http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php Copyright 2012, Aquatic Adventures Aquatic Adventures en-US SPHPBLOG 0.7.0 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry110729-173359
Question: Do you agree or disagree? And Why? ]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry110729-173359 Aquatic Adventures Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:33:59 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=11&m=07&entry=entry110729-173359 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry101203-045427 In our last newsletter, we wrote about how to store your drysuit for the winter, but one of the advantages of owning a drysuit is that it allows you to extend your diving season.

For drysuit divers and hardy wetsuit divers, this is a really good time to dive the local lakes. The water is still reasonable warm, certainly warmer than it will be in the spring. The air temperature is cool, but if your drysuit keeps you dry, it is tolerable. The boat traffic is greatly decreased, so the visibility is good, and you don’t have to contend with crazy jet skiers.
Continuing to dive helps you keep your skills sharp, and it can be a fun social event. Check our web site (www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com) for times and locations of local dives. For those who are especially hardy, there is also ice diving. Some of us will be cutting a hole in the ice, and diving all winter.

Safe Diving to All

Tom Rhoad
Service Manager]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry101203-045427 Aquatic Adventures Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:54:27 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=10&m=12&entry=entry101203-045427 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry101025-131002 Now that we are coming to the end of the diving season for all but those few hardy souls who will be diving under the ice, it is time to think about proper storage of your dive gear. Since your drysuit is probably the most expensive single piece of gear you own, it deserves some special treatment.
Before you store it away, make sure that it is completely dry inside and out. If the zipper looks dirty, you may wash it with mild soapy water and a soft toothbrush. After it is dry, wax it with paraffin wax. To help preserve your latex seals, dust them with unscented talcum powder. Most manufacturers recommend against using silicone sprays or oils, because the silicone is absorbed into the fabric, making it virtually impossible to get adhesives to hold when you have to replace your seals.
After your seals are dusted with talc, tuck them into the suit, and then roll it up loosely. Store it in a cool, dry place, away from heat, oil, and chemicals. In other words, don’t store it near your water heater, furnace, electric motors, or where it will be exposed to automobile exhaust, i.e., not in your furnace room or your garage. With a little care, it will be looking good and ready to go in the spring.
Thomas Rhoad
Service Manager ]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry101025-131002 Aquatic Adventures Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:10:02 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=10&m=10&entry=entry101025-131002 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100508-134830 In what year did this SCUBA manufacturer make a wetsuit for a penguin? What was the manufacturer?

Answer: Oceanic ~ 2008]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100508-134830 Aquatic Adventures Sat, 08 May 2010 20:48:30 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=10&m=05&entry=entry100508-134830 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100507-133755

Friday's question is:


Soaking a wound from a venomous sea creature in white vinegar is the correct procedure for:

A. Bristleworm stings
B. Pufferfish bite
C. Jellyfish stings
D. Fire coral stings
E. Sea cucumber irritation



]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100507-133755 Aquatic Adventures Fri, 07 May 2010 20:37:55 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=10&m=05&entry=entry100507-133755 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100225-042314

You know from your nitrox class that the US diving industry reached a consensus several years ago that most scuba equipment does not have to have special treatment as long as you are using enriched air with an oxygen concentration below 40%. (Check your owner’s manual to get the details for your particular gear.) This is not the case in Europe, and even in the US does not necessarily apply to your tank and valve.
In your class you learned about proper labeling of your tank, but you should also be aware that your tank and valve may require special cleaning in order to be properly prepared to be filled with enriched air. This is because one of the common methods of making enriched air is to introduce pure oxygen in to your tank, then topping it up with air to obtain the requested O2 percentage. Since the tank and valve are exposed to pure oxygen during the filling process, they can represent a hazard to the fill station and the blender if they are not adequately cleaned and compatible with oxygen.
The cleaning process removes any combustible materials that may have accumulated as a result of filling and using your tank, such as compressor oil, metal oxide particles, dirt, and debris from wear of o-rings and gaskets. These materials could act as kindling, and result in a catastrophic incident during the filling process. So be kind to your fill station operators and nitrox blenders, and have your enriched air tank oxygen cleaned when you have your annual visual inspection done.
]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry100225-042314 Aquatic Adventures Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:23:14 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100225-042314 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry091031-124631 www.sharksavers.org. Now we all should schedule a dive trip to Palau.
]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry091031-124631 Aquatic Adventures Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:46:31 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091031-124631 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry091021-114509 It was fun to go through the old log books, and recall the dives and the people who were there. I’m glad that I logged them all, not only for sentimental reasons, but also so I could do some statistics. (The engineer in me wouldn’t let me get away without doing some analysis.) I found that my average dive is a little over 35 minutes, and I have spent about 24 ½ days underwater not including the time spent in pool training and practice. On average, I have logged about 56 dives per year.
So now I am on to my next thousand, and looking forward to them all.

Safe diving to all,

Tom Rhoad ]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry091021-114509 Aquatic Adventures Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:45:09 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091021-114509 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry090922-041816 Anyway, I enjoyed the dive despite the 42oF water temperature, and I enjoyed the time on the Lake. It was one of those days that make me appreciate what an incredible resource the Great Lakes is.
]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry090922-041816 Aquatic Adventures Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:18:16 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=09&m=09&entry=entry090922-041816 http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry090815-125309 In the past couple months we’ve seen a lot of old, used gear come into the shop for service or just to be checked out. It seems that people are digging out their old scuba gear and selling it on-line or at a garage sale. There are some really good deals out there, but, as always, it is “buyers beware.” Those old aluminum scuba tanks may look tempting, but remember that many aluminum tanks manufactured before 1988 were made from an alloy that had a tendency to crack in the neck area (called “sustained load cracking”). These tanks may still be good, but require a close inspection of the thread area to assure that there are no cracks, and some fill stations will refuse to fill them regardless. The old steel tanks are usually the classic old steel 72s, and are generally OK, but watch out for rust on the inside and obsolete valves. There can be issues with older regulators, also. Some manufacturers have gone out of business or regulator models have been dropped, and we can no longer service their products. For example, Dacor regulators manufactured before 1999 are no longer supported by Dacor’s new owner (but you can trade them in for a discount on new Mares regulators). Tekna regulators are no longer serviceable, and there have been a number of “store brand” regulators sold over the years that are now unsupported. Older BCDs can sometimes be leaky as their bladders get brittle and seams fail.
So the bottom line is: know what you are buying, check out those bargains closely before you buy, and remember that this stuff is life support equipment and choose it accordingly. As always, you can call us with your questions, and we will do our best to give you good advice.


Safe Diving,

Aquatic Adventures Dive Team ]]> http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/index.php?entry=entry090815-125309 Aquatic Adventures Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:53:09 GMT http://www.aquaticadventuresofmi.com/blog11/comments.php?y=09&m=08&entry=entry090815-125309