PADI Launches Mobile App for iPhone and Android Operating Systems

The app, developed for Apple iOS and for Android based devices, allows users to locate PADI Dive Centers or Resorts by city/state/zip, or the closest to you by using your current location.

Here's a quick tour of the iPhone version of the PADI App:


Fairly basic stuff, but it's free and PADI says "more features will be developed and added".

Following Accident, Scuba Diver Turns Dream into Device

Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes. And inspiration often from bizarre sources.

Former Sarnia resident Trevor Theriault has managed to take a near tragedy and parlay it into a nifty new invention for divers.

In 2003, while scuba diving in Cuba, Theriault was partnered with a diver who had a panic attack when the pair descended together as part of a larger group.

The diving partner took off for the surface and Trevor followed to offer assistance. The rest of the group continued with the dive. By the time they got straightened around, the rest of the group was gone, as well as the boat from which they dove.

Without any way to tell the other divers they were in trouble, all they could do was wait. The others eventually noticed and the boat did a turnaround to search for the missing pair. After some time, they were found and rescued.

The mishap prompted Theriault to think about a better way to communicate with fellow divers under water. Normally, divers communicate by tapping on their air tanks with a knife or something else, but Theriault thought there must be a better way.

One morning, he woke from a dream with a vision in his head of a device that would allow better communication with fellow divers. He drew it on paper and started asking around, doing research and surfing the net to find out if such a thing existed.

Theriault decided to enlist the help of others to get the ball rolling on his idea in February 2004. He filed for a patent in December 2005 and received U.S. patent approval in May 2009.

Manufacturing began in September 2009 and the product, the Diver's Communication Torch (DCT), was launched in May of last year by his company, Moray Dive Gear, and has since been featured in a number of magazine articles.

The DCT is consists of a high powered 150 lumen LED flashlight and a patented noisemaker that can be heard 100 feet away underwater. The noisemaker isn't reliant on batteries.

Theriault's company is called Moray Dive Gear and he is happy with the response so far to his invention.

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Be sure to check out Moray Dive Gear.

Custom Helmet Allows Aquarium Visitors to Walk with Sharks

The Melbourne Aquarium is calling it the Shark Walker.

The device allows visitors to join thousands of fish, including sharks and stingrays, inside the 2.2 million litre Oceanarium.

The custom-made helmet allows visitors to breathe naturally as they explore the underwater world.

The 45-minute adventure requires no previous diving experience and costs £85.

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“Immersed Senses” Changes Way Divers See, Hear, and Breathe Underwater

A peculiar concept posted over at The Design Blog has attracted quite a bit of buzz from the dive community this week.

"Immersed Senses" is the brainchild of designer Adam Wendel, and boasts a futuristic approach to scuba diving that allows the diver to experience the underwater realm in entirely new ways.

Immersed Senses operates by a battery that utilizes a centrifuge mechanism to pull oxygen from seawater that begins the electrolysis reaction. Saltwater is extracted into the bottom reservoir that reacts with hydrogen gas. The saltwater is then charged by a positive and negative anode/cathode that generates breathable oxygen. Two internal devices help to circulate the oxygen to the diver’s mouth and nose.

The diver then breathes in the oxygen and out carbon dioxide, which exits the helmet. The battery and stored hydrogen can keep a diver submersed for up to 8 hours. The Immersed Senses revolutionizes how a human can breathe underwater, as well as interact with the OLED display offering a panoramic view of the deep sea.

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Wow! ROV Rescues Marlin Trapped in Oil Rig

Machine meets fish.


(Feed readers click through for video)

iScubaPlan iPhone Application

Is this quite possibly the coolest iPhone application ever?

iScubaPlan is an iPhone and iPod Touch application that allows you to instantly plan recreational SCUBA dives. It does this by using the same test data that the PADI/DSAT recreational dive planning tables are based on.

With iScubaPlan, you can use Air and Nitrox, and plan any number of repetitive dives.

Metric and Imperial are supported.

A couple of us at Neutral Dive Gear downloaded the app a few weeks back, and dig it.

Your thoughts?

Sharks of the World iPhone Application

Thanks to our friends over at DivePhotoGuide.com for bringing this new iPhone application to our attention.

The Save Our Seas Foundation Sharks of the World Field Guide is now available as an iPhone application for free.

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The guide describes all 440 species of shark and the expert text covers numerous topics, from their behaviour, breeding, feeding and ecology, right through to the impact of humans on sharks throughout the world. Click on the image below to access the free application via iTunes.

Pretty nifty!

Aquarium Diver Swallows Tiny Camera as a Test

The good news? Tiny camera-pills doctors use to see the digestive tracks of humans may be used to peek at the innards of sick whales and dolphins.

When big animals like belugas and whale sharks become ill, veterinarians have to catch them and sedate them to do the blood work, take stool samples and do other invasive procedures to diagnose their illness, said Greg Bossart, the aquarium’s chief veterinary officer.

That can stress the animals, he said.

If, however, they could swallow a pill that would allow veterinarians to see inside their systems, they could be helped without being bothered, he said.

“This is supposed to be non-invasive,” Bossart said. “That’s the beauty of this, it does not hurt the animal at all.”

The test is a first for aquariums, Bossart said, and the cutting-edge technology could change the way big animals like dolphins, grouper and whales are managed.

The bad news? It's expensive.

The camera-pills costs about $500 each and an accompanying receiver that records the images costs about $5,000, said Greg Seitz, marketing product manger of Given Imaging, maker of the pill. The pill, which has been used on humans since 2001, can be used only one time.

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Putting Shark Repellent to the Test

That's what Coastal Carolina University scientist Craig O'Connell has been up to lately.

The shark population is dwindling as nearly 100-million are killed every year by bait hooks and fishing nets.

Craig is creating something to put on fishing lines, so sharks avoid them.

Just as he knows what attracts sharks, he also knows what repels them, and after years of studies and experiments in the Bahamas, the shark scientist says their repellents work. Sharks sense them as potential danger.

"It's very exciting. This has always been a passion of mine, to help save sharks, ever since I was a kid," said Craig.

He has three types of shark repellents: a magnet, electropositive metals, and a chemical extracted from dead sharks.

He tried them for us on the dogfish shark. The metal provoked a small reaction and the chemical, a bigger reaction.

"We are making a lot of progress, and we are repelling sharks, so that is definitely beneficial," said Craig.

He said it will also benefit sharks as well as fishermen, who snag sharks by mistake.

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Will 'Electronic Dive Buddy' Make Scuba Diving a Safer Sport?

The engineering students at the University of Auckland seem to think so.

Anatoly Kudryashov and Jenny Xu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Mechatronics Engineering specialisation have designed a computerised system to automatically adjust a diver’s buoyancy if they get into trouble. The project was supervised by Associate Professor Vojislav Kecman and assisted by Technical Officer Rob Earl.

"The most important task for a diver while underwater is buoyancy control. Normally this is controlled manually by adding or releasing air in a buoyancy control device, which is worn like a jacket," Anatoly says.

"To rise in the water, a diver adds air to the buoyancy control device. To sink, air is let out. If the buoyancy is not adjusted correctly, a diver may rise too rapidly or descend too quickly to an unsafe depth, risking serious injury or sometimes death," Jenny says.

The Electronic Dive Buddy attaches to the buoyancy jacket and monitors the diver’s motion while underwater. It automatically adjusts buoyancy if an unsafe depth or velocity is reached. The device also has a ‘cruise control’ feature, allowing divers to automatically maintain a desired depth in the water.

Anatoly, who is in avid diver, couldn’t understand why computer control hadn’t been introduced to scuba diving and decided to tackle the problem as part of his assessment for a Bachelor of Engineering Degree. Mechatronics Engineering students work in pairs to complete a major research project in their final year of study.

The Electronic Dive Buddy prototype was tested in the laboratory and in a 4.7 metre deep swimming pool.

"Our tests so far have proven the device to work, so the next step is to look at its marketability. As far as I know, a device like this does not exist," Anatoly says.

Anatoly and Jenny presented their findings at The Department of Mechanical Engineering project display day on Friday, 10 October 2008. The students received an IPENZ Award for the quality of their presentation and display.

Divers, what do you think?

Museum Exhibit To Honor History-Making Quadriplegic Diver

Matt Johnston is finally receiving the recognition he deserves for his heroic efforts, unsinkable spirit, and ground-breaking contributions to the scuba diving community: his own dive exhibit at the Florida History of Diving Museum.

Showcasing the unparalleled story of Matt Johnston and his one-of-a-kind dive gear, a "Diving a Dream" exhibit is set to open Wednesday, Aug. 13 at the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum in Islamorada.

Johnston, of Woodbury, Minn., made diving history in November 2006 when he became the first paralyzed scuba diver who breathes through a ventilator to complete two successful ocean dives in the Florida Keys.

Floating face down with a medical team nearby, Johnston made his historic dives in shallow water over the reefs off the Florida Keys. The experience fulfilled a longtime dream for the 32-year-old Johnston, a quadriplegic who was diagnosed during his childhood with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, a hereditary degenerative disease of the voluntary muscles.

He plans to attend the exhibit's opening, scheduled for 7 p.m., via webcam. "Inclusion in the museum will carry Matt's inspiration to yet another audience," said Michael Lombardi of Oceans of Opportunity, a not-for-profit organization that collaborated with Johnston to bring his dream to life and inspire others to reach their goals.

Among the items to be on display are the double-limb vent circuit (white hoses fixed to his suit) and a custom-made Diving Unlimited International dry suit.

"The first suit is important because it's a prototype for people with trachs," said Johnston, whose paralyzed lungs receive air through a tracheotomy ("trach") tube connected to a ventilator.

Museum visitors can watch an 11-minute video segment about Johnston's diving experience that aired on NBC's "Today Show" and see Johnston's original Scubility Open Water Diver certificate -- believed to be the first in the world.

As well as his Florida Keys first, the 32-year-old Johnston was among the first full quadriplegics to dive, pioneering scuba diving with muscular dystrophy. He also authored the "Manual for Ventilator-Dependent Quadriplegic Diving."

In the manual's introduction, Johnston wrote, "Diving is not just about all the trips you take and the adventures you have. It's also about the friendships you make both above and below the water."

We couldn't have said it any better if we tried.

Holy Mackerel! Rinspeed's sQuba Concept

First previewed in December, Swiss design company Rinspeed has released tons of high-res photos of its new water toy; the sQuba.

The sQuba is an all-electric vehicle with three motors, one to drive the car on land and two to power a pair of screw drives for underwater movement. These are aided by two Seabob jet drives that "breathe" through rotating louvers mounted on the car's fenders and appear to give the car its maneuverability underwater.

Some might think a submersible convertible sounds like a submarine with a screen door, but Rinspeed has got a handful of reasons why it didn't go with a closed cockpit. Safety is one, because in an emergency, occupants might not be able to exit a closed cockpit vehicle underwater. Buoyancy was another, as the vehicle would've needed two tons of extra weight to offset the volume of air inside a cockpit, which would've seriously compromised the car's on-road handling. The small issue of breathing underwater is solved by an onboard breathing system that works like, what else, scuba gear.

We laughed at the underwater moped concept, but found ourselves mopping up our drool and picking our jaws off the floor as we sifted through these photos.

Underwater Moped?

Is it just us, or is this one of the strangest inventions to hit the scuba diving market in some time?

The fish weren't the only curious snappers yesterday at Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World when Kiwi boat builders Calibre Boats launched their Scuba Scuta, an Australian invention which the company is exclusively building and marketing in Helensville. A bit like an underwater jetski the $20,000 scooter can cruise at 2.5 knots at a depth of 10 metres for an hour and a half with air pumped into the perspex dome.

But rather than scare away the creatures in the big tank, the fish's curiosity at times made it difficult for photographers to get pictures, chief executive officer Olaf van Daal said.

He described riding the scooter as "like sitting on a little moped".

"It's a bit strange at first but all of a sudden you find yourself at the bottom of a lake or somewhere and it's amazing."

Yesterday's demo was almost a tease though - none of the scooters will be available for sale locally, with production destined for large export orders only.

This year the company will build 100 units from fibreglass moulds for a chain of international resorts in Malaysia and by next Christmas it's hoped a million of the units will be out for sale.

Does anyone think sending someone with no necessary training in SCUBA underwater in one of these contraptions is a good thing?

Hat tip: Shark Divers

Australian Aerial Robot Joins Fight Against Whaling

It's not every day you find the news mega site Drudge Report highlighting a story pertaining to the struggle surrounding Antarctic whaling.

AUSTRALIA has flown its first whaling surveillance mission as forces opposing the Japanese fleet in the Antarctic are stepped up.

The flight by an extended range Airbus, along with the sighting of a Japanese fishing boat said to be shadowing Sea Shepherd, raise spying over the "scientific" whaling program to a new level.

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The Airbus A319, fitted with surveillance and imaging equipment, is being used by the Rudd Government, with the Customs patrol ship Oceanic Viking, to gather evidence for potential international legal action against the whaling.

The aircraft performed well on a six-hour low-level search out of Hobart on Sunday, locating two foreign fishing vessels in Antarctic seas, a spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Minister, Bob Debus, said yesterday.

Nintendo's Endless Ocean: Scuba Diving for Wii

Nintendo has released a scuba diving video game for its Wii system, entitled Endless Ocean. And while no video game will ever compare to the real thing, check out this trailer:

Hypnotic, is it not?

Check out the game play:



As scuba divers, of course we get excited when we watch something like this. But it's not just us. Endless Ocean appears to have garnered some solid reviews from a generally action-saturated gaming community.

Gaming Heaven gave the product a rating of 80 (out of 100) claiming the game is "Better than it looks and will be sure to appeal to people who just want a change of scenery."

VideoGameBlogger.com gave the game a positive review, and a cumulative fun rating of 8.5 (out of 10).

Nintendo Life rated Endless Ocean an 8 (out of 10), citing that "if you’re after a genuinely unique experience on the Wii to prove the console can be more relaxing than Wii Sports would have you believe, Endless Ocean is the perfect choice."

And on and on.

Has anyone played? What did you think? Is Endless Ocean worth your hard-earned $29.99?

UK to Install "Underwater Eye" on HMS Scylla

From the country that brought us Big Brother and one of the most extensive video surveillance networks in the world, comes a live visual feed to a sunken warship off south east Cornwall.

The anchor from the HMS Scylla will have monitors acting as an "underwater eye" to the wreck 23m (75ft) below the surface in Whitsand Bay.

The decommissioned Royal Navy frigate was sunk in a controlled explosion in March 2004 to become Europe's first artificial diving reef.

The anchor will become an attraction at Plymouth's railway station.

Thousands of divers have visited the artificial reef since 2004.

The ship was built in 1968, weighs 2,500 tonnes and is 113m (370ft) long.
She was bought by the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth in 2004 with £200,000 provided by the South West Regional Development Agency.

Interesting. Well, that's one way to give scuba divers their 15-minute bottom time of fame!

Underwater Text Messager

Text messaging is all the rage these days. With that in mind, Underwater Technology Center has developed the Underwater Digital Device (UDI), which takes text messaging to a whole new depth.

The UDI is a wrist-wearable diving computer that not only keeps logs of your dive, but also allows you to communicate with other divers and your boat. The UDI uses 2-way text-messaging, over a distance of up to 500 meters (or about 1,640 feet). There is no keyboard, so divers send any of 14 preset messages ("Watch out for that shark!") Over the same range, the devices can also be used as homing beacons so divers can find their boat.

There is also an SOS beacon which functions at up to 1000 meters (almost 3,300 feet) letting other divers and the boat know you're in trouble. The SOS beacon can also be activated remotely, so if your buddy looks like he's in trouble, you can activate his SOS beacon for him. And with an estimated eight-hour battery life (assuming one message being sent every four minutes), this thing won't die right in your moment of need.

What a cool toy!

Currently shipping around $1,500 a pop, the UDI is a bit pricey. But let's be honest, SCUBA diving is by no means a cheap sport.

Tracking Whale Sharks with Facial Recognition Software

Too bad criminals don't have visible spots and stripes like our gentle, giant friends. From the New York Times:

Facial recognition software holds great promise, but the jury is still out on how effective it is now. The software, which compares patterns from an electronic image of a face to a database of images, hasn't proved particularly good at picking criminals out of a crowd, for instance.

But an Australian scientist is having better luck with software that can identify individual whale sharks. It doesn't analyze shark faces, but rather individual patterns of spots and stripes on the fish's skin.

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In a paper to be published this month in the journal Ecological Applications, the researchers report repeat sightings of many individual sharks from year to year, suggesting that the shark population, in that part of the ocean at least, is healthy.