Volume 3, Issue 1 February 2009 Annual Service—What is it? From birth divers are taught that they should get their scuba gear serviced annually. Unless you have taken the Equipment Specialty you may not have any idea of what annual service really is. First, of course, we give your equipment a work order so that we can keep track of it and what had been done to it. Then we check our inventory to make sure that we have a service kit for your first stage, both second stages and your low power inflator. As you can see in the photo, we have an enormous inventory of service kits, but occasionally we have to order a kit or part. Next each stage is completely dismantled often using specialty tools which are specific not only to certain brands but to certain models. This requires us to have a significant range of tools on hand. Every piece of each stage is then cleaned using special cleaners and sonic equipment. After rinsing and drying we rebuild each stage using new parts from the manufacturers kits (various o-rings, springs, filters, etc). Now the stages are put on a Flow Bench so that we can accurately adjust the internal pressures to manufacturer’s specifications, the regulator is pressurized underwater to check for leaks and finally computer / depth gauges are tested in a pressure pot for accurate depth reading etc. This all takes four to six hours. We B Tr i p p i n ’ PALAU It is Friday January 2 and we are all at the Continental gate dancing around with excitement. We are on our way to the number one dive location in the world (according to the dive magazines). Not too long after leaving Hawaii we cross the international date line and add a day to our age in an instant. WOW, that was fun. Saturday we arrive in Koror late at night. Sunday we toured around Koror checking out the sights and the people. Of course, there are a lot of Japanese tourists as they are luckier than Continued top page 2 us and live much closer to this paradise. Inside this Issue Palau continued 2 Creature Feature 2 Specialty of the Month 2 Education Honor Roll 3 What’s Happenin’ 3 Word from our Sponsors 4 New Product 4 Training Specials 5 Travel 5 Introducing 6 Page 2 Palau, (continued from page 1) Sunday evening the Aggressor staff picked us up and transported us to the boat. You could feel the electricity in the air…..TOMORROW we will be diving in the waters of Palau! Monday we are all up early getting ready to dive. The sites are WWII wrecks. The Helmut and the Chuyu Maru, Japanese ships sunk during the war 60 years ago. These wrecks were totally encrusted with soft corals and inhabited by scores of marine life. Everywhere you saw evidence of the unplanned sinking, sake bottles, morphine bottles, live ammunition, boots, gas masks. Saying that it was eerie is an under- statement as is saying that it was beautiful. There is no way that I can talk about all the wonderful sites and visions. To highlight a few, German Channel features a manta cleaning station where we saw several large mantas; Saies Tunnel abounded in cleaning stations where we saw groupers of all sizes, sharks, parrots, well everything getting cleaned; Ulong Channel sported huge groupers (easily 100+ pounds) and a bait ball that was probably a 100 feet across whipping around us with sharks feeding in and around the ball; and on the last day, we dove Chandelier Caves. I have to tell you that I am not personally a fan of overhead environments, but this was an amazing experience. The water was crystal clear, stalactites hung from the ceiling, not a bit of natural light, no life of any kind. There were three areas where we could surface and chat during the dive. Now it is Sunday and time to start home again. Our flight out of Koror is at 2:30am on Monday dropping us back at DFW 10am Monday (remember we lost that day coming home). All we could talk about was where we are going next! Creature Feature From Last Edition: Juvenile Three Spot Damselfish The adult Three Spot Damselfish is pictured below on right. It is many times confused with the Dusky Damselfish. To distinguish the Three Spot look for a golden crest above the eye in addition to the three spots. Also, you will notice that the Dusky Damselfish has rounded dorsal and anal fins while the Three Spot is a bit more pointed. Hint: Think outside the Caribbean box. This photo is from the Palau Trip. Sp e c i a l t y o f t h e M o n t h February: Boat Diver March: Drift Diver April: Digital UW Photo Whether you’ve never made a boat dive or you’ve logged dozens, the PADI Boat Diver Specialty course can benefit almost every diver because different boats in different parts of the world do things differently. This course introduces you to the coolest magic carpet ride you’ll ever experience. It shows you how to enjoy rivers and ocean currents by “going with the flow,” staying with your dive partner, communicating with the dive boat and knowing where you are the whole time. This is one of the most popular diving specialties, and the rise of digital uw photography has made it easier & more fun. This course gets you going quickly with today’s modern digital equipment, whether you use a point-&-shoot camera or a D-SLR. Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 1 Education Honor Roll for 2009 Specialties Computer Diver Coral Reef Conservation Scotty Ford, February Dennis Shirley, February Nick Dyer, January Scotty Ford, January Project AWARE Nick Dyer, January Enriched Air Scotty Ford, February Dennis Shirley, February What’s Happenin’ at We B Divin’ Guess what. Dry Suit Rentals are now available at We B Divin’. Wonder what it’s like to dive a dry suit? We are going to have a seminar on Saturday March 7. Please RSVP if you would like to participate. You will get a chance to get in the pool and have an orientation to dry suit diving. Our rentals are the new White’s Fusion dry suit featured on page 4. Remember 007 coming out of the ocean, stripping away his dry suit and walking off in his perfectly dry unwrinkled tuxedo? That could be you! Looking for an opportunity to make more money? February 22 you could become an Emergency First Aid Instructor. It is an eight hour course and gives you the ability to market this product to the public. You might even be able to teach it at your full time job — you know, make yourself more valuable to your current employer. Another option is becoming a scuba instructor. We have an IDC beginning on February 14. This would give you the opportunity to make extra money or to change your life entirely, move to the Caribbean or to a live aboard anywhere in the world and make a living teaching diving. Imagine diving almost every day! Have you taken all the DAN courses and want more? We now have available Dive Medicine for Divers Level I. When you want to know more than just basic first aid techniques, this is your next step. Ultimately, more knowledge and a better understanding of how our bodies react to the pressures and stresses of diving lead to safer divers as we understand our limitations and the limitations of the situation. The course includes a selection of new skills and practical applications. The three modules are basic examinations, fitness to dive and safety planning. Other valuable DAN courses include Oxygen First Aid, Advanced Oxygen First Aid, First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries, Automated External Defibrillators, Basic Life Support, Remote Emergency Medical Oxygen, and OnSite Neurological Assessment. Sign up for those that interest you March 5, 19, April 02, 16. Page 4 A Wo r d f r o m O u r S p o n s o r s Aqualung Dive the Best for Less Promotion Receive an instant rebate of $100 on the purchase of a Legend LX, Legend LX Supreme, Legend, or Legend Supreme among others. tures like Aqua Lung’s auto-closure device (ACD), is actually lighter weight, making it travel friendly. The ease of breathing is rated superior on the ANSTI breathing machine. All this, along with an attractive midrange price, makes the Titan LX a sure value. Receive an instant rebate of $50 on the purchase of a Titan LX, Titan LX Supreme, Titan or Mikron among others. Offer valid through 08/31/09 at participating US and Caribbean dealers only. Updated Product This beautifully redesigned Titan LX, while picking up exciting new fea- New Product White’s Drysuit : Fusion Thermal Layer: Choose your underwear to match the temperature. Dry Core: Internal bladder made with tough, proven military 200 denier BiLam material. Attached dry socks for easy entry and increased comfort. This is the layer that keeps you dry! External Skin: Protective & durable stretch fabric skin for streamlining and abrasion resistance. Removable & replaceable from Dry CORE via Velcro fasteners. High Mobility: No other dry suit in the world can match the mobility of the Fusion providing unrestricted movement in your arms, legs and torso. Streamlined: Outer Stretch Skin provides a streamlined outer surface to the suit with minimal drag. No loose fabric wrinkles or double entry tunnels to provide resistance and slow you down as your swim. Buoyancy Control: Outer Stretch Skin places an even external pressure over the inner surface of the DryCORE making buoyancy control a snap. Providing the exhaust valve is set correctly, the external pressure will assist the diver maintaining the perfect amount of air volume within the suit. Less Weight: Less air in the suit requires 10% less weight in your belt! Warmer: The constant pressure of the outer Stretch Skin regulates the air layer within the DryCORE eliminating hot/cold spots and reducing your body energy output. Divers Alert Network Membership DAN is the only organization I am aware of that is actively pursuing medical dive research. They provide assistance to all divers (regardless of membership status) through 800 phone numbers and will accept collect calls from anywhere in the world. This alone is worth our support with membership fees of $29 per year. The included subscription to Alert Diver is just a bonus. not only medical coverage for a dive accident but extra transportation, extra accommodation, lost diving equipment and much more. Dive Insurance I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to have this coverage. Check the details from our web site by clicking here DAN Dive Insurance This is the best option for Medical Dive Accident Coverage that I have reviewed. There are three plans from $25 to $70 per year covering Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 1 Tr i ps f o r 2 0 0 9 Cozumel May 29-01 July 10-13 Aug 14-17 Diver $832 Non Diver $692 Staying at Hotel Cozumel with an all-inclusive package this time. The trip price also includes round trip airfare, transportation to and from the airport, 2 dives on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Most trips the group opts to add dives so many times we do 3 dives on Friday, 3 or 4 dives on Saturday and the 2 dives on Sunday. St. Lucia St Croix September 12-19 $1665Dvr, $1305NDvr December 5-12 Seven nights in an ocean view room, airport transfers, all taxes and services. Basket of local fruit, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and non-alcoholic beverages provided. Sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, tennis, beach chairs and towels available... AND 12 boat dives, 2 night dives, unlimited nitrox Nekton Live aboard $1665+ air Nitrox available with up to five dives per day. If you have never taken a dive vacation on a live aboard you have not lived! Make this your first one. Tr a i n i n g Sp e c i a l s Learn to Dive Package Master Scuba Diver Pkg WBD Season Pass A whale of a deal, tell your friends. Group Class Tuition, Student Materials, Personal Gear (Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Boots, Bag) chosen from a wide variety of options, and a shorty wet suit. Upgrades are available should you desire. $695 total package. Pick any five specialties from the list of 34 offered by We B Divin’. Let us know what schedule is convenient for you. Before you know it, you will qualify for MSD. Don’t forget you need to be Rescue Certified and have 50 dives. (Books extra.) $425 Take any or all of the 38 PADI/DAN specialties offered at We B Divin’ in a 12 month period. Study materials purchased separately. Get your PADI Master Scuba Diver and your DAN Diving Emergency Specialist. $699 — Unbelievable! Divers Alert Network DAN Travel Insurance use this product we are supporting DAN which is always a plus. This is Dan’s newest product. I am sure that I have not reviewed every Trip Cancellation and Interruption policy available out there on the market, but this one is very competitive in benefits as well as cost. Also, of course, when we Travel insurance is good for those who want to plan a trip but have pending concerns like the health of a loved one. It is very valuable when planning a BIG trip like Galapagos. Many times trips like this must be planned far in the future and we simply cannot know what life will put on our plate in the interim. So this type of insurance protects us from a total loss. Check the details from our web site by clicking here DAN Dive Insurance 8451 Boulevard 26 North Richland Hills, TX 76180 817-605-8833, voice and fax We B Divin' is your personal resource for scuba training (PADI), equipment sales, service, and travel. E-mail: [email protected] We pride ourselves on individualized training, especially for people with water related anxieties. Our rental gear includes SeaQuest weight integrated BCD's (women's and men's), computers, and regulators for state of the art training and the ultimate in safety. Think Outside the Bowl! There is so much to learn, so many places to dive and so much to see. Remember, enjoyment and safety are enhanced by comfort and proper fit. We will personally fit you, whether your primary interest is diving or snorkeling. We offer both group and individual travel opportunities. Both singles and couples are welcome. Singles may ask to room share or can choose the single supplement option. Everyone is welcome - divers, snorkelers, non-divers, shoppers, etc. AND SO LITTLE TIME! Introducing A Euless police dispatcher who helped police find a mentally ill woman lying in a field is Telecommunicator of the Year. EULESS -- Euless dispatcher Mary Sanchez expects an emergency on every telephone call. On the night of April 22, Sanchez, 43, of Fort Worth, got a particularly alarming one. Area police were investigating the possible kidnapping of a North Richland Hills woman after her husband called to report her missing. Minutes later, the woman’s friend reported getting a cell phone call from the woman, who said she was in Euless and in trouble. Mary is a Divemaster and EFR Instructor at We B Divin’ and we are very proud of her.