June 2009 >> Archives
Caribbean Diving – No Passport Required
| In this issue... |
The 522 ft. Vandenberg was sunk seven miles off of Key West on May 27th. The conditions were ideal and the sinking went perfectly. In a little less than two minutes, the ship slipped below the surface and settled upright on the bottom.
Hundreds of boats - including the Kokomo Cat II - were on hand to witness this historic event.
Video of the sinking.
Dive the Vandenberg.
Are you ready to dive the Vandenberg?
The depth of the Vandenberg ranges from 40 feet at the top of the superstructure to 140 feet at the bottom of the hull. Need a dive refresher? Ready to get your Advanced Open Water certification? Want to extend your bottom time by diving with Enriched Air Nitrox? Schedule your class today. Call our shop 1-800-942-5397 or e-mail us
History of the Vandenberg.
School is out but our classroom (and pool and ocean) are open! Take a second dive course within 30 days of completing your first course and get 10% OFF your second course. We offer dive training at all levels - from Intro to Scuba to Divemaster.
Coming Soon
- Underwater Music Festival July 11th.
Come celebrate the 25th Silver Anniversary of this unique event which takes place right on Looe Key Reef. Dive and snorkel the Festival aboard the Kokomo Cat II. 2008 Festival photos.
- Lobster sport mini-season July 29th - 30th.
Is your scuba equipment ready to go? Need air, tank VIP, regulator overhaul? Do you have all of your "hunting" supplies? Need gloves, measuring gauge, net, bag? Stop by Looe Key Dive Center - we've got it all. Questions about Lobster mini-season? Check out Mini-Season FAQ's
Gear Miester answers your gear questions...
Underwater life support - The Final episode
Extras and Clean up
In the last two issues, we’ve split our regulator into the first and second stages and learned how each of those pieces work. In this issue, we’ll take a look at some of the extra things we can add/change on our regulator system as well as how to take care of our life support investment.
High Pressure
Most regulator first stages have one high pressure port for the submersible pressure gauge (SPG), which indicates the amount of air remaining in our cylinder. Two other helpful gauges - our depth gauge and our compass - are often attached to this gauge in the form of a “console.” Rather than wearing wrist-mounted gauges, the console combines everything into one neat package.
Taking our console a step further, the analog depth gauge can easily be
replaced with a dive computer which combines our depth gauge with a virtual set of rapid fire dive tables. And taking the dive computer a step further, we can get one that is “air integrated”, which incorporates our SPG into the computer allowing it to estimate our air usage, and relieving us of one extra gauge.
But, wait! There’s more! For those who really want to minimize the amount of stuff
hanging off us, we can replace the entire console and high pressure hose with a wireless system. In this set-up, a pressure transmitter screws into the high pressure port on the first stage and the diver wears a wrist mounted computer that receives all the necessary information from the transmitter.
Low Pressure
The low pressure ports on our first stage typically support our second stages- primary and alternate - as well as the low pressure inflator on our BCD (Buoyancy Compensation Device.) The additional LP ports could be used for our drysuit or a nozzle for inflating a lift bag.
Want fewer hoses? The low pressure port supporting our BCD and alternate second stage can be combined into one unit. Several manufactures make these and use different brand names for them. In a nut shell, the combined unit replaces the one on a typical BCD where the corrugated hose assembly screws onto the BCD. A hybrid second stage is at the end of the new assembly that combines the functions of the second stage (mouthpiece, purge, etc) with the inflate and deflate buttons of the typical BCD inflator system. Again, one less hose hanging off your regulator. Keep in mind that this does change the procedure you learned in your open water class for sharing air. With this system, the donor uses the second stage from the BCD and gives away the one in their mouth. So, if you use one of these systems, make sure to brief your buddy on the procedure just in case he needs it.
The Cleanup
The most important part of taking care of your regulator is to keep it safe in the first place. On the boat or on shore, don’t leave it lying in the sun for long periods of time. And don’t leave it lying where you or someone else can accidently step on it, sit on it, drop something on it, or knock it overboard. In the water, keep your alternate second stage and console attached to you. Do not let them drag along the bottom possibly damaging them as well as the environment.After that, the biggest hazard to your regulator system is salt. Try not to let salt dry in
your regulator. If it’s a long trip home, do a quick rinse of the first and second stages before you leave. The best method for rinsing is to gently swish the pieces in a bucket of fresh water for at least 30 seconds. If using a hose, use only a light flow of water to gently rinse the pieces. A high flow could accidently dislodge the diaphragms in the second stages.
At the end of a dive trip or dive weekend, soak your regulator in fresh water for a half hour or so to allow all the salts to dissolve.
At the end of the cleaning process, inspect your regulator for any problems. Check the mouthpiece, the bite tabs, and the hoses, especially at the first stage ends.
Happily ever after...
With a little simple care, your life support system should give you many years of safe and happy diving.
Peak Performance Buoyancy
What is neutral buoyancy? Scuba divers like to be neutrally buoyant so they neither sink nor float. It can be a tricky thing. Divers who’ve mastered the highest performance levels in buoyancy stand apart. You’ve seen them underwater. They glide effortlessly, use less air and ascend, descend or hover, almost as if by thought. They interact gently with aquatic life and affect their surroundings minimally. The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course refines the basic skills you learned as a PADI Open Water Diver and elevates them to the next level.
What You Learn
- How to trim your scuba gear so you’re perfectly balanced in the water
- Nuances in determining weight so you’re not too light nor too heavy by even a slight degree
- How to streamline to save air and move smoothly through the water
- How to hover effortlessly in both a vertical position and a horizontal position
Prerequisites
- Have a PADI Open Water Divercertification (or have a qualifying certification from another organization.)
The Learning Materials You Need
PADI’s Peak Performance Buoyancy video on DVD provides an overview of the skills you’ll practice with your instructor. It comes with an enclosed booklet that includes a buoyancy assessment questionnaire and basic weighting guidelines – useful whenever you purchase new gear or dive in a new environment.
You can purchase this product at Looe Key Dive Center.
More info at PADI.com
Schedule your class now! Call Looe Key Dive Center 1-800-942-5397
or contact us by e-mailHave you seen this fish??
Beautiful but deadly, the lionfish is an invasive exotic species native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is being found in increasing numbers along the east coast of the United States as well as the Caribbean. The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a predatory fish with few natural enemies that devours smaller indigenous reef fish at an alarming rate. It also poses a threat to divers and fishermen - the fins are tipped with venomous spines that inflict a painful sting.
So far, we have not seen the red lionfish on Looe Key reef. It has, however, been spotted off Key Largo. What can you do?
If you see this fish, report it
More info about lionfish here
Permit – Trachinotus falcatus.
Two of the most popular sport game fish in the Keys – tarpon and permit - can be found on the offshore reefs during certain parts of the year. Permit are members of the Jack family, and are brilliant silver in color, often streaked with iridescent blue or blue green and yellow. There is often a dark area behind the pectoral fin, and occasionally a black mid-body blotch. Visible to both divers and snorkelers, they swim about the reef and sand looking for a tasty meal of mollusks, urchins, and crustaceans. Permit have a high back profile and are typically in the one -three foot (30 – 90 cm) range but can get slightly larger.
