For those recreational Scuba Divers who are getting bored of ordinary dives, and are looking for a new underwater thrill or adventure, how about something that incorporates scuba diving and the thrill of treasure hunting? We are talking about the newest rage known as Scuba Geocaching that is rapidly becoming more and more popular each day.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term Geocaching (pronounced Geo-Cashing), it is a game played worldwide that was born with the advent of the handheld personal GPS device becoming increasingly cheaper and popular; it involves hiding of a ‘geocache’ or a container with a logbook and some kind of ‘treasure’ usually a trinket, and then the GPS co-ordinates of the location of the cache is uploaded to a website along with some clues. Anyone with a GPS device can attempt to locate this ‘geocache’ and if found, can sign their name in the log-book, take a picture of the trinket, or take the trinket itself replacing it with one of their own for the next Geocacher to find and post their find on the website. Geocachers follow strict rules to always replace the cache and leave behind an object for the next person to find, and also try and ensure that the Geocache itself isn’t stored in plain sight where a ‘non-player’ might chance across the cache which is usually a Tupperware box, or plastic tube and remove it from it’s location.

What started out as a terrestrial based game, has recently turned into Geocachers coming up with increasingly difficult locations to hide their treasure, and it was only a matter of time before a Geocacher combined his/her love for Scuba Diving with the game and started  underwater Geocaching.

Scuba/Underwater Geocaching follows the same rules as regular terrestrial Geocaching, with the exception of several challenges. Underwater Geocaches can be placed anywhere from lakes, to reefs or deep ocean drop-off but within recreational diving limits. Firstly the Cache itself needs to be waterproof, able to withstand water pressure, corrosion, and should be negatively buoyant so that it stays underwater. The most popular Geocaching portal geocaching.com stipulates that any underwater cache that needs special equipment  (such as Scuba Gear) to find, must be classified as a category/Type 5 (T5), and increases the difficulty of the hunt.   Additionally for underwater caches, GPS co-ordinates will be taken from where the boat anchors, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact underwater location without providing visual reference clues of its whereabouts underwater.

Mostly underwater geocaches contain a waterproof dive slate, or waterproof log-book so that the diver can open the cache and fill out the find details underwater itself. In this case often a net mesh bag is used as the cache. You can also create a ‘multi-cache’ where one stage is submerged and you have to dive for it with a clue to an on-shore cache containing the logbook.

As with anything that is submerged, owners of the cache will need to check on it regularly, or design it in a way that it doesn’t affect the stage if it gets wet. Fine silt on the bottom of sea or lake beds disturb easily, often covering the cache making the search almost impossible sometimes.

Nevertheless the challenges involved in locating an underwater geocache is what makes the activity even more fun and exciting. So look up your local Geocache listings and see if you can uncover one of these underwater treasure troves. Happy Hunting!

Photos from flickr by: topherous, Scouse_and_Jules, Bill.Roehl, brianellin, Nemo’s great uncle

You Know you’re Addicted to Scuba Diving When..

1.You flunked high school physics but you amazingly  can calculate the partial pressure of a gas in equilibrium and its solubility and absorption rate by the body during a dive using Henry’s Law!

2. Every morning the sound of shaving foam (psshhhht) makes you want to go diving.

3. You’re the only one out of your office buddies that doesn’t snicker when the word “Off-gassing” is mentioned.

4. You get out of bed in the morning by doing a back-roll.

5.You’ve never watched Star Wars but you’ll watch “The Abyss”, “Men Of Honor” or “Deep Blue Sea” 100 times.

6. Then you finally start watching the Star Wars movies and think to yourself “Man, Darth Vader really needs to get that regulator replaced”

7. You show up at your neighborhood swimming pool during the off-season in full dive gear hoping to log some bottom time.

8. You’re the only one who isn’t blushing when you ask your friends, “Want to see some Nudi pictures?

9. You have more ‘C’ cards than credit cards in your wallet.

10. You’re more worried about your divers insurance payments than your health insurance.

11. Your preferred method of getting high is to get ‘narced’ on a deep dive.

12. When your kid’s first words are PA-DI instead of Dad-dy.

13. You see a perfectly good ship and think that would make a nice wreck to dive in.

14. You spend most of your time picking apart the unrealities in the latest Hollywood diving flick rather than watching the movie.

15. You automatically equalize your ears by performing the valsalva maneuver every time you step into an elevator.

16. You answer “Suunto” when asked what kind of computer you use.

17. You spit on your car windshield to prevent it from fogging up.

18. You can’t afford a wristwatch cos you spent all your money on an expensive dive computer instead.

19. While others long for Rolex, Omega or Tag Heuer on their wrists you’d settle for a Mares, Suunto  or Oceanic.

20. When you think your neighbors’ vacation to Belize was a waste of money cos they didn’t do any Scuba Diving.

21. When getting a “reverse squeeze” has nothing to do with your girlfriend grabbing your butt!

22. You can’t remember your wedding anniversary but always know when Discovery Channels “Shark Week” is on.

23. You get excited about the viz while you go swimming in a pool.

24. The only suit in your closet besides your wedding suit…is your wetsuit!

25. And you need serious help… if your wedding suit IS your wetsuit.

*Photo credits: photo by joeduty on flickr

10. “Hey, you’re the first guest since “the disappearance.”

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

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.

You have probably seen the very popular video of the dolphins at Orlando Sea World effortlessly creating and playing with bubble rings underwater before. But what if I told you it isn’t that difficult for us to do and you can try blowing them yourself the next time you go for a swim or when you Scuba dive. Take a look below on how to blow underwater bubble rings-

Similar to  smoke rings, bubble rings can be blown through pursed lips by letting out short air bursts.  Here’s what you got to know to blow bubble rings-

Photo by divemasterking2000

• You want to make sure your alone and there’s no disturbances around you when you start.
• Wear a mask. A Scuba mask is preferable as it covers your nose and you won’t get water in it when you tilt your head back.  But make sure the mask skirting doesn’t push your lip down and you can form a perfect ‘O’ with your mouth comfortably.
• Taking a breath of air (a normal breath with a regulator if you are scuba diving) and filling your cheeks so they are puffed, you need to lie down on your back or float horizontally staying still. If you are in a swimming pool, it’s easier to hold on to a ladder to stay down. You may also title just your head back so you are looking up at the surface.
• The best depth to try this at is 2-6 meters. Any deeper than 6 meters and it becomes more difficult to do.
• Start with your mouth closed. You basically want to release a pulse of air about the size and shape of a golf ball, opening your mouth with rounded lips.
• To get a better idea attempt saying “PUH” with your cheeks filled with air. Do not do anything with your tongue.
• Abruptly close your mouth soon after so the air really pops out.
• Just watch your bubble rise to the surface..you may not see it immediately but if you are doing it right some will form small bubble rings when rising.
• Another method others swear by is using your tongue. Stick you tongue out your mouth still filled with air. When dispelling the air out suck your tongue back in your mouth. You are basically pushing air out around your tongue in this method. Watch the instructional video below by Noshoes for more on this method.
• Keep practicing and you’ll soon get better at making smoother and rounder rings.

Bubble Ring Instructional Video from noshoes on Vimeo.

Bubble Ring Fun on a Safety Stop by scubadrewvideo