The Emerald Sea in the Pacific Nothwest is a shore divers banquet. With the second largest ferry system in the world, a good scuba cart can extend our range and save us loads of money by leaving the car at the dock. SMART GEAR’s (coming soon) Adventure Cart, may turn out to be the first really practical scuba cart we have seen. We were impressed with the demo model we saw at the DEMA show and look forward to trying out a final version soon.

Cart designer Don Smith was inspired by necessity to create the cart after rock climbing accident. He needed a true all terrain cart to get his gear to the water. With the optional ($49) all terrain wheels the cart has a six wheels that provide stability in all positions. You can tell that a lot of thinking and testing went into this cart. It is designed to easily handle a full set of scuba gear and two tanks with room to spare. It is tough (cap 300lbs.) but still lightweight (25lbs) and conveniently collapsible.

Even at an MSRP of $399 the Adventure Cart should be good value by saving chiropractor fees, and for PNW divers, ferry tolls. Slated to be available around March 1, 2009. We were promised a demo and look forward to giving it a rigorus ferry and beach test. Stay tuned for results.

Best in Show for Travel Accessories

At last someone has created an ingenious and truly effective new way to transport your gear on your dive adventures!  It’s called the Dive Caddy and it is an entirely innovative system for transporting your dive gear.

When we walked up to the Dive Caddy booth at DEMA, Chad Watson, the inventor of the Dive Caddy, said “Do you want to see something you’ve never seen before?”  Well, of course.  We couldn’t resist. 

He made his pitch, saying how much he used to hate packing for dive trips…the hassle of packing his gear…having to open his bags at airport security and sort through to find what they were looking for (usually the first stage of the regulator).  We could relate.  We have bought bags large and small, tried golf bags, duffel bags, and various sized suitcases with various results - none of them optimal. 

Chad proceeds to open and roll out, yes, literally roll out, his exciting new gear caddy.  A couple of clicks of the fasteners and this system un-rolls to reveal all your equipment held securely in place.  No more sorting and sifting about while people are jostling around you. 

Called “The Smartest Dive Bag Concept on the Planet (TM),” this compact little gear system holds your masks, fins, snorkel, BCD, boots, gloves, regulator, dive computer, plus up to three days personal gear.  Extremely TSA friendly, it rolls out to reveal three compartments in less than 10 seconds.  Your gear is revealed for easy inspection, then, simply roll it back up, fasten it back up and you’re on your outta there. 

We can’t wait to try out this new bag on our next dive adventure.  We’re impressed with the thorough job Chad and his team did to develop this product.  If you want to learn more, click here.

SCUBA GADGET OVERALL BEST IN SHOW for DEMA 2008

We, and most divers we know do not use a dive flag as often as we should. Traditional Dive flag buoys are cumbersome and not easy stowed. As mothers say, “be careful, you can put an eye out with that thing.”

The Pocket Buoy is so unique that it was awarded all of the requested 11 points from the US patent offices, a very rare occurrence. Firstly, the travel size is a light and small 7″ x 8.5″ package. The compact package is made possible by the use of collapsible shock corded masts and flag stiffener. When assembled, the quality nylon flag towers way above other dive buoys on the water giving it a added visibility. It can even be used on a dive travel.

Vince Bourke, inventor and disabled scuba diver, explains that other air filled dive flag floats are all comparatively low to the water because the support pole that arises from the buoy cannot hold the flag up if it is higher. His stroke of genius was the now patented technology that allows the flag mast and counter weight arm to be as one continuous lever. It can stand tall and never tip.

Poke a hole in another blow up buoy and you are sunk until you replace it or patch it. The Pocket Buoy float is constructed of a shell of salt/sun resistant marine grade canvas and is inflated with any large party balloon. This feature combined with Bourke’s demanding quality should make it the last buoy you will ever buy. The  MSRP of around $54 and slightly lower shop prices  makes it an affordable value.

A dive flag buoy is just a small but important part of our dive gear kit. But the creativity, technology, and quality Vince Bourke has put in the Pocket Buoy has inspired us to award it “Best in Show” for the DEMA show 2008.

The Pocket Buoy is expected on the shelves of dive shops by February of 2009.

SCUBA GADGET DEMA Show Honorable Mention: Technology Category

Even if you are not a tech diver, the technology in the Liquivision X1 Trimix/CCR computer is something that screams, “PAY ATTENTION” to all divers. The X1 has two revolutionary features, OLED screen and “tap” interaction,  that are so compelling we should be praying there are enough early adopters to bring the price down and get these features in recreation dive computers.

Liquivision is the only company to date to build an OLED (organic LED) screen for underwater use. To non-geeks OLED will mean extremely bright and sharp displays. Additionally, unlike the current LCD dive computers screens, you get a wide 180 degree viewing angle. The contrast ratio of a current LCD dive computer is so insignificant that is not even mentioned. The X1 has a 2000:1 contrast ratio that is readable in complete darkness.

The X1s second unique feature worth watching is the patented button-less “tap” interaction. The computer has a screen and absolutely NO BUTTONS. You just tap the side of the computer to navigate through the displays and the menu. Bulky gloves are no problem.

So we asked the folks the at Liquivision the $1,750 question. Why did they only build this great technology into a tech diving computer?  Simple economics said the rep. “We can not build it cheap enough today to come close to the recreation computer market. But, tech divers are used to paying top-dollar.”

OLED and Tap interaction is coming down the track as fast as we can push our earlier adopter friends into buying one. Then we can look back and remember those old, hard to read LCD dive computers as the black and white TV of diving.

SCUBA GADGET BEST IN SHOW: Major Scuba Equipment Category:

At the recent 2008 DEMA event, we tried on the new Whites ” DryCORE technology” dry suit, the Fusion Tech.  This dry suit boasts an innovative approach - the inner waterproof barrier is comprised of a “loose fit shell dry suit incorporating latex seals, dry zipper, air intake and exhaust valves.”  This inner shell is huge, according to sales rep Eric and allows you to move as you need to move.  The shell is held snug in place by your choice of three styles of a  ”second layer ‘over suit.’ This outer layer is made with a durable stretch fabric which is attached to the DryCORE at the wrists, ankles and dry zipper to form the streamline form fit of the inner dry suit.”  Said to be suitable for extreme colds and tropical climes, the suit is versatile by adding or subtracting undergarments as needed.

As Eric was giving his spiel, I was skeptical. He was raving about how streamlined it is, how flexible it is, how durable it is but I was thinking of bunched up wrinkled inner shell pressed against my body at depth.  John was thinking of little bubbles trapped in the wrinkled folds.  Eric assured us that this would not be the case, saying that the outer wrap made it assist in venting like a bungee cord on a tech diving wing or BC.

We took the plunge and tried them on.  The suit went on super easy.  I just basically rolled it up over my body.  I grabbed each shoulder as instructed to zip it up.  Again, easy. It is a true self-donning suit. Once on, it was completely form fitting without being constricting.  I was able to squat down with ease and reached a tank valve behind my back. I could twist and turn like a ballerina.  Although we looked like we belonged on the set of Star Trek, we were both intrigued.  Simply put, the suit is COMFORTABLE.

In their October 2008 article entitled, “A World Gone Dry,” Sport Diver magazine says the DryCORE technology “works like a champ” and gives this suit its “editors pick.”

We are both eager to try the suit underwater.  When we do we’ll report back to you.  For now, a hearty thumbs up on this innovative new idea for diving dry. MSRP is $1598 for the suit and $449 for the undergarment.

Behold!  The Anti-Microbial Scuba Mouthpiece!  At the 2008 DEMA show,  we were introduced to the anti-microbial mouthpiece.  Developed by New Millenium Enterprises, the mouthpiece is said to “kill off 99.9% of Staph as well as killing and stopping the growth of many other bacteria on contact.”  Now, we really like our current mouthpieces but we were impressed by this piece of silicone, especially for rentals.  Think about it - when you rent your gear, you have no idea WHO has used your mouthpiece, IF she or he had a contagious disease while biting down on the mouthpiece, or if the dive shop thoroughly cleaned the equipment after use.

Scientifically tested, this little slab of silicone was shown to be even MORE effective at eliminating germs after use.  According to their test results it was “proven to be active even after 100 thermal test cycles exposing the mouthpiece to water temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F.”  The anti-microbial agents are infused into the silicone, not just coating the surface which is what makes it so effective.

At only $9.99 per piece or less for bulk orders, it seems like a “must have” for dive shops.  Next time you plan your dive travel, ask the dive shop owner if he or she uses the Anti-Microbial mouthpiece.  If not, send them a link to the site.  If they hear about it enough times, chances are good they’ll be willing to take the steps towards increasing your health, safety and comfort while using rental gear.

We have return safely from the DEMA SHOW 2008 and are preparing a slew of articles both on the new and inovative new products and a few unique perspectives of the scuba industry. In case you do not know of DEMA, it is the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, a non-profit membership-based association created to help businesses in the Scuba Diving and Action Water Sports industries.

The show was a grand event and packed with over 11,000 dive industry professionals and over 650 exhibitors of products, services and travel. The exhibit all was so long there were electric (airport style) carts shuttling visitors between little park bench stops placed around the exhibit hall.

Being from the beautiful, quiet and calm woods or the Pacific Northwest and not being gamblers, the trek to and life outside the show made us feel like we were on a true pilgrimage to the Mecca of scuba shows. The event buoyed our spirits after having to endure the chaos, dry desert air, casino noise and second hand smoke and all around crappy food of the Las Vegas strip. We certainly look forward to Orlando next year.

BEST OF SHOW: We will have more detailed articles on all of our best of show picks (some are already posted).

• For simple innovation we liked the Pocket Buoy which make it easier to be safe and carry a dive flag.
• In the major scuba gear we found the Whites’ new Fusion TechDrysuit that defines a whole new class of drysuit.
• In the technology category diving dry has taken on a new meaning with introduction of the new eDiving.us (see our pre-DEMA article). 
• A technology category, honrable mention goes to Liquivsion for the first ever use of an OLED screen on a dive computer. It is incredibly bright.
• In the tech diving category, CO2 absobant company Extendairshow an sub $1000 rebreather.

All aticles for the show are have 2008 DEMA News in the title and a linked category.

Scubaboard has hit the cyberwaves with a podcast. The ScubaBoard Show is hosted by Women Divers Hall of Fame inductee Jill Heinerth and Rober McClellan, the media side of the team. The pair promises to “provide light, enjoyable conversation, insightful interviews with outstanding divers, from weekend enthusiasts to the sport’s leading luminaries, wrapped in intelligent discourse on the Scuba diving lifestyle.”

The first episode was quite pleasant with tips on equalization. Jill, certainly as well traveled as any diver, picked our home waters, “The Emerald Sea” (that’s the Pacific Northwest to warm water divers.) as her favorite dive location.

More importantly they promise a fresh new show every two weeks. We will hold them to it. Most podcasts make those promises and never keep them for long. A search of podcasts on scuba yeilds many with only a few shows before fading away.

Joe Cocozza’s Pod Diver Radiois one of the finest and most prolific scuba podcasts, with 97 episodes. The podcast always mentions next weeks show. “Next week’s show”, in Pod Dive Radio speak is ususally 3-5 weeks average. PDR is currently on a short hiatus because Joe is swamped at his real job.

We say the The ScubaBoard Show and certainly worth a listen. And, check out Pod Diver Radio when it returns in November (maybe).

We all learned in basic scuba that water filters out most colors at shallow depths. Yet under the sea you can come up close and personal with a phantasmagoric mix of animals of such colors and patterns that you will debate whether you are in a dream or on an alien world. Warm water divers may not be aware that it is cold water fauna will hold its own in a color battle.

However, at normal recreational dive depths unless you have a good dive light, even in daylight diving you will be like the deaf Beethoven at symphony. The first time I used a dive light in the day time I was stunned. There were the colors of a tropical aquarium on the sea life of to my experience the previous muted animals Puget Sound. They had been beautiful all that time, but the light removed my veil. Without a dive light, divers are all colorblind.

After diving for with a little backup light for a while, one day I took my bulky eight cell night-dive main light on a daytime dive. This opened up a whole new vista. Rather than seeing colors in pinpoints, I could now see whole fish and areas of color. Now I was on the hunt to find a manageable sized light with the power of my big light, and without the outrageous cost of tech canister light.

At a local dive shop event we came across the Underwater Kinetics C4 eLED®. Small and so incredibly bright that my dive buddies insist on pointing out everything to me so I will light it up for them. This 4 cell light is defiantly brighter than many 8 cell lights. My 8 cell Princeton Tec Shockwave LED puts rates only 170 lumens compared to the C4’s 210. A unique tech trick UK added, according to UK actually increases the brightness underwater. The twin eLEDs, focused as one, are connected to heat sink which draws on the outside water to cool the eLEDs. Additionally a power circuit control maintains uniform brightness over the life of the batteries. An optional rechargeable battery pack is available, we are consider giving a try but the first set of conventional batteries have not shown any sign of dying after months of diving with this light. The switch is easy to unlock and flip between half power and full power with any wet or dry gloves. The unit is well built and protected with a heavy rubber boot for drop protection. Of course we tested that feature without fail. The light comes in black, yellow and silver. It is comfortable and almost perfect balance between bulk and power. The only feature on our wish list is to make the pistol style grip removable.

The retail is $119. Thanks to our LDS dive show and sale (Harry Truitt’s Lighthouse Dive Center) we picked up our UK C4 for $95. We have since seen other street prices are even lower. Web prices, which I am sure to smote for quoting, are as low as $52.

In June we raved about the Hot Chillys brand, La Montana base layer as great drysuit base layer (see http://www.scubagadget.com/?p=89) The new version is even better because they have incorporating brushed MTF polyester fleece with anatomically placed stretch panels of Bio Del Mar Antimicrobial polyester in high moisture areas. In short it doesn’t stink after the dive. The old version of the top used to get that “manly” smell after a dive. We gave this new version a thorough test. I wore it for 3 dives and 2 more days without washing and it still smelled fine. The test top was a HC4040 – M’s La Montana Panel Zip T which retails for $65 but is available cheaper on the street.

SCUBA GADGET BEST IN SHOW: Technolgy Category

Diving Dry has taken on a new meaning with introduction of the new eDiving.us website/diving simulator program. With the look and feel of a flight simulator program the diving simulator lets you eDive sites around the world. These are not just video game renditions of diving, like a flight training simulator, the virtual dive sites are very accurate 3d rendering of the real dive sites.

Currently the program offers sites in southern California but they are working on in other areas. DiveNav, eDiving’s parent company, is currently adding USS Spiegel Grove dive is being added with the collaboration of ScubaBoard, Captain Slates’ Atlantis Dive Center, Conch Republic Divers in Florida.

The eDiving project was launched in 2005 by high tech entrepreneur Alberto Mantovani. The concept was inspired by necessity. Mantovani told ScubaGadget that he was always getting lost while diving and got the idea that he could become a better diver if he had realistic virtual dive maps. Although there are many benefits to his virtual dive application, Alberto first thinks of the program as way to help divers preview their sites in the virtual realm and so that they have a safer and richer experience at the real site. Other benefits certainly include dive training, a preview of dive sites while planning your dive travel, and inspiring non-divers.

The site also has a social networking component. DiveNav demonstrated the multi-player features at the DEMA show and promises the feature to be available in about 30 days. This will allow divers from remote locations to virtually dive together. The business model is advertising driven. We can certainly image that the program will encourage more non-divers to try real diving.

It takes a lot of coordinated resources to map and prep a site. Mantovani said his biggest hurdle is getting dive groups and business to work together. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many dive business worry that any collaboration among competitors will hurt their bottom line. As an editorial comment I agreed and commented that it reminds me of the wine industry before Mondavi came along and showed the Napa wineries how they could all ride a wave of success if they worked together, instead of in vicious competition.

Mantovani, is not deterred. DiveNav is well funded and Mantovani has a very successful track record in the world of business. DiveNav will be showing the program at the DEMA show in Las Vegas at booth 4951.

REVIEW: Although I had a bit of trouble finding the summary page for the controls (Alberto promised some upgrades soon), I was very impressed with our virtual test dive. After an orientation session in a virtual pool, I jumped into a virtual boat dive around Ship Rock at Catalina Island. I took the virtual version of the real dive boat, The Great Escape. Having never been diving at any of the currently available sites, I could not be sure, but the site certainly looked and felt real. I caught myself holding my breath and a bit apprehensive when I descended a too fast. I swear my right ear felt the a little excess pressure when I hit the bottom. After getting use to the controls, I was able to maintain good buoyancy and navigate around the rock. The panel includes a compass and site map if you need to track your location. Also included are all of the normal dive computer features and warnings.

I am defiantly not a video gamer, but I found myself looking forward to more eDives. I want to try some tech dives and practice dives that are beyond my level in the real world. Also the virtual dives certainly inspired me to want to go and dive the real sites. We give this one a must see. NOTE: (the site is www.ediving.us NOT .com)

Dive boats are no longer fueled with testosterone. Szilvia Gogh, founder of Miss-Scuba.com says that the man to women ratio is about three to one on dive boats this year, up from eight to one just ten years ago. You can tell the dive industry has caught on when you see gear with names like “Diva” and “She Dives”. We were particularly interested to notice that our web search also revealed a great number of women only dive clubs and classes. That prompted us to ask, what is the difference between men and women divers?

We contacted 4 women in diving professionals and asked them to comment on the trends and the patterns they see when working with women and men divers. Our advisors were Cindy Ross of Girldiver.com, Szilvia Gogh of Miss-Scuba.com, Pamela VanGuelpen of Sonoma Coast Bamboo Reef Diving and our own diving diva Chaela Sumner of WetCatScuba.com.

All four agreed that most women divers they meet were most likely urged into scuba through the door marked “what my boyfriend (or other male partner) wants me to do.” It is not that they do not love scuba as much as the men, it is just that they were inspired by the desire to share more time with their partner. All also agree that this is changing. Pam said that so far this year she has had more guys (as customers) that were being pushed into the sport by their girlfriends, than has had girlfriends being pushed by boyfriends. Of course most divers will agree that there is nothing worse than a girlfriend (or boyfriend, or wife, or husband, or son, or daughter) who doesn’t want to learn to dive. In addition to the “significant other hook,” Cindy was more specific on the reasons girls go diving. She includes “overcoming their fears” and “because they truly want to explore the other 70% of the earth.” Sziliva says, “Girls, who start diving to try something out of the ordinary, get more excited about taking the big step than those who simply take the class to be with their boyfriends. Dudes enroll in scuba classes because of the adventures and dangers of this manly sport.” I have to add, as a male diver, I never even thought it could be dangerous until years after I got certified and took more modern courses. Szilvia also said she sees more out-of-shape men divers than women but is willing to put it down to the ratios.

As the dive course progresses some other differences surface. Our panel pointed out, and disagreed on, some differences between teaching men and women diving.  Szilvia was definitive: “I find the greatest distinction is in the opposite gender’s willingness to listen to instructions. While girls seem to think everything through and attentively listen to every word their instructor is saying, guys just tend to try and figure things out on their own. Guys often think that they know more than their instructor does. It is even more apparent when the instructor is a younger female, regardless of how many thousands of dives she has logged.” Others were more subtle on this issue, but agree the genders tend to need different teaching styles. Cindy believes that women usually need to need some esteem coaching to bring their “confidence level up their competence level” and men need help a bit of ego attenuation to bring their “competence level up to their confidence level.”

Both during and after the course Szilvia feels that newly certified female divers seem to get more excited and proud of their accomplishments than men do and women are more conservative divers. Pam disagrees and says “I have had many men who are beaming and excited to just be in the pool, even more so than the women sometimes. It is the same with staying within limits or making wiser choices, and even fear of the water.” Chaela captured the difference in this way: “It is about how women tend to want a relationship with the experience of learning and learn well if they have a good relationship with the instructor. On the other hand men tend to be out to conquer their fears and topple the walls that keep them from being divers.” Now a Master Diver, Chaela almost quit diving during her first training session when she had such a bad experience with a “jerk” male instructor who offered little guidance, even though the class consisted of only three people – 2 men who were quite comfortable with diving, and herself.  The poor poolside manner of her instructor resulted in her coming away from her first pool session with a ruptured eardrum. Later her diving career was “saved” when she spent two more days with Deborah Gregor of Marin Dive Center in San Rafael, CA. Deborah took her time with Chaela, really listened to her questions, thoughts and fears, and caused her to feel safe and confident in the water.

In the dive shop, all agreed that men are generally gadget oriented. I guess we cannot argue that, having named our site “ScubaGadget.” Pam, the dive shop expert, points out an interesting trend; with couples it is usually the woman who initiates the purchases. Pam’s sales indicate that while men do by more gadgets, the overall equipment sales figures are fairly equal for each gender. Cindy balances the buying patterns with this couplet, “Women make wise decisions with gear purchases, often choosing the gear they’ll need now, instead of over-thinking where their diving will eventually take them.  Men make wise decisions with gear purchases, constantly keeping abreast of the newest, latest technology that may enhance or make their diving safer.”

In the open water, Cindy says that women tend to delight in the details and will notice smaller organisms often passed over by the men scurrying to the end of the wall. Men get focused on a specific skill or dive goal and work endlessly to achieve it.  Chaela finds that she also tries to master certain skill sets, too, and feels that all divers probably constantly try to improve their skills.

Out of the water, Chaela notices that her male counterparts often discuss their dive equipment with enthusiasm, noting the complexity or simplicity of a certain piece of equipment.  She finds herself not caring how many O rings are in her regulator, but is more interested with her equipment working properly and being safe to dive with. She also notes that both men and women talk excitedly about what they have seen under the water, and swap endless stories.

There are comments from our crew that echo the psychological studies that panic and fear moments do tend to come up for women more than men. However, it should be pointed out that men may have equal anxiety but tend to hide it and keep it under the surface. Stress and rescue instructors point out that dive emergencies most always start well before the apparent crisis. The problem started when you felt uncomfortable about the decision to proceed with the dive and then went ahead anyway. I find it much easier to read stress on the face of a women diver. I have come up with a seemingly calm male dive and later heard that he was really frightened about something during the dive. This trait in women could be a great advantage in getting them and their buddies to abort the dive soon and well before a dive becomes an emergency.

No whining clause: All of our panelist agree that they are reporting on general patterns that every reader could dispute with their own opposing anecdotes. We encourage comments but none that start off saying how this man or that woman does not fit the pattern. We do look forward to reader comments to advance this conversation and help both genders become better divers by learning from each others’ styles.

Szilvia turned her comments to us into an article and the full text is posted on her website at: http://www.miss-scuba.com/girls_vs_guys.html

theUnderwaterChannel.tv is all dive TV all the time. It is a new and free to watch TV channel on the web. This site and videos are professionally produced by their team of international filmmakers. They cover a wide range of underwater subjects - from diving personalities to natural history, caves, shipwrecks, free diving, scientific expeditions, ocean conservation, climate change, marine archaeology, resort reports, inspirational dives and special events in the underwater world. The creator, Emmy award-winning Producer/ Director Nicholas Claxton got the idea for dedicated underwater TV channel while filming a television documentary about the Red Sea coral reefs in 2006.

The videos are a viewed full-screen using a must install add in, the Bablegum player which also gives you access to over 60 other TV channels. It is not as easy as viewing in the browser window but you do get the full TV effect. If you have a new television with PC input, you can easily watch the Underwater Channel on your home theater. The player is easy to navigate, but it took me awhile to notice that you can click in any non-menu space to quickly hide the navigation.

The video selection includes news and intro videos. Each video is preceded by the filmmaker’s account of making the video and the issues encountered along the way. There are a lot of new sites and podcasts featuring dive videos. Many fall away soon after startup, many are just YouTube style videos, and some are just advertisements for resorts. UnderwaterChannelTv is a professional venture. It is very impressive and the videos as good, or better than you will see on broadcast and cable TV channels.

NEWS is supposed to be current. Back in July (2008) we reported about a recall of Aqualung Titan/Conshelf DIN adapters, which had a minor chance of breakage if the service technician had overtightened the part during servicing (details here).

We were suprised when we started to see 10 times the news stories we saw in July regarding this issue. Additionally many of the stories this time around have added panic inducing headlines with words like “Drowning Risk.” A quick call to Aqualung confirmed that this is NOT A NEW RECALL and no one has drowned due to this issue. 

Here is the rest of the story. According Jacquie Edelman an Aqualung media representive, there have been no incidents of actual failure involving this adapter. She gave the following explaination to ScubaGadget for the likely reason that so many more news feeds are running with what seemed like old news now. After Aqualung issued the recall to the media and dealers in July they were informed by the CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) that they needed to re-issue it throught the CPSC channels again in August.

Why more hype on this round? It seems that some news outlets have an urge to spice up their story and/or headlines in hopes of getting more attention. And they do, because it is common that many other news outlets and blogs just copy and paste the hyped stories without checking the background from the source. On every occasion when we have contacted the source we have found more interesting detail than was printed in other sources.

Many divers have told us that they become confused when they go online join DAN (Divers Alert Network) for the first time. Anxiety about which plan to choose, is the common issue. We recently received a call from diver that said. “I spent 30 years in the insurance business and I cannot figure out which DAN options to choose.”

To get some clarity, we contacted DAN and spoke with Marketing Services Manager, Christine McTaggart at length about this issue. Our conversation yielded a more comfortable analogy and some tips that may help divers reduce their ‘plan choice panic’ when reviewing the DAN options.

The first step, which is often a surprise to divers, is to understand that the DAN Membership does not include dive accident insurance. Divers often mistake the DAN wording in the member benefits section, “TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage” for a type of dive accident insurance. Despite our concurrence that when the word coverage is used along with a grand amount of money it sounds like insurance, McTaggart says it is not insurance. It is a benefit.

As she explained more, I realized it sounded at lot like the auto club (e.g. AAA). McTaggart agreed. With an auto club membership they will tow your car away if you have an accident. Additionally, the auto club has other benefits like maps and giving you advice about the health of your car. Also the auto club will offer its members member-only rates on auto insurance plans that are optional and not included with the auto club membership. A DAN membership includes a similar benefit of “towing you away” in case of an accident. That is, they will get you to a chamber or appropriate medical facility. Additionally, DAN will give advice about your own health as it relates to diving. Likewise DAN offers you the OPTION of purchasing additional accident insurance tailored to a diver’s needs.

Now that we understand how the DAN Membership plan is separate from the DAN insurance plan there can still be confusion about which insurance plans to pick. Not only is there three accident insurance plans, but also trip insurance, equipment insurance and of course life insurance. For this, there is help on the DAN website both on the FAQ page (https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/memberfaqs.asp) and for understanding the accident insurance a very helpful comparison page at https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp. However, McTaggart warned that, as with all insurance you need to read the fine print. She added that regulations strictly limit what DAN cannot say on the website about the plans, which does limit how simple they can make the choice.

The Seattle/Tacoma stop on the 2008 DUI DOG Rally & Demo Tour is the weekend of Sept. 6th & 7th at Les Davis Pier. Divers can try out DUI drysuits, undergarments, and other products for $8 in advance, including BBQ lunch and a DUI Test Diver Hat.

The following event is Sand Harbor State Park in Lake Tahoe. See http://www.dui-online.com/dog_main.aspx for more information.

Even if you are never going to repair or rebuild a regulator this book can make you intimately aware of the inner workings of your most important piece of scuba gear. “Regulator Savvy” by Peter Wolfinger is available from ScubaTools (http://www.scubatools.com/c-23-regulator-savvy-book.aspx). The book reveals the authors passion for details and the safety. Unlike service manuals and books, this book teaches the fundamental functions of regulators. You learn what the parts are, how they work, and how each is effected by or effects the pressure differential. It is divided into two sections. The first section gets down to the nuts and bolts of basic regulator function. The second section applies this knowledge to the “art” of adjusting the regulator for optimum performance. This book is for any diver that wants to really understand how his/her regulator works. The book comes in two versions. A spiral bound copy for $29 and a three-ring binder edition for $50. I reccommend this book to every serious diver know.

After reading this book you may find you want to hover over the shoulder of the repair technician the next time you get your annual regulator services, both to learn more and to make sure he/she is taking good care with your life protecting equpment. At the very least you will find a good reason to make sure that service shop at your local dive shop is orderly and clean before you allow them to work your regulator.

I only have one criticism of the book. The author, while clearly a expert in regulators, should have stuck with the adage “play the note you know” when it comes to book design. He made three common mistakes which make the book hard on the eyes to read. He used a san serif font. The serifs on fonts help you eye follow long strings of text. He also used right justified text which creates uneven spacing between the words. (I suppose I should take my own advice on the former and switch my own font used for this blog

Anyone who reads dive journals has seen many a dive magazine article on the interesting health emergencies that can befall us while diving. More recently dive journals seem to be printing more articles about why you need to get and stay fit to dive. So, I wondered if there was any research about how diving helps keep you fit.

Like many divers I spoke with, I supposed that swimming, carrying my tanks and maybe even breathing more oxygen could all be helpful in adding to my general fitness level. But, after a chat with DAN (Divers Alert Network) researcher, Dr. Neal W Pollock my fantasy dissolved.

After a preface about the lack of research on the subject, Dr Pollack pointed out that, while it is vital to be fit to dive, recreational diving is usually not enough alone to help our general fitness. Additionally, any potentially fitness enhancing activities associated with diving may be canceled out by other physiological factors. Dr. Pollock used my question about the benefits of breathing higher concentrations of oxygen to point out that there is also physiological stress associated with the increased production of free radicals during the exposure.

Preparing for a dive we do carry heavy gear, but often not for long enough to constitute a good workout. The same holds true for swimming while diving. Our surface swims are seldom long enough to matter. After we get enough experience diving to be comfortable, we tend to use less energy underwater than at a picnic.

THE GOOD NEWS

It is not all bad news however. Dr Pollock pointed out a major indirect fitness benefit of diving. The strength and energy needed for diving often prompts divers to do other exercises and start fitness programs so that they can ready for, and feel better while diving. This has been the case in our household. After our first shore dives we felt like collapsing before we got to the water. We realized that we needed to hit the gym so we would be able to make it from the car to the shoreline with all of that gear. After many dives, we appreciate that, even more important than feeling comfortable walking to the water, is have the reserve fitness to handle emergencies while diving (e.g., currents, rescues).

Cameron Martz, president of Form Fitness, LLC and author of the book “Fitness for Divers“ added the following. “… exertion during or after a dive actually increases risk of DCS, while exertion before or during a dive increases gas consumption. So, it is generally preferred to make sure that diving is nowhere near the effort required to build fitness. In other words, if it feels like hard work, then you are working too hard for safe diving.”

There are many good articles on Fitness for diving in Alert Diver Magazine, a member benefit from DAN. Fitness issues are frequently discussed in the DAN annual report, available for download at no cost (http://www.diversalertnetwork.org).

Certified scuba divers are invited to test dive a DUI drysuit in the Oregon Coast Aquarium exhibits! Saturday August 23rd and Sunday August 24th, 2008. Your dive ticket is only $38, which includes a BBQ lunch, drysuit, and dive equipment (except your own mask, fins and snorkel).

Friday Sept. 22nd features a drysuit snorkel experience for kids 8 and up. The aquarium staff will be hosting this Reef Ecology course, where participants can actually get in the water with the animals they’ve learned about!

Already an experienced drysuit diver? Take part in the acclaimed Underwater Photography Workshop hosted by Optiquatics on Friday August 22nd. Participants will be diving in the exhibits and improving their digital photo skills. Tickets are $100 ($85 for aquarium members), includes BBQ lunch, fitted DUI drysuit and underwater digital camera use. Divers with their own camera systems are encouraged to bring them, and enhance their picture taking skills under the guidance of Optiquatics camera pros.

Availability is limited for this rare opportunity so be sure to register early. All proceeds benefit the aquarium’s volunteer diving program. 

Details for divers can be found within the event PDF at: http://www.dui-online.com/pdf/2008_rally_diver_oregon.pdf. Given the unique nature of this event and the precise dive schedule, tickets are not available through the DUI website.

Please contact dave@dui-online.com for assistance in registering through a DUI Drysuit dealer. 

DUI’s DOG Rally Tour continues on the west coast: visiting Seattle/Tacoma on Sept 6th & 7^th diving Lake Tahoe on Sept 13th & 14th. Check out the event details at: http://www.dui-online.com

The NEW DiveRite Jetstream DR comes O2 clean straight out of the box. It is the only regulator out there that is CE approved for O2 use. The over-pressurization valve on the first stage means that the regulator can now be used with any standard LP hose. However it also means that you cannot mix the second stage with a standard downstream first state because that would eliminate the OP valve altogether. The Xtream first stage uses a patented spherical stainless steel ball along with a soft seat material that virtually eliminates high pressure seat wear that is common in “knife edge” design seating systems. The Scuba Diving Magazine Jetstream review points to the effortless inhalation in both head up and head down positions. There is no upside down so it can used on either side and is easier if passed to an out of air buddy.