Convenience & Value

Recently I was talking with another PADI Pro about the Advanced Open Water program, its intent, conduct and marketing. We agreed that students who hold this rating aren't necessarily experienced divers but that the course was that opportunity for a student to gain more experience under an Instructor's direct supervision.

We talked about pricing. The 'going rate' in Seattle seems to be about $150, some Instructors charging more, some far less. But the programs are not nearly identical in value. The lowest price offerings often include specialties that are easy to teach rather than popular and in some cases, the Instructor is trying to push so many people through the course that they don't even get in the water with students, leaving their Staff to do that.

Many Instructors choose not to conduct a night dive because it's logistically challenging and anxiety can be high. But isn't that the role of an Instructor that wants to teach? Other Instructors use the boat adventure dive as one of the electives. Boat ettiquette and procedures are important but not knowing these isn't necessarily a safety issue. Night diving is often the only option during the winter workweek in Seattle. Students should be encouraged to experience it rather than forgo 5/7ths (71%) of their winter diving opportunities.

When researching an Instructor to take your Advanced Open Water course from, be sure to interview them about whether they'll be getting in the water with you, how many other students will be joining you, what adventure dives they'll conduct and why you'd benefit from those chosen.

Puget Sound Matters - by Jeff Renner

Save Our Sharks

Protect the Living Reef

My Favorite Things

Here was my Xmas list for others. Books, music and videos.

Not for me, 'cause I already have everything. But things for that 'tough-to-buy-for' diving relative of your's. Enjoy!

Favorite Things

Seattle Restaurants serving Sharkfin Soup

Many people don't realize that hundreds of thousands of sharks are finned alive every year, their defenseless LIVING bodies thrown overboard where they'll die an agonizing death. All so that some affluent asians (the dish costs up to $100/bowl) can show off their success. In general, humanity has wized up on elephant and rhino ivory trade when it was learned that poachers would simply kill the animals for the tusks. The 'civilized' world was repulsed by that. There is no difference between the anti-ivory trade movement and this, which is why it gives me hope that if people are educated, they'll do the right thing. Poachers are economically encouraged to continue unless the market evaporates. You can help by choosing not to patronize restaurants that serve sharkfin soup.

Some of these restaurants accurately protest that the 'fin' is made from flour and crab but it still condones the practice and it's unacceptable in our 'modern' society. The 'culture' of slavery was once in fashion too so don't buy that it's just part of chinese culture. Cultures evolve! This tradition originated 2000 years ago when capturing a shark was a nearly impossible feat. Now sophisticated technology has decimated some shark populations by 90%+ in the last 3 decades. Sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem by keeping everything in check. They're not the indiscriminant human killers portrayed in the movies.

It's not enough just to not eat the Soup... please don't frequent these restaurants and endorse their support for the shark finning industry. If you feel strongly about this, as I do, consider calling up the restaurant and mention that you wanted to bring a large party there but chose not to because of their objectionable menu.

• Bamboo Garden Vegetarian Cuisine; 364 Roy St, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: (206) 282-6616
• Cafe Hue; 312 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 625-9833
• China Gate; 516 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 624-1730
• China Harbor; 2040 Westlake Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: (206) 286-1688
• Ga Ga Loc; 424 Maynard Ave. S. , Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 521-8933
• Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant; 653 S Weller St, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 382-9671
• Honey Court Seafood; 516 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 292-8828
• Jumbo Chinese Restaurant; 4208 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118; Tel: (206) 760-9200
• New Kowloon Seafood Restaurant; 900 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 223-7999
• New Star Restaurant; 516 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 622-8801
• Sea Garden Seafood Restaurant; 509 7th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 623-2100
• Sun Ya Seafood; 605 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 623-1670
• Tai Tung Restaurant; 655 S. King St, Seattle, WA 98104-2937; Tel: (206) 622-7372
• V Garden Seafood Restaurant; 310 4th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104; Tel: (206) 622-2686

Please lead by example and choose not to support these restaurants until they publicly reform their policies.

Another thing you can do is print out cards at the Animal Welfare Institute to leave behind if you accidently find yourself at an asian restaurant and find sharkfin soup on the menu.

If you must eat this dish, consider this - there is evidence that eating shark fin leads to sterility.

View Seattle-area Restaurants Serving Sharkfin Soup in a larger map

Smoking and Diving

Last year I was on a dive boat where – for the first time in my experience – the majority of divers smoked cigarettes between dives. We’re taught in basic OW class that smoking & diving is bad so I decided to research exactly why it’s so detrimental to a diver’s health in particular. I don’t want to ‘lecture’ about the merits/politics of smoking. I want to communicate the physiological effects which are evidence-supported – not theories – in an effort to educate. Addicted smokers will find a way to rationalize away all of these findings, but these effects are well documented and supported by diving medical experts:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) binds to hemoglobin 250x tighter than oxygen. This prevents hemoglobin from carrying O2 from the lungs to the cells and CO2 from the cells to the lungs. The smoking diver is more hypoxic and any stressful situation – entering or exiting the water? – puts the diver at increased risk for a hypoxic-related event, such as a heart attack.


• Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and flow of blood from the heart. It also causes arteries to narrow. The reduced O2 blood combined with the effects of nicotine will create an imbalance in the demand for oxygen and the body’s ability to supply.


• Obstructions in the lungs, caused by chronic pulmonary disease attributed to smoking, markedly increase probability of pulmonary barotraumas and arterial gas embolisms.


• Many smokers have nasal and sinus drainage problems – this increases their chances of middle ear and sinus blocks and squeezes.


• Cigarette smoke in the nose paralyzes the movement of cilia – the microscopic ‘hairs’ that are supposed to trap foreign particles – for approximately 1 hour after one cigarette. In chronic smokers, the cilia is completely destroyed. Thus smokers' noses are not able to clear dirt, bacteria or other debris as effectively, which promotes infection.


• Chronic smoking damages the lungs so that the surface area where gas exchange takes place is reduced. Unfortunately, the non-active person uses only 25% of their lungs and they can smoke until over 75% of their lungs are destroyed before they will notice shortness of breath in daily activities.

Thanks to Dr. David Sawatzky (“The Diving Doctor”), Dr. Paul S. Auerbach, Dr. Ernest S. Campbell (“Scuba Doc”), Diver’s Alert Network and Dive Training magazine for their articles on the web. They were consistent, insightful and in easy-to-understand language.