April 1, 2008 

Blue Spring opened on 1 March 2008.  We dived there on the schedule to reopen on 1 March. We were probably the first to dive it after reopening.  Visibility is improved some; not a lot.  
Update:  A few manatees were reintroduced into the spring after being raised as orphans at Sea World. These manatees, as of today, will not leave the spring and join the herd... and often go upstream to the head spring whereupon the rangers close down the park to swimming and diving. It is 'hit or miss' getting to dive here. Call first to insure the place isn't already closed for the day... but if you want to wait... it does, usually, open up. Below is one of the manatees greeting us as we were surfacing after a dive down into the spring.

We visited Sea World Orlando on 27 March (Denise's Birthday).  Lots to see there, and right in our back yard.  

   Link to pictures.

NAUI Instructor.   
Denise Byrne is our newest scuba Instructor. She graduated with flying colors!  That is her in the picture below... 

New Years Eve Underwater!  Its a tradition of sorts at Dayo Scuba to be underwater... and usually, in a cave at midnight rolls into the new year. This year we did it at Peacock Springs in North Florida. We had the company of around 20 other cave divers.

Record Number of Certifications for 2007!  Like the past 2 years, this year was a record for the number of certifications.  Nearly 400!  Over half were PADI, then TDI, SDI, NACD, NAUI, and IANTD were the agencies.

  VIP - Visual Inspections Program Course - $79 Now available. 

During the SDI Visual Inspection Procedures course you will learn to promote safety in the care and maintenance of high-pressure scuba cylinders by way of your SDI Instructor and a comprehensive Visual Inspection Procedures manual.  One of the goals is to raise the consciousness of the industry to the need to meet and exceed the minimum standards established by local Regulations.  Another goal is to train inspectors in the proper handling, filling, and inspection techniques including the identification of the various defective conditions that can lead to cylinder rejection or condemnation.


Hand Signals Video - We have produced an underwater communications video which includes hand and light signals, to help divers learn them in a better way than from a book or picture.  Click here to see it now.

Boynton Beach - 2 tank drift dive. 1pm. 20 April 2008, Sunday.  Cost $55, tanks (air) are $6/ea.    Wakatobi - Indonesia - May 10 - 26, 2008 - Diver Package price: $6199 - Deposit: $1000.00 nonrefundable deposit will reserve your space. Contact Info@Scubadiver.cc or 407-292-9727  -  More Info    Bonaire - DIVI Flamingo Beach Resort - August 9 - 16, 2008 - Diver Package price: TBA - Deposit: $400.00 nonrefundable deposit will reserve your space - 3 boat dives daily, 24 hour unlimited shore diving and 2 meals daily - THE BEST VALUE!. Contact Info@Scubadiver.cc or 407-292-9727  -  More Info     Ireland - 7 day in country.   8 - 14 September 2008.  Diving boat, shore and for those trained, maybe even some cave/sump diving.  Cost TBD.   Contact Info@scubadiver.cc for more information.  Pictures from last trip.    St Lucia - Anse Chastanet Resort - September 20 - 27, 2008 - Diver Package price: TBA - Deposit: $400.00 nonrefundable deposit will reserve your space. Contact Info@Scubadiver.cc or 407-292-9727  -  More Info

March Pictures  -  Link 
Dive sites included Manatee Springs, Blue Spring, Boynton Beach, Forty Fathoms, Deleon Springs, Ginnie Springs, Devil's Den and Blue Grotto.

Lake Denton is Open.   Well sort of. If you pay the Church Camp $10/person, you can park and utilize their facilities.  Temperature of the water, as of 8 March 2008, was 72F.   Map:  Lake Denton . 

Coming Soon:
Forum Software for buddies, blog, photos and fish ID.

Hands only CPR gets approval
Its a matter of time before CPR changes for us. In the works is the elimination of rescue breathing. Keep in mind this does not replace clearing the airway and drowning incidents. 

Link (may expire):  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344212,00.html 

Excerpt: You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that hands-only CPR — rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until help arrives — works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

Experts hope bystanders will now be more willing to jump in and help if they see someone suddenly collapse. Hands-only CPR is simpler and easier to remember and removes a big barrier for people skittish about the mouth-to-mouth breathing.

Refresher Classes and Scuba Tune-up course added. We made a scuba refresher course a standard course offering.  Cost is $99, but Dayo Scuba alumni (past students) are free; just cover your dive site fees and air fills.

The DEMA Show was in Orlando this year. The DEMA show brings together all the major dive businesses and professionals together in one location. Next year it will be in Las Vega. Their Web Site.

NAUI Instructor Trainer.   
Tom Johnson (tj) has become a NAUI Instructor Trainer. Guess he'll be making instructors in 2008 and beyond.   He also attained the instructor rating for Sidemount for the NACD. 

A Humor Page was added to our web site in July.  We keep adding to it. Feel free to email us something to add there. 
The Humor Page

Technical Dive Training in Sidemount Configuration is now an option during technical dive training if the student is well familiar using it. 

Sidemount is a technique where the two primary tanks are worn on the sides of the diver, not the back.

SDI Online Classes - In May we added the option of being about to do the Open Water Course online.  This is done only with Scuba Diving International (SDI).  We still use a CD Rom kit for PADI Open Water courses.

And added bonus to this online course is the Navy's dive table we  link to:

US Navy Table 3  (.jpg)
US Navy Table 4  (.jpg)
Quick Time Viewer (Free download from Apple Computer, required for viewing videos presented here )

Faces?
We put to use all the snap shots of past student's certification photos. We made a web page out of them. Check this LINK out to see over a hundred of them covering the past 3 years.  Since then, and because of digital cameras, we've been taking most of them.  Beware ladies, we like to take the pictures after a dive, when you might not be at your best appearance...

Need a refresher class or dive?   We can arrange refresher classes or dives for open water, technical, cavern and cave.  This can include diving with some classes or special guided dives.  Contact dayoscuba@sprintpcs.com or 407-292-9727 for more information.

IANTD Recreational Trimix