We have moved the Ice Diving Date to: Classroom on February 26, from 1 to 5 PM and the Training Dives: February 27 at Blue Marsh Lake from 8:30 AM to ?. If interested please sign up at SV as soon as possible. Hope to see you soon!
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Category: NewsScuba Venture Holiday Social
Saturday December 11 from 9 AM to 5 PM and
Sunday December 12 from 10 to 5 PM.
Come and join us for food and drink and many unadvertised store specials.
And other specials throughout the store!
We will have lots of food! Bring the family!
Bigblue Dive Light Presentation by the Rep.
Wednesday night Dec. 8, Joe Stellini from Bigblue will be bringing his light show to SV, just in time for the holidays. Special deals will be available as well and refreshments. Come and learn about the various lights that are available through Bigblue and SV. As an added bonus stay around and attend the Berks Divers Club Mtg., free of charge, to see if joining a club is for you! The Light presentation will last about one hour. Seats are limited so call and register today or respond to this e-mail saying that you are definitely coming.
Packing Light
• The amount of stuff you think you need is directly related to the size of your luggage. Get a smaller bag and you’ll make do with fewer things.
• There’s really no difference between packing for a week and packing for a month or longer.
• If you think something might come in handy, leave it at home. If you know you can’t get along without it, bring it.
• Limit yourself to one pair of shoes, or, at most, one pair of shoes and one pair of sandals or flip-flops.
• Don’t fret if it turns out you really did need that extra sweater, or if you run out of toothpaste. Wherever you’re going, they have these things for sale.
• Downsize toiletries. Pick up travel-size versions of your favorite products whenever you see them, not just when you're getting ready to travel. If you can't find miniatures, buy small plastic bottles and decant from larger products.
• Wear your heaviest shoes, sweater, and jacket. That way, you don't have to pack them.
Maximum Strength Wetsuit Repairs
St. Lawrence Seaway October 1st to the 4th – Friday AM depart to Monday PM return
Join the staff of ScubaVenture as we lead you on an exciting wreck diving trip out of Mallorytown, Ontario. Some of the most pristine wrecks will be visited on the Canadian & US sides of the Seaway. The wrecks we will be visiting are usually filled with life and usually make for great picture taking opportunities. Some of the wrecks we might be diving will be the King Horn, Vickery, America, Lillie Parsons, Gaskin, Daryaw, & Sheboygan. Most of the wrecks are within minutes from the Resort. All wrecks are within advanced recreational dive limits. Water temps will be in the mid 70-degree area. This will be a great trip that you will never forget!
For more information check out our dive travel page. Click here
Mohawk Ocean Dive (80 Ft.)
Just a few miles out of Manasquan Inlet (New Jersey), the remains of the Mohawk lie beneath 80 feet of water. The steel-hulled passenger ship, launched in October of 1925 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, was 387' long, 54' in breadth, and listed at 5897 gross tons.
The Mohawk was the third in a string of disasters suffered by the Ward Line. First was the infamous Morro Castle fire at Asbury Park, then the Havana ran aground on a reef off Florida. The Mohawk was leased from the Clyde Line to take over the duties of the Morro Castle, but only a few months after the fire which claimed 124 lives, this ship also met with a tragic end. The Mohawk left New York on the afternoon of January 24, 1935.
About 9:00 that evening, several miles south of Sea Girt Light and about six miles offshore, the steering gear went awry and the crew switched to a manual steering system instead. Shortly afterward, confusion between orders from the bridge and their execution in the steering engine room caused the Mohawk to execute a hard turn to port, at full speed, directly into the path of the Norwegian freighter Talisman. Although both ships tried to avoid the collision, it was too late. Talisman struck the Mohawk, and the latter began to take on water. Bitter cold, ice, and snow hampered the evacuation of the 160 passengers; all told 45 lives were lost, including Captain Joseph Wood and all but one of the ship's officers.
The Mohawk sank within an hour. Nearby ships came to the rescue, and Coast Guard boats and planes searched through the night and the next day, first for survivors, then for bodies. The wreck was later blasted to a maximum depth of 50' so as not to pose a navigational hazard in the heavily traveled shipping lane.
The Mohawk is one of the most dived wrecks in this area, although it resembles a ship less than an underwater junkyard. It's easy to get lost in the vast jumble of hull plates and twisted metal, so careful navigation is essential. Despite its popularity, this wreck still yields plenty of artifacts and lobster, and offers many interesting sights for the observant diver.
Add a wreck diver specialty course with Charles Haldeman for added wreck enjoyment. He will be training in the classroom on the 14th followed by the dives on the 18th. He will also be holding an Adv. Training Course the following week.
BCD Maintenance
In addition to regular cleaning, a few simple checks after each dive will help keep your B.C. in top condition:
Look for small tears and punctures, loose stitching and stressed fasteners. Repair with Aquaseal to prevent further damage. Check for leaks by pressurizing the B.C. using the oral or power inflator, then submerging the B.C in a tub of water. Slowly rotate the B.C. in all directions, keeping an eye out for air bubbles. Mark the location of the leak, allow the B.C. to dry,then repair with Aquaseal.
Test the oral inflation and power inflation buttons to ensure they move freely. If they feel sticky, salt or sand could be the problem. Wash, and if problem persists, take the B.C. to your local dive shop for inspection. Use a toothbrush to remove sand from Velcro® and other nooks and crannies.
Store your B.C. in a cool, dry spot away from direct heat, sunlight, car exhaust and harsh chemicals. Partially inflate it with dry air to prevent mold and mildew growth. This will also keep the bladder from sticking together when stored over a long period of time.
Everyone had a great time at the 2010 ScubaVenture picnic at Dutch Springs. To celebrate our 20th anniversary we held a luau themed party with diving, food, and lots of fun. Prizes were awarded for an underwater and a surface treasure hunt, a bocce ball contest, and a scuba themed relay race. Attendees could also donate to DAN with the purchase of raffle tickets with prizes including a new regulator set. Divers also had the opportunity to demo Whites drysuits and Scuba Pro gear. THANK YOU to all for your support and enthusiasm. A big thanks also goes out to Deb Boone and Sandy Stitzer for helping John Gebhart with the food. A big thank you to Katharine Radosh for manning the registration table, Jim for the great surface games, Rich and Teresa for putting the markers down underwater, Chris for taking pictures, and for every other staff member that helped with the divers. You can view pictures from the event on our pictures page at http://www.scubaventure.net/gallery/photos.html
Teresa Franke was awarded with the DiveControl Specialist of the Year award for 2009. She received the award for helping the SV instructors with their classes, for promoting scuba diving, and for helping students and customers within the store. She was very deserving of this prestigious award. If you see Teresa at the classes or at the lakes diving, give her a big congratulations!.jpg)
Fair, 41 °F