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Officers of the United States Navy Community Outreach visited St. Louis, Missouri this week and conducted a demonstration as to how they protect the country’s high seas. They brought with them some of the world’s hi-tech diving gear and other equipment.

The demonstration started on Wednesday, April 22, where visitors got to see astounding demonstrations such as a free fall stunt from a height of six thousand feet.

Lieutenant Commander Garrett Kasper said that the men conducting the stunt are very experienced Navy Seals, dubbed as Leap Frogs.

According to him, their experiences were put to use during a rescue mission that took place in the Indian Ocean recently where their cargo ship was hijacked by a group of Somali pirates.

The Leap Frog members can achieve a speed of up to 180 miles per hour. Jumper Justin Guany said that the best part is to get out in air but the scariest part is the landing – where they have to be conscious or else they could hit a wall.

The Leap Frog Parachute Team is conducting a series of demonstrations in cities around the U.S., also include din their demonstrations are diving gears used for special operations.

Kasper said that these demonstrations are not about recruiting people to join the Navy but to make the public aware where their taxes are going – that is, in protecting the country.

Diving boards and other facilities at the Sub Aqua Club in Montrose, Angus in Scotland will be phased out in favor of the multimillion swimming pool plan which the city council is considering to approve.

The council officials revealed during a Town Hall meeting last Monday the decision in relation to the matters discussed during a public meeting held three months ago.

Local divers have asked for a pool with a depth of 3.5 meters but the council decided that the main pool will only have a depth of two meters, which is unsuitable for diving events. This development means that the Sub Aqua Club will be forced to close down.

There will be six lanes in the main pool with 25 meters in length. Swimming classes for any age bracket could take place in the area.

Officials stated that the diving boards will have to go because they could not justify the additional funding of about £900,000 for a facility that’s only used by about lesser people. Adding diving boards in three and five meter heights would also mean an additional £1.7 million in funding.

Summer is near and this is the best time of the year to make that well-deserved vacation at the Caribbean due to several exciting activities taking place at the breathtaking group of islands.

A series of scuba diving festivals are set to take place and attractive 2009 Caribbean travel deals are now being offered online for all vacationers.

During this time of the year, the weather is at its best especially for scuba diving, fishing and snorkeling. For most travelers, Caribbean has not been placed at the top of the list for these kinds of activities. However, this time the perceptions are going to change – thanks to the attractive deals and great beaches.

The economic crisis greatly benefits the vacationers because several Caribbean hotels and resorts are now offering huge discounts. Families can get more than 50 percent discounts on air travel and hotel accommodations just by booking in advance. Special rates are also offered for individual travelers.
Here are some festivals that should not be missed:

• Bonaire’s Dive Into Summer 2009 (June to September)
• Montserrat’s Dive Festival 2009 (June 27 to July 4)
• Dominica’s Dive Fest 2009 (July 10 – 19)

A British scuba diving enthusiast bested other applicants for what would be labeled as the “Best Job in the World” – to become caretaker of an Australian island near Great Barrier Reef.

Ben Southall will have a six-month stint as caretaker of the Hamilton Island, which is based in the northern part of Queensland. He’ll be paid more than $100,000 by staying in the island, exploring the beaches through snorkeling, scuba diving and sailing. He’ll also write an online diary weekly to inform the world about the wonders of the island.

The 34-year old resident of Hampshire, England will fit well in the job considering that he’s a fan of adventure including scuba diving.

The global recession and expected decline in tourists prompted Tourism Queensland to launch this campaign. Dubbed as “Best Job in the World,” the contest was launched in January and more than 34,000 applicants submitted their entries.

The publicity paid off, hundreds of thousands of online visitors all over the world accessed the website. The tourism team trimmed down their prospects to 16 finalists before they chose Southall.

Southall will have a three-bedroom house plus unrestricted access throughout the island in order to effectively come up with convincing online entries.

Philippine agency Cagayan Economic Zone Authority or CEZA has reportedly started promoting the Palaui Island, located in the northern part of the country, as a snorkeling destination to tourists abroad and locally. To make this a successful venture, the agency started training its employees on snorkeling along the island’s seashores.

In order to make this a successful undertaking, the department hired qualified scuba divers to conduct the training. The employees were given this opportunity in order to effectively guide the tourists who want to experience snorkeling adventures in the island.

Snorkeling is a less risky adventure compared to deep-sea diving because the tourists need not go deep in order to observe the attractions under the sea. This adventure is also great for beginners and pros alike.

According to Tourism Planning Consultant Chen Mensias, snorkeling is now gaining popularity among the island activities which include hiking, boating, and sunbathing. She added that snorkeling is the best alternative for non-divers. There are several species of fishes and corals that can be seen in the surrounding seas.

Mensias is optimistic about the boom of tourism in the Palaui Island due to the increasing interest of snorkeling in the region.

The island nation of Dominica, located at the Caribbean sea, will become a tourist attraction this coming July as vacationers will get a chance to take part at the longest running scuba diving festival dubbed as Dominica’s Dive Fest.

The Dominica Watersports Association (DWA) will organize this yearly event which takes place from July 10 to 19.

The main objective is to increase awareness on the opportunities on scuba diving and the discovery of vast marine life in the island. Participants are encouraged to bring their scuba diving equipment in order to really enjoy the wonders of nature. DWA added that beginners or pros on scuba diving are all welcome in this event.

There will be basic training lessons for young and adult beginners. Expert scuba divers will have plenty of opportunities to execute their skills by taking part in photography and underwater treasure hunting competitions.

The festival will conclude with an exciting Soufriere Kubuli beach party on the 19th.

Dominica is popularly known for its picturesque west coast where on can see colorful corals and fishes such as scorpion fish and frogfish that can rarely be seen in other Caribbean destinations.

The South African country of Namibia is offering an adventure that’s thought to be impossible for an arid country – cave diving.

Despite the country’s coastline of more than a thousand kilometers in length, recreational diving adventures are said to be nearly impossible due to strong currents. However, a lake located in a mining town of Tsumeb may be the answer for diving enthusiasts from all over.

Lake Otjikoto, located about 400 kilometers north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia is a breathtaking location for cave diving adventures. According to Otjikoto Diving Enterprises (ODE) owner Stephanus Viljoen, this place is very accessible to cave divers compared to other caves in the country thus making this an attractive destination for tourists.

The name Otjikoto is said to come from the Herero language which means “a place very deep for cattle to drink.” This of Mother Nature has many stories to tell. Believed to be the hiding place during the First World War, there are rumors that millions of gold coins were hidden in the cave. This definitely prepped up the interest of cave divers who come to the place to hunt for treasure aside from having fun.

Olympic diving gold medalist Matthew Mitcham of Australia was finally cleared from the swine flu disease after visiting Mexico City for a major diving event.

Mitcham attended the World Series Diving event in the Mexican capital with his coach Chana Sobrino. They were supposed to stay in the city after the event to train for another diving event which will take place in Florida, United States.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist shared that the NSW Institute of Sport had them tested and pulled out of upcoming diving events since the World Health Organization (WHO) set the swine flu level to five. He added that the institute thought that it would be best for them since if the level is increase to six, the countries will have to start closing borders.

Mitcham said that he wore protective face mask throughout the return trip. He also said that he’s been cleared from having swine flu symptoms before he left Mexico.

The Olympic diving icon said that he’ll be spending some quiet time in isolation with his partner just to be sure. He added that he will also see a doctor and will take medications if necessary.

A cliff diving blooper at the east Valley along Salt River in Arizona resulted to a death of a 32-year old man.
According to reports, divers from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office took two hours to recover the body of the young man on Monday night.

The friends of the unnamed victim recounted to local media that the jump as a mistake from the start. The man was at a forty-foot high cliff along the river and was already warned by deputies in a patrol boat not to jump and just to back off.

However, the man seemed to believe that he can do the cliff diving stunt as he was egged on by a lot of people below to jump in the water. The man then jumped but instead of hitting the water, his head hit the rocks instead. The horrified spectators could only look on as they heard the ear-splitting crack of the victim’s skull as it slammed against the rock and see the man’s limp body go into the water.

Friends revealed that the man was married with two daughters. Officials said that there was a drowning incident a couple of days ago on the same spot but this time that man went into the water to save his son but ultimately cost his life.

Tom Daley, a 15-year old diving Olympian for the British team, has reportedly switched schools after he claimed that he’s being bullied from his former school.

According to reports, Daley, who was part of the British diving team in last year’s Beijing Olympics said that he’s being bullied at Eggbuckland Community College and that he has no choice but to transfer to a public school in Plymouth.

Plymouth College said that Daley is welcome in their school and even agreed to provide substantial scholarship assistance to the 15-year old, who also placed second at the World Diving Series event in Sheffield recently.

The officials at the Eggbuckland Community College said that they are now conducting an investigation on the claims made by the diving star.

Daley recounted the bullying experiences he got at the school, saying that he’s been called names, thrown at with bits of paper and a lot more.

Daley continued to gain honors for the country after winning a gold medal at an international diving competition held in Florida, United States in May. He said that he’s looking forward to meet new people in the new school. The school officials also feel the same.