Hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th.
More on vineyard travels tomorrow.
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Diving…part Three
After the dive
Stow all your gear away on the boat. Don’t leave your scuba gear dumped in a heap in the floor when you get back from your dive. It’s not good for the gear and it’s dangerous for you and others who might trip over it. Scuba gear is heavy and potentially dangerous if not handled and stored correctly.
Debrief with your guide and buddy. Discuss how the dive went and make notes on what you can improve next time to ensure maximum fun and safety. Keep a note of the weight you used. This can help you on your next dive to help get your weighting correct.
If you feel strange, let others know. Don’t keep it to yourself if you feel strange after a dive. Let others know. Many people feel tired out because they are simply not used to the exertion of physical exercise. If you feel anything else, tell your guide.
Don’t fly until at least 24 hours after a dive. Due to the excess nitrogen in your system, it’s important not to fly until at least 24 hours after your last dive. Flying in a pressurized environment can cause decompression sickness if time is not allowed beforehand for the nitrogen to dissipate. Plan in a day off at the end of your diving for relaxing on the beach before you get on a plane.
Diving…Part Two
When You Go Diving
Breathe Normally All The Time. Never Hold Your Breath. Scuba is a strange and exhilarating experience because you’re doing something technically impossible, breathing underwater. It is important to NEVER hold your breath. Breathe normally on scuba at all times. Holding your breath can cause an air embolism (where an air bubble enters the blood stream), which is a serious and potentially fatal injury.
Equalize frequently as you descend. Just like on a plane, the change of pressure as you descend to depth while scuba diving means you need to equalize your ears. This needs to be done frequently and before feeling any pain to avoid injury to your inner ear.
Stay aware of where your guide and buddy are located. Don’t be tempted to swim off on your own when you spot something interesting. Point it out to your guide and dive buddy and head towards it together. Staying with your buddy and guide is important for safety and also your orientation. If you do lose each other underwater, look around for 1 minute, and if you still can’t see them, slowly ascend to the surface where they should have done the same.
Keep an eye on your air gauge. You can only stay down as long as you have air in your tank, and you need to be aware of when your tank is half full and quarter full so you can plan your return to the surface accordingly. Your guide will ask you how much air you have left periodically, but you are ultimately responsible for your own air consumption.
Dive within the limits of your dive computer. If you are wearing a dive computer, ensure that you consult it frequently to see how much time you have at each depth during your dive. Otherwise, follow your guide and do not descend below their depth.
Don’t over exert yourself. Diving is often called an adrenaline sport, but you should actually be super relaxed when underwater. There is no gain to swimming fast over reefs. The slower you go, the more you’ll see. Avoid moving at a pace which makes you out of breath. If you do feel tired, signal your buddy and find a coral-free rock on which you can hang to have a rest.
Don’t touch anything. You should avoid touching anything, besides the aforementioned rock. This is to protect the coral reefs, as well as yourself. Many corals are sharp, many marine plants poisonous and many marine creatures will bite if they feel threatened. Keeping your hands to yourself ensures you and they stay safe and unharmed. It’s also important to perfect your buoyancy so you can hover without effort over the reefs and therefore won’t feel the need to touch anything.
Always Ascend SLOWLY from every dive. As well as not holding your breath, ascending slowly from a dive is the other Number 1 rule of diving. Coming up fast from a dive can cause “the bends” or decompression sickness, as nitrogen is forced into the bloodstream. By coming up slowly from a dive and doing the safety stop, the nitrogen in your body has a chance to dissipate and therefore cause no harm.
Planning a Dive Vacation?
Before You Enter The Water
Make sure you’re fit to dive. If you’ve never dived before, you should have a medical examination in your home country before you go traveling to ensure you’re fit to dive. If you’re generally fit and healthy, there should be no problem. You will be required to sign a medical statement before learning to dive.
If you’re already certified to dive, avoid diving if you’re not feeling one hundred per cent. In particular, don’t dive with a cold or a bad hangover. Save the big party night for the finale of your diving days.
Dive with a reputable diving school. Locate a recommended dive school in the area where you’re going. It’s important to know they are well-established and have well-maintained scuba equipment and boats, along with experienced staff. Check if they have instructors that can speak your language fluently.
Listen to your instructor or dive guide. Once you’re on the dive boat, it’s important to listen to your instructor or guide, no matter how experienced you are. Plan Your Dive, Dive Your Plan is the number one rule of dive preparation. You need to follow your instructor’s brief on where you’re going, the route you will follow and what you need to watch out for.
Double check all of your scuba gear. En route to the dive site you will need to set up all your scuba gear. Take your time and double check everything is working. If you are not sure about anything, don’t be embarrassed to ask your guide or instructor.
Make sure you do your buddy check. Doing the buddy check of each other’s scuba gear is extremely important before you get in the water to make sure neither of you have missed anything. Introduce yourself to your buddy beforehand as well, so you can get to know each other a little. It’s better for you both safety wise and it can also be the start of a great friendship!
Have scuba diving and travel insurance. Ensure you are covered both above and below water with insurance that explicitly states scuba diving activities are included. Being covered on land is vital too, as diving often involves being in remote locations in developing countries.
San Francisco Skyline
Went into San Francisco today. Not only is this an awesome skyline…but a cool city.
And I mean cool as in temperature. When we left the city at 1 pm it was 61 degrees. Less than one hour later we were inland and it was 91 degrees. Suppose the marine layer has something to do with that???
Tips to Deal With Jet Lag
If you have flown and thought Jet Lag was catching up with you, take a look at these tips. May your next flight be relaxing.
1. Know the causes.
Jet lag occurs due to disruption of your body’s circadian rhythms when traveling rapidly two or more time zones from home. Jet lag has nothing to do with the duration of your flight, but rather the distance traveled from east to west. For example, the long flight from New York City to Santiago, Chile would not cause jet lag, but flying from New York to Seattle might.
Jet lag is more severe when traveling west to east, possibly because most people find it easier to stay up late and catch up with local time than to get up early and fall back.
Jet lag occurs due to disruption of your body’s circadian rhythms when traveling rapidly two or more time zones from home. Jet lag has nothing to do with the duration of your flight, but rather the distance traveled from east to west. For example, the long flight from New York City to Santiago, Chile would not cause jet lag, but flying from New York to Seattle might.
Jet lag is more severe when traveling west to east, possibly because most people find it easier to stay up late and catch up with local time than to get up early and fall back.
2. Know the symptoms.
Some of us are lucky enough that we don’t experience jet lag, or experience much lesser effects than other people. If you are susceptible, though, here are some symptoms you can expect:
· Loss of appetite, nausea, digestive problems
· Headache, sinus irritation
· Fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, insomnia
· Disorientation, grogginess, irritability
· Mild depression
Recovery times of one day per time zone traveled eastward and one day per one and a half time zones traveled westward are common. Some people recover more quickly than others.
Some of us are lucky enough that we don’t experience jet lag, or experience much lesser effects than other people. If you are susceptible, though, here are some symptoms you can expect:
· Loss of appetite, nausea, digestive problems
· Headache, sinus irritation
· Fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, insomnia
· Disorientation, grogginess, irritability
· Mild depression
Recovery times of one day per time zone traveled eastward and one day per one and a half time zones traveled westward are common. Some people recover more quickly than others.
3. Talk to your doctor.
If you have diabetes, a heart condition, or another health condition that requires regular monitoring and/or medication, plan well in advance. Consult your doctor, and develop a strategy to handle the time change.
If you have diabetes, a heart condition, or another health condition that requires regular monitoring and/or medication, plan well in advance. Consult your doctor, and develop a strategy to handle the time change.
4. Alter your schedule before you fly.
For any trip longer than a few days, you’ll enjoy your trip more if you gradually alter your schedule several weeks in advance of travel. Move your daily activities forward or back an hour three to four weeks before flying. Add on another hour of time change each week, and before you know it, you’ll be much better acclimated to your destination time.
For any trip longer than a few days, you’ll enjoy your trip more if you gradually alter your schedule several weeks in advance of travel. Move your daily activities forward or back an hour three to four weeks before flying. Add on another hour of time change each week, and before you know it, you’ll be much better acclimated to your destination time.
5. Make healthy choices.
Keep to your exercise routine, take walks during your flight, and drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol the day before and after your flight, because both can dehydrate you and further disrupt your sleep cycle. Avoid sleeping pills. Forcing your body to in this way sleep won’t help it adjust, and worse, sleeping pills can be addictive.
Keep to your exercise routine, take walks during your flight, and drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol the day before and after your flight, because both can dehydrate you and further disrupt your sleep cycle. Avoid sleeping pills. Forcing your body to in this way sleep won’t help it adjust, and worse, sleeping pills can be addictive.
6. The last word on Melatonin.
While the jury is still out, some experts are recommending that the over-the-counter substance Melatonin reduces the effects of jet lag. Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted into the blood stream when it’s time to sleep. The pills are in health food stores, but have not yet received official FDA approval. Melatonin may have undesirable side effects, and its effectiveness varies greatly among different individuals. Ask your doctor about Melatonin and jet lag.
While the jury is still out, some experts are recommending that the over-the-counter substance Melatonin reduces the effects of jet lag. Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted into the blood stream when it’s time to sleep. The pills are in health food stores, but have not yet received official FDA approval. Melatonin may have undesirable side effects, and its effectiveness varies greatly among different individuals. Ask your doctor about Melatonin and jet lag.
Use Your Binocculars While Flying
If you are sitting in a window seat during your next flight, take a small pair of binoculars with you. Use them to get a bird’s eye view of the landscape below.
Baking Soda Uses When Traveling
A seasoned traveler once told me, I never leave home without a small ziplock bag of baking soda as it has 101 uses. Here are a few…
Did you know that it helps relieve insect bites and razor burn after shaving armpits?
Baking soda removes stains from clothing, and acts as a mild deodorant as well.
You can even use it to clean gas permeable contact lens while on the road. Just remember to rinse them very, very well.
Forgot your toothpaste? Don’t worry. Just sprinkle baking soda on your tooth brush and brush as normal.
What have you used it for when traveling?
Don’t Speak the Language?
Thinking of traveling and don’t know the language? Here are some simple things that may help.
Bring along a small cheat sheet
Make an index card, or write the list inside the cover of my dictionary or guidebook, of words you are likely to see on signs, especially those that have opposites, such as:
in, out
up, down
exit, enter
push, pull
wait, go”
Go back to school
Sign up for a class at your local community college. You can always continue with tapes. But it really helps to understand how all the grammar works and how to compose sentences.
Pave your way with a smile
Remember that a smile is well understood in either language. Many do speak English and are more than happy to attempt English if you’re friendly and attempt at least please and thank you in the local language.
Master basic phrases
I always make it a point to learn between 50-100 words in the language of the country I am traveling to. Most important are key phrases like ‘Where is the…,’ ‘Please,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry but I do not speak ____ very well.’
Make learning the language the point of your trip
It’s fun and after a few days you may no longer be nervous about trying to speak the language.
London Underground…aka The Tube
Looking for the best way to get around London. Look no further than The Tube. Buy a pre-paid pass, slap it on the pass reader, make your way through the gates and venture down into the underground train system. It’s all very efficient and quick. Some trains we used were down several floors via escalators. I thought we were going to the dungeon.
An automated voice tells you which station stop is upcoming. She also tells you to “Mind The Gap”. She doesn’t just tell you once…she repeats it so often that you can’t get it out of your head! Sort of like “It’s a Small World” in Disneyland. What she means is…the station platform is not always at the same level as the train. Therefore, there is a small (and I do mean small) space or step down to the platform. So…Mind The Gap.
“Doors Closing” and “Doors Opening” as only the English can say.
And off it goes…good thing that wasn’t our train.
Signage is wonderful. You always know which train you’re looking for or just came off.