L'Shanah Tovah for those observing . . .
ZOOM SEEKERS FROM LAST WEEK - In case you missed it, Karl Huggins gave a great talk about dive computers and basically ran through all the things you need to know. More importantly, he delineated the important information that the computer needs to know - and may not have - to make good recommendations about your available bottom time. And he showed how different computers, all with the same depth/time inputs, may give you radically different readings. It was a really great talk and even if you think you know a lot about computers, you can walk away with some new knowledge. If you missed the talk, we've got it up on our YouTube channel:
AVALON ON WEDNESDAY - We've got an Avalon day trip on the books for this Wednesday with our usual plan of three dives in the Avalon Underwater Park. It would be our usual 8:45AM departure out of San Pedro with a 6PM return from Avalon. But right now there's only one person who's expressed interest and we generally need three to make this work. So if this is something you've been thinking about, I would need to know prior to 5PM Monday. If you want to go, let me know. Otherwise, the next trip over will be October 18.
FDA PANEL SAYS SOME DECONGESTANTS DON'T WORK - I'll be the first to admit that I read this wrong initially. Because most of the news articles used that headline and featured a picture of a Sudafed package. "Wait a minute," I said to myself, "I know from personal experience that Sudafed works." But it all depends on WHICH Sudafed (or other decongestant) you're using. When I looked closer at the picture, I realized it was Sudafed PE, not regular Sudafed that was being used as an example. And therein lies the rub. Sudafed PE - and others - are using phenylephrine whereas regular Sudafed - and others - use pseudoephedrine, which is where the product derives its name. Products with pseudoephedrine are still considered effective. But the ones with phenylephrine, which replaces pseudoephedrine in the chemical makeup of the pill, are considered ineffective. Whew!!! From personal experience, i can tell you that two regular Sudafed (30mg) has frequently been a lifesaver for me if my Eustachian tubes start to close down and clearing becomes difficult. (I also am a fan of Mucinex DM 600mg but that's more long-term with a 12-hour efficacy.) You can read more about all of this here:
FDA PANEL FINDINGS.
SCUBA SHOW MOVES DOWNTOWN FOR 2024 - For a variety of reasons, the annual Scuba Show, normally held at the Long Beach Convention Center, will be moving downtown to the L.A. Convention Center for 2024. The show dates are Saturday and Sunday, June 1 & 2. One of the big reasons for the shift in venue is that the City of Long Beach has scheduled an electric car event for that very same weekend which will take over most of the convention center parking areas as well as many of the overflow surface parking, which means Scuba Show attendees may not be able to find a place to park. Although Long Beach offered alternate dates, they were far into the summer and simply not practical. The L.A. Convention Center is certainly a world-class facility with many exhibit halls - not sure yet exactly where the show will be - as well as first-class hotels and restaurants immediately adjacent. So especially for those of you who make a weekend of it and stay over, this will likely be an improvement. The new Marriott hotel, which will be the host hotel for the show, is actually closer to the convention center than is the Hyatt in Long Beach. On top of that, the entire L.A. Live area will provide numerous options for evening entertainment and dining. Additionally, there's a Metro stop a block away so there's an option to take the train rather than drive downtown and park. More details will be forthcoming down the road but we just wanted to give you the general heads-up now. Make sure you save the dates - June 1 & 2, 2024 - and we'll see you downtown.
2024 TRAVEL UPDATE - Raja Ampat won't work out for us in 2024 but it looks like we might be doing Grand Cayman in May and perhaps return to Murex (Sulawesi, Indonesia) in July. I'm still working on all the pieces of this annual jigsaw puzzle so please bear with me.
BLUE BIOLUMINESENCE - Don't know how long it will last but that weird blue bioluminesence is again visible in breaking waves at some of our local beaches. Very captivating and spooky at the same time. Go down to your local beach at night and take a peek. Beaches that have been getting the red tide lately, yucky during the day, are among those that glow blue at night.
LOBSTER REMINDER - With lobster season opening Friday, September 29 at 6PM (note the new date and time), DEMA has come out with a safety reminder poster that we're happy to share with you:
