heavysoul asked:


im starting a padi open water diving course, then would like to do the padi advanced open water. but i one day would like to move to australia.. what level of course would allow me entry in to oz or nz?

Tyler G asked:


i’ve seen on tv and stuff ppl go diving with just snorkels, but they take the snorkels underwater. do they have somekinda special snorkel that holds oxygen or sumthin or what. plz help me i want to go scuba diving soon as a beginner but i need info.

Genuine Vanilla Face asked:


Cos we are planning holiday to malta and apparently snorkelling is great there but we cant swim but dont ya wear flippers n all?

Matt Peters asked:


A digital camera battery is by far the most important and powerful tool in your camera. Your camera’s image quality, zoom performance, memory card and megapixels are zilch if your camera isn’t operational. And this is where the digital camera battery comes in. Here are a few key points to ponder when buying and using your batteries.

1. Always carry extra batteries.

How many times have you had to stop a photo shoot because you ran out of batteries? The only solution is to carry loads of extra batteries so that you can avoid this situation. Cameras consume battery power quickly so bringing extra batteries is imperative. You don’t want the perfect sunset to get away from you because of empty batteries, do you?

2. Use rechargeable batteries

The cost alone of using regular batteries is astronomical if you use your camera everyday. It is better if you use a rechargeable digital camera battery because it is more cost-effective and can be re-used. Besides, buying a charger and four rechargeable batteries is less expensive in the long run.

3. Switch off your camera when you’re not using it.

Since your camera eats the energy of your digital camera battery, it is only sensible for you to turn it off when you’re not using it. Don’t leave it on when you’re just sitting idly to conserve the power of your battery. Of course, this tip would not apply if you have a compulsion to shoot everything within the vicinity.

4. Refrain from constant playback.

Although it’s great to see the results of your pictures after taking them, it is better to save the viewing time until after the photo shoot. Constant playback consumes the digital camera battery’s power.

5. Don’t use different types and brands at the same time.

So that you won’t damage your camera, do not insert different types and brands of batteries into your camera. Batteries have dissimilar levels of energy so it is not wise to use different types at the same time. You also have to make sure that the batteries have matching powers because one battery could be exhausted first than the other. Your camera would be useless when this happens.

6. Extract batteries from your camera when you’re not using it.

This is important, especially if you won’t use your camera for months. It eliminates the possibility of battery leakage, which could damage your camera forever.

7. Do not let your digital camera battery get wet.

Remember that water, even water vapor can impair your batteries. So you have to be very careful when you are near water or you’re taking a photo of waterfalls. Make sure that you are a few feet away when taking pictures of running water unless your camera has underwater housing.

Taking care of your batteries is actually just common sense. Take extra care and guard them from nature’s elements so they won’t destroy your camera too. With proper protection, your batteries would remain useful for a long time, giving you more opportunities to capture picture-perfect moments.

Trevor Mulholland asked:


The first thing that goes through someone’s head when you tell them that you have signed up for online dive classes is usually that you must have lost your mind. After all, how can dive lessons be taken online? It is of course possible to create a website with the illusion of water, that still does not teach the mechanics of diving. But this is only because most people do not realize what is involved in learning how to dive. It isn’t just the physical aspect; there’s some knowledge involved too.
While it is extremely important to be taught inside and around a pool, part of learning how to dive is knowing how the equipment works, how to use it, and other similar knowledge. Rather than waste time in attending classes for topics like these, most diving instructors actually prefer it when you take online dive classes and know these things before you start the actual diving. It makes the process easier when, once in the water, the instructor does not need to explain more than how to move. Not to mention that it saves the money usually spent on time sitting inside a classroom.
Those who like to compare two different methods before deciding on one should take this into consideration. Though some people might consider it more productive to actually attend classes and learn how to deal with the equipment and science involved first hand, you are far more likely to absorb the knowledge if it is absorbed at your own pace, taking into account your time and comfort rather than that of the person doing the teaching. Online classes have the advantage of a comfortable location, not as much time loss and preferably a cup of your favorite tea or coffee placed right next to you.
Once you start the actual diving however, online dive classes will do you more harm than good. Some websites (and even some books and audio tapes) do offer step by step guides with regards to the actual diving, but since it is impossible to take your laptop and your internet connection into an actual pool, this method is usually advised against. The same applies to visual demonstrations on video cassettes. Online learning is useful, but it has its limitations. Education underwater is one of them. Save your money; leave your hardware at home and learn the actual scuba diving in the sea.

Johan Hedin asked:


 
Scuba Dive
Have you ever been scuba diving or snorkelling in a blue sea of corals? A giant turtle passes you. A shoal of brightly coloured parrot fish that seem to have no fear of human presence surrounds you and nibbles at your wetsuit in curiosity. You try to touch the shoal and the fish simultaneously disperse in an orchestral fanfare of rainbow colours that glisten in the rays of sunlight that stream through from the surface. Then, if you are lucky, there are sharks…
 
Swim with the fishes? The sharks here are friendly
Actually sharks are rare to see in most places in the world, but one thing is quite certain, if you are lucky enough to see one, then chances are you will never forget it !! Phuket has a number of differebt species of sharkes that are commonally seen on day trips, the most common being leopard sharks, bamboo sharks and black and white tip reef sharks. What would you do if you encountered a 10m whale shark ?
 
Even the very experienced divers never cease to be amazed at the wonders that lurk beneath sea. Indeed, the temptation of living and diving by the sea and becoming a diving instructor is very real dream for some. So what does it take to become a diving instructor?  PADI Course Director Chris Owen, the Thailand scuba diving specialist and PADI IDC Course Director can point you in the right direction. 
 
Diversity
Whether you are only interested in becoming an instructor or you have mapped out your vacations for the sole purpose of recreational and PADI courses, PADI IDC Thailand and in particular schools like PADI Course Director Chris Owen’s Indepth Instruction diversify across the board for all. Introductory snorkelling and scuba diving for beginners, children’s courses to include the whole family and not to mention the PADI Underwater Digital Photography Courses are available to suit all your needs.
 
Dive Master to Instructor
PADI IDC courses are globally recognized; and a ten day plus IDC course will certainly put you on the right track to becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI).
Participate in the workshops, training sessions and enjoying a team spirit with PADI IDC classes of up to ten students whilst utilizing state-of-the-art equipment. Different pool depths and other facilities are also available to aid you in training or fine tuning your dive skills whilst preparing you for open water adventures and beyond. Some of the extra workshops available are Ascents & Descents, Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA) pool and open water. Student Control is managed both under water and at the surface and Pocket Mask use is taught. All logistics are taken care of whilst participating in the courses. From airport pickup, accommodation to even being there for you when taking your PADI Instructor Examination (IE).
 
 
100% Pass Guarantee
PADI Course Director Chris Owen has virtually guaranteed your passing the Instructor Examination (IE) after taking his course. He says, if you don’t pass he will not only hand you a free IDC course the following time but will also pay your PADI Instructor Exam fees too!
 

Matthias Zeitler asked:


Scuba diving is considered by many to be just another recreational sport that implies no risks but only having fun while swimming under water. The truth is that diving offers a lot of benefits to those who practice it but the sport also includes various issues, from accidents that can happen under water to physical conditions. Some may say that scuba diving medicine is a complicated domain but no matter how difficult it can be, the instructors and the divers should be aware of many of the major points that scuba diving medicine brings to our attention.

Our organisms suffer a number of modifications when they are under the waters at various depths. Compression is one of the things you will have to deal with while swimming for scuba diving. From this point of view, the speed of descent and the depth of the diving are very important factors. In order to be properly prepared to visit the world that you can find at various depths under the waters you need to know how to adapt to the conditions that you will find there. You will confront with various water pressures so you must be able to manage with the equipment so you will breathe correspondingly with the depth you are at. The purity of the oxygen you breathe under water should vary according to the depths; otherwise, you can end up by confronting with some unwanted complications.

Scuba diving medicine comes to help with diverse problems and diseases that can affect people who practice the sport while something goes wrong. Affections such as hypoxia can occur when people don’t use the pure-oxygen apparatus in the proper way and it implies a lack of oxygen so the patient is recommended to inhale pure oxygen among other treatments. Hyperoxia caused by the excess of Oxygen or hypercapnia characterized by CO2 toxicity are some other complications that can occur when it comes to compression while scuba diving.

The decompression of dissolved gases can also be a major concern for divers and scuba diving medicine comes with treatment in these cases too. The affection is named the decompression sickness and the symptoms are improved with the help of a chamber for decompression.

The differences of the pressure under water can be very harmful to the diver if he or she is not able to handle the equipment in the proper way or when other complications occur. These are some of the cases where scuba diving medicine does its work. Years of research made the domain reach a point where it can solve many major affections caused by improper scuba diving. Besides the physical state of the individual, the psychological state is important as well as situations such as being panicked under the water can lead to harmful things for that person. for both physical and psychological problems that may occur while practicing this sport, scuba diving medicine can bring the needed solutions.

flyboy_3dx asked:


I’m soon to be a new open water SCUBA diver need a good place with lots of stuff to see and do like wreck diving clear water.

David Cowley asked:


If you grew up dreaming of searching for sunken treasure, you’re not alone.  Many young men and women have had dreams just like that, of searching the ocean floor for remnants of some sunken ship that was loaded down with gold coins and gem encrusted goodies.  That elusive treasure chest of priceless riches is everyone’s dream prize, and whether or not you need to fight off some pirates to get it is yet another matter.  But in all seriousness, if you are truly interested in finding some sunken treasure, where can you go?
Real hunting for sunken treasure is not as fictional or fantastic as you might think.  There are many scuba centers and guided tours that allow a tourist to scour some of the best sites where treasure might be found.  And while many of these scuba centers are located in exotic places like off the coast of the Bahamas or in the Gulf of Mexico, some sunken treasure can be found in much more accessible areas such as off the coast of the Jersey shore and California. 
These organized tours for sunken treasure are not as fruitless as you might immediately assume.  Many have reported that their tourists have recovered actual treasure that can be traced back to sunken Spanish ships and merchants that ran trade routes from Europe to the Americas.  Most companies that operate sunken treasure tours are very careful to check historic records of the routes of these ships and any known records of their location when they sunk.  They check these against ocean current directions and weather reports and make maps of possible locations where the ship’s treasures would now be located.  Of course there are no guarantees that you’ll ever find sunken treasure when you go on such a tour, but their guides are hoping that their tourists will find something - this is good for repeat business, of course.
Hunting for sunken treasure means knowing how to scuba dive.  Most tour companies will give you lessons, but if you’re serious about making treasure hunting a hobby, you may want to consider taking classes near your home.  You can typically find a class that is offered out of your local high school or YMCA, or anyplace with a pool.  This way you can get very skilled at diving and won’t need to rely on just a quick intro course.  And of course if you have the money at your disposal, you may want to search for your own sunken treasure and simply hire a boat to take you to your desired location.  This can get costly as you invest in sonar equipment and diving apparatus, but this is your decision to make of course.
One of the more popular treasure hunting enterprises is run by the decedents of Mel Fisher out of Key West Florida.  If you are willing to invest in the business they will allow you to dive on the Nuestra Senora De Atocha and Santa Margarita Spanish galleons that were sunk by a hurricane on September 6, 1622.  All treasure uncovered during the year are shared by all investors of that year.
Not many people actually get rich from finding that elusive sunken treasure, but it can be a fascinating hobby that will keep you occupied for years to come.
Happy Treasure Hunting.