Snow Makes Me Want To Go Diving!

I live in Colorado, where on occasion, like today, we see snow in our forecast. Sounds odd, but every time the snow flies, my mind starts thinking of diving. Most in the state think of skiing or snowshoeing, but all I can think of is going down!

What can I say, I’m a diver through and through. Cold weather and slick roads make me pine for my days in the islands. Warm breezes and blue water hold my heart, and the cold weather only makes me dream of my next trip. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good day in the mountains. I’ll ski or board any slope you throw my way. But as my toes and my nose start to grow cold, nothing warms my heart like the vision of palm trees and sand beaches.

For now, I’ll enjoy the white stuff blanketing our state. But Dominican Republic, here I come!

What’s Worth 36 Hours?

We recently had a trip to Bali, Indonesia, taking a whopping 36 hours of travel. We often get asked What could possibly be worth 36 hours.

What time is it, anyway?

Just stepping off the plane makes you realize you are in a unique climate. As divers, we tend to travel the globe looking for the best places to explore. But getting off a plane in Cayman, Bonaire or Roatan doesn’t necessarily make me feel like I’ve really gone too far out of my comfort zone. A quick walk down the west end of Grand Cayman can bring thoughts of Miami Beach, rather than a foreign country.

But just leaving the airport in Bali makes me feel like I am exploring a whole new world. From the Hindu temples to the unusual sounds and smells, I am quickly transported to a completely new experience. Watching the roads throng with thousands of mopeds, some loaded down with families of 5 and 6, quickly makes you feel like an outsider looking in.

Room for one more?

The smiles on our hosts faces and delight in their eyes soon make us feel welcome.  Regardless of time spent on planes, it’s amazing how quickly one can feel at “home”, even among strangers.

I’m a Freediver . . . Almost

We just returned from our Freedivingclass, and I can say I’m almost a Freediver. What happened, you ask?  Weather!

Regardless of all the time spent studying, effort to get to our location and timeliness to class on our part, Mother Nature had other ideas. We were able to complete our classroom sessions and hit the pool, but our two days scheduled in the ocean were canceled due to wind. Sunny Florida skies welcomed us, but 20 knot winds blew us back home.

Blowing wind = 1, Freediving Class = 0

On the flight home we discussed our disappointment in not being able to complete our class, but I immediately felt the frustration some of our students experience trying to complete their open water dives. I was standing in their shoes, being the one not able to complete my dream because of something completely out of my control. Unlike our students, though, I don’t have the opportunity to finish my class locally or at our winter open water site, Homestead Crater. My only option is another trip to Florida, or some other tropical destination.

I’m grateful that we have a backup plan for our students that are unable to complete their open water certification dives for whatever reason. We see it numerous times a year, and are happy to help our students fulfill their dreams.

For now, my dream is on hold. My backup plan is in the works, with the possibility of extending an already existing trip. My static apnea (breath-hold) time far exceeded my wildest dreams, but until I get those open water dives done, I’ll have to hold off calling myself a Freediver.

I’m a New Student Again

I’m a newbie again, in the shoes of our students, as the tables have turned and I’m the student. I’m on my way to a Freediving class, book in hand, long fins packed and filled with the excitement of learning something new. 

 

Excited to be the student again!

 

As a scuba diving instructor, it is easy to forget the nervousness our students face, the thought of the unknown adventures and the excitement of diving. To many of us, diving is second nature, as easy to us as, well, breathing. But to our new students, it can be a scary world, full of strange equipment and, gulp, physics!  

 

I am sitting in their shoes today. What will the class be like?  What new equipment do I need?  Who else will be in the class?  Did I prepare enough ahead of time with my required reading?

 

Dreaming of diving free

 

I am excited. Excited to learn a new skill, to meet new people, and to get a better appreciation in how our students feel walking into our store. I am constantly comparing how we prepare our students to what information I am receiving as the new student. 

 

Our entire staff strives to make sure our students are prepared for class, with their questions answered along the way. There are always new lessons to be learned. But the one I take most seriously is to remember what it is like to be the newbie.

Hear the Lion Roar

If you’ve been to any Caribbean island in the past several years, you know they have a problem. Lionfish have taken over, with devastating effects in some locations. How each island deals with the problem can be controversial to some, not radical enough to others.

Enemy #1 in many locations

Many locations are taking matters into their own hands, starting erradication programs. One Grand Cayman dive shop is an example of this, even introducing a PADI specialty course in conjunction with their elimination techniques. Offering to cook dinner with your daily catch is another popular motivator for getting guests to help with the Lionfish problem.

Some arguments I have heard revolve around Mother Nature taking care of herself. Although man introduced this problem, nature can work itself out. And the idea of live and let live overrides the discussion.

Is this the answer?

I am not much of a fisherman, had never been spearfishing, and never had much interest in the sport. But I had an opportunity recently to help with the eradication of Lionfish, and I have to be honest, I had a ball. It’s not that I necessarily enjoyed killing another animal, but I did feel some satisfaction helping take a voracious predator off the reef. Add in swarming sharks, and the exhilaration was tremendous.

The reality is the problem is not going away. Lionfish are here to stay in the Caribbean, and hopefully nature can work itself out. Our attempts to eliminate even a few hundred a week on popular dive sites will do little to stop the problem. But if given the opportunity again, I’ll grab that spear and happily do my part. Even better if the sharks will let me bring my catch up for dinner!

Remember to Swim Upstream

I was recently on a trip with only people from the dive industry. These people dive for a living; teaching others to dive, running dive stores or manufacturing dive equipment, photographing and writing stories for magazines, your basic dive experts. While each were full of knowledge, I was surprised to see on numerous occasions divers surfacing down current from the boat. So reviewing this simple message seemed so appropriate considering even these experts could use a review.

I could use a lift!

In your basic Open Water Certification class, you learn the lesson to start your dive swimming against the current (unless you are drift diving, of course). This allows you to work while you are fresh, swimming upstream, and use the second half of your dive getting a “free ride” back to the boat.

Not sure which way is up current? Here are some ideas for figuring it out. Look at the fish. Their noses will be pointed into the current. No fish? Check the soft coral. If it’s bent like a tree in Wyoming, you’ve got a prertty good idea which direction to go. Still not sure. Act like a golfer! Go to the bottom, grab some sand, and throw it up in the “air”‘ just like a golfer throwing grass to check the wind. Swim against the direction the sand is traveling.

Swim in the same direction the fish are pointing

Of course, when you are in Cozumel, throw all these ideas away! The ultimate lazy diving awaits there as you only ride the current through your dive and get picked up on the other side.

Knowing which way to go can be the first step in making your dive an easy ride, or an embarrassing slog back to the boat. Just remember, if the boat crew drives out to pick you up, a case of beer or $10-spot is a great way to show your appreciation!

Is Used Gear Good Gear?

Is used gear necessarily good gear?  This is a question we often get asked at the store, with the ultimate “It depends” answer.  As many of you know, we have been running a Used Gear Sale every year for the past 16 years.  It would be very hypocritical to say used gear is bad gear, and then turn around and sell used equipment during our sale.

A pile of junk, or your next set of gear?

So let’s back up a little bit.  We understand, like golf and skiing, scuba is an equipment intensive sport, and the cost to purchase equipment can vary.  There is a demand for used equipment, as evidenced by searches on numerous sales and auction sites.  The major difference between our sport and others is our gear is life support equipment.

When we evaluate used equipment, the use, service history, and internal cleanliness are critical information, as well as type of manufacturer.  When equipment shows up for our sale, we are much more confident recommending it to others if we have serviced it here through the years and know how it looks internally.  A scratched body, bent piston or cracked 2^nd stage casing, which is usually unnoticed without thorough examination, can result in a regulator costing a significant amount to be brought to working condition.  Some computers require battery changes at the factory, a bill that can exceed $120 with shipping.  BCD bladders rip, and seams start to give over time, resulting in a BCD that doesn’t hold air.

Do you want to breath off of this?

In some cases, older regulators cannot be serviced at all.  A recent search on eBay for Dacor regulators, a company that has been out of business for over a decade, came back with 118 results.  Once in some victims’ hand, they will soon be informed the company is out of business and repair parts no longer available for anything made before 2000.  Their “new” purchase is basically an expensive paperweight.  This is life support equipment, something I would never dive without current servicing and parts.

Equipment that is regularly serviced will have these faults discovered.  A benefit of our Used Gear Sale is the knowledge of our staff, knowing the history of each regulator, BCD and computer, and whether it is a “good deal” or not.  Current service records are a minimum if shopping online for scuba equipment, and an understanding of what might be required and potential costs for parts or battery changes are critical.

One of our service and repair professionals!

Throughout our years we have had people come in asking detailed questions about some particular piece of equipment online.  Site unseen, we cannot give proper advice on whether something is a value or not.  Without knowing the service history and current use, we’d be completely guessing.  Only by tearing down a regulator can we give accurate information on its worth.

We have spent years becoming experts in our field, with a financial cost to maintain our service tech ratings and knowledge base.  Just as there is a fee if you take a used car into your mechanic for evaluation, our expertise and knowledge does not come free.  We are happy to help, but please remember, this is how me make a living.

A Brand New Dive Locale

We just spent this past week in the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands aboard the TCI Aggressor II. For those of you that know us, you know we lived in TCI for a couple years prior to coming to Underwater Phantaseas, and have visited almost yearly since we left. With close to 1,000 dives here, you might wonder how we are exploring a brand new location.

Aurora Reservoir, or Turks and Caicos after a hurricane?

As luck would have it, we were diving 5 days after Hurricane Irene came roaring through. Luckily damage was minimal, but the visibility at the dive sites was down to about 20′. TCI is well known for their large critters, sharks and rays and the like. But with the visibility down, we had to change our tact. Rather than keeping an eye to the blue, we focused on the macro life of TCI. Neck crabs, flamingo tongues and yellow headed jawfish were our new targets, with a constant eye out for the unusual.

Elusive Neck Crab, on a piece of coral

Part of why we love diving so much is the thought of the unknown. Every time we get in the water, we have a chance to see something new, something unique and interesting. So even in a place we know and love so much, it can feel like a brand new experience in a brand new locale. Mother nature gives what she will, but our attitudes are what can make or break our vacation.

Behind the Scenes: Aurora Reservoir

Ever wonder what it takes to get ready for one of our Open Water weekends at Aurora Reservoir?  Get a behind the scenes glimpse as instructors Kim, Jim and Rad, and Divemaster Candidate Sid prep the van for our last weekend out to the reservoir this season.

This is just one step in a long list of things to get ready for our open water weekends.  Throughout the year we’ll highlight other aspects of Underwater Phantaseas, getting you behind the scenes to see some of what goes in to operating our store.

Planned versus the Unplanned

If you’ve ever met her, you know my wife is a planner. When it comes to booking travel, there is no one better. She spends hour upon hour planning the trip, making sure every detail is set to the minutiae. I swoop in a few weeks before we leave, soak up every detail Jill has painstakingly found, and spew it out at a moments notice. 

 

Travel Planner Extraordinaire!

 9 times out of 10, everything goes just as planned and the trip goes without a hitch. But one time out of ten, I find myself juggling chainsaws, trying to pull out a miracle, and most of the time even succeeding. You don’t get the nickname “Half Man-Half Amazing” for nothing!

Half Man-Half Amazing

Every once in a while, though, even our greatest intentions get thwarted. I found that out very profoundly on our recent trip.  In our typical pre-trip party, we give lots of information about what to expect, our detailed itinerary and words of wisdom for our upcoming travels. To quote myself exactly prior to our trip to Egypt, I said “if you’ve been reading the recent news, you would see that many of the riots have been limited to Tahrir Square, and most of the violent encounters happening after curfew. You have nothing to worry about, we won’t be in Tahrir Square at 3am”. 

 

After an uneventful flight from Denver, we arrived into Cairo in the early morning hours for transfer to our hotel. Thanks to the imposed curfew and several road closures, we found ourselves in none other than Tahrir Square at, you guessed it, 3am!  Our trip was not even 24 hours in and already I was backpedaling. “This is where we issue you your picket signs” was the only redeeming statement I could come up with.  

 

Picket sign, anyone?

Time and again we learn to expect the unexpected, that the plan does not always go as planned. Sometimes you find yourself in a Muslim country and enemy #1, Osama bin Laden, is killed. Or you have plans to do a dinner 2 miles away, and traffic is so crazy you spend the next hour behind the wheel. Other times you think you are going to the bazaar, only to find yourself on an unexpected private tour of a beautiful mosque. 

 

I enjoy when a plan comes together, not having to sweat the details. But more often than not, the memories and experiences I gain when things seem to fall apart are what I remember most about our adventures.