8 divers saved after 40-hours
Getting lost at sea after surfacing--it can happen to anyone. Eight experienced divers went out on a boat to dive Seven Stars Rock off the southern part of Taiwan. However, the boat could not locate them when they were supposed to surface, and they were reported missing. After being at sea for 36 hours, one of the divers, a dive trainer, found land and coul alert the Coast Guard. Over the next several hours, the other seven divers were found drifting, and rescued. Amazingly, all survived the long ordeal none the worse for wear. [Read report on divers saved after 40 hours] -- Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 by chb

Switzerland runs "Heat of the moment" Safe Sex ads
A new Aids prevention campaign in Switzerland urges to practice safe sex even in situations where it is easy to get carried away or let your guard down. One of the spots and posters shows a diving couple.
-- Posted Thursday, April 10, 2008 by chb

Weight: Fresh water versus salt water
Carol answers a question about how much weight you're supposed to carry in fresh water compared to salt water diving. [Read Fresh water vs. Salt Water] -- Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by chb

Pioneering diving book author passes away
John Tassos passed away at age 89. As a freelance writer ad photographer, Tassos wrote "The Underwater World -- The complete guide to all phases of safe underwater fun in oceans, rivers and lakes" published by Prentice-Hall in 1959. In the book Tassos shared his experience and knowledge of scuba diving. -- Posted Tuesday, April 8, 2008 by chb

The Florida springs
It's interesting that a state primarily associated with swamps, alligators and spring break excess is also a divers' paradise. And we're not talking the ocean but the massive freshwater underground aquifer in northern Florida that makes for a large number of crystal-clear rivers, springs, sinkholes and also magnificent caverns and nearly endless caves. [Read Florida Springs] -- Posted Saturday, March 29, 2008 by chb

Waterproof Panasonic Camcorder
Taking a cue from Olympus and others who have been launching waterproof cameras, Panasonic introduced the SDR-SW20 waterproof camcorder. It's a babystep for now as it's only rated for a depth of five feet, but it's a start and loads of fun for snorkeling. The US$399 SW20 has a 10X optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD, and records to SD Cards. A 16GB card allows for over 13 hours of shooting. The camcorder is also shockproof and can handle drops from four feet! -- Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by chb

Congrats to Rocky Mount Pro Scuba Center!
20 years is a long time in the scuba business, and that's how long Pro Scuba Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina has been in business. During that 20 years Pro Scuba Center earned the coveted PADI 5 Star Dive Center certification, the PADI Excellence in Retailing award which placed them in the top 10% of the world's dive centers, the John James Award from Stony Creek Fire/Rescue, and an Appreciation and Recognition Award from the city of Rocky Mount for extraordinary services rendered to the city and its residents. Congratulations to founders Joey and Ronnie McLamb, and here's to many more years! -- Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by chb

Light & Motion case compatible with new Hi-Res Sony camcorders
Light & Motion announce that its updated Stingray HD video housing will ship March 21st, the same date as the highly anticipated new SR11 and SR12 Sony Camcorders that can do full HD 1920 x 1080 high definition video and store on an internal hard disk drive. [see Light & Motion Stingray HD housing] -- Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by chb

Great Lakes Ghost Ships Festival
Shipwreck enthusiasts will gather in Milwaukee this weekend for the Great Lakes Ghost Ships Festival. This is the ninth year for the festival, which covers all aspects of Great Lakes shipwreck research, from the history of downed ships to the scientific explorations that attempt to locate the wrecks and the practical challenges of salvaging discoveries. This year, the festival will feature discussions about the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine and the first sub to sink a ship in battle. [see Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation] -- Posted Friday, March 7, 2008 by chb

Be a research assistant on a Manta Network expedition
The Manta Network is conducting its first exploratory expedition to Panama on board the 100-foot Lost Coast Explorer. You are invited to participate as a research assistant and aid our scientists in the collection of important data that will lead to effective manta protection. We plan to deploy our underwater video camera on manta cleaning stations as well as conduct photo identification field work. We are offering a 6 day/7 night expedition to Coiba on the Lost Coast Explorer. The departure date is April 5 from Panama City returning April 11, 2008. The expedition cost is $3,295 plus airfare. [If interested, contact manta.org] -- Posted Sunday, March 2, 2008 by chb

Help AWARE conserve underwater environments
Until 31 March, Project AWARE Foundation's corporate partner, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), is laying cash on the table in support of the Foundation's conservation efforts. Your gift of US $25 or more will be matched - dollar for dollar (up to $40,000). Please support underwater conservation during International Year of the Reef 2008. [Support Project AWARE] -- Posted Saturday, March 1, 2008 by chb

Defender of the Deep
Stan Waterman isn't the only celebrated legendary underwater photographer. In an article at Canadian theglobeandmail.com, Patrick White presents an encounter with Bernard Hanby, now 74 years old, who together with biologist Andy Lamb co-authored Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest -- A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes. It took Hanby 25 years, 4,000 dives and tens of thousands of pictures to complete the 400-page book. Mr. Hanby is concerned about the ecologic decline of the waters off British Columbia, enough to have co-founded the Marine Life Sanctuary Society in 1989, but with little impact. "We really need a beneficent dictator here," Mr. Hanby said, "we got nowhere with the government." These days, Mr. Hanby considers switching to digital so he won't have to shlep so many cameras around. -- Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by chb

The submersible Rinspeed sQuba car
30 years ago James Bond had a car that could dive in the movie "The Spy Who Loved Me," but it was little more than a prop. Now Swiss tuner and visionary Frank Rinderknecht built a Lotus that can really dive. The Rinspeed sQuba is based on a Lotus Elise, is electrically powered and can be used as a car, a boat and a submarine. It's an open vehicle, so the driver and passenger use onboard Scubapro scuba gear when underwater. [Go to a description and pictures of the Rinspeed sQuba submersible sports car] -- Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 by chb

Bonaire designated as the most pristine Caribbean coral reef by NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated Bonaire as having “arguably the most pristine coral reef environment in the Caribbean.� Bonaire’s reef may well become the benchmark for which all other coral reefs will be compared, given that research has shown Bonaire as having the highest percentage of coral cover and the lowest percentage of algal cover compared to other Caribbean reefs. [Read more about the NOAA Ocean Explorer Bonaire expedition.] -- Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 by chb

iPhone Nitrox Blending Calculator
An increasing number of free web-based applications are available for Apple's sleek and sexy iPhone. Now there is a convenient Enriched Air Nitrox blending calculator that can be used at your air station to provide the information you need to fill a Nitrox tank from any existing mix (or empty). The application also provides a “bleed down� calculator to easily change an existing mix with minimum waste oxygen. Calculations are also available for Equivalent Air Depth, Maximum Operating Depth at various oxygen partial pressures and to figure out the best mix for a planned depth and oxygen partial pressure. [Check the iPhone Nitrox Blending Calculator] -- Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2008 by chb

Bonaire has an all-new official website
Tourism Corporation Bonaire has announced the launch of their new official website www.tourismbonaire.com. The site has been developed according to Bonaire’s new branding guidelines, and provides visitors with easily accessible information while capturing the Island’s friendly charm. The Diving portion of it covers dive sites, fish & reef, underwater photography, tech diving, courses, dive operators, as well as courses and the Bonaire Marine Park. -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by chb

General Hoyt S. Vandenberg to be sunk May 15, 2008
On May 15, 2008, the retired U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship 552-feet General Hoyt S. Vandenberg will be sunk to form Key West's newest artificial reef. Theship is currently at Virginia shipyard where workers are removing environmental hazards and fittings that could be dangerous to scuba divers. Plans are to scuttle the ship in the Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryScuba divers. Before the Vandenberg was decommissioned in 1983, she tracked manned U.S. space missions, beginning with the Mercury program in the early 1960s. See details at bigshipwrecks.com> -- Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008 by chb

New Olympus 10 megapixel camera waterpoof to 33 feet
Olympus introduced two new cameras in its SW (Shock & Waterproof) series. The US$299 Stylus 850 SW is a 8-megapixel camera that's waterproof to ten feet, can survive drops of five feet, and freezing temperatures. It's designed for all sorts of outoors activities including skiing and snorkeling. The US$399 10-megapixel Stylus 1030 SW, shown on the left, is tougher yet. You can go diving with it, down to 33 feet (and probably more), drop it from almost seven feet, subject it to extreme temperatures, dust, sand, whatever. It also has a terrific hi-res 2.7-inch LCD and a 3.6X 28-102mm optical zoom that enables wide angle photography. The only bad thing: it won't be available until March. [Read full description and specs of the new Olympus Stylus 1030 SW] -- Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by chb

DEMA launches "Be A Diver" campaign
DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is launching a marketing campaign and new website under the "Be A Diver!" slogan. You can view the commercial below or go to the Be A Diver website.
-- Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by chb

Liquid Image 5megapixel digital camera mask
Oceanic built a full dive computer with headsup display, so why not design one with a camera built in? That's exactly what Liquid Image is now introducing. The Liquid Image Underwater Digital Camera Mask combines a 3.1 megapixel camera for kids or 5.0 megapixel digital camera for adults with a mask. The camera can do still pictures and video at 18-25 frames per second, uses a Micro SD card, is powered by two AAA batteries and has 16MB of integrated storage. It has a LCD display, a USB port, and comes with ArcSoft Photo and Video Impression software. To shoot a picture, line up the crosshairs in the mask. The mask is primarily for swimming and snorkeling as its maximum depth is 15 feet. [Check Liquid Image Digital Camera Mask] -- Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by chb

Report on Women's Only freediving clinic
Francesca Koe posted a fascinating report at Deeperblue.net about a "Women's Only" freediving clinic in Kona, Hawaii. The clinic was run by Performance Freediving, North America's longest running Freediving training agency having taught over 2300 students to dive deeper, longer, and safer. Koe describes the experience which is beautifully illustrated with underwater photography by Braden Haggerty and Scott Williams. [Read Girls Go Deep] -- Posted Friday, December 28, 2007 by chb

Tobago now more accessible to divers
The Tobago House of Assembly announced the opening of the Scarborough Jetty in Tobago. The Jetty expansion allows larger cruise ships and encourage more cruise lines to include Tobago on their itinerary. Cruisers laying over in Tobago can dive into the deep on scuba and snorkel excursions. From the experienced to the novice, divers can venture beneath the crystal waters of Tobago’s coast in Speyside, Pigeon Point or Englishman’s Bay to catch glimpses of barracudas, dolphins, whale sharks, parrotfish and queen. Tobago boasts the world’s largest brain coral and is also one of the few locations in the world where divers can regularly swim with manta ray. -- Posted Saturday, December 22, 2007 by chb

Bonaire voted #1 scuba destination by Scuba Diving Magazine
Continuing its reign as one of the world's top dive destinations, Bonaire was for the sixth year in a row rated the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine's Readers' Choice Awards 2008. Bonaire also received the #1 rating in five other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Shore Diving, Top Destination for Beginners, Top Destination for Advanced Divers, Top Destination for Underwater Photography, Top Marine Life, and took second place in the category of Top Value. [see release] -- Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 by chb

Support Project AWARE with a tax-deductible donation
Over the past year, Project AWARE and its supporters have made significant progress battling serious global conservation issue. In the last year Project AWARE and its supporters established 550 new coral reef monitoring sites, cleared 1100 dive sites from harmful debris and helped collect 20,000 signatures on behalf of threatened shark species. And that’s just a snapshot of recent accomplishments. Show your commitment to conservation - a donation of $25 US makes you a Project AWARE Patron. Better yet, give a tax-deductible gift of $100 US and receive a set of four limited edition posters by world-renowned artist Wyland. Give them as a holiday gift or keep them to enjoy yourself. [Join Project Aware] -- Posted Monday, December 17, 2007 by chb

Scuba divers find Captain Kidd's ship
An underwater archaeology team from Indiana University claims they have located what's left of the notorious Captain William Kidd's 17th century vessel just 70 feet off the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic in very shallow water. [Check AOL story on Captain Kidd's ship] -- Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007 by chb

Product recall: certain Oceanic and AERIS First Stages
Romi Enterprises issued a recall for about 6,000 regulators sold under the Oceanic and Aeris brands. The potential problem is an internal component that seals air between the high pressure first-stage and the intermediate pressure second-stage that may result in uncontrolled flow of air. For a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report on affected regulators, click here] -- Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 by chb

Internet retailer Scuba.com recognized by Oceanic, Henderson
While the scuba industry often frowns upon internet sales, both Oceanic and Genderson recognized Scuba.com as an outstanding internet retailer. Oceanic's award came form Scuba.com's large sales increase. Henderson bestowed recognition upon Scuba.com for sales and customer support. Scuba.com is very aware of the rules governing online sales: “Shockingly, not all retailers of scuba equipment are authorized to sell the gear that they offer,� reports Melinda Herndon. “It is very important not to take the word of the retailer in this matter, but to check with the manufacturers directly. Purchasing life support equipment from unauthorized dealers may result in injury or death to unsuspecting customers.� Scuba.com has a resource page available with phone numbers and an authorized dealer page links to almost all of the scuba industry’s manufacturers at: http://www.scuba.com/resources/warranty_info.asp. -- Posted Friday, November 30, 2007 by chb

Do pony bottles make sense?
Almost everything that is truly important in life has a backup. Cave divers have backups for everything. The brakes in a car have redundant circuits. So why do most recreational divers have no backup for air other than their buddy? What if s/he is out of sight when something happens? Would a backup "pony" bottle be a good thing? [Read Pony bottles -- a good thing to have, or not?] -- Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007 by chb

Oceanic DATAMASK with Heads Up Display
We've become fascinated with the Oceanic Datamask HUD that combines a dive computer and a mask. How how does it all work? Well, it's simply a case of the functions of a modern dive computer being built into the mask. If you look straight ahead, you have the same unimpeded field of vision as with any other mask. If you want to see the computer, you look down to the lower right. This is where the LCD screen sits, but you don't really see it as an LCD screen. It feels more like the data is floating ahead of you in space, or rather in the water. The datamask is not inexpensive, but also doesn't cost more than a mask and an advanced wireless dive computer. [Read blog entry on the Oceanic Datamask] -- Posted Thursday, November 22, 2007 by chb

We added a YouTube video page
YouTube is everywhere these days. Google has now teamed with YouTube to enable websites to include videoplayers that run YouTube clips that relate to the site, so we decided to try it out. Check out ScubaDiverInfo's Video page. -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2007 by chb

A fin's not just a fin anymore!
Used to be that a fin was just an extension of your foot, with the big controversy perhaps being just what the split-fin design meant, or if all those ribs and vents actually made a difference. Now things are getting more interesting. Aqualung introduced the "Slingshot," a fin where adjustable silicone straps -- a "Gear Shift" -- determine the thrust of each kick! The current model has three "speeds" and retails for US$219 [see Aqualung Slingshot]. To the right you see an even odder invention, the Omega Amphibian. The blade pivots up so you can safely and comfortably walk on land, in the surf and on steps. Once in the water, the Amphibian blades are flipped down into swimming position by simply kicking naturally in the water, and flipped back up by pushing back on the release levers before getting out. [see Omega Amphibian]. If the manufacturers cooperate, expect a full review right here at ScubaDiverInfo.com!
-- Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2007 by chb

How to build an artificial reef
As we know all too well, reefs are fragile and much damage has been done via natural disasters and man-made intrusion and destruction. Sheldon Hey, General Manager of Dive The World, has written an interesting 1-point Guide to Building an Artificial Reef. -- Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007 by chb

Abalone farming
Once plentiful, abalone is now endangered and mostly protected. This has led to a booming abalone farm industry, but its not an easy business. Read an excellent MercuryNews report entitled Abalone farming - life in the slow lane. -- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2007 by chb

Less dive time for NAUI divers?
Yes, we know -- few use dive tables anymore in this day and age of dive computers. But you still need to learn them for certification. Now here's a strange thing: It seems that the NAUI dive tables yield almost consistently less repetitive dive bottom time than the PADI dive tables. See Less Dive Time for NAUI divers? -- Posted Sunday, October 7, 2007 by chb

PADI and NAUI Dive Table section expanded
Though largely replaced by dive computers, studying and understanding dive tables remains part of all basic scuba diving certification classes. And for good reason. It is essential to understand how dive tables work, and divers may need to use them when their dive computer fails. ScubaDiverInfo.com has updated and enhanced its "Dive Tables Explained" section and included actual repetitive dive examples using the NAUI method in addition to the existing PADI examples. [view updated and enhanced dive table section] -- Posted Tuesday, October 2, 2007 by chb

Sonar in masks of NYPD divers
According to the New York Post, the NYPD's Scuba Team is evaluating devices that allow divers to see underwater sonar images on LCD displays attached to their masks instead of blindly searching in the often extremely low visibility of murky rivers [see Post article]. -- Posted Monday, October 1, 2007 by chb

PowerSwim for Navy SEALs
An article in the November issue of Popular Mechanics laments that without fins only 3% of our underwater effort to swim results in forward motion. With fins, it's maybe 10%. Still not good. For dolphins it's more like 80%. So the US government's DARPA researchers are developing this odd contraption, called PowerSwim, that lets SEALs swim quicker and with less effort. The swimming technique is entirely different and requires some training. Also, the wide wing probably limits use to truly open water. [read PM article] -- Posted Friday, September 28, 2007 by chb

Nitrox: What is it? Why do people use it? How is the class?
Only a relatively brief time ago, Nitrox, a breathing gas mix with a larger percentage of oxygen and a smaller percentage of nitrogen, was viewed with great suspicion. Now more and more recreational divers are using it for its benefits: longer bottom times or shorter surface intervals due to less nitrogen absorption. And many Nitrox users report feeling better much better and more energetic after dives. What is Nitrox? What does it do? Why do people use it? And what's the PADI Nitrox class like? [Read about Nitrox and the PADI Nitrox class] -- Posted Saturday, September 15, 2007 by chb

Tough jobs: Shark Videographer
Some jobs are boring, some are rewarding, but how would you like to have "Shark Videographer" on your business card? [See Swimming with Sharks ] -- Posted Monday, September 3, 2007 by chb

Using and abusing the SeaLife ECOshot -- the Video

-- Posted Saturday, August 25, 2007 by chb

We tested the ultra-tough SeaLife ECOshot underwater camera
If you need something that can survive a six-foot drop, be punted around with getting as much as a scratch or dent, yet also take pictures and videos underwater, the very affordable SeaLife ECOshot is just perfect. It's a very simple 6-megapixel camera with just the basic controls, but its underwater modes and underwater white balance settings make for excellent pictures. It's rated at 75 feet, but won't give up if you go a bit deeper. [Read our full review of the SeaLife ECOshot underwater camera] -- Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007 by chb

Great dive sites: Rubicon Wall at Lake Tahoe, NV
The water level of Lake Tahoe is at 6,230 feet and the lake is over 1,700 feet deep. Its waters are blue and clear and a diver's paradise. Summer surface temperature is 68 degrees. There are dozens of dive sites, but the most spectacular is perhaps the great wall off Rubicon Point, accessible from the D.L. Bliss State Park. It is a near vertical drop of over 800 feet. While testing underwater cameras, we explored the Rubicon wall and descended to 110 feet. Click on the picture to the right to see a progression from Google Earth to USGS underwater mapping.[Read Diving the Wall off Rubicon Point, Lake Tahoe] -- Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2007 by chb

Great dive sites: Meeks Bay, Lake Tahoe
Meeks Bay is a Lake Tahoe dive site located about five miles north of Emerald Bay off Highway 89. It's a charming beach with easy access and offers diving for anyone from beginners to those who want to explore the steep drop into the abyss with huge boulders and rocks and visibility up to 100 feet. It can get pretty cold below 50 feet, so consider a hood and gloves. And with the lake level at 6,230 feet, this is a high altitude dive! [Read Diving Meeks Bay]

-- Posted Tuesday, August 14, 2007 by chb

New breath holding record
Scuba divers must never hold their breath when diving, but free divers do, and the longer you can hold your breath, the longer they can stay underwater. But breath holding is also a competitive sport of sorts. On August 10, 2007, Tom Sietas of Germany broke his own mark with a new record of 15 minutes and two seconds. Yes, it seems impossible, but he did it. [read about the new breath holding record] -- Posted Sunday, August 12, 2007 by chb

Home-made camera housings and sonar
What if you want an underwater case for you camera, but they don't make one? Why, you make it yourself! At least that is what Tim O'Brien did, an innovative New Zealander who also thought up and constructed a home-made sonar dive buddy locator. See the story of his home-made Pentax 750Z underwater housing, and the one he is making now for the Pentax A20. Even if you don't follow in Tim's footsteps, reading about his projects will give you a new appreciation for all the camera makers that do make underwater housings for us. It isn't that easy. -- Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2007 by chb

ScubaDiverInfo.com celebrates 1st Anniversary!
ScubaDiverInfo.com went live on July 29th, 2006. We can't believe it's already been a year. And what a year it's been. Traffic's been going up, up, up on a very steep curve. We now have 25,000 site visits every month. We reported on Scuba news. We wrote ourselves silly with almost 100,000 words of blog entries. We did perhaps the most detailed underwater camera reviews out there. Our page on favorite dive sites include zoomable maps. We analyzed the complete offerings of major scuba gear manufacturers. Our visitors can select the local Dive Shop of the Month. We do a monthly newsletter. NASA itself changed its review procedures when we pointed out an error in one of their projects. Scuba authorities from around the world ask if they can use our content. It's been a wild ride. So thanks for making ScubaDiverInfo.com part of your online life, and here's to Year 2!!! -- Posted Sunday, July 29, 2007 by chb

How to make money with diving
According to a story in rgj.com, at least two divers have figured out how to make money diving. David Bryant and Christopher Cook travel the country diving for golf balls in golf course ponds. According to them, each lake or pond yields between 2,000 and 3,000 balls. The balls are then examined, reconditioned and sold online. The duo also finds plenty of golf clubs and other interesting golf paraphernalia. -- Posted Thursday, July 26, 2007 by chb

Tennessee Aquarium presents Legends of the Deep — Part III
&tLooking for the truth about sharks? Explorer and award-winning underwater filmmaker Nick Caloyianis has captured over 40 different shark species on film or video. Caloyianis has achieved several shark firsts in his spectacular career including being the first to film a Greenland shark under the ice, and being the first person to film the mating behavior of any shark species. He and his partner Clarita Berger will make a special presentation “In the World of Sharks” Tuesday, July 31, 7 - 9 p.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium, with a reception to follow. Purchase on-line by clicking Events at or call 423-267-FISH. -- Posted Saturday, July 21, 2007 by chb

Underwater photography 101
Here at ScubaDiverInfo.com we take our underwater photography serious. We both test the latest waterproof cameras and underwater housings, and we love to take pictures down there. Scuba expert Carol Cotton Walker is an experienced underwater photographer with many thousand shots in her archives. Read her latest blog entry, "Underwater Photography Explored." -- Posted Thursday, July 19, 2007 by chb

A shark? No, a Paddlefish!
What the heck is that?!? That's the most common response when someone hears about a Paddlefish. It's also the most common question when one sees a Paddlefish! In fact, while Paddlefish have a cartilage skeleton and date back to before the dinosaurs, Paddlefish are not closely related to sharks and can be found in rivers and even a few quarries. That is where our own Carol Cotton Walker found and photographed this specimen. [Read about Paddlefish and see more Paddlefish pictures] -- Posted Thursday, July 19, 2007 by chb

Diving game coming to Wii console
If you have a Wii, Nintendo's unexpectedly successful next generation video game console, you may soon be able to go dive on it thanks to a new game called "Forever Blue." It is a diving simulation and adventure that uses the Wii's revolutionary motion-sensitive game controller. "Forever Blue" will debut in Japan in August, but no US release date yet. To check a bunch of cool Forever Blue screenshots, click here. -- Posted Wednesday, July 4, 2007 by chb

Site for plus-size female SCUBA divers
Plus-size people often ask themselves if they can engage in scuba diving. Check out Big Adventures, a site for a by plus size women divers. It contains a lot of information and resources for plus-size diving. -- Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2007 by chb

FBI issues caution to SCUBA shops
washingtonpost.com and other news agencies report that the FBI has recently alerted dive shops around the nation to look out for suspicious divers seeking advanced training, including night diving, diving in murky waters and pipes, advanced navigation and use of underwater vehicles. The advisory was said not to be based on a particular threat but as a routine caution. Instructors should be aware of "odd inquiries that are inconsistent with recreational diving." NAUI estimates there are about 1,800 dive shops around the country. Terrorist fears are not unfounded. In WW II, Italian and British divers successfully launched devastating underwater attacks on enemy warships. [see "Diving as a means for terrorism] -- Posted Friday, June 29, 2007 by chb

Olympus 770SW: 77 feet without an underwater case
Those crazy folks at scubadiverinfo.com did it again, pushing equipment to the very limit. Sometimes we need a camera down there but just don't feel like taking a big, bulky underwater case along for the dive. That's where the Olympus Stylus 770SW comes in. It doesn't need a case. And though its depth rating is just 33 feet ("just" being relative; that is excellent), we've taken it much deeper. Last weekend it came along on the "deep dive" part of a NAUI Advanced Class. Did it survive 77 feet? Did it work down there? Read the Olympus Stylus 770SW at a depth of 77 feet, without case. -- Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2007 by chb

1st annual UNDER THE BLUE competition results
Underwater imagery websites DivePhotoGuide.com and Wetpixel.com teamed up with SCUBA Show to develop an annual international competition for amateurs and hobbyists worldwide. The 1st annual UNDER THE BLUE competition was a great success and entries flooded in from around the globe, and were on display during SCUBA Show in Long Beach, California, June 2nd and 3rd, and are now posted online at the official competition website, www.UnderwaterCompetition.com. -- Posted Monday, June 11, 2007 by chb

ScubaShow 2007
I really wanted to go to ScubaShow 2007 which took place June2nd and 3rd in Long Beach, CA, and do a killer writeup with lots of pics and news for scubadiverinfo.com. But life got in the way and I couldn't. That didn't keep me from analyzing the show and writing down my thoughts on ScubaShow and trade shows in general. Apart from all the seminars and speaches, here's what I missed in terms of exhibitors: Scuba gear manufacturers: 11; Photo and imaging companies: 19; Diveshops: 14; Tour operators and resorts: 87 (!!!); Non-profits: 17; Special gear/instruments/tech diving: 15; Books/magazines/sites: 7; Unrelated stuff: 9; Dive apparel and suits: 10; Insurance: 2; Dive accessories: 9. next year, definitely. [Read contemplations about ScubaShow and shows in general] -- Posted Sunday, June 10, 2007 by chb

Olympus releases new underwater camera housings, more
To be honest, sometimes we don't know how they do it and justify it, but Olympus keeps bring out new waterproof underwater cameras, cameras with underwater modes, and any number of underwater cases. They just announced the elaborate PT-E03 housing for the Evolt E-410 digital SLR (for our detailed review of the E-410's predecessor, the E-330, click here). The E-410/PT-E03 also gets a new PPO-E05 underwater lenss port for the 14-42mm lens. There are also 133-feet deepwater housings for the Olympus SP-550 UZ, Stylus 770 SW, Stylus 760 and FE-230. New is the UFL-1 underwater slave flash for use with all new SP and Stylus camera housings and most of the older digital camera underwater housings. It requires no cables and enables divers to capture stunning images even in the darkest waters. Also new (and appreciated!) are an adjustable float strap and silicone skins for the Stylus SW Series. [see new Olympus underwater gear] -- Posted Monday, June 4, 2007 by chb

Review: Diving with Sharks
Internationally acclaimed adventurer, explorer and diver Jack Jackson is a versatile man. He wrote the very useful "Complete Diving Manual" and also the superbly illustrated, large-format "Diving with Sharks and Other Adventure Dives." The book covers Jackson's firsthand experiences with all the great species of sharks, as well as other spectacular sealife. There are also sections on strong current diving, caves and caverns, and wrecks. The book contains excellent photograpy, diagrams, illustrations, and we highly recommend it. [Read review of Jack Jackson's Diving with Sharks] -- Posted Monday, May 21, 2007 by chb

Humpback whales in Sacramento, CA
We thought we'd have to travel far to see humpback whales, yet the whales came to us. A 40-ton humpback whale with a calf were first spotted by the Coast Guard on May 13 near Rio Vista, then meandered up the Sacramento river, with some detours and getting entangled in fishing lines in the process. Still by May 15, the whales were in the deepwater ship channel south of Sacramento, and the next day made it to the port of Sacramento. A similar incident had occurred in October of 1985 when a humpback made it to Sacramento but was safely guided back. Similar efforts to guide the whales, named Delta and Dawn, have not been successful so far. The remarkable photo shown appeared in the Sacramento Bee. -- Posted Sunday, May 20, 2007 by chb

A handier underwater propulsion device?
The Pegasus Thruster is a very small underwater propulsion unit that weighs just 12 pounds on land, and about a negative five pounds underwater. It is mounted on the tank, and the battery can be replaced underwater, thus extending range. An initial one-propeller model is said to become available this summer, models with more power are planned for professional divers. The Pegasus Thruster is endorsed by the International Association for Handicapped Divers, prototypes have been used by the Miami-Dade Police Divers, and the Pegasus Thruster won second place in the Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge. Watch the Pegasus Thruster presentation for the Business Plan Challenge. [Read our view of the Pegasus Thruster] -- Posted Monday, May 14, 2007 by chb

Review: The waterproof Pentax Optio W30
Deepwater cases are cool, but they can be costly and are rather bulky. If you just snorkel or dive shallow reefs or rivers, a sleeker answer may be the Pentax Optio W30. It's a modern 7.1 megapixel digital camera that's rated at 10 feet. It has special underwater still image and VGA movie modes, digital image stabilization, and you can change settings in those modes. We tried it and it works great. See our detailed review of the Pentax Optio W30. -- Posted Monday, May 7, 2007 by chb

The Florida Keys DIVE ALIVE Initiative
During last year's two-day Spiny Lobster Sport Season, one of the most popular summer boating and diving events in the Florida Keys, five people died and numerous others were injured in what should have been preventable situations. Several Public Agencies came together to address this growing crisis. The result was the creation of the Florida Keys Safe Diving Initiative. The mission is straightforward: prevent unnecessary SCUBA diving and snorkeling deaths in the Florida Keys through aggressive coordinated multi-agency public outreach and education. Check the very informative DIVE ALIVE website. -- Posted Monday, May 7, 2007 by chb