Huish has issued a recall on some Oceanic and Hollis regulators. Please see this page to find out if the one you have has been recalled. The serial number is on the first stage of the regulator, but the UPC and part numbers are only available on the packaging.
According to Huish, the recall is due to some regulators restricting airflow for tanks below 500 psi. This can be remedied with a repair and affects about 4,500 units.
Contact Huish Outdoors toll free at 888-270-8595 x4 from 8-6 MT or online here or here.
If you're into wreck diving, the name Chuuk Lagoon should get your heart racing — and rightly so. It's a graveyard of Japanese ships that went down during the Allies' Operation Hailstone during WWII. There are around 60 wrecks in an area of just a few miles, all lying within a calm atoll devoid of ocean currents. Many of the wrecks lie within recreational depths and they are all great dives, but here are our picks for the five top recreational wreck dives in Chuuk Lagoon.
Heian Maru
"Maru," a common appellation on the wrecks in Chuuk, means "merchant ship" in Japanese. The Heian Maru, a submarine tender, is the largest ship in the lagoon at 511 feet (155 m), which means it will take numerous dives just to get oriented. Originally a cargo passenger vessel, the Japanese requisitioned the ship in 1941 and put to work as a submarine tender, covering Rabaul, Kwajalein, Chuuk, and the Solomon Islands. On the morning of February 17th, 1944, as Operation Hailstone began, U.S. dive bombers attacked the ship. A from a 1,000-pound bomb damaged the propeller, and the next day, a bomb hit to the engine room on the port side started large fires. Finally, a torpedo hit on its port side caused the ship to list and it sank with the death of 18 crew members.
The wreck lies in 115 feet (35 m) of water on its port side, but the coral-covered starboard hull is very shallow at 33 feet (10 m). As you move along the top of the wreck, the glass in the portholes on the promenade deck shows bubbling from the intense fires. On the promenade deck, look for a pile of 50-foot-long (15 m) periscopes. In hold No. 2, you can see 10 long-lance torpedoes and in hold No. 3 there are submarine batteries and an artillery piece. Holds No. 4 and 5 offer a glimpse into the downtime of Japanese servicemen as they're both full of beer bottles. You'll find some timber, oxygen cylinders and gas masks as well. If you are wreck-certified, the engine room is an amazing sight of gauges, valves, cylinders, and pipework, which can be a little confusing due to the wreck's positioning. You can also see a human skull here.
Perhaps the most striking feature of this wreck, however, is the name, written on the bow in English and Kanji in raised letters. At the stern the two huge propellers and rudder are also quite a sight.
Sankisan Maru
Two wrecks in the lagoon best showcase the violence that rained down during Operation Hailstone: the Aikoku Maru is one and the Sankisan is the other. Both ships were carrying significant amounts of ordnance at the time of the attacks. As fires took hold after the bombings, huge secondary explosions destroyed half of the ships. The front half of the Aikoku Maru was completely obliterated (along with 730 lives). On the Sankisan, the entire rear half of the ship is missing apart from the very stern, which lies in a crater away from the rest of the ship at 155 feet (45 m).
The rest of the Sankisan is a very easy dive. It was a passenger cargo vessel and sits on its keel. The deepest point of the dive takes place above the forward holds at around 60 feet (20m). In hold No. 1 you will find a large pile of mixed ordnance — small-arms ammunition and anti-aircraft shells. It was neatly stacked in wooden boxes, but the wood has long since rotted away. You can swim from hold No. 1 into hold No. 2, where you'll find three radial aircraft engines, along with aircraft cowlings, exhausts and wheel assemblies. There are also remnants of 1.5-ton Isuzu trucks have degraded badly, but you can still make out the steering wheels, chassis, gearboxes and tires.
Fujikawa Maru
Perhaps the best-known wreck in Chuuk (along with the San Francisco Maru), the Fujikawa has it all — interesting cargo, amazing marine life, and an incredible engine room. The steering section at the stern is also a brief but interesting penetration dive.
When the attack began, the Fujikawa was busy unloading its cargo of disassembled aircraft. When a torpedo hit the ship just aft of amidships on the starboard side, it began to sink slowly, although the crew managed to abandon ship. It was still afloat on the next morning when dive bombers hit it with a 1,000-pound bomb on its port quarter. A further attack caused a large explosion, and it eventually sank, landing upright in 115 feet (35 m) of water, with the top of the bridge at 33 feet (10 m).
As with most wrecks in the lagoon, you can't possibly see everything on one or even two dives. Hold No. 1 contains stacks of spare aircraft propeller blades, some aircraft engine cowlings, wing tanks, and some 55-gallon fuel drums. There are also some shells and AA casings. Hold No. 2 contains numerous aircraft parts, including wings, cockpits, and fuselages. The cockpit of a Mitsubishi Zero is clearly identifiable, and even still has the joystick. Other parts are from Jill bombers. It's a jumbled mess, and over time it has become more difficult to make out exactly how many of each type of aircraft there are in there.
Of note in hold No. 3 is the extensive bomb damage, well worth a peek. The top of the superstructure has rotted and degraded to reveal baths in the officers' accommodations, but much of the bridge is missing the telegraphs and other navigational equipment on many other wrecks in the lagoon.
The engine room is one of the best in Chuuk and houses the iconic and often photographed "R2D2" compressor. There is a machine shop and storage area on the first level and lower levels contain the engine machinery where you will see valves, gauges and electrical switches dotted all over. Although it's easy to access the engine room, take care as you can easily kick up a lot of silt.
Kensho Maru
The Kensho Maru was very active during the war, making numerus supply voyages from Yokosuka in Japan to Chuuk, Rabaul, Saipan, Wake, Kwajalein and Taroa. Sixteen U.S. B-24 Liberator bombers heavily damaged the ship in a 1943 airstrike on Kwajalein, where it was temporarily repaired before being towed to Chuuk for more permanent repairs. On February 17 it was still under repair when Douglas Dauntless dive bombers attacked. A 1,000-pound bomb struck amidships, setting the ship on fire and killing six crewmembers. The ship remained afloat, however, and when it was attacked again the next day, the captain gave the order to abandon ship. Torpedo bombers sank it in 115 feet (35 m) of water, laying it to rest on the keel. Because it was being repaired, there was no cargo on the ship. The main area of interest during a dive is the engine room. Entering through skylights at around 60 feet (18 m), you descend into a cavernous space. From here you still have direct access to the surface. To go any further requires descending down a flight of stairs into the main area where you'll find the engines and generators. Although you should be wreck-certified and use a guideline, navigation is very easy. A rectangular grid of catwalks skirts around the machinery on two main levels, and there's very little silt because the catwalks allow it to sink to the very bottom of the wreck.
Everywhere you look you can see valves, gauges, switches, even thermometers coming out of the pipework. In one corner is a machine shop with a vice and huge wrenches on the wall. Using of nitrox will give you the bottom time you need to have a good look around providing your air consumption is good. The bottom of the engine room is at around 100 feet (30 m).
Other highlights include officer accommodations below the bridge that contain baths, with pipes and taps still attached. Further aft is the galley, which has a stove, a mosaic-tiled floor, and a shelf containing crew uniforms. The bridge has rotted away, but just below you can see two radio stacks in the radio room.
Shinkoku Maru
At 503 feet long (152 m), the Shinkoku Maru is the second-largest wreck in the lagoon. Requisitioned as an auxiliary oiler in 1941, it refueled Japanese aircraft carriers during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was present at the Battle of Midway. It was attacked and torpedoed by U.S. submarines twice during supply trips to Chuuk, escaping with minor damage and quick repairs. The ship entered the lagoon for the last time on February 14, 1944 and its luck ran out shortly thereafter. On February 17, a bomb hit the vessel amidships although it remained afloat. The next day, a torpedo hit the Shinkoku on its port side at the stern. Water flooded into the engine room and it sank soon after. It lies upright in 130 feet (40 m) of water.
The most striking sensation when diving this wreck is just how long and wide it feels as you swim from one end to the other. A normal dive begins with a swim to the stern to see the torpedo hole on the port side. Along the way you will see various valves and pipes on the deck, reminding you that this was an oil tanker. The torpedo hole allows access to the engine room, which is a twisted mess of metal in some areas. It can be tight and disorienting as you enter lower levels, so good wreck training is a must. This is the deepest part of the dive, at around 100 feet (30 m). You can also enter the engine room via the skylights on the main deck. Descending here reveals a large space containing cylinder heads below a catwalk. Moving back along the ship toward the bow the highlight is the main superstructure, which has officers' accommodation on the lower level.
A bathroom still contains a tiled bath, and next door are some urinals. In the main area on the port side is a surgeon's table, which has numerous bottles, bowls and glass piping, as used in the medical bay. On top of the table is also a pile of human bones. Depth here is around 66 feet (20 m). On the top of the superstructure the bridge has largely rotted away, exposing the floors underneath. Here you will find numerous items left by divers, a medical box, and various bottles. Looking below you can see two engine telegraphs before you begin your ascent to the safety stop.
There are many more wrecks in the lagoon within range for recreational divers and it's difficult to pick just five — the Rio de Janeiro Maru should really have been No. 6 on this list. If you're planning a trip Chuuk, do some research on the specific wrecks you want to dive and talk to dive operators in advance to see if they can fulfil your wishes. Land operators have numerous launches, which means they can easily split up technical divers and those who want to dive the shallower wrecks. Liveaboards will try to please everyone who booked for that particular week, and you may have the choice of either skipping a deeper wreck or actually being allowed to dive one that is way beyond your limits (depending on the operator). Remember that this is a remote location, so make safety a priority. One thing is certain — once you've had a taste of the top recreational wreck dives in Chuuk Lagoon, you'll be hungry for more.
Huish has issued a recall on some Oceanic and Hollis regulators. Please see this page to find out if the one you have has been recalled. The serial number is on the first stage of the regulator, but the UPC and part numbers are only available on the packaging.
According to Huish, the recall is due to some regulators restricting airflow for tanks below 500 psi. This can be remedied with a repair and affects about 4,500 units.
Contact Huish Outdoors toll free at 888-270-8595 x4 from 8-6 MT or online here or here.
If you’re into wreck diving, the name Chuuk Lagoon should get your heart racing — and rightly so. It’s a graveyard of Japanese ships that went down during the Allies’ Operation Hailstone during WWII. There are around 60 wrecks in an area of just a few miles, all lying within a calm atoll devoid of ocean currents. Many of the wrecks lie within recreational depths and they are all great dives, but here are our picks for the five top recreational wreck dives in Chuuk Lagoon.
Heian Maru
“Maru,” a common appellation on the wrecks in Chuuk, means “merchant ship” in Japanese. The Heian Maru, a submarine tender, is the largest ship in the lagoon at 511 feet (155 m), which means it will take numerous dives just to get oriented. Originally a cargo passenger vessel, the Japanese requisitioned the ship in 1941 and put to work as a submarine tender, covering Rabaul, Kwajalein, Chuuk, and the Solomon Islands. On the morning of February 17th, 1944, as Operation Hailstone began, U.S. dive bombers attacked the ship. A from a 1,000-pound bomb damaged the propeller, and the next day, a bomb hit to the engine room on the port side started large fires. Finally, a torpedo hit on its port side caused the ship to list and it sank with the death of 18 crew members.
The wreck lies in 115 feet (35 m) of water on its port side, but the coral-covered starboard hull is very shallow at 33 feet (10 m). As you move along the top of the wreck, the glass in the portholes on the promenade deck shows bubbling from the intense fires. On the promenade deck, look for a pile of 50-foot-long (15 m) periscopes. In hold No. 2, you can see 10 long-lance torpedoes and in hold No. 3 there are submarine batteries and an artillery piece. Holds No. 4 and 5 offer a glimpse into the downtime of Japanese servicemen as they’re both full of beer bottles. You’ll find some timber, oxygen cylinders and gas masks as well. If you are wreck-certified, the engine room is an amazing sight of gauges, valves, cylinders, and pipework, which can be a little confusing due to the wreck’s positioning. You can also see a human skull here.
Perhaps the most striking feature of this wreck, however, is the name, written on the bow in English and Kanji in raised letters. At the stern the two huge propellers and rudder are also quite a sight.
Sankisan Maru
Two wrecks in the lagoon best showcase the violence that rained down during Operation Hailstone: the Aikoku Maru is one and the Sankisan is the other. Both ships were carrying significant amounts of ordnance at the time of the attacks. As fires took hold after the bombings, huge secondary explosions destroyed half of the ships. The front half of the Aikoku Maru was completely obliterated (along with 730 lives). On the Sankisan, the entire rear half of the ship is missing apart from the very stern, which lies in a crater away from the rest of the ship at 155 feet (45 m).
The rest of the Sankisan is a very easy dive. It was a passenger cargo vessel and sits on its keel. The deepest point of the dive takes place above the forward holds at around 60 feet (20m). In hold No. 1 you will find a large pile of mixed ordnance — small-arms ammunition and anti-aircraft shells. It was neatly stacked in wooden boxes, but the wood has long since rotted away. You can swim from hold No. 1 into hold No. 2, where you’ll find three radial aircraft engines, along with aircraft cowlings, exhausts and wheel assemblies. There are also remnants of 1.5-ton Isuzu trucks have degraded badly, but you can still make out the steering wheels, chassis, gearboxes and tires.
Fujikawa Maru
Perhaps the best-known wreck in Chuuk (along with the San Francisco Maru), the Fujikawa has it all — interesting cargo, amazing marine life, and an incredible engine room. The steering section at the stern is also a brief but interesting penetration dive.
When the attack began, the Fujikawa was busy unloading its cargo of disassembled aircraft. When a torpedo hit the ship just aft of amidships on the starboard side, it began to sink slowly, although the crew managed to abandon ship. It was still afloat on the next morning when dive bombers hit it with a 1,000-pound bomb on its port quarter. A further attack caused a large explosion, and it eventually sank, landing upright in 115 feet (35 m) of water, with the top of the bridge at 33 feet (10 m).
As with most wrecks in the lagoon, you can’t possibly see everything on one or even two dives. Hold No. 1 contains stacks of spare aircraft propeller blades, some aircraft engine cowlings, wing tanks, and some 55-gallon fuel drums. There are also some shells and AA casings. Hold No. 2 contains numerous aircraft parts, including wings, cockpits, and fuselages. The cockpit of a Mitsubishi Zero is clearly identifiable, and even still has the joystick. Other parts are from Jill bombers. It’s a jumbled mess, and over time it has become more difficult to make out exactly how many of each type of aircraft there are in there.
Of note in hold No. 3 is the extensive bomb damage, well worth a peek. The top of the superstructure has rotted and degraded to reveal baths in the officers’ accommodations, but much of the bridge is missing the telegraphs and other navigational equipment on many other wrecks in the lagoon.
The engine room is one of the best in Chuuk and houses the iconic and often photographed “R2D2” compressor. There is a machine shop and storage area on the first level and lower levels contain the engine machinery where you will see valves, gauges and electrical switches dotted all over. Although it’s easy to access the engine room, take care as you can easily kick up a lot of silt.
Kensho Maru
The Kensho Maru was very active during the war, making numerus supply voyages from Yokosuka in Japan to Chuuk, Rabaul, Saipan, Wake, Kwajalein and Taroa. Sixteen U.S. B-24 Liberator bombers heavily damaged the ship in a 1943 airstrike on Kwajalein, where it was temporarily repaired before being towed to Chuuk for more permanent repairs. On February 17 it was still under repair when Douglas Dauntless dive bombers attacked. A 1,000-pound bomb struck amidships, setting the ship on fire and killing six crewmembers. The ship remained afloat, however, and when it was attacked again the next day, the captain gave the order to abandon ship. Torpedo bombers sank it in 115 feet (35 m) of water, laying it to rest on the keel.
Because it was being repaired, there was no cargo on the ship. The main area of interest during a dive is the engine room. Entering through skylights at around 60 feet (18 m), you descend into a cavernous space. From here you still have direct access to the surface. To go any further requires descending down a flight of stairs into the main area where you’ll find the engines and generators. Although you should be wreck-certified and use a guideline, navigation is very easy. A rectangular grid of catwalks skirts around the machinery on two main levels, and there’s very little silt because the catwalks allow it to sink to the very bottom of the wreck.
Everywhere you look you can see valves, gauges, switches, even thermometers coming out of the pipework. In one corner is a machine shop with a vice and huge wrenches on the wall. Using of nitrox will give you the bottom time you need to have a good look around providing your air consumption is good. The bottom of the engine room is at around 100 feet (30 m).
Other highlights include officer accommodations below the bridge that contain baths, with pipes and taps still attached. Further aft is the galley, which has a stove, a mosaic-tiled floor, and a shelf containing crew uniforms. The bridge has rotted away, but just below you can see two radio stacks in the radio room.
Shinkoku Maru
At 503 feet long (152 m), the Shinkoku Maru is the second-largest wreck in the lagoon. Requisitioned as an auxiliary oiler in 1941, it refueled Japanese aircraft carriers during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was present at the Battle of Midway. It was attacked and torpedoed by U.S. submarines twice during supply trips to Chuuk, escaping with minor damage and quick repairs. The ship entered the lagoon for the last time on February 14, 1944 and its luck ran out shortly thereafter. On February 17, a bomb hit the vessel amidships although it remained afloat. The next day, a torpedo hit the Shinkoku on its port side at the stern. Water flooded into the engine room and it sank soon after. It lies upright in 130 feet (40 m) of water.
The most striking sensation when diving this wreck is just how long and wide it feels as you swim from one end to the other. A normal dive begins with a swim to the stern to see the torpedo hole on the port side. Along the way you will see various valves and pipes on the deck, reminding you that this was an oil tanker. The torpedo hole allows access to the engine room, which is a twisted mess of metal in some areas. It can be tight and disorienting as you enter lower levels, so good wreck training is a must. This is the deepest part of the dive, at around 100 feet (30 m). You can also enter the engine room via the skylights on the main deck. Descending here reveals a large space containing cylinder heads below a catwalk. Moving back along the ship toward the bow the highlight is the main superstructure, which has officers’ accommodation on the lower level.
A bathroom still contains a tiled bath, and next door are some urinals. In the main area on the port side is a surgeon’s table, which has numerous bottles, bowls and glass piping, as used in the medical bay. On top of the table is also a pile of human bones. Depth here is around 66 feet (20 m). On the top of the superstructure the bridge has largely rotted away, exposing the floors underneath. Here you will find numerous items left by divers, a medical box, and various bottles. Looking below you can see two engine telegraphs before you begin your ascent to the safety stop.
There are many more wrecks in the lagoon within range for recreational divers and it’s difficult to pick just five — the Rio de Janeiro Maru should really have been No. 6 on this list. If you’re planning a trip Chuuk, do some research on the specific wrecks you want to dive and talk to dive operators in advance to see if they can fulfil your wishes. Land operators have numerous launches, which means they can easily split up technical divers and those who want to dive the shallower wrecks. Liveaboards will try to please everyone who booked for that particular week, and you may have the choice of either skipping a deeper wreck or actually being allowed to dive one that is way beyond your limits (depending on the operator). Remember that this is a remote location, so make safety a priority. One thing is certain — once you’ve had a taste of the top recreational wreck dives in Chuuk Lagoon, you’ll be hungry for more.
Although corals are the foundation of the marine environment, divers often overlook coral diversity and lump many coral species together under the term "coral reef." There are nearly 670 species of reef-building corals in the Indo-Pacific, however. The epicenter lies in the aptly named Coral Triangle, located in the coral triangle between the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Indonesia.
In this series we'll help you identify seven different coral-growth forms and some common genera of coral in each group. If you're new to coral identification, have a look at our Coral Biology: Part I and Coral Biology: Part II articles to learn the basics of coral biology and some helpful terms for identification.
Hard-coral construction
Hard corals, as the name implies, are corals which build a hard calcium-carbonate skeleton. Each coral colony is comprised of an animal called a polyp. As the polyp grows, it creates a protective calcium-carbonate skeleton around its body called a corallite, which becomes the polyps' home. As the skeleton builds up, it becomes what we call the coral reef.
Polyps are either colonial, with hundreds of polyps making up a single coral colony, or solitary, with a single large polyp surrounded by a hard skeleton. Polyps can also be tiny, from less than .03-inch (1 mm) across, while single largest polyp species can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) across.
You'll find hard corals in sunny, tropical waters because they need light to survive. Living inside the corals' tissue is the photosynthetic marine algae called zooxanthellae. The coral provides a home and protection for the algae and, in exchange, these algae absorb sunlight and produce energy for the polyp.
Polyps can also get energy from ingesting plankton and food particles, but since they're fixed in place, their energy from food consumption is limited. Coral polyps rely on sunlight to survive. Without the energy created by the zooxanthellae, they will die.
Coral bleaching happens when too much light or elevated water temperatures stress the polyps. In response, the stressed polyp expels the zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its color. When the zooxanthellae are gone, corals undergo what we call bleaching. If water temperatures don't fall quickly enough, the polyp will die without this important symbiont.
Coral growth forms
Recognizing hard-coral growth forms is one of the most effective ways to narrow down genus and species. Corals grow in several unique forms, including branching, encrusting, plating, meandering, massive, and solitary. Within these groups there are large and small polyp types, as well as various corallite arrangements. Identifying coral growth forms also goes a long way to knowing what you're looking at and can enrich your diving experience immensely. Stay tuned as we begin the series by examining branching corals of the Indo-Pacific.
Although corals are the foundation of the marine environment, divers often overlook coral diversity and lump many coral species together under the term “coral reef.” There are nearly 670 species of reef-building corals in the Indo-Pacific, however. The epicenter lies in the aptly named Coral Triangle, located in the coral triangle between the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Indonesia.
In this series we’ll help you identify seven different coral-growth forms and some common genera of coral in each group. If you’re new to coral identification, have a look at our Coral Biology: Part I and Coral Biology: Part II articles to learn the basics of coral biology and some helpful terms for identification.
Hard-coral construction
Hard corals, as the name implies, are corals which build a hard calcium-carbonate skeleton. Each coral colony is comprised of an animal called a polyp. As the polyp grows, it creates a protective calcium-carbonate skeleton around its body called a corallite, which becomes the polyps’ home. As the skeleton builds up, it becomes what we call the coral reef.
Polyps are either colonial, with hundreds of polyps making up a single coral colony, or solitary, with a single large polyp surrounded by a hard skeleton. Polyps can also be tiny, from less than .03-inch (1 mm) across, while single largest polyp species can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) across.
You’ll find hard corals in sunny, tropical waters because they need light to survive. Living inside the corals’ tissue is the photosynthetic marine algae called zooxanthellae. The coral provides a home and protection for the algae and, in exchange, these algae absorb sunlight and produce energy for the polyp.
Polyps can also get energy from ingesting plankton and food particles, but since they’re fixed in place, their energy from food consumption is limited. Coral polyps rely on sunlight to survive. Without the energy created by the zooxanthellae, they will die.
Coral bleaching happens when too much light or elevated water temperatures stress the polyps. In response, the stressed polyp expels the zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its color. When the zooxanthellae are gone, corals undergo what we call bleaching. If water temperatures don’t fall quickly enough, the polyp will die without this important symbiont.
Coral growth forms
Recognizing hard-coral growth forms is one of the most effective ways to narrow down genus and species. Corals grow in several unique forms, including branching, encrusting, plating, meandering, massive, and solitary. Within these groups there are large and small polyp types, as well as various corallite arrangements. Identifying coral growth forms also goes a long way to knowing what you’re looking at and can enrich your diving experience immensely. Stay tuned as we begin the series by examining branching corals of the Indo-Pacific.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
At the end of a long day, all we want to do is relax in our comfort zone. However, a home with a dingy bathroom isn’t exactly what we have in mind when we think of comfort, right? Have a pristine, hotel-like bathroom by practicing these tips:
Keep your sink from getting scratched Avoid abrasive cleaners, which can scratch your sink. Those scratches become magnets for grease, soap scum and dirt. Scrubbing the sink with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia to 1 gallon of water will dissolve them and bring back your sink’s shine. A solution of 1 teaspoon of trisodium phosphate to a gallon of water effectively removes grease and soap scum build up as well. Also known as TSP, trisodium phosphate, a degreasing agent, can be found at most hardware stores in white powder form. Source:HomeGuides.SFGate
Maintain a clean sink Regularly wash your sink with soap and water. You can prevent dirt and stains from building up in the first place by gently washing your sink after every use. Use a little dish soap and a soft, non-abrasive sponge, and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Source: WikiHow
Remove stains right away De-stain surfaces with lemon juice. We’ve got a sure remedy for stained sinks: Erase those spots with a paste made of one-half cup of powdered borax and the juice of one-half lemon. Dab a sponge in the mixture, rub, and rinse with running water—it’ll work like a charm whether your sink is made of porcelain enamel, stainless steel, or any other material.
Get rid of mineral deposits Use vinegar on your lime. The white spots that you have so much trouble cleaning off the faucets are lime deposits from mineral-rich hard water. They’re very easy to remove with a secret ingredient that’s already in your pantry: vinegar. Soak a paper towel in vinegar, and wrap the towel around the spotted area. Wait 10 minutes and then buff with a dry paper towel. This works well on all fixtures except brass or colored fixtures; using vinegar on these surfaces may discolor them. Source:RD
Our selection of trendy ceramic sinks will surely fit your budget and needs. Take a look and call us if you need any assistance.
In Ctrip's seemingly unending quest to be the indispensable travel app for Chinese travelers, the company revealed the 2018 version of what has been dubbed its "Michelin style" travel food guide.
The acquisition is set to increase its profile in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas and New York, and give it access to SBE's fashionable, millennial clientele.
OTAs have increasing relevance in a space where the long tail of hotels want to sell their products online without paying a brand for access to their marketing and distribution networks.
Triptease welcomes the UK's Competition and Markets Authority's decision to launch enforcement action against the largest third-party hotel booking sites.
What happens to hotel prices in the US when over 600 pricing and revenue managers spend a day away from their jobs to get educated on the future of the discipline?
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
At the end of a long day, all we want to do is relax in our comfort zone. However, a home with a dingy bathroom isn't exactly what we have in mind when we think of comfort, right? Have a pristine, hotel-like bathroom by practicing these tips:
Keep your sink from getting scratched Avoid abrasive cleaners, which can scratch your sink. Those scratches become magnets for grease, soap scum and dirt. Scrubbing the sink with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia to 1 gallon of water will dissolve them and bring back your sink's shine. A solution of 1 teaspoon of trisodium phosphate to a gallon of water effectively removes grease and soap scum build up as well. Also known as TSP, trisodium phosphate, a degreasing agent, can be found at most hardware stores in white powder form. Source:HomeGuides.SFGate
Maintain a clean sink Regularly wash your sink with soap and water. You can prevent dirt and stains from building up in the first place by gently washing your sink after every use. Use a little dish soap and a soft, non-abrasive sponge, and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Source: WikiHow
Remove stains right away De-stain surfaces with lemon juice. We've got a sure remedy for stained sinks: Erase those spots with a paste made of one-half cup of powdered borax and the juice of one-half lemon. Dab a sponge in the mixture, rub, and rinse with running water—it'll work like a charm whether your sink is made of porcelain enamel, stainless steel, or any other material.
Get rid of mineral deposits Use vinegar on your lime. The white spots that you have so much trouble cleaning off the faucets are lime deposits from mineral-rich hard water. They're very easy to remove with a secret ingredient that's already in your pantry: vinegar. Soak a paper towel in vinegar, and wrap the towel around the spotted area. Wait 10 minutes and then buff with a dry paper towel. This works well on all fixtures except brass or colored fixtures; using vinegar on these surfaces may discolor them. Source:RD
Our selection of trendy ceramic sinks will surely fit your budget and needs. Take a look and call us if you need any assistance.
Southeast Asia in ones 20s is, usually, all about being a backpacker. It's about traveling the banana pancake trail cheaply, staying in dorms, wearing harem pants and Chang tank tops, attending full moon parties, drinking from buckets instead of glasses, and generally having the time of one's life.
Trust me, I know, I have even been made to into a very flattering meme:
Spending several years of my 20s in Asia meant having these experiences that, while amazing, stop being appealing after a while. There are only so many 'where are you from?' conversations you can have in a dorm in a lifetime.
When I went back to Southeast Asia at the beginning of this year, I wondered, is it still fun for someone who is in her 30s and is a bit more grown-up?
Thankfully, Southeast Asia is amazing at any age, and wherever you are in your life, you can find something to suit your interests there. These are 10 amazing places I found that are not on the backpacker trail and are all the better for it:
1. Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Bali has famously been the top destination Indonesia for decades.
Dreamy rice patties, monkeys, and gorgeous beaches have enticed travelers over and over, to the point that Bali is one big traffic jam and to me, has lost most of its luster. However there's a little secret next-door, the Nusa islands.
This trio of islands, Lembongan, Ceningan, and Penida, are only a 30 minute ferry ride away from Bai but are already so much quieter. The beaches, particularly on Ceningan and Penida are super blue and have hardly any people around, and Penida really does feel like Bali must've been 30 years ago. The roads are bad, it's quite rural, and the people are so adorable and friendly. Do yourself a favor and go now!
2. Lombok, Indonesia
On that note, Lombok, the major island next to Bali, is also an absolute paradise. There are tons of waterfalls, the amazing Rinjani volcano trek, and the laid-back back beach town of Kuta, not to be confused with Kuta, Bali.
This island gets less rain, far fewer tourists, and is much lesser known then Bali, but that's changing. There's so much to do on Lombok that you barely have to share with anyone else.
This is another one to check out before it explodes.
3. Siargao, Philippines
Filipinos have a reputation for being incredibly friendly and I found this to be true. The whole country is beautiful and with so many islands it can be hard to narrow it down.
Though the backpacker and resort haven, Boraracay, is the most famous, it's overrun with people and there are better alternatives, one of which is Siargao. This surf paradise also receives far fewer tourists, works to reduce plastic and keep the beaches clean, and while it does have some backpacker accommodation, in general it's higher end and caters more to a conscious, non-party crowd.
Vietnam's Hoi An is located right in the center of the country and is in a word: charming.
This is where you can check out the UNESCO World Heritage old town, get shoes, dresses, suits, and all kinds of other clothing custom made, and eat some really good food. Other coastal towns in Vietnam are more about the party but Hoi An has so much more to offer.
5. Koh Yao Noi, Thailand
In sharp contrast to the glitz and raging parties in Phuket and the loads of tourists in Krabi, Koh Yao Noi has flown under the radar for quite some time despite being very easy to reach from both Phuket and Krabi, and just as beautiful.
Koh Yao Noi is perfect for those who are seeking more of an eco-lodge vibe. It mainly attracts rock climbers and yogis.
6. Kampot, Cambodia
While Cambodia's coastal town of Sihanoukville has become a little Macau with casinos and tons of tourists, Kampot in coastal Cambodia is still a lovely place to visit, with colonial architecture, a plateau to climb, numerous waterfalls in the national park next door, and gorgeous coastline.
Be sure to try the famous Kampot pepper sauce, it's delicious!
Fishing boats on the Kampot River in Kampot Province source
7. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
If you're into diving then Raja Ampat just might ruin you.
This part of Indonesia is just beginning to become popular on the diver scene and is famous for the incredible corals, sea fans, the abundance of fish, variety of sharks and rays, and the Robinson Crusoe-like islands. An extra visa used to be required to visit Raja Ampat but now it's opening up more to tourism.
That said, it's still out of reach for most backpackers because of the cost of getting there, but once you're there, it'll be hard to top in terms of overall adventures in Southeast Asia. I still can't believe it's that beautiful and uncrowded! The best way to see it is with a liveaboard dive ship, though visiting the local islands, like Arborek, is fantastic too.
8. Georgetown, Malaysia
One refreshingly unique thing about Malaysia is the diversity. And nowhere is this more evident than in Georgetown.
In one day you can travel from Little India, which has delicious food and can be fun for shopping, to the gorgeous Chinese Kek Lok Si temple, and then back to town for a hipster coffee. Most of all, Georgetown is a foodie paradise, one of many in Malaysia.
Be sure to try the samosas, laksa, rojak, and cendol.
9. Sipadan, Malaysia
Switching gears to Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan is another diving paradise that doesn't have the crowds of Koh Tao (which is a good place to learn, though!). The waters are protected, which means limited permits are available for diving, but this has helped to create an underwater menagerie teeming with life in crystal-clear waters.
It's common to see schools of Bumphead parrotfish, barracuda, and sometimes hammerhead sharks.
10. Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand
The area surrounding Thailand's northern capital, Chiang Mai, is a treasure trove of unique temples and national parks that very few tourists visit. It doesn't take much to get off of the tourist trail up there, which basically just means getting out of Chiang Mai, until you're in lush jungles and up in the mountains.
Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon, Has two lovely pagodas at the top dedicated to the late king and queen that are perfect for the sunset. To get there you can either self-drive or take a day tour From Chang Mai.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of possible grown-up places to visit in Southeast Asia, these are a few of the things that I have really enjoyed now that I'm a bit older and my travel style has changed from doing things as cheaply as possible and hanging out with other backpackers, to having more local interaction, spending more time attending retreats, doing yoga, being in nature, and prioritizing comfort, food, and experiences that were harder to afford when I was younger.
There's more than one fantastic way to travel through Southeast Asia, and that was a gift I learned by traveling there in my 30s.
Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings in 2012, Kristin has roamed the world for more than five years and visited over 70 countries. You can find more of her writings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and YouTube.
You may have heard of divers visiting museums or getting married underwater, but those aren't the only unique underwater activities out there. Here are our picks for the nine weirdest things to do underwater.
Attend or perform at an underwater concert
Each July, music-loving divers from around the world splash down to enjoy the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival in Florida. Keys radio station US 1 Radio 104.1 FM pipes in ocean-related music through speakers hung beneath boats along the reef. Attend the concert or perform in the orchestra by pretending to play an actual instrument or an artistic representation of one, such as the trom-bonefish and clambourine sculpted by artist August Powers. The festival encourages all divers to descend in costume and awards prizes to the best dressed. Join in by reserving a seat on one of the local dive boats that visits the Looe Key Reef or decide to BYOB. (Bring Your Own Boat).
Become a mermaid
In the 1940s, Newton Perry built an underwater stage to house mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. A former U.S. Navy man who trained World War II frogmen, Newton figured out a way for the mermaids to sip air from free-flowing hoses hidden in the scenery while performing synchronized ballet moves underwater. Today, Weeki Wachee Springs remains a fun, kitschy throwback to Old Florida and still features mermaids undulating through the water of the springs three times a day throughout the year.
Attend the associated Sirens of the Deep Mermaid Camp on a weekend and you'll be on your way to becoming a mermaid yourself. While the camp forbids trainees to breathe underwater, the Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids will teach you their graceful ballet moves, which could also lead you to a life as a professional mermaid or a merfolk hobbyist.
Learn to survive a waterlogged zombie apocalypse
Take the Zombie Apocalypse Diver certification and you can learn to how to survive when zombies attack underwater. This official PADI specialty dive course prepares you for the apocalypse using "state-of-the-art dive training and the latest intelligence on zombies." Complete the course which showcases "real life zombies" and trains you on everything from "zombie biology" to rescue skills, and they'll grant you a PADI Specialty Diver card with Zombie Apocalypse Diver credentials. You can even count this toward your Master Scuba Diver certification.
Mail a postcard from an underwater post office
The only underwater post office in the world does business in Vanuatu inside the Hideaway Island Marine Sanctuary. Purchase one of the Vanuatu Post's special waterproof postcards and then you can dive down among the fish to mail it. A special flag raised on a float above the post office denotes when postal workers swim on site. Instead of inking a traditional postmark across the stamp, this underwater post office processes your mail with a unique embossing technique, making this mail delivery even more special.
Celebrate the holidays underwater
At Dutch Springs, Pennsylvania, you can celebrate the holidays scuba-style by carving pumpkins for Halloween and hunting for Easter eggs in the lake. If you can't make it to Dutch, reach out to your local dive shop as they often host underwater Halloween costume contests and Christmas tree decorating festivities.
Pumpkin carving featuring Jeanne Chin of the NYC Sea Gypsies at Dutch Springs. Video courtesy of Michael Rothschild.
Set an underwater Guinness World Record
Forget about the deepest or longest scuba dives because better records exist for a variety of quirky actions performed underwater that you can safely attempt to beat. As detailed by Guinness World Records, some fun examples include:
Most underwater rope jumps in one hour: 1,608 (In Brazil on March 15, 2012)
Longest duration juggling three objects underwater: 1 hour 40 minutes (In Germany on March 3, 2013)
Longest human chain underwater: 308 divers (In Italy on May 14, 2017)
Most people cycling underwater: 22 divers (In the United Kingdom on September 10, 2006)
Every Fourth of July, Discovery Diving out of North Carolina hosts an underwater bike race to raise funds for Mile of Hope, a pediatric cancer charity. You can ride in this race in a course alongside the wreck of the USS Indra at a depth of 65 feet (20 m) pedaling, pushing, or finning your bike to the finish line. With the dive shop providing racers with derelict bikes from around the area, it's up to the fates whether you race with a perfectly-sized bike or a ridiculously small child's toy as shown in the picture below.
Participate in an underwater sport
If you've encountered a sport on land, a scuba diver has probably tried it underwater like the "under ice hockey" played upside down on the underside of the ice in Siberia. Breath-hold divers also regularly play underwater sports in pools. Traditional contact sports become less violent but more difficult in the water, as players must swim up and down for the entire game alternating lungfuls of air grabbed every 30-60 seconds while playing.
Termed "real 3D sports" because the players propel themselves in all 360 degrees, these activities can also keep you fit while improving your ability to swim efficiently underwater. Two of the most popular are underwater hockey and underwater rugby. If you prefer a mind sport, underwater chess in pools and underwater orienteering in deep open water are also options.
If the above activities seem overly involved or you're looking for something just a little more irreverent, you can always flip off some fish or vicariously enjoy someone else flicking up their middle finger in the Flipping Off Fish Instagram feed. Learn from this California diver who has flipped off fish from Catalina Island on the U.S. West Coast to Scotland "flipping off fish wherever the current takes him."
Title photo courtesy of Michael Rothschild depicting a scuba diver in costume carving a pumpkin at Dutch Springs.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
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Coca-Cola Get rid of stubborn toilet bowl stains with a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola. Pour the full can around the rim of your toilet so it coats the toilet bowl and let the soda sit for an hour. The acid in the Coca-Cola will break down the stains. After an hour, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and flush. Source:BrightNest
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Lallanilla says that full-strength vinegar also works great on grout and caulk. Use a spray bottle to saturate the area and let it soak in for at least an hour before rinsing. Source:TheSpruce
Water softener Often times stubborn toilet bowl rings are directly the result of hard water deposits. While you can always take some time to clean the ring after it appears, it is usually better to stop the problem from ever forming in the first place. If you can afford to do it, install a water softener in your home and have it maintained properly. This should reduce a large number of water related problems not just in the bathroom, but throughout the rest of the house as well. Source:Cleaning.Tips
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