Dive Gorilla's Dive Platform

Gulf Oil Spill Fiasco

2010-07-04T08:57:00.002+09:00

TMT Shipping company converted an oil tanker into the largest oil skimmer ever built and deployed it to the gulf. Unfortunately, it can't get started right away because the EPA is worried that out of the 21 million gallons of water this skimmer, christened A Whale, can skim a day, it will discharge "trace" amounts of oil which it cannot separate. If you're frustrated about this bureaucratic boon-doggle, you're not the only one. Read the entire article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill

Now for more frightening news. The chemical dispersant, Corexit, may be causing crops to die in the gulf coast. It seems Corexit is evaporating off the Gulf and raining down on crops and people in the Gulf Coast region and farther inland. For more, check out http://www.prisonplanet.com/is-toxic-corexit-rain-killing-crops-in-mississippi.html. By the way, Corexit is illegal in most countries including BP's Great Britain because it's too toxic and not as effective as other dispersant's currently available. So why does BP insist on poisoning our Gulf and the Federal Government continue to allow it? For more information on Corexit, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corexit

It's common knowledge by now that BP has really screwed up. What may not be so well known is how the Federal Government has also failed us in responding to this crisis. When the Deepwater Horizon went down, thirteen countries, including Holland who have extensive experience and equipment for dealing with disasters like this, offered to help. However, they were rebuffed by the Whitehouse. I guess we know whose ass to kick now.

First wetROKs Diver of 2010

2010-06-02T20:54:00.003+09:00

I finished my first student of 2010 last weekend. The weather wasn't cooperating with us so John had to make three dives on Sunday (that's him on the left). The chop and surge wasn't as bad as it was Saturday but I still had my doubts. John said, "well hell, I'm going to have to learn how to dive in this anyway, might as well do it now." That's the spirit!

Congratulations John! You did well.

New wetROKs homepage

2010-05-03T21:12:00.002+09:00

I finished wetROKsdiving's new web page this weekend. Well, I shouldn't say finished. I have enough to put it up. Still more content and functionality to follow but there's enough there to keep you busy for a while.

Enjoy!

Oil Spill Catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico

2010-04-29T22:27:00.002+09:00

The Deepwater Horizon drilling platform which sank off the coast of Louisiana last week is said to be leaking 500 barrels of oil per day into the gulf. News agencies are reporting what kind of ecological damage will occur if this slick reaches the Gulf Shores of the United States. I say, the damage is already being done offshore. You just can't see it.

If we need one more reason to get serious about getting off fossil fuels and onto renewable, alternative energy, this should be it. How many more reasons do we need?

New Eco site

2009-10-04T11:26:00.004+09:00

After a couple months of false starts, we're finally almost ready to launch a new site, http://eco-anything.com. This one is really exciting for me because it's about a subject I really get fired up about.

A little background about it. I was tired of visiting several sites to find articles about the environment and global warming. Then I got into RSS. I still had to go out and find the feeds. I wondered if anyone else had this problem. So, I teamed up with my buddy Dan who is a web designer and built this page.

It's a consolidation of RSS feeds from various sources about global warming and the environment. We also put up a blog and a message board so everybody can voice their opinions and start discussions. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of it.

So stop by, sign the guest book, and let us know what you think. Save it in your bookmarks. I hope you find it useful.

A little more effort

2009-09-14T19:38:00.002+09:00

Ok. I know I've been busy, or too lazy to keep up with this blog. That's going to change.

Since my last posting, I've certified two more divers. Teaching is really a blast and I learn each time I do it. Some of them are going away but most have stayed and are planning to go with me this Columbus Day to Jeju. I'll be offering the Deep Diver specialty since almost every dive in Jeju is a deep dive. I also plan on diving the cave below the Kal Hotel in Seogwipo. It's a safe cave for novice divers. It's about 120 feet long and has two chimneys which provide enough ambient light that dive lights are optional. I know they'll have a blast in there.

So, here is to getting back on track. Wish me luck.

My worst day of diving was still better than my best day of working

Upcoming Open Water Class

2009-05-23T11:26:00.002+09:00

I'm going to be conducting an Open Water Course next month. I'm really looking forward to this one because it's going to be at Doo-Ryu Park diving pool in Daegu. This pool has everything I could want as an instructor. It has a classroom available, all the rental equipment I could need, a 50 meter squared pool and three dive shops. I did a try scuba diving class in it two weeks ago and the student signed up for open water. There are still a few slots left.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T21:03:00.000+09:00

Well, this is Earth Day #40. It's not hard to find something on the internet that gives Earth Day a personal meaning for you. I received an email from Greenpeace today with their promotional video; it's striking.
As a diver, I notice the degredation of the environment in a very real way. It's especially noticeable in places that I might not have visited for a couple years. It's real! All I have to do is look at my logbook over the last four years to see that the water temperatures are flattening out; it doesn't get as cold in the winter, or as warm in the summer.
I spent today looking through old footage I shot for a promotional video for our dive club; http://wetroksdiving.com which I'll be finishing this weekend. I came accross some footage I shot Christmas Day, 2006 in Jeju, South Korea. The divemaster interviewed me for a project he was doing in college. He asked me what I have noticed that has changed since the last time I dove there, almost a year before. The answer? Trash. Monofilament all over the coral, cans, plastics, etc. All due to carelessness or the notion that "what I do won't make a difference." Actually, in this case, what you don't do makes all the difference.
So think about this on Earth Day #40. Look around you and see what you use that can be reduced. Clean up the park or that abandoned lot down the street. Or the beach (make sure you wear shoes). And don't just do it today. As the saying goes, "let's make Earth Day every day."

Snow crabs in Daejin?

2009-04-12T09:48:00.000+09:00

We finally made it out to Daejin, South Korea, this weekend. Only made one dive though. Seas were 6-8 feet and choppy. The conditions deteriorated while we were down.
Water temp was a balmy 52 degrees at 92 feet so dry suits were a must. visibility was about 10 feet. There was no current.
We dove on the new wrecks which were places last summer. One thing we found were snow crabs inside the wrecks. Apparently somebody thought it would be a good idea to stock the wrecks with these little fellows who normally reside between 600 and 700 feet of water. There were about 40 of which over half were already dead. Snow crabs eat whatever trickles down to them from above. This could be anything from leftover bits of fish from a kill, dead cod, whales etc. There is nothing for them to eat at 92 feet inside a wreck.
Whoever did this didn't think it all the way through. They spent their money to buy these crabs and place them on these wrecks but didn't do the research on the species to find out if they could survive there. There is a reason why divers never see Snow Crabs. These wrecks are populated by a myriad of fish in the summer. Introducing a non-native species was a bad move as far as I'm concerned.
Daejin now has full Nitrox capabilities and tec training was being conducted to about 10 students while we were there. To see where Daejin is, check out the map.

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