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

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

scuba equipment

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Is It Time for an Upgrade?

Sometimes it is hard to remember a time when I was not a diver. I learned to Scuba dive in 1982 when I took Scuba as a PE course in college. As a college student, I started diving like a lot of our clients do with my own personal equipment and using “rental” equipment for the rest of my total diving system. It was pretty awesome in those days since there were no dive shops in Lubbock so the University owned the rental equipment and students could use the equipment for free! Later, when I came to work in Houston, I bought my own diving equipment.

Recently, I was reminded of my original diving equipment when a client brought his in for service. It was just like my original set of equipment with the cool upgrade that I added a few years after that purchase — a dive computer! Like this one, it was a Suunto SME-ML computer. It was not the first dive computer on the market but it was the smallest and most capable for its time. I remember how cool it was to use the computer instead of the dive tables and how much more bottom time I got using it. It even gave me an extra dive in Belize when the boat broke down and we went to make a dive while the table divers and crew waited on the surface for the other boat to bring out parts!

Eric in Cozumel 1987

We had a lot of fun diving in those early days of my diving hobby (it hadn’t gotten out of control yet). There were trips to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and the Dominican Republic as well as dives off the Texas coast. That original diving equipment served me well. But I also upgraded things along the way. My old rubber purge mask gave way to a string of silicone masks and my buoyancy jacket got lighter and more capable. My air delivery systems changed a few time but more than that, my old SME-ML, which I kept for a long time, eventually gave way to better units with ever increasing capabilities.

Air delivery systems are utilizing plastics to make them lighter and more durable and pneumatics are incorporated in the designs to make them easier to breath. Engineers strived to improve airflow and to refine the machining to keep the costs down at the same time. Stainless steel and titanium are now in some models and little pieces of technology are integrated to help them perform better and last longer between servicing.

Ann in Cozumel 1992 (With a Penform Console)

But why the changes? Every time I made the change, things were still working. My BCD still kept me afloat, my air delivery system provided gas; my computer still told me my no-decompression-limit. So why would I change? Thinking about it, I know that the next generation of computers that came out after that SME-ML, were faster, more capable and had more refined algorithms based on newer diving research. Along the way, nitrox became a thing and computers adapted their programming to accommodate it. Underwater radio signals became an affordable thing and once again, computers were adapted to utilize the technology.

If you think about it, how many cars have you owned since you bought your original set of diving equipment? If you are like me, it has been more than one. Why did you get a new car? Didn’t your old one still get you from one place to another? Maybe it needed more attention and drew more attention than you wanted but ultimately you bought a new car. Have you changed your personal computer or mobile phone since you bought your diving equipment? Like me, I would say that you have probably traded things up during that period. So if you change these other things in your life, because of changing needs, serviceability issues or “it is time,” then why wouldn’t this same logic apply to your diving equipment?

Eric in Bikini Atoll 2018

Over the years, I went from a basic open water diver to a cave diver, a wreck diver and a Trimix diver all before my diving really got out of control and I married the boss and started working in the diving business full time. So as my diving changed, so to did my equipment needs. My old trusty SME-ML was not up to the task. I had to upgrade it and I upgraded all of my equipment as my diving changed. My equipment needs keep evolving as do the equipment choices. Things get better and more comfortable all the time. The key is to find the thing that will carry me through this phase of my diving sport until I need the next upgrade.

Maybe it is time you looked at your diving equipment and asked yourself…”Is it time for an upgrade?

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THROUGH MAY 31, SAVE ON A NEW VYPER NOVO LITE!

Perfect for helping you take your diving to the next level, the nitrox-ready Vyper Novo dive computer includes enhanced features like wireless air integration, a digital compass, and gas switching, all primed and ready, right out of the box. And through May 31 only, you can get a deep deal on all Vyper Novo Lite computers. But why stop there? Go big and bundle with a Transmitter to save even more!

All told, you save $50 off the Vyper Novo Lite, and $100 off when you splurge on the package. This spring, go big or go home and Vyper your dive.

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Oceanic Ventures’ First Employee, Mary Ann Henke (now Volmer), center, in the Latest Scuba Equipment 1992

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New Scuba Diving Equipment – Ocean Positive Swimwear

Oceanic Ventures now carrying the complete line of Ocean Positive swimwear for men and women from Fourth Element.  These are suits with minimal fasteners that make them comfortable under wetsuits but stylish enough to wear when you are not in your suit.
Ocean Positive swimwear and hydroskin rashguards are made using recycled nylon from fishing nets which have been abandoned by fishing vessels having snagged on reef, wrecks etc.
These “Ghost Nets” amount to over 600,000 tonnes of lost gear every year. The main hazard is to marine life – from invertebrates to large marine mammals. They continue to fish, long after they have been abandoned, and account for countless lives. The netting, very slow to degrade, scrubs coral, creating a desolate seascape where they are dragged over the reef by shifting currents.
Now, all over the world, dive teams are removing these Ghost Nets from the wrecks and reefs, often at great depths, and bringing them up to the surface where they can be recycled and spun into nylon yarn.
Fourth Element uses fabric made from ECONYLl®, the recycled yarn, combined with Lycra® to make a line of active swimwear.
“This is a fantastic idea, [one which] demonstrates what we can, and should, do for the oceans”. ‘Her Deepness’ Sylvia Earle.
Here is a video explaining the idea behind Ocean Positive.

And, If you want to see the product in action watch this video…

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New Scuba Diving Computers

tusa-dc-solarOne of the things we looked at recently is changing some of the computers we offer in our packages and as upgrades to our packages.  Two of the new entries are the DC Solar Link and the EON Steel.

According to the website, the DC Solar Link dive computer is the next generation in TUSA’s solar-powered devices. Features include: dive log transfer to smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth® SMART technology; Solar recharging which eliminates the need to replace a battery; 4-Mix Gas support; Free-Dive Mode, and a factory-sealed and rugged design that prevents flooding.

Using Bluetooth® SMART technology, you can transfer the dive logs from the IQ1204 DC Solar Link dive computer to any smartphone or tablet with TUSA Diving LOG app. Once uploaded to your device, dive logs can be shared with your friends on social media.

This computer looks like a new Casio G-Shock watch so it can double as a sport watch.  It looks good and we believe it will be a nice addition to our line.

suunto-steelThe EON Steel is Suunto’s next generation dive computer. The intuitive Suunto EON Steel combines advanced technology with a bright color screen and customizable features and display to show clearly what you need. With heavy-duty housing, a stainless steel bezel, and user updatable software, Suunto EON Steel will dive with you for years to come. We brought one in for a client who took it on our Cozumel trip and found it easy to read especially during the dusk/night dive.  The advantage of this computer is that it can be air integrated.

shearwater-infographic-transparent-1Another computer introduced last month is the Shearwater Perdix AI.  Our technical divers are familiar with other Shearwater computers becasue they have been using them for a number of years.  The Perdix AI offers all of the same great features of the Perdix, the Perdix AI uses its large, easy-to-read screen to clearly display the tank pressure as well as your gas time remaining (GTR). The Perdix AI is capable of connecting to either one or two transmitters giving the diver the option to monitor both tanks or dive sidemount.

So, if you are in need of a new dive computer, come by and look at one of the new offerings.
 

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Scuba Diving – Get Control of your BCD!

A note about the author – 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 now from Oceanic Ventures.

As you discovered when you first learned to scuba dive, the letters BCD stand for Buoyancy Control Device. This implies that your BCD is an appliance that controls your buoyancy in the water. It would be nice if that were the case but sadly it is not true. No matter how technologically advanced your BCD is, you are still the one responsible for controlling your buoyancy in the water. Your BCD is just a tool that you can use to help you.

But first you need to get the BCD itself under control!

stellitoBuy the right one

Most people buy BCDs that are the wrong size because they try them on in a dive shop while standing up and wearing their normal land-based-life clothes.

Try the BCD on in the shop while wearing your wetsuit and once you have chosen a model, ask to try a sample out in the pool first. Take along the size that fitted you best in the shop and take the next size down with you also. The smaller one is probably the one you will keep.

Your BCD should fit you closely, especially around the shoulders, but not restrict normal movement nor constrict you with the bag full and the straps loosened. It must have enough buoyancy when fully inflated to float you comfortably at the surface with your head clear of the water, but no more.

It is best avoid the bulky, top of the range models. They are usually very buoyant even when not inflated and will require you to wear a lot of extra weight to compensate. An oversized BCD can start moving around on its own under water and be impossible to control!

Charlie in TrukKnow how it works

Spend plenty of time studying your new BCD. Hold it up in front of you horizontally and imagine where the air will be when you are underwater. It will always be in whichever part of your BCD is closest to the surface.

Learn where the controls are. While you are swimming, practice finding your inflator mechanism by touch alone: then, practice using it in different positions. Remember it is not a pump; it will only release air when a) it is above your left shoulder and when b) your left shoulder is the part of your body closest to the water’s surface. Otherwise the air will remain trapped inside no matter how fiercely you depress the button. See how need to turn your body while swimming so that your left shoulder is at the highest point. Usually you can manage this by dipping your right shoulder.

Notice that if you are swimming with your head down and feet up, the air will be close to your butt. Most BCDs have a “tail dump” so you can release air in this position. Make sure you know instinctively if the tail dump is on the right or left.

Learn how to empty your BCD completely. Failure to master this skill can make it difficult for you to descend, cause you to carry too much weight to compensate and, worst of all, place you at risk of an out of control ascent.

Stephanie Watowich in Truk Lagoon

Set it up properly

Control your safe second stage (octopus) and your console so that you know where to find them instinctively when you need them and also so that they do not swing around below you and damage that beautiful coral you are swimming over. This means controlling the object at the end of the hose, not just the hose. Clips that retain only the hose still allow the object on the end to swing free below you and turn your accessories into reef-wrecking balls.

Minimize the number of extra bits and pieces you carry on every dive and make sure the essential items things, such as your safety sausage and dive light, are stowed away or attached securely. The two golden rules are:

  • only one thing in each pocket because if you have several items in the same pocket and pull one thing out, everything else will come out with it: and
  • attach everything by two points so that,
    1. it does not dangle and,
    2. if one of the attaching points breaks you do not lose it.

 
 

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A Short History of the Scuba Diving Mask!

Al with his mask and snorkel
Al with his mask and snorkel.

The mask is one of the most basic, yet essential pieces of equipment for our sport and has an interesting history. Since the human eye is not adjusted for seeing clearly without air in front of it, divers realized that thy needed some sort of air pocket in front of their eyes to see well underwater. With the beginning of diving divers fashioned goggles, similar to those which swimmers use today. These only covered divers’ eyes so I can imagine that it was pretty difficult to breathe comfortably underwater! With the growth of diving in the 1930s and after the World War II technological boom round masks that covered the eyes and nose became popular. Divers realized that they could increase peripheral vision by having an oval mask instead. These masks were usually homemade, as was most dive equipment, and were made of roughly cut glass and neuprene. As the sport really took off with Cousteau’s era dive masks were changed to have more specific eyepieces, separated the eyes chamber from the nose, and traded the neuprene skirt for silicone. These changes greatly improved the mask to give divers a greater visual field and make the masks more resistant to wear and tear, and are now the modern versions we know today.