Venezuelan winning record in free diving cave

The diver Venezuelan Carlos Coste won a new world record with the “Longest snorkeling in underground cave.” Carlos was a record 150 meters down in a time of 2 minutes and 32 seconds. The event took place in Dos Ojos Cenote.

Dos Ojos Cenote is a flooded cave system that lies south of Playa del Carmen and Tulum north coast in the Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. This complex has the longest cave in Quintana Roo, with more than 118 meters deep in the Pit Cenote.

The diver Carlos Coste says that he was preparing for that dive over three years: “I participate in competitive diving for more than 10 years and this was without doubt the most bizarre I’ve ever done,” sighs the athlete.

Coste, “achieving this goal has been a dream. Since I was a kid I was interested in caves and combine this passion with my profession as a diver has been incredible.”

Source: Diving Magazine

Use a whistle to be heard

There are whistles which are specially thought for being used while being under the water. These kinds of whistles are very loud and powerful, intended to allow people who are in or under the water to communicate with others in case they need it. Their sound is so powerful that it would allow you to be heard loud from the surface while you are diving into the water.

A whistle can be a great help whenever you are under the water and need help. If you try them in the air they might sound too much loud since they are meant to be used in a water environment which absorbs part of the sound it makes. Actually, they often come with a warning telling people not to try them at home or in any closed environment as well as they come with a warning telling not to let them near children.

This special whistles where first developed for military uses, in order to allow soldiers to send signals and ask for help while being in the water. After that, these kinds of whistles have been improved and specialized for any water related activity in which a loud sound could be helpful as a signal.

A diving whistle can reach around 95 decibels of power which allows its users to be even heard from people who are in a helicopter. This way, if you are lost or need to be rescued, you can easily call the attention of those who are looking for you with a whistle of this kind. If you are on the surface or at any place very far from the people who are looking for you, this whistle would ensure you from being heard by them.

A whistle allows divers to be clearly heard by people who are on the surface. This is not only good in case a diver has an emergency and needs to call the attention of others, but also in cases in which any kind of coordination is needed or in which signals can be useful. Therefore, having a whistle can be a very good idea for divers since it could turn out to be helpful in many different situations.

Source: Dive Pilot

Brazilian diver participates in an event in Greece

A Brazilian diver Karol Meyer, hexa world record of apnea,  one of his older islands at the invitation of the municipality of Lindh – Rhodes, in Greece, for an adventure that leads to dips earlier in history, “skandalopetra“.

This modality requires the diver to go down with a stone, without any equipment, simulating the old divers and sponge divers.

The diver Karol Meyer has the support of city and resort Aquagrand in the search for another world record.

The event takes place between days 23-27 of June.

 

Humpback Whale Mating Contest

This stunning video of a humpback whale mating contest in Northern Tonga is just one example of how the new BBC/Discovery Channel series Life captures the drama of our world topside and below. The 11-episode series debuts on June 1. In order to capture what Life producer Ted Oakes calls “the largest battle in the animal kingdom,” the show’s camera crews filmed from helicopter, by boat and through scuba diving. “Perhaps the hardest and most terrifying thing was getting the divers in position to film the whales underwater,” Oakes says.

“This involved moving alongside the pack of charging whales and placing a diver in front of the pack. “The divers couldn’t use tanks,” Oakes continues. “The behavior of whales is disrupted by the bubbles created from scuba diving, and so the divers actually had to free dive with the whales.”

Another scene from Life required more than 100 dives under 8 feet of ice in Antarctica.

See the Video!

Source: Sport Diver

Mares diving urgent safety notice and update voluntary recall of Nemo Air Dive Computer

 

Mares has discovered a quality issue involving the O-ring assembly of the Nemo Air Quick Connector.

Under certain circumstances, the O-ring can fail and cause a slow leak of breathing gas through the Quick Connector, which could require a diver to surface quickly and face possible risk of injury or running out of air.

Any air leak resulting from an O-ring failure would be slow, because these fittings are designed to the EN250 standard, which requires a very small (0.3mm) opening in the high-pressure hose fitting, but we nevertheless take this issue seriously and intend to correct all affected units.

The O-rings in some units may have been replaced in an earlier service campaign, but this recall requires replacing the entire metal quick connector female fitting at the end of the high pressure air hose that holds the O-ring (new Mares part no. 44200829).  Replacement connector assemblies have a groove machined around the middle of the fitting, but recalled units do not.

ALL CONSUMERS SHOULD STOP USING ANY NEMO AIR DIVE COMPUTER, AND ALL RETAILERS SHOULD REMOVE THESE UNITS FROM DISTRIBUTION , UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED MARES DEALER / SERVICE CENTER.

Affected product codes are:

Finished goods
414158 – DIVE COMPUTER NEMO AIR
414159 – DIVE COMPUTER NEMO AIR W/COMPASS

Spare parts
44200771 – HP HOSE W/QUICK CONNECTOR NEMO AIR
44200770 – QUICK CONNECTOR ASSY. FEMALE NEMO AIR

Please contact an Authorized Mares Dealer/Service Center in your area to schedule the removal and substitution of your Nemo Air computer Quick Connector Assembly Female with the new Nemo Air computer Quick Connector Assembly Female. If you want MARES to perform the above service procedures, please contact our customer service department at 1-800-874-3236 for a return authorization number. You will need to provide the unit(s) serial number(s).

ALL NEMO AIR QUICK CONNECTOR FEMALE ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REMOVED AND SUBSTITUTED WITH THE NEW ONE PRIOR TO DIVING NEMO AIR.  THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE.

For detailed information please go to  www.mares.com

This voluntary recall is being conducted by Mares in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Source: Sport Diver

Sea life depending on water and light

 

The co-relation between water and light and how the last affects the first causes a variation in the kind of sea life which a diver might be able to enjoy while practicing the sport. Water and light affect each other as well as affect the way in which humans can interact with the sea depending on them.

This co-relation between water and light affects divers not only by causing variations in their vision but also by allowing them to see completely different kinds of sea life. The sea life which a diver might be able to see at day time is completely different than the one he could enjoy during night. Besides this, sea life also varies depending on the water depth in which a diver is and the amount of light that such depth receives.

See more in MERGULHO BRAZIL!

Source: Dive Pilot

Diabetes and diving

Diving with diabetes can be very dangerous not only for the person who suffers it but to his buddy as well. If a diver has a hypoglycemic attack while he is into the water, he might loose consciousness and die due to it. This way, it is important that those who suffer from diabetic and wish to dive are very careful and aware of the risks this sport imply to them.

Hypoglycemic attacks have a higher chance to happen when the person goes through physiological stress as it happens while practicing an exercise such as diving. This way, the chance of a diabetic person to suffer such attack while diving is not only higher than when he is not practicing any exercise but even more than others in which he could receive help right away. Besides help, if a person suffers a diabetes attack while diving he would also have the additional problem of the environment in which he is and the lack of oxygen it might imply.

In some parts of the world, diabetic people who wish to dive must go through a medical examination and only in case they pass the standard established by it they are allowed to practice the sport. Besides this, a diabetic person who has suffered a hypoglycemic attack within one year at the time they wish to dive they would not be allowed to do it.

Another condition which a diabetic person must accomplish in order to be able to dive safely is to have the approval of his physician or the diabetic clinic which he attends. This is not only to assure the diabetic person and those who will be responsible of him during his diving that he is in proper health shape but also to make sure this person regularly attends a clinic and has his diabetes under control.

Besides all what was mentioned above, many diving academies ask diabetic people to complete forms on a regular basis and might also ask his physician to do so as well. A diabetic diver should always be aware of the risks he goes through by diving with diabetes and should regularly go through medical controls in order to be sure his health is in balance.

Source: Dive Pilot

Forbes Magazine indicates 13 dive sites

Forbes magazine pointed out the 13 most spectacular seas, coral reefs and beaches to be explored by divers in the world in 2009. Places like Fiji, Red Sea and the Bahamas are just some of the points that should be idyllic in the list of upcoming destinations according to the vehicle.

Check out the list:

San Blas Islands, Panama
Despite being a region controlled by native peoples that destroyed part of the coral reefs are completely untouchable in the San Blas Islands. In the eastern region, tours take tourists to places completely untouched crystal clear waters. Already in the west, wreck up the landscape of Los Cayos Grullos.

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
At other times only frequented by climbers, the islands of Phi Phi was eventually discovered by divers. The main point is Hing Klang, a reef located between the islands of Phi Phi Don and Bamboo One of the highlights is the amount of tropical fish that can be seen.

Safaga, Egypt
These shallow reefs in the Egyptian Red Sea attracts both experienced and amateurs. The dolphins, octopuses, fish, clown fish and sea lions, one of the most poisonous in the world, are just some of the illustrious inhabitants of the area. In Soma Bay is a pier that allows excellent option only diving mask. Tours also take tourists to a small sand island in the middle of the sea.

Culebra, Puerto Rico
If money is a problem, Culebra is the best choice. In a trip that will cost five dollars, you get to the beach Flamenco came from the main island of Puerto Rico. The beach is famous for camping and parties, but to walk for 20 minutes until Carlos Rosario, find one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean.

Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos, British Caribbean
As Safaga, the main attraction of Salt Cay is the marine life. Sharks and rays can be seen on tours by the corals in the region. If you visit in winter, it is likely that you will hear the song of the humpback whales and even see. There is also a disaster to be visited and several near-shore reefs.

Rurutu, French Polynesia
The best place to see whales is Rurutu. Between July and October, humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to the waters off Polynesia. If you’re lucky you can get very close to the mammal.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Being almost an entire national park, St. John is almost intact. Beginners can start at Trunk Bay, where there is a “trail” that goes underwater guiding the main attractions. For the more experienced, some points can be reached from beaches like Haulover Bay and Leinster Bay

Makaha Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
One of the most accessible of the list, the waters of Makaha Beach Park offers a visibility of more than 30 meters. You can see sponges, fish, rays, huge turtles and dolphins, but in winter, diving may be prohibited because of waves and surfers who look after the beach.

Water Bunaken National Park, Indonesia
This environmental reserve is composed of 97% water, and Water Bunaken National Park is renowned for its diversity of corals, invertebrates and more than 2.5 thousand species of fish that inhabit the region.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The largest coral reef in the world can be visited on day trips out of Port Douglas, tourist town closest to the reef. The main point are the parts of the outer edge called Agincourt Reefs. Other options are the islets of Heron and Lady Elliot with his rays, turtles, nudibranchs and molluscs.

Florida Spring Holes, Florida
The only list with fresh water. In addition to region-specific fish, crocodiles give tone to the place. A good point is Silver Glen Springs, Ocala National Forest, with its vast marine life. The Blue Spring State Park is also true, but it may be discontinued if manatees are passing by.

Fiji
This complex of 330 islands is a paradise. Corals emerge from the deep ocean to shallow areas, home to sea stars, sea urchins, sharks, rays. Reefs are visited on tour or accessed by the coast itself.

Bimini Islands, Bahamas
Here grace is the mystery. A curious formation of two rectangular parallel lines, according to legend, would lead to Atlantis, the Lost City of the Atlantic Ocean. Another highlight is a boat sank during a hurricane in 1926. Dolphins also inhabit the region.

Nitrogen and its effects on divers

 

There is a condition called nitrogen narcosis which can occur to divers who breathe compressed air and it is important that they are aware of it. This condition happens when divers practice their activities in depths which are less than 100 ft and the partial pressure of nitrogen which happens in such depth might cause them to suffer this problem.

Nitrogen narcosis produces an altered state of mind which appears as a state similar to alcohol intoxication. This way, when this happens to divers, it causes them to loose control over their body and to obstruct their movements, and therefore it becomes very dangerous for their safety.

This condition, which is often called rapture of the deep, can become critical while being at 300 ft into the water due to the fact that it can completely incapacitate the diver. If this happens, the diver would suffer unconsciousness, blindness, and might even die. Therefore, it is vital that divers learn about this problem and learn how to avoid it.

The cause of nitrogen narcosis is the way gasses affect the human body according to partial pressures and Dalton’s law. As a diver goes deeper into the water the gas pressure increases and the partial pressure increases with it. As this happens, human blood receives a higher amount of nitrogen dissolved into it and this affects the nerve impulses which cause divers to feel and act as if they were going through the effects of alcohol.

The symptoms of this condition might first show through several different effects such as euphoria, overexcitement, disorientation, vertigo, loss of balance, problems for properly reasoning and loss of agility. Divers who are entering into a nitrogen narcosis state could suffer one or more of these symptoms, and the deeper they are into the water the worse it would be and the more dangerous it would become.

In order to avoid going into this problem while practicing deep diving, helium could be used instead of nitrogen in order to dilute oxygen. In case of diving with rapid compression this is not recommendable neither due to the fact that the mixture of helium with oxygen could cause problems such as nausea and lightheadedness.

Source: Diver Pilot

Plaza Resort Bonaire Announces Special Rates for SINGLES

 

Enhance your Sun-sational Summer and Fall at the Plaza Resort Bonaire & Toucan Diving with several hot deals for you to enjoy including; Toucan Dive for One (May, June, Aug, Sep and Nov 28 – Dec 18, 2009), Repeat client rewards, Free night packages, booking bonus for 2010 and NOW…Single Diver discounts… Aquakids (ages 5-15) and much, much more.

Single Diver discounts receive up to 25% off the room rates at Plaza Resort Bonaire for travel from now until December 18, 2009.

Special group comp offer:

Mention this announcement… and receive 1 FREE spot with 8 paid on your next group trip of 10 or more at the Plaza Resort. Don’t wait! This special mailer comp ends with our booking bonus 2010 program.

Plaza Resort Bonaire 3-D package prices start at $748 per diver, quad occupancy  includes: 7 nights 2 bedroom / 2 bath villa accommodations * 6 days unlimited shore diving * tax, service and energy surcharge *7 day truck rental w/full insurance & tax.

7th Heaven on 18 Palms  – start at $848 per diver, dbl occupancy includes: 7 nights Standard Suite* 6 days unlimited shore *Safety deposit box, lock & key *tax , service and energy surcharge *round trip airport transfers.

Source: Dive News Wire