This was shot by my dive buddy John Walker in May 07. The location is just outside of Akumal on the Yucatan peninsula. 

Tush Kupaxa is an awesome cave. Located on Mexico’s Yucatan Penninsula along the Maya Rivera. Way off the beaten path, this cave hosts an enormous about of prehistoric remnants, including BONES.

I was poking around the interweb and I stumbled upon this SCUBA regulator mouth-piece: The Manta-Bite. Apparently, it’s designed to be placed in your mouth and then the “manta wings” create a water barrier.

This would allow you to relax your bite on the mouth piece and in theory make it more like breathing with your mouth slightly open.

The picture to the right shows how you pinch the mouth piece before you shove it in your mouth. I’ve read of people using these to protect their airway should they passout underwater. The thought is that with this type of mouth piece you wouldn’t lose the regulator as your jaw relaxed.

Maybe it’s comfortable but to me, it looks like it might rub my gums raw, I’d need one to review.

$39.99, available in Clear, Green and Black

Link: http://www.manta-bite.com

To divers, traveling on airlines with tons of scuba gear is almost always a pain. Add a rebreather and it can get even more complicated. You have weight issues, extra baggage fees and the fear that something will get broken, stolen or confiscate.

I saw this on San Diego Tech Diving and Rebreather World and it’s an excellent run-down of all the issues.

I work for the airlines in the US, so I will try and throw in my 2 cents.

- TANKS. you can travel with tanks (ill advised) as they can be siezed by TSA without warning and you will not get them back. They must be checked, valves removed, with absolutely nothing blocking the tank opening. They can be asses even about clear packing tape over the opening, or they can be cool. It is anyones guess. Pre-ship or make arrangement at your destination for tanks.

- SORB. Easier to pre-ship. There has been discussion on another forum about putting all of you sorb in a Kitty Litter tub and checking it in as baggage. Probably illegal but who knows. There are MSDS sheets you can print out and attach to your sorb tub. BUT while passengers have followed all of the rules on taking sorb on the plane the TSA has still chosen to confiscate it. You have no recourse for the confiscation, it is gone. Make back-up arrangements at your dive destination for SORB purchase.

- Rebreather. Carry on what you can, the delicate parts, the computers whatever you don’t want the baggage handlers or TSA rooting through (without your presence), possibly stealing or confiscating. Double check the allowed carry-on weight allowance.

- Check you airline website for weight restrictions for both carry on and cheaked baggage. All airlines are different and they change all of the time. Weigh you bags at home and work out the weight distribution before you get to the airport.

- I took my KISS CLASSIC as carry on baggage the last time I travelled, with my computer, DSV, put other parts in my scrubber. Just be prepared to take it all out and show them EVERYTHING.

Sometimes it is just easier to ship everything, with insurance.

Link to article