If you ever wonder about the preparation, logistics and operations of deep diving world record attempts, you'll love Joseph Emmanuel's new book "Into the Deepest and Darkest -- Deep Diving Adventures in South Africa and the Gulf of Aqaba." A support and safety diver to world record holders Nuno Gomes and Verna Van Schaik, the author describes dynamics, build-up, and circumstances in an easygoing, conversational tone. [See review of "Into the Deepest and Darkest"]

RIP Wes Skiles
Wes Skiles died while diving off West Palm Beach on Wednesday, July 21. He was conducting a routine filming dive when the accident occurred. No one else was injured. There are no further details regarding the accident at this time. The exact cause has not yet been determined and we are awaiting official reports. Wes has been a tireless advocate for springs, springsheds and the conservation and protection of Florida’s water resources. At the time of his death, he was excited about the upcoming issue of National Geographic Magazine, which features his photographs and the cover shot. -- Posted Friday, July 23, 2010 by chb

Panasonic introduces much improved TS10 waterproof camera
Panasonic has released a follow-up to its initial rugged and waterproof camera. The new Lumix TS10 seems to have addressed almost all the issues we had in our detailed review of the Lumix TS1. The new TS10 is now freezeproof, its controls are easier to read, the tiny mode wheel has been replaced, the zoom is in a normal position, and the lens has been slightly moved so that your fingers are less likely to interfere. Oh, and the price has come way down (US$249 instead of the TS1's initial US$399). Way to go Panasonic! Now let's hope the TS2 will soon become the equally improved TS20! [See Panasonic Lumix TS10 product page] -- Posted Thursday, July 22, 2010 by chb

Blue Lake Tahoe, how much longer?
Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas has long been known for its blueness and exceptional clarity. Even four years ago, we still saw clear and mostly blue water. Sadly, things have been going downhill. The lake is still gorgeous and looks very blue, but as soon as you go under, it looks decidedly green. On a June 2010 dive at Meeks Bay, things looked murky green until we discovered blueness underneath. Whether this is due to the invasive Asian Clam (see report in Sacramento Bee) or some other phenomenon is unclear, but the visuals were dramatic as our picture to the right shows. -- Posted Monday, July 19, 2010 by chb

Lionfish now established in Roatan
ScubaDiverInfo.com spent ten days at CoCo View Resort on the Honduran island of Roatan and has found lionfish now firmly established there. Lionfish, native to the Indian Pacific region, are an invasive species along the south east coast of the US and the Caribbeans. Rapidly propagating and without natural enemy, the foot-long and longer lionfish is said to have a devastating impact on local sealife. Multi-colored and gorgeous to look at, lionfish look more like tropical birds and they are non-aggressive towards humans, but their rapid spread at almost all depths is cause for concern. We saw lionfish on virtually every dive, whereas in December of 2008 we had seen none. Local dive masters will spear them, and a Ph.D. student from the University of Alabama was on site to take cultures to further the understanding of lionfish. -- Posted Wednesday, July 14, 2010 by chb

Did the US Navy use scuba in 1945?
Did the US Navy use scuba towards the end of World War II? According to the 1951 movie "The Frogmen" it did, in its special Underwater Demolition Teams. The movie shows the use of UDTs to clear beaches of mines and to blow up docked enemy subs. It all makes for great footage and we recommend the movie for scuba history buffs, but scuba wasn't actually used in the US Navy until the early 1950s, and even then they probably would have used rebreathers for covert underwater missions. [See Watching "The Frogmen" (1951)] -- Posted Thursday, July 1, 2010 by chb

Steamer L.R. Doty found in 300 feet of water off Milwaukee
Not all ship wreck found are in the ocean; some of the really interesting ones are in lakes. Take, for example, the 300-foot L.R. Doty, a massive, wooden steamship that sank in 1898 in Lake Michigan. The ship remained lost until a tug owner snagged his nets at an obstruction in 1991 and thought it might be the L.R. Doty. However, it wasn't until this May that our friend Jitka Hanakova, owner of Milwaukee's Shipwreck Explorers and captain of the dive boat Mollie V, found the L.R. Doty, and on June 16, Hanakova and team of tech divers descended to the wreck at 300 feet. [Read full report] -- Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by chb

Joe Roualdes joins ScubaDiverInfo.com blog team
Welcome Joe Roualdes, who is a PADI dive master and has joined ScubaDiverInfo.com as a contributing blogger. Joe will focus on relating his experiences learning about underwater photography and video, dive-related stories of all kinds, and dive profiles. [Check out Joe Roualdes' blog!] -- Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by chb

Religious dive trips?
The National Catholic Register ran a feature entitled "Praying Underwater" that reports on the various underwater religious shrines around the world and includes a list and facts about some of them. [See Praying Underwater] -- Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by chb

Scuba businesses starting lawsuits against BP
The BP oil spill catastrophe is starting to affect all aspects of life in and around the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, a growing number of businesses and individuals are launching lawsuits against BP and other companies linked to the spill. Among the first scuba businesses to sue is Adventure Sports II of Montgomery, Alabama. -- Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by chb

Full review: 33-feet rated 14mp Panasonic TS2
Panasonic is rapidly establishing itself as a major digital camera manufacturer, and also offers cameras for underwater use. The Lumix TS2 is Panasonic's follow-up on last year's somewhat limited TS1. With a maximum depth of 33 feet, the 14-megapixel TS2, which lists for US$399, can now be used for diving. It also has a much wider temperature range and is altogether tougher yet. We gave the Lumix TS2 a good workout in the cold waters off the California Channel Islands. [Read full review of the Panasonic Lumix TS2] -- Posted Sunday, June 27, 2010 by chb

Waterproof case for the Amazon Kindle
For those who want to take their Kindle near or in water, M-Edge Accessories now offers the Kindle Guardian case. It's a nicely designed polycarbonate affair that comes in black, blue or red, runs US$79.99, and uses anti-reflective film to cut down on glare. Unfortunately, max depth is 1 meter, or just over three feet. So no Kindle reading during lengthy deco stops. [See Guardian Case for Amazon Kindle] -- Posted Thursday, June 17, 2010 by chb

Kelp-diving the California Channel Islands
If a week on a live aboard sounds great, but the cost and time requirements doesn't, consider a 3-day boat dive trip to the California Channel Islands. It probably runs less than a quarter the cost, but it's a terrific experience to dive the cool, wild waters of the Pacific, swimming through magical kelp forest, seeing Garibaldis, sea lions, horn and swell sharks, urchins and sea stars galore, and perhaps dolphins and even a humpback whale or two. Read our trip report from three great days onboard the 80-foot ship Conception by Truth Aquatics out of Santa Barbara [read trip report] [see picture gallery] -- Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2010 by chb

Camera in Ikelite housing floats from Aruba to Key West!
A blog in the Miami News Times tells the remarkable story of a digital camera in an Ikelite housing getting lost in Aruba, and then being found 1100 miles away in Key West, having floated all the way there. But that's not all: on the way, it apparently encountered a sea turtle that managed to trigger the record function, and so you have a video of the camera bobbing along the turtle (see video on YouTube). The odd trip is reported here. -- Posted Monday, June 14, 2010 by chb

US$149 waterproof Kodak Playsport 1080p vidcam
Earlier this year, Kodak joined the ranks of camera manufacturers offering waterproof models with the Kodak Playsport video camera that can also do 5mp stills. The Playsport shoots full 1080p high definition video (as well as 720p and WVGA), has 128MB internal memory, a SDHC card slot, comes in three colors (purple, black, blue). You can take it down to ten feet, and it costs just US149. 10 feet, of course, is not enough for most scuba dives, but the camera'd still be handy to have around on a dive boat! -- Posted Monday, June 14, 2010 by chb

Don't Buy Dive Gear Online
In her diving blog, Natalie Gibb outlines the reasons why divers should buy local instead of shopping online. Yes, online commerce is here to stay and it often makes sense, but if you want to continue to have your local dive shop to hang out, get advice, help you out, and organize trips for you, buy your gear from them! [See Don't Buy Dive Gear Online] -- Posted Thursday, May 27, 2010 by chb

Experimenting with dive gear
When I first took my certification classes a few short (it seems) years ago, I had absolutely no idea what kind of gear to buy. So I asked for expert advice and bought my first snorkel, pair of fins, mask and boots list in hand. It was good advice as, 133 dives later, I am still using that exact same set of gear. In fact, I am also still using the same BC, regulator and dive computer. more ... -- Posted Monday, May 3, 2010 by chb

Old destroyer will help create East Coast's largest artificial reef 30 miles off Ocean City
The state of Delaware announced that it received from the U.S. Navy the title to the 563-foot USS Arthur W. Radford and plans to sink it in 130 feet of water at the Deljerseyland Reef, an underwater site 30 miles from Ocean City, Md. (read about sinking the USS Arthur W. Radord). While divers welcome the news, editor Jim Perskie of pressofatlanticcity.com hates the plan and calls it "just ocean dumping." -- Posted Monday, April 12, 2010 by chb

Interesting stuff: Motorola dive computer and U-Boot in a lake
Interesting scuba-related stuff: Industrial designer Mario Icaza contemplates about computers and diving in a series of doodles and concepts, and we found an interesting report on freshwater diving in an Austrian lake, the Attersee. Amazingly, there's even a U-Boot there at 170 feet (check the Attersee report and YouTube video on the U-Boot. -- Posted Friday, April 9, 2010 by chb

Sevengill shark sightings off the coast of San Diego
nbcsandiego.com reports on increasing sightings of the rare sevengill shark off the coast of San Diego. The very balanced report includes video footage of the sharks in kelp forests and interviews with divers. [See Rare sharks spotted off coast] -- Posted Monday, April 5, 2010 by chb

USS Kittiwake to be sunk as artificial reef off Grand Cayman
According to the Cayman Islands tourism department, final arrangements are underway for the sinking of the decommissioned 251 foot naval ship, the USS Kittiwake off the northern end of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. The sinking is scheduled for June 2010 and the wreck is certain to become a popular scuba diving site, as well as a welcome artificial reef for all sorts of sea critters. -- Posted Friday, April 2, 2010 by chb

Mistrial declared in case of diver left behind
A mistrial was declared in a case where a (unharmed) diver left behind by a dive boat sued the dive operation for US$4 million. The incident took place in 2004 when the diver, who surfaced early due to equalization problems, was left at an offshore rig by a dive boat that continued on to a second dive site 10 miles away. [See mistrial] -- Posted Tuesday, March 30, 2010 by chb

Environmentalists vow suit to close Three Sisters, Kings Spring
Snorkeling and observing manatees around Crystal River, Fla. is an unforgettable experience, yet environmentalists now seek to make that impossible with a lawsuit to close Kings Spring and Three Sisters to swimmers and divers. The environmentalists charge that swimmers drive manatees away from the warmer waters of the springs and into colder waters where they may die from the cold. As is, there are special manatee sanctuaries closed to people, but the curious manatees often come out to investigate snorkelers. As far as we are concerned, motorboats pose an infinitely greater danger to manatees than swimmers. [Read Environmental Group Vows Suit] -- Posted Tuesday, March 30, 2010 by chb

Full review: Liquid Image Scuba Series 320 HD video mask
With so much to see underwater, a lot of divers take along a still or video camera. That's a lot of fun, but it also means you have your hands full, and especially so if you also need lights. That's where the camera and video masks from Liquid Image come in. They are dive masks that have a still/video camera built right into the mask, and they can also accommodate dive lights. We tested the Liquid Image Scuba Series 320, which can shoot 720p high definition video, and report on our findings in detail. [See full review of the Liquid Image Scuba Series HD 320 video mask] -- Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 by chb

A dip on the wild side of Cozumel
Statesman.com ran a nice report entitled "A dip on the wild side of Cozumel," referring to the roads less traveled on the Mexican island's east side. We've been there and author Pamela LeBlanc certainly got it right. And there's also a nice bit of general info on Cozumel. [See article] -- Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 by chb

USA Today article on Roatan
USA Today ran an article on how Roatan helps put Honduras back on the travel map, noting that the island is becoming more than just a scuba diver's secret hangout, mostly due to the increasing number of cruise ships that stop there now. [See article] -- Posted Saturday, March 13, 2010 by chb

Maldives ban shark fishing
The Maldives are following the Micronesian island nation of Palau in imposing a complete ban on shark fishing. That's good news for the rapidly dwindling shark population, and actually also for the Maldivian economy -- a study showed that a single reef shark is worth US$3,300 a year to the Maldivian tourism industry, as opposed to one-shot value of US$32 if the animal is killed. [See article] -- Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by chb

Diver rescues shark with Frisbee around its neck
It's not something likely to happen, but somehow a nurse shark off the coast of Palm Beach, Fla., managed to get his head stuck in a ring Frisbee. Two divers saw the predicament the shark was in and managed to free the animal. See excellent pictures of the rescue here. -- Posted Friday, March 5, 2010 by chb

The power plant cooling controversy
Many power plants suck in huge amounts of water, then spit it out again a bit warmer and a lot deader. This has been going on for decades. Is it acceptable? The LA Times published a good article on the issue. [...more] -- Posted Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by chb

Popular Blue Spring park closed for swimming, scuba
Blue Spring State Park in Florida covers more than 2,600 acres including the largest spring on the St. Johns River. It's also a manatee refuge and a popular place for scuba diving. Concerned for the welfare of the endangered Florida manatee that have suffered from the unusually low winter temperatures, state park officials announced this week they won't open Blue Spring State Park to swimming and diving on March 1 as planned. -- Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 by chb

Review: Wyndham Resort, Cozumel
Cozumel is a (drift) diving paradise, and you want to be as close to the great dive sites like the Santa Rosa Wall or the Palancar reefs as possible. ScubaDiverInfo.com spent a week at the Wyndham Resort and Spa, an all-inclusive 3-1/2-Star resort. Read about our experiences with the Wyndham resort, the food, the accommodations, the facilities, and, of course, the diving with Sand Dollar Sports. [Read detailed review of the Wyndham Resort and Spa, Cozumel] -- Posted Friday, February 26, 2010 by chb

Pentax releases waterproof Optio W90 camera


With the competition raising the ante in the waterproof/shockproof digital camera market, Pentax has announced the Optio W90. It's a 12.1-megapixel camera with a nice 5X optic zoom that starts wide (28-140mm equivalent), can handle 4-foot drops, freezing temperatures, has a "digital microscope" mode with LED illuminator, and can record 720p high-definition movies. Unfortunately, the US$329 W90 is still only waterproof to 20 feet (most of the competition can now handle 33 feet) and chances for a review are slim as Pentax never answers our emails. -- Posted Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by chb

Scuba diving price fixing in Catalina?!
It appears that an antitrust and price fixing case came before the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. It involved accusations of price fixing for scuba diving tours on Catalina island. The case was settled, but it's sad to learn this kind of thing is going on in our industry. -- Posted Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by chb

Sony unveils waterproof touch-screen DSC-TX5
Sony unveiled the US$350 10-megapixel DSC-TX5 Cyber-shot digital still camera with 4X optical zoom that Sony claims is the world's thinnest and smallest certified waterproof (up to 10 feet deep) digital still camera with Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and touch operation. It is also Sony's first digital camera with a CMOS sensor that is also freeze-proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, shockproof up to about a 5-foot drop and dust proof, and it can record HD video. -- Posted Friday, February 19, 2010 by chb

Bonaire resort puts bounty on lionfish
If you've been diving in the Caribbean the last two or three years, you probably saw something that wasn't there before: the beautiful but apparently destructive lionfish. A Bonaire resort -- Captain Don's Habitat -- has now announced a "bounty" award for divers who spot a lionfish during a special weeklong Marine Park Lionfish "Wrangler" event March 6-13, 2010. -- Posted Friday, February 19, 2010 by chb

Scuba Hall of Fame names 2010 inductees
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame will induct the following honorees in a January 30, 2010 celebration on Grand Cayman: Dr. Eugenie Clark, Wyland, Nick Icorn, Francis Toribiong, as well as the following early diving pioneers: Louis Boutan, Yes Le Prieur, Benoit Rouquayrol, Auguste Denayrouze and Henry Fleuss. -- Posted Friday, January 29, 2010 by chb

Panasonic introduces LUMIX TS2, waterproof to 33 feet
In an attempt to catch up with Olympus and Canon in the waterproof camera market, Panasonic introduced the new LUMIX DMC-TS2, a successor to the company's first rugged digital camera designed for active outdoor use, the LUMIX DMC-TS1. Featuring HD video recording capability, the new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX TS2 further strengthens its toughness when compared to its predecessor and is waterproof to 33 feet, shockproof to 10 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and dustproof. The TS2 has a 4.6X optical zoom that starts wide at 28mm, and a 2.7-inch high-res LCD. No word on pricing and availability yet. -- Posted Thursday, January 28, 2010 by chb

Report on coral bleaching in Florida
Most divers have seen coral bleaching, the whitening of corals that occurs when the coral's symbiotic algae dies off. Most generally blame that on pollution or global warming, but apparently coral is very sensitive to cold water as well. A report released by The Nature Conservancy describes coral bleaching in Florida due to recent water temperatures dropping to 52 degrees. The coral reefs of the Florida Keys are the basis of a unique and diverse ecosystem that forms the third largest barrier reef in the world. Reef-related expenditures generate more than $4.4 billion annually in southeast Florida and reef recreation supports more than 70,000 jobs (2001).[See report on coral bleaching by The Nature Conservancy] -- Posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010 by chb

Competition for Liquid Image masks?
We're high on the Liquid Image scuba video masks (and they just released some more cool new underwater products at the 2010 CES show in Las Vegas), but now it seems like they have some competition from a video mask sold at Etronixmart. The mask apparently takes 1280 x 960 video, stored on 4GB internal memory, max depth is 200 feet, and you operate it with a magnetic ring. -- Posted Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by chb

Japanese Whaler rams, sinks Sea Shepherd catamaran
The ongoing altercations between Japanese whaling boats and the Sea Shepherd conservation organization (documented in the Whale Wars" TV coverage) escalated January 6, 2009, when the Japanese "security" ship Shonan Maru 2 rammed the Sea Shepherd's US$2 million catamaran Ady Gil, causing catastrophic damage. Japan continues to kill whales despite a worldwide moratorium. Click on the image for a larger version, and see Sea Shepherd coverage and video on CNN. -- Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 by chb

Kodak introduces rugged waterproof HD vidcam
Eastman Kodak Company introduced the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, a rugged, durable and pocket-size HD video camera with a 2-inch display, a SDHC card slot for up to 32GB, and ability to capture full 1080p HD video. There's HDMI output (cable included), face tracking, electronic image stabilization, the camera can handle ten feet of water without extra housing (let's hope someone will make an deepwater case for it), you can also capture 5-megapixel stills, and it'll be available in April 2010 for just US$149. -- Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by chb

Star Trek wetsuits!
If you're a diver and a Star Trek fan, there's probably nothing cooler than a custom-made Star Trek wetsuit. Yes, they are available in blue, red, or gold and decked out with the original rank insignias. They are made to order, available in 3/5/7mm, and cost US$434 to US$449, minus a discount if you are a member of the Roddenberry Dive Team, run by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's son. Not inexpensive, but also not unreasonable for a custom suit, and priceless for Star Trek fans! [See Star Trek wetsuits] -- Posted Monday, January 4, 2010 by chb

Full review: Olympus E-620 with PT-E06 underwater case
The Olympus E-620 is a versatile 12.3-megapixel digital SLR that offers an excellent balance of performance, quality and features in a package of modest size and weight. Combined with the Olympus PT-E06 underwater housing and a couple of Olympus UFL-2 underwater strobes, it makes for perhaps the best consumer-level underwater camera rig we've tested. The camera itself lists for US$699 with a 14-42mm Zuiko Digital lens. [Read full review of the Olympus E-620 digital SLR camera with PT-E06 underwater housing] -- Posted Thursday, December 31, 2009 by chb

Best photography books of 2009
There's a lot of good photography books out there, and you can learn a lot from them. Editor Carol Cotton picked the best ones of 2009, including a description of each. [See the Best Photography Books of 2009] -- Posted Wednesday, December 30, 2009 by chb

153 scuba-diving Santas set world record
A group of UK scuba divers brought together through a diving forum called Yorkshire Divers, dresses up in santa costumes each year to raise money for a charity. In 2007 they raised a few hundred pounds with 8 participating santas. Last year they had over 80, and this year they set a world record with 153 simultaneous scuba diving Santas at an inland dive site called Vobster Quay in Somerset. -- Posted Tuesday, December 22, 2009 by chb

Guanahacabibes (Cuba) and Scuba Diving
Too bad we can't dive in Cuba. [See Guanahacabibes and Scuba Diving] -- Posted Thursday, December 17, 2009 by chb

Tiger Woods' private liveaboard
Ahh... how nice it must be to be really rich. Tiger Wood's US$22 million yacht apparently measures 155 feet, which makes it larger than almost all liveaboards. And it's nicely equipped with an 8-person jacuzzi, a gym, a theater projection system, a gourmet kitchen, BBQ grill, two motor scooters, scuba facilities, and an elevator. [See Tiger's yacht and a slide show of what it looks like inside] -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Free iPhone dive site database app
Divetime.com, the world's largest online dive site database, now has a free iPhone application where you can search for dive sites, read about dive sites, and also describe and rate dive sites. The app provides access to almost 12,000 dive sites all over the world. Search for "divetime" in the iPhone app store. -- Posted Monday, December 14, 2009 by chb

Replace your Zodiac with a ScubaCraft!
From the extremely cool and expensive adult toys front: the ScubaCraft! It's a super-elegant speedboat that can be used just for fun or also as a yacht tender, and it can also dive. Available in a 3 person and a 6 person version, the ScubaCraft uses a standard 4-cylinder motor for speeds up to 50 mph when on the surface, and a number of electric thrusters when underwater. Maximum depth is 100 feet (with a 160 feet option), and you need scuba gear when underwater. [See the ScubaCraft website -- Posted Friday, December 11, 2009 by chb

Review: Turks & Caicos Explorer II liveaboard
ScubaDiverInfo.com spent a week on Explorer Ventures' Turks and Caicos Explorer II liveaboard, a large, spacious (124 feet) liveaboard vessel that offers incredibly easy and enjoyable access to numerous dive sites around the Turks and Caicos Islands. A great crew, excellent food, generously sized facilities and five dives every day (if you're up to it!) make this weeklong trip unforgettable. Pricing is reasonable, dive sites diverse and you even get to see sharks. Compared to its primary competition -- the Aggressor -- the Explorer Ventures boat is older but is slightly larger, has an extra upper deck, and trips are somewhat less expensive. [Read full review of the Explorer Ventures Turks & Caicos Explorer II]
-- Posted Friday, December 4, 2009 by chb

Review: Occidental Grand, Cozumel
Cozumel is a (drift) diving paradise, and you want to be as close to the great dive sites like the Santa Rosa Wall or the Palancar reefs as possible. ScubaDiverInfo.com spent a week at the Occidental Grand, an all-inclusive 4-Star resort. Read about our experiences with the Occidental resort, the food, the accommodations, the facilities, and, of course, the diving. [Read detailed review of the Occidental Grand, Cozumel resort] -- Posted Thursday, November 19, 2009 by chb

Casio joins the waterproof camera market
Given that Casio has been selling tough and rugged G-SHOCK watches for over a quarter of a century, one might wonder what took the company so long to enter the increasingly lucrative water/shock/dust/crush-proof segment of the digital camera market currently dominated by the likes of Olympus, Pentax, Canon and Panasonic. Whatever Casio's reasons were, Casio now has a tough waterproof camera of its own (though only ten feet), the new 12.1-megapixel Exilim EX-G1. [See description and specs of the Casio Exilim EX-G1] -- Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by chb

Drift diving in Cozumel
When people think of diving in Cozumel, they generally think of drift diving. That means the current is such that the dive boat drops you off in one location and then picks you up at another. Drift makes everything a little different from diving in places where the boat is moored and you’ll always get back to the boat in the same spot. It also means there is no anchor line that can be located on the way back and back up. So how does drift diving in Cozumel work? [Read about drift diving in Cozumel] -- Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by chb

Need a cellphone while diving? Ocean Reef can help.
If you really, really, really cannot be without a cellphone even while diving, Ocean Reef has just the solution for you. Their Alpha UWCP Underwater Cell Phone uses an underwater communication unit that is integrated with a speaker and microphone and can be easily installed on any one of the Ocean Reef full face masks. The unit is wired with a quick-detach 130 foot cable to the surface. {See the Ocean Reef underwater cellphone] -- Posted Thursday, November 5, 2009 by chb

Telegraph.co.uk article on cave diver Jill Heinerth
Telegraph.co.uk did an article on Florida cave diver Jill Heinerth, covering her diving career and some of her major exploits, such as being the first person to cave dive in an Antarctic iceberg. [See Telegraph article on Jill Heinerth] -- Posted Monday, October 5, 2009 by chb

Scuba Comics
At the end of August, Disney announced it will buy Marvel Entertainment for about US$4 billion. Disney paid this incredible amount of money because Marvel's thousands of comic book characters -- which include including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, etc. -- can be extremely lucrative business. But did you know there was a time when there were a good number of scuba-themed comics? Examples are "Sea Devils," "The FrogMen," "Frogman," "Undersea Commando," "The Aquanauts" and more. See a great compilation of scuba comics at Diving Into Scuba Comics. -- Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by chb

The sharks of Turks and Caicos
Shark tours are cool, but seeing sharks in the wild is even better. If you want to see plenty of sharks on a nice Caribbean dive vacation, go to Turks and Caicos. We saw dozens of sharks off West Caicos on our seven day trip aboard the Turks & Caicos Explorer II, including reef sharks, blacktips, nurse sharks and I believe also a silky. [View Turks and Caicos shark pictures] -- Posted Thursday, August 27, 2009 by chb

Review: Panasonic's waterproof, shockproof Lumix TS1
After years of building Toughbook computers, Panasonic has entered the waterproof/shockproof/dustproof camera market with the 12.1-megapixel TS1. The camera has a terrific folding 28-128mm equivalent zoom, can do 720p high definition video, and excels in picture quality. Max depth is limited to 10 feet though. [Read review of the Panasonic Lumix TS1]
-- Posted Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by chb

Review: Canon D10 at Thunderdome
We put Canon's waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof 12-megapixel digital camera to the ultimate test, at the submerged Thunderdome off the Turks and Caicos islands. Our impressions of the uniquely style US$339 Powershot D10 are overwhelmingly positive. [Read review of the Canon Powershot D10] -- Posted Sunday, August 23, 2009 by chb

When your dive computer fails
Dive computers are remarkably reliable, and they usually run what seems like forever on a battery. But what happens when your dive computer quits on you? [...more] -- Posted Thursday, August 20, 2009 by chb

Scuba tanks do explode
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes scuba tanks do explode. The latest report is from Australia where a scuba equipment manager got injured when a tank blew up while being filled. There's a reason why inspections are mandatory. [See report] -- Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by chb

Record mass dive in Indonesia
To mark Indonesia's 64th Independence Day, almost 2,500 scuba divers set a new world record for the largest mass dive off the coast of North Sulawesi. The challenge was part of the Sail Bunaken 2009 maritime event that was held to assist Indonesia's efforts to establish the Sulawesi town of Manado as a world-class tourist spot. -- Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by chb

2008 DAN Diving Report available for free download
The 2008 DAN Diving Report is now available for free download as a PDF file from the DAN website. You don't need to be a DAN member to get it. The 137-page report includes a detailed compilation of dive incidents, statistics, recommendations and explanations. [Go to the DAN 2008 DAN Diving Report download page] -- Posted Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by chb