Scuba-Anyone

01/09/2015

This is so true not only in our every day jobs but especially for Padi professionals

11/08/2015

The Colossal Humphead Wrasse

Posted by Andrew Jenkins

The humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulates), commonly referred to as the Napoleon wrasse, Maori wrasse, or Napoleon fish, can be found hanging around coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Oceans “from the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa to the central Pacific, south from Japan to New Caledonia”. Most people can easily recognize this fish because of the renowned bump on its forehead and trademark big lips. Exhibiting shades of green, blue, and even purple, the humphead wrasse can be as colorful as it is large.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to see one in person, the experience will be unforgettable.

Here are 6 interesting facts about this colossal fish:

The Largest

As far as reef fish go, the humphead wrasse is one of the largest. Females can grow up to 3 feet/1 metre long with their male counterparts reaching twice that and weighing as much as 400 lbs/181 kgs!

Long Lifespan

Their lifespan is not as long as a tortoise’s, but it’s a REALLY long time for a fish. These fish can live for over 30 years (some sources even say 50) with females outliving males.

Hermaphrodites

The humphead wrasse does not reach sexual maturity until they are around 4-6 years old. They are protogynous hermaphrodites (as is the entire wrasse family), which means that some fish start out as female and then transition to becoming a male a few years after sexual maturation. The reasons for the transition are still speculative, but scientists believe that it can be prompted by the disappearance of a dominant male.

Immune to Toxins

Though the majority of their diet is comprised of other reef fish, mollusks, sea urchins, and invertebrates, the humphead wrasse can even eat otherwise poisonous species like starfish and boxfish without being affected by their toxins.

Endangered

Due to a more than 50% decline in population over the last 30 years, the humphead wrasse is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Famous

Divers love these fish! One of the most well-known humphead wrasses is ‘Wally’ the Wrasse, who you can find living in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Wally was born a female and was originally named Sarah until he transitioned to becoming a male at nine years old. He has his own page and even has a book series named after him!

08/06/2015

Stonefish: The Most Venomous Fish in the World

Posted by Andrew Jenkins

StonefishIn the underwater world, you don’t have to be the largest creature to be the biggest threat. The stonefish, which reaches an average length of 30 to 40 centimetres and up to 2 kg / 5 lbs in weight, is the most venomous fish in the world having venomous sacs on each one of its 13 spines.

Although the threat to responsible divers is minuscule, here are five facts you want to know about these interesting but toxic underwater critters should you come across them.

1. There are five species of stonefish which can be found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific oceans.

2. Most would assume that stonefish kill their prey using the venom in their spines, but this is not the case. Instead, the stonefish capture their prey with speed. To capture food, the stonefish wait for their prey to appear and then swim fast and quickly attack. The attack can last as little as 0.015 seconds! When not chasing their prey, the stonefish normally swims very slowly.

3. Having excellent camouflage capabilities, the stonefish can be difficult to notice. It’s often exciting to spot the most disguised critters when diving so remember to take notice of what’s hiding in the rocky seafloor or coral. Have you spotted these other camouflaged critters?

4. Don’t panic – stonefish will not go out of their way to attack you, rather use their poison as a defence mechanism against predators. The venom is usually released when pressure is applied to the stonefish’s spine, which means the poison is most often emitted when the stonefish is being attacked by a predator or stepped on by a human. If for whatever reason you accidentally step on a stonefish, seek immediate treatment as the venom can cause severe pain, heart failure and even death if left untreated. Hot water can be used for temporary relief however seeking medical attention and anti-venom is essential.

5. Stonefish can survive up to a huge 24 hours out of water, which is an uncommon trait among fish.

Interested to find these critters or to learn more about the fish species in your area? The Project AWARE Fish Identification Course might be just for you.

07/06/2015

Barry and I spent a day with Steve Prior learning how to teach the open water course in a new and exciting way which focusses the spotlight on the student and not the Instructor also we conduct most of the pool skill neutrally buoyant and not kneeling on the pool floor which is more realistic, we are seeing some great results
plus the students love it as they spend an hour diving and not kneeling

16/05/2015

Good couple of days diving at Stoney cove the vis was great about 10mts,water temp between 6 and 10 degrees
Saw so many Pike about sixty over the weekend many still laying eggs had some great dives and went to places we had not been too before swam round the whole lake in a couple of dives
good dives with good friends Barry, Julie, Sallie ,mark and Jo
plus we met up with our course director Steve and Janet prior

04/05/2015

Stonefish: The Most Venomous Fish in the World

Posted by Andrew Jenkins on Padi Twitter Page

StonefishIn the underwater world, you don’t have to be the largest creature to be the biggest threat. The stonefish, which reaches an average length of 30 to 40 centimetres and up to 2 kg / 5 lbs in weight, is the most venomous fish in the world having venomous sacs on each one of its 13 spines.

Although the threat to responsible divers is minuscule, here are five facts you want to know about these interesting but toxic underwater critters should you come across them.

1. There are five species of stonefish which can be found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific oceans.

2. Most would assume that stonefish kill their prey using the venom in their spines, but this is not the case. Instead, the stonefish capture their prey with speed. To capture food, the stonefish wait for their prey to appear and then swim fast and quickly attack. The attack can last as little as 0.015 seconds! When not chasing their prey, the stonefish normally swims very slowly.

3. Having excellent camouflage capabilities, the stonefish can be difficult to notice. It’s often exciting to spot the most disguised critters when diving so remember to take notice of what’s hiding in the rocky seafloor or coral. Have you spotted these other camouflaged critters?

4. Don’t panic – stonefish will not go out of their way to attack you, rather use their poison as a defence mechanism against predators. The venom is usually released when pressure is applied to the stonefish’s spine, which means the poison is most often emitted when the stonefish is being attacked by a predator or stepped on by a human. If for whatever reason you accidentally step on a stonefish, seek immediate treatment as the venom can cause severe pain, heart failure and even death if left untreated. Hot water can be used for temporary relief however seeking medical attention and anti-venom is essential.

5. Stonefish can survive up to a huge 24 hours out of water, which is an uncommon trait among fish.

Interested to find these critters or to learn more about the fish species in your area? The Project AWARE Fish Identification Course might be just for you.

Scuba Anyone is an Essex based scuba training facility formed by two PADI IDC staff instructors.

03/05/2015

some of you might already know sallie and myself have recently been to the peak district and completed a cavern diver course we then moved on to south wales to do the intro cave diver course which I am pleased to say we both passed.
We had a great time and the training was excellent, our Instructor was Guy Wallis of Deeptech , not only is Guy a great instructor but also a very interesting nice bloke with plenty of cave diving experience , and made our courses so much fun
So anyone interested in either the cavern or cave course I can pass on guy's details . hopefully we will get to put into practice when we go to Mexico at Christmas

30/04/2015

10 Tips for Easy Equalizing

Posted by Kacee Spurny
Featured from DAN (Divers Alert Network)

Middle-ear equalization is a basic, required diver skill that enables the equalization of the pressure in the sinuses and middle-ear spaces with ambient pressure. Here are 10 tips for easy equalizing:

1. Listen for the “pop”
Before you even board the boat, make sure that when you swallow you hear a “pop” or “click” in both ears. This tells you both Eustachian tubes are open.

2. Start early
Several hours before your dive, begin gently equalizing your ears every few minutes. “This has great value and is said to help reduce the chances of a block early on descent,” says Dr. Ernest S. Campbell, webmaster of “Diving Medicine Online.” “Chewing gum between dives seems to help,” adds Dr. Campbell.

3. Equalize at the surface
“Pre-pressurizing” at the surface helps get you past the critical first few feet of descent, where you’re often busy with dumping your BCD and clearing your mask. It may also inflate your Eustachian tubes so they are slightly bigger. The guide here is to pre-pressurize only if it seems to help you and to pressurize gently.

4. Descend feet first
Air tends to rise up your Eustachian tubes, and fluid-like mucus tends to drain downward. Studies have shown a Valsalva maneuver requires 50% more force when you’re in a head-down position than head-up.

5. Look up
Extending your neck tends to open your Eustachian tubes.

6. Use a descent line
Pulling yourself down an anchor or mooring line helps control your descent rate more accurately. Without a line, your descent rate will probably accelerate much more than you realize. A line also helps you stop your descent quickly if you feel pressure, before barotrauma has a chance to occur.

Middle-ear equalization is a basic, required diver skill that enables the equalization of the pressure in the sinuses and middle-ear spaces with ambient pressure. Here are 10 tips for easy equalizing:

Pulling yourself down an anchor or mooring line helps control your descent rate more accurately. Without a line, your descent rate will probably accelerate much more than you realize. A line also helps you stop your descent quickly if you feel pressure, before barotrauma has a chance to occur.
divers-equalizing-ears-under-water

7. Stay ahead
Equalize often, trying to maintain a slight positive pressure in your middle ears.

8. Stop if it hurts
Don’t try to push through pain. Your Eustachian tubes are probably locked shut by pressure differential, and the only result will be barotrauma. If your ears begin to hurt, ascend a few feet and try equalizing again.

9. Avoid to***co and alcohol
Both to***co smoke and alcohol irritate your mucus membranes, promoting more mucus that can block your Eustachian tubes.

10. Keep your mask clear
Water up your nose can irritate your mucus membranes, which then produce more of the stuff that clogs.

Practice Makes Perfect:

Divers who experience difficulty equalizing may find it helpful to master several techniques. Many are difficult until practiced repeatedly, but this is one scuba skill you can practice anywhere. Try practicing in front of a mirror so you can watch your throat muscles. For a list of methods used to equalize your ears, check out this DAN blog on How To Equalize Your Ears.

To learn more, please visit www.DAN.org/Health to view the Smart Guide on Equalizing

29/04/2015

10 curious facts about Octopi

The octopus is much more than eight legs and tiny suction cups. With 300 recognized species spread throughout our oceans, there are many facts about this amazing creature that may surprise curious divers. Check out our collection of the top 10 fascinating things you may not know about the octopus:



1. The octopus has three hearts – two move blood past the gills and the third moves blood to the organs. Did you know their blood is the colour blue?

2. Their hearts stop beating when they swim, which is why they tend to “crawl” more often than swim quickly.

3. Octopi are ancient – with the oldest fossil dating 296 million years ago.

4. They can hide in plain sight, thanks to the ability to change their skin instantly to mimic the surrounding environment.

5. Studies show that octopi are highly intelligent and learn easily through observation of other octopuses.

6. They have been observed using “tools” – shells, rocks and other objects are used to construct fortresses and may even be carried for protection.

7. When scared, an octopus releases ink which dulls a predator’s sense of smell and blocks their sight, allowing for a safe getaway.

8. If an octopus gets caught by a predator, it can escape by losing its arm and can regrow it later on.

9. The octopus can bite with beak-like jaws and have venomous saliva. The blue-ring octopus has venom so strong it can kill a human in mere minutes.

10. Female octopi can lay up to 400,000 eggs. After they hatch, the mother dies quickly.

07/04/2015

very interesting

23/03/2015

Just spend three day sitting in on a staff instructor course run by steve prior , there was four really great guys doing there staff course
one guy woody came all the way from the states just for the course, and what a guy he had an ocean sole, we had so much fun in the pool with the cut the crap style of teaching
well done to you of all,go spread the word
Big thanks to steve and janet for letting sit in on the course

17/01/2015

01/01/2015

Just to let you all know we start our pool sessions again on Wednesday the 21st January,7.15pm start at felsted school pool. So lets dust off that dive gear and come and get wet , come and brush up on all those skills we learnt so long ago ready for that summer holiday. or maybe take your diving knowledge to the next level and take another course

Gentle reminder that club fees are due again, we still have a few places left for those who would like to sign up at £75 for six months

01/01/2015

Happy new year to all our, friends let make 2015 a wet one with new adventures

22/11/2014

this is how to speed up your teaching and your student learning

Platinum PADI Course Director Steve Prior explains the Mechanics of Confined Water Teaching

06/09/2014

great day at stoney cove today with sam and martin ,two of peter's Padi Divemasters i meet in cyprus . they are now both dry suit speciality divers , Well done to both and thanks for a great day and some good dives

24/08/2014

two great days diving at Stoney Cove , thanks to all for making it such a good couple of days

04/08/2014

Well done to Grant Adam and Justin who are now EFR instructors
the course is open to anyone with an interest in maybe, one day being able to help someone in need

Emergency First Response Instructors - PADI IDC Multi-level training with Platinum Course Director Steve Prior. Come along to our next course