Scuba diving in Bali in September 2007 with AquaMarine Diving.

Featuring the USAT Liberty shipwreck at Tulamben, mola mola at Crystal Bay, a whitetip reef shark at Nusa Penida, and lots of macro critters such as nudibranchs and shrimps from Coral Garden, Seraya Secrets and Puri Jati.

Shot in September 2007 with http://www.AquaMarineDiving.com

More Bali diving videos at http://www.bubblevision.com/underwater-videos/Bali/

Duration : 0:5:45

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Im thinking of starting scuba diving and I was wondering how often I would need to get the gear serviced. Is it like a car the more miles or dives to more often it will need to be checked over and get new hoses etc. I am also thinking of doing the dry suit course and get a dry suit can you tell me how often dry suits need to be serviced.

Thanks for you answer I will pick best answer.

For an average recreational diver, once per year suffices unless something has been damaged through rough or improper handling storage or use.
Your tank will undergo a mandatory visual inspection once per year. Can’t get it filled without a current sticker. Hydo tests are less frequent at every 5 years but if the hydro is about to lapse…it needs to be tested and pass.
The rest of your gear will suffer wear and tear. You just need to be vigilant and watch for potential problems before your dives. Things like fin straps, knife sheath straps and mask straps tend to be the first casualties in gear. You’ll notice an issue well before any of these break.
Dry suit service is pretty rare. There’s not much to them. You usually only take them in for repair on an obvious issue such as a torn seal or you’ve decided to swap out the boots or upgrade a neo seal to latex. The rest of the maintenance on them isn’t rocket science. Dump valves ( unless they are ripped right off or the base damaged) are easy for an owner to maintain or replace as needed. The zipper can be waxed by the owner as well. Minor holes can even be owner repaired.

A vacation need not be the same every year. Here are some simple ideas for an extraordinary vacation.

1. Accommodation Fun

You need not always head for a hotel for your vacation. Stay overnight at the zoo with the zoo’s snooze program. Zoo Snooze Programs usually include an up-close animal encounter, craft activities, night tours and games. Alternatively, join the aquarium’s overnight program ! It is a rare chance to explore the aquarium after hours, and you can get to participate in a variety of activities organised by the staff. With an expert guide, you may get to visit the aquarium’s behind-the-scenes areas and the food-preparation area to learn how the animals are cared for and fed. If you love animals, why not plan for a farmstay ? Have yourself engaged in interesting farm activities such as milking the cows, collecting eggs, feeding out the hay, riding on a tractor and watching sheep dogs at work. Your hosts may also bring you for a farm walk or organize some sidetrips, guided tours or fun activities for you such as scuba diving, trekking and forest walks. Don’t forget to bring a little gift to thank your hosts for their warm and kind hospitality.

2. Great Rail Journeys

There are many great rail journeys around the world. Sit back and relax. Enjoy the spectacular and breathtaking scenery which the trains will happily bringing you. Worth a trip is the Tranzalpine train in New Zealand which runs between Christchurch and Greymouth. The entire four and a half hour journey takes you through the wonderful fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River, passing through 16 tunnels, and 5 viaducts. Also, noteworthy is the Canadian, which crosses the scenic lakelands of northern Ontario, the western plains of the Prairies and the Canadian Rockies, and completing its journey on the Pacific coast of British Columbia. Switzerland is another playground of wonderful rail journeys. Its timely, clean and efficient transport infrastructure makes rail vacation a memorable experience. The Swiss Travel System includes rail, lake steamers and city transportation lines. Journey through the Alps, St. Moritz, Lugano, Zermatt and more with its user-friendly travel pass. Its famous rail journeys include the Chocolate train, the Glacier Express, the GoldenPass Line, the Bernina Express and the William Tell Express.

3. Scenic Adventures

Do you know that there are many scenic places which are part of the UNESCO sites ? Take time off to admire the beautiful creation of God, who is the maker of heaven and earth for your next vacation. Some of these sites include the Tasmanian Wilderness, the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island and the greater Blue Mountains in Australia; the Great Wall in China; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park in the United States. You will also love the unimpeded panoramic views at many mountains of Switzerland such as the Schilthorn/ Piz Gloria, Mount Pilatus, Mount Titlis, and Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe (the highest railway station in Europe) – definitely a UNESCO site ! Also, highly recommended are the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks in Canada with its Jasper highlands, Banff Sulphur Mountain, Mount Robson, Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefield, located on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks. If you love trekking, the Tongariro Crossing is a spectacular one-day trek across New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park World Heritage Area, from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi. It is one of New Zealand’s best one-day treks. Not to forget are the many memorable treks at Mount Cook and Milford Sound.

4. Embracing history

Make an effort to visit some UNESCO sites for your next vacation. Europe has a wealth of UNESCO sites for you to explore. In Austria, you must visit the historic centre of the City of Salzburg and the City of Graz and the historic centre of Vienna. Head onto Czech Republic for her historic centre of Prague. Visit the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape and the gardens and castle at KromYíž. If you are in Hungary, stroll along the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue in Budapest. Not forgetting Poland, her Cracow’s historic centre, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and the historic centre of Warsaw are sites not to be missed. For a comprehensive list of the UNESCO sites, you can visit the UNESCO website for more details.

5. Learning Journeys

Vacations are great learning journeys. Take the opportunity to acquire new knowledge or learn a new skill during your next vacation. You can learn to dive with sharks at the aquariums in United States, learn how to snorkel or surf in Australia, learn about wildlife in New Zealand or find out more about cheese and jam making in Furano, Hokkaido. If you are not satisfied, go for the ginger factory and honey factory in Brisbane, Australia.

6. Enjoying Festivals

Every country has her own festival celebration. By being part of the celebration, it allows you to gain a better understanding of the diversities of cultures and their practices. Why not plan your vacation to coincide with some of the festivals of your desired destination ? Should you love arts festivals, New Zealand or Australia should be your destination.

7. Appreciating Nature

Even if you are not a flower lover, you will not be able to resist a landscape of flowers blooming in their smiles. The sakura blooming season usually falls between end of March till early April. You can see these lovely flowers in Korea and Japan. If you love sunflowers and lavenders, then you must visit Hokkaido between July and August. The flowers and hills in Furano and Biei will be greeting you. Japan and Korea are great destinations to view autumn’s foilage too. You can also treat yourself to a series of 12 magnificent gardens located from Windsor to Halifax when you travel by the Canadian Rail – VIA Rail Garden Route, where the amazing flower gardens of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes will leave you with an everlasting impression.

The above are just some simple ideas for an extraordinary vacation. There are definitely more places for you to explore and discover a new adventure for yourself. Have a happy and blessed vacation.

Travel Mum
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/simple-ideas-for-an-extraordinary-vacation-51447.html

Taking a trip to the ocean has become a common idea for almost everyone. Every year, millions take a trip to the coast for enjoying the ocean and things, which it offers. Although it’s nice enjoying the ocean from the coast, you might desire taking your fascinations a step further. You can give a thought to actually enjoy the ocean from a vessel. Boat charters are counted amongst the best methods for having a vacation on large water bodies.

Privacy during your vacation

When it’s about exploring oceans on private boat charters, most individuals actually try to wonder why they should opt for it. There are innumerable reasons behind boat charters to be the ultimate customized way to travel. Privacy is one of the most important factors that have made boat charters very popular across the globe. Private boat charters boost privacy. Apart from your personal crew and predetermined passengers, no one else is allowed on your yacht. It means that you’ll no longer have to be bothered about the exploration to be overcrowded and cramped.

You’re the BOSS

Another reason, which makes boat charters as the ultimate customized way to travel in the ocean, is the control that you’ll have on it. Although different chartering companies operate on different guidelines, most of them allow you to have a say during your voyage. Essentially, it helps you in creating your own itinerary. Of course, the itinerary gets examined by the company. Still, most of them allow their customers to have that extra mile. This means that once you step your foot on the boat, you’re the BOSS.

No worries for the return journey

Again, the length of charters varies with companies. Some allow you to have minimum chartering time frame, others do not. However, you should double check with them before coming up with a deal, if you want it for a reasonable duration. This gives you enough options in deciding the length of the overall vacation without worrying about your return journey.

Your vacation becomes luxurious

The biggest reason behind people choosing boat charters is that their vacation becomes luxurious. You can enjoy several water activities (swimming or scuba diving) while you’re on your boat. Most companies even provide you with equipments (in some cases free of charge) that you might require for these activities. This is what we call the ultimate customized way to travel and explore in the ocean!

So as you can see, there are innumerable advantages of exploring the ocean in your boat charters. Now, the final decision is for you to make. However, do keep these above mentioned points in your mind.

Ed Sparrow

500 Madridian Scuba divers per week can not be wrong.. can they? I’ve been living here in Mazarron now for almost 3 years, it was the sun that brought me here, far away from the English rains and cold Monday mornings. Being a diver i wanted to be near the Mediterranean coast, i never took much notice of the town that i was to end up living in, i sort of just checked out if there was any diving around here.. luckily for me there was.

Within a few weeks of being here i took myself down to the local dive centre and booked myself a dive right away, i was not expecting much as i have Scuba’d in some very exotic locations worldwide and been a little spoilt i guess. Two minutes boat ride from the Puerto the boat was tied off to the bouy and us divers aboard were briefed by the DM as we kitted up, the dive site was called El Bajo De Emilio. The DM’s brief was pretty good (well it sounded to good to be true) a small undersea mountain with 20 wrecks around it and a statue?, Barracuda, Grouper and Eagle Rays, he sure made it sound good.

Ten minutes later we were in the sea and dropping down the line to a spot on the side of the mountain in 15 metres of water, I couldnt have asked for more the visibility was around 30 metres and straight away even when descending i could make out the eerie shape of 2 wrecks in the distance and then a school of Tuna not 10 metres away, it was looking good, a very promising start. It just got better and better, we covered around 5 or 6 wrecks all around 30 metres long, saw the statue “La Gorda” standing upright on  her plinth which was settled on the sand. There were Barracuda, Pez Luna (sunfish), Grouper, gigantic Toothed Bream, Congers and lots of Moray Eels..(no Eagle Ray though). Fifty minutes later we were back at the line doing the 5metre stop it was a perfect dive except for the noshow from an Eagle ray, But hey “whats that in the distance heading this way”?, the Eagle Ray winging his way along, the dive had now gone far beyond being perfect.

That was it for me i just had to take my PADI instructors exam and dive here permanently, so i did, here we have 13 quality dive sites all within 15 minutes boat ride from the Puerto, if you want more info about the diving here in Mazarron then feel free to hit me up (details in my profile) and i will gladly answer any questions that you have and also offer advice on diving conditions etc.

Footnote.. Every friday for 6 months during spring and summer approximatly 500 Scuba divers from Madrid (6 hours drive away) descend on Puerto De Mazarron to do just 2 or 3 dives and then drive all the way home. So can they be wrong?. No way, but they do know how to keep a secret though, the diving here is outstanding yet little is ever mentioned, Do others know it exists?

Martin Jarvis
http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/scuba-diving-in-south-east-spain-the-province-of-murcia-744547.html