I just bought a Handycam and I am planning on building an underwater housing for it.
I will keep you posted on my little experiment.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
I think I should get out of health issues
More specifically about women issues. My Google AdSense start showing ads about female menopause.
Back to scuba diving news . . . soon.
Back to scuba diving news . . . soon.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Technical Diving Conference Hosted by DAN
Coming Soon – January Technical Diving Conference Hosted by DAN
In January 2008, the technical diving community will come together for a ground-breaking and important meeting of minds. The two-day conference sponsored by DAN® and planned for Jan. 18-19, 2008, in Durham, N.C., features four half-day workshops on physiology, decompression, rebreathers and training issues.
In January 2008, the technical diving community will come together for a ground-breaking and important meeting of minds. The two-day conference sponsored by DAN® and planned for Jan. 18-19, 2008, in Durham, N.C., features four half-day workshops on physiology, decompression, rebreathers and training issues.
The conference will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center-Research Triangle Park in Durham, N.C. A special block of guest rooms will be held until Dec. 28, 2007.
Visit the DAN website at http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/events/ for more information on:
• Conference details and registration form.
• A detailed schedule of events and summaries of the individual workshops.
• Sponsorship opportunities. Anyone interested in being a co-sponsor of the technical diving conference and being included in all subsequent publications.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
WANTED: Female scubadiving volunteers to test contraceptive implants
We all know that as of yet, no woman has volunteered to dive while being pregnant because there is no way of knowing how the pregnancy might be affected.
Sure, there are several sea mammals that gestate underwater but then again, they can stay up to an hour underwater on a single breath . . . So, if a human female can do that, maybe she'd have the prerequisite for being pregnant. Maybe humans can be pregnant and dive but there is no research to substantiate that and with no volunteers, no research, no research, no proof. It's the old chicken and egg thing.
Now, with that overlong intro done, on with the title topic:
Referreing to a recently introduced subcutaneous device with time release of female hormones so as to provide contraception. The device releases hormones into the body by way of the implant put under the skin and so for a period of 3 years.
There is no specific bibliography or experience on the special subject as regards to scubadiving but, as the release of active substances is based on solution of the chemical principles, and not on mechanical or electrically driven injection, there should be no adverse side effect connected to diving.
A piece of advice could be to investigate about the resistance to external pressure of the implant with the manufacturer, as this can be an issue of interest not only for diving but also for any other kind of activity wherein undue pressure would be applied on the implant.
The only other implants that are frequently used underwater are breast implants. But then, what are those implants filled in with ? Salt water, kind of like sea water now, isn't it.
Sure, there are several sea mammals that gestate underwater but then again, they can stay up to an hour underwater on a single breath . . . So, if a human female can do that, maybe she'd have the prerequisite for being pregnant. Maybe humans can be pregnant and dive but there is no research to substantiate that and with no volunteers, no research, no research, no proof. It's the old chicken and egg thing.
Now, with that overlong intro done, on with the title topic:
Referreing to a recently introduced subcutaneous device with time release of female hormones so as to provide contraception. The device releases hormones into the body by way of the implant put under the skin and so for a period of 3 years.
There is no specific bibliography or experience on the special subject as regards to scubadiving but, as the release of active substances is based on solution of the chemical principles, and not on mechanical or electrically driven injection, there should be no adverse side effect connected to diving.
A piece of advice could be to investigate about the resistance to external pressure of the implant with the manufacturer, as this can be an issue of interest not only for diving but also for any other kind of activity wherein undue pressure would be applied on the implant.
The only other implants that are frequently used underwater are breast implants. But then, what are those implants filled in with ? Salt water, kind of like sea water now, isn't it.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Quick way of identifying a potential stroke victim
There is an email that is circulating and that is actually spreading valid information. A change from all those hoax emails spreading urban legends.
As usual, I checked snopes for the veracity of the information and it appears to be genuine. The three step method consist in asking the suspected stroke victim to:
smile
raise their arms
repeat a simple sentence coherently (the sun is bright today)
If the person fails at any one of those three simple tests, one should immediately call 911. There are new drugs that, if administered within 3 hours of a stroke, can limit disability from strokes caused by clots. This means that time is of the essence.
Of course, don't go about asking anybody to smile, raise their arms, etc. There has to be a just cause for concern, such as a person dropping on the floor (loss of balance, diziness) which they would dismiss as just losing their footing. But if the fall looks suspicious (no ice, no slippery surface, no uneveness on the walking surface, etc...) then use the fall as an excuse to do a quick physical check up. After all, the person did fall and could have twisted or broken something. Then, follow the check up with the three step test.
In a scuba diving situation, someone who is victim of a decompression sickness could show similar signs. A diver trained in neurological assessment could probably spot the subtelties. But whether a diver is the victim of a stroke or a deco sickness, in both cases, speed of intervention is important. Scubadivers should be especially conscious of such signs and act on them. Because of the bends, some of those signs.
As usual, I checked snopes for the veracity of the information and it appears to be genuine. The three step method consist in asking the suspected stroke victim to:
smile
raise their arms
repeat a simple sentence coherently (the sun is bright today)
If the person fails at any one of those three simple tests, one should immediately call 911. There are new drugs that, if administered within 3 hours of a stroke, can limit disability from strokes caused by clots. This means that time is of the essence.
Of course, don't go about asking anybody to smile, raise their arms, etc. There has to be a just cause for concern, such as a person dropping on the floor (loss of balance, diziness) which they would dismiss as just losing their footing. But if the fall looks suspicious (no ice, no slippery surface, no uneveness on the walking surface, etc...) then use the fall as an excuse to do a quick physical check up. After all, the person did fall and could have twisted or broken something. Then, follow the check up with the three step test.
In a scuba diving situation, someone who is victim of a decompression sickness could show similar signs. A diver trained in neurological assessment could probably spot the subtelties. But whether a diver is the victim of a stroke or a deco sickness, in both cases, speed of intervention is important. Scubadivers should be especially conscious of such signs and act on them. Because of the bends, some of those signs.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Disturbing photo of a possible underwater crime scene. It seems that the diver in the red circle has been murdered.
Read the full article here.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Pink dolphins are for real
It's not like when seeing pink elephants!
This particular dolphin was spotted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu lake.
The lake is just east of the Texas-Louisiana border and connects to the Gulf of Mexico.
According to marine biologist Dagmar Fertl, this event was only the third reported sighting of an albino bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico (going back to 1994), and the fourteenth spotting anywhere in the world (the first coming in 1962). Biologists speculate that, in addition to the rarity of their birth, the scarcity of albino bottlenose dolphins might be due to their having poor eyesight, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and a coloration that provides poor camouflaging, factors which could significantly decrease their chances of reaching maturity.
(Source: Snopes.com)
Additional photos can be seen here.
Monday, November 5, 2007
My first comment, ever
In updating my blog, I noticed that on Oct 30, I received a comment. The first time ever that a reader left a comment. Thank you Lovescuba.
The pumpkin dive post did bring a lot of traffic.
I think I will add a few more pix. Well, one more since the other photos are kind of blurry. It was cloudy and gloomy so the exposure time gets longer, which makes the pictures blurry.
The event was fun as my friends at PlongeeXL know how to organize an event.
We had a little problem getting the 9 foot tall figure to stay up at time and we couldn't get all the tricks that were planned to work but that'll be for next year.
The pumpkin dive post did bring a lot of traffic.
I think I will add a few more pix. Well, one more since the other photos are kind of blurry. It was cloudy and gloomy so the exposure time gets longer, which makes the pictures blurry.
The event was fun as my friends at PlongeeXL know how to organize an event.
We had a little problem getting the 9 foot tall figure to stay up at time and we couldn't get all the tricks that were planned to work but that'll be for next year.
The evolution of Blogrush
Blogrush is an interesting concept.
The only thing, though, is that I keep getting links to golfing and fishing blogs even though I am listed in the diving category.
I guess there aren't enough diving blogs out there to serve up diving related blogs.
As for me, I will put in more time on my blog in the coming weeks to keep it updated, fresh, interesting, humorous and informative as only I can :-)
The only thing, though, is that I keep getting links to golfing and fishing blogs even though I am listed in the diving category.
I guess there aren't enough diving blogs out there to serve up diving related blogs.
As for me, I will put in more time on my blog in the coming weeks to keep it updated, fresh, interesting, humorous and informative as only I can :-)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Pumpkin dive
On Saturday, October 28th, I went to the pumpkin dive organized by PlongeeXL .
Here are some of the sights, click on any photo to see it full size :
Here are some of the sights, click on any photo to see it full size :
Monday, October 22, 2007
I've passed the Blogrush test Yippeee!
Here's the email I received:
"You are receiving this update because your blog has passed our strict
Quality Guidelines and criteria -- we believe you have a high-quality
blog and we are happy you're a member of our network!
-------------------------------------------------------------
10,000+ Blogs Removed From BlogRush"
Some Internet marketers and hackers are always trying to spoof whatever new service being offered. Blogrush was no exception.
The idea behind blogrush is that it allows for communication between Blogs covering similar topics. By linking to more blogs, search engine ranking goes up. So, Internet marketers, eager to move up the search engine ranking, create tons of automatically generated bullshit blogs just to get the keywords, and have the blogrush gizmo link to a ton of blogs and hopefully increase their rankings.
At great expense, the founders of blogrush had to hire human checkers to verify for content quality and remove over 10,000 phony blogs.
That should remove the chaff and keep the wheat and give a better experience to readers of blogs.
Although I am not regularly updating my blog, I try to add relevant content.
I should have more to say this winter as I will be in the Caribbeans all winter long :-)
"You are receiving this update because your blog has passed our strict
Quality Guidelines and criteria -- we believe you have a high-quality
blog and we are happy you're a member of our network!
-------------------------------------------------------------
10,000+ Blogs Removed From BlogRush"
Some Internet marketers and hackers are always trying to spoof whatever new service being offered. Blogrush was no exception.
The idea behind blogrush is that it allows for communication between Blogs covering similar topics. By linking to more blogs, search engine ranking goes up. So, Internet marketers, eager to move up the search engine ranking, create tons of automatically generated bullshit blogs just to get the keywords, and have the blogrush gizmo link to a ton of blogs and hopefully increase their rankings.
At great expense, the founders of blogrush had to hire human checkers to verify for content quality and remove over 10,000 phony blogs.
That should remove the chaff and keep the wheat and give a better experience to readers of blogs.
Although I am not regularly updating my blog, I try to add relevant content.
I should have more to say this winter as I will be in the Caribbeans all winter long :-)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Ramping up for Dominican Republic
I will spend next winter in the Dominican Republic.
I will explore new diving locations, caves, wrecks, coral reefs, etc...
While there, I will also make short trips to neighboring islands such as puerto rico, US and British virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, and more.
I will explore new diving locations, caves, wrecks, coral reefs, etc...
While there, I will also make short trips to neighboring islands such as puerto rico, US and British virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, and more.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Grand opening of plongée XL
My good friend Michel Labrecque has just opened a scuba diving store in an area of the province of Quebec that where it was ssorely missing, in the small town of Victoriaville. Beforehand, divers had to travel all the way to Montreal or Quebec city to find the services they were looking for.
According to Jonathan, the official Aqualung sales representative for eastern Canada, it is the nicest dive shop he's seen in the entire province. Indeed, the product layout, the lighting, the colors, etc... are these details are well thought out and create a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling when visiting the boutique.
Knowing my friend, only the top quality equipment is to be found. Even the rental gear is of a better quality than what can be found in other dive shops. Just the classroom with its 6 rescue class mannequins is worth the visit. ;-)
I've known Michel for a few years now and I can tell you he's very particular about safety and quality, I guess his military background shows there. So you can expect top notch service as well as top notch scuba training from PADI, tec rec, DAN. His dive shop is one of the few that is authorized to teach scuba diving to handicapped by way of the Hadicapped Scuba Association.
Of course, what makes the classes and the overall activities so wonderful is that I am part of the instructors and divemaster team. So for that reason, you can be assured that you will get the best rescue diver course in the world because I make an excellent victim :-)
According to Jonathan, the official Aqualung sales representative for eastern Canada, it is the nicest dive shop he's seen in the entire province. Indeed, the product layout, the lighting, the colors, etc... are these details are well thought out and create a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling when visiting the boutique.
Knowing my friend, only the top quality equipment is to be found. Even the rental gear is of a better quality than what can be found in other dive shops. Just the classroom with its 6 rescue class mannequins is worth the visit. ;-)
I've known Michel for a few years now and I can tell you he's very particular about safety and quality, I guess his military background shows there. So you can expect top notch service as well as top notch scuba training from PADI, tec rec, DAN. His dive shop is one of the few that is authorized to teach scuba diving to handicapped by way of the Hadicapped Scuba Association.
Of course, what makes the classes and the overall activities so wonderful is that I am part of the instructors and divemaster team. So for that reason, you can be assured that you will get the best rescue diver course in the world because I make an excellent victim :-)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
What type of diver are you ?
I have received this link from a fellow scuba diver.
It seems I am of the "tekkie" with a dash of'"adrenalin" and maybe a touch of "jinx".
It seems I am of the "tekkie" with a dash of'"adrenalin" and maybe a touch of "jinx".
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
The secret to my dives in cold water
I am the king of cold water diving:
Scuba 35 minutes in a wetsuit in 30 F water (-1C)
Ice scubadiving in a Bare artic wetsuit (7 + 7)
One of the reasons I am so tough is that I train myself. In the winter time, my thermostat is set at 65 F (16C). I haven't zipped up a winter jacket in decades. My showers are in lukewarm water.
Recetly, I have found why I may be more tolerant to cold. My fat percentage is 20.4%. In a male, fat is set between 10-20%. I should therefore reduce my body fat by 5-7%.
Over the years, my body has found a way to protect me against cold by building a layer of fat. Now, I am curious to find out if, by reducing my fat content, my tolerance to cold will diminish.
I will now raise my thermostat a few degrees, wear thicker underwear and dive in a dry to see if my body will reduce its fat content when it no longer is stressed out by the cold.
Scuba 35 minutes in a wetsuit in 30 F water (-1C)
Ice scubadiving in a Bare artic wetsuit (7 + 7)
One of the reasons I am so tough is that I train myself. In the winter time, my thermostat is set at 65 F (16C). I haven't zipped up a winter jacket in decades. My showers are in lukewarm water.
Recetly, I have found why I may be more tolerant to cold. My fat percentage is 20.4%. In a male, fat is set between 10-20%. I should therefore reduce my body fat by 5-7%.
Over the years, my body has found a way to protect me against cold by building a layer of fat. Now, I am curious to find out if, by reducing my fat content, my tolerance to cold will diminish.
I will now raise my thermostat a few degrees, wear thicker underwear and dive in a dry to see if my body will reduce its fat content when it no longer is stressed out by the cold.
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