Help! We need help at Scuba 2000!

We're looking for people with specific skills and maybe someone out there has a contact.

Illustrator - We need someone who can make line drawings for booklets. Maybe an artist or cartoonist. Even an amateur would be fine.

If you know someone who you think can do this, please call me or have them call me.

Merchandiser - We need someone who can design in-store displays. We want to have scuba displays set up and changed at regular intervals.

Anyone, diver or not, who has ability or experience in this skill would be welcome. Have them call me.

Alec

Drive n Dive!!

Another Scuba 2000 Exclusive!!

One of our most popular events and exclusive to S2K, this has been called "the best time of my life", "an absolute blast", " great day of fun and diving" and much more.

Starting with a car rally complete with mystery clues and on the road activities, the successful drivers will find a mystery dive site where we'll have even more fun diving and playing scuba games! Everyone has fun at the Drive 'N Dive - even non-divers! Bring your friends or family whether they dive or not. They'll also laugh and enjoy the antics of the drivers and the divers.

July 14 is the big day! We start at Scuba 2000 in the morning and arrive at the dive site about 1 1/2 hours later. A fun dive, games, prizes and refreshments. That's what we call a fun day!!

This is a very popular event - each car must have at least 2 people so call your dive buddies or good non-diving friends and get them ready for a day of fun.

You must register at Scuba 2000 in advance. More details will appear here soon.

Summer Dive Schedule!!


Just click here for the Training Schedule

or here for the Sport Schedule

The details about the dives will be posted next week.

The dates and details for the New Diver Open Water weekends in Tobermory are finalized and many divers are registering for their favorite date already.

You'll find the dates at http://www.scuba2000.com/travel.htm .

The registration form is at http://www.scuba2000.com/pdf_forms/open_water_new.pdf .

Don't delay! The early weekends and the most popular weekends fill very quickly. The long weekend Advanced Diver dates also are very limited and there's always some disappointed divers.

Sherwood Scuba's newest BC provides a hybrid design offering maximum utility and convenience. The new Shadow air cell gives you the added lift and freedom of a back mount BC, as well as the surface stability of a jacket style without the added bulk. The cleverly designed side pockets expand for extra storage. The Shadow is certain to be a favorite of Instructors and divers everywhere. Available now!

Large Air Cell provides significant lift capacity (32-46 lbs.)
Four pre-bent stainless steel D-rings at the shoulders and waist streamlined accessory attachment options
Newly designed CQR-3 Weight Release System for easy insertion and removal of weights
Two expandable zippered pockets
Padded neoprene neckline for added comfort
Plush interior lining
Two non-releasing and hydrodynamic trim weight pockets
Removable and adjustable sternum strap
AKONA Pro Kit Ready

'Scuba 2000 enjoys an enviable and unequalled reputation for excellence in training divers - and we make it fun too! People come from miles around to take part in our famous weekend scuba program and every week we publish their names here for them to see and also as proof of our active and deep involvement in the training of scuba divers.

New divers, Advanced divers, Leaders and dozens of different Specialty divers appear here week after week. If you or someone you know is thinking of trying scuba diving or wants to go further in the sport, suggest they call Scuba 2000. We have the most courses, taught the most often and by the best Scuba Instructional Staff. They will receive the best scuba training possible, with no hassle, and they'll have fun - we guarantee it!!'

Hollywood Squares started in 1966 and is still running.
Today most of the questions and even the answers are scripted (and dull) but there was a time when wit was the name of the game...

Q. When you pat a dog on the head he will wag his tail? What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not! I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. If you were pregnant for two years what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. Which of your senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. When a couple has a baby, who's responsible for his sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car - the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and that he has actually seen them on two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

GREAT DIVE TRIPS

Click here for PDF

Here's a real relic and a very interesting item too. This is another of my many homemade scuba units but with a twist. This guy made a set of triples. Using the easy to find and cheap USAF compressed air tanks, he made a back pack from a standard issue GI rucksack frame and mounted 3 of the tanks on it. He was very ingenious with the plumbing though and I really mean plumbing. He used standard brass fitting and regular flexible copper plumbers tubing to join them all together. It seems to have worked but I'm not sure if I'd want it on my back. Note two more pretty scary things. The middle tank is much older and he had to use a bushing in the neck to make the valve fit. This was actually fairly standard practice back in the 50's but he went one step further and it's a giant leap. In order to connect the tubes from the outside tanks to the middle single valve he put a tee fitting into the hole left when he removed the safety burst disk. Think about it!! Happy diving from 50 years ago.

Dive Travel - by Laurie Kennedy MSDT and World Diver
WATER TEMPERATURE / EXPOSURE WEAR
I have traveled to a variety of places around the world and each time I learn something new about land temperature versus water temperature. When traveling, do not assume because you are in a warmer climate and the land temperature is +30C that all you will need is a 3 mm wet suit. Diving here in Canada in the summer is certainly an example of this! Make sure you research the water temperature at the destination and time of year you will be traveling. The depths of your dives and thermo will also be a factor. If you can, talk with someone who has been there before or a local dive operation to find out what type of exposure wear is appropriate. Also, to be on the safe side, even if you dive using a 3 mm wet suite, it is always a good idea to bring along a hood or cap. My hood has certainly kept me warmer, longer on several occasions .... especially night diving!!

Skills and Safety - by Diana Stanborough PADI Master Instructor
Dive Site Evaluation
When you arrive at long last at the dive site, how do you determine if it's a good idea to go ahead and dive or not?
Probably the best and easiest way is to ask the member of your group who's been there before. You did bring someone who'd dived there previously right? Well no wonder it took so long to find the site. Now you'll have to do a dive site evaluation. Look first of all for appropriate entry and exit points that are safe (not too steep or slippery) and close to your vehicle. Check to be sure you can enter and exit without using private property or try to get permission. Next determine whether the water conditions are OK for diving. Are the waves high; is the wind increasing or steady; does the sky look threatening; is the water reasonably clear? Hopefully you have some idea of the water depth and the slope of the shore. Are you looking for a wreck and know where it is or are you just exploring? As you discuss and examine each of these factors you'll begin to get an idea of whether the whole idea is good. Make your final safety check, be sure you and your buddy have a solid dive plan and have fun.

Instruction - by Jason Houle PADI Master Instructor/IDC Staff Instructor
Tobermory Frequent traveler Stress / Time Saver
One of the items I don’t unpack from the weekend before is my toiletry kit. I have assembled a kit specifically for traveling or over night trips. It’s perfect because it eliminates forgetting things like contact solution or necessary medications. The other advantage to having a specific toiletry kit is space. You can make your kit very small and easy to pack. Here are some ideas / tips to make you kit compact and inexpensive.
Toothpaste: buy a travel size tube of toothpaste (available at most drug stores in a special section) or take the half empty (or half full) tube from your bathroom and use that for the kit.
Toothbrush: treat yourself to a new toothbrush and put the old one in this kit
Hair Care: buy some travel size containers of shampoo and conditioner (available in the travel section of most drug stores). Or buy small refillable containers. They allow you to add you regular shampoo and conditioner (available at Outdoor Stores like Le Barons or MEC, a leak proof version is available by Nalgene). Or use S/C in the hotel room (the quality can be questionable but … it does work)
Soap: The best type of soap is liquid soap (or body wash). It can be messy to have a wet bar of soap in your travel kit. OR buy an additional re-fillable container. Remember that the size can be small because you will only need soap for 2-3 showers.
Misc.: Don’t bother with fancy make up or scented oils (men or women) you will be diving and the fish don’t care. Besides it’s dark at the campfire.

Equipment - by Alec Peirce
A common equipment myth that we often hear in the Pro Shop has to do with the BC integrated Safe Second. These are the devices that serve as a combined octopus and BC inflator. They are offered by several companies and have been available for over 15 years. Touted as the answer to too many hoses, some divers buy them without thinking through the disadvantages that can result. First is the problem of buddy awareness. The standard octopus set-up is exactly that -the standard. It is clearly understood and easy to use by all divers. It's what all divers are trained to use in an out-of-air emergency. While you can explain your unique safe second to your new buddy, he'll not have the benefit of practicing it's deployment and that may prove to be a problem.
The less obvious but more serious disadvantage is that, in an out-of-air situation, you (the air donor) will need to be actively involved in the emergency since the BC octopus is too short for the OOA diver to use. You will need to give him your mouthpiece and then find and breath from your BC mounted mouthpiece. Assuming you're willing and able to accomplish that juggling act, now you'll find that you cannot easily dump air from your BC while you make your ascent - your BC dump valve is in your mouth! It seems to me that paying a lot of extra money ($300 +) for this device to get rid of one hose is actually buying a lot of aggravation. And the BC low pressure hose is not even a nuisance! Why don't they get rid of the hose to the second stage?

Diving New England @ Easter 2013

While visiting relatives in Quebec it occurred to us that the Atlantic coast was only a few hours away. We dove in Maine in late December 2012; and it was fantastic. The marine life is spectacular. We decided to go back and explore more sites in New England at Easter this year.

We drove through the majestic mountain scenery of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, arriving at our first dive site in York, Maine. Nubble Light is the most photographed lighthouse in the US and it’s also a fantastic shore dive site. As we neared the site, there were about 20 die-hard surfers practicing their art in full 7mm wetsuits. It was a beautiful sunny and calm day!

We had planned our arrival and entry to coincide with the high tide crest. We suited up, did our gear and buddy checks and headed for the azure waters of the North Atlantic. Everything was perfect; this was going to be a great dive!

Just as I was about stick my head underwater my regulator stopped working. Did I forget to turn the air on? I tried my octopus and it worked fine. I started to walk out of the water, with my wife giving me quizzical looks. I took my gear off and rechecked the reg. Nope! It wasn’t working.

Looking at the blue calm waters of the Atlantic I suddenly realized that our vacation was over. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Scuba 2000 and blurted out the story. “I’m in Maine, it’s beautiful day but my regulator doesn’t work! Our vacation is ruined!”

Alec calmly asked me to give him my exact location, which I did. “Let me call you back in 10 minutes”, he said. After about 8 minutes Alec called back and breathed life back into our trip plan. He gave me the name of a guy who has a dive shop just 25 minutes away from my location. I called the shop and to my surprise the voice said, “You must be the fellow with the regulator problem. I know all about it. I can fix you up and you’ll still get a dive in today. C’mon over.” Wow. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

We put the gear back in the truck and drove to the shop. Don Stevens greeted us at the door of Atlantic Aquasport in Rye, New Hampshire. Don pulled my reg apart and said, “ Here’s the problem.” He opened up a repair kit, replaced some parts, put it back together, checked it and handed it back to me. “Does your wife have the same type of reg?” I nodded yes. “Well, let’s do the maintenance on hers as well, just to be sure” he said. After both regs were fixed up and tested, I looked at my watch. It was only 2 hours past high tide.

I pulled out my wallet and before I could open my mouth Don said “No, I don’t charge for Scubapro service parts. Never have and Never will” Chantale and I started grabbing T-shirts and zipper wax and anything else we could reasonably buy because this guy had just saved our dive and our dive trip and he wouldn’t even accept payment for it!

We stayed at the shop for a while and Don showed us around. He has a sizable collection of Sea Hunt memorabilia. He has an indoor pool for training. He often teaches one-on-one, and he also trains the local public safety divers. After thanking Don again, we drove back to Nubble Light and made a dive at low tide.

Needless to say, Don Stevens and Alec have earned another lifelong customer. Without their help, we would have had terrible trip. In the end we got in some great dives, the topside scenery was great, and we made some new friends. We continued on and dove in Rhode Island and we had a great trip. Bonaire & Belize will have to wait, because we’re going back to explore more dive sites in New England!

By: Norm & Chantale Cerny

Scuba 2000 Enters the "Space Race"!

Over the years, Scuba 2000 has worked with dozens of organizations to help them in their endeavors.
Some were government and institutional while many were private business.

Recently, Alec was asked to help the Microsatellite Science and Technology Center in their design of a new space environment test facility.

You may not have heard of this organization but suffice to say that they are responsible for hundreds of the various satellites currently circling Earth.
Many different countries seek the services of the Center to design, manufacture and test satellites for them.
These satellites have many purposes - communications, surveillance, weather, etc.
The Center has built a solid reputation worldwide for their excellence and the proof is in the numbers and success of their satellites and in the popularity of their work.

The center is technically called the UTIAS (University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies) Space Flight Laboratory.

Both Alec and Diana had an amazing and informative tour of the satellite Center.
Here's a picture of Alec from Scuba 2000 with the special adapter he built for the center.
Unfortunately, photographs are forbidden inside the facility.

Also attached is a letter of appreciation to Alec and Scuba 2000 from the manager of the Facility

Lifetime Warrantee & Free Parts For Life programs modified

Both Sherwood and Scubapro, the 2 largest and oldest names in the scuba gear industry, have made modifications to their warrantee policy.

Modifications may be a strong word since all they have done is serve notice that customers MUST follow the requirements of the warrantee or the warrantee will not be honored.

Specifically, both companies have stated that, as is clear in the warrantee documents, the scuba gear must be registered at the time of purchase.

This is easily done on-line but many customers, despite our own best efforts to urge them to do so, have not registered.

In future, gear that has not been registered is NOT warranted!

Both companies are allowing late registrations but even that may soon be ended.

Likewise, as required by the warrantee documentation, the owner must have the gear serviced regularly by an authorized dealer and must keep a record of the service.

Sherwood requires bi-annual service (every 2 years). Scubapro has required annual service until now but recently changed to bi-annual as well.

Note that you will be charged for all parts used if the companies do not have your record of registration and your service records on file.

Also bear in mind that the service must have been performed by an authorized dealer. This requirement is partially for your safety (proper parts, tools & training) and partly for liability reasons.
In both cases, you the diver benefit.

This is no small matter.
At one time the service kits cost between $10 and $25 but now they can be $60 or $70 - for each stage! It can amount to an extra $150 in parts alone to service your regulator!!

The lesson here?

1. Sherwood and/or Scubapro are the brands to consider when purchasing scuba gear. They have the best equipment & the best warranties.

2. Scuba 2000 is authorized to service both of these top brands.

3. Scuba 2000 keeps your purchase and service records for you. You still need to register the gear but we have the receipts.

Scuba 2000 does NOT control the weather but, we report it ........

Below is a picture of the live weather report with Anwar in the Scuba 2000 pool, the cameraman and sound man in place and all under the direction of Sarah the producer.

Watch this short clip of well-known CTV weather reporter Annar Knight reporting the weather from the bottom of the Scuba 2000 scuba pool. Pretty neat stuff with the 6 Day Forecast presented on a diver's slate!!

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more/anwar-s-corner

Look for Scuba on the right side of the page.