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Things were definitely friendlier back then. Most times, if I had a big speargun to carry aboard, the pilot would stow it in his cockpit, with a chuckle I might add. Sometimes they would stow it in the main cabin clothes hanging closet. If it had a proper case, they would special handle it to...

It's probably OK for everybody who isn't a duck.(G)

>>It seems that many pro split fin folks (and everybody is intitled to an opinion) just tried them for a short while.<< Ummm, are you suggesting that people who don't like splits are the ones who used them for a long while? Does that make sense? Is it possible that ones who don't like...

I haven't flown tanks in quite a while. Don't know what the baggage policy or hassle factor is. However, I used to make the run to Cozumel with my doubles. The air had to be drained. Also, on the return through customs the inspector was threatening to disassemble the rig to see if contraband was...

Sara, my kids were my "crew" from a tender age. Lotsa fond memories. They're in college now. It's great that you have access to such ideal snorkeling areas. Warm water helps too. Make the most of it.

In days gone by, the regulator manufacturers used common O rings available at the time. They found that those used in sliding or "dynamic" interfaces would tend to extrude and leak after a year or two. Scubapro, for example, remedied these problems by converting to something called "hyperthane"...

Actually, as simple as the valve may be there are some differences. I can't go into all the stuff, mostly because I don't know it all(surprise). The Sherwood is the industy's easiest turning valve and it uses all teflon washers internally, no O rings. It has a huge internal bore and outlet...

Fred, when you said the big JBL guns "shoot low" it brought some ancient memories back into focus. Jack Prodanovich, who designed that gun, spent hundreds of hours in a pool shooting at targets. He and his buddy, Wally Potts, were perplexed by the tendency of the metal (and wood) guns to shoot...

Snork, get a single pane or double pane mask with a black skirt. Scubapro, Cressi, Ocean Reef and Apollo make excellent snorkel masks. The Cressi "Free Frog" with full foot is a very good fin. Look at a picture and hold it in your head when you shop. I don't know anything about modern, dry...

Houston, we have a problem. Hi Dr Paul, Since the concept of effective partial pressure does not apply here, the bottom PP/O2 exclusive of metabolic loss is actually 1.5 bar, and borderline for extended range safey. D = S + [(P-p) X FO2] D = .7 + [(5.0-1.0) X 0.2] D = 1.5 bar I...

Yep, we're on the same page. Another implication of the wing theory; it may be that splits stir up more silt when the diver is slow moving or stationary. In other words, without the flow of water over the blade, splits act like inefficient paddles, not wings. The Biofin video only shows...

Pug, think about that. If the splits are not generating enough thrust to lift a diver up to the gunnel it implies that the fins lose forward thrust when the diver is stationary. In other words, a flow of water over the fin is necessary to produce max thrust. This is way different from paddles...

Doctor Paul, for the past few moments I've been thinking of you sitting at your spacious desk while adding and rejiggering the partial pressures and wondering why the bridge too far. I then had an "aha" moment which might explain our mutual failure to communicate; but It's not shillings...

Yo, Pug, do I blow out the bottom with splits? Don't know, that's why I'm here, to learn something or at least learn what to look for. It's not a personal issue because I rarely swim a few inches off a sea bottom. Moreover, any silt generated would not be a concern. There was a time when I...

Straight out of the box, the Biller and JBL guns are pretty darn reliable with med rubber tension. I've never had a problem with say, three 100 pound 9/16 rubbers loaded on a gun, either type. But I only used the JBL off and on for about 5 years, a "beater" gun for SCUBA diving. There were no...

I've talked to those gents before. Nice guys and knowledgeable about SCUBA plumbing, but not rocket scientists.

Sara, thanks for the story. When my daughters were small they would snorkel with me in deep waters and see amazing sights. Now that they have reached the age of majority they have developed feminine fears and see a shark behind every rock. Diving is not their destiny.

Fred, interesting post. I don't have much experience with JBL guns but I agree with your comments and offer the following. The JBL's that I've looked at had face hardened sears so I don't see how they could wear out. The Riffe sear is not hardened but has a low wear factor due to its design. The...

Sara, "floaties" are used by blue water freedivers. They are called "trailing lines" and are very popular in Hawaii but not so popular around kelp, like some areas in California. They can be a problem if there is boat traffic. They are used in three ways, to untether the diver from a big fish...

Alright, Pug, you made me do it. I dug out my Biofin, full instructional video. I played it on a 36" TV screen, ran it, stopped frames, reran it, the works. I examined the bottom, the flora, the detritus, the background coral, the lighting, the perceived depth, the divers distance from the...