5 Reason to travel to Belize

With the 2010 travel season rapidly approaching there are several tropical paradises to consider. We'd like to suggest Belize, as travelers can take advantages of great deals and dollar conversion rates. Belize is located in the heart of Central America and includes spectacular water adventures for the family to enjoy. Here are 5 good reasons you should check out Belize:

1. Belize has the second largest reef in world located along its entire coastline, with thousands of miles to snorkel, scuba dive, and free dive.
   
   
2. Great Blue Hole is one of the premier dive sites and is highly recommended to visit. Jacques Cousteau in 1971 was the first to promote this wonderful underwater adventure which is considered one of the "Worlds Top 10 Diving Sites."
   
   
3. If you like to island hop, you can travel to and hike Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Coco Plum Cayes and hundreds of other islands (some of them are completely uninhabited and just waiting to be explored).
   
   
4. Cave Tubing is a favorite and unique activity for tourists. All one has to do is to sit back and enjoy channeling through amazing caves and waterways. It is an adventure that one will never forget.
   
   
5. With miles and miles of rain forest, one can hike and explore for days. Within the rain forests you can find several history rich Mayan sites.
   

The above tips were provided by Clayton Sikes, owner of Belize Surf & Sport, one of our favorite retail shops located outside the crew ship terminal in Belize City. Belize Surf & Sport retails everything from authentic souvenirs to Body Glove wetsuits and snorkel gear.

To contact Belize Surf & Sport, call 011 501-664-2502 (from the US) and 664-2502 (if in Belize).

- Posted by Mike Zahn of CWIC

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Whale Migration in the Pacific

It is that time of year again in the Pacific Ocean!! Thousands of whales (mainly Grey whales) are currently migrating south to breed in the warmth of the Mexican waters. Just today, I heard from a friend in San Diego that Grey whales aren't the only thing that has been gracing the waters down south -- more than a dozen Orca whales spotted off the coast this morning!

When I asked her what they were doing down in San Diego, she said that it is still a mystery to local scientists. "But you wouldn't believe it!" she said. "Local whale watching boats have reported that the Orcas were acting very similar to dolphins! They were jumping out of the water and interacting with whale watching boats like they've never seen!"

I'll be heading out to San Diego to catch some whale watching action this weekend and will bring pictures back to share. Stay tuned...

Posted by Jen

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Dive Into Your Imagination!

Annie Crawley, AKA "Ocean Annie," has become one of America's leading ocean-environ educators. Founder of www.DiveIntoYourImagination.com, her company changes the way new generations view the ocean. As an underwater cinematographer and educator, Annie has become a Les Brown Platinum Speaker.

CWIC Founder & President Cindi Walters met her at the DEMA Show 2009 in Orlando, Florida and realizing she is a true inspiration, invited her to be a contributor to our blog! We think you will enjoy Annie's perspective and encourage you to visit her site!

A Message from Annie
Breathing underwater changed my life. Originally from Chicago, I never dreamed that I would spend the past two decades living and working around the world. Traveling from Indonesia to Galapagos, Belize to Papua New Guinea, I have explored and documented underwater life on our planet! Inspired by the words of my grandmother when I was only 10-years-old, "You have to travel when you're a youngster because when you get to be my age, you can't climb the mountains!" After graduating from college with a journalism degree, I wasn't ready to get a job, start a family and do all the more traditional things that most of us are raised to pursue. So I saved my money and bought a plane ticket to Australia. There I learned to scuba dive in my second week and then didn't return back to the states for four years! Learning to Scuba dive gave me a freedom I have never experienced on land.

One of the reasons I was excited to contribute to CWIC's blog is because I would never have been able to Scuba dive if I had never learned to swim. From the time we were in diapers, my mom had us in the local swimming pool for family night swims. Eventually, I joined the swim team when I was 9 and grew up with green hair -- due to all the time we spent in the pool. What I didn't know at the time was that my mom had a fear of water and to this day she hates to put her head underwater. The amazing thing is that she didn't instill her fear in any of her children and sent us to swimming lessons. (She was a true hero, my mom...because the greatest of all heroes don't pass on their fears to those who they guide, but they help them exceed their very own limitations.) It is much easier to learn to swim when you are young, but I know that it can be done by adults who want to get over their fears of water...they too can enter into the magical world found when snorkeling and Scuba diving.

Children are 40% of our population and 100% of our future. A few years ago, I founded www.DiveIntoYourImagination.com to change the way that new generations view the ocean. I spent nearly two decades underwater and believe that real ocean animals are much more exciting than those in cartoons. A few of my favorite animals include pygmy sea horses the size of your baby fingernail; cuttlefish that communicate by changing the color and texture of their skin; and Whale Sharks, the largest fish in the ocean...some growing to be up to 60 feet in length!

I still pinch myself when I think about diving with Great White Sharks in Mexico and bottle nose dolphins in Belize. The ocean is the most magical place, and it was all possible because my mom taught me to swim and my grandmother told me to travel...and there is much more to be told.

I look forward to contributing again in the near future!!! If you have any questions, feel free to visit my website site and email!

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

The Tub is the Perfect Place to Start

Our customers are always asking for ways that they can get their children comfortable with snorkeling equipment.

Leslie Connolly of Vancouver, BC sent an adorable photo of her grandson Jake practicing in the bathtub.

Thanks for the picture Leslie!! We strongly suggest that children first practice snorkeling in the tub. It is a great way for them to learn how to breathe calmly through a snorkel and get used to the way a mask feels.

Once children have mastered snorkeling in a bathtub they can then move to the pool.

Leslie shared with me that Jake did make the jump from the bathtub to the pool. He loved using the snorkel and mask so much that he was bound and determined to learn to swim with the Body Glove Jr. Lucent/Jr. Whistle combo.

I've asked Leslie to send more pictures when the Summer returns in BC. We look forward to seeing how Jake is progressing!!

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Critter Profile: Nemo the Clown Fish

In the Disney classic tale Finding Nemo, we are introduced a breed of fish that plays several roles in the vast ocean. Their beauty has the power to take our breaths away, and at the same time, they have the power save an important ocean c0-dweller from destruction and transform in ways unknown to man.


The following are several details on the clown fish that may surprise you:

- There are 28 species including the Skunk, Barrier Reef, Twoband, Mauritian, Tomato, Whitesnout, Madagascar, Pink Skunk and Saddleback.
- They live in small groups: within these groups are only one reproductive male & female. The rest of the fish in the group are non-reproductive.
- The beautiful fish lays eggs on flat surfaces and usually spawn during a full moon.
- When they are born, all clown fish are males. (So how do they mate?...you may be asking...) Some change their sex in order to mate. And...if a female dies during a mating session, another male will be promoted to female and will then change its sex. (what!? Yes, it's true!)
- Clown fish range in size from 4 to 7 inches as adults.
- They are omnivores, feeding off of algae, plankton, mollusks, and crustacean.
- Sea anemones are protected by clown fish because they feed on parasites that are harmful to anemones.
- Clown fish are one of two species that can survive the poison of sea anemones. A mucous membrane coats their bodies for protection.
- They prefer the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
- Find clown fish at these favorite dive & snorkel destinations: Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, Fiji, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia.

On your next snorkel or dive trip with clown fish...or in an aquarium...or Nemo on the big screen, be amazed! These lil' critters are truly heroes in their own right.

Want to win a free snorkel set? Be the first to tell us where Nemo's father finally rescued him, and you will be the winner of a Body Glove Professional Dive Set!

Go to the following link and fill out the simple form (please enter your answer into the phone number field of the form):
http://www.destinationwater.com/landing_page.asp

- Posted by Jen of CWIC

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Essential to Snorkeling

In a land far away, an activity dubbed snorkeling was popular. It was "all the rage" and all the "cool kids" were doing it. That land was earth and snorkeling was the hit activity in beach towns and beach resorts. Kids and adults alike populated the reefs with one goal, actually more like a DREAM: to view the ocean in a way never before seen, as a fish! But before they could embark on their endeavors, they had to obtain one vital component. The one piece allow them to truly enjoy the ocean.

The one and the only.....snorkel keeper!

Wow. Really Anthony, did you just write a whole hook driven by the Lord of the Rings theme to explain a snorkel keeper. Yes.. oh boy...

All kidding aside, a snorkel keeper is really no bigger than a silver dollar but without it snorkeling can be difficult. Some don't even know what one is -- they may have heard the term -- but just to be clear, a snorkel keeper is a connector piece that holds the mask and the snorkel together. IT allows you to move freely without worrying that your snorkel will submerge and having the piece of mind knowing that the snorkel won't grow fins and decide to swim away; it can't, it's attached to your face!!

Most keepers come attached to the snorkel with a clip -- you then attache it to your mask strap. Once attached correctly they are quite secure, are user friendly and can be easily to be swapped with other masks.

So when you think snorkeling, don't just think snorkel and mask, make sure you have that keeper. Because without it, you just won't enjoy the ocean as effortlessly as you should. It's your little plastic key to ocean fun! Sorry, at CWIC we get a little excited about this stuff. Really, you should see us. I typed this whole blog with full snorkeling regalia on. I have to go, my mask is foggy and I need to find a body of water. Hasta Luego!

Anthony- Intern, Blogger, Spanish Speaker, and Action Figure

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

A WHAT Valve?!?

Purge:

A. To cause evacuation of a person.

B. To clear of imputed guilt or ritual uncleanliness.

C. To put to death or otherwise eliminate (undesirable or unwanted members) from a political organization, government, nation, etc.

D. To rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse;

purify.

So Option A, no comment. B, Yoga or a confessional should work just fine. C, Jason Bourne would be proud, or confused... He probably wouldn't even remember. D, You mean to effortlessly get rid of the unwanted water in your snorkel?

YES! That is exactly what I mean. A Purge snorkel does just that. Let's say you are snorkeling and a little splash of water drops down your snorkel. You can still breathe but that taste of saltwater lingers in your mouth. With a purge snorkel you can blow air through your snorkel, like shooting a spit wad through a straw, and the excess water will leave through the purge valve located at the bottom of the snorkel, very close to your mouth.

What is this good for? Well, let's say hypothetically that you have been waiting to see this one particular fish, or crab, or eel for what seems like forever. You can tell it's about to happen but all of a sudden, SALT. Salt all in your mouth and it's disgusting. That right there is a perfect time for a Purge. No need to go above surface and clean everything, just purge it out.

CWIC carries all sorts of Purge snorkels such as the incredibly convenient Alert Whistle Snorkel, Vacater, Siren and Inhale Dry.

Above all else...get in the water. Check it out. Stop watching Planet Earth (Not to knock it, I love the show) and go experience it. It's so close, so accessible, so real and it's basically free! Spending time in the water is a lot like going to the gym. At first you are reluctant; why?, it's too cold, and I'm tired. But afterward, it's all but impossible to regret a little adventure into the water. So purge out everything else and jump in :)

-Anthony; Nature Lover, Intern, Blogger, and that's what I look like in the gym.

www.destinationwater.com- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Dear First Timer...

This is my letter, to the snorkeler who is about to embark on their first journey into the blue (movie reference intended.) Your mental state is fragile because you are convinced that snorkeling is like nothing you have ever done before and the very thought of being out in the water is more frightening than filing your taxes, rising gas prices, or, the worst going cellphoneless (One word, three syllables) for a week let alone a day!

You need not to worry! Us at CWIC have all been there before and I can assure you, it is totally worth it. Remember being younger, and being terrified of doing a flip on the trampoline? Or maybe you visited an amusement park for the frist time and actually going upside down on a roller coaster, fuhhgettabawditt! Maybe for some of you it was trying something you never ate, for the first time and absolutely loving it. Eventually, you flipped, you rode the coaster, with your hands up the ENTIRE time and yes you even tried that piece of ahi, that spicy pepper, or, um... Lamb. No matter which story is yours, it's hard to explain where the joy we get from these events comes from and finding that next little challenge can be tough but you, the brave little choo-choo that said they could has come upon it, way to go! Snorkeling, it's your next "worth-it" challenge.

First of all, you have to be comfortable. Girls, you have to get over the fact that you will look a little funny in a snorkel mask and guys I promise you will not compromise your wannabe tough guy persona by putting a pair of fins on. What you will find is that while looking for and choosing gear for your next snorkel expedition, color, size, look, or whether or not it all matches is not as nearly important as if it feels good. I can promise, the fish will not care if your little pink accents in your fins match the strings of your bikini which in turn match the color of your mask. You would be wiser to focus on technique so that the fish don't notice you; it will make your experience so much more enjoyable. Remember you are a guest in their home. Think vice versa, a fish three times our size comes stomping around in our house with no coordination whatsoever and just watches us as we... cook breakfast, or maybe read blogs posted by mildly creative interns. *wink*

To elaborate on the technique topic... once you come upon a site with a decent amount of wildlife or you find that you have moved into an area with a group of snorkelers who seem to be already focusing on something, MOVE LESS! It's very important that you kick less and try to completely refrain from using you arms. A good pair of fins is great because it allows you to do minimal work while getting maximum results. That's my one and only ode to the AB-Doer Extreme informercial that has been dominating the paid programming as of late. Anyway, move so little that you actually allow your body to gently rise up and down with the natural bob of the ocean and take time to focus on each and every movement of your legs to insure that you are not going too fast and are totally in control. technique and Etiquette actually go hand in hand. While you do not want to disrupt the natural habitat that has flourished long before you got there, you also do not want to take away from the experience of those around you.

Safety is the last thing I want to touch on. If you worry,"Well I'm just too exposed, I feel too open like there is nothing I can go to or what if I begin to feel lightheaded or need a rest." CWIC to the rescue, with the Hydrosling. Just think, a non bulky alternative to the lifejacket. Takes absolutely no effort to stay afloat and for many, it is the ultimate secutiry. "But CWIC, what about my kids?" Pretty much any watersport provider carries a comfortable fitting very bright orange cap that can be seen from a mile out. One other thing that Body Glove and CWIC can boast about is that we have many snorkels to choose from that include a whistle. Whatever your worry is, we have the products that will help you feel better in the water. The one thing that will gain you the most comfort in the water is experience.

There you have it; Be comfortable, focus on not disrupting anything or anyone and be a safe as you want. Snorkeling is truly a wonderful way to appreciate what the ocean holds, and I promise, just like the roller coaster, you will want to go again and again.


Anthony- Intern, Product Tester, Nature Lover and now developing gills

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

True Exfoliation

The Debate... Does the ocean and all its salty, sandy wonder do good things for your skin and your complexion? Anyone, anyone? I've heard of Old Wives' Tales, but this is surely different. We have all been there; out of the water to lay on our very carefully laid out woven tablet of cloth (towel), and we rest. Maybe you do some people watching, maybe snacking on some fresh fruit (nothing tastes better at the beach than fruit), or like most of us, you doze off. Look at that! It's time to leave. Pack your things, dust yourself off and if you frequent any beach from San Clemente to Newport, get ready to hike, uphill.

When I was younger, this part was the worst... I had the mom who insisted on me wearing the trunks with the mesh OH SO COMFY inner whitey tidy lining. Pop quiz, when sand is added to inner whitey tidy lining of trunks that have been washed more than 67 times, what happens? For a little boy, its pandemonium. more uncomfortable even than the itchy Christmas sweater that sits on the hanger for 364 days but is worn, faithfully; to witness the unwrapping of gifts and careful construction of four walled gingerbread shanty houses. But what does this have to do with the skin...?

You have just got back from the beach, dropped essentials on the ground and wandered towards the shower. Flick the thing on, wait around, examine some incredible tan lines (Good news! Tan ensued!) and finally hop in. This is the incredible part... just rinse. Get the sand out of your hair, off your skin and out of your ears. It works like a scrub!! No need to use a store-bought scrub, just a little body wash, a quick rinse and jump out and somehow, someway, you are exfoliated! Skin looks clear and tan, and just a tan sun kissed. Your eyes look brighter, your teeth are definitely whiter and your hair does that really cool thing where it requires no product, it just molds as if you woke up, but not really, you are disheveled, but high fashion, ya know? Oh, just come out with it, you look good!

So how does this work? in all our fancy scrubs, whether they are apricot scented or a very pretty color, there are small pebble like things. The hygiene companies call them exfoliating cleansers or invigorating textures. People, they are little rocks... In the ocean, there is sand, and salt and compounds that all become stuck to your body as you frolic around and attempt to look cool or like you belong there. When you leave, you pick up more sand and yes, these little compounds remain stuck to you. Think of a visit to the ocean as a full body exfoliation. Advantages over spa as follows; You are in the Sun! You avoid the awkward fact that someone else is rubbing your body and drum roll please... It's probaly around 80-100$ dollars cheaper to pay for parking and a few snacks than go and partake in fancy named treatments that are modeled after what else, NATURE!!!

So go explore the ocean: It is exfoliating, it is outdoors and for goodness sakes, it feels Great!!

For more insights on the ocean and how to enjoy it visit us at http://www.destinationwater.com/

-Anthony - Intern, Product Tester, Nature Lover and done wasting money on exfoliating scrubs :)

http://www.destinationwater.com/
- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Where Is Your Nitsch?

What do Herbert Nitsch, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the standard sun burnt tourist have in common? They dive!! Three very different names and very different backgrounds but connected in the fact that they spend time in the water. One is the bravest human being on the planet, the other a true innovator and the last (guess who) is in need of some lessons. Unless you are swimming competitively, water activities can be broken down into three categories; Free Diving, Scuba Diving, and Snorkeling. Now please, Proceed…

(Cousteau)

The tourist devours blended fruity concoctions, all inclusive anything and Snorkeling. Le Commandant Cousteau fancied his croissant and fathered the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. SCUBA! But wait, who is this Nitsch Fellow? WELL, funny you should ask being as he is the World record holder for No Limit Free Diving, 214 meters, down, underwater, in ONE BREATH. Translation = Unless somehow Herbert Nitsch himself tracked down my measly blog in attempt to bolster his own mental resume and is now reading it, no reader of mine will ever compare to the set of lungs and err, yeah, this guy has. More to come on Nitsch… Snorkeling is beckoning.

(Nitsch)

Small tube, set of flippers and a trusty mask… jump in, because you are now a veteran snorkeler. Most snorkeling is done in the warmer climates, where calmer waters are and something interesting, whether it be huge kelp beds, coral, or fish brighter than Fruit Loops can be found. Quick notes about the art of the snorkel; You are already floating in the water with fins you are not used to and a mask that enlarges your eyeballs at least double the size, please don’t draw more attention to yourself by being the one that splashes around imitating your household washing machine. You will soon have no friends in the water, lots of sand around you and maybe if you really have learned your lesson, a few friendly reminders from the coral that they may look pretty but they have a dark, or sharp side. Truth is, snorkeling is great. With nothing more than a plastic tube, the average person can glimpse at what wonder the ocean has in store. May it be the schools of fish or slimy sea cucumber, the sea anemone or the not so friendly sea urchin, the shore has so much to offer one who is willing to simply watch. Be patient, and realize that you are foreign to them, foreign and 6 times most of their size. Think if the tables were turned, a 60 ft fish, walking into your backyard… Howdy Neighbor!

Remember in Finding Nemo, the cleaner fish in the aquarium with the handle bar moustache and the French accent so aptly named Jacques? Yeah he has nothing to do with Jacques Cousteau, but hey, he was French and so is our beloved father of modern day scuba, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Before Cousteau, if a diver wanted to stay underwater by way of an external air source, they had to be hooked up to an oxygen machine and wherever they swam, a very bulky, rather annoying airline was hooked up to their helmet. Cousteau invented the aqualung and now, SCUBA is not just a way of diving, but a way of life. Those who scuba swear it is the most rewarding experience and being part of the water for that long is a treat each and every time. More training is required but that is expected being as deeper depths are attained and if the technique is not performed properly, oh boy, you are in for more than just a little earache. Learn it the right way and never have a problem, plus, it looks cool. Really cool.

Free Diving, where have you been all of my life. This sport, you bet it’s a sport, is incredible. Courage, athleticism, a little bit of insanity and vast amounts of water sprinkled with as much oxygen as you can fill your lings with in one breath. If you bottled up the guts and pinch of madness in an airtight container (pun intended) that come with bungee jumping and released them into the ocean, you birthed free diving, congratulations. By definition, free diving is any kind of swimming done with no breathing apparatus. It could be children having contests to see who holds their breath underwater longest. Or maybe who can go “there and back” on one breath. Free diving is a loose definition which is why most likely, if you have been in the water, you have free dove. Most common free diving includes Spear fishing, underwater Hockey and underwater Rugby. Okay so the second two are not common at all but wow, how do you get tickets? Competitive apnea is really where the sport gets its exposure. All sorts of free diving are recognized consisting of fin and no fin depth contests, assisted and unassisted contests and plain old contests to see who can hold stay under longer. But who is Nitsch? Imagine this, grabbing a few weights, one huge monofin and the biggest breath you ever inhaled and diving the length of 2 ½ football fields and then coming back up!! Yeah, if cheerleading is considered a sport, free diving gets its own category. Goes with skydiving, arm-wrestling, rugby, and unassisted rock-climbing. Herbert, I’m not worthy.

Water is for some relaxing, for others entertainment, and for a select few, a chance to prove their athleticism to the world. No matter what you find yourself doing in the water, do it. Because being weightless and floating seamlessly, being a part of what was here long before us and what will be here long after us, it’s an indescribable feeling.

-Anthony- Intern, Product Tester, Nature Lover and now, Published Blogger.

http://www.destinationwater.com/
- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

BizzaroTurtles, UV Rays, and Children

Bizzaro – a world made famous by the sitcom Seinfeld. Jerry would go on and on about a land where left was right and right was left… A truly bizarre land where Newman was good and Jerry was bad, where Banyon was funny and Jerry’s bits just bombed. The fictitious world of Bizzaro may be more real than fake – not the extreme of left being right and right being left… Bizzaro holds true as we compare ourselves to our shelled friends of the deep, the sea turtle.

From sunglasses to sunscreen to rash guards, if they don't not have UV protection then you don’t want them! At the Turtle Store Emporium located 2 miles deep in the ocean blue (it is their Costco – just left and on the outskirts of Atlantis – that city is so pretentious, they will not allow any chain stores inside their city limits), turtles come from far and wide looking for UV enhancers. They need, they want, they must have the UV to live and grow strong…

Turtles treat UV rays like milk – building strong bones and shells. They may seem like they are being lazy as they lope around with their heads held to the sky, but in fact they are doing just what they need to do for survival. Their sunbathing not only feels good, it inspires their shells to grow, keeps their bones strong and extends their lives. Some live to 30 years or more. And their distant cousin – the giant tortoise – can live into their late 100s, yet Willard Scott of the Today Show never gives them any love, neither do his friends at Smuckers. Not to mention, the long standing legend from India that has a tortoise named Adwaitya who lived to be 255 years old.

And then there are us human beings – we lounge in the sun (because we are lazy) and we enjoy the water like our shelled friend – the difference, turtles glide through the water, we flop through it. And as it pertains to UV rays, they are both a blessing and a curse. In moderation, they assist our bodies in producing Vitamin D (oddly enough found in milk, but as we all learned from Ron Burgandy, milk is not good on a hot day) – this strengthens our bones and teeth and helps us resist various internal cancers. The curse comes from us lounging around like turtles for hours at a time without the proper protection. Since the 80s, there has been a noticeable hole growing in the ozone which has led to a growing number of skin cancer cases – for both children and adults.

Proper protection may mean different things for different people and age groups. For adults lounging around the pool watching their potbellies grow in the sun, a potent sunscreen may be sufficient. But for most children, if they are near a pool, on a beach or at a river, most likely they are jumping in and out of the water. Sunscreen may partially do the trick but one can never be too sure – it rubs off, dissolves in the water and may not be applied evenly. That leads to a funny, all be it uncomfortable, sun burn for the child.

You need to be especially aware of UV rays when you are taking kids to the water – UV rays may not seem as dangerous as a shark or snapping turtle (they bit way harder than sharks and they are not confusing you with a seal, they are just mean and want to bite you). The message – skin and eye protection are key. Get a float suit or rash guard with UV protection – you and the kids should be wearing sunscreen with UV protection – finally wear both goggles and sunglasses (not at the same time – plus wear the goggles on land and the sunglasses underwater, wait that is Bizzaro world; so the opposite and make sure the lens have UV protection).

Learn more about UV protecting products at www.destinationwater.com for both adults and children. Learn more about turtles at http://www.google.com/ (we can’t do all the work for you – and if I see this as a book report for some kid, then I will prosecute like Metallica going after Napster)

Did you know that a sea turtle can swim up to 20 MPH?! It’s amazing that a slow and pokey reptile on land can be so quick in the water. It makes me wonder – maybe they are just in a hurry to get back into the sun to catch some UV rays…

http://www.destinationwater.com/

- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Modern Day Alcatraz, Swim & Purpose

Team CWIC has come in contact with an amazing woman...

We are proud to salute Susan Odom Midgett of Greensboro, North Carolina for her dedication to raising money for the Vilaj Espwa orphanage in Haiti by swimming in Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim on August 15th, 2009.

Susan's goal is to raise $100,000 for the orphanage, which houses 600 children and provides 3000 meals for the children and all locals who travel by foot or donkey to the facility.

Her devotion to a cause greater than herself should be recognized by all and is a reminder that we can use our passions, hopes and dreams to change the lives of people in need.

Susan's feat isn't going to be an easy one -- her first challenge is to raise the money and her second is to brave the icy, current heavy waters off off Alcatraz Island. And then there are the sharks...! Not to worry -- people participate in this event each year and there has yet to be a shark attack!! The most realistic battle is the one she will have within -- to push herself to keep moving forward and to believe in her abilities.

We salute you Susan for your vision -- and for using your love of swim to better the world!


For more information on Susan's quest go to: http://www.sosforhaiti.blogspot.com/

Need gear for an open water swim? Click here for some great suggestions.

http://www.destinationwater.com/

- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation