Scuba Diving

Douglas Scott asked:


Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The city extends 28 miles southward from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to the North Carolina border, covering 302 square miles of land and water, with 28 miles of ocean front.

Among the attractions of the city are 30 miles of shoreline with 28 miles of public beach, state of the art medical facilities and the ever changing beauty of its four moderate seasons. Civic leaders, working together to ensure that growth is orderly and sensitive to environmental concerns, have formulated and implemented strategic plans for land use, economic development and education. The city is home of The Golden Mile, a rapidly growing cluster of new high technology firms.

Most visited attractions are such as the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Centre, Cape Henry Lighthouses, the Association for Research and Enlightenment as well as the Ocean Breeze Water Park.

For the outdoor enthusiast, Virginia Beach offers sports fishing charters, Scuba and snorkelling, surfing and sailing for the beginner with expert instruction and rental equipment. Biking along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and Back Bay National Refuge, hiking and watching wildlife at North River Landing Natural Area, and just hanging out at ocean side make Virginia Beach a prime family vacation spot.

All year long something is going on to excite our senses or soothe our souls. From natural wonders to fun festivals, beautiful music to thrilling races, theres something for everyone any time of the year.

From sophisticated to hip to classic, there are shopping choices for everyone.

Climb aboard Aqua Man, a fully equipped diesel powered Bertram Sport fisherman, and enjoy a fast ride to some of the most fruitful fishing grounds on the East Coast. Experience the thrill of offshore fishing or enjoy a day of inshore fishing in the Cheaspeake Bay. Whichever you choose, its sure to be a fulfilled day aboard

For those who enjoy birding, Virginia Beach offers exceptional opportunities all year round, with birds that range from huge northern gannets to tiny warblers that migrate through in spring and fall.

Virginia Beach is more than just fun in the sun. Sure, youll get the very best tan a beach can offer. It is a great place to go see for yourself. Hope you have fun and enjoy yourself.

Sarah

Sandra M asked:


I went scuba diving last night and my period started up this morning. I just finished up my period about a week and a half ago. Does anyone know what is going on? I am not having sex, so it is definitely not pregnancy. Any useful comments would be appreciated.

Wayne

Luteybooty asked:


Im going on a vacation, never been scuba diving before. Where is there a place to rent scuba gear for a reasonable price? I dont want a pool or set up atmosphere- I’m looking for reef and actual marine wildlife. I’m assuming these are guided experiences. About 100 mile radius from Orlando. Thank you for any help.

Rhonda

K asked:


I am going to the Riviera Maya in 2 weeks and dont know if I should book a snorkeling tour before I leave, or after I get out there. Price is not a HUGE concern, but more the quality of the trip. Any suggestions?

Susan

Santa’s helper asked:


I’m cruising to the Bahamas in May, and wondering if I’ve never been scuba diving, and I’m not certified for it, is it possible for me to get trained there while I’m on my shore excursion and actually go scuba diving?

James

Matt T asked:


Any inexpensive products I can buy, or prefferablly anything I might already have in my home that would work.

Mario

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.

Joy

Andrew asked:


Being in Puerto Rico one can spend the time in any way he likes. You can go sightseeing and watch all the places of interest, sitting somewhere in the café or just lying on the beach and enjoying wonderful weather. On the beach, as usual, there are a lot of people and adults as well as children are making sandcastles. On the beach by the end of the day you can see wonderful masterpieces made of sand with complicated details that no one but constructor could know about. They are very beautiful and especially magnificent in the sunset, when the sand has bright and almost brown colors.

Practically in every hotel there is a swimming pool, but many of them are only for patrons whom the hotels belong to. When the weather is not very pleasant you can spend some hours near the swimming pool. The tourists are offered a lot of different ways of active rest on the water. For example, if ocean water is clear enough you can go for snorkeling. It is one of the most famous ways of rest of the tourists and it is always very funny. Seeing all of the strange life under water that can be noticed without being able to watch the bottom of the sea really awakens an imagination. It is very interesting to spend some time under water and then compare undersea life with noisy life on the surface.

A rest from routine and everyday life is really satisfying experience. Even a week spent far from home and problems, in laziness can give absolutely new outlook on everyday life. The vacation, spent somewhere far from home near the seaside, especially in Puerto Rico will be the most memorable in life. You would not regret about any day, spent there.

Harry

Aina asked:


I’m going to go snorkeling off of Molokini . .. and I basically just wanna take some decent pics . . .but i’m no Olympian when it comes to swimming. Is this gonna be a problem?

Brian

Jamie Ritchie asked:


The Great Barrier Reef is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world stretching from the northern tip of Australia to just north of Bunderburg. It’s coral reefs stretch over 2000km along the eastern coast.
The reef is a sanctuary for well over 1000 fish varieties, whales, dolphins, dugongs and turtles. Many different types of birdlife can be found here.
The coral which forms the reef itself is also a living thing. When it dies it turns white. Different types of coral grow at varying speeds, while some are quite quick to grow, some take well over a hundred years to fully grow. There colors are by the growth of algae on it.
The reef lives in a tropical climate relying on warm shallow water to survive. Salty water and plenty of light is required to keep the coral healthy.
With hundreds of thousands of square miles of reef it is diving and snorkelling mecca. Access through diving tours are available from the mainland up and down the coast. Even if you don,t swim you can see the marvels of the reef through glass bottom boats.
The reef is heritage listed and vast areas are protected from fishing and removing coral from the reef is prohibited to preserve it for generations to come.

Doris