NOVEMBER 2011
DIVE LOCALLY
WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS
DIVING AT THETIS ISLAND Discover the Gulf Islands of British Columbia
KUAI’I
I didn’t just learn to dive in
HOOD CANAL I became a diver here!
HAWAII
I waited 20 years for this!
Volume 15 Issue 11 $1.95 US/$2.25 Canada
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We support our local dive shops - without them we will not have a dive industry.
NOVEMBER 2011 IN THIS ISSUE ◄ Cover by Jan Kocian Jan is an avid diver and photographer who lives in Freeland, WA on Whidbey Island. Diving has been his passion since an early age. Certified in 1963 in what used to be Czechoslovakia, (Now the Czech Republic) a flooded quarry was his playground. He escaped the communist “workers paradise” in 1968 and since then he has been diving in many places, warm and cold. He enjoys capturing and sharing with others what our rich underwater world has to offer in the Pacific Northwest. To see more of Jan’s photo visit his photo galleries at http://jankocian.smugmug.com/.
Northwest Dive News
The complete resource for what’s happening in diving in the Pacific Northwest. P.O. Box 1494 Oak Harbor, WA 98277 Phone (360) 240-1874 Fax (360) 279-1814 www.nwdivenews.com
Publisher and Editor Rick Stratton rick@divenewsnetwork.com Production Manager IJ James ij@divenewsnetwork.com Expo Coordinator Selene Peterson expo@divenewsmag.com Travel Editor Jett & Kathryn Britnell Accounts Manager Tove Chatham accounting@divenewsmag.com Advertising Sales Roosevelt Rumble (360) 240-1874 ext103 sales@nwdivenews.com Northwest Dive News (NWDN) is committed to promoting the sport of scuba diving in the Pacific Northwest. We will present a practical, unbiased point of view regarding all aspects of the sport of scuba diving. Topics covered will include information on current events, dive sites, dive training, dive safety, boat diving, dive buddy network and the personal experiences of our readers, Northwest scuba divers. NWDN believes in honesty and integrity in business and will support all efforts related to this. We encourage our readers to participate in determining the content of this publication by giving us their opinions on the types of articles they would like to see. We invite letters to the editor, manuscripts and photographs related to diving or diving related business. IMPORTANT NOTICE NWDN reserves the right to refuse service to anyone it chooses. The contents of NWDN are opinions of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or any of its staff. The publishers and contributors assume no responsibility for any mishap claimed to be a result of use of this material. Diving is an adventure sport and contains inherent risks. Improper use of diving equipment or improper diving techniques may result in serious injury or death. Readers are advised to use their own best judgment in each individual situation. Subscription Rates: U.S. one year $20.00 (3rd Class) Canadian $30 USF EARN A FREE 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION NWDN wants your diving related stories, cartoons, articles and pictures, and we’ll reward you by sending you a one (1) year subscription in return for the right to publish your original work. In order to win you must be published. This will apply for one article, photo or cartoon per six month period. Stories should be a maximum of 1,200 words and we strongly suggest you include pictures or artwork with your story submissions to increase the likelihood that you will be published. Email submissions to nwdiver @nwdivenews.com or mail to P.O. Box 1494 Oak Harbor, WA 98277. Any material accepted may be printed by any means and is subject to revision as required. We are not responsible for returning such without a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Monthly Columns Editor’s Note.......................................4 Incoming Mail.....................................5 Hot News............................................6 Ocean Acidification.............................8 Kona Honu Adaptive Scuba .............. 9 Nicole Pratt: Expo Speaker ............. 10 Bruce Justinen: Expo Speaker......... 11
DAN/Medical Column....................... 26 Mystery Critter..................................27 BoatingRegulations..........................28 Gear Box..........................................29 Dive Directory..............................30-31 Tropical Dive Directory................30-31
NORTHWEST US DIVES 12 Hood Canal: It’s Something Special
I returned to diving the Hood Canal during my Divemaster program. Classes I assisted with were typically held at Puget Sound dive sites so Hood Canal represented this “undiscovered country” to me as a diver. I first dove Sund Rock in a complete stupor following my dive buddy’s ridiculous direction which had us fully geared up and scaling down the face of a small cliff, aka the “free” access point to the North. How we avoided stitches, splinting practice, and a stretcher is still a shock to me. But the moment I dunked my head beneath the surface and started our dive, I knew I was home. By Nicolle Pratt
NORTHWEST CANADA DIVES
16 Diving at Thetis Island
There are not many places in the world that still whisper come discover me, but of those left Thetis Island, one of the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, certainly whispers a little louder than most. Find seclusion and undiscovered country that melds into the most memorable critter sightings. By Bill Golley
TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
20 Hawaii: Warm Water Retreat
Picture the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Jurassic Park, just two of the many movies filmed here. Kaua’i is known as the Garden Island for good reason. If you go, we recommend you rent a jeep, since some beaches can only be accessed by dirt roads. Rediscover this paradise and find out how a first time diver fell in love with the underwater paradise that is Kaua’i. By Nate Edmons
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Do you have an opinion? Contact us: editor@divenewsmag.com
We Need To Risk Hanging Together Or Assuredly We Shall All Hang Separately
John Trumbull’s painting, Declaration of Independence.
T
here is a generally accepted story from the signing of the Declaration of Independence where John Hancock said Congress, having signed the Declaration, must now “all hang together”, and Benjamin Franklin replied: “Yes, we must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” The risks of speaking out against the King were dangerous. However, these men made a choice and the history books reflect the results. In the current economy, industry participants and leaders have a choice, and history will reveal which one was successful. As business owners, we must choose differently than the status quo. We need to speak out against our own oppressor of apathy and separatism, and we need to seek an agreement. We need to work together as an industry, or we shall all hang separately.
Your Prescription for Diving
Our times are forcing a change in business. As a business and industry we are all struggling with the changes. The economy itself, the internet and the changing customer buying habits, are forcing ‘the pie’ to feel smaller. The Northeast and Midwest is one of the hardest hit sections of the country. The high unemployment in the manufacturing segments, diving itself in the Midwest and Northeast requires a sacrifice. The pie feels smaller, and as a result the dive retailers are fighting each other for a share of the shrinking pie. The problem with fighting a shrinking pie means there is less for all. This month we celebrate our thanks for all our blessings. I believe one of our greatest blessings comes from our greatest challenges. Our challenging business climate can result in a rebirth of our spirit. When we realize the need to work cooperatively for the benefit of all, we will find the pie begins to grow. This year I have attended nearly all of the DUI Dog Rally events. At these events, DUI dealers are encouraged to work collectively and cooperatively to promote drysuit diving and snorkeling. They all benefit from the Rally. I was impressed by the retailers themselves. They were amazing, warm, personable and passionate advocates for the sport. But I noticed while the events were successful they were a lot smaller than they could have been. Most events are geographically spaced by hundreds of miles so there are usually 20 retailers in each event region. Sadly, only about half the retailers in each area showed up for the event. Each event hosted 150-200 attendees, which is less than 10 divers per shop. Some shops exceed the average, so I am NOT talking about the high performers, just the average (or even those not attending). If each shop increased the number of divers, or potential divers, to 50 then these events could be 2 to 3 times more successful. Talking with DUI test divers after the event the most common thought was how much fun they had at the event overall, not necessarily the dive itself. Imagine the level of excitement brought with more attendees. We can all be more successful if we work cooperatively rather than individually to facilitate and improve our customers’ experience: yielding the industry more customers!
Rick
facebook.com/Rick.Stratton1 twitter.com/nwdivenews rick@divenewsnetwork.com
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HOT NEWS Get your business noticed by sending us your NEWS/EVENTS: editor@divenewsmag.com Seven Seas Scuba Expands
Seven Seas Scuba has recently expanded to a new location in Monterey, CA. Adding to their current three locations, Monterey is their newest PADI 5-Star Dive Center located on historic Cannery Row, at 225 Cannery Row, just steps from the Breakwater. They are offering equipment sales, rentals, service, training, air, nitrox, and trimix fills. Seven Seas Scuba is open Sat.-Sun. from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more info visit www.sevenseascuba.com.
Eugene Dive Club is throwing a Party
Eugene Dive Club is having their holiday party at Putters in Eugene, Oregon. Please RSVP and let them know if you will be playing mini-golf or lazertag. Stay tuned to www.eugenediveclub.com for more info. For directions to Putters please visit their site www.bowlstrikecity.com
Become a Volunteer Diver for the Oregon Coast Aquarium
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is currently recruiting divers for the Volunteer Diver Program. If you are an active cold water diver and are interested in honing your skills, staying active as a diver and giving something back, we invite you to join our next recruiting training program. This training includes the Habitat Diver Specialty Course and the Volunteer Diver Orientation Course. This PADI Distinctive Specialty has been developed specifically to meet the needs of the dive program at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and is required of all prospective volunteer divers. The curriculum includes: watermanship/scuba skills evaluation, full face-mask and underwater communications, underwater naturalist skills, buoyancy and aquarium diving techniques, and tending training. The course includes classroom and pool sessions, plus four Aquarium dives. Divers who complete the course receive the PADI Habitat Diver Specialty certification card. The Orientation Course includes: an induction session on the volunteer program benefits, history, structure and mission of the Aquarium; policies and procedures; a tour of the Aquarium behind the scenes; incident and emergency management procedures; role of the surface tender and shift captain; a session on animal husbandry techniques and water quality; scientific diving; shark diving policies/techniques; a shark behavior observation session; and a tour of diving exhibits in the main building galleries, aviary and mammals. There is no cost for this course. Contact Diana Hollingshead of Eugene Skin Divers Supply at 541-342-2351 or email Diana@eugeneskindivers.com for more info.
PNWUPS e-Magazine
The Pacific Northwest Underwater Photographic Society (PNWUPS) is an organization formed to encourage interest and participation in underwater photography. And they now have an e-Magazine. PNWUPS provides educational and entertaining programs geared to developing skills for both point and shoot and DSLR photographers. Pacific Northwest Diver e-Magazine’s current edition is available for download. 6
PNWUPS meetings are held 2:00 PM, the second Sunday of each month, in the meeting room at Denny’s Restaurant, 132 128th St SE, Everett 98204, 425.355.2210. The location is just west of I-5 on the 128th Exit. They encourage anyone interested to attend PNWUPS meetings, regardless of their photography skill level. Our members are happy to share knowledge and expertise. For the e-Magazine visit www.pnwups.com.
Reef and Rainforest Hires Kimberly Larson
Reef & Rainforest Dive & Adventure Travel, an agency specializing in exotic dive travel, has hired Kimberly Larson as Dive Travel Consultant. Larson, hired September 21, will be in charge of managing and increasing Reef & Rainforest’s network of dive retailers. Reef & Rainforest has previously focused on helping dive retailers plan group trips and will now expand its efforts to help them plan trips for individuals. Larson will spearhead this effort. Along with overseeing the dive retailer program, Larson will also be acting as a travel consultant. For more info contact Kim at Kim@reefrainforest.com or by calling (800) 794-9767 or (503) 208-7500 extension 308 or visit www.reefrainforest.com.
Underwater Clean Up in Maui
The fishermen in Maui keep divers very busy recycling their line and sinkers. As part of Project Aware divers will be coming together for their next underwater clean-up Dec. 8 at the Underwater Cleanup in Maui at the Maalaea Harbor, Slip 23 in Maalaea, HI. Clean up begins at 7 a.m. Participants must have their Advanced Open Water and Project AWARE certifications to participate. If you wish to join as surface support only, then all you need is your Project AWARE certification. This is a quick, easy and FUN certification and for you divers out there, it also counts towards your Master Scuba Diver rating. Advance signups are required, so please call 808-874-5332. For more info visit www.projectaware.org/action/underwater-cleanup-maui.
Good Will Diving Launches Newest Project
Following the success of Eyes for Fiji campaign, Good Will Diving recently announced their newest featured cause - collecting school supplies for both students & teachers in the Philippines. Good Will Diving’s friends at Atlantis Resorts, recently brought to Good Will’s attention the desperate need for even the most simple of school supplies and Good Will Diving has volunteered to help in any way possible through their already established foundation. Atlantis Resorts has provided a list of local schools, their needs, and have arranged a collection point at Atlantis Puerto Galera to make this effort incredibly easy for any guests who would like to contribute. For groups or individuals traveling to Atlantis, Good Will Diving is happy to provide the list upon request, which
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010 Send Us Your News/Eventswww.nwdivenews.com FREE at editor@divenewsmag.com
includes many items that are very light and small to add to a suitcase. If any dive stores or clubs are interested in becoming a local collection point, Good Will Diving would love to hear from them and make it happen! Donations for both, Foundations for the Future school supplies and Eyes for Fiji will be gratefully accepted at their site. For more info or to donate visit GoodWillDiving@ DeepBlueAdventures.com.
DIABC Presents - An Evening with the Authors and Artisans
On Saturday, Nov. 19 the Dive Industry Association of British Columbia (DIABC) will present their third annual fundraising event at the West Vancouver Yacht Club, located at 5854 Marine Drive in West Vancouver. This fun and entertaining event arrives just in time for the holidays, which will include a silent auction, door prizes and the opportunity to meet and talk with authors, photographers and local artisans from around BC and Washington State. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. for a social gathering of industry people and divers. At 8 p.m. Neil McDaniel will give a presentation about some of his past adventures and a few of the interesting dive pioneers he has met over the years. Throughout the evening a continuous slideshow of Neil’s images will run. Talk with Andy Lamb, Wendy Carey, Bernie Hanby, Rogest (Ron Steven) and many more. For more info visit www.diveindustrybc. com or contact Barb Roy at beroy@telus.net. This event is co-sponsored by Northwest Dive News at www.divenewsnetwork.com and X-ray International Dive Magazine at www.xray-mag.com.
Find more Northwest activities on our facebook page! Northwest Activities
CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS
Do you want your event listed here? Contact us: editor@divenewsmag.com
November Nov 1: Wet & Wild diving Society, 7:30 p.m., Bob Lamb Training Center, Ft. McMurray, AB. www.ghphoto.ca/wwscuba/ Nov 2: Emerald Sea Dive Club, 7 p.m., Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Everett, WA. emeraldseadiveclub.org Nov 2: Marker Buoy Dive Club, 7 p.m., Sunset Hill Community Center, Seattle, WA. www.markerbuoydiveclub.org Nov 2: Puget Sound Depth Charters, 6 p.m., Louie G’s Pizza and Pasta, Fife, WA. www.psdepthchargers.com Nov 3: GSNDAMBAA Dive Club, 6 p.m., Edmonds Underwater Sports, Edmonds, WA. www.gsndambaa.org Nov 3: Northwest Dive Club, 6:30 p.m., Salem, OR. www.salemscuba.com Nov 3: Oregon Scuba Club, 7 p.m., Newport Seafood Grill, Rigard, OR. www.oregonscuba.com Nov. 5: Annual Atomic Ducks Dive Club Banquet, 5:30 p.m. Details soon, www.ducksdiveclub.org Nov 7: Eugene Dive Club, 7p.m., Mookie’s NW Grill on Seneca, Eugene, OR. www.eugenediveclub.com Nov 8: Portland Sea Searchers, 7 p.m., Portland OR. (503) 709-9306 N o v 8 : Ya k i m a D i v e C l u b , 6:30 p.m., El Porton, Yakima, WA. yakimadiveclub.sharepointspace.com Nov 14: Napa Valley Divers, 7 p.m., Fillippi’s Pizza Grotto, Napa, CA. www.napavalleydivers.com Nov 15: Atomic Ducks Dive Club Channel Dive. Details online www.duckdiveclub.org. Nov 15: Kelp Krawlers Dive Club, 7 p.m. River’s Edge Bar & Grille, Tumwater, WA. www.kelpkrawlers.org. Nov 19: Turkey Dive at Redondo with Puget Sound Depth Chargers, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.psdepthchargers.com Nov 22: Toooosday night at Alki! Brrrrrrrrrrrgers and beer post dive with Moss Bay Dive Club, 6:00 p.m., Alki Cove 2, Seattle, WA. www.meetup.com/ MossBayDiveClub Nov 24: Northwest Adventure Divers, 7p.m., Golden Steer Restaurant, Kent, WA. www.nwadveturedivers.com. Nov 24: Sea Horses Scuba Club, 6 p.m., Round Table Pizza, Redmond, WA. www.seahorsediveclub.com.
December Dec 1: GSNDAMBAA Dive Club, 6 p.m., Edmonds Underwater Sports, Edmonds, WA. www.gsndambaa.org Dec 1: Northwest Dive Club, 6:30 p.m., Salem, OR. www.salemscuba.com Dec 1: Oregon Scuba Club, 7 p.m., Newport Seafood Grill, Rigard, OR. www.oregonscuba.com Dec 3-4: Catalina Island, CA Casino Point DUI Dog Rally Dec 5: Eugene Dive Club, 7p.m., Mookie’s NW Grill on Seneca, Eugene, OR. www.eugenediveclub.com Dec 6: Wet and Wild Diving Society club meeting, 7:30 p.m. Bob Lamb Training Center, Ft. McMurray, AB. ghphoto.ca or 780.743.3123 Dec 7: Emerald Sea Dive Club, 7 p.m., Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Everett, WA. emeraldseadiveclub.org Dec 7: Marker Buoy Dive Club, 7 p.m., Sunset Hill Community Center, Seattle, WA. www.markerbuoydiveclub.org Dec 7: Puget Sound Depth Charters, 6 p.m., Louie G’s Pizza and Pasta, Fife, WA. www.psdepthchargers.com Dec 12: Napa Valley Divers, 7 p.m., Fillippi’s Pizza Grotto, Napa, CA. www.napavalleydivers.com Dec 13: Portland Sea Searchers, 7 p.m., Portland OR. (503) 709-9306 D e c 1 3 : Ya k i m a D i v e C l u b , 6:30 p.m., El Porton, Yakima, WA. yakimadiveclub.sharepointspace.com Dec 20: Atomic Ducks Dive Club Channel Dive. Details online www.duckdiveclub.org. Dec 20: Kelp Krawlers Dive Club, 7 p.m. River’s Edge Bar & Grille, Tumwater, WA. www.kelpkrawlers.org. Dec 22: Northwest Adventure Divers, 7p.m., Golden Steer Restaurant, Kent, WA. www.nwadveturedivers.com. Dec 22: Sea Horses Scuba Club, 6 p.m., Round Table Pizza, Redmond, WA. www.seahorsediveclub.com. Dec 27: Toooosday night at Alki! Brrrrrrrrrrrgers and beer post dive with Moss Bay Dive Club, 6:00 p.m., Alki Cove 2, Seattle, WA. www.meetup.com/ MossBayDiveClub
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REGIONAL NEWS & EVENTS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
‘On the Path to Sustainability’ 2011 Seminar Series Focuses on Acidification of the Oceans
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he third topic in Sustainable Path Foundation’s ‘On the Tues., Nov. 8 Path to Sustainability: from 6:30-9 p.m Fostering Healthy Built and Natural Environments’ Seminar Series a t To w n H a l l in Seattle will focus on Ocean Acidification, often called ‘The Other CO2 Problem.’ The seminar will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 6:30-9 p.m. This program in the series is entitled, “Dissolving Before Our Eyes: The Acidification of Our Oceans, and Why It Matters to All of Us”. Roughly one-third of the carbon dioxide (CO2) we release into the atmosphere every day is absorbed by the oceans, where it reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid. As a result, our oceans are becoming literally corrosive. Marine ecosystems are already suffering, and some
of the most drastic changes are happening right here in our local waters, affecting iconic Northwest fisheries and marine life. Speakers will explain the science, the environmental and economic consequences, and the political opportunities and challenges of ocean acidification. Dr. Richard Feely, Senior Scientist at NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle will also appear on KUOW’s ‘Weekday’ program the morning of Nov. 8, between 9 and 11a.m. Feely, recently received the Heinz Award for his seminal work on the changing chemistry of the oceans and its impact on marine ecosystems. Bill Dewey, Director, Policy & Communications, at the Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton will speak about the shellfish industry’s efforts to understand and adapt to ocean acidification. Also speaking at the event will be Brian Baird, Ph.D. former WA 3rd District Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, chair of the House Science and Technology subcommittee on Energy and Environment. Congressman Baird is known and respected for taking principled stands, careful study of issues, and the ability to build bipartisan relationships. “The same CO2 heating the planet is causing ocean acidification....This is not abstract theory; this is the consequence of fundamental principles of chemistry and physics,” says Baird. For more info about the series or to attend any of the presentations visit Sustainable Path Foundation at www.sustainablepath.org. ■
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www.nwdivenews.com LOCAL DIVERS DO IT DOWN AND DIRTY
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
REGIONAL NEWS
Where did you dive yesterday? email us: editor@divenewsmag.com
KONA HONU DIVERS UNDERGO INTENSE TRAINING
TO HELP IINJURED MILITARY
Pete Gamble of Tucson, AZ dons his pirate headgear beside Kona Honu Divers owner Glenn Anderson during a recent visit to the Big Island.
Kona, HI becomes chapter of Dive Pirates Foundation, reaches out to injured veterans or the second year in a row Pete Gamble found his way to Kona, Hawaii for a week of diving, and is now looking to relocate there to work on his dive controller rating. Why? As a wheelchair user with paraplegia, he enjoys finding accessible diving in a relaxed atmosphere. Gamble is on the Advisory Board of the Dive Pirates Foundation, and a year ago mentioned the group to the dive store who welcomed him as
F
an adaptive diver. Now Kona Honu Divers is training its instructors to be Adaptive SCUBA instructors and become a Dive Pirates Chapter. “As an SSI affiliated dive store, I was familiar with the Dive Pirates Foundation and started working towards making this happen; it was a perfect fit, with our military population here, it’s a way we can give back to our community,” said Kona Honu Divers owner Glenn Anderson. Working with the Foundation, Anderson organized training with SSI Adaptive Instructor Stacey Minton. Completing the training midSeptember, Kona Honu Divers can now offer adaptive SCUBA to the surrounding community and is already identifying injured military veterans in the area. “Kona Honu Divers has the three key elements of being a Dive Pirates chapter, a certified adaptive SCUBA instructor, access to possible recipients and a commitment to local fundraising to sponsor the recipients,” said Sophie Wimberley, Dive Pirates co-founder who traveled to Kona to meet with Anderson and the Kona Honu Divers family. “With this certification Kona Honu Divers can give back to its military community, and say thank you for their service.” The Kona chapter will be “self-contained” meaning recipients will not travel to the Cayman Brac with other stateside pirates, but build a community of pirates in the area and dive locally. Membership to the Foundation will help support recipients with equipment, and funds raised locally will help defer the costs of diving. The Dive Pirates Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Scuba Diving to persons with disabilities and joining them with the mainstream of divers. Its vision is to create a community of adaptive divers who will dive and travel in the mainstream world of scuba diving through education and overcoming obstacles. For more information about the foundation go to www.divepirates.org ■
presents
Evening With the Authors & Artists
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 6:30 – 10:30 pm West Vancouver Yacht Club 5854 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC Hear exciting and interesting presentations by noted authors of PNW Dive books Connect & make new friends with dive industry members Support the Dive Businesses of British Columbia
Click www.diveindustrybc.com for more information Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010 www.nwdivenews.com We support local divers - Local divers support the industry.
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DIVE EXPO - SPEAKER SERIES
Nicole Pratt Seven Seas Scuba
Teaching Divers
about Tides and Currents
N
icolle Pratt has been a dive instructor for more than 9 years at Seven Seas Scuba in Monterey, CA. As co-owner and instructor Pratt understands how important tides and currents are to a diver and at the 2012 Dive and Travel Expo to be held April 21-22 at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center in Tacoma, WA, Pratt will bring her instruction to the masses. Pratt, who has been diving for more than 20 years, logging in over 1000 dives in the Pacific Northwest, has a special place for
UNDERSTANDING TIDES & CURRENTS helping divers understand tides and currents. During her seminar at this year’s expo Pratt will showcase how to determine what the tides are going to be and where the currents are strongest in order to help divers enhance their dive experience. “I teach about tides and currents all the time,” Pratt says. “One of my main reasons for teaching this seminar is, of course, safety. However, beyond safety, understanding the tides, when they are coming and going, as well as currents and where they are strongest will help divers get the most out of their dives. It is important to understand tides and currents because if you have to scrub a dive because the currents are too strong or the tides are way out, it’s wasted time and money for the diver. Imagine driving 4 hours to get to a dive site only to discover that the currents on a given day are nasty... it’s better to make tide and current checks part of your dive planning instead of chancing it.” Pratt says divers need to look at understanding tides and currents as a tool for creating a better dive environment. “For instance, in the Pacific Northwest divers contend with the cold water and a lot of people complain that the viz isn’t the best but the fact is PNW waters are so nutrient rich there is tons to see if you time it right,” Pratt says. “If a diver understands the tides he/she can plan a dive around a period where the tide allows for better viz; isn’t that much better than just hoping you’ll have good viz?” Pratt will provide her seminar for anyone who wants to understand the tides and currents at this year’s expo as well as at home during classes at Seven Seas Scuba. She is a PADI Course Director, Emergency First Response (EFR) Instructor Trainer as well as a DAN Instructor & Instructor Trainer; she has certified many divers in various levels of training ranging from PADI Seal Team to Instructor level courses over the years. “I want to use my experience to help others understand these very basic principles of diving,” Pratt says. “The Expo is giving divers a chance to sit down and really understand how to determine tides and how to read the currents so they can get the most out of their diving. I’m glad to be a part of it.” ■
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Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
CHOOSING A DRYSUIT
DIVE EXPO - SPEAKER SERIES
Bruce Justinen Sea Soft Scuba’s
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
ON DRYSUITS
T
here are hundreds of choices when it comes to drysuits and triple the opinions about which you should buy. This year at the 2012 Dive and Travel Expo to be held April 21-22 at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center in Tacoma, WA Bruce Justinen, owner of Sea Soft Scuba based in Auburn Washington, intends to help divers make the choice. Justinen will host a seminar entitled “Choosing a Drysuit”. After 27 years in the dive industry and personal experience both using and producing drysuits, Justinen is just the kind of guy you want to help you ask the right questions.
“The seminar is really an educational experience,” Justinen says. “I want to get people to think about how and why they are making their drysuit choices. We call it the pickup truck syndrome. There are a lot of people who own pickup trucks who swear by them. They even go so far as to only drive a certain pickup truck never trying anything else so when you ask a guy what kind of truck to buy he just recommends the same type of pickup truck he drives; he’s never driven any other kind. Divers can be just like those pickup truck drivers…they are loyal to only one kind.” Justinen goes on to point out how typically, people only try one type of drysuit, so when they are giving advice they promote only the one drysuit when, these days, there are so many more out there. This is where his seminar comes in. “I try and give folks a good idea of all the drysuits; not just the ones we produce,” Justinen says. “I have dove just about every drysuit out there so I am familiar with all of the drysuits on the market. A lot of times divers who are new to drysuits don’t know what questions to ask or don’t know where to begin in choosing. The seminar is to give them the pros and cons of different suits out there. I try and provide the consumer with information they can use. A lot of dive shop owners don’t know the difference between crushed and compressed, the different types of seals or even the different types of zippers; there are so many variables.” Justinen has run Sea Soft Scuba, a scuba gear manufacturing company long enough to understand how important drysuits have become to scuba diving. His company has recently begun manufacturing drysuits in the Pacific Northwest so they can meet the needs of cold water divers right here at home. “Purchasing a drysuit is a huge decision and taking just anyone’s advice could be costly,” Justinen says. “This is what makes the seminar so important…visitors will get honest information about everything out there and when they walk away, they will feel better about making their own decision on a drysuit.” ■
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11
NORTHWEST DIVE DESTINATION
WESTERN WASHINGTON
HOOD CANAL It’s Something Special
Photos courtesy Seven Seas Scuba By: Nicolle Pratt
I
learned to dive in Hood Canal. During one winter semester of my college years, it was exciting! Hood Canal is one of those great places where a diver can get away from the chatter of every day life. There are no big city trappings in Hood Canal, little traffic unless you get stuck behind the occasional vacationing RV driver, and almost no cell phone reception to speak of. It’s simply a true escape. Although Hood Canal sits at sea level, it edges the foothills of the Olympic Mountain range. Its name is misleading to newcomers, as it is not a “canal.” Hood Canal is a salt water fjord carved out by glaciers approximately 13,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. Interestingly, it is the only fjord in the lower 48 states. Hood Canal was named by Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver in honor of Admiral Lord Samuel Hood. Captain Vancouver originally used the name “Hood’s Channel,” but referenced “Hood’s Canal” on his charts. As a result, it was named “Hood 12
Canal” in 1932. I returned to diving the Hood Canal during my Divemaster program. Classes I assisted with were typically held at Puget Sound dive sites so Hood Canal represented this “undiscovered country” to me as a diver. I first dove Sund Rock in a complete stupor, following my dive buddy’s ridiculous direction, which had us fully geared up and scaling down the face of a small cliff, aka the “free” access point to the North. How we avoided stitches, splinting practice, and a stretcher is still a shock to me. But the moment I dunked my head beneath the surface and started our dive, I knew I was home. I first started exploring Hood Canal by shore diving all aspects of Sund Rock, Octopus Hole, and the dive sites in front of the various hotels, but the Canal really became spectacular for me when I connected with a regular group of divers who dove from a friend’s boat. We began checking off dive sites we read about in Dave Bliss’ “Northwest Boat Dives” starting with Rosie’s Ravine/
Goby Garden and the Pulali Point Walls. Rosie’s Ravine/Goby Garden is one of those dive sites that will never bore a diver offering its fair share of interest in both sea life and underwater topography. Divers can either enjoy a shallower dive called Goby Garden or a more advanced dive called Rosie’s Ravine. Being the adventurers and experienced divers back then, we chose to dive Rosie’s Ravine. Lining up at the dive site coordinates facing a rock bluff about one-half mile North of McDaniel Cove, we anchored in 20 fsw and surface swam to the bluff. Dropping under the water we swam away from the bluff following the contour down in an eastwardly direction. At about 70 fsw the rock face of the wall drops sheer to depths reaching at least 130 fsw. Rosie’s Ravine holds one of my most cherished of dive moments. On a previous dive to this site, I encountered my first huge octopus completely out in the open at depth. The wall is dark at depth and was hoping a return trip with my new camera would yield the same event with a great photo
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HOOD CANAL
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Photos courtesy Seven Seas Scuba
op. On a return trip at 120’, the octopus did not disappoint and I burned through my film quickly. We figured the octopus to be about 15-17’ in size. Afterward I hovered in awe about 5’ above this magnificently huge creature with my arms hanging toward it outstretched. Suddenly the octopus, which seemed to also be looking at me, started
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unfurling one of its forearms upward toward my outstretched right arm. “No, it couldn’t be,” I thought until it started unfurling its second forearm up toward my outstretched left arm. And there we were locked in a gaze as I floated in disbelief waiting for its arms to meet mine. Just as we were about to make contact, my dive buddy flashed his
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light erratically at me as he motioned to his computer. Unfortunately it was time to go so I waved goodbye to the octopus and ascended. Simply unbelievable. Pulali Point East Wall is another dive site which never fails to give me a rush. We dove this site similar to Rosie’s Ravine by anchoring in shallow water and then diving
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13
HOOD CANAL LOCAL DIVE SITE REVIEW Eastward following the slope down until we lipped the wall. Approaching the wall’s lip and looking over to see another sheer drop with explorative nooks gave me butterflies! I discovered what a Red Brotula was at this site. Depths at this site also reach 130+ fsw. Soon, dive sites we read about were not enough! The true explorers in us came out as we starting following up on dive sites we heard about from word of mouth such as Sponge Hill, Flag Pole Point, Wolf Eel Reef, Lance’s Crack, and others without names. Flag Pole Point is easily my favorite dive site on the Canal. The sheer volume of cloud sponges, critter dens, and the double knuckle topography make this site a treasure trove for anyone with a light and/or camera! Photos I took of an octopus on this site hang on my living room wall. Lance’s Crack is a wall located South of Flag Pole Point. We were told to line up to a rock face with a large crack in it and anchor in about 30 fsw. We motored past Flag Pole until we saw such a rock face and watched the depth finder until we saw structure indicating a wall. While we named this site for my dive buddy, Lance, after we dove it, I have since suspected it may now be known as Elephant Wall. Sponge Hill is a deep water pinnacle rising from the ocean floor in the middle of the Canal to about 120 fsw. Hooking
Photos courtesy Seven Seas Scuba
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HOOD CANAL
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the pinnacle takes a long line and skill. Diving it takes experience, enriched air or technical gases, and slack water or a slow tidal exchange to safely explore it. This site is called Sponge Hill for a reason. It has lots of healthy, milky, yellow/white cloud sponges. Part of the lure of this site is the complete thrill of a straight drop down 120’+ of line in cool green water not knowing what you’re about to see. During two different dives my dive buddies were buzzed by six gill sharks. As for the sites we dove without names, I am confident we were the first divers
exploring some of these sites and that is what diving is to me – true original exploration. Diving may be one of the only activities where regular people have the opportunity to be modern day pioneers. I didn’t just learn to dive in Hood Canal, I became a diver in Hood Canal. What’s stopping you from experiencing your next adventure? From shore, I suggest diving Jorsted Creek. From boat, I suggest reserving a spot with Pacific Adventure www. pacadventure.com and checking out the Pulali Point Walls, Rosie’s Ravine, Flag Pole Point, and Elephant Wall. ■
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15
NORTHWEST DIVE DESTINATION
BRITISH COLUMBIA
DIVING AT THETIS ISLAND Discover the Gulf Islands in British Columbia
Photo
s by W
illiam
Golley
olley
illiam G
by W Photos
Photos by William Golley
By William Golley Guest Writer, Dive News Network
T
here are not many places in the world which still whisper come discover me, but of those that are left, Thetis Island, one of the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, certainly whispers a little louder than most. Usually, when we usually go up to Thetis Island we stay at the Cedar Beach B & B but
this time they were booked so they found us another place to stay with the Sinclairs, a nice place right on the ocean. I have to note at this point that it is incredible customer service when a place you usually stay finds its former clients another place when they are booked up. We had three days of diving with two dives per day diving with the 49th Parallel Divers of Divemaster.CA, a dive charter
located on Thetis Island and owned by Peter Luckham. Peter, our captain, is also a Divemaster and was very knowledgeable about the numerous sites available. The boat “Themuwth” was a 17 ft. boat and was very comfortable for myself and my dive buddy. The weather over the three days was lovely and not too hot which is ok when dry
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GULF ISLANDS
Photos
os by
Phot
iam Will
by Willi a
m Goll
ey
y Golle
Photos by William Golley
suit diving. The water temperature varied between 52 and 56F. We elected not to dive the Boeing 737 reef since we both were relatively new with our Fusion dry suits. However, we are pretty sure, when we return at Thanksgiving with friends, we will dive this site. Our first dive was an easy site Escape Reef where we were able to get our weight and buoyancy sorted Whether you’re new and looking to certify for Open Water or looking for more diving knowledge... we’re happy to take you below the water to discover the undersea world. Monday to Friday - 10am to 7pm Saturday - 10am to 5pm Sunday - 12pm to 5pm
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17
CANADIAN DIVE DESTINATIONS THETIS ISLAND
olley
illiam G
by W Photos
Photos by William Golley
out. We tried to sneak up on the seals but BG and I were taking too long to get our weight sorted and we scared them off. There was much to see though with rock fish and spider crabs being memorable. After a pleasant surface interval, our second dive was nearby at Willies Reef. Here we also saw big orange jellies as well as mating redrock crab, blennies and the ever abundant plumrose anemone. The following day, dives three and four had a slightly later start to allow us to get through the channel without having to go around the island. First we headed out to dive the Galiano Wall and BG took out his camera for the first time in a while. There were lots of crab especially decorator crabs
and plumerose anemone all over the wall. Vis was about 25 ft. We spent our surface interval on Dionisio Point on Galiano Island; about 2 hours because we were waiting for slack tide to dive in Polier Pass Dionisio Reef in Polier Pass had great visibility, approximately 50 ft. and it’s a lovely reef with steep sides. We saw large rockfish, lots of urchins, blue chiton and BG saw a giant gumboot chiton. He did not take his camera this dive which was a good thing since I had an episode where I lost control of my buoyancy in the current. I was on the way up feet first when BG grabbed me and spotted an 8 lb. cannon ball weight at the same time. This allowed me to descend
when placed in my hands. It was an unnerving episode but in the end all went well after this. The final day was the Wreck of the Robert Kerr. This boat was a coal carrier and went down on the Miami Reef in 1911, one year after saving Vancouver from a massive waterfront fire when the crew spotted the fire and was able to douse it with pumps from the ship. Peter placed us in perfect position for this dive. The anchor line was right by the wreck. Much had changed since we last dove this site in October 2009. The wreck had shifted and we were able to see more of it, especially the ribs and keel. There are chunks of coal lying around as well. The visibility was poor at the
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Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
THETIS ISLAND
Where did you dive yesterday? email us: editor@divenewsmag.com
mast but below 20 ft. the visibility opened up to 40 ft. or so. When we surfaced the wind had picked up and the sea was quite choppy and this made getting up the ladder more challenging especially for me but Peter was very helpful and despite that small issue it was a great dive. Because of the wind picking up we decided not to go into Polier Pass but instead went to Danger Reef. This was the final dive of our three days and as good as all the other sites with crabs, plumerose anemone and large rockfish being the most memorable sightings. Some of the fish were 40-50 years old and are somewhat endangered because it takes 30 years for the fish to reach sexual maturity.
These are protected in some areas including where we were diving. During the ride home we kept our dry suits and hoods on until we were in the lee of the wind, it was a good decision on Captain Peter’s part not to go into Polier Pass because the seas really turned trying at that point. Having a good dive captain is essential to any great dive experience and we appreciated Captain Peter. If you are looking for a great place to dive and is still a bit secluded and in need of exploring, consider Thetis Island. All in all we had a great three days diving and we are excited to be returning during Thanksgiving this October. ■
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19
TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
KUAI’I, HAWAII The Undiscovered Country
By Nate Edmons or twenty years my wife has used the same excuse, “I’d like to try scuba diving, but only if it’s in warm water.” Of course, as residents of the Pacific Northwest, all of my diving has been in cold water. So when it came time to plan a vacation for our twentieth anniversary, warm water diving was our first consideration. We didn’t want to travel too far, and we didn’t want the hassle of international travel, so the Hawaiian Islands were a good fit. After consulting with family and friends, we decided to spend a week on the island of Kaua’i. Kaua’i, the northernmost of the large islands, is about 500 square miles of tropical paradise. The south side is relatively flat and includes coffee plantations and the remains of a once thriving sugar cane industry. The east side is where most of the towns are located, and includes long stretches of sandy beach with excellent surf conditions. The rest of the island is mountainous jungle, in most places extending right down to the shoreline. To picture this, imagine the opening scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or
F
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te Ed
a s by N Photo
Land of Aloha Maui
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Hawaii
Dolphins and Manta Rays and Reefs 20
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Oh my!
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
Where did you dive yeste
Photo
s by N
HAWAII
ate Ed
mons
no thermocline all the way down to the recreational dive limit. Perfect conditions for a cold-water averse spouse who wants to try scuba diving. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Po’ipu Beach, mostly because of the number and diversity of their swimming pools, but also because of their five restaurants and world class spa. One of the largest pools is a salt water lagoon, and it was here that my wife first tried breathing compressed air. Seasport Divers, a dive shop that has been on Kaua’i for 25 years, offers a free Discover Scuba class each day at the lagoon, in water that is 4 to 7 feet deep. After a quick introduction to the equipment and basic skills, the certified dive instructor takes participants on a short underwater tour of the lagoon. My wife’s dive instructor was Meghan, a young veteran of more than 900 dives with a highly contagious cheerful enthusiasm for diving. She skillfully worked with groups of four participants at a time, some of whom were 10 or 11 years old, and she made sure everyone was having fun. Watching from the sidelines, I felt confident that my
EXPERIENCE HAWAIIAN
classic elegance Photos by Nate Edmons
Jurassic Park, just two of the many movies filmed here. The northeast corner of the island also includes the Nurses’ Beach and Bali Hai from the musical South Pacific. Paved roads do not extend around the entire island. If you go, I recommend you rent a jeep, since some beaches can only be accessed by dirt roads. Overall this island is much less developed than the other islands in Hawaii, providing a more authentic tropical experience. Kaua’i is known as the Garden Island for good reason. Every tree that wasn’t a coconut, eucalyptus, papaya or banana palm seemed loaded with bright flowers. Many trees are covered in flowering vines. Hibiscus, bougainvillea, fuschias and ginger flowers provided splashes of color everywhere we went. The island is also densely populated by wild jungle fowl. These dark red and black birds are called Moa by the natives, which apparently translates to “stoopid chikin.” They are a colorful and endearing symbol of Hawaiian life. Situated directly in the trade winds, temperatures in Hawaii are in the mid to low 80’s year around. Very brief rain showers blow through occasionally, but never enough to spoil the perfect tanning weather. The water temperature stays at 74 to 76 degrees all year, and there is
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21
KUAI’I
GETAWAYS
wife received enough training to go on an introductory dive. Seasport Divers offers introductory dives that do not require certification. The noncertified diver must be escorted by a dive instructor, and the depth must be 40 feet or less. Typically the introductory dive package requires a morning training session in a harbor but Meghan signed off on my wife’s readiness to go straight to the boat dives. The next day at the dive shop we met James, another dive instructor, who was our guide for the day. In addition to my wife and I, an eleven year old boy named Ben was going for his first dive. We boarded one of Seasport’s dive boats, along with a separate group of certified divers. Ben’s mom also went on the boat with us, just to take pictures of her son’s first dive. The plan was to dive at two sites on the south side of the island, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Although my wife was prepared for the dives, she wasn’t prepared for the boat ride. Motion sickness from the swells soon made her miserable. She made it into the water at the first site, and her condition improved once below the surface. James ensured that both Ben and my wife were safe and comfortable, and under his watchful eye we took a guided tour of the dive site. Unfortunately, the surge at the bottom got the better of my wife and her motion sickness returned, so we had to cut the dive short. On the surface her symptoms hit full force and the dive boat made a mercy run back to shore to drop us off before heading to the second site. It was at this point that Seasport Divers earned my gratitude, respect and loyalty.
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HAWAII - KUAI’I
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Photos by Sabine Templeton
Back at the dive shop, the staff gathered around an obviously full scheduling board to discuss ways to reschedule our second dive as a shore dive. It was abundantly clear that they wanted us to have a good experience diving in Kaua’i, and they went the extra mile to make it happen. Even with a shop full of customers, and every guide scheduled, they handled our situation with friendly professionalism. Customer satisfaction is the claim of every shop, but to see it in action at Seasport made us feel that they truly cared about our experience. The next day we went out with Meghan on a shore dive. It was everything I had waited twenty years for my wife to experience. The three of us swam out a short distance, dropped down 40 feet and spent 50 minutes exploring the site. Just like James the day before, Meghan was attentive to my wife’s safety and the quality of her experience. It was a beautiful dive. Elk horn and brain corals covering ancient lava flows, the usual menagerie of brightly colored reef fish, giant sea turtles resting on the sandy bottom, moray eels, octopus and even a stone fish, made for a wonderful first diving experience. I wanted to know more about the diving opportunities in Kaua’i, so I sat
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NE
W!!
SCUPAPRO / Tusa / Aqualung / Aeris / Suunto / More Peter A. Hughes, Founder
WWW.DIVEOAHU.COM
© Joe Nicastri
…into whose hands will you place your trust for exceptional diving encounters, top notch accommodations, first rate food & beverage, safety & security?
INDONESIA M S/V WAOW
www.divencounters.com
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010 Local divers don’t just divewww.nwdivenews.com locally - they dive globally!
23
HAWAII - KAUA’I TROPICAL GETAWAYS down with Marvin, the owner of Seasport Divers, to find out what is available. There are more than 50 dive locations around the island, including boat trips out to Ni’ihau, the “Forbidden Island,” which is considered one of the premiere dive spots in the world. Non-certified divers can go to about 12 of these sites. Seasport is affiliated with PADI, so new divers can be certified in three days. They are also in the process of building a pool adjacent to their main dive shop to help facilitate training. For more advanced divers, there is a new course for using recreational rebreathers, which will increase bottom times to as much as two hours. There is enough diversity to satisfy everyone, from novice to technical diver. According to Marvin, the busy season is the summer months, but the diving is the same all year long. During our talk, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of helping his customers enjoy their total experience, and suggested activities out of the water as well as in. He told me he wants his
Photos by Sabine Templeton
We Bring Back The Fun
RAJA AMPAT, .......where all the fishes live!
Offering Certifications through SDI, TDI, NAUI, and PADI. Try SCUBA through Tri Mix. Complete Service and Repair Facility. If You Can Dive It, We Can Fix It.
Shop DiveS Wed, Fri, and Weekends
(253) 238-1754
www.papua-diving.com 24
1602 Center St. Ste C, Tacoma, WA tacomascubacenter.com
LOCAL DIVERS DO IT MORE www.nwdivenews.com OFTEN!
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
Where do you dive? editor@divenewsnetwork.com
customers to be happy with their visit to Kaua’i, “we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they can do everything they want to.” My wife enjoyed her scuba experience, and I know we will be repeat customers. Following the suggestions of the Seasport staff for dry activities, my wife and I went to a traditional Luau, and even found time to hike in Waimea Canyon. The breathtaking vistas from 4000 feet, looking almost straight down to the inaccessible northwestern shoreline, were straight out of the travel brochures. The canyon itself is a mile across, and is comparable to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for scale and magnificence. There are many miles of hiking trails on Kaua’i, as well as hunting (deer, wild goat and boar) and freshwater fishing (trout and bass). The inland areas of the island would, by themselves, fill a week’s worth of exploration. If, like us, you are looking for a more authentic experience, with fewer nightclubs and less traffic, I highly recommend Kaua’i. There are many good resorts, vacation rentals, time shares and even campsites to choose from, something for every budget. A week wasn’t nearly enough to enjoy all the sights, sounds and flavors of this diverse island. We’ll be back for more, and it won’t be twenty years from now.■
KAUA’I
DIVE INTO HISTORY
Flooded TITAN I Missile Silo deep under the desert in Eastern Washington
Full Service Dive Center
800 338-4662
Kennewick, WA www.underseaadventures.net
DIVE DRY.
DIVE DUI.
THE WETSUIT DIVER’S LOGBOOK
THE DRYSUIT DIVER’S LOGBOOK
WET= FEWER DIVES DRY= MORE DIVES Drysuit divers stay warm and dry every dive. And that means more adventures for your logbook. Scan here to see why you should dive dry in DUI. You could win a DUI tiny towel! Download a barcode scanner app on your smartphone to scan the QR code, or visit
DUI - ONLINE. COM/LOGBOOK
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010 Local divers don’t just divewww.nwdivenews.com locally - they dive globally!
25
MEDICAL DIVING
ARTICLE COURTESY OF DIVERS ALERT NETWORK examined a series of decompression sickness cases that occurred between 1981 and 1982. The researchers compared 10 cases in which divers were given first aid oxygen with 10 cases of comparable severity that were not given oxygen first aid prior to treatment; they came to some interesting conclusions: • Those who received first aid oxygen experienced 90 percent symptom resolution during hyperbaric chamber therapy.
CELEBRATING 20 YRS
• Those who did not receive first aid oxygen prior to hyperbaric chamber therapy reported 50 percent resolution.
OF OXYGEN I
n a dive emergency, first aid oxygen plays an integral role in first response. DAN strives to educate divers to help prevent problems and be ready to assist when the unavoidable occurs. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the DAN oxygen training program, which trains divers in how to recognize injury, take a leadership role in a diving emergency and safely administer oxygen first aid to injured divers.
Why?
Administering oxygen first aid helps to facilitate the process of expelling excess nitrogen from the body by increasing the gradient between the breathing gas (which is zero percent nitrogen) and the nitrogen
• There was a lower rate of recurrence of symptoms in the group who had received first aid oxygen. Recognizing the importance of these findings, DAN worked to develop and make accessible to divers not only a portable oxygen unit, but the education on how to use it.
Training Divers
bubbles, thereby helping to diffuse them. Oxygen first aid not only significantly enhances nitrogen off-gassing, it may reduce bubble size and swelling as well as improve circulation. Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries, a present-day dive safety essential, was initially pioneered and developed when DAN Research discovered that although scientific evidence was emerging on the benefits of emergency oxygen in first aid treatments, less than one-third of injured divers received it. In 1984 Dr. Arthur Dick and two DAN colleagues observed the positive effects of oxygen on diving-related injuries when they
Since the inception of the program in 1991, DAN Education has trained more than 180,000 providers and thousands of instructors. More and more divers are equipping themselves with the tools to recognize diving emergencies and respond appropriately. In the 20 years since the program debuted, emergency oxygen has become a safety standard throughout the diving industry, and DAN Education has continued to add programs to its lineup, creating the most comprehensive diving emergency training available to divers. DAN also continues to develop oxygen administration products to help enable greater portability and deployment. If you are not trained in administering oxygen, consider taking the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course to enhance your dive safety skills. ■ Divers Alert Network (DAN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the safety and health of scuba divers. DAN operates a 24hour emergency hotline (+1-919-684-9111) to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance for diving or non-diving incidents.
“
PADI Dive Center
Guided Tours Boat Trips Air Fill
Learn to Dive Today
Air Fill Nitrox Station Station
Full Rental Equipment
Rinse Station
Retail Sales
Glenn’s Aquarius II Dive Shop 32 Canne ry Ro w at the Breakwater Co
ve , Montere y, CA
Toll Free (866) 375-6605 or (831) 375-6605 dive@aquarius2.com www.AQUARIUS2.com
26
The persistent charges of a dozen agitated sharks forced me to surface from a decompression dive prematurely. It was a bad situation, but it would have been unthinkably worse had I not been carrying DiveAlert.
”
Richard L. Pyle
Ichthyologist
sound insurance
“ ...had I not been carrying my DiveAlert ”
The ORIGINAL www.DiveAlert.com
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010 Want to support local diving inwww.nwdivenews.com your part of the globe? email NWSALES@DIVENEWSNETWORK.COM
ANDY LAMB’S
andylamb@telus.net
SHARK RESCUE
MYSTERY CRITTER
We goofed up! A few months ago we ran the wrong article with the wrong image. Here’s the correct image with the right story! Thanks to Andy for putting up with our human errors and for his continued sharing with the PNW dive community.
Photo by Jeff Castor
A Piece of a Mystery
Photograph courtesy of Nick and Sue Spillar
F
or millennia, sharks have been a source of great interest for humans. This relationship has been and continues to be very complex. Over our years of existence, the dive community continues to be caught up in the associated fear and fascination dichotomy that even the word shark provokes. The Jaws era of the 1970s, with its negative impact on the sport, emphasized the former while modern, often staged viewing opportunities speak to the latter. Today, most divers’ sympathies lie with these magnificent creatures as their populations around the world crash under intense harvesting pressure. The following incident offers us a “feel good story”. July 15, 2010, Lindsey Pattinson had an opportunity many of us would welcome. While leading a bear watching trip for Tiderip Grizzly Tours of Telegraph Cove, B.C. Lindsey encountered a beached blue shark Prionace glauca. The stranding occurred on
the Glendale Cove beach head, at the head of Knight Inlet, on British Columbia’s central coast. Indeed, this location was a very strange one to find the specimen. Although seen in the Pacific Northwest during summer months, this species primarily inhabits the open ocean. As seen in the accompanying photo, Lindsey literally “leapt into the breach”, grabbed the creature, carefully pulled it into the water then began moving it back and forth to force water across its gills. After some effort, the reviving “rescuee” was carefully towed to deeper water where Lindsey and his guests watch it swim off toward the abyss. With the tour participants’ best wishes, this beautiful creature hopefully made a full recovery. This wonderful story arrives courtesy of old friend and marine educator Jackie Hildering, of Port McNeil, B.C. I heartily recommend her outstanding and constantly changing website www.themarinedetective.ca. ■
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12 waterfront acres near world famous dive sites. Private entrances & baths. 24/7 access to kitchen and lounge.
CALL: 250.335.2342 w w w. t wo e a g l e s l o d g e . c o m
The featured image was taken by Jeff Castor, of Edgewood, Washington during a dive on April 21, 2011. Jeff was diving with James Gutholm (Tumwater) who spotted the mysterious creature and Keith Carpenter (Lakewood) on a very low tide, at the Les Davis Pier, near Tacoma, Washington, southern Puget Sound. Cruising along at a depth of 40ft, over the sandy bottom that provides the photographic background, the threesome realized they had found something very unique. Certainly all of us agreed that it was a segmented (polychaete) worm. While preparing our book Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest, Bernie and I had obtained a similar specimen – see Donna Gibbs’ photograph, page 161, D. At that point, we realized it was a partial specimen and certain identity was illusive. Speculation prevailed. Enter Dr. Leslie Harris of the California Academy of Sciences and an expert on such ‘wormy’ matters. She determined that the “piece in question” is the rear segment (one of three) of a species of Chaetopterus, a member of the three-section tubeworm family. Apparently, when one of these worms is disturbed in its tubes, it often fragments and the rear piece wiggles (approximately 2 in. or 5 cm. long) about to attract potential predators while the anterior segment crawls away to completely reconstitute the animal. Checkout AN81, U-shaped parchment tubeworm (page 160) and see what this worm’s burrow looks like. Two websites of interest: Keith Carpenter’s basmanscubaman. com and another from Sweden featuring some terrific images of worms – www.tmbl.gu.se/staff/FredrikPleijelP.html
www.nwdivenews.com Local Divers Don’t just dive locally - they dive globally
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
27
U.S. COAST GUARD NORTHWEST DIVE NEWS
Coast Guard Interaction Requested
Prior to Conducting Underwater Operations H
ave you ever wondered if anyone is monitoring the plethora of marine traffic during one of those busy days on the water? The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Waterways Management Division (WWM), has responsibility to ensure compliance with navigation safety regulations and to foster the efficient use of navigable waterways for all users. Given the diverse and complex nature of Puget Sound and its many users, Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Puget Sound is charged to ensure compliance with both VTS regulations and the Collision Regulations (COLREGS) to enhance order and predictability of traffic flow. Underwater operations can easily break down order and predictability unless all waterways users are aware of these operations and are able to communicate to understand each other’s intentions to make safe passing arrangements. Additionally, underwater operations could potentially be viewed as a security concern by high interest military vessels having a security barrier around them. Sector WWM and VTS are adverse to any underwater operations occurring in a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), navigable channel, or high density traffic area as these operations by their nature can pose significant safety concerns.
Assisting the Coast Guard with navigation safety is straightforward. You simply need to notify Sector WWM when and where you intend to conduct underwater operations so they can ensure your plan is safe and allow time for the VTS to review your request along with the many other marine events and underwater operations that are permitted and approved. VTS immediately de-conflicts any issues they see, and then send you an approval letter sanctioning your operations and outlining your responsibilities to ensure safe underwater operations. Information sharing is a critical means to enhance navigation safety for all concerned, both the waterway user transiting in near vicinity of an underway operation, and the vessel tending or deploying the underwater operation. VTS appreciates the work divers do every day has operational risks, and ask for cooperation in helping them ensure all vessel operators in the Puget Sound area have all the information needed to navigate safely. VTS welcomes any comments or questions; please contact LT Ian Hanna at Ian.S.Hanna@uscg.mil or 206-217-6045. ■
Astoria Scuba Pier 39-Astoria, Oregon
Diving the Graveyard of the Pacific
• Diver Supplies and Service
• Certified Air Fills
• Cobra and Malibu Kayak Sales
• Commercial Diving
• NAUI Pro-Platinum Training Facility • DAN training available
503-325-2502
fholcom@astoriascuba.com
www.astoriascuba.com
28
www.nwdivenews.com Dive Locally - Where It Really Matters
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
WHAT GEAR ARE YOU DIVING WITH? GEAR BOX Oceanic B.U.D. scuba diving computer
White’s Introduces Seal Lock Technology
Oceanic Worldwide has just Whites Seal Lock released the B.U.D. (backup Technology (SLT), is a modular dive computer) The B.U.D. is an seal replacement system that innovative backup device that incorporates a neck ring retainer clips onto your BC or is placed and compression fit wrist seals. in a pocket that constantly Simple, innovative and convenient, tracks your dive profile, just as S LT e n a b l e s q u i c k a n d e a s y c h a n g e o u t o f w o r n your primary computer is doing. or torn seals in the field and best of all, anyone can do B.U.D. uses the same two algorithms that are set it. SLT features all new silicone neck and wrist seals. For more info visit he free mobile app for your phone Get the free mobile app for your phone into your computer, whether you are diving on air www.whitesdiving.com/sport-diving/seal-lock-technology. p:/ / gettag.mobi / gettag.mobi or nitrox, NDL or Decompression diving,http:/ it takes that worry away. It has one button to adjust your Children’s book settings, it is simple “My Daddy Wears a Different Kind to use, read and even of Suit to Work” is a full color illustrated gives you visual children’s book sharing the undersea world alarms to finish your with your children. Full color pictures and a dive if it becomes heartwarming tale; the story is translated by necessary to use. It the 13 year old author to Spanish in the back is programmed to of the book. This is a dual language book. A monitor 12 nitrogen hard cover (6”x9”) bound bed time story book; compartments, the this is designed for any child who loves the tissue loading bar ocean. For more info about the book visit www. graph will display gallantaquatic.com the one controlling your dive, and there is also a variable ascent rate indicator, which flashes SLOW if your ascent is too fast. The B.U.D. comes in four different colors red, yellow, blue and orange, so keeping track of your own B.U.D. is easy when diving in a group. For more info visit www.divecomputertraining.com.
Santa’s Booty
“Santa’s Booty”, is just the gift for that diver in your life this holiday season. It is a diver oriented Christmas stacking and can be embroidered to personalize. This fin is different and will tell your friends and family that you are a diver. The Santa’s Booty Christmas stocking is made in the shape of a jet fin. The Santa’s Booty Christmas stocking, comes in red, pink, and blue with a diagonal white stripe just like a dive flag. A black model comes without the white stripe. For more info visit www.gallantaquatic.com.
e free mobile for your phone TUSA’sapp BCJ-1800 Voyager TUSA’s BCJ-1800 Voyager is a lightweight / / gettag.mobi and compact BC ideal for warm water divers or the constant traveler. It offers TUSA patented features such as the integrated Weight Loading System (W.L.S.), which permits easy weight loading and release, the Independent Harness System that was developed to significantly reduce weight and structure, and the Ultimate Get the free mobile app for the your phone Stabilizing Harness which has two separated rails to increase tank’s security and prevent http:/ it from/ gettag.mobi rolling. Lightweight and compact this BC weighs only 4.4lbs/2kg (size M). Buoyancy is controlled by TUSA’s patented O.P.E.V. quick inflate/deflate system and the heavy duty 840/420 denier nylon shell provides superior strength and durability. Additionally, the Voyager can be rolled for travel and features a unique console sleeve, on the left side, for streamlined routing of your gauge or computer console. For more info visit www.tusa.com/shop/bcj1800-voyager-p-286.html.
Northwest Dive News DECEMBER 2010
Get the free mobile app for your phone
http:/ / gettag.mobi
SeaLife Mini II Dive & Sport Camera
The SeaLife Mini II – Dive & Sport digital camera is rugged and shockproof. It is a 9 megapixel self-contained camera that is waterproof to 130 ft. and shockproof to 6ft. The SeaLife Mini II has an easy set-up menu. The easy set-up is a simplified menu system that makes navigating through the camera functions easier than ever. For those that wish to take even more spectacular pictures and videos, the Mini II is easy to expand with either the SeaLife Digital Pro Flash (SL961) or the Photo Video Light (SL980). Other recommended accessories are the Mini Wide Angle/Close-up Lens (SL973) and the Float Strap (SL920). For more info visit www.sealife-cameras.com.
Get the free mobile app for your phone
www.nwdivenews.com Send Us Your stories FREE at editor@divenewsNETWORK.COM http:/ / gettag.mobi
29
DIVE DIRECTORY
A listing of participating dive shops, charters, resorts, and independent instructors
WASHINGTON
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Anacortes Diving & Supply
Anacortes
(360) 293-2070
Store
Broken Island Adventures
Bamfield
(888) 728-6200
Resort/Charter
Diver’s Dream Charters
Anacortes
(360) 202-0076
Charter
Ocean Quest Water Sports
Burnaby
(604) 436-1157
Store
Washington Divers
Bellingham
(360) 676-8029
Store
Abyssal Diving Charters
Gone Diving
Bellingham
(360) 738-2042
Store
49th Parallel Dive Charters
Chemainus
(250) 252-0758
Adventures Down Under
Bellingham
(360) 676-4177
Store
Cedar Beach Resort
Chemainus
(250) 252-0758
Dive Resort
Pacific Adventure Charters
Brinnon
(206) 714--1482
Charter
Pacific Pro Dive
Courtenay
(250) 338-6829
Store/Charter
Courtenay
(877) 883-3483
Charter
Egmont
(800) 665-DIVE
Charter/Resort
Evergreen Dive Service
UB Diving
Everett
(425) 512-8811
Store
Hood Sport ‘N Dive
Hood Canal
(360) 877-6818
Store
PorpoiseBay.ca
Undersea Adventures
Kennewick
(509) 735-0735
Store
Hornby Island Diving
Lilluwaup
(360) 877-5324
Dive Resort
Oak Harbor
(360) 675-1112
Store
Mike’s Beach Resort Whidbey Island Dive
Campbell River (800) 499-2297
Charter Charter
Hornby Is.
(250) 335-2807
Dive Resort
Langley Diving
Langley
(604) 514-8170
Store/Charter
Lighthouse Diving Center
Lynnwood
(425) 771-2679
Store
Nanaimo
(250) 758-7946
Store
Capital Divers
Olympia
(360) 866-3684
Store
Sink or Swim Scuba & Watersports
Northwest Dive Charter
Parkland
(253) 370-5144
Charter
Sundown Diving
Nanaimo
(888) 773-3483
Store/Charter
Nanaimo
(250) 756-1863
Store
Scuba Supplies
Port Angeles
(360) 457-3190
Store
Nanaimo Dive Outfitters
Admiralty Dive Center
Port Townsend
(360) 379-3483
Store
Rendezvous Dive Adventures
Port Alberni
(877) 777-9994
Charter
Port Hardy
(877) 725-2835
Resort/Charter
Port Hardy
(800) 515-5511
Charter
A-2-Z Scuba Instruction
Puyallup
(253) 840-3483
Store
Browning Pass Hideaway
ScubaSET Adventure Center
Puyallup
(253) 841-5666
Store
Catala Charters
Dive Commercial Int’l
Seattle
(206) 784-5050 Commercial Store God’s Pocket Resort
Seattle Scuba Schools
Seattle
(206) 284-2350
Store
Copper Island Diving
Port Hardy
www.godspocket.com
Salmon Arm
(250) 832-5737
Store
Aluminator Water Taxi
Seattle
(206) 571-3273
Charter
Tahtsa Dive Charters
Tahsis
(250) 934-6365
Charter
Underwater Sports
Seattle
(206) 362-3310
Store
MethodMarine.com
Tofino
(250) 725-3251
Store/Marina
Scuba Center of Spokane
Spokane
Tacoma Scuba Center
Tacoma
Orca Scuba Bubbles Below
TwoEaglesLodge.com
www.spokanescuba.com (253) 238-1754
Store
SeaDragonCharters.com Ogden Point Dive
Wenatchee
(509) 665-0660
Store
Woodinville
(425) 424-3483
Dive Center
Wilson Diving Services
An alphabetical listing of participating dive shops, charters, live aboards and resorts in tropical locations around the world. Villa Makoshi Lower Level 780.483.0044 AUSTRALIA www.BonaireDiveVilla.com Mike Ball Expeditions (888) MIKEBALL www.mikeball.com cAYMAN ISLANDS
TROPICAL DIVE DIRECTORY
BAHAMAS Sea Dragon Bahamas Diving
“SEA DRAGOn” DIVE LIVE-ABOARD WWW.SEADRAGOnBAHAMAS.COM Small Hope Bay Lodge 800.223.6961 www.smallhope.com UnEXSO 800.992.3483 www.unexso.com
BeLIZe Calypso Beach Retreat 303.264.8333 www.calypsobeachretreat.com Hugh Parkeys 888.223.5403 www.belizediving.com Sun Breeze Hotel 1.800.688.0191 www.sunbreeze.net
BONAIRe Deep Blue Adventures 888.266.2209 www.deepblueadventures.com
30
DiveTech@Cobalt Coast Dive Resort 888.946.5656 divetech.com cobaltcoast.com Southern Cross Club 800.899.2582 www.southerncrossclub.com Sunset House 800.854.4767 www.sunsethouse.com
cOZUMeL Albatros Charters 888.333.4643 www.cozumel-fishing.com BlueBubbleScuba 987.872.4240 www.bluebubble.com Island DreamsTravel 800.346.6116 www.divetrip.com Scuba Du 310.684.5556 www.scubadu.com
cURAcAO Ocean Encounters 800.932.6237 www.oceanencounters.com
Union Bay
(250) 335-2342
Dive Resort
Vancouver/Nanaimo
(604) 329-3486
Charter
Victoria
(888) 701-1177
Store/Charter
Victoria
(250) 478-4488
Store
FIJI Beqa Lagoon Resort 800.542.3454 www.beqalagoonresort.com Beyond the Reef 691.350.3483 www.diveyap.com Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat 679.992.4001 dolphinbaydivers.com Qamea Resort & Spa 649.360.0217 www.qamea.com Scuba Travel Ventures 800.298.9009 www.scubatravelventures.com Wananavu 679.669.4433 www.wananavu.com
FLORIDA Conch Republic Divers 305.852.1655 www.conchrepublicdivers.com Horizon Divers 305.453.3535 www.horizondivers.com Off The Wall Adventures 863.709-9253 www.offthewalladventures.com SpruceCreekScuba 386.767.1727 www.sprucecreekscuba.com The Dive Station (407) 843-3483 www.divestation.com
get your business listed in our tropical dive directory for only $20!
NORTHWEST
DIVE DIRECTORY ALBERTA
Adventures in Scuba
Calgary
(403) 299-7751
Store
Aqua Sport Scuba Centre
Calgary
(403) 686-6166
Store
The Dive Shop Sub Sea Experience Just for You Crew & Dive Services
SalemScuba.com
Salem
(503) 588-3483
Store
Under Water Works
Tigard
(503) 620-6993
Store
Anchorage
(907) 770-1778
Store/Charter
Sitka
(907) 747-7871
Store/Charter
(808) 923-3483
Store
ALASKA
Calgary
(403) 243-4616
Store
Dive Alaska
Edmonton
(780) 434-1433
Store
Island Fever Diving
Grand Prairie
(780) 832-7209
Store
HAWAII
IDAHO
Aqua Zone
Honolulu
Dive Magic
Boise
(208) 319-3483
Store
Dive Oahu
Honolulu
(808) 922-3483
Charter
Divers West
Coeur D’Alene
(208) 664-0751
Store
Pearl Harbor Divers
Honolulu
(808) 589-2177
Store/Charter
Honolulu
(808) 220-0577
Store
Sports Cove
Bozeman
(406) 585-9926
Store
Glacier Divers
Kalispell
(406) 253-4016
Store
MONTANA
Honolulu Scuba Company
www.honoluluscubacompany.com Jack’s Diving Locker
OREGON Astoria Scuba
Astoria
www.astoriascuba.com
Store
Aloha
(503) 642-3483
Store
PacificWatersports.com Central Oregon Diving Rogue Scuba, Inc.
Kona Honu Divers
Kailua-Kona
(808) 329-7585
Store/Charter
Kailua-Kona
(808) 324-4668
Charter
Pacific Rim Divers
Kailua-Kona
(808) 334-1750
Charter
Torpedo Tours
Kailua-Kona
(808) 938-0405
Charter
Bend
(541) 388-3660
Store/Charter
Dive & Sea Maui
Central Point
(541) 830-5551
Store
SeaSport Divers
www.diveandseamaui.com
Charter
Koloa, Kauai
(800) 685-5889
Store/Charter
Eugene Skin Divers Supply
Eugene
(541) 342-2351
Store
Capt. Charley Scuba Shack’s Maui
Kihei
(877) 213-4488
Store
CoralSeaScuba.com
Grants Pass
(800) 482-1599
Store
Mike Severn’s Diving
Kihei
(808) 874-6428
Store
South Beach Scuba
Newport
(541) 867-4944
Store
Knight Diver 007
Lahaina
(808) 250-9194
Store
Lahaina Divers
Maui
(800) 998-3483
Store/Charter
(760) 801-7996
Store/Charter
Aquatic Sports
Portland
(503) 245-4991
Store
Diver’s Den
Roseburg
(541) 673-3710
Store
Blue Element
Salem
(503) 400-7375
Store/Charter
CALIFORNIA Catalina Divers Supply LLC
Avalon
Have you seen us online? www.divenewsnetwork.com GALAPAGOS Divencounters Alliance 877.323.DIVE www.divencounters.com
HAWAII Maui Dreams Dive Co 808.874.5332 www.mauidreamsdiveco.com
HONDURAS Deep Blue Resort 504.95.76.36.97 www.deepblueutila.com Utila Tours 800.668.8452 337.893.0013 www.utila.com
INDONeSIA Island DreamsTravel 713.973.9300 www.divetrip.com Kungkungan Bay Resort & Spa 530.347.2300 www.divekbr.com Lembeh Hills Resort www.LembehHills.com 62.812.441.18.000 Puri Wirata Dive Resort and Spa 62.813.840.5335 www.puriwirata.com Pindito Liveaboard 831.818.8594 www.pindito.com
Sea Safari Cruises 62.631.721.212 www.seasafaricruises.com Tasik Ria Resort Spa & Diving 62.431 -.824.445 www.tasikria.com
MexIcO Abyss Dive Center 52.984.873.2164 www.abyssdivecenter.com Aquanauts Dive Adv. 52.998.206.9365 www.aquanautsdiveadventures.com
PHILIPPINeS Big La Laguna Beach Dive Resort 425.298.8172 www.BigLaLa.com Campbells Beach Resort 63.920.416.0502 www.CampbellsBeachResort.com Island DreamsTravel 713.973.9300 www.divetrip.com
ReD SeA - eGYPT Fly & Sea Dive Adventures 888.995.DIVE(3483) www.redseadiving.ca
ROATAN CoCo View Resort Roatan 800.282.8932 www.roatan.com
GoRoatan.com 888.405.8737 www.goroatan.com
ST. cROIx (U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS) BVI Scuba 284.540.2222 www.bviscubaco.com Cane Bay Dive Shop 340.773.9913 www.canebayscuba.com Jost Van Dyke 800.778.8066 www.jostvandyke.com
ST. kITTS Dive St. Kitts 869.564.8914 www.divestkitts.com
ST. VINceNT Bequia Dive Adventures 784.458.3826 www.bequiadiveadventures.com
THAILAND Sairee Cottage Diving 66.774.56.126 www.saireecottagediving.com
TURkS & cAIcOS Oasis Divers 649.946.1128 www.oasisdivers.com
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WE ♥ BOOBIES
So much so, we are donating all of Sunday’s female admission price to Dive For A Cure
FREE SWAG BAG
Valued at over $50 To the first 250 visitors each day*