Water-Resistant Mobile Phone and Other Gift Ideas for Scuba Instructors

Gift Ideas for Divers and Dive Instructors

Gadget Alert! 

As many of you know, I'm a gadget nut. Not only that, I'm a Android user, so this new water-resistant cell phone from Motorola really caught my eye.

The video below shows the new Motorola Defy in a container of water - with more water being poured over it. Email subscribers may need to click through to view the video below.






The Motorola Defy runs Android with a "Lite" version of Flash and is available for T-Mobile customers in the US. If you really want to dig in to the specs and performance of this phone, here's a review from Engadget.

Best. Equipment Mat. Ever.

It may not look like much, but as any instructor knows: an equipment mat is one of the few luxuries to be found when shore diving.

The CGear Multimat was designed for the Australian military  to eliminate dust and debris kicked up by  helicopters rotors when landing.

The product was so successful and popular, the Auzzies started using it for other applications  The multi-layer mat allows dirt and sand to fall straight through the top but not come back up.

The website has a detailed explanation of how it works and a video of sand disappearing through the mat like magic. There are different sizes and groovy patterns, but a basic mat will run you $50 for a 6' x 6'.



 REEF Stash Sandals

One of TIME Magazine's top 25 Travel Gadgets. REEF's Stash Sandals have a hidden slot in the heel to hide stuff. The price ranges from $45 - $58.

PADI Laptop Backpack

Our laptop backpack makes it easy to transport your laptop, student files and slates. It has three pockets and accommodates a laptop up to 14" x 10.5." The padded back provides extra protection, and a "yawning' pocket design makes it easy to take the computer in and out.

The second pocket measures 13.5" deep and 10.5" wide (33.5 x 27cm). Two built-in dividers keep student paperwork organized and dry.

The smallest pocket has a sleeve for your slates, a pen pocket, and enough room leftover for a DVD.

The laptop, along with some of our other PADI-branded promo items are on sale now through next Tuesday 21 December. The backpack is on sale for $20 on its own, or you can buy it in a package with three other items below for $38.

Reminder: the last day to place an order is next Wednesday 22 December. PADI will be closed starting Friday 24 December and will re-open Monday 3 January. You can order online PICs from the online shopping cart while we're closed, but anything else ordered online while we're closed won't ship until the new year.

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Best Underwater Videos of 2010

Here are some cool diving videos I came across this year. Email subscribers may need to click through to view the videos.

This is a free-diving video, but cool nonetheless. These divers aren't even wearing fins! Keep watching to see behind the scenes footage.

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From GrindTv.com via Michael Jannsen...

While filming in Kona, a Manta Ray scooped up camera man Travis Matteson's $10,000 camera rig. The manta eventually released the equipment and it was retrieved undamaged. Matteson's filming his partner, Johnny Reidt, captured the incident (see video below):

The crew was on the Kona Aggressor working on an episode of Into the Drink. The Kona episode is set to air sometime next year.








If you have any favorite underwater videos from 2010, please post a comment below!

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FAQ Incorporating New ILCOR Guidelines into EFR

ABC is now CAB and other changes are being added to our EFR materials as the result of ILCOR's meeting

The mandatory date to incorporate the new guidelines is 31 March 2011.
To get prepared, check out the information from the 4th Quarter EFR Responder Newsletter.

• Frequently Asked Questions about the New Guidelines
  
• Consensus 2010 - New Emergency Care Guidelines
  
• Implementing the New Guidelines into Emergency First Response Programs
  
• Marketing Savvy: Use the New Guidelines to Enhance your Marketing Efforts

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