the leg during a shark dive put on by the live-aboard. I’ve yet to participate in one of these chummed water shark experience without shark cages, but it just kind of seems like a bad idea, doesn’t it? According to the article, the Bahamas Diving Association sent requests to dive operators to stop doing shark dives inthe name of safety. It is not legal to do these types of dives in American waters.
Read the article here.
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Pucker factor
February 23rd, 2008 Filed Under Uncategorized
From www.surfshooter.com.
Whoa!
Photo by Kurt Jones.
According to surfshooter.com this is actually a dolphin.
Click the photo to go to the pics on surfshooter.com.
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Insulated booties for dry suits
February 21st, 2008 Filed Under Tips
If you are looking for insulated dry suit socks/booties - I bought these Primaloft insulated socks from ProLiteGear.com for $35 + shipping. I’ve used these on several dives….so far so good. I chose them because I like Primaloft - they are not too bulky. They have a Cordura-like bottom for limited walking around.
http://www.prolitegear.com/pl_id_hotsocks.html
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Great book on wetsuits and drysuits
February 21st, 2008 Filed Under Tips
I recently bought the book “Wetsuit and Drysuit Maintenance and Repair” (by Steve Lindblom) from Airspeed Press.
The following two images in this post are from the AirspeedPress.com site:
I tend to be a DIY kind of guy, so my intentions were to see what is involved in making minor repairs and maintenance. The book is a lot more than that. It really in depth about materials, options (gloves, pee valve, etc.) and construction techniques. I found the book to be almost as much of a buyer’s guide as it is an owner’s manual. The book is motivating me to be more ambitious about the kinds of repairs I might tackle at home….and that is both good and bad (lots of other projects to work on here already).
If you are thinking about buying a dry suit, then I think it is worthwhile to get this book as a buyer’s guide.
http://www.airspeedpress.com/divesuit.html
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Another use for that tank that failed hydro?
February 19th, 2008 Filed Under Uncategorized
Here is a product sold on the Petco web site - it is an acrylic aquarium in the shape of a SCUBA cylinder:
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Some myths about getting a plus/+ rating on a low pressure (LP) steel tank
February 18th, 2008 Filed Under Tips
In researching the REE issue I had in getting a plus/+ rating on the hydro of my LP tank, here are some topics I’d like to clear up from what I learned:
- It is rumored that a hydro place can calculate the REE if it is not stamped on the tank. This used to be true at some shops, but it appears to no longer be true today. Calculating the REE is a complicated process involving complex weights and measures of the tank, and then performing complex engineering calculations. I spoke with one shop owner who used to do this with the help of a computer program. He said that DOT now frowns upon hydro shops doing this calculation, so for the most part it seems no one will do it now because (1) it is complicated, and (2) they don’t want DOT scrutinizing them. I would also think that a hydro shop would have to charge more for the hydro if they were doing the calculation, and for an older thank that higher cost of the hydro might be more than the remaining value of the tank.
- Once a tank falls out of the hydro date, it can be hydro’d again with a plus rating. I read some confusion about this - apparently some people have heard that if you don’t get a tank rehydro’d before the current one expires, then you can’t get a plus/+ rating on it again. My tank is living proof that this is not true - my hydro date expired in 1995 and the next hydro was in 2007.
- If you get a hydro without the plus/+ rating because of the lack of a REE number, then you can go back and get it hydro’d again with the REE and get a + rating. Some believe that once you get a hydro without a + rating, then you cannot ever get a + rating again. Again my tank is proof this is not the case since the first hydro I got after purchasing the tank was without the + rating, then I went back with the REE number and got a new hydro with the + rating. I believe the case of when you cannot get the + rating is if the tank passes the normal pressure test but fails the plus rating test. In that case the steel isn’t going to get any stronger, so you won’t be able to get a + rating on it again.
- Hydro policies are interpreted by the hydro shop, not the dive shop where you drop off and pick up the tank from. Dive shops have arrangements with hydro shops so that the dive shop can keep a working relationship with divers (i.e. keep divers coming in to their store), and also to provide the visual inspection for the tank. It is possible to go to hydro shops directly. You may get a better price, but make sure you know what is happening with regards to the visual inspection….like, do you need a new visual inspection in order to get a new vis sticker on your tank. Your local dive shop is the one who puts the visual inspection on the tank, so if your tank needs a visual, then just go through the dive shop. There is also some debate as to the need to do a visual whenever the valve is unscrewed from the tank. I have heard that whenever the valve comes off, you need a visual before it goes back on, even if your tank just recently got a new visual sticker. If you are looking for hydro places, then look for places that service fire extinguishers.
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Follow-up on my REE adventure
February 18th, 2008 Filed Under Tips
To follow up from a previous post about getting a plus/+ rating on a steel low pressure (LP) tank…I bought a Faber manufactured steel LP 95 tank that was manufactured and hydro’d in 1995. The owner didn’t use the tank much after purchasing it and never got it hydro’d again. I recently bought the tank and figured I’d see what I can do with it. The original hydro did have a plus rating. I took it in for hydro (in 2007 - some 10+ years later). There was no REE number stamped on the tank, so it got a “regular” pressure rating, which made it effectively a LP 85 or so. LP tanks with a plus rating where and are marketed at their plus rating volumes. The hydro facility said they would accept an email or fax from Faber with the REE number in order to rehydro at the plus rating. I emailed Faber in Italy with the tank information, requesting the REE number. About two weeks later I got a response from Faber with the REE number. I took the tank back in with the printed email and got the new hydro with the plus rating.
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Get college credit for PADI certifications
February 18th, 2008 Filed Under Uncategorized
If you are working on an Associates or a Bachelor’s degree, your school may accept PADI certifications for recreational/physical education credits. The following PADI website has information on it:
http://www.padi.com/padi/en/footerlinks/collegecreditsace.aspx
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