Drift Scuba Diving

Drift diving is a thrilling activity because with it, one simply drifts with the current and keeps on floating.

If you are not already aware of it, drift diving endows you with a lot of fun. The boat is no securing factor here. Rather, the divers here dive into the water to move with the current. The boat-captain just watches the bubbles of the divers or a dive float that a diver (the divemaster) hauls behind him.

Don’t forget to inform the divemaster if it’s your first drift diving because normally people get unnerved without experience. Chat with other experienced divers on the boat , if the divemaster is indifferent. Usually, seasoned divers would enthusiastically support you.

Facts like your getting down from the boat immediately and then close together rest on the aspect of current. It is better to start your preparation quickly in order to have time to put everything jointly for avoiding the aspect of forgetting something ,for example, turning on your air.

Pre-dive speech of the divemaster is immensely important as it suggests the probable things to meet and also the ways of boarding the boat or getting off from it. Running out of air quickly compared to others might compel you to stop it, while the others carry on their dive.

In case of surfacing early, there are some other measures. Instead of being upset, put up your queries and strive to know the answers to your questions.

It is important that the boat can track the divers and so they need to be a bit close together.

Underwater Drifting

The underwater experience is really superb. You need to hurry in a powerful current and it is exciting, whereas, otherwise you confront a calm dive amongst all the sights. This is often difficult to say unless you are physically there. Look for the divemaster’s opinion about the usual conditions of a particular site, although, currents often change.

You just remain calm and enjoy the experience as the current does everything and lets you float. It’s natural to float with the flow because doing the opposite often forces you to be out of air. Always be conscious about your depth and air.

If you are in front of other divers and want to let them catch you, just stoop behind the reef or in a channel and avoid the current. But, it is better to follow the divemasters as they say so.

In case of dive being finished and divemaster not dragging a float, he would place a surface buoy to let the diveboat know your position. The surface marker lets the boat detect your position. It is of paramount significance in chaotic boat traffic area like in drift diving Cozumel.

The boat then picks the divers up. You can retain the dragline they usually have while waiting to board the boat. Then, get rid of the stuff and your first drift dive is successful, an experience to cherish throughout your lifetime.

History Of Scuba Diving

Scuba diving has caught the attention of many in our times. Starting as an one off water sport it has generated cumulated interest all over the world. Suddenly you have new groups of divers, trainers, a whole lot of equipment ranges and things connected with scuba diving garnering consumer faith. Given the fact that the popularity of scuba diving as a sport in itself has generated such a lot of enthusiasm all over the world, there is an escalating demand for the gear that has also evolved over the years. Old school scuba diving gear is suddenly in vogue and online bidding sites often advertise the sale of such gear. Steady price hikes thus accompany the increasing demands for this kind of gear.

What we now know to be scuba diving goes back a long way. It has been found out that the Greeks of antiquity engaged in a kind of breath-hold diving as part of their military operations and to hunt sponges. Also the practice of this kind of free diving as it may be called is found on ancient artwork. Finding sea items could be one of the major motives of this sport or activity. Deep water fishing by divers could be another origin to which this modern day sport can be traced back to.

There were other ways in which diving was imagined. Snorkelling with hollow reeds remained limited in its scope as it did not allow drivers a great deal of depth in their ventures underwater. A second form of diving practice would be diving with diving bells which would be air filled sacs lined up on cables. These too had their own short comings as soon the bags of air would be exhaled and would end up retaining a residue of carbon monoxide only. Also the underwater movement of divers was restricted by a need to stay close to the air bags.

Scuba divers had leather for their costumes initially with air pumped into the leather jackets with the help of manual pumps. Then there were metal costumes which could withstand a great amount of pressure and thus the divers could travel further deep into the water. The English and the French were the first ones to think of diving suits.

Paul Bert from France and John Scott Haldane from Scotland in the 19th century proposed the first advances in the technology of scuba diving by devising limits for compressed air diving with water pressure. Around the same time and later, scuba diving apparatus came to include things like scuba regulators, air pumps and other stuff.

In the 20th century we have seen great public awareness in the sport or activity we know as scuba diving. Propelled by new inventions, scuba diving captured popular imagination as a water sport. Swim masks, fins, and similar scuba gear took were made available through the market and beaches all over the world hosted scuba diving facilities for tourists. 1950s would see the emergence of the first rush in scuba diving. With the subsequent design of the wet suit, scuba gear faced a rise in demand and shops started selling them. This would then be a short history of scuba diving which we have chalked for you here.

Diving With Sharks

The following are some tips on the best ways to behave when one is diving in the company of sharks, obviously, You have to be prepared and learn about the kinds of sharks you are likely to come across in the area where you are planning to dive and know something of what you should expect from the behaviour of these species. Keep in mind that maintaining diver safety become a lot more difficult with the decrease in visibility (such as in turbid water or at night) and with the increase in depth, current, task loading ( such as carrying a spear gun, an underwater camera, or other gear) and the number of sharks. Do not forget that the ocean is far more dangerous than any one shark. You have to set yourself some limitations and stay within those.

You have to discuss dive logistics and emergency plans (hand signals, entry and exit considerations, separation procedures, site analysis, etc.) before you go into the water.

* You have to behave like a good mannered ‘guest’ when you are diving. Keep in mind that you are a visitor to the shark’s abode. If you encounter any shark, let it approach and investigate you the way it wants to. Do not chase, grab, corner, spear, knife or even touch the shark in any way. You have to remember that it is a wild animal and it will defend itself if it perceives you to be threat. (it is most likely that the shark will just swim away rather than bite or snap at you if it thinks you are threatening it. However, it might not turn out that way and it is best that you do not force that issue.)

* Attempt to avoid staring right at the shark. You should watch it from the corner of your eyes instead. You should not lose sight of the shark when it is in your immediate vicinity for your own safety. You have to remain vigilant for a few minutes after you think the shark has left to make sure that it has gone.

* You have to remain motionless when you encounter a shark – preferably very near or at the bottom (so that you can try to be a part of the unthreatening bottom topography). Rapid movement of the diver often scares the shark into fleeing and might also cause it launch a defensive attack.

* You should avoid clustering with other divers – this is because sharks often see groups of divers as a single, huge and very frightening super-organism. Remain close to your diving buddy to maintain safety, but comparatively far away from other buddy pairs. Solo diving with sharks should be left to the professionals.

* Don’t, use bait or try to feed the shark when underwater. This might lure in other sharks and add a competitive factor to the situation.

* If you have to surface when a shark is near you, do so slowly and deliberately keeping the shark in sight at all times, and swim efficiently to your pre-planned exit point.

 

Sea Scooter

The sea scooter, to most people, will no doubt remind them of scuba scenes with James Bond or the all in black world of the technical diver. These DPVs or diver propulsion vehicles are a rarity. This may be because they’re extremely expensive. If you are a water enthusiast who would love to fly around effortlessly underwater without extra propulsion of a drift dive current, this is the toy for you. These are now widely available at many high street stores.

This Sea scooter could be treated as your own personal water propeller, similar to water sports like scuba diving and snorkelling. The scooter is a luminous yellow colour with a black trim and weighs approximately 6kg and stands just over half a meter tall. If you are a gadget fanatic, you will have great fun using your own personal water propeller but a bit of fiddling will be needed first.

At first, you will have to do a little bit of messing and fiddling around with the sea scooter before taking it beneath the waves. It may take a while to figure out how to remove the nose cone but with a little patience and time this is actually quite simple to do. Once the cone has been removed, there is a hollow seal-tight vessel; this is the buoyancy control chamber and assorted weights can be put in here to make the unit neutrally buoyant. Don’t worry, this is a bit of hit and miss as buoyancy changes during descent.

The next step is the inner nose cone. To get at this, you will need a foot pump; this is supplied with the scooter. Once you start pumping, air into the inner chamber, the lid will pop up, giving you access to the battery compartment. It is the next stage of preparation which may be a bit scary for the novice. Charging the battery can take between four and six hours and this is the scary bit, it comes with a warning of possible explosive gas release.

Once the scooter has been charged and reassembled, you are ready to dive. The sea scooter can dive to a respectable 20m, ideally suited to explore a shallow tropical reef, for example. When you have flicked the master switch on, you have to hold down the trigger to help fire the scooter up. The sea scooter has a maximum speed of 2mph. This may seem quite slow but when considering you may want to admire all the marine life the speed is sufficient.

The advantage of owning powered underwater propulsion means not having to use lots of energy kicking your legs around. By using less physical effort, air consumption is greatly reduced. The sea scooters standard battery life is only 40 minutes. If your battery does run out then the scooter can become a cumbersome dead weight, so always check on your battery allowance.

The Sea scooter has really impressed a lot of people with its manoeuvrability with the aqua-dynamic design and handles acting as an effective aqua-plane. It has easy steering and ascent or descent runs very smooth, with doing all the manoeuvres you would wish it to do and can even tow you around a tight turning curve with ease.

 

 

Cave diving

Cave diving is a well-kept secret among an elite group of individuals. We only disclose the details to a select few. Let all the others be bothered by the noise and fight traffic on their vacation. For a more rewarding journey, explore the hidden wonders underground. Everyone thinks the beauties are on the beach when the true beauty is down deep! If you feel compelled to make the jump, you will join an honoured family of chosen divers.

One of the most important requirements of a safe cave diver is awareness. During cave diving classes and in the water- you will face challenges of multi-tasking called task loading. In cave dives, you are responsible to track gas pressure, run reels, carry a light, stay afloat, swim, and watch out for your dive buddies. Sometimes all at once!

Cave divers must always know the location of the line, the exit, their buddy, and scuba gear. You will learn to develop muscle memory through repetition and practice. Tasks such as running a reel will be practiced throughout your dive training. The point is to make the task become second nature. The majority of the techniques once mastered, will free flow without your total concentration.

These abilities must be under control before cave diving – buoyancy, body positioning, breathing patterns, and your emotions.

The gravest danger to a cave diver is becoming complacent. Never take for granted that you are a visitor to this wonderland. The law of nature plays by its own set of rules. It will grant you an awesome view but do not let your guard down. Be prepared, stay alert, and watch out for your fellow divers.

Dive planning is an essential part prior to cave exploration. Detailed plans insure every diver knows what is expected of them. You can experience many transitions during the course of cave diving. Teamwork is necessary to keep up the pace, and deal with any changes. Team members need to be synchronized in important safety measures.

Florida-

Florida is a visual cave diver’s paradise. The Leon Sinks cave system is the longest underwater explored cave in the United States and fourth longest in the world. It is part of a huge maze, and a critical groundwater source for much of northern Florida.

Cave divers on an incredible twenty-hour expedition proved that underwater systems in Florida are linked. Two cave divers dropped into the cave entrance and dove to a depth of some three hundred feet. They swam through seven miles of underground freshwater cave before resurfacing in Wakulla Springs State Park near Tallahassee, Florida. It took six hours to complete the dive, and fourteen for decompression.

Mexico-

A pair of cave divers found passages in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula that make up the world’s longest underwater cave system. This discovery shows how interconnected the Yucatan’s underground water system is. In their adventure, the divers cruised through soaring caverns large enough to land a jumbo jet. They squeezed through narrow passes by removing their tanks.

Off the sweltering busy highways, you will find a vast number of cool calm springs. The sights underwater are breathtaking. Lucky for you, you will have extra oxygen supplied in your scuba gear! Visibility in many freshwater caves measures hundreds of feet, clearer than any ocean water. Cave diving permits you to witness geological formations that are 350 million years old! Let us see Disney compete with that!

 

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