Summer is here and if you haven't been in the big pool yet, what are you waiting for? We hear Memorial day seems to be the official kick off for recreational diving in the sunny states. Not sure why, being in a cold water state the warmer water screws up the visability... but I guess its not everyones cup of tea!
This month I thought I would try something new and highlight some styles that compliment PADIs Specialty of the Month for July - Deep Diver! Deep diving is a skill that every traning agency highlights becasue of the increased risk and reward of going deeper. Check out this months specialty page at: http://www.diveshirtsonline.com/DeepDiver.html
This past month we joined up with Power Reviews so that you can provide some feedback on the styles and share your thoughts with others. So far we see a trickle of reviews coming in, I hope as time passes these reviews provide a valuable resource for people sorting through the 170+ styles we have in stock.
We are still looking for more styles and lines that bring you value and style. There are a couple of prospects in the works that I hope we can announce in the near future. Until then, happy diving and thank you for letting us serve you.
Have a safe and fun 4th of July!
Refer a friend. The best advertising we could ask for comes from you, our valued customers. We know we wouldn't be sucessful with out you and we would like to ask for your help. Please let your dive buddies know about us!
The physics of scuba diving
by Sandeep Johar
The delight of floating underwater, swimming with the fishes and escaping the day-to-day life are some of the pleasures of scuba diving. To enjoy this safe water sport it is however a good idea to be familiar with how physics is applied in scuba diving. In this particular article we will examine buoyancy and its relationship to safe diving.
The principles of buoyancy go back to Archimedes, who said: "A body immersed in a liquid, either wholly or partially, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the body". A principle we all learned in high school physics. This means that when swimming underwater there is an upward force that is directly related to the volume of our bodies plus the entire dive gear that we are carrying. And of course there is a downward force related directly to the weight of our bodies plus the equipment. When two forces are exactly equal we are neutrally buoyant and have achieved a state of weightless suspension in the water.
How can we manipulate our buoyancy? Well the simplest is by controlling the amount of air in the jacket that we wear when diving. This jacket is called the Buoyancy Control Device (BCD). We add air to the BCD at the touch of a button from the tank on our backs and similarly release air with a second button. Adding air increases volume and tends to push us upwards and decreasing air decreases volume pushing us downwards. Quite simple really!
Next time you are on a dive and have achieved perfectly neutral buoyancy, you may notice that as you breathe you rise and fall in the water. The physics are exactly the same, as you breathe in your lungs expand and you are now positively buoyant and rise in the water and as you breathe out you fall in the water. Achieving neutral buoyancy and concentrating on the breathing are one of the joys of diving, and physics can explain it.
Experienced divers may have noted an apparent problem with this analysis. Starting with our swimming pool practice we are taught that to come up from a Scuba dive, we should never inflate the BCD and that in fact we need to constantly deflate our BCD. What is going on here? As a dive instructor myself I completely agree. To rise up in the water kick with your fins and be ready to deflate as you rise up in the water. Never ascend by inflating the BCD.
What is happening here? To understand this better we need to look at another law of physics called Boyle's Law. Robert Boyle showed that as the pressure on a gas in a closed flexible container falls the container expands in volume. If we add air to the BCD our total volume increases and by Archimedes principle we are pushed upwards. However, as we are pushed upwards the pressure of the surrounding water on the BCD (which is a flexible container) drops and by Boyle's law our total volume increases again and the upward force of buoyancy also increases. This causes our buoyancy to become even more positive and we rise faster. This cycle would cause us to rise at an ever increasing pace. This is called a runaway ascent. Runaway ascents can be fatal.
If we do as the instructors say and kick upwards, the force of the kick forces us up in the water. As we start to rise Boyle's law once again applies and the volume of the air in the BCD increases as the weight of the surrounding water drops. To maintain our buoyancy and avoid a runaway ascent we must actually release some of this expanded air. So somewhat counter-intuitively, to rise up in the water safely we must release air, just as we do when we descend.
Enjoy diving, as I do, and perhaps a little insight into the physics will make your dives safer and even more enjoyable. Controlling your buoyancy and controlling the rate of ascent makes for safe fun dives!
Scuba diving in Belize
by Joan Schroeder
Belize is the ultimate Scuba Diver's playground. Tucked away between Mexico and Guatemala, it is one of Central America's best kept secrets. Belize sports an abundance of rich and delightful places for the scuba diver to discover. Rainforests, Mayan ruins, barrier reefs and coral islands make Belize is sure to make a Scuba diver's dreams of paradise come true.
One of the main attractions is the CAYES, pronounced KEYS, and is well known for its close proximity to the coral reef and its beautiful beaches. Enjoy the coral sand or mangrove islands, a breathtakingly beautiful feature of the cayes.
The mangrove cayes is a wonderful habitat for a host of marine life and is not inhabited by human life. Marine life and organisms flourish in this protected area of the cayes and makes for an unforgettable diving experience. But if you would rather scuba dive in the more populated area of the cayes, you will need to visit the Coral Cayes. Here you have an abundance of superior resorts with activities that cater to the marine enthusiast. And while you are at it, enjoy the turtles, and nesting birds, but do not disturb.
Closer to Belize City you will find four Islands, Geoff's Caye, Rendezvous Caye, Sergeant's Caye and English Caye. They lie in close proximity to the barrier reef, showing off their incredibly white sandy beaches and an abundance of palm trees. These Islands are superb scuba diving destinations with numerous dive sites and still close to night life and other attractions. Be among the first to dive some of the relatively untouched diving sites in the cayes.
Another must see Scuba diving haven is the OFFSHORE ATOLLS. The three major atolls in Belize, along with several hundred islets, can be found east of the mainland and toward the Caribbean Sea. With their remarkable geographical make up, this destination is a nature lover's delight. If you want to experience Shark Ray Alley, you may have to stand in line. This is one of the most sought after dive experiences located close to the spur and groove reefs. This is one of the shallower spots but spotting the nurse sharks, eagle rays and Southern Rays is well worth the wait.
Individually, the three atolls each offer the diver a different and exhilarating experience. Visit Glover's Atoll for some of the best waters in Belize. Get your adrenaline rush with sheer drop offs that range from forty to some twenty six hundred feet while taking in the wonders of some 700 coral reefs. Lighthouse Reef Atoll gives you a twenty mile long by four mile wide playground. Here your scuba diving experience gives you the best of under water and above water beauty. Relish the sight of surface dwellers like Iguanas and frigate birds. The largest of the atolls is Turneffe Island Atoll with one of the largest population of schooling snapper and a 100 feet sheer drop, this atoll completes your offshore atoll experience.
THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF is perhaps the most sought after geographical feature for the scuba diver. Described as the second largest barrier reef in the world, this winding marine wonder includes several marine parks and reserves, hundreds of species of fish and a multitude of invertebrates and corals. With warm temperatures and a visibility to 150 feet, the scuba diver has reached the pinnacle.
If you are looking for a diverse nature filled experience, white sandy beaches, clear pristine waters with numerous virgin like dive sites, Belize is the place to be. When you are not scuba diving, be sure to take in the sights, signs and culture of a remarkable Mayan legacy. Waterfalls, caves and a baboon sanctuary one of many sanctuaries await you. The only problem you will have to deal with is time. It will take more than a week or two week trip to experience a few of the delights highlighted here. But then, once you have visited Belize, you will want to return again and again.
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..these Scuba Diving sites!