Welcome back ROCKSTAR! Good to see you again and grateful for you being a member of the Tribe K2! Have you subscribed to our RSS feed?
We write this stuff/post this stuff for you. Tell us what you like! Ping me at admin (at) K2SCUBA.com and tell me what you would like to see here!
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!!
Just like all extreme sports, scuba diving involves great risk. Even though there are minimal accidents that have been associated with scuba diving, the danger is still there and it is of great importance that one pays attention and be conscious of the risks involved during a dive.
Most of the risks that involve scuba diving are not very obvious such as sudden change in weather or even being attacked by sharks. However other risks that involve human error for example air from your scuba tank running out or a fault in your scuba diving equipment are also present. Whatever the nature of risk faced during diving, it is recommended that you one be vigilant at all times in order to respond adequately to whatever risk.
The easiest risks to avoid are risks involving equipment failure. Before diving, always make sure you undergo adequate training to enable you properly handle your scuba gear. Also make sure you get a thorough understanding of the equipment be it scuba mask, scuba fins, scuba diving bcd, scuba tanks and other equipment. Try to understand its workings and how to prepare these equipment before a diving session.
Unavoidable risks such as unpredictable weather or attack from sharks can only be dealt with by being very vigilant. Carry out thorough investigations concerning the diving destination. You can do this by reading scuba diving reviews where they mention dive destinations. Of interest here is to check the weather patterns, water conditions and also the probability of the water being shark infested. These precautions will greatly reduce the risks that cannot be predicted by man.
On the other hand, there are scuba diving risks that occur as a result of poor health. Diving when you have a cold, flu or certain allergies is never a good idea. The same case applies to diving when you are still under medication. Sickness or convalescence under medication cannot allow one to be 100% vigilant hence is under great risk if one is to go scuba diving.
Lastly, there are those risks that are as a result of man’s ignorance or sheer lack of facts. One common assumption is that since scuba diving involves a lot of water, dehydration is never an issue. This is not correct since diving is an extremely physical activity which can totally dehydrate you. Always ensure you are adequately hydrated before undertaking diving.
There is a saying that “No man is island”. This also applies to scuba diving and it is a simple rule that you should never dive alone. Every time you take a partner with you, they can come to your rescue in case of an emergency. Diving alone is a risk in itself that you should avoid.
Scuba diving risks are a rare occurrence provided you prepare adequate before any dive session and take all the necessary precautions. Also, remember to always be 100% alert and you are sure to enjoy your scuba diving experience.
I got up early, packed my skin, wetsuit, hood, gloves, boots, BCD, regulator, tank, weight, camera, and flashlight…today is dive day with the girls! We met at La Jolla Shores and we were all so excited to dive together. There is nothing better than a Scuba Diver Girls dive day but today we had decided to go find the secret garden which lies beyond the canyon in about 110 feet of water.After gearing up, I guzzled down my big bottle of water and stopped by the shower to rinse off because the sun was beating down on me in my hot 8mm wetsuit! I was sweating and couldn’t wait to hit the ocean. After fighting the wave break and getting on our fins, we started the long kick out to the canyon edge. We dropped down and dove to the garden, enjoying the dive. Suddenly I was cramping up in my leg.
My buddy and I unsuccessfully tried to get the cramp out. After several minutes, I felt tired and just wanted to be done diving. After we got back on shore and rinsed off, I headed home a little disappointed in my dive. About 2 hours later I had a horrible headache and nothing I did would make it go away. What went wrong?
A couple days later I met John Dooley the Managing Director of a company called Diver’s D\Lyte®. We were chatting about diving when I mentioned my bad dive day at the secret garden. He told me “Margo, the answer to your question about what went wrong is not as simple as you think.” And then he said, “Let me explain what happened to you and how dangerous it was!”
“The first thing you did was drink all that water to hydrate before your dive.” John stated
I was confused by this because I thought I should be drinking lots of water before diving to be sure I am hydrated! I asked John what he meant by that and he went on to explain to me that although a core part of diving is to hydrate your body, plain water is not the thing to do it with because it flushes nutrients out of the body. He went on to inform me that scuba diving is the most dehydrating sport you can participate in.
I contemplated what he said…I don’t get all sweaty under the water…but then again…I do pee a lot! John laughed at me and went on to explain that dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in and with diving we lose fluids not only when we pee underwater but also from breathing in the super dry air from the tank and expel humidified air from our lungs (ok…he didn’t use the word pee…that was me, lol). Then he added that it is important to drink something with electrolytes added in.
“What is so important about electrolytes?” I questioned.
“Both muscle tissue and neurons are considered electric tissues of the body. Without sufficient levels of these key electrolytes, muscle weakness or severe muscle contractions may occur and may lead to cardiac and neurological complications. Your body needs electrolytes to keep everything firing properly. Without them, muscles can’t move properly and without muscles moving properly, scuba diving can become dangerous.”
That is when I found out that John has worked long and hard on a specially formulated drink just for divers called Diver’s D\Lyte®. I was really interested in understanding why I should drink this so I asked him to tell me more about it.
“Diver’s D\Lyte® is specially formulated with (ionized) electrolytes to ensure your body stays hydrated and in electrical balance so that your muscles and neurons operate optimally.” John explained. “Remember how you were tired, cramped up and got headaches? This is all because you depleted your body of not only fluids but other important nutrients.”
At this point I became even more interested in what was so great about this new drink he was telling me about. I mean there are lots of drinks out there with electrolytes in them. So I asked him, “John, what is so special about Diver’s D\Lyte®? Why is it specifically good for divers?” He told me that what sets his product apart is we use ionized electrolytes in Diver’s D\Lyte® these allow rapid hydration and better absorption of all the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. They are safe and effective, but are more expensive to make. I don’t know of any other sports related drink that can deliver these levels of electrolytes in a more absorbable form than Divers D\Lyte®.
John smiled and went on, “Simply put, if you are hydrated you are able to release gas off more efficiently so that is critically important to scuba divers. But another important component of our drink is the Antioxidants.”
“I have heard of antioxidants of course John, but I guess I don’t really understand how they work, can you explain this?”
“An antioxidant is a molecule that can slow down or prevent oxidation of other molecules in our bodies. When we exercise like in scuba diving, a chemical reaction occurs that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. This type of reaction can produce free radicals that start a chain reaction that ultimately damage cells. So antioxidants basically terminate these chain reactions by cleaning up the free radicals. This is so important in diving because the oxidation process can cause micro bubble formation which can lead to Decompression Illness (DCS). So we included a potent combination of antioxidants in Diver’s D\Lyte® essentially to slow or stop this process.” John explained.
“OK, I think I understand the role of the electrolytes and the antioxidants. I must have been crazy to have been diving without supplementing my body with these! Is there anything else I need to know about Diver’s D\Lyte®?”
Testing the product to get the formula just right!
“Our drink does not stop there Margo, we also wanted to be sure that divers would have more energy and mental acuity. There is nothing more important when diving than to be able to concentrate and pay attention. So we added an Ayurvedic blend of ingredients that give the diver a source of energy and clarity.” John told me. “We also added B vitamins to improve energy balance instead of loading it up with sugar, this opens up energy channels in the body like clean fuel!”
John was passionate when he told me more, “What’s more important is the Ayurvedic Blend we discovered for a natural peace and balance that allows for a sense of well being and clarity. Mental focus is critical to diver safety for the most enjoyable dives, remember we dive too. In researching proven functional ingredients we selected the best organic and all natural products. These extracts have been used for thousands of years and more recently studied at leading universities around the world to better understand their benefits. The best way I can describe the effect is the level of improved focus we all experienced on the reef. It was like putting on a pair of reading glasses at the age of forty and admitting that they really work well! One of our dive buddies on the test dive was a 63 male diver Michael, I will never forget when he surfaced, spit out his regulator and shouted “this stuff really works!” Since we don’t have the time now to cover all the details surrounding the energy pathways of Diver’s D\Lyte®. Let’s just say for now that Diver’s D\Lyte® offers a subtle source of energy.”
John handed me a few packs of Diver’s D\Lyte® and told me that I should try it out on my next dive. I had one planned for the following Saturday where I would be not only deep diving but doing multiple dives. So I gratefully took the packets and then asked him how I should use it.
He then instructed me on how to use the product, “Drink one pack in a liter of cold water as early as 90 minutes before your dive. This is what we call preloading. This is important because once you get dehydrated, it is hard to play catch up and get hydrated…so it is better to stay ahead of the game. Then drink another in between dives because you lose a full liter of fluid and essential nutrients during your dive. Once you are done diving, drink another as this will help with your off gassing.”
I thanked him and went home to pack the Diver’s D\Lyte® in my dive bag and promised John I would give him a review of how my dive went.
I used the product as instructed on my dives. I never felt better on a dive! I found myself so clear headed and my energy level was perfect. I did not feel the normal fatigue after multiple dives and I experienced no cramping during my dives. But the most important benefit I experienced from using Diver’s D\Lyte® was the absence of my dive headache afterward. I felt like I went from a dive in 5 feet viz to a dive in 50 feet viz! I am extremely pleased with the product and have now decided that this will be a regular part of my dive kit!
John promised me that he would teach me more about the product when we have more time to talk. I had learned so much that I can’t wait to talk to him again! The distribution of the product will start in April and guess what?? Scuba Diver Girls Fans will get a chance to try it first! More on that in the next blog!!!
Thank you Margo for a wonderful product review.
folks, would you like a sample of Divers D/Lyte, please give Debby a call at the office: 818 982 2652 or ping us at debby@k2scuba.com
We are tickled to support such a revolutionary product. . . .
What do you think? is this hydration stuff just snakeoil pretty colored, and sugared water. . . or is it something that every diver should carry in her save a dive kit?
We want to hear your thoughts, so leave your comments below!
Zeagle has always been known for hand making each of its custom BCs here in our factory in Florida.Now we have even more color options to choose from! Made from the backbone of the Famous Zeagle Ranger LTD, this BCD lives true to it’s name in styling, fit, and technological innovation
The Tie-Dye material we have acquired is a very exclusive and unique material that is hand dyed in one yard increments. This results in a completely unique piece of fabric every time it is brought in the door here at Zeagle. The process is expensive and time consuming (not all colors will be available at all times, not all sections of the BC will be able to be made from this material) but this means every BC cut with these colors will be completely different from the one before and you will get a color pattern that is as unique as you are.
The hardware
The high-strength solid brass D-rings are uncoated and pre-oxidized to add to the design style. The pre-stressed plastic hardware is heavy duty throughout. Of course, this product is backed by Zeagle’s usual high standards and limited lifetime warranty.
The artwork
Zeagle has placed a tribal design on the vest and bladder. This is to add cultural appeal and individuality to the product. With the number of people wearing ink these days, it seems like a natural addition to this unique concept. Each Wicked BC includes a small temporaryWicked tattoo just for fun.
Legendary Ranger Construction, available in both male and female styles
Stylish Tribal artwork and logo
Stone washed denim type cordura fabric
Pre-oxidized, uncoated solid brass D-rings
Pre-stressed HD plastic hardware
"Aged" appearance
We are getting only 12 units in various colors and sizes. We are taking orders and $100 deposits for this schweet BCD right now!
Contact Debby at 818 982 2652 and give us your sizing and preferences RIGHT NOW!
l 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:
Twitter
Facebook
Flip!
Digg
Ping