Greetings to Elie Le Moine, Noiseau, France

Diving is about meeting people and sharing as much as it is about the personal experience of communing with the underwater world. Case in point… Today I received an package in the mail from Elie LeMoine, a diver who I was paired with by chance during my last dive trip to Mexico. Inside was an outstanding video of his recent vacation on a Red Sea Live-aboard dive boat.

When Elie and I were buddied up, we didn’t share a common language beyond our scuba hand signals. After trying to find a common language and coming up blank – I smiled at him and said “Plongee!” and gave him the OK signal. I was hoping that what I said was something to extent of “Let’s dive”, but for all I know of French, I may have told him that I was a proctologist and he was my next patient.

He turned out to be an excellent comfortable diver with outstanding buoyancy control and patience (I was shooting photos and moving along like a tortoise.) I made sure to get some shots to share with him online when we I got back to Philadelphia and posted them on OPhoto. I sent him to the site by using a French translator that I found on the web.

The video the Elie sent me was outstanding. There was Elie diving with a HUGE Napoleon Wrasse, enjoying some exhilarating drift dives and seeing anemones, angel fish, lionfish, and corals that looked like masses of worms – almost all species that I have never seen in the Caribbean. It’s been more than 20 years since I have been in the Red Sea so I have to say that I really appreciated him sending me out the video.

At one point in the video a beautiful stingray is swimming and he shudders for a second. Then he continues swimming. I backed up the video and looked again. No question in my mind; this was the first time I had ever seen a stingray sneeze.

Diving is like that. I have met tons of people over the years from places that I have never visited, sometimes never even heard of, and more often than not the interdependence of buddying up with them creates friendships that other tourists rarely find.

Thank you Elie for sending me that great video. I hope that we can dive together again soon.

A Napoleon Wrasse with a diver showing perspective of these amazing and very tame fish. Elie's video showed one of these huge fellows.

Ralph Says Hello

Ralph Pistor is a co-owner of the Pro-Dive Mexico in Puerto Aventuras. He doesn't usually dive without a regulator, but he was very excited about his photo opportunity. The reel in his hand is attached to big, red, inflatable safety sausage which is used to signal his dive boat where to pick up the divers after a drift dive. Diving in Mexico is exhilarating in a number of ways. The drift dives are incredibly liberating and relaxing - they are just another great reason why Riviera Maya has become such a great up-and-coming resort destination.

I just booked a ticket down to do some whale shark photography - on snorkel - for mid-July. Am I ever excited. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean and gentle as can be. They provide incredible photo opportunities and I cannot wait to get down there.

But of course, there is a problem. Now I have to go out and buy a wide angle lens for my Olympus 5060, which has been the best underwater camera I have owned to date. Wide angle lenses are much better for in close shots of large animals and also for water with low visibility. I put it in an Olympus Housing which is good to 130 feet sea water. That's great because that's my depth limit, too.

In August, I will be back down with Pro-Dive Mexico again, hosting their underwater photo competition. Drop me an email at mbsdiver9@yahoo.com if you'd like to get details on either of these trips. I will be teaching Mind, Body and Spirit Scuba during both trips.

Mask Clearing from the rec.scuba newsgroup.

Here's a post from the rec.scuba newsgroup:

Mike,

What value can you put on avoiding a big fight, hurt feelings andsulking during your vacation? Boyfriends (and girlfriends) put a lotof pressure on the their partners when they push them towardssomething that they find uncomfortable. Their partners can feel thatpressure whether there was actual pushing or not - simply because theywant to please, impress or compete.

It can happen when you try to teach too actively, as well.

I liked talskeddy's post, but I would make sure that when you hit thepool with your GF that you do teach too actively. Instead, acceptthat she will be doing the learning - at her own pace.
If she gets frustrated or hits a wall - give her room. Only help whenshe asks.

Being able to clear a flooded mask builds confidence for snorkelers,whether or not they have to use the skill. Surface diving is also agreat confidence builder.

If you really, really want to have her teach herself mask clearing ina fool proof method. Have her follow my Mind, Body, Spirit technique for scuba and snorkel training:

1. Visualize the task at hand by breaking it down into the individualsteps involved.
2. Affirm the tasks by speaking them out loud and acting them outstanding in shallow water.
3.Place the mask and snorkel on and have her relax, floating face downon the surface, before submerging. Have her float like this on thesurface for 2-3 minutes doing deep breathing exercises.
4. Have her submerge, again in shallow water,sit on the bottom andclear the mask.

Oh yeah, don't let her tighten down the mask strap too much, it makes the mask leak.

You could also talk to your local dive shop and get her a one hourpool session or even have her take a quick snorkeling course. Theyshe'll learn mask clearing, suface diving and the buddy system. Theprice of a grumpy vacation just aint worth it.

Schultzie

www.zendiver.blogspot.com

(The original posts follow - Sorry about the formatting)

On 15 May 2005 22:40:19 -0700, "talskeddy" <david_bazeley@yahoo.com>wrote:
>resist the temptation to put the mask on too tight (it doesnt help)

>>at the pool:

>-put the mask on loosely>-underwater, press mask against face with hand (this creates negative>pressure and keeps the mask on without distortion>-practice letting in a little water by breaking the seal at the top>-practice swishing the water round to clear the glass>-practice getting rid of excess water by blowing air though nose (be>near the surface>-advanced - practice tightening your mask by inhaling though your nose>(bend your head forward to get water out of nose place and blow water>out of nostrils first)>>hope this helps>>It took me a while to figure some of this out>Do it at the pool

________

> Hello all,> apologies if this is not the right place but the snorkelling group> seemed kinda quiet.>> Me and my GF will be taking a holiday soon which will involve a bit of> snorkelling. Now the problem is that she is a bit nervous about the> whole mask leaking thing (I have just got her a well fitting mask so> that should help) and breathing underwater. I figured that going to> the local pool and playing around with taking the mask off underwater> should help (starting in shallow water and working deeper). However,> being a rock climber I have witnessed couples ending up in screaming> matches when boyfriend decided to 'teach' girlfriend climbing. I> would like to avoid this.>> So my question is do you have any tips for helping someone who is a> bit nervous about diving/snorkelling, but is otherwise perfectly> comfortable in the water?>> Cheers>> Mike

What's for Dinner? Got any Lobster? 

Too delicious to live!!!

This lobster and moray eel – photographed off of the coast of Puerto Aventuras, Mexico – are coming out of their holes in order to get a good look at me. Photographing sea animals is tough on scuba because, in order to get a good shot, you have to control your buoyancy, quiet your breathing and work quickly to make the appropriate camera settings. This lobster was shot in a moderate drift current, so I had to swim slowly up-current while taking the photograph.

It’s important to breathe right when you are shooting like this. Breaths should be long, slow and deep – like the breathing that is taught in Mind, Body and Spirit Scuba – so as to minimize the harsh sounds of bubbles to the photo subject. Fish and lobsters are notorious for popping back into their holes when divers come around. MBS Breathing relaxes them and allows for better photos.

Swimming very gently and purposefully is also important. If I had been thrashing around or kicking inefficiently, it would have spooked these guys and I would have only gotten shots of empty holes.

Both shots were taking while diving with the excellent dive operation Pro Dive Mexico at the Sunscape Puerto Aventuras Hotel in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. They have my highest recommendation as a top notch, professional dive operation and a future of home of the PADI MBS Scuba Specialty. Stay tuned to this weblog for an announcement of their first annual underwater photo contest to be held in early August, 2005.

www. prodivemex.com

Front Gate at Scuba Dive West - Galway County, Ireland

This is the front gate of Scuba Dive West in County Galway, Ireland. Note the sign that reads “Keep gate closed. Beware of Bull.” They weren’t kidding. The local cows seemed to like socializing in the area between the dive shop and the dock. It wasn’t so much the cows that you have to watch out for - it's the mess that they left behind.

The diving here is cold water diving, though not as cold as New Jersey or the Pennsylvania Quarries where I cut my teeth. The visibility is fair. I had about 20 feet of horizontal view on my dives. But the floor of the Atlantic here is what made it worth taking the trip out on the “Brazen Hussey”.

The bottom was absolutely crawling with brittlestars. There were huge conger eels and nice sized cod fish all about. The net effect of the dive was a very cozy experience where I felt the warmth and closeness of the ocean around me. The ocean had a different feel than my home oceans in the Americas; still it was very inviting and pleasant. Dives like these can remind me that you can enjoy ‘Spirit Diving’ anywhere, not just in exotic warm water locals.

Scuba West is run by the Gray family and is one of the friendliest and accommodating dive shops that I have ever visited. Their staff and facility is knowledgeable and top notch. If you are visiting Ireland, put aside a few days to experience the Atlantic from the east side.

http://www.scubadivewest.com/index.htm

A Turtle's Mexican Lunch

This turtle is one of my buddies. I was on a dive a couple of months ago in in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico and a group of eight divers and I came across this handsome fellow. He was having lunch of coral with another turtle and his buddy took off when he saw the divers swim into sight. This guy was less skittish. He let me swim up close to him, but I had to do it gently.

There was a light current so I worked into it and very gently and indirectly kicked towards him. I kind of sidled up to him with my body pointed forward, not directly at him. He was checking me out but wasn't too concerned. I made sure to keep my breathing as slow, deep and steady so that the noise of my bubbles was minimized. The turtle was pretty cool about it and let me snap about twenty photos of him before he swam off.

Approaching sea life while on scuba works best when you act like you are part of the environment. By minimizing your bubble noise, you are less scary to the animal that you are approaching. With proper buoyancy and trim you can make yourself seem like you belong in the environment, swim with less effort, and present yourself as less threatening.

I love critters - I always have. When I was a kid, the neighborhood bully used to call me "Nature Boy". This was because I enjoyed learning and reading about animals and all he liked was to throw rocks and light things of fire, including other kids. I'm not going to say that I 'm bitter, but I do hope that a scorpion stings that mean, sadistic old Denny Farrell in the crotch one day. I'd bet then he'd learn a little respect for nature.
This photo was taken while diving with Pro Dive Mexico - an excellent dive operation - located at the Sunscape Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.

Opening post from the Happy Sea Otter

Welcome from the Happy Sea Otter!

This web journal is about fun. Specifically it’s about fun in the water and mostly about fun when scuba diving and snorkeling. So much of the dive industry is about extremes; deeper dives, longer cave penetrations, more bottom time, having the most extreme equipment, and going to the most exotic sites. This site is not about that.

The Happy Sea Otter is about recreational sport diving and snorkeling for the average person. To me that means relaxation, stress reduction and play in the water. Let someone else compete to get the best possible photo of the endangered Poodle Eel by spending thousands of dollars on exotic camera equipment and remote trips if they want. I hit the water for personal enjoyment and recreation, not to try for record depths that require safety divers, recompression chambers and oxygen waiting on the surface.

It’s not that I haven’t done some of these things. I’ve done my share of deep dives and own underwater photo equipment. Competitive, technical and extreme diving is cool for those of us who don’t get enough adrenalin out of everyday life, family and career - and have enough time to train extensively for their passions. But when I go on vacation, I want to relax.

The Happy Sea Otter Site is about Zen Diving and Snorkeling. It’s about seeing and enjoying more underwater because you are doing less and doing it better. It’s about going back to land after a dive or a snorkel feeling bright and shiny inside and out, as though you have just been through a mental, physical and spiritual wash cycle.

The main topics to be discusse here, but certainly not the only topics follow:

* Skills – how to dive easy relaxed and comfortably. Finding the Zen in your relationship with the gear, water and nature.

* Gear – Topics like comfort, function and economy - and when things are overengineered and overpriced.

* Travel – Comfort, economy, quality of sea life, eco-tourism, and the basics on the surface.

It's a lot to discuss, but hopefully we will be doing it from a fresh angle that provides a better and more realistic perspective for recreational sport divers and snorkelers.

Thanks for stopping in,

Schultzie _ The Happy Sea Otter