Document 6517608

Volume 3, Issue 1
February 2009
Annual Service—What is it?
From birth divers are taught that they should get their scuba gear serviced annually. Unless you
have taken the Equipment Specialty you may not have any idea of what annual service really is.
First, of course, we give your equipment a work order so that we can keep track of it and what
had been done to it. Then we check our inventory to make sure that
we have a service kit for your first stage, both second stages and your
low power inflator. As you can see in the photo, we have an enormous inventory of service kits, but occasionally we have to order a
kit or part.
Next each stage is completely dismantled often using specialty tools
which are specific not only to certain brands but to certain models.
This requires us to have a significant range of tools on hand. Every
piece of each stage is then cleaned using special cleaners and sonic
equipment. After rinsing and drying we rebuild each stage using new
parts from the manufacturers kits (various o-rings, springs, filters, etc).
Now the stages are put on a Flow Bench so that we can
accurately adjust the internal pressures to manufacturer’s
specifications, the regulator is pressurized underwater to check for leaks and finally computer / depth gauges are tested in a pressure pot for accurate depth reading etc. This all takes four to six hours.
We B Tr i p p i n ’
PALAU
It is Friday January 2 and we are all at the Continental gate dancing around with excitement. We are on our way to the number one dive location in the world (according
to the dive magazines). Not too long after leaving Hawaii we cross the international
date line and add a day to our age in an instant. WOW, that was fun. Saturday we
arrive in Koror late at night. Sunday we toured around Koror checking out the sights
and the people. Of course, there are a lot of Japanese tourists as they are luckier than
Continued top page 2
us and live much closer to this paradise.
Inside this Issue
Palau continued
2
Creature Feature
2
Specialty of the Month
2
Education Honor Roll
3
What’s Happenin’
3
Word from our Sponsors
4
New Product
4
Training Specials
5
Travel
5
Introducing
6
Page 2
Palau,
(continued from page 1)
Sunday evening the Aggressor staff
picked us up and transported us to
the boat. You could feel the electricity in the air…..TOMORROW we
will be diving in the waters of Palau!
Monday we are all up early getting
ready to dive. The sites are WWII
wrecks. The Helmut and the Chuyu
Maru, Japanese ships sunk during
the war 60 years ago. These
wrecks were totally encrusted with
soft corals and inhabited by scores
of marine life. Everywhere you saw
evidence of the unplanned sinking,
sake bottles, morphine bottles, live
ammunition, boots, gas masks.
Saying that it was eerie is an under-
statement as is saying that it was
beautiful.
There is no way that I can talk
about all the wonderful sites and
visions. To highlight a few, German
Channel features a manta cleaning
station where we saw several large
mantas; Saies Tunnel abounded in
cleaning stations where we saw
groupers of all sizes, sharks, parrots, well everything getting
cleaned; Ulong Channel sported
huge groupers (easily 100+
pounds) and a bait ball that was
probably a 100 feet across whipping around us with sharks feeding
in and around the ball; and on the
last day, we dove Chandelier
Caves. I have to tell you that I am
not personally a fan of overhead
environments, but this was an
amazing experience. The water
was crystal clear, stalactites hung
from the ceiling, not a bit of natural
light, no life of any kind. There
were three areas where we could
surface and chat during the dive.
Now it is Sunday and time to start
home again. Our flight out of Koror
is at 2:30am on Monday dropping
us back at DFW 10am Monday
(remember we lost that day coming
home). All we could talk about was
where we are going next!
Creature Feature
From Last Edition:
Juvenile Three Spot Damselfish
The adult Three Spot Damselfish is
pictured below on right. It is many
times confused with the Dusky
Damselfish. To distinguish the
Three Spot look for a golden crest
above the eye in addition to the
three spots. Also, you will notice
that the Dusky Damselfish has
rounded dorsal and anal fins while
the Three Spot is a bit more
pointed.
Hint: Think outside the Caribbean
box. This photo is from the Palau
Trip.
Sp e c i a l t y o f t h e M o n t h
February: Boat Diver
March: Drift Diver
April: Digital UW Photo
Whether you’ve never made a boat
dive or you’ve logged dozens, the
PADI Boat Diver Specialty course
can benefit almost every diver because different boats in different
parts of the world do things differently.
This course introduces you to the
coolest magic carpet ride you’ll ever
experience. It shows you how to
enjoy rivers and ocean currents by
“going with the flow,” staying with
your dive partner, communicating
with the dive boat and knowing
where you are the whole time.
This is one of the most popular
diving specialties, and the rise of
digital uw photography has made
it easier & more fun. This course
gets you going quickly with today’s modern digital equipment,
whether you use a point-&-shoot
camera or a D-SLR.
Page 3
Volume 3, Issue 1
Education Honor Roll for 2009
Specialties
Computer Diver
Coral Reef Conservation
Scotty Ford, February
Dennis Shirley, February
Nick Dyer, January
Scotty Ford, January
Project AWARE
Nick Dyer, January
Enriched Air
Scotty Ford, February
Dennis Shirley, February
What’s Happenin’ at We B Divin’
Guess what. Dry Suit Rentals are now available at We B Divin’. Wonder what it’s like to dive a dry suit?
We are going to have a seminar on Saturday March 7. Please RSVP if you would like to participate. You will get a
chance to get in the pool and have an orientation to dry suit diving. Our rentals are the new White’s Fusion dry suit
featured on page 4. Remember 007 coming out of the ocean, stripping away his dry suit and walking off in his perfectly dry unwrinkled tuxedo? That could be you!
Looking for an opportunity to make more money? February 22 you could become an Emergency First Aid Instructor. It is an eight hour course and gives you the ability to market this product to the public. You might even be
able to teach it at your full time job — you know, make yourself more valuable to your current employer. Another
option is becoming a scuba instructor. We have an IDC beginning on February 14. This would give you the opportunity to make extra money or to change your life entirely, move to the Caribbean or to a live aboard anywhere in
the world and make a living teaching diving. Imagine diving almost every day!
Have you taken all the DAN courses and want more? We now have available Dive Medicine for Divers Level
I. When you want to know more than just basic first aid techniques, this is your next step. Ultimately, more knowledge and a better understanding of how our bodies react to the pressures and stresses of diving lead to safer divers
as we understand our limitations and the limitations of the situation. The course includes a selection of new skills
and practical applications. The three modules are basic examinations, fitness to dive and safety planning.
Other valuable DAN courses include Oxygen First Aid, Advanced Oxygen First Aid, First Aid for Hazardous Marine
Life Injuries, Automated External Defibrillators, Basic Life Support, Remote Emergency Medical Oxygen, and OnSite Neurological Assessment. Sign up for those that interest you March 5, 19, April 02, 16.
Page 4
A Wo r d f r o m O u r S p o n s o r s
Aqualung
Dive the Best for Less Promotion
Receive an instant rebate of $100
on the purchase of a Legend LX,
Legend LX Supreme, Legend, or
Legend Supreme among others.
tures like Aqua Lung’s auto-closure
device (ACD), is actually lighter
weight, making it travel friendly. The
ease of breathing is rated superior
on the ANSTI breathing machine.
All this, along with an attractive midrange price, makes the Titan LX a
sure value.
Receive an instant rebate of $50 on
the purchase of a Titan LX, Titan LX
Supreme, Titan or Mikron among
others.
Offer valid through 08/31/09 at participating
US and Caribbean dealers only.
Updated Product
This beautifully redesigned Titan LX,
while picking up exciting new fea-
New Product
White’s Drysuit : Fusion
Thermal Layer: Choose your underwear to match the temperature.
Dry Core: Internal bladder made with
tough, proven military 200 denier BiLam
material. Attached dry socks for easy entry
and increased comfort. This is the layer that
keeps you dry!
External Skin: Protective & durable
stretch fabric skin for streamlining and abrasion resistance. Removable & replaceable
from Dry CORE via Velcro fasteners.
High Mobility:
No other dry suit in the
world can match the mobility of the Fusion
providing unrestricted movement in your
arms, legs and torso.
Streamlined: Outer Stretch Skin provides
a streamlined outer surface to the suit with
minimal drag. No loose fabric wrinkles or
double entry tunnels to provide resistance and
slow you down as your swim.
Buoyancy Control: Outer Stretch Skin
places an even external pressure over the
inner surface of the DryCORE making buoyancy control a snap. Providing the exhaust
valve is set correctly, the
external pressure will assist
the diver maintaining the
perfect amount of air volume
within the suit.
Less Weight: Less air in
the suit requires 10% less
weight in your belt!
Warmer: The constant
pressure of the outer Stretch
Skin regulates the air layer
within the DryCORE eliminating hot/cold spots and reducing your body energy output.
Divers Alert Network
Membership
DAN is the only organization I am
aware of that is actively pursuing
medical dive research. They
provide assistance to all divers
(regardless of membership status)
through 800 phone numbers and
will accept collect calls from
anywhere in the world. This alone
is worth our support with membership fees of $29 per year. The included subscription to Alert Diver is
just a bonus.
not only medical coverage for a
dive accident but extra transportation, extra accommodation, lost
diving equipment and much more.
Dive Insurance
I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to have this coverage.
Check the details from our web site
by clicking here
DAN Dive Insurance
This is the best option for Medical
Dive Accident Coverage that I have
reviewed. There are three plans
from $25 to $70 per year covering
Page 5
Volume 3, Issue 1
Tr i ps f o r 2 0 0 9
Cozumel
May 29-01
July 10-13
Aug 14-17
Diver $832
Non Diver $692
Staying at Hotel Cozumel with an
all-inclusive package this time.
The trip price also includes round
trip airfare, transportation to and
from the airport, 2 dives on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Most trips
the group opts to add dives so
many times we do 3 dives on Friday, 3 or 4 dives on Saturday and
the 2 dives on Sunday.
St. Lucia
St Croix
September 12-19 $1665Dvr, $1305NDvr
December 5-12
Seven nights in an ocean view
room, airport transfers, all taxes and
services. Basket of local fruit,
breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and non-alcoholic beverages
provided. Sailing, windsurfing,
snorkeling, tennis, beach chairs and
towels available... AND 12 boat
dives, 2 night dives, unlimited nitrox
Nekton Live aboard
$1665+ air
Nitrox available with up to five
dives per day. If you have never
taken a dive vacation on a live
aboard you have not lived! Make
this your first one.
Tr a i n i n g Sp e c i a l s
Learn to Dive Package
Master Scuba Diver Pkg WBD Season Pass
A whale of a deal, tell your friends.
Group Class Tuition, Student
Materials, Personal Gear (Mask,
Snorkel, Fins, Boots, Bag) chosen
from a wide variety of options, and
a shorty wet suit. Upgrades are
available should you desire.
$695 total package.
Pick any five specialties from the
list of 34 offered by We B Divin’.
Let us know what schedule is
convenient for you. Before you
know it, you will qualify for MSD.
Don’t forget you need to be Rescue
Certified and have 50 dives.
(Books extra.) $425
Take any or all of the 38 PADI/DAN
specialties offered at We B Divin’ in
a 12 month period. Study materials
purchased separately. Get your
PADI Master Scuba Diver and your
DAN Diving Emergency Specialist.
$699 — Unbelievable!
Divers Alert Network
DAN Travel Insurance
use this product we are supporting
DAN which is always a plus.
This is Dan’s newest product. I
am sure that I have not reviewed
every Trip Cancellation and Interruption policy available out there
on the market, but this one is very
competitive in benefits as well as
cost. Also, of course, when we
Travel insurance is good for those
who want to plan a trip but have
pending concerns like the health
of a loved one. It is very valuable
when planning a BIG trip like Galapagos. Many times trips like this
must be planned far in the future
and we simply cannot know what
life will put on our plate in the interim. So this type of insurance
protects us from a total loss.
Check the details from our web
site by clicking here
DAN Dive Insurance
8451 Boulevard 26
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817-605-8833, voice and fax
We B Divin' is your personal resource for scuba training
(PADI), equipment sales, service, and travel.
E-mail: [email protected]
We pride ourselves on individualized training, especially for
people with water related anxieties. Our rental gear includes
SeaQuest weight integrated BCD's (women's and men's),
computers, and regulators for state of the art training and the
ultimate in safety.
Think Outside the Bowl!
There is so
much to
learn, so
many
places to
dive and so
much to
see.
Remember, enjoyment and safety are enhanced by comfort
and proper fit. We will personally fit you, whether your primary
interest is diving or snorkeling.
We offer both group and individual travel opportunities. Both
singles and couples are welcome. Singles may ask to room
share or can choose the single supplement option. Everyone
is welcome - divers, snorkelers, non-divers, shoppers, etc.
AND SO
LITTLE TIME!
Introducing
A Euless police dispatcher who helped police find a
mentally ill woman lying in a field is Telecommunicator
of the Year.
EULESS -- Euless dispatcher Mary Sanchez expects an
emergency on every telephone call.
On the night of April 22, Sanchez, 43, of Fort Worth, got
a particularly alarming one.
Area police were investigating the possible kidnapping
of a North Richland Hills woman after her husband
called to report her missing. Minutes later, the woman’s
friend reported getting a cell phone call from the woman,
who said she was in Euless and in trouble.
Mary is a Divemaster and EFR Instructor at We B Divin’
and we are very proud of her.