731 St Mary’s Rd

Winnipeg, MB R2M 3N5

204-257-2822

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Open Water Diver – Ocean Bound

Did you know that you can start your PADI Open Water course locally and complete it at any PADI dive shop around the world?  This is will help to cut down on the days of your vacation for training and give you more opportunity for diving!!

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of 3 components;

  1. Academics – this can be done online or with “old-fashioned” textbooks, it is all at home study so you can work on it at your own pace.  It takes about 12-15 hours to complete and does not have to completed before the confined water sessions.
  2. Confined Water – there is 5 hours of on-deck briefing and 5 hours of in-water time for the course.  We break it up into 5 pool sessions, typically Monday evenings from 7pm-9pm at Pan Am Pool.  We start a new class every few weeks.
  3. Open Water Dives – there are 4 open water dives to complete your certification.  These can be completed at any PADI dive shop around the world.  The academics and confined water sessions must be completed before the open water dives.

You also have the opportunity to complete the full certification with Diver City SCUBA in Cozumel.  You can join in any of our group trips and complete the open water dives with us in beautiful Cozumel, Mexico!

Pre-Season Equipment Care

We can feel it in the air….the dive season is coming!

While it may still be a little bit away, we can (and should) start our preparations now so our gear is ready to go when we are.

Unpack everything, pull it out from the corners where it has spent a long winter and check it all out. “Don’t worry scuba gear, we’ll go diving soon” (I can’t be the ONLY person that talks to my dive gear can I!?)

Tanks. Check the stickers to be sure that they are within the visual inspection date of one year. Check the hydrotest stamps on the shoulder (these should be within 5 years). If they are out of date, or you are not sure, bring them to us, we will confirm services due and get them set up for you.

Regulators. Take them out of storage, stretch them out. Check those mouthpieces for wear. If you did not have them serviced in the fall, they should have a checkout or full service before the dive season. The general rule is a full service every 2 years, with an annual inspection the year in between, but check the manufacturer service recommendations for your regulator, as they may vary.

BCD’s orally inflate them to make sure they hold air. Pull all the dumps and valves to ensure proper operation (they should let air out, but then seal it in again when released).

Masks, snorkels, fins. Check condition of all straps and mouthpiece. Any ‘checking’ of the rubber means that a strap is about to let go.

Post Dive Season Equipment Care & Storage Part 2

Part 2 of our equipment care and storage will include information on masks, snorkels, fins and exposure protection.

Absolutely everything should be fully cleaned and dried before storage, or you may have some surprises when you try to unpack them for that next dive adventure. It does not have to be stored in a heated area, but it does have to be stored dry and out of high humidity.

If you do store gear in an unheated area, remember to remove items such as cleaners and defog to prevent them from freezing. Be cautious if moving items while frozen. The soft silicone and rubber will become less pliable and even fragile when frozen.

 

Masks

Are best stored in their own case, not to be crushed, or stored with other items (clear, and even coloured silicone will discolour faster if stored with items like wetsuits, gloves etc).

Snorkel

Mouthpieces should be protected from crushing to retain their shape.

Fins

Best stored hanging by their straps or laying flat. Keep those pocket protectors in the fin pockets! Especially if stored flat and stacked with other items. This will help retain the shape of the pocket so you can get your feet in next time. If you don’t have the pocket protectors, an old towel can be placed inside to help the pocket from crushing.

Wetsuits/Drysuits

Are best stored on a wide hanger, away from the furnace, with no strain on the zipper. If you don’t have the hanging space for them, loosely fold them, protect the zipper and do not stack them with heavy items.

Zippers and drysuit seals will benefit from a lubricant and protectant before being stored (and regularly throughout the dive season).

Hoods/Gloves/Boots

Neoprene hoods and gloves. Lay flat, and do not tightly pack or stack with heavy items.

Neoprene boots will benefit from a shape protector just like fins if stored in a bin or bucket to stop them from mis-shaping during storage.

Looking for storage guidance for BCD’s, regulators and tanks?  Check out Part 1!

Post Dive Season Equipment Care & Storage Part 1

scuba equipment gear messed up on floor

As the local dive season comes to a close, we are sometimes left wondering how to care for and store our dive gear until we dive again. Hopefully these tips and reminders will help.

Absolutely everything should be fully cleaned and dried before storage, or you may have some surprises when you try to unpack them for that next dive adventure. It does not have to be stored in a heated area, but it does have to be stored dry and out of high humidity.

If you do store gear in an unheated area, remember to remove items such as cleaners and defog to prevent them from freezing. Be cautious of moving items while frozen. The soft silicone and rubber will become less pliable and even fragile when frozen.

 

BCD’s

Ensure the interior is clean and dry. Do not fully deflate the bladder, but leave a small amount of air inside to keep the interior air cell walls from getting stuck together.  It is best to leave it hanging with ample space, doing up the sternum strap or looping the inflator through the opening of the hanger is best if you don’t have a BCD hanger with “hooks” on the ends.

 

Tanks

It is best to store scuba tanks upright and at a reduced pressure. It is okay to store them in an unheated garage or shed, as long as they are kept away from street salt, sand and run-off.

 

Regulators

If stored in the regulator bag tightly curled up, the hoses may retain a bit of ‘memory’ from that tight situation. As long as you are aware of this, it will not actually harm the hoses, and will loosen up after next use. Ensure that mouthpieces are not being crushed during storage.

 

Stay tuned for our next blog post including tips for masks, snorkels, fins and exposure equipment!