Scuba Diving Information and Products
http://www.simplyscuba.com/products/IST/SmallSlate.aspx
A compact slate for note taking or underwater communication, the IST Small Slate comes with an attached pencil on a rubber hose to prevent you from loosing it easily during the course of a dive.
Duration : 0:0:54
The fifth and final video in a series from our partners at ScubaTech. This one is shot at the Shak Em, a ship which sank when the cargo shifted as a result of being overloaded in 2001.
See their Definitive Caribbean review – http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/DiveOperator/ScubaTech.aspx
All footage was filmed by Mr Alain Jean at Ardeche DVD and Copyright belongs to him. For the full version please see his website – http://www.ardechedvd.com/caraibes/grenade.asp
Duration : 0:1:59
When planning a family vacation getaway, the choices can be overwhelming. What should you do? Where should you go? To make life easier, these questions should be answered before you start planning. Let’s take a few minutes and help you answer these questions before you get started with the planning.
What Should You Do?
How does skiing fresh powder of Vail’s Blue Sky Basin, or relaxing in the white sand of Hawaii’s beaches and hitting a hole in one at one of Myrtle Beach’s many golf courses sound to you? Ski, beach and golf vacations are great choices for families.
Skiing Vacations
Many resorts offer a plethora of activities for you and your family. While you are skiing fresh powder, your children can be supervised by a certified ski instructor while enrolled in ski school. After that lesson, you can meet up with them and they will be happy to show you what they learned. When the day ends, be sure to explore the town. Ski towns are notorious for some of the best shopping and fine dining. If you want to take a day off from skiing to catch your breath, try ice skating, toboggan runs or just sit by a fire with a good book. When it comes time to plan a ski vacation, try to plan at least 5 to 6 months ahead of time. This is when you can find the best deals and you shouldn’t have to worry about the hotel you want to stay in, completely booked. I have found that a little research goes a long way. After you choose your hotel, see if they have any packages or specials available. Most of the time hotels and resorts will offer a bit of a discount on lift tickets and other activities. If a special or package is not available, make sure to buy your lift tickets in bulk to save some money. Try to buy a 3 or 4 day pass versus buying individual tickets each day. Often times, these lift tickets will be good for more than 1 resort in the area.
Ski Vacation Destinations.
The Rocky Mountains of Colorado offer many good resorts to choose from. Some favorites include Telluride, Vail and Breckenridge. Telluride Ski Resort was built in the 1970’s and along with it came cultural events, festivals, music and more. People come to this town year after year for the wonderful skiing and other fun activities.
If skiing is what you are all about, Vail is the place to go! It has just been named number 1 for the 14th time in 19 years in Ski Magazines “Top 50 Resort Guide”. Vail offers world class skiing, fabulous nightlife and many fine dining options.
Breckenridge is a 147 year old Victorian town. People flocked to this town in the 1800’s in search of riches in the form of gold. Now this town is a haven for skiers of all types. This town offers many activities for families and travelers.
Beach Vacations
Beach resorts can be perfect for your next family vacation getaway. Some of the best resorts are in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
Mexico
Los Cabos is one of Mexico’s most popular vacation destinations. It is located at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Los Cabos features luxury hotels, championship golf courses and some of the best sport fishing in the world. Other activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking and much more.
The Caribbean
The Cayman Islands offer many things for many people. 99% of the travelers visit Grand Cayman Island. It is easy to see why people go here. Of the islands this island offers the most when it comes to resorts and hotels. The fabulous snorkeling and scuba diving is not to be missed. When diving, you will think you are in a pet shop aquarium. The fish are abundant and the stingrays are gentle and fun to watch. If time permits, rent a Jeep and cruise around the Island.
Hawaii
Hawaii offers many choices for the traveling family. Each island is unique and offers something for everyone. Kauai is less touristy but still offers much to do. The surfing and snorkeling are not to be missed. Be sure to take a day and drive up to Waimea Canyon. This canyon offers many photo opportunities, and spots to get out and hike near beautiful waterfalls. Maui offers white sand beaches perfect for sunbathing and relaxing. Maui also offers great sightseeing and wonderful shopping. Of the islands, Hawaii, also known as “The Big Island” is the largest. Here you can visit the only active volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands. You will also find wonderful resorts, pristine beaches, great nightlife, fine dining and shopping.
Golf Vacations
Right about now, you may be thinking “How can a golf vacation be good for my whole family?” Well, many golf resorts offer more than just golf. While you are out hitting the lynx, your family can be enjoying a beach, pool, or shopping. When you are done on the course you can meet up and head to one of the many fine dining establishments near your resort. Many golf vacations can be combined with a beach getaway. Mexico, Hawaii and the United States offer some of the best golf near some of the best beaches. These resorts offer many different specials and packages that can be tailored to fit your specific wishes.
Whatever your next vacation entails for you, you will not be disappointed with any one of the recommendations above. Be sure to see all you can see. The bottom line is to enjoy yourself and relax!
Michael Buczek
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/destinations-for-your-next-family-vacation-getaway-68748.html
Malta is an island nation located in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, consists of seven islands. Among these islands, Gozo is one of the more popular in the archipelago because the surrounding bodies of water is considers as one of the best diving spots in the whole world. There are several diving areas in Malta and Gozo and can cater to both novice and experienced divers. Because of its location and climate, the underwater environment of the Mediterranean Sea is perfect for coral growth.
The archipelago of Malta has a climate that consists practically of two seasons: mild winters, which is more like tropical rainy season and hot and dry summers. The most recommended months to visit Malta and Gozo for scuba diving are the ones that are in between the rainy season and summer ? June or July. The last quarter of the year is also a good time to pay the Maltese archipelago a visit.
Scuba diving is one of the greatest pleasures in life, especially if you visit the various diving areas in Malta and Gozo. The crystal-clear water allows you to see nature?s beauty underwater to the fullest. The nutrient-rich waters in Malta and Gozo also give life to different species of aquatic flora and fauna; the sight of colourful coral reefs with fishes in different colours, shapes and sizes is something you would expect from a pretty postcard. These are some of the reasons why expert divers keep coming back to Malta and Gozo.
Of course, expert divers are not the only one that can enjoy the pristine waters of Malta and Gozo. Many diving areas are suitable for beginners to enjoy. As one would expect, there are many scuba diving instructors that provides tutorials and safety tips on novice divers. You may look online; there are various websites that offer scuba diving lessons and courses that can be finished for just a day or two.
The lessons can consist of classroom training and practice dives. During classroom training, students will be taught the basics of scuba diving and snorkelling through simulations in a controlled environment, like an indoor pool, and lectures. Once you have learned all you need in classroom training, you will now be sent to experience a taste of the real thing. This part of scuba training usually eats up the whole day, but it is well worth it. During the day, you will be allowed to dive at the depth of around 3 meters or so followed by a deeper dive later. The second dive will have you go underwater around eight meters deep. After you have graduated the course, you will be given a certificate: proof that you have the basic knowledge needed to go scuba diving in the waters of Malta and Gozo.
Some of the diving areas in Malta and Gozo are perfect for novice divers. These diving spots are not physically demanding and are not too deep for beginners, so you should try these out first before heading to deeper areas.
Gen Wright
How Not to Pass Your PADI Open Water Test
A Whale of a time – Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock Liveaboard
Article by Doug Olthof
Whale sharks are the true behemoths of the aquatic world – they can grow longer than a bus (up to 18 metres in length) yet feast on the smallest of organisms, plankton. However, finding these big fish is not always that easy. Only 9 places in the world, all located in tropical waters, are so far known to have predictable whale shark visits. Thailand is one of the few lucky countries that whale sharks predictably visit.
When arriving in an unfamiliar place it’s always relaxing to receive a warm welcome. As our liveaboard boat approached the southernmost of the Similan Islands, that warm welcome came by way of more than fifty dolphins jumping and playing in the dawn light, beckoning us forward and giving us a glimpse of the treasures we would discover around these stunning islands in Thailand’s Andaman Sea.
Situated off Thailand’s west coast to the northeast of Phuket lie Thailand’s world famous Similan Islands. These stunning granite isles, with their white sandy beaches and densely-forested yet rugged interiors would be ample enough reason on their own account to make the overnight liveaboard boat trip from Phuket. But what really make these islands special are the vast and varied reefs that lie off their shores. It is below the azure blue of these rich waters that you can experience another world, one filled with creatures so colourful, so beautiful and so bizarre that they defy belief.
These crown jewels of scuba diving in Thailand are often touted as one of the top ten dive sites in the world and can be accessed by speed-boat from either Phuket or Kaow Lak, but to truly experience the Similan Islands you must get aboard one of the many liveaboard boats operated out of Phuket. In this way you can take in the variety of diving experiences to be had, all the while becoming spiritually connected to the sea as your body quickly adjusts to the gentle rolling of the boat beneath your feet.
Our journey to the Similans began late in the evening at Ratsada pier in Phuket. As divers arrived to the boat from various locations, the friendly staff helped everyone aboard and quickly got to the task of setting up and organizing equipment. Every diver worth his or her salt knows that you check, double-check and buddy-check your own equipment, but having the staff there to set up and organize all that gear turned what could have been a chaotic scene – complete with wetsuits, regulators and bumping bodies – into a relaxing first evening on board. At about 11pm, after a delicious light meal, we got under way under the moon and stars. The crew lit firecrackers off the bow to ensure a safe journey as we motored into the night. Of course, there are those who were born to be at sea and there are those who need a bit of training. The first night was, for some, a little less than comfortable, while others, like myself, found the gentle rolling of the waves reminiscent of the cradle and were soon dreaming of underwater adventures to come.
By the next morning, with the joyful sight of such a large pod of dolphins, spirits were universally high. The sky was clear and the calm waters had taken on an almost impossibly bright and inviting shade of blue. As the divemaster briefed the divers on the first dive of the day (the “test” dive) the excitement on board became palpable. By just peering overboard you could see that the crystal clear waters were teeming with life. After the briefing and a thorough check of our equipment we were in the water and ready to begin our first dive. The first dive of a trip always begins with a few minutes of uncertainty as even experienced divers have to get used to the idea of being a fish again. But soon we were all back in our respective comfort zones and ready to start playing our roles as guests in an underwater utopia.
After a stunning introduction to the natural wonders that would captivate us for the days to come, we were rounded up by a crew member in a small inflatable motorboat and brought back to our temporary maritime abode. There we were helped out of the water, relieved of our equipment and, once dry, we found a wonderful meal waiting for us on the upper deck. The trip was punctuated by one delicious meal after the next. Different boats cater to different tastes, with some serving mostly Thai fare and others catering to the western palette, but they are all Thai boats and this is a country where eating is priority number one. This means there is never a shortage of good food on these boats; throughout the trip we were constantly and contently stuffed.
Thus the divers on board quickly fell into an idyllic routine. A stunning dive would be followed by a delicious meal. Divers would then disperse to pore over fish guide-books, take a nap in the climate-controlled cabins or compare stories of the wonders encountered below the waves. In the first three days we had seen several beautiful sea turtles, numerous big red octopus, bizarre frogfish, curious garden eels, befuddling ghost pipefish, lethargic leopard sharks, four massive and graceful manta rays and such an array of fish as to leave one breathless (well…not literally!).
But the biggest treat came for us on the final day of our voyage (and when I say biggest I mean that quite literally!)On the morning of our fifth day at sea we motored north out of the Similan Islands National Park towards the famous Richelieu Rock. After listening to the divemaster’s briefing we were donning our equipment when a diver on another boat excitedly babbled that there was a whale shark in the area. The adrenaline level onboard immediately shot through the roof. We could not wait to get into the water for the chance to witness the passage of this gentle, fragile giant, the largest of all the fishes – up close and personal. I stood at the back of the boat with my Buoyancy Control Device and tank strapped on, chomping at the bit. Then, suddenly, right in front of me I saw a shape. A very large shape.
W – w – w – whale shark !!!!
I immediately dived into the water. The rest of the divers followed suit and for a few divine minutes we swam beside one of the most beautiful products of nature’s limitless creativity. When the gentle giant dove below we got back on board yelping, babbling, high-fiving and smiling from ear to ear. Though I’m sure we would all have been very happy with the trip even if the whale shark had not appeared, we all knew then that this had been a special trip that we would all remember for the rest of our days. Whatever was to come of the rest of our dives that day, we were satisfied. But it wasn’t over yet.
We descended to Richelieu Rock and instantly knew why so many consider it to be the best dive site in Thailand. It is a massive feature that is every inch covered in life. The tiniest, most bizarre creatures such as harlequin shrimp, tiger cowries, sea horses and a multitude of beautiful nudibranches can be found alongside large dog-tooth tuna, giant trevally, cuttlefish and beautiful schools of laser-like fusiliers. The list goes on and on. But as we explored the rock that day we were in for yet another special treat. As we rounded a corner I turned around to see my dive buddy face-to-face with another whale shark, this one much larger than the last. Followed by its attendant cobias, remoras and a small school of trevally, this enormous creature circled back and forth past us for fully half an hour!
After making our safety stop and returning to the boat we sat speechless while the boat motored back towards Phuket. As the sun began to dip in the western sky our smiles remained fixed on our faces. We had truly discovered treasures beneath the sea. Treasures, in my opinion, more precious than gold and silver. And as the Similan Islands became specs on the horizon I scanned the sea for our dolphin friends in the hope of offering a little ‘thank you’ for their hospitality, but they were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were busy preparing to welcome their next group of guests to what I can only describe as ‘paradise’.
Whilst in Thailand, why not check out one of Thailand’s best three beach destinations
Koh Lao Liang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/kohlaoliang.shtml
Ao Nang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/ao_nang.shtml
Railay/Tonsai: http://www.andamanadventures.com/railay-tonsai.shtml
Doug Olthof