Scuba Shack Radio Jeff Cinciripino

Becoming a competent and confident diver is a progression that involves training, gear and diving. We often call these the three Es - Equipment, Education, and Experience. But just taking the next course or buying another piece of gear is not the answer. Divers need to progress with the right training with the right equipment at the right time. Without the proper foundation in diving, training may not be effective and mastering the use of the new equipment can be problematic. Or maybe, the diving may be beyond their capability.



Wet Notes updates



* SportDiver Ultra announcement

* DAN Professional Liability Insurance offer

* Another worldwide coral bleaching event

* Coral Reef Foundations 2024 Coralpalooza

* Sawfish rescue in the Florida Keys

* Europe chooses reuse

How would you rate customer service across the dive industry?



How do you define good customer service for a dive operator, dive shop, or dive resort?



Listen to an example of very poor customer service that we recently experienced plus some examples of how we think about good customer service



Plus Wet Notes provides updates on



* The DIVE BOAT act

* The FISHES act

* Orca Torch ZD710 pricing and new products

* Scuba Diving Magazine's 10 best wetsuits

* Shearwater Research's new website

* Update on the April 3rd cave diving fatality

* DEMA Show registration opens

Martha was the last of the passenger pigeon species and died on September 1, 1914. The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird on the planet and within a few decades this species went from billions to zero. We need to hear the message from Martha to protect the ocean species from extinction including sharks, rays and whales. Loss of habitat, ocean warming, overfishing, plastic pollution and ghost gear continue to threaten our ocean creatures.



Wet Notes updates us on



* Orca Torch ZD710

* New Sola Goodman handle

* Lake Hydra news

* Q1 2024 Alert Diver Magazine

* Another right whale death

* New rules for the Endangered Species Act

In 2022, NOAA released recommendations for vessel speed restrictions in an effort to protect the North Atlantic right whale. NOAA not only expanded the area dramatically, they also expanded the vessels being covered. The new rules would restrict most vessels 35 feet or larger to 10 knots in these seasonal zones. Approval of this proposal however is stalled. There are too many competing interests and a large number of people are opposed to the changes. In the end the whales lose. Another calf was struck recently be a vessel and died. The North Atlantic right whale is critically endangered with less than 400 left so every death is devastating. These whales are very slow swimmers and cannot avoid the high speed vessels. Public comment on this proposal ended in October 2022. It is time to approve NOAA's recommendations.



Plus Wet Notes looks at



* 2025 REEF trips

* Bizarre fish behavior in the Florida Keys

* New SeaLife SportDiver dome port

* Red Sea Liveaboard problems

* Secrets of the Octopus

* Earth Day 2024

Dive computers are powerful, reliable and an essential part of your scuba kit. There are many affordable dive computers on the market today that allow divers to fit this into their budget. Is it okay to tell divers that they don't need to use a dive computer because the dives are going to be shallow? This is not how we dive and not how we counsel our divers. In my opinion, a dive computer is as essential as any other part of your rig. Listen to hear about who is telling divers they don't need a computer.



Also listen for some Wet Notes updates on:



* The Immerse Yourself Empress of Ireland presentation

* A humpback whale and calf encounter

* Humpback numbers are dropping

* SSI's new dive computer specialty

* Dive travel statistics

* Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarship and Grant update

In this episode, I discuss why you might find it a challenge to rent scuba gear from your local dive shop. The local dive shop is a small business and as such must make investments in equipment and time to those areas of the business that keep them profitable. Renting scuba gear may not be one of those areas that generate the revenue versus the investment. Not all local dive shops are the same.



Wet Notes updates include



* DEMA 2024 hotel block

* 100% PADI or not al all?

* Oceanic+ housing update

* Q4 2023 open water certification update

* Deep Water Horizon impacts

* Lake Hydra information