The Atoll

This morning while reading “Return to Paradise” by James Michener, his writing about an atoll in the pacific took me back to Bora Bora. While Bora Bora is not purely an atoll, more of an island with a barrier type reef, Michener paints a minds eye tapestry for me. This is a photograph I took from the plane. He was concerned that in revisiting the Pacific it would lose it’s first impression, he writes in the introduction, “There was one final problem. Would this long journey prove to be merely another of those heartbreaking trips of disillusion into a past that cannot be recovered? I was apprehensive about this, for I knew that virgin impressions of great events can rarely be recaptured; but when our plane rose above the bridges of San Francisco and I saw below me this vast and mighty ocean, my heart expanded.” And as I read…

The world contains certain patterns of beauty that impress the mind forever…The list need not be long, but to be inclusive it must contain a coral atoll with its placid lagoon, the terrifyingly brilliant sands and the outer reef shooting great spires of spindrift a hundred feet into the air…This is the wonder of an atoll, you are safe within the lagoon while outside the tempest rages. The atoll becomes a symbol of all men seeking refuge, the security of home, the warmth of love. Lost in a wilderness of ocean, the atoll is a haven that captivates the mind and rests the human spirit.”

The Atoll

FitDiver® Mobile Apps Get New Functionality

FitDiver AppsWe are excited to share that now divers select a fitness level and the date of their next diving activity. Based on this individualized criteria and proven ScubaFit® exercise principles, a custom workout is generated. The apps remind divers to update information every three weeks. The workout changes as the fitness level of the diver improves and as the diving date gets closer. Divers are certain to reach fitness goals and improve diving performance. (New functions in iTunes version only at this time.)

Available for purchase on Google Play or the App Store.

Nutrition for Scuba Divers: Healthy Holiday Cider

Healthy Holiday Cider

Served hot or cold this cider helps fend off winter illnesses. Gretchen M. Ashton, Photographer

A cold or the flu can prevent water sports enthusiasts from their favorite activities.

Scuba divers, surfers, snorkelers, stand up paddlers, kayakers, wind surfers, and swimmers are exposed to the elements year-round. This cider may be enjoyed chilled to cool off on a hot summer day or as a hot beverage to warm up and refuel during the winter months.

This healthy holiday cider helps boost the immune system and prevent other health maladies.

Healthy Holiday Cider is loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E. Along with the fruit juice, added coconut water contains important nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and sodium which help maintain and balance hydration. The natural sugars fructose and glucose help maintain energy, and the high fiber content helps keep digestive and elimination systems of the body functioning well. Combined anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen properties of the pear, kiwi and watermelon help to prevent and lower high blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke and protect cells from the damage of free radicals which can be produced during physical activity. Pear juice and cinnamon both help sooth a sore throat, a kiwi contains more vitamin C than an orange, and the lycopene in watermelon helps reduce respiratory inflammation. Cinnamon helps lower blood sugar and sooth muscle spasms among other healthful properties.

Healthy Holiday Cider

Using a juicer, wash and prepare the following:
1 Whole Pear (small to medium)
1 Whole Kiwi (rub the skin gently underwater but keep the peel)
1 Cup Watermelon (remove the rind)

Add:
1/2 Cup Coconut Water
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

For more information about fitness and nutrition for diving:
Contact gretchen@scubafit.com