Scuba Diving

I looked upwards during the descent and saw a turtle falling from the surface like a drifting leaf. Backlit by yellow sunbeams that flashed and shimmered in a kaleidoscopic effect, the turtle looked straight at me and then turned with the flick of a fin and swam off towards our target reef. It was going to be a good dive. Read more.

_{Scuba diving stories:}

• Addicted to Diving?
• The Pranksters
• Stop to Smell the Seaweed

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Seventy percent of the planet is covered in water. Becky Kagan Schott is attempting to film as much of it as possible. Most humans never see what lies beneath the surface of our flooded planet. Becky brings the magical, and sometimes astonishing, underwater world into our home television sets, and allows those who will never dive in the Arctic or with humpback whales to share her adventures. Read interview.

_{Dive travel:}

• San Diego, California
• Wreck Diving in Italy
• Mozambique, Africa

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Image © Paul Spielvogel, 2012

Marine animal behavior can appear threatening to divers who do not understand the purpose behind the behavior. Many sea animals are completely docile but just "look scary," and some animals that appear friendly can actually be quite aggressive. Click through the following pages to learn about some of the animals that divers commonly fear and to discover which are dangerous and which are not. "Dangerous" Fish and Sea Animals

_{Aquatic life:}

• Stoplight Parrotfish Change Colors
• Caribbean Reef Fish Identification
• Jellyfish First Aid

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Image © istockphoto.com, RichCarey

Here's yet another reason I love diving. . . . This morning, I sat in front of my clients and spit. How many people can say that? They weren't offended; spitting in a mask is just something a diver does to keep his mask from fogging. I love diving because of the adventure of finding unexpected wildlife and the beauty of the underwater world. I love working in diving because I don't have to pretend to be anything more than the slightly uncouth tomboy that I am. Read more

_{What behavior does diving let you get away with?}

• Share Your Stories of Dirty Diving!

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The ocean is a comfortable 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Mexico where I guide and teach diving. The air, however, is frequently much, much warmer. Divers travel to tropical beaches to experience coral reefs that thrive in warm waters - the hot climate is part of the lure. Yet, many divers forget that the strong sun and high humidity of many dive destinations can quickly dehydrate. Add to this the tendency of many divers to consume above average quantities of margaritas and beer while vacationing, and the potential for dangerous dehydration becomes apparent. Read more

_{More dive safety articles:}

• Why Make Safety Stops?
• Why Should You Know Your No-Deco Limit?
• How to Handle Ear Pain on Ascent

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What do you notice about the design of a regulator second stage? At first glance a diver may notice the size, weight, or color. Perhaps you notice an interesting little knob on the second stage labeled "Dive/Pre-Dive," "On/Off," or "+/-". This switch or knob alters the airflow inside the regulator, making breathing either easier or more difficult. Turning the knob enables and disables something called the Venturi Effect, which regulator designers take advantage of to assist breathing. Click through the following pages to find out how it works, and when you should disable the Venturi Effect. Read more

_{More regulator articles:}

• DIN vs Yoke Regulators
• What Is a Balanced Regulator?
• Definition and Basic Parts of a Regulator

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Image © Mares 2012, Mares Prestige22 DPD Scuba Diving Regulator

Sporting outrageous hues and patterns, marine angelfish make diving a colorful experience. The seventy-four known species of angelfish have an amazing variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Divers will recognize the typical angelfish shape in such species as the Queen Angelfish and Gray Angelfish: flat, rounded bodies and long, trailing anal and dorsal (upper and lower) fins. Imagine turning an angelfish on its tail, with its fins hanging down, and the reason for the name becomes apparent. The shape of the fish turned this way resembles the silhouette of an angel. Here are twelve fantastic angelfish to look for on dives around the world. Click through these photos to learn more about angelfish.

_{Aquatic life:}

• Nudibranchs
• Seahorses and Pipefish
• Fireworms

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Diving on a shipwreck, I look up while inside a cabin and see a pool of air from my exhaled bubbles. The pool shimmers, mirror-like, and for a moment I see my own image gazing back at me. I make a face at my reflection and breathe out. The exhaled air hits a different part of the ceiling. Large bubbles burst into a thousand tiny particles upon impact, and then slither like quicksilver up to the larger pool. Magic! I am obsessed with scuba diving. How do I love diving? Let me count the ways: 6 Reasons to Love Diving

_{More reasons that I love diving:}

• Dirty
• A Universal Language
• Sign Language

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Image © istockphoto.com, Tammy616

Why did I switch to the Mares Excel Plus Fins? Since the beginning of my career as a cave diver, I have used the quintessential cave diving fin: the SCUBAPRO Jet Fin. Jet fins are excellent for frog kicking and make back kicking easy. I have tiny feet (US woman's size 5) and my jet fins looked like miniature models of the jet fins that all my taller and bigger cave diving buddies were using. The blades were much shorter, and they were not as wide as my friends' larger fins. Because I am so small, the size of my fins was never a problem. I am small enough to have less drag than the average diver, and I could swim just as quickly as everyone else. However, when I started carrying multiple stage tanks on my dives, my tiny fins were no longer sufficient to propel me efficiently through the water. Review of my new Mares Excel Plus fins

_{More scuba fins profiles:}

• Cressi Master Frog Fins
• SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Fins
• SCUBAPRO Seawing Nova Fins

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Image © Mares 2012

She was flopping around on the surface like a dying fish. After a few tense seconds, my friend managed to flip herself face-up and remove her regulator. She had jumped in the water with her tank valve closed, and been unable to breathe underwater. I began to laugh, partly because I thought it was ludicrous that my friend, an open water scuba instructor, had rolled off the boat with her tank valve closed, and partly from relief that I wasn't required to rescue her. How had an experienced professional diver managed to toss herself in the water with her tank valve shut? It's easier than you might think! Find out what happened

_{More tips:}

• 13 Tips for Good Boat Diving Etiquette
• 8 Methods of Preventing Mask Fog
• Overcome the Fear of Water in Your Mask

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