February - International Scuba

International Scuba
G E T T I N G
Y O U
T H E R E …
S T A R T S
H E R E !
Volume 7, Issue 2
Spring is Almost Here!
Hey Divers,
Spring and warm weather is almost
here! This is great news for all
divers. It’s also great because
spring break and summer vacation
are just around the corner and that
means kids at home! Not really
ready for that? Get the kids involved in S.C.U.B.A..
S.C.U.B.A. is one of the greatest
sports that a family can share. It
amazes me how often we see teenagers who actually enjoy family
vacations when they dive with their
parents. We have Scuba camps
this summer for Junior Open Water
Divers (10—14) and SEAL Teams
starting for 8—10+ year olds.
February 2008
Spring is also the time to be planning
that dive next dive trip. We are going to Belize in April, BVI and the Dry
Tortugas in May, and Bonaire in June,
not to mention the Flower Gardens
several times and so much more.
Check out our travel section on the
web site. If we don’t have a trip that
suits your needs, give us a call and
let’s see if we can put one together
that will be the perfect dive vacation
for you.
want time to test everything before
heading off on your exotic getaway.
With another dive season almost here,
it is also time to have your gear serviced or get that new computer or
regulator set you’ve been wanting.
Don’t wait till the last minute! After
service or a gear change, you will
If your gear is ready, your trips are
booked and the kids are gone, then
just drop by and talk diving with us!
While you’re getting gear serviced,
ask yourself how long it’s been since
you’ve been in the water. If you’re a
little rusty, now is the perfect time for
a Scuba Tune Up. We offer Tune Ups
every Wednesday night. If that is not
convenient, give Rich or me a call and
we will try to work out a schedule that
better fits your needs.
Dive often, dive safe, have fun
~ Anthony
Specialty of the Month— Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)
Bootie Scootin’
Wow, can you feel the excitement in
the air!!! As I write this, we’ve just had
a few days of warm weather, we have
a bunch of excited people that just
came home from Carnival in Cozumel
and The Aggressor live aboard in Turks
and Caicos, and even more people
getting excited about trips to Akumal,
Flower Gardens, and the Dry Tortugas.
As I look at the calendar I see one of
my favorite specialties coming up in
March, DPV. What more can a humble
diver ask for.
Some of you may be asking, “What is
a DPV?” It’s actually short for Diver
Propulsion Vehicle. We tend just to call
it a scooter. A scooter allows you to
explore larger areas with less effort.
It’s a battery operated device that has
a propeller on it. Now it does the work
of making you go. They come in all
shapes and sizes. I’ve seen some as
small as 20 inches long, some as large
as 6 feet. All of them have the basics
of a battery, a motor, and a propeller. The battery and motor are
sealed to stay dry.
Like all new things, there are safety
things to keep in mind. It’s very easy
to go up or down too fast (remember
you still need to follow safe diving
practices, ascend no faster than 60
feet a minute, slower is better). Also
what happens if the batter runs out,
your fins get to do the work, so make
sure you don’t get too far away
from a good exit, especially if you
and your buddy are sharing a
scooter.
With the DPV specialty we not only
show you how to deal with the
scooter. How to use it, care and
feeding instructions, and the safety
guidelines you should follow. It has a
couple knowledge reviews and 2
dives to complete. Not a bad way
to spend a day. We can do it all at
the open water site.
More and more places seem to be
offering DPV’s for rent. Dive BVI has
them. Some of the Aggressor live aboards have them (ask Patti how
much fun her group had with them on
the Turks Aggressor). It seems the
more I look at ad’s for dive destination, the more I see availability of
DPV’s.
If you want your own, we can help
with that as well. We have access to
a number of DPV’s of all shapes
and sizes.
If you sign up for the DPV course in
the month of March and you are a
PADI Diving Society member, you
get a gift. Also don’t forget to sign
up for the Boat Diver specialty in
February for your gift from the
PADI Diving Society. No you don’t
have to take the specialty in the
Month, just sign up for it.
Happy diving and happy scootering (is that a word?)
Brian
Class Schedules & Trips—
at a glance:
WEEKEND:
FEB 16-17 TBD
MAR 1-2 TBD
MAR 15-16
MAR 29-30
WHERE TO:
MAR 1-6 AKUMAL
MAR 15-16 FLOWER GARDENS
APR BELIZE
MAY 24-31 BVI
MAY 24-28 DRY TORTUGAS—
SPREE
JUNE 13-21 BONAIRE
JUN 23-25 FLOWER GARDENS
JUN 30-JUL 1 FLOWER GARDENS
MUCH MUCH MORE!!!!!!!
FEB 19-26 2010—PALAU
Inside this issue:
Specialty of the Month
1
Our Stars
2
Milestones
2
Meet the Team
3
Winter Diving
4
Seal Team
5
CD Corner—New Ways to Learn 6
Creature Feature—Butterfly Fish 6
Volume 7, Issue 2
International Scuba
Our World of Divers Continues to Grow
Open Water (White Belt)
Jonathan Sims
Enriched Air
Brad Gadt
Jeff Strong
Maeve Strong
Ruth Bernhart
Fred Bernhart
Jason Thomas
Serena Thomas
Ken Terrill
Kerry Plowman
Yanni Korakiantis
Deep
Diana McKeever
Deleena Black
Night
Deleena Black
Boat
Devin Rose
Matt Rose
Pat Ivie
David Ivie
Brian Brewer
Diana McKeever
Brad Gadt
David Ivie
Brian Brewer
Diana McKeever
DPV
David Ciszewski
Brad Gadt
Deleena Black
Fish ID
Brian Brewer
Deleena Black
EFR Instructor
Anthony Griffith
Bonnie Jones
Paul Gilmore
Assistant Instructor
Becky Arnold
Anthony Griffith
Project AWARE
Deleena Black
Coral Reef
Deleena Black
National Geographic
Deleena Black
Multi-level
Deleena Black
Digital Photo
Deleena Black
U/W Naturalist
Deleena Black
Master Scuba Diver
Lance Thomas
Drift
Devin Rose
Matt Rose
Pat Ivie
Milestones—number of dives recognition
Don’t forget to email us your milestones—remember you are working hard!
10 Dives
Tressa Marbach
20 Dives
25 Dives
50 Dives
Deleena Black
100 Dives
Brenda Eriksen
John Eriksen
150 Dives
200 Dives
250 Dives
300 Dives
350 Dives
400 Dives
500 Dives
600 Dives
700 Dives
Page 2
Volume 7, Issue 2
Meet our Team— Anthony and Muffin
Here’s your chance to get to know them a bit
better.
Anthony Griffith—Assistant Instructor
How did you get
started diving? Like
most people my age,
I watched “Sea Hunt”
as a child. It made
want to see the underwater world.
While I was stationed
at Key West in the
Navy, I did a lot of
snorkeling and made
my first dive on
S.C.U.B.A.
For years after that, though, the desire was
stifled by marriage and family responsibilities.
What brought you to International Scuba? I was
semi-retired and working some from home,
when I needed a part to repair an old Micra
adjustable I own. When I came in to order
the part, I was impressed by the attitude and
professionalism displayed by Patti and Rich.
A few days later, I sent an e-mail asking to
be considered for a part time position if they
had one. The next thing I knew, I was working
full time again. (Debbie is very appreciative.)
Number of years diving? I think I should proba-
Muffin—Scuba Dog
How did you get
started diving?
I don’t dive per
se’, but I did attend 52 open
water classes last
year alone. I
have participated
in numerous enriched air specialty classes in
addition to 1 technical diving class and several instructor development courses. My favorite certification is emergency first response. I often serve as an injured victim
during classes. Not to brag, but I invented the
technique of the “hind-lick” maneuver.
<<WOOF>>
Number of years diving? I have spent two
years in the scuba business as full time employee of International Scuba. How many
dives? Zero. (I don’t like smelling like a wet
dog.)
What brought you to International Scuba? I ride
shotgun in my dad’s scuba wagon on the way
to work every morning.
Tell us something about yourself that your diving
friends would be surprised to learn. Some of my
best friends are cats.
bly disregard the first dive in 1969, so I have
been diving officially since February 2004.
Number of years as professional? October of
this year will make one whole year. How many
dives? 117 so far.
If you could leave tomorrow to live in the islands
where would it be? I’ve always wanted to go
Tell us something about yourself that your diving
What is your oddest diving experience? Unplanned
friends would be surprised to learn . I carve
wooden figures and boxes when I have time.
If you could leave tomorrow to live in the islands
where would it be? Probably not an island, but
Baja California. But, the world is a big place,
so ask me again in a few years.
What is your oddest divI reing experience?
cently dove in a duck
pond to rescue a new
Mercedes. That was
fairly strange.
What is the one tip you
would like to share with a
new diver? DIVE, then
DIVE some more. DIVE
every chance you get.
It doesn’t have to be
an exotic place, just get your head under
water and DIVE!
If I were reincarnated as a fish, what kind of fish
would I be? I would like to be an octopus. I
to Alaska to be a lead dog in the Iditarod
dog sled race.
Specialty of the Month Schedule
dive into the toilet bowl when intentions were
simply to quench my thirst.
Jan
Feb
Enriched Air Diver
Boat Diver
What is the one tip you would like to share with a
new diver? Don’t forget to bring your pet a
Mar
Diver Propulsion Vehicle
treat back from your dive trips! Its tough for
us when your gone a whole week at a time.
Apr
Digital U/W Photography
If you were to come back as a fish in your next life
what kind of fish would you be? A Wolf Eel –
May
Dry Suit Diver
naturally. <<ARF ARF>>
Jun
July
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Deep Diver
Aug
Wreck Diver
Sep
National Geographic
Diver
Oct
Night Diver
Nov
Underwater Navigator
Dec
Search and Recovery
have no idea why, but these creatures fascinate me.
Page 3
Volume 7, Issue 2
Calling all SEAL TEAM MEMBERS
Page 4
Volume 7, Issue 2
Lionfish Research Program
Many of you have heard about the Lionfish
sightings in the Caribbean and East Coast.
They seem to be getting more and more
prevalent. Although its exciting for us to see
the exotic species without having to travel
half way around the world, they are causing
some problem. This is an excerpt from Reef
about the lionfish and what you can do to
help out.
Happy Diving,
Brian
♦
♦
Relatively resistant to parasites, giving
them another advantage over native
species
on current lionfish research as well as daily
diving opportunities.
Fast in their growth, able to outgrow
native species with whom they compete
for food and space.
* If you are conducting a REEF survey and
encounter a lionfish (or any non-native species), please report the species as a write in
species on the back of the REEF scansheet.
Whenever possible, please include an extra
sheet of paper with extended details about
habitat the fish was in, behaviors noted, other
species it was hanging out with, and approximate size. Also indicate if you have photo/
video of the fish. Please also report your
sighting through our exotic species online
reporting form.
Non-native marine fishes can pose a major
threat to marine fisheries, habitats and ecosystem function. Increased reports of nonnative species and the successful invasion of
lionfish in Atlantic waters have proven the
need for early warning and rapid response
to confirmed sightings. The Reef Environmental
Education Foundation (REEF), has been working with Federal, State and local partners as
well as divers and dive operators, public
aquaria and foreign fisheries departments to
enact rapid response documentation and
removals and assist with scientific investigations related to non-native marine species.
How can you help?
* If you see a lionfish when you are not surveying, please use our Exotic Species Sighting
Form to submit your information.
What is REEF doing about it?
Since 1994, REEF has maintained an on-line
educational section on non-native species as
Indo-pacific Red Lionfish Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have been documented along the entire
US East Coast from Florida through Massachusetts, east to Bermuda and south throughout the Bahamas and in other Caribbean
nations such as Turks and Caicos and Cuba.
The expansion has been extremely rapid and
exponential in scope.
What's The Problem?
Lionfish are:
♦
Voracious predators being shown to eat
native fish and crustaceans in large
quantities. (Juvenile Nassau grouper
have been found in lionfish stomachs in
the Bahamas)
♦
Not known to have any native predators
♦
Equipped with venomous dorsal, ventral
and anal spines, which deter predators
and can cause painful wounds in humans.
♦
Capable of reproducing year-round with
unique reproduction mechanisms not
commonly found in native fish.
well as an on-line Exotic Species Reporting
page. Divers are encouraged to submit any
sightings of non-native species via this sightings reporting form. Beginning in January of
2007, REEF has partnered with local dive
operators to help document lionfish sightings
and collect lionfish samples for NOAA and
Bahamian researchers. As of August 2007,
over 400 fish have been documented. To aid
in this effort, REEF is enlisting interested divers
and snorkelers to join in on organized lionfish
projects. These projects are led by REEF staff,
national aquarium staff, and/or scientific
researchers and include educational lectures
Page 5
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know what you think about the site and the newsletter. An important part
of our success has been the friendships developed among customers and
team. That’s part of why we dive.
2540 Marsh Lane
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Carrollton, Texas 75006
G E T T I N G
Y O U
Phone: 972-416-8400
Fax: 972-416-8507
E-mail: info@internationalscuba.com
T H E R E …
S T A R T S
H E R E !
CD Corner — New Ways to Learn
Howdy Divers,
Have you ever tried to help someone accomplish a task and wonder why they just didn’t
get it? I think it has to do with how we learn.
That’s the beauty of the PADI system. At the
Open Water level we give you a fantastic
DVD and manual. We ask you to watch and
read and fill in the knowledge reviews. You
have the ability to mix the two educational
media to suit your needs. Some folks are
visual and the video is awesome. Some folks
need to highlight while reading. Whatever
floats your boat.
I think as we get older, some of the methods
we used to learn by change and some don’t.
I love the internet and the ability to study on
the computer but whipping off the high-
lighter from my screen is really a nuisance.
<GRIN>!
The new tools available to us such as eLEarning
where you can do your knowledge reviews and
reading online then just come in for the pool
dives is awesome. Some folks can’t get here
during regular course hours but don’t really
need a private lesson. This helps loads.
I know that some of the instructor level class
sessions are also going to go to online. Remember that we can’t teach you to dive in the
classroom well the same is true for teaching
instructors. It gives us more time to concentrate
on how to teach rather than your hinny getting
worn out in a chair.
well. Instead of the traditional learning we
use the Jeopardy game to learn by. Yet
another cool tool.
Remember the next time you are helping
someone learn some task that we all learn
differently and to use all the tools you have
to help them be successful.
I know I look for new tools all of the time.
Hope to dive with you soon,
~ Patti
If you haven’t taken our Digital Underwater
Photography course you are missing out as
Creature Feature — Butterflyfish
The butterfly fish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. Found mostly on the
reefs, Butterfly fish are fairly small, with
the largest being no more than about 8
inches long. There are approximately
127 species worldwide. Unfortunately
for those of us who are limited to closer
diving, the Caribbean is home to only
seven species.
Butterflyfish are named for their brightly
colored and strikingly patterned bodies
in shades of black, white, blue, red, orange and yellow (though some species
are dull in color). Many have eyespots
on their flanks and dark bands across
their eyes, not unlike the patterns seen
on the wings of butterflies. Their deep,
laterally compressed bodies are easily
noticed through the profusion of reef life,
leading most to believe the conspicuous
coloration of Butterfly fish is intended for
interspecies communication. Butterflyfish
have uninterrupted dorsal fins with tail
fins that may be rounded or
truncated, but are never forked.
Their coloration also makes Butterfly fish popular in the aquarium fish. However, since most
species feed on coral polyps (corallivores) and
sea anemones, they are not easy to keep where
a delicate balance is to be maintained. Species
kept for a hobby should therefore be the few
generalists and specialist zooplankton feeders.
Banded Butterflyfish
trastingly, the zooplankton feeders will
form large nonspecific groups. By night
Butterfly fish hide amongst the crevices of
the reef and exhibit markedly different
coloration than they do by day.
Butterflyfish are pelagic spawners, that
means they release many buoyant eggs
into the water which then become part of
the plankton, floating with the currents until
hatching. The fry go through a stage where
the body of the fish is covered in large
bony plates extending from the head. This
curious armored stage is seen in only one
other family of fish; the scats. The fish lose
their bony plates as they mature.
All science aside, these are some of the
reef’s most beautiful fish so watch for them
on your next trip.
Butterflyfish generally frequent shallow waters
of less than 60 feet, though some species are
found to depths of 350 feet. Butterflyfish stick
to particular home ranges. The corallivores are
especially territorial, forming mated pairs and
staking claim to their own head of coral. Con-