Things have been pretty quiet around here. Some friends and I went to Key Largo, FL for some open water SCUBA diving. Our first time in the ocean and hopefully not our last.

Day one was a wake up call. Mr. Ocean said, "Welcome newbies - feel my power." And most of us did by puking our guts out and feeding the fish.

But by day 2 we learned about motion sickness medicine so we were good. In our four days of diving we saw numerous fish, lobster, moray eels, a stingray, giant grouper, etc. No sharks unfortunately, but we'll save that for another day :)

Welcome Home
After being home for a few days my wife packed up and is in Florida for a girls trip of their own. I hope they have as much fun as we did.

I'm back into the swing of things with two big projects at work and two large freelance sites to fill my time. The kids are all in soccer and doing well.

And we haven't even hit summer yet. Can't wait to see what happens...life is good!

As our diving trip to Key Largo, FL approaches, I become more and more aware of the concept of preparation.

Diving is not, "Hey! We're going to the beach so bring your suit!"

It's more like, "Hey! In 3 months we're going diving. Start getting your stuff together."

Of course if you own all of your own gear it might be a bit easier. You go down to the basement, get your stuff, make sure it has been serviced recently and pack it up. But I'm new to this whole thing. I'm still in the process of deciding what gear to buy and what to rent, what type of wetsuit to take on the trip, how to get good and familiar with my dive computer and how to get all the stuff down there safely.

I'm sure it will get easier. But for now, the process is very time consuming.

Bring it On Back
So how does preparation apply to web design and development? Well, around here we talk about web projects (everything from complete web redesign projects to the implementation of a new web element like a media player or a social networking application) in the following terms:

1. Discover: Figuring out what it is you need, why you need it and who it is really for.
2. Define: Taking the concept and fleshing it out.
3. Deliver: Pulling it together and implementing well.
4. Repeat: As needed...
5. (concepts from the book Less Clutter. Less Noise. by Kem Meyer)

Call it doing your due diligence before putting something out there.

In discussing the dismal release of the Blackberry Storm, RIM CEO was recently quoted (here):

That's our first touch product, and you know nobody gets it perfect out the door. You know other companies were having problems with their first releases.

Not only does he make excuses for his own product, but he also tries to drag other companies down with him.

Preparation is key to the success of anything worth doing, eating, making, owning etc.

Go into it saying, "It's going to be the best thing out there." Instead of saying, "We're just putting it out there and it will probably tank."

Ever notice how the level of excellence drops off dramatically the smaller the product, company, church, etc.?

I've become involved in a number of 'fringe hobbies' (term used because of the small number of people actually engaged in them) - the most recent being SCUBA. And it doesn't take long before you realize just how small the SCUBA community really is. Just search for desktop wallpaper, tutorials, videos or other resources.

You'll find stuff, just not good quality stuff. Companies (and individual divers) don't have multi-million dollar marketing departments. They don't pay top design agencies to print their stuff or design their websites.

And so it was when I tried searching for dive logs. I'm still learning so I wanted a dive log for planning a repetitive dive that was simple and helped explain how you moved from the first dive into the repetitive dives.

Of course I found little to nothing. So I decided to make one. Call it my little contribution to the SCUBA community.

I got the majority of my information from:

• Understanding the RDP
• Dive Tables Explained

Let me know if its helpful (and accurate). I'd love constructive criticism - will only make it better in the long run.

Nitrox
This week a few of us are studying for an upcoming class on the use of Enriched Air, or Nitrox.

Why you ask? Well, partly because we can, and partly because it enhances the diving experience. Diving with regular compressed air allows you to only dive for so long due to the nitrogen buildup in your body. Then you have to wait for a specified amount of time before you can dive again (surface interval).

With Nitrox you can dive longer without the nitrogen buildup and can often dive again without an extended surface interval.

This is true because Nitrox typically has 32% or 36% oxygen versus the 21% in compressed air. More oxygen means less nitrogen that can be absorbed into your body.

But perhaps the most interesting side effect reported by Nitrox divers is that they feel refreshed after multiple dives compared to compressed air divers who report fatigue and lethargy after multiple dives.

Then it hit me. What if I walked around with my Nitrox tank and regulator on all day? Would I feel better? Would it give me more energy? Maybe I'll try it...

Just Joking!!! I shouldn't even joke about stuff like that. But what about all the things we do use to keep us running at MACH speed? Things like pills, Mountain Dew, energy drinks, coffee, lattes and even hard core stuff like cocaine and crystal meth. All contain chemical compounds that want to push our bodies even though we may not have the physical energy to do so.

But what if there was something better? What if there was something that gave us the energy without the negative side effects?

Living Water
Then I remembered there is something like that. Something available to each of us, and its free. In John 4 Jesus was talking to he Samaritan woman about the water she was trying to get out of the well. In this conversation He offered to give her Living Water which would allow her to "never thirst" and would turn into a "fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

Now it doesn't say anything about giving you energy when you're exhausted but I'm willing to gamble that it's part of the deal. I'm willing to bet that if we really buy into this Living Water thing and experience it, we'll find: energy to keep moving, power to do the right thing in difficult situations and joy to overcome sarcasm and depression in today's economic uncertainty.

I love SCUBA Diving. There are countless spiritual lessons to be learned...

"Break a leg!"

At least that's what they say when you go on stage. But what do they say when you go on your first open water dive?

This weekend (as in tomorrow) we'll be at Gilboa Quarry in Ohio for our open water dives. After 4 dives we're done - certified SCUBA divers.

Until recently I was still in fantasy land when it came to what it really means to SCUBA dive. I mean we've been in a clean pool at a depth you could easily snorkel at if you wanted to. Controlled environment with easy access to the surface.

But this weekend I woke up. I was at a small lake in Indiana and for the fun of it threw on my snorkel gear. I swam around for a few minutes realizing just how poor visibility can be in a lake full of micro-organisms, plant life and boats to stir things up. And then it happened.

I saw a fish.

I know. I know. You're saying, "Wow, he is in a lake and saw a fish. Who knew!"

But there is something totally different about looking INTO the water to see a fish and actually being IN the water with the fish. One minute there was nothing, and then there it was right in front of me. I expected it to immediately move away when it saw me there, but it just sat there and looked at me.

And that's when it hit me. We're going into an environment humans typically don't enter. We're both intruders and yet accepted as normal marine life.

I can't wait!

A group of us recently began to pursue our PADI Open Water Diver Certification through JR Aquatic Center in Niles, MI.

It's something I have wanted to do since high school. In fact I even signed up to do it in college - only to back out due to the cost. So it was a no-brainer when the group of guys agreed to do it together at a discounted rate.

Then throw in the fact that for some odd reason watching Shark Week actually makes me want to go diving in the ocean! And I'm sold on SCUBA.

But this post isn't about the cool stuff you get to do as a SCUBA Diver. It's about the crazy real life applications I've learned from taking the class.

Here are the Top 5 things I've learned from SCUBA so far:

1. Fun Stuff is Expensive: From Golf to Ice Hockey, Snowboarding to Rock Climbing, Skydiving to Paintball, you just keep putting out the money. All of these things require "gear" and if it's called "gear" it will cost you. But then again no one claimed that fun would be free. Sure you can have fun during free activities, but I'm betting you won't be 60ft under water...
2. You Need Your Own Gear: I'm not saying you should never rent SCUBA gear, but it has become very evident that if something fits well, you'll feel more comfortable and be able to get more out of the thing you're doing. Example: If your mask doesn't fit right you'll have more water in it than air...
   
3. Learn Slow to Stay Safe: I don't think PADI says it this way, but this is the way I understand these requirements. In SCUBA there are depth maximums that need to be observed based on your level of experience. Open Water & Recreational Divers should stay above 60ft. Advanced Open Water Divers should remain above 100ft. And no one should go below 130ft. without some crazy training in deep sea diving.
   
4. Rules Are Important: You don't realize how technical SCUBA is until you take the class. Most people have heard about things like decompression, but once in the class you realize that by entering the underwater world you subject yourself to a set of constants (like gravity) that require rigorous attention to detail. Dive charts, proper equipment checks, compass navigation, neutral buoyancy, nitrogen narcosis equalization and the list goes on. Because of this you practice numerous skills like clearing your mask, sharing oxygen, taking equipment off underwater, etc.
   
5. Seriously Fun Stuff Can Be Life Threatening: SCUBA Diving has it's risks. And while hundreds of thousands of people SCUBA each year without a problem, the potential is there. Potential for problems that can lead to death. All the more reason to learn the rules and follow them.

Then realize that these 5 things also apply to our spiritual lives:

1. Fun Stuff is Expensive: What are we willing to give sacrificially for? It's one thing to say we are Christians, or that we want to help the poor. But are we tithing? Do we give above and beyond to help those in need? Truth is, if we want real purpose in life we'll pay for it.
2. You Need Your Own Gear: In life you can't count on the work of others (spiritually speaking). You need your own "gear." The Bible refers to it as "full armor of God." And we get this armor through prayer, Bible study, being part of a local church, etc. But you HAVE to do it for yourself. It's ok to help others along the way - but at some point they will have to get their own "gear."
   
3. Learn Slow to Stay Safe: People can only handle so much information at a time. A new believer needs the small packet of info called "Giving your life to Christ" first and then maybe later will come to appreciate the small packet called "Eschatology." Dumping the entirety of the Christian life on a new believer is like a green diver going down to 130ft. on his or her first dive. Both are doable, but the potential for something bad to happen is huge...
   
4. Rules Are Important: You typically think of rules as things to be broken. But 99% of the time rules are meant to keep us safe. Man-made rules are sometimes questionable, but God's rules are without a doubt for our own good - even when we can't see them that way. In SCUBA, the rule "Never stop breathing" doesn't seem important since we hold our breath out of water without problem. But try it under water and your lungs can explode...
   
5. Seriously Fun Stuff Can Be Life Threatening: Living a life with purpose can be dangerous. It means having faith in the unseen, putting time and energy into things the world views as a waste of time and at some point may even cost us our lives. But we know that it's all worth it. Given the fact that this life is but a scratch on the surface of eternity, we can lead this dangerous life with a real sense of security.

In a couple weeks we take a road trip to Ohio for our open water dives. Hopefully I'll learn at least another 5 things from that. We'll see...