Panasonic introduces LUMIX TS2, waterproof to 33 feet
In an attempt to catch up with Olympus and Canon in the waterproof camera market, Panasonic introduced the new LUMIX DMC-TS2, a successor to the company's first rugged digital camera designed for active outdoor use, the LUMIX DMC-TS1. Featuring HD video recording capability, the new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX TS2 further strengthens its toughness when compared to its predecessor and is waterproof to 33 feet, shockproof to 10 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and dustproof. The TS2 has a 4.6X optical zoom that starts wide at 28mm, and a 2.7-inch high-res LCD. No word on pricing and availability yet. -- Posted Thursday, January 28, 2010 by chb

Report on coral bleaching in Florida
Most divers have seen coral bleaching, the whitening of corals that occurs when the coral's symbiotic algae dies off. Most generally blame that on pollution or global warming, but apparently coral is very sensitive to cold water as well. A report released by The Nature Conservancy describes coral bleaching in Florida due to recent water temperatures dropping to 52 degrees. The coral reefs of the Florida Keys are the basis of a unique and diverse ecosystem that forms the third largest barrier reef in the world. Reef-related expenditures generate more than $4.4 billion annually in southeast Florida and reef recreation supports more than 70,000 jobs (2001).[See report on coral bleaching by The Nature Conservancy] -- Posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010 by chb

Competition for Liquid Image masks?
We're high on the Liquid Image scuba video masks (and they just released some more cool new underwater products at the 2010 CES show in Las Vegas), but now it seems like they have some competition from a video mask sold at Etronixmart. The mask apparently takes 1280 x 960 video, stored on 4GB internal memory, max depth is 200 feet, and you operate it with a magnetic ring. -- Posted Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by chb

Japanese Whaler rams, sinks Sea Shepherd catamaran
The ongoing altercations between Japanese whaling boats and the Sea Shepherd conservation organization (documented in the Whale Wars" TV coverage) escalated January 6, 2009, when the Japanese "security" ship Shonan Maru 2 rammed the Sea Shepherd's US$2 million catamaran Ady Gil, causing catastrophic damage. Japan continues to kill whales despite a worldwide moratorium. Click on the image for a larger version, and see Sea Shepherd coverage and video on CNN. -- Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 by chb

Kodak introduces rugged waterproof HD vidcam
Eastman Kodak Company introduced the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, a rugged, durable and pocket-size HD video camera with a 2-inch display, a SDHC card slot for up to 32GB, and ability to capture full 1080p HD video. There's HDMI output (cable included), face tracking, electronic image stabilization, the camera can handle ten feet of water without extra housing (let's hope someone will make an deepwater case for it), you can also capture 5-megapixel stills, and it'll be available in April 2010 for just US$149. -- Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by chb

Star Trek wetsuits!
If you're a diver and a Star Trek fan, there's probably nothing cooler than a custom-made Star Trek wetsuit. Yes, they are available in blue, red, or gold and decked out with the original rank insignias. They are made to order, available in 3/5/7mm, and cost US$434 to US$449, minus a discount if you are a member of the Roddenberry Dive Team, run by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's son. Not inexpensive, but also not unreasonable for a custom suit, and priceless for Star Trek fans! [See Star Trek wetsuits] -- Posted Monday, January 4, 2010 by chb

Full review: Olympus E-620 with PT-E06 underwater case
The Olympus E-620 is a versatile 12.3-megapixel digital SLR that offers an excellent balance of performance, quality and features in a package of modest size and weight. Combined with the Olympus PT-E06 underwater housing and a couple of Olympus UFL-2 underwater strobes, it makes for perhaps the best consumer-level underwater camera rig we've tested. The camera itself lists for US$699 with a 14-42mm Zuiko Digital lens. [Read full review of the Olympus E-620 digital SLR camera with PT-E06 underwater housing] -- Posted Thursday, December 31, 2009 by chb

Best photography books of 2009
There's a lot of good photography books out there, and you can learn a lot from them. Editor Carol Cotton picked the best ones of 2009, including a description of each. [See the Best Photography Books of 2009] -- Posted Wednesday, December 30, 2009 by chb

153 scuba-diving Santas set world record
A group of UK scuba divers brought together through a diving forum called Yorkshire Divers, dresses up in santa costumes each year to raise money for a charity. In 2007 they raised a few hundred pounds with 8 participating santas. Last year they had over 80, and this year they set a world record with 153 simultaneous scuba diving Santas at an inland dive site called Vobster Quay in Somerset. -- Posted Tuesday, December 22, 2009 by chb

Guanahacabibes (Cuba) and Scuba Diving
Too bad we can't dive in Cuba. [See Guanahacabibes and Scuba Diving] -- Posted Thursday, December 17, 2009 by chb

Tiger Woods' private liveaboard
Ahh... how nice it must be to be really rich. Tiger Wood's US$22 million yacht apparently measures 155 feet, which makes it larger than almost all liveaboards. And it's nicely equipped with an 8-person jacuzzi, a gym, a theater projection system, a gourmet kitchen, BBQ grill, two motor scooters, scuba facilities, and an elevator. [See Tiger's yacht and a slide show of what it looks like inside] -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Free iPhone dive site database app
Divetime.com, the world's largest online dive site database, now has a free iPhone application where you can search for dive sites, read about dive sites, and also describe and rate dive sites. The app provides access to almost 12,000 dive sites all over the world. Search for "divetime" in the iPhone app store. -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Replace your Zodiac with a ScubaCraft!
From the extremely cool and expensive adult toys front: the ScubaCraft! It's a super-elegant speedboat that can be used just for fun or also as a yacht tender, and it can also dive. Available in a 3 person and a 6 person version, the ScubaCraft uses a standard 4-cylinder motor for speeds up to 50 mph when on the surface, and a number of electric thrusters when underwater. Maximum depth is 100 feet (with a 160 feet option), and you need scuba gear when underwater. [See the ScubaCraft website -- Posted Friday, December 11, 2009 by chb

Review: Turks & Caicos Explorer II liveaboard
ScubaDiverInfo.com spent a week on Explorer Ventures' Turks and Caicos Explorer II liveaboard, a large, spacious (124 feet) liveaboard vessel that offers incredibly easy and enjoyable access to numerous dive sites around the Turks and Caicos Islands. A great crew, excellent food, generously sized facilities and five dives every day (if you're up to it!) make this weeklong trip unforgettable. Pricing is reasonable, dive sites diverse and you even get to see sharks. Compared to its primary competition -- the Aggressor -- the Explorer Ventures boat is older but is slightly larger, has an extra upper deck, and trips are somewhat less expensive. [Read full review of the Explorer Ventures Turks & Caicos Explorer II]
-- Posted Friday, December 4, 2009 by chb

Review: Occidental Grand, Cozumel
Cozumel is a (drift) diving paradise, and you want to be as close to the great dive sites like the Santa Rosa Wall or the Palancar reefs as possible. ScubaDiverInfo.com spent a week at the Occidental Grand, an all-inclusive 4-Star resort. Read about our experiences with the Occidental resort, the food, the accommodations, the facilities, and, of course, the diving. [Read detailed review of the Occidental Grand, Cozumel resort] -- Posted Thursday, November 19, 2009 by chb

Casio joins the waterproof camera market
Given that Casio has been selling tough and rugged G-SHOCK watches for over a quarter of a century, one might wonder what took the company so long to enter the increasingly lucrative water/shock/dust/crush-proof segment of the digital camera market currently dominated by the likes of Olympus, Pentax, Canon and Panasonic. Whatever Casio's reasons were, Casio now has a tough waterproof camera of its own (though only ten feet), the new 12.1-megapixel Exilim EX-G1. [See description and specs of the Casio Exilim EX-G1] -- Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by chb

Drift diving in Cozumel
When people think of diving in Cozumel, they generally think of drift diving. That means the current is such that the dive boat drops you off in one location and then picks you up at another. Drift makes everything a little different from diving in places where the boat is moored and you’ll always get back to the boat in the same spot. It also means there is no anchor line that can be located on the way back and back up. So how does drift diving in Cozumel work? [Read about drift diving in Cozumel] -- Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by chb

Need a cellphone while diving? Ocean Reef can help.
If you really, really, really cannot be without a cellphone even while diving, Ocean Reef has just the solution for you. Their Alpha UWCP Underwater Cell Phone uses an underwater communication unit that is integrated with a speaker and microphone and can be easily installed on any one of the Ocean Reef full face masks. The unit is wired with a quick-detach 130 foot cable to the surface. {See the Ocean Reef underwater cellphone] -- Posted Thursday, November 5, 2009 by chb

Telegraph.co.uk article on cave diver Jill Heinerth
Telegraph.co.uk did an article on Florida cave diver Jill Heinerth, covering her diving career and some of her major exploits, such as being the first person to cave dive in an Antarctic iceberg. [See Telegraph article on Jill Heinerth] -- Posted Monday, October 5, 2009 by chb

Scuba Comics
At the end of August, Disney announced it will buy Marvel Entertainment for about US$4 billion. Disney paid this incredible amount of money because Marvel's thousands of comic book characters -- which include including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, etc. -- can be extremely lucrative business. But did you know there was a time when there were a good number of scuba-themed comics? Examples are "Sea Devils," "The FrogMen," "Frogman," "Undersea Commando," "The Aquanauts" and more. See a great compilation of scuba comics at Diving Into Scuba Comics. -- Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by chb

The sharks of Turks and Caicos
Shark tours are cool, but seeing sharks in the wild is even better. If you want to see plenty of sharks on a nice Caribbean dive vacation, go to Turks and Caicos. We saw dozens of sharks off West Caicos on our seven day trip aboard the Turks & Caicos Explorer II, including reef sharks, blacktips, nurse sharks and I believe also a silky. [View Turks and Caicos shark pictures] -- Posted Thursday, August 27, 2009 by chb

Review: Panasonic's waterproof, shockproof Lumix TS1
After years of building Toughbook computers, Panasonic has entered the waterproof/shockproof/dustproof camera market with the 12.1-megapixel TS1. The camera has a terrific folding 28-128mm equivalent zoom, can do 720p high definition video, and excels in picture quality. Max depth is limited to 10 feet though. [Read review of the Panasonic Lumix TS1]
-- Posted Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by chb

Review: Canon D10 at Thunderdome
We put Canon's waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof 12-megapixel digital camera to the ultimate test, at the submerged Thunderdome off the Turks and Caicos islands. Our impressions of the uniquely style US$339 Powershot D10 are overwhelmingly positive. [Read review of the Canon Powershot D10] -- Posted Sunday, August 23, 2009 by chb

When your dive computer fails
Dive computers are remarkably reliable, and they usually run what seems like forever on a battery. But what happens when your dive computer quits on you? [...more] -- Posted Thursday, August 20, 2009 by chb

Scuba tanks do explode
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes scuba tanks do explode. The latest report is from Australia where a scuba equipment manager got injured when a tank blew up while being filled. There's a reason why inspections are mandatory. [See report] -- Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by chb

Record mass dive in Indonesia
To mark Indonesia's 64th Independence Day, almost 2,500 scuba divers set a new world record for the largest mass dive off the coast of North Sulawesi. The challenge was part of the Sail Bunaken 2009 maritime event that was held to assist Indonesia's efforts to establish the Sulawesi town of Manado as a world-class tourist spot. -- Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by chb

2008 DAN Diving Report available for free download
The 2008 DAN Diving Report is now available for free download as a PDF file from the DAN website. You don't need to be a DAN member to get it. The 137-page report includes a detailed compilation of dive incidents, statistics, recommendations and explanations. [Go to the DAN 2008 DAN Diving Report download page] -- Posted Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by chb

How to deal with sharks
If respecting one's elders is part of your upbringing, then the advice issued by Pliny the Elder on how divers should deal with sharks is still quite remarkable, especially since Pliny was a Roman who wrote the advice almost 2,000 years ago in his "Natural History." [Read Pliny the Elder's advice on how to deal with sharks] -- Posted Wednesday, July 29, 2009 by chb

Bonaire honors Dr. Sylvia Earle with Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Sylvia Earle, known as the Ambassador to the world’s oceans, will add another accolade to her impressive array of honors when Bonaire’s first “Lifetime Achievement Award” is bestowed upon her. The award will be made during Celebrate Our Planet Week this summer, August 15-22, 2009, as a highlight week of the Bonaire Dive Into Summer festivities. For more information, click on “Bonaire Dive Into Summer” on Bonaire’s official web site at www.tourismbonaire.com. -- Posted Monday, July 27, 2009 by chb

BBC News: Humbold squid invading California
The resident experts on Humboldt squid in California, BBC News, are at it again, reporting on California, and most notably the waters off San Diego, being "menaced by jumbo squid." Humboldt squid grow as long as seven feet and can be aggressive. BBC News has been reporting on jumbo squid invasions of California since 2002. -- Posted Monday, July 20, 2009 by chb

Swiss divers salvage 1925 Bugatti from lake
A diving contractor from the Southern part of Switzerland salvaged a Bugatti from a depth of almost 180 feet in Lago Maggiore, Switzerland. According to its serial number, the car was built in 1925 and was a Brescia Type 23 model. Divers had been aware of the car, which legend has it was dumped into the lake after its import duty had not been paid, since the 1960s. [See Swiss newspaper coverage] -- Posted Monday, July 13, 2009 by chb

Full review: SeaLife DC1000 Elite
For less than some deepwater housings cost all by themselves, you can get the SeaLife DC1000 Elite package that includes a 10-megapixel camera, an industrial strength housing good for dives to a depth of 200 feet, a powerful external flash, and a snap-on wide angle lens, all nicely packaged. We gave the DC1000 a good workout on a recent camera review dive trip. [See full review of the SeaLife DC1000 Elite] -- Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009 by chb

Florida -- A great dive trip, for less
We love organized dive trips to exotic locations, but if at times they seem a bit too dear for your wallet, the traveling a bit too exhausting, and the venues a bit too crowded, there are great alternatives that don't compromise on diving and cost much less. The ScubaDiverInfo.com team realized that again on a recent trip to Florida that combined business and pleasure and let us enjoy seven wonderful and varied dive locations all within an hour or two of Orlando. [Read A great dive trip, for less] -- Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 by chb

ScubaDiverInfo.com answers your dive questions
Our experts have been answering scuba diving related questions for years, helping you enjoy diving to its fullest. Each question/answer is added to the ScubaDiverInfo Q&A page. How much air should I leave in tanks? Are dentures affecting diving? Does nitrogen absorption cause a smell? Are US and European scuba equipment compatible? Can I do very long dives in shallow water? These are some of the questions we recently answered. [See ScubaDiverInfo Q&A page] -- Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 by chb

US State Department advises against Honduras travel
As a result of the June 28 military coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zeleya and sent him into exile, US State Department alert states, “The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the current unstable political and security situation in Honduras, and recommends that American citizens defer all non-essential travel to Honduras until further notice. This Travel Alert expires on July 29, 2009.” -- Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by chb

Book review: Ocean Gladiator by Mark Ellyatt
Ocean Gladiator, written by British extreme tech diver and former world depth record holder Mark Ellyatt, is a most enjoyable and remarkably cohesive book that details the author's journey from open water certification all the way to some of the world's most extreme dives. Ellyatt, in a friendly, lighthearted style, covers his world-traveling adventures as well as some of the most intense deep-diving projects. [See book review of Mark Ellyatt's Ocean Gladiator] -- Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 by chb

Two vastly experienced divers lost in separate incidents
The scuba community mourns the loss of two giants of the sport. On May 18, 49-year-old Paul Blanchette, a very experienced deep-sea and tech diver who had made 57 dives to the Andrea Doria and was among the first to reach the 460-feet deep steamship Portland, died on a seemingly simple 90-foot dive to the the wreck of the Chester Poling outside Gloucester Harbor (see report). Then, on June 20, Joseph Terzuoli, 46, who was known as "Captain Zero" and had more than 3,500 dives, including reportedly more than 250 to the Andrea Doria, perished on a solo dive to the Dutch Steamer Texel, which lies at about 200 feet 53 miles east of Atlantic City (see report). -- Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2009 by chb

Upload your dive pics wirelessly with the Eye-Fi Pro SD card
Eye-Fi SD memory cards add wireless to your digital camera, but until now they needed a standard WiFi network. The new Eye-Fi Pro now supports peer-to-peer wireless, so no router or Internet connection required. This means your dive pictures can automatically upload to your notebook wherever you are. Eye-Fi wireless SD and SDHC memory cards range from US$49-$149 and are available at www.eye.fi. -- Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by chb

Waterproof cameras take center stage at PMA 2009!
PMA is the annual international convention and trade show of the Photo Marketing Association. It's sort of like the DIMA of the photography industry, and it took place at the same venue, the Las Vegas Convention Center. We attended and found an amazing amount of underwater gear! [Read our full conference report of PMA 2009] -- Posted Sunday, June 7, 2009 by chb

Cool new stuff from Aqua Lung
Aqua Lung's popular midrange Pro QD BC is getting a new look, including a bunch of new features (weight system, pockets, attachment points, etc.) (see details). They're also bringing back an old favorite, the Ventura mask with its very wide visionand extra-thick tempered glass. It's available with a clear or a black skirt (see detail).
-- Posted Sunday, June 7, 2009 by chb

523-feet Vandenberg sunk as artificial reef
Wednesday 27, 2009, marks the sinking of the 523-foot USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg as an artificial reef seven miles off Key West, Florida. The ship, originally a WW II transport, sits at about 140 feet of water, and the superstructure will be accessible to divers at 40 or 50 feet.

-- Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by chb

Earthquake hits Roatan
A strong earthquake hit about 30 miles north of the Honduran island of Roatan (epicenter = 16.729°N, 86.212°W) at 3:24AM local time on May 28, 2009. The original quake was said to be magnitude 7.1, with a 4.8 magnitude aftershock half an hour later. Roatan got rattled with some damage to homes. Our friends from Cocoview resort report broken pipes and pilings, everything knocked off tables and shelves, damage to coral and even a big crack in the wreck of the Prince Albert (follow Cocoview chat; USGS detail). -- Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by chb

Dive shops struggle, but DEMA optimistic
Local dive shops - relying on retail sales, training and dive trips - are struggling in tough economic times where many people are cutting back on leisure activities and vacations. However, Tom Ingram, executive director of DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, said that many dive shops nationwide have full classes and busy schedules and the industry will turn around. [See article in the Sun Sentinel] -- Posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 by chb

Diving at Bonne Terre Mine, Missouri
Pop culture travel guide jaunted.com reports on the Bonne Terre Mine outside of St. Louis, Missouri. This now flooded former lead mine offers two dozen dive trails at average debts of 40 to 60 feet in crystal-clear water and full illumination. Bonne Terre Mine, a national historic site, is the world's largest fresh water dive resort and listed as one of America's 10 greatest adventures by National Geographic. [Read report at jaunted.com, also watch video of diving at Bonne terre] -- Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by chb

Diving a parking lot

Who says you need to spend thousands to dive in some fancy location when lots of diving fun can be had close to many divers' homes? With the Folsom Lake reservoir near Sacramento, Calif., almost full, the boat ramp we'd parked on last December was now under 75 feet of water! And diving over a parking lot is certainly an unusual experience. [Read Diving th Folsom Lake parking lot] -- Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 by chb

Become a "citizen scientist" and build a reef
With coral reefs in trouble everywhere, reef-conscious divers can work side by side with marine scientists to assist in reef building during a coral restoration workshop set for Tuesday through Friday, June 23-26, with Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, Florida. Scuba divers learn from and work with coral restoration experts from the Coral Restoration Foundation, and lead education and dive trips as part of the nonprofit organization's mission. The classes focus on coral health, corals' function in marine ecosystems, identification of natural and manmade threats to coral and the means to protect the resource in the Florida Keys. For information about Florida Keys coral restoration efforts, visit www.coralrestoration.org.
-- Posted Friday, May 15, 2009 by chb

Scubadiverinfo.com gets a nasty letter from PADI
Much to our surprise, we got a nasty letter from PADI, demanding that we immediately remove the picture of a PADI dive table in our dive table tutorial. Don't these guys realize diving, and PADI, needs all the help it can get? Ticking people and divers off certainly won't work in PADI's favor. (Also see Blog entry on nasty letter from PADI's lawyers) -- Posted Friday, May 1, 2009 by chb

Memories of wreck diving
The U-352, the Papoose, the Proteus, the Spar, the 452 foot long Empire Mica, the Chippewa, the Grey Ghost, and the SS Tarpon, Saskatchewan, the Chaudiere, and the wrecks of Truk Lagoon, ScubaDiver Info's Carol Cotton has seen them all. Now it was the Yukon off San Diego... [Read Memories of Wreck Diving - Past and Present] -- Posted Monday, April 6, 2009 by chb

Review: Liquid Image VideoMask 310
The VideoMask 310 by Liquid Image combines a 5-megapixel still/video camera into a scuba mask. You can use it to take pictures or record 720 x 480 pixel video onto a microSD card. This version of the mask is rated for 33 feet of depth, but we took it much deeper. The biggest questions we had were whether this was a scuba-quality mask, and whether the camera would interfere with diving. [See full review of the Liquid Image VideoMask 310] -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

Divers can join search for 1622 treasure galleon
Adventure-hungry certified divers can work alongside professional treasure salvage experts excavating the wrecksite of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, one of the most significant shipwreck discoveries of the 20th century. The weeklong Atocha Dive Adventure includes training in commercial treasure salvage techniques, behind-the-scenes tours of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and labs where Atocha artifacts are conserved and two days of diving the site with salvage experts searching for the galleon's sterncastle. The first adventure is scheduled June 8-14. For more info and dates, contact Mel Fisher's Treasures at (305) 294-5441 or scowles@melfisher.com. -- Posted Thursday, March 26, 2009 by chb

Answers to scuba questions
What's "Actual Dive Time"? Can your mind cause DCI? What do you do when your mask leaks? Can you engage in sports after diving? How can you get rid of that musky dive gear smell? What's the best BC type for serious diving? How much weight should you wear? Can rental dive gear make you sick? These are some of the questions site visitors have been asking, and ScubaDiverInfo.com's Carol Cotton, a NAUI instructor with 1000s of dives, has the answers. Check out the Answers to Scuba questions page. If you have a scuba-related question, submit it. -- Posted Wednesday, March 25, 2009 by chb

Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, Washington to be closed
If you want to see white metridiums (giant white anemones) you usually need to dive out in the ocean, like the wrecks of Southern California. You could, however, also see them at Saltwater State Park on Puget Sound in Des Moines, Washington, where the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission had constructed artificial reefs. Sadly, now the facility is on the state parks closure list because of the state budget shortfall. -- Posted Wednesday, March 25, 2009 by chb

LandShark Scuba, Sioux Falls, awarded Local Dive Shop of the Month
The March 2009 award of ScubaDiverInfo.com Local Dive Shop of the Month goes to LandShark Scuba in Sioux Falls, SD. Award testimony: My family is new to diving and Landshark has gone out of their way to welcome us into the family of divers. From the clerks to the owner and fellow divers, they made us feel like we were always one of their own, even though they have been diving for many years and we are very much beginners. The divers began inviting us on excursions as soon as we started classwork and the instructors offered individual opportunities to complete open water dives as our schedules allowed, which is a plus in South Dakota! They were also very helpful in the selection of equipment purchases we made so we could stay within our budget, yet not buy antiquated equipment. They're great all the way around! -- Posted Tuesday, March 24, 2009 by chb

Scuba diving in Texas
A post on examiner.com on scuba diving in Texas recommends a trip to San Marcos to dive in the San Marcos River (http://www.sanmarcosriver.org/RiverInfo.htm). The San Marcos River is exceptionally beautiful and clear most days of the year because the water comes from the natural underground springs that provides most of the Hill Country with its water, the Edwards Aquifer. Another unforgettable scuba trip in Texas would be to Athens Scuba Park in St. Athens, TX. Athens Scuba Park is maintained and run by professional divers who made sure their lake was scuba supreme. They have set up a small airplane, and a tour bus underwater for divers to explore, as well as treasure hunts and other exciting ways to dive. -- Posted Sunday, March 8, 2009 by chb

Girldiver.com
Ever since we've had a chat with her at the '08 DEMA, we've been impressed with what Cindy Ross is doing with her girldiver.com website where she provides a woman's perspective of diving and is dedicated to promoting the scuba lifestyle for women of all ages worldwide. Girldiver.com also has a very helpful email newsletter you can sign up for here. -- Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009 by chb

Greek treasures at risk from Scuba divers?
Archaeologists think hundreds of ancient wrecks beneath the eastern Mediterranean may contain treasures, but a new law opening Greece's coastline to scuba diving has experts worried that priceless artifacts could disappear into the hands of treasure hunters. The issue is a 2007 law designed to promote tourism that opens most of Greece's coastline to scuba divers, except for about 100 known archaeological sites. [Read Reuters report] -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Clams threatening clarity of Lake Tahoe
Scientists in Reno are preparing to examine and hopefully eliminate a threat that could taint Lake Tahoe's clear-blue waters. The problem is Asian clams that spread algae, and have turned up in several locations along Tahoe's southeast shore. Scuba divers will be used in a $400,000 dollar project designed to test ways to remove the clams. The project is funded by the Federal Government, Nevada and California -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Fuji, too, launches a waterproof point-and-shooter
Everyone seems to be getting into waterproof cameras! The very small 10-megapixel FinePix Z33WP, available in four bright colors, is Fujifilm's entry, joining Olympus, Pentax, Panasonic, Canon and a number of specialty manufacturers. The camera's maximum depth rating of ten feet makes it suitable only for very shallow dives, but it's great for snorkeling and other activities in and around the water. The Z33PW has a large and bright 2.7-inch LCD display, a 3x optical zoom, digital anti blur, and some fun features and functions. If the 10-foot depth limit or lack of ruggedness doesn't cramp your style, the list price of US$199 makes this new Fuji a fun and very affordable choice among waterproof cameras. [See description and specs of the Fujifilm Z33WP] -- Posted Saturday, February 21, 2009 by chb

PowerShot D10: Canon's first waterproof (33 feet), freeze proof and shockproof camera
The 12-megapixel PowerShot D10 is Canon's first entry into the waterproof/rugged space. The camera is fairly large and heavy, but well equipped to handle most of the abuse it may encounter outdoors. It is dust and waterproof, and it can handle being dropped from up to four feet. Divers can take it down to 33 feet of depth, enough for many scuba adventures. The camera's controls are large and arranged so you can operate it with a glove. Optical lens stabilization reduces blur. Thanks to Canon's DIGIC 4 processor, the camera offers speedy operation, onboard image correction, and advanced face recognition modes. The list price is US$329. [See description and specs of the Canon PowerShot D10] -- Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009 by chb

Project AWARE needs divers' help!
Project AWARE Foundation, in partnership with divers around the world, took 2000 new reef conservation actions for International Year of the Reef 2008. But recent reports state that coral reefs are still in trouble and have just eight to 10 years left to be rescued. Project AWARE’s corporate partner PADI is supporting environmental protection and has put cash on the table, challenging divers to commit more for conservation. PADI Americas will match – dollar for dollar – every individual contribution to Project AWARE’s conservation initiatives up to US$30,000 until 15 March. Don’t miss the chance to double your conservation gift – a critical time for your participation. -- Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by chb

Vandenberg moves to shipyard for final cleanup work
After an almost nine-month stall, a Key West artificial reef project is back on course, after tugboats shifted the 524-foot Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg 1/8-mile from Colonna's Shipyard to W3 Marine. The former missile tracking ship will be evaluated and final cleanup will commence so it can be towed to Key West for a planned scuttling in the late spring of this 2009, according to Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge, the designated project manager. Following necessary inspections and contingent on weather conditions, the ship is to be towed to Key West where further work is to be accomplished to prepare it for sinking and recreational diving. A federal judge seized the vessel in April and subsequently ordered the auction of the ship after a contractor failed to complete payments to Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va., for cleanup of the vessel. In December, First State Bank of the Florida Keys was the ship's top bidder at $1.35 million. -- Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by chb