Dive Utah in the Deseret News on Thursday!!

Check out the Deseret News on Thursday December 17. There will be an article about us. (Hopefully not in the obituary!)

Egypt and Red Sea

These are a collection of updates from the Dive Utah Facebook group-

After an 8 hour layover in London where we saw the best of the sights from the Big Bus Tour, we landed in Cairo. 2 hours of sleep later we flew south to Abu Simbel to see the temple there and back to Asswan to board our cruise ship down the Nile. We stopped at few temples/ruins along the way and got off this morning in Luxor. It's a bit different then the one in Vegas. No big light. We went to the Valley of Kings but couldn't take any pictures. Queen Hatsheput's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon rounded out the day. Had some great pizza for dinner. Amazing how a little thing like comfort food can make all the difference. The next morning we saw the huge temple in Luxor and then Karnak before heading back to Cairo.

The traffic in Cairo is as crazy as people said it would be. 2 lanes painted on the road but 3 lanes of traffic!! Add some scooters, motorcycles, bikes and donkey carts and it is amazing that we haven't seen any accidents. We went out to the pyramids. I was afraid it might be anti-climatic but it was amazing. The only bummer is the way over-aggressive vendors. We rounded out our Cairo stay with the big museum, the Citadel and the Ali mosque then flew out to the Red Sea for the live aboard.

So we fly from Cairo down to the coast and then took a shuttle about 1 hour farther south to Safaga get on the Emperor Elite, our floating home for the next week. After a briefing we had supper and went to bed, ready for the diving to start. We dove the next morning with 2 easy dives around Safaga then headed out to sea for a 10 hour run to the Brothers Islands. We had a ton of wind all week. Luckily going south, the wind was at our backs so the ride wasn't too rough. We spent 2 days diving Big and Little Brothers Islands. These are tiny specks of rocks, barely big enough to call an island. They are out in the middle of the Red Sea so you really feel isolated. It was an adventure. We had a lot of currents so most dives were drift dives using the zodiacs to take you or pick you or both. With some 5-8' seas, that was an adventure in itself (see the Discussion about Toughest Dives Ever). The diving was awesome. Mostly walls and a few wrecks. Everything was covered in soft corals. Since we did mostly deep, long dives, we only did 3 a day. The usual profile was a max depth between 100-120 then gradually shallow with a max bottom time of 50-70 minutes. Since most of the bigger 100cf tanks were already taken I was dying trying to stretch longer bottom times from my air, especially considering the depth. They pumped 30% nitrox so you could do the depth and make repetitive deep dives. After 2 days here we took another 6 hour ride south to Daedalus Reef. Not even an island but a reef with a lighthouse on top. We were hoping for hammerheads but instead spent time just staring into the blue. I hate it when nature doesn't adjust to our schedules! After a day here, we were not looking forward to an 18 hour ride into the wind to get back towards Safaga. Luckily we were able to change plans and head into Port Galeb instead (just a 6 hour ride) and dive closer to shore the last day. We took a 3 hour shuttle ride back to the airport but it sure beat another 12 hours of rough seas!! The best dive was at Big Brother on the wreck of the Numidia. It ran into the island over 100 years ago and is still partially intact. It is COMPLETELY covered in soft corals and schooling fish. The vis was over 100' and the dive was fantastic, definitely makes my top 5 of all time!!

Reef Fest 2009!

Our friends at The Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society are hosting Moutain West Reef Fest 2009 on November 7. This is a great way to come out and learn everything you ever wanted to know about aquariums. Visit www.mountainwestreeffest.com for more info.

Dive Seminars

On Tuesday October 20 there are 2 seminars that you attend and learn more about diving.

Dive Utah-Odgen will be hosting a Drysuit Seminar presented by OS System Drysuits. This is the perfect chance to learn more about drysuits and even demo one in the pool. RSVP with Greg with your ht/wt at 801-394-8842.

If you live in Utah County (or want to make a drive), you can attend a Dive Safe Seminar at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center Northwest Plaza Auditorium.

Upon conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
Recognize situations when it is appropriate to contact Divers Alert Network when medical information is needed during • SCUBA diving.
Identify the best way to counsel patients regarding womens’ health issues such as PMS, decompression illness risk, • birthcontrol pills and diving, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
Define nitrogen narcosis and discuss several ways of testing for this while diving. •
Discuss the history and physiologic uses of NITROX. •
State the meaning of 32EAN. •
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of NITROX. •
Discuss the following dive "clocks": Oxygen toxicity (CNS and Pulmonary), decompression (nitrogen elimination), hypoxia • (PO2 <= 0.16ATA), and carbon dioxide (PCO2 >= 3%).
Identify risks for breathing •

This will be conducted by Eugene Worth, MD, the Medical Director of the Department of Hyperbaric Medcine, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center

There is no fee to attend this conference but registration is required. To register go online at www.intermountainphysician.org/cme/divesafe2009.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest

It’s that time of year again!! Time for Dive Utah’s Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest at Blue Lake October 17.

We will be diving at Blue Lake, a hot spring feed lake near Wendover. The water temperature will be in the mid 70’s and visibility 10-20 feet. Check out the metal sculptures throughout the lake, warm up next to one of the hot-pots or watch the fish that gather around the platforms!

We will meet at the lake at 10am. You’ll get your pumpkin, clean it out and head for the water. Carve your best, funniest or scariest design but remember, you must use a dive knife. Judging will take place at 1pm.

CALL AHEAD TO SIGN UP SO WE KNOW HOW MANY PUMPKINS TO GET.

For more information or to sign up, please see a staff member or call 277-3483.

Still Spots left for Egypt-Dive Only Option?

Dive Utah still has some spots left for our Egypt/Red Sea Trip in November. We also have spots for just the diving. If you were only interested in the dive portion, it would be a week less and only about $2000. Call Dave at the shop if you are interested. 801-277-3483.

Sand Hollow Dive Along

We had our Annual Treasure Hunt/Clean Up/BBQ down at Sand Hollow this year. Sand Hollow is a reservoir outside of Hurricane near St George. We had heard good things about it but since it is a 4 hour drive we had never made it. Well, everything we had heard was true.

The water was warm, the vis was great and it was a good time.

We got down there late Friday and the the first you notice is the heat, is was still hot at 9pm! The forecast was for a high around 105* We rolled out of camp around 9am and went over to the lake to start setting up and sneak in a dive. The dive area is located to the right of the boat ramp in a buoyed off area where no boats can come. The dive area extends out to some rock islands about 100 yards off shore. The water is a short walk down from the parking area. You can enter from a relatively sandy area. We were on the look out for a platform, a VW bus, a buoyancy course and an airplane. We found the platform right away (the fact that there is a buoy on it might have helped), From there we left on a heading of 60* for about 100 feet and ran into some pipes that you can swim through. We headed up a canyon and found more of the buoyancy course. Rings and hula-hoops you can swim through that are anchored to the bottom. On the right hand side, top of the canyon we found a concrete block with a rope attached. This lead us to the VW bus. Some of the doors are off so you can swim inside if you are careful. At this point I needed to head back so I missed the plane.

I have heard conflicting reports on the location of the plane. There is a larger island directly off shore and if you drop down on more of the left hand side you should see it on the bottom at about 40'.

The visibility was great. When we got in it was 30 feet. By the end of the day with about 70 divers in pretty much the same area, it was still 15'+. People who had dove earlier in the week said it was 40'+ when no one else was around and there were less boats in the water. The water temp was in the high 70's. There was a thermocline around 40 feet. There were plenty of fish including some good size small mouth bass.

The BBQ/Dive Along was great. We got about 3 big garbage bags full of junk from the lake. People dove all day and had a great time. We had a lot of stuff to give away from our manufacturers. We placed 30 numbered golf balls out in the lake ( about 7 are unaccounted for) and between the garbage and the golf balls almost everyone went home with a prize.

Akona 50% Off Sale

Scubapro 100% Credit Back on Purchase

Scubapro has announced a special deal for equipment buyers. When you buy Scubapro mask, snorkel and fins, we will give 100% credit of that price toward the purchase of Scubapro BCD, regulator and computer. Spend $200 on snorkel gear, get $200 off scuba gear. What's the catch? It must all be Scubapro equipment and the deal ends October 15, 2009. Come down and try the new MK25-A700 regulator today!!

New Camera and Regulator

It has been a long time coming but the new Intova Sport 8 camera and housing is finally here. This 8 mega pixel camera has a huge LCD screen which makes it easy to see underwater. The best part is that the camera it self is waterproof to 30' and once you put it in the housing, you can go 130'. As a person who has flooded a camera before, the idea that the camera might survive is a great relief.

We also have the new Scubapro MK25-A700 regulator. The legendary quality of Scubapro gets a new look and if you like shiny things (like I do) then this reg is for you. Stop by and breathe off this, it is the best reg I have ever breathed off.

Sorry I'm a Slacker-August BBQ

WOW, how it really been that long since I posted? My bad.....

Ok, so the next few days I will bring you up to speed-

First off-we are headed to Sand Hollow Reservoir near St George for our annual Treasure Hunt/BBQ. We will be there August 29 at 11am. The water is warm (82*), the vis is good (20Feet) and there is plenty to see (fish, VW bus and small plane). Join us for a great day of diving.

November trip-Egypt-We are headed to Egypt and the Red Sea for a week of sight seeing then a week long live-aboard. This is truly a once in a lifetime trip. We fly into Cairo and spend a day getting adjusted before flying farther south and boarding a 4 day Nile Cruise. We will float up the Nile with stops at ruins along the way. We get back to Cairo and spend a few days exploring museums, pyramids and sphinxes before heading to the coast to board our live-aboard. We spend 6 days out on the Red Sea with great fish life, soft corals and wrecks.

And lastly I thought this was a funny picture.

June Fun Dives

We are headed out of town twice in June. On June 6, we will explore Sand Hollow Reservoir in St George. In conjunction with Aqua Sports, a local shop from St. George, we will be helping with a Project Aware clean up. We have heard good things about the diving there and are looking forward to checking it out first hand.

On June 19-20, we will be headed north to dive Bear Lake at Cisco Beach. Join us for a night dive the night of the 19th. Cisco Beach is great if you like camping, since you can stay right there on the beach.

Just a reminder, we have about 5 spots left on the Horizon live-aboard trip in July. This is our annual Southern California get away as we explore the kelp forests off the Channel Islands.

Fun Dive and Stimulus Plan

The weather is starting to warm up again and just in time. We are headed to Blue Lake next Saturday for our Specialty of the Month dive. The weather should be great. Give us a call to tell us you will be there. It will be the perfect time to jump into an Advanced, Rescue or Specialty class. Looking for a deal you say?

Introducing the Dive Utah Continuing Education Stimulus Plan. This bold initiative will make more diving available to the common man, from Main Street to Wall Street and beyond.
Does a martial arts student stop at Yellow Belt? Is a skier happy once he’s mastered the wedge? Has a scuba diver learned all he needs to know in the Open Water Class? The answer to all 3 is no, they’ve only started to learn. Once a diver has gotten their Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certification, then they really know how to dive. Once a diver has their Master Scuba Diver, they are a true expert in diving.

What will I learn?
The Advanced Open Water course will give you an introduction into 5 specialty areas of diving. These skills will enable you to dive more often and in a variety of environments. In many resort areas, an Advanced certification opens the door for you to make many of the “reserved”, unique or challenging dives they have to offer.
Although we don’t like to talk about it, accidents do happen while diving. Learning skills in the Rescue Diver course will not only decrease your own chances of having a problem but might save the life of someone who does.
Specialty classes build on the introduction you receive in the Advanced class and make you even more knowledgeable in that area.
You can qualify for the Master Scuba Diver rating by attaining your Advanced, Rescue, 5 specialties and logging 50 dives.

So What’s The Special Deal?
For OPEN WATER DIVERS
Advanced Open Water Package –includes Advanced class, Adventures in Diving manual and rental gear-$180 (normally $216)

Rescue Diver Package- includes Advanced Open Water, EFR (CPR and First Aid) and Rescue Diver with manuals and rental gear-$440 (normally $520)

Master Scuba Diver Package-includes Advanced Open Water, EFR, Rescue Diver, Nitrox Diver, Altitude Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drysuit Diver and Equipment Specialist resulting in your Master Scuba Diver rating with all manuals and rentals-$999 (normally $1209)

For ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVERS
Rescue Diver Package- includes EFR, Rescue Diver class with manuals and rental gear-$250 (normally $302)

Master Scuba Diver Package-Get your EFR, Rescue Diver, Nitrox Diver, Altitude Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drysuit Diver and Equipment Specialist resulting in your Master Scuba Diver rating with all manuals and rentals- $840 (normally $991).

For RESCUE DIVERS
Master Scuba Diver Package-Get your Nitrox Diver, Altitude Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drysuit Diver and Equipment Specialist resulting in your Master Scuba Diver rating with all materials and rentals- $585 (normally $689).


*All Master Scuba Diver packages can be spread out over time and have payment options available.

You Guys Get Paid to do This?
Becoming a PADI Scuba Instructor is a great way to have fun and make a little extra money doing something you love! See our staff or webpage for more information on making scuba diving a part time or full time job.

Get Out of Town!
Dive Utah is always traveling. From our bi-monthly California trips to warm water destinations in the Caribbean or South Pacific, a Dive Utah trip is the perfect place to continue your diving education. See our staff or website for a list of upcoming trips.

Details, details, details
Prices do not include any dive site entry fees or the Master Scuba Diver application fee. Pool/classroom requirements must be completed before any open water dives. EFR classes are held the second Saturday of every month. Specialty classes are held on a rotating basis. To schedule any class, ask a staff member to see available dates.

PADI Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and Master Scuba Diver. Increase your knowledge and your confidence. Become a better diver.

More News from Roatan

So it a windy afternoon which means no diving, perfect time to catch up. Wreck dive was great, fun to explore the wreck from the bottom up. We started in the engine room and came up through 4 floors to the top of the wheelhouse. 110 feet at the bottom, perfect dive for 31% nitrox! Dove with the dolphins yesterday afternoon. So cool to see their effortless swimming. Such power and grace. Made me feel a bit bulky and clunky compared to them. This morning we dove Mary's Place, a series of cracks in a wall that were just teeming with life. Definitely the best dive of the trip. Tons of sea fans, sponges and black coral. On the way home, we could see some weather coming, crazy when it hit. Sheets of rain, wind made the rain sting, we're were trying to hide as best we could in the boat. The rain is over but wind remains so there is no diving this afternoon. If the wind is still here tomorrow, they will bus us over to the other side of the island to dive on the leeward side.

Hello from Roatan

WOW, we are in Roatan at our favorite resort in the world, Anthony's Key. It is HOT, like Africa hot outside. We started diving today; 2 sites right off the resort. Saw a big free swimming eel as soon as we got in the water to start off the day and a bunch of turtles on the second one. Really cute little one that just sat there watching us watch him. It was great to swim along the wall and look down into the abyss. We are diving a wreck tomorrow, can't wait. I love the wrecks here. We are on the Odyssey tomorrow and then we get to swim with the dolphins tomorrow afternoon. Wish you could be here!!!

Where do I start?

Ok, lots of news from Dive Utah today.

First a big congrats to Cortney Curran, the newest Instructor at Dive Utah!! Cortney passed his PADI Instructor Examination last weekend and is ready to roll. Good job!!

Scubapro PRO Deal-Until May 31, buy a Galileo Sol computer and any Scubapro BCD with Air 2 and receive a FREE MK25-S600!!

We had a great time at Blue Lake last Saturday with the Easter Egg Hunt. The weather held out and was beautiful. The diving was really good with descent vis. We are headed to Blue Lake on April 25 for a little Digital Underwater Photography. See you there!!!

Horizon Trip-We are almost 1/2 filled on our annual dive trip to the Southern California Channel Islands. This is such a fun trip. Go back to my November posts to see a dive by dive blog from the last trip

http://diveutahslogbook.blogspot.com/2008/11/horizon-trip-saturday.html

Baby Whale Shark

Hard to belive this thing will grow into a 30 foot long man-eating beast!! Well....not exactly.

Underwater Easter Egg Hunt!!

Join us next Saturday March 21 at Blue Lake for an Underwater Easter Egg Hunt!! The "Easter Bunny" will hide about 30 eggs out in the lake. Find some eggs and you can get some of the small prizes we will be giving out. Join us for a fun excuse to go diving. There is no charge for participating, just call the shop so we know you are coming. 801-277-3483.

IDC and Ice Dives!

Well it is official, Dive Utah has been approved as a PADI Instructor Development Center! We are now your 1 stop shop for certifications from Open Water all the way to Instructor! We are excited to add Jon Rusho to our staff as our Course Director. We started our first IDC last weekend as Cortney, one of our Divemasters decided to take the plunge.

On a colder note, our intrepid Ice Diving instructor, Robert, took a group from the Carbon County Search and Rescue Team under the ice at Scofield Reservoir. It was a beautiful day with air and water temps right around 30 degrees. This challenging class is a must have for any diver who wants to win the "been there/done that" argument. We already have people interested in next years dive.

Advanced Class or Ice Dive?

So the football season is over and you are sitting around over the weekend thinking about what to do. I have the perfect answer for you whether you like it hot or cold! Next weekend, Dive Utah will go extreme! We have extreme warm with an Advanced Open Water class at the Crater and we have extreme cold with an ice dive at Scofield Reservoir. If you are interested in either, give us a call and we can get you diving next weekend!

Greetings from Bonaire

The Internet is great. I am posting from my patio at Buddy Dive Resort on Bonaire. I need to all my work from here! We got here last Saturday. We are doing 1-2 boat dives a day and then heading off in our rental trucks for shore dives as well! The shore entries have been a little harder then expected. There really aren't many "beach" dives, you are walking in over broken coral and over rocks so it can be tricky. We dove on the "Hilma Hooker" this morning, it is a very large wreck at about 80 feet. We did a night dive last night just in front of the resort. Buddy Dive is set up perfectly for divers. The night dives are really easy plus you have a lot of light from the resort. We meet up with Charlie the tarpon. Tarpon are long, silver, sport fish. One hangs out and waits for divers to show him fish and follows you around hunting each night. The weather was been ok. We have had bits of rain every day, surprising for a desert island in the dry season but it clears up fast. Tune in for more updates as the week progresses......

New Cameras and Upcoming Dive Alongs

We finally got our new camera line in. Intova makes some very affordable cameras/housing packages. We have the ICC-600 which is a 6 mgpxl camera in a housing that retails for $190. They also have a strobe package you can add and get the whole thing for under $450.

We have also added our next 2 dive alongs to the calendar. We will be going up north to Tremonton to dive the Camper World hotsprings on February 21 and then out to Blue Lake for an Easter Egg Hunt on March 21. We'll see you there!!

Roatan Anyone?

For years we had heard that the place to stay on Roatan was Anthony's Key Resort. We finally got their almost 2 years ago and had a great time. For the full details read my review on the Dive Utah page http://www.diveutah.com/toys/dreaming.html We had so much fun, we went back the next year since we got the same package but for a few hundred less. Well that continues this year as we head south once again. We still have a few spots left for April 4-11. Join in what is becoming a yearly tradition as we visit Roatan again at Anthony's Key Resort.