Olympus to cut back drastically in compact cameras
Olympus -- which we always had a fondness for because of their engagement in underwater cameras -- reported it had returned to profitability in fiscal 2012, but its imaging business posted a loss for the third straight year. And with its market for digital cameras rapidly shrinking, Olympus dramatically lowered its 2013 sales target for compact digital cameras to just 2.7 million, down from 5.1 million in 2012. Our take: It's mostly a matter of everyone now having a smartphone with a built-in camera. We always liked Olympus and have done numerous detailed underwater camera reviews for them, but for the past two years they have refused every one of our requests for review units, so unfortunately we could not help them spread the word. -- Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2013 by chb

Honduras yet again delays ban on commercial lobster scuba diving
Honduran lobster divers continue to get bent and die, and declines in lobster harvests drive them to dive deeper and longer. Honduras had committed to outlawing commercial scuba diving for lobsters, but has been delaying the ban to give the roughly 3,500 people who rely on it for a living to transition to other jobs. [See "Time for Honduras to End Scuba Diving for Lobster"] -- Posted Tuesday, April 23, 2013 by chb

Blog: A few days of diving in Florida, and logistics
One thing that's different about a week of meandering from dive spot to dive spot is logistics. When you fly somewhere and stay at a resort or liveaboard, you get to park your gear and be done with it. Not so when you move from place to place. Here's how the ScubaDiverInfo.com team spent a few days of driving and diving and exploring in Northern Florida.... [read illustrated blog] -- Posted Friday, April 5, 2013 by chb

New: ScubaDiverInfo.com's video page
Whenever we test underwater video cameras and still cameras that can do video (which is most by now), we compile and publish videos shot with those cameras. We usually upload them to YouTube for viewing there, but have now added our own video pages from where you can see most of the videos, sorted by camera. [See ScubaDiverInfo's Video Page] -- Posted Thursday, April 4, 2013 by chb

Fujifilm introduces rugged freeseproof XP200 camera with wireless, 1080p/60 video and 50 foot depth rating
With the 16-megapixel FinePix XP200, Fujifilm adds a most impressive offering to the rugged/waterproof camera space. Its 50-foot depth rating makes the camera truly useful for many dives, and is a definite and much appreciated step up from the 33 feet that was the maximum for these types of cameras for several years. And it's freezeproof as well and can handle drops from more than six feet. Add to that 5X optical zoom, 1080p HD video at 60 frames per second, and the ability to wirelessly view and transfer pictures, all for a MSRP of US$299. [See description, analysis and specs of the Fujifilm FinePix XP200] -- Posted Friday, March 22, 2013 by chb

Review: SeaLife SL975 Fisheye Wide Angle Lens
SeaLife's SL975 Fisheye Wide Angle Lens (US$299) snaps onto any SeaLife DC-Series housing. ScubaDiverInfo.com tested the lens during a recent scuba product review expedition in Honduras and came away impressed. Used with our review SeaLife DC1400 rig, the SL975 lens provided roughly 16mm wide angle, making spectacular shots possible. See our analysis of the SL975 and the kind of underwater images we shot with it. [See SeaLife Fisheye Wide Angle Lens review and image gallery] -- Posted Thursday, February 14, 2013 by chb

Review: SeaLife AquaPod
The key to getting good pictures underwater is getting close, and especially so if you use a wide-angle or fisheye lens. But getting close can spook the fish and critters, and it's not a good idea to get within a foot of, for example, a moray or a lion fish anyway. SeaLife to the rescue with their simple but ingenious US$69.95 AquaPod monopod. Usable with almost any camera with a tripod mount (and it even comes with a GoPro mount), the AquaPod quickly became indispensable to the ScubaDiverInfo.com dive team. [See SeaLife AquaPod review] -- Posted Monday, February 11, 2013 by chb

Ski 'n Dive the same day: Homestead Resort Crater
We've often thought of skiing and diving at Lake Tahoe the same day, but Utah might be an even better place to do that. The Zermatt and Homestead Resorts in the Utah village of Midway are offering a winter lodging and activity package with skiing the beautiful Wasatch Mountains and then scuba dive in a natural, geothermic hot spring known as the Homestead Resort Crater. The crater is sort of like Devil's Den meets Hot Tub, a 65-feet deep cavern crater with 92 degree water! [See Homestead Resort Crater video] -- Posted Monday, February 11, 2013 by chb

DEMA calls for nominations for the 2013 Reaching Out Awards
DEMA is requesting nominations for the 2013 DEMA Reaching Out Award, asking the Diving Industry to submit the names and qualifying information of those Industry professionals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of scuba diving. For details about nomination requirements and selection criteria review the 2013 Reaching Out Award Nomination Form. -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2013 by chb

Book review: The Cavern Kings, by Jeff Bauer
Author/cave diving instructor Jeff Bauer's independent but immaculately executed book "The Cavern Kings" (288 pages in print; also available as eBook) tells the tale of three friends who, after a close call underwater, decide to take a cavern diving class. It's a story of friendship, relationships, personal goals, triumph and tragedy. While a work of fiction, there is a great deal of detail on cavern diving, making the book both entertaining as well as informative. See review of "The Cavern Kings"] -- Posted Monday, January 21, 2013 by chb

The Treasure Hunter, and how one thing leads to another
Blog entry: "This isn't totally scuba-related, but it's close enough. And it's another interesting example how one thing can lead to another and then to another. So I am in Roatan at CoCo View resort, listening to resident expert Doc Radawski's most interesting lecture on Roatan's history, politics and general dynamics. That included a chapter on treasure hunting, which is always an interesting subject..." [Read more] -- Posted Monday, January 14, 2013 by chb

Liquid Image announces even tinier Ego Mini HD action camera
At the 2013 CES in Las Vegas, Liquid Image, makers of the video mask, introduced the Ego Mini WiFi-enabled sports camera that's even smaller than the already tiny Ego that we recently used for video diving off Roatan. The Ego Mini measures 1.6 x 0.85 x 2.0 inches and was designed to fit inside helmets for unobtrusive use and reduction of wind resistance. The Ego Mini can take 12mp stills, record 1080p/30 and 720p/60 video, an cost US$199.99, with a deepwater housing optionally available. -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2013 by chb

Liquid Image EGO camera underwater video
Liquid Image, the folks who make the video masks that we always take on our dive trips, introduced the stylish little EGO mountable HD vidcam and ScubaDiverInfo.com tested a couple on our recent product review trip to Roatan. About the size of a GoPro but rounded and colorful, the 1080p-capable EGO comes with WiFi, a smartphone interface app, and runs just US$179.99, or US$219.99 with an underwater housing. We used it with and without an optional Liquid Image torch. [See video we shot with the LiquidImage EGO on YouTube.] -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2013 by chb

DEMA 2012
For 2012, DEMA was back Las Vegas after last year's event in Orlando. The annual conference was held November 13-16, but this time at the Sands and not at the Las Vegas Convention Center. ScubaDiverInfo was there, and we saw a lively, informative show covering a wide cross section of anything and everything related to scuba diving. [See our illustrated report on DEMA 2012] -- Posted Saturday, December 8, 2012 by chb

Casio develops pocket-size transceiver for Scuba use
Casio announced it has developed an underwater transceiver that lets users have spoken conversation via ultrasound and bone conduction technology when scuba diving. Casio says the device is small enough to attach to the strap of a diving mask so divers can converse normally with the scuba regulator in their mouths. [See Casio Yamagata press release] -- Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2012 by chb

Scuba tank-powered dirt bike
What all can you do with a scuba tank? Dive, of course, but an engineering school graduate in Australia used it to power a dirt bike. The O2 Pursuit bike, which looks quite impressive (you first don't even see the tank), runs over 60 miles on a full scuba tank, and can reach almost 90 mph top speed. [See Air-Powered Motorcycle Runs on Scuba Tank, Rotary Engine] -- Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2012 by chb

Fighting Asian clam invasion in Lake Tahoe
A project is underway at Lake Tahoe to rid iconic Emerald Bay from an Asian clam invasion by using large rubber mats to suffocate the pests that have already overrun the southeast portion of the lake. [See article] -- Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2012 by chb

Obama and Romney pumpkins underwater
You know it's election time in the U.S. when even the ever popular underwater pumpkin carving at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary produces likenesses of the two candidates for President of the United States. [See Florida Keys hosts underwater pumpkin carving contest] -- Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2012 by chb

Full review: Panasonic Lumix TS20
For about half the cost of one of the top-of-the-line waterproof compacts, you can get the 16mp Panasonic Lumix TS20. It, too, can handle big drops, dust and icy water, but the depth limit is 16 feet, about half that of the more expensive waterproof cameras. And there are fewer features and no GPS. We gave the Lumix TS20 a good workout around and in the water. Are you saving money with this camera? Or will you regret not spending a bit more? [See full review of the Panasonic Lumix TS20] -- Posted Saturday, October 20, 2012 by chb

GoPro Hero3 -- good news for divers, and everyone else
GoPro released the Hero3 with a slimmer, lighter body, integrated WiFi, a better lens, better audio and numerous other improvements. The Hero3 has a new flat-lens housing that's compatible with all older mounting hardware. The Hero3 comes in three very different editions (white (US$199), silver (US$299), and black (US$399), so there's now a GoPro camera for everyone. [See our detailed analysis of the Hero3] -- Posted Thursday, October 18, 2012 by chb

Full review: 16MP/1080p Nikon Coolpix AW100
The Coolpix AW100 represents Nikon's first underwater camera since the fabled Nikonos ceased production back in 2001. A sleek, elegant 16-megapixel camera, the AW100 has a 33-foot depth rating, can handle 5-foot drops, is freeze and dustproof, can do 1080p HD video at full 30fps speed, has a bright 3-inch display, and includes powerful GPS capabilities. ScubaDiverInfo.com tested the US$349 Coolpix AW100 on intense dive trips in the Sea of Cortez and off Isla Mujeres. [See full review of the Nikon Coolpix AW100] -- Posted Tuesday, September 25, 2012 by chb

Crater Lake, Oregon, closed to divers until next year

With its surface at 6,700 feet, Oregon's Crater Lake lies higher than Lake Tahoe (6,230 feet), and at 1,943 feet, it's deeper too (Tahoe is some 1,644 feet deep), and it's supposed to be the clearest lake in the US. But now the roundish Crate Lake, which has a diameter of just five miles, has temporarily become closed to divers while park ecologists develop a plan to keep out invasive species. Not that diving Crater Lake is easy. It's a one mile hike down 700 feet, and then another hike to the best dive site. Watch the terrific 10-minute movie to get an idea of what Crater Lake is all about. -- Posted Thursday, August 30, 2012 by chb

Liquid Image HD324 video mask: diving Cancun
Cancun may not be known as a primary dive location, but there's plenty to see underwater! ScubaDiverInfo.com used the latest Liquid Image video mask, the HD324, to dive the world-famous underwater museum, swim and dive with whale sharks, and explore the shallow reefs teeming with fish. [See Liquid Image video mask HD324 video on YouTube] -- Posted Sunday, August 26, 2012 by chb

Bad air
You've read about bad air, but may have never experienced it yourself. What does bad air mean? Simply that the air in your tank is somehow contaminated. At worst, it contains carbon monoxide from the exhaust of a compressor. That can be deadly and you can't even taste carbon monoxide. Jacques Cousteau described one such incident at a dive at the Fontaine des Vaucluses that nearly turned fatal. Most of the time, bad air isn't as serious, but it can still affect your dive majorly. [... read more] -- Posted Saturday, August 25, 2012 by chb

DEMA works with Garmin to expand reach of DiveCaching
DEMA has begun working with Garmin's geocaching website, Opencaching.com to promote the real-life environmentally-friendly, in-water game of DiveCaching which is geocaching with the added twist of caches and landmarks hidden underwater. DEMA now encourages those owning a DiveCache on other sites to also log their cache with a free account on Opencaching.com. [See DEMA press release] -- Posted Friday, August 10, 2012 by chb

Ultimate Diver Challenge: Palm Beach Count
Think "Survivor," but with underwater mazes, blackout masks and imaginary sea critters in need of rescue -- all against the watery backdrop of Palm Beach County's celebrated scuba dive sites. And the show is even expected to air in January of 2013, once producers shop it to various networks. [See 'Survivor'-like reality show in PBC puts divers to the test] -- Posted Friday, August 10, 2012 by chb

Full review: 16MP/1080p Pentax WG-2 can handle 40+ feet
The Pentax Optio WG-2 represents Pentax's 13th generation of tough, waterproof cameras, and the maturity shows. Sporting a unique design, the 16-megapixel Optio WG-2 has a 40-foot depth rating, can handle 5-foot drops, is freeze and crushproof, can do 1080p HD video at full 30fps speed, has a wide-format 3-inch display, and is chuck-full of features and tricks. ScubaDiverInfo.com tested the US$349 Optio WG-2 on a week of diving and exploring in the Sea of Cortez. [See full review of the Pentax Optio WG-2] -- Posted Thursday, August 2, 2012 by chb

Review: Sea of Cortez Midriff islands on the Rocio Del Mar
Scubadiverinfo.com spent a week on board of the 110-foot Rocio Del Mar live-aboard vessel. The trip began at Puerto Penasco at the northern end of the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, and took us exploring the Midriff islands, with diving at Angel island, Salsipuedes island, and San Pedro Martir. We swam with whale sharks, sea lions and dolphins and enjoyed the stark beauty of these untouched, uninhabited islands. [Read our full review of the Rocio Del Mar liveaboard experience]. -- Posted Tuesday, July 31, 2012 by chb

Full review: The rugged, waterproof Canon PowerShot D20
Three years ago, Canon introduced its first waterproof compact, the PowerShot D10. It was a good camera, but had a few areas that needed improvement. Canon listened and fixed everything with the PowerShot D20, introduced this year. It's a US$349 12-megapixel camera that is waterproof to 33 feet can handle 5-foot drops, temperature extremes, and can also shoot 1080p HD video. There's a terrific 3-inch screen, good battery life, and logical controls. ScubaDiverInfo.com tested the PowerShot D20 on a week of diving and exploring in the Sea of Cortez. [See full review of the Canon PowerShot D20] -- Posted Thursday, July 26, 2012 by chb

ScubaDiverInfo.com off to the Rocio Del Mar!
Your intrepid ScubaDiverInfo.com editors will spend the next week (July 7 to 14) onboard the good ship Rocio Del Mar. We'll be cruising and exploring the Midriff islands in the Sea of Cortez. Expect a full report on the Rocio Del Mar live-aboard, as well as our field impressions of the Canon PowerShot D20, the Nikon Coolpix AW100, the Pentax Optio WG-2, the Panasonic Lumix TS20 and a gaggle of GoPros, including 3D. -- Posted Friday, July 6, 2012 by chb

Jessica Biel now a professional scuba diver? Not.
When actress Jessica Biel tweeted that she had just completed her PADI Advanced Open Water scuba certification, the media fell all over itself proclaiming that Biel was now a "professional scuba diver," "deep sea diver" and certified to "perform solo scuba dives." A wee tiny bit of fact checking would educate any professional news person that advanced open water certification does not a professional deep sea scuba diver make... -- Posted Monday, July 2, 2012 by chb

Rhea's Diving Services divers reach new record depth at Fontana Lake, TN
It's been reported that our friends at the renowned Rhea's Diving Services dive shop in Maryville, Tennessee, reached a new depth record at Lake Fontana, 399 feet. What makes that even more impressive is that at the current lake level of 1,700 feet, which qualifies Lake Fontana diving as altitude diving, the Rhea's divers record actually amounts to a 425 feet dive in terms pressure ratios. -- Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 by chb

Full review: Olympus Tough TG-810
Sometimes you don't want to take a long a big-bulky dive housing. That's when a waterproof camera like the Olympus Tough TG-810 comes in handy. The 14-megapixel TG-810 has a bright, hi-res 3-inch LCD, can do 720p HD video, and handle 33 feet of water (as well as 6-foot drops and icy temperatures). We examined the TG-810 during a full year of diving in diverse, demanding environments and came away impressed. [See review of the Olympus Tough TG-810] -- Posted Friday, June 8, 2012 by chb

ScubaDiverInfo.com resort/liveaboard reviews rank high on Google!
At ScubaDiverInfo.com we pride ourselves in creating some of the most detailed dive resort and live aboard reviews in the business. Apparently Google thinks so as well as most of our recent reviews rank in the top 5 on Google! Coco View, Roatan? #3. Explorer Ventures Turks & Caicos? #1. The Solmar V? #6. The Occidental Grand on Cozumel? #1. And so on. -- Posted Wednesday, May 30, 2012 by chb

Australia to allow diving on Japanese WWII sub
Australia will open up to divers the wreck of a Japanese mini submarine that attacked Sydney harbor during World War II. Anyone caught damaging or removing part of the wreck would face penalties of up to US$1 million. [Read article] -- Posted Monday, May 28, 2012 by chb