FEEDING FRENZY

The thing is - I love sharks - but I don't want to be anywhere near a hungry one. I mean it! They might not want to eat me, but hey, even I sometimes eat stuff I don't want when I'm hungry. Stuart's Cove is one of the most famous dive shops - especially for shark diving in the Bahamas. They take the divers out to the feeding spot and explain that the divers must keep their limbs tucked close to their bodies at all times because a shark could mistake an arm for some chum (AARRGH!). Anyway, they descend, kneel at the bottom, and a guy comes down with a box full of chum, and when everyone's ready they open the box and are suddenly surrounded by 40+ sharks! I'm glad it was fun, but I'm seriously in no rush to experience this. Has anyone else done it?

It's FRIDAY! Our first week on the web is coming to a conclusion, and thanks so much for giving us such a warm welcome. I have to be honest about today's photo - I was nowhere in the vicinity. Instead, I was lying in the sun at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas in these really cool cabanas that have plasma tvs, mini bars, private bathrooms, and you can even get a massage. My friend went on the dive, took the picture, and told me all about it. I was a tiny bit jealous, but not enough to jump in with that lot!

Hugs and Fishes!
Jenny Mo

The Biggest Fish Ever

Who ordered the grouper?

Hugs and BIG fishes,
Jenny Mo

REEFS

So the girls and I only started this blog four days ago, and we're excited to see that we've had visitors from all over the world. Welcome everyone! One thing you may not know about us is that between us we speak about 7 languages - some better than others! So feel free to post comments in any language and hopefully it will be one of the languages we know. If not, we'll just pretend we know it, and respond in English with something generic like, "Right on!"

Today's post is all about REEFS and how incredibly magnificent they are. One of the most incredible SCUBA experiences is a wall dive - that's scuba speak for diving along the side of a reef (it looks like a wall) as opposed to descending to the bottom. You'll have to forgive me for posting about Molokini yet again, but I have a lot of pictures from there, and it's a diver's paradise! Molokini is a volcanic crater, and the back wall drops down to depths of 300 feet. It's also home to 250 species of fish, so you're sure to see a lot! Also, it's advanced enough for the most seasoned diver, but it still has plenty of entry-level diver areas for those who are newly certified. This is me diving along the wall (still in my first fins, and still not sure what to do with my arms).

What's incredible about reef diving is how the colors change with the visibility. You may be able to see the reef from a hundred feet away or more, but once you get up close, the colors are astounding. The reef looks great from any distance, but once you're within a few feet, the colors are so vibrant that there's nothing like it on solid ground. If you look at Wikipedia for "reef" - you'll find lots of really big words like "Permian-Triassic." As law students, we're used to big words, but these geologists and oceanographers do not mess around. According to wikipedia, the biggest threats to the coral reefs include overfishing, pollution, and shipping traffic. There are lots of organizations you can get involved with to help protect our reefs and have fun diving while doing it! Check out www.reefcheck.org and www.reef.org for more info.

This last shot is a sunset on the Maui shore near the dive site. The clouds accumulate over the other side of the island (near Ka'anapali and Lahaina).

Hugs and Fishes! Jenny Mo

Looking Fish-y

Jenny Mo and I attended a fun dinner together recently. We tried our best to look like we were underwater in the photo... yeah, we just ended up looking silly, but hey, anything for the love of scuba, right?

Kiwi Dreams

New Zealand might be the prettiest place on the planet... it definitely has the most charming people, aka Kiwis that you will EVER meet. I visited Wellington, Martinborough, Featherston, (generally the Wairarapa) and the world famous Wharekauhau Country Estate. You have to see Wharekauhau to believe it... http://www.wharekauhau.co.nz/

So, now I need to know, when I head back to that part of the world in the fall... where should I dive? Should I stick to the North Island or should I venture to the South Island? Please help SCUBA pros :)

In the meantime, if you are dreaming about going to New Zealand, do not pass go, do not collect $200, get on a plane right now. New Zealand will change you forever! Here are some of my photos from the trip!

The Romper, Then & Now

Are you looking for the perfect apres-scuba outfit? Something which will look stylish & sexy but will travel easily? The romper is a classic choice; honestly, it doesn't go out of style. First appearing in 1910, the romper is a one-piece garment usually worn for play. It comes in two varieties: shorts or skirt! (as modeled by myself then & now, respectively)

It can be slipped on over your bathing suit & since most rompers are terry cloth, it's like wearing a flattering towel. It doesn't wrinkle & you can shove it in your scuba bag where it won't take up much space at all. It goes from the boat to the bar with ease.

Come on people, who doesn't want to wear an outfit which embodies the sense of fun shared by childhood & the pursuit of scuba. I promise that your romper outfit will be a big hit!!!

hugs & fishes,
traci

Wreck Diving

So I have ten minutes left before class, so this is a quick one! These photos are blurry because I don't have a great underwater camera - yet! I hear that it's all about the flash. Please leave comments if you have any advice about a good, reasonably priced underwater camera. So this was my first wreck dive - the St. Anthony. And, yes, I penetrated the wreck! However, it's a very SMALL wreck - she's a 65' shrimper. Some of you may recognize it. Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) donated money to have her sank off of Maui in 1997 to create an artificial reef for the beautiful sea turtles that live in the area. She's a great wreck for first time wreck divers.

There's a great story about this wreck as well as information on how to contribute to the Maui Reef Fund available at http://www.mauiscuba.com/wrecks/anthony.htm

I also want to urge anyone new to scuba to NEVER penetrate a wreck without proper training. Wreck diving is a separate certification, and the conditions are so much different. This little shrimp boat only had one inside area to penetrate that was maybe 8' x 8' and I followed an instructor who was a certified wreck diver. However, there have been tragic consequences when people try to penetrate wrecks without being prepared. Some of the problems can include getting lost inside the wreck and being unable to "follow your bubbles" to the top, stirring up silt and losing visibility entirely, and running out of air and being unable to ascend. That being said, if you are properly trained and prepared, I hear that it's a lot of fun! I would like to get wreck certified!

This other photo is of me with some gorgeous angel fish near the wreck. They suddenly surrounded me, and it was amazing!

Please feel free to share your wreck diving stories - after all - it's WRECK WEDNESDAY!

Hugs and fishes,

Jenny Mo

Hot Days Make Me Miss the Water

This weekend was scorching hot. Sometimes, the most fun and cheapest way to beat the heat is to throw on a bathing suit and run to the beach - or better yet - grab some scuba gear and take a swim with the fisheez! Unfortunately I am in the middle of finals MADNESS - just two weeks to go!!! So - I had to settle for a bathing suit and my books in the back yard.

Hugs & Fishes,
Z

Calendar: Chamber Day, May 7, 2008 (SoCal)

Some of our SCUBA buddies have mentioned that it is pretty hard to keep track of SCUBA-tastic events. For the sake of the cause, we are going to do our best to collect scuba events. We will file them under the label "Calendar" and we will try to have the location in the title. So, if you know about, or if you are promoting, a scuba event, bring it to our attention and we will put it under the calendar tab!


That being said, we've just been directed to a really cool event in Southern California. It's called Chamber Day. This year's event will be on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. The official website, http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/chmbday.htm,says the following:

The great thing about this event is that ALL the monies raised goes to the Chamber. No administrative fees are deducted from the proceeds, the local SoCal boats donate their time and services, the manufacturers donate gear for raffle prizes, the Aquarium of the Pacific donates their facility for the evening event, hundreds of volunteers donate their time, and you (hopefully) donate your money.The Catalina Chamber is dedicated strictly to the treatment of diving accidents on a 24/7/365 basis. Although we hope you’ll never need it, having the Chamber available gives divers a vital safety net in the event something should go wrong with your dive. Although there is a grant from LA County, and the Chamber gets income from some outside activities, Chamber Day provides a significant portion (roughly 50%) of the Chamber’s annual budget.

So, if you live and dive in SoCal... get involved!

Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

I've been blessed to visit some beautiful places on this planet and stay in some hotels with great character. This major travel / adventure bug has lead to my desire to become scuba certified. What better place to explore than underwater? That's the last great frontier, right? I've visited all of the majorly inhabited continents (read I'm not counting Antarctica) other than South America. I hope to visit the magical land of South America soon and very soon. In the meantime, I am just going to share with you places I've been that when I REVISIT will be amazing places to dive (example: my post about my visit to Australia http://twotank.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-time-in-land-down-under.html). If you are lucky enough to already be certified, you may want to check these places out, ASAP.

A place near and dear to my heart is the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/LagunaNiguel/Default.htm The pictures tell it all! Notice how much my pictures look like the pictures on the hotel website? This means that the property is SO beautiful that a horrible shot like me can get a fantastic pic :) This hotel is wonderfully appointed, but very laid back. I love that combo. Don't get me wrong, I love nice stuff, but nothing ruins my vacation like pretentious and snotty. Can I get an amen? The beach was amazing, the multiple pools were awesome, and they had the most unbelievable work-out space I've ever seen. I think it was a three-story glass front to the workout / yoga space that basically had you hovering over the water while you were sweating it out on the treadmill. But, if you just want the most relaxing breakfast of your life, this is the place to go. The Ritz has several breakfast rooms overlooking the ocean. It is just pure bliss. So, to send a little bliss and relaxation into your day, I am including a couple shots from my stay at this amazing property. Has anyone done any diving in the OC? Where should I stay when I come back to visit SoCal?

Hugs and fishes,

Kari

Quest For The Perfect Body

Do you want to look H-O-T now? Forget about all those crazy diets which force one to forgo delicious treats, get yourself a super tight wet suit. I am a firm believer that the wet suit camouflages most imperfections. The form-fitting garment creates the illusion of a perfect body; it sucks all the spoogy bits in & keeps them from spilling over one's bathing suit (please observe man in black speedos sans wet suit). Seriously, the wet suit can make one look 15 pounds lighter!!! Besides the slimming qualities, the wet suit is super comfortable and it imparts an added element of self-confidence to the wearer. It is the ultimate must-have for 2008

hugs & fishes,
traci

FINS!

Hello Divers,

Today's blog is about fin preferences. I've noticed a little debate going on in the scuba community about whether or not split fins are the way to go. In case you don't know what a split fin is, I've included a photo. This is the Apollo Biofin, and it's the one I currently use. They're expensive - $200 according to the site. But I lucked out and bought a pair for much less from a friend who had never used them. So the first part of the discussion: I learned that these are not called "flippers" - believe me. People who take themselves seriously will NOT like it if you use the term flipper. It's a fin. To me, that's a little strange because when I think of a fin, I think of a dorsal fin - but then again, I'm a little shark-obsessed. So the split fin (as opposed to the more traditional fin - shown next) is cool because it creates little whirlwinds - like water tornadoes - in the split. This does a couple of things to say the least. I noticed that I swam much faster with much less effort. According to the Apollo website, it reduces muscle fatigue by 40%, increases speed, and increases air consumption. I had never thought about the air consumption issue! Of course - the less you strain or exert, the less air you consume. And as you know, you want to conserve air to make the dive last longer! If you want to see more about these fins, the website is http://www.apollosportusa.com/Products/Fins/Biofin_Pro.html

And - Apollo - if you're out there and you want to give me a free set of fins for saying such good stuff about you, just leave a comment and I'll get in touch. (Hey - it's worth a shot!)

But these cool Apollo fins were not the first fins I ever used. As you can see in my photos on earlier posts I used some really cheap ones for the first few dives. My first ones encased my whole foot, and I didn't have to wear boots. I thought that was a positive until I got my first blister on a dive because it was chafing the top of my foot as I was finning. Let me tell you something - blisters can ruin a dive! The salt hurts, the water hurts, and every time you kick your legs with a blister and your fin rubs your foot, it's agony! Well, maybe I have a low threshold, but I can tell you it's distracting at the very least! So what can you do??

First, in my experience, rubber flip flops (the ones with the piece that goes between the big and second toe) are just a bad idea for divers. The rubber chafes the top of the foot in humid weather. I have no idea why this happens - I'm in law school, not medical school after all. However, my favorite flip flops that I had worn for months suddenly became torture devices in the humidity of Maui. I think the moisture sticks to the rubber or something, causing friction. Naturally, getting salt and water on those blisters is terrible. Also, all rubber flip flops are just unsafe for being on a dive boat because they're too slick and unstable. One big surge and it's "Man overboard!" The best alternative I have found is a pair of Crocs. Divers were wearing these way before they became the latest rage for the under-5 set. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

But back to fins: The cheap fins feel fine when you first put them on, but the rubber surrounding your foot is exactly like the flip flop - moisture + rubber + skin = friction = blister. At least - for me, it does. So the first dive was ok, but when I was on my second - I wanted to leave those fins at the bottom! As you know, though, with all that gear on, there's no way you can swim very far without fins - they're absolutely essential! So the only answer I've found is using fin boots. They also make you feel like a superhero! Or maybe like a cat burglar. Either way, they cover your feet entirely, so no chance of a blister. The ones I wear are O'Neill and look like this.

So my problem with diving has been - false economy. I buy $15 flip flops and $30 fins thinking I'm going to save money. Then I get to a resort with tourist prices and have to buy $80 neoprene flip flops and $150+ fins and $40 boots because my cheap footwear is literally ruining the vacation. Therefore, I suggest that before you take a dive trip, do some research and get quality gear that will last, fit right, and be incredibly comfortable.

But as to the debate - split fins, regular fins, or anything else?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Hugs and Fishes,

Jenny Mo

My time in a "Land Down Under"

I spent some time in Australia this past Christmas season and I totally fell in LOVE. Sydney is for lovers, forget Paris :) I am so excited that I am getting my certification this summer because, if all goes as planned, I am spending two weeks in Australia this fall. I cannot even imagine the bliss that will be diving off the Australian shore! Our travel plans are pretty flexible so I'd love some suggestions on where to dive and which dive shops to use. Can't wait until I'm "leaving on a jet plane" and headed back to the land down under :) Here are a few random pics from my last visit... I look forward to your suggestions / tips / fun stories!

Hugs and fishes,

Kari

Blending In

Do you ever feel invisible? Like no one really notices you're there? Let's face it: Sometimes it's hard to stand out in a crowd! However, there's a silver lining - it's a pretty good thing to blend in if creatures are constantly trying to eat you. So here we have it - the frogfish! These guys can be so hard to spot because they completely blend into the background. It's even kind of hard to see in this photo.

He manages to look like a piece of coral covered in sand. Incredible! Like a chameleon but even more fantastic because his texture even seems to change. But his mouth gives him away, and he always seems to look a little grumpy with the corners of his mouth turned down. I was really excited to see him, though, because they can be very tough to spot!

So this was during one of my first open water dives, and I'm including a picture of myself to show some really BAD scuba technique. I'm finning all over the place and stirring up sand, my buoyancy - well, I had no idea about buoyancy. I'm way too close to the bottom, and I'm not wearing gloves. I had way better training than that! My instructor taught me about the importance of not touching anything if I can help it so I don't impact the delicate ecosystems. I was also taught to wear gloves so that if I do touch something (especially if I want to clean up trash), I won't hurt my hands. This dive was great other than that. I was with Charlie Dolfin, the instructor at the Grand Wailea where they have an amazing Discover Scuba program you can do if you want to try it out, but you're not sure you want to get certified. Charlie was great. I think he teaches mostly kids, so he's really patient, and that's exactly what I needed on these first dives.

Hugs and Fishes,

Jenny Mo

Mermaids

Scuba SuperStarrs unite!

Scuba diving is the closest thing I have found to being a mermaid. I mean breathing under water, amazing. My first dive experience was off the coast of Turkey in the summer of 2006. The above photo is of my Peace Corps friend, Emre, giving the okay sign on our Turkey diving adventure.

I can't wait to get certified so that I can travel & view life from under the sea...

hugs & fishes,
traci
http://twotank.blogspot.com/

She's Already Doing It - Go Patricia!

So there is actually an attorney on record that has a thriving law practice AND spends tons of time under the surf. Maybe we can be like Patricia once we start practicing law. Does anyone else out there mix law and love of the ocean? What is the best "day job" to mix with a passion for SCUBA?

Check out Patricia Lin and her dive master self at:

http://www.jdblissblog.com/2007/09/patricia-lin-en.html

Calendar: Long Beach Scuba Show (June 21-22, 2008)

SoCal divers... mark your calendars for the Long Beach Scuba Show: http://www.scubashow.com/

For those of you who attended last year... how was it? Are you going again this year? Give us the scoop!

Sassy "She" Diver Joins the Ranks!

This is our cup of tea :) We need more young, sassy, girl divers in the water!
You go Princess Bea!
You can read all about her recent certification here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/travel/article1003098.ece

I break for SHARKS!

Ok - so I know I should be studying - after all, I only have 2 more weeks to go until finals. But if I can't actually be diving, I'll settle for blogging about it.

So - it was my first actual boat dive - Maui, HI in June. I was on the dive boat, and our dive master was explaining the hand signals for the various aquatic life, safety basics - the usual. Anyway, he explains that Molokini is home to different species of sharks and puts his hand sideways against his forehead (dive sign language for shark). He says if he gives us that sign, don't panic. He tells us that divers almost never get bitten because to sharks, we don't look like food with all that gear on. Besides, the reef is teeming with other things that keep sharks quite happily fed. Still, I was concerned. Until that day, my only encounter with sharks had been watching "Jaws."

As soon as I descended, our guide gave us the shark sign - on my FIRST dive! Sure enough, there was a white tip reef shark close enough to touch (it seemed). They are beautiful, magnificent creatures, and I wasn't scared at all - because it was only a baby! I was a little concerned about running into the mother, but no such luck. Suffice to say, seeing a shark on my first ever SCUBA dive and I was....bitten (by the SCUBA bug, not the baby shark).

For those of you out there who have never been on a dive boat, I'm throwing in a picture of what one looks like. I'm told this is a pretty good dive boat, all things considered. I've never been on a live aboard trip, or had the pleasure of being a guest on someone's fabulous yacht, but I had imagined dive boats being more.... luxurious? I imagined there would be somewhere to stretch out in the sun, somewhere to make snacks, relax... no such luck. Most boats are pretty bare bones in my experience. In fact, I've actually been on worse dive boats than this. At least this one had an upper storage! I'm the girl sitting down, listening intently to the dive master. I don't know who the other two people are. It looks like I'm wearing some kind of weird eye gear, but it's the vest in the background. But the thing is, once you're on a dive boat, all you can think about is getting in the water. There's no time for shuffle board on the Lido Deck!

So my first ever boat dive was a complete success. In fact, I was one of the last ones to ascend, and I still had about 500 PSI. Ha! See ya - Jenny Mo

Hi from Z

Hey There,
This is Rosette aka Zette, aka Z. I’m so excited about a scuba community that we are trying to create. I have three fabulous friends-some of whom you have already met! We are all law students interested in Scuba.

I grew up in Africa. The heat of the tropics turned me into someone who LOVES being in the water. I started my scuba certification process ages ago. I watched videos and had a guy come to my house to teach me about all the funky equipment and then – never did the underwater training. Sometimes life just gets too busy and things slip by.

But after I graduate – MAY 16, 2008 BABY – I’m going to start from fresh and get my certification. I can't wait to get into the water. I mean – let’s be honest ladies – the idea of being weightless sounds good – and we can do it without having to go to the moon:)

Well – it’s been fun sharing little bits of me with you. Unlike Kari – some of us have to study to keep our grades up. But – I look forward to sharing my certification process with all of you and I encourage anyone who isn’t certified yet to get on it. Hey – we can do and online team thing. I don’t know – we can check on our progress and stuff. Just a thought.

Hugs and Fishes,
Looking forward to blogging with you soon,
Z

Favorite Dive Movies

Kari's post about Forgetting Sarah Marshall (http://twotank.blogspot.com/2008/04/id-rather-be-in-hawaii.html) got me thinking about movies that remind me of diving. There certainly aren't enough movies shot underwater. I guess it's pretty expensive, and it's probably hard to talk most of the actresses into wearing neoprene and a mask that causes forehead lines. But there are some great movies! I just checked out IMDB for some initial research: Apparently there's a movie called "SCUBA" starring Lloyd Bridges that came out in 1973. Anyone seen it?

And - GET THIS- there's a movie called "National Lampoon's Last Resort: Scuba School" from 1994 - It stars both the Coreys - Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. How did this one escape my notice?? The user review on IMDB is only two words: "Total pukage."

But as far as my top three go:
1. Thunderball - who can beat James Bond?
2. Into The Blue - beautiful photography
3. Lara Croft Tombraider - the Cradle of Life (because she had the coolest diving suit in the world and rode a shark).

As long as they don't harm the sea life, the reefs, or the ecosystem and they don't make a mess, I'm all for underwater movie making.

The girls and I might have to have a SCUBA film festival after the bar! Any recommendations?

xo
Jenny Mo

I'd Rather Be in Hawaii

I should be studying for finals right now, but I can't stop thinking about Hawaii! Here's why, I can't get away from the all the billboards and bus signs saying how much some guy hates Sarah Marshall.

Have you seen all those signs and commercials about "I hate Sarah Marshall"? The movie attached to this ad campaing, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, opens any day now, at least in the big cities http://www.forgettingsarahmarshall.com/. Why does this movie make me think about my own trip to Hawaii? When I was in Hawaii last summer, I stayed at the Turtle Bay Resort (http://www.turtlebayresort.com) and that's where they filmed the movie. I was there while they were actually filming Forgetting Sarah Marshall. We had a blast watching the huge camera crew, actors, and set design technicans rush around and reshoot sceens. I even got to meet Edward Norton in the elevator!

I cannot wait to go see the movie and relive my amazing time at Turtle Bay. If you ever want to get away from it all, but still stay in a hotel, you should stay at Turtle Bay!!!

Hugs and fishes,
Kari