Archive

WORLDWIDE, PLASTIC CONSUMPTION has reached over 320 tons per year. Most of the plastics produced are of a one-time use nature and is rapidly added to burgeoning landfills or disposed of as litter. A smaller portion is either recycled or incinerated (which has its own set of problems). The plastics that are introduced into the […]

Gil Rosenthal learned to scuba dive in college, and since then he’s never been able to stay out of the water. Like most divers, he’s fascinated with marine life, and how, through the experience of diving, a colorful array of beautiful reef fish — angelfish, damselfish, wrasses, and others — swim all around him. It’s […]

The fundamental skills for all divers include buoyancy control, swimming techniques, proper body positioning, and breathing.  These skills allow the diver to remain in control and dive efficiently.  While each skill set has unique aspects when taken on alone; they work best when combined.  For the purpose of this text, we are simply going to […]

When you ask people who don’t dive what they think the most common type of diving injury is, the answer is usually ‘The Bends!’. If not this then at least an imagined tale of a Jaws-type marine monster attacking innocent divers one by one. The real answer is actually a lot simpler, and significantly less […]

AN INSIDE LOOK AT SCUBA CYLINDERS Precious few things are as seemingly simple as a scuba cylinder, but don’t let that fool you. Although a cylinder may seem like a dumb hunk of metal, it does serious work. Filled to capacity, a typical cylinder carrying 80 standard cubic feet of air — enough to fill […]

As published in the Shanghai Daily.  Full text below for easier reading. FULL TEXT PLASTIC is the most prolific form of waste the world has ever seen. From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the heights of Mount Everest, humans have left no place untouched by plastic. Buildups of enormous quantities of plastic bags […]

REVEALING NEMO’S TRUE COLORS If you know a kid younger than 10, then you also know the names Nemo and Dory. And just in case you’re one of the few humans on the planet who don’t know what I’m talking about, these were the “stars” in the phenomenally successful animated film, “Finding Nemo.” Nemo was […]

The last thing you probably want to read is another tirade on the dangers of drinking and smoking. Besides, what can I say that’s new? Although some recent evidence points to drinking alcohol in moderation as a health benefit, no one doubts the dire consequences of imbibing in excess. And no informed person on Earth […]

So you have certified as a new diver and want to get in the water diving and practicing as soon as possible. You remember from your introductory scuba diving course all the main skills you learned. There is just so much fun stuff to work on and improve upon when diving! It’s all too easy […]

The Republic of Palau has banned sunscreen and other related products containing chemicals that are known to be harmful to coral reefs. President Tommy E Remengesau, Jr, of the Republic of Palau, signed The Responsible Tourism Education Act of 2018 into law earlier this week. In doing so, Palau becomes the first country to ban […]