We don"t usually discuss scuba diving equipment in this newsletter. We focus on travel and underwater imaging. But three things prompted us to write about wetsuits this month. One, Joe was recently named to that exclusive gray-haired peoples club, International Legends of Diving, along with Bob Meistrall, founder of Body Glove. Two, Joe Liburdi"s Dive & Photo, the new pro dive store in town, took on the Body Glove line of wetsuits. Three, we went to the South Orange County Dive Club meeting last week where Bob Meistrall was the guest speaker.

Bob Meistrall, pioneer, legend, hall of famer, is nearly 83 years old, still diving, and if nothing else, that makes him one of the most inspiring people we know. He is also a fascinating speaker, with a repertoire of tales to tell that held the audience captive for nearly an hour. He is warm, self-effacing, and thoroughly charming. Bob talked, of course, about the invention of the wetsuit.

Wikipedia credits physicist Hugh Bradner as the father of the wetsuit in 1951. It mentions that many credit Jack and Robert O’Neill with the invention, who claimed to have found neoprene on the floor of an airliner

Bob Meistrall scoffs at that claim and insists he and his twin brother Bill were first. In the early 50s, they were avid surfers who saw a need for a suit to protect them from hypothermia. They tried woolen sweaters but that just didn’t do the trick. They discovered the backing on refrigerators, a material called neoprene. The rest is history. A colorful history, including a little-known fact: Lloyd Bridges did not know how to scuba dive! That’s right, stunt doubles did the diving on Sea Hunt. Bridges, in his custom-made Body Glove wetsuit merely climbed up and down the boat steps. Eventually Bob did teach him how to dive, along with his sons Jeff and Beau, Gary Cooper, Hugh O’Brien, Charlton Heston, and Jill St. John.

Today Body Glove is one of the best-known names in water sports wear and Joe Liburdi’s Dive & Photo stocks the line.  Click here to see some of the new products on Just Arrived. Click here to read How to Put on a Wetsuit.

Q. Why a dry suit?
A. Dry suits provide maximum thermal protection.

Q. Is it really dry?
A. Yes, it keeps you dry, except for your head and hands, over which you wear neoprene wetsuit hoods and gloves.

Q. Why do I have to take a special course?
A. Because dry suit buoyancy control skills are different from those in a wetsuit.

Q. What are the benefits of diving in a dry suit?
A. You don’t get wet. You don’t get cold. You can be more comfortable, enjoy your dive more, stay down longer because you are warm and comfortable, feel inclined to do more than a single dive!  Did I say you stay dry and have a better time?

Q. If I dive in Southern California in the summer months, do I still need a dry suit?
A. The average water temperature is 55°-65°F below the thermocline. That’s still cold!

Q. Is it worth the expense?
A. Absolutely!

If you want to learn how to be a dry suit diver, Joe Liburdi’s Dive & Photo has three options for you.

1. Take the PADI Dry Suit Diver Certification Course. $220
2. Take the non certification course, one classroom session and ocean dive. $150
3. Buy a dry suit at JLDP and receive one class session and one swimming pool session. Free.

For details, please call Joe’s partner, Carl Felien at 949-476-8500.

Joe Liburd’s Dive & Photo features two dry suits, one is a tri-laminate material (Joe Liburdi’s  California Signature suit) and  the other is crushed neoprene (Black Ice), both excellent in construction and value, very different in price.

Joe Liburdi’s California Signature dry suit is  a lightweight front-entry, self-donning suit with heavyweight latex neck and wrists seals and extra-thick protective knee panels. One low price includes lightweight undergarment, over boots, 7mm zippered hood, and suspenders (elsewhere sold separately): Only $995. 

The Pinnacle Black Ice is the Cadillac of dry suits. In case you haven’t seen it, Dale Sheckler, publisher of California Diving News, wrote an in-depth review on the Black Ice Dry Suit in the May issue. He wrote: “The Black Ice is constructed of a thermo-compressed neoprene, which in of itself is remarkable in how it stretches and form fits to the body, moving with the movements of the diver. This is a suit with excellent comfort for this reason alone, not to mention that neoprene suits are inherently warmer than shell type suits. But it is the Merino™ lining that makes this suit special . . . Considering the superb Merino™ materials, overall solid construction, and included features, the Pinnacle Black Ice dry suit is an excellent value and a good choice for entry-level buyers as well as serious pros.” Regular retail: $2100.  At Joe Liburdi’s Dive & Photo, $1889.

When you dive, everything should fit just right. If your mask doesn’t fit right, it will leak. If your wetsuit doesn’t fit right, it won’t keep you warm. If your mouthpiece on your regulator doesn’t fit right, your jaw will hurt. That’s why SeaCure’s new Hi-Flow model is worth looking at. Developed by an orthodontist, it is the only moldable mouthpiece for both upper and lower jaw positions. With an expanded port, air flow is improved. Clear and easy instructions take you through the step-by-step procedure for molding the mouthpiece to exactly the right fit. Regular $35.95. At JLDP $32.95 and worth it!

In the beginning, when taking pictures underwater, there were no choices.  There was only natural light.
Natural light photography can be rewarding under the most favorable conditions.  However, at depths beyond 30 feet, the reds, yellows and oranges are filtered out of the light spectrum.  Images take on a bluish/greenish tint and there is a discernible loss of contrast and sharpness.

Underwater color correction filters to enhance the warm colors are somewhat effective between 15 and 60 feet.  However, they can’t enhance color to its fullest. And in case you’re thinking of Photoshop, don’t. Color correction on your computer can never equate in resolution and saturation to an underwater image captured with strobe light.

It is said that Nikon introduced the first underwater electronic strobe in 1948.  The early electronic flash units were big and bulky. It was Terry and Masaoki Yamaguchi who developed the first lightweight submersible strobe in 1972.  They were university students at the time and hand-crafted it at the family’s kitchen table. They named it the Yellow Sub. Divers on the beach clamored for one. Sea & Sea was born.

Today, underwater strobes are highly sophisticated electronic instruments. Anyone who wants clear, colorful pictures must have one.

Your digital camera has a built-in flash. It is positioned above or off center of the lens.  These flashes are basically useless in underwater photography. They are not powerful enough and, most importantly, they create backscatter, glare and hot spots. External strobes mounted on a flexible arm are the most efficient for underwater use.

When selecting a strobe, make sure the strobe is powerful enough to enhance color at a distance of 6 feet from strobe to subject. Beam angle should be wide enough to cover the widest angle of acceptance of the lens you are using.

Advantages of single strobe:

• Less expensive, easier to use, offers less resistance underwater.
• Less weight to pack when traveling.

Disadvantage of single strobe:
None as far as I’m concerned.  Some pros say single strobes create shadows. I like shadows. They add dimension and are artistic when used properly.

Advantages of the dual strobe system:

• Ability to light evenly the entire frame and subject
• Greater creative possibilities.

Disadvantages of the dual strobe system:

• It’s not for everyone. It costs more, of course. You need more arms, trays, batteries
• Makes the system bulkier and heavier on land and adds resistance underwater.

Please go to our archives to read past articles on Strobes: Links to: Painting the Underwater World, Part 1, July 2006; Painting the Underwater World, Part 2, August 2006; Understanding Strobes, March 2007

Call for a spot 949.476.8500.  Space is limited.

The volcano in Iceland erupted and air travel was halted. The chaos and devastation dominated the newscasts. Just received the May issue of National Geographic and coincidentally, the cover story is about the volcano eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

Commemorating  the 30th anniversary of the eruption on  May 18,1980 is an 18-page feature on the blast, what it was like then, and what’s changed since.

Joe and Cara were there. Cara had just moved from New York City to Seattle, to begin a new chapter in a “safe” city. Joe was owner of the Lighthouse Dive & Ski in Renton, locally renowned in underwater photography. The Army Corp of Engineers came to him and asked him to film the devastation of Spirit Lake. He was the first person to dive the lake. “It was like an atomic bomb had been dropped on the mountain. Everything was gone.” Ten years later, the BBC hired him to film it again, this time to record the genesis of life in the lake for a documentary called “Legacy of a Volcano,” which aired on PBS. The article says there are two-foot trout in the lake today. Here are pictures of all there was then.

Read all about it at: www.JoeLiburdi.com/tours