The game’s storyline takes place off the coast of Mexico where a team of fearless divers are preparing to loot sunken treasure from shark infested waters. The player can play as either one of the treasure hunting scuba divers that must use stealth, skills and technology to escape from man-eating sharks  or play as the Shark itself and hunt down the treasure thieves.  Depth is a is a competitive multiplayer game where one team  plays as scuba divers attempting to steal priceless treasure from sunken ships in shark-infested waters off the coast of Mexico. The other team plays as sharks, who want to eat them. Overall Depth blends heart pounding hide-and-seek gameplay and visceral action in stunningly created dark aquatic worlds.

Playing as the shark is a unique gameplay experience and being the predator, your vision is not as good as the diver’s but you can track your preys disturbances in the water, like heart beats, splashing and can smell blood. This requires the treasure hunting scuba divers to play smart and stealthily to avoid detection by the 21 foot man eating sharks.  The divers must take cover in dense sea-weed, squeeze into wrecks, and stay as quiet as possible while sharks patrol overhead. The objective is to secure the treasure by outsmarting and evading your hungry opposition. Divers can uses knives, EMP guns or Tag Guns and can play one of three characters, the Watcher, hunter or Seeker. The Shark team have their teeth as weapons, and can play either as a Great White, a tiger Shark or a mako.

Depth takes the simple tried and tested concepts like multi-player first person shoot-out games and objectives like capture the flag that we have seen many times before, and have re-created it into an underwater scuba diving realm, and somehow managed to keep everything fresh and exciting.

photos courtesy depthgame.com

Shark Frenzy with the New Multiplayer Scuba Game: Depth was written by Nevin for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

Willaurie & Anthony Bell Wrecks- Nassau, Bahamas

photo by hankplank on flickr

Grining fish at Palancar Reef - Cozumel - Mexico

photo by Rob Inh00d on flickr

Christmas Tree Worms, Malaysia

photo by gwylow71 on flickr

Macro shot of Anemone- East of Dili, East Timor

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Sea Pen at Perhentian Island, Malaysia

photo by CW Ye on flickr

A Harlequin Shrimp - Seraya, Bali

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Shark Arena - Nassau, Bahamas

photo by hankplank on flickr

Puffer fish all blown up - Mactan Cebu, Philippines

photo by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) on flickr

A brightly colored Toothy- Tulamben, Bali

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Jellyfish & a friend - Liberty Wall, Haiti

photo by Nick Hobgood on flickr

Amazing Underwater Captures was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

Here’s a look at some celebrities that love exploring the underwater world and the sport that allows them to do so, just like you and I:

Prince William, the perhaps future king of England, may not be your next dive buddy as he’s engaged already. However the royal heir expressed his love for diving in an interview along with his potential plans to combine the two passions in his life with a honeymoon in Australia.

“I love scuba diving and I’ve always wanted to dive the Great Barrier Reef.”

- Prince William

For decades, Hollywood has glamorized our favorite hobby in films such as ‘The Abyss’, ‘Open Water’, ‘Men Of Honor’, ‘Into The Blue’ and James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, ‘Sanctum’. So it’s no surprise to find that some of Hollywood’s most famous actors and actresses have been roped in by the fascination of their experiences and turned it into a real hobby, behind the scenes.

Hollywood hottie and a regular on the People’s magazine 50 Most Beautiful People list, Jessica Alba is a scuba diver at heart. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk and this PADI-certified scuba diver’s skills were made to good use a number of times in her work, from the popular TV series Flipper to the movie Into the Blue.  Jessica makes scuba diving look sexy.

“When I was thirteen I learned to dive for a TV show I did called “The New Adventures of Flipper” I grew up in CA where the water is so cold that diving isn’t something you do if you’re a regular teenage girl. But I loved it immediately, I was fearless.”

- Jessica Alba

For Sandra Bullock scuba diving wasn’t just for the love of the ocean, it was to overcome one of her biggest fears, being under water. Having conquered the fear with scuba lessons, Sandra found that she just loved the peacefulness underwater and was hooked. As for Katie Homles, let’s just say she followed suit when she took up diving as an activity which she can experience together with husband Tom Cruise who loves scuba diving. Tom’s ex, the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz, also loves her scuba diving when she’s on vacation as does her good friend Salma Hayek, who has been scuba diving since she was 12.

The three time Oscar winning Director James Cameron, of the worldwide box office hit “Titanic”, clearly shows his love for scuba diving and the ocean through his work. With over 3,000 hours logged underwater, Cameron has been an avid diver since 1969 where he grew up near Niagara Falls and recalls begging his father at age 16 for scuba diving lessons.

Retired Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, Castaway star Tom Hanks, super models Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford, former Spice girl Geri Halliwell, actors Gene Hackman, Kevin Costner, actresses Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson are all scuba divers that join the list. Husband and wife actors, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber enjoy diving, especially with sharks in Tahiti, and intend to have their children certified to dive. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich who is an avid scuba diver, has been known to read scuba diving magazines during solo breaks between songs while on tour with the famous band. And yes, even Paris Hilton takes time off her busy social life and leaves her little doggy behind to log a few dives here and there.

Also on the celebrity list of scuba divers is golf pro Tiger Woods, who is seriously diving the world over since he took up the sport a few years back. A NAUI divemaster member, Tiger is also a specialized cave diver. When asked about his love of scuba diving he simple states, “The fish don’t know who I am.”

“The waters are incredible! I have been diving in many places and Belize is definitely top notch. The Blue Hole is spectacular. The water was so clear everywhere we went.” “I have never done anything like that in my life. It was awesome!”

-Tiger Woods (on Diving the Blue Hole and Shark-Ray Alley in Belize)

All celebrities however seem to agree on one thing, the more private the dive the better. So I guess as cool as it would be, they may not be your next dive buddy.

Scuba Diving Celebrities:Could They Be Your Next Dive Buddy? was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

By “Room to Swim” we mean ensuring that the fish’s head isn’t on one far edge of your image, but taking the photograph in a manner where the fish is provided with a bit of space  in the photo, in the direction where the fish is headed. This technique gives the illusion that the fish has “room to swim” and makes the composition much more pleasing than that of a tightly cropped image.

“No Space for the Fish to Swim”

A good composition, slightly off-center with sufficient space in the direction the fish is swimming in

This technique should not be confused with centering the subject, or ensuring your subject is always in the center of the frame. Centering or bulls-eyeing while sometimes generates good results especially with macros, but isn’t always a good composition technique for normal portraits. Try ensuring your subject is placed a little off-center for some interesting compositions and you will find your photo becomes that much more dramatic. At the same time keeping in mind the above tip, to allow off-centering in the direction the fish is headed towards to give the fish space in the frame.

While the above image of a Wrasse gets the job done, it isn’t exactly eye-catching

So how much space to swim do we need to give a fish when composing the shot? Well not much is necessary, as long as you provide more non subject space on the head side of the fish than the tail end.

While the Lionfish is focussed nice and clear if the space was provided in front of its head it would be a winner.

Notice how the addition of space draws your attention to the subjects head

The above image taken at eye level, subjects eye is in clear focus, and there is room to swim!

Another stunning example of how a little panning can go a long way to getting a perfect shot.

New to Underwater Photography? Why not try PADI’s Underwater Photographer Manual available at LeisurePro.com

photos from flickr by: MPBecker, BlueBeyond, Marisa Roman, Nemo’s great uncle

Underwater Photography Composition Tips: Give the Fish Room in the Frame was written by Nevin for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

Shah Rukh Khan, who is nicknamed by the media “King Khan” or “SRK”,  is a prominent Bollywood figure, as well as a film producer and television host that is known for churning out commercially successful films and has earned critical acclaim for many of his performances. Khan has won thirteen Filmfare Awards for his work in Indian films which are the “Oscars” of Bollywood.

According to the Times of India’s News Network, Khan has learned scuba diving on the sets of Don 2 that is currently under production.  It is reported that he “took to scuba diving like a fish to water.” Shah Rukh enjoyed diving so much that he spent hours underwater often overshooting the specified time limit.

The Don 2 crime action flick is part two of the Don franchise, and requires the actor to perform several of his own stunts, including base jumping and scuba diving. While the report did not specify the location of King Khan’s first dive, the movie is said to be filming in several exotic destinations around the world including Dublin in Ireland and Berlin, Germany.

While in Bollywood there are hardly a handful of actors that scuba dive, in the world of Hollywood there are a number of actors and actresses that have taken to scuba diving, either in preparation for movies or simply as a recreational sport. Amongst these are Sandra Bullock, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek,  Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. See our complete List of Celebrity Scuba Divers.

Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan Learns Scuba-Diving for upcoming Movie was written by Nevin for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

photo by Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten on flickr

photo by thinkpanama on flickr

photo by Tom Weilenmann on flickr

photo by doug.deep on flickr

photo by CasaDeQueso on flickr

photo by Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten on flickr

photo by bbialek905 on flickr

photo by ianmyles on flickr

photo by bbialek905 on flickr

photo by Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten on flickr

The Wonderful World Of Scuba Diving was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

A Wall in scuba terms is essentially an underwater cliff face, more commonly a reef edge that runs vertically, usually run from shallow to deep and drops off suddenly into the depths of the ocean. Diving along this vertical reef/rock edge is known as wall diving. Most coral Islands and barrier reefs like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Belize’s Barrier Reef have stunning wall drop-offs teeming with coral and marine life.

So what’s all the fuss about diving along a reef cliff? Well for starters, wall diving is usually reserved for the more seasoned divers, as they can often be rather challenging to dive making them more exciting. A wall dive usually implies a deep dive, as walls drop off suddenly to great depths.

Secondly, diving along the face of a vertical wall requires good buoyancy control because there is no seabed to prevent the diver descending too deep. Constant monitoring and depth control is crucial to diving along a wall, as a diver can easily drop too deep without even realizing it as there is no sea bed as a visual indicator of depth.

Thirdly, reef walls usually have strong upward or downward currents running along the wall as the current from the deep hits the vertical rock face and rises, making it extremely challenging to navigate and swim which adds to the challenge and the difficulty for novice divers.

Fourthly, wall diving meets just about every type of diver preference from spectacular vistas, abundant marine life ranging from smaller reef fish near the top to larger pelagic fish such as Sharks, jacks, grouper and tuna around the depths. Corals grow at interesting angles creating a kind of three dimensional gardens as they struggle for light on the vertical overhangs.  A wall offers a wide variety in dive profiles, exciting visual/physical sensations, and tremendous opportunities for the underwater photographer, as all sorts of fascinating creatures live along a reef wall, and if you are a macro photographer, you will have no end of interesting subjects to capture. Exploring tiny nooks, crevices to larger caves and overhangs is always interesting, and simply observing the change of marine life as you descend along a wall is a real eye-opener.

The sensation of being suspended in the ocean with only one supporting wall while all the larger fish of the ocean and their predators darting below you, will give any diver a rush.

If you’re planning to dive a wall, make sure you plan your dive well, and know the strength and direction of the currents along the wall.  Plan a multi-level or profile dive to maximize your bottom time and observe the different levels of marine life as you change depths. Always remember to watch that depth gage! Wall dives are deceptively notorious for having divers drop below their limits, as currents constantly pummel divers who have no sea floor as a reference. Be mindful of the fragile coral growing along the vertical, and watch where you grab on to, as there are often several creatures hidden in the cracks and crevices along a reef wall.

Photos from flickr by: g-na, underwatertourist, Enje, Caloy and Myra

Uncovering the Fascination with Wall Diving was written by Nevin for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

9.   “I’ll give you half off the dive today, if you know something about boat motors.”

8.   “Currents?  Oh, I wouldn’t worry about currents.  If we don’t find you, search and rescue will.”

7.   “Here put this mask on, your face is killin’ me.”

6.   “I think I got some jerky stuck in my teeth.”  (as he uses the reflection in your  mask to check)

5.   “Now this cylinder has 2000lbs of air in it.  So bend with your knees.”

4.   “I hope you’re as good as the last guy I took out.  He saved my life!  Twice…”

3.   “If I teach you one thing today, don’t ever try to punch a shark when he has his mouth open.”

2.  “Welcome to the food chain folks. You are no longer at the top of it.”

1.   “Sorry I’m late. Had a Funeral to go to. I barely knew the guy, met him on the last trip…”

*Photo Credits: photos by Nemo’s great uncle on flickr

Top 10 Things You Never Want To Hear Your Dive Instructor Say was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

Recreational Scuba divers breath compressed air and are limited by physical laws to a certain amount of time underwater at a certain depth. The standard rule of thumb however is the deeper you dive, the less time you can spend underwater. That leads us to one of the most common questions asked about diving: “How deep can you scuba dive?”.  While there’s no fixed answer to the question as you can potentially dive as deep as you like, there are consequences and risks of diving beyond certain depths with standard scuba diving equipment.

To put it in perspective, when you get your first certification to dive (Open Water Diver) the dept limit to dive is 60 feet (18 meters) whereas an Advanced Open Water diver is certified to dive to 100 feet (30 meters). Different Scuba certification agencies permit different depth after the various training levels are complete. However, PADI recommends that the absolute maximum depth for any recreational diver is 40m (130ft), while BSAC says a maximum depth of 50m (165ft) is ok with proper training.

Just because you can go a certain depth does certainly not mean it is safe to dive at to that depth. At depths between 30-60m, while not dangerous in itself, divers are likely to experience the intoxicating condition of nitrogen narcosis which can have a severe impact on a diver’s decision making, leading to stupid and sometimes dangerous actions. After a certain depth, at partial pressures greater than 1.44bar, the oxygen in a divers air supply becomes toxic, so going further or experiencing this toxicity for too long could prove fatal.

Due to increased pressure at greater depths the chances of decompression sickness are also increased. Diver’s are required to take longer decompression stops, to avoid the formation of gas bubbles in the body. By releasing the water pressure on the body slowly at the end of the dive and allowing gases trapped in the bloodstream to gradually break solution and leave the body, a diver minimizes their chances of getting ‘the bends’. Another concern when diving deep is air consumption. Under  water pressure the air in a diver’s tank too gets compressed further, providing fewer “breaths” which in turn runs out a lot quicker than if you were diving at a shallower depth. This means either carrying an additional small cylinder of air called a pony bottle or having a drop tank available is advisable.

In technical diving, 60 metres / 200 feet may be a “deep dive”. These divers use specialized pieces of scuba diving equipment or special gas mixtures other than normal atmospheric air to overcome depth issues like nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity and the tremendous pressure. It is possible to technical divers to go deeper than 200m (700ft) with closed circuit rebreathers. This sort of ultra-deep diving requires extraordinarily high levels of training, experience, fitness and surface support in the form of decompression chambers.

FUN FACT: The Holy Grail of deep SCUBA diving was the 1,000 ft (300 m) mark, first achieved by John Bennett in 2001 and has only been achieved twice since. Only eight (or possibly nine) persons are known to have ever dived below a depth of 800 feet (240 m) on self contained breathing apparatus recreationally. That is fewer than the number of people who have walked on the surface of the moon!

*Photo credits: photos by Ilse Reijs en Jan-Noud Hutten, Dude Crush, star5112,  Rafael Robayna – ecocentrik.com on flickr

Deep Diving: How Deep is Deep? was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

Scuba diving, like anything isn’t for everyone. Here are a few simple ways to tell if it’s not for you-

1.If your fellow diver gives you the “Ok” signal and you give him “the bird.”

2. If you joke that safety stops are for wussies.

3. When your dive buddy gives you the “out of air”  signal, do you say things like, “sucks to be you”, or, “Wait here, I’ll go get you some” while swimming off?

4. Do you offer to race other divers to the surface?

5. Do you spit in your wetsuit and pee in your mask?

6. If you think being neutral in the water means not fighting with your dive buddy.

7. If you wait for the tingly feeling, as a signal to surface.

8. If you have a hard time figuring out which fin goes on which foot.

9. Did you move to Kansas to avoid shark attacks?

10. If you don’t wear fins because it’s hard to walk on the bottom…

…perhaps diving just isn’t for you.

*Photo credits: Photos by Andy Ciordia, Gagliardo_ on flickr.

Scuba Diving Is Not For You IF… was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World