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"But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom. Only a person who risks is free. The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; and the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward |
Many of the adventures covered by BAA are inherently dangerous and carry the risk of injury or death. The articles on this and all other site pages are meant to inform and inspire but are not recommendations to partake in specific activities without judging their safety for yourself, seeking professional instruction and ensuring you are healthy enough to participate. Should you choose to engage in any of the activities covered by our site, you do so at your own risk. By clicking any link to activity covered by this site, you and/or your representatives agree to absolve BreakAwayAdventure.com staff, contributors and affiliates of any and all liability for damages, loss, injury or death that may result from participating in such activity. As always, think safety first. |
***Disclaimer*** |
Copyright © 2007 Breakawayadventure.com. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. |
Feature Articles |
Easy Adventures |
Tips, Tricks, Misc. |
Our full-length feature article introducing rock climbing is now up. Please enjoy this comprehensive write-up and give us feedback at suggestions@breakawayadventure.com. Don't forget to check out the climbing photo gallery. |
Rock Climbing - Is it for you? |
Introducing BreakAwayAdventure.com designs available on T-shirts. The first of many unique, custom T-shirt designs are now available for purchase through cafepress.com. Please go to our store and have a look. An example of some of the available artwork is below. |
Got T-Shirts? |
In the market for a new climbing shoe? We've reviewed our hands-down favorite sport and crag shoe, 5.10's amazing Galileo! |
BreakAwayAdventure |
Scuba News Break |
Stranded Divers It's great when the stories have a happy ending. A group of scuba divers in very challenging waters were swept away. Their ordeal culminated with a stay on a deserted island and battle with a Komodo dragon before being rescued. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. |
Giving Back To Those Who Give it All Couple stakes it all on a dream - a place in paradise for wounded soldiers and families of firefighters lost in the line of duty to escape the cold reality of their lives at a warm and tropical paradise. Their escape, Florian Villa in beautiful St. John, caters to standard vacationers to finance the charitable getaways they offer to those who truly need some time away. To learn more about Florian Villa after reading the article and to plan an escape that will benefit more than just your family, visit their site at www.florianvilla.com |
From Frightened to Fanatic Actress Angelica Lee Sin Jie discovers an unrelenting passion for a sport which previously frightened her terribly. In preparing for her role in Missing, Angelica spent 3 months training to appear natural for her part as an expert scuba diver. The experience left a profound mark and a deep love for the ocean she intends to share with her friends. |
MOVIES! - New movies up. |
Get this design on a shirt |
Get this design on a shirt |
Op Ed Archive section for old op eds. |
Whether diving with tanks or without, a snorkel is required equipment. When most people use a snorkel, they blast water from the snorkel much like a whale when they surface. Problem is they evacuate most or all of the air in their lungs to do so. That's fine unless a wave or swell adds water back in to the snorkel and, with nothing left in your lungs, you only have an option to inhale. Instead of blasting water out of your snorkel after you get to the surface, swim to the surface with your head tilted back, looking up towards the sky (with the end of the snorkel pointing down along your back towards your fins). Shortly before reaching the surface, exhale just enough to put a bubble of air in the snorkel but not enough for it to leave the end. The air bubble will expand as you continue rising closer to the surface forcing more and more water out of the snorkel. The moment you break the surface, throw your head forward as if trying to touch your chin to your chest. As the end of the snorkel comes out of the water, the trapped air bubble will force the water from the tube, allowing you to continue exhaling unobstructed. Takes a bit of practice to do perfectly every time but it's less dramatic, safer and a good way to tell a beginner from a pro! |
Skin/Scuba diving tip |
Surviving in the wild is based around a handful of essential variables - water, shelter, fire and food. In our latest Survival installment, we discuss a long used method for determining what plants are edible. Don't miss it! |
Miss Adventure & Scuba |
Mission Scuba |
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Spotlight on SCUBA |
Back before I ever took my first breath of bottled air, my thoughts on SCUBA included white sand beaches, brilliantly colored fish and coral, exotic locations and an equally exotic companion sharing fancy drinks in tropical bars between exhilarating dive excursions. I was mostly right, but off the mark on some of that. That's not to say, if you're interested in taking up the sport, that your experience wouldn't include all those things but lets inject some reality into your fantasies before you get carried away. |
Ceritification - Can I just rent gear and dive? |
No! Before you can dive you'll need some form of training &/or certification. If you want to make scuba a habit, you'll want to earn at least a standard Open Water certification or equivalent available through any one of several agencies such as PADI, NAUI or SSI. |
The main difference between an Open Water certification and one of the "trial" scuba certs mentioned above is independence. Once you have certified as an Open Water Diver, you will be eligible to dive anywhere in the world (with a few limitations we'll cover later) without instructor supervision. You'll also be able to get your tanks filled, which is no minor thing. Try getting tanks filled or a captain to let you dive off his boat without valid certification and you will likely be unpleasantly surprised. |
While there is a not insubstantial commitment of both time and money in becoming certified in scuba with full independence in mind, don't let that scare you away from trying the experience. In an effort to entice would-be divers into at least trying it out before committing their hard earned money and valuable time, "trial" programs such as SSI's Try Scuba Diving certification will enable you, in a relatively short time, to actually experiencing scuba in the company of a certified instructor. |
The key to remember here is that your experience is confined to that resort and that trip. You can't take what you've learned on the road and use it on another vacation next year. |
Another option that helps you try before you buy is the resort certification. Many resorts offer resort certifications which allow you, in the company of a designated instructor, to experience diving while you are on vacation. |
Your training to Open Water certification will include a couple to several weeks worth of classroom, pool and "closed" water curriculum. Close water generally means a pool or lagoon - basically any place where you don't stand a chance of drifting off into the open ocean or being "misplaced" by your instructors. |
What can I expect out of an Open Water training class? |
Your instruction will culminate with a set of observed open water dives during which you will be tested on various things you've learned. This might include dive plans, under water mask removal and replacement, BCD removal and replacement, regulator recovery, kick-count tests, basic navigation, hand signals, etc. Think of it as a final exam, but don't worry about it. By the time you get to this point the lessons are so well ingrained that you should pass with relative ease. |
Class time will focus heavily on building your understanding of the equipment you will be using and how to use it correctly. You'll also cover your dive charts and how to safely plan a dive. You'll also learn about the bends, nitrogen narcosis, basic rescue and self-rescue techniques. In truth, you'll learn everything you need to know to dive without any actual applied training until you move on to a pool. |
Pool time will help you put many of the pieces together. You'll practice assembling your tank, purging your mask underwater, removing and replacing your buoyancy control device, etc. Mostly, though, you'll finally get the chance to come to terms with the sometimes disconcerting act of breathing under water for the first time. If your certification program is anything like the archaic class I took decades ago, you'll also have to pass a basic swim test before moving on. Smokers beware. From here you'll likely move on to a lake or quarry where you can apply your training to a little depth. |
Ok, I'm sold! How much will all this set me back? |
The short answer... a lot. Not the training, mind you, though that can still be pretty expensive. But if you're planning on become a certified diver, you're also planning on buying the scuba gear and that's where things start to get painful. The price ranges are broad and can vary from surprisingly affordable to shockingly expensive for each individual item. Regardless of how you bargain-basement shop, though, it's adding it all together that comes as a real blow. For just the basics- |
BCD - Mask - Fins - Snorkel - Octopus - Regulator - Gauges - and/or Computer - Weights & belt - |
$150 - $500 + $20 + $20 - $100 + $10 - $30 + $60- $160 + $180- $600 + $120 - $300 + $250 - $700 + Trivial - $25-30 for all you need |
Depending on where you're training, you also might need a full-body, cold water wet suit. Add to that a bag to carry all this stuff and various accessories such as a dive knife, slate for writing underwater, flashlight, log book, etc., and you can see I'm not kidding around when I tell you it gets pricey. I've listed some of the lower prices I could find above, but you can certainly find some lower still through discount sales or e-bay. Just be warned that you often get what you pay for and any equipment you get second hand should be inspected by a professional to ensure seals and O-rings are in good order. The additional expense of inspection might strip you of any savings you realized. Finally, after you've bought all that scuba gear, paid for your classes and received your coveted Open Water Diver certification, here comes the real surprise... the best dive spots are rarely in your back yard and it costs a pretty penny just to get to your destination(s) of choice! |
Sure! And their studly/wealthy husbands & boyfriends, too. Ok, so that question was just an excuse to include a picture of a beautiful, exotic woman but it does serve an additional point. Scuba diving is not a solo sport. While you could eventually certify in solo diving, scuba is almost always presented as a buddy sport for one simple reason... safety. Let's face it, you will be immersing yourself into a completely alien environment. You will be dependent on several pieces of equipment that have to work in harmony to keep you alive and there are numerous things that can (and do) go wrong. Having a well trained buddy diving with you is simply the single most important accessory in your arsenal of dive equipment. |
Yeah, ok, but I'll meet beautiful, exotic women? |
A buddy will be able to assist you should you suffer equipment failure or experience disorientation. He or she will serve as an extra brain to ensure you're following your dive tables correctly, ascending at a safe rate and avoiding dangerous situations. So if you accept that almost every dive situation you'll find yourself in will be in the company of a trusted buddy, the math simply dictates that the same applies to that dreamy gal (or guy) you see loading her (or his) gear onto the boat. They'll most often have a buddy with them already. Then again, a couple studly guys diving together can always get lucky and meet up with a couple gorgeous gals doing the same. Hope springs eternal. |
Generally not available at your local dive shop. |
And the white sand beaches and exotic locations? |
Well here you're in luck! Assuming, of course, that you can afford to travel to those destinations in the first place. Don't forget to add the cost of the dive trips (unless you'll be diving from the beach) and tank rentals. This one is actually fairly straight forward and you should know in advance that if you can't afford a trip to Australia to visit the Sydney Opera House then you also can't afford a trip to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef. |
Don't forget that there are often amazing dive opportunities close to home. A lake just 30 minutes from my house has the remains of a private plane and some sunken boats to explore as well as some neat wildlife. Even mountain lakes with gin clear water can offer up treasures though you'll need to take altitude diving classes to allow for the different pressures in which you'll be working. |
If you have your heart set on far-away places, allow for a little planning and saving. There are also ways to cut corners. For one, share a room with your dive partner (even better if he or she is your significant other.) Also look for travel packages catering to your sport by booking at resorts with aquatic activities included in the price (just make sure that includes scuba as it's often specifically omitted from the list.) Finally, your local dive shop may be your best friend. They'll often book group trips to beautiful destinations at a discounted group-rate price. You'll be missing out on opportunities if you don't consider them a valuable resource. |
Is scuba diving safe? |
In my article on rock climbing I emphasized that one is only as safe as they are smart. Much like that sport, your continued health and survival depends almost exclusively on a few factors. |
1) Training. Learn the craft before undertaking the activity. 2) Equipment - Know your gear, how to use it, what to use when and keep it maintained. 3) Limits - Know what they are and stay within them. Limit the risk. 4) Common Sense - Don't tease the wildlife. 5) Buddy - Ensure he is well versed in all of the above and never leave home without him. |
It really is as simple as that and if you follow those above rules, recreational scuba is quite safe. Most accidents happen for failure to adhere to one or several of the above items. For example, a recreational diver with basic Open Water certification is diving on a wreck in 50 feet of water. He decides to enter the wreck. In doing so, he kicks up a bunch of silt, gets confused, penetrates deeper in until he's hopelessly lost and eventually runs out of air. Was scuba unsafe? Was the equipment bad? No. The diver in the above scenario violated 4 of the above rules by exceeding his training (no overhead or penetration diving training), not having or using a guideline, diving outside his limits of experience and abandoning common sense. Actually, he abandoned all 5 because his well trained buddy should have grabbed him by the fin and hauled his dumb butt out of there before he was even half a body length into the wreck. |
That said, accidents do happen in diving the same as they do in everyday life. The unfortunate and unavoidable accidents that sometimes claim lives are often hyped far out of proportion to the otherwise notably safe record modern recreational diving enjoys. But you can no more prepare for a freak current or bizarre shark attack than you can for the drunk who plows into you in an intersection. Sometimes you're just on the wrong end of luck and the fact that you were in a wetsuit at the time has little to do with anything. Oh, and for those of you worried about sharks, please don't let Jaws put you off this sport. You are statistically more likely to die from bee stings or lightening strikes than you are from a shark attack. It's a crime that unjustified hysteria has actually frightened some people to the extent that they'll never get to personally enjoy a scene like the one to the right for absolutely no legitimate reason. |
What is scuba diving like? |
You'll notice I didn't include the cost of a tank above. That's because you may or may not want to purchase one. If you live in a land-locked location and will only be diving after traveling to a destination by plane, owning a tank is almost pointless and traveling with it would be a royal pain. You'll simply rent from the local dive facilities when you get to your destination. If, however, you own your own boat or live within driving distance of prime dive sites, owning your own tank would make sense. |
If you've read this far, you're clearly interested and that's key. As much as I love scuba diving, I've learned not to try to talk somebody into it if they are clearly afraid of the ocean or have no interest in trying it out. A lot goes into learning to dive and becoming familiar enough with the equipment that you aren't worrying about it every five seconds. If you already have phobias or disinterest stacked against you, no amount of beautiful fish will get you past those things long enough to really enjoy the experience until you get a lot of dives under your belt (unlikely if you aren't already excited about the idea). If you are into the idea of diving, it is simply put one of those life-altering experiences I'm always going on about. There's a moment of mild concern as you roll or step off the boat and into the blue unknown. Then you get your bearings, the bubbles clear and suddenly you find yourself floating weightlessly over an alien landscape of brilliant colors and astounding wildlife. If you've practiced and excelled at establishing neutral buoyancy, you feel like you're flying over the coral and you'll find yourself constantly marveling as one bold fish after another darts out to investigate you. It is a wholly Zen-like experience unlike just about anything you'll experience above the water. In fact, as you leave the ocean and gravity takes over, the sudden weight of all your equipment returns and feels a bit like you're putting the weight of the world back on your shoulders. I'd say that last part is depressing but the memories you carry of the dive are so brilliantly vivid that they completely overcome any negative associations with returning to the "real" world. A controversial biologist I read about recently theorized that humans are far more recently aquatic in our evolutionary history than we currently think. Go scuba diving and you'll find yourself inclined to believe her. Floating effortlessly above brain and stag coral, a million fish darting around and checking you out... it really does feel like going home. |
I am including the chart above as an example of available programs offered by one certifying agency. This is not to imply that Padi is the best or only choice, simply the choice with which I've had the most experience and indicative of similar options available through other agencies. That said, I am a Padi certified diver having completed Open Water, Advanced Open water (focus on Deep Diver, Multi-level Diver, Night Diver, Underwater Navigator and Wreck Diver. I have completed a diver first aid program and was about 1/3rd into my Rescue Diver training before an emergency in my own life took me out of the program. I've yet to return but would very much like to. Padi's programs, in my opinion, were great. |
Misadventure & Scuba |
Not Angelica pictured above |
Scuba Diving Equipment |
As with many adventure sports, scuba diving gear is highly specialized and can be confusing. The list of scuba gear below will help familiarize you with some of the equipment you will encounter should you wish to undertake scuba diving (and the investment in your own gear). All images by LeisurePro - The Diver's Emporium. Check them out for some great deals and convenient ordering! |
Buoyancy Compensator or Buoyancy Control Devices |
A BC does exactly what its name implies - allows a diver to control buoyancy. Whether you want to hover effortlessly above the coral or float on the surface, you need a BC. BCs can be inflated by drawing air from your tank or manually through a mouthpiece over the shoulder. The vest also sports the straps that will hold your tank to your back. The model pictured to the left is manufactured by Cessi, is well reviewed and very reasonably priced. |
Regulator |
A two-part unit. The first stage attaches to your tank. This stage has multiple ports to accommodate additional hoses for gauges and an octopus (explained next). The second stage is the part you breathe from and is far more technically advanced than people think, providing varying levels of streamlining, cold water and inverted functionality and bubble flow. Working together, a regulator regulates the flow of air from your tank, reducing the pressure flow and allowing for on-demand breathing. The image to the left is the highly-praised Mares Abyss 22, available through LeisurePro. By the way, have I mentioned they're currently shipping it free of charge?! |
Octopus |
An Octopus attaches to the first stage of your regulator (the part that attaches to your tank) and serves as emergency air for you (in the event of a second stage failure) or another diver. This unit is very similar to the second stage of a regulator but generally less costly as it caters to function over form. You aren't intended to be using it on a regular basis so things like bubble flow, streamlining and other ergonomic concerns aren't as important. Image to the left is the Legend AquaLung - another well reviewed item available through LeisurePro. |
Gauges |
Your gauges attach to the first stage of your regulator by a hose just like your Octopus. Generally consisting of two to three parts, gauges provide information on depth, psi (the air left in your tank) and often include a compass as well. The gauge to the left is Oceanic's Maxdepth - a reasonably priced, feature rich gauge with rave reviews. Available, as always, through LeisurePro. I promise, by the way, I'm not affiliated with them and won't see a dime for mentioning them but they really are a great company. |
Dive Computers |
Air integrated (attached to your first stage) or wrist-worn like a watch, dive computers won't let you play a great video game but are wonderfully useful for scuba diving. Though not essential, they are much coveted gear and will help you plan, monitor, document and analyze every dive. Air integrated versions are extra rich with features, allowing you, for example to monitor your remaining air. The Aeris Atmos AI model pictured to the left gets rave reviews (for recreational diving) and isn't too much more expensive than a modest priced set of analog gauges. You can check out the reviews and price at LeisurePro. |
That should give you a basic understanding of the purpose of the less commonly understood scuba diving gear out there. I didn't cover fins, masks, snorkels, weights and weight belts because I suspect most everybody knows what they are and do but all should be considered required elements. Happy diving! |
Winter Sports |
Environment |
Scuba Links & Resources |
ScubaDiving.com - news, articles and how-tos. |
ScubaBoard.com - online dive community. |
ScubaNewsMagazine.com - free scuba magazine you can download |
Some Certifying Agencies |
PADI - Multi-language support and includes e-learning for classroom elements of Open Water certification. |
SSI - Scuba Schools International. Great programs, multi-language support. Home study programs w/ interactive DVD. |
NAUI - Widely recognized and accepted. Non-profit organization. |
ScubaDuba.com - Comprehensive list of scuba related certification and safety agencies. |
YMCA - Offers a dive training program. Long history. Established in 1959. Program is approx 32 hours. |
Shopping |
LeisurePro.com - Offering everything you could need, great prices, fantastic shipping, customer product reviews and even used item alternatives. |
Safety & Research |
DAN - Divers Alert Network. A not-for-profit org that provides emergency medical advice and assistance for underwater diving injuries, and underwrites a wide range of research, education and training programs that promote safe diving. |
I tell my wife I like to watch Survivorman and Man vs. Wild because, hey, you never know when some of that information might come in handy. This generally elicits laughter. Yeah? Well when the world falls apart and I've built a cozy shelter complete with bamboo HD television and a microwave made of pine needles and some plastic buckets I've found washed up on the shore, we'll see who has the last laugh! But is television really the best place to learn your survival skills? Are Les Stroud and Bear Grylls preparing us or entertaining us? Read our article, Man vs. Wild or Man vs. Reality - How to be a real Survivorman for a sobering reality check. |
Planning a scuba vacation? Read our Scuba Vacations Guide for some do's and don'ts. |