Hello Divers,
Things are really starting to pick up at The SCUBA School now. We are teaching classes every day and also offering a lot of SCUBA Experiences. SSDS has always offered a free SCUBA Experience in our pool with one of our instructors for those that want to try it before enrolling in a SCUBA Course.
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| Boy Scouts in the pool |
Last Saturday, we had over 25 people do a SCUBA Experience here. If you know someone that is thinking about diving but not sure if it is for them, send them our way and they can try it at no charge.
Lately, we have received all the latest in dive gear including the new Buoyancy Compensators, Regulators and thick wetsuits from Aqua-Lung.
Come by and try some of the new equipment in the pool if you are ready to replace what you own.
We also now have a Facebook page for Southern Skin Divers Supply. This newsletter will continue to go out every month with all of the legislative issues, training, trips and equipment specials and everything else that we have always let you know about. The Facebook page will have a lot of the same info only coming in shorter statements more often. This should be particularly valuable to those wanting to know last minute availability on trips and training. Please Like us on Facebook! 
The past few weeks SSDS has taken several trips including a few of our artifact and fossil river trips to South Carolina and a Manatee trip to Crystal River, FL.
Spencer has taken the most recent group trips to South Carolina and they are finding more big Megalodon and whale teeth than ever! We have a very good display of these and other fossils that we have found at SSDS so make sure you check them out next time you come by. And speaking of trips, the following all have availability right now. Let us know quick if you want to go.
March 17th – 24th, 2012 – Cayman Islands Liveaboard
We are down to just one space left for this Spring Break vacation on the Cayman Aggressor that is less than two weeks away. These diving yachts are set up perfect for maximum diving & we have had group trips on this vessel one or two times a year for the past few years. The diving in Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac is spectacular and if the conditions are good, we will dive all three Islands. The flight times are also easy from Birmingham through Miami to Grand Cayman, or direct from Atlanta. Also, being most local schools Spring Break, it will enable families to dive together.
April 13-15, South Carolina River Trip
We have had some great trips recently finding fossilized shark’s teeth and other artifacts with some new spots and diving from our new boat! We generally do three or four dives a day on this swift/blackwater diving adventure.
May 5, 6 and July 14, 15 Wreck Diving, Panama City
Mark will be leading both of these groups to dive some of the wrecks off Panama City, Florida. This is the next step for all of you newly certified divers that are ready to experience boat diving in the Gulf of Mexico. This is one of the nicest dive boats in the Florida Panhandle and we have it chartered privately.
June 2-9 Hawaii, The Big Island on a Live-Aboard ! We are about half sold out for a week of diving along the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. As with all of our Live-aboard trips, you will get the same great service, diving, food and accommodations. Unlike other places in the Pacific and Caribbean, many underwater animals that are found in Hawaii are only found in Hawaii. It has been several years since we have taken a group here and this trip will sell out quick so let us know if you are interested.
Orange Beach, AL Spearfishing May 19, 20 and June 2, 3, 9, 10, 23, 24 and July 21, 22
These trips are selling out FAST! Some of these will be during Red Snapper season and also during the Alabama Spearfishing Association’s Red Neck Riviera Spearfishing Tournament. You can find out more about this tournament here. This is a great tournament and spearfishing off the Gulf Coast of Alabama is second to none. Now is the time to start getting ready for spearfishing season.
Have you ever dreamed of having longer no-decompression limits to take pictures or explore a wreck? Did you ever want to be safer while diving concerning the potential risk of decompression sickness?
Nitrox is the key. Due to the reduced fraction of nitrogen in your breathing gas, your body will have less work and the de saturation times will be reduced.
In your ENRICHED AIR NITROX program you will learn all the necessary rules for planning dives with Nitrox and using Nitrox in a safe way. An important key point in the entire program is analyzing your own tank prior to any Nitrox dive.
March 31, 1:00 pm Spearfishing Clinic
Right after the NITROX class, Forrest will be teaching a 2 hour clinic for divers that are interested in learning how to shoot fish. Topics will include regulations, size and quantity limits, where it is legal, gear selection, shot placement and others. Bring your gear so you can get in the pool and shoot one of the new guns.
April 28, 29 Stress and Rescue Course
Stress is a major contributor to rescue situations and diving accidents. Through this course you will learn accident prevention, as well as how to handle problem situations if they occur.
Mark Tant will be teaching this program about avoiding, recognizing and solving problems on the surface and under water. The course runs two – four days in which you will participate in academic and in-water sessions in the pool and in the open water. As a prerequisite for certification you will also earn your CPR & First Aid certificate during this course.
DIVER STRESS & RESCUE SPECIALTY COURSE Content:
* What Is Stress?
* Stress In Diving:Causes And Prevention
* Detecting And Dealing With Stress
* Accident Management
* Skills Needed To Deal With Panic And Rescues
* Conditions That Complicate Rescues
