February 2012
DIVE LOCALLY
WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS
Southern California Diving San Diego Style
Catalina Island
A West Coast Diver’s Paradise
South Padre Island The Great “American” Barrier Reef
Volume 2 Issue 2 $3.00 US/$3.50 Canada
FEBRUARY 2012
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Southwest Dive News
The complete resource for diving in the Southwest.
www.swdivenews.com
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Rick Stratton rick@divenewsmag.com Production Manager IJ James ij@divenewsmag.com Graphic Designer TJ Pierzchala tj@divenewsmag.com Expo Coordinator Selene Muldowney expo@divenewsmag.com Accounts Manager Tove Chatham Advertising Sales (360) 240-1874 swsales@divenewsnetwork.com Circulation/subscriptions
360-240-1874
Dive News Magazine is committed to promoting the sport of scuba diving in the Southwest. We will present a practical, unbiased point of view regarding all aspects of the sport of scuba diving. We encourage 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. Send us your stories and photos! IMPORTANT NOTICE The Dive News Magazine reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. The contents of Southwest Dive News are opinions of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or 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 containing inherent risks. Improper use of diving equipment or diving techniques may result in serious injury or death. Readers are advised to use their best judgment in each individual situation. MOVING? In order to continue receiving your magazine uninterrupted, please notify Southwest Dive News when you change your mailing address. To ensure uninterrupted service, please contact us six to eight weeks before the change of address occurs. You can call us at 360-240-1874 PST or email us at editor@divenewsnetwork.com or mail at: Bedrock Publications P.O. Box 1494 Oak Harbor, WA 98277
IN THIS EDITION
◄ Cover by Ronan Gray
Ronan Gray is a San Diego based diver, photographer, writer and engineer. His photographs and articles have appeared in local and national newspapers and magazines. He is owner and president of SUBAQUA IMAGING SYSTEMS Inc. (www.subaquaimaging.com) a design and manufacturing firm focused on developing underwater imaging products for a range of industries and professional film makers. He is originally from Ireland, where he grew up deeply immersed in the underwater world as part of his family’s SCUBA diving business (www.scubadivewest.com). He made his first dive with his father in the Irish Sea at eight years old and has been diving ever since. After moving to the States in his early twenties, he became a PADI instructor, earning many instructor ratings including PADI Course Director in 1996. He worked as the Director of Training for Ocean Enterprises in San Diego and as a boat captain for several local area dive boats while attending college. He was qualified as a diver under the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) Standards for Scientific Diving while attending Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as a graduate student. He holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the UCSD and a graduate degree in Applied Ocean Sciences from USCD / SIO.
Monthly Columns Publisher’s Note.................................4 Incoming Mail.....................................5 Southwest Hot News.........................6 Southwest Activities............................7
DAN Medical Information................. 21 Gear Box.....................................22-23 Tropical Dive Directory................22-23 Local Dive Directory....................22-23
LOCAL DIVE DESTINATION 10 San Diego Diving
While the entirety of California offers spectacular opportunities for divers and other water enthusiasts, the San Diego area stands out among the best of the best. San Diego County is the most southern of the California counties, and is bordered by Mexico to the south and Orange and Riverside Counties to the north. San Diego is all about sun, sea, beaches, wrecks, animals, and affordable entertainment. By Bruce Watkins
SOUTHWEst DESTINATION 14 South Padre Island - The Great “American” Barrier Reef Padre Island is the second longest island in the United States. The north end of the island is home to the Padre Island National Seashore. There is close to 70 miles of hiking trails and beachfront where 380 species of birds migrate yearly and where sea turtle science and recovery has led to the re-introduction of kemp’s ridley, leatherbacks, loggerheads and hawksbill sea turtles. It is also home of the Malaquite Visitor Center where you can find out more about local inhabitants and so much more. By Mike Hughes
TROPICAL DESTINATIONS 18 Catalina - A West Coast Diver’s Paradise
Catalina Island, lying twenty-two miles off the coast of southern California, has become a well-known diver’s paradise. With a dive park that offers shore dives limited only by the necessity for surface intervals, and boat charters that visit the un-crowded dive sites on the back side of the island, the island is a retreat for thousands of divers who visit every year. What most of these divers don’t realize, however, are the great advantages that Catalina has to offer in the cooler months. By Keath Allen
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3
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Do you have an opinion? Contact us: editor@divenewsnetwork.com
Dive News Network Media Group, Are You a Member? his year marks the Dive News Network’s 16 anniversary. cream, chocolate sauce and cherry
T
th
During our time in business, we have been providing informative services, which have made and helped maintain the connection between divers and the dive industry. We have come a very long way from newsletter, to newspaper, to magazine, and now we consider ourselves a media and marketing group! A media group may sound ostentatious and sometimes I feel full of myself when I reference to other companies that I am now a ‘media mogul’. But we have changed the way we do business. Last year we added 2 more magazines under the main Dive News Network umbrella making our total 5 monthly print magazines. We also expanded our Dive News web portal, increased our YouTube activity, and most of all upped the ante with social media like Facebook and Twitter. Our presence online has increased our ability to create interactive articles, and real-time updates from the dive industry. We have grown into a user friendly, information driven, and beautifully interfaced full-service network with so much to offer the dive community as a whole. But what does a membership in this media group really mean for the dive business-owner, and what benefit can it bring? We give you the power to harness all of this new technology (YouTube, Facebook, the new digital edition I’ll tell you about shortly) and allows you, as a member of the Dive News Network Media Group, to put the power in your hands. Let’s say you are having an awesome cool fund-raiser for inner city kids to experience diving as part of your dive shop. You could take out an ad, which is a fantastic option, but now we have the ability to expand your advertising dollars to more than just a 1-dimensional print item. We can add your blurb to the hot news, activities calendar, and also give this some extra oomph by highlighting it. Most magazines can do this, but we’ve added the whipped
on top of this sundae by harnessing the power we talked about in the last paragraph. We can post on Facebook the month/week/day before your event to remind people it’s happening. We can make your event a high-lighted news blurb on the www.divenewsnetwork.com, or the www.swdivenews.com website. And most of all, we can take advantage of the electronic E-dition of the Southwest Dive News magazine. This month marks the first expanded electronic edition of Southwest Dive News magazine and even my socks are blown away (and I knew it was coming)! This E-dition not only allows the magazine to be immediately available to Southwest Dive News’ readers, it also allows us to embed a video or slideshow related to your event right into the magazine. Want a link to a YouTube video with your hot news, to drive readership to your event’s Facebook page, or a pdf of the flyer with store coupons attached to pop-up when they click? We can do that! As a note to our readers, we will soon be implementing a subscription setup for this cool new E-dition. And we look forward to sharing this with you soon, but rest assured all of our articles will still be available on the site. We will continue publishing our content on the web for your convenience! We are striving to make the Dive News Network Media Group your connection to what’s happening in the dive industry, and look forward to finding new and innovative ways to make this happen!
Rick
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Rick,
Thank you for developing the E-edition of Northwest Dive News. I am an active member of the Josephine County Search and Rescue Dive team. I like reading about the dive activities of the Pacific Northwest. I do travel some and enjoy reading the magazine without having to carry the magazine and just read it on my Kindle Fire. In my scuba trips I would usually carry several of your magazines so I would have the name and numbers of dive shops for support resources during my trips, well now I can just use a WI-FI connection and get that info. Thanks again, Jim Phillippe Eagle Point, Oregon
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the kudos! We put forth a great amount of effort to make the digital editions, but you haven’t seen anything yet. Like I talked about in my publisher’s note this month, the new E-dition will blow you away! I can’t wait for you to see it. And the best part is, it will work with your Kindle Fire. Can’t wait to see your thoughts on this new E-dition, hopefully you like it! Thanks,
Rick
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Hawaii Seasport Divers 800.685.5889 www.seasportdivers.com
Land of Aloha Kaui
Capt Charley Neal's Scuba Shack 877.213.4488 www.scubashack.com
Maui
Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures 800.635.1273 www.mauiscuba.com
Jack's Diving Locker 800.345.4807 www.jacksdivinglocker.com
Hawaii
Dolphins and Manta Rays and Reefs -
Oh my!
We support local divers - Local divers support the industry.
5
HOT NEWS
Get your event noticed by sending us your NEWS/EVENTS: editor@divenewsmag.com
Marine sanctuary to Host Seaside Chats
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary will host Seaside Chats beginning Feb. 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Galveston Fishing Pier in Galveston. The Seaside Chats are part of the Flower Garden Banks 20th Anniversary. These free presentations will take place at the newly renovated Galveston Fishing Pier. Each presentation will be followed by an informal chat time and some light refreshments. Subjects of the Seaside Chats will be Feb. 8 - Coral Reefs of Texas, Feb. 15 - Romance on the Reef, Feb. 22 - The New Krewe in Town, Feb. 29 - A Diver’s Eye View and on March 7 - Manta Rays, Whale Sharks and Turtles, Oh My! For more info call 409-621-5151, x105 or visit www.flowergarden.noaa.gov.
Local dive shop moves to new location
Blue Water Divers has moved to a more central location in Oklahoma City. On Dec. 24, 2011 they turned off the “Open Sign” for the last time at their old I-240 & Western location and re-opened at their all new premier facility on the historical Automobile Alley at 718 North Broadway in Oklahoma City. In the short time they have been open it has proven to be a huge success far exceeding their expectations. They are now close to twice the size of our original location and able to offer even more resources. For more info visit www.bluewaterokc.com.
Local Dive Shop Teams up with Organizations Educating people about CA Diving
Pacific Wilderness Dive shop is teaming up with local Organizations that help to educate people on the magnificence of California Diving. They have found that by using Social Media, they can spread the word on how fun local diving can be by sharing their dives and dive experiences with their Facebook subscribers. There’s a lot to like about Pacific Wilderness, the diving superstore, and now when you share how much you like them on Facebook, California Ships to Reefs gets a five dollar donation. For more info visit www.pacificwilderness.com.
Dive shop leads Dive to Homestead Crater
Neptune Dive in Utah is doing a dive to Homestead Crater on Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. There is limited availability and call to RSVP. At Neptune Divers every month they plan some type of a local dive-a-long that all skill levels are welcome to join. There is no fee to participate; they just like to have dive buddies along for fun. For more info visit www.neptunedivers.net.
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Scuba Rangers Classes to Begin in Houston
Scuba Rangers is a kids club for 8 to 12 year olds. To join, all you have to do is sign up for the next Scuba Ranger Class. The class is 5 sessions. After you are certified, you can become a Master Ranger and attend the Scuba Ranger Club meetings. Here are some upcoming dates, Feb 18-Cave/Cavern Ranger, Mar 25-Navigation Ranger, Apr 22-Olympics Ranger, May 6- Spring Kickoff and on Jun 10- Buddy Ranger. For more info visit www.familyscuba.com.
Non-profit lobbies for the environment
The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE) has spent a lot of time and effort working with local governments to make the world’s oceans safer. They helped in the effort in San Francisco making it the first city in the United States to implement a ban on plastic bags as well as working with the County of Santa Clara, one of California’s largest counties to ban single-use plastic bags. For more info on other COARE projects or to find out how you can help visit www.coare.org.
Changing Lives in the Cayman Islands
Sometimes all it takes is a little support to change a life. It is with this in mind that Red Sail Sports Grand Cayman, a leading resort based dive and watersports operator, has been committed to the Special Olympics Program of the Cayman Islands (SOCI). From the beginning when the SOCI was founded in 1987, Red Sail Sports has provided jobs for its athletes. There are two SOCI athletes currently on staff at Red Sail one of which is Andrew Smiley, the most-decorated Special Olympics athlete in the history of the Cayman Islands. Red Sails Sports has also signed on to be a Silver Sponsor for the first annual Eric Crutchley Memorial Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, in their continuing efforts to support these extraordinary athletes. For more info visit www.redsailcayman.com.
Start the New Year with a Deep Breath
Sometimes a deep breath is all you need to regroup and re-energize. Gogh Jewelry Design is now offering a friendly reminder, Gogh Jewelry Design’s grounding pendant, conveniently etched with that magic word “BREATHE”. Made for those who are just a little too busy, who forget to relax and enjoy the simpler things. The pendants are handmade from sterling silver in California. The symmetrical twist bead shape from Swarovski has alluring facets that are not to be missed. For more info visit www. goghjewelrydesign.com.
The Dive Shop in San Marcos Conducting Scooter Seminar
The Dive Shop in San Marcos is conducting a Scooter Seminar on Feb. 18-19 at the Shop located at 1911 Old Ranch Road in San Marcos, TX. They will also be conducting a dive trip to Baja on Feb. 20-22. For more info visit www.divesanmarcos.com.
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February
Feb 1: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, 7 p.m. at Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www. dcosv.com Feb. 1: Diving Rebels Scuba Club 6:30 p.m., Humperdink’s, Arlington, TX. www. divingrebels.org Feb 2: Club Aquarius Dive Around Texas Group Dive, 288 Lake dry suit dive and pot luck lunch planned. RSVP to alex@ oceanicventures.com www.oceanicventures. com Feb 4: Dive Club of Silicon Valley Shore Dive. Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv.com Feb 6: Houston Underwater Scuba Club Holiday Party. Members only, St. Arnolds Brewery, Houston, TX. www.hucscuba.org Feb 7: Bay Area Divers Board of Director Meeting, 7 p.m., La Brisa Mexican Bar & Grill, League City, TX. Public and BAD members welcome. www. bayareadivers.org Feb 8: Burbank Dive Club 7 p.m., The Buchanan Arms in Burbank, CA. www. burbankdiveclub.com Feb 8: Lunarfins Dive Club, 7 p.m. Clear Lake Park, 5000 NASA Parkway, TX www.lunarfins.com Feb 8: Pacific Explorers 6:30 p.m., Denny’s Restaurant in Canoga Park, CA. www.pacificexplorers.org Feb 8: Exploring British Columbia Tri-Valley Dive Club meeting, 7 p.m., Pleasanton, CA. www.diventrips.com Feb 9: University SCUBA Club at UT Austin, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m., SSB 4.212, Austin, TX. www.utscuba.com Feb 9: Dive Club of Silicon Valley DEMP Classroom session. Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv.com Feb 13: Antelope Valley Desert Divers, 7 p.m., Primrose Room of the Chimbole Cultural Center, 38350 Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA. www.avdesertdivers.org Feb 14: Dive Buddy appreciation Day Valentine’s Day Celebration, Oceanic Ventures, Houston, TX. www. oceanicventures.com Feb 14: Bottom Dive Dive Club Meeting, 7 p.m. Elite Circle Grill, Waco, TX. www.btdc.org Feb 15: Channel Islands Divers 6:00 p.m., Pirates Grub N’ Grog in Oxnard, CA. www.channelislandsdivers.org Feb 15: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, 7 p.m. at Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www. dcosv.com Feb 18: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, Boat Dive on the Escapade, Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv.com
Feb 22: Aquatic Image Makers, 7 p.m., Round Table Pizza, Folsom, CA. www. sacaim.org Feb. 22: Dive N Trips University of Scuba Program, 6:30 p.m., Dive N Trips Pleasanton, CA. www.diventrips.com Feb 23: San Diego UW Photographic Society 7 p.m., Scripps Inst. of Oceanography Auditorium, San Diego, CA. www.sdups.com Feb 23: University SCUBA Club at UT Austin, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m., SSB 4.212, Austin, TX. www.utscuba.com Feb. 23: Club Aquarius Meeting, 7 p.m., Members/non-members welcome, Special Guest Speaker: door prizes, announcement of upcoming dives, RSCP for details and locations. www.oceanicventures.com Feb 25: The Sea Divers Club Dive with Wreck: Star of Scotland. Max of 6 divers. www.seadivers.org Feb 25-26: Arctic Dive/Wine & Cheese Festival at Lake Murray, OK with Diving Rebels Texas. See site for details www. divingrebels.org
March
Mar 5: Dive Club of Silicon Valley Boat diver specialty, Classroom session. Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv. com Mar 5: Houston Underwater Photographic Society, 7 p.m. Bayland Community Center, Houston, TX. www. hups.org Mar 6: Bay Area Divers Board of Director Meeting, 7 p.m., La Brisa Mexican Bar & Grill, League City, TX. Public and BAD members welcome. www. bayareadivers.org Mar 7: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, 7 p.m. at Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www. dcosv.com Mar 7: Diving Rebels Scuba Club 6:30 p.m., Humperdink’s, Arlington, TX. www. divingrebels.org Mar 7: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, Boat diver specialty. Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv.com Mar 10: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, Boat dive on the Escapade. Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www.dcosv.com Mar 12: Club Aquarius Dive Around Texas Group Dive, 288 Lake dry suit dive and pot luck lunch planned. RSVP to alex@ oceanicventures.com www.oceanicventures. com Mar 12: Antelope Valley Desert Divers, 7 p.m., Primrose Room of the Chimbole Cultural Center, 38350 Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA. www.avdesertdivers.org
DIVE ACTIVITIES Mar 13: Bottom Dive Dive Club Meeting, 7 p.m. Elite Circle Grill, Waco, TX. www.btdc.org Mar 13: Sharkbait Dive Club 6:30 p.m., Canyon Hills LIbrary in Anaheim Hills, CA. www.sharkbaitdiveclub.org Mar 14: Philippine Pre-Trip Meeting Tri-Valley Dive Club meeting, 7 p.m., Pleasanton, CA. www.diventrips.com Mar 14: Burbank Dive Club 7 p.m., The Buchanan Arms in Burbank, CA. www. burbankdiveclub.com Mar 14: Lunarfins Dive Club, 7 p.m. Clear Lake Park, 5000 NASA Parkway, TX www.lunarfins.com Mar 14: Pacific Explorers 6:30 p.m., Denny’s Restaurant in Canoga Park, CA. www.pacificexplorers.org Mar 21: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, 7 p.m. at Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www. dcosv.com Mar 21: Channel Islands Divers 6:00 p.m., Pirates Grub N’ Grog in Oxnard, CA. www.channelislandsdivers.org Mar 21: Diving Rebels Board of Directors Monthly Meeting, 7 p.m. Arlington, TX. www.divingrebels.org Mar 21: Go Pro Night, 6:30 p.m., with Dive N trips, Pleasanton, CA. www. diventrips.com Mar 22: Club Aquarius Meeting, 7 p.m., Members/non-members welcome, Special Guest Speaker: door prizes, announcement of upcoming dives, RSCP for details and locations. www.oceanicventures.com Mar 22: San Diego UW Photographic Society 7 p.m., Scripps Inst. of Oceanography Auditorium, San Diego, CA. www.sdups.com Mar 24: Dive Club of Silicon Valley, 7 p.m. at Diver Dan’s, Santa Clara, CA. www. dcosv.com Mar 25: American River, Drift Dives 8:30 p.m., with Dive N Trips, Pleasanton, CA. Bring all gear/2 tanks. www.diventrips. com Mar 28: Aquatic Image Makers, 7 p.m., Round Table Pizza, Folsom, CA. www. sacaim.org Mar 28: Northern Nevada Dive Club Meeting, dinner at 6:15 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. Bangkok Cuisine, NV. www. nndiveclub.com Mar 29-Apr 3: Diving Rebreather to raise money for schools and at risk teens program in Cayman Islands. Oceanic Ventures and InnerSpaceSystems. www. oceanicventures.com
We support local divers - Local divers support the industry.
7
nORTHERN cALIFORNIA DIVE & TRAVEL EXPO
The Northern California Dive & Travel Expo & Hyatt Regency Invite Attendees to Try Scuba D
ive Expo attendees and hotel guests of the Hyatt Regency who visit The Northern California Dive & Travel Expo taking place May 12-13 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA are being given an opportunity to try scuba! The Dive & Travel Expo, hosted by Dive News Network magazines Northwest Dive News and Southwest Dive News have partnered with their host hotel, the Hyatt Regency, and local dive shops in an effort to make trying out scuba diving something everyone can do. According to DNN publisher Rick Stratton “we understand most people attending the Dive Expo are probably certified but their family and friends may not be. Also, the people staying at the Hyatt probably are not... so this is a great opportunity to create some new divers.” The Dive News Network and the Hyatt Regency have created a package deal. The Hyatt will offer hotel guests a free pass to the expo. “We are giving 4 free passes per
room for each night’s stay,” says Dive News Network Publisher Rick Stratton. Stratton says that, as a part of the free admission package the hotel guests will also have the opportunity to try scuba diving at the expo. “We are also partnering with local dive shops, led by Bamboo Reef Enterprises, in the Bay area as well as other dive shops to help us get hotel guests and visitors to “try scuba” in an indoor pool,” Stratton explains. “It should be a lot of fun.” “We want to invite everyone who is headed to the dive expo to take advantage of this deal we have with the Hyatt, A good value and a lot of fun…what more can you ask for? - Rick Stratton For more info on the Expo or if you are a dive shop, how you can get involved in the Try Scuba event, visit divenewsnetwork. com/dive-and-travel-expo/bay-area-dive-atravel-expo.html.
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Dive & Travel Expo set to launch in Northern California D
ivers from all over will soon be headed to the Northern California Dive & Travel Expo taking place May 12-13 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This 1st annual diving event focuses on scuba diving and the scuba diving industry. This year’s event will host 50+ free seminars on everything from underwater photography to first aid with DAN. Visitors will be able to meet guest speakers from all over the country as they present talks on honing your diving skills, great new innovations and inspiring divers and non-divers alike. There will also be 140+ exciting exhibit booths to explore. Vendors from all over the world will be available to answer questions as well as introduce divers to the latest in scuba diving. Visitors will see brand new diving businesses alongside industry standards like Oceanic and White’s. There will also be booths manned by industry organizations such as PADI and NAUI. Here is a chance for industry wide organizations to meet and reconnect with their membership and share their plans for the upcoming year. This years’ expo will also offer visitors a chance to meet those who offer resort services all over the world. Come put faces with the names of the resorts throughout the dive vacation industry and let them tell you what they have to offer first hand. Dive Expo co-ordinator Rick Stratton says he is excited to bring the expo to Northern California. “We have had great success with our show in Tacoma so we wanted to offer it to divers all over the west coast.” So bring the family to the Northern California Dive & Travel Expo and swim into the fun! For more info on the Expo visit divenewsnetwork.com/dive-and-travel-expo/bay-area-dive-a-travel-expo.html.
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San Diego Diving
cALIFORNIA MAGNIFICENT DIVING
By Bruce Watkins
W
hile the entirety of California offers spectacular opportunities for divers and other water enthusiasts, the San Diego area stands out among the best of the best. San Diego County is the most southern of the California counties, and is bordered by Mexico to the south and Orange and Riverside Counties to the north. San Diego is all about sun, sea, beaches, wrecks, animals, and affordable entertainment. San Diego has nearly perfect weather. The average daily temperature is a wonderful 70° F, while average winter low is only 48° F, and the average summer high is a comfortable 77°. The area only gets about 10 inches of rain each year, making it a Mediterranean climate near the coast and nearly a desert inland. Its many picturesque beaches attract sun worshipers, and its calm waters draw sailors, boaters and divers from around the world. Those seeking creature comforts can find gourmet and quality, affordable dining establishments throughout the San Diego area, but some of the more interesting nightclubs and restaurants are located in the Gaslamp District, near downtown and the airport, as well as in La Jolla Village. The County has a large number of prestigious colleges and universities and the combination of student culture and a thriving business community maintains both the quality and affordability of the nightlife and recreational opportunities. For animal enthusiasts the area has one of the nation’s best collections of zoos and aquariums: Sea World, Birch Aquarium, San Diego Wild Animal Park, and the San Diego Zoo. Of course, we divers prefer to experience our animals in the wild, and this area has a lot to offer. San Diego County offers up two distinctly different reasons to dive: superb beach diving and marvelous offshore wreck diving. Most of San Diego County sports beautiful, sandy beaches. However, this often results in a near-shore sandy bottom with the better reefs located a healthy swim from shore. The west coasts oldest marine reserve, La Jolla Cove Ecological reserve is a designated MLP (Marine Life Protected area. It abounds with very large fish populations harbor seals and sea lions are seen there on almost every dive. Sites like San Onofre, Carlsbad and San Elijo State Beaches have great offshore reefs that are accessible to divers with boats or kayaks, or those who enjoy long swims. The La Jolla Submarine Canyon, commonly referred to as Scripps Canyon, is best experienced by boat, but can be accessed after a 150-yard swim from the boarder of La Jolla Shores Beach where it meets Blacks Beach. The most popular night dive in the region is the La Jolla Canyon dive right off the beach from Kellogg Park. 10
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SOUTHWEST DESTINATION
Monterey Bay
The Dive Shop that Dives!
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602.971.3483 Diving the HMCS Yukon. Photo courtesy Ronan Gray
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SOUTHweST Besides La Jolla Cove, many accessible beach dives may be found near La Jolla Village, where divers can find a large number of stunning beaches with great diving a short swim from shore. Sites like Children’s Pool, Boomer Beach, , Goldfish Point, and Marine Room are home to a cornucopia of marine life and are comfortable sites for beginner divers and yet have enough marine life to entertain the most advanced divers and photographers. These sites have healthy kelp beds with colorful invertebrates and fish, including dozens of species of nudibranchs, spiny lobsters and arguably the ocean’s most colorful fish—the garibaldi. Goldfish Point takes its name from these, orange largest members of the damselfish family in the world. In summer large numbers of leopard and horn sharks and guitarfish migrate close to shore to allow their offspring to be born in the area’s warm summer water. Divers and snorkelers often find these sharks in shallow water, directly beneath unsuspecting swimmers and waders. The only difficult part about diving La Jolla sites is finding a place to park. While there are plenty of parking spaces, divers share them with swimmers, sun worshipers, and picnickers and they tend to fill up early. My advice is to arrive before 7 AM on weekends or dive the area on weekdays. However, once in the water you will find the diving relaxed and less crowded. San Diego’s second diving experience is found a mile off Mission Bay, an area that
SAN DIEGO divers call Wreck Alley. This is a group of six large, famous wrecks and handful of smaller ones, most of which were cleaned and deliberately sunk as artificial reefs intended to attract fish and wreck divers. All rest in water 70 to 100 feet deep and are in a variety of conditions—the older wrecks are beginning to collapse, while the younger wrecks are mostly intact. Visibility on the wrecks ranges from 20 to 60 feet. All have been underwater long enough to have acquired a healthy coat of encrusting invertebrates, and have attracted a variety of fish. The El Ray was a kelp harvester sunk in 1987; although her wooden superstructure has collapsed her hull is still intact. The Ruby E was a former Coast Guard Cutter is 165 feet long and was sunk in 1989. She has a long career first in 1934 as a deterrent to “Rum runners” during prohibition, later used in anti-submarine warfare during World War II, and then as a fish processor and salvage vessel. The Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) tower is the only true wreck in the area and was once a naval research laboratory before it collapsed. It has the best assortment of schooling fish found in Wreck Alley and in healthy numbers.
La Jolla Cove
One of the more popular San Diego beach dives is La Jolla Cove near downtown La Jolla. The entry is both picturesque and protected, and good, shallow diving may be found only a short distance from shore.
The bow of the Ruby-E. Photo courtesy Bob Gladden
12
Dive Locally - Where It Really Matters
The bottom near shore is rocky and is covered with a thick layer of kelp, most notably, feather boa kelp. This is a great place to snorkel since many garibaldi and kelp bass find homes among the swirling mass of kelp. Depths are mostly less than ten feet. After one swims past the shallow rocks the bottom quickly drops to about twenty feet and very gradually drops to about forty feet. The rock bottom is most flat with ledges and rock piles. In the crevices within the rocky areas hide numerous lobsters, abalone and fish. Since La Jolla Cove is a reserve, none of these animals may be taken or disturbed, making this a great place to photograph game animals. Yes, they know they live in a reserve and you can’t touch them. The low-profile rocky reef is covered with encrusting invertebrates--golden gorgonia, sponges, and tunicates. Also, along the rocks are found numerous nudibranchs, navanax, shrimps and crabs. This is a good place to find skates, horn sharks and leopard sharks in summer. The surest way to encounter the broad nose Seven Gill Sharks and Soup Fin Sharks (Tope) at the La Jolla Cove Ecological Reserve is by hiring an experienced scuba or snorkel San Diego guide. They will most likely introduce you to Barney the Psycho Seal that is amorous with local dive guides.
Yukon
The HMCS Yukon is the most recent addition to Wreck Alley and its most popular. This 366-foot Canadian Mackenzie Class Destroyer was cleaned and deliberately sunk by the San Diego Oceans Foundation in 2000 as an artificial reef. Multiple holes were cut into her hull to provide access to divers, and she was intended to come to rest upright. However, she prematurely foundered and now rests on her port side. The Yukon is the most intact of the wrecks, and is one of the few designed to carry people as well as cargo, so she offers more opportunity for deep penetration and getting lost. She sits in 105 feet of water, and on average she rises about 40 feet off the bottom. The Yukon has been underwater for over a decade and the marine life is beginning to coat the wreck in a tapestry of brilliant colors. In some areas huge, white Metridium anemones cover the superstructure and deck equipment; in other spots pink and lavender Corynactis cover the metal. Countless fish find a home within her hull. So come to San Diego for its great beach and wreck diving, stay for the many parks and great, affordable food and recreational activities. San Diego harbor is also a gateway to the spectacular diving in the Southern Channel Islands and the islands of Northern Mexico, including Guadalupe. But, that’s a story for another time. ■
LA JOLLA
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The Dive Shop that Dives! The catwalk of the El Rey. Photo courtesy Bob Gladden
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13
SOUTHweST DESTINATION
DIVING ADVENTURE
South Padre Island
The
, Texas. dre Island tockton a P th u o w of S Richard S Aerial vie Photo by
By Mike Hughes Writer, Dive News Network
Padre Island is the second longest island in the United States. The north end of the island is home to the Padre Island National Seashore. There is close to 70 miles of hiking trails and beachfront where 380 species of birds migrate yearly and where sea turtle science and recovery has led to the reintroduction of kemp’s ridley, leatherbacks, loggerheads and hawksbill sea turtles. It is also home of the Malaquite Visitor Center where you can find out more about local inhabitants and so much more. As for recreational activities and the best diving sites in general, the south island area is the ultimate destination for annual diver migrations. I asked a representative of American Diving, a scuba instructor college located in the area, what the top three spots off South Padre Island, (SPI), were. He said that the number one site had to be the Texas Clipper. This 473 ft. long ship was sunk as an artificial reef on November 17, 2007. It currently rests on its port side at 60 to 130 ft. There has been a lot of growth on the wreck in the last five years, and besides all the big ling and snapper, the latest family to move in and take up residence on the ship is a family of stingrays. The ship is so big that you can’t see it all even on a couple of dives. Not only that, but while you are looking at tropical fish on one end of the ship, divers in the middle may be watching dolphins catching bait fish right above them, and at the other end of the ship divers are busy photographing invertebrates and oblivious to the silhouette of a passing whale shark; so no two divers or groups of divers, ever experience a dive on the Texas Clipper quite the same way. This is why diving here has become the number one attraction in town. Before four million was spent on the cleanup and removal of 700 tons The Texas Clipper artificial reef. Photos courtesy American Diving 14
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15
SOUTHweST DESTINATION
DIVING ADVENTURE
The Iron Reef. Photo courtesy American Diving
The Texas Clipper. Photo courtesy American Diving.
of metal and debris from the ship to ensure it would be creature and diver friendly, the Texas Clipper served as the USTS Queens as an attack transport to carry troops to Iwo Jima and wounded away from the island during WWII. It was also part of the occupation force in Sasebo, Japan. From 1948-58 the ship was converted to a cruise liner as the USS Excambien with the American Export Lines, and carried passengers and cargo to the Mediterranean. In 1965 it was loaned to the Texas Maritime Academy at Texas A&M University in Galveston where it was used for 30 years as a merchant marine training vessel. This explains the big A&M lettering on the sunken ship. Besides the Texas Clipper, sometimes charters will do a second or third “tons of steel dive” at one of two iron reefs such as the gas rig Little Sara at 105 ft. or Seana’s Rig at 126 ft. Both of these rigs have tons of life on the horizontal beams at 35-65 ft., so whether you want to find damsels, sergeant majors, or octopus, just look around the horizontal beams. Pelagics are known to swim around the rigs on a routine basis: up to and including whale sharks. Los Torres is another well-known oilrig, but at 240 ft. this is a tech dive. Expect to see pelagics such as amberjacks, hammerheads, silky, and white tip sharks here. Some other (SPI) wrecks you may wish to see include the shimper boats Deep Six, Pat’s wreck, and the Dona Nelly. Deep Six is an 82 ft. long boat at 60 ft. 11 miles from shore where rays, red snapper, and turtles are usually spotted. Pat’s Wreck is an 80 ft. shrimper 22 miles off shore at 138 ft. Dona Nelly has a deck at 85 ft. and descends to135 ft. The Albatross wasn’t a shrimper, but this boat went down 80-105 ft. with machinery cargo and 10,000 lbs. of shrimp. For other wrecks that are really big, but might take a two day dive 16
trip to explore, you have the (Mustang Island) three 441.6 ft. long liberty ships 18 nm from Port Aransas up north which include the Conrad Weiser, the Rachel Jackson, and the Charles A. Dana. You can visit the three Port Mansfield liberty ships 23 nm from SPI or 15 nm from Port Mansfield which include the Edward W. Scripps, the Joshua Thomas, and the George L. Farely at 96-100 ft., in addition to 9 rigs to reef structures down at 50-60 ft. Tarpon, tigers, black tips, grouper, and cobia are found at these sites. Last but not least, we have the Texas Underwater Park, which has tugboats, 2 oilrigs, a US navy work barge, and 32 reef balls 65-73 ft. underwater. As for natural reefs, the Sponge Gardens is a seamount at 150 ft. deep so out of reach for most divers, but 7 Fathom Reef is made up from a series of four distinct rises and at 24-45 ft. This sandstone area 2 miles offshore was an ice age coastal fresh water lake when local waters were 350 ft. lower than they are today. Mammoth, mastodon, and fresh water snails can be found imbedded in the stone substrate. Invertebrates such as tubeworms, sponges, bryozoans, mollusks, and crustaceans now call this place home. As for shore dives, they say you can find sand dollars in Dolphin Cove, and numerous critters around any of the jetties, but the truth is that the vis can get really low next to shore unless blue waters have moved in next to the coast line. Hence, the visibility is usually better the farther out from shore you go and that’s why dive boats, charter boats, and private boats are so popular here. Another thing to keep in mind with diving South Padre Island is that you may want to set aside at least a day off from diving, as there are so many other local activities to do. Families love the Schlit-
Dive Locally - Where It Really Matters
“AMERICAN” BARRIER REEF terbahn Beach Water Park. It’s a tropical theme park with a variety of splash rides, a lazy river, and white sand beaches. You may also want to take a dolphin tour or visit the Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center. Sea Turtle Inc. Rescues, recovers, and rejuvenates unfortunate sea turtles. You can see the turtles close up and personal, or help with their hatch and release program. South Padre Island has a Birding and Nature Center as well as an Island Equestrian Center; horse riding on the beach anyone? You can even walk on the 1,500 ft. long Laguna Madre Nature Trail boardwalk and name the migratory birds, but don’t try to count them. As you can see from the list, you could spend a week on the boat and not see all the dive sites, you could spend a week on shore and not see all the land sites, and maybe that’s why, besides the birds and turtles, so many people return here on an annual basis. You can drive here from Houston like many dive clubs and dive shops do, or you can fly into Brownsville at the BRO International Airport and drive across the Isabella causeway to South Padre Island. Either way, have a great time and great dives. ■
South Padre Island
The Texas Clipper before sinking. Photo courtesy American Diving
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TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
U.S. WEST COAST
CATALINA A West Coast Diver’s Paradise
Photo courtesy Catalina Chamber of Commerce By Keath Allen Writer, Dive News Network
C
atalina Island, lying twenty two miles off the coast of southern California, has become a well-known diver’s paradise. With a dive park that offers shore dives limited only by the necessity for surface intervals, and boat charters that visit the un-crowded dive sites on the back side of the island, the island is a retreat for thousands of divers who visit every year. What most of these divers don’t realize, however, are the great advantages that Catalina has to offer in the cooler months. The average temperature during the winter months ranges from lows in the upper 40’s to highs during the day in the mid 60’s. The water temperature ranges from the upper 50’s to the low 60’s. While this may seem on the chilly side to some, cold water divers will welcome the warmer temperatures. One of the largest attractions that Catalina has to offer is the Avalon Dive Park. Located just off Casino Point, this marine preserve is well developed to accommodate visitors and makes it a popular spot for recreational divers. Dive lockers, restrooms and steps leading into the underwater park make it an easy place to hang out and spend the day. Catalina Diver’s supply, one of Avalon’s dive shops, has set up an air fill station at the park where you can rent equipment and get quick air fills during your surface intervals. The ease and convenience of having these services with a protected marine preserve, which is easily accessible by shore, make it one of the most popular dive sites in the channel islands. During the summer months it is common to find upwards of 400 divers visiting the park on any given Saturday or Sunday. Though the park is large enough to accommodate all of these divers, lines often form on the steps leading into the 18
water and the air fill station. Visiting during the winter months offers unlimited access to this area without the crowds. Avalon Dive Park offers something for everyone with a beautiful kelp forest, and abundant ocean life. Three wrecks, the SuJac, Kismit, and a glass bottom boat are all within the boundaries of the park and are easily found well within recreational limits. The SuJac is a schooner that sank in a storm in 1980. Though rapidly deteriorating the concrete hull is the most popular wreck to explore in the park. The Kismit, a 40 foot sailboat was repositioned in the park sitting upright in 60 feet of water. The glass bottom boat, located near the Kismit, is a smaller wreck that is often used as a landmark to navigate to the larger wrecks. Outside the boundaries of the park are many sites, which, are less crowded if you’re making the trip during the summer months. Just outside the boundaries of Avalon Dive Park, in front of Descanso Beach, is the wreck of the Valiant. This yacht burned and sank, coming to rest upright in 110’ of water. Because of its location, and the dangers of boat traffic, this wreck is only accessible with permission of the harbor patrol. Many sites including Church Rock, West End Cove, and Ballast Point (home to the oldest wreck on the island, a Chinese smuggling ship) are only accessible by boat. Bob Kennedy, owner of Catalina Scuba Luv, has been operating charter and dive operations on the island for the past 30 years. “We try to determine the locations of our charters by conditions, looking for the sites with the best visibility.” He said. They make regular trips to the island’s isthmus to sites such as Ship Rock, Bird Rock and Eagle Reef, and during the summer months to a “top secret” location where divers can encounter schools of Giant Black Sea Bass. I first saw the island in early December of 2011 when I spent a
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CALIFORNIA weekend there on business. As the Catalina Express pulled into the harbor of Avalon, I immediately fell in love with the small island town. Our hotel was a short walk from the port, requiring a stroll through the many shops, restaurants, hotels, and cantinas along the waterfront. My wanderlust was awakened. I wanted to explore the town, eat tacos, and tour the interior of this paradise. More than anything I wanted to get in the water. I buckled down and tried to concentrate on what I was there for, managing to squeeze in a short night dive one evening, but in the end I was forced to leave the island without satisfying my need to investigate everything it had to offer. Just a few weeks later, on Dec. 29, I found myself boarding the Catalina Express for my return to the island. This time I brought my wife, and left work at the office. I find when traveling that she is a much better companion than my co-workers and business partners (no offense), and I was excited to have the chance to get back and explore everything the island had to offer. We made the same journey that I had on my previous trip through the waterfront area and up a side road to the Hermosa Hotel and Cottages. This place caters to divers with gear lockers for diving equipment, and fresh water outside for rinsing gear. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some of the other hotels on the island, it’s a great choice for the budget conscious diver who would rather spend their money on gear and beer than their lodging. On Saturday I made my way down to Casino Point and the dive park. The crowds of divers who swallow the park during the summer months were gone and there were relatively few divers at the park. The lack of crowds is a huge advantage to visiting the island in the off season. I geared up and made my first dive with Bill Conklin who was there diving with his daughter, Nicole from Healdsburg Ca. We made a surface swim to one of the buoys and made our descent into the kelp forest. Swimming through the kelp was a surreal experience having never dived in kelp before. We continued out to the edge of the park and headed south past a small sailboat to the SuJac. The wreck lies on its starboard side at 74 feet of depth and is rapidly deteriorating. A large hole in the hull offers a really cool swim through, and great opportunity for photography. Later in the day I explored the north end of the park. This area has a sandy bottom, and I was told I would have a better opportunity to see bat rays here. It is void of kelp, and there is relatively little to see on this side of the park. A platform
Photo courtesy Keath Allen
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CALIFORNIA
CATALINA ISLAND
at 60 feet marks the boundary of the park. Diving past this area requires special permission from harbor patrol, so we made our way back to the kelp forests and reefs near the center of the park that offer more to see. Spiny lobster, Garibaldi, Sea Bass, Sheephead, and Kelp Fish were everywhere. Catalina has a lot to offer divers, and non-divers as well, and as my wife was six months pregnant at the time we had a great opportunity to play tourist and explore the non-diving activities the island had to offer. Since this is being written for a dive publication, I won’t spend a lot of time on these activities, but it is important to mention that Catalina is a great destination for families or a romantic get-away. We toured the botanical gardens and the Wrigley memorial. We strolled through the waterfront area with its many shops and restaurants, eating lobster tacos and swordfish sandwiches at the Lobster Trap. Activities for non-divers are almost limitless with mountain bike tours, jeep tours of the island interior, zip lines, rock climbing walls, and a golf course. There are almost too many to mention in this article. With everything I had heard about the diving around Catalina my expectations were high, and I was not disappointed. It truly is a diver’s paradise! ■
Photo courtesy Keath Allen
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mEDICAL Information
DCI: Are you prepared? E
very diver should be prepared to recognize symptoms decompression illness (DCI). Are you? The term DCI actually encompasses two separate conditions: decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE). Both conditions should get the same treatment, which in most cases is oxygen first aid and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. You probably learned most of this in your entry level diving courses, but it never hurts to review this essential information as it could save a life.
Symptoms of DCI DCS symptoms include muscle or joint pain that does not subside, rash, dizziness, numbness or tingling, paralysis, muscle weakness, bladder or bowel dysfunction and fatigue disproportionate to the diver’s exertion. The diver may also have trouble walking. AGE symptoms typically occur while the diver is surfacing or immediately afterward. The diver may suddenly go unconscious or exhibit neurological symptoms, such as confusion, disorientation, personality changes, unsteady gait, weakness and paralysis. AGE may be associated with pulmonary barotrauma (a condition that occurs when air sacs in the lung rupture, typically during a rapid or breath-hold ascent) which generally manifests as difficulty breathing and may also
involve a bloody froth in the mouth or nose. Symptoms generally occur from within 10 minutes to up to 12 hours after surfacing. If any new symptoms appear after 24 hours, DCI is not likely to be the cause. If the diver flies after diving, it is possible for delayed symptoms of DCS to occur during flight. The recommended preflight surface interval after multiple dives or multiple days of diving is a minimum of 18 hours.
Responding to suspected DCI If you suspect a diver has DCI, assess and continuously monitor vital signs (circulation, airway and breathing), activate emergency services (911 or the local equivalent), administer oxygen first aid if you are a trained oxygen provider and call the DAN Emergency Hotline at +1-919-684-9111. Remember, if you need some help or are unsure how to respond you can always call DAN or take the diver to the nearest emergency department. It is not advisable to take an injured diver directly to a chamber without first contacting DAN because the closest chamber may not be open, operating, staffed or properly equipped to meet the injured diver’s needs. DAN maintains a continually updated database of chambers to determine the most appropriate chamber for treatment and the coordination of care. While DAN cannot make a diagnosis over the phone, DAN can be an essential
resource for helping recognize the signs and symptoms of DCI, advising you and emergency medical personnel on proper management and coordinating transportation to get an injured diver to a higher level of emergency care as quickly and safely as possible.
Be prepared There are a lot of ways you can prepare to handle a diving emergency. If you are not a trained oxygen provider, enroll in the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course. You can also complete the DAN Dive Emergency Management Provider (DEMP) program, which encompasses automated external defibrillators, emergency oxygen including bag valve mask and manually triggered ventilator, and the treatment of hazardous marine life injuries. Or enhance your knowledge with DAN online seminars, such as the Pathophysiology of Decompression Illness and test yourself with the DCI Quiz on www.AlertDiver.com. Dive safely, and remember, DAN is here for you. Divers Alert Network (DAN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the safety and health of scuba divers. DAN operates a 24-hour emergency hotline (+1-919-6849111) to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance for diving or nondiving incidents. ■
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DIVE DIRECTORY Cressi Leonardo Dive Computer
SOUTHWEST GEAR REVIEW DryCase
Dry Case is a new product makes your iphone or droid ready for just about any water sport or scuba dive down to 100 ft. of depth. Now you can use your Get the freeCressi mobile app at smart phone camera or introduces new line of dive video app under water. http:/ acomputers / gettag.mobi called Insert your phone in the “Leonardo”. You clear soft case, seal it can manually turn using the latches, attach on and off this the included bulb to the dive computer. It has an on-demand backlight feature, large one way valve, give a few quick squeezes, and display digits for experienced divers, and can be used for air or you have a vacuum packed phone ready to go to Nitrox blends. You can sync Leonardo with your computer via the beach and more. Want the phone out of Dry infrared using the exclusive PC link interface. Also, Leonardo Case? No problem, simply unlock the latches and can calculate dive times from 0 to 255 minutes. The best part take it out. On land you can make a call by using is Leonardo is user friendly and you can change the battery by the headphone with mic jack. In water you can yourself with just the aid of a quarter. I saw it in four different use “DryBUDS”, waterproof headphones to listen colors at DEMA; the white model can be used to set the white to old school music or “rap wit da fishes.” I like widethe armband. Need a bottom balance for underwater digital cameras. To see the Video clip we wearing my Dry Case attached to the softGet free mobile app at made, go to www.divenewsnetwork.com or look on Youtube under timer? Is there an app for that? See our DNN clip on Youtube under http:/ / gettag.mobi mikehughesscuba. www.drycase.com mikehughesscuba. www.cressi.it
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FiJi Beyond the Reef 691.350.3483 www.diveyap.com Deep Blue Adventures(888) 266-6309 www.deepblueadventures.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 Coastal Marine Diving Supply 954.815.7914 www.coastalmarinediving.com Conch Republic Divers 305.852.1655 www.conchrepublicdivers.com Horizon Divers 305.453.3535 www.horizondivers.com Narcosis Scuba Center 727.934.6474 www.narcosisscuba.com Ocean Sports of N. Pinellas 727.733.1919 www.oceansportsdive.com SeaExperienceCharters 954.770.3483 www.divefortlauderdale.com Wetter the Better 561.596.8482 www.walkersdivecharters.com Northeast Dive News JANUARY 2008
We support our local dive shop - without them we will not have a dive industry.
EQUIPMENT TROPICAL DIVE DIRECTORY A Listing of participating dive shops, charters, resorts and independent instructors
Rick’s Diving Locker San Diego (160) 746-8980 Bamboo Reef San Francisco (415) 362-6694 Store/ Academy of Scuba Phoenix (480) 203-6040 Instruction Diver Dan’s Wet Pleasure Santa Clara (408) 984-5819 California Blue Water Photo Store Santa Monica (310) 463-4927 Catalina Divers Supply LLC Avalon (760) 801-7996 Store/Charter Al’s Diving Spring Valley (619) 885-1795 Catalina Scuba Luv, Inc. Avalon (310) 510-2350 Store Nevada All About Scuba Fairfield (707) 425-1932 Store Aai Neptune Divers Las Vegas (702) 452-5723 Oceanic Ventures Houston (713) 523-3483 Store Texas Great Escape Charters Long Beach (310) 486-0761 Liveaboard/Charter Tiger Shark Scuba Arlington (817) 447-7525 Bamboo Reef Monterey (831) 372-1685 Store International Scuba Carrollton (972) 416-8400 Glenn’s Aquairus II Monterey (831) 375-6605 Store/Charter The Dive Shop San Marcos (512) 396-3483 The Original Steele Oakland (510) 655-4344 Store Crazy Scuba Richardson (866) 696-6090 Dive N Trips Pleasanton (925) 462-7234 Store Utah Dolphin Scuba Center Sacramento (916) 929-8188 Store Neptune Divers Salt Lake City (801) 466-9630 Scuba World of Sacramento Sacramento (916) 332-8294 Store ■■Arizona
GaLaPaGos
Sea Safari Cruises 62.361.72.1212 www.seasafaricruises.com
Divencounters Alliance 877.323.DIVE www.divencounters.com Galapagos Aggressor I&II
MaLDiVEs Maldives Aggressor
info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
800-348-2628 706-993-2531
800-348-2628 706-993-2531
GUaDaLUPE/soCoRRo Baja Aggressor III info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com 800-348-2628 706-993-2531
hawaii Kona Aggressor info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
800-348-2628 706-993-2531 Maui Dreams Dive Co 808.874.5332 www.mauidreamsdiveco.com
hoNDURas Deep Blue Resort 504.95.76.36.97 www.deepblueutila.com Utila Aggressor II
info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
800-348-2628 706-993-2531
iNDoNEsia Komodo Dancer dancer@dancerfleet.com www.dancerfleet.com 800.932.6237 or 305.669.9391 Kungkungan Bay Resort & Spa 530.347.2300 www.divekbr.com Puri Wirata Dive Resort and Spa 62.813.384.05.335 www.puriwirata.com Pindito Liveaboard 831.818.8594 www.pindito.com
MExiCo Aquanauts Dive Adv. 998.206.9365 www.aquanautsdiveadventures.com Maya Palms Resorts & Dive Center 888.843.3483 www.mayapalms.com Scuba Playa Dive Shop 52.984.803.3123 www.scubaplaya.com
NoRth CaRoLiNa ATLANTIS CHARTERS
Atlantis Charters 252.728.6244 www.atlantischarters.net Discovery Diving Co. 252.728.2265 www.discoverydiving.com Olympus Dive Center 252.726.9432 www.olsympusdiving.com
PaLaU Palau Aggressor info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
800-348-2628 706-993-2531 Tropic Dancer dancer@dancerfleet.com www.dancerfleet.com 800.932.6237 or 305.669.9391
PaPUa NEw GUiNEa Star Dancer dancer@dancerfleet.com www.dancerfleet.com 800.932.6237 or 305.669.9391
Store Store Store Store Store Store Store Store Store Store Store
PhiLiPPiNEs ActiVentures Philippines 650.834.1331 www.activenturespi.com Big La Laguna Beach Dive Resort 425.298.8172 www.BigLaLa.com Campbells Beach Resort 63.920.416.0502 www.CampbellsBeachResort.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) Cane Bay Dive Shop 340.773.9913 www.canebayscuba.com
st. kitts Bird Rock Beach Resort 877.244.6285 www.birdrockbeach.com
st. ViNCENt Bequia Dive Adventures 784.458.3826 www.bequiadiveadventures.com
thaiLaND Sairee Cottage Diving 667.745.6126 www.saireecottagediving.com
tURks & CaiCos Turks & Caicos Aggressor info@aggressor.com www.aggressor.com
800-348-2628 706-993-2531 Northeast Dive News JANUARY 2008
www.nedivenews.com
Want to support local diving in your part of the globe? email keath@divenewsmag.com!
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