2003 Beneath The Sea

Page I

All images on this page © 2003 by Christina Young.

These are pictures from Beneath The Sea, the world's largest consumer dive show on Saturday, March 29, 2003 at the New Jersey Meadowlands Exposition Center, just outside of New York City.  I went around the show with Kevin "The Dude" Juergensen, who just came out with his brand-new HammerHead replacement electronics for the Buddy Inspiration and other Closed-Circuit Rebreathers.

For pictures of last year's BTS, go to 2002 Beneath The Sea I.

John Allen of Northeast Scuba Supply, one of the largest dive shops on the east coast, with the Dude.
Pat Duffy of OxyCheq and the Dude.  Pat has made CCR divers lives everywhere much easier with a quick, convenient and cheap source for oxygen sensors.
The Dude with Joe Radomski of ANDI, Capt JT Barker and Tom Sawicki of VBTech in Virginia Beach.  They are admiring Joe's Enrique Inspiration titanium conversion (the "Enriquespiration") along with the Dude's new HammerHead replacement sensor head and electronics.  There is very little left of this machine that is stock Inspiration - the scrubber canister being the notable stock component.  But someone is working on a replacement for that as well - a radial aftermarket canister.

Mk-15 diver Rich Hickey and VBTech extreme diver Rick Atkins with the Dude.

Carl Saieva, the mastermind and owner of Sartek, and rebreather junkie Charlie Langschultz.

Steve Brozyna, a great guy and sometimes co-captain of the Seeker.

People crowded around the new CCR2000 on display.  This one uses Tavco spheres like the Mk-15.

A closer look at the CCR2000.  The guy who was displaying it wouldn't let me take a picture of the electronic handset.  It was a very nice, easy-to-read LED display that would be wonderful for low-light situations, but I bet it uses a lot of juice.  The CCR2000 only has a single handset.

Mark Nix had these cool HammerHead bumper stickers made up.  They were a hot item at the show - even Martin Parker got one!

The Dude and Martin Parker, creator of the Inspiration.  I tried to get a picture of him holding up his HammerHead sticker, but no luck!  I think he got a bit ticked off at me with my camera.... ;-)

This is the large Inspiration booth.  Silent Diving Systems is the new U.S. distributor for the Inspiration.

The Dude with the Halcyon RB80.  RB80 divers everywhere are anxious for Kevin to come out with a HammerHead electronic CCR conversion kit for the RB80!  The guys in the Halcyon booth loved the idea.

Ron Scorese shows off his Prism CCR in the Steam Machines booth.  They are going to sell thousands of these someday.... ;-)

The Prism has a new hard case, shown on the left.

These are people getting their weekend commercial hardhat diver certification.

Now here's a gang of diving misfits all having lunch together at the Embassy Suites next door to the show.....

One surprise of the show was JT's new Kevin Sorbo haircut.  Tom Sawicki and Nancy laugh as JT looks at a picture of him and his long ponytail being ambushed at the VBTech dive show in February.  He donated his ponytail to a cancer charity group.....  now people are asking some poor kid with cancer if the chemo turned their hair scraggly and grey like that!  ;-)

Here's the group again, with a couple of additions (see Petey Wohlleben on the end).  JT and the Dude had some good laughs together about JT's chronic internet postings.  JT also gave the poor Dude the DIR narcosis test.  However, little does JT know that he is a prime candidate for the next installment of the "Divin' with the Dude" series......  ;-)

Big Artie Kirchner, captain of the Margie II in North Carolina, with Greg Masi.

The Dude gives HammerHead classes out in the parking garage....  ;-)

I hope you've enjoyed these 2003 Beneath The Sea pictures as much as I did taking and posting them!  Stay tuned for more pictures of dive expeditions from both last year and this year when I get around to posting them....

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