NEW WAY IDC

Koh Tao Underwater World Festival 2009

This year’s festival will host educational booths and discussions, land/underwater clean-up, with games and activities to raise money for this years Save Koh Tao Projects. All money raised through the event will go directly towards the funding of the three Save Koh Tao Branches. The theme of the 2009 festival is:

Say No to Plastic and Styrofoam!

The Underwater clean-up will be on the 21st and starts at 14:30.

The land clean-up will be starting at the same time from the festival area in Sairee, so if you are not attending the underwater clean-up please try to make it there.

Patrick from Asia Divers (083 394 7457) will be the leader for the clean-up so he will be taking care of getting the baskets to the boats and the rubbish off afterward. All the rubbish will go to the Asia Divers boat so it can be brought to the main pier in Mae Haad for sorting and weighing.

So far the following schools are signed up to have boats or help out: Asia Divers, Big Blue Diving, Crystal, New Heaven Dive School, Phoenix Divers, Sunshine, New Way Diving, Scuba Junction, Sairee Hut, Seashell and Secret Garden.

If you would like to join the underwater clean-up but don’t have a boat to go with, contact one of the above schools or contact Patrick on the morning of the clean-up.
Mr/Miss Save Koh Tao

About 30 people have signed up for this event, it will start at 20:00 on the 22nd, definitely be there for this one!  If you are going to be on stage please be there a little bit earlier.

Other notes about the day:

* The Opening ceremony will be a big press event and a way to show the strength of our community. Please try to be there to show your support (some of the turtles will also be released at this time).

* The girls from the Miss Thailand Universe Pageant will be here, and the news groups following them, for the festival and will be releasing a few of the turtles on the 22nd at 15:00.

Save Koh Tao is a local community group which is divided into three branches;

- Education
- Land conservation
- Marine conservation

Save Koh Tao’s project goals in 2009 include:

* Develop Koh Tao in a way that is both environmentally and economically sustainable.

* Monitor and evaluate the local marine and land eco systems to identify problems or threats to these systems.

* Reduce negative impacts on the environment by working with the community, tourist industry and government to develop new methods of development, energy and business practices.

* Educate the local children and provide activities which encourage creativity, job and life skills and environmental awareness.

* Restore damaged areas and help to maintain the beauty and biodiversity of the island.

We’ve all seen them; when conducting courses, most of us carry this type of safety equipment to meet standards and many of us may even have sold some. Surface Marker Buoys (SMB)/safety sausages/delayed SMBs. Surface Marker Buoys serve a wide range of purposes, e.g. allowing shore cover / boat support to identify an ascending diver; alerting boat traffic to the presence of a diver; providing a visual reference for ascending divers

Until recently, operation of these devices was left to observation, trial and error, or applied learning was derived from object recovery and lift bag use. Now you can teach divers to safely and competently operate a (delayed) SMB using a new Distinctive Specialty developed by PADI: SMB Diver.

The popularity of SMB use is particularly apparent in areas with heavy boat traffic, or where divers may be drifting in a current. It may also be best practice in your local area. Delayed or DSMBs are also popular where divers are unable to return to the shot line to ascend, or where divers may not have a visual reference once they end the dive.

The SMB Diver distinctive specialty course teaches entry-level or higher certified divers the knowledge and skills required for the safe use of SMBs and delayed SMBs over two Open Water dives. During open water training your students will practise skills such as stowage of SMB and reel, stationary deployment, towing of an SMB during a tour and DSMB reel ascents and safety stops.

To be eligible to teach this specialty, you must be in current, renewed teaching status, a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor or higher level member, have issued at least 25 diver certifications and have experienced at least 20 dives using delayed or traditional Surface Marker Buoys.

A Sacramento, California-based company is releasing a new underwater mask that lets you take pictures while you explore. Costing around the $100, the mask mask lets you record both video and still images thanks to the upto 5-megapixel camera that’s just above the goggle lenses.

To take a photo or a video, the user lines up the crosshair marks on the mask with the object, and then presses the capture button. LED lights inside the viewing area indicate the mode the camera is in when activated. Users can download the digital images and video they’ve captured to a computer through a USB cable. Software is included to edit photos and videos. Users can print or email the files to share with friends.

The camera comes with 16 MB SD RAM internal memory. A Micro SD Card slot allows the memory to be upgraded to hold more images and video. The camera and mask combination is available in both a 3.1 and a 5.0 MP version.

Coral reefs die for many reasons, both from natural disasters and manmade pressures. A reef system that took hundreds of years to grow can be destroyed in a single day. When reefs die, fish populations disappear, fishermen lose their livelihoods, and tourists disappear. Whilst reef conservation is the most cost effective counter-measure, many believe that a more active solution is required. Successful artificial coral reef programmes have been undertaken in many destinations worldwide.

The following few basic steps will help you with a successful artificial reef project:

1. Planning is the most crucial aspect. Success will ultimately reflect the quality of planning and ongoing management.

First, determine the specific purpose of your project – creating a new dive spot, repairing existing reefs, or protecting endangered species.

Next, determine your budget; what you can afford will determine the options.

2. Now set up a project team with roles and responsibilities. Projects require reef monitoring and data collection programmes for at least three years. There are many tasks to do: project management, public relations, sourcing materials and labour, fish counts, water quality analysis, coral photo documentation, and security.

3. Site location - if you’re building the reef for diving then a reef of 10-30 metres depth is sensible. Depth will also be important to ensure the reef does not become a hazard to boats. Ecological characteristics that are conducive to coral colonisation, fish behaviour, sediment type and biodiversity are also all important factors. Others include environmental conditions such as currents and wave action, water quality, seasonality, and temperatures.

When considering a project to repair a damaged reef, it’s important to consider how the reef was damaged. Pollution, cyanide and over-fishing, and bleaching leave the reef framework intact, so reef recovery may be possible. Dynamite fishing on the other hand, destroys the reef and will prevent recovery.

4. Your main PR job will be to persuade the local authorities and public that the reef and its no-take zone are in the public interest. Often the way to do this is demonstrating it in monetary terms; by demonstrating tourism potential or fish population growth.

5. You should be aware of all the environmental and legal requirements involved in the preparation and placement of an artificial reef and should discuss these with authorities before starting.

6. The design, structure and stability of artificial reefs are obviously critical. Important aspects in targeting fish species include void space, shelter, bottom relief, reef height, light and shading.

Many popular reefs are made in the shape of a hollow concrete balls riddled with holes, or hollow concrete pyramids with triangular holes. Coral growth rates can be significantly increased by creating stable, spatial structures that are high above sediment to minimise burial or abrasion.

For one diving reef at Manado Tua Island, Bunaken, Sulawesi in Indonesia there are 500 square metres of ‘Ecoreefs’ - snowflake-shaped ceramic modules which will break down eventually leaving a natural reef behind.

7. Materials used to develop artificial reefs must be selected that create habitat for fish and invertebrates. Materials that pollute through leaching, weathering, or biological activity should never be used, nor those whose disposal at sea is prohibited.

By far the most favoured reef materials are concrete and limestone rocks. For simple, low budget, large scale sites they are good for coral settlement and growth. Moulded and manufactured reefs are also popular.

Ships are often turned into artificial reefs. Organisers clean the ships and passageways to make habitats safe for divers. A poorly prepared ship can contain considerable amounts of toxic substances and have a devastating impact on marine life.

8. Reef management and regulation involves the long, on-going task of monitoring, maintaining and safeguarding your new coral reef. Access to the reef must be controlled and fishing regulated. Buoys can be attached for divers to reduce anchor damage, but care must be taken not to create easier fishing conditions.

In Komodo , Indonesia, weekly patrols were set up to enforce the ban on destructive fishing practices. Dynamite fishing decreased by 75% and cyanide fishing and live reef fish trades also reduced.

9. The placement of artificial reefs results in the aggregation of fish. When there is no regulation of the fishery, an artificial reef may reduce local fish populations simply by making them easier to catch. For this reason we recommend that fishing be restricted to the outlying areas that the new reef can contribute to and support.

10. Transplanting corals from one reef to another has some obvious benefits as it can lead to an immediate increase in coral cover and diversity. It works well in areas that have poor coral larval supply or high mortality rates, such as isolated inlets and bays. Water quality will need to be good and the area needs to be free from big waves and strong currents.

However, transplantations are expensive if done on a large scale and cause the loss of corals from donor areas, as well as reducing the growth rates and fecundity of colonies due to stress. If a site is suitable for coral growth and has a good supply of larvae, it should be able recover naturally anyway, without the need for transplantation.

11. Conclusion - successful artificial reef programmes can and do make positive contributions. In Komodo, corals reached 60-80 cm in diameter after four years growth on an artificial rock structure. On the nearby untreated rubble fields, no change in coral cover was detected after six years.

In Sarawak, Malaysia, artificial reef balls have contributed to green turtle conservation efforts, where illegal trawling was decimating populations. The project started seven years ago to protect the nesting and swimming areas of the turtles, and has helped reduce the number of dead turtles washed up on the islands by 75%.

Jordan and Israel have become unlikely partners in an artificial reef project designed to provide alternate ecosystems in the Gulf Of Aqaba. In 2007 several huge concrete structures were lowered into designated zones, the structures containing pre-drilled channels into which the young nursed corals will be placed.

Your success will depend on your planning and preparation, making the best use of resources, and keeping fishermen away. One thing that no one can take away from you should your project fail, is that at least you will have tried and played your part in helping to preserve our endangered marine environment.

PADI Americas is rolling out the next generation in electronic dive planning - the Electronic Recreational

Dive Planner, Multilevel version (eRDPML). Developed by Diving Science and Technology (DSAT) and distributed by PADI, the new product makes planning single depth and multilevel dives easier than ever.

The eRDPML is not a dive computer, but an electronic dive table that allows you to plan single depth and multilevel dives. While the first generation eRDP provided the same information as the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) Table version, the eRDPML provides the same information as PADI’s multilevel dive planner, The Wheel®, only in an electronic format.

“The eRDPML is the best thing since sliced bread, indoor plumbing, thinking-outside-the-box, Got Milk? and any other cliché you can mindlessly rattle off,” says Karl Shreeves, DSAT Technical Development Executive. “From a diving point of view, I love it because it gives you dive table dependability with calculator simplicity. For new divers, and even some experienced ones, mastering dive planning is now quick and easy. And, for PADI Instructors, this translates into more practical time in the water and less time reviewing tables in the classroom.”

The eRDPML includes some great, new features:

* the ability to plan single depth and multilevel dives
* a new flip cover design with the General Guidelines clearly displayed inside
* a user-friendly interface with large keys and a wide display window
* a compact user manual positioned under the device
* operates in imperial or metric

Whether you’re a seasoned dive professional or someone who just loves diving, you’ll find the eRDPML is easier to use than conventional dive tables and can increase bottom time by allowing dive planning in two meter/five foot increments.

The average diver sightseeing at 10 meters in warm, calm seas can expect an average tank of air to last about an hour. But as any diver can tell you, scuba diving is anything but average. Deeper dives, stronger currents and chilly water can drastically reduce bottom time. New divers, a little panicky and prone to “panting” rather than easy breathing, have been known to suck a tank dry in 15 minutes. Obviously, increasing your physical fitness is one way to get more out of every breath, but even fit divers can find themselves breathing too fast or too shallow from the stress of diving. That’s where yoga comes in.

Like scuba, yoga places emphasis on proper inhalation and exhalation, as breathing is considered the essential connection between body and mind. “Practiced regularly, yoga promotes deep, slow breathing, and teaches you how to calm your mind. Yoga also strengthens and stretches muscles that are important in diving. This all adds up to more quality time admiring the marine life on your next dive.

Yoga: means a unification of body, mind, spirit.
Diving: a submersion in the sea, underwater breathing.
The Fusion: a way to feel a state of no-mind, a letting go of the mind and self, an experience of an altered state of consciousness through body and mind awareness.

Breathing underwater, experiencing the weightless state of buoyancy and discovering other body-mind awareness and sensations can enhance ones’ meditation practice and inner quietude.

Approaching the study of scuba diving combined with yoga, diving becomes part of ones’ personal journey inward an intimate connection with the underwater world

Scuba Divers are made of many people that are tired of the usual tedious workday, followed by the nerve-racking task of driving; add all the noise pollution it instigates. That’s before everything else scuba divers encounter in these fast paced times outside of scuba diving. Some scuba divers go even further by finding a career in scuba diving. Some become diving instructors themselves. They find their career in scuba diving rejuvenating compared to many other choices.

Scuba diving doesn’t usually start there though. It usually starts where many other’s scuba diving began; with the open water course. Then they move onto the advanced course and learn much more and realize they really enjoy all that scuba diving has to offer. They see diving underwater in a whole new way, and really want to share that with others as well. Often this leads them to work towards a career in scuba diving instruction.

It’s not all simple courses and then going to work with your new career in scuba diving. You need to be a master at it. This of course means a lot of diving time in a variety of situations and an instructor or more. You need to know how to dive and survive well. With that, as a scuba diving instructor you will be able to bring others up to scuba diving. You need to know what they have to, to dive safely. This is quite a worthy career!

Many look up to the diving instructor assuming they know it all about scuba diving. Since the potential to inspire them can be great or potentially heartbreaking, you really do need to know anything they need to know, and more! When you don’t, you need to admit that as well! If your journey is endlessly learning more when diving in many situations, you should seriously consider a career in scuba diving as an instructor.

Though also consider that you need to deal with people, and follow timelines. You need to be able to teach your students in a short time, how to remain safe and alive when scuba diving. This is quite a responsibility. If you feel this is for you, it’s time we look further towards your career in scuba diving instruction.

To become a diving instructor you must first be a Dive master. With that out of the way, then you have to take the Instructor Development Course (PADI IDC). This extensive course will take you deeper into diving than you have been. It will educate you on diving standards, safety, students, the PADI system, and relevant law. To be all you can be you will definitely want to master every bit of it. That way when you begin your career in scuba diving instruction, you will be well versed from the start. Of course beyond that, experience will follow that will truly make you a complete export in your craft.

As with anything these days, while working on your career in scuba diving, you can expect much product marketing information, as well as sales literature too. While it’s not wise to buy everything, you should understand the market, as it does affect your students as well. So think about it. Becoming a scuba diving instructor can be a great change in your lifetime… and for sure your days will never be boring again