From article posted on divewire.com
| Written by Scouting Magazine |
| Tuesday, 17 November 2009 16:29 |
|
It's the result of a newly announced partnership between the BSA and PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Officials at the BSA determined that 84 percent of Scouts were interested in the merit badge, and so it was fast-tracked for adoption.
For more details, visit www.ScoutingMagazine.org |
Halcyon has posted a recall for their OPV springs
From Halcyon's website:
The following steps will assist the customer in identifying the serial number on their Eclipse, Evolve, Explorer, Pioneer or CCR35 buoyancy compensators (BCDs) manufactured between January, 2006 and September, 2008.
If the serial number begins with the following sequence, the OPV spring in the BCD should be inspected:
16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76, 86, 96, A6, B6, C6, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67, 77, 87, 97, A7, B7, C7, 18, 28, 38, 48, 58, 68, 78, or 88
Halcyon apologized for the inconvenience and encourage Halcyon BCD and Inflatable owners with questions to contact their local Halcyon dealer, regional Halcyon distributor or Halcyon Tech Services directly.
I have an Eclipse (which is the coolest BC to dive) and I had one of the less-then-perfect springs. My spring looked just like defective one pictured on Halcyon's website. The recall replacement was a quick and easy change out at Virginia Scuba. My 80 lbs lift bag OPV spring was fine.
Check your kit serial numbers, get the recall done.
Success! Not that it was ever an issue but my DiveMaster Candidate Stephen completed his finial requirement for Divemaster course. Stephen started the Divemaster course back in March and with the weekend schedule we establish he finished the class room and pool requirementsby May.
Stephen when on to do well beyond he requierd internship classes, over the summer he managed to intern with several different instructors in classes from Discover Scuba to Rescue. Great exposure and experience for him.
We finished up yesterday with one finial skills review and going over the paper work he needs to submit to PADI.
Congratulations Stephen. Great Job.
For me it is time to think about the next Divemaster Class. Who's up for the challenge?
Do you want to enter the ranks of professional diving. Click here for the course requirements http://tinyurl.com/Padi-Divemaster . If you’re ready, lets get started.
I have created a poll/survey to see where else fans of Roz Savage would have liked to seen Roz's book tour go.
The current tour (positive thinking that Simon & Schuster may expand it) is to these US cities.
Boston MA, Cambridge MA, New York, NY, Washington DC, Seattle WA, Portland OR, San Francisco CA and Los Angeles, CA.
Too few for my thinking, what do you think.
The Roz Savage Book Tour Question.
To be fair, I live in the Washington DC metro area and already plan to attend the events here.
But what about you....
I am a big fan of Roz Savage, just look back though my postings. Her book Rowing the Atlantic is out and Roz is going on tour starting October 6, 2009. She will be in DC on the 18th and 19th.
From Roz's web site:
Book signing in Washington DC
When: Sun, October 18, 2pm – 3pm
Where: The North Face store, 3333 M Street, NW
Description: Organized by National Geographic.
Presentation for National Geographic “Live @ NGS series”
When: Mon, October 19, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Where: 1145 17th Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036
Description: Roz will deliver a presentation for the prestigious National Geographic Live! series. Members: $15, / 3-part series $39 General Public: $18 /3- part series $45
I wanted and had planned to try to meet Roz earlier this week when she rode into DC for the Climate Ride (from NYC to DC) but I had a problem at my day job, our servers hard drive was having issues so I missed out.
The weekend of the 17th and 18th already have too may things scheduled, but I will fit this in. It would be great to hear Roz speak on Monday as well. I will keep you posted on updates.
Wondering around the web this afternoon, between weekend task and football games I notice that National Geographic had a National Geographic LIVE! event this morning in DC. World famous diver, author, renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence (how cool would it be to have that title) Sylvia Earle was speaking about her new book The World Is Blue: Why Saving the Oceans Will Also Save Us at the National Cathedral. It was a free event too. If I had found this out earlier I would have been there.
I am now signed up for the Nat Geo LIVE! newletter, so I won't miss out again.
If anyone else had the chance to see it post your comments and thoughts about it.
Tonight at 5 PM is the opening of the 2nd annual DC Dive Show.
This year it will be held September 25th and 26th at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in Maryland.
Great chance to see a lot of the local dive shops, dive equipment manufactures, representatives from dive destinations and live aboard operations. Go check it out.
I am planning to go Friday evening.
Connect2Mason.com is a student run news source for the George Mason University community.
They covered Virginia Scuba's Discover Scuba event at Freedom Center this past weekend.
And hey look I'm in the video!
This week Fall starts so it must be time for the 2nd annual DC Dive Show.
This year it will be held September 25th and 26th at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in Maryland. I am planning to go Friday evening.
Then on September 27 Demo Day will be held at Lake Millbrook in Throughfare Virginia.
Two great events in one weekend. See all of the latest dive gear and cool places for dive travel at the show on Friday evening and Saturday, then come to Lake Millbrook on Sunday to try your favorite gear from the manufactures who where at the show.
I hear Virginia Scuba is going to have thier famous pulled pork again, hot off the smoked barbaque.
Yep it's over. Sundays Discover Scuba event was just as great as Saturdays. The neat part was everybody did different task from what they did on Saturday and it went just as smoothly.
Lots of people showed up and took their turn at discovering what scuba diving is like. Several folks again are signing up to take the open water class.
Rumor has it we might try this Free Discover Scuba thing again in the spring, stay tune.
We had a GREAT time this morning. What where we doing?
We held a FREE Discover SCUBA at the Freedom Center. The turn-out was excellent. Rachel and Kristen had develop the plan and flow for the large crowd of folks that participated. Everyone had a great time and a number of the participants are signing up for the next step: the Open Water class.
What's that, you're bummed because you miss all the fun today?!
It's not too late; we are doing it all again tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Come join us!
We have another large group signed up and would enjoy adding you to our list of fun!
Here is the link to Virginia Scuba's Free Discover Scuba sign up page.
If you have been thinking about checking out SCUBA diving, this is a great introduction to see if SCUBA diving is for you.
With diving there is always paperwork, you can down load the Discover Scuba Diving form here.
Read it and fill it out ahead of time. Then you will be all set to come join us and DIVE IN.
Update: I have add a picture below as well I have added a folder to my photo gallery. Enjoy.
It's here, this weekend!!
Virginia Scuba and the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center are teaming up to offer a FREE Discover Scuba the weekend of September 19 and 20, 2009. How can you go wrong!
From the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Centers website:
DISCOVER SCUBA - FREE to Freedom Members!
Saturday, September 19th 10:30am - 1:00pm
Sunday, September 20th 9:00am - 1:00pm
Discover Scuba is an introduction to diving and gives you an opportunity to jump in the water with scuba gear under instructor supervision. The Virginia Scuba instructors will be on hand and in the water to introduce diving to anyone interested. Experience the excitement and adventure of the underwater world for FREE!
For complete details visit www.virginiascuba.com.
Here is the link to Virginia Scuba's Free Discover Scuba sign up page.
If you have been toying with the idea to check out SCUBA diving, this is a great introduction to see if SCUBA diving is for you.
With diving there is always paperwork, you can down load the Discover Scuba Diving form here.
Read it and fill it out ahead of time. Then you will be all set to come join us and DIVE IN.
Only one week to go until the Free Discover Scuba Weekend.
Virginia Scuba and the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center are teaming up to offer a FREE Discover Scuba the weekend of September 19 and 20, 2009. How can you go wrong!
From the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Centers website:
DISCOVER SCUBA - FREE to Freedom Members!
Saturday, September 19th 10:30am - 1:00pm
Sunday, September 20th 9:00am - 1:00pm
Discover Scuba is an introduction to diving and gives you an opportunity to jump in the water with scuba gear under instructor supervision. The Virginia Scuba instructors will be on hand and in the water to introduce diving to anyone interested. Experience the excitement and adventure of the underwater world for FREE!
For complete details visit www.virginiascuba.com.
Here is the link to Virginia Scuba's Free Discover Scuba sign up page.
If you have been toying with the idea to check out SCUBA diving, this is a great introduction to see if SCUBA diving is for you.
With diving there is always paperwork, you can down load the Discover Scuba Diving form here.
Read it and fill it out ahead of time. Then you will be all set to come join us and DIVE IN.
Congratulations Roz!
At 2 PM Local Tarawa Roz Savage completed the second leg of her journey to row across the Pacific, 104 days at sea, 3158 miles, ~1,335,843 Oar Strokes. Roz left Hawaii back in May she has blogged, tweeted and has given live audio broadcast about her journey along the way. Her point to rowing the Pacific is to raise awareness about global warming.
Roz was the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic back in 2005. In the summer of 2008 she rowed from California to Hawaii. On May 24, 2009 she left Hawaii headed to Tuvalu as the second stage of her three part row across the Pacific. Once she crossed the equator, the currents and winds where making it too difficult to keep heading south, combined with a broken fresh water maker balanced against her remaining food supply, Roz along with her support team decided to head to Tarawa (her alternate destination)
It has been great to watch daily as Roz progressed across the ocean on her web site. Can't wait for next year and her final leg of her voyage. Once completed Roz will be the first woman to row across the Pacific solo. History in the making!
Roz Savage is in the finial stretch of her current ocean rowing voyage. Back on August 24 Roz crossed the equator heading for Tuvlau. After a couple of days of strong winds and strong currents both taking her away from where she wanted to go; as well as broken fresh water maker, Roz consulted with her support team and they determined the problems with elements, fresh water maker, while she could make Tuvlau, they where afraid it would take longer then expected, that her back up water supply would not last and she could run out of food.
Roz made the heart breaking to change direction and head west then back north to Tarawa, her alternate end point for this leg of here. When she crossed back over the equator she has 200 nautical miles left to go.
Her support team has been making arrangements for her arrival. The are making their way from around the world to meet her on Tarawa. Roz is expected to arrive September 8th. Should be very exciting.
I have been following Roz Savage on her current ocean rowing voyage. She is on the second leg of her Pacific crossing. Earlier this week Roz crossed the International Date Line. As she noted on her blog she was so far west, she is now east.
This morning, east coast time around 12:42 she crossed the equator! From her blog Roz marked crossing the Equator at 18:42:02 Hawaii Time, at longitude 179 12.359E. Roz marks her voyage time by Hawaiian time. A big milestone on this leg of the voyage. Roz is heading to Tuavlu the final point on this leg. Tuavlu is 500 miles south and east of where she crossed the equator.
In 2005 Roz was the first woman to complete a solo rowing across the Atlantic. In the summer of 2008 she rowed from California to Hawaii. On May 24, 2009 she left Hawaii headed to Tuvalu as the second stage of her three part row across the Pacific.
Roz is well connected as she row and has a great land based support crew. They have created the ROZ TRACKER, I have included a link to the tracker on the right side of the page. It shows her GPS location, her path through the ocean, as well as her Twitter feeds, Blogger post and when she has time You Tube post. Roz is also doing a weekly NetCast Roz rows the Pacific with Leo that is available from Leo's site or Itunes. This is an amazing amount of tech she has taken with her. It is all portable, it is all solar recharged, very cool stuff.
Roz has a platform for each segment she rows. She runs the whole adventure on donations. She is bringing awareness to global warming, pollution in the Pacific
Virginia Scuba and the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center are teaming up to offer a FREE Discover Scuba the weekend of September 19 and 20, 2009. How can you go wrong!
From the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Centers website:
DISCOVER SCUBA - FREE to Freedom Members!
Saturday, September 19th 10:30am - 1:00pm
Sunday, September 20th 9:00am - 1:00pm
Discover Scuba is an introduction to diving and gives you an opportunity to jump in the water with scuba gear under instructor supervision. The Virginia Scuba instructors will be on hand and in the water to introduce diving to anyone interested. Experience the excitement and adventure of the underwater world for FREE!
For complete details visit www.virginiascuba.com.
Here is the link to Virginia Scuba's Free Discover Scuba sign up page.
If you have been toying with the idea to check out SCUBA diving, this is a great introduction to see if SCUBA diving is for you.
With diving there is always paperwork, you can down load the Discover Scuba Diving form here.
Read it and fill it out ahead of time. Then you will be all set to come join us and DIVE IN.
Fall is just about a month a way so it must be time for the 2nd annual DC Dive Show.
This year it will be held September 25th and 26th at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in Maryland
Then on September 27 Demo Days will be held at Lake Millbrook in Throughfare Virginia.
Two great events in one weekend. See all of the latest dive gear and cool places for dive travel at the show on Friday and Saturday, then come to Lake Millbrook on Sunday to try your favorite gear from the manufactures who where at the show.
Not much diving for me lately. I was helping out at the dive shop this weekend. While most of the shop personnel spent the week in Cozumel, I offered to open the shop this weeked to help the other staff working this week.
The shop has put together FUN DIVES on these dates:
August 23, September 14, October,4 and October 18
From their webste:
"Join Virginia Scuba for a fun dive at Lake Millbrook! If you need a dive buddy, or just want to get more time in the water with other divers, then come out to the shop for this fun dive at Lake Millbrook. Our staff will be out to help you have a good time!
Meet at the shop with your gear at 8am. There is no charge for fun dives, however, you need to provide or rent your equipment and entrance ticket to the quarry."