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

Pana enters the waterpropf/shockproof camera market
Panasonic has joined the increasingly popular market for waterproof, shockproof and dustproof cameras with the 12.1-megapixel TS1. The very compact camera has a 4.6x optical zoom that starts wide at 28mm, can be taken to a depth of ten feet, and handle a 5-foot drop. It has a 2.7-inch display and can also record 720P video. The TS1 comes in silver, green or orange and costs US$399, which means it'll compete with the even tougher Olympus Stylus 1030 SW and Tough-8000. No word on the availability of an underwater housing. -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Full review: Bonica Snapper HDDV high-def underwater video system
Bonica offers a modular underwater high-definition video camera system that can record 1280 x 720 pixel video at up to 30 frames per second for very good 720p playback on a HDTV. A soft inner housing can be used for snorkeling and guards against flooding if the camera is used in its hard acrylic deepwater (180 feet) housing. Optional single or dual video lights have 30, 40 and 60 watt settings and can be easily adjusted via ball joints. The setup is very easy to use and can yield amazingly good video as well as decent still shots from its 5-megapixel CMOS imager. The inexpensive camera records on standard SD cards and needs about 2GB for each hour of video. [See full review with video of the Bonica Snapper HDDV high-definition underwater camcorder system] -- Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 by chb

Review: Fluro Hood reflective Day-Glo hoods
Hopefully you never find yourself lost at sea. But if you do, anything that makes you more visible can safe your life. Designed by a Kiwi diver, the purpose of these Day-Glo orange, fluorescent and reflective hoods is to be seen. The hoods come as classic wetsuit hoods (US$59.95), 5mm dry/semi-dry hoods (US$59.95), and 2mm beanies (US$29.95). Highly recommended. [See Fluro Hood review and pictures] -- Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009 by chb

Two new book reviews
Two new book reviews: No Safe Harbor describes the fatal turn of events that brought the live aboard dive ship Wave Dancer into a small harbor in Belize where it sought safety from Hurricane Iris in October of 2001. In Fatally Flawed -- The Quest to be Deepest, South African diver, dive instructor and prolific tech diving blogger Verna van Schaik describes how she set a new world record for deep diving by a woman (725 feet), what led up to it, and how she views the whole drive and obsession to set ever more extreme records [Read reviews of No Safe Harbor and Fatally Flawed.] -- Posted Sunday, January 4, 2009 by chb

Diving the Mr. Bud -- sample HD video


While diving at Roatan in early December we shot some video with the inexpensive Bonica Snapper HDDV underwater video camera. You can watch some sample video of the wreck of the Mr. Bud here or see it in high definition a vimeo.com. -- Posted Thursday, January 1, 2009 by chb

Delta starts non-stop flights between JFK and Bonaire
As of December 20, 2008 Delta started weekly non-stop flight from New York’s JFK to/from Bonaire. Delta flight #553 will depart John F. Kennedy International Airport Saturdays at 10:35 a.m. arriving into Bonaire’s Flamingo International Airport at 4:25 p.m. The return flight #554 will depart Bonaire Saturdays at 5:15 p.m. arriving into New York JFK at 9:05 p.m. Delta will use a 154 seat, 737-800 Boeing aircraft with 16 first class seats and 138 economy seats for these flights. For more on Bonaire, check tourismbonaire.com. -- Posted Tuesday, December 23, 2008 by chb

Bonnier Corp. buys Scuba Diving Magazine
Bonnier Corp., the US division of Swedish Bonnier Group, which already publishes Sport Diver, purchased Scuba Diving Magazine from F+W Media Inc. The press release states that Scuba Diving and Sport Diver will now be aligned with The Undersea Journal, a mag that Bonnier produces for PADI, to create the Bonnier Dive Group. Sort of strange to have one company publish all those magazines, but our best wishes. -- Posted Thursday, December 18, 2008 by chb

Review: Chammyz dive and actionwear
So there we were, on a dive boat off Roatan in Honduras, wet and freezing our behinds off. Sure, it was December, but we didn't expect to be cold in a tropical climate and hadn't brought any warm or protective clothing. The moment I stepped off the boat I went to the resort's boutique and bought two of the remaining three Chammyz Surf Bomber zippered jackets (the shop had sold a ton of them and easily could have sold a bunch more). Read more about Chammyz dive and actionwear... -- Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2008 by chb

Case Study: Using a dive support computer
Scuba divers rely on wrist- or console-mount dive computers to safely explore the vast world beneath the ocean surface. Most dive computers can communicate with desktop and notebook computers, but the feature is not always used in a timely, productive manner. We used the super-compact General Dynamics Itronix MR-1 rugged UMPC as a dive support computer on a dive expedition to Honduras where we needed long battery life, a sunlight-viewable display, and the ability to be used on a dive boat mattered. [Read case study "General Dynamics Itronix MR-1 rugged UMPC boosts safety and productivity"] -- Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by chb

DEMA 2008: DIVE RESORTS
At DEMA 2008 we had the opportunity to speak with many representatives of some of the most fabulous places to go diving! Each of the major areas had its own aisle ... Indonesia, Micronesia, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Bay Islands, Hawaii, Bahamas and more. With hundreds of travel destinations and planning companies represented, the biggest problem was finding enough time to visit them all! [See dive resort coverage at DEMA 2008] -- Posted Wednesday, November 26, 2008 by chb

Oriskany sinking out of recreational reach
The aircraft carrier Oriskany has been a favorite wreck diving destination ever since it was sunk in 2006 about 25 miles off Pensacola, Florida. Ever since, there's been a bit of discussion exactly how deep the flight deck is, as many divers want to touch it. Most say it was around 135 feet, and so just five feet beyond the recreational limit, and many divers went for it. However, reports say that hurricane Gustave made the Oriskany shift and the deck is now at 145 feet, and that's a whole different ballgame. -- Posted Friday, November 7, 2008 by chb

DEMA 2008: FULL COVERAGE
More than 600 diving equipment exhibitors showed their products at DEMA 2008, the annual trade show of the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, which took place October 22-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was a big and exciting show with lots of new gear, representatives from what seemed like 100s of wonderful dive destinations, and just about anything related to diving. Scubadiverinfo.com was there to cover it for you! [See full coverage of DEMA 2008] -- Posted Wednesday, October 29, 2008 by chb

Olympus continues as PADI underwater photography sponsor
Olympus announces its partnership extension with PADI as the official digital underwater photography equipment sponsor of the PADI Diving Society through December 2009. With more than 175,000 members, the PADI Diving Society has direct access to Olympus underwater equipment at various diving events around the world to learn the skills needed to earn a PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty certification. -- Posted Saturday, October 25, 2008 by chb

Computer-controlled BC?
Two students from rom the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Mechatronics Engineering of the University of Auckland designed a computerized BC that would automatically adjust a diver's buoyancy if they get in trouble. The device can also automatically maintain a certain depth. "Our tests so far have proven the device to work, so the next step is to look at its marketability. As far as I know, a device like this does not exist," one of the students said. [Read press release on computer controlled BC] -- Posted Monday, October 20, 2008 by chb

Massachusetts divers reach SS Portland at 460 feet
The steamship Portland sank off the New England coast in 1998 in 460 feet of water, discovered in 1989, surveyed with robots in 2002, and then located by a group of divers in 2007. On August 13 of this year, a team of five became the first to dive the Portland, two of them with rebreathers. They encountered 30 foot visibility and strong currents, but were able to record video. The picture shows team member Paul Blanchette on a deco stop. Read report of the dive and view pictures. -- Posted Friday, October 10, 2008 by chb

Book review: Diving into Darkness
Diving into Darkness -- A True Story of Death and Survival by Phillip Finch is the true story behind the fatal body recovery attempt conducted by the Australian diver David Shaw at Boesmansgat, or Bushman's Hole, in South Africa in January of 2005. [Read review of Diving into Darkness]
-- Posted Thursday, October 9, 2008 by chb

Trivia
The NASA-sponsored research that in 2007 performed 3-dimensional robotic underwater mapping of the 1050 foot deep cenote Zacaton in Mexico where cave explorer Sheck Exley lost his life in 1994 found that the column-shaped cenote [see 3D model] has a volume of 1.35 million cubic-meter, which translates into 357 million gallons, or 11.5 million barrels. If the giant cenote were filled with oil, the United States would use it up in just over half a day. -- Posted Monday, October 6, 2008 by chb

Full resort review: CoCo View, Roatan, Honduras
CoCo View is a unique diver's resort on the Honduran island of Roatan with 26 guest rooms in cabanas, bungalows (on the water) and beachside buildings. It is secluded and rustic, and has just the right combination of modern amenities and tropical charm. It has its own dive shop, five dive boats, store, and recreational facilities, but no conventional restaurants or clubs. Shore diving includes two walls and a large wreck, and there are dozens of coral reef/wall dive sites reachable within minutes via dive boat. Staff is friendly and competent, and the buffet-style food is good and plentiful. CoCo View boasts a very high number of returning guests, and we can see why. [Read full review of CoCo View dive resort on Roatan -- Posted Wednesday, October 1, 2008 by chb

We're adding resort reviews!
ScubaDiverInfo.com is adding a new category to its broad roster of scuba-related news, reporting, reviews, blogs, photography and advice. Our new dive resort review section will give you detailed, illustrated information on some of the world's greatest scuba diving resorts and destinations. Check back frequently! -- Posted Sunday, September 28, 2008 by chb

Review: SeaLife DC800
If you want a reasonably priced underwater camera from one of the experts in the field, try the SeaLife DC800. It is a sleek, modern 8-megapixel camera that comes with a tough underwater case good for depths to 200 feet. SeaLife also offers single and dual external flashes. What sets SeaLife cameras apart is special underwater modes and settings that really bring out the beauty of that wonderful world down there. Read our comprehensive review of the DC800 and see many sample shots from a trip to Roatan, Honduras. -- Posted Tuesday, September 16, 2008 by chb

Reports from CoCo View resort on Roatan, Honduras
We're back from an awesome week of diving at CoCo View resort on the Honduran island of Roatan. Read all about it at Dive trip to Honduras!, First Ocean Dive, Prince Albert and green blood, Contemplations on a day off, Waves, surge, sharks and night dives, and Mary's Place. This was all written from the perspective of a fairly new diver, but CoCo View offers both shore and boat diving for all levels of scuba diving. You can reach fantastic walls and coral reefs from the resort's beach, and there's even a 140-foot wreck to peruse in 45-65 feet of water. And a DC3 right next to it. The picture to the left shows a swim-through of "Mary's Place," a wonderfully picturesque dive site. -- Posted Tuesday, September 9, 2008 by chb

Dive sites on the New York Seaway Trail
The New York Sea Grant is coordinating the establishment of five model scuba diving sites along the 454-mile Seaway Trail Scenic Byway paralleling the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River and Lake Erie. Diving sites along the Seaway Trail lets you enjoy some of the Northeast's finest freshwater diving sites, with a full complement of wreck, shoal,drift, deep, and historical diving. [See Dive the Seaway Trail!] -- Posted Sunday, August 17, 2008 by chb

Dive video of 110-feet-deep swimming pool
A while ago we reported on the world's deepest swimming pool, Nemo33 in Brussels. The water is a constant 91 degrees Fahrenheit, there are observation windows from a bar/restaurant, cave diving training overhead environments, and then, of course, the 110-foot pit. Check out this cool 9-minute underwater video of Nemo33. -- Posted Friday, August 8, 2008 by chb

Underwater looting alarms
There's an estimated one million shipwrecks on the sea floor, and a lot of them need to be protected from looting. A new technology that uses bubble detection is now being developed to sense intruders and trigger alarms. [Read Marine burglar alarm squawks at the sound of bubbles] -- Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by chb

Understanding diving at altitude
If you dive above an altitude of 1,000 feet, you need special dive tables because the air at altitude is thinner than at sea level. As far as nitrogen uptake goes, diving 70 feet in Lake Tahoe (altitude 6,230 feet) is like diving 87 feet at sea level. And it gets more complex yet with Nitrox. Understanding the physics behind it and what it all means is a bit involved, and so we described it in simple terms. Read Diving at Altitude Revisited. -- Posted Friday, July 25, 2008 by chb

Underwater bicycling record
The Guiness Book of Records folks record the most amazing things, and underwater bicycling is one of them. A 62-year-old Italian diver named Vittoria Innocente set a new record by riding a specially adapted mountain bike on a 400-foot slope down to a depth of 65 meters (213 feet). [Read underwater cycling article at ansa.it. -- Posted Thursday, July 24, 2008 by chb

Sharkwater Movie is WELL worth watching!

I've seen hundreds of sharks during my diving career, and one of the reasons I don't like to repeat trips is because oftentimes I'm disappointed in the decline of the oceanlife. Galapagos is an example. After watching this movie, I was very upset. I LOVE that place, but I'm scared to go back and see for myself the decline in the shark population. While we were there in 1996, we witnessed an illegal fishing boat filled with shark fins. That was one boat in one location in one hour of one day. PLEASE take a few moments and check out the website: www.sharkwater.com. Please rent it if you see it in stores. Netflix has it. It's worth every dime and every second it takes to watch it. It will change how you feel about sharks and our oceans. As scuba divers, water is the one thing that bonds us all together. Let's join together and save our oceans! -- Posted Monday, July 21, 2008 by chb

The Pentax W60 waterproof 10-megapixel camera
It's not a real deep diver camera, but you can take the 10-megapixel Optio W60 into the water and down to 13 feet without a special housing. That's plenty good enough for snorkeling and even shallow diving. It's a tough but elegant camera with a fully internal 5X zoom that starts out wide and still gets you closer than 3X zoom models. The 2.5-inch display is sharp and very readable from all directions. The camera can record 1280 x 720 pixel movies. The US$329 Optio W60 can even handle freezing temperatures down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. [Read review and specs of the waterproof and dustproof Pentax Optio W60] -- Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008 by chb