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 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 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!

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.

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.

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.