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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.

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.

Scuba Diving is such a phenomenal experience that most of us are left with the desire to record what we just experienced.  While some people prefer to journal or for those with an artistic inclination to paint pictures of what they saw, Underwater video and photography is undoubtedly the best way of recording those precious moments underwater.

However, many people have been dissuaded from trying out this option because of the intricacies involved or the amount of training that is required for one to be able to have a good photo shoot.  Luckily for these, we now have cheap but high quality video that one can use to go exploring.  This bears the advantage that taking a video underwater is as easy as it is taking one on land and so one does not need extensive training or experience.

That said many people do not have an idea of where to start in terms of what kind of underwater camera equipment is needed and where one can source it from.    This introduction to underwater videography is meant to furnish you with information that will guide you to acquire the diving equipment you seek.  I intend to first of all give some facts and then thereafter make some recommendations.

Before you purchase your underwater camera, you will need to ask yourself the following questions which are:

1.  How much can I afford to spend?

The amount of money at your disposal for buying the equipment will greatly determine what you can be able to get and what is out of your reach.  Depending on the other factors that we will discuss below you can go ahead and work with what you have already or you can choose to save a little bit more so as to get what fits your purpose adequately. According to most scuba diving equipment reviews, the cost will range from $1,500 to$20,000 for a full set which includes a standard video camera as well as an underwater housing designed specifically for the camera.

If you want to try it out first before you make the investment and already own a camera you can buy a splash bag, put your camera inside and go and have a nice time in the water.  It is also possible to buy fully submersible cameras although they are more expensive.  However, it is important to note that the difference in price does not denote a significant difference in the quality of your video.  My suggestion would be to spend an average amount of around $5,000 and then add to this value depending on the other factors below.

2.      What is of interest to me?

The underwater environment is regarded by many divers as a whole new world on its own.  Most of planet earth is covered by water and one has an extensive array of aquatic wildlife and landscapes to enjoy.  Different aspects of this world are of interest to different people and this will determine the kind of scuba and snorkel  equipment that you go for.  Therefore you need to ask yourself what is of particular interest for you and then get the suitable equipment.  For example, depending on whether you intend to carry out day or night dives you will need 3 chip cameras for low light shooting or you will require interchangeable lenses so as to be able to shoot macro or wide angles.

If you just want a general video shoot simply go for the cheaper options because as discussed the quality is just as good.  If you are not sure you can opt for a cheaper system that you can grow with.

To be continued….

If you love to hunt there are more animals underwater than you will find on land. The reason there are money animals is because it is easy to kill something with a gun on land that doesn’t see you coming, but if you want a real rush and a great challenge then you should try hunting underwater. I know what you are thinking, “What diving equipment do I need?”

The scuba diving equipment that you need for this are the neccesities; scuba mask, scuba tank, scuba fins, and any other scuba gear you normally dive with. The one thing that you need to bring that you don’t on  a normal dive is a spear and a hunting knife. When hunting underwater your scuba diving equipment doesn’t play a huge role in your mobility like it does on land,  the speargun comes in many sizes and are extremely light.

I know you must carry a knife with you on all dives, if not you should for safety reasons. The difference between a normal knife and a hunting knife is the length, I would recommend getting a larger knife and one with better grip. You don’t want to be about to kill a big fish for your dinner and you drop your knife would you? Just make sure what ever you do that you have the right scuba gear or you will have a tough time catching anything.

Here are some thot provoking articles, have you lost the joy of scuba?

• Explore the adventurous side of you | Philippine Travel Blog – Adventure. Do you actually remember the word? When was the last time you went out for some real adventures? Well, you might be having some wrong perceptions.
• Scuba News Flash- Where did the fun go? – Live Adventurously is a premium provider of SCUBA diving vacations and advice on SCUBA diving travel & the adventure lifestyle. We provide our friends the experiences and knowledge to live an extraordinary life through adventure.

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Tevis