Widow Blames Scuba Gear for Death of National Geographic Filmmaker Wes Skiles
Widow Blames Scuba Gear for Death of National Geographic Filmmaker Wes Skiles By MARIMER MATOS WEST PALM BEACH (CN) – Well-known National Geographic filmmaker Wesley Skiles drowned while shooting underwater because his Dive Rite scuba gear malfunctioned, his widow claims in Palm Beach County Court. Terri Skiles claims that Dive Rite knew its oxygen monitoring system had a propensity to malfunction because it had been recalled multiple times, but Dive Rite ignored “serious quality control issues” and tampered with the scuba equipment evidence after the fatality. Terri Skiles sued Lamartek Inc. dba Dive Rite; Dive Gear Express LLC fka Dive Rite Express; Fill Express LLC aka Dive Rite Express; Mark E. Derrick; Juergensen Marine Inc. and Analytical Industries Inc. She alleges negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, conspiracy to spoliate evidence, and civil conspiracy. Terri Skiles … Read entire article »
Filed under: Computers, Diver, Education, Events, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Optima, Rebreather, Rebreathers, Recall, Reference, Report
LionFish Hunt off Jacksonville Fl. July 29, 2012
Join Offshore Dive Charters on a Lion Fish Hunt @ the Artificial Reef: DryDock [singlepic id=744 w=640 h=480 float=center] Two Dives on the Casablanca, One dive on BR Ferry and One dive on the Huggins, 4 tanks, Deep Dives (approx 110 feet), must be Advanced and will need nitrox. Have your lionfish gear ready because they are there…..Need a puncture resistant gloves, pole spear, EMT shears, and either a bag or tube system that doesn’t allow penetration and a stringer (if you are going to cut off the spines under water – but this does take MORE time) [singlepic id=743 w=320 h=240 float=center] [singlepic id=781 w=320 h=240 float=center] The Casablanca is 327 foot long LST landing craft, hull number CVE 55, was built by Kaiser S.B. Company in Vancouver, Washington. She was originally built as the Alazon Bay, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Divetalking, Events, Lionfish, Master Diver, Open Water, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Trip Invitations, Wrecks
Up to 20,000 sea turtle eggs crushed by bulldozers on Caribbean island
By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com Thousands of leatherback sea turtle hatchlings and eggs were crushed over the weekend by bulldozers and excavators used to divert a river on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. “Unfortunately the engineers in charge bulldozed a far greater portion of beach than necessary, and they did destroy many viable nests,” the Papa Bois Conservation group posted on its Facebook page. It wasn’t immediately clear how much of an impact the tragedy would have on the critically endangered species, but the group noted that it happened on “the world’s most densely populated leatherback nesting beach.” Papa Bois said it wasn’t opposed to diverting the river, since it had been eroding not only a local eco-tourist hotel but the nesting area itself. But it noted that the work was done without supervision by “any of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Events, extinction, ocean, Preservation, Reefs, Reference, Report, Turtles
Ultimate Diver Challenge – West Palm Beach, FL July 20-31, 2012
This years Ultimate Diver Challenge, UDC is being conducted in West Palm Beach, Florida July 20 – 31, 2012. Preliminary 2012 – Ultimate Diver Challenge Schedule Day 1 – Friday, July 20 •08:00 PM – Opening Ceremony (Meet the Teams and Honorary Guests) TBD Day 2 – Saturday, July 21 •08:30 AM to 11:30 PM – (Fun Diving, Buoyancy and Equipment Check & Registration) •09:00 PM to 1:00 PM – “Discover Scuba” for Community (Blue Heron Bridge) •02:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Marine Life Clean Up Challenge Kick Off — Registration & Rule Review •03:30 PM to 5:00 PM – Photo Challenge Briefing •07:00 PM to 8:00 PM – Seminar 1 “Diving Like a Fish, not like an Ape” Scott Evans, NASE •08:00PM – Challenge One Briefing Day 3 – Sunday, July 22 •09:00 AM – Fun Diving AM/PM Trips & … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contest, Diver, Divetalking, Events, ocean, Open Water, Promotions, Training, Travel
Digital Photography Session being offered
An opportunity to attend a Digital Photographic Specialty course has opened up and this email serves both as an announcement as well as an invitation to attend. Course is being conducted in Jacksonville Florida. Your investment: * JRRT Members and Students for certification is $ 95.00 * Non JRRT Members/students for certification is $120.00 * Non JRRT Members/students no Certification is $ 75.00 * Non JRRT Members on Active Military Duty pay JRRT Prices for certification The certification course includes the classroom sessions, 4 hour field study, materials and certification card. Two dives required to complete the certification (You are required to cover all your expenses for the dives). The date and location of the dives will be announced during the July 17 class. One followup session where we will review the photographs taken below the surface. Requirements: Camera, Understanding of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Divetalking, Events, Photography, Promotions, Specialties, Training
Lionfish Harvest Dry Docks Jacksonville Fl.
Join Offshore Dive Charters on a Lion Fish Hunt @ the Artificial Reef: DryDock [singlepic id=744 w=320 h=240 float=center] [singlepic id=743 w=320 h=240 float=center] The Drydock. [singlepic id=745 w=320 h=240 float=center] Approximately 600 ft length and 120 ft width. Depths from 100 to 130 ft. The U.S. Navy Drydock was placed offshore in 1989 to serve as an artificial reef. The drydock is heavily encrusted with Atlantic winged oysters, barnacles, and a type of soft coral (telesto riisei). Sea urchins and arrow crabs are abundant, and occasional scallops and thorny oysters decorate the reef. Sunday, June 24, 2012 Embark on The “Diamond Diver” A 46 ft. Newton with full accommodations The largest diveboat serving Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia Where to meet the boat? 9954 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32226 at 6:00 AM EST Boat located at map Saturday…Southeast winds 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Events, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Open Water, Promotions, Reefs, Wrecks
Got Lionfish?
Lionfish 101 at Billy’s Boathouse Grille, Jacksonville, FL. When Sat, June 16, 7:00pm – 9:30pm Where Billy’s Boathouse Grille (map) Description Got Lionfish? Learn about this invasive species in local waters and how our teams of divers and lionfish aficionados are combating their destruction of native fish and reefs. Seafood appetizer buffet with shrimp dip, hot crab dip, peel n eat shrimp and fish fingers (and maybe some lionfish filets!) to be served. Tickets are $18 per person, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Events, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, Open Water, Reefs
Speed Dating Fishy Style: How Fish Spawn and When You’re Likely to Catch Them in the Act
From REEF: Mark your calendars — REEF co-founder and fish behavior expert, Ned DeLoach, will be presenting a Fishinar “Speed Dating Fishy Style: How Fish Spawn and When You’re Likely to Catch Them in the Act” next Wednesday, May 9th at 8PM EST. You don’t want to miss this free webinar. Ned will be showing amazing pictures of fish he has caught in the act of spawning and telling great stories of the many adventures he and Anna have had through the years! Register online here –http://www.reef.org/resources/webinars … Read entire article »
Filed under: Events, Featured, Fish, ocean, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Videography, Volunteer
Divers Direct Sponsors Multi-Location Beach and Reef Cleanup
Sunday, April 22nd FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Divers Direct, Florida’s largest retailer of SCUBA diving equipment, announces its 2nd annual “Scrub & Grub” beach and reef cleanup to benefit multiple locations throughout the state of Florida. This year’s event is being held on Earth Day (Sunday, April 22nd) to bring awareness to the importance of maintaining the health of the aquatic environment by engaging in “green” practices when enjoying this natural resource. Each of the Divers Direct store … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Diver, Earth, Events, Featured, ocean, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Volunteer
Missing Diver March 28, 2012 in Cozumel UPDATE
Click HERE to read original post. On March 29th, 2012 I received an email from a DM friend working the boats with Sand Dollar this morning regarding the missing diver off Santa Rosa. He writes: Today and Tomorrow will be the last days of rescue for the missing girl. I am sure she never made the surface, I told the captain 15 minutes after we couldn’t find her on the surface. We check other boats in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Diver, Emergency/FirstAid, Events, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Reefs, Reference, Report
James Cameron Dives to deepest part of our ocean
After 50 years since our last voyage to the deepest part of our planets ocean, James Cameron makes this trip again. Here are some clips and links related to this event. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/habitats-environment/habitats-oceans-env/james-cameron-mariana/ See and read more about this sub here Ker Than for National Geographic News At noon, local time (10 p.m. ET),James Cameron‘s “vertical torpedo” sub broke the surface of the western Pacific, carrying the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker back from theMariana Trench‘s Challenger Deep—Earth’s deepest, and perhaps most alien, … Read entire article »
Underwater World Offshore Jacksonville Florida Event
Thursday March 29th, 2012 @ 7PM Intuition Ale Works 720 King Street, Jacksonville, Fl. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Diver, Earth, Events, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Volunteer
Amazon.com Confirms New Policy to Ban Sale of Whale and Dolphin Products
On March 2, 2012, Divetalking posted Petition Amazon To Ban the sale of Whale/Dolphin Today, Internet giant Amazon.com has now officially banned the sale of all whale and dolphin products from its wholly owned Japanese website, following global outrage that these products were offered for sale. Amazon confirmed the prohibition on its main website by adding language under the Food and Beverage section that prohibits “Products containing shark, whale, or dolphin” and Amazon’s Japanese website contains a similar ban on selling whale and dolphin products. The Environmental Investigation Agency and Humane Society International revealed last month that Amazon Japan not only sold products from endangered and protected whale species, but also products containing dangerous levels of mercury. In response, Amazon withdrew all whale products from Amazon Japan within 24 hours, but declined to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Conservation, Earth, Events, Featured, ocean, Reference, Report, Rescue, Whales
Director James Cameron prepares for a seven-mile solo
Avatar director James Cameron sets sights on another mysterious world – as he prepares for a seven-mile solo dive to the bottom of Pacific’s Mariana trench Aims to be first human to visit bottom since January 1960 Solo submersible so cramped he can’t move his arms First of several competing missions to deepest point on Earth By Rob Waugh Avatar director James Cameron is preparing for an attempt to be first human being in 50 years to visit the deepest point on Earth – the bottom of the Mariana Trench, seven miles down in the Pacific. The director will start his attempt ‘within weeks’ – becoming the first of at least four teams racing to the ocean floor, an icy, alien environment with pressures 1,000 times higher than the surface. Many liken the journey to man’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Earth, Events, Report, Trip Report
New Sighting on DECO, the Great White
On March 7, 2012 Divetalking received a new report. Marissa Lasso, Manager at Cave Country Dive Shop located in High Springs Florida along with fellow cave diver Kristi Bernot found DECO in the Devils Eye. Marissa writes “We found your little sharky friend in the devils eye last night at Ginnie Springs! — with Kristi Bernot” Speaking with Marissa on the phone, she states that she and Kristi were both heading out of the eye when … Read entire article »
Filed under: Cave, Cavern, Contest, Events, Featured, Open Water, Reference, Report, Sharks