Author Kathy Dowsett

Kathy Dowsett

Kathy is the owner of Kirk Scuba Gear, a passionate Scuba Diver, Ocean Advocate and Managing Editor of The Scuba News Canada

Wreck Hunter 2: The Adventure Continues

By Kathy Dowsett on January 17, 2019 Community News, Scuba Features, Surface Interval

Spend some time in the company of an adventurer, find out what makes him tick and follow his remarkable journey on some of his real life adventures over the past 35 years. Experience the thrills, excitement and challenges that are associated with searching for shipwrecks and sunken treasure. There are over 10,000 shipwrecks off the coast of Nova Scotia with less than one percent having been located. The possibilities and opportunities for new discoveries of shipwrecks are limitless. Read about the remarkable history of but a few of the thousands of shipwrecks that lie off the coast of Nova Scotia.…

I am Salmon Wins Two Awards

By Kathy Dowsett on January 17, 2019 Environmental News, Photo and Video News

Back in January 2018, The Scuba News Canada published the trailer of “I am Salmon”, a video by Peter Mieras, about the importance and life cycle of wild Pacific salmon. Since that time “I am Salmon” has won two awards. The first one was in Romania at the International Short Stop film festival, and the second was in Morocco at the International Festival of Environmental Films of Chefchaouen. At the San Diego Undersea film exhibit, “I am Salmon” came in second place in audience choice on one of the evenings of the presentation. I am Salmon was filmed around the Alberni Valley, British…

Photo Credit Facebook

Restoration of 19th Century Firearms found off the coast of Newfoundland

By Kathy Dowsett on January 17, 2019 Community News, Surface Interval

A fishing net in 2011 from the trawler, Newfoundland Lynx, snagged a different kind of “fish” in 800 metres of water. 20 P53 Enfield rifle-muskets in a crate were dragged to the surface and surprisingly, these rifle-muskets were in remarkable shape considering they had spent 150 years on the ocean’s bottom. The iron barrels have corroded, however. The P53 Enfield rifle/musket was found everywhere with the British army and used during the American Civil War and the Crimean War, and were considered a first class rifle. Parts were interchangeable and machine-made from around the 1850’s and 1860’s. The cost for this rifle was $20.00 and…

Exhibit Opening: The Lost Fleet Opens at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia

By Kathy Dowsett on January 9, 2019 Community News, Event News, Surface Interval

The Maritime Museum of BC is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the exhibit titled The Lost Fleet January to March, 2019. This exhibit will be on loan from the Vancouver Maritime Museum. The exhibit will also feature a new art show titled “A Series for Contemplation” from local Japanese-Canadian artist, Marlene Howell. Media Open House Event Details You are invited to drop-in anytime between 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM on Friday, January 11th at the Maritime Museum of BC (634 Humboldt St, Victoria BC). Admission is complimentary and no reservation is required. If you would like to come in outside of…

Find the Fish – A Children’s Book for Ages 5-10

By Kathy Dowsett on January 9, 2019 Community News, Environmental News

This eye-spy style book is the “Where’s Waldo” of the fish world! It is soft-cover and features 11 searches for fish of the northeast Pacific Ocean. Each search is spread across two pages to be 17″ wide by 11″ high (43 cm x 28 cm). All photos were taken by The Marine Detective around NE Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The book also includes sketches of the fish species by Andy Lamb of Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to being fun, the book is intended to add to the knowledge of just how diverse and colourful life is in these cold,…

Shearwater Research is voluntarily issuing a recall for yellow wireless transmitters

By Kathy Dowsett on December 3, 2018 Equipment News

Shearwater Research is voluntarily issuing a recall for yellow wireless transmitters. We discovered yellow transmitters may have the same transmission interval as the one found in grey transmitters. When transmitters of both colors are used by the same diver in the same dive, signal interference could be produced between transmitters causing dropped signals and loss of communications. Although the chance of this occurring is small, the potential is there. The transmitter is cylindrical in shape, three inches in length, YELLOW in color, and marked with the letters “FCC ID: MH8A” along with a unique serial number. It is sold by…

JHJonesVimeoShort from Kenneth Merryman on Vimeo.

Canada Day Find – The JH Jones

By Kathy Dowsett on December 3, 2018 Community News

Sonar helped divers, Ken Merryman, Jerry Eliason, (sonar and drop camera electronics expert) both from Minnesota and Cris Kohl (diver and maritime historian) from Windsor, Ontario discover the shipwreck, JH Jones in Georgian Bay. The discovery was made possible by the historical research of Cris Kohl and the inspiration of Dan and Robert Crawford, the great-great and great grandsons of Captain J.V. Crawford who perished with the ship in 1906. This diving team discovered the wreck of the coastal steamer J H Jones on July 1, 2018 exactly where a Cape Croker lighthouse keeper said it was 112 years ago. Ken, Jerry and Chris…

Wrecks and Reefs, 2019 Calendar Now Available

By Kathy Dowsett on December 3, 2018 Community News, Photo and Video News, Surface Interval

Just in time for Christmas, Stuart Seldon has published his annual 2019 calendar, “Wrecks and Reefs” which contain a collection of his underwater photos from http://www.wetspotimages.com. These photos include the Great Lakes, Caribbean and the west coast of Canada. This is the 8th year Stuart has published this calendar. Stuart says “I’m just one of those guys that keeps chugging along doing 150 dives a year, and have been for over four decades.” He was certified in 1974, and became an Instructor in 1978. Stuart ran a dive Op in Tobermory before moving to the Bahamas and Grand Cayman where he…

Discovery channel to broadcast live from bottom of Blue Hole

By Kathy Dowsett on November 21, 2018 Scuba Features

Belize’s Blue Hole, is one of the largest submerged sink holes in the world, and has fascinated environmentalists, ocean experts and scientists for years. The hole is circular in shape, 318 m (1,043 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep. The Blue Hole is located 46 miles off the coast of Belize, a popular diver’s/snorkelers paradise and is known for its abundance of sharks and sea life and also for its crystal-clear warm water. Many divers consider The Blue Hole a “bucket list dive”, but this dive it is not for beginner divers – a prerequisite to dive the Blue Hole…

Women Divers Hall Of Fame To Induct Julie Ouimet, A Canadian

By Kathy Dowsett on November 18, 2018 Community News

The Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) announced this week that it would induct nine new members this year to its list of impressive Women Divers, including Canadian Julie Quimet.

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