Newsletter

This Months Headlines

Tyee Cove best shore dive of 2009

Super Cool New Dive Computer The Uemis Zurch SDA

By Ab Kurk

Tyee Cove best shore dive of 2009

I have done many shore dives in my lifetime. Some are worth the work and some are not. In my opinion Tyee Cove is absolutely worth it. It is only 20-30min away from downtown Nanaimo. We used the GPS coordinates located in Betty Pratt-Johnson 151 Dives book and had no problem getting to the dive site.

We parked in front of some mailboxes on a little spot of asphalt. Pull in close because there is only room for 2 cars at the most. Be respectful because it is in a residential neighbourhood, there is no washrooms so stop of before you get there.

A little path leads to a beach area where you can suit up. The entry is very easy, as you do not have to climb over logs or walk down hills. You just walk into the water and put on your fins. A short swim to the right corner of this little bay and descend into about 20ft of water.

The bottom of the bay is covered in eelgrass with lots of critters making their homes in it. When descending along the wall you have to look closely in the cracks because they are teeming with life. When we were there, we saw some plastic horses floating in mid water tied of to the bottom, which make an interesting photo-op. The wall starts to drops off to a depth of about 70 to 80 feet as you swim along.

Turn around with some time to spare so you can hangout in the shallows looking at all the critters in the eelgrass. When I came up after the dive, I had a smile on my face that lasted for a long time. This is absolutely a 5 star dive. Checkout the video I made by clicking on this link on Vimeo.

By Ab Kurk

The BladeFish DPV

Anther cool product is the BladeFish DPV. Most divers have thought about a DPV (Dive Propulsion Vehicle, or scooter) when doing a dive at Porteau Cove or any other dive were lengthily swims are required to get to the dive area. After fantasising about buying one we quickly snap back to reality and think about the cost and how much they weigh and we begin to kick again to get where we want to go.

The BladeFish is going to change all of that. The 3000 and 5000 model are the ones sold in Canada. The biggest differences between the two models are the battery life and the depth they can go.

The 3000 has a 40 minutes operation time where the 5000 has a 70-120 minute operation time. The 5000 model also has a higher top speed and can go to 130 feet 40 meters where the 3000 model can only go to 100feet 30 meters of depth.

With a max weight of 10.2 lbs and a diameter of 15in. width, it is small enough to fit in a dive bag. It even comes with its own carry bag. This little scooter is small and light enough to take on shore dives with no hassle. The price is also not so bad. The 3000 model will be around $600 and the 5000 model is $799.

Check Out These products in our Online Shop

By Ab Kurk

Super Cool New Dive Computer The Uemis Zurch SDA

Once in a while, I see a new product that excites me more then it should. The Scuba Diver Assistant (SDA) dive computer made by Uemis is on of those products. Uemis is a new Swiss company that has it?s roots in the Uwatec dive computer company. Although they are a fairly new company you can see that they know what they are doing

A good friend of mine told me about this computer. He told me that this product was going to change what we perceive dive computers are all about. It was a very strong statement and I was not going to take his word for it. His response was try it out and let me know what you think. He gave me the computer but kept the charger. I was rather confused by this action, but in the end, it became clear why he did that.

The computer comes with a quick guide and a user manual on how to use it, but as a real man I thought who needs those. The only thing I looked up in it was how the air sensor needed to be setup. I thought I will use it as my backup and will figure out how it works on the fly.

The first thing I noticed when I turned it on was how easy it was to read the display. It was bright and clear and well laid out. The strap was so easy to fit over my bulky dry suit with room to spare. It took less then 30 sec to make the computer accept the wireless tank pressure sensor.

I started my first dive and quickly noticed how easy it was to read the screen. This is because of the new OLED screen technology used in this computer. Their screen is laid out to only display what is pertinent for the situation, all other information is accessible by the easy slide buttons on the computer.

During a normal dive the information displayed is depth, dive time, remaining gas, no stop time, deco time and depth stops, total ascent time, safety stop, gas mix, water temp. All the information is displayed in green until something needs your attention. At that moment, the pertinent information turns red. If it is an important issue like missing a deco/safety stop certain information like temperature will temporarily disappear. The computer will only display important information and simplify your screen so you can and handle the situation more easily.

Because of its 170 degree viewing area I noticed when things changed on my display. After a couple of dives and a little more reading in the manual, I setup some alarms to test those features, and I noticed the screen changes easily. When doing a safety stop my dive buddies saw how much time I had left during one of my safety stops while floating around me and understood the screen without reading the manual.

The computer also comes with a place to store buddy addresses and phone numbers, dive sites and GPS coordinates. It?s easy to use the log book on the computer and a whole range of other functions. It uses a rechargeable battery and a solar panel to keep it under charge between dives. I found out that if you don?t use the solar panel to recharge the computer you need the charger to charge the battery. This is why my friend did not give me the charger otherwise, I would have kept the computer.

This is a computer that is great for any level of diver. You can grow with it from a recreational diver all the way to technical trimix diver if you feel so inclined. It comes in many different colours to express your self (black, yellow, red, blue and pink). The download kit is included in the price. It will retail here in Canada around $1700 with the wireless pressure sensor. We will be getting them in soon, but for a short time we will sell them at a reduced price (Call for details 604 669-3483).

For full details check it out at Uemis Zurich SDA Specs

Check Out Our Online Shop

Trips on the horizon

Howe Sound
	Sea Dragon Charters, located in Horseshoe Bay, runs 2 dive day trips to the Howe Sound every Saturday and Sunday (based on availiblilty). The diving in the Howe Sound is a combination of wall and pinnacle dives and is home to all the usual Pacific North West marine suspects giant pacific octopus, huge lingcods, schools of perch, seals, pudget sound kings crabs, crimson anemones and the list goes on.
Date: Weekends	Price:$99.00 Not including tax
Includes 2 boat dives, lunch Call For Details 604 669-3483

Trip To Barkley Sound Rendezvous Dive Adventures
	Join us for a weekend of diving hosted by Peter and Cathy from Rendezvous lodge, located in Rainy Bay, Barclay Sound. You will enjoy a weekend of stress-free diving where tides are not a factor and neither is cooking! You will find here one of the most pristine diving areas in British Columbia. Our dive package includes two dives per day plus an optional night dive, all meals, and lodging,.
Date: August 27-29	Price:$To be announced Shortly Not including tax
Includes two dives per day plus an optional night dive, all meals, and lodging Call For Details 604 669-3483

Port Hardy
	Experience the best cold water diving, just a few hours from your doorstep! Hop aboard the Mamro, a 52 ft converted fishing boat and enjoy an all inclusive weekend surrounded by the beauty of the West Coast. During your dives you're likely to encounter wolf eels, hooded nudibranchs, octopus, and puget sound king crabs, and if your lucky you will see orca whales and dolphins while on the surface. We depart from Vancouver on Friday morning and begin our journey to the most northern tip of Vancouver Island, where we will board the Mamro and enjoy 4 dives a day for two days, returning to Vancouver mid-day Monday. Book before July 1st and dont pay HST But hurry! Limited space available
Date: September 3rd -6th	Price:$520.00 Not including tax
Boat dives lodging and meals Call For Details 604 669-3483

Borneo Sipadan & Mabul
	Dive the warm clear waters around the islands of Mabul and Sipadan. Explore plunging walls, shallow reefs & go muck diving. Swim with green turtles, sharks, schools of barracuda & jacks. Photograph nudibranchs, cuttlefish, frogfish, porcelin crabs, mandarin fish, and more& The State of Sabah is well known by adventure travelers and divers alike for its abundance of eco-treasures. Play with the Orang Utan, the wild man of Borneo, in the largest sanctuary in the world. Climb to the peak of the highest mountain in the region and, of course, go diving! With Sipadan now being a fully protected conservation zone, your stay will be on the beautiful island of Mabul, just 20 minutes from Sipadan by boat. Package includes: " Airfare from Vancouver " 2 nights in Kota Kinabalu in a 4 star hotel incl. breakfast " 7 nights at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort incl. all meals " 6 days of boat diving, 3 dives per day " All required domestic flights and transfers " Unlimited shore entry house reef diving Cost: $4099CAD per person based on double occupancy Dates: October 7 to 17, 2010 Not including: Sipadan Dive Permit, Tax of approx. $180CAD, Drinks, Dive gear, Gratuities, Visa Fees, and Travel Insurance. We reserve the right to adjust the rate due to currency fluctuation. Package is based upon double occupancy. Tax is subject to change.
Date: October 7 to 17, 2010	Price:$$4099 CAD Not including tax
Boat Dives Lodging and Meals Call For Details 604 669-3483