Time and Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks have a dangerous relationship with time. They preserve relics and encapsulate an era within their hulls; that's why we love to explore them. When you swim through a hallway or a ballroom, you aren't just diving; you're wandering through another time. The downside is that time will eventually consume every shipwreck, prompting questions about the safety and the appropriateness of diving them since the presence of people speeds the wreck's breakdown.

One of the most famous examples is the Andrea Doria, often referred to as the Mt. Everest of scuba diving. In 1956, the ocean liner collided with a Swedish American liner whose prow was equipped with an ice breaker. She sank with a minimal loss of life thanks to a slow sinking and an immediate response for assistance. When she settled, the ship initially sat with the upper decks in 160ft of water, making it an accessible site for treasure hunters looking for the liner's signature china and other valuable and collectible items. However, in more recent years the boat has begun to break down due to the strong Atlantic current it sits in. Many divers call it a "noisy wreck" because its' breakdown continually creates scraping and creaking sounds. It's a dangerous wreck, because when sections collapse divers lose some access points and gain others. The ship has claimed lives in its sinking and in its exploration afterwards, with at least sixteen divers losing their lives.

This is just one example of a growing concern. The presence of people on wrecks speeds their breakdown; movement and accidents weaken an already crumbling structure, and treasure hunting robs them of their history. Additionally, any enclosed space presents a dive that requires special training; add to that an unpredictable pattern of decaying hallways resting sideways filled with detritus that turns the water black, and you have a set of circumstances that can be deadly to even the most experienced divers.

In this circumstance, conservation should always be the diver's highest priority. When you dive wrecks, dive with proper training, good supplies, and a plan. The adage "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles" is especially important in wreck diving, where every piece left behind is a piece left for someone else to appreciate. Consider too that your number one conservation concern is your own life and well-being. If you're not ready, don't dive it!

Are you ready to see some wrecks? Call us today to schedule your Lake Michigan dive charter and experience history as only scuba divers can!

Sharks Don't Belong in Backyard Pools...

In a surprising and saddening turn of events, a white-tipped shark died last weekend as a direct result of its use in filming a Kmart commercial. The animal began to show signs of stress after being shipped from New York to Los Angeles and placed in a backyard pool for the shoot. While filming, the representative for the AHA pointed out the animal's duress and told them to move the animal for treatment. It died shortly after, leaving some unanswered questions in the wake of its passing. No one knows at this time where it was sent for treatment, or what their purpose was in acquiring the shark.

Photo Credit: PETA via National Geographic

Several experts were surprised that they attempted to use a shark in the first place. Sharks, like most aquatic animals, become stressed when displaced and can be sensitive and difficult to care for.

At a time when so many victories have been won in the name of preserving sharks, many species of which are critically endangered, this was sad news. I'm not one to cry 'brutality'; in reality, it was probably the circumstances that killed the shark, not necessarily any direct action taken by an individual. The real irresponsibility lies in their use and care of the shark in the first place.

We're sorry to hear the news, but grateful to National Geographic for circulating it.

New Deep-Sea Species Revealed, thanks to James Cameron

When James Cameron took a submersible to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean last year, we were all astonished (in part because we didn't know he did more awesome things and that directing movies was his "side thing"). In a real, completely serious sense, he found a new way to inspire our imaginations. The bottom of the ocean is an almost complete mystery. We barely understand its topography; we know there are mountains, for example, but what lives on their slopes? The underwater space on our planet remains overwhelmingly unexplored and, until recently, inaccessible.

Until James Cameron took his dive. He was the high-profile explorer we needed to propel the ocean into a media spotlight. Of the many hours of footage he took on his dive, most of it has only been seen by researchers, but the results of these limited viewings are already very exciting. They appear to show a new species of sea cucumber living at what seems an impossible depth: 36,000 feet. While we often have imagined only microbes living at the bottom of the ocean, there is now proof of unknown species making their home in the depths.

An example of a sea cucumber that lives at a normal depth

Hopefully he'll compile some footage into a documentary soon!

Are SCUBA Shows Important?

This is a question being tossed around a lot today. So I felt an urge to put in my views. Dive shows are very important, because each show helps the local market in many different ways. Let’s take a look at some.

DIVERS: They all benefit from a show by being able to see new product, and having their questions answered by the manufacturer. They also can look at great dive destinations to pick their next vacation. Many shows have seminars that are fun and educational. The workshops will help them learn more about specialty diving, photography, equipment and more. Most shows have an evening film festival that can be both enjoyable and educational. Each presentation and booth’s target audience is the diver, and they can find a wealth of information at dive shows.

DIVE STORES: Local stores benefit from a show in many ways. They can sell a lot of unique items there that divers may not see in the store, and they can highlight product that may get swept aside in day-to-day sales. They can also promote their trips and classes and meet new customers. For the dive center, it is a great way to get your name out there or to keep it in the public view and increase sales.

DESTINATIONS: A nice travel destination will do well as people walk around looking for a place to go. Many stores offer trips but they may not have one going when the diver is available; a show can help them book a trip at a time that is convenient for them. Don’t forget that local charters can benefit as well, since they can present their schedule for the upcoming season and remind local divers of the interesting dive sites they can visit in their own backyards.

TRAINING AGENCIES: Most training agencies find a strong benefit to be at each show so they can promote their training style and course options. Customers can visit with the different agencies and make educated decisions on their next course, whether recreational or professional. Where else can you hear the benefits of a particular course from the person who knows it best: the agency representative? Also, agencies can do updates and display their training material.

Manufacturers: They do very well at shows. Most dive centers cannot stock all the items a company sells. However, a consumer can visit them at a dive show and discuss their product and its benefits and features. The manufacturers can also explain technical information to the diver when needed. The local show gives a manufacturer a great opportunity to show off their brand.

So, a dive show is a win-win for everyone. I know that, here in the Midwest, the Our World-Underwater Dive and Travel Expo is one of the ways we kickoff the season and think about warm places, especially after a brutally cold winter. It is our weekend escape. So don’t forget to check out your own local dive show!

Patrick

Take Your Deco Stops In Style!

Forget downloading Tetris to your dive computer (because it's impossible)... Try unclipping those extra tanks, taking off your mask and enjoying a little open-air time on your deco stop!

At least that's the idea behind National Geographic scientist Michael Lombardi's latest invention, the portable underwater habitat. It was created in answer to a whole host of problems associated with studying coral reefs and other objects at greater depths. The amount of time you spend decompressing can range from twiddle-your-thumbs boring to downright uncomfortable, especially when you consider that you can't eat and you have to continue to wear all your equipment. This can be a problem for research divers, who cannot conduct deep water field studies for long periods of time because of the time-consuming decompression process that follows it.

Mr. Lombardi created a deployable underwater habitat in answer to this concern. In the habitat, divers can relax, warm up a little, take off their masks, and even eat lunch. This makes the decompression process a little easier on the scientists, enabling them to continue their studies. 

And who knows? If the technology becomes adaptable to  diving beyond research applications, you may even begin to see these little habitats appearing on deco lines all over the world, from Lake Michigan to Truk Lagoon. After all, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could really only improve deco stops at this point. Check out National Geographic's video here!

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!