Current Online Updates*
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Divers Use Vinegar?
Sustainable Shark Diving: Rate the Operators
Diving Palau – Is it Better to be on a Liveaboard?
The State of America's Dive Stores
Do You Know What Your Diving Computer is Telling You?
You Can’t Keep the Gullible Down!
Some of the Other Things You Missed in the May Issue of Undercurrent
A 4-page Supplement of Important New Diving Books
WWW.Undercurrent.org

Divers Use Vinegar?  May 17, 2016

Most divers make sure their gear is rinsed in fresh water before they set off for home. Some repeat the process by rinsing it a second time at home before hanging it in a well-ventilated place to dry. It’s always annoying to find that some metal elements have fused together later and there’s a telltale white powder seen where salt has crystalized in nooks and crannies. The full story on how vinegar might help will be in the June 2016 issue of Undercurrent.

Sustainable Shark Diving: Rate the Operators  May 17, 2016

Divers increasingly want to see sharks up close. Sustainable Shark Diving was created by Rick MacPherson as an online tool to help divers make more informed choices about the operators they dive with, recognize those operators employing sustainable best practices, and encourage those that need to improve their performance to ensure the safety of both their clients and sharks. Mike Nuemann of Beqa Adventure Divers says, “This new initiative dovetails perfectly with our advocacy of a long term sustainable model of marine ecotourism whereby shark and ray tourism operators need to assume the stewardship of the animals they showcase and need to interact with them safely and respectfully. For this to succeed, the public needs to rate as many operators as possible.” So, divers, visit Sustainablesharkdiving.com to rate the shark dives you have made.”

Diving Palau – Is it Better to be on a Liveaboard?  May 17, 2016

Not necessarily! It depends on which shore-based operation you choose and which liveaboard you compare it with. One of our contributors found out the hard way. Palau offers some of the world’s best diving experiences, but it can be marred. You can read about it in a free story at www.undercurrent.org.

The State of America's Dive Stores  May 17, 2016

From 2011 through 2015, 265 new scuba stores opened in the US. However 365 dive stores that had been in business for an average of more than 14 years, went out of business, reports Dive Center Business Magazine. More shocking is last month's shut down of the 47 stores of Sport Chalet, a major sporting goods chain with stores in four western states. Most offered dive training and many had their own pools.

Do You Know What Your Diving Computer is Telling You?  May 17, 2016

Some people are happily oblivious and put themselves in danger along with those that rescue them. You’ll find one story in our Diving Insider’s Blogs at www.undercurrent.org.

You Can’t Keep the Gullible Down!  May 17, 2016

If you are not a subscriber, you missed our May feature describing what we believe to be a scam using crowd-funding. The business concerned promised to manufacture artificial gills (a fanciful idea) yet after the near-million dollars invested was refunded, the idea was re-launched with the preposterous idea that it used small cylinders liquid oxygen instead. (Liquid oxygen is a common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications.) We also covered the story of the proposed sale of dive resort in Micronesia by making it the prize in a raffle and pointed out the drawbacks maybe faced by the lucky winner.

Some of the Other Things You Missed in the May Issue of Undercurrent  May 17, 2016

Quirky Sleepless, Sleeper – the Caribbean island of Providencia. . . Plastics kill sperm whales. . . Free or Fee? What happens when pictures get stolen off the Internet . . . A solution for dangerous Jellyfish stings . . . Killed by a Crocodile. . . Discovering the fish bombers . . . and much more.

Subscribe to our monthly publication here and as our thanks we’ll give you a free download of our 232-page book of bizarre dive stories, There’s a Cockroach in My Regulator.

A 4-page Supplement of Important New Diving Books  May 17, 2016

Photography tricks by Alex Mustard, another new John Chatterton adventure by Robert Kurson, new nudibranch ID books, and much much more. Click here to read our review and purchase through Amazon.

WWW.Undercurrent.org  May 17, 2016

Visit us to read or download free thousands of great stories from back issues. And check out Undercurrent on Facebook for all sorts of unusual and useful information for divers.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
Contact Ben

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Note: Undercurrent is a registered 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization donating funds to help preserve coral reefs. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

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