Diving in the fast lane

I have recently arrived back in Cyprus at Scuba Tech for my third season working as a Dive master.  After hearing that Pete and Shelley had recently invested in underwater scooters, I was even more excited to get back in the water.

The underwater scooters are made by a manufacturer called SUEX (The Submarine Exploration Company) these scooters are one of the best DPV’s (Diver propulsion vehicles) available and are “at the very cutting edge of underwater mobility”. [1] In the diving community they are very popular for exploring and suit all types of diving.  Knowing this, I was very eager to try them!

Within a couple of days, I was back in Green Bay for my first dive of the season. The conditions were excellent, the sun was shining and the water looked lovely and clear. It felt very good to be back.

The design of the scooter looks very simple, yet sleek and professional. I was using the SUEX  XJOY 7, a machine with two handles which makes it very easy to manoeuvre and control.  On the right handle is a trigger button, which allows you to control how fast you go. Alongside this, there are two settings; high and low, which alter the speed of the scooter. To attach the scooter to you, there is a long cord with a bolt snap that attaches to the crotch D ring on your harness.

I had used a DPV in the past but it was nothing like the SUEX model. From the moment I first pulled the trigger, I knew I loved it.

You can cover a lot of distance with these machines so I learned it is even more crucial to keep an eye on your buddy and stick together so you don’t get separated. You also go through your air supply a lot quicker without realising, so it is vital you keep checking and be strict with your turn around times!

The dive was around the hour mark, I had my finger on the trigger for more or less the whole time. With a top speed of 55 feet a minute, these machines can go very, very quickly.  It really is diving in the fast lane.

According to the SUEX website, the scooters have a run time between 60 and 75 minutes. However, having mainly dived the low setting and intermittently diving in the high setting, I managed a run time of two one hour plus dives. Furthermore, in the water, the scooters are neutrally buoyant so it is very easy to stay in trim with a SUEX without having to majorly alter your weight.

After having already done one dive, which was fantastic, I wanted to get out again as soon as possible and do another. I went out for an 85 minute dive with Pete and Shelley on the scooters, to one of our dive sites called The Hole. It really was awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute! We covered a lot of distance in a short space of time and we saw plenty of marine life including a Ray, Moray Eels and lots and lots of Fish along the way.

As I am also a technical diver, with a full twinset set up, I did wonder how the scooter would fare pulling me along throughout the dive but it presented no problems and I glided through the water effortlessly. The feeling was phenomenal. 

Diving without a scooter is awesome, but diving with one takes scuba diving to a whole new level. 

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[1] SUEX company mission- http://www.suex.it/

Exploring the Island for new dives

How can I scuba dive when I need glasses to see

This is a question we get asked all the time here at Scuba Tech Diving Centre, so we wanted to put a mini post out to re-assure all those people who don't see so well without prescription.

So, let me state it right here in the beginning. If you usually wear glasses to help you to see, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to go Scuba Diving.

In the first instance, everything appears slightly bigger in the water anyway.

You have probably noticed this when you are in the sea or in a swimming pool. Any part of you that is submerged appears larger than parts that are not and this magnification is a result of refraction.

This means that if you only need a weak prescription for reading things, you may be ok in the water anyway.

However, if you need something a bit stronger, there are still options available for you.

If you usually wear contact lenses, there is no reason to change this. You can still wear your contacts while you are scuba diving but if, for any reason, you do have to take your mask off, keep your eyes closed to stop you from losing them. Also, just remember to let your buddy or guide/instructor know you wear them, just in case!

Another option, which is fairly common and relatively cheap to implement, are the "stick on lenses" that you can buy for the inside of your diving mask.

These are like buying the Cheap Boots reading glasses with incremental prescriptions available. They don't work for everybody but are certainly worth a try.





Finally, there is also the possibility to buy a prescription mask. Not every mask is suitable for prescription and they can be quite expensive, so it is important to make sure that the mask fits you properly before investing in having the prescription lenses fitted. You might be able to focus through the lenses but if you cannot see because the mask is continuously filling up, you haven't really solved the problem.


So, there are a number of options out there for those of us who wear glasses. As with everything in Scuba Diving, there is no "one size fits all" answer and what works for one may not work for others. I know divers that have used all of the above options with great success but the bottom line is...

You can still go Scuba Diving, even if you wear glasses

Zenobia Diving with Lucy Part 2

Plastic Pollution- A Diver's Concern

It isn't a new problem. This is something that has been causing concern for many years now however, recently, it has started to make its way into the spotlight once again.

Some of you may remember a few years ago, we wrote a blog regarding a project that was being developed to help clean the garbage out of our Oceans and while this is a great initiative and we have to clean up the mess we have created, we also have to stop putting that rubbish there in the first place.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp 

It is a scary fact that plastic waste in the Pacific covers an area of almost 15 million Kilometres squared (that is not far off the size of Russia).

An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year and this plastic pollution is adversely affecting all kinds of wildlife, their homes and habitats.

Approximately 1 in 3 species of marine mammals have been found trapped and entangled in marine litter while fish in the North Pacific are believed to ingest between 12 and 24 thousand tonnes of plastic every year.

Of course, if the fish are ingesting it, the plastic will make its way up the food chain and it finds itself in humans too. We are at the top! This is our problem and we all need to find a way to start reducing our dependencies on plastic.

Here are 5 simple, everyday things you can do personally to help reduce plastic in our oceans


1. Buy Re-useable Bags


There is a reason the world is moving away from plastic bags for our shopping. These bags have a working life of around 15 minutes but can take a whopping 1000 years to degrade.

More than 1 million plastic bags are being used every minute.

Most shops will now offer a "Bag for Life" usually made from materials other than plastic, which can be re-used over and over again and are much more environmentally friendly.


2. Say No to Straws



Again, straws are one of those items that are so popular and yet so unnecessary. If you cannot drink from the glass, consider investing in a reusable stainless steel or glass straw. These single use, trow away unessential items are a massive contributor to plastic pollution.

3. Invest in a Re-Usable Cup


If, like me, you cannot survive without your morning coffee but often have to drink it on the go or if you are a frequent visitor to coffee shops like Costa or Starbucks, have a think about buying your own refillable cup to help reduce waste.

Also, if you are always buying bottles of juice,  water or pop to carry around with you on the go, a refillable stainless steel bottle will reduce plastic waste whilst keeping your drink cool. Win Win.


4. Ditch the Disposable


Whether you are talking about your cutlery, plates, razors or lighters and everything in between, disposable is not a good adjective.


We have become a throw away society with so many things that could be reused being discarded for convenience. Hole in your sock? Throw it away. In years gone by, it would have been stitched and lasted another 10 years.

Ok, maybe an exaggeration but the point remains. Where once it was worth mending, fixing and revamping, these days it seems to be easier to just replace. Think about the long term consequences and the next time you throw something away because it is "just as cheap to buy a new one", consider where it will end up and what that can mean for the environment, the wildlife, you and your family and friends.

Is it still not worth repairing?


5. RECYCLE


In this day and age, this should really be a given but if you do have to use plastic (and most of us do, it is everywhere and in practically everything) pay some attention to what you do with it when finished.

Most items can be recycled these days and most countries have some means of recycling your plastic, cardboard and glass, at a minimum. If the council doesn't offer special recycling pick ups with your refuse collection then make the effort to find out where you nearest recycling point is and take your waste there.

If we cannot eliminate it, we can at least re-use it and reduce the amount of new plastics that are being produced.

I recently read an Ancient Indian Proverb that I think fits very well here and is certainly worth bearing in mind.

We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors. We Borrow it from our Children

Wreck Diving on the Zenobia withTechnical Lucy

Diving the Zenobia wreck with Divemaster Lucy

Towards the end of the summer diving seaon 2016, our PADI Divemaster, Lucy worked very hard to achieve her Technical Diving certifications. 

Having completed PADI Tec40 and PADI Tec45, we took her on the world famous wreck of the Zenobia in Larnaca to have a bit of fun and explore.

90 minutes later with a max depth of 42m, we finally re-emerged. This is part 1 and the diving adventure will definitely be continued...

My Diving transition

As an active Divemaster working in Cyprus for most of the year, it’s fair to say I’m very comfortable with warm seas, stunning visibility and balmy sunshine all year round. It doesn’t get much better than that!

However, when the season comes to an end and I go back home for winter, the conditions are quite the opposite!

I returned back to England, mid-November! 

My last dive in Cyprus was a lovely 73 minutes at 22 degrees, so I knew when I came to dive back home (to water less than 10 degrees) I would get a massive shock to the system.

In the time that I’m home, I like to dive as much as I possibly can in order to stay active and keep my skills fresh. There is no way I could spend five months dry, so I need to be able to adjust and I knew the transition would be challenging.  

I was so excited to get back in the water. I had learnt to dive initially in the UK in a quarry called Stoney Cove and before I worked in Cyprus, I used to dive in cold water all the time, so it was nothing I hadn’t experienced before. 

The majority of the equipment I use in Cyprus is exactly the same as I would use in the UK so there is no change there. This makes the transition a lot easier!

Having the right equipment is vital for diving in the UK. It is essential to use regulators designed for cold water, and that have been environmentally sealed.The amount of people I have seen since coming home that have had free flows due to inappropriate regulators or poorly maintained equipment is ridiculous. 


Furthermore, having a well fitted dry suit, with the correct thermal protection is also very important for cold water diving.It makes all the difference. I must say it did feel extremely strange going back in to a dry suit after wearing a 5mm wetsuit (and even a shortie) for the past 7 months!

My first dive was somewhat of a shock, I knew it would be cold, but I hadn’t anticipated it being that cold. 

One tip I have picked up, is to jump in to the water without a mask on. This helps your body adjust to the cold water that little bit easier. Also if you get a bit of water in your mask during the dive, the cold water won’t be as much of a shock. It sounds crazy I know, but it works. Although the first time I did this, the exposure to the cold set both my heart and breathing rate racing. This is a physiological reaction called the mammalian diving reflex, which is normal when exposed to cold water. Give it a couple of minutes, it will pass and your breathing and heart rate will slow back down.

Check out these quick tips for scuba diving anywhere.

I dove to 22m for 45 minutes. The water temperature was five degrees and the visibility was less than 10m. After that length of time, I began to get quite cold, and it was time to get out. The outside temperature at that time was below freezing. However, the dives were fantastic! There is something about diving in the UK that I will always love, but it’s definitely not what I’m used to anymore.

I work and dive in warm waters. When I tell people I dive in cold water in a quarry in the middle of winter, sometimes they think I’m crazy. I often question it myself when I’m sat in the Stoney Cove car park at 6am on a January morning! But with the proper and appropriate equipment, cold water diving is just as comfortable as warm water diving and equally as fun!

Diving in the UK isn’t for everyone, it is cold and dark with sometimes limited visibility, nothing like diving in tropical warm waters, but I think that is one of the appeals of it.