On Scuba Diving and New Years' Resolutions

Let's face it, everyone spends a little time thinking about resolutions for the new year, even if your resolution is to never make another resolution again (which is still a resolution, for clarity's sake). I say, why not make resolutions? You can choose to make some outrageous goals and then get fed up midway through January, sure. But you can also set some reasonable goals for yourself and make sure you're leaving room for the pursuit of things you enjoy, instead of just going by the standard "cut out sweets, work out daily" formula.

Don't let this happen to you!

This is also a great time of year to take a look around and see if you can save some money on those hobbies you might like to pick up in 2013. Take scuba, for example. We are running a great Winter Special on our Open Water referral course portion; you can check it out at this link, or call our store to get more details or set up your class over the phone. If you haven't tried it, or if you're certified and you'd like your friend to become your new dive buddy but aren't sure if they'll like it, suggest a Discover Scuba experience in our pool. For $40, you can try it out in our warm indoor pool with an instructor and, if you decide you want to get certified, we can credit that $40 towards your Open Water class.

When you're done with the classroom and pool portions, you can check off another resolution (take a Caribbean vacation; that should be on everyone's To-Do list this year) and finish your Open Water dives on any one of those amazing Caribbean dive sites. Or, you can wait and dive with us this summer in the quarry. We're in thicker wetsuits, but we still have a lot of fun!

Maybe you're already certified. Resolve to dive Lake Michigan, or join us on a local trip. Get your next level of certification. Dive dry, or try it at DUI's Demo Days. We have as many "resolution" ideas as you have blank spaces on your list, so give us a call today and get ready for a great New Year!

Divers Give Back

This is the season of giving, as they say. I've found myself wondering lately about what contribution divers make to their local environments and to the sites they dive on vacations. I've heard some critical people claim the divers do a lot of damage to the ocean and reefs by their own carelessness, but can it be true? Does the occasional kicked coral and dropped weight belt counteract the good that divers can do?

To find out, we have to see the kind of impact that volunteer and vacation divers have had on their favorite dive sites. I discovered some pretty cool stuff...

• Volunteer research divers assist in the identification of shipwrecks. In Florida, a group recently contributed to the closing of an open chapter in maritime history when they identified the Hannah M. Bell in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in November. Read more here!
• Traveling divers everywhere pumped millions of dollars into the economies of popular dive destinations, encouraging the creation and growth of marine sanctuaries and moratoriums on shark finning and other unsustainable fishing practices that threaten the health of our oceans. In the last two years, Australia, Palau, Raja Ampat, and several other island nations have declared new marine sanctuaries, thanks in part to the growth of their own economies through tourism.
• Divers everywhere have volunteered to be data collectors for research programs like SharksCount, which uses the data collected to close information gaps regarding shark movement and population. These volunteers are used in many applications in dive sites across the world to survey the health of reefs and fish populations.
• Here in Chicago, the 12th annual Burnham Harbor Cleanup Dive was a huge success. Local divers from shops all over the Chicagoland area removed 8oo pounds of debris from Lake Michigan via the harbor.

While we still have to work to achieve our goal to "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles," I believe the good that divers do by investing their time and money in diving contributes to the health of the oceans and lakes in a unique way. So, keep diving and have a happy holiday season!

EN 250: What is it and Why is it Stamped on my Regulator?

If you're not sure what EN 250 means, you're not alone. You may never have noticed the unobtrusive lettering on your first stage, except to point out that it isn't the serial number and move on.

So, what is it and what does it say about your regulator?

Manufacturers and consumers alike expect regulators to perform to certain specifications. If you purchase a travel regulator, you expect it to deliver a good performance under the conditions it was created for- in warmer water. However, most travel regulators are not designed to dive in all conditions; there are temperature limitations on many of them that would keep you from using them in Great Lake diving or under ice. Conversely, there are regulators that are diveable in more difficult situations such as high current or ice diving. But what exists to objectively test these regulators to ensure that they all perform under these specifications and conditions?

Enter the EN 250 rating. This exists to ensure that your regulator will perform well in every environment and condition for which it is advertised. It is given by a third-party testing facility (also designated on the regulator). EN 250 is an assurance that your regulator can deliver quality breathing performance beyond the recreational depth limit. In 2013, they plan to release a new rating requirement: EN250A. This rating ensures that your primary and your octo will simultaneously breathe easily under the same testing conditions. So, here are a few markings to reference on your regulator if you're not sure what yours is meant to do.

1. <10 degrees C/50 Degrees F: Regulators marked with that designation should not be used in cold water. In other words, your local quarry during the summer may be fine, but don't take it in Lake Michigan

2. EN250: Your regulator is designed to operate to 165 ft and below 50 degrees F with unchanged breathing performance in the first and second stage. The octo will not perform to the same specifications and its use is not recommended below 100 ft.

3. EN250A: Your regulator is designed to operate to 165 ft and below 50 degrees F with unchanged breathing performance in the first and second stage as well as the octo.

4. CE0078 (or some variation) is the stamp of the center that tested the regulator.

You can read more here, at Apeks UK's website.