Related:

• 14-Year-Old Builds Working Sub Out Of A Pig Trough
  
• Engineering Students Make ROV Capable of Diving to 400 Feet
• A DIY ROV That Uses Atari Joysticks As Controllers
• DIY ROV for $100

[Via Digg]

According to David Harner, "Not everyone would want to jump in a nuclear reactor. It's a definite breed." Harner should know whereof he understates, because Harner is a nuclear diver, one of those "definite breed" who dives inside the cooling reactors of nuclear power plants while wearing a specialized, 100-pound "cool suit." Claiming he enjoys diving in reactors because the vis is so good, I've got two words for him: Cayman Brac.

• Underwater Construction Corporation is the largest nuclear diving company in the world. With over 200 employees (about 5 of which are women), they travel the world offering nuclear plants the services they need. Guess what? They've got job openings right now.
  
• Both MescoDivers and The Ocean Corporation offer nuclear diver training programs.
  
• Diving Heritage has an excellent history and overview of nuclear divers, including some tiny but illuminating images of nuclear divers at work (like the thumbnail in this post).
• Valhalla, Texas is home to a missile silo that used to house a nuclear-tipped missile. While it may not be as, um, glamorous as diving in a real nuclear reactor, it's probably a lot safer and requires a lot less training.

[Thanks, CharlieK!]

Designed specifically with sailors in mind, the Velocitek S10 would be handy for people who own/run dive boats, as well. Featuring 2 over-sized buttons and 2 large digital read-outs, the S10 is a waterproof, "high-accuracy GPS Speedometer / VMG Sensor with a 10 hour GPS data logger." Designed to work seamlessly with both Google Earth and GPS Action Replay, the 0.45-pound unit allows users to download, view, and analyze the GPS data recorded while on the water.

Capable of recording latitude, longitude, time, speed and heading, the tiny unit -- fabricated from bomb-proof polycarbonate -- is waterproof to 75 feet. Although I don't think you could dive with it to that depth and expect it to record data, you could easily strap it to a float and tow it with you on a shallow dive, or *maybe* stick it in your pocket as you snorkeled. Unfortunately, the $299 unit is XP-compatible only.

[Via Waterlog]

Yesterday, we told you about Alexander Nikitan, the Russian who died after diving to 300+ feet. According to an accident analysis by Jean Loup Hamacher (TDI Extended Range Instructor and PADI MSDT) who was at the scene of the accident, Nikita was conscious and asking for help when he surfaced from his dive. Having difficulty breathing, Nikitan explained that, while at 330 feet, he had lost his weight belt. Rescuers administered emergency care, but Nikitan died soon thereafter. An inspection of Nikitan's computer revealed that he had performed a normal ascent until 240-210 feet -- but surfaced from that depth in only a few seconds. He had missed his decompression stops and had not used his nitrox28 and nitrox70 on ascent.

Based on a post-accident gear analysis, Hamacher assumed the cause of the accident was probably poor gas management. With no reserve left, Nikitan likely removed his weight in an attempt to save his life when he ran out of gas at depth of 240 feet, resulting in hypoxia and massive gas embolism. For the full analysis, check out Tetis, a Russian forum, which has posted the report in English.

SharkPoint

• Express (for recreational divers who just want to do the basics with their digital logbook);
  
• Advanced (for divers who want to add photos or to track dive log profile experiences in more detail); and,
  
• Professional (for divers who want it all).

Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Franklin D. Burgess sentenced Coma to 16 years in prison for armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer. He was overheard to've said, "Man, if only I'd been wearing Flip Fins!"

Do you scuba dive with a bunch of shady characters? Do you feel uncomfortable leaving cash or other important documents on the boat when you get wet? If so, maybe the Aqua Roo is for you. Fashioned from abrasion-resistant ripstop double-coated nylon, the Aqua Roo is a fully submersible waistbelt that guarantees watertight protection for all your important pocket-sized valuables.

Featuring a double ziplock/double fold closure system and welded seam construction, the adjustable waistbelt has a quick release buckle, so you can ditch your fake IDs if the cops come a-knocking. Available in gray, black, blue, or yellow, the Aqua Roo only costs about $20, which means you'll you'll actually have something left over to stuff inside.

We mentioned Jim Spears yesterday. In addition to being one helluva an awesome underwater shooter, Spears is also an accomplished kayak diver. Having picked up the sport on Maui in 1994, Spears claims kayak diving is an excellent and inexpensive way to reach dive sites that are too distant to safely qualify as shore dives.

On his website, Spears explains about the kayak he uses for dive kayaking (a Scrambler XL); recommends equipment useful for dive kayaking; discusses how to rig your kayak for launching; expounds on how dive kayakers get geared up, and -- most importantly -- details how they get back in the boat after a dive. If you're interested in learning about the not-as-popular-as-it-should-be sport of dive kayaking, check out Jim's meticulous website.