Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Archives for December 2019

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Suunto Dive Computer Special Through December 31, 2019

Limited time offer: save over $300 when you purchase a D5 or Eon Core with a Tank Pod Wireless Pressure Transmitter.

Travis Hershey Stars as the Scuba Santa
Santa Said Dive Computers Make Awesome Holiday Gifts!
Suunto has announced a very special price, $100, reg $439,  for a Tank Pod when you purchase either a Suunto D5 or and EON Core die computer.  This special runs until 31 December 2019.

Explore in Color with the Clear, Customizable Suunto EON Core

The compact Suunto EON Core is a great dive companion whether you are new to diving or an experienced pro. The clear, color display is easy to read. The key details of your dive are displayed with large, prominent numbers and graphics. Use the customizable profiles to adapt the EON Core display and dive logs to suit your needs. Bluetooth connectivity and FREE apps make it easy to manage and share your logs. This full-featured, air-integrated dive computer is your reliable partner down to depths of 80m/260ft.

The Suunto D5 Wrist Computer

The EON Core and D6 finally combined. The Suunto D5 Wrist Computer is a watch-sized dive computer with all the functions and menu from the EON Core and more. Featuring compatibility with 3-gas mixtures, four dive modes, 3D digital compass, the Suunto D5 can deliver all your crucial data in an easy-to-read interface with three-button menu design. Use the Switch Window to choose what data you want to see first. The Suunto D5 also keeps you aware of your location, air levels, and depth. Its new feature, Vibra, gently vibrates on your wrist to alert you of safety stops, air levels, depths, and time, offering you more than just the regular audio alarm. Connect to the Suunto app and access all your data from your phone. Its LED backlight is adjustable for easy use in low light. Wear it only as your dive watch and the battery lasts up to two full dive days. When used as a day-to-day watch, the Suunto D5 can last you up to five days on a single charge. With the Suunto D5, you can dive to depths up to 330 feet/100m. And whenever you want to switch things up, simply change the straps. Whether you’re in the water or on land, the Suunto D5 fulfills all your needs in style and functionality.

Suunto D5 Wins 2019 ScubaLab Tester’s Choice!

From Scuba Diving Magazine November 2019:

The three button operation of the air-integrated D5 is so simple that you can confidently navigate menus before even glancing at the manual. That earned the D5 a very good score for intuitive operation. The high-contrast color screen uses a reflective technology that enhances visibility in a wide range of light, and was easily visible in full sun – sometimes a weak spot for color displays. “Super easy to see in dark, sun or in between,” noted one test diver. The display packs a lot in without being cluttered, partly by putting some info in a changeable window at the bottom. The display makes good use of attention – getting colors, and audible and vibrating alarms are unmissable. Divers rated the display very good overall for quality of data – though not all liked the hash-mark indicators for minutes, which to non-metric minds can mean feet. Slightly liberal in our chamber dives, the D5 was simple to set up, see and understand, and test divers chose it as an overwhelming favorite. The D5 is our Testers Choice for computers over $500.
 

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Australia Exploratory Trip Announced

This adventures to Great Barrier Reef Trip in the Coral Sea departs 19 February 2021
If you missed the Club Aquarius Social Club meeting last week, you probably missed the announcement of an exploratory trip to the Coral Sea aboard the Spirit of Freedom.  This trip includes a rare opportunity to visit to the SS Yongala, Australia’s largest shipwreck.  During this trip we will be visiting a number of sea mounts not visited by dive boats and operators.  We will be exploring them for the first time and we will even have the opportunity to name at least one of the sites we visit!  There are a limited number of available spots (both Eric and Ann have signed up to lead this trip) so now is the time to reserve your spot.
We will be publishing more trip information in January but you can always send Dive Mom a note to find out more before then.  You don’t want to miss this opportunity!

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A Christmas Favorite – Aunt Peggy's Rum Balls


The holidays are here and my entire family has begun talking about Aunt Peggy’s Rum Balls.  She used to make the every holiday season and we had to hide them from Jason or no one else would get any.  She is not around any longer but she left us with a lot of love and her recipes.  So, if you feel like adding a little of our holiday traditions to yours, here is the recipe.
Ingredients:

  • 4 Cups          rolled vanilla wafers (finely ground – she used a rolling pin to roll over them)
  • 1 1/2 cups    Finely chopped nuts
  • 1 1/2 tbs        cocoa
  • 2 tbs              white Karo corn syrup
  • 1/2 Cup         Rum (you can add less for a weaker rum ball)
  • 1 Cup            powdered sugar (for coating the balls)

Preparation:

  • Mix all ingredients thoroughly
  • form into small balls.
  • Roll in powdered sugar and wrap in waxed paper
  • You freeze these for up to 3 months (they won’t last that long in our house)

Variation:
My nephew, Austin O’Hara,  who is the Executive Chef for a college in North Dakota, sent me a note about these.   “I add the 1/2 Cup of rum and 1/4 cup of Disaronno (Amaretto) but I like mine strong.  Also, if you can find “snow” dextrose sugar instead of powdered sugar, it won’t dissolve over time.”
After Peggy was gone, Jason’s neighbor, John (an 85 year old retired chef) took up the mantle and started making them and giving them to Jason and the family as a gift.  Of course he had to prepare two batched or we would only get about six of them.  John is now in his 90’s and is not baking as much as he used to so I am going to have to make my own Rum Balls this year.
Having these Rum balls always means the holidays are here and they bring back a lot of fond memories.  Try them and let me know what you think!