The Importance of Buoyancy

Talking Scuba hosts Bob Shoemaker and Jim Norton discuss Jim’s joke on the staff in previous episodes, how diving remains an option in the Gulf of Mexico, their upcoming sponsored dive trip to Mackinaw City, and the importance of good buoyancy.


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Sea Sponges Share Human Genes

And not just a few -- apparently 70 percent.

Genetic sequencing of sea sponges from the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef showed the ancient marine animal shared many of its genes with humans, including a large number typically associated with disease and cancer.

Lead researcher Bernard Degnan, of the University of Queensland, said the findings "would shed light on a whole range of different things," and could lay the foundation for breakthroughs in cancer and stem cell research.

"Sponges have what's (considered) the 'Holy Grail' of stem cells," Degnan told AFP.

Exploring the genetic function of sponge stem cells could provide "deep and important connections" to the genes that influenced human stem cell biology, he said.

"(It) might actually inform the way we think about our own stem cells and how we might be able to use them in future medical applications," he said.

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19th-Century Shipwreck Could be USS Scorpion from the War of 1812

From The Washington Post:

A neoprene-clad diver slipped into the murky water of the Patuxent River near Upper Marlboro Wednesday to examine the wreck of a 19th-century ship that archaeologists and state officials hope to make a star attraction in Maryland's commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

The sailing ship could be the USS Scorpion, part of a fleet known as the Chesapeake Flotilla that was designed to navigate the shallow waters of the Patuxent and harass the British, whose Royal Navy at the time was terrorizing towns from Havre de Grace to Norfolk.

The excavation is part of Maryland's effort to create a tourism cash cow from the bicentennial of a war whose biggest claim to fame is inspiring "The Star-Spangled Banner." Based in part on Virginia's experience with revenue generated by Civil War sites, bicentennial boosters estimate the 32 months of events planned to commemorate the War of 1812 could generate $1 billion in tourism spending.

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The site of the wreck that could be the Scorpion lies a couple of miles upstream from Pig Point, also known as Bristol Landing, just past where Route 4 crosses the river. Since late July, underwater archaeologists from the U.S. Navy, the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland Historical Trust have been working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from a cluster of barges crammed with an excavator, a Port-o-Potty, a shipping container-cum-office and two large bins that filter water and sediment. Seven divers spend an hour or two at a time underwater with about a foot of visibility, carefully working through several yards of mud, silt and clay to what they believe is the hull of the vessel.

A couple of previously excavated artifacts indicate it might be the Scorpion: a grog cup with the initials C.W. that may have belonged to a cook who was transferred to the Scorpion, and a surgical kit that would likely have been on the ship. Researchers hope to find more definitive proof when they map the ship's dimensions.

The Scorpion was part of the Chesapeake Flotilla, which, under the command of Commodore Joshua Barney, battled the British in St. Leonard's Creek before retreating up the Patuxent, where the flotilla became trapped. Barney then destroyed his fleet to prevent the boats from falling into British hands. The British ultimately advanced on Washington, where they set fire to the president's mansion and the Capitol.

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Hat tip: TJ

Divers to Spend a Month Underwater Fixing Century-Old Cheesman Dam

Yet another critical job made possible by SCUBA.

A daring operation is under way, deep under water at Cheesman Reservoir.

Divers are attempting to replace the dam's aging gates which allow water to pass through the structure.

The current gates were installed in 1895, when the dam was built.

The plan for divers to replace the gates was thought to be better than the alternative, which would have required draining the lake.

That’s something that hasn’t been done in more than a century.

Draining the lake could have also jeopardized Denver’s water supply and taken months to refill.

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Divers are installing new stainless steel gates which allow water to pass through the dam. Two teams of two divers working 12 hour shifts are in a pressurized chamber for 28 days straight.

"They’re in a chamber which I guess you could equate to a big propane tank," said Mark Hintz, dive superintendent with Global Diving and Salvage Inc.

The divers are supported on deck by a 20 person crew.

"They have a cook. Good food. You burn a lot of calories in there," said Hintz.

For the entire month the divers live in a chamber and breathe 90 percent helium and 10 percent oxygen, which makes them sound a little like Donald Duck.

"They have a motorcycle looking helmet, or space-like helmet. It’s probably an odd scene if you could see it from the outside," said Hintz.

If all goes well, the dam will be fine for another 100 years. Big pressure -- both literally and figuratively -- on the divers to restore the dam’s aging gates.

"The storage here is about 80,000 acre feet," said Martin.

"Everyone’s got to be safe or they’re not on the job," said Hintz.

The crews "pressed down" on Monday night.

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Photo Essay: The First Sunset Divers T-Shirt

Last Friday (well, technically late Thursday evening for those of you who follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter) we released our most anticipated design and divers instantly began snatching them up.

We believe, like our other designs, that this shirt truly captures the essence of diving and the passion that connects divers worldwide.

Here's a behind the scenes look at the production of the very first Sunset Divers Scuba Diving T-Shirt.

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This new design is also available for ladies.

Be the first on your dive boat to have one!