We B Divin Cozumel Our World Revolves Around You!

Transcription

1 Volume 4, Issue 02 February 2010 We B Divin Cozumel Our World Revolves Around You! It is Tuesday night, February 02, and it feels like a combination of The Night Before Christmas and sitting in the hospital waiting room for hours and hours thinking my grandson Cole would decide to come into this world at any second. The Yucab III has been in dry dock since January 20 getting refurbished. That includes extended railing to assist guests getting onto the bow, sanding, fiberglass repair, several coats of paint, replacement of lights, new marine radio, cleaning and repair of the keel and prop, replacement of the wooden doors into the storage hull with fiberglass doors, an on-board shower, new logo, and a racing stripe. Inside this Issue We B Divin Cozumel 2 Training Specials 2 How to Care for SCUBA Tanks 2 Creature Feature 2 Are You Prepared for Emergencies 3 Travel 4 Care for SCUBA Tanks, continued 4 We B Divin Cozumel, continued 5 Creature Feature, continued 5 DAN 6 For the last five days I have watched Mexican artisans hand sand, apply layers of new fiberglass over the entire boat with a three inch applicator, and weld. Tomorrow I will watch as they apply the last coat of paint, put on the red racing stripe, install the electrical accoutrement, fine tune the engine, hand paint the logo, and slip her back into the water. Birth! Those of you who have dove with the crew in the past know that they give the most extraordinary service. Even those of you who have dove many locations and (continued page 5)

2 Page 2 WBD Season Pass Take any or all of the 38 PADI/DAN specialties offered at We B Divin in a 12 month period. Up to 3 crew packs included. Get your PADI Master Scuba Diver and your DAN Diving Emergency Specialist. $699 Unbelievable! Training Specials Learn to Dive Package A whale of a deal, tell your friends. Group Class Tuition, Student Materials, Personal Gear (Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Boots, Bag) chosen from a wide variety of options, and a shorty wet suit. Upgrades are available should you desire. $695 elearning Don t have time to spend in classroom but want to get certified? Sign up for on-line learning. Do all of the classroom on your time at your location on your PC. Then spend 8-12 hours with us in the pool and 4 dives in open water. Package price $720 There are a number of general, common-sense rules and guidelines when dealing with scuba cylinders. Never overfill them. If the "+" indictor is stamped on a steel tank, 10% over the rated pressure is okay. Aluminum cylinders should never be overfilled. Don't completely empty a cylinder during a dive. Leaving a little air pressure inside keeps moisture out. Have all inspections, tests, and repair work done by properly trained and certified technicians. Personally inspect your cylinder before every dive. How to Care for SCUBA Tanks By Michael Turner, AI For long term storage, keep cylinder upright with 300 to 500 psi of pressure in them. However, NEVER leave a charged cylinder standing upright and then walk away! (continued page 4) Creature Feature The invasion of predatory lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean poses a major threat to coral reef ecosystems. Studies have found that within a short period after the entry of lionfish into an area, the survival of other reef fishes is slashed by 80%. Aside from the rapid and immediate mortality of marine life, the loss of herbivorous fish also sets the stage for seaweeds to potentially overwhelm the coral reefs and disrupt the delicate ecological balance in which they exist. The lionfish is native to the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean and has few natural enemies to help control it in the Atlantic and Caribbean. It is believed that the first lionfish were introduced into marine waters off Florida in the early 1990s from local aquariums or fish hobbyists. They have since spread across much of the Caribbean Sea and north along the United States coast as far as Rhode Island. (Continued page 5)

3 Volume 4, Issue 02 Page 3 Are You Prepared for a Diving Emergency When Far from Home? By Danny Bouska, MSDT You ve made your final payment for that dream dive trip on a live aboard or to that plush resort somewhere in the Caribbean. You ve planned each and every article of clothing you will pack into your suitcases. You ve checked your dive gear and your cameras. You ve even made sure you have plenty of sunscreen and bug repellant. However, have you considered what to do if, in the unlikely event, you are involved in a dive accident while on the boat or at the resort in a foreign country? Many people are covered by health insurance through their jobs. Your general travel insurance or medical insurance may cover diving, but you should check before traveling. Specialized diving insurance is a much better idea because being in a foreign country, most hospitals, doctors, and chambers may require some form of guaranteed payment prior to treating you should an accident occur. Proof of a dive insurance plan can sometimes satisfy the payment guarantee requirement. In the very unlikely event of a problem, treatment for diving accidents can be expensive. One chamber ride typically costs $400 per hour and can last from 4 to 9 hours. If medical evacuation is needed, an air ambulance can range from roughly $3,500 to perhaps $55,000 or higher depending on the distance the plane has to travel. These planes must be pressurized to one atmosphere and are staffed by a nurse and a physician. When you're far away from home, hurting and worried, having an emergency phone number where you can call and speak with someone who can help is an important benefit. That number should ring into an alarm center, where doctors, EMTs and nurses will answer 24/7/365. Divers Alert Network (DAN) ( ) provides diving's only 24-hour emergency hotline. DAN was founded in 1980 and as noted on their website, DAN, a nonprofit organization, exists to provide expert information and advice for the benefit of the diving public. DAN's historical and primary function is to provide emergency medical advice and assistance for underwater diving injuries, to work to prevent injuries and to promote diving safety. Second, DAN promotes and supports underwater diving research and education particularly as it relates to the improvement of diving safety, medical treatment and first aid. Third, DAN strives to provide the most accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information on issues of common concern to the diving public, primarily, but not exclusively, for diving safety. As you can see, DAN not only offers dive insurance, but operates a diving medical information line, conducts vital diving medical research, and develops and provides a number of educational programs for everyone from beginning divers to medical professionals. With DAN you can chose either an individual membership or a family membership. An Individual Membership is $35 and a Family Membership is $55 per year and you can add as many eligible family members to your family membership as you desire. There are three (3) types of insurance coverage available, Preferred $70 per year, Master $35 per year and Standard $25 per year. The biggest difference between the Preferred and Master or Standard coverage is that Preferred has Per Occurrence limits where the other two are Lifetime limits. Compare the different policies and coverage s offered by DAN and decide which best covers your individual needs. But please get coverage for yourself and the others divers in your family and support DAN at the same time. It is the best value of any insurance you will ever purchase.

4 Volume 4, Issue 02 Page 4 Cozumel April 23 26, $562 July 23 26, $542 December 22 25, $TBD Double occupancy accommodations at Casa Mexicana with breakfast buffet. Round trip transportation to and from airport. Casa Mexicana is downtown San Miguel within walking distance to the square, shopping, and restaurants. Diving provided by We B Divin Cozumel picking up at the dock just across the street. Travel 2010 Gran Cayman May 29 June 03 OR May 29 June 05 Dive the pristine east end with the award winning Ocean Frontiers. Just a short walk each morning to the dock from your town house accommodations. Cayman is famous for its incredible wall diving and beautiful white sand beaches manufactured locally by the many parrot fishes. 7 nights with 6 days of 2 T dives $1080 plus airfare 5 nights with 4 days of 2 T Cocos Island October 25 November 6 Aggressor Live Aboard, see all kinds of pelagics everywhere you look. They will be whale sharks, hammerheads, well all kinds of sharks, and you name it. Fly DFW to San Juan Costa Rica (SJO) non-stop, board the boat for seven incredible days of diving. $4235 plus airfare, double occup How to Care for SCUBA Tanks (continued from page 2) Once your equipment is hooked up to the tank, always lay the tank down first, with the gear on top. Remove the cylinder boot periodically to see if corrosion has formed underneath. Handle cylinders carefully so they don't drop. Hold on to the valve or body, not straps or netting. Maintain the "O" rings; replace them when they show nicks or wear. After diving, when you have removed the regulator, partially open the tank valve to blow out droplets that may have accumulated there. Fill the tank at a rate of 100psi for every twelve (12) seconds to allow for a safe complete fill. This will also reduce stress on the neck and threads. Keep the tank away from heat as much as possible. Never use an aluminum tank that has heated up to over 350F. It will no longer be structurally sound.

5 Page 5 We B Divin Cozumel (continued from page 1) many boats around the world know that Carlos, Yasser and Luis rank at the top for service. We are adding on-board towels and improving the food menu. In keeping with the pure definition of Diva Diving, there will be gear set up and storage, snacks, drinks of all kinds (even Dr Pepper), assistance with gear donning and doffing and opportunities for continuing education. Additionally you may chose independent diving limited only by your computer or guided dives so we can show you our underwater friends. Cozumel is easily in the top ten diving sites in the world. Let us make it even better for you! I thought you might enjoy some candid photos of the last day. Creature Feature (Continued from page 2) These fish eat many other species and they eat constantly. Studies on controlled plots have determined that lionfish reduced young juvenile fish populations by 79 percent in only a five-week period. Many species were affected, including cardinalfish, parrotfish, damselfish and others. Lionfish are carnivores that can eat other fish up to two-thirds their own length, while they are protected from other predators by long, poisonous spines. In the Pacific other fish have learned to avoid them and they also have more natural predators, particularly large groupers. In the Atlantic and Caribbean, native fish have never seen them before and have no recognition of danger. There, about the only thing that will eat lionfish is another lionfish; they are not only aggressive carnivores, but also cannibals. When attacking another fish, the lionfish will use its large, fan-like fins to herd smaller fish into a corner and then swallow them in a rapid strike. Because of their natural defense mechanisms they are afraid of almost no other marine life. Their rapid reproduction potential must now be understood in context with their ability to seriously depopulate coral reef ecosystems of other fish. Parrot fishes and other herbivores prevent seaweeds from smothering corals. A major, invasive predator such as lionfish could disrupt the entire system.

6 8451 Boulevard 26 North Richland Hills, TX , voice and fax Think Outside the Bowl! There is much to learn, many places to go and much to see. We B Divin' is your personal resource for scuba training (PADI), equipment sales, service, and travel. We pride ourselves on individualized training, especially for people with water related anxieties. Our rental gear includes SeaQuest weight integrated BCD's (women's and men's), computers, and regulators for state of the art training and the ultimate in safety. Remember, enjoyment and safety are enhanced by comfort and proper fit. We will personally fit you, whether your primary interest is diving or snorkeling. We offer both group and individual travel opportunities. Both singles and couples are welcome. Singles may ask to room share or can choose the single supplement option. Everyone is welcome - divers, snorkelers, nondivers, shoppers, etc. Come learn with us, go places with us and see with us. Divers Alert Network DAN Travel Insurance This is Dan s newest product. I am sure that I have not reviewed every Trip Cancellation and Interruption policy available out there on the market, but this one is very competitive in benefits as well as cost. Also, of course, when we use this Divers Alert Network Membership DAN is the only organization I am aware of that is actively pursuing medical dive research. They provide assistance to all divers (regardless of membership status) through 800 phone numbers and will accept collect calls from anywhere in the world. This alone is product we are supporting DAN which is always a plus. Travel insurance is good for those who want to plan a trip but have pending concerns like the health of a loved one. It is very valuable when planning a BIG trip like Galapagos. Many times trips like this must be planned far in the future worth our support with membership fees of $29 per year. The included subscription to Alert Diver is just a bonus. Dive Insurance This is the best option for Medical Dive Accident Coverage that I have reviewed. There are three plans from $25 to $70 per year covering not only and we simply cannot know what life will put on our plate in the interim. So this type of insurance protects us from a total loss. Check the details from our web site by clicking here DAN Dive Insurance medical coverage for a dive accident but extra transportation, extra accommodation, lost diving equipment and much more. I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to have this coverage. Check the details from our web site by clicking here DAN Dive Insurance