Swim with Humpbacks in Tonga

By billrini

Jun

10

This fall, Chuck and Roz will host two separate humpback whale snorkeling excursions in beautiful Tonga. (Opportunities for diving exist on this trip to the Friendly Islands, but not in conjunction with the whales.) The trip costs $2,863 per person, and includes accommodation, meals, 5 days with the whales, and airfare from LAX all the way to Vavau, Tonga. Chuck only has space for 6 people per trip, so email him soon to reserve your spot.

Swim with Humpbacks in Tonga – Divester

Georgia Aquarium adds two female whale sharks

By billrini

Jun

10

The world’s largest aquarium has added two of the world’s largest fish.

Two female whale sharks – Alice and Trixie – arrived late Saturday at the Georgia Aquarium.

They joined the aquarium’s two male whale sharks, Ralph and Norton, in their 6 million-gallon tank. The four sharks are the only ones of their kind on display outside of Asia.

AP Wire | 06/04/2006 | Georgia Aquarium adds two female whale sharks

AirAsia.com Launch Special Diver Airfares

By billrini

Jun

9

Hoping to entice more scuba divers to visit the amazing sights of Malaysian Borneo, budget air carrier AirAsia are offering discount fares for divers

AirAsia.com Launch Special Diver Airfares – divehappy.com: Scuba Diving In Thailand and South East Asia

SCUBA Theory: Holding your breath is a skill

By billrini

Jun

9

“Don’t hold your breath” is a mantra heard in virtually every scuba diving course every taught. You can easily damage your body during ascention by holding your breath during SCUBA diving. The expansion of the air can quickly cause damage regions with very few nerve endings to tell you that you’re doing bad things to yourself. Today in SCUBA Theory, why breath holding is a valuable skill to practice.

SCUBA Theory: Holding your breath is a skill – Divester

Manatees lose their status as ‘endangered’ in Fla.

By billrini

Jun

9

The manatee, long the poster mammal of the environmental movement in Florida, lost its endangered status from the state on Wednesday.

The controversial move was the latest and biggest political win for boating and building interests, which five years ago launched a campaign against a growing array of restrictions intended to protect the lumbering sea cows.

MiamiHerald.com | 06/08/2006 | Manatees lose their status as ‘endangered’ in Fla.

Amateur divers stumble on relic of 17th century British warship

By billrini

Jun

8

Three amateur divers trying to free snagged lobster pots have discovered the well-preserved remains of what is thought to be 17th century warship Resolution.

Gulfnews: Amateur divers stumble on relic of 17th century British warship

Scubapro Regulators Recalled Over Drowning Risk

By billrini

Jun

8

California`s Scubapro said Wednesday it was recalling 670 of its X650 second-stage regulators.

A manufacturing error could cause the main housing of some regulators, which divers place in their mouths to breathe, to change shape over time, which could cause the cover and diaphragm to become dislodged, Scubapro said. If this occurs, airflow will be interrupted and the regulators will no longer function, posing a drowning hazard to users.

Underwater Times | Scubapro Regulators Recalled Over Drowning Risk

Sharks Not Biggest Threat for Divers

By billrini

Jun

7

When it comes to sharks, researchers say Hawaii waters are teeming with tiger sharks. In 10 years of diving the South Pacific, film maker and free diver Kyle Nakamoto has had many close encounters with sharks, tigers included. He knows the warning signs.

Sharks Not Biggest Threat for Divers

15-foot tiger shark gets mouthful of boat

By billrini

Jun

7

A massive, hooked and tied female tiger shark attacked an inflatable boat Saturday during shark-tagging operations off this remote reef.

No one was injured, and the rigid-hulled inflatable was damaged but not disabled.

15-foot tiger shark gets mouthful of boat – The Honolulu Advertiser

Northland divers crack underwater ironing record

By billrini

Jun

7

A team of fearless Northland divers has smashed the world record in a gruelling underwater sport: Extreme Ironing.

Many a grown man has been known to run screaming from an ironing board even under ordinary circumstances, but last Friday a record 55 athletes braved creases, synthetic shirts and shonky boards – under 30m of water.

Northland divers crack underwater ironing record

How-To: Dry Your Regulator’s First Stage If It Has Accidentally Flooded

By billrini

Jun

7

Calvin Tang recently went diving with a newly-certified diver. Upon returning, they placed their gear in a freshwater rinse. Unfortunately, Calvin’s friend forgot to replace the dust cap in the first stage. Of course, we’ve been told a gazillion times not to get water inside the first stage, so naturally Calvin freaked when he discovered the first stage had flooded. After searching for information on how to handle the situation (to no avail), he called his local dive shop; the staff member assured Calvin that the problem was minor, especially since the first stage had flooded with freshwater. (Even if it had flooded with saltwater, however, the problem is simple to correct, but first you need to rinse the unit thoroughly with freshwater to avoid corrosion.) Ultimately, it was easy for Calvin to dry out his first stage.

How-To: Dry Your Regulator’s First Stage If It Has Accidentally Flooded – Divester

Marine technology inspired by dolphins’ speed

By billrini

Jun

7

Since the days of Aristotle, humans have looked to dolphins with awe, envy and inspiration because of the marine animal’s speed and strength in the oceans. Swimming at speeds of up to 20 mph, the dolphin seems to defy nature’s laws. In fact, in the 1930s, the scientist James Gray thought that the power needed for the dolphin to swim at such speeds exceeded its available power nearly 10 times over, which is known as Gray’s paradox.

To explain his paradox, Gray theorized that the water against the dolphin’s skin has layers that slide past each other and reduce drag, called “laminar boundary layers.” (It was previously assumed that the water against the skin was made of several mixed layers that increase drag, called “turbulent boundary layers.”) In actuality, no mechanisms have been demonstrated that maintain a completely laminar boundary layer for the dolphin.

Marine technology inspired by dolphins’ speed

Alba: I turn dolphins on

By billrini

Jun

7

HOLLYWOOD cutie Jessica Alba is so hot, she even gets dolphins horny when she goes scuba diving.

The actress discovered the cetacean mammals got aroused by her presence when she was shooting dolphin drama Flipper.

She told MTV: “I don’t know if anybody knows this but dolphins get excited, even when you are a human being – and they have long, long… (penises).

Alba: I turn dolphins on

Swim With Sharks In Kuala Lumpur Aquarium

By billrini

Jun

7

It’s getting so you can swim with sharks in virtually every aquarium – or so it seems. Bangkok’s new aquarium came complete with a swimming with sharks feature, which I mentioned a few months ago – and now Kuala Lumpur’s Aquaria is offering you the chance to get up close and personal with our toothsome friends. There is a article from the Malaysia Star newspaper that describes a non-diving journalist’s experience of trying to dive in the shark aquarium tank – unfortunately he couldn’t get below the surface as he kept panicking. Oh well, at least he got to see the sharks from above if nothing else.

Swim With Sharks In Kuala Lumpur Aquarium – divehappy.com: Scuba Diving In Thailand and South East Asia

99 Reasons to Dive The Maldives – Divester

By billrini

Jun

6

John Bantin of Divernet put together an interesting and amusing list of 99 reasons to dive the Maldives this year….as if you even needed one reason. Nevertheless, the list include such things as the British Loyalty, Gilis, Mushimashma, Oriental Sweetlips, Hukuruelhi Kandhu, finolhus, and many, many more intriguing attractions. If you don’t know what these words mean, then you definitely need to check out the piece.

99 Reasons to Dive The Maldives – Divester

Free Diving: A Beginner’s Guide

By billrini

Jun

6

Journalist Kate Rew gives an interesting account of trying free diving for the first time, deep within the glamourous confines of the 30 metres deep submarine escape tank in Gosport, England. The tank training is part of a comprehensive free diving course run by a company called Deeper Blue, who also organise trips for free divers to Egypt.

Free Diving: A Beginner’s Guide – divehappy.com: Scuba Diving In Thailand and South East Asia

Whale Sharks Bring Prosperity And Problems To Philippines

By billrini

Jun

5

I wrote a while ago about wanting to visit the town of Donsol in the Philippines, which has become famous in the last 10 years due to the annual migration of whale sharks there every April. South Africa’s Mail & Guardian Online has an excellent article about how the whale sharks have changed the fortunes of the town by bringing thousands of tourists to the area who want to see these amazing creatures – and also preserved the lives of the sharks themselves as fisherman realised they have more value alive as a tourist attraction.

However, the town’s new found prosperity brings growing pains with it

Whale Sharks Bring Prosperity And Problems To Philippines – divehappy.com: Scuba Diving In Thailand and South East Asia

Keizertimes.com

By billrini

Jun

5

A shark was waiting for unwitting divers as they entered the scuba pool during the Keizer Iris Festival.

Fortunately, it was plastic.

If they could overcome their fears of rubberized carnivores, the divers got to face the real hurdle: breathing under water.

Keizertimes.com

Scuba diving, safe for seniors

By billrini

Jun

5

A 2003 study, led by Heather Frederick, showed that even a gradual decline in lung function due to advanced age cannot be bad enough for elderly divers to take the plunge into the waters.

In the study, the researchers used hyperbaric (high-pressured) chambers to simulate the effects of diving at a depth of 60 feet underwater as tools to measure lung performance of elder divers as against young divers. The responses of a group of 10 healthy people, ranging in age from 19 to 39, was compared to another group of healthy older adults aged 58 to 74. None of the divers had a history of lung or heart disease.

Sun.Star Cebu – Scuba diving, safe for seniors

IGN: Scuba Solitaire Review

By billrini

Jun

5

Scuba Solitaire jumps to the front of the download queue with a solid selection of solitaire variations and a winning theme that is implemented with confidence. The underwater setting is omnipresent in all modes, with pleasing-to-the-eye backdrops floating behind very readable cards. Players can choose from a small variety of watery locations, each with their own aquatic wildlife. For example, if you opt for the arctic sea, you’ll see a polar bear. Coral reefs bring colorful tropical fish to the fore.

IGN: Scuba Solitaire Review