Incoming Mail: April 2013

Dear Rick,

Just a quick note: I really like your magazine.  I have been picking it up for years at my local dive shop in Eastern Massachusetts. I gotta say- it's awesome. I love your approach and reading about local dive destinations from all across the country. It’s uncommon to see. It is fun to read about my own waters and learn about other areas. You are doing great job!  But there is one problem: my local store is going out of business and no longer will be able to give me copies of the magazine. Can I subscribe? I want to keep reading and keep diving.

Content is King

Dear Rick,

I read PNWDN emails and your letters from the editor and sense your enthusiasm and excitement!! I live in Spokane and rarely get to travel to warm water destinations. I only dive cold water in my locality or the Puget Sound. I am always fascinated and eager to read articles you have published that fits my dive profile.

While I find your warm water destination features fun to read, I benefit most from your cold water tips, articles, and photos. I also thoroughly enjoy reading Andy Lamb's Critter of the Month. It is fun to learn about all the critters in the PNW.

Thank you again for your magazine! I love the glossy cover, but most importantly is the content you publish inside the magazine.
Debbie Dahl-Cole
Spokane, WA

Dear Debbie,

Thanks for the note. These are good thoughts and to be honest, I have felt this way too. I founded this magazine in 1996 to help give other active PNW divers like me access to resources on where to go, what to do and who to see – here in the PNW that we love and have so much access to. I will continue that. You can count on it. We are getting ready to launch a new and improved website and it will greatly enhance the information that we are able to provide and your access to it.

Naturalist Andy Lamb does a great job with our "Critter Corner" each month. Each month, noted author and naturalist Andy Lamb profiles one of our PNW critters and tells facts about them, home water, size, coloring, etc. He does a great job. He does need "help" coming up with ideas. Can you email him some ideas about what critters that you would like to know about. You don't need to know their names, just send your thoughts. That way he will know that somebody is reading...

Thanks for your feedback,
Rick

Incoming Mail: March 2013

Dear Rick,
I just finished working at the Seattle Boat Show – I've been attending for many years, and while it was good for us, it was not the same show of years past.

Special Request from Diver Dad!

Hi Rick,
You had a group picture taken before the dive on the beach. I was with my son who is 12, but did not have a camera. Would it be possible to get copies of those pictures for special memory? If you think we can “trade” photos, I have attached two of your youngest treasure hunt participant (I believe).

Thank you!
Diver Dad!

Dear Dive News Network...

Dear DNN,
I called in last week and wanted to write in and follow up with a Great Big THANKS! I love the magazine and enjoy the work you guys put into it every month. But I have one complaint – well it’s actually a compliment to your team. Stop mailing me the physical subscription!! It must cost you guys a fortune in printing and mailing costs. Save a TREE and honestly – why wait for my physical subscription when I can access the same information, laid out exactly like the magazine itself – 24/7! Good Lord – save your money. Sign me up – change my status – perform whatever incredible magic you guys do and send me my DIGITAL Subscription. I recently purchased an IPAD and love it. I can access the magazine anywhere … on my time.
Your fan from MA,
Henry

Kids and Drysuits - who has the best?

Hello Rick,
This is just a quick note to say I appreciate the time and effort you and your staff put into your publication. I know you have quite a bit of experience with diving and gear so I wanted to take a moment of your time and ask a question. 

I have a daughter who is a bit younger than yours.  She will be turning 10 years old this December.  She has completed three different seal team classes but due to their rules cannot begin her JR training until she is 10 years old.  She is very comfortable with the water and can do all the skills required of JRs.  We are new to the Cape area, and want diving in COLD water to be a positive experience. 

Recently, you mentioned dry suits for kids.  I was wondering what brand you would recommend for a growing 10 year old.

I have done a majority of my diving in the Carolinas and even Florida because I personally prefer to dive in warm waters. But since moving further north on the coast and having read your magazine, I am rethinking my opinion of cold water diving. Your magazine has made me think twice.

Regards,
Diving Dad

Incoming Mail: January 2013

When Janna N. posed the question on her Facebook page, we recognized what a great question it is: Do you like (and would you buy or currently own) pink dive gear?” The response we received was overwhelming! Thanks Janna for sharing your thoughts and please share yours with us!

Incoming Mail: March 2012

Dear Selene Muldowney,

I would like to thank you for including the three Northwest Diving News articles on "Diving and Conditioning" by Strength and Conditioning Coach Israel Sanchez in 2011. The articles were thought provoking and well written.

Reader Feedback Dec. 2012

Hey Rick,
Great job you are doing, with newer equipment and different ideas about diving and the safety of diving wrecks. Why does the diving news cover divers who have gone down to the Andrea Doria wreck currently, but don’t really talk about the previous pioneers who originally paved the way? My daughter’s father and the crew of the ‘Top Cat’ had dived down to Andrea Doria in the early 60’s. The story was in an edition of the ‘Diving’ magazine. They were based in New Bedford, MA at that time. Did you know about this?
Ros Provencal.
Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, now living in Peoria, AZ.

Ros,
Thanks for your note and comments on our magazine. Your story and the stories of real divers are why we put this magazine together. Our magazines are by divers and for divers. Our mission is to promote the sport by promoting local diving and local dive communities.

Just so you know, one of my friends is Peter Hunt. He crewed on the Wahoo back in the 1980’s and dived the Andrea Doria like you did. He dropped out of diving for nearly 30 years and then got back into it to go back to the Doria, one last time in 2011. He was amazed at the changes in the sport, especially technical diving over the past 30 years. He wrote a fantastic book about his adventures (Setting the Hook – 2012), the Doria back in the day and the changes in the sport during that time. We published a brief account of his story and a short excerpt from the book in our March 2012 edition. Here is a link to it online.

Please send me your story so we can share it!
See you on the next dive!
Rick

Inc Mail Feb 2012 SWDN

Dear Rick,
Thank you for developing the E-edition of Northwest Dive News. I am an active member of the Josephine County Search and Rescue Dive team. I like reading about the dive activities of the Pacific Northwest. I do travel some and enjoy reading the magazine without having to carry the magazine and just read it on my Kindle Fire. In my scuba trips I would usually carry several of your magazines so I would have the name and numbers of dive shops for support resources during my trips, well now I can just use a WI-FI connection and get that info.
Thanks again,
Jim Phillippe
Eagle Point, Oregon

Hey Jim,
Thanks for the kudos! We put forth a great amount of effort to make the digital editions, but you haven’t seen anything yet. Like I talked about in my publisher’s note this month, the new E-dition will blow you away! I can’t wait for you to see it. And the best part is, it will work with your Kindle Fire.
Can’t wait to see your thoughts on this new E-dition, hopefully you like it!
Thanks,

Incoming Mail - National Edition 2012

Dear Rick,

I’ve been keeping an eye on your magazines for a while, because I’m a west coaster who lives in New York in the summer, and I get to dive a lot in the southeast. I consider myself a true “US Diver” since I’m from so many great local dive hot spots, and I really appreciate the work you are doing to promote the sport of diving in a local environment.

Incoming Mail Feb 2012 NWDN

Dear Rick,
Thank you for developing the E-edition of Northwest Dive News. I am an active member of the Josephine County Search and Rescue Dive team. I like reading about the dive activities of the Pacific Northwest. I do travel some and enjoy reading the magazine without having to carry the magazine and just read it on my Kindle Fire. In my scuba trips I would usually carry several of your magazines so I would have the name and numbers of dive shops for support resources during my trips, well now I can just use a WI-FI connection and get that info.
Thanks again,
Jim Phillippe
Eagle Point, Oregon

What do YOU think? Safe or unsafe?

Dear Rick,

Dude, I love your magazine! I want you to know that we truly do – BUT- your last cover in the July edition was the most irresponsible cover that I’ve ever seen in the business.

Showing a diver with his mask off and regulator out – hamming for the camera shows off our sport in an unsafe manner and YOU should not have done it. Your magazine does have great parts to it but this time you are an irresponsible disreputable bastard! Don’t do it again or you will lose my business forever!

Signed,

Disgruntled dive shop owner

Dear Dive Shop Owner,

Thanks for taking the time to read the magazine, and for writing this note. Your being upset by something that we printed shows that you care about what we print. While I do agree that safety is the highest priority, it’s really not the best idea to take the fun out of diving at the expense of safety. As divers we all know our own limitations. Each individual is at a different skill level. I knew that I would potentially take a lot of flak about that image but that photo is of a dive master posing for a photo. The photo was taken by his instructor and dive shop owner, Bill Lamp’l.

The image, while easily percieved as unsafe, really was not. we printed the image, in part, to challenge this “safety first” mentality that we in the dive business seem to have enforced. It really should be fun first with safety along as a partner.

Sometimes we are so safety oriented that we take ourselves too seriously and forget that the reason we all love diving so much is because it is fun. After all, the most “safe” thing we could do would be not to dive at all.

Mask off – regulator out is practiced by all certified divers the first night of class, and is something every diver is taught to do for safety reasons.

Again, thanks for your comments and for caring about what we print and hold on to your fins…can’t wait to see what divers will send after they’ve read THIS.

Respectfully,

Rick

Rick,

I want to commend you and your staff at DNN on the cover shot for the July edition of Southeast Dive News. Diving is supposed to be fun and all too often that is lost in the shuffle. Keep it up and great job with the new Southeast editions.

Best Wishes,

Scott

Scott,

Thanks for the compliments and as you can see by our first letter this month; I agree. We want people to be safe but we also want them to have fun.

Happy Diving,

Rick

In Memory of Peter Hess

Dear Rick,

It is with heavy heart, I need to tell you Peter Hess has passed. For those who didn’t know, Peter Hess was not your usual diver. He was a well-known attorney who practiced Maritime law, but he was also not like any other attorney. Peter Hess was a master of both. And those who worked with him, dived with him, or just knew him as a friend are legion throughout the world. Peter was a connoisseur of life’s opportunities and a master of social networking. If you were a friend of Peter’s you would have to prepare a part of your life for unexpected adventures and wild journeys sprinkled with the occasional maddening mayhem.

Lionfish Tacos!

Dear Rick,

Just got the current issue and was glad to see the letter on the front inside referencing Pensacola. I was surprised to see a letter from someone who has a dive charter operation here in Pensacola that I never heard of yet, but that is a different matter. My interest has been, as you know, keeping people informed about our area and updates and I thought an interesting thing might be the fact that we have had "Lion Fish" start to appear on our local reefs.

Jan. 2012 Note from Rick to Northwest

I am very excited to bring you this edition. It represents, in a way, all the things we’re hoping for our business and our industry in 2012. Like all small businesses, we have been affected by the recession influencing our business and, occasionally, even our attitude…

Are you a member of Dive News Network?

This year marks the Dive News Network’s 16th anniversary. During our time in business, we have been providing informative services, which have made and helped maintain the connection between divers and the dive industry. We have come a very long way from newsletter, to newspaper, to magazine, and now we consider ourselves a media and marketing group!

From facebook:What's Your Dive Season?

Mark Vergalito, New Jersey: I dive all year around. As long as the boats are going out! If not, I am sure we would find a shore location.

James Matulis, Connecticut: Dive all year ! That’s why drysuits were invented !

Michael G. Bakich, Pennsylvania: I usually stop when the water gets hard.

Nancy Boucha, Illinois: There are two dive seasons: Local is April through October. Travel season is winter.

Ellyn Theisen, Wisconsin: 365 baby! Gotta love the drysuit.

Larry Douglas, Missouri: Have Drysuit year round diving !

Jim Blay, Indiana: Even with a drysuit, for me it has become Mar-Oct. Local diving, for me, from Nov-Feb is just no fun.

Katrina Ward, Indiana: Just got my drysuit, so the diving season just opened up to year round.

Amy Young-Leith, Oregon: The dive season is roughly January 1st through December 31st. :)

Bill Harrison, Missouri: This year I’m takin off from Jan 1 - Jan 2. Want a chance to stay out late for New Year’s Eve without early morning drive to the Polar Bear event.

Al Pahnke, Wisconsin: It ends when the ice is to thin to walk on, and begins when it is thick enough to walk on.

Kathy Bougie, Minnesota: Year round....when it’s frozen over in Minnesota it’s just time to head to warmer waters!

Keith D Brooks, Michigan: Anytime I am breathing!!

From a Transplanted Diver

Dear Rick,

Thanks for such a great southeast edition! I’m a northeast transplant who retired down south, and when I discovered you had started a southeast version of the dive news, I couldn’t tell you how thrilled I was!

From Curious George

Dear Rick,

I love your hot news, it’s phenomenal! Every month is something relevant. And not to keep complimenting here, but your activities listing provides me with plenty of ideas to help me stay active. There’s a problem here though, I’m in charge of a local dive group (we are not a club), and I need to know how to get our event listed? Do I have to pay to be included in your hot news section? What if I want to submit a dive site review, will I get it printed even though I’m an amateur?

Thanks for all your hard work compiling this info for us!

Curious George