About us

Nina and I started diving in September 2005 with our friend Jim Goddard's dive club (Discovery Divers Tokyo, see more below) in Japan. We have been diving frequently ever since and are continuing our training to become better, safer, and more responsible divers. Nina's certifications include PADI Open Water and Nitrox, DAN oxygen provider, and NAUI Advanced Open Water. My certifications include PADI Open Water, Nitrox, Advanced Open Water, and Rescue Diver, DAN oxygen provider, and NAUI Master Scuba Diver.

Our profiles

Nina has done a little over 120 dives and I have done a little over 175 dives. We have dived mainly in Japan and the Philippines. We are thinking of exploring Okinawa a bit some time this year and perhaps the Philippines again or Thailand.

Our gear

We are using a simple Hogarthian set-up with Oxycheq backplates and wings and Apeks first and second stages with a long hose configuration. We have tried several types of fins, but for the way we dive, we like our Jetfins best. We use a Salvo handheld HID light as a primary light and small LED lights for back-up. We probably look pretty geeky, especially compared to what most people use in Japan, but we just want to have fun in a safe and responsible way. In our opinion this configuration fits that profile best. Although we're serious about our safety and the safety of those we dive with, our main motivation for diving is fun and looking at the cool stuff...

XLDive

XLDive is a simpel tool that you can use to calculate Rock bottom tank pressures, respiratory minute volumes, and tank volumes. Rock bottom refers to the amount of gas you do not intend to touch, because you may need it for troubleshooting, preparing for the ascent, ascend, and make the required safety stops, all while sharing your gas with our buddy. The tool is nothing more really than a pimped spreadsheet, but it is a good tool to see what happens to your required gas when certain variables change. Just download it here and open it with Excel. Make sure you have Macros enabled in your version of Excel, otherwise it doesn't work. You can enable Macros via the Tools > Security > Macros menu.

Although I have done my utmost best to avoid mistakes in the calculations, you are using XLDive at your own risk. Always use your common sense when you consult it. If you think there is something fishy, check the numbers for entry mistakes. If you still think things aren't right, redo the calculations by hand (they're really simple once you understand the principles). If the results from your hand calculations and from the calculator do not match, contact me.

Underwater photography

We love taking pictures underwater (check out the albums). Because we're still not much of photographers our tools are simple. Right now we're using a Canon IXY 700 (aka IXUS 750, aka SD 550) with the Canon WP-DC80 underwater housing. No external strobes, no fancy stuff... We're thinking of upgrading but have not decided to what yet...