Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from April 2011.

Nitrox Tanks on Boat by dweekly

The Divers Alert Network launched an online store in early April. The DAN online store offers safety and educational gear.

OregonLife published an interesting piece on volunteer scuba divers at the Oregon Zoo and Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Deep Sea News reported on a study which contends that Nitrox diving may harm blood vessels.

Divers in the Florida Keys will once again be able to legally hunt lionfish, an invasive species, over three separate events.

A dive shop owner went scuba diving while dressed up as the Easter Bunny.

Comedian Jim Carrey appeared at an aquatic-themed party in full scuba gear.

Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from March 2011.

A diver in Japan reportedly donned scuba gear in the wake of the recent devastating tsunami in order to reach his otherwise inaccessible home to rescue his wife and mother.

Back in 1997 a National Geographic team caught footage of an Orca killing a Great White Shark off the Farallon Islands. The documentary The Whale That Ate Jaws first aired last month; clips from the show are available online.

In other shark news, a kayaker recently had a close encounter with a huge Basking Shark off the coast of Pamana City, Florida.

Celebrity Jessica Simpson’s latest line of designer duds includes scuba fins with heels.

A group of divers in Germany claimed a new world record in scuba diving last month. The divers played a card game underwater for 36 consecutive hours.

This beautiful video was shot in late 2010 by Darek Sepiolo. The video starts topside, with some of the remarkable creatures found on the Galapagos Islands. Stay tuned through the whole video to see awesome footage underwater, including one of the most sought-after underwater sightings for all scuba divers.

A new game inspired by scuba diving is truly terrifying. Depth graphically pits divers versus sharks in a battle to the death. With several shark species being endangered or vulnerable, the last thing we need is first-person-shark-shooter game.

Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from February 2011.

Untitled by Aqua-photos.com

PADI released the PADI App for iPhone and Android platforms this month. Users can search for PADI dive centers worldwide, or use the “current location” feature to find nearby centers.

An expedition heading to the North Pole will allow participants to skydive and scuba dive on the same trip. The tour operator says it will be the first time both activities are offered in the same expedition.

Ice fishermen in Minnesota found the catch of a lifetime when they reeled up a scuba diver. Disturbingly, the fishermen “had never seen [a dive flag] before and didn’t know what it meant.”

A popular commercial scuba diver was apparently killed by great white sharks off the coast of South Australia.

Christian J. Lambertson, an early scuba pioneer, died at the age of 93. Dr. Lambertson wrote a paper on a proposed “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” in 1952, coining the word SCUBA.

The World Resources Institute reported that approximately 75% of the world’s coral reef are threatened by human activity and climate change.

The Our World Underwater scuba event will be coming to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont from February 18th to the 20th. The weekend includes workshops and seminars, as well as scuba and travel exhibitors. There will be film festivals both Friday and Saturday evenings as well. Visit the Our World Underwater website for more information.

Rocky asks, are you OK? by tiswango

Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from January 2011.

Scuba Gear by JCtennis.com

A lionfish cookbook was published by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). Lionfish are an invasive species wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and Florida Keys.

A retired United States rescue vessel, the U.S.S. Kittiwake, was sunken as an artificial reef in the Cayman Islands.

Thailand took steps to ban scuba divers from visiting damaged coral reefs. 22 different sites, currently suffering from bleaching, will be off-limits to divers.

Shark-feeder Jim Abernethy was injured during a shark attack in the Bahamas. Abernethy is a tourism operator who uses bait to attract sharks.

The OC Register featured an interesting story about scuba diving “odd jobs” at Disneyland.

A unique website brings together amateur, hobby and professional metal detectors with those that can use their service. The Ring Finders is an online directory of people willing to help others find lost valuables with their metal detector. Naturally, many of the “ring finders” are scuba divers whose underwater skills can help those who have lost valuables while sailing or otherwise enjoying the open water. If you enjoy metal detecting while scuba diving, why not sign up as a Ring Finder?

Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from October 2010.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks at Darwin, Galapagos by echeng

A new device to assist non-divers in experiencing the magic of scuba, the HydroBOB, will be on the market soon. To start, it is available for tourists to rent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The new gadget does have some detractors.

In the Philippines, a scuba diver was dragged 300 feet below the surface by a giant tuna. The victim was rescued and placed in a recompression chamber as treatment.

UF Florida scuba divers celebrated Halloween with an underwater pumpkin carving contest.

Scuba.com posted a video review of the new Deep See Clarity Mask.

A scuba diver left at sea for more than four hours by a California operator was awarded over $1.5 million in damages.

DUI introduced a new line of four limited edition dry suits, including a skull-themed suit.

A scuba diver in Maine came face-to-face with a shark. The incident was captured on video.

Here’s a short wrap-up of notable scuba stories from September 2010.

Scuba Beer by Charlie is here

Salvage divers recovered what they believed to be the world’s oldest beer. The wreck, where intact bottles of champagne were also found, is located in the Baltic Sea. The beer bottles are approximately 200 years old.

An odd-looking fish, an individual Asian sheepshead wrasse, has been nicknamed Shrek due to its unusual appearance. The fish was seen off the coast of Japan and is estimated to be 30 years old.

An old oil-drilling rig in the Pacific Ocean has been turned into a hotel which caters to scuba divers. The Seaventures Dive Resort is located between Borneo, Indonesia and the Phillippines. The rig-turned hotel is nothing close to luxurious, but the crystal clear waters are the attraction.

A Madrid ad agency dressed up a mannequin as a dead body and placed it at a popular dive spot. The stunt was to promote a new television channel, Fox Crime.

A scuba diver in Florida attempted to break the record for the longest freshwater dive. The attempt was aborted after the diver began to suffer from flu-like symptoms after three days, four days short of the goal.

During a lionfish tournament in Key Largo, divers collected more than 500 of the invasive fish. Future tournaments are planned in Marathon and Key West later this year.

Liquid Image has introduced scuba masks which have a built-in video camera. Several models are available, including a unit that records HD video.