PADI Montreal Scuba Diving News

#ocean #scuba PADI Divemaster documents changes in coral reef in...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:58:00 -0500

#ocean #scuba

PADI Divemaster documents changes in coral reef in the oceans and his video is worth watching! He won the PADI Sea the Change contest.

His video is titled “Documenting Global Coral Reef Restoration”.

The video details a decline in healthy coral reefs and a creative restoration process. He won $5000 US for his efforts and netted a $5000 US donation from the PADI organization to Project AWARE Foundation on his behalf.

PADI Divemaster Seth Greenspan is quite pationnate about the topic of coral reef and the ocean.

Part of my mission as a filmmaker is to educate people as to the importance of coral reefs, how mass bleaching is linked to global warming, and how to protect corals as best we can. In addition to making a documentary, I also help each of the non-profit organizations that are working towards coral restoration by providing them with video material they can use for their own efforts at education and outreach - without any cost to them.

Congratulations for winning PADI Sea the Change and… Good luck with helping coral reef and our oceans!

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…

Careers as a scuba diving professional. That was the topic of an...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:50:00 -0500

Careers as a scuba diving professional. That was the topic of an evening of discussions last night at Total Diving - Montreal Scuba, a PADI Career Development Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

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Talking about scuba is not as much fun as scuba diving, but… Almost!

Total Diving - Montreal Scuba offers a complete training program in scuba diving from Bubblemaker to Course Director. PADI Course Director Darcy Kieran was the guest speaker :)

More pictures on Facebook - Montreal Scuba Diving.

#scuba #oceans “Right now the Australian government is...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:14:32 -0500

#scuba #oceans

“Right now the Australian government is deciding the fate of Australia’s Coral Sea” states ProtectOurCoralSea.org.au and Valerie Taylor, an Australian shark and underwater personality produced a short video about the Coral Sea.

It’s pretty nice to see! Have a look… It looks better than your office walls, doesn’t it? :P

As for helping… There’s a link asking us to “act” - even if we are not Australian.

How About Taking On Scuba Diving Instead of Hitting the Gym After The Holiday Season?

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:02:48 -0500

In an article published on the blog of Shape Magazine this week, scuba diving is presented as the “New Celebrity Fitness Trend”, dropping names like Jessica Alba, Sandra Bullock, Katie Holmes and Nina Dobrev.

“Scuba diving provides a full body workout that combines cardio and strength training to burn calories, tone muscles and even improve breathing” says Theresa Kaplan, director of communications for PADI.

Yet, it is a lot more interesting than working out in a gym… Wouldn’t you say?

As the author of the blog explains, you don’t need to be under a tropical sun to enjoy scuba diving.

For sure, taking a scuba diving vacation down South is cool, but… You can learn scuba diving in a pool right here in Montreal.

You still get the feeling of breathing underwater. You still get to do some “scuba diving fitness”. You still live something pretty unique. And… You “get ready to go” scuba diving during your next tropical vacations!

Ice Diving in Quebec: Dry Suit or Scuba Wetsuit?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:47:31 -0500

Montreal scuba divers are getting (mentally) ready to go ice diving in February and March in Quebec, Canada. It’s something you have to do at least once in your life! It’s simply amazing!

Many scuba divers who have never been under ice before are asking me about dry suit diving. Well… If you have never done scuba diving under ice and you want to do your PADI Ice Diver specialty course in a dry suit, you must already be certified as a dry suit diver.

Scuba diving with a dry suit is different than diving with a wetsuit. It can be warmer - if you don’t flood it :) However, it also requires additional buoyancy skills.

Trying to learn to scuba dive in a dry suit at the same time as learning scuba diving under ice would be what we call “task overloading”.

So… Now what? There are 2 options.

Do I need a dry suit to go scuba diving under ice?

No, you don’t! Every year, there are scuba divers doing ice diving in a wetsuit. If you have a high-end scuba wetsuit that is properly fitting you, you shouldn’t have any problem while scuba diving under ice.

See this picture? It’s Nathalie Hébert. She’s a scuba diving instructor and a Canadian freediving champion. In this picture, she is under ice… Freediving… With a Beuchat 5mm wetsuit! Don’t worry! We’re going with full scuba gear and if you opt for a wetsuit, we suggest a 7mm, 2-piece, wetsuit system :)

What you need to be concerned about when doing ice diving in a wetsuit is “before” and “after” the dive! The water is always above freezing temperature. The air above might not be ;)

If you want to do ice diving with a wetsuit, simply plan it properly. For instance, make sure there is “surface support”, like a warm shack very near the hole used for ice diving.

Get your dry suit diver specialty course!

Another solution is to do your dry suit diver specialty course right now, to be ready for the ice diving season coming around the corner!

Note to Montreal Scuba Divers:

Total Diving - Montreal Scuba do not have dry suit diver specialty courses on its scuba diving course schedule at the moment. However, please simply contact us. We will organize dry suit diver courses based on your needs.

Then, check the schedule of ice diving in Quebec for 2012 and come live this experience!

Scuba Diving Pool Practice at the Montreal Olympic Basin

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:47:38 -0500

Scuba Diving Pool Practice at the Montreal Olympic Basin:

Despite the winter, Montreal scuba divers are lucky! They can still practice their scuba diving skills. In Montreal, we have one of the best pools in Quebec, Canada and North America, to practice scuba diving skills: The Olympic Pool Basin with its 45 feet of water!

PADI scuba diving instructors and divemasters from Total Diving - Montreal Scuba are going this coming Sunday and there’s still room for you. Why don’t you come get wet with us?

PADI Instructors & Divemasters Member Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:50:00 -0500

PADI Instructors & Divemasters Member Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada:

The annual PADI Member Forum in Montreal, Quebec, was announced with a date but without a location… The location is now known. It will be in the usual Holiday Inn on Cote-de-Liesse.

We’ve updated our initial post where you’ll find all the details about this annual PADI meetings of scuba diving instructors and divemasters in Montreal.

Video of Montreal scuba divers doing ice diving in Quebec. It is...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:52:00 -0500

Video of Montreal scuba divers doing ice diving in Quebec.

It is not as impressive as the ice diving / underwater fishing / upside down underwater video from Finland that went viral around the scuba diving world in the last few weeks, but… It still gives you an idea of what Montreal scuba divers do during the Winter in Quebec :)

Come scuba diving under ice with us in February & March in Quebec. We could work together on doing an ice diving video even more cool than the ones done by the Finns scuba divers… What say you? :)

Video by Houssam Kawtharani.

Montreal PADI Course Director Candidate to the Scuba Diving Industry Association (DEMA) Board of Directors

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:08:16 -0500

Montreal PADI Course Director Candidate to the Scuba Diving Industry Association (DEMA) Board of Directors:

PADI Course Director and Total Diving’s owner, Darcy Kieran, is on the ballot for joining the Board of Directors of DEMA, our scuba diving industry trade association.

You can read his position statement on the Business of Diving blog.

Montreal Scuba Diving app: Now updated for your iPhone, iPad,...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:55:00 -0500

Montreal Scuba Diving app: Now updated for your iPhone, iPad, Android - or any smart phone!

Stay in touch with your PADI dive school in Montreal with our latest scuba diving news for Montreal and Eastern Canada. Always have the up-to-date list of forthcoming scuba diving trips for your vacations, and dive activities for after work (via MeetUp - Montreal Scuba Diving). As an extra… General scuba diving news and even cool news about life in Montreal!

There’s a native app version for Google Android. The web app for Montreal Scuba Diving will also work on your iPhone, iPad, Windows phone and others. Get it here: totaldiving.mobapp.at or scan the QR Code below with your smart phone!

It’s mainly a “social app”, to keep in touch with our dive buddies. After all, talking about scuba diving is the next best thing after scuba diving, right?

Check for carbon monoxide before your next scuba dive -...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:25:00 -0500

Check for carbon monoxide before your next scuba dive - especially on vacations down South!

Carbon monoxide is tasteless, odorless and colorless. That’s why it’s called the silent killer. If your scuba diving cylinder is contaminated, you will not know until… It’s too late :(

The only way to be safe is by checking your scuba cylinder.

It used to be difficult to do so, but not anymore! Analox has a small, portable carbon monoxide analyzer designed for scuba divers, called the “EII CO Carbon Monoxide Analyzer”. Check the specs on the Analox website then stop by Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Diving to get one… BEFORE your next scuba dive trip this Winter!

It is not a requirement for dive centers to have a CO detector on their compressor. However, at Total Diving - Montreal Scuba, we have a carbon monoxide analyzer permanently installed on the line coming out of the compressor. Safety comes first.

We want you to come back. Totally.

Scuba Diving Under Ice in Quebec - Montreal Scuba Diving

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:52:00 -0500

If you have the spirit of facing adventure and meeting the unusual… If challenging scuba diving activities appeal to you… If you want to see incredible underwater visibility… Try scuba diving under the ice!

Are you up for it?

It’s a unique experience! Visibility is simply “the best” and seeing sun rays through the hole is… Nothing short of AMAZING!

We’re doing it… So why don’t you join us? That’s one thing you can cross off your bucket list ;)

Where?

At Morrison Quarry, just North of Ottawa. We dive all Summer at Kahnawake quarry, so… Let’s visit a new dive site!

Morrison Quarry is well setup for ice diving with even an outdoor fireplace :)

More info on Morrison Quarry, here.

When?

Traditionally, March has been the best month for ice diving in Eastern Canada. In March, the temperature is starting to get a bit warmer when we are out of the water. Yet, the ice is still strong. In fact, ice is often more “elastic” and reliable when it starts warming up a bit in the Spring.

However… In the last few years… We’ve often had to cancel our ice diving plans for March because… The ice was all gone!

So… We’re starting earlier, this year!

We’ve planned 3 separate one-day ice diving events.

Which dates? How much?

If you’re already a certified ice diver, you can come to either one of these days: Sunday, February 5; Sunday February 26; or Saturday March 10. It’s $95 per day. It’s a lot of work - but it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Register online or contact Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Diving.

Of course, you are welcome to come diving on all 3 days if you wish!

You’ll find suggestions of nearby places to sleep at the bottom of this post (if you prefer to sleep there the night before or after).

What’s included?

We supply the ice diving specialized equipment like harnesses and ropes required to safely go scuba diving under ice.

We also supply a team of instructors and divemasters experienced in scuba diving under ice, to help you out.

The entrance fee to Morrison quarry is included.

You can dive as much as it is logistically possible during that day…

What if I need to take the ice diver course?

You must be certified as an Ice Diver to dive in - or… Do the course with us on these dates! Easy!

Simply register (and come!) to one of our ice diving theory sessions, then register and come to two (2) of our ice diving day events. One theory session + 2 days of ice diving = certified as an ice diver! Congrats!!

To get your “ice diver” PADI certification card, you need to successfully complete 3 dives with your ice diving instructor, over 2 different days. Sorry! It’s a PADI rule! And… You’ll find that 2 ice dives in one day is… A lot :)

We have 2 theory nights on schedule: Either Tuesday, January 31st; or Monday, February 20.

The cost of the theory session, which also covers the cost of your ice diving certification card and your ice diving instructor during the dives, is $89. That’s it! It includes everything supplied to the sport ice divers, as explained above, plus your cylinders and weights - and your ice diving certification card at the end. The cost of the 2 days of ice diving is additional.

Total: $89 + $95 + $95 = $279

What are the pre-requisites?

For diving for fun on the ice diving days, you need an ice diver certification card.

To take the course, you need to be 18 years old (or more!) and have completed your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.

Do I need a dry suit?

Well… A dry suit is cool and hot! But, you do not absolutely “need” one to do ice diving.

There are people doing ice diving in a wetsuit, especially if you have a very warm wetsuit like the Beuchat Focea Comfort Premium wetsuit with a 7mm full and 5mm vest on top. Did you see our Canadian freediving champion, Nathalie Hébert, under ice? She goes there with a Beuchat 5mm!

If you want to use a dry suit for the ice diving week-end, you must, first, be certified as a dry suit diver.

If you want to do your dry suit diver course before the ice diving day, simply register into a the dry suit diver course “to be scheduled” and we will contact you. We’ll organize a group for dry suit diving course before the ice diving weekend.

Suggestions: Places to Sleep

There are 2 nearby places costing about $80 per night per room (for 2). Otherwise, there are plenty of motels & hotels in Gatineau and Hull.

Hotel Wunderbar, North of Wakefield and the quarry: 819-459-2471 => bbcanada.com/491.html

La Vallée Restaurant & Motel, South of the quarry: 819-827-0524 => lavalleemotel.com

I have other questions…

Well… Ask! Stop by for a coffee at Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Diving in NDG or call at 514-482-1890 / 1-888-482-1890.

So… Are you game?

—-

Besides registering with Total Diving - Montreal Scuba for the courses and/or the ice diving days… Please join our fun ice diving groups on Meetup… We can start talking about it, right now!

Blowing scuba diving bubbles in a pool, in Montreal, during the Winter - for fun!

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:53:00 -0500

It’s winter but we can still practice our scuba diving skills. In Montreal, we’re lucky to have the Olympic Pool with its 45 feet of water!

Total Diving goes there once a month, from Fall to Spring. Join us before your dive trip down South to refresh your skills and get comfortable in the water. Or come test your new dive gear. Or just come breathe underwater, for fun, until Spring comes back!

You can also jump on this wet occasion to do an offical PADI Scuba Review with one of Total Diving’s scuba diving instructors. Talk to us about it or register online, right now.

Our next 2012 scuba diving outings to the Olympic Pool in Montreal are on:

Sundays: January 22, February 19, March 11, April 22, November 11, and December 9

If you can’t make it on those dates, you’re also welcome to join us during our scuba diving fun pool practices at the following locations. These are 2 hour sessions:

Collège Marie-Victorin in the East-End of Montreal
Aquadome in Ville LaSalle in the South-West part of Montreal

To see the available dates at these 2 pool locations, simply use our online scuba diving registration system. Click on “Fun Pool Practice” and on “Book”, to see the dates.

Let’s get wet. Let’s be ready to go diving!

Details about the Olympic Pool dive practice outings

It’s $27.50. We supply cylinders & weights but you must reserve ahead of time if you want us to bring some for you. Reserve right now online or call us at 514-482-1890 / 1-888-482-1890. We have the pool from 3pm to 4pm. So… Be there at 2:30pm to be ready to enjoy a full hour of wet time. Freediving is not allowed (only scuba diving). You want to park in P-B for “Centre sportif” at 3200 rue Viau. There’s a cost to the parking. You can get a free parking pass at the Total Diving dive shop in NDG while supply lasts (first come…). You must use dive gear that will not damage the pool.

Details about the dive practice sessions in other scuba diving pool locations

It’s $15. It includes cylinders & weights but you must reserve ahead of time if you want us to bring some for you. You must use dive gear that will not damage the pool. Sessions last 2 hours. Reserve your spot right now online or by calling 514-482-1890 / 1-888-482-1890. Freediving and scuba diving are, both, allowed. You can use paid or free parking around the installations.

Time slots are as follow:

Saturdays & Sundays: from 5pm to 7pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays: from 9pm to 11pm

Hot-headed scuba divers (sorta) in the St. Lawrence Seaway in...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:18:00 -0500

Hot-headed scuba divers (sorta) in the St. Lawrence Seaway in January! :O

Night dive at the famous Lock 21 dive site. On the pictures, we see Martin with a dry suit that can pretty much stand up on its own! …while Seb is warming up his hands. Or is he making a prayer before going in? :P

Water temperature: 37F. Air temperature: -4F. So… It’s warmer to go scuba diving! ;)

“You need a bit of courage to suit up and dive in, but the view is amazing! For cold hands, there’s always Tim Horton!” declared Sebastien Savignac, PADI Course Director at Total Diving - Montreal Scuba.

50 feet visibility. Dept of 55 feet. 1 knot current. 48 minute dive, as measured by the brand new tech diving VRx OLED dive computer.

“We’ve seen a lot of life down there, including mud dogs, a 4 feet pike and plenty of bass” declared Martin Neveu.

Montreal scuba divers are getting ready for the ice diving season. Are you ready?

This #scuba diving video has gone viral around the world and...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:14:39 -0500

This #scuba diving video has gone viral around the world and it’s about ice diving - actually, it’s about pretending to be “Fishing Under Ice” in Finland :)

Pretty cool, I would say!

PADI Member Forum in Montreal for Scuba Diving Instructors and Divemasters

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:02:00 -0500

Once a year, a PADI representative comes to Montreal for the annual meeting of PADI members around Montreal, Quebec. PADI is a worldwide certification agency for scuba diving courses.

For the last few years, this annual PADI Member Forum has become more interesting for many scuba diving instructors because it helps them satisfy their “minimum 4 hours of continuing education per year” as required by the Quebec Government to be allowed to teach scuba diving in the province of Quebec.

This year, PADI Divemasters will also have an increased interest in this annual PADI Member Forum since they are now, also, required to show proof of continuing education. It’s a new requirement for active divemasters in Quebec, starting this year.

But… Besides these con’ed (continuing education) issues, it’s also a fun annual meetup between dive professionals - an occasion to shake hands once a year and wish for a good local diving season in Quebec.

You can register, here, for the PADI Member Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on Thursday, February 23.

(Updated on January 16:) PADI has confirmed the meeting place: The Holiday Inn Montreal Airport on Cote-de-Liesse. Let’s meet at the bar of the Holiday Inn in mid-afternoon to “talk diving” among friends (and competitors) before the start of the official PADI Member Forum.

Register also in our Meetup group for this PADI Member Forum - so we can plan where we meet & when - once we know where PADI will be conducting this forum.

If you cannot be in Montreal on February 23, you can participate in this annual PADI Member Forum anywhere else on the planet… Simply consult the complete list of PADI Member Forums on Eventbrite. How about we go to the one in Hawaii? :O

Scuba Diving Adventures for your Children in Montreal: PADI SEAL Team

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:08:47 -0500

Last Fall, a group of young adventurers went breathing underwater with the 10-week PADI Seal Team scuba diving program for kids, with Total Diving at College Marie-Victorin in the East-End of Montreal.

“My son loved his underwater adventures. And me too!” said Catherine Robillard who is also the manager of Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Diving.

Give her a call and learn about it!

A new series of scuba diving adventures for children is starting next Sunday, January 22, in Montreal.

Register your kids online, here.

Check out this video of a young adventurer scuba diving in a pool in Montreal. Scuba diving, it’s a lot of fun - even in a pool!

Special: This week only, half-price on the PADI SEAL Team scuba diving program for kids in Montreal, with Living Social.

We had fun this morning at Arnold Paintball! Although…...

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:32:25 -0500

We had fun this morning at Arnold Paintball! Although… Apparently… Some Montreal scuba divers wanted to come and didn’t like the “8am, Sunday morning” part :( Ooops! It’s Darcy’s fault!

So… Laura & Isabel are organizing a “Take 2” event on a Saturday afternoon, this time around! Saturday, February 11, 3pm-7pm. Darcy got voted out of the island! ;)

It’s also to celebrate the weekend before Valentine Day - to provide a new way to meet a new dive buddy: shoot first, talk later! After paintball, we’ll go for drinks and dinner.

Of course, couples are also welcomed but… Check who you are hitting on! :)

Join the group on Meetup - Montreal Scuba Diving and register at Total Diving - Montreal Scuba.

“As 2011 sinks to the bottom, may 2012 be a year filled...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:09:00 -0500

“As 2011 sinks to the bottom, may 2012 be a year filled with fun resurfacing, discoveries and buddy happiness!”

Your Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Team

Scuba Diving in "Boxing Day" Mode in Montreal

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:21:34 -0500

Apparently, “Boxing Day” was traditionally a day during which wealthy people would give a gift box to their servants, after Christmas.

Regardless… Nowadays, it’s really all about specials, specials and specials.

The “Boxing Day” is supposed to be one day, after Christmas, during which stores are trying to get rid of all the stuff they couldn’t sell before Christmas and will probably not be able to sell until next December!

So… What do we do with that at the Total Diving dive store in Montreal? We don’t really have toys that are short-lived. Scuba diving equipment is good all year and lasts a long time! ;)

For the whole week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve…

A Gift

First of all… We’ll keep with the tradition of handing out gifts, even if you are not one of our servants! :P We will give, to the first 30 scuba divers to buy something (anything - even an anti-fog bottle), a pass to come with us to the Total Diving day at Arnold Paintball on January 8.

Scuba Diving Equipment

Otherwise… If you’d like some diving gear to go on a dive trip this Winter or to scuba dive around Montreal next Summer… We have a 3 punch offer for you!

a) 24 months to pay, no interest (on approved credit, monthly payments) - on any dive gear: whether we have it in stock or we have to order it for you! We want to help you go diving, not just reduce our inventory of diving gear.

b) We pay both sale taxes, on any scuba diving equipment in stock (excluding fins, mask & snorkel). Yes! We also want to reduce our inventory ;)

c) We have a lot of diving gear at reduced prices - up to 80%!

All right? It’s gonna help get you wet…?

Scuba Diving Training Courses

Hold on! Besides scuba diving equipment… If you are thinking about taking some scuba diving courses in 2012, now is the time to register!

Until January 1st, we pay both sale taxes for you and we offer you 24 months to pay, no interest (on approved credit, monthly payments).