May 2008 >> Archives

Travel Value
Declining dollar got you down? Well, at Looe Key Reef Resort and Dive Center, you can still get great vacation deals. We offer Caribbean diving - no passport required! Warm, clear, tropical waters await you, without the added expense and hassle of foreign travel

International Year of the Reef

What do rainforests and coral reefs have in common? Both are complex ecosystems that support an incredible diversity of life. Did you know that the Florida Keys are home to North America’s only living shallow coral reef?  Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary is arguably the finest example of high profile coral reef in the Keys, with an abundance of both soft and hard corals including excellent stands of the endangered staghorn and elkhorn corals. And all that coral provides homes to over 195 different species of fish.
 
World-wide, coral reefs are threatened by many environmental challenges. Visit www.iyor.org to learn what you can do to help protect coral reefs. And be sure to visit Looe Key Resort and Dive Center to see this “National Treasure” right offshore. 

Brand Spankin’ New!

Dive or snorkel on the newest boat in the Keys! The Kokomo Cat II will go into service in mid-May, replacing the venerable Kokomo Cat. This brand new  48 foot Corinthian Catamaran features the latest technology in materials, navigation gear, and engines while preserving the same great features that made the old Kokomo Cat the ideal dive and snorkel platform for the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. Couple the new boat with our brand new Mares rental (and retail) dive gear and you’ve got the most reliable, modern, and current dive shop anywhere in the Keys.

The champagne is chilling - check our website later this month for the inaugural pictures!

"Attention Traveling Divers"

With the airlines severely limiting the amount of luggage that a passenger can check, many divers are stuck renting equipment even though they already own their own gear at home. Here’s another option: consider sending your equipment ahead by UPS or another freight carrier.

But, what if you find the perfect gear at a great price while on vacation? Well, if you buy your gear from Looe Key Reef Resort and Dive Center, we’ll ship it home for you FREE! This offer applies to domestic shipping for new Mares BCD’s and regulators. We’re already pretty sure that our regular prices are better than most shops’ sale prices. And now you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to get it home. That’s one sweet deal on top of another!

MORE great deals

Don’t forget our other outstanding gear discounts that we’ve covered in earlier newsletters:
            - buy a complete regulator (primary, secondary, and gages) and save 10%
            - buy new gear within 30 days of taking one of our scuba classes and save 10%
            - buy a complete kit (BCD and reg) and save 10%
            - buy a complete Mares mask, fins, and snorkel set and save 10%
Alas, only one discount per purchase and discounts cannot be combined.

“We believe that diving is easier, safer, and more fun if you own and use your own equipment, and we’re willing to help you do it!”

Herr Gearmeister sez "Masks - What you Get is what you See"

Last month we talked about the lowly snorkel and what a useful device it really is. This month, let’s talk about masks and how they help us see under water.

Why wear a mask? "Salt water burns and I can’t see a thing." Water is denser than air and therefore effects the transmission of light. So the human eye, being developed for seeing through air, doesn’t do very well under water. The development of the diving mask changed all that. Voila! By adding a layer of air between the eye and the water, we land-based humans see much better than without a mask.

Building the perfect mask. For a mask to work well for the diver or snorkeler, it really needs to do just three things – adapt to water pressure, keep the water out, provide visibility. Let’s tackle the first two.

To adapt to water pressure, a diving or snorkeling mask must contain the diver’s nose. Otherwise, the water pressure compresses the air in the mask causing mask squeeze. It’s not life threatening, but can certainly be uncomfortable and leave some nasty bruises on the diver/snorkelers face. As you descend, simply exhale a little air into the mask through your nose - problem solved.

As for keeping water out of the mask, it’s a lot like the snorkel. There’s no such thing as a completely dry mask (other than certain full-face masks). All masks will leak a little under certain conditions – like when you’re having fun! In my observation, a big smile under water will usually let a small amount of water in though your smile creases. Hey, it’s a small price to pay for whatever made you smile. But a mask that  leaks constantly is an entirely different matter – it can ruin an otherwise terrific aquatic adventure.

Fit, fit, fit. To keep the water out, a mask must fit the individual face. That should be the number one criteria in selecting a mask. No matter how cool it looks, if it doesn’t fit, it’s going to leak. To see if a mask is going to fit, hold the mask to your face without using the strap.  Now inhale gently through your nose. The mask should stay in place. If it falls away or you can hear or feel airflow around the edge of the mask, it doesn’t fit. Many manufactures make different size masks to fit a variety of faces - typically, a standard size, mid size, and kid size. Find one that fits you.

Sounds simple enough, but, as you know, there’re many different masks hanging on the walls of a dive shop.

Besides the fit, here’s a couple of other things to look for in a quality mask that will also help keep water out. A nice soft silicone material, usually feathered thinner toward the edge, will be more comfortable and allow the mask to better conform to your face. Also, look for two seals on the mask - the edge of the skirt and an inner seal.

Next month, we’ll discuss the third part of the perfect mask – visibility – and show how mask design can “improve your view” of the underwater world.


Vandenberg UPDATE
The sinking of the Vandenberg has been delayed until after the 2008 hurricane season. We'll have additional updates as they become available. For more information visit Artificial Reefs of the Keys
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Digital Photography Encore!

The official PADI Specialty of the Month is Drysuit Diving – not something we have a great need for here in the Florida Keys. So, our Specialty for May is Digital Underwater Photography, Level 2.

Last month, Level 1 dealt primarily with the mechanics of digital cameras and the basics of taking good underwater photos. Level 2 takes those images and “kicks it up a notch” by bringing the computer into the process. You’ll learn about file formats (a JPEG versus a TIFF versus a RAW), basic photo editing and retouching, and photo organization and cataloging. You’ll be able to share exciting images of your underwater adventures with family and friends.

Students must have completed Level 1. The same textbook can be used. After the completion of Level II, the student will qualify for the Digital Underwater Specialty rating.

For all the details, check it out at PADI.com

Looe Key Fish of the Month

They’re baaack…
Tarpon -  Megalops antlanticus – have moved back onto the reef for the summer, so we’ll make them our Fish of the Month. Tarpon are very distinguishable by their large, shiny, silvery scales and sharply upturned mouth.  They’re also one of the primary catch-and-release game fish in the Florida Keys. Typically 2-4 foot (.75m to 1.5m) long but as large as eight feet (2.5m), tarpon are often seen in loose schools of several dozen fish, slowly cruising the reef. Generally unafraid of divers and snorkelers, they can be easily observed.