The Scuba Diving Blog:
See What's New
Welcome to The Dive Blog. Here you will be able to:
- know whenever any new Web pages or changes appear on scuba-diving-smiles.com,
- stay up-to-date with other postings or news about scuba diving
- keep informed of any specials, discounts or goodies I come across to make your diving or dive trip more enjoyable
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Thanks for subscribing. Here's to great diving!
(Have you joined the CoCo Zone Dive Club yet?)
Jun 18, 2009, Embarassing First Open Water Certification Dive
Hi, I thought I might share my first Open Water Dive experience with you. I find it highly hilarious (now) but back then I was mortified! I took my
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Jun 16, 2009, Scuba BCD - A Guide to Buying the Best Buoyancy Compensator
Looking to purchase a scuba bcd? Or just want more information about them? Either way, our buyers guide to buoyancy compensators will give you all the info you need...
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Jun 15, 2009, Dry Snorkel - What Is It And Is It For You?
What exactly is a dry snorkel and is it the best snorkel for you? We show you the features and advantages/disadvantages of a dry snorkel so you can decide if it's for you...
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Jun 15, 2009, Dive Knives: Choosing the Best One For You
There are tons of dive knives on the market. How do you choose the best one for you? Use this guide to help make your choice of a dive knife easier...
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Jun 9, 2009, Choosing the Best Snorkel for You - A Guide
A good snorkel can make you life on top of the water much easier. Whether you are looking for a scuba diving snorkel or one for snorkeling only, use this guide to find the best snorkel for you...
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Jun 2, 2009, Diving With Lemon And Tiger Sharks In The Bahamas
I went scuba diving with lemon and tiger sharks in the Bahamas. I love Sharks! A graceful and majestic animal. I know what the majority of you are
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May 29, 2009, Used Scuba Tanks: Find A Cheap Price, But Be Careful Buying Diving Tanks
Used scuba tanks can save you some money when your are buying your scuba diving gear. Just be sure you know what you are getting. We have tips for buying a used scuba diving tank and tank auctions..
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May 27, 2009, Scuba Gear BC Store for All Your BC Needs
Scuba Gear BC: Our scuba diving BC store has lots of brands, types and styles to choose from. We also offer a best price guarantee so you can shop with confidence...
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May 23, 2009, Scuba Diving Your Fun Guide To Diving In The Caribbean And All Things Scuba
We love scuba diving all over the Caribbean. We'll give you our no holds barred reviews, gear info, practical advice for planning dive vacations, etc. Dive in and have fun!
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May 20, 2009, Buoyancy Control And Tipping For Certification Dives
I am a little concerned about my buoyancy control and what to tip for my certification dives. I'm taking my 4 open water dives for certification in
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May 18, 2009, Flights To Turks And Caicos And Flights To Providenciales Information
Find all the information on flights to Turks and Caicos you need to get you on vacation. See which airlines fly there, which go nonstop, their schedules and how to get the best airfare...
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May 14, 2009, Scuba Necklace: Show Your Love For Diving & Style At The Same Time
A scuba necklace is sure to become a divers' favorite accessory. What else can show off a passion for diving and the sea while giving the wearer a unique style? See our collection here..
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May 14, 2009, Scuba Cufflinks: Show Your Passion For Diving With A Flip Of The Wrist
Scuba cufflinks are a great way to polish off your outfit and bring you back underwater. Whether they are for you or for a gift, they are sure to please every scuba diver. See our collection here...
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May 6, 2009, Discount Scuba Gear - Mask: Find A Good Deal On Your Next Mask
Find a good deal on your next discount scuba gear mask and more. Take a look at our auctions - whether you want a discount dive mask or a top of the line one, you're sure to find one to bid on...
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Apr 28, 2009, Discount Scuba Gear BCD: Get A Good Price On Your Equipment
Looking for a good price on a BCD? Take a look at our auctions - we have all types of discount scuba gear bcd, wetsuit, regulator, etc. You could even score a cheap deal on a used BC...
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Apr 27, 2009, Bonaire Scuba Diving - It Lives Up To The Hype
If you aren't sure if Bonaire scuba diving will live up to its' reputation, wonder no more. It's definitely worth the trip. Find the info you need to plan your trip and our reviews here..
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Apr 27, 2009, Flights to Bonaire: Information on Airlines and Landing That Cheap Airfare
Looking for flights to Bonaire? We have all the info you need to get you on vacation. From which airlines fly nonstop to Bonaire to tips on finding the cheapest airfare...
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Apr 25, 2009, Cheap Flights To Jamaica: Tips For Finding The Best Deal
Looking for cheap flights to Jamaica? Read our tips for finding the best deal on airfare to Jamaica. You'll have more money to spend once your there...
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Apr 23, 2009, Scuba Diving Depth and Blood Pressure
Is there any correlation between one's blood pressure and the depth to which they descend? In other words, does one's blood pressure increase at
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Apr 21, 2009, Scuba Diving Jamaica - Some Problems Mon
While I love Jamaica, its people and culture, scuba diving Jamaica is not high on the list. Here are some things to consider....
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Apr 21, 2009, Flights to Jamaica: Find Info on Airlines and Landing That Cheap Airfare
Flights to Jamaica are frequent since it is a popular vacation destination. We'll give you info on all the airlines that fly to Jamaica and how to find that cheap airfare... "
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Apr 20, 2009, Swimming Requirement for Scuba Diving Certification
Do you have to be a swimmer to try scuba diving? Hi Arleen, In short - yes, you need to know how to swim in order to try scuba diving. However, you
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Apr 20, 2009, Cost of Scuba Diving Lessons
What is the average cost for scuba diving lessons? Hi, As you can imagine, this isn't a very easy question to answer as there is a wide range of
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Apr 15, 2009, Age Requirement for Junior Open Water Diver Certification
How old do you have to be to get your Junior Diver certification in Oklahoma? Hi, There are varying age requirements for your Junior Open Water
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Apr 15, 2009, Antigua Diving - Well, You're Underwater Anyway
OK, Antigua diving doesn't have the best reputation. It's probably not even on the list when most people think of Caribbean scuba diving trips. Read our experience here...
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Apr 8, 2009, Scuba Diving in Southeast Asia: Thailand and Cambodia
We have just returned from an extended trip through mainland Southeast Asia - one of the reasons the site has been a bit quiet lately. Now we are back and ready to go to work again.
We dove in both Thailand and Cambodia with the highlight being our 4 night liveaboard trip to the Similan Islands. We'll be adding our trip reports to the site soon so stay tuned if you are interested in diving those areas.
It took many years and hundreds of dives but we finally saw manta rays! It was the highlight of our dive trip.
Whale sharks were in the area off of Koh Lanta but we weren't lucky enough to see them this time. But we did see pictures from a diver on our boat who had seen them the day before. Bad timing. Guess we'll just have to do more diving.
Looking forward to getting back to work and updating the site.
If you did any diving recently (or not so recently), we would love to hear your experiences also. You can share your scuba diving story here. We will publish it on the site so we can all benefit from your experience.
On a side note, it has been great hearing from so many of you. We love reading your emails - whether it is about your diving experiences or telling us what you think of our site. Keep them coming.
Enjoy your diving!
Mar 16, 2009, Diving with "Psycho" the barracuda in Key Largo, Florida
This picure of Psycho was taken Feb. 2008 on our second trip to Key Largo. We love to stay at Amoray Dive Resort and dive with Justin and his crew.
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Mar 16, 2009, Review of Brac Reef Resort in Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands
We went to Brac Reef Resort on Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands in Sept. 2008. There had been a hurricane about 10 days before we arrived, so they
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Mar 7, 2009, Newly Certified at 52: Cold and Clear
The attached photo is the first dive I took with my son, Greg after getting certified at the age of 52. By the way he was the one that convinced me
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Feb 10, 2009, Scuba Diving in the Philippines: Takatuka Lodge and Dive Resort
I would like to tell you about my experience scuba diving in the Philippines at the Takatuka Lodge and dive resort. As someone in their late 40s who
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Jan 10, 2009, Dive Mask With Purge Valve
Hello, I'm going to buy my first scuba diving mask (finally) and I was wondering which one is better, a dive mask with a purge valve or one without?
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Dec 31, 2008, Explain Scuba Gear - Or What The Heck Is That?
You've seen people in scuba gear that look like the creature from the deep. So could you please explain scuba gear? What does all that stuff do? It's all explained here....
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Dec 15, 2008, Flights to Antigua: Find Info On Schedules, Airlines and Cheap Airfare
Flights to Antigua are fairly frequent since it is a popular destination. We'll give you info on what airlines fly to Antigua, their schedules and how to find cheap airfare...
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Dec 15, 2008, All Inclusive Resorts That Include Scuba Diving
Hi there, I've been to the all inclusive resorts Breezes in Curacao and Breezes in Jamaica which offer unlimited free diving. Do you know of any
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Dec 13, 2008, Scuba Diving Belize - It's a Great Time
Scuba diving Belize is on or near the top of most divers "must do" list. With great diving and more, it's not hard to see why. Here's all the info you need for a great trip....
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Dec 12, 2008, Bahamas Scuba Diving - So Many Islands ... So Little Time
The Bahamas. Dive sites galore. The only problem is choosing which island to go to for your next dive vacation. Here are my favorite islands and Bahamas scuba diving sites.
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Dec 12, 2008, Aruba Scuba Diving - Wreck Diving and Casino Gambling
Aruba is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. While Aruba scuba diving may not equal its' sister islands, its' wrecks will keep you going...
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Dec 12, 2008, Aruba Diving - King of the Wrecks
While it may not have the beautiful wall diving of its sister islands, Aruba diving closes the gap with its wreck diving. Here are the top dive sites in Aruba....
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Dec 1, 2008, Tobago Diving: Rip Roarin' Diving
Tobago diving is a different kind of diving experience than many of the other Caribbean islands. Get ready for some action. We tell you our experience here...
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Dec 1, 2008, Cheap Flights To Tobago: You'll Probably Need More Than One
There are not many direct flights to Tobago - meaning you will probably have to make a connection in Trinidad. Find general flight info and how to get the cheapest flight available...
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Nov 30, 2008, Info On Flights to Aruba And How To Find Cheap Airfare
Many airlines offer flights to Aruba so getting there isn't that difficult. But finding the best price is another story. We give you info on Aruba flights and a way to easily find the cheapest price.
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Nov 25, 2008, Deals on Hotels in Tobago Just Got Easier To Find
Whether you are going for scuba diving or just to hang out, you will probably still want to save money and find the best deal on hotels in Tobago. A good place to start your search is with this free
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Nov 23, 2008, Riviera Maya Resorts and Hotels: It's Now Easier to Find The Cheapest Rate
Riviera Maya resorts and hotels line the beach from Playa del Carmen to Tulum. With all the options out there, how will you know you are getting the best deal? This tool is a good place to start...
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Nov 22, 2008, Hotels In Curacao: How To Find The Best Deal For You
Thinking about a few different hotels in Curacao? We have a nice free tool for you that will help narrow your choice and make sure you get the best deal available...
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Nov 21, 2008, Cayman Islands Recovering From Hurricane Paloma
The Cayman Islands were hit by Hurricane Paloma on November 8, 2008.
Hardest hit was the island of Cayman Brac, followed by Little Cayman.
While not untouched, Grand Cayman was the least affected by Hurricane Paloma as the storm passed about 30 miles to the east of the island. Grand Cayman is open for business - and it's pretty much business as usual.
According to the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Little Cayman was relatively unscathed despite strong winds and heavy rain. The main issue has been bringing power back to the island.
The Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman reopened yesterday and Cayman Airways Express also resumed regular flight schedules yesterday.
Little Cayman Beach Resort is expected to reopen tomorrow and Pirates Point and Paradise Villas are expected to have power back sometime this weekend.
The Conch Club Condominiums and The Club are expected to reopen sometime in December.
Cayman Brac took a direct hit from Hurricane Paloma and sustained the most damage.
The Brac Reef Beach Resort on Cayman Brac is currently closed and is not expected to reopen until early 2009. Thus there are no "resorts" open on Cayman Brac.
You can read more info about accommodations on Cayman Brac on our Cayman Brac hotels page.
If you have plans to travel to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac, you can contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism at 1-877-4CAYMAN for updated information.
Nov 20, 2008, Cayman Brac Hotels: There's Not Alot to Choose From
You don't have a large choice of Cayman Brac hotels. Which can be both good and bad. Either way, make sure you are getting the best deal available. Start with this free tool...
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Nov 19, 2008, Grand Cayman Resorts And Hotels: Narrow Your Choice And Get The Best Deal
Most Grand Cayman resorts are located on Seven Mile Beach (a few on the more remote East End). How to choose from all the options? Try this free tool to narrow your search and get the best deal...
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Nov 19, 2008, Antigua Resorts And Hotels: Find The Best Deal For You
Search for Antigua resorts and hotels, and you will find many options for your stay. But how will you know you are getting the best deal available? Start with this free tool...
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Nov 19, 2008, The Meaning of BWARF on a Pre-dive Checklist
Hi, Could you tell me what BWARF on a pre-dive checklist means? Sure thing. BWARF is actually a PADI acronym for a final pre-dive check. I was
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Nov 17, 2008, Find The Resorts In Jamaica Best For You, All Inclusive Or Not
There are tons of resorts in Jamaica to choose from, from a boutique hotel to one of the mega all inclusive resorts. Try this to make your search easier and get the best deal available...
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