Recently I had the unfortunate experience of having my Scubapro Mk25 1st stage regulator flooded. I did a search through books and the web and could not find instructions on what to do. So, after consulting my local regulator technician I was able to remedy the problem. I’m posting that information here for the benefit of others who might’ve had a similar accident.
Continue Reading June 4th, 2006
I seldom stray far from home without my laptop and my Victorinox Vertical Brief. I’m also a big fan of keeping things light and simple, yet functional. The Eiffel is rugged enough to stand up to any amount of abuse (the bag itself, not the laptop inside), yet sports a sleek design that exhibits sophistication minus the pretentiousness of a traditional briefcase. A 15″ Powerbook and a few magazines or a book fit perfectly into the Eiffel’s main stowage compartments, and the front organizer has precisely the right amount of additional room for accessories and all the rest. The piece can also convert to fit nicely onto the handles of rolling luggage for easy transport when traveling. Add to all of this Victorinox’s reputation of offering extremely well-made products and a trusted warranty, and you’ve got yourself a lot of bang for the buck. Bottom line: this product offers stowage for the essentials, yet maintains a streamlined profile for both quick jaunts around town and extended travel abroad.
Continue Reading May 15th, 2006
This site is our trusty old standby. Nearly every Wednesday night we have a NorthWest Dive Club meeting at Cove 2 to keep our appetites for diving at bay. Though it’s close to home and sometimes forgotten for that reason, this is one of the most beautiful dive sites anywhere in the world, topside. With stunning views of the Seattle skyline directly across from the staging area and many places to eat nearby, this site is as convenient as it is unique. Below, the site does not disappoint: a couple small wrecks, some I-beams and harbor seals that often playfully follow divers around. I’ve also seen adult Giant Pacific Octopus here and several juveniles. It’s so easy to head on over the bridge to West Seattle, a mere 20 minutes from Downtown, which is why this remains one of the best dive sites to speak of for us Seattlites.
Continue Reading March 15th, 2006
This dive site is well worth the grueling walk from the car to the dive site, and even better if you can dive it from a boat. There’s plenty to see among some concrete formations that form an artificial reef. Octopus, rockfish and a healthy anemone population are standard sights. Careful planning should be done though, due to the current-intensive nature of the site. Vashon Island is a short ferry ride from West Seattle, and the KVI Radio Tower is not far from the ferry terminal.
Continue Reading March 13th, 2006
Sorry for the departure from all things SCUBA, due to the recent launch of Newsvine.com to the general public. Now that the launch is behind us, I can get back to writing about my underwater adventures again. In this entry I’ll be detailing Sunrise Beach, an amazing dive site near Gig Harbor that has recently captured my attention and favor. Even though I haven’t been writing much about diving lately, I have been in the water quite often and have tried out a smorgasboard of new equipment, with buddies from the NorthWest Dive Club. Now, onto the goods….
Continue Reading March 6th, 2006
Today we released Newsvine.com to the World. If you haven’t seen it yet, pop on over and give ‘er a test drive. We’ve added heaps of new features over the past few weeks ahead of this public launch to make The Vine nice and cozy for our new users. I’ve detailed a few interesting feature additions and facts about Newsvine.
Continue Reading March 1st, 2006
We’re putting the finishing touches on the site ahead of opening the doors to you private beta testers. Many of you have been very, very patient by waiting to take part in the private testing of Newsvine.com. We’re sorry to have kept you on the sidelines for so long, but we wanted to have things as polished as possible. Crazy things can happen once thousands of people are putting stresses on the system, and our team has been working hard to ensure that your experience is as smooth as possible despite that fact. If you’ve been waiting….your wait is coming to an end, very shortly now over.
Continue Reading January 5th, 2006
I’ve been seriously slacking lately on the photo gallery, but my recent post on Cozumel prompted me to get off my duff and upload my photos from Mexico. This album is made up of photos mostly from Cozumel, but a few from diving the cenotes on the Yucatan peninsula. Cozumel is a small island off the Eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is located opposite Playa Del Carmen on the mainland, a vibrant town full of party life and home to white sand beaches. Cozumel has long held the reputation of a diver’s paradise. Nearly every street in the small town of San Miguel has at least one dive shop on it. There are many dive operators there, ranging from those who run cattle boats to those specializing in taking experienced divers out for some challenging dives. The best thing about diving off of Cozumel are the strong currents.
Continue Reading December 26th, 2005
Cozumel is probably the top place in my mind for tropical diving anywhere close to home. This year the island got slammed by a coupla hurricanes. I was glad that I’d been there several times before the storm came through and got to see the stunning reefs and swim-throughs there. I’ve been slacking big time on writing up my Cozumel trip reports and uploading my galleries from there, due to my present commitments to Newsvine. I was finally prompted to write this short post on Cozumel by an email I received from my friends down at Deep Blue, the dive operator I did my PADI Rescue Diver with.
Continue Reading December 20th, 2005
The SeaQuest Pro QD is about as traditional of a BCD design as you can find. However, after using other new-fangled BCs, I’ve come to appreciate the proven model of a jacket-style buoyancy control device. For a brief description of the difference between the two styles of BCDs, read my post on the SeaQuest Balance. Though the Pro QD does not pack as tightly as the ultra-lightweight Zeagle Stiletto I wrote about earlier this year, it does have advantages that make it a better option to go with if you’re using it in the same locale most of the time, mostly due to its solid stability at depth and on the surface. Also, by giving up the compact form factor, this SeaQuest offers a plethora of attachment points and comfort padding in the right places.
Continue Reading December 19th, 2005
