Infolific » Scuba Diving

The Best of Underwater Photography Magazine

Douglas Bigler — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:17:18 +0000

If you're a diver, you should check out Underwater Photography Magazine. It's a free electronic publication with product reviews, travel stories, and dive tips. You can't go wrong with that price! Check out some of the images that have graced UWP Mag's "pages".

Shark Behind Scuba Divers

Douglas Bigler — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:50:27 +0000

Mom and dad diving with a shark friend of theirs... And yes, this is fake. Apparently it's a bonified urban legend.

Underwater Camera for Scuba Diving

Douglas Bigler — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:03:11 +0000

One of my other hobbies is photography. Not the fancy-schmancy black and white slightly tilted stuff you see in galleries, but rather just photos that capture the things I've done and seen. And, of course, there's a lot to do and see underwater so almost immediately after deciding to learn [...]

Bonaire Activities and Attractions

Douglas Bigler — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 01:56:36 +0000

Believe it or not, there are as many things to do on land as there are in the water in this diver's paradise. GUIDED TOURS Want to get a sense of what Bonaire is really all about, or just need help deciding what to see and do on your vacation? [...]

Scuba Diving in Belize

Douglas Bigler — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 11:29:55 +0000

The first trip I took after becoming scuba certified was to Belize. And I have to say that it was awesome! My trip was 2 weeks long with the first week being dedicated to diving off of Ambergris Caye. I stayed at the Sun Breeze hotel which had it's own [...]

Dealing With Hypothermia

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:10:14 +0000

As a case of mild hypothermia can become moderate or even severe in a matter of minutes, the most important first aid measure when dealing with any suspected occurrence is preventing further heat loss. This means getting out of the water and restoring body heat. Once out of the water, [...]

Scuba Divers, Pumpkins and Halloween!

Douglas Bigler — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:15:05 +0000

Scuba divers are a wacky crowd. Don't believe me? Then why are they carving pumpkins underwater!? from the BBC from Time Inc. from Jaunted by EODMAN from DiveMatrix

Bonaire Maps: Dive Sites, Beaches, and Activities

Douglas Bigler — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:42:17 +0000

Dive Sites Beaches and Activities Map courtesy of Bonaire Nights magazine.

Scuba Diving Glossary (Humor)

Douglas Bigler — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:58:25 +0000

The abridge version of this article appeared in the October '95 issue of Sport Diver magazine. We all remember those first dive classes when we were bombarded by new terms, complex charts, and the thought of coming face to face with dangerous sea creatures. But there is a whole list [...]

Bonaire Butterfly Farm

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:39:39 +0000

Just 5 or 10 minutes away from the Mangrove Center where you can go kayaking is a butterfly farm. It's misnamed, as most butterfly farms are, because it isn't in the business of raising butterflies for release into the wild. Instead, the butterflies are raised simply to educate and, admittedly, [...]

What I'd Do Differently For My Second Visit to Bonaire

Douglas Bigler — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:18:59 +0000

Every trip is a learning experience and I find that with hindsight there are things I'd do differently. For Bonaire, here's what came to mind. Dive earlier in the day. Do two dives in the morning. Take a break and get out of the sun during the time when it's [...]

The Risk of Lead Poisoning From Scuba Diving Weights

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:37:30 +0000

As we all know, lead is a neurotoxin for humans. Every time you dive with shot lead weights, you may see a cloud of dust falling from the lead weights, even if they are 3-4 years old and used hundreds of times. Some scuba stores with pools on site usually [...]

Guided Kayaking in Bonaire's Mangroves

Douglas Bigler — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 02:53:31 +0000

There's no doubt that scuba diving is the main activity for tourists visiting Bonaire. But maybe you want to take a break or are just looking for some fun during the 24 hour no-dive period before your flight back home. In either case, I recommend kayaking through the mangroves at [...]

The Cost of Scuba Diving (Beginner)

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 07:53:23 +0000

If you haven't bought any scuba gear yet, you may be in for a surprise. And if you have bought gear, you've likely already realized that it is an expensive sport. In fact, I don't know any other popular activity that costs as much. And it's not just a one [...]

Belize Dive Operators

Douglas Bigler — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 06:25:41 +0000

I've been researching Belize quite a bit recently. That's because I'm going to be spending almost 2 weeks there. And, of course, and self-respecting scuba diver is going to check out what many consider to be some of the best diving spots in the world. As part of that research, [...]

Scuba Diving Class - Day 2

Douglas Bigler — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:52:08 +0000

The second day of scuba training ended a few hours ago. This weekend course is certainly intense. A lot has to be packed into 3 days to make it equivalent to the 3 week and 6 week versions. The discussion portion of the training remains straightforward. Reading the instruction manual, [...]

To See or Not To See, That is the Question

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:01:55 +0000

What is Visibility? Visibility, quite simply, is the prevailing distance at which an object can be seen when looking horizontally underwater. Of course, there are factors that influence the visibility of an object underwater including its size, shape, and contrast against the background. And visibility is affected by light levels [...]

Train Locally or When On Vacation?

Douglas Bigler — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:57:19 +0000

Do I take my training here locally, and make my check-out dives in the murky cold water, or take my course while I'm on vacation somewhere warm? One friend told me that I could actually complete my classroom and pool training here, and do my open-water work someplace nice (read: [...]

Dive Knife or Sea Snips?

Douglas Bigler — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 04:07:44 +0000

There's a lot of pressure on us guys to play the role of a guy. This is true with scuba diving too. Don't believe me? How many guys do you see with pink fins? That's right. None. This pressure also comes to bear when new divers (male) have to decide [...]

Mask Defog Gel or Spray?

Douglas Bigler — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:29:21 +0000

Scuba diving, like other hobbies, is one full of decisions. Just about every piece of equipment brings with it options for you to pick from and unfortunately the decision often isn't easy.Items like BCs or dive consoles should be researched because of their price tags. But even with small ticket [...]

Navigating Underwater Without a Compass

Douglas Bigler — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:05:12 +0000

There's already a lot to remember when scuba diving so it's no surprise that divers, especially new ones, struggle with navigating underwater without a compass i.e. natural navigation. Fortunately, natural navigation isn't all that difficult -- it merely requires knowing a few things to look for and paying attention to [...]

Bonaire Dive Shops and Operators

Douglas Bigler — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:39:35 +0000

Chances are you're going to Bonaire to enjoy the spectacular diving. The island's dive operators are your ticket to underwater adventures the likes of which you've never experienced before! Belmar Dive Shop: (+599) 717-7878 Black Durgon Scuba Center: (+599) 717-5736 Blue Divers: (+599) 717-6860 Bonaire Dive & Adventure: (+599) 717-2229 [...]

Behaviors of Those Suffering from Nitrogen Narcosis

Douglas Bigler — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 01:11:59 +0000

In divers, the effects of narcosis generally start with some form of impairment of mental function. This may include loss of memory, reasoning ability or a reduced ability to concentrate or to make sound judgments. These symptoms are especially dangerous because they often occur at times when divers need their [...]

Basic Scuba Diving Hand Signals

Douglas Bigler — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:57:04 +0000

Without special equipment you're not able to verbally communicate underwater. So it's a good thing that the various scuba organizations such as PADI have standardized hand signals for communication. Here are the basic ones (click on the image for a larger view): Source: Pages 4 and 5 of Scuba BSA

Scuba Diving Photos: The Best of Flickr

Douglas Bigler — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:08:20 +0000

see original Ever wonder what you might see if you went scuba diving? There's just no way I can describe what's under the water. The marine life can be so different than anything on land that you'd think I was making things up. So rather than use words, I scoured [...]