Beach diving is an inexpensive and fun way to explorer your underwater world. I love La Jolla Shores in San Diego, it has bathrooms and showers for quick after-dive rinse, it keeps my car and gear a whole lot cleaner.
But what about when your diving in an area with out showers? I've seen surfers use water jugs/bottles to get the sand off there feet and gear but it's not as convenient when your trying to spray off sand from all your dive gear.
Enter in HotJugz. No, it's not some dodgy Internet site that you shouldn't be visiting at work but a portable pressurized and insulated shower.
It works like a hand-pressurized pesticide sprayer, you pump the handle, it pressurizes the contents and has a shower head with a coiled hose.
But wait! There's more! It also is insulated so you can keep the water hot or cold over a longer period. So, you could fill up your HotJugz (I love typing that) with hot water, do your dive, come back to your car and get a hot shower.
Brilliant!
They range in price from $50 to $60 dollars, so while not cheap they are a great idea.
Want to go diving in June but don't know where to go? If you're an underwater shooter, you might want to head to Bonaire. The crew at Reef Photo has organized a trip to the island, and they're bringing their brains along with them (which is quite the opposite of what I do when I go diving). Reef's staff will be available for one-on-one hands-on help with camera gear and techniques during the week. Moreover, award-winning shooter Rand McMeins will also be on the trip, providing inspiration and advice.
Reef will be carting A/V equipment to the island to facilitate the sharing of the day's images every evening. Warning to the competitive: this is not a competition, but allows divers to share what they experienced throughout the day. Heads-up for the competitive: they are sponsoring a "best shot" contest at the end of the week. If you're interested, the package runs $1025 and includes:
It's been far too long since we checked in with Foots and his Lost City of Atlantis project. Thankfully, this weekend, he emailed me some photos of the first child of Cayman's Lost City. If you're wondering why children need to be included in this project, bear in mind that no community can grow if it doesn't have children within it -- even if that community is made of molded concrete.
The "real-world" child honored as the first to take a place in Atlantis is Joseph Musumeci, III, the grandson of Joseph Musumeci, Sr. (pictured).
Joseph Musumeci, Sr. is a long-time resident of the Brac and the retired two time mayor of Swedesboro, New Jersey.
However, what I really want to know is: Why was this child honored as the first child of Atlantis? Does he have great grades? Is he especially polite? Was his room the cleanest? Foots, please help me out!
UPDATE FROM THE MOTHER OF THE FIRST CHILD OF ATLANTIS...SERIOUSLY:
The first child of Atlantis is nine years old and lives in Centreville, Delaware. He has a genuine concern for his family and people around him; he is especially polite and a very kind-hearted child. He is an average to above student. His room is very clean because he chooses to spend most of his time with his family. When asked, "How does it feel to be the first honored child of Atlantis?" his reply is simple and sweet. "It's so cool! I get to be in Cayman Brac everyday, and will be with my Grandfather forever..."
Recently, South Africa's Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) announced that recreational divers swimming in the country's marine protected areas would be required to purchase a permit. Beginning January 1, 2007, all divers will be required to keep their $11 permits, or certified copies of them, on the boats they are diving from, or in their vehicles if they dive from shore. Dive operators are exempt from the tax.
So stirred up was Cape Town's dive community that they sought legal opinion on the matter. Arguing that the MCM is not entitled to make rules to control recreational uses of the sea that do not entail the consumption of marine resources (swimming, surfing, diving), the divers believe the MCM is acting beyond its powers in compelling them to buy these permits. Quite logically, Monty Guest, chairperson of the False Bay Underwater Club argued that, "Fishermen kill sharks in marine protected areas and nothing happens to them, but we cannot even swim underwater to watch marine life without buying a permit. There are sewerage outfalls pumping effluent into the marine protected area and nothing is done..." MCM countered that it is allowed to regulate non-consumptive use of the ocean if a particular activity causes damage to the environment. And we all know how destructive divers can be.
In high bureaucratic style, the government informed the divers that they could get the permit legislation overturned -- but that would require high court action that could take three years and cost in excess of $70,000.
Of course, eleven bucks seems like a small tax, but is it fair?
About a week ago, Oregon surfer Tony Perez was with friends at the mouth of the Siletz River. He happened to have his feet up on the board when out-of-nowhere his board was rammed from below. The blow sent Perez into the water, his feet hitting the shark's body and head above the surface. He swam safely to shore although his board bore the scars: 2-inch teeth marks.
Sunday, a 15-year-old body boarder in Western Australia didn't fare so well. A 15-foot shark took Zac Golebiowksi's right leg below the knee and a portion of his left calf. A friend pulled him away from the shark and towed him to shore where two beach-goers helped control the bleeding and sought an ambulance.
Authorities monitored the shark for a few hours but rough weather prevented them from catching (but not killing) it. Young Zac is recovering and in good spirits considering what happened.
As proof that you don't need to travel to the far reaches of the globe to see some great marine life, today's This Is Why We Dive was captured in the Pacific Northwest.
Calvin Tang caught this shot of a bobtail squid at a dive site called Cove 2. I love the colors in the squid -- the way it looks reddish AND purple-ish at the same time is very cool. And those eyes -- so huge and curious-looking! Great shot, Calvin.
Do you have an image of a curious-looking marine creature? Add it to Divester's Flickr group and wow us all!
I've never been to Bali, but I would really love to go some day. I imagine the mix of culture, scenery, people, food, and diving would be a heady rush, overwhelming me, and providing me with so much sensory delight that I wouldn't know where to turn next. While I love relaxing, do-nothing vacations, I think the wide variety of activities in Bali would thrill me endlessly and keep me so busy, I'd wind up needing a vacation fom my vacation.
Andrea and Antonella Ferrari -- associate editors of FiNS and co-authors of the brilliant and beautiful A Diver's Guide to Reef Life -- just spent two weeks enjoying a "dive safari" in Bali. For those who don't know, a dive safari is sort of like a land-based live-aboard. As opposed to staying in the same hotel in the same location for 2 weeks, a dedicated guide escorted the Ferraris to select dive sites around the island. While some people might think a dive safari seems like it would offer too much travel and too little diving, the Ferraris managed to squeeze in plenty of "pool time" on their safari. From muck diving, to wreck diving, to encountering magnificent marine creatures that many people only dream of seeing, the couple had an extraordinary-sounding trip. During their cross-island adventure, the couple dived with Mola molas, fingered dragonets, hairy frogfish, and bobbit worms -- not to mention some uncommon marine creatures like sea moths, blackfin lionfish, and volcano triplefin. Moreover, they even saw a pair of spectacular mimic octopus mating in less than thirty feet of water! (Check out the amazing photo gallery to see what that looked like. Imagine playing Twister in camouflage.)
If you're wondering whether a trip to Bali -- or a dive safari -- is worth your time, the Ferrari's trip report should settle things in your mind. Check it out. Then put in your leave request.
Previously, we've gleefully reported on Foots' efforts at casting the Queen of Atlantis and installingher inher throne. While I have no doubt that the Queen could rule Atlantis effectively by herself, Foots has decided she should not rule alone. To that end, he has been busy casting a King to stand by her side. Although he's not quite finished creating the King, he has sent me some pretty cool, sneak-peak images of the process. Follow-up images to, um, follow.
Before checking out the exclusive photos, remember this: if you're interested in being named a Royal Guard of Atlantis -- and having your own image cast in concrete to forever guard the Royal Palace -- all you have to do is name the "earthly identities" of the King OR the Queen. Here's a hint: in "real life," the pair are married, and they own and operate a dive shop in the United States. I'll provide another clue tomorrow.
Yesterday, we revealed a few sneak-peak photos of the Queen of the Lost City of Atlantis. I thought those images were all I was going to receive, but Foots surprised me this morning and sent me several more.
In this batch, there are more photos of the finished product, as well as a few photos of the Queen-in-progress, which gives a sense of how he assembles the whole she-bang. Very cool. Check 'em out!
First, he cast the Queen. Then he created her throne. Finally, Foots has placed the Queen on top of her throne. Weighing in excess of 7000 pounds, the Queen and her throne will be placed within the Lost City of Atlantis in the coming days. Of course, Foots will have to use a crane to lower her into the water, but compared to some of the work he's already accomplished, 7000 pounds is no problem.
So who IS the Queen? Well, Foots still hasn't revealed her identity -- that'll occur next week, at DEMA -- but if you can guess her name before he makes the announcement, you can become a part of the Lost City! Foots has promised that the first person to identify the Queen will win the honor of becoming the first world guard to the Palace of the King and Queen. Want to be enshrined in the Lost City? Guess her name!
A few days ago, we told you about Foots and his work casting the Queen of Atlantis. Since then, Foots has announced that the first person to identify the identity of the Queen will win the honor of becoming Atlantis' first world guard to the Palace of the King and Queen. There will only be 11 of these guards. Imagine: you can be forever enshrined in the Lost City of Atlantis and -- quite literally! -- dive into immortality. I don't know about you, but I think that would be totally cool!
Unfortunately, Foots told me the Queen's identity already, so I can't become a world guard. And although I can't tell you who the Queen is, I CAN tell you that I guessed her identity before he told me, because we've mentioned her on Divester in the past!
While you're mulling over the Queen's identity, check out these photos of Foots casting the Queen's throne. Already weighing over 6000 pounds, the throne will weigh an additional half-ton when the Queen sits within it.
Foots is still at it, quietly plugging away, working hard to complete the Lost City of Atlantis off Cayman Brac. Recently, he's been busy making the Queen. Okay, so maybe "making the Queen" isn't entirely accurate. What Foots has been doing is "casting the Queen" -- in the sense that he's casting her form!
Yes, Foots has found the woman who will serve as the model for the Queen of Atlantis! Claiming he selected her based on what a good person she is, it sure is a huge compliment for the woman selected. I wish I could be the Queen of Atlantis. Er...well, you know what I mean.
So who IS this woman? Unfortunately, Foots isn't ready to reveal her identity -- we'll have to wait until DEMA (which is next month!) for that. In the meantime, however, Foots has provided Divester with some exclusive photos of the casting process. Let me apologize in advance for the "?" obscuring the Queen's face, but Foots made me promise not to reveal her alter-ego. Sorry, but I want to be allowed into Atlantis, too!
Japan has many things to offer the bored serviceman serving abroad, but what about getting some bottom time? I've never been myself, but the U.S. Marines in Japan web site gives a quick glimpse at the sights awaiting divers. Many of the popular dive sites are accessible by shore such as Maeda Point where Chromis, Clownfish, anemone, eel, squid, and Lionfish abound. According to Lance Cpl. Robert Manuel, combat videographer on Camp Foster, "Maeda is a great spot because the reef edge is about 20 feet down, [and] as soon as you get in you're already seeing great [things]."
If underwater archeology is your thing, check out the island of Yonaguni. The ruins are purported to be a series of pyramids with the largest measuring over 20 meters in height and 8,000 years old. Scientists don't agree, however, that these are man-made structures and instead the product of normal geological processes. Other researchers suggest these are the lost ruins of Mu which shared the same fate as Atlantis. Check out these photos of the ruins and see more at the Morien Institute.
Last Saturday morning, Matthew Harvey went for a solo dive in a shallow bay off the Channel Islands, a group of British islands between France and England. According to his father, Matthew may have ventured "a little bit too far" and found himself unable to return to land, being carried by a vigorous tide "like an express train." Ditching his reg and weight belt, Matthew spent the next 2 days, "swimming like crazy," battling tide changes. After an air and sea search failed to recover Matthew, the search was halted Sunday night. However, nearly 24 hours later, a passing yacht found an unconscious but alive Matthew floating about 200 yards from shore. Rescuers believe the relatively warm waters -- 63 degrees...mmm...balmy! -- may have contributed to his surviving the 56-hour ordeal.
Matthew's father claims that his son plans to continue diving, "although his wife may have some other ideas."
Beach diving is an inexpensive and fun way to explorer your underwater world. I love La Jolla Shores in San Diego, it has bathrooms and showers for quick after-dive rinse, it keeps my car and gear a whole lot cleaner. 
Want to go diving in June but don't know where to go? If you're an underwater shooter, you might want to head to Bonaire. The crew at 
Recently, South Africa's 
About a week ago
Japan has many things to offer the bored serviceman serving abroad, but what about getting some bottom time? I've never been myself, but the 
Last Saturday morning, 
