Google Calendar

One of the first things you notice on the new website design is the google events calendar.

This calendar is an easy way to find upcoming community events, meetings and dives. To view any one of these categories by themselves, click on the triangle in the upper right, and select which category to view.

You can click on any item for more information, and some have links for map directions

Video: Seal at 1781 feet!

Imaging you're in a sub, collecting coral samples almost 2000 feet down, and you're greeted by another air-breather! A very cool video of a monk seal swimming around a deep submersible.



Story from the Deep Sea News Blog

Underwater Text Message

Underwater Digital Interface (UDI) is the world’s first digital device for undersea texting and SOS emergency communications. The UDI provides divers with more security than ever before, allowing up to 56 divers at a time to remain in contact with their ships and each other at a distance of 1,000 yards.

To accommodate the awkwardness of immersion and bulky diving gear, the controls are more basic than you're average smartphone (no QWERTY keyboards here). Also, these devices communicate only to each other so you'd have to buy more than one if you want to use it. The UDI is available now for $1,500 each.

From Scifi Channels's 2008 CES Report

NOAA Releases Action plan for Deep Sea Corals

The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States

It's a little more than most people will ever dive to, but it's still a beautiful and threatened ecosystem. There's even a chapter on the Northeast. There are full color illustrations, and each region is available as a seperate download or as the entire pdf.

The report discusses the vulnerability of deep corals to human activities and identifies the current threats to these habitats. This new understanding has prompted increased calls for protection of deep coral habitats in the U.S. and around the world. The report documents recent management actions by NOAA and the Regional Fishery Management Councils to protect over one half million square miles of the seafloor in the Pacific, including unique deep coral habitats, from damage by bottom-trawling.

The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/dce.html

Diving like a fish!

http://www.isracast.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ID=63

An Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of compressed air tanks. This new invention will use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and submarines. The invention has already captured the interest of most major diving manufacturers as well as the Israeli Navy.

It basically presurizes the air out of the water and - combined with a closed circut rebreather - can allow you to dive without the bulky tanks.

Still in development, so don't expect to see it anytime soon. Plus the battery only lasts about an hour, so right now there's not much advantage.

Build your own ROV

Here's an awesome do-it-yourself project for the technically inclined. Build your own ROV for under $300!

It's rated to 250' and tethered to the surface with a waterproofed networking cable. There is a working video camera on board, and it is controlled by a joystick, and laptop (which also receives the video/photos).

Great for checking vis!

http://www.rollette.com/rovrev2/

Convention Season!

Just because the weather is getting colder, it's not the time to stop thinking about diving.  Many scuba classes don't require dives, or you could take a drysuit class and dive all year round - winter water is crystal clear.

During the winter season is when all the scuba conventions come around.  Boston Scuba Show, Sea Rovers, and Beneath the Sea are in Febuary and march, with many more in April (details on the event's calendar)

If New England winters aren't for you, you could always take a trip to warmer dive sites, several members are leading trips to get away from the cold water this winter.

Happy Diving!