Flotsam & Jetsam

Lots of Dead Divers At This Resort. We recently found this offer from Shermans Travel on the Web. “If you’re ready to trade in your snorkeling equipment for an oxygen tank but want to avoid a drawn-out (and expensive scuba diving course, then head down to The Sands at Grace Bay in serene Turks & Caicos. Beginning June 1, this beachfront resort is offering guests the chance to earn their PADI Open Water Diving Certification with a five-night “Diving for Dummies” package for just $925 per person!” Yup, with a tank full of oxygen, this is a real Diving for Dummies course and certainly not at all drawn out.

Cozumel Literally Turns Into a Theme Park. Some of our readers have complained about the Disneyfication of Cozumel. Here’s more reason to fret. California developer Elated Worldwide plans to build the first amusement park on the island. Mayan Adventures Theme Park is scheduled for a 2013 opening. Elated says it will be the world’s most eco-conscious amusement park, powered by the world’s largest solar farm. “The park will be divided into four quadrants, capturing a season of the year -- thus the very essence of Mother Earth.” Better plan your dive trips now before the kiddies descend.

Step Zero II: Preparation for a Liveaboard Trip. This is part two of Dennis Adams and Kathy and Peter Swan’s guide to preparing for a dive photography trip, this time focusing on how to do it on a liveaboard. They did much field research and photo-taking aboard the Paradise Dancer in Raja Ampat. For divers taking their first liveaboard or preparing for the photography trip of a lifetime, this is a good guide to ensure you have a good time and don’t leave any essentials behind. The list price is $42.50, and it also comes in a Kindle version for $8.95. Order at Undercurrent and our profits go to save coral reefs.

The Scottish Scuba Pervert. Some joker is giving us divers a bad name. He’s running around Irvine Beach Park wearing nothing but a diving mask, a balaclava and a wetsuit top, flashing the ladies, and he’s been doing it since 2007. So the police have upped the patrols and believe their increased presence “will be enough to put ‘doggers’ off meeting up for seedy sex sessions at the beauty spot,” reports the Irvine Herald on May 14. It goes on to quote a police source saying, “The scuba pervert has been a real thorn in our side. He has a habit of coming out the woodwork in the better weather so hopefully we’ll get him this time round. The Beach Park has become something of a pervert’s paradise and it’s something the top brass want to clamp down hard on.” And that’s a quote.

Happy Anniversary, Vandenberg. It’s been a year since the naval ship sank to the ocean floor near Key West. Dive shops say both divers and fish are flocking to it. REEF’s Lad Akins confirms that 113 species of fish have been documented, including the bank butterfly fish, which usually lives below 150 feet. But is the best way to celebrate its anniversary to drive underwater scooters around it? The Wreck Racing League is starting the first Vandenberg Underwater Grand Prix, a two-day event on June 12- 13, with test drives and a skills competion. If you feel like buzzing the Vandenberg, sign up at http://wreckracingleague.com