A long time ago, we pointed you to the incredible panorama shot inside Bali's Tulamben wreck. Created by stitching together more than a dozen images shot underwater -- and inside the wreck -- zooming around the pano is almost as cool as swimming around inside the wreck. Almost.

If you're looking for some more virtual dives, check out these cool panoramas:

1. Mal Yeo -- the same photographer who shot the Tulamben pano -- has created an amazing image from 75 feet below the surface at Halifax Park, Australia. Prepare to see LOTS of fish.
2. Andreas Kampf has a series of 9 underwater panos that rival Yeo's in their beauty and artistic-ness. In my opinion, the Fesdu Wreck is especially gorgeous, but they're all worth investigating.
3. Alexandra Albin has created a small but well-lit pano of a wreck dive off Catalina Island.
4. Undersea features half a dozen effective underwater panos, including a nice one starring a cuttlefish.
5. Scott Highton managed to capture a gorgeous over-under pano in a Florida spring.

Of course, as photographic equipment -- and photographers -- become more sophisticated, we'll probably see more underwater panos in the future. Dip your hand in a bucket of water, and it'll be just as relaxing as a dive trip. Almost.

I love the sensory experience of a boat ride. In fact, one of my favorite parts of going diving is enjoying the boat ride to the dive site. Being on the boat, watching the waves, looking for marine life on the surface, and feeling the gentle rise and fall of the craft as it skims the surface makes me giddy. Of course, knowing that I'm heading off to do some diving is a great feeling, too.

However, I have to admit that there are several things I dislike about boat rides. For example, I dislike it when:

1. People use the precious dry storage real estate that the boat offers to store regs or other dive gear that's made to get wet. That space is for things that are meant to stay dry, people -- like a towel.
2. People rinse their masks in the camera storage. I know it's a small thing, but you're just not supposed to do it.
3. People use the fresh water hose to shower off between dives -- and then spray everybody on the boat. Step to the side, folks, and spray over the edge of the boat -- not into the boat.
4. People brag the entire dive trip -- about how awesome their photos are; how expensive their last dive trip was; how they would handle a shark encounter; etc. Zzzzz...
5. People chit-chat through the dive master's briefing. I want to know hear where the cool stuff is, and I can't when you're blabbing.

Hmm...in looking back over my list, I see that it's inconsiderate people who drive me nuts -- not the dive boat. What about you? What gets you fired up about being on a dive boat?

I'm excited to be going diving this weekend. The water in South Florida is still warm; the weatherman is reporting clear skies; and I won't be sitting behind a desk! However, in my enthusiasm to get wet, I don't want to overlook some basic things that could save my life, my buddy's life, or simply work to make our weekend more enjoyable. To that end, I'm already thinking about the diving. Here are five things I plan to do before and during the dives to help ensure we have the best dives possible:

1. I'm going to listen to the dive briefing and understand what is being said. Before we hit the water, we'll discuss what route we'll take and try to anticipate any problems we might encounter. This way, both my buddy and I will be extra aware of what issues might arise, how to deal with them, and how to return to the boat.
2. I'm going to make sure my gear works by going over it the night before -- and again in the morning. More importantly, I'm going to look over my buddy and his gear before we get in the water, so I'm absolutely certain, for example, how to ditch his weights, and where his purge valve is.
3. Prior to getting wet, we'll agree on hand signals to use -- especially ones that indicate stress, discomfort, or panic -- and I'll look for them throughout the dive.
4. During the dive, I'm going to enjoy the fish and the marine environment, but I'm also going to keep an eye on my buddy, making sure he's nearby and diving safely.
5. If I see my buddy exhibit pain, fatigue or stress -- or if he calls the dive before I'm ready -- I'm not going to complain that he's ruining my dive. Instead, we'll abort the dive together, perform a steady, slow, controlled ascent together, do our safety stop together, and head for the boat. Together.

That's the Top 5 things I'm going to keep in mind in terms of buddy diving this weekend. Have I forgotten something? Is there something I should add to my list?

For decades, divers have been testing the limits -- of both themselves and their gear -- breaking out of their comfort zones, and exploring the underwater world and their relationship to it. While many divers are happy cruising shallow reefs, looking at the pretty marine life, well-lit by the sun's rays, and then casually breaking the surface and heading back to the dive boat, others find this experience monotonous. I mean, after you've done this a few times, aren't you ready to ratchet up the adrenaline a little? Maybe try some unusual, deep, or steep, wrecks; dive in frigid Antarctic waters; cruise past the stunning Eye of the Needle; or brave the Pacific's deep water currents, which are also filled with sharks? In the spirit of Brendan O'Brien's piece in Divernet, in which he recounts some "extreme dives," I thought I'd mention a few extreme dives, too.

• For many people, an "extreme" dive probably means diving very, very deep. Navy diver Daniel Jackson recently plunged to 2000 feet performing a solo test-run of the Navy's new Atmospheric Diving System suit. He compared the experience to witnessing a "star show."
• Freediver Guillame Nery recently finned down more than 350 feet on a single breath -- and then returned to the surface. Using no ropes or sleds (i.e., the Constant Weight Discipline ), the Frenchmen accomplished this amazing feat in just under three minutes.
• If diving deep isn't extreme enough for you, maybe Louise Trewavas's stunt will get your blood pumping. Hauling a shirt and an ironing board down to more than 450 feet off Dahab, Egypt, Trewavas recently broke the world record for extreme ironing underwater. Maybe watching the video of her record-setting effort will provide some insight into why anyone would do this. And then again...
• In 2005, Rob Lalumiere led a nine-man technical diver team to set a new deep wreck diving world record of 633 feet. After reaching the deck of the USS Cooper (in 7 minutes), Lalumiere placed a commemorative plaque on the ship, to honor the men who died there in 1944.
• If we're talking "extreme," it doesn't get more extreme than diving with great whites. While cage diving is popular -- especially in South Africa and Mexico -- swimming freely among the world's fiercest fish has gained some visibility lately, thanks to Jacques Cousteau (and *cough* Dave Salmoni).

Of course, these are just some examples of "extreme diving." Have you ever been on a particularly "extreme" dive? Tell us about it!

In a sense, any dive site that boasts a shipwreck is an underwater museum. Frozen in time, a wreck is a snapshot of maritime technology. However, more than just a glimpse at a ship's engineering, underwater archaeologists are able to learn about the culture that used it; reconstruct ancient shipping routes; or unravel some of history's mysteries. Even in the best case scenario, though, most sites only have one or two wrecks, which most people wouldn't call a "museum."

However, there are a number of places where harbors have flooded, or entire cities have dissolved into the sea, allowing history buffs, scuba divers, or average tourists to travel into the past and see what life was like "back then." The real beauty of underwater museums, though, is that while "regular" museums remove ancient artifacts from their resting sites, submerged museums preserve them, intact, and in context.

1. The most recent entrant into the world of underwater museums is in the Mediterranean. In Israel's coastal city of Caesarea -- the site of "Herod's Harbor" -- visitors can inspect what was once one of the biggest and most sophisticated ports of the Roman Empire. Originally opened for business in 10 BC, the submerged harbor now rests in about 20 feet of water, and the museum itself covers some 18,580 square feet. With waterproof maps and an instructor to guide them, divers and snorkelers can swim among the 36 exhibits -- from sunken vessels, to giant anchors, to marble columns -- by following ropes tied between poles stuck in the sea floor.
2. Located off Alexandria, Egypt, the Underwater City of Cleopatra dates to 300 BC. Resting both inside and outside the harbor, the city crumbled into the sea after several earthquakes. Sitting between 15 and 45 feet of water, adventure-seekers can see ancient wrecks, sunken sphinxes, broken columns, a hieroglyph-covered obelisk, and thousands of granite blocks around Pharos Island (check out this great video of Pharos). If you're interested, Divernet has an excellent summary of the sites, as well as some of the potential hurdles they must overcome.
3. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, boasts the Shipwreck Trail, which features 9 shipwrecks spread across several miles, so you're not going to see all the wrecks at one go. Diving conditions vary from easy dives in shallow water to deeper dives of l00 feet or more. For each of the 9 wrecks, divers can access an underwater guide indicating the mooring positions; a history of the ship; a site map; and potential marine life. For people in the UK, the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology has set up a similar, 20-foot-deep archaeological trail off the Isle of Wight, which allows divers to move between numbered stations on the sunken HMS Pomone, a 38-gun frigate. 
4. The Spanish galleons Guadalupe and Tolosa sank in the Dominican Republic's Samana Bay during a hurricane in 1724. Undiscovered until the 1970s, the wrecks lay undisturbed for centuries; however, in the 1970s, they were removed for safekeeping. Recently, though, Indiana University students and faculty carefully returned the ballast stones, cannons, cannonballs, ceramic pieces and one anchor to the site. Currently resting in 12 to 15 feet of water, the quarter-acre site is easily accessible to snorkelers and divers.
5. The main portion of China's new Baiheliang Underwater Museum was completed recently. When fully constructed, the museum will protect the 18 fish figurines and more than 30,000 characters of poems carved over the past 1,200 years to measure the water level in the Yangtze River during low water seasons. 

Okay, so you need a vacation. But it's summertime, and the kids are out of school. And grandma has refused to watch them is busy doing something else. You can't leave the kids behind...but you have to find a destination that offers activities that'll keep the kids safe, interested, and -- let's face it -- occupied. Where to look? No worries. Divester has you covered. In this Divester Fivester, we point you to several kid-friendly resorts that offer tons of really great kid-friendly attractions. The hard part will be deciding which destination to visit.

1. At Kids Sea Camp, kids aged 4-15 don't just learn to swim, snorkel, and scuba dive; they also learn fish and reef identification, as well as the importance of the underwater environment. Currently, the Camps are in  Curacao,  Grand Cayman, Roatan, Bonaire, and Fiji. Each Camp offers several programs at several different times during the summer. Moreover, the various camps are tailored to the age-appropriateness of the child and specific to the local underwater habitat.
2. Anthony's Key Resort, located in Roatan, Honduras, offers parents peace and quiet while the kids can thrill in adventure. Among the many kid-centered activities are a variety of PADI scuba certification programs. Moreover, you can be sure your kid will love Anthony's Dolphin/Scuba Camp, which is offered to two different age groups (5-9 and 10-14).
3. Child Magazine recently named Bahamas' Atlantis Resort the Top Family Destination in the Caribbean. Featuring jaw-dropping kiddie-pools and a ton of kid-friendly activities in the Discovery Kids Camp (which was designed in conjunction with the Discovery Channel!), your kids won't want to come home.
4. Grand Bahamas' Camp Lucaya kids club offers more than just babysitting. Here, kids enjoy arts and crafts, Bahamian poetry and folklore, theme parties, dolphin excursions, and beach Olympics -- including coconut bowling!
5. Hawaii Extreme Adventure Scuba Camp offers summer programs for teens who want to learn to scuba dive. The  two-week camp includes lodging, meals, excursions around the island, four open water dives, and an official PADI open water certification. Classes are scheduled throughout the summer.

In my opinion, summertime is the best time to go on vacation. Nobody's pre-occupied with planning or shopping for other holidays. The kids are out of school. And even though it's hot during the summer, I like it: the heat slows me down, and I feel like I spend more time looking around me and enjoying what I see. Yes, indeedy, I do like summer travel.

Among the best part of summertime travel, though, is the fact that it's off-season for many locations, meaning you can find super deals to great destinations. In other words, summer is a great time to sample destinations you might not otherwise be able to afford. Alternatively, summertime travel rates can provide you with the opportunity to pack in more activities during the trip. Either way, you win!

To that end, we did some searching, and here are our picks for summer's best beach and dive deals:

1. Dominica is considered one of the eco-wonderlands of the Caribbean and very high on my list of places to visit. In addition to the great diving, the island offers all kinds of eco-excursions, from whale watching to dolphin tours to hikes through the rain forest in Morne Trois Piton National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This summer, Castle Comfort Dive Lodge is offering 7 nights accommodation and 7 breakfasts; 5 days of 2-tank boat dives; and more, all for $879 per person, based on double occupancy.
2. Anguilla's Arawak Beach Inn is offering an all-inclusive 8-day/7-night Island Adventure Package for $699 per person. For that price, you get all your breakfasts, several "very special dinners," a catered boat trip to an uninhabited island, and a 3-day car rental. If you can't get away for a week, they also offer a 3-day/2-night Dolphin Discovery Package for $299 per person that includes a "Discovery Swim" with local dolphins.
3. We mentioned beautiful Antigua last week. Located in the eastern Caribbean, Antigua boasts some spectacular shallow-water wrecks, virtually no currents, and some of the most amazing sunsets you've ever seen. For a limited time, Jolly Beach Resort is offering rates as low as $136 per person per night for all-inclusive packages, including meals, house-brand beverages, activities, day and night time entertainment, and non-motorized watersports.
4. Little Cayman -- the quietest and least developed of the Sister Islands -- is home to one of my favorite dive lodges on the planet: Little Cayman Beach Resort. From August through October of this year, they're offering 7 nights accommodation, plus breakfasts, dinners, and 6 days of 2-tank dives for $999.
5. Vieques' Inn on the Blue Horizon, named by Conde Nast as one of the Top 15 Small Luxury Hotels in the Caribbean, doesn't consider the low season to start until August. But if you can wait until then, you can get a 2-person room for as low as $125.

Gosh, what more do you want? I can't make the reservations for you. Now get out there!

If you're getting your summer dive trip planning going, and you can't quite figure out what you want to do this year, then you might want to take a look at the following list. I've scrounged for some of the most amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trips, and I've selected what I think are the five coolest dive trips of the summer. Three are organized, meaning you'd be with a group. Two are suggestions of cool trip ideas for the next few months. Check it out, and let us know if you have a better trip idea!

1. South Africa's Sardine Run: Every year the world's greatest marine migration takes place off South Africa's "Wild Coast." Millions of sardines follow the cold winter currents northeast toward the warm Indian Ocean, bringing with them thousands of predators: dolphins, sharks, whales, seals, and marine birds. You can join Sea, Air, and Land Expeditions and some of the best photographers in the world - members of Wetpixel - in Port St. Johns, Eastern Cape, South Africa for one of the world's greatest spectacles of nature. The trip runs June 21-30, and prices are $4250 per person. Three spaces remain. If you think this'll be a lame trip, keep in mind that Doug Perrine won last year's British Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with an image he took while on a sardine run.

2. Leatherback Turtle Beach: If you're interested in participating in documenting the status of the highly endangered Pacific Leatherback turtles, you can sign up for an exploratory dive trip to Indonesia's Leatherback Turtle Beach. In addition to counting turtles, you'll also get the chance to dive among the Raja Ampat Islands. The trip is scheduled for August 3-13 and costs about $2600. Only 6 spaces remain. If you want some more details about the boat, or the trip, itself, you should check out Michael Aw's site. 

3. Learn to Shoot Like the Pros: Shoot Underwater is actually the same seminar held in two different locations. The first is in Yap (July 12 - 19) -- think: 100% score from Scuba Diving mag's readers -- and the second is in Bali (October 8 - 14). Both courses offer instruction from professional photographers about how to shoot like they do. On top of the classwork, you get plenty of pool time. Yap runs $1,465-$1,835; Bali costs $1185-1350. Meals and airfare are extra. 

4. Dive With Basking Sharks: The waters off Cornwall in June teem with the magnificent, and giant, basking sharks, which cruise just under the surface and feed continuously. It's possible to scuba with these big fellows, but snorkeling is a better idea, as you have more chance of keeping up with them for longer. Plenty of operators can take you.

5. Dive With Whale Sharks, Giant Mantas, and Dolphins: In August and September, all of these beautiful animals are off Mexico's Holbox Island. Mawimbi Hotel offers underwater safaris to see them all, and the room rates run just $50-60 per night! Moreover, don't forget that the Caribbean's coral spawns late in August, so -- if you plan your trip right -- you might be able to see some really cool, um, cloudy stuff floating in the water, too.