Dianne Rein asked:


A scuba diving computer can be a divers best friend. It will allow you to stay down longer than if you were diving off of tables. There are many types and/or styles of dive computers you can choose from. Which one is best is really personal preference and is suited to the way you dive. The following are some of the choices you will have when purchasing your dive computer.Console Dive ComputerA console dive computer is attached to the rest of the equipment via a hose. The console dive computers typically come with a pressure gauge. The readouts are typically larger than on a wrist dive computer so they can also be easier on the eyes. There are also options for a scuba dive computer to be mounted on your hose (this is the type we currently use) or clip onto your BC. Choose whichever is more comfortable for you and fits into your price range. Wrist Dive ComputerThe wrist dive computer is very popular. These types of computers look like large watches and are worn on the wrist. They will tell you all you need to know at a glance. Some wrist dive computers are also able to be mounted in a console. Sometimes the faces may be a bit small for all the information the computer can display, so make sure you will be able to read it underwater. Unless they are air integrated and wireless (see below) wrist dive computers usually do not come with a pressure gauge. One small disadvantage here is that these can be pretty easy to misplace/lose. Air Integrated Dive Computer Air integrated dive computers are becoming more commonplace. An air integrated computer measures the tank pressure and then calculates how much more time you have left at the current rate of air consumpetion. The air integrated dive computer will tell you how much time you can spend at any exertion level. An air integrated computer replaces the need for a submersible pressure gauge (SPG). One downside of an air integrated computer is that if it fails, you lose information on how much air you have left in your tank. Dive over.Nitrox Dive ComputerWith nitrox diving becoming more and more common, so are computers that are nitrox compatible. Even if you aren’t diving with nitrox now, if you are even thinking of diving with nitrox in the future, it is probably worth it to purchase a nitrox dive computer. This will save you the expense of buying a whole new computer in the future. However, if don’t think you will ever dive with nitrox, then there is no reason to pay for this feature. A standard air computer is probably $100+ less than its nitrox counterpart.Hoseless Dive Computer The hoseless dive computer consists of the receiver (typically worn on the wrist or mounted on the BC) and a transmitor. The transmitor attaches to the high pressure port of the regulator first stage and then sends your air information, wirelessly, to the receiver. The receiver looks the same as normal dive computers. This setup cuts down on the number of hoses you need. There are now even hoseless dive computers that can accept signal from multiple transmitors - so you can even keep an eye on your buddies air consumption. Of course, this capability is really for the more advanced technical divers who may use different tanks on one dive. And, of course, we are talking some pretty high price tags here.So just think about how you dive and what capabilities you need. The right dive computer for one person can be completely wrong for another person. Choose one that you are comfortable with and one that is right for you wallet.

Lisa Moss asked:

#1 You must be strong

First of all, let me tell you that I am 5’4”, female, I weigh 100 pounds, and I have only been to a gym once in my life. Even though my arm muscle is virtually non-existent, I can still manage to kiteboard hours straight because of the harness worn with kiteboarding.

#2 I’m too fat / too tall / too small / too old / too young

Many kiteboard stores require you to weigh at least 80 pounds in order to take a lesson. I’ve seen just about every size and shape out there kiteboarding even guys in the 300 pound range.

Height doesn’t matter, but if you are a petite rider, consider buying a seat harness rather than a waist harness. This will move the bar closer to your body and put the power/depower strap within better reach.

I’ve seen plenty of guys in their 60s & 70s kiteboarding. If you have back problems, buy a seat harness rather than a waist harness, and buy a kite that has a lot of depower (bow, SLE, or hybrid kite).

#3 Kiteboarding is very dangerous

As long as you take the necessary pre-cautions, kiteboarding is relatively safe. I say relatively, because everything in life has risk, even driving your car to the grocery store. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, things can go bad, very bad. Take a lesson! When in doubt, don’t go out. Never ride by yourself. Don’t kite in storms or other times when the wind isn’t steady and reliable. And again, take a lesson (the more the better)!

#4 I don’t need a lesson

Just because you’re a pro wakeboarder/snowboarder, etc., doesn’t mean you’re a good kiteboarder. You need to learn how to fly the kite as well as learn how to setup the kite, relaunch, perform a self rescue, etc.

This is not wakeboarding, skiing, or surfing. It is more comparable to scuba diving, except if you screw up, not only are you putting yourself at risk, but also everyone on that beach. It is absolutely critical that you know what you are doing. A minimum of at least one lesson is mandatory. No exceptions.

#5 I’ll take a lesson and be riding by the end of the day

Each year the gear is getting better and better. Three years ago, it would take weeks to be able to learn what people now learn in a matter of days. Even so, do not expect to be up and riding the first time (or second time for that matter). It does happen every now and then so to improve your chances spend as much time as you can with a trainer kite and work on your board skills.

#6 Trainer kite? I don’t need a trainer kite!

Buying a trainer kite is one of the smartest moves you can make (along with taking lessons and buying the proper gear). You can learn so much with a trainer kite that by the time you take a lesson, you’ll feel much more comfortable handling the real thing and your lesson will go much smoother. You can learn mandatory kite flying skills the hard way (with a powerful kite), or you can learn it the easy way (with a trainer kite); it’s your choice.

#7 Kiteboarding is expensive

If you go out and buy the complete kiteboard set up (kite, bar & lines, harness, board), you’re looking at around $1,500 - $2,000. Ok, that number may seem big, but let’s think about this. If you want to wakeboard, you need a boat plus plan on spending a good chunk of money on gas each time you go out. In the winter time, you spend money on lift tickets every good powder day. Why not just strap your snowboard/skis on your feet and go snowkiting (use the same kite and harness, just add your skis/board). When you think of it that way, the $1,500 for year-round fun doesn’t look so bad.

#8 Kiteboarding can only be done in the ocean

Wrong. Kiteboarding can be done in any large body of water. Heck, I’ve kiteboarded in a large mud pond that was only about a foot deep (not recommended). A sandy shoreline along with clean, steady wind is ideal. Open areas like the Great Lakes or oceans typically get smoother wind than inland spots like lakes and reservoirs. Kiteboarding can also be done in the winter time (snowkiting) on open fields or frozen lakes with a snowboard or skis. And then there is kite ground boarding (KGB) where you use a landboard with a kite, the possibilities go on and on…

#9 I have a wakeboard, all I need is a kite

The bindings on a wakeboard are boot-like and are hard to get into, compared to the easy-entry, sandal-like binding of a kiteboard. Basically, when you’re in the water with the kite, you’re going to want it as easy as possible to put that board on your feet while you’re flying the kite.

Try to imagine wakeboarding in a choppy ocean, doesn’t sound too good does it? A kiteboard on the other hand, lets you cut right through chop and gives you a nice ride, thus opening up the possibility to ride basically anything.

#10 I found a great deal on a kite off eBay!

Have you ever noticed how every kite listed on there is “great for beginners.” Don’t believe everything you’re told. Just about every eBay kite that I’ve seen people bring to the beach makes me cringe. Many times, the kite is old (old in kiteboarding can mean anything over 2-3 years old) and unsafe. Remember, kiteboarding is still a new sport, and the equipment today is three hundred times better than it was 4 years ago.

Overall, you get what you pay for! Talk to someone at a kiteboard store for what kiteboarding setup would be the best for you and buy it through them. The right gear makes all the difference!

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dive buzz diver asked:


1. you have a countersigned record of dives for later training

Whether you are interested in technical diving or going pro some time in the future, you will need a dive log showing you have enough experience to move to the next level. Some resorts even insist on seeing dive logs before they will take you to some more advanced dive sites. In these days of increasing litigation it is good for them and for you to know that your fellow divers are experienced enough for the dive.

2. you can track how much you breathe and see it improve

We all want to spend as much time underwater as we can. Usually are limits are set by how fast we breathe our air. It is really nice to see how much we relax over time and our breathing slows to give us more time underwater.

3. its a journal of your diving adventures you can show and tell

You come back from your vacation buzzing with great stories of your dives. Pull out your dive log with your photos and you can answer all the ‘how deep/how long/how warm’ questions. When you get your buddy to sign your log book you can put names to faces on your group photos as well!

4. the quickest way to check the weights you need for different kit

If you dive throughout the year in different waters you will be snugged up on some and minimal on others. Why waste any time on your first day of your vacation testing for weight when you can look it up directly from last year?

5. its where you collect your shop chops

Some of them are funky, some plain. Shop chops (or stamps) are only available from the dive resort after a dive. How many do you have?

6. a great excuse to get that cute diving guide to share his/her email

No diver is going to refuse to sign your dive log and while you are standing there its easy to suggest you stay in contact. Need we say more?

7. your manta ray sighting is recorded for all time

You might want to frame it and put it on the wall (or record it on an online dive log for all to see) but you definitely want to record it for posterity!

8. helps you learn fish identification

Your dive log is the perfect place to keep notes and sketches of fish you could not identify underwater. It already contains information about the dive site and depth you were at, both of which help narrow down potential species. You never know when you will bump into a marine biologist and you can whip out your dive log and impress them with your drawing!

9. easy comparison of dive sites year on year

Do you have a favourite vacation destination? If you go back to the same dive sites often, just a few notes in your dive log will help you track changes in fish life and environmental changes.

10. its got all the stats of your favourite sport

How many? how deep? what countries? how often? Its all there with a dive log. With a paper log you have to add things up yourself but there are many software dive logs and online dive logs that will do it automatically for you. It’s not everyone’s bag, but well all love to compare and discuss so let some somewhere do it for you and you always have the information at hand.

Heard all the reasons for not keeping a dive log. Read the top 10 I have heard at top 10 reasons for not keeping a dive log

Ian Jenkinson asked:


What constitutes the minimum equipment that recreational divers should have and use on every dive? To some degree, this will be a factor of the environment and the purpose of the dive. Divers in cold water require more thermal protection than divers in warm water. Divers engaged in activities, such as underwater photography or night, deep, wreck, ice or cavern diving, require additional specialized diving equipment that sight-seeing divers in shallow, open water may not need.

There is, however, certain equipment items that most experts believe recreational divers should have and use on every dive. The following is a brief overview of each of these items.

Mask, Snorkel and Fins

These are the most basic of all diving equipment. Masks allow divers to see underwater without distortion. Snorkels enable them to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads from the water or use air from their tanks. Fins allow divers to move through the water with far great efficiency.

Exposure Protection

Divers require protection from both heat loss and abrasion. Heat loss is of particular importance, because water conducts heat away from the body 20 to 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Divers may become dangerously chilled in water that would seem uncomfortably warm, if it were air.

Thermal and abrasion protection may range from lightweight wet suits for warm-water diving to thick, highly insulative dry suits for cold water diving. Most divers also use some form of hand and foot protection. Wet suit boots are the most common form of foot protection. Hand protection may range from thick wet-suit mitts or light weight gloves.

Weight Systems

Depending on a diver’s natural buoyancy and the buoyancy of his equipment, he may need to use some form of weight system to offset excess buoyancy. The most common type of weighting is a weight belt, although general options are available.

Scuba Systems

Modern scuba systems integrate several components, including primary and alternate air sources, buoyancy-control devices (BCD’s) and instrumentation.

Air Sources

A diver’s primary air source consists of a cylinder of compressed air and a two-stage regulator that reduces this air to the same pressure as the surrounding water. The most common form of alternate air source is an additional regulator second stage, similar to the one the diver normally breathes from. This extra second stage is for sharing with other divers who may run low, or out, of air.

Buoyancy-control Devices

A diver’s buoyancy-control device (or BCD) is used for two purposes. When inflated on the surface, it allows the diver to rest or swim comfortably without having to struggle to keep his head above water. Under water, the BCD may be partially inflated to offset any decrease in buoyancy caused by compression of the diver’s exposure suit during descent.

Gauges

The minimal instrumentation with which every diver should be equipped with includes:

a means of monitoring air supply

an accurate means of determining depth

a means of measuring the time spent under water

I would also recommend that each diver have and use an underwater compass. This not only makes it easier for the diver to navigate, it also helps eliminate the need for long, tiring surface swims at the end of a dive.

Knife or Tool

Although the risk of becoming entangled under water is slight, it is recommended that all divers equip themselves with some form of cutting tool. Depending on its design, this tool may also be used for prying and measuring.

Log Book

Because certification cards only establish that, at one point in time, a diver met the minimum requirements for certification at that level, divers record their dives in log books. Log books provide a tangible record of the depth and breadth of a diver’s experience. An increasing number of dive resorts and charter operations require that divers present both certification card and a log book before they will provide diving service.

Slate

The ability to communicate under water using hand signals is limited. So, to convey more-complex messages to one another, divers use specially designed underwater slates.

Using slates may eliminate the need to surface in order to talk and can add the convenience and enjoyment of the dive.

Kamil Wojtys asked:


The earliest years of recreational scuba training were rigorous and labeled too militaristic by some educators and trainers. They argued that easier training would open diving to a greater portion of public, and make it more popular and profitable. This encouraged some scuba manufacturers, who needed a growing diving population to support their product sales, to actually develop a number of the earlier diver training courses. This led to the growth of the recreational diving public, which, coupled with the establishment of private training organizations, succeeded in bringing scuba diving to everyone. Nowadays almost all of us can participate in a diving course. In may cities we have a divers clubs associated with schools, colleges, universities and other. However, there are three obvious limitations connected with participating in a diving course. First one refers to one’s own health, which conditions may sometimes be insufficiently well to perform an underwater activities. Second one – is pure material reason called money. Diving courses, while not performed on behalf of university, or school, are in general relatievley expensive. The third, and the last limit is our will, which sometimes may happen to be not strong enough to help us stay.