Ra'ah

More Northwest Diving Highlights

First, I must point out that I spent 10 years in the Seattle area (Bainbridge Island and Issaquah/Sammamish).  I love Seattle and hope to return when I retire (or someone leaves me a lot of money).  I came across this image on the  NWGratefulDiver.com website while browsing the popular ScubaBoard social network.  Bob (Grateful Diver) Bailey is the author of the site and his U/W images are stunning!  You really should check it out.  Bob is also a Scuba Instructor so if the images inspire you to take the plunge, I am sure he would be happy to accomodate your new passion.

Diving In British Columbia?

Looking for a different and exciting Scuba Diving experience?  Why not consider British Columbia, Canada.  The folks at CoolDives.com have put together a comprehensive guide to the area.  The Gulf Islands are just spectacular and the sea life is stunning.

Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet

I just finished hearing a podcast from The Story .  It featured an interview with Abigail Washburn and some of her amazing folk music.  She is one of the most articulate musicians I have every heard speak.  I found myself wanting to hear more and more.  If you are even a mild banjo/folk music fan, please take the time to check it out.

Miss-Scuba.com Website

I came across the Miss-Scuba.com website as I was seeking to uncover key influencers in the dive community.  Kudos to Szilvia Gogh and her team for putting together an interesting dive website that offers an uncommon and needed female perspective on all things diving.  Check it out!

Using YourTankTag™ - Field Test & Review

We had our first opportunity to field test the YourTankTag™ personalized name tag for SCUBA air tanks this weekend at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee, IL.  The visibility was about 20' for the images in the photo album.

This product worked extremely well.  For the field test, the lettering was done in neon green and neon orange.  The neon green worked better underwater, the neon orange was better above.  It easily adjusts to any tank size and is attached in a matter of seconds with the Velcro® tabs on each end.  You put the YourTankTag on first before the BC and when tighten your BC tank strap, it locks the YourTankTag down so that it doesn't slip down the tank.

The YourTankTag made it easy to instantly pick out your buddy from the masses of student divers also in the quarry.  I can only imagine how well it will work in the much more clear waters found in the tropical dive sites of the world.  You can buy the YourTankTag from YourBagTag.com.

A special thanks to Dan & Cindy Howard at DJ's SCUBA in Lyons, IL for sponsoring the photo shoot and letting us hang out with their instructors and students for the day. 

Personalized Name Tags for Your Dive Gear

I came up with the idea to create a line of personalized name tags for dive gear about two years ago.  I started with BC name tags (shown on left).  I sell them on YourBagTag.com .  I have now added a "YourTankTag".  It makes identifying your buddy and the others from your club, boat, trip, etc. really easy.  These tags are great for Dive Clubs, special trips, birthday or holiday gifts.  The BC tags were recently featured in the June 2008 issue of Sport Diver Magazine. 

The Shack - A Must Read

There are very few books that I buy extra copies of to give to my friends, neighbors, drop-in's, etc. but "The Shack" by William P. Young has definitely made the list.  If you struggle with forgiving or being forgiven, this is a read for you.  It was a bit slow to start but from chapter 11 - "Here Come Da Judge" on, brace yourself!  You will not see the world or God in the same way again!

Personalized Luggage Tags - Great Valentines Day Gift

  Are you looking for a unique gift idea to supplement that box of chocolates?  How about a set of personalized luggage tags from YourBagTag.com  These all fabric tags come in over 40 color combinations and are designed to take the wear and tear of global travel.  They make picking your bag out on that crowded luggage carousel a breeze.  YourBagTags are great for gym bags, backpacks, beach bags and your favorite duffel.

Underwater Photos from Bonaire

Here are a few highlight photos from my SCUBA diving trip to Bonaire.  I stayed at the Plaza Resort .  They are remodeling the hotel portion of the resort.  I stayed in one of the newly remodeled rooms and they are very nice.  The dive shop on site, Toucan Diving is quite good and our dive masters, Luis and Marco were exceptional!  If you click on the photo, it will take you to a this Google Picasa photo album.

Bonaire Trip

Preparing for my trip to Bonaire

After preparing the turkey dinner today, I will resume packing for my upcoming SCUBA diving trip to Bonaire.  It will be a great opportunity to break in the Ikelite underwater housing for my Nikon D200.  I am going with a group of people from my local dive shop, DJ's SCUBA (Lyon's Illinois).  Dan and Cindy Howard are the owners.  If you live in the near-west suburbs of Chicago, check out their store.  They are really great people.