As the summer rolls to an end around the country, the Phoenix area is still scoring 100 degree days. Unlike most cities around the United States, summer doesn’t come to an end on Labor Day weekend. In fact, it is common to have 100 degree days well into the month of October. And, when those cool days come, it is a welcome relief to most residents in the valley of the sun.
However, for us Scuba divers, Labor Day is a signal to start thinking about the cooler water that will soon follow. Diving in the Phoenix area is a year round activity. In fact, most divers prefer the winter months as the water is clearer, more dive sites are available (due to lake conditions) and there are less boaters on the water. The trade-off: water temperatures get significantly cooler in the winter months.
While the west coast water temperatures may be pushing low 50s and even high 40s in the winter time, the lakes around Phoenix Arizona range in the mid 50s to low 60s. This leaves a lot of Phoenix divers shivering for warmer waters. However, for many hearty divers, they are suiting up in a heavy 7mm wet suit with hood and gloves or, some divers, desiring to stay longer and head to deeper colder realms of the local lakes may be in a dry suit.
Jeff Varner, owner of AZ Divers on 40th Street and Bell, says “many of his divers have switched over to diving dry, because it’s simply more comfortable in cold water“. Varner continued to say, “that this is the time of year, before the water gets cold, when divers come in and start asking about dry suit classes and purchases“.
Dry suits work on the premise of sealing off your body from the cold water, using an air tight suit. Neoprene or latex seals on a diver’s neck and wrist, keep water out of the suit. Underneath the suit, a diver wears thermal protection to keep him or her warm. Of course, this air space must be managed. When a diver gets in the water, pressure is applied to the outside of the suit and starts to collapse on the diver. At some depth, this can be a crippling squeeze. Divers have a valve on their suit, usually mounted on the chest, which has a low pressure inflator hose attached to it from his or her Scuba tank. To keep the squeeze to a minimum, a diver can add air to (1) reduce the suit’s squeeze, and (2) the air acts as an insulating source.
Air is a much better insulator than water. A body in a wetsuit conducts heat 20 times faster that a body in a dry suit. This type of heat loss can cause diver discomfort causing a premature end to a dive or, worse, can be a cause of hypothermia. Of course, like your lungs, mask, ears and BCD, a dry suit becomes an additional air space to manage.
As a diver, managing air spaces is vitally important. Managing your ear and mask air space is as easy as blowing into your mask or equalizing your ears. Managing the air space in your lungs is done by following the number one rule of scuba diving -- never hold your breath. Managing your BCD and a dry suit is key to proper buoyancy. Proper buoyancy means that you are in complete control of yourself underwater. You, generally, remain neutrally buoyant preventing uncontrolled ascents and bouncing off the bottom which can cause impaired visibility or damage aquatic life.
“Simply put, the biggest benefit for dry suit divers is staying warmer longer underwater“, says Tim Moore, a local Phoenix instructor. “While the benefits are significant and obvious, you have to weigh those advantages with the cost and training issues“, Moore continued.
There are two types of dry suits. The most common dry suit is a tri-laminate shell with latex seals. Known as “tri lam”, this type of dry suit has incredible flexibility and uses ranging from tropical caves to ice diving. The tri laminate shell has little insulation to it. However, it comfortably allows you to put an insulating barrier underneath it. The thicknesses vary depending on water temperature. The other dry suit type is neoprene dry suits. The sizes range from 1mm to 7mm. These tend to be less flexible. However, neoprene acts as the insulator. Thus, multiple barriers are not necessary. In some cases, such as with a 7mm dry suit, a bathing suit and tee-shirt is all that is needed underneath. Costs can vary wildly on a dry suit. A low end neoprene dry suit can cost as little as a high end wet suit. However, a high end tri laminate dry suit can run a couple of thousand of dollars.
While materials are the predominant factor in determining price, dry suit options can certainly spike the cost of new suit. Options for dry suits include a variety of accessories include zip seals, zipper location, valve location, thigh pockets, built in shoes, suspenders, and of course, the suit’s colors. Options, at the time of ordering, seem expensive. However, dry suits tend to last a lot longer than wet suits. So, you options aren’t the place to skimp. Buy what you want, as you should only have to buy a dry suit once.
Off the Rack or Custom Fit?
While many shops around town have “off the rack” dry suits available for sale. Fit is the absolutely most important factor to buying a dry suit. A poorly fitting dry suit can cause a loss of flexibility, air management issues, and discomfort. Not many of us are a perfect off the rack fit. A little to tight in one area and a little too loose in another is very significant while diving.
I strongly advise to choose a custom fit option for your dry suit. Your local dive shop can measure you and determine exactly what you need to order your dry suit.
Training Considerations
Unlike a wet suit, you can’t just jump in the lake and dive a dry suit. Even a seasoned diver will find his or her first several dives clumsy and uncomfortable. It is imperative at this early stage that new dry suit divers get properly trained. Most dive shops, in Phoenix, offer dry suit classes. Prices range from $100 to $150 including a certification card upon successful completion. A dry suit class usually has a little self study and classroom work. This is where you will learn the characteristics of a dry suit. Classroom lecture is followed by a 1 to 2 hour pool session or shallow water session so you can ‘dial in’ in the mechanics and special skills necessary to dive a dry suit. After a pool session, dry suit divers are taken out into the open water and complete two training dives with an a qualified specialty instructor.
Once you are certified as a dry suit specialty diver, practice is essential. It is generally recommended that new dry suit divers spend a significant time, with a qualified buddy, practicing the skills learned in their dry suit course. Special attention should be placed on slow ascents and safety stops. After a couple of dozen dives, it is common for to hear divers say they prefer diving dry. It’s also common to hear new dry suit divers question why they did this in the first place. When you find yourself in that position, keep practicing.
Diving dry is a financial, time consuming, and educational commitment. This commitment offer numerous rewards and allows divers to maximize their dive season. No longer is a diver restricted to warm waters or being cold and uncomfortable in cold water. Whether it’s a deep wreck, a long cave penetration or that mid winter need for blowing bubbles, dry suit diving is a safe way to keep warm.
Visit the author at http:///www.academyofscuba.com
(ArticlesBase ID #1207770)
John C. Flanders, Jr., a seasoned and well traveled diver for over 20 years, is a recognized leader in both the dive and business communities.
Mr. Flanders is an SDI/TDI Instructor Trainer, NAUI Instructor Trainer and a PADI Master Instructor. Mr. Flanders is a SeaSigns Instructor Examiner and the Director of International Training. Mr. Flanders is also trains divers in over 50 different specialties, technical diving and public safety diving. As an Instructor Trainer for both Emergency First Response and Divers Alert Network Courses, he assists in training instructors to teach these valuable safety courses.
John has published numerous articles and manuals for the dive industry and is a frequent contributor to Diverwire, an industry leading portal for Scuba Divers.
In over 20 years of diving John has explored almost every ocean and/or sea in the world off the coasts of 6 continents. He is an avid cave and wreck diver. He also enjoys hiking, kayaking, rock climbing,camping, golfing, sky diving, reading and writing.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/scuba-diving-dry-in-arizona-its-a-dry-heat-1207770.html
Choosing the right dive center can make a huge difference on your experience whether you plan on learning scuba diving or simply dive for fun
As veteran scuba diving instructors working in various places around the glove let us help you out a bit on your quest for a perfect dive vacation:
Dive center rating
Dive centers rating can tell you about the quality of its facility, safety standards, instructors rating and more. The rating status normally follows the dive operator's name.
Dive center location
Location makes a huge difference. Having to walk with equipment to the dive center or from it to the water/boat. Being able to chill and relax after the dive. A dive center is no longer just that, it can be the center of your vacation. Make the best of it.
Facilities
Showers, toilets, classrooms, dock, equipment storage, all are key elements that make a dive shop pleasant for its costumers.
Staff
Get to meet your stuff members, as you'll probably spend some time with them. Check their rating, knowledge and experience, make sure they are also familiar and experienced at the local dive sites as professional divers can be experienced elsewhere and lack vital knowledge when working in new places.
If choosing to take a course, see what else your instructors can offer after participating in it.
Boats
If you don’t intend on shore diving, have a quick look at the boats available, are they fast and stable enough to get to sites easily? Would you have enough space? Would you be protected from the sun? Are there any O2, 1st Aid, and Spare kits onboard?
Equipments
If using rental equipment, check it first. You don’t need to be an expert, or even a diver to know old or badly maintained equipment from a new or well maintained one. Insist on visiting the equipment room, and if there are special demands for sizes, exposure suits thickness or prescription masks, make sure you let the dive operator know about it in advance.
Packages Offered
Many operators offer various dive packages that may include accommodation, free dives, discounts, special offers on additional courses or deducted retail prices.
Atmosphere
A key part in any diver's routine is socializing, meeting people and having fun. Spend some time around the dive centre, meet the stuff and customers, and get the vibes, some dive centers offer much more than just diving, make use of that
Class or Group Size
A key element in diving is to dive in small groups. In courses you learn more and get more attention from your instructor. When diving, fewer divers mean more chances of seeing creatures up close. It doesn’t mean diving with small dive operators; just make sure your group size remains small….
Activities
Not all dive operators can offer everything, so check if your dive center offers anything extra, and a unique experience that makes a difference.
Environmental Awareness.
Please ask what the dive center offers to minimize the effects on the marine environment. Please report any misbehaving such as loitering, touching the reef and marine creatures, and disregarding diver's buoyancy problems. Help us keep the ocean clean and healthy.
p>Find more valuable tips that can help you through picking the right dive destinations, snorkeling scuba equipment , dive courses , and more at knows-dive.com
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/11-tips-for-choosing-the-right-dive-operator-1136360.html
Florida has exceptional dive sites that have something to offer to scuba enthusiasts regardless of their level of ability. From shallow dives that offer plenty of bottom time to deeper more technical dives for the more experienced diver.
BLACKMAR'S REEF:
If you are looking for one location that will provide an entire week of diving, then Blackmar's Reef might be just the place for you.
You will find Blackmar's off the coast of Jacksonville. It's a diverse scuba site that is both man-made and the work of nature. You will find five large wrecks that include airplanes, a super barge, a tug, and even a ferry boat.
To complement these, you will find natural limestone reefs with soft coral growth. Even though the reefs are not exceptionally large, it tends to be a magnet for a diverse range of marine life. If you are interested in photography, this site is a must visit.
THE GATOR BOWL REEF:
If you are interested in a dive that is one of a kind, this site might be of interest to you. After being given a NFL franchise, someone in Jacksonville had the inspiring idea to drop the press boxes from the old stadium onto a group of small reefs.
Now they are a popular Florida diving site and the sprawling press boxes are home to huge schools of assorted game fish. Don't forget your light, because there are plenty of caves to explore in the same area.
You will also discover that the gator bowl reef is a popular night diving spot.
COPPEDGE TUG:
As part of the Jacksonville artificial reef program, the Chippewa was sunk off the coast in 1988.
One advantage of this site is that it sits in only 75 feet of water. This makes it an excellent dive site for the beginner as the depth allows for plenty of bottom time.
You will find the tug sitting upright with it's prop still in place. At first the wreck might be difficut to spot amongst the thousands and thousands of fish that occupy the reef.
THE HALSEY:
This world war II wreck can be found just offshore of Fort Pierce.
It may well be one of the state's most interesting "natural" wrecks you will enounter.
It sits in the exact position it settled to the bottom after it was torpedoed. The bow, midships, and superstructure sit upright, but the stern settled upside down.
The ship is fairly intact, and is in about 90 feet of water.
Most likely the fish you will spot here will be of the large variety. That might include barcuda, nurse sharks, and big grouper.
If you look carefully at the sea bottom you may spot some extremely large lobster as well.
KINGFISH HOLE:
If your interests lean toward night diving, this site off the Treasure Coast might be just the dive for you.
It has the advantage of being quite shallow at 40 feet or so, and as a result you have the opportunity to spend lots of time on the bottom.
You'll be able to observe lobsters, and large schools of snapper, and it you're lucky, some nurse sharks having a nap under one of the many overhanging ledges.
THE PLAYGROUND:
This is for the more serious, experienced diver. The Playground is located in West Palm Beach and sits at 125 feet or so.
Pipes, and culverts are scattered across the sea bed. This provides an opportunity to see some very large, green moray eels. Barracuda are also in the neighborhood, as are some very big residents such as, eagle rays, whalesharks and even sunfish reaching weights over 500 pounds.
SAND KEY:
This tiny strip of land is located near the southwest of Key West. It has a huge variety of dive sites as the island that houses the Key Lighthouse is surrounded by reefs.
Off the South side, brilliant colored coral can be seen in every direction you look.
The area is simply teeming with fish and has interesting trenches that are fun to investigate.
As you venture further out, the bottom will begin to slope away. This is where you want to be sure and have a camera along as often eagle rays and huge morays can be spotted in the area.
Whatever your experience of interests when it comes to scuba, Florida is sure to have a site to make your next dive a memorable one.
For Further Information please visit Sport Blog
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/best-scuba-diving-1111366.html
99% of the time these concerns aren’t based on fact, but more on hearsay, so it’s our job to put the facts straight and alleviate their anxiety. But that’s not to say that there aren’t some marine species that you need to look out for!
So putting the records straight, here’s a review of the hazardous, (and not-so hazardous) marine life you’ll come into proximity with scuba diving Koh Tao, Thailand.
Sharks
Following many generations of Hollywood movies, sharks have developed a pretty fearsome reputation, leaving new divers either intrigued or petrified!
The reality is that scuba diving in Koh Tao, you’ve got to be lucky to see a shark, but when you do it’s a fantastic experience. Bull Sharks at Koh Tao’s Chumphon Pinnacles grow to an impressive size, but when you do spot one, they swim away quickly. There are no known occurrences of them attacking divers in Koh Tao (preferring to eat small fish!).
In the extremely unlikely event that you did encounter a shark which was behaving aggressively, you should remain still and calm, and slowly move away.
Trigger-Fish
Koh Tao’s Titan Trigger-fish on the other hand are a different deal, and are well know to the local diving instructors and PADI Divemasters. The trigger-fish are extremely territorial, and build nests out on the sand, near many of the Koh Tao dive sites. Whilst most of the time, the trigger-fish can be seen peacefully feeding on corals, at other times of year it’s best to keep away from their nesting area as this will only provoke an unwelcome reaction!
Jellyfish
Fortunately Koh Tao diving doesn’t normally involve coming into contact with jellyfish. The most common time to see jellyfish is when you’re sitting at safety stop depth above one of Koh Tao’s deep pinnacle dive sites, with jellyfish drifting past in the current. The best action is to face into the current and keep a look-out – if you do spy a jellyfish drifting towards you, move out of it’s path. If you’re unfortunate enough to receive a sting, once back on the boat treat the sting with vinegar and remove any remaining tentacles using forceps.
Scorpion Fish
Scorpion-fish are masters of camouflage, merging in amongst the corals on most of the Koh Tao dive sites. Normally pretty small, the scorpion-fish is lined with a series of spines as a (self defense mechanism). Generally, scorpion-fish sit very still, so if you control your buoyancy and try not to touch the corals (which you shouldn’t anyway), you won’t have a problem. If you were unlucky enough collide with a scorpion-fish and get your skin punctured by one of those spines, most likely you’d suffer local pain and swelling, which can be relieved by bathing in hot water to denature the venom.
Anemones
Magnificent anemones look spectacular and are abundant on the Koh Tao diving sites. But be careful not to brush against them – contact with bare skin can leave an irritating rash.
Rocks and Corals!
By far the most common cause of injury from diving is due to bad buoyancy control, or putting your hands where you shouldn’t. Most of the corals (and many rocks) are very sharp so grabbing them can result in cuts. It’s important to get these properly cleaned, as there are many bacteria living in the tropical water, which can lead to an unpleasant infection if left untreated.
So that takes care of our commonly encountered hazardous (or not so hazardous) marine life. Check back again soon for part three of our series of lessons from the Koh Tao PADI Open Water course where we’ll look at the buddy system and how to communicate underwater, or for more info, check out the Simple Life Divers website [http://www.simplelifedivers.com].
By Simple Life Diving Koh Tao
Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, ST Thailand, 84360
web: http://www.simplelifedivers.com
tel/fax: +66 77 456 329
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/lessons-from-the-koh-tao-padi-diving-course-part-2-hazardous-marine-life-in-the-gulf-of-thailand-1112662.html
Scuba diving equipment has evolved to become sophisticated, incredibly safe, reliable and high performance. There’s a massive range of options and features available, to allow scuba diving in any environment.
To familiarize you with how a set of scuba diving gear works, we’ll run you through a basic set, and discuss what options and features would be suitable for warm water Koh Tao diving.
How Does Scuba Gear Work: A Typical Koh Tao Diving Setup
Scuba Cylinder
Firstly we need somewhere to store the air which we’ll be breathing whilst underwater. Scuba cylinders or tanks) come in a range of sizes and materials. Scuba diving Koh Tao we opt for aluminum cylinders, which are resistant to the corrosive salty ocean conditions, compressing air into 12 litre cylinders at two hundred time normal atmospheric pressure (200 bar). That volume of air allows an average diver to dive for about 45 minutes at normal recreational depths, (factoring in a safety margin).
Regulator – First Stage
This is the bit which attaches to the valve of the scuba cylinder. Since the air inside the cylinder is at two hundred times normal pressure, we need to reduce that pressure down to make it breathable. This is the job of the regulator first stage. Most first stages reduce down the pressure to about ten bar above ambient water pressure (called the intermediate pressure), which is then fed down to the ….
Regulator - Second Stage
This is the bit that you put in your mouth and breathe from. The second stage contains a large diaphragm which the surrounding water pressure pushes on. What that does is adjust the intermediate pressure (delivered from the first stage) to exactly the same pressure as the surrounding water. The result is that when you breathe in, a valve opens and allows air to flow freely. When you stop breathing in or exhale, the valve remains closed allowing you to conserve your air supply.
Regulator - Alternate Air Source
In case your buddy has an equipment problem, you also have a alternate second stage attached to your first stage, which means in the event of an emergency your buddy can also breathe from your cylinder. This is one of the reasons why it’s always a good idea to stick with a buddy when scuba diving.
Buoyancy Control Device - BCD
Obviously we need a way of keeping the cumbersome cylinder attached to us, so the BCD is a robust jacket which allows you to strap the cylinder to your back. The BCD also has a second important function. You can adjust the amount of air inside the jacket so that you hover motionlessly in mid water and control your position underwater. Whilst at the surface you can inflate the BCD to avoid swimming to stay afloat, and save energy.
Wetsuit
Your body looses heat about twenty times faster in water than air, so you’ll need to wear some kind of exposure protection to keep warm. The good news is, Koh Tao diving has very warm water – usually about 30C. That means during the Padi open water course we usually wear a 2.5mm neoprene ‘shorty’ wetsuit , which keeps us comfortable during the dives.
Weights
The bad news is that neoprene is buoyant (as is body fat), so to be able to descend underwater we have to carry some lead weights. The easiest way to do this (adopted by most Koh Tao dive schools) is to attach the lead to a weight belt which you secure around your waist prior to each dive.
Scuba Diving Mask
Your eyes can’t focus in water, so you need to wear a mask to be able to see when diving. If you have a little spare cash and plan to invest in piece of scuba diving gear of your own, make sure you buy a mask. A good diving mask makes all the difference to your Koh Tao diving experience – if you can see properly you’ll have a much better time!
Diving Fins
With all this gear, it becomes a bit tricky getting around underwater. To make life easier we wear large, rigid diving fins which take all the effort out of swimming, allowing us to maintain our air supply and explore the Koh Tao dive sites with ease.
For more info, visit the Simple Life website [http://www.simplelifedivers.com], and don’t miss part two of our series of lessons from the Koh Tao Padi open water course, where we examine some realities and myths of dangerous aquatic life!
For more info visit the Simple Life Diving Koh Tao website at:
http://www.simplelifedivers.com
Or tel/fax +66 77 456 329
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/lessons-from-the-koh-tao-open-water-diving-course-part-1-equipment-1098793.html
