The Dema Dive Show 2005 in Las Vegas at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

You have planned your scuba dive vacation carefully, you have arrived at your island paradise, but suddenly disorientation, lethargy, and broken sleep after the long distant flight means only one thing . . . oh no, JETLAG

I found a great product at the 2005 DEMA dive show in Las Vegas called No-Jet-Lag, an all natural and all homeopathic pills. No-Jet-Lap uses homeopathic ingredients to alleviate the symptoms of jet lag caused by disruptions to the body clock, pressure changes, and other factors directly due to long-haul flying. It does not claim to counter the effects of alcohol, lack of sleep, or pre fight stress.

Homeopathic remedies work — unlike pharmaceuticals — using minute dilutions of special ingredients to stimulate and boost the body’s own recuperation powers. Homeopathic remedies are not to be confused with herbal or other “natural” remedies. Homeopathic products are based on the scientific principals and after rigorous testing, and they are recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (registration # CPG 7132.15)

Ingredients

Arnica Montana is a well-known homeopathic remedy recognized as excellent in assisting the first aid relief of physical and emotional shock, muscular aches and pains, bruises, sprains, and stiffness. For more information visit www.nojetlag.com/arnica.html

Chew one tablet on takeoff, one every two hours in flight, and one on landing. Then you can dive sooner, better, and with more energy.

SAVE THE FISH

At DEMA I picked up a handy, little guide from Seafood Watch that helps keep our ocean fish stocks r healthy and abundant. The three columns in the wallet-sized guide are labeled, “Best Choices”, “Good Alternatives”, and “Avoid”.

The Best Choice Fish are: Farmed Caviar, Abalone, Catfish, Clams; Snow crabs from Canada or Dungeness Crab; Pacific Halibut; Spiny Lobster from the US; farmed Mussels and Oyster; Sable Fish or Black Cod from Alaska or British Columbia; Sardines or Shrimp that are trap caught; farmed Striped-Bass, Sturgeon, Tilapia or Rainbow Trout; Albacore, Yellowfin, and Bigeye Tuna is okay if troll or pole caught; and White Seabass.

Good Alternatives include: Wild caught clams; Pacific Cod; Imitation or Surimi Crabs; Alaskan King Crab; Lingcod; Maine Lobster; Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish or Dorado); wild caught Oysters; Pollock or Rockfish that is line caught in Alaska or BC; Pacific Sanddabs; Sea or Bay Scallops; farmed or trawl caught Shrimp; Squid; English Sole; canned light Tuna, or white Albacore canned Tuna.

Avoid these Fish: Swordfish is known to have high levels of mercury, as do Sharks. Because of depleted stocks, avoid these seafoods: wild caught Caviar; Chilean Seabass or Toothfish; Atlantic Cod; imported King Crab; Monkfish, or Orange Roughy; trawl caught Rockfish; farmed Salmon, including Atlantic; imported or farmed Shrimp; imported or wild caught Sturgeon; and Bluefin Tuna.

For more information visit www.seafoodwatch.org

FISH ID

Have you ever made a dive and were confronted and then identification confused with a fish that you didn’t recognize? With the wrist wearable and waterproof booklet called FishFlips you have a handy guide to the fish swimming around you. Some fish are different colored when a juvenile than when an adult, and the quick flip 4-color guide points this fact out. Ever heard of a Tomtate, Grayshy Grouper, French Grunt or TobaccoFish? Or how about a Herlequin Bass, Mutton Snapper, Green or Rosy Razorfish, or the various Parrotfish? Visit www.fishflips.net to find out more, or call 877/99-FLIPS.

SEA EDUCATION

Also visit Save the Mantas online at www.save-the-mantas.org or to help email help@save-the-mantas.org You will find a Manta Global Database, Field research affiliate programs, and Pacific migration study, continuous manta monitoring, plus manta cams and local conservation efforts and education programs.

Also visit Learning Through Travel for more fish watcher field guides at www.learningthroughtravel.com or call 866/853-2711 or email info@learningthroughtravel.com

If we truly want to save the oceans, we must start with the youngest generation. Visit Kid Sea Camps at this link and then click the various country links for the local programs: www.kidseacamp.com

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Take your diving to a new level as a Nautical Archaeologist.

Over two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers, and with the numerous wrecks over time, history waits beneath the water. A vast archaeological record was largely ignored, until 1960, when Dr. George F. Bass undertook the first organized underwater archaeological excavation of a Bronze Age shipwreck. In 1972, Dr. Bass established the Institute of Nautical Archaeological (INA), the first non-profit, scientific and educational organization to research the maritime history underwater.

INA today sponsors fieldwork in underwater archaeology around the world and advocates the conservation of mankind’s submerged cultural heritage. INA is headquartered at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas , where graduate students study to be Nautical Archaeologists.

With help from private donations, INA has conducted some of the most significant underwater excavations and revealed mysteries buried beneath the sea, including:

Uluburn, Turkey, 14th Century B.C. Shipwreck

This shipwreck, the oldest yet excavated, is noted for its spectacular cargo of copper on-hide ingots and articles of gold, silver, bronze, stone, ceramic, and glass. Cargo origins include: Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, the Syrian coast, and other points around the Mediterranean. Especially noteworthy was a gold scarab with the hieroglyph of Queen Nefertiti.

Serce Liman: Turkey, 11th Century Shipwreck

This Byzantine-era wreck, known as the “Glass Wreck”, because of the large cargo of Islamic glass, also boasts the oldest-dated chess set and the largest assemblage of Byzantine tools and weapons ever recovered.

Turk and Caicos, British West Indies, 16th Century Shipwreck

Known as the Molasses Reef Wreck, this is thought to be the oldest excavated shipwreck in the New World, dating to just after Columbus’ voyages. Located within the Caribbean, it is noted for the early armaments associated with the wreck.

Port Royal, Jamaica, 17th Century Port City

This city was dubbed “the wickedest city in the world” during its pirate-infested heyday, and it was the richest English town in the New World until it sank into the sea during an earthquake in 1692. The submerged city stands out among the historic sites in the New World for its architectural remains and unparalleled collection of 17th century artifacts.

Red River, Oklahoma, 19th Century Shipwreck

Buried beneath a high sand bluff for nearly a century and a half, this circa 1840 steamboat wreck was found when the shifting channel of the Red River exposed its intact hull and sidewheel machinery. The earliest example of a western steamer yet discovered, the vessel is a snapshot of ship technology and river boating life on the American frontier.

For more information or to support INA visit http://ina.tamu.edu

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

One problem many of our dive writers and videographers have at Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com is the cost and expense of camera and video housing. Equinox underwater products has taken the “ouch” out of many of the camera gear market with their Seapix line that is good up to 50 meters. The Polycarbonate housing is close to neutral with ballast and only weigh 1.5 pounds without ballast, and 3 pounds with. The push button controls are easy to use and the company offers free shipping. Visit sales@dive-equinox.com or visit them at www.seapix.com

SCUBA LIFESTYLES

Click banner for COOL Sunglasses

I never thought I would need Dive Shades to peer into the cool depths before and after diving, but Jack Stein has created an original dive flag polarized sunglass line and he has recently added four new styles to Dive Shades’ current line of Belize, Key West, Kon

a, Little Cayman, Bahamas, and Bonaire. The new styles are: Cozumel II, Bahamas II, Maui II and the Curacao.

The new sleek styles are available in a variety of colors and are extremely light in weight. The shades feature a rimless design with wrap around styling, along with silicone temple ends and nose pads. The Curacao is available in four colors and with a suggested retail price of $35. View the entire line at www.diveshades.com or diveshades@aol.com or call 800/484-8207.

Diversitea has created a new product for the Scuba Diving market with a homeopathic travel kit filled with first-aid essentials for most minor emergencies. They are also the makers of No-Jet-Lag (mentioned above). The products are packaged in a unique hand painted passport Travel Pouch. The primary product is No-Jet-Lag, but also includes vinegar for marine stings and coral cuts, hydrogen peroxide for ears and wound cleaning, plus Cold Eaze and Trans Pore tape, Boiron Arnica, and Calendula Gel. The kit retails for $34.95; for more information go to www.diversitea.com

NEW GEAR

Can you imagine how cool it would be to have someone measure you, then cut and assemble a BC that had an absolutely perfect fit? Everything is just right: not too tall or short, not too big or small.

That BC would be the SEASOFT PRO BC — a new BC that revolutionizes BC’s for years to come. Everything is adjustable! The shoulders can easily be adjusted to fit a diver less that five feet tall or someone up to seven feet. Short-waisted? No worries! Long Torso? Not a problem.

The SEASOFT PRO BC is a jacket-style BC and yet the front section is completely adjustable. The patent pending method of adjustment is stunning, built right into the BC’s air pocket that allows you to shorten or lengthen the sides without accumulating any extra material or creating drag. It is as if you can magically shrink or grow your BC to your exact size.

There are also two straps that fit one buckle to give you incredible comfort and support. One strap supports the weight of the tank, the other supports the weight-integrated pockets in the front. This feature is found on no other BC. Then there is the flashlight pocket with a retractor built into the bottom of the pocket and another retractor on the other side of the BC to hold your gauge console.

Also, included is the famous Triple Point Mounting System that virtually eliminates tank sway, slippage, or other tank movements. The front pocket holds up to 14 lbs. each and the optional two rear pockets, that fit on the tank strap, hold up to five pounds each. These two front pockets ditch straight down and are released by a special side release bucket that releases when pulled.

The BC can also be adjusted to leave room for a weight belt, maybe the SEASOFT weight belt. There is also an ingenious way to add a plate and to use doubles if required.

The BC is available in two sizes: Model SSPBCI fits 90-230 pound people, with 42 pound of lift. The Model SSPBC2 fits people 170-500 pounds with 50 pounds of lift. Visit www.seasoftscuba.com for more information.

SPYDERCO BYRD KNIVES

For over 25 years Spyderco has been creating high performance dive knives, designed to open easily and to comfortably fit in your hand while cutting. Using the best possible steels, handle materials, and ceramics, the byrd line of knives from the company include some unique dive styles, including: Flight, Pelican, Crossbill, Robin, Finch, Black Cara Cara, and Black Meadowlark. All byrd knives are warranted to the original owner to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase.

The byrd line is a cost effective alternative to the Clipit line from Spyderco, with the byrds all priced at about $29.95 USD. The byrds are unique animals from the main line of Spyderco’s knives, and they are engineered with ergonomics in mind, along with safety and close quality tolerance manufacturing. The blades are crafted in China from 8Crl2Mov stainless steel with a Molybdenum/Vanadium alloy with 8% carbon. Molybdenum enhances the strength and hardness of the steel. Vanadium boosts the wear resistance and toughness. Carbon augments the steel’s tensile strength and increases it resistance to wear and abrasion. The result of these ingredients is a blade steel that retains a sharp cutting edge over time and re-sharpens readily when required.

Most Byrd knives come with a plain or plain/serrated cutting edge. The “comet” shaped opening hole is unique to the designs and represents a symbol of quality. Several models offer fiberglass reinforced nylon and aluminum handles. They are right handed with a clothing clip that carries the knife tip up or down and attaches to the top of a pocket or belt. Texturing on the blade’s spine creates a friction, gripping the thumb’s pad for slip free cutting. Several models are outfitted with a backlock featuring a David Boye dent, an added safety feature, letting the diver to tightly grip the knife’s handle and eliminating the possibility of releasing the locking mechanism during use. Visit www.byrdknife.com for more information.

THE FOURTH ELEMENT

The underwater world is a special element that often requires extreme protection, and with the Xerotherm Artic undersuit you get the highest performance in underwater suits.

Constructed using a unique combination of low volume, high insulation materials, and the two layer structure creates a microclimate next to the skin, maximizing the retention of body warmth during a dive. The Arctic also performs when wet. In situations even when a drysuit has flooded, the Xerotherm Artic continues to provide thermal protection, even to the feet. The Xerotherm XT250 is the ultimate base layer for normal diving, worn under membrane suits as a base layer, improving a diver’s warmth and comfort.

These suits are an essential part of diving equipment. Visit them at www.fourthelement.com

COLOR CODE YOUR GEAR

Never lose your gear again with ID-MY-GEAR, using a tough, water-based, non-toxic, high tech polymer that is dramatically visible on any color contrasting dive equipment surface. ID-MY-GEAR comes in easy to apply squeeze applicator bottles in one ounce or four ounce sizes. Once thoroughly dried in 72 hours, ID-MY-GEAR becomes impervious to water, fading and it is abrasion resistant, and the bottles come in multi colors for the large diver households. You and other divers then can recognize your gear quickly. Call 804/306-5096.

CATCHING THE DIVE BUZZ

One of the coolest new products at DEMA was Scubuzz, an underwater signaling device worn like a wristwatch, with a 2-way communication system used to alert divers from either the surface or to a diver below or from diver to diver while underwater.

An ultrasonic radio transmitter and receiver are built into each Scubuzz to allow both sending and receiving of messages.

To send a message, press the bottom button on the device and it will send a signal to any Scubuzz with the same ID. Any Scubuzz with the same ID within the range of the sending Scubuzz will receive the signal and will return an alert. Upon receipt of the signal the receiver sends a signal to the second Scubuzzer and will turn on a vibration motor and flashing lights that will alert the second diver that the first diver is alerting them. The second diver will push the top button to cancel the page. This is a great device for the hearing impaired diver or for emergency alerts from the dive boat. For more information call 888-scu-buzz or visit www.scubuzz.com or info@scubuzz.com

A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT
Click Here For Dive Masks Online

Prescription Dive Masks will put any prescription into any dive mask with about a four day turnaround time, or $35 extra for the super duper rush. They use various styles of swim goggles, including Liberty Aqua Spec in black or blue and the Liberty Stingray in black, blue, or frosted clear. They also make single vision high index lenses or lenses tinted to any color.

They have been making lenses for divers for over 14 years. Their own lab opticians have designed new methods to make diving safer and more pleasurable. All lenses are custom made to the exact prescription, including astigmatism and prism. All work is done by hand, never a machine for better fit and accuracy. You never see the lens edge when viewing through the mask. For high prescriptions they use 1.8 high index glass. They also feature a procedure where they can remove a lens from the faceplate of a damaged mask and put it on a new mask. Visit them at www.prescriptiondivemasks.com or call 800/528-2878.

The 2006 DEMA Dive Show will be held November 8-11 at Orange County Convention Center , in Orlando, Florida . Visit www.demashow.com for details. Click Here for Guaranteed Lowest Hotel Rates In Orlando during DEMA 2007.

— By Kriss Hammond, Editor, Jetsetters Magazine.