How much do we know about our dive gear?

We all use our dive gear on a regular basis, but how much do we really know about each piece? I attended a SCUBAPRO Product Knowledge Seminar hosted by Joe, who is the Northwest Regional Representative, and an Intro to Tech Workshop hosted by René, who is the SCUBAPRO Technical Training Manager. The seminars were both incredibly interesting and valuable. They were animated, informational, and efficient, and Joe and René kept our attention using the occasional interjection of humor. I really enjoyed that both of these very knowledgeable professionals made staying in my chair rather challenging during parts of the seminar because I was laughing so hard.

The Product Knowledge Seminar gave SCUBAPRO dealers and their employees an opportunity to learn more about SCUBAPRO products and policies, as well as obtain resources for their dive facilities. We got to see the new SCUBAPRO MK25/S600 with the deep blue PVD finish, which is a gorgeous, balanced regulator with guaranteed high scratch and corrosion resistance, as well as other new products such as SCUBAPRO’s Evertec LT drysuit and Litehawk BC. Joe passed these items around the room so we could all take a closer look. Everyone chuckled when Joe warned us that everything, even the mask, fins and wetsuits, were all “non-working display models.” It was very exciting and interesting to see and learn more about the new gear released in 2014 and to get a preview of some new equipment for the upcoming year of 2015.

The Intro to Tech workshop gave anyone in the dive industry who is interested in dive technology the opportunity to disassemble the components of a regulator system and an Air II and then reassemble them. We were also educated about the technical features and care for dive equipment such as the assorted valves and connectors present on the BC. It was an excellent chance to better understand how the gear operates and see if you might want to pursue a job as a technician in a dive shop. For every technical piece of information René gave us, he also added in a story to illustrate his point. The most memorable anecdote was one to demonstrate that every piece of equipment is tested rigorously to be sure it will not malfunction, even under the most bizarre conditions. René recounted his visit to a SCUBAPRO factory in Italy; he was walking through and came across a man testing a first stage on a motorized apparatus. The machinery was secured to the hoses, spreading them apart and lifting the tank attached to the them into the air. When René came into the room the tank was pulled up to a height above his head. Taken aback by this abusive test of the gear, he asked why it was being tested in this way. The man replied in a thick Italian accent (René does great impressions), "we must think of all of the stupidities of the diver" and he was testing it because this is how divers drag their tanks from the ocean onto the boat. René told us to this day he has never seen anyone drag a tank by the hose onto a boat. Regardless, it is nice to know our gear is tested against stupidities. 

I highly recommend the SCUBAPRO Product Knowledge Seminar and Intro to Tech Workshop not only because it is fun and interesting, but because Joe and René are fantastic instructors and very entertaining

The Show

From one point of view, the Open Ocean exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium might look like a tank full of fish, but from another viewpoint it looks like this:

It was noticeable, just from the behavior of the fish, something was about to happen. I felt like I was standing at the top of the lawn at Shoreline Amphitheatre, watching the crowd as they waited for a show to begin. The Mahi Mahi turned a brilliant sunset gold, like the pretty high school girls who look good even when they aren’t dressed up but, who layer on the sparkly make-up and don their highest heels for a special occasion. They zoomed along, cutting the surface of the water just as the high school girls would cut through the pit to the front of the crowd, because no one minds a pretty young girl bumpin’ up against them. The two Hammerhead Sharks were swimming ovals around the back of the tank just as the hot high school guys would walk along the back of the pit, wanting to follow the girls, but knowing it wouldn’t be as easy for them to make it through the crowd.

The rays were lying on the bottom of the tank just like the slightly older girls at the concert who have less to prove than the high schoolers and would rather lay out a blanket on the lawn than be jarred around and have beer spilled on them in the pit. Similarly, the White Tipped Shark was swimming close to the bottom of the tank like the slightly older guys who have been to many shows before and know it isn’t worth it to push your way to the front, because you get a better view if you stay up near the seats anyway.

The bait ball reminded me of the kids up on the lawn who do not really understand what is going on but who feel the growing excitement and can’t help but run around and around and around . . . The Mola Mola was all over the tank, disappearing and then reappearing on the opposite side, kind of like the bizarre hippy lady who wanders around the amphitheater and seems completely harmless, but who you prefer to stay away from regardless. The Tuna were the security guards, big and in charge and not afraid to jump into the fray.  

I Never Would Have Imagined

When I was young my family had an annual pass to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and I would attribute some of my interest in scuba diving to my interactions with the marine life there. My favorite thing to do was to lie on the floor of the Open Sea Exhibit (despite my parents’ protests that it was dirty) and look up as the giant tuna swam by. As a child I never would have imagined having the chance to stand on top of that tank, watching the marine life swim below me instead of above me.  

My friend, Emily, is an assistant aquarist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and she took Sky and I on a behind-the-scenes tour last weekend. Our visit began with watching Emily do the broadcast feed for the Open Sea Exhibit. It was beyond cool, to walk in through one of the many locked doors I had definitely tried to open a child and climb the stairs to the top of the tank. The Mahi Mahi were zooming around the surface of the water, the Hammerhead sharks were doing ovals around the back of the tank, the tuna were at a mid depth, swimming amid the fray of the bait ball, and the rays and the white tipped shark were hanging out near the bottom. Occasionally the Mola Mola would appear underneath Sky and I for a swim by. Emily explained this exhibit has a feeding two times per day in which different fish are targeted. There are both slow swimmers and fast swimmers in the tank, and they need to be sure everyone has a chance to eat.       

After the feeding was over, Emily and her fellow aquarists went into turtle mode. The green sea turtles are moved out of the exhibit and into a holding area during feedings because they are pushy and tend to get in the way. They are trained to a mark, which is a yellow and white or red and black buoy, depending on the turtle. Hypothetically, the turtles know to follow their mark, which is how they are led to and from the exhibit. I say hypothetically because turtles do not always follow directions.

After the turtles were successfully relocated and happily munching on lettuce we went down into the drifters lab. Emily covers the Drift Gallery on weekends and is in charge of the gallery when the senior aquarist is gone. In the lab she does jelly culture work as well as algae, nauplii, and rotifer culturing. The lab is a set of rooms with jellies in all stages of life floating in tanks with rounded edges. It also has pipes of bubbling orange and green stuff, which we learned later, is algae. Emily told us jellies do better in tanks with rounded edges because it allows them to stay suspended rather than getting stuck in a corner. The algae are grown because the aquarium makes a point to grow every food source for the marine animals. The idea is you grow nourishing algae, which is then fed to the brine shrimp, which is then fed to the jellies. This helps ensure the health of the animals on exhibit and also makes the aquarium sustainable.

I have always found jellyfish extremely beautiful but never thought of them as the type of animal you would interact with, but Emily treated them like you would a cat. She moved them around with her hands and petted them, despite some of the species stinging her. She said she had been working with them for so long it didn’t bother her anymore, especially on her hands where the skin is tougher. Occasionally though, she said she leaves work with stingers still on her hands, and on the drive home she will touch her face or her eyes and that hurts!

In addition to the responsibilities I mentioned above, Emily is also on the Mola Mola, Turtle, Jellies Experience, and Tentacles teams. I am extremely grateful to her for taking time from her busy schedule to show us around. It was an amazing experience, especially as a diver! If you happen to be one of the lucky ones invited to the aquarium by Emily, I definitely recommend you seize the opportunity!  

Photo by Skylar Merritt 

Shark Angels

The scattered light and weird silhouettes created by the stacked pilings that once supported Mala Pier made it difficult to distinguish what was real and what was a trick of the light. I strained my eyes trying to see the animal my divemaster had indicated was hiding there. As I inched along the sandy bottom, the outline of the magnificent being began to appear. I could see her oblong body, pointed dorsal fin, rounded snout, and, finally, her pinprick black eyes looking right at me. Any fears I may have had on land were forgotten as I gazed at this beauty. I just got close enough to have a good view and in an instant she was gone, swimming further into the shadows. Most of my encounters with sharks have been like this. There and then gone.  

Much of the world fears sharks, but as divers we seek them out because they are truly beautiful animals. Tragically, 10,000 sharks are killed every hour for tacky souvenirs, fillers in foods, and makeup products. This is a travesty, not only because these creatures are amazing to behold, but because their existence guarantees ours. Sharks are apex predators who regulate our ecosystems and keep our oceans thriving. Our oceans are a huge source of food and they produce more oxygen than all of the forests in the world combined. Whether you love sharks or find them terrifying, this is not a light matter. We need sharks.

Shark Angels is an advocacy group focused on grassroots campaigns and educating the public to encourage individuals to make a difference and get others to join them. In addition to being the founder and executive director of Shark Angels, Julie Andersen is a SCUBAPRO Ambassador and Marketing Representative, and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the SCUBAPRO Platinum Meeting in March. There was no missing her passion for these animals. At the meeting, there was an extremely interesting presentation about new research surrounding shark repellents. The moment Julie heard “shark” she was beaming and she moved to the absolute edge of her chair to be that much closer to the conversation surrounding the creatures she loves so much. Shark Angels reflects that love and passion in its mission and dedication to affecting change.

Shark Angels provides us with a multitude of ways to reduce the number of sharks that are killed for our consumption, starting with becoming a Shark Angel and taking the pledge to not support businesses that sell shark products, increasing your shark IQ and teaching others the value of sharks, standing up for sharks and reporting any mistreatment, and, if possible, go meet a shark! Another way to save sharks is to “know what you are buying” and “be smart when you are eating seafood.” Shark is sometimes disguised with names like rock salmon or whitefish and “½ of the 73,000,000 sharks caught yearly are caught as by-catch,” meaning they are caught in commercial fishermen’s nets intended for other fish. Many people do not know but Squalene, or shark liver oil, is used in cosmetics; you can make a difference by “keeping sharks out of your cosmetics.” An individual person can affect change and it is important that you do.

Sharks are killed regularly for their fins; “a single Whale Shark pectoral fin can sell for up to $100,000 USD.”  Imagine being ripped out of your home and dragged across the deck of a boat, then having your appendages removed with a blazing-hot sharp blade and then being tossed into the ocean to die a slow painful death. This is unacceptable, and I urge you to take some time on the Shark Angel’s website learning what you can do to save these incredible animals.  

A Wetsuit Worth Sharing

It needs to fit, it needs to be comfortable, it needs to be durable, and, especially in Monterey, it needs to keep you warm. I think most of us would prefer to dive without a constricting layer of neoprene but, because that would most likely end similarly to the climax of the movie Titanic, we must find the most comfortable wetsuit to fit our needs. We want a fit that is like a second skin and that allows as much mobility as possible. But we also need durability, because this suit will be stewed in salt water (and other liquids, depending on your fluid intake and preferred method of warming up your wetsuit), raked with sand, and dashed by rocks and it must hold up to protect you. My wetsuit is one of my most cherished pieces of equipment because, without it, I am merely counting the minutes until I get out.

A couple of months ago I was in Pro Scuba chatting with Dave and Cheryl; a fellow diver walked in and we were introduced. We started talking about our love for diving and the topic of wetsuits came up. He had recently purchased a new suit. He was so stoked about it, he ran out to his car to grab it so he could show me. His new purchase was a SCUBAPRO Everflex Hooded Front Zip. His biggest praise was how comfortable the suit was. He loved the convenience of having the hood attached because he hated how the bib of his separate hood would bunch up in his previous wetsuit.

After seeing his enthusiasm for the suit, I read about it on the SCUBAPRO website and found several more qualities that really made it stand out. It fits our need for durability with abrasion resistant neoprene and abrasion resistant fabric on your booty (or, as is politely put on the website, “seat”) and shoulders. I also love that it is made out of SCUBAPRO’s X-foam. It “is the only formula which complies with very strict P.A.H. [Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons] test requirements.” PHAs are an environmental nightmare because they are difficult to burn and so they stay in the environment for long periods of time. They also have the potential to be harmful over continued exposure. The wetsuit is built the sane way, with the zipper in front and reachable; no more having to break out in sandy wetsuit yoga to get in and out.  

I do not have this wetsuit, but I felt it was worth sharing because a fellow diver was so excited about it and it covers our basic needs in a wetsuit. It is built to fit and be comfortable, durable and warm.  

Observations Confirmed

Over the weekend I was in San Diego visiting family. Unfortunately, I was unable to get in the water to dive, but I did go for a swim with my dad at La Jolla Cove. When we arrived we debated whether or not to get in because the conditions were not ideal. The waves were big and they were breaking just off shore. The beach at La Jolla Cove is relatively small and it is bordered by rock outcroppings. The shoreline is littered with rocks; even on a calm day you would have to be careful to not bang up against one. In our case, with the waves, there was the worry of getting caught up in a break and being pushed toward, hopefully not into, the outcroppings on either side of the beach. The water was a brisk 57 degrees and, without wetsuits, we were going to really feel the cold. We decided to go for it. Getting out past the waves was a bit of a challenge and the visibility was very limited (I get the heebeejeebees when I can’t see my hand in front of me when I’m swimming), but we made it and the chilly water was refreshing.

As I was toweling off, I noticed four divers heading down the stairs to the beach, which made me nervous. Each diver was overloaded with gear, everything from multiple camera set-ups to lift bags to dive slates. They had so much stuff that they could not attach it all to their bodies, and they were having to carry some of the gear in hand. La Jolla Cove is a location that I would guess is probably fairly calm most days because of the topography, but it was not at this time. These people used a significant amount of energy getting down the steep stairs to the ocean and were about to enter a rocky shore with a large break. Most of them did not have a hand to steady themselves if they got off balance. It did not look like a safe situation to me. I knew from being in already it was a struggle to get out, even with the maneuverability of not having any gear on. Plus, the visibility was limited and so they would not be seeing much even if they did make it past the waves with no incident. As I was standing there debating whether to point out my observations to them, a lifeguard came running up. I am assuming he explained to the group it was not a wise decision to get in because, after they finished speaking, the four hauled their gear back up the stairs and did not attempt the dive.

It was a relief they did not dive and also nice to have my observations confirmed by the lifeguard. I was glad the divers came down to the beach though, because it gave me an opportunity to answer questions about scuba diving for my thirteen year-old cousin. I explained how a buoyancy compensator operates and how it works with the regulator, octo and tank. I talked about the importance of having good buoyancy control and the risks associated with diving if you do not. I hope maybe I piqued enough interest for him to consider diving when he gets older. Maybe in the future, if he gets certified, I can take him diving at La Jolla Cove on a good day.

Photo by Kyle Pearce

http://www.dreamlajolla.com/la-jolla-cove-pictures.html

The Dragon of the Abyss

I looked up just in time to see a big brilliantly-green tail disappear under a rock. Curious as to what this creature could be, I moved closer. I could see a gaping mouth peaking out the opposite side of the overhang. It was the biggest moray eel I have ever seen. With a body longer than my own and a width to match, it was a very imposing creature. I kept my distance and had a fixed eye on that open mouth.

My family has a running joke about me and eels because when I was about eight I had an encounter with one that, for some reason, they find quite amusing. We were in Maui snorkeling over black lava at Ahihi Keanau Reserve. It was a shallow site with a lava rock sea floor, so we were only maybe a few feet off the bottom as we were snorkeling. This was great because it allowed a close view of all the critters living in the crevices of the rocks. I considered myself an old snorkeling pro at this age and had no interest in staying near my parents. I swam off ahead to do my own exploring. I was busy playing with fish when I came across the most terrifying thing I had ever seen; all I saw was the giant mouth and the sharp pointed teeth and I was gone. My mom and my younger brother, who had almost caught up to me, heard a muffled shriek from my snorkel and looked up to see nothing but the contrail of bubbles I had left as I bolted as far away from that thing as I could. Looking back in the water to try to find what scared me they saw a good-sized white eel with black polka dots swimming away. I did not hear the end of the teasing for that one for quite awhile, especially from my brother who apparently did not find it scary at all (I attribute this to him snorkeling by my mom). For a good chunk of my life every time we came across an eel I was made fun of for propelling from that eel. Just to be clear, I am no longer afraid of eels. 

I encountered the giant green eel while diving in Key Largo, Florida and did not flee, but kept a respectful distance. After a few minutes of peering out from under the rock the big green eel emerged, revealing its prehistoric-looking glittery green body. As it undulated as it swam, I felt as though I was as close to a dragon as I ever would get the chance to be. This eel could have been a majestic dragon flying through the air. It was an amazing creature and I was thrilled to have encountered it.

Look at SCUBAPRO

       I walked in the glass doors of the Hilton Resort, Key Largo on Monday evening with a great respect and appreciation for SCUBAPRO products. I walked out of those doors Thursday morning with an impressive look at how this company creates such stunning gear. SCUBAPRO is a brilliant, dynamic, and extremely dedicated team of interesting and friendly people. Every member is committed to maintaining SCUBAPRO’s excellence. I had the pleasure of being able to speak with most of them, and I found them all to be eager to meet with everyone attending the meeting. It was obvious the partnership between the SCUBAPRO team the SCUBAPRO dealers is an important facet of the SCUBAPRO jewel. A significant amount of time during the two-day conference was spent in a discussion format between SCUBAPRO platinum dealers, sales representatives, global diving product director, Brad Lally, SCUBAPRO Ambassador and Marketing representative, Julie Andersen, Group Vice President, Joe Stella, and National Sales Manager, Harry Ward. Dealers were welcome and encouraged to share their opinions of and needs from SCUBAPRO gear, based on interactions with customers. This exercise was not just a courtesy. The dealers’ input was taken seriously. Every issue was noted and discussed in order to find a solution. Members of the SCUBAPRO team were able to point to changes in SCUBAPRO gear that were made based on last year’s input from the dealers.         Dedication to the customers’ wants and needs in combination with the efforts of an expert and creative production team results in amazing dive gear. As a customer of SCUBAPRO you should look forward to some incredible new gear. We were shown an interesting display of the confidential pictures and prototypes of over 20 new items that will be introduced in 2015. A BC like no other is in the prototype phase of production. It is the most portable and comfortable BC I have ever seen. SCUBAPRO is also looking at a new inflate/deflate system that will make buoyancy a non-issue. A computer is in release with all the well-loved features from the Galileo, along with some new innovations. SCUBAPRO is starting to do more with apnea equipment that is aimed at professional apnea divers as well as recreational freedivers.
       Updates on the release of this new gear can now be found easily because Julie Anderson, an integral member of SCUBAPRO’s marketing team (and also the gorgeous model who can be seen in SCUBAPRO catalogs), is increasing SCUBAPRO’s presence online. The SCUBAPRO website has recently been overhauled to include more information and programs for SCUBAPRO customers. SCUBAPRO is also very active on Facebook and is starting to post some beautiful photography on Instagram. The dedication and innovation of SCUBAPRO means we can always look forward to something fresh and new.

SCUBAPRO Platinum Event

In the summer between sixth and seventh grade my family went on a Windjammer Barefoot Cruise to the Bahamas. It was a “barefoot cruise” because the ship was a sail boat with wooden decks and all passengers had to remove their shoes before coming on board to avoid slipping and falling. The ship was significantly smaller than the monstrous cruise ships that hold tens of thousands of people, which meant it could lay anchor at smaller islands. It was on this trip that I was able to sit in the warm shallows of a small cay and have giant stingrays swim over my lap, acting like friendly black labs. At the end of the week, as we were leaving the boat, one of the women we met on the trip was saying how ecstatic she was to be going home to sleep in her own bed. She lived a few miles up the coast and had only been gone from home a week. My family was in the middle of a month-long trip and had no great desire to ever go home. Whether it’s out of the country, out of the state, or just up the road, I never pass up an opportunity to travel somewhere new and exciting. I am lucky to have been to eight countries and eighteen states, but nothing gets me more fired up than thinking about all the places I still have to explore.  

Monday evening marks the beginning of the SCUBAPRO annual Platinum Event, being held in Key Largo, Florida. Pro Scuba was one of only fifty facilities invited to attend this event out of over 2000 scuba shops in the United States. Even more incredible, there was an extra spot and I was invited to this amazing opportunity. The Florida Keys is one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world, with stunning reefs and wreck diving locations. It is a relatively unusual trip for a dive shop in the Western United States, so not many divers from here have had the chance to dive the Keys. For facilities in the Eastern United States, it is as standard as Monterey is for Pro Scuba. A dive shop in Wisconsin might make the trip to the Florida Keys 30 weeks of every year. 

In addition to being able to dive in Key Largo, this trip is an amazing opportunity because I will meet and interact with professionals who have proven themselves successful in the scuba diving industry. I will be diving with accomplished business people and outdoor recreation experts who have years of diving experience. SCUBAPRO will be holding daily meetings and discussions, which is an opportunity to get a better understanding of the company. As a senior graduating from college in May, hoping to eventually be successful in the scuba diving industry, these divers have a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Being that my time at school is almost done, this could be last trip I have to come home from.

The GoPro Tragedy

The summer was in full swing and he was leaving in less than a week for the much- anticipated Cozumel adventure. Everything was set. The trip was paid for; the plane tickets were purchased. The packing list was together and everything on it had been assembled. The ride to the airport had been arranged, and now all that needed to be done was to wrestle the dive gear into a suitcase and throw some clothes in a carry-on. It was a beautiful sunny day and so he decided to get in some 55 degree ocean time for a good comparison to the 80 degree water he would soon be swimming in. He headed down to the ocean with his fiancée, she, paddling around on a surfboard, and he doing some free diving with his GoPro mounted on his head.

GoPros have been sweeping the nation since first sold in 2004. These cameras have been increasingly popular in the last couple of years due to their versatility, durability, and affordability. GoPros have become synonymous with adventure sports. Jake, the friend I mentioned earlier, has been Sky’s best friend and partner in crime since middle school. Between the two of them they always seem to have at least three GoPros and more ways to mount them than an octopus has arms. They have mounted GoPros on surfboards, skateboards, jet skis, cars, and their own bodies. Most recently they attached one to a quadcopter. Both their imaginations seem bound only by what they can do with these powerful little cameras, and that is why this story is aptly titled, “The GoPro Tragedy.”  

The water was cold but refreshing, the visibility murky and encasing, but it was just enough to dive down and scope out Santa Cruz’s sprawling kelp beds. Jake came up with a big exhale, having wriggled up through the giant kelp fronds and, slightly disoriented, turned to check in with his fiancée, Kelly. She had a quizzical expression on her face. He returned her gaze with his own questioning look. “Where’s the GoPro?” Kelly asked. The remaining color in his face, the ocean hadn’t stolen, was flushed away. He reached an arm up to his head and found the camera was missing. He spent the rest of the afternoon scouring the bottom of the ocean until the approaching marine layer occluded the last few moments of summer sun. The darker the water got, the more apparent it became that the camera was now the property of Davy Jones locker. Now, days before his very first dive trip, he was GoPro-less.

But as all tragedies end, it became the perfect justification to get the newest model of GoPro, with its IMAX-quality picture and mystical slo-mo. Jake, Sky, and I all left for Cozumel a few days later, Sky and Jake with their GoPros close at hand (or chest, head or stick). They both documented an incredible trip with amazing video and photos. And everyone learned a profound lesson, which one often hears repeated in the dive shop: “If you're going to wear your GoPro on your head, strap it on UNDER A HOOD!"

Safety is the Choices We Make

Imagine you are 50 feet underwater, floating on your back, staring up at the surface. Is this something out of a dream, or a nightmare? The idea of being completely submerged is both thrilling and terrifying. It is amazing to envision being that far underwater and breathing with ease. It is frightening to think about the possibility of something going wrong and not knowing what to do if it did. The brave choose to face that fear by learning to avoid the risks and gaining an arsenal of solutions to possible issues that may arise.

I am lucky to have been introduced to an instructor, divemaster, and diving community who value safe diving practices. My instructor, Dave Babineau, and divemaster, Cheryl Babineau, who are both retired police officers, chose a dive certification program, NAUI, over other diver certifications because NAUI emphasizes rescue skills and allows divers more pool time to practice scuba diving skills. NAUI says that they have a “moral and ethical obligation” to teach fundamental rescue skills in their basic classes. These skills are invaluable. Through practice, divers get the chance to prepare for emergency situations. In both my Basic and Advanced dive certification classes and in Scuba Squad club meetings Dave and Cheryl emphasize the importance of listening to your gut and calling a dive if you ever feel uneasy about it. They have been known to say, “We don’t sell scuba certifications; we sell safety.” Scuba Squad, which was created by Cheryl Babineau, has two rules, and the first is to dive safe.

In my experience, safety in scuba diving comes down to the choices you make. As scuba divers we want nothing more than to be in the water, and it is extremely disappointing and therefore difficult to make the choice to call a dive. A few months ago a story was published about a man who went on a dive on Christmas Day in an unfamiliar and known-to-be-dangerous cave, despite lacking the necessary training to dive in overhead environments. He was diving with new gear and he tragically brought along his young son, who was not certified. They both went missing and were found a few days later deep in the caves. This is a horribly sad example of poor choices resulting in death. A lot of dive accidents occur because the diver, who was probably extremely excited and eager to dive, did not take a step back and ask if he or she was making safe decisions. Luckily, most divers do practice safe habits and they avoid devastating accidents. Scuba divers look out for each other and can sometimes give the necessary outside perspective when someone is about to make a poor choice. In the most recent Alert Diver magazine there is an article written by Ingrid Carlson about an experience she had trying to convince a diver to make the safe choice to cancel a dive. The diver was planning to dive alone; he was over-heated, out of practice, and using gear, including a rebreather, he had not used in five years. This man was resistant to Ingrid’s warnings, but after the confrontation he did end up canceling the dive. He found out later that his gear needed some maintenance and if he had dove he could have experienced serious and possibly life-threatening problems. Ingrid’s story is an excellent example of a good choice made and, possibly, a life saved.  

Carlson, I. (2014). Alert Diver | Easy Save. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://www.alertdiver.com/Easy-Save

Fieldstadt, E., & News, N. B. C. (2013, December 26). Father, son drown while attempting challenging cave dive in Florida. NBC News. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/26/22062394-father-son-drown-while-attempting-challenging-cave-dive-in-florida

900 Gallons of Sewage

On February 9th I got a news alert telling me that a devastating 900 gallons of sewage had been dumped into the Monterey Bay. This spill was reported to be the result of two human errors (Schmalz, 2014). The first error occurred when a plumber cut a sewage line while doing maintenance on a house, which is common protocol for diverting pressure from a residence. The problem was the sewage drained all the way out to the road and into a storm drain (Schmalz, 2014). The second error was the machinery used to divert the storm drain away from the ocean, in the event that toxic materials end up in the drain, was not functioning (Schmalz, 2014). This series of errors could have been avoided if more of a priority had been put on controlling the movement of the waste after it entered the drain. It is relieving to know that the city has a protocol to avoid toxic waste ending up in the ocean, but it does not do any good if the city does not regularly maintain and test it.

The section of the coast off of Pacific Grove was designated an Area of Biological Significance in the 1970’s, which means it is “biologically unique and has sensitive marine ecosystems” and, due to this, there is supposed to be zero pollution ("Pacific Grove Area of Biological Significance," 2009). Despite its coast being protected, the city of Pacific Grove has a history of ocean pollution, and in December of 2009 the State Water Board found storm runoff was putting polycyclic hydrocarbons, copper, lead, and zinc in the ocean ("Pacific Grove Area of Biological Significance," 2009). Techniques and tools were proposed to reduce polluted runoff from entering the ocean. It is disappointing to hear that these techniques and tools did not prevent the sewage spill last week.

           This most recent sewage spill is of particular concern to bay-area divers because it caused one of the most beautiful dive locations, Lovers Point, to be closed (Schmalz, 2014). Lovers Point is known for its ease of entry, impressive visibility, and beautiful reefs and pinnacles (Crisp, 2009). I have been diving at this location and it has a wealth of life on the reefs, including sea lemons, black eye goby, lion nudibranch, and blue rockfish. That amount of sewage could have a damaging effect on these creatures and the other marine life of that location. It pains me to imagine 900 gallons of sewage in this beautiful spot. When raw sewage enters the ocean it often serves as food for bacteria and algae, which can cause these organisms to multiply exponentially. The increase in bacteria and algae causes the concentration of oxygen in the water to decrease, which can cause fish and other marine animals to suffocate (Davie, 2008).

           There has been no attempt to clean the sewage out of the ocean. The city plans to do a water quality test after the first major rain but, being that California is in a drought, that could be a long way off (Schmalz, 2014). Lovers Point will be closed until this test can be carried out. It was reported that the test may have been done last week and that Lovers Point will be re-opened, but at this time no further reports have been published. Because the city and the ocean butt up against each other it is inevitable that every once in a while these errors will occur, but I believe strongly that we have a responsibility to protect the ocean from our garbage and waste. The ocean is a source of beauty and inspiration for many people and it is appalling when we fail to protect it. 

Photo by Skylar Merritt

Crisp, M. (2009). Monterey Dive Sites: Lover’s Point. Monterey Scuba Board. Retrieved February

14, 2014, Retrieved from http://www.montereyscubaboard.com/monterey-dive-sites/lovers-point/

Davie, T. (2008). Fundamentals of hydrology. London; New York: Routledge.

State Water Resources Control Board. (2009, December 31). Pacific Grove Area of Special Biological Significance. Coast Keeper. Retrieved from http://www.cacoastkeeper.org/document/factsheet_asbs19.pdf

Schmalz, D. (2014, February 10). Error after sewage spill leads to closure of Lover’s Point Beach. Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/blogs/news_blog/article_6cfe7628-92a6-11e3-9255-001a4bcf6878.html

The Princess

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with octopuses. I remember as a child pressing my face against the aquarium glass of the Giant Pacific Octopus exhibit. I wondered what this animal, that was as big as I was and that looked so strange, could be thinking; was he bored in such a confined space? I remember thinking, with my face smashed against the glass, I probably looked as weird to him as he looked to me. I thought it was so cool that these animals recognized different people they interacted with, and it seemed fun to me, as a child, that these creatures would play with toys. My interest continued as I got older. My boyfriend and dive buddy of two years, Sky, caught my attention during one of our first conversations when he explained his interest in octopuses. He talked about how octopus eyes are “built the right way,” they do not have a blind spot like humans, and with that he had me hooked.

Summer of 2013, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Cozumel, a small Mexican island off the Yucatan Peninsula, for an 8-day diving adventure with Scuba Squad, my local dive club. Growing up my mom told me a story about doing a drift dive off Cozumel and having a little octopus climb up her arm as she went by, scramble over her tank, down her leg, and off the back of her fin.  An interaction like that sounded so fun to me; I hoped at some point I would have a dive like that. While in Cozumel, I did two night dives, and both were absolutely incredible. The first night dive was off of a boat. This was my first experience diving with octopuses and it was amazing. Each one had a different color and pattern, and they all seemed to have different personalities. Some would stay in my flashlight beam, as if showing off their colors as they changed to match the surroundings, and some would flee, moving smoothly and stealthily away from any more disturbances. I came up from that dive thrilled that I got to see my favorite creatures in the wild. 

The second dive was the last before we were heading home and it ended up being one of the best. It was on this dive that I saw squid and cuttlefish and became engulfed in a huge school of tiny blue fish. Toward the end of the dive, Sky and I came across a beautiful little white octopus. Sky had his light on her as he floated a ways above her and I moved off to the side and settled down onto the sand in the hopes that she would not be scared and would hang out for awhile. As I watched her she started moving toward me rather than away, which was a pleasant surprise. As she got closer I wondered if I should move, as I seemed to be in the way of where she was headed, but I thought that might scare her so I stayed. The closer she got the more excited I became. She was two feet from me, sitting there watching, her w-shaped eyes filled with curiosity. Remembering my mom’s story—I slowly put out my hand so that it was a foot or so from her. As I held it there, she reached out a lone tentacle and rested it on my hand, like a princess about to be escorted. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. She held it there for a few seconds and then moved off on around me, on her way to wherever she was headed. I have a hard time expressing what that experience has meant to me, but what I can say is I was honored and delighted that this sentient creature took the time to palpably say hello.

“Ooooo, I want that!”

Walking through the dive shop or skimming through a newly-printed dive magazine always summons up the same thoughts in my mind. Those thoughts are some variation of, “Whoa, coooOOooool!” and “Ooooo, I want that!” Being a college student, the majority of those thoughts end in, “Ugh, I can’t wait until I have a real salary...” but, it also means I always have something to look forward to. One of those “Oooo, I want that” products caught my attention recently. It caught my eye because it brilliantly fixes an infuriating problem that I always have diving. Imagine this, you get out of the water from a stellar dive; you had an easy descent and ascent, you and your buddy were on the same wave length, your buoyancy was dialed, you saw schools of fish, multicolored nudibranch and huge anemone, you played with some harbor seals, and you even got a high five from an octopus!

Walking out of the water you feel like you are on top of the world. You get back to the car and pull off your gear, feeling more liberated with each piece that comes off. The shivers are warded off by the sunshine and a warm towel, and you spend your surface interval eating orange slices and chitchatting with fellow divers. Then, it’s time to start gearing up for the next dive. With all of your might you wrestle your cold wetsuit on over your pleasantly sun-warmed skin, you stick your feet into the puddles that have formed in your booties, you heave your BC onto your back and clip in your weights, and you put your mask on over your head so it is prepped and ready, sitting around your neck for when you need to put it on. Now, here comes the problem I mentioned earlier: gloves. You are weighed down and hot, and you want nothing more than to get down to the water, but those wet gloves block your way. You attempt to put one on but, being that it’s wet, the glove gets stuck on the widest part of your hand, from the joint of your thumb to the joint of your pinky. You pull as hard as you can but the glove just stretches and doesn’t budge. Your face is beginning to burn from the heat building up in your wetsuit, your other hand is cramping from the effort of pulling on the glove, your hand in the glove is painfully being squished, and you are pondering: how bad it could possibly be to just not wear gloves in the 50 degree water? Now, one of two things happens; you either burst into tears, defeated by this small piece of neoprene, or you get really mad, force your hand in as far as it will go, tearing a hole in the cuff of the glove, and, still having zero use of your fingers, you go stomping off, down the beach, leaving your poor buddy running after you, wondering what he possibly could have done to make you so furious.

If this scenario sounds even slightly familiar to you, you will understand why I was so thrilled to find these: EASY- DON gloves. These gloves slide on over your hand, seal with an elastic cuff, and keep your hands dry. No more battles with the wet and stretchy gloves that put you through hell in order to get them on. Can you hear the angels singing? I can! As you can probably tell from the detailed description, I have had many a battle with the gloves, and I cannot wait to get my hands on (or in?) these gloves.   

My Attraction to Scuba Diving

          We tolerate a certain amount of frenetic noise to the point that sometimes we do not even know it is there. As a student living in Los Angeles, for me, noise is constant. There is something about the commotion of the world that disappears when I go underwater. When my head dips below the surface, the emergency sirens, helicopters, airplanes, dogs barking, traffic signals, and endless talk disappear. All I can hear is the sound of my breath and the swish of the ocean. Yes, depending on where you are, there is the occasional hum of a boat motor, but a multitude of machine-related sounds do not exist under the water. There are beauties to be seen both below and above the water, but I find a different sort of awe in the simplicity of the sounds underwater that enhance the beauty of what can be seen. This is part of what drew me to diving three years ago and what has kept me hooked since.
          My name is Teagan. I grew up swimming off the beaches of the Bahamas, in the tropical waters of Maui and in the chilly but refreshing Monterey Bay, interacting with different sorts of marine life. As I traveled with my family, snorkeling was great and I got to have amazing experiences floating along the surface of the ocean, but I always wanted to go deeper. After hearing my mom's stories of scuba diving the outer wall of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and playing with an octopus in Cozumel, Mexico I knew I had to dive.
          I have had my own amazing experiences diving in the few years I have been certified. I have been engulfed by bait balls of thousands of fish, played with harbor seals, and dove through wrecks of old ships. I am hoping, after I graduate, to make diving a part of my career so I can continue to add to that list of experiences. My goal with this blog is to explore scuba diving and dive culture. There is so much to investigate when it comes to scuba diving- everything from choices in scuba diving gear to travel locations to the merits of different schools of diving to the impact of divers on the environment. I am hoping to learn more about every aspect, not only for myself, but for anyone who may be interested. I hope that some of the topics that I will write about will be familiar or informative to those who love diving as I do, and I would also hope that I could introduce one or many people who may be interested in the ocean, or marine life, or travel, or water sports to an underwater world they may enjoy as much as I do. Join me, for Tea Under the Sea.