Wetsuit – The Cressi Junior Wetsuit is an excellent piece of equipment aimed at the junior diver. From the name you can see that it is aimed at the junior diver rather than just being a smaller version of an adult’s wetsuit. If shouts comfort throughout, with a diagonal zip, sealed and zipped cuffs, an integrated hood, reinforced knee pads and a shape that is designed for easy kitting up and removal. This should easily keep your little one warm for a decent length of dive!

Mask – Take a look at the Cressi Piumetta Mask if you are looking for a mask for children. Whilst not aimed solely at children, its features make it highly suitable for them. The skirt edge is soft and easily adapts to most faces shapes and sizes whilst the small inner volume means that it does not take much effort to clear the mask underwater. No excuse for not learning that exercise then! There are side buckles to quickly and easily adjust the headband for a comfortable fit of this mask made of soft transparent silicone.

BCD – Escaping the Cressi theme, the Aqua Lung Wave BCD is a basic entry level BCD that is available in a variety of sizes from Junior through to adult Extra Large. Although it is primarily an adult’s BCD, the junior sizes and the simplicity of the BCD make it an excellent piece of equipment for the child diver. With excellent customer reviews and easy to use controls, this is a must for any young beginner diver (or any older beginner diver) and well worth looking at for kitting out children.

Fins – Although there is still lots of other pieces of equipment to look at, the last major piece of equipment that a child might want is probably their own fins. The problem with fins is that if you try to use fins that are too big for your leg muscles you will tire or get cramp, too small and you are working to hard. But the Cressi Rondine Pro Light are often recommended for the child diver, being available in sizes from extra small through to extra large. This is another piece of Cressi equipment that always receives excellent reviews, so a good one to look at for the children.

Of course, later on the child might want their own regs and gauges, knives, torches, diving computers and a lot more. But one step at a time!

Keith Lunt own http://www.godiving.org. If you want to know more about diving, then call into our scuba diving blog. Happy diving!

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Before you purchase any scuba diving gear and equipment, it is important that you make sure everything fits properly and comfortable. A wetsuit is that is too small or too big, or a diving mask that does not fit snugly can definitely make your dive less than pleasant. So when choosing your diving mask, you have to make sure it stays properly in place and you can see effectively behind the mask. Your snorkel should appropriately fit with the diving mask on, and it should be on your left side.

Next up, we will know more about the fins and the diving suit. Keep in mind that some fins require you to wear booties. Now you will want to look for either a drysuit or a wetsuit. A good diving suit should allow you to move freely, but at the same time should fit snugly against your body.

These are a few essential scuba diving gear. Next up, let us learn more about more complex scuba equipment. Along with your scuba diving gear, you will want to have a buoyancy control device or BCD. You will be needing this device as well as the regulator, air cylinder and weight system. The regulator is vital to your gear as this is the device that makes it possible for you to breathe underwater.

Each diving regulator should come equipped with a spare oxygen valve, commonly known as the octopus. When choosing scuba gear, you will want to look for a reliable brand, as your gear determines the safety and quality of your diving experience.

Last is the diving cylinder. You will want to get familiar with the cylinders weight and breathing capacity. You may also want to consider including a dive flag and float to your list of scuba gear, as some dive sites require these. After choosing the appropriate scuba gear, you can now start your undersea adventures and explore wonders beneath the oceans surface.

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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.

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We just got back from this dive today. I live in Tappahannock, VA so this was almost a local dive for me.

We drove over to a Dennis’ river house at (near Coles Point, Virginia) he took his boat out to site. We were supposed to meet another guy at the site who had experience diving this sub. We had no problem finding the site and mooring to the mooring buoy (Blue and White and clearly labeled). We were there at 11:30am in time to dive at the recommended High, Slack Tide. Our contact never showed?

Conditions were PERFECT. Very smooth water, warm, clear day. It hadn’t rained in days. There was no appreciable surface current! There were 3 of us (John, myself and Dennis). We wanted to leave someone on the surface so John and I made 1st dive. Visibility was a bit better that I had psyched myself up for (maybe 8 feet?)

We all had HID lights (I would NOT make this dive without HID). Our prep experience was several trips to Cooper River, SC doing shark tooth dives. We were as comfortable as to be expected with zero viz diving.

We surface swam over to small orange ball that was ascent/descent line connected to the Conning tower. You are NOT to moor to this line! Be mindful of jelly fish and fishing lures around the down line (We all wore full wetsuits – I wore 7/5 mm hood and gloves) Water temp was very comfortable 79 degrees F.

As I reached 60 feet I still could not see any signs of wreck. It was only at 66 feet before I saw Stainless Steel base that down line was tied off to. We were amazed by the surviving wooden slates lining inside of Conning tower area. This has been submerged for some 57 years! As this was our 1st time here, we stayed pretty near conning tower and didn’t venture too far fore and aft but did descend to 79 feet to get a look at the HEAVY silt! It brought a new full appreciation of how bad silt could be! I did manage to locate the missing OMS Wreck Reel we were told about and recovered it. The owner promised to buy drinks for whoever recovered it?

We ascended and after almost an hour Surface Interval then Dennis and I made the next dive leaving John to mind the boat. Again we saw Jelly fish on descent line and managed to stay clear of them. We again circled the conning tower but didn’t go far forward or aft but it seemed most of the actual deck disappeared into the silt quickly.

All in all it was not near as difficult as much of the available literature made it out to be BUT it is a very poor viz dive and you can not bring too much light! We did have GREAT Conditions and I imagine it doesn’t get much better.

I am sure that it would be far more difficult if current was stronger!

I wouldn’t want to do that type diving every day (we just got back from a week and 24 dives in Bonaire!) but it was a great day trip!

If you have any Questions about the U-1105 feel free to email me!

Mark H. Easter
PADI OWSI
Northern Neck Scuba

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1.) Be mentally and physically prepared for diving. This does not mean you need to be an Olympic athlete but general in good health. Don’t dive under the influence of drugs or medications and avoid alcohol before and between diving.

2.) Dive with appropriate equipment. Do not modify your BCD and Regulator and service them according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Get familiar with your equipment and check it before each dive. This is even more important when using new or rental equipment.

3.) Wear an appropriate exposure suit for scuba diving. Getting cold while diving is not only inconvenient, it can be dangerous. When you are getting cold, signal your dive-buddy, aboard the dive, get out or your suit and seek warmth. Don’t get too early into your suit when diving in tropical regions. This can cause hyperthermia and worse a heat-stroke.

4.) Be familiar with the dive sites or get a formal die orientation conducted by a diver familiar with the dive-site. Listen carefully to the briefing of the dive guide when diving with a resort.

5.) Maintain the buddy system throughout your dive. Plan your dive together and dive your plan. Communicate with each other before and during the dive and reinforce the used underwater signals prior of diving.

6.) Check your air-gauge frequently and start a slow ascend (not faster than 18meter/60feet per minute) when reaching the agreed pressure.

7.) Do not exceed the limit of recreational diving. Use dive-tables or computer to plan your dive accordingly. Stay well within the limit and make a 5 minute safety stop on 5 meters/15 feet at the end of each dive.

8.) Dive within your limits, avoid overexertion and skip or abort the dive if necessary to avoid dangerous situations.

Maria has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Her interests are outdoor activities. So come visit her latest website about wetsuits for kids that informs about styles and sizes to keep your kids safe and warm during wet outdoor activities.

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Have you done much cold-water wreck diving? If you’re used to Caribbean diving, this is a whole different experience. You’re going to want to get trained and certified for drysuit, and you’ll want to either buy one (check eBay), or find a shop that has one for rent in your size. You can try, but it’s really hard to rent a drysuit. If not integrated in your drysuit, you’ll also need a hood, gloves, and boots. If the conditions are just right, you might get away with a 7mm wetsuit on shallower dives, but when the water temps at depth get down into the 60s, 50s, and even 40s, you’ll be uncomfortable without a drysuit. You’ll need open-heel fins (slipper fins don’t work well with boots), main and backup lights, a tank light, and a wreck reel. Signaling devices are also a good idea, such as a safety sausage or a whistle. Many wreck divers carry a knife or shears, too, in case of entanglement. If you want to do more serious wreck penetrations, you should train for Wreck certification, too – you’ll live longer.

I’m not some serious, expert, North Atlantic wreck diver – I’ve only done two 2-tank excursions here in the NY Metro Area, and three dives one day in Lake Michigan (which is surprisingly similar), but I’ve logged over a third of my 91 dives at a cold local quarry called Dutch Springs, plus two at another quarry called Brownstone. I’ve also done the PADI advanced and Rescue courses, and completed the specialties to earn PADI’s Master SCUBA Diver certification, but I have no professional or technical training. I know I’m only a couple of North Atlantic wreck dives ahead of the rank beginners, but from my experience, I have two suggestions…

First, I’ve seen some rank beginner OW divers get into circumstances beyond their comfort level, and it makes for an unenjoyable (if not dangerous) situation for them. Education and experience will always be an advantage. Don’t stop at OW – take AOW certification – it’s not a terribly brilliant course of study, but it will give you experience in five different skill areas. U/Nav taught me to check my compass periodically, keep track of my surroundings and landmarks, and measure distance by time, air pressure, or fin kicks; until then, I always used to just blindly follow a dive master like a tour guide – it made me more self-reliant. Wreck taught me to lay and take up a line, ways to avoid stirring up silt, and to be aware of situational hazards. Drysuit and PPB taught me how to better control my buoyancy and trim. Night taught me to use lights and signals, and to be comfortable in low-visibility environments – it made me more confident. Deep, Multi-Level, Altitude, and Nitrox helped me understand more about the physiological effects of diving – awareness of my own body and mind help me prioritize and make better conscious choices, even while stressed, rather than let situations own me.

Most (albeit not all) instructors and many advanced students are also some very good divers, worthy of emulation. Spending more time training with them will improve your diving in ways beyond just the content of the training courses.

Second, take things one step at a time and don’t get in over your head. I had already completed Rescue certification, a bunch of the above-mentioned specialties, and 60-total dives, including many in the cold-waters of Dutch Springs and Brownstone before I ever went out on a North Atlantic wreck dive. Visibility was just past arm’s length and the water temps at depth were 59-degrees (in late July!). I’d gotten used to such temps at Dutch Springs, but add in low viz, chop, current, a touch of sea-sickness, and the lack of personal space on a “cattle” boat, and you’ll see how the stress and task-loading start piling on. Reflecting back on it afterward, I realized that there were a lot of mistakes my buddy and I made on that dive, despite all the training I’d had at that point. Everything turned out well, but tying our wreck reel to the anchor line was a classic newbie error, for example. My buddy was less-experienced, and was relying on me, to some degree, since I had some fraction of the requisite skills for the circumstances. If I had to advise anyone else getting into such diving, I’d say, take it one step at a time:

1. Get AOW and Drysuit certified
2. Get a drysuit and get used to it; practice the Drysuit controls, buoyancy, and trim in a pool
3. Practice more at a protected local quarry or lake
4. Practice more skills and/or earn specialties for Night, U/Navigation, Deep, and of course, Wreck
5. Practice night dives
6. Practice laying, following, and taking up line with a buddy; using a wreck reel is a skill all it’s own, and you can even practice it on the silly little wrecks at your local quarry or lake
7. Do some local night dives at your quarry or lake and try the line exercise again with a buddy – get capable of using a reel and lights at the same time
8. Once you’re good at it, look for some deeper wrecks; everything is more challenging when you’re cold and deep – once you’re comfortable with that, do it again on a night dive
9. Last, but not least, before you go on your first serious open-ocean cold-water wreck dive, I can’t overstate the value of Rescue training; don’t think of it as training to enable you to save lives – think of it as training to make yourself a better, more-aware diver. Before my Rescue class, I used to be just another tourist on a dive boat – now I get my gear squared-up early and I’m more aware of the divers around me. I can observe and help the less-experienced divers, and watch and learn from those more-experienced. An important lesson from the Rescue course is to foresee and avoid situations where rescue would become a necessity.

Brian Blum is the founder, president, and chief consultant at Maverick Solutions IT, Inc. Maverick Solutions provides affordable IT consulting and technology support services, primarily to schools, NFPs, and SO/HOs in the New York Metro Area. Maverick Solutions is the alternative to keeping your own in-house IT staff, and we’d be happy to help you get more value from your existing technology investment. Visit our Website to learn about the services we offer, or read our blog, Maverick Ramblings, for assorted tips, tricks, and information of technology interest. When he’s not geeking it up, Brian enjoys SCUBA, skiing, cigars, travel, reading, and motorcycling. He’s a PADI-certified Master SCUBA diver with specialty certifications for Wreck, Deep, Night, Nitrox, Drysuit, DPV, U/W Navigation, U/W Naturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Altitude, and MultiLevel. He’s been logging recreational dives while trying to decide whether to pursue technical or professional certification next.

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