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

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

diving

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Dive Mom Is a Guest on Great Day Houston

Dive Mom, Ann Keibler, was Debra Duncan’s guest on Great Day Houston on Monday talking about scuba diving and scuba dive training. She was joined in the audience by some of Oceanic Venture’s Junior Scuba Divers including Yasmine, Andrew and Ethan as well as their diving mother Ester.

great day houston


Ann met Debra Duncan at another event, the St Luke’s Foundation’s Friends of Nursing luncheon, sponsored by Neiman Marcus. Oceanic Ventures and the Cayman Island Department of Tourism were sponsors of the raffle at the event which raised money for the nursing program at CHI St Lukes’s hospital. Debra was the Master-of-Ceremonies and introduced the really cool prize. Ann and Tina Hogson from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, were on hand to help her understand the prize and to answer any questions about Grand Cayman both from the MC as well as the guests.

If you missed Ann’s appearance, you can replay it here…

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Dealing With Accidental Decompression

Divers under the boatThere is nothing to fear about accidentally going into deco as long as you know what to do when it happens.

Simon is the best-selling author of Scuba Confidential – An Insider’s Guide to Becoming a Better Diver and Scuba Professional – Insights into Scuba Diver Training & Operations. Both books are available from Oceanic Ventures. Simon has also just published a new book for divers-to-be and absolute beginners called Scuba Fundamental – Start Diving the Right Way.
There is a very good reason why instructors tell their students not to go into deco and why dive computer manuals repeat the warning time after time.
Chances are that the cylinder on your back is usually your only air source when you dive. If you run very low on air or if you suffer a rapid loss of air supply, perhaps because of a regulator free flow or a split hose, then the best option you have is to make a slow controlled ascent directly to the surface.
Yes, an alternative option is to share air with an alert, calm and capable diver around who is carrying more air than they need and is both equipped and willing to share it. But you can’t depend that someone like that will be nearby when you need them.
If you stay calm and you are not in deco, that is to say, if your computer is not showing required decompression stops, you will make it safely to the surface. You will probably not be able to make a safety stop on the way up but that is not going to be health threatening. After all, a safety stop on a no-decompression-stops dive is a luxury rather than a necessity.
On the other hand, if you do have required decompression stops, then going straight to the surface and missing those stops is definitely a health risk! That is the main reason why divers are told, “don’t go into deco!”

But Divers Do It All The Time

You may not be surprised to hear that divers accidentally go into deco every day. This is because they are only human, they have fun diving and they tend to get distracted. If it has not yet happened to you, it certainly will, so it is useful to know what to do when it does!
Because they have heard the warning so often, divers tend to panic when they find themselves accidentally in deco. There is no need for anxiety. Going into deco will not hurt you. Going to the surface when you are in deco, however, may well hurt you.
Know how your computer works and what it looks like when you go into deco. Do not be the diver who gets back into the boat moaning about a “broken” computer that is actually functioning perfectly. It is just telling the diver that they should still be underwater waiting until their deco stops clear.
The first thing you notice when you go into deco is that your computer screen suddenly looks different. A new depth reading appears, usually 10ft or 20ft, and a new time display. The depth is your new ceiling; you must not go shallower than this. The time is either your decompression stop time at the ceiling or an indicator of the minimum time it will now take you to reach the surface taking into account both your ascent time and the decompression stop time.
Every brand of computer is different. There is no industry standard. You must know how yours works. I know the manual looks boring but take the time to study it. Trust me, if you see your computer’s deco screen for the first time deep down at 100ft with your brain befuddled by narcosis, you will have no idea what it is saying to you.

Snyder01Run The Clock Down

So what do you do next? First, look at your pressure gauge. If you still have plenty of air left, relax; you have nothing to be concerned about. Start ascending gradually, keeping an eye on your computer until the deco/ascent time figure stops growing. When the figure starts to drop, continue your dive at that depth but do not go deeper again. Eventually, the deco will clear and you will see your usual no decompression screen display again with plenty of minutes remaining.
Finally, end the dive a little earlier than originally planned to make sure you have plenty of air left to do an extended safety stop of eight or ten minutes before you surface.

Remember

1. Going into deco is nothing to panic about.
2. Know what your computer screen will look like when it happens.
3. Do a long safety stop at the end of every dive where you accidentally go into deco.

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Twenty-Five Years of Photographs

Twenty-Five Years of People and Adventures – Scuba Diving with Oceanic Ventures

 
On November 12, 2015 we debuted a video collection of a sampling of twenty-five years of scuba diving with Oceanic Ventures.  It was fun putting together the video and it brought back a lot of memories and reminded us of a lot of people who have been diving with us for a lot of years.  I hope you will enjoy it.  Here is the video:

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New Scuba Diving Instructors

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye!  Let it be known that Oceanic Ventures Has Four New Scuba Diving Instructors!

New Scuba Diving Instructors John Davis, Joe Henry, Joel Hershey and Steve Soulen. Also Pictured are Ann Keibler, Eric Keibler and Alex Witschey
New Scuba Diving Instructors John Davis, Joe Henry, Joel Hershey and Steve Soulen. Also Pictured are Ann Keibler, Eric Keibler and Alex Witschey

After a lot of time listening to lectures, working through a mound of homework, having special sessions, apprenticing with the staff and a great deal of stressful studying, John Davis, Joe Henry, Joel Hershey and Scuba Steve Soulen completed their Instructor Evaluation Clinic, IEC, this past weekend and are now officially Open Water Scuba Diving Instructors — well ok, once the paperwork is processed at SSI headquarters.  Their journey to this point has been a long winding road.  There were a lot of classroom sessions with me as well as pool classes and open water sessions.  During the process, they all became Dry Suit divers so they could stand the winter and early spring waters at the lake and they learned to work with troublesome students (thank you Alex Witschey and Madison Lee.)  They worked with new students and divers wanting to join Neptune again (i.e. Scuba Skills Updates).  They plowed through standards and textbooks looking for the gems that they would be tested over as well as their Science of Diving materials (the physics and physiology of diving.)
Throughout the process they maintained a positive attitude and stepped-in to help where ever they could.  Along the way, they, along with Dive Coordinator, Susan Long, came up with some awesome marketing ideas and some ways to improve the diving programs at Oceanic Ventures. All the while, Dive Mom had to remain out of their training and could not help them through the training process.  However, I think the preparation program was just as hard for Dive Mom, because she could not participate in the program nor assist them in any way.  She had to maintain her distance since she was the Instructor Certifier for the IEC.
In the end they all shined!  They completed the testing and evaluation with most of their finger nails intact and with hair on their head — well, Joel excluded.  AT about 4:30 Sunday afternoon they all knew — They passed and were now finished with their Instructor program!
 

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The Making of a Scuba Diver

Scuba Diver Susan Long Relaxing in Fiji
Susan Long Relaxing in Fiji

I have been scuba diving for over two years – since December 2012. Not only that, I had 100 dives within 10 months, and I had another 100 dives within another 10 months. I LOVE it! I am 59 years old, a retired IT professional, not athletic or mechanical in the slightest. How did I get here?

When we got married in 1992, my husband and I made a deal. He would not buy a Harley, and I would not go scuba diving. That way, we thought we could keep each other alive for a good long time. I have always had friends who scuba dived, and I have long been intrigued by it.

I swam for exercise in college – or more precisely, struggled through maybe 10 lengths a session. It was awful and so difficult, but for some reason, I did it. I did not enjoy it at all. Fast forward 25 years, and we went with some diving friends to the Yucatan for vacation. They did some diving, and we all snorkeled one day. I was terrified! I did not understand how I was supposed to breathe underwater. But I made myself jump in and try it, and within a minute or two, I was having a great time! There were lots of glamorous fish! Who knew? And I really enjoyed being in the water – which was also a surprise, after my college swimming experiences.

Scuba Divers Susan & Larry on a motorcycle trip
Susan and her husband, Larry on their last motorcycle trip.

After I retired in 2005, I decided to go to graduate school in Spanish Linguistics at the University of Houston. The parking is horrible! (The classes were great!) I soon realized if I had a motorcycle or scooter, I could park in the designated areas much more easily. So I bought a Vespa scooter! When my husband got over the shock, he got himself a Harley! So now I had permission to scuba dive! (We now both really enjoy our motorcycle trips together!)

I had permission to scuba dive, but on the other hand, I knew it was an expensive habit. I was reluctant to get a lot more “stuff”. We already had plenty of stuff. Being overweight, I didn’t think there would be enough weight available to keep me down (seriously). I also knew myself it could be dangerous – I had looked at some books detailing scuba diving “incidents” and they are pretty scary. You wonder why anyone comes back alive!

In the fall of 2012, my friend Donna Collins (another scuba diver, and Oceanic Ventures, Inc. denizen) and I were planning to go on a cruise to Costa Rica and Panama. She suggested that we could go snorkeling, and she might try to go diving. I was enthusiastic – I had not had a chance to go snorkeling in years! She took me to Oceanic Ventures to look into getting my own mask, snorkel, fins to take on the trip.

My First Trip the the Dive Store

Ann, Alex and David Morris were in the shop, and I will never forget the warm welcome. David took me under his wing and explained everything I wanted to know about masks, snorkels, fins. I could not believe how expensive they were! But I was sold on the part of getting good equipment so I could really enjoy the experience. I left with the mask, snorkel, fins, a bag, a skin, and maybe a few other goodies. David offered to give me a snorkeling class for free, which I gladly took him up on, since I was certainly not an expert snorkeler, having only done it once.

At the snorkeling class, I learned quite a bit, especially how to “duck dive!” David offered to give me a Try Scuba session, and I was, well, OK, sure! If he’s offering, I sure will try it. Within a few days, I was trying out the scuba equipment in the West U pool, and learning the first rule of scuba. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but the next inevitable step was signing up for Open Water Scuba classes so I could go on the Cozumel trip that December. And buying all my equipment. Oceanic Ventures made it so easy. I could not have chosen (and still can’t) between Buoyancy Compensaters, Air Delivery System’s or computers. I trusted their advice, and I really liked the idea that they had a lot of experience with the equipment they sold, and they believed in it for all levels of diving.

Open Water Scuba Training with Oceanic Ventures

I had a great time in the Open Water Scuba training with David and Alex. It was hard for me to clear my mask, but eventually I figured it out. It was hard remembering all the steps for sharing air, or the out-of-air ascent. But I did it! The Cozumel trip was fantastic. I did my open water dives there with Alex as my instructor, and it was so much fun! He was so calm, and knowledgeable, and encouraging. I could see it was going to take some time for me to get really comfortable with my buoyancy, and the breathing, but I was plenty comfortable enough to enjoy the diving, and the Oceanic Ventures group was so wonderful. All those experienced divers were so encouraging and helpful to the brand-new,” baby diver.”

Scuba Diving in the Solomon Islands Susan Long and Ann Keibler
Scuba Diving in the Solomon Islands with Susan Long and Ann Keibler

David had let me know in the  Open Water Scuba training that he was the first Oceanic Ventures student to get 100 dives in a year. That sounded like a challenge to me, and I like challenges! Also it was quite clear after the Cozumel trip that the more experience I had, the more fun I could have as a diver. So I set myself the informal goal of getting 100 dives in a year. In order to keep diving through the winter, I started drysuit training and bought a drysuit. I started Advanced Open Water Scuba training, if for no other reason that it was more diving experience! I went with Oceanic Ventures to St. Croix, Belize, Cozumel, and then to Grand Cayman in August! (Donna and I did get to do a few dives on our trip to Costa Rica.) By the time I got to Grand Cayman, I had achieved the 100 dives, between the trips, the training, and being a fun diver at Blue Lagoon and 288 Lake.

Where I Am Now…

So what about all the concerns I had, and my husband had? Well, first off, safety is obviously the first priority at Oceanic Ventures. Now that I am diving, I wonder how people got themselves into those situations in those scary dive books. Of course, mistakes can happen, but most of those incidents are inconceivable on an Oceanic Ventures trip. Yes, diving is expensive, and I have a LOT of stuff. I am still dealing with how to organize it and where it all needs to go between trips. Oh well! The experiences I have had as a diver, and the friends I have made, have been more than worth it.

Scuba Diver Susan Long Diving in Fiji
Susan in Fiji

I love being a part of the Oceanic Ventures “tribe.” It feels like home. I am very impressed with the emphasis on safety and professionalism at Oceanic Ventures. Ann and Eric Keibler run a tight ship, with little room for error, but lots of room for fun. It is easy to have fun when you have confidence in the trip leader, the dive location, the divemasters, and the choice of dive sites. And you get to go play with your dive peeps!

My husband has put up with all this graciously, taking me to the airport and kissing me goodbye as I go off on my next diving adventure. I am so happy to report that since his retirement last August he has become a certified scuba diver, and we are going on our second trip to Cozumel with Oceanic Ventures next month!

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Rebreather Scuba Diving – Not Just for Technical Divers


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Parrot Fish in Cleaning Station by Robert Hew
Photograph (c) Robert Hew

Imagine just floating and watching a parrot fish or a grouper in a cleaning station. While you are there, you see the little fish swimming in and out of the gills while small shrimp crawl around on the fish; their claws snapping at unseen items and yet content to continue their work. At the same time, there are other fish swimming next to you apparently unaware of your presence or more like unconcerned – except of course for the Damsel fish that keeps swimming around eyeing you like an unwanted visitor to his neighborhood. This entire time, the grouper just sits there waiting for the cleaning process to be complete, never very concerned about your presence. As the grouper swims away you slide your hand into the cleaning station and the shrimp crawl onto your hand for a quick cleaning…

This is a scene experienced by rebreather divers on a regular basis. The fish are less concerned by your presence when the bubbles are eliminated. For underwater photographers, this means that you have new opportunities for exceptional photographs simply because there are more photographic opportunities available to you. Recently, I was talking with Chris Parsons from Nauticam and he was relating a story about one of his favorite local dive sites. He said he gets a lot of strange looks when he jumps in the water with his rebreather… the water depth is only about 20 fsw to 25 fsw. But he said “I just love my rebreather – I can get much closer to the subject.”

One of the things I love to do is swim with a school of fish. Tarpon or snappers will often let me join the school and swim in circles with them. It simply amazes new rebreather divers when I am able to do this. On another dive in Grand Cayman, Dave and I watched mating squid up close and personal. It was a really fun experience (of course I didn’t have the camera then).

A rebreather offers photographers a number of advantages including:

  • ability to get closer to the subject matter,
  • Longer bottom times (i.e. more photographs),
  • Neutral buoyancy even while breathing, and
  • The Marine life behavior is not modified because of the bubbles.
  • And let’s not forget, you look cool in a rebreather!

So, what if you are not a photographer? Can a recreational diver benefit from a rebreather? Remember a rebreather is the great equalizer. A student of mine once commented that the reason he started rebreather diving was so he could stay in the water as long as the better divers. He was a big guy with large lungs. Instead of being the first one back on the boat, he wanted to be the last one on the boat. So, a rebreather enabled him to achieve his goal.

Rebreathers have allowed technical divers to make some incredible dives and participate in some awesome adventures. However, they have also allowed for some not-so-technical divers to achieve their goals and open up new worlds. Some of the photographs taken by rebreather divers rival those made by seasoned professionals and new fish behaviors have been watched and documented.

Rebreathers are here to stay and units like the Pathfinder from Inner Space Systems are making it easier and more affordable for all divers. So what are you waiting for? Come join the revolution before you are left behind!

Eric Keibler
Eric’s Father used to say that Odessa (where Eric grew up) was the hub of water in the state. You can drive 500 miles in any direction and hit water but there was nothing in-between. So it is not surprising that Eric moved to the coast to be nearer to water and trees. An avid diver and sailor, Eric loves being on the water. He serves as the Managing Director for Oceanic Ventures, Houston’s premier Scuba Diving facility where he teaches both recreational and technical diving. He is also an accomplished author, photographer and sailor.