The Dive Shack Tides

Tips on Basic BCD Maintenance

2012-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have been told that I need to write about something for the blog, but I did not know what to write about. That was until I worked on a regulator that just made me sad. It was in such bad shape; it was not taken care of at all. So the idea of me writing about basic equipment maintenance started to make since to me. Because as most of you know, "the world of scuba is all about me". :-) And the best way to make me happy is to ensure you are taking care of the gear you depend on, not only for your life while underwater, but to make sure you have that successful dive at your local dive spot or while you are on a dive trip somewhere in the world.

Let’s begin with your BCD:

Before you pack your BCD into you dive bag, you should check to make sure you have all the parts for it, like your weight pockets and clips. You should also check to see if the quick release system is functioning and that the webbing is not starting to tear. Do the dumps have the cords still attached? Are any of the connection points (seams) no longer intact? It doesn’t take long to check this stuff out, but it is important.

Now, I am not too concerned about your ability to put your gear together for your dive, so let’s get to the post-dive activities. Once you get home, you should wash your gear in fresh water that has some type of BCD/wetsuit conditioner in it. The conditioner will help to break down the salts while you rinse out the sand. Of course, you can buy this stuff from The Dive Shack. Most people when they wash their BCD just dunk the unit into the water a couple of times, or them may let it sit in the water a bit before they hang it up to dry. I have a vial at the shop with some pretty large pieces of rock salt that I was able to get out of the air bladder of a few BCD’s over the years because of a step most people forget. When you are done washing the outside, you need to wash the inside.

While we dive, as we deflate the BCD with the black button at the end of the inflator hose, we allow some water inside the bladder of our BCD. The more often or longer we hold that button down, the more water we get inside the system. This is not really a bad thing, but if you don’t clean it out after the dive, the water will evaporate out leaving salt crystals to accumulate in the bladder.

Here is what you should do. When you have your water hose flowing, put a little air into your BCD, then lift the inflator hose up and push the oral inflate button down. With that done, put the water hose up to the inflator and allow the fresh water to go into the BCD. I should fill it up with about a couple cups of water, then release the button. Next, lift the BCD up and move it around, sloshing the water all over the inside of the bladder. Once that is done, you hold your BCD upside down with the inflator hanging down at the lowest point, then depress the deflate button to drain the water out. Sorry, but not done yet. Repeat, slosh and drain again, but this time taste the water. If it has a salty taste to it, then you need to refill, slosh, and drain again. Do this until the water has a fresh taste to it. Now you know there is no more salt in the BCD and it can be hung up to dry.

When you do hang it up, just remember to add a little air inside. It does not need to be full, just one or two full blows to keep the inner material from sticking together as the moisture dries out.

All of this does not take long and it will make sure your system will look better, work better and last longer. Plus, if you bring it into the shop for a full service, I will not be sad when I have to see a poorly treated piece of equipment. (Remember: "the world of scuba is all about me". :-))

Next time, I will talk about regulator maintenance. But until then remember, while diving, your equipment will not only help you have a great dive, but will keep you alive. I am sure you have heard the saying “the better you take care of your gear, the better your gear will take care of you.” HAPPY DIVING!

Humble Beginnings

2012-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

I first got into photography because I was looking for an art form I could use to express myself. As I pondered my choices a few things became evident. Since I am unable to tell if a line is straight (much less draw one - even with a ruler) I realized that most forms of drawing and painting were out of the picture. I pondered abstract or expressionism and smiled as I pictured myself pushing blobs of paint around on a canvas. Suddenly I had multiple flashbacks to all of the times I have tried painting things (rooms, fences, little sisters) and realized that I would go broke buying cleaning supplies. Pottery sounded intriguing, until I pictured the wheel spinning out of control and blobs of clay taking out walls in the house. You see, I have a bottomless talent for making a mess and breaking the unbreakable.

I sat on my couch staring off into space trying to come up with my creative outlet. After a while I realized that I was staring at the book on the coffee table. Inspiration struck! It was an Ansel Adams book that I loved. His shots never failed to set me off into daydreams of rock climbing or hiking or tree climbing. I realized that I would make a minimal mess (unless I started developing my own film - which still interests me...) and had a pretty low risk of destroying my home if I took up photography. I informed my husband of my wish for a "real" camera, the kind where you could change the lens. Being the generous man that he is, he immediately bought me my first SLR. It was a Canon Rebel.

A first attempt at an art shot just resulted in

a serious case of "centeritis".

When I got my Rebel, I poured over the little instruction book. There were many pages on all of the different automatic settings and when to use them. There were maybe three small pages on the manual settings. I memorized these pages (at least I thought I had) and then set out to shoot. I set off for a water fountain because I wanted to get one of those pictures with the soft ethereal looking water. I remembered I needed a slow shutter to do that, but........which control was the shutter? Was it the f number thingy or......? I couldn't remember, so I tried all of the different settings and then eagerly mailed my film off for processing (you see these were going to be art prints so I couldn't trust my film to the corner drug store 1 hour processing, any fool could tell you that). A week later I got my prints. There were a couple that came close to what I wanted but at that point I couldn't for the life of me remember which settings I used to get them.

I loved this shot, but had no idea howI got

it, or how to repeat it.

And so began my photo journey - using the automatic settings in the camera. I got some good snapshots that way. But I felt like I was not an "artist", a true photographer, by using them. And when I did happen to take a decent shot, I was at loss as to explain how I got it or how to repeat it. I kept promising myself that someday I would learn how to really use my camera. Then one day, I opened the quarterly Adult Ed brochure that came to my house. There was a Digital Photography class. (Chris had upgraded my old film Rebel body to a digital one, I think he was sick of paying film processing fees.) The class description asked: Do you want the most out of your digital SLR? (yeeeees) Are you ready to take that bold step toward manual control? (YES YES!) So I signed up on the spot.

To be continued.......

Creature Feature : Mantis Shrimp

2012-02-03T10:00:00.001-08:00

Marine crustaceans of the Stomatopoda order, mantis shrimp were named for their physical resemblance to the praying mantis. They appear in a variety of colors from browns to bright neons, and may grow up to 12 inches in length. [1] Most species live in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans between eastern Africa and Hawaii, although some live in temperate waters.

Fairly common animals, they often go unnoticed because they spend most their time hiding in burrows in the seabed or holes in rock formations. Important predators in shallow waters, mantis shrimp are known for their powerful claws which they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning or dismemberment. [2] Unlike most crustaceans, mantis shrimp will not just wait for prey to happen upon their lair, but will actually leave their homes to hunt, chase and kill prey. They can be diurnal (active during the day), nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active during dawn or dusk), depending on the species.

The mantis shrimp is often divided into two groups depending upon the type of claw they possess:

Spearers are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips, used to stab and snag prey. They use their barbed claws to slice and snag the meat of softer animals, like fish.
Smashers, on the other hand, possess a much more developed club and a more rudimentary spear (which is nevertheless quite sharp); the club is used to bludgeon and smash their meals apart. Smashers use their ability to attack snails, crabs, molluscs and rock oysters.

Regardless of which group they are placed in, these shrimp use their claws to strike by rapidly unfolding and swinging them at their prey. They are quite capable of inflicting serious damage on victims significantly greater in size than themselves. Because they strike so rapidly, they generate cavitation bubbles between the appendage and the striking surface. [3] The collapse of these cavitation bubbles produces measurable forces on their prey in addition to the initial impact of the claw, which means that the prey is hit twice by a single strike; first by the claw and then by the collapsing cavitation bubbles that immediately follow. [4] Even if the initial strike misses the prey, the resulting shock wave can be enough to kill or stun the prey.

Strongest Punch in the World... [5]

Close-up of the trinocular vision of
Pseudosquilla ciliata
photographed by Shumpei Maruyama

Mantis shrimp have eyes mounted on mobile stalks which constantly move independently of each other and are considered to be the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. [6][7] Designed with trinocular vision, they can see objects with three different parts of the same eye and have enhanced depth perception. They perceive both polarized light and hyperspectral color vision (more than red, green and blue bands of light). [8]

The eyes of mantis shrimp may enable them to recognize different types of coral, prey species (which are often transparent or semi-transparent), or predators, such as barracuda, which have shimmering scales. Alternatively, the manner in which mantis shrimp hunt (very rapid movements of the claws) may require very accurate ranging information, which would require accurate depth perception.

Mantis shrimp are long-lived. In a lifetime, they can have as many as 20 or 30 breeding episodes. Depending on the species, the eggs can be laid and kept in a burrow, or carried around under the female's tail until they hatch. Also depending on the species, male and female may come together only to mate, or they may bond in monogamous long-term relationships. [9] In the monogamous species, the mantis shrimp remain with the same partner for up to 20 years.

Mantis shrimp exhibit complex behaviour, such as ritualised fighting. Some species use fluorescent patterns on their bodies for signalling with their own and maybe even other species, expanding their range of behavioural signals. They can learn and remember well, and are able to recognise individual neighbors with whom they frequently interact. They can recognise them by visual signs and even by individual smell. Many have developed complex social behaviour to defend their space from rivals.

Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis - Californian Mantis Shrimp

How dangerous are the strikes of common mantis shrimps to humans?

"I handle stomatopods every day in our lab and when I'm in the field it is not uncommon to measure and sex 150 animals in an evening. Needless to say, I'm struck fairly often. Some species are far worse than others, but it usually hurts. Even a 2 cm Gonodactylus can draw blood and a 4 cm animal can drive the dactyl tips to the bone. Aside from a two inch slice in my hand made by a large lysiosquillid (by the uropod spine, not the dactyl), the most severe injury I have incurred was from a 7 cm Gonodactylus chiragra that drove its dactyl into the joint of my index finger and the tip broke off. It took some minor surgery to remove it. But that is nothing compared to what happen to a diver from South Africa who wrote me a few years ago describing his attempt to grab by hand an 18 cm Odontodactylus. The animal severely injured his finger which became infected by a chiton-digesting bacteria. The infection did not respond to the usual antibiotics. In the end, they amputated the finger. Be careful out there!

- Dr. Roy Caldwell

Web Site Author: A. Sunjian Note: There are newspaper reports of large Hemisquilla cutting off people's fingers with one strike, although how much credence can be given to stories like these is open to doubt."

References

James Gonser (February 14, 2003). "Large shrimp thriving in Ala Wai Canal muck". Honolulu Advertiser. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Feb/14/ln/ln01a.html.
Ross Piper (2007). Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313339228.
S. N. Patek, W. L. Korff, and R. L. Caldwell (2004). "Deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp". Nature 428 (6985): 819–820. Bibcode 2004Natur.428..819P. doi:10.1038/428819a. PMID 15103366.
S. N. Patek & R. L. Caldwell (2005). "Extreme impact and cavitation forces of a biological hammer: strike forces of the peacock mantis shrimp". Journal of Experimental Biology 208 (19): 3655–3664. doi:10.1242/jeb.01831. PMID 16169943.
Strongest Punch in the World on YouTube.
"Mantis shrimp have the world's most complex colour vision system." - Justin Marshall, University of Queensland
Patrick Kilday (September 28, 2005). "Mantis shrimp boasts most advanced eyes". The Daily Californian. http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=19671.
Justin Marshall & Johannes Oberwinkler (1999). "Ultraviolet vision: the colourful world of the mantis shrimp". Nature 401 (6756): 873–874. Bibcode 1999Natur.401..873M. doi:10.1038/44751. PMID 10553902

"Sharing the job: monogamy and parental care". University of California, Berkeley. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/aquarius/monogamy.html.

The Lurker's Guide to Stomatopods - mantis shrimp

Californian mantis shrimp (deep sea) on YouTube.

Chris' Dive Experiences: Cage Diving With The Great White Sharks Of Guadalupe Island (Part 2)

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy of Shaowen Lin

Less than 2 hours had passed since arriving at the island, when the call we were all waiting for rang out. “SHARK”. With that single word, everyone scrambled to get a glimpse of a great white shark - for most it would be their first. When I leaned over the railing of the sun deck to see for myself the reason we came to Guadalupe, the only thing I could muster up was dropping my jaw to the floor. The sheer size, in both length and girth, of a great white is impossible to truly express to someone. It is something you must see for yourself. To get an idea of what I was seeing, take out a tape measure and roll out 17 feet. This is generally the average length of the sharks of Guadalupe, with 7½ feet from pectoral fin to pectoral fin the average width.

Lesley and I were geared up and ready to go as we waited our turn to get in the cage. After zipping up our suits we were loaded down with over 50 lbs of weight which allowed us to stand on the bottom of the cage without floating up. Then we made our way into the cage with 3 other divers.

The water was a beautiful blue with the sun rays shimmering through. Thanks to the 100-foot visibility, I saw thousands of mackerel swimming around the boat, tuna swimming below at deeper depths, and a sea lion swimming about, eating some of the fish bits that were in the water. Only a couple minutes passed before I spied a huge, dark shape coming up from the depths. My first great white while diving! Everyone in the cage eagerly watched as “Mau” came right up at the hang bait and then by the cage only a foot away. The expression of "WOW" washed across all of our faces as he swam past.

Over the next couple of days encounters continued nonstop, with many different sharks like “Shredder", aka "Cal Rip Fin”, and “Lucy” making appearances. During these days I learned some pretty cool things about great whites. I was amazed how they would appear out of nowhere in the water and disappear as fast, even with the 100'+ visibility. And great whites don’t have the black empty eyes that you hear about, but instead they have beautiful blue & purple eyes that look right at each diver as they pass the cage. It was also pretty cool to watch how the sharks seemed to plan their approach and the different tactics they used to take the bait away from the bait wranglers who controlled it. The last thing that stuck with me was how different the sharks were from each other. Some were very calm and patient while others were flat out crazy, going after even a kelp patch that was floating on the surface.

In the end it was pure luck that our original dive trip was cancelled, that Lesley and I could have this amazing experience. To think, I may still not have yet gotten to do what I have come to love so much had fate not jumped in! Since this first trip, Lesley and I have travelled to Guadalupe Island two more times. This last October, our third trip to the island was very special. Lesley and I became part of an elite group of 20 or so people that have been allowed to dive cageless with the great white sharks of Guadalupe Island. It was unforgettable!

If you ask me, cage diving with great white sharks is a trip all divers should experience once in their lifetime.

Chris' Dive Experiences: Cage Diving With The Great White Sharks Of Guadalupe Island (Part 1)

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Lesley Alstrand

Thinking back now, it seems funny that Guadalupe Island wasn’t even on my “must dive list” back in 2008. Lesley and I were booked to be diving with humboldt squid in Baja and when the operator ceased operations. We were given a nice refund check and forced to change our plans.

I had always wanted to see a great white shark and was fascinated as a child by them. The thought of diving with great whites excited me, but I was having a hard time with the idea of sitting in a cage for 3 days. This went against everything scuba diving was to me; the pure freedom to move both vertically and horizontally when you want to.

After talking about different trips and seeing lots of videos and pictures from Guadalupe at different scuba events, Lesley and I decided Guadalupe was the place to see. Guadalupe Island is a large volcanic land mass 250 miles southwest of San Diego and about 160 miles west of Ensenada, Baja. The island is inhabited 10 months out of the year by about 30 families’ of fisherman that dive for abalone and lobster, and also by 1 to 3 people that tag, track, protect and record the lives of the great whites. To get to the island you can board a boat in San Diego or take a short bus ride to Ensenada. After boarding your boat in Ensenada, you settle in for a 22-24 hour crossing to the island.

After our short bus ride from San Diego to Ensenada, we were greeted by our crew and welcomed aboard the boat. We had a good mix of divers from both the US and Europe. The boat had refreshments and a huge bowl of fresh guacamole with chips, jalapeño poppers and cheese quesadillas, waiting for us. I was in heaven! After a briefing by the captain, we started our smooth crossing to Guadalupe Island. Those 22 hours were spent reading, watching movies, snoozing, eating, and setting up equipment.

Not long after eating breakfast the call came out that the island was in view. Guadalupe Island jets up from the vast sea out of nowhere. It reaches over 4,200 ft at its highest point and has all the rich colors of a volcanic island.

As the boat was being anchored at the dive site called “Discovery Bay”, the dive briefing was beginning. The briefing went over a lot of the basics that you get on regular boat dives, but also a few new rules and tips unique to cage diving. One rule was to stay in the cage unless the shark comes into the cage. Another was "if you stick your camera outside of the bars and the shark comes to check it out, don’t pull the camera back through until the shark has swam away". They explained that if you pull your camera back in, the shark will continue to swim toward the cage, and possibly into the cage, expecting to feel and bump your camera, aka “the new shinny thing that’s in the free-for-all zone”, while investigating it.

After such statements during the briefing as: "This diving is as real as it gets”, “Anything can happen, this isn’t a zoo”, and “Once you enter the water, you are no longer at the top of the food chain”, it was time to gear up and dive! Both excited and a little apprehensive, I couldn't wait to see what was in store on this adventure!

We Are Excited To Announce Our New Blog!

2012-01-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

You may have seen our earlier posts when we were testing the waters, but we are excited to announce our official launch of the new blog "The Dive Shack Tides". You can access the blog by going to our website gotodiveshack.com or when we post to Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Those of you in the TDS Yahoo Group will also see it in our emails.

The DIve Shack Tides will feature articles on dive adventures, interesting sea creatures, underwater photography tips, equipment maintenance tips, and equipment reviews. Our plan is to publish every couple of weeks, so stay tuned please!

We are open to having outside authors contribute their stories to our blog. If you would like to contribute an article, please submit your story to Liz at ltuttle@gotodiveshack.com. We will review your article and if it fits into our format, we will be happy to publish it.

Don't see what you're looking for in our blog, just drop us an email with your suggestions.

Our travel blog "Delightful Departures from the Everyday Grind" will still continue with its focus on destinations and travel adventures. You can also access our travel blog from the website, social networks, and Yahoo group.

So please take time out tomorrow to enjoy our first official posting by our trusty divemaster Chris Alstrand, as he regales his tale of diving with the Great Whites of Socorro Island. It's a good one!

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE FISHIES! Just click your cursor on their aquarium to give them some food and watch them go.

Keep blowing those bubbles!

Will We Keep Those New Year's Resolutions?

2012-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well it is the third day of the new year and most of us have gone back to work and reality. As we depart from those hectic holiday schedules and the abundance of decadent treats, we settle back into our usual routines. But what of those promises we made to ourselves on New Year's Eve? Are we truly going to stick to our guns and follow through? Will we do those promised workouts? Will we lose those unwanted pounds? Will we make more time for ourselves? Will we take that exotic adventure we have been promising? Or will we strive to learn something new in 2012?

All great questions...and all things we can apply to the world of SCUBA!

Although the act of recreational diving is supposed to be for the purpose of relaxation, you can apply it to physical fitness. When the waves won't let you do that shore dive you so longed for, take that opportunity to do a few laps in the soft sand or shallow water to strengthen those legs. Or is it a rainy day and environmental warnings keep you from entering the water? Throw those weights in your BCD and do a few lunges around the house. And don't forget to keep up-to-date with DAN's Alert Diver magazine which often has great workout articles to help keep you physically fit for diving.

Make time for yourself. Take time out of your schedule to do that weekend, or even after work, dive with your friends or family members. You say they're not certified? Then what are you waiting for, get them to The Dive Shack to get your new best dive buddy certified!

Promised yourself you would strive to learn something new this year? TDS always has specialty classes scheduled to broaden and improve your dive skills. You are never too old to learn something new!

What about that exotic adventure you have always longed for? Did you take up SCUBA so that you could dive those distant destinations? TDS is always coming up with group travel trips for divers who like the idea of traveling with other divers they know, or for those divers who want to meet more divers. These trips are lots of fun and you can make friendships that last a lifetime. Or maybe you don't see a destination you would like to visit under TDS's group travel, we can always customize an individual or family trip to meet your desires and needs, just come on in and tell us what you are looking for.

The world is your oyster and 2012 is your pearl. Stick to your resolutions and that treasure will be yours!

WELCOME 2012!

2012-01-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

With the start of the new year, the staff at The Dive Shack would just like to offer their best wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy & prosperous new year!

We look forward to being your source for all things scuba. We want to fulfill all your educational and equipment needs. We also anticipate special group and travel events in 2012, so stay tuned to our website, blog and social network posts to keep up with all that is happening at TDS.

Thanks for being a part of the TDS family!