17 October 2006

We've been X-Rayed


As I’ve mentioned from time-to-time, J and I are scuba divers, and we love it. We love it even better if the water is warm!

We’ve only just recently discovered X-Ray Mag which is a FREE bi-monthly online publication covering everything there is to know about the sport.

What an awesome magazine! The articles are well written, the images are just spectacular and the information invaluable. Even the advertising is educational and interesting!

There’s also mention of the UAE in Issue #13’s 102 packed pages. On Page 9, there’s a short article about coral regeneration in the Arabian Gulf including Abu Dhabi, and on Page 14, there’s a full-page spread on Fraser Bathgate who has become the first wheelchair-bound person to gain a Course Director qualification with NAUI. Fraser started his diving in Dubai in 1992.

On Pages 5 & 6, there’s an excellent article on diving in Lebanon, and how the oil spill is being cleaned up. Fortunately, it has had little impact on the Lebanese diving companies, although overall they are badly hurting from the lack of patronage. Read the article and then go to Lebanon for some excellent underwater experiences.

One of the great aspects of the X-Ray website is that it allows you to download the magazine as a pdf or as an online magazine with several different options to choose from depending on the speed of your internet connection.

So, all you divers out there – Mme Cyn, Grumpy Goat, Mrs Moryarti and my NZ friends C, C and D&G included – if you haven’t already discovered X-Ray Magazine, go do it!

There's even something there for you on the X-Ray website, AWoS and Mise - singer Kate Melua and her band descended to 303m on a North Sea gas rig to set a record for the deepest performance with an audience! Read all about it here.

I’m off to download the back issues from the archives!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! 303 m and singing? with an audience too? amazing!

moryarti said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
moryarti said...

I will tell the Mrs about the magazine ..

And 303 meters! .. that’s guaranteed to give you one hell of buzz :)

nzm said...

Yes - it would have been amazing to have gone down that deep. I wonder what their voices and instruments sounded like? I once went down in a dive compression chamber, and under pressure, I sounded like Mickey Mouse! Then we all got nitrogen narcosis, I sang Stormy Weather with my MM voice, and we all laughed ourselves to exhaustion!

Buj: good to hear from you - what's happened to your blog?

Mory: it's a great mag - I'm sure that Mrs M will enjoy reading it. The Lebanon article is really good too.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Amazing, in a wheelchair and yet becoming a course director. And there are many walking people who don't think they can do it, or don't even attempt to try and see if they can. I read about the Melua concert, quite interesting.

Mise said...

Itsn't that troll an amazing piece of engineering design.... I like Katie Melua..I wonder how the sound was. :-D

Anonymous said...

Me too, I'm kinda curious about the sound. It'd be cool to hear some clips if they're out there.

* said...

Im on a different narcosis!
So VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME...errr pass the brownies!

Anonymous said...

U have a wonderful blog!
Greetings from Ellie (Nederland)

clayfuture said...

I want to scuba dive.. but I'm scared of deep water!!

nzm said...

SS: Yes - it is amazing isn't it? I bet he's a guy who doesn't know the meaning of can't.

Mise and Louis: have to do some scouting to see if some audio is available!

kaya: you on your meds again? :-) Sniff the cones, sniff the cones! lol.

Ellie: thanks for visiting! Your site is a wonderful history of you, your family and where you live.

Clayfuture: feel the fear and do it anyway! You won't regret it!

Mme Cyn said...

Thanks. Cool mag. Cool pic -- where were you two diving that the colors are so great, or is that photoshopped?

nzm said...

Mme Cyn: no Photoshopping required.

That's what you get when you dive the Great Barrier Reef off Port Douglas in Australia!

We dived there in April 2004.

Anonymous said...

That photo is amazing. Hmmm...wonder if there is any scuba diving here in Morocco