March 11, 2010 in Scuba equipment | Comments (0)
Tags: Belize, Diving, Scuba, Southern, Spectacular
Our introduction to this topic will include the basics, which will be followed by a more in depth look at this topic.
Belize scuba diving offers seemingly endless acne to explore. With the Belize Barrier Reef extending from the Yucatan Peninsula preceding the southern border of the country, the diversity and beauty of Belize dive trips are second-to-none. Coral atolls, large and small cayes (islands), and small reefs dot the offshore Caribbean waters of this richly-endowed land.
At 30 miles long, Ambergris Caye is the biggest of the islands, and its core town, San Pedro, is a hub for diving activity. Ramon’s Village and Tropica Beach remedy offer a array of diving courses for all levels of training. If you’re an absolute beginner, you can take a supervised remedy Course in which you can follow using diving equipment in a secure environment at no more than 20-30 feet.
Dangriga, Hopkins, and other villages to the south offer sluggish days in the sun in the middle of the fascinating Garifuna culture. Not only can you guard drums being made, you may be able to hook a devout ceremony, which typically involves hypnotic drumming, jolly dancing, and stupor states. These coastal villages are also great take-off chairs for diving offshore.
For the rest of this article, we will discuss the meaning behind what we have learned about this subject so far.
Belize scuba diving in the south includes the Sapodilla Cayes, cheer Spit, and South Water Caye Marine Reserve, which is the country’s biggest marine reserve. Tobacco Caye has intriguing spur and orchard formations to investigate. The excitement at Silk Cayes is that it has the world’s biggest population of whale sharks from February to May. Last, but not least, is the charming Laughing Bird Caye, the least marine hoard in Belize.
We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye catching to say the least. Its objective is to entertain and inform.
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in Scuba equipment | Comments (0)
Tags: Computers, Diving, Scuba, Styles, Types
A scuba diving computer can be a divers best friend. It will allow you to stay down longer than if you were diving off of tables. There are many types and/or styles of dive computers you can choose from. Which one is best is really personal preference and is suited to the way you dive. The following are some of the choices you will have when purchasing your dive computer.Console Dive ComputerA console dive computer is attached to the rest of the equipment via a hose. The console dive computers typically come with a pressure gauge. The readouts are typically larger than on a wrist dive computer so they can also be easier on the eyes. There are also options for a scuba dive computer to be mounted on your hose (this is the type we currently use) or clip onto your BC. Choose whichever is more comfortable for you and fits into your price range. Wrist Dive ComputerThe wrist dive computer is very popular. These types of computers look like large watches and are worn on the wrist. They will tell you all you need to know at a glance. Some wrist dive computers are also able to be mounted in a console. Sometimes the faces may be a bit small for all the information the computer can display, so make sure you will be able to read it underwater. Unless they are air integrated and wireless (see below) wrist dive computers usually do not come with a pressure gauge. One small disadvantage here is that these can be pretty easy to misplace/lose. Air Integrated Dive ComputerAir integrated dive computers are becoming more commonplace. An air integrated computer measures the tank pressure and then calculates how much more time you have left at the current rate of air consumpetion. The air integrated dive computer will tell you how much time you can spend at any exertion level. An air integrated computer replaces the need for a submersible pressure gauge (SPG). One downside of an air integrated computer is that if it fails, you lose information on how much air you have left in your tank. Dive over.Nitrox Dive ComputerWith nitrox diving becoming more and more common, so are computers that are nitrox compatible. Even if you aren’t diving with nitrox now, if you are even thinking of diving with nitrox in the future, it is probably worth it to purchase a nitrox dive computer. This will save you the expense of buying a whole new computer in the future. However, if don’t think you will ever dive with nitrox, then there is no reason to pay for this feature. A standard air computer is probably $100+ less than its nitrox counterpart.Hoseless Dive ComputerThe hoseless dive computer consists of the receiver (typically worn on the wrist or mounted on the BC) and a transmitor. The transmitor attaches to the high pressure port of the regulator first stage and then sends your air information, wirelessly, to the receiver. The receiver looks the same as normal dive computers. This setup cuts down on the number of hoses you need. There are now even hoseless dive computers that can accept signal from multiple transmitors – so you can even keep an eye on your buddies air consumption. Of course, this capability is really for the more advanced technical divers who may use different tanks on one dive. And, of course, we are talking some pretty high price tags here.So just think about how you dive and what capabilities you need. The right dive computer for one person can be completely wrong for another person. Choose one that you are comfortable with and one that is right for you wallet.
March 10, 2010 in Scuba equipment | Comments (0)
Tags: Courses, Diving, Scuba, Technical
Once a diver has achieved the basic certification course and gained experience with various dive sites and situations a technical scuba diving course can offer more in depth information. These courses allow one to change the mixture of oxygen, dive in more difficult terrains, and learn more decompression techniques for after diving. Some of the numerous technical scuba diving classes that are offered include: Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, Entry Trimix, Extended Range, Advanced Wreck, Overhead Environment/Cavern to name a few. And though we can’t go into all of the courses, here are a few of them described in more detail.
The various technical scuba diving courses are significantly different.
* Nitrox For Mixed Oxygen Usage This entry level certification course teaches the recreational diver how to breathe enriched air nitrox (EAN). The goal of this class is to educate scuba divers about the proper procedures, advantages and dangers in using nitrox mixes ranging from 22-40% oxygen content.
The Nitrox course covers the basics and is a required prerequisite for the Advanced Nitrox course. The Advanced Nitrox course covers breathing enriched air nitrox 21 up to 100% oxygen mixes for diving depths of 130fsw/40msw for dives that do not require staged decompression. The advanced course also teaches her or him about advantages and drawbacks of using these techniques during these deeper dives.
* Decompression For Deeper Dives While decompression is a familiar term to all scuba divers the Decompression Procedures course offers more advanced and in-depth information than you receive in other classes. The theory, methodology, and techniques of planned stage decompression diving are all covered in detail in this course. The goal of this class is to help the diver plan and perform a standard staged decompression dive without diving to depths over 150fsw/45msw unless it is being taught along with Advanced Nitrox, Advanced Wreck Courses, or Extended Range. Mostly, this course teaches which equipment required, the best techniques of decompression in addition to mixtures of decompression like oxygen and nitrox.
* Extended Range For Going Further Divers wishing to gain knowledge for dives requiring staged decompression by breathing nitrox mixtures in addition to oxygen during decompression should sign up for the Extended Range course. This will teach the methods needed to efficiently use air to depths of 180fsw/55msw. Other dives needing staged decompression with helium, nitrox and/or oxygen mixtures down to 200fsw/60msw are covered in an Entry Level Trimix class. Finally the Advanced Level Trimix diving class goes further for dives down to 300fsw/100msw.
Taking a technical scuba diving course can greatly enhance your understanding, ability and confidence on deep sea dives. While experience is the best teacher, diving is a sport that requires a lot of knowledge before you can safely acquire the information to gain the experience.