Analox are proud to sponsor Martin Robson and the Blue Lake Project.

Martin is keeping an excellent blog record of his adventures, so keep reading to check on his progress.

Good luck Martin and the team, Analox wish you all the best.

There’s no need to file away your sense of humour and let the January blues set in.  Instead, prove how witty you are by supplying Analox Group with clever, funny or cheeky captions to their staff’s photographs.

Several members of Analox’s staff were feeling a little light-hearted when they posed for photographs.  Their message is ‘Don’t just analyse it – Analox it!’  The question is what will your wittiest caption be?

Analox Group will release one photograph every two weeks inviting anyone and everyone to submit creative captions.  The best, funniest, cheekiest and maybe even most risqué will be shared.  To find out more visit Analox’s social network channels on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

Michelle Morley, Marketing Manager for Analox Group, commented: “When you see the photos you’ll know we’re game for a laugh.  Are you too?  We’re looking forward to your captions.  The wittier the better and the more likely they are to keep everyone laughing through January.”

To connect to Analox via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or the Analox blogs, follow the links from www.analox.net.

We have looked at underwater ironing, musicians and even pumpkin carving but have you ever done a bit of underwater OWLING? Owling is the latest craze you won’t want to miss out on where people get into their best owl like pose, the more obscure the location the better.

Please facebook or email me your photos of your underwater owling antics and I will send you a Twit Twooriffic Analox goody bag (sorry!).

michelle.hudson@analox.biz

http://www.facebook.com/analox.sportdiving

The weekend didn’t dampen the Christmas spirits at Analox with lots of you continuing to play the 12 Dives of Christmas games.

The lucky winners are:

Day 2: Regis, who won the ‘Deco for Divers’ publication kindly donated by Mark Powell

Day 3: Matthew, who won the O2EII nitrox analyser

Day 4: Matthew, who won a waterproof MP3 player

Try today’s game Pressie Burst, have you registered your score yet?? Good luck!

With December fast approaching, Analox are delighted to bring you the ‘12 dives of Christmas‘ advent calendar. From 1st December there will be 12 exciting daily games to play, and if you top the leader board on that day you win a prize.

There are some excellent prizes from Analox analysers, try dives, books and chocolate hampers – so give it a go!! Good luck everyone

With Christmas around the corner, Analox Group is inviting you to dive in and become a festive winner.

Analox launches its ‘12 Dives of Christmas’ on Thursday, December 1^st, 2011.  The 12 Dives of Christmas are a chance to win some fabulous diving prizes by entering daily online games.

Analox’s 12 dives of Christmas

Michelle Morley, of Analox Group, commented: “It’s time to get in the festive mood and have a little fun with the 12 Dives of Christmas.  There are 12 games to play, and 12 fabulous daily prizes up for grabs.  Share the link with your friends, and come back every day to compete.  Each day, we’ll wipe the leader board clean and whoever’s at the top by midnight* is guaranteed a great prize.  You can have as many goes as you like during the day – it’s all about getting the highest score you can.”

Each day from December 1^st to December 12^th, Analox will launch a new online game via its websites and social media platforms.  Whoever tops the leader board each day will receive an early Christmas present.

Prizes supplied by Analox include an EII CO carbon monoxide analyser, an O2EII oxygen nitrox analyser, and an ATA pro trimix analyser.  A number of Analox affiliated distributors have also kindly donated prizes.  These include a Mark Powell technical diving book donated by Dive Tech, a rebreather try dive donated by Planet Scuba, and a TDI Advanced Nitrox course donated by Bristol Channel.  Other stockists who will be donating prizes, details of which are yet to be confirmed, include Denney Diving and Tek Plongee.

Good luck everyone!

Michelle

michelle.hudson@analox.biz

Just when you thought it was time to hang up your wet suit for the winter we bring you the latest news on Scuba Santa’s. Lloyd Watkin with help from members of the UK diving forum Yorkshire Divers, organises the event each year around Christmas, Lloyd and his gang don their Santa costumes and take to the water at the National Diving and Activity Centre.

“In 2007 we raised a few hundred pounds for the RNLI with 8 participating Santa’s, a viking, a snowman, and a fairy. Last year we have at least 5 times the numbers and each day the list grows!”  The next event will be held at an inland dive site called National Diving and Activity Centre near Chapstow.

The participants will be diving in Santa outfits and perhaps even aiming to break the world record for the largest number of simultaneous scuba diving father christmas’ at one time!

For more information visit http://www.scuba-santas.co.uk/

Copyright Suzie Ward

A recent poll from www.sportdiver.com has listed the nine coolest diving accessories every diver should own. Safety first wins the day with Analox’s new EII CO and sees this essential piece of kit placed No. 1.

This month, to help promote safe diving, Analox Sensor Technology is inviting you divers to have their cylinders checked for Carbon Monoxide (CO) with the EII CO at Dive 2011 at the NEC – and giving you the chance to be ‘cool’ and win your own analyser.

Take a look at the article in Sport Diver online mag.

Hope to see some of you at Dive 2011.

Michelle

michelle.hudson@analox.biz

Halloween is fast approaching. No doubt you are planning your Dr. Frankenferter Rocky Horror costume, organising a party and probably carving a pumpkin. I love Halloween and it wouldn’t be the same without a menacing pumpkin but have you ever considered carving yours underwater!

This new craze is the latest in a long line of obscure underwater activities which include ironing, musical performances, basket weaving and diner parties. My only question is ‘How do they light the candle?’

Pumpkin Facts:

• Pumpkins are member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers

• Irish settlers in the U.S. found pumpkins an abundance of pumpkins. They were much easier to carve for their ancient holiday than the traditional turnip

• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A

• Pumpkins are 90 percent water

• An underwater pumpkin carving contest is held each year in Florida Keys

Let me know if you have any sub aqua pumpkin carving activities planned over the coming weeks. The best 3 will receive an Analox goody bag containing a t-shirt and USB stick.

Michelle

michelle.hudson@analox.biz

Over the past three months I have been preparing for my first open water dive. Since May I have been slowly but surely plodding my way through the PADI Open Water Referral course with the lovely staff and instructors at Aquanorth in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I have always wanted to try scuba diving. As an Account Manager for Sport Diving Sales at Analox I felt that I needed to know more about the people and the industry. Everyone in the industry is so passionate about whey they do. Divers love sharing experiences, hints, tips and confidence boosts. The camaraderie that divers share with each other is admirable.

The day finally arrived. On Saturday I completed Dives 1 and 2. I met Johanna McCreadie, my instructor and the other divers from Aquanorth on the road opposite the dive site, tested my air with the EIICO, kitted up (trying desperately not to expose myself to innocent passer by’s). Then I hauled my highly weighted down body across the road, down 500 steps (at least it seemed like it!) and across the rocks to the dive site. It all sounds so easy. I had completed 5 confined pool dives, learnt all the skills needed to keep me safe as a novice diver such as signals, no mask breathing, mask clearing etc. All I had to do was pop in the sea and try it out for real. WRONG! Easy wasn’t the word to describe my first decent. I tried 4 or 5 times before Jo finally managed to persuade me that it would all be fine. The visibility wasn’t great so when I submerged I had an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia. Now, I’m always up for a challenge but after my third attempt to descend I was ready to call it a day. I felt that there was now way this was going to happen. ‘I’m not a quitter’ I thought ‘but today might need to be an exception’.

Jo was brilliant she didn’t make me feel stupid after my, what can only be described as ‘girlie’ episode. She calmly reassured me with all the right words.

I finally pulled myself together and got to the bottom. It was amazing. Visibility wasn’t great, about 2 meters but it was enough to let me see hermit crabs, velvet swimming crabs scorpion fish and copious amounts of seaweed. The dive lasted 20 minutes, which seamed like 5! I was so appreciative to Jo for getting me through my initial wobbles. If I hadn’t managed to overcome this initial blip I would never have experienced this amazing new world. Getting to the bottom on my second dive was easy peesy now. We completed a few skills underwater and once again before I knew it my 20 minutes were up. I rather elegantly (not!) left the water and returned to my awaiting family and warm coffee.

Now that dives 1 and 2 have been successfully completed I am itching to get out for my next 2 dives and finally achieve my PADI Open Water Certification. I would like to thank Aquanorth and their fabulous team and a special thanks to Jo for getting me through it.

Michelle Hudson

michelle.hudson@analox.biz