February 2009 >> Archives

Caribbean Diving – No Passport Required

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The Vandenberg is coming...

It's true! The Lower Keys will soon have the world's 2nd largest artificial reef. The city of Key West now owns the 520 ft former missile tracking vessel and will sink it in the next few months. Looe Key Dive Center will be running charters to this exciting new wreck. Stay tuned for details...

Latest updates on the sinking

History of the Vandenberg.

"Wasn't there, but got the T-shirt..."

Did you miss the 10th anniversay of the sinking of the Busch wreck in December 2008? Worry not! You can still score one of our (very special) limited edition commerative T-shirts. Visit the Looe Key Dive Center and check it out.
You can also e-mail or call 1-800-942-5397.

Here's a DEAL...

Gently used Demo rig. Great Value!!
Abyss 22 1st and 2nd stage regulator with the Octo MV alternate. Also included: the Puck 3 computer console (includes the Puck computer, SPG and compass). This is a $1,300.00 value (MSRP) ON SALE for $700.00. Full warranty.

Gearmiester answers your gear questions...

Keeping It All Together – Aids to Streamlining

In our initial certification course, we all learned that we should be “streamlined” in the water. In other words -  “be  a bullet,  not a barn door”.  It turns out there are some really good reasons for this – like saving air and protecting your equipment. Read on…

Learn to “Dive Lazy”

Effort = air consumption = shorter dive

Water is much denser than air. As a result, it takes a lot of effort to push water out of the way as we move through it. So, the concept of streamlining is pretty simple: minimize the surface area we use to push water aside as we move underwater. This applies to both our body and our equipment.

For example, imagine your body in a perfectly horizontal position (without scuba equipment.) Your head and shoulders push the water out of the way, while the rest of your body simply slides along behind and fills in the space where the water has already been pushed aside.

Now, picture yourself in a near-vertical posture, trying to move through the water in a horizontal direction - hard work because you are pushing  the water with the entire front surface of your body.

 

Add the bulk of scuba gear to the equation and we have the potential for even more surface area. Think about it. Even in the ideal horizontal position, water is displaced not only with our head and shoulders, but some portion of our BCD, cylinder, and any other equipment that drags through the water.

 

Streamlining means assuming a horizontal body position as well as keeping all of our gear tucked in close. Do it and Presto! We’re diving lazy – less work, more air, longer dives. All excellent reasons to streamline.

“But wait! There’s more!” 

Here’s an added bonus: streamlining will protect our equipment. Dragging gauges or an alternate second stage across the sand or coral can damage them, making them unusable over time  (or even in a single dive. I have actually seen alternate second stages so full of sand that they would have been completely useless in an out-of-air emergency!)

And let’s not forget what that dangling equipment is doing to the environment. If touching a spot of coral with our body can kill that spot of coral, dragging a hard object like a dive light or SPG across it will certainly do considerable damage.

An important third reason to streamline is so that you can quickly find your equipment when you need it. It’s annoying to search around for your SPG (submersible pressure gauge) when you need to check your remaining air pressure. But it could be absolutely dangerous if you can’t find your alternate second stage when you or someone else needs it RIGHT NOW!

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Streamlining – "Get 'er done"
There are two parts to this : our body and equipment.

Body position
In general, when moving underwater we want to align our body parallel to our direction of travel. In most cases, this will mean that we’re horizontal. Achieving this streamlined body position is a matter of proper weighting, proper trim, and practice. Need a review? See your Open Water course book or check out the November 2008 Gearmiester for a quick review.

 

 

Equipment wrangling
Scuba diving is an equipment intensive sport. There are gauges, alternates, lights, wreck reels, computers, cameras, and a bunch of other stuff that we like to take into the water. Two things that most of us will always have to deal with are our SPG console and our alternate second stage (octopus). 

You’ve probably noticed that your BCD has at least a couple of D-rings on it that you can use to attach your “stuff.” Let’s talk about the clips, hooks, lanyards, and all the other little gadgets that help us streamline our equipment.

 

Retractors
Gauges need to be in close (for streamlining!) but we may need to move them in order to more easily read them. This is where a retractor comes in handy. A retractor attaches to the BCD on one end and the console on the other via a spring-tensioned cord. When not in use, the spring pulls in the string keeping your gauges streamlined and protected. When you want to view your gauges, simply pull and the cord plays out allowing you to move the gauges into viewing position. When you’re done, just let it go - the spring sucks up the cord, and the gauges are secured close to your body. Retractors come in several different strengths, so be sure to select one strong enough for the load you intend to hang on it.

Octo Holders
By convention, your octopus (alternate 2nd stage reg) needs to be kept in the triangle formed by your chin and the bottom of your ribcage. In order to avoid having a hose attached to the opposite side of our body (complicating a rescue), the optimum place is somewhere on your right side. Since the bladder of the BCD takes up a good portion of that area, the best place to hook that octopus usually winds up being on one of the shoulder D-rings. To be useful, your octopus also needs to be easily deployed without being too easily dislodged accidently (like, every giant stride entry!). Most holders are either clips that the hose fits into or things that fit around the mouthpiece. Ask your dive buddies or local dive shop which ones they prefer to get an idea of what will work for you.

Lanyards
After all the money I’ve spent on gear, I definitely do NOT want to lose it! My rule: if I spend more than $10 on something, it goes on a lanyard! In its simplest form, a lanyard is a string that attaches to the piece of gear and then around your wrist. The next iteration includes a slide that can tighten the string around your wrist so it can’t slip off. And the final deluxe lanyard includes a detachable coil lanyard. This is great for larger cameras and dive lights. In the stored position the coil is clipped up, keeping the gear in close. When ready for use, unclip the coil and you can extend the gear to the full length of your arm. One end is always attached to your BCD and the other to the gear. So you could let go of it at any time and not lose it. Very helpful when you suddenly need both hands free to do something.

Clips
For basic gear that will either be hooked to you or unhooked and in use, simple double-ended brass clips work well. While aluminum and stainless clips don’t corrode, they often have a cheap metal spring that does corrode, making them useless after a season of diving. Brass clips usually have a brass spring to alleviate this problem. Many wreck divers scrupulously avoid clips with a “swinging gate”, like a typical carabiner, because incidental contact could open it and latch it onto a piece of the wreck, possibly causing entrapment. To avoid that problem all together, look for “sliding gates” that have to be pulled up to open. Double-ended clips make it easy to attach and remove gear from either end. Single-ended clips are good for clipping to the BCD and tying gear to the other end. Clips also come in a variety of sizes to match the size and weight of the gear.

Go explore
There are lots more “attachment gadgets” out there and many variations on the ones we’ve talked about. So find the one that fits your needs the best. Your diving will be safer and more fun when you streamline to save energy, protect your gear, have your equipment readily accessible, and preserve the environment.

 

 

Boat Diver

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.

What You Learn

Learn the tips, tricks and ways to

• Dive from boats ranging from small inflatables to giant live-aboards :
  • how they differ from place to place
  • gain experience and training from diving on boats in your local area
• Safely enter and exit the water :
  • sometimes it’s better to hand your gear up to the crew and then climb in the boat
  • sometimes you just take off your fins and weights and walk up the ladder
• Stow your gear in the most appropriate areas
• Use surface lines to initiate or conclude your dives.
• Locate basic boat safety equipment

Prerequisites

Must be a PADI Open Water Diver  or Junior Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization.

More info at PADI.com

Schedule your class now! Call Looe Key Dive Center 1-800-942-5397 or contact us by e-mail

Looe Key Fish of the Month

Yellowtail Snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus

This is a very common fish that you'll find swimming around our reef either singly or in loose aggregations. They often congregate beneath boats and weed beds looking for shelter, shade, and tasty tidbits. Look for a 12-16 inch (30-45 cm) silver colored fish with a brilliant yellow stripe and a deeply forked tail. Some grow as large as 30 inches (75 cm). They make a tasty lunch when found outside of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary!