Beginning to Spear Fish While Diving

Spear fishing is unlike anything you’ve experienced in scuba diving.  It offers excitement, challenges, and rewards in local lakes and rivers. If you enjoy scuba and fishing, then spear fishing is the logical progression.To start you need to know what is going on.  Spear fishing while scuba diving places different demands on the diver and is governed by its own rules. Classroom training includes reviewing spear fishing rules and regulations, discussing equipment types, styles, and alternatives, and discussing the dive. After completing the classroom training, the diver will be aware of taskrequirements and be prepared to practice with different types of equipment. Practice in the water involves loading and firing different types of spear guns while adjusting for task loading.  After completing these exercises you will be acquainted with gun types,be ready to make an informed purchasing decision, and will be trained to spear fish.

What do Scuba Divers do in the winter?!

A gentleman asked me the other day what I did in the wintertime. Here in Utah there are not many places you can dive because of the frozen lakes, So here comes the question: What do scuba divers do in the winter? For most people here in Utah there are always options. For one, you can dive in a pool.

Many this doesn't take care of their drive for diving. I might suggest to others that you take a road trip somewhere warmer. You will find there are many places in South America that you can dive for cheap, its just a matter of getting there. So skip the big presents during Christmas and save up for a warm February Dive! Or do what some people here in Utah do, Check out the hot springs. There are so many ways to get around the cold, just search and find what is best for you.

Cleaning Your Gear

Any time that you dive there are a few things that you want to be able to clean afterwards. One of the main things you should always have is fresh water. You can Purchase a large 30/40 gallon bucket/tub from Home Depot or Target. Fill it with fresh water and use this to soak and rinse all of your gear in. If you want to just complete this in a tub you can, but you will find that its usually not the best smell or gunk to leave in your tub. Nothing shortens the life of your scuba equipment more than salt water, where the majority of scuba diving is done. Also don’t dry your scuba equipment in direct sunlight; the sun’s rays also shorten the life of scuba gear.

When cleaning regulators: The number one rule when washing your regulator is ensuring that your dust cap is securely in place. This ensures that no water enters the first stage regulator which has internal components that are sensitive to moisture. Before attaching the dust cap it is best to dry the inside of it and of the opening in the first stage regulator. The most common method is to blow it out with air from the dive tank, although this may sometimes be discouraged on boats due to the noise it makes. Once the regulator is rinsed you can hang it up to dry.
After completely rinsing off the outside of BCD the bladder must washed out. This is very important and probably the most overlooked step in the preventive maintenance of your scuba gear. First drain out any salt water trapped in bladder. Then put some fresh water in bladder and shake vigorously letting water run out of deflate valve. Repeat this process or 3 times. Be sure all water is out of bladder.

Masks & Fins: After rinsing and letting your mask and fins dry, store them in a cool dry place out of direct sun light. Excess heat can warp fins and distort the silicone around the mask and mask strap. Storing fins on their tips can also warp them. Avoid contact with oil, aerosol, chemical solvents, etc. as coming in contact with any of these materials can cause these items to begin to erode or degrade

When cleaning your wetsuits use a disinfectant detergent, available at most dive supply stores. Wash the suit, booties, and gloves by submerging them in water and dunking them up and down, turning them inside out as well to ensure that both inside and outside are completely clean.

Dive Lights & Cameras: Lights and cameras are extremely sensitive to water, sand and salt. Work all moving parts while soaking to loosen any salt and sand deposits. Allow the unit to dry completely after soaking and before opening any compartments. Once dry, loosen all connectors so they do not freeze in place. Then remove batteries, film or storage disks. Clean and lubricate all o?rings thoroughly before next use. Store the components in a protective case to prevent any seals from exposure to dust and dirt.
Make sure to rinse tanks, rescue sausages, whistles, dive propulsion vehicles, weights, catch bags, and anything else that may have been in the water at some point or another. Remove any batteries or other items that may corrode overtime from your gear. Tanks should be stored with at least 100 psi of air in them to keep out any moisture. You may also want to lubricate any zippers to make them easier to open and close the next time you need them.
Make this process a habit. Once you have made this routine a habit, you will see how quickly and easy preventive maintenance on scuba gear really is. Save yourself money and aggravation when on your next vacation trying to relax and enjoy.

The Reason To Scuba Dive: Animal life!

Top 5 Places To Dive

1- Hawaii


As we all know Hawaii has a year round warm weather. Most people prefer warm water diving. Also there is Hawaii’s geographical isolation and an abundance of endemic marine life some of them are just ideal for the test. Oahu  offers an excellent blend of diving  sites  ranging  from offshore lava formations and grottoes to plane and shipwrecks, many with large schools of colorful fish and green sea turtles. Most of Maui’s dive sites are located around  the west coast and are just  excellent diving spots  for all levels of divers.
Kauai is known for its rugged and pristine diving. The best time to visit here will be summer as  during the winter months  large swells make the north shore generally inaccessible for diving but rather for a visit , but during summer months the north shore has some excellent locations. Ni’ihau – located 17-miles off the southwestern coast of Kauai, is  the home for  sea arches,  monk seals, large pelagic fish and other rare species of fish. Ni’ihau has some amazing dive locations but is generally recommended for intermediate to advanced divers.

2- The Carribean

Diving in the Carribean, you will be able to see such  rare creatures as sea horses, clown fish and sharks nesting on the reefs. Unique combinations of the majestic coral formations  will also stun you with their beauty. The emphasize of the wonderland is not only made for the experienced divers, the Carribean offers plenty of opportunities to divers of all abilities.One of the best things about scuba diving in the Carribean is that the water here  is very clear and warm, so swimming is not tiring at all, and you can clearly see the things that you want. With good visibility, you may see more animals beneath the waves than almost anywhere else in the world.

3-The Philippines 

Philippines has more or less everything, and it’s all in warm waters. There are over 7,100 islands surrounded by clear seas and they have hundreds of coral species and even more species of fish. Not to mention that it is set in a tropical bliss with warm seas, sandy beaches, green palm trees, fantastic food and drink and friendly people. One of the number one chosen by those who have traveled the distance to dive there. 

4- Bali 

The best thing about scuba diving in Bali is the feature of  rich and varied sites: deep drop-offs and steep banks,  coral ridges and bommies, one of the most famous wrecks in the world, volcanic outcrops and seagrass beds.  The colorful and diverse marine life are worth of your repeated visits as most of the time  there’s not  enough time to keep you come back. Another feature will be considered to be the  strong currents  which  clean the water and create fantastic visibility. 

5- Catalina Island- California

This is one of my favorites not only for the different marine life but the experience of being on a dive boat for a few days. The summer months see the most activity for Catalina Island diving, but the winter months can actually provide the clearest waters. During the summer, diving temperatures can get as high as 76 degrees during August and September. Because of these warm temps, the crowds tend to be larger. For many divers, this is preferred as many people feel more comfortable in numbers. For the divers that don't mind the colder temps, the winter months can see water temps as low as 52 degrees. The benefit of this colder water is that visibility is increased quite substantially. During summer, visibility is typically between 30 - 60 feet. Winter water visibility can be as good as 30 - 80 feet. With favorable water temps, Catalina Island diving has become a very attractive local location for divers up and down the California coast

Flat Head Lake Montana

A customer of mine suggested I tell you about the amazing lake located in Montana Called Flat Head Lake. Its known for its size and the amount of activities located there.

Just a little about the lake: 
The Flathead and Swan rivers supply clean, fresh water to Flathead Lake year-round. Created by Ice Age glaciers, almost thirty miles long and fifteen miles across at it's widest point, Flathead Lake is the largest natural lake in western U.S. The lake has a 160 mile shoreline and its waters cover nearly two-hundred square miles of Montana! Its large and chilly. The lake is populated by native Bull and Cutthroat trout, and huge Lake trout (Mackinaw), along with perch and whitefish.

This lake reaches depths of 369 feet. Flathead Lake is the land locked divers escape. Though the clarity of Flathead Lake is sometimes a bit suspect, this glacier carved lake has impressive underwater cliffs and rock formations. In addition to the natural wonders, there are plenty of ship wrecks to explore. For snorkeling, you should be checking out the southern tip of Cedar Island, where just off-shore you'll find great snorkeling and Yellow Bay for a bit of scuba diving.
If any of you have been there and would like to add pictures or stories feel free to comment! :)

Museum of Underwater Art

Want a bit of culture on your next dive? Then try the tropical blue waters of Cancun, Mexico where you will find the Museum of Underwater Modern Art.Consisting of more than 403 permanent life-sized sculptures, the art-filled sea-bed is one of the largest artificial reef attractions in the world. The work of British sculptor and scuba diver Jason deCaires Taylor, each sculpture is individually cast and made using a special cement mix to encourage coral growth. "It's incredibly interesting working underwater," said deCaires Taylor. "The colors are different, the light patterns are very different, the atmosphere and mood is otherworldly.

"The piece takes on a very different tone underwater -- it has a lost feel to it and brings up all these questions that you wouldn't have on land,"

Peeing In your Wetsuit

Why do you always feel like you have to pee in your wet suit!? Like me, most scuba divers feel the need to urinate in their wetsuits. What's wrong with us? Are we drinking too much water? Do we simply have no self control? No! One reason that divers feel the need to urinate in their wetsuits underwater is called cold water immersion diaresis.

Although the total volume of blood in the diver's body has not changed, the volume of blood in his body core (particularly his heart) has increased. This triggers the body's high blood volume management system, which mainly involves increasing the rate of urine production in the kidneys (diaresis) as discussed above. The end result is that the diver pees in his wetsuit. No Big Deal! :)

So don't be embarrassed by your urge to urinate while diving. What's my advice for comfortable diving? Buy your own wetsuit, hydrate yourself before diving so your urine doesn't smell bad, and pee as much as you like. Urine is sterile so you are not going to create a health hazard if you pee in your suit. Simply remember to wash your suit in fresh water after diving (and not in the same rinse tank as the regulators, please!) Everyone else is peeing in their suits, why should you miss out on all the fun?

Staying Warm Underwater

Water conducts heat from the diver 25 times better than air, which can lead to hypothermia even in mild water temperatures. Symptoms of hypothermia include impaired judgment and dexterity, which can quickly become deadly in an aquatic environment. In all but the warmest waters, divers need the thermal insulation provided by wetsuits or drysuits.

In the case of a wetsuit, the suit is designed to minimize heat loss. Wetsuits are generally made of neoprene that has small gas cells, generally nitrogen, trapped in it during the manufacturing process. The poor thermal conductivity of this expanded cell neoprene means that wetsuits reduce loss of body heat by conduction to the surrounding water. The neoprene in this case acts as an insulator.

The second way in which wetsuits reduce heat loss is to trap a thin layer of water between the diver's skin and the insulating suit itself. Body heat then heats the trapped water. Provided the wetsuit is reasonably well-sealed at all openings (neck, wrists, legs), this reduces water flow over the surface of the skin, reducing loss of body heat by convection, and therefore keeps the diver warm (this is the principle employed in the use of a "Semi-Dry")

Drysuits fall into two main categories neoprene and membrane; both systems have their good and bad points but its really personal preference. Like I have previously said, go into your local dive store and ask them a little about wet suits. Most places will rent wet suits for cheap and then you can get a feel for what you like. Depending on the amount of dives you do in colder water will determine the density. Check out your local dealers today! 

Underwater Communication

Table of Hand Signals

A diver cannot talk underwater unless he is wearing a full-face mask, but divers can communicate, using hand signals. It is said that if a diver "signals to his buddy regularly during a dive, this will ensure that they remain in close contact and that they can easily notify each other in case problems occur."; a diver should repeat any sign that is not clear to his buddy, and acknowledge every signal that he or she makes with an "OK" signal to show that he understands.

No.	Signal	Meaning	Comment
1.	Hand raised, fingers pointed up, palm to receiver.	STOP	Transmitted in the same way as a traffic police officer’s STOP
2.	Thumb extended downward from clenched fist.	GO DOWN or GOING DOWN
3.	Thumb extended upward from clenched fist.	GO UP or GOING UP
4.	Thumb and forefinger making a circle with three remaining fingers extended (if possible).	OK! or OK?	Divers wearing mittens may not be able to extend 3 remaining fingers distinctly.
5.	Two arms extended overhead with finger tips touching above head to make a large O shape.	OK! or OK?	A diver with only one free arm may make this signal by extending that arm overhead with finger tips touching top of head to make the O shape. Signal is for long-range use.
6.	Hand flat, fingers together, palm down, thumb sticking out, then hand rocking back and forth on axis of forearm.	SOMETHING IS WRONG	This is the opposite of OK! The signal does not indicate emergency.
7.	Hand waving over head (may also thrash hand on water).	DISTRESS	Indicates immediate aid required.
8.	Fist pounding on chest.	LOW ON AIR	indicates signaler's air supply is reduced.
9.	Hand slashing or chopping throat.	OUT OF AIR	Indicates that the signaler cannot breathe.
10.	Clenched fist on arm extended in direction of danger.	DANGER

Make sure that you review hand signals with your dive partner before your dive so there is no miscommunication underwater. 

Just For Fun

Controlling Buoyancy Underwater

To dive safely, divers must control their rate of descent and ascent in the water. Ignoring other forces such as water currents and swimming, the diver's overall buoyancy determines whether he ascends or descends. Equipment such as the diving weighting systems, diving suits and buoyancy compensator's can be used to adjust the overall buoyancy. When divers want to remain at constant depth, they try to achieve neutral buoyancy. This minimizes gas consumption caused by swimming to maintain depth.
The downward force on the diver is the weight of the diver and his equipment minus the weight of the same volume of the liquid that he is displacing; if the result is negative, that force is upwards. The buoyancy of any object immersed in water is also affected by the density of the water. The density of fresh water is about 3% less than that of ocean water. Therefore, divers who are neutrally buoyant at one dive destination (e.g. a fresh water lake) will predictably be positively or negatively buoyant at destinations with different water densities (e.g. a tropical coral reef).

The main thing to remember with buoyancy is that you should always check your weight at the beginning of the dive so that you are comfortable throughout the entire dive. Use your fins to swim and hold your arms across your chest as shown in this picture. You will loose a lot less oxygen and be able to dive longer. Remember that buoyancy takes time to adjust to at first so don't get frustrated. In time you will learn all the tricks of the trade.

Octopus Fun

• Octopuses are boneless creatures. They don't have a vertebral column, that is, they are invertebrates. The beak which is in the shape of a parrot beak, is the only hard structure in their body. Due to this reason, their bodies are extremely flexible and they can squeeze through incredibly small spaces.
• Octopuses vary in size depending upon the species. While those found in tropical waters are small, octopuses of the colder seas are larger in size. The giant Pacific octopus is the largest amongst all the members of the group and are known to grow as large as 23 feet. However, most octopuses are smaller in size. Usually they grow up to 10 feet and weigh around 55 ponds. Females are smaller than the males.
• An interesting octopus fact is that these sea creatures have three hearts. Two hearts pump blood through the gills whereas the third one pumps blood through rest of the body.
• The color of octopus blood is blue.
• The octopus is a predator. It hunts at night. Its favorite food are crabs, mollusks and crayfish.
• Octopuses are preyed upon by sharks, dolphins, morays and conger eels.
• These eight legged creatures have highly developed sense of sight that helps them to hunt efficiently in the low light levels of the deep waters. They also have an excellent sense of touch. Octopuses have sensory receptors at the bottom of their suckers that enable them to "taste" whatever they touch. They are, however, deaf.
• Male octopuses die within a few months of mating. However, males of larger species live longer. Female octopuses die soon after their eggs hatch.
• The most remarkable octopus fact is that they have a number of defense mechanisms. They can change the color of their body to merge with the surrounding that helps them to stay invisible from prey or predators. The first instinct of an octopus, when threatened, is to flee. Octopuses are known to eject a cloud of black ink when attacked by a predator. Sometimes they may also shed an arm to escape a predator. The lost arm regrows in some time.

Yongala Australia Shipwreck

In Australia there is one of the largest most visited shipwrecks. The Yongala is a shipwreck off the coast of Queensland. Full of life you may see manta rays, sea snakes, octopuses, turtles, bull sharks, tiger sharks, clouds of fish and spectacular coral. I would love to see more pictures of this site, if any of you have some please feel free to share! 

Diving with Sharks

At first when you see a shark its your natural reaction to tense up and freak out unless you have been diving around sharks for a while. Just remember that the more excited you get the more oxygen you use, so calm down and enjoy the sharks. Here are two of my personal videos of swimming with white tip sharks. Enjoy

Shark Facts!!

Sharks have between 5 and 7 gill slits on each side of their body in front of their pectoral fins. Bony fishes only have one pair. Having many exposed gill slits probably helps transfer more oxygen into their blood faster which allows them to swim very fast when they need to.


Most shark's skin is covered in small denticles instead of scales. Denticles are a lot like teeth. They have dentine in the centre and enamel on the surface. This makes shark's skin very tough and abrasive like sandpaper. The shape and position of some shark's denticles also helps reduce friction so that they can slip through the water easier.


Sharks have an extra sense that is able to detect tiny electric fields. They can use this to find food that is buried or to search for animals to eat in the dark or in turbid water. Sharks and rays make up the sub-class of fishes called elasmobranches. This sub-class is part of a class of cartilaginous fishes called Chondrichthyes which also includes chimaeras (ratfishes).


How dangerous are sharks?

• Sharks are usually very wary of people and most sharks will swim away long before you see them.
• There are nearly 500 species of sharks but only a few are likely to be involved in an attack. Some of the more dangerous sharks include the Great White Shark, the Tiger Shark, and the Bull Shark.
• Sharks do not normally treat humans as food. If they did, it would be very easy for them to eat all of the people who play in the water at the beach because they are much better swimmers than we are. Most scientists agree that attacks are usually the result of mistaken identity or the sharks feeling threatened because they are cornered. In places like California where there are a lot of White Shark attacks on surfers, scientists believe that the sharks think that the surfers look like seals or sea lions.

What do sharks eat?

• Sharks and rays have a very varied diet. They are carnivores which means that they eat animals rather than plants and algae. Some sharks commonly eat bony fishes, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, and other animals with an external skeleton), mollusks (snails, sea slugs, octopus and squids), and different types of worms. 
•  A shark's diet is often determined by its habitat. For example, sharks that live out at sea (pelagic sharks) are more likely to eat fish and squid because that is all that is available.

Diving the Reef

The second dive that we were able to experience was just outside of waikiki on a nice reef there. Thankfully it was from the boat so it large stride and in the water instead of having to walk in. We were able to see an octopus, eels, crabs, and many fish. We also saw two white tip sharks hiding out. It was a very colorful dive.

Fun Facts about Scuba

• Who can Scuba? Anyone can scuba! There is a basic level of health and fitness that you need to have to stay safe and be comfortable underwater, but there are not many other requirements. 
• How old do you have to be to Scuba? To be certified with PADI they do require that you are 14 years of age, but there are many classes for children under 14 as well. Children 8-12 can take an open water class to get them started on scuba diving. Contact your local dealer to get started.
• What does Scuba Mean? Scuba stands for Self- Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. A scuba system allows autonomous diving (diving without an air line to the surface). The word also describes the sport of scuba diving.
• Is Scuba Safe? Yes! Some people hear about a diver who died while pursuing their hobby and they question the safety of scuba. It is true a small number of divers do die every year. Most of these deaths are not due to equipment failure as some people might suspect, but are due to inadequate or no training, diving in extreme conditions or diving beyond their personal diving limitations.
• Do you have to be certified to dive? No, but you do need to have proper training before you attempt to breath underwater. This can be as simple as a Discover Scuba course. A resort course, as it is sometimes called, will let you experience diving before taking a certification course. This involves an introduction in the pool and a dive off the beach or in shallow water. A Discover Scuba course can count towards a scuba certification.Once you see how great scuba is, the next step is to complete an open water certification. As a certified diver, you can dive any where there is a dive shop. With 71 percent of the planet covered with water, there is an endless supply of dive destinations.
• How deep can scuba divers go? The recreational (no-decompression) diving limit is 130 ft (40 meters). Recreational diving can be defined as diving to a certain depth for a certain amount of time and being able to make a slow, direct ascent to the surface without doing staged decompression stops and without sufficient risk of decompression sickness.To dive beyond the recreational limit, you need to have technical dive training and equipment. Technical training and procedures enable divers to dive deeper than ever before and experience a fantastic underwater odyssey. With the advancement of science and technology, who knows out deep divers will be able to go in the future.
• How much does Scuba Cost? The cost will differ where you are and the prices will always be changing. The main thing that you should remember is that just like I stated in my older post you should get used to gear before you go out an buy it. Rent gear at first. Scuba certification can be a bit expensive. Taking a Discover Scuba course will help you decide if like the sport before shelling out the bucks for certification training. Scuba diving classes can be cheaper if you join a diving club. Experiencing the thrill and exhilaration of diving is well worth the money you spend.

Utah, A great place to Dive

Some of you would not think that Utah was a very fun place to dive, but for those of us who are located in Utah we think its some of the best diving. Here in Utah there are many places to dive because there are many lakes all around. I personally am located near Utah County where you have over 8 lakes to choose from within a 50 mile radius. That is not including the crater located in Midway Utah. It is said to be one of the most fun sites because of the warm water. Here are a few fun pictures

A beginning to Diving

I have been diving for the past 2 years and have realized that I would love to share my information with those advanced and beginner divers. For those of you that havent been out and are wanting to start diving here are a few small tips I might suggest.
1-Remember that your mask and snorkle with fins are the most important items for you right now. You want to have your own and be able to get comfortable with them to start off. Go to the nearest dive shop and ask them about some of the options they have for you. I personally enjoy a mask with a purge valve in the nose. Its easier to clear your mask of additional water.
2-Dont worry about any other gear. There are always going to be packages that you can buy with all your gear together. Get familiar with dive gear before you spend all your money on a BC that you will realize after trying others that you dont enjoy it.
3-Start slow and realize that diving is about having fun, dont rush yourself or stress out over not knowing what your doing.
4-Always pay attention to your dive instructor and make sure that your comfortable with anything he asks of you. They wont mind if you need to take additional time as long as  and you are happy.
5- Try and start diving in a warm water enviroment. The less amount of equipment you have to put on with your beggining the more comfortable you will feel at first.
Lastly, just have fun! Diving is an incredible sport and you will find that the longer you do it the more you love it.