Is Asia is a Bargain for Divers

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

I have notice a lot of people complaining how diving in Asia is getting expensive. I completely disagree with this notion and still consider Asia as the best place for any diver to plan a trip. The past tragic events have made an impact on diving holidays in Asia especially Thailand but new destinations are made available to new divers looking for a life changing dive.

There are more competition to Asia in the last few years which is the rise of North African as a diving destination but facilities are still far from their Asian counterparts. But as a whole Asia especially Vietnam is coming out with hidden gems to finding great spots for diving.

Finding new destinations in Asia is not challenging. Joining a diving fair can get you all the best destinations in one location. You can get the best group or couple discounts not available online or in your travel agency.

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Choosing the Right Underwater Camera for Beginers

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

I have tried almost all the major brands of underwater cameras available in the market. Sadly most of them were not to my satisfaction unless they were the premium brands. I still use my aging Nikonos which I find a really hard camera to replace. I’m surprise camera manufacturers have not come up with any product near the Nikonos quality.

I did have a talk with an employee from a major Japanese Camera manufacturer telling me the underwater camera niche is just to small and hard to justify getting themselves to participate. These facts and the reluctance of camera manufactures from getting into the professional underwater camera business brought in the rise of professional grade underwater camera housing.

These new high quality housing from major camera manufacturers enabled divers to use their existing cameras for underwater photography and outside the water. Although these underwater water housing from Nikon, Canon and Olympus look really strong not all of them are the same. In my experience Nikon and Canon still make the best housing that actually stood up the element. Olympus and Sony still comes last it terms of quality and reliability. In my last dive using an underwater housing for the Olympus E-PL1 completely damaged the camera from to must moisture. It seems not all cameras are recommended to be underwater or extreme conditions they claim your housing will protect.

Pentax in the recent months has lowered their prices in their weather sealed DSLR, perfect for a universal underwater housing. Universal underwater housing is also a great solution that can convert any camera for underwater photography. I have had great experience with universal underwater housing from certain manufacturers. I’ve notice a lot of improvements almost matching Ikelite products.

In the end finding the right camera is a balance between reliability and quality. I seem to be finding a hard time getting both which I had with my 15 year old Nikonos.

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Air Travel for Divers

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

Living in Northern Europe I usually travel at least once a year to the tropics. I’ve notice a lot of airlines are not so friendly with divers and their equipment. I failed to do my research in last trip and ending up paying 200 euros in over weight fees.

This year I’ve done my homework and decided to choose my airline from the allowance they give. They usually don’t list this in their homepage but if you search for sport equipment allowance a lot of European and Asian airline have started to list the conditions to get an extra 10 to 15 kilos. In one airline I was required to pay a fee of 30 euros and to make the payment in advance with my credit card.

I have heard a lot of horror stories mostly from US and Canadian base airlines no giving extra weight allowance. You usually have to avoid the budget airlines when it comes to getting your request accepted. Don’t expect to get etra weight allowance on a budget airline that does even want check in luggage. A lot of airlines are still strict with declaring your request ahead of time and I have to emphasize the importance of doing it ahead unless you want to end with with the crazy fees.

Mixing personal things other than your equipment is also a big no when it comes to availing extra weight allowance. I notice a lot of holiday makers abusing these privileges creating more unfriendly airline. Always remember extra baggage allowance is a privilege and not a right. Please try your best to follow the guidelines set by your airline and to make sure to tell them you appreciate what they are doing.

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When is the Best Time to Buy Diving Equipment

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

There are a lot of stores to buy diving equipment, but when to buy them is another story. Looking through the trend cycle of the amount of sales in the past 5 years for online stores, the best time to buy is generally on Black Friday and during the winter season.

In the last Black Friday I was able to buy a Suunto dive computer which was on sale along with other diving watches. The reason for such sales is most retail stores getting rid of too much inventory. You do have to watch out for this kinds of sale since some items have a no refund policy but international warranty is still available to most dive watches.

During the winter season I usually end up in the sporting goods section and blow the minds of my family for even thinking about diving when everyone is still into keeping themselves warm. It actually the best time to buy if your looking to get attention from any sales rep. Most of these sections are empty and they are really happy to entertain a customer interested in their products. I also go the same treatment when I was in Singapore when most of the diving stores and sporting good stores are empty.

Buying second hand diving equipment is another story when it comes to the right time to finding great deals. I usually see some unwanted gifts on sale after new years and a lot of equipment on sale during autumn. Most of the autumn sales I see are really just one time used equipment probably just bought for their holiday. I got some great deals on some underwater cameras during this season. The seller just told me he just bought it for his vacation to Thailand. Everything look so brand new, shutter meter was even bellow the 2000 mark which made it such a great deal.

The rules of finding great diving great deals for dive equipment changes a lot every year. A lot of my friend are starting to see a lot of fire sales from small stores. I don’t really encourage this since fire sales usually don’t give you the chance to return any equipment you buy, so don’t hesitate to some test before buying them.

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