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Scuba Diving
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Scuba Diving At Grand Cayman Island's Stingray City
Author: Clint Leung
One of the most famous natural attractions in Grand Cayman Island is Stingray City. This is an area in the ocean not far from the northern tip of Grand Cayman where tourists can get up close to hundreds of friendly stingrays. Stingray City can get quite crowded especially when the cruise ship passengers are at port. Fortunately for us scuba divers, the masses are taken to a shallower section of Stingray City where the sandbars are high enough for tourists to stand in waist deep waters. Scuba divers are taken by one of the many dive operators in Grand Cayman to the deeper part of Stingray City. However, this deeper section is still very much a shallow dive by scuba diving standards. In fact, Stingray City has been referred to in the scuba diving world as the best twelve foot or four metre dive in the world. It is believed that many years ago, sailors visiting the area threw fish remains overboard and soon noticed the stingrays coming for the free food. These particular stingrays became conditioned over the years to the humans and the food handouts unlike stingrays elsewhere in the Caribbean. If you have seen stingrays during dives elsewhere in the world, you will have noticed that they are usually quite shy and will swim away but not those here at Stingray City.

The dive boat took us to a designated site and indeed the depth was very shallow as we could easily see the bottom. The site itself was pretty barren with just the odd reef cluster around a mostly sandy bottom. The divemaster gave us a briefing on how to interact with the stingrays warning everyone that even though they will appear to be friendly, they should still be regarded as wild animals. We were told not to touch them by their razor sharp tails or abuse them in any manner. A bucket filled with squid parts was suspended in the water underneath the dive boat and this is where we fetched our supply of food to feed the stingrays.

As soon as we jumped in the water and made our descent to the bottom, we could see the first few stingrays coming towards us like UFOs. The divemasters showed us a trick where if we held the squid in our closed fists and moved our arms in wide circular arcs around us, we could make the stingrays follow our hands. It was sort of like teasing them for a bit before giving them their treats. Their mouths were located underneath their flat bodies and we were instructed to hold the food in our palms flat facing up when feeding them. The divemasters had demonstrated this on the boat using a little stuffed stingray toy during the briefing. With their keen sense of smell, the stingrays hovered towards and over the food to collect their squid snacks. It's was incredible to see how fast they could stop in the water if they sensed food. They don't have any teeth but have these two strong structures like vise grips in their mouths they use to chomp with. Feeding them sometimes felt like a vacuum cleaner sucking up debris on our palms. Sometimes, we felt their vise grip mouths close up against the flats of our palms. This is why we were advised to keep our palms as flat as possible in order to avoid them from closing up on our fingers. Because the eyes of the stingrays were on the top of their bodies, they couldn't see our palms when they hovered directly over them. They would have to guess where our palms and the food were.

At one instance, I was holding on to the food a little too long in order to further tease one stingray. This one missed my palm and his jaw closed down on my forearm instead leaving me with a nice bruise. It was my fault since the stingray couldn't see and thought that my forearm was my palm holding the squid. I was a bit careless and should have paid more attention to where the stingray's mouth was. No other diver on our boat had any other problems or mishaps. Some of the stingrays although not aggressive, will be all over a diver if they still sense food but couldn't find the palm. It was hilarious to watch some other divers pushed over on the sandy bottom by a stingray trying to find the squid. One large stingray even bumped me in the scuba mask but it was all fun. If the stingrays sense that a diver doesn't have any food after awhile, they will go towards another diver that does.

The Stingray City dive is a single tank trip usually done in the afternoon. It is a unique dive that is worth doing but keep in mind that the stingrays are the main and usually the only attractions during this dive. There isn't much else to see in terms of other marine life or coral reefs at the site so it would be advised to spend the morning doing some regular reef dives too in order to take in what Grand Cayman scuba diving has to offer.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Clint Leung is a NAUI certified Master and Rescue Scuba Diver. He is also owner of Free Spirit Activewear (www.FreeSpiritActivewear.com ) , an online retailer and designer specializing in premium quality activewear with specialty sports themes including scuba diving, skiing, snowboarding and martial arts. Free Spirit Activewear has numerous information resource articles on selected specialty sports as well as free eCards.

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scubadiving-26

Scuba Diving
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Scuba Diving – More Accessible than you thought!
Author: Ian Scott
Since the early 20th century, SCUBA diving has gone from an incredibly risky undertaking well out of reach for all but the fabulously wealthy to a relatively safe sport with a rapidly growing participant community.

SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, so named for the tanks and other gear which divers carry on their backs allowing them to breathe underwater. Although this gear termed "life-support equipment" and a commitment of real training is necessary in order to become safe and proficient enough with it to dive even in a small lake or quarry, technological advancements and improvements in science and engineering have enabled longer times underwater, deeper dives, and reduced danger in this exhilarating activity enjoyed by athletes and nature lovers.

Having originally been popularized by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, who built the Aqualung (a name still used in Britain to describe Scuba equipment today), Scuba is now enjoyed by millions of people worldwide ranging from locations as temperate tropical waters to under-ice sub-arctic diving for scientific purposes or by adventure seekers.

Many people are unaware of the length of time necessary to attain Scuba proficiency and certification – in the United States, the two major certification bodies are National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI). Depending on the course, new divers can get certified in as little as three to four days of actual instruction – since the courses are based on performance standards and not on hours of instruction, this number can be higher or lower. Also, if a diver wishes to do more technical and dangerous dives or to use more advanced equipment, more training would be necessary in order to ensure safety.

Anyone who enjoys vacations to tropical areas or who appreciates nature and enjoys the water can now consider Scuba diving, thanks to the advances mentioned in science and engineering, as well as the establishment of standardized certification and training programs worldwide. If you've never considered it, much more information is available online to help you decide if Scuba makes sense for you.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Ian Scott is an experienced diver, and he loves to travel. When he is not searching for long lost treasures, he writes for thescubaguide.com – a phenomenal resource for anyone interested in cave diving( www.thescubaguide.com/introduction/cave-diving.aspx ), scuba gear( www.thescubaguide.com/gear/ ), dive skins( www.thescubaguide.com/gear/suits/dive-skins.aspx ) and more.

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Scuba Diving
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Go Scuba Diving In Maui
Author: Chris Sutton -
Do you want to see a side of Maui like never before? Check out the beautiful island of Maui from a different view- underwater! There are many places in Maui where you can go scuba diving even if you have never been before. You can go on a guided tour, learn from an instructor or rent equipment if you don't have your own. Below is more information about snorkeling and scuba diving in Maui.

Diving Trips

There are many different diving trips for you to choose from if you are staying in Maui. Many places offer small group SCUBA trips to at least two different destinations on each day of the week. Set out with other divers on a fully-equipped dive boat and enjoy comfortable seating and amenities (such as a bathroom) while you travel to your dive location.

There are knowledgeable crew members and diving instructors that can help you no matter what your level of experience and most dives are very affordable. If you are concerned with price, you might also look into package deals to save you money or go with a group.

There are also many specialty diving opportunities such as diving in caves or caverns. There are special excursions you can take with a professional tour guide to show you sights you probably never dreamed of before.

If you are a novice diver or if you are in a party with snorkelers, then you might want to take a different boat trip or tank dive trip. You will have to contact facilities that offer these to find out all the details. There are also many introductory dives and diving courses for you if you are new to the underwater world.

Snorkeling Trips

In addition to scuba diving, you might want to try snorkeling. There are many places that let you view gorgeous coral reefs and much more as well as the many exotic underwater living creatures of the Hawaiian Islands. Set out on a boat with many other snorkelers whether it's your first time or you've been doing it forever. Head out to a nice snorkeling location such as a coral reef and friendly, knowledgeable crew will help you even if you have never done this before. There are "boogie boards" available to help you while moving through the water.

Even if you have been snorkeling before, you have likely never seen it like it is in Maui so it is well worth the time to go for at least one day and check it out. Snorkeling usually costs around $50 a day per person but you will have to call actual facilities since prices are subject to change. There are also group deals and discounts that you may be eligible for as well if you call and check into it.

Diving Courses

If you don't know how to dive, you might want to look into getting some instructions first before you set out to go on a dive with people that know what they are doing. There are also many places that offer diving courses for those of you that may not have even been diving before. You can take classes on all the details of diving as well as go out on a boat with an instructor that will show you exactly how to do everything properly and safely.

If you are looking to find out exact pricing and diving schedules for different resorts and facilities, you will have to call them to find out all of the details. Equipment rentals can vary in pricing according to exactly what you need and what company you go through so you have to call to find out for sure. There are some places in Maui that offer trips and equipment that have their information available online and this may make it easier for you to plan ahead for your trip and find which location you want to use.

If you are going to be in Maui for vacation, you really need to take at least one day to go scuba diving or snorkeling and see the amazing underwater world in person for yourself. You might even want to take along an underwater camera to remember your adventure.

You can check into pricing, dive days and times as well as what certifications they have and what comes in their deals to help choose the one that suits your needs the best.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Chris W. Sutton is president of the Maui Travel Club . Maui Travel Club is a new concept in saving money on your next Maui vacation. It is very inexpensive but it will save you hundreds of dollars on Maui accommodations and activities.

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Scuba Diving
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The protection of a diving wetsuit
Author: Jakob Jelling
Wetsuits are meant to keep divers warm by giving them thermal protection. There are some important guidelines which a diver should learn regarding the wetsuit he might acquire and use. First of all, it is important to know that they are usually made from neoprene; most of the times open cell neoprene. Besides, when wetsuits have a coating added to the neoprene they are easier to be worn and taken off.

The practice of free diving and scuba diving imply the use of different kinds of wetsuits. While a 5 mm thick wetsuit would be ideal for keeping warm a free diver, a scuba diver would need a 7 mm thick wetsuit to achieve the same results. Besides, while most free diving wetsuits don't have a zipper, most scuba diving wetsuits do come with them.

If you are looking for an open cell neoprene wetsuit, it is important that you have into account the fact that they can be easily damaged. If, for example, you are going to use jewelry under your open cell neoprene wetsuit, this could easily damage it and open it, so you should be very careful with it or try to find another kind of wetsuit instead of it. If you have long finger nails you should be careful as well since you could damage it while putting it on or taking it off.

It is also important to have in mind that free diving wetsuits should fit the diver in order to work well and give him the proper thermal protection. If a free diving wetsuit is loose or too tight it would not give the protection it should and it could even become a problem since it could be an obstacle to the diver's movements.

There also are recommendations on how to maintain and store your wetsuit. In order to store it properly while you are not using it, you should hang your wetsuit up avoiding folding it since that could damage it. Besides this, you should make sure to wash the suit after using it and make sure to wash all salty water off from it.

About the Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.divepilot.com. Please visit his website to discover the world of diving!

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Scuba Diving
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How to start with SCUBA diving?
Author: Youri Vlag
SCUBA stands for Self-Contained-Underwater-Breathing-Apparatus and has become populair the last few years because it's exciting, a sport for everyone and because the technology has made it easier and easier.

You probably remember Jacques Cousteau who has done very well for the SCUBA industry with his wonderful underwater videos. Since his videos and underwater explorations, SCUBA diving has become more and more popular. At the moment of writing (06/2006), PADI, the world largest diving organisation has more than 130,000 dive professionals and around 5300 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts operating in 180 countries and territories.

Where do I find a dive center?
The best place for you to find a dive center is probably on the website of PADI (www.padi.com). You can find a dive center in 180 countries, that means that you will probably locate one close to your home. You can contact the dive center with your requests and they will be more than happy to provide you with any information you need.

On holiday or rather at home?
That totally depends on what you want to do. You can even combine it! It is possible to do the theory and swimming pool lessons at your dive center at home, and to do your open water dives at your holidays. It is called a referral, just ask your dive center to arrange it, most of the time they have special deals for you. Referrals are usually valid for 12 months so you can take your time for it.

Some populair destinations for SCUBA diving are the Red Sea and the Caribbean. Both destinations offer clear and relaxed conditions and have hundreds of dive centers to choose from.

You can find diving courses on Diving Answers, we collect diving courses from all over the world and put them on one page... simple! It is an easy way to find your first diving course and we would be more than happy to give you any advice in our forum or per email. Independant advice, because we do not sell holidays or courses our selves.

What to look for?
Don't only look at the price, look at the contact and response you get from the dive center, talk with your future instructor and staff, and ask many questions. Diving instructors should have more than plenty of patience and most instructors are really friendly people who love to help you out.

Don't be afraid because they train people everyday. Look however for quality and not quantity. It is not important how long an instructor has been training or how many students he or she has trained so far. It is about how much effort, devotion and love he/she puts in their work. Do you rather certify with a diving instructor that makes sure that you know what you are doing or are you just looking for a certification?

I promise you fun and an unforgettable adventure while breathing for the first time underwater. Have fun!

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Youri Vlag (from the Netherlands and living in the United Kingdom) is an experienced PADI instructor and EFR instructor and has worked as a dive guide and dive instructor in Thailand and Egypt. Youri writes articles about SCUBA diving for several sites and is the owner of www.divinganswers.com .

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