• Grand Turk, February 17-24 -- 7 nights/8 days - $990
• Tortola, British Virgin Islands, April 14-21 -- 7 nights/8 days - $974
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, May 22-27 -- 5 nights/6 days - $TBA
• St. Vincent, June 9-16 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,050
• Key Largo, Florida*, July 7-14 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,093
• San Juan Islands, Washington, July 23-26 -- 4 days/3 nights - $818
• Kona, Hawaii, August 4-11 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,485
• Woods Hole, Cape Cod, September 11-16 -- 6 nights/5 days - $509
• Bonaire*, September 22-29 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,063
• Utila*, October 20-27 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,110
• Anguilla, November 10-17 -- 8 days/7 nights - $975
• Cozumel, December 1-8 -- 8 Days/7 Nights - $544

Jack Connick has started writing a monthly column for Northwest Dive News. Discusiing underwater photography, Jack plans to concentrate on cold-water dive photography, but I'm sure tropical divers will learn lots, too. Fortunately, he plans to re-print the articles on his blog, so check in often if you don't subscribe.

In his first article, Jack discusses the importance of experience and not engaging in unnecessary task-loading. He also goes over important questions to ask yourself before making the often-expensive leap into underwater shooting. What do you want to do with your photos? Where are you going to be shooting? How much can you really afford to spend? These are some of the questions Jack walks you through.

In November, Divester reported on an underwater poker tournament-slash-fundraiser in Colorado. Organized to assist a Marine reservist on his third deployment in Iraq, the High Plains Scuba Center raised $1600 for Brian Ivers and his family. This past weekend, some of the same folks got together for another round of underwater festivities. Instead of playing cards, though, about 30 certified divers ranging in age from 13 to 60 competed in the 11th Annual Scuba Olympics. This year, the event also served as a fundraiser for Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros, two high school wrestlers whose legs were amputated after they were struck by a car. According to Scuba Olympics Coordinator and High Planes Scuba Director Mark Williamson, all the money collected from the $10 Scuba Olympics entry fee are being given to the families of the boys to help cover their medical bills.

What happens at a Scuba Olympics? In one event, divers had to swim through a series of rings without touching them. In another event, divers were required to assemble a bag of wooden parts, nuts, and bolts underwater. Among the other events staged were the Pin Pong Push, the Dart Throw, and the Golf Ball Crawl. If you're interested, David Buffalo walked away with the gold at this year's Olympics. But all the participants are going to receive Divester's coveted Hero of the Week Award!

• Nose jobs
• Face lifts
• Liposuction
• Breast implants

• The Maldives is home to thousands of faros, which are mini-atolls within the larger Maldivian atoll.
  
• Ribbon worms (a.k.a., Nemertean worms) can reach lengths of 160 feet. One such ribbon worm is called the Football Jersey worm, because of its striking similarity to the pattern on an American football.
  
• Earth's oceans contain about 324 million cubic miles of seawater.
  
• Many fishermen in Sri Lanka fish from stilts, so as not to frighten away their quarry.
  
• The Humber Estuary discharges about 66,000 gallons of water per second into the North Sea, which is the largest input from any British river into this sea.
  
• The Fangtooth, with its large head and giant, syringe-like teeth, has been recorded at depths of 16,380 feet, which is known as the Abyssal Zone (only the Hadal Zone is deeper).

1. An Introduction, which talks about physical and chemical features of oceans (spotlighting unusual aspects of the oceans like the Corryvreckan Whirlpool, as well as explaining how sound travels through water);
   
2. Ocean Environments, which discusses areas that compose the oceans (from ocean floor sediment to seamounts and guyots);
3. Ocean Life, which examines marine animals found in the various zones (including coral, birds, bugs, fishes, mammals and everything in between); and,
   
4. The Atlas of the Oceans, which contains detailed maps of the oceans and illustrates, for example, the zones, basins, and rises within them.
   

Next time I head down to the Florida Keys, I may have to swing by the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Located in NOAA's Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex on the Truman Annex waterfront in Key West, the Center features over 6,000 square feet of interactive, dynamic exhibits that interpret and explain the resources and management efforts of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, two national parks, and four national wildlife refuges. That suggests lots more models of animals than real animals, but I'm a fan of learning.

Highlights of the museum include a simulation of the Aquarius underwater research habitat, and a high-def theater showing a 17-minute video about the National Marine Sanctuary by filmmaker Bob Talbot. Admission to the Center, which is open Tuesday - Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free. Even if you stay until closing, that still leaves plenty of time (and money) to get to Mallory Square and chug a beer in time for Sunset Celebration!

For a more "traditional" review or to peek at some of the images in the book, check out Wetpixel. The Art of Diving is available through Amazon.co.uk for £13. It's also available in German. The perfect coffee table book, and the perfect justification for why you simply must go diving this weekend, pick up a copy for yourself and you'll see that The Art of Diving is the most magical, most beautiful, most insightful book ever written about scuba diving.

• an inadequate number of dive members for the activity;
• unexperienced people overseeing the dive;
  
• inadequate equipment;
  
• failed to undertake a risk assessment;
  
• no two-way communication system between staff;
  
• no emergency oxygen;
  
• and, in fact, no real dive plan whatsoever.

There are a smattering of clubs across the globe that bring underwater shooters together, but there hasn't been a good one in New York. Until now. Now, there's one in Manhattan.

The New York Underwater Photo Society (NYUPS) aims to bring together underwater photographers and videographers from the tri-state area to share and learn about the world of underwater imagery. Each month, NYUPS will host workshops and speakers (think: underwater photographers, filmmakers, marine biologists, explorers, and adventurers). In 2008, NYUPS plans to host photo expeditions to some of the world's most biodiverse hot spots, and it'll even launch an international underwater photo and video competition/festival. Sounds like a busy club! You know why I'm sure it'll succeed? Because of the people involved, which include Jason Heller, Larry Cohen, Robin Dyleski, Pasquale Pascullo, and Wendy Heller.

The Society's first meeting is in April. Check the website for details concerning time and place.

Want to go diving in June but don't know where to go? If you're an underwater shooter, you might want to head to Bonaire. The crew at Reef Photo has organized a trip to the island, and they're bringing their brains along with them (which is quite the opposite of what I do when I go diving). Reef's staff will be available for one-on-one hands-on help with camera gear and techniques during the week. Moreover, award-winning shooter Rand McMeins will also be on the trip, providing inspiration and advice.

Reef will be carting A/V equipment to the island to facilitate the sharing of the day's images every evening. Warning to the competitive: this is not a competition, but allows divers to share what they experienced throughout the day. Heads-up for the competitive: they are sponsoring a "best shot" contest at the end of the week. If you're interested, the package runs $1025 and includes:

• 8 days/7 nights in a fully-equipped apartment
• 7 days rental vehicle
• UNLIMITED Boat Diving
• NITROX fills for shore diving
• American style breakfast buffet daily
• 50% Off Food & Beverages at the Pool Bar
• Welcome Drink
• Manager's Rum Punch Party
• Airport transfers
• All Government Taxes

For today's Dive Video of the Day, I thought we'd do something inspirational and educational. Here's a 4-minute clip showing 29-year old Matthew Johnston -- who suffers from muscular dystrophy and is capable only of moving his thumbs -- preparing for a pool dive. Matthew recently became the first ventilator-dependent person to dive in open water, and I thought the process he has to follow to prepare for a dive was worth looking into more deeply.

If you're interested in learning more about Matthew, be certain to check out this clip from the Today Show, in which Ann Curry interviews him and discusses his recent open water triumph. Whether or not you're an Ann-fan is irrelevant; the piece is truly excellent.

[Thanks, Matthew!]

Kendra Motter, a 40-year-old college instructor from Canton, Ohio, was scuba diving on January 13 with her husband Michael, a certified diver. (Interestingly, some reports indicate this was her first dive ever, while others state that she "had been scuba diving a few times before.") Two of about a dozen divers on the boat that day, the Motters gave the OK sign...and then waved for help. The dive master dove in and swam to Kendra to administer rescue breaths and bring her back to the boat. An emergency room doctor on the boat took over the attempt to resuscitate the unconscious Motter, who died five days later.

The cause of death has not yet been announced, though from this report, it doesn't *sound* like a diving accident. Rather, it sounds like an accident that occurred while diving. It's a subtle distinction to be sure. Think of it this way: if Motter had died while cashing check inside a bank, do you think they would have labeled this a banking accident?

According to Kevin Vaughn, director of STARS, the program already has begun its spring program by nominating 32 middle and high school students who are battling issues ranging from learning disorders to single-parent homes to financial instability. However, not surprisingly, "The money issue is a big distraction," said Vaughn, who spent about $12,500 out of pocket last year to sponsor the program and trip. If you want to help out, you can spread the word about this program, or make a donation to keep it running. At the very least, we can give Vaughn and his colleagues Divester's Hero of the Week Award.

• Of the 160 reported dive fatalities in 2006, 88 were US/Canada residents.
• 42% of the fatalities in the US occurred in the Southeast Region (North Carolina to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama).
• Most fatalities occurred to people aged 50-59.
• Most fatalities occurred to people who were obese.
• 64% of fatalities were designated as drowning deaths.