To the general public, the mere mention of the word “shark” conjures up imagery of a fierce marine animal with sharp jagged teeth able to tear into flesh and bone easily, constantly on the prowl in the sea, ever ready to pounce on the swimmer, snorkeler or scuba diver who has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Thus, as a dive educator, besides instructing the total newbie diver on the skills and safety aspects of scuba diving, there is an added element of trying to reform misconceptions of the marine environment and sway traditional perceptions of dangerous marine animals, mainly sharks!

To simplify things, just put sharks into two categories, oceanic sharks and reef sharks. Oceanic sharks very seldom venture into shallow water coral reefs where it is warmer preferring the colder deeper open sea conditions. Reefs are too warm for comfort for these creatures.

Coral reefs are mainly in tropical zones and reef sharks thrive in this warm water conditions. Oceanic sharks are the type that fall into the more aggressive and unpredictable variety. Makos, Great White, Hammerheads etc. whereas reef-dwelling sharks are generally of the shy and docile type. Since a very significant part of dive activity is done in coral reefs, scuba diver’s encounters are usually with the reef sharks. To allay the anxieties of newly certified divers or for those who are in the process of diver certification training, when they go diving in a ocean environment, just be reminded of this fact.

Reef sharks are generally harmless. Encounters during diving are usually very brief before the shark swims off into the blue; they avoid encounters with people, mainly the annoyingly noisy scuba divers creating so much ruckus with their bubbles, in an otherwise tranquil setting. If they linger around slightly longer, its probably more out of curiosity towards the divers than aggression.

More on the Titan Triggerfish, gangster of the sea on my blog.

http://scubadiversions.blogspot.com/2009/07/triggerfishunderwater-thuggangster.html

I have been a freelance scuba instructor at a Malaysian island for approximately a dozen years,and have compiled a selection of articles about scuba diving for beginners,dive trivial for those who are just certified or those maybe considering signing up for a scuba course,articles inspired by the many frequent same queries from beginners through the years.Check out my blog to see if any of the articles can provide an answer to a query you may have regarding learning to dive or just starting out on your diving adventures.

It’s still a work in progress and will be added on with new articles relevant to the subject. Just follow the link. http://scubadiversions.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryan_Hwang

There are so many media that are used to offer the collection of men’s sunglasses to people all over the world. Some of them are by having some shops in department stores or shopping sites, optics, and many other places that will be reachable by people in the neighborhood. The other media that is used is absolutely the internet. On the internet, there are so many sites that provide the best quality of mens sunglasses from various productions.

Moreover, through the internet, people or the customer will be able to directly visit the official site of one designer to get the newest collection of mens sunglasses that are offered in the seasons. Some of these sites even provide the service so that the customer can upload their picture and check whether the selection of the men sunglasses is suitable with them or not.

This is also found often as a pornographic niche – the cheap movies with the stories taking place in supposed exotic locations (but are actually filmed in someone’s back yard). Take the pretend-plot and token prop, the soundtrack with thumping dance music and the sexual orgy. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.

We’re not talking about a bunch of people larking about but about the serious pursuit of naked diving. Is this an activity common amongst divers? Is it growing in popularity? Some of us were dying to find out. We’re enlightened adults and support all activities that enhance life – without embarrassing others, right?

Naturism/nudism/clothing optional

Naturism is the celebration of living without the hindrance and inconvenience of clothing. Sure that sounds good. How does it work in scuba diving?

What’s good about nude diving?

Imagine, no neoprene rash, no fussing and struggling to squeeze into that old wetsuit that you bought before that weight gain.

But seriously, diving naked has some real virtues. For one thing, because there is no exposure suit between the elements and your skin, you must be extra cautious and practice good buoyancy control. If you are careless, you WILL feel that brush with fire coral or bump with the sea anemone. Too many divers use the wetsuit as their armour against their surroundings. Many dive sites ban the wearing of gloves because divers become more careless and too tactile with gloves. If wetsuits were banned, the diver-made damage to reefs will probably become a rarity.

Careful where you dive naked

Don’t do it where it’s physically dangerous or where local customs don’t take too kindly to these sorts of transgressions from the dress code.

In order to stay adequately warm for a typical dive – lets say 40 minutes – the water temperature would have to be 34C/F equivalent. Cold can be a hazard so beware of the signs of hypothermia.

Try it

There are resorts and dive operators who cater to this niche. A search online should yield up a list of choices for your next holiday if you’re feeling clothing optional.

Here is a quote from a Spanish naturist site, a warning about some hazards associated with nude diving:

“It is men who risk the only hazards unique to nude diving. Feeding fish is not recommended by male divers. More than one has reported being bitten on the male appendage by some fish that perceived it as a meal. Men are advised to protect themselves if surrounded by fish large enough to bite.”/blockquote>

Hmm. Makes sense. But surely, they’re being overly cautious? A male member isn’t unique in protruding. What about fingers or the nose?

As for me, I’ll stick to my wetsuit. I tend to get cold quickly and besides, there are plenty of opportunities to take it all off after the dives. Hail the hot tub and the apre dive activities.

If anybody out there’s a seasoned naturist diver or has tried it – as a sport and not in a pornographic video – please let us know.

If you found this useful, please see Sea Forever, a website dedicated to oceans and green living at http://www.sustainablewaters.com

Lou Kawakami is a consultant with a keen interest in the oceans and environmentally-friendly living. She has an extensive background in marketing, education and social policy. In addition, she is a scuba diving instructor who has travelled a bit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lou_Kawakami

Snorkel
It might seem strange wearing a snorkel when you are 30m deep, but it is a useful piece of gear when you are on the surface. In choppy water you can use this to save the air on your back!

Fins (not Flippers, please!)
Another simple, but useful device. In short by increasing the surface area of your feet they allow you to push yourself through the water more efficiently. But be aware that buying fins that are too big can cause leg cramps.

Wet Suit / Dry Suit
A lot of diving takes place in water that is uncomfortable to swim in for too long, so we divers wear exposure suits to keep us warm. By staying warmer, our divers are more comfortable and they last longer. Wearing exposure suits also protects us from abrasions if you brush against coral, wreck surfaces and so on.

There are 2 main kinds of exposure suit. The wet suit is used in warmer waters and allows water into the suit, but slows down the movement of water around the body – it is only getting in and out through the edges. This gives the water chance to warm up and keep near to your body, rather than rushing off into the sea.

In a dry suit all of the suit is sealed so that (hopefully) no water enters the suit – only your face is exposed. These are suitable for very cold waters, especially with the addition of undergarments for extra warmth.

There is also the semi-dry, which is a half way house. The seams are almost as good as a dry suit, but water can get in, allowing only a little movement of water.

Air Cylinder
Air and special mixtures of air, but not oxygen! Well almost, some decompressions are done oxygen at shallow depths, but for most divers it is just straight air, that has been dried, cleaned and compressed. These steel or aluminium cylinders can be quite weighty, but are our way of carrying our own air supply.

Regulator & Gauges
Attached to the cylinder, the regulator takes the air from the cylinder and provides it to the diver’s mouth. At the same time it also reduces the pressure from the high pressure inside the cylinder to the same pressure as the surrounding water, to make it comfortable to breath.

The gauges that are attached show the diver how much air is left and also the current depth of the dive.

Weights
It might seem strange to add weights to yourself before jumping into the water, but these reduce your buoyancy to enable you to adjust it throughout the dive. You want to be slightly negatively buoyant in the water when your buoyancy aid is empty.

Buoyancy Aid
This is not a life jacket, but an aid to allow divers to remain neutrally buoyant throughout the dive. By adding air as you descend, you maintain neutral buoyancy. This means that you hover in the water, rather than trying to fight to swim up or down.

There are loads more accessories and bits of diving equipment that you might want to add to this essential set-up such as diving knives to prod and poke and torches to see in cracks and crevices. Or maybe you want a fancy diving computer? There is a wealth of advanced diving gear to look at, if you want to know more, visit our diving equipment blog to uncover more information.

Written by Keith Lunt (PADI Rescue Diver)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Lunt

These guides are well acquainted with the underwater terrain and know all the dangers, such as predator fish and underwater currents, that might be lurking in the diving area and how to combat them. Most of all, these supervisors are highly trained in life-saving exercises and mainly shark attacks. Some locations are famous for wreck scuba diving training as well and attract scuba divers from far and wide.

Importance of Wreck Scuba Diving Training

Wreck scuba diving is a dangerous activity, and ample training must be imparted to the scuba divers before allowing them to undertake an exploration of an underwater wreck. A wreck is a ship that may have sunk off the coast or out at sea. The older the wreck grows, the more dangerous it is to swim among the sunken vessel. The parts deteriorate and may collapse at any time and trap the diver.

There may be weeds growing in the passageways of the wreck, which can trap a swimmer, and no one will be able to locate him or her in time. Wreck scuba diving training imparts all the knowledge one must have to survive in troubled times underwater. This includes the SOS signals one must use in order to attract attention and how to use the safety equipment, such as underwater flares and safety equipment.

Know Your Depth

Many wrecks are mapped. This means that the divers are taught where to swim and dive and where to not venture. Some wrecks have safety signs and identifiers. If a diver gets stuck or trapped, he can signal his location to another diver and have rescuers on the way before long. Many wrecks are located at vast depths of the sea and oceans.

Divers must have the relevant knowledge of how deep they are allowed to dive and how long they can stay there. Deep sea diving has its hazards. Prolonged diving can produce symptoms of the “bends,” a very painful situation where the diver suffers from excessive nitrogen dissolving in the blood because of the pressure of the sea. It is a life-threatening situation, and divers must know the early symptoms of the bends and return to the surface well in time.

The sights of wrecks and the experience of wreck diving can captivate a diver who may lose track of the time spent underwater. Wreck scuba diving training makes divers aware of the dangers of the deep and imparts the necessary training they need to counter the dangers as well.

Click here to check out places for scuba diving trips. It works out cheaper when you take a scuba diving package. Also find places that offer scuba diving lessons here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_Falaq_Arsendatama