There are several different kinds of underwater writing devices ranging from slates to notebooks for divers. Whether you are a new diver or a Dive Instructor, or anywhere in between, you may have the need to write something down underwater. Whether it’s asking questions underwater or recording them for later back on the boat or simply noting down what kind of marine life you encountered to help you remember when filling out your log book later on. For an Underwater Photographer it may be the camera settings used on specific shots you took for review later, or the Instructor for writing evaluations of student’s skills; whatever the need underwater writing devices are a real boon to scuba divers. Here is a compilation of various responses we got while asking fellow scuba divers who use dive slate what they use their slates for?

“Well I’m a Dive Instructor, so my dive slate is an invaluable tool to communicate underwater with my trainees. I also note down all of the skills and important activities I need to cover on my slate, like a lesson plan and check them off as we progress.”

– Hassan A. PADI Scuba Instructor

Aqua Glow Slate Large 6″ X 8″

“I use my Slate to record all kinds of marine life and coral we encounter on my dive, and when I’m back on the surface, I refer to the slate while filling out my log book. Helps me remember what I saw on each dive”

– Kate H. Advanced Open Water Diver

“My husband and I always calculate our dive plan referring to our dive tables and note them down on our slates. While we both wear dive computers we like to have to have something to fall back on in case it fails. We note down our maximum NDL time at the depth we intend to dive at as well as make note of the two zones immediately following that depth. The slate is extremely helpful to a diver as he has to remember so many things during a dive, and one less thing by using a slate makes a big difference”

– Gillian C. Rescue Diver

“My dive slate is my logbook in carry with me underwater. I have one of those that have preformatted details such as buddy, depth, PSI/BAR start, time up time down etc. This is really helpful as I hate filing up my logbook after a tiring days diving, and now I don’t have to until I get a free day.”

– Brendon S. Open Water diver

Innovative Divers Slate with Split Ring

“As an underwater photographer I use my dive slate to note down my camera settings for a macro, wide angle shots as well as strobe power settings  that worked really well on my last dive, so that I can try similar settings  which give me the best combination. More often than not this gets me breathtaking photographs underwater”

-  Neville S. AOW Underwater Photographer

“I dive Nitrox (EAN) and so it is one of the requirements that I carry a slate with the content of my breathing gas that will allow medical personnel know the best and most proper treatment to assure a fast and permanent recovery if DCS occurs. I note down my mix, pressure and oxygen analysis on the slate before each dive.”

- John H. Nitrox Diver

Nitrox Gas Content Slate

“I always draw out the dive site map on mine during the dive briefings as well as make note of key features on the site in the margin of the slate, so that I know exactly where I am at all times during the dive.”

– Alex F. Advanced Open Water Diver

“I just cannot dive without my slate. I use it primarily to communicate with my buddy details I cannot get across using hand signals…I mean how are you going to sign to your buddy that the creature you were pointing at, that he could quite make out was a  Tubercular nudibranch? The slate is simply invaluable underwater as a communication tool”

– Lee C. Advanced Open Water Diver

“As an underwater photographer I use a smaller white slate as my camera’s white balance card. I set my camera white balance every fifteen feet or so in depth using my slate as a grey card.”

– Joanna D. Underwater Photographer

Multi-Page Wrist Slate

As you can see the humble dive slate or underwater writing pad has so many diverse uses, making it yet another multi-purpose scuba diving accessory one must have in their scuba gear kit.

photos from flickr by Froschmann : かえるおとこ, Saspotato

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | The Multipurpose Dive Slate is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

We all have our favorite must-have scuba accessories that we love to have clipped onto our BCD jackets on every dive, and often have so many items clipped on, that we have no free rings left, and then stuff our pockets as well!  Each diver has their own preferences when it comes to what to take and what to leave behind on a dive, and opinions are strongly divided when it comes to how much scuba gear is really necessary when diving. There is the School of thought that believes in having nothing clipped-on to the BCD which could tangle, obstruct or increase drag while underwater. Then again there are divers that believe that having these safety and comfort accessories can mean the difference between an emergency and a mishap underwater.

Here is a list we’ve put together with 5 of our must-have BCD Clip-on accessories:

Surface Marker Buoy (SMB)
The SMB or Safety Sausage we believe is the quintessential piece of Safety equipment that every diver should have, especially in open water boat dives, where waves, currents and conditions can make it difficult for the boat to spot a surfaced diver. While some prefer to have this clipped on to their BCD, where it is easily accessible, others prefer to have this often larger item tucked away inside their BCD pockets; either way it is one item we would never dive without.

Blue Reef Diver Below Deluxe 6′ Signal Tube

Storm Whistle
A good quality emergency or storm whistle is another standard clip on attachment to our ideal BCD set up. Grab the attention of your boat or rescuers with a crisp and clear audible alarm. Storm whistles are also designed for use in all weather conditions and underwater as well, making it a great emergency item that costs nothing and takes up hardly any room on your BCD. We recommend swapping the standard BCD whistle with a good quality louder storm whistle like the one we have featured below available at LeisurePro.com.

Storm Whistle

Pointer Stick with Rattle
These handy anti-corrosive steel pointer rods are multi-purpose, making them our Swiss-army knife of the Scuba world and puts them on our list of must-have BCD attachments. Apart from pointing out marine life, the pointer stick can be used as a tank banger to get the attention of your buddies which eliminates the need for carrying a separate noise maker or rattle. These pointer sticks with a rattle attached to the handle also help get your buddies attention easily. The stick can be used to minimize your contact with coral and avoid touching things with your hands, and also to get yourself purchase in case of strong currents. Metal sticks have been known to repel sharks and other fish when touched by it as it is said to disrupt their magnetic senses.

Xs Scuba Rattle Pointer

Dive light or Torch
Even when not night diving, a secondary or compact dive light is a must on our list of BCD Clip-on gear. Whether peering under a rock to spot shrimp or lobster, or grabbing the attention of your buddy underwater or boatman on the surface, the dive light is another multipurpose must-have dive accessory.

Intova Nova Torch 4.7 watt LED #IFL660

Line Cutter/Dive Knife
A line cutter or a small dive knife equipped with a line cutter is probably the final item that makes our BCD Clip on list. A Dive Knife is not a weapon but more of a general tool and safety device. Can substitute a tank banger, can be useful to have on shore as well as in case you get caught in fishing line underwater. Don’t get a dive knife that doesn’t have a line cutter included in its design.

XS Scuba Beta Titanium Knife Blunt Tip

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | 5 Must Have BCD Clip-On Scuba Diving Accessories is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

Are you a SCUBA Diver that is just getting started in underwater photography? Or are you looking for a reasonably priced underwater camera that you can take along with you on your next dive vacation which won’t cost you more than your trip? Well look no further; we have compiled a list of 5 reasonably priced underwater cameras available at LeisurePro.com that will allow you to capture your underwater adventures.

Intova IC800 Underwater Digital Camera 8MP ($199)
The Intova IC800 8 megapixel camera with housing is perhaps one of the best value for money underwater digital camera kits out in the market today. Perfect for anyone looking to get into underwater photography as a hobby, without having the equipment cost both an arm and a leg. The IC800 is depth rated to 180 feet and has a 3x optical zoom lens and can accommodate up to 4 GB of memory. Also capable of recording VGA movies with a resolution of 640X680, the Intova IC800 gives the user the flexibility of both video and photographs.

We recommend this Kit for anyone looking for a real value for money kit.

Intova IC10 Underwater Digital Camera 10MP ($249)
The second product from Intova to make our list of truly affordable underwater camera kits is the IC10 (10 Megapixel) Digital camera. Very similar to the IC800 reviewed above, the IC10 has more pixels, offering higher resolution images from the same compact body. Also with a 3X Optical Zoom lens and depth rated to 180 feet, the Intova IC10 is also great value for money providing you with 10 Megapixels of resolution and video and photograph capabilities as well.

Liquid Image Scuba Mask with Camera & Video ($249.95)
This innovative product from Liquid Image, the HD320 is a 5 megapixel digital camera and video camera integrated into a scuba mask capable of operating at a depth till 115 feet, allowing for convenient hands-free operation. The video quality of the Liquid image is a decent 720p recording at 30fps on micro SD storage cards that can accommodate up to 32GB of storage. What fascinates us most about the HD320 is its convenience; no need to have your camera dangling on your wrist off a lanyard, or in your hands, and also the reasonable price of approx. $250 which gives it a place on our affordable underwater camera list.

Ikelite Ultra Compact Housing & Nikon Coolpix L20 Digital Camera Still Package ($ 369.95)
Though from two separate manufacturers, what better combination can be there than pairing Nikon cameras with Ikelite underwater housings?  Despite being on the higher end of our affordable underwater camera list, this perfect pairing makes an appearance purely because of the value you would get from combining two names that you know you can trust. The Nikon Coolpix range of cameras have proved extremely popular and easy to use, and with this package you get the Coolpix L20 which is an image stabilized 10.1 megapixel compact digital camera that features 3.6x optical zoom, 3 inch LCD, motion detection, ISO range from 84 to 1600, face priority, smile mode, in-camera red-eye fix and the list goes on!  The Ikelite Ultracompact digital housing allows for full control functionality and is depth rated to 200ft (60m), and you know your Nikon will be safe in this well-built housing.

In our opinion one of the greatest combo deals for underwater photographers for the great images and camera control options.

SeaLife DC800 Reefmaster 8.1MP Underwater Digital Camera ($399)
From the leading maker of underwater dive cameras, SeaLife’s new DC800 8 megapixel camera is truly a perfect purpose created product.  With 5 dive-specific color correction modes, the DC800 takes sharp, colorful underwater pictures and is reasonably priced as well. Depth rated to 200 feet and equipped with a high capacity rechargeable lithium battery, the DC800 allows you to take photographs all day without needing to swap out batteries.  The Reefmaster DC800 also comes with video recording capability with sound, and 22 land modes allowing it to be used as a terrestrial camera as well.  Paired with the SeaLife external strobes, this camera can be used by amateur and professional underwater photographers alike.

Overall ,an excellent purpose driven camera and affordable as well.

For the Best in Underwater Photography Equipment right from underwater camera housings, digital cameras, strobes, lenses, and more visit LeisurePro.com

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2009. | 5 Affordable Underwater Cameras For Under $400 is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment