Archive for the ‘Scuba Travel Destinations’ Category

Mexican Reef Threatened by Planned Tourist Complex, Greenpeace Says

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

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MEXICO CITY – Greenpeace on Monday joined other organizations in expressing concern about the threat a planned tourist complex in northwestern Mexico would pose to the Sea of Cortez’s Cabo Pulmo reef.
The campaign to protect that hard-coral reef has been spearheaded for several months by several environmental groups opposed to the Cabo Cortes project.
Those organizations on Monday presented a study titled “Cabo Cortes: Destroying Paradise,” which lists the possible damage the 20,000-year-old reef – home to 226 of the 875 fish species in the Sea of Cortez – could suffer.
In 2008, Spanish developer Hansa Urbana was authorized by Mexico’s environment ministry, known as Semarnat, to begin construction of Cabo Cortes in the Los Cabos area of Baja California Sur state.
Last week, however, Semarnat announced the temporary suspension of that permit and requested that Hansa submit more information “to ensure there won’t be any disruption to an ecosystem that has been restored to its natural condition.”
The tourist complex would cover an area of around 3,800 hectares (9,382 acres) and include a marina with 490 moorings, two golf courses, 30,000 guestrooms and 5,000 homes for workers, meaning its scale would rival that of Cancun, Mexico’s leading tourist destination.
The project is contiguous with the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, home to a small community of residents who have been instrumental in efforts to protect and restore the reef over the past 15 years.
“For Greenpeace, the fact that authorization was initially given and now may be modified due to irregularities shows the lack of rigor in approving projects that endanger the environment,” the organization said in a statement.
“It’s incredible that a destructive project like Cabo Cortes could be authorized in a single step and then two years later – due only to pressure from society and legal appeals – they decide to modify that authorization,” Greenpeace said.
“We don’t want authorization for Cabo Cortes to be modified; we want it to be cancelled,” said Greenpeace Mexico spokesman Alejandro Olivera.
Greenpeace said Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Areas has objected to the environmental-impact report submitted by Hansa, which faces probes in Spain over alleged irregularities in the permit process for its Novo Carthago project.
“Greenpeace finds it unacceptable that Spanish real-estate and tourist companies, key players in the unsustainable development that has occurred in Spain in recent years … intend to replicate the disaster they’ve caused in other countries,” the statement said. EFE

This was reported by the:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=364142&CategoryId=14091

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K2 How To’s: Cleansing Your Scuba Diving Gear

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

 

Taking care of your 7mm and 3mm scuba wetsuits will add years of life to the wear, warmth, and comfort. Check out the scuba equipment reviews of the most long wearing suits.A single of the extremely critical issues you are able to discover from diving scuba would be to rinse your equipment and products. Its very essential to sustain your own equipment to get highest possible lifetime span and make sure your products performs properly whenever scuba diving.

Washing Station Setup
The easiest technique to organize your own cleansing station is usually to fill a huge bath tub at household that will be filled up with refreshing h2o. If simply no bath tub then the basic garden hose or simply kitchen sink will probably function just like effectively. Several diving outlets or hotels should have a couple containers; one particular container will possibly be normal water for common equipment this sort of as wetsuits and other gear whilst the other will be for specialist products these kinds of as cameras and diver pcs and any other delicate devices.
Exactly where achievable if your equipment has a whole lot of sand on it is to hose it down prior to dunking it in the tub.

Regulator
The 1st issue just before you begin to scrub your regulator is to make certain your dirt cap is safe as any normal water that enters the very first phase will trigger h2o to enter in the inside components and result in damage.
Just before you replace the dust cap you will will need to dried up the dirt cap and the opening of the initial phase. The least complicated way is to use your tank to blow air onto the two elements and this will dry the elements adequately, alternatively you may use a dry cloth to do the job. You can find scuba regulators at absurdly affordable prices at Flipilicious.com.

Once this is carried out you will need to location the regulator in fresh water for 5 minutes, stay away from pressing the purge button as this will let h2o to key in the initial point. It finest to rotate any moving elements to make certain there is no salt which in the prolonged operate will rust. As soon as Its been soaked and cleaned hang it up and dried out.
BCD
Washing a BCD comes in two elements, the inner and exterior of the BCD. The outside is straight forward and can be dunked and soaked in a tub of fresh water to scrub any salt off the BCD.
Step two as described is the inner of the BCD, this will need to have to be completed as tiny quantities of saltwater will enter even though diving, and this will turn to salt crystals which more than time will lead to the values to malfunction and the inner bladder to tear.
So right here is how to do it, Press the deflate button on the BCD and let fresh water to key in to approximate 25%, afterwards shake the BCD and let the h2o the scrub all-around all corners. As soon as you are satisfied you have washed the interior the finest method is to use the exhaust values to empty the normal water which at the very same time will cleanse them too.
Now slight inflate the BCD to guarantee the inner bladder does not stick with each other when drying and hang out to dried out.

Dive Personal computer and Camera
Clean your dive personal computer in cleanse fresh water and not the exact same h2o you have washed your other machines as detergents and sand will injury your delicate gear. Soak this products for a longer time and press all the buttons guarantee there is no salt trapped. If feasible brush the surfaces with a toothbrush to hep cleanse it far better, but don’t use on the sensors or lenses region as it could destruction it.

Wetsuit, Booties, and Gloves
Your scuba wet suits , booties, and gloves need to be washed in freshwater and you may also like to add a wetsuit detergent. Submerge the items in the normal water and turn them within out as well and maintain cleansing right up until clean. Once clean hang out and let to dried out.
Snorkel Fins, Mask, Snorkel, and Other Gear
All other gear ought to be submerged in fresh new normal water, dunked up and down till clean up and hung up to dry.
Ideas: to prolong the existence of your products don’t hang out in direct sunlight as it will make the equipment discolour and minimize the lifestyle span.

Thanks for reading this far. Here are a couple of articles that you might find interesting:

K2 Vacation Ideas: Cruises & Scuba/Snorkel Diving – The Ideal Match

K2 How To’s: Basic Snorkeling Needs & Snorkel Equipment

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K2 Adventure: Scuba Diving Colorado

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Colorado is a landlocked state hundreds of miles from the nearest coast, but you can nonetheless take pleasure in scuba diving; Colorado has a number of lakes and rivers that can offer challenge and enjoyment. A Colorado scuba or snorkel diving family vacation is not as far-fetched as you may surmise. For all those who are "hard-core" about their scuba diving, Colorado lakes and rivers are just as good as anyplace in the globe.

The City That Drowned
One of the much more intriguing locations for a Colorado scuba diving family vacation is Horsetooth Reservoir southwest of Fort Collins. In 1946, the federal Bureau of Reclamation chose to drown the town of Stout, based along the La Poudre River. By 1949, the dam was finished and Stout, which had been established only seventy years earlier as a camp for stone quarry workers, had to be abandoned. The remains of the city are still beneath water at the lake’s southern end; with suitable training and dive gear, Colorado scuba divers can enjoy a fine adventure.

Historic Mining
Following outfitting at their nearby Colorado scuba diving equipment supplier, scuba divers may possibly wish to head for the higher nation to the historic mining community of Leadville, in which scenic Turquoise Lake is correct close by. The lake provides some exceptional opportunities for exploration by way of scuba diving; Colorado’s mining market was the heart and soul of the state’s economy for decades. Provided the close by town’s historical significance, who understands what exciting artifacts a diver may encounter on a Colorado scuba diving holiday?

Obtaining Your Dive Gear
Colorado has its fair share of merchants that sell correct tools, staffed by experienced personnel who also offer certification courses. Colorado diving equipment suppliers can also give you insight as to exactly where in the state to go. If you have the time and cash to go even more afield, however, the very good folks at Colorado scuba diving equipment supply shops can also arrange scuba diving vacations to other, much more exotic destinations as properly.

In any event, you will will need to be certified prior to you go scuba diving. Colorado demands are just as stringent as other spots in the U.S., and this of course is for your personal protection; you’ll need to have to know about the regular hazards, protection practices and how to correctly use and care for dive products. Colorado divemasters and senior divers local to the area can take you on this adventure and assist you in getting prepared for the scuba diving colorado specialties you will need to enjoy your vacation.

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K2 Vacation Ideas: Cruises & Scuba/Snorkel Diving – The Ideal Match

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

So you have made a decision to go on getaway. You like tropical destinations, you want to relax a bit, release pressure of the every day life, but you’re also in for some adventure? What would the perfect getaway appear like for you. . . you good looking and smart K2 Member of the Tribe?

Scuba diving cruises is your solution. With a cruise ship you check out locations all above the planet, which includes some of the very best tropical scuba diving locales.

On a scuba diving cruise you can appreciate the climate, the food and the luxury of the cruise ship. But possibly you also like buying or perhaps you are on family vacation with somebody who like purchasing. No issue, options adequate to shop on the cruise ship alone or at the neighborhood shops when stopping at the ports.

If you are seeking for adventure you truly ought to go scuba scuba diving while on cruise vacation. While you visit all individuals great scuba diving places there is practically nothing that must hold you back again. Cruises often visit some of the very best scuba diving areas close to the globe: the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Australia, Hawaii, Jamaica, Malta, Mexico, Egypt, and Thailand. There is a purpose way scuba scuba diving is turning out to be far more and far more well-known.

Do you know that you can have your scuba & snorkeling gear shipped directly to your vacation?

It is as easy as calling us up and giving us your drop dead date, we will handle all of the details and have your brand new watersports gear waiting for you at your destination.

Several cruise ship companies have agreements with the neighborhood scuba diving operators to book scuba scuba diving sessions on the ship itself. The excellent issue about this is that the diving trip is organized by way of the cruise company and the ship won’t leave if for some purpose you arrive back late. But don’t be concerned if your cruise company doesn’t offer you such support. You can often guide you diving sessions just before leaving on holiday. There are adequate choices on the net to do this very simple. Often these neighborhood dive operators even offer you choose up and drop off providers from and to the ship to make every thing simpler.

If you live from evening to evening and just sense like you want to dive some working day, you can always publication the working day by itself when you quit at a seaport.

Now here is something we hope you will really like:

Scuba Diving Hand Signals

K2 News: Nude Snorkelling Record Attempt to Help Great Barrier Reef

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K2 How To’s: Underwater Videography (Part 2)

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

In Part 1, we looked at two factors that will influence the purchase of an underwater camera i.e the amount of money you are willing to pay and the area of interest that you will be taking pictures. Let us now look at other factors:

3.  Technical Skill Level

It is recommended that you first perfect your scuba diving skills before you attempt doing anything else underwater, taking pictures included. It is your diving skills that will determine the picture quality of your photo shoots while at the same time ensure your safety. Also consider the fact that while underwater you are your brother’s keeper, so your diving  skills should be good enough to take care of you and your diving partner in case of an emergency.

If you are comfortable with your diving skills, then you can look at your photography skills. If you are not very good at handling camera equipment, consider getting an automatic camera. Otherwise expert divers who can handle sophisticated camera equipment can go for manual camera systems since they are more willing to dedicate a lot of their time to pre and post dive equipment preparation and have the required skills to do it. Look through various scuba diving equipment reviews for more information on automatic and manual cameras.

4.  Diving Destination / Size of the equipment.

Divers who prefer local destinations can easily carry with them all manner of camera /housing equipment however bulky it might be. If travelling to remote destinations, carrying bulky camera equipment might be very inconveniencing, expensive and in some instances impossible taking into account recent travel restrictions.

The size is also a factor when considering other equipment that you will be using e.g. scuba tank, scuba diving bcd, dive computer etc. Carrying too much equipment can easily compromise your safety.

5.  Mode of Distribution

Nowadays, how you will distribute your photos and videos should be a major consideration. Cameras that record directly to memory or disc are preferable due to the ease in sharing the media afterwards. These memory cards are very portable and can easily be stuffed into your scuba wetsuit pockets. However, for others who need professional video and photos for e.g. broadcasting, they may opt for HD recording cameras which are more complex.

Having taken all the five factors into consideration, you can finally make a wise purchase of your underwater camera equipment. Happy buying!!

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