May 18 Trial Issue

[newsletter@depth-finder.com]

Dear Fellow Diver,

Below is your trial issue of DepthFinder--an e-mail newsletter for active divers.
If you would like to receive it each month:

-  Reply to this e-mail and write "Subscribe" in the subject line.

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Simply delete this e-mail. You will receive no further mailings from us.

David Taylor
Executive Editor
Scuba Diving Magazine

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DEPTH-FINDER

The newsletter for active divers published by Scuba Diving magazine.

May 18, 1999

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

--20 Secrets for Better Fin Performance 
--Savvy Diver Tip: Should You Make That Last Dive?
--Free Stuff on the Web
--Dive Medicine: Can I Dive With a Cold?
--The Top 10 List: Ways Diving Would Be Different If Bill Gates Were in Charge
--Gear Preview: New Gear for '99
--Reader Ratings: Cozumel
--Savvy Diver Tip: What To Do If You Lose Your Dive Gear

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________________FASTER, LONGER, STRONGER
___20 Secrets for Better Fin Performance 

One of our ScubaLab's primary goals during this year's performance evaluation 
of scuba fins (http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/fins.shtml) was to push the 
boundaries of what we currently know about how fins actually work and what 
divers consciously and subconsciously do to maximize each fin's potential. 

As a result of this work, we've reached some groundbreaking insights about 
scuba fins. Some of what we found is empirical validation of truths we've 
long suspected. Some are new insights that, we believe, could significantly 
improve the fin technique of every diver.

For 20 tips on getting the most out of your fins, go to  
http://www.scubadiving.com/training/instruction/finperf.shtml

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________________________Savvy Diver Tip:
_________Should You Make That Last Dive?

If you're debating whether you should make one more dive at the end of the 
day, consider whether you've off-gassed enough. Dive computers can offer only 
theoretical no-decompression limits for the next dive. The mathematical 
models that computers and dive tables use can't calculate several key factors 
that contribute to DCS: difficulty of the dive (currents, cold, activity 
level); your fitness (on that day, as well as in general); your age; your 
level of fatigue and hydration. Consider the bottom time your computer gives 
you for your next dive as the razor's edge separating you from DCS, then back 
off accordingly as you consider the overall picture.

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YOU NEED THIS FREE BOOK! With your two-issue trial subscription to Scuba 
Diving -- the magazine divers trust -- we'll send you one of the most 
definitive training and safety guides ever written: "Dive Like a Pro -- 200 
Tips and Techniques." Free. No obligation. If you choose not to subscribe, 
the book is yours to keep. Go to: 
https://commerce.cdsfulfillment.com/SC2/subscriptions.cgi.

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___________________FREE STUFF ON THE WEB

Register to win a dive vacation to Papua New Guinea aboard the luxurious Star 
Dancer, a Peter Hughes live-aboard. Go to: 
http://www.scubadiving.com/pngsweeps/

Win one of six sets of complete gear OR a dive vacation for two by sharing 
the adventure of scuba diving with friends and family. To find a 
participating retailer in your area, go to 
http://www.scubadiving.com/experiencetheadventure

Win free dive gear! We're giving away dive gear every week for the rest of 
the year in our "Winsday" giveaways. You have a very good chance of winning 
something. Go to: http://www.scubadiving.com

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__DIVE MEDICINE: CAN I DIVE WITH A COLD?

We all know that diving with a stopped-up head is dangerous, but does a 
simple cold or touch of the flu mean your expensive dive vacation is over 
before it begins? Maybe not.

Let our dive doctor tell you when it's OK to dive and when it isn't, which 
medicines are safe to use before a dive and which aren't. Go to: 
http://www.scubadiving.com/training/medicine/sickdive.shtml
 
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_________________________THE TOP 10 LIST

Top 10 Ways Diving Would Be Different If Bill Gates Were in Charge
(written by the readers of Scuba Diving Online)

10) You would have to stop diving on January 1, 2000.

9) You could never remove that darn Internet Explorer icon from your dive 
computer.

8) This year's new equipment models would eventually be released two years 
from now.

7) None of your new gear would be compatible with any of your old stuff.

6) Bill would get all the good gear from other manufacturers and release it 
10 years later under another name and call it "revolutionary."

5) When you called Microsoft to schedule a dive trip, you would be left on 
hold for a long time, and when you finally talked to someone, you would be 
given a lot of information on diving that was absolutely correct but 
completely useless.

4) Every dive computer would be from Microsoft and any deaths from them would 
be explained as a "beta version" problem. Don't worry we'll fix that in the 
next release.

3) Equipment dealers would be required to bundle a parachute with every scuba 
package so Bill could eventually dominate the sky diving market (a natural 
tie-in).
 
2) Your air supply would stop and have to be restarted every couple of 
minutes and you would accept this as normal.

1) Every time you were really close to your destination, your boat would 
crash.

Want more scuba humor? You'll find it in our Top 10 List archives at:  
http://www.scubadiving.com/feature/topten/archives.shtml.

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__________GEAR PREVIEW: NEW GEAR FOR '99

Our round-up of new scuba equipment includes a look at a titanium dive-knife, 
a hands-free DPV, an inexpensive ultrasonic locator, an illuminated dive 
slate, a bendable snorkel, a glow-in-the-dark tank boot and 12 more items for 
your gear bag you never knew you couldn't live without. Go to: 
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/gearpreview/

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_________________READER RATINGS: COZUMEL

In every issue of Scuba Diving magazine, we report our readers' ratings of 
dive operators and accommodations in dive destinations around the world. 
Below are the OVERALL scores for operators and hotels and resorts in Cozumel, 
Mexico. The full scores reported in the magazine include ratings of dive 
operators' staffs, boats and facilities, and value, and hotels' and resorts' 
service, rooms and facilites, restaurants and value. You can purchase a back 
issue including the full results, or have them faxed to you by calling 
Belinda Triplett at (912) 351-0855.

COZUMEL DIVE OPERATORS
OVERALL SCORES
Aldora Divers: A
Aqua Safari: A
Blue Bubble Divers: B+
Caribbean Divers: A-
Del Mar Aquatics: B+
Dive House Cozumel: A-
Dive Palancar: A
Dive Paradise: B+
Scuba Cozumel: A
Scuba Du: A-
TTC/Club Cozumel Caribe: A-

COZUMEL ACCOMMODATIONS
OVERALL SCORES
Allegro Resort Cozumel: B+
Casa Del Mar: C
Club Cozumel Caribe: B+
Fiesta Americana Cozumel: B+
Fiesta Inn Cozumel: B
Hotel Barracuda: D+
La Ceiba Hotel: B
Paradisus: B+
Plaza Las Glorias: B
Presidente Inter Continental: A
Scuba Club Cozumel: A-

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Ready to buy some gear? Don't do it without first reading our exclusive GEAR 
BUYER'S GUIDE -- the ultimate insider's sourcebook on how to buy gear.  We'll 
send you this FREE BOOK when you order a two-issue trial subscription to 
Scuba Diving magazine.

Even if you don't wish to subscribe, you can keep the Gear Guide as a free 
gift. To find out more about this exclusive online offer, go to 
https://commerce.cdsfulfillment.com/SCB/subscriptions.cgi

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________________________Savvy Diver Tip:
___What To Do If You Lose Your Dive Gear

Rest assured--if you're covered. Your pricey stuff should be covered by a 
homeowner's or renter's insurance policy, which usually covers possessions 
outside your home. Call your insurer to make sure they'll cover it wherever 
you go and whatever you do. 

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St., Suite 208, Savannah, GA 31405. Tel: (912) 351-0855. E-mail: 
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REMOVE in the subject line.

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Copyright 1999, Scuba Diving magazine