Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  A Return to Bermuda Deep Caves. Little Islands. Big Thrills By Stephen Weir Photographs by Jim Kozmik On a square mile basis there is no other country that has devoted as much of its land to golf as Bermuda. While the likes of Ross Perot and Michael Douglas spend their days slapping a white ball around Bermuda’s terrraformed greens, one wonders if these famous duffers have ever lain down on the manicured grass and listened to the other side of Bermuda.   If their timing is right, and if the tin cup is deep enough, they will hear the sound of Andrew Mello’s bubbles percolating through the ground.   When the president of the Bermuda Cave Diving Society isn’t building period furniture he is underwater mapping and studying the environment beneath the cleated feet of the well heeled!   Bermuda is a 181-island chain, 600 miles east of North Carolina. The British Colony is best known as a holiday haven for the well-to-do. It is so popular more than 95% of the 22-mile...

All about the Diving in and around Brockville, Ontario. Sidebars written for Huffington Post Blog August 2016. By Stephen Weir Popular Shore Dives in and around Brockville, Ontario   Shore divers head to the Rothesay Rothesay – Wooden Sidewheel Passenger Steamer. Sank in 1889. 300 ft from shore. Augusta Township(west of Brockville) has built change rooms and a park off Highway 2 for divers. The Wee Hawk - work barge sunk in the 50s.   70 ft long, 20 ft down. Near the town of Cardinal west of Brockville on Highway 2. Wreck accessed from shore at the unused Galop Lock two.   Nearby is the Conestoga Wreck and both can be dove on a single tank of air. Conestoga Wreck. 252 ‘ long steamer. Upright, parts of the ship are out of water. She is 10’ feet from shore.   Maximum depth 28.   She was built in 1878, sank in 1922.   ABUC's EMILY C Dive Boat - photo Helen Cooper Brockville area shipwrecks – boat dives Sir Robert Peel. Sid...

Dive Press Release Monday at stephen.weir.com. Stories based on press releases received by Stephen Weir - as featured on Facebook and Linked In Last year an Ontario mining corporation told the investment community that it was going to buy an Hawaiian based 54ft luxury yacht and a couple of submarines. On Friday the travel trade learned that the Avery Claire has begun providing the Hawaiian Islands with a one-of-a-kind cruise experience - above and below the water! In May 2014 Toronto's Zara Resources Inc announced that it had acquired recreational marine assets comprising two recreational submarines, a 10 year lease on a luxury yacht named Avery Claire, and the website www.LuxAquatica.com offering luxury yacht and diving services for the sum of just $500,000. In a press release, Zara describes their acquisition this way: "The Avery Claire is a luxury yacht based in Honolulu, Hawaii with three air conditioned staterooms, a multipurpose sunroof deck capable of landing helicop...

Dr Sharpe in Toronto DR SHARPE HEADED SOUTH TO NORTH TORONTO  TALKS WHALE BUBBLE NETTING! ... Diver Magazine Canadian educated American whale expert Dr Fred Sharpe (pictured below) was in Toronto last week to promote the new Imax film Humpback Whales. The Alaska based whale expert is featured in the new movie because of his leading-edge theories about the social feeding behaviours of this large cetaceans. Narrated by two-time Golden G lobe nominee Ewan McGregor, Humpback Whales is a immersive ocean adventure that invites audiences to dive into the underwater world of these 17-metre, 45 ton mammals. Humpback Whales has been made by Freeman Films who have done many other underwater documentaries including The Living Sea, Dolphins, Coral Reef Adventure and To the Arctic. While many of the science large format documentaries bemoan the demise of the animals they are featuring, Humpback Whales, in comparision is a good news story. Once feared as monsters, and very nearl...

Stylish After-Dive Soft Landing By Stephen Weir, March issue of Diver Magazine Kate, Conch and Cayman Pillow - photo by Weir For Toronto-based London-trained Interior Designer, Kate Thornly-Hall, Grand Cayman Island evokes a certain Seven Mile Beach chic.   Her new line of pillows, towels, hand-woven carpets, and wallpaper are inspired by Cayman life, below and above the water. Diver Magazine doesn’t want to typecast her as the Cayman Pillow Lady, but, just saying, that, when viewing her collection your eyes are drawn to her green and white trellis design throw pillows, her indoor outdoor pillows covered in 19 th century four-masted Cayman schooners and Royal Palm fronds.     Late last year, in a private downtown Toronto club she unveiled her Cayman Island Collection to Diver Magazine.   “ The Cayman Islands Tourism Office in Toronto called and ask if I had ever been to the Caymans. I had not.” Said Kate Thornly-Hall, in explaining how her n...