Search N Recovery

Project A.W.A.R.E acronym

2012-02-02T22:49:00.001-08:00

Project AWARE is a PADI's non-profit organization dedicated to "conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action." (Quoted from projectaware.org)

What the Project AWARE website doesn't tell you is A.W.A.R.E is an acronym that stands for Aquatic World Awareness Responsibilty and Education.

Not quite 16 Reasons to Go Pro

2012-01-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

The Dive Guru posted in September last year 16, actually 15, reasons Go Pro or to become a professional scuba diver. In PADI terms this means Divemaster or higher.

While I agree with a number of the 15 statements (the 16th reason is a fill in the blank) I responded with:

Additional income shouldn't be a reason to GoPro. You won't get much additional income, in fact you'll more than likely loose money by becoming a pro. (Hence the tax write-off portion, although depending on your local laws this may or may not work.) Essentially you'll be disappointed if you join for the money.

My favorite things are meeting new dive buddies and learning to become a Scuba Guru. The free boat rides are nice and the deals on equipment can be killer but still don't justify it [I should add doesn't justify the time commitment].

The time you spend in the water as a Pro isn't the same as by yourself / with your own buddies learning the sites since you are worried about compeleting skills, the safety of students, etc. Professional divers should always set aside fun diving from "work" diving otherwise they run the risk of burning out.

[Besides] I like to think of Scuba Diving as the closest thing I'll ever come to experiencing Space Exploration. =)

PADI might approve the comment but regardless I think it's best to be realistic with becoming a professional scuba diver. Don't promise the world and not deliver. =)

Up and running again

2011-12-29T13:32:00.001-08:00

Back up and running again. Our domain issues should now be resolved as we've officially dumped 1&1 internet services!

Offline

2011-12-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

SearchNrecovery.com will be offline for a few hours as we attempt to switch our hosting provider.

2012 IDC Crewpack

2011-12-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

For 2012 PADI is going to change the materials found in the IDC Crewpack by adding the Prescriptive Lesson Guides as stated on the PADI Instructor News blog.

I start my IDC in January (wahoo!) but I know from experience trying to find an accurate and up to date PADI IDC crewpack was difficult. (I'm having that problem now with the EFR crewpack). I don't know from past experience how often the crewpacks are updated but it seems like a single store could easily accumulate several versions and sell someone out of date items - especially slates!

Regardless I posted a comment which might be approved that said something like:

I'd like to see a mostly / all digital version of the IDC Crewpack at at reduced price or with more materials. The lesson guides, instructor manuals, exams, DVDs, etc. can all be put on a flash drive - no binder required. You'd still need the physical cue cards but even the application forms could be digital. $500 for a Crewpack seems a bit expensive for the amount of materials you get. Essentially we are paying $350 for a sticker.

I'd like to add digital products are easier / less costly to update. If you had a flash drive in the IDC Crewpack and it became out of date, PADI could recall the packs and simply update the flash drive (along with the slates). PADI could also throw in some other value like the Recreational Encyclopedia of Diving or something to that affect.

Picture with Scuba Santa

2011-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago Sports Chalet did their Discover Scuba Diving with Santa Claus. Did you get your picture taken with Scuba Santa?

Turns out almost as many certified diver's got in the pool with Scuba Santa as did new potential students! See below as Steven and Santa (Tony) smile for the camera.

The entire thing was free - including the prints of the photos. Marry Christmas!

First Photography Award

2011-12-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the dive club I belong to (Pacific Explorer's) had their annual Holiday Party at BJs which involves food, a raffle with lots of prizes and a photo and video contest. I submitted this jellyfish photo in the macro category:

(You can also find this image on my flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckenst)

You can never be sure what will turn up for competition - not at least until it's time to vote. There were a lot of good photos in the category but I took home the prize!

The Explorer's framed my photo on a gloss print and added a little plaque at the bottom that says "Best Macro Photo 2011, Chris Kenst, Pacific Explorers Dive Club". My first photography award!

Moving

2011-12-08T14:51:00.001-08:00

We're planning to move our domain name to a different service (our blog platform will still remain Blogger) in a few days and there is no telling what types of outages we will suffer from. Hopefully it won't be too long. We apologize in advance!

Back up and running

2011-12-01T15:42:00.001-08:00

We are back up and running after almost 3 days of being offline. Not sure what happened with our hosting service 1&1 but we're a little upset and hopefully we won't be dealing with them much longer. Our plan is to migrate to a different service so we have have a bit of downtime again in the future - hopefully for a shorter period of time.

Regardless we'd like to say thanks for reading. We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and we'll see you diving!

Danger of The Bends while diving for Lobster

2011-11-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

This is a video from MSNBC on the "Dying and Disabled in Honduras, in pursuit of lobster to sell to U.S." Hondurans have taken advantage of the U.S.'s large appetite for lobster and given the poor wages in Honduras the people can make a decent living off of capturing and selling them.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Unfortunately many of the divers don't have proper equipment or training and end up getting the Bends while working. Most who get the Bends (or decompression sickness) end up dead or permanently disabled.

I don't entirely agree with the video, they make it sound like American's who provide the demand for the lobster are a larger part of the problem - calling it Economic Genocide. It's true we are a small part of the problem but the larger problem stems from the lack of regulation or lack of care of the people involved. It wouldn't take but a week to teach all the divers about the risks of decompression sickness and how to prevent it. The cost of the proper equipment is also small from a business standpoint - you don't need brand new gear, just something that works. You can also reuse gear for multiple people.

Instead of working with the Honduran people to educate them, the government is going to put an end to the lobster diving within 2 years. How about a little education and safety enforcement? Then you can keep the jobs and the economic activity it creates.

Diving in the Philippines

2011-11-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

This is a promo video for diving in the Philippines; regardless it looks like a fun place to dive:

My girlfriend and I have been talking about going since she's from the Philippines. I'd be interested in diving their Apo Reef, encountering a shark or two and seeing a whale shark!

Create your own Padi eCard

2011-11-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

I was just notified by PADI that it's time to renew my membership. One of the privileges of renewal will be to unlock this revolutionary certification card called an eCard. Here's the PADI Surface Interval (aka press release) on the eCard.

I just need to download the PADI iPhone app and if I renew, I'll get access to a free "eCard" section. Ooooo. Looks like this:

The good news is you don't have to be a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor or pay PADI anything to create your own eCard. I mean how revolutionary is this idea? Not revolutionary at all, in fact its just a logical extension of today's digital age coming to the scuba industry (and as I've said before the scuba industry is always behind). Here's how you can create your own PADI eCard:

Find your highest level Certification Card (C-Card)
Take a Picture of the Front and Back with your camera on your phone
Done!
You can even create a separate pictures folder for your cert cards if you prefer

The purpose of the card (or in this case eCard) is proof you're certified so you can rent tanks, dry suits, equipment, etc. Welcome to 2008 PADI (that's the year the Apple App Store launched)!

Wreck Diving: Videos of The Yukon

2011-10-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was on board the Humboldt dive boat out of Mission Beach (San Diego) for a wreck dive out to the Yukon.

I got some video that I feel like sharing:

This video covers the gun turret and mid-section of the wreck.

This video covers the bridge of the wreck.

This final video covers more of the mid-section of the wreck. I'm still experimenting with taking video on my SeaLife DC1200 underwater digital camera. I should probably edit out the sound since the breathing doesn't add anything to video. Enjoy!

Canon T2i Housing

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I picture my next dry-land camera as a Canon T2i. Therefore it makes sense that I'd want to also use it for underwater or wet-land photography and in that case I'd need to purchase a housing (in addition to the other items like strobes, lights, etc.)

I've found a couple of reviews online for Canon T2i Housings:

Backscatter does a really great in-depth look at all of the housings out there: http://www.backscatter.com/learn/article/article.php?ID=96
A few divers on ScubaBoard also have some interesting opinions: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-photography/343589-canon-t2i-housing.html

It seems like the Ikelite Housing for the Canon T2i / 550D would be the perfect blend of price and capabilities for me: http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/can_550d.html

Check out this time lapsed video / slideshow:

I haven't fully out-grown my SeaLife DC1200 but it already has me wanting more. I like the idea of full HD video and better control over my shots.

What to do with all your Scuba Cert Cards

2011-10-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

If you've taken a few classes or gone up the ranks in any scuba organization you start to rack up a serious number of certification cards. Each specialty gives you a scuba cert card as does each advancement along the scuba hierarchy.

I've got over 14 certification cards including Open Water, Adventure, Advanced, Rescue, Master, DiveMaster, plus a bunch of specialties. I used to carry them around in my log book in sleeves but at $20 each (remember that's what you pay PADI for each PIC card) if your log book ever get's stolen it can be pretty expensive to replace them. Of course that assumes you would.

Instead of carrying them around here's what I did. Frame them:

A trip to Aaron Brothers or Michaels and you can get a frame and frame board for less than $40 (or the price of 2 PIC cards). Then just begin gluing the cert cards to the frame board. Leave some room for your future certifications!

Why frame certification cards? Since you get them by completing classes and showing off "skills" underwater you might as well be proud and show them to people who come over! Cert cards don't do much good after you receive them; the only card worth carrying is your highest earned level. If you rent a dry suit they aren't going to check your dry suit card. Same goes with Nitrox and Wreck Diving. They just assume you have the training.

That's my suggestion. What does everyone else do?

Vladimir Putin scuba diving

2011-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Just saw this picture of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin scuba diving in Taman Bay in the Wall Street Journal:

This photo is kind of interesting as he looks to be diving in an Aqualung wet suit and has an Oceanic snorkel. It's hard to tell if he's wearing a full face mask like the guy behind him and the back-inflated BCD looks familiar.

Regardless of the equipment he uses, is Vladimir Putin the highest profile scuba diver right now?

Becoming an PADI Open Water Instructor

2011-10-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's somewhat official (I haven't paid for my class yet) but I'm going to become a PADI Open Water Instructor. The IDC or Instructor Development Course begins in January of 2012 at the Sports Chalet in West Hills, Ca and runs for over a month at which point, assuming I pass all my exams I will be qualified to teach new, incoming students how to dive.

Here's the breakdown of the PADI certification levels:

This diagram is a little weird in that it shows the Open Water Scuba Instructor and Assistant Instructor to be at the same level but in reality an Assistant Instructor (or AI) can't do much more than sign off on students skills (something a Divemaster can't do).

I've been a Divemaster for about 4 years now and I think it's time to step up and teach students on my own and with other instructors. Hopefully Ryan will be joining me!

When to dive Nitrox: Wreck Diving

2011-09-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I dove two wrecks in San Diego: the Ruby-E (a former Coast Guard Cutter) and the Yukon (a former Canadian Destroyer). Both wrecks are located in the San Diego harbor just a mile or two from Mission Beach. We went out on two boats, the Humboldt on Saturday and the Louis Ann on Sunday. The Humboldt offered nitrox (32% I believe) for both dives for an extra $8/tank, I chose not to partake, while the Louis Ann only offered regular air.

My first nitrox dive was a beach dive and it was rather uneventful. I didn't notice a difference on a single dive between air and nitrox. However in reflecting on my experience this weekend doing multiple deep dives over consecutive days I recognized I should have been using it. Here are my dive profiles for the weekend:

Saturday:
Dive 1: 97' max for 31 minutes
Dive 2: 96' max for 28 minutes

Sunday:
Dive 1: 78' max for 25 minutes
Dive 2: 77' max for 34 minutes

When I was filling out my log book and checking my residual nitrogen (manually with my tables) I realized using the conservative (and somewhat outdated) methods it presribes I had exceed my no decompression (deco) times. The max time I should have gotten from my first 2 dives without exceeding the no deco time should have been 20 minutes each. According to my tables when I exceeded my no deco limit for more than 5 minutes I'd have a safety stop of 18 minutes and should have exited the water for 24 hours. Well I wasn't at ~97' for the full time which is why my computer is more accurate in this case.

If I was diving on Nitrox O2 32% I would have had 35 minutes before I exceeded my no decompression time and who knows I might have been less tired after the second dive. As I said before my computer is far more accurate than any manual table but it's always good to play it safe. A teacher's number one priority is to make sure our students are safe but our number two should be our safety. Next time I do wreck dive's I'm diving nitrox!

Lobster Season 2011 starts Saturday October 1st

2011-09-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't heard Lobster Season 2011 starts Saturday October 1st, 2011. Up for grabs are up to 7 California Spiny Lobsters per day (the legal limit). Try to wait until you get to the surface to eat yours:

(David Carlson couldn't wait to eat)

This year there are a few changes:

Fishing licenses have gone digital so there's nothing for a diver to carry.
Lobster cards are still required but they look more like a very very long printed receipt using the same system as your fishing license. Keep it with you at all times and remember to fill it out before you get ni the water.

Lastly, remember diver's get a 1 week advantage before the commercial fishermen come in and grab everything. Make sure you get your share!

Frilled Shark

2011-09-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Randomly came across this video on YouTube about a Frilled Shark caught on camera in Japan.

The Frilled Shark is a pre-historic shark that lives deep in the ocean and resembles the combination of a shark and a eel. Learn more about it on Wikipedia here.

Dive Epcot through DiveQuest

2011-08-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

I wish I had seen this before I went to Orlando Florida months ago but apparently you can dive in Epcot's 5.7 million gallon salt water tank if you are a certified scuba diver. For only $175, "Scuba-certified Guests can swim with over 6,000 sea creatures—including sea turtles, angelfish, dolphins, eagle rays and sharks."

Check it out here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/epcot-dive-quest/

Infographic: Tallest Mountain to Deepest Ocean

2011-08-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the PADI Instructor news blog. It has to be the largest (longest) Infographic I've ever seen. Nevertheless it is very interesting. Can you spot the recreational scuba divers?

Click the read more link to see it all.

Source OurAmazingPlanet.com, Exploring the wonder and beauty of planet Earth through exclusive news, features and images.

It's amazing that the Mariana Trench is 1,100 atmospheres (ATM) of pressure.

Seabreacher - A boat for the surface and underwater

2011-08-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on the Wall Street Journal and thought it was pretty cool:

If you go to Innepsace's website you can check out the various Seabreacher watercraft they offer. They can't go very far underwater - only around 5ft but they can move quickly. Each Seabreacher is completely custom but prices range, on average, from $65,000 to $90,000.

Jellyfish as a Pet - With the Jellyfish Tank

2011-08-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Even before last week's dive where I came across a large Jellyfish in Redondo I'd wanted a Jellyfish as a pet. They just seem so simple, minimalistic and unique as far as pets go. My coworker turned me on to a project on Kickstarter where someone has invented this Jellyfish tank:

You can order the Jellyfish Tank through Kickstarter for $350 which includes the tank, salt, pump, etc. - everything to get the tank up and running. It also includes a $50 voucher towards Jellyfish Art's "Beginner Package" which includes 3 live Jellyfish and 6 months worth of food which one could assume means for a complete working set you'll drop about $450. Not bad for a supposedly easy to setup salt water tank for Jellyfish. (Looks like Jellyfish Art is the company behind the tank. They did custom tank work before inventing this out of the box tank.)

Redondo Beach Dive on Saturday

2011-08-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some photographs from my beach dive at Veteran's Park in Redondo Beach, CA on Saturday August 13th. Ryan and I managed to spot some cool creatures including this giant Jelly Fish:

and this Octopus which was hiding in a shoe:

Just having some fun with my SeaLife DC1200 camera setup.