Scuba Diving Blog & Forum
The “Shark Triangle” is not a recognized or established term in reference to a specific area off the coast of California. However, the California coast is known to have a population of various shark species, including the great white shark.
What is Dry Suit Diving? Most divers know that water sucks heat out of your body 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Which means if you’re diving in cold water you must use the correct exposure suit to be comfortable and to protect yourself from hypothermia. Depending on your personal tolerance to the cold, I suggest a drysuit is necessary anywhere below 14-21°C (70-57°F).
Galapagos Islands are a unique and fragile ecosystem, so it is important to choose a reputable dive operator that follows responsible diving practices. Look for dive operators that are certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or another recognised diving organisation.
A negative entry is a scuba diving technique where the diver enters the water without floating on the surface first. Using a downline scuba diving, on the other hand, is a scuba diving technique where a line is dropped from a boat or buoy to the desired dive site.
Galapagos Islands are considered one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world. The archipelago, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador, is home to a unique and diverse marine ecosystem with many endemic species.
Liveaboards are essentially diving and accommodation vessels, which allow divers to explore and dive in remote or hard-to-reach locations for an extended period of time. The liveaboard operates like a hotel, with cabins, dining areas, lounges, and other facilities on board.
Is it safe to scuba dive with a hangover and are you putting yourself at a higher risk of decompression sickness if you dive with alcohol in your blood? The risk of decompression sickness is said to be higher if you have been drinking. This is probably mostly as a result of being dehydrated before you dive. Your level of hydration is just one of the risk factors associated with decompression sickness.
Tipping practices on liveaboards can vary depending on the region and culture, as well as the level of service provided. However, as a general guideline, it is customary to tip the crew of a liveaboard between 10-20% of the total cost of the trip.
The most common manifestation of decompression sickness is joint and muscle pain, as well as a skin rash or itching. But beware, as this may just be the beginning of worse things to come and should never be ignored. Medical advice should be sought if you think you may have decompression sickness or if you are starting to exhibit any of the symptoms listed below for decompression sickness or the bends.
How deep can you dive before you have to decompress or at what depth you can get decompression sickness may depend on a number of factors. These factors include the divers’ bodily make up (i.e. whether or not they are obese). These factors also include diver fitness, including any medical conditions, such as a hole in the heart, hydration, hard exercise on the dive or afterwards and how cold the water is.
If you get separated from your dive buddy during a dive, stop and do a slow visual 360-degree spin. In doing so always remember to look up and down too. Look for telltale signs like your buddy’s bubbles or any disturbance of silt or sand on the bottom. If you have an audio buddy signaling device like a tank banger or a similar, and if you can’t spot your buddy, use it to see if your buddy can locate you from the sound.
Quick answer to the question do empty scuba tanks float: Empty steel tanks don’t float but are less negatively buoyant. Whereas aluminium dive tanks float when they are empty or at the point of reserve air.
