1. Local dive shops usually offer scuba schools.  Pick one that is certified by one of the large scuba agencies, such as PADI, NAUI, or SSI.

3. Some dive shops offer an “Introduction to Scuba” class. These are usually just an afternoon, are held at a swimming pool, and they let you put on a mask and go underwater and breath through a regulator. These classes are excellent if you aren’t sure you really want to scuba or if you don’t know if you will be comfortable enough underwater to complete a full course. It’s better to find out if you are claustrophobic before you pay for a complete dive course!

4. Once you decide scuba is for you, take a full certification course, not some quickie course at a resort. Your life could depend on it.

5. Ask what equipment the scuba school will provide and what equipment you need to buy. At a minimum, you will need to buy a mask, fins and a snorkel. Some schools provide a buoyancy compensator and regulator. You won’t need to buy a tank; one will either be provided, or you can rent one.

6. Courses are part classroom, part in the water training. Your basic in the water training will be done in a swimming pool. Your open water check out dive can either be done nearby, usually a lake, or at a more tropical locale. Some dive shops offer trips to the Caribbean where your instructor will give you your check out dive.

By now, we’ve all learned what SPF is. Sun Protection Factor. It measures sunscreens’ ability to filter out UVB, the portion of the insidious sunbeam that causes burning. But there’s another nasty part of the sunbeam … UVA. UVA also causes skin damage, but not the immediate kind. It causes the severe aging effects you see on people we describe, behind their backs, as having skin like old leather. And don’t even get me started on UVC. Thank god the upper atmosphere filters it out before it can reach us and cause us to burst into flames.

Here’s the problem with SPF. SPF doesn’t rate a sunscreen’s ability to filter UVA. And a lot of suncreens don’t block UVA ... you have to check the label. The FDA is working on a system to add UVA ratings to sunscreens, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

There is a new option available to help save our skin. It’s sun protective clothing. You say all clothing protects us from the sun? Not so fast. I thought so, too. But there is a rating system for clothing, and it rates the blockage of both UVB and UVA. It’s called the UPF scale, which stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. A UPF of 30 only lets in 1/30th of the UVB and UVA. So the higher the UPF, the better, just like with SPF.

It turns out that not all clothing fabric blocks out the same amount of those deadly sunbeams. I thought my good ol’ white cotton T-shirt was all the protection I needed. Oops. It turns out that white cotton T-shirts only have a protection factor of 7. And if it gets wet, the UPF drops to 3. So what kind of fabric does a good job of blocking the sunbeams?

John Barrows, President of Coolibar, Inc., was happy to share information about the sun protective clothing his company manufacturers, and he educated me on the whole history of the sun protective clothing industry. He and his wife, Mary Mills Barrows, wrote a book titled, “Sun Protection for Life”, which won an award from the American Academy of Dermatology, so he knows his stuff, which I’ll share.

It turns out that Australia has some of the nastiest sunbeams on earth. Combine that with a high percentage of the population being fair skinned, and you get the country with the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. Luckily for Australians, their government actually noticed this and did something about it. In the 1980’s, State anti-cancer societies began public education programs. Over time, this program evolved into the comprehensive SunSmart campaign involving public education, training for various professionals, and the provision of resources to organizations and communities. It also led to the creation, marketing and government regulation of the sun protective clothing market. The Australian government tests and certifies sun protective clothing and issues “hang tags” that rate the garment’s UPF. Sun protective clothing now is a bigger market in Australia than sunscreens.

But what makes a garment “sun protective clothing”? According to the U.S. Skin Cancer Foundation, only clothing with a minimum UPF of 15 can be labeled as “sun protective clothing”. And to get the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation, the clothing has to have a minimum UPF of 30.

Mr. Barrows points out that all of Coolibar’s clothing is UPF rated 50+, which is the highest rating. How do they get such a high rating? “We use a number of families of fabrics, depending on the use of the garment. For example, we use a woven nylon microfiber that is embedded with titanium dioxide, which blocks sunlight. For swimwear, we avoid Lycra, because chlorine destroys it pretty quickly, and it starts falling out of the suit, leaving small holes that sunlight can penetrate. We instead use a special knit polyester that is good at absorbing UV.”

Having been brought up on cotton, the mention of things like “microfibers” brought up questions. I know cotton will shrink. Will the UPF factor of “microfibers” lower with time? “The ability of all fabrics to filter UV will decrease with usage,” he said. “But our fabrics are tested not when they are new, but only after they have been put through machines that simulate 40 washings and another machine that simulates lots of wear. So our rating of UPF 50+ is for a weathered garment, not a new one. A large portion of our customers have problems with the sun, like skin cancer or lupus, and we want to ensure they can rely on our clothing for the protection they need.” Wow. A company that cares about its customers? I hope that catches on. Maybe that explains why Coolibar was recognized in 2007 by Inc. magazine as one of the nation’s 500 fastest-growing private companies. That also may be why earlier this year, the Melanoma International Foundation made Coolibar its first officially endorsed sun protective apparel.

Call me old fashioned (which is exactly what Mr. Barrows did), but I still wondered if I should give up the ol’ white cotton T-shirt. After confirming that it did indeed only have a UPF of 7, I started to question if I should give this newfangled material a chance. But wait, is the newfangled stuff hot and stuffy? “We use very lightweight fabrics for warm weather usage,” parried Barrows. It turns out Coolibar’s lightweight fabric is one third lighter than fine linen. “And we incorporate ventilation into the design,” he continued. “We also have fabrics that wick moisture away from the skin, keeping you cool,” he finished, removing my last bit of skepticism.

So can we give up using sunscreens forever? “No, you still need sunscreen on the exposed portions of your body, your hands, face, and neck,” said Barrows. Coolibar even sponsors an annual ranking of the sunscreens most recommended by dermatologists. Isn’t that promoting your competition? “No, sunscreen is a complimentary product. You should use sunscreen in conjunction with our clothing,” he explained.

After speaking with Mr. Barrows, and learning about the state of the art sun protective clothing industry, it seems that the ol’ white cotton t-shirt has seen its last day as my first line of defense against those insidious sunbeams. This newfangled technology, unlike the UV index, is something we could actually use. I wonder if they know about sun protective clothing in Cleveland?

Stan explained that there are three basic types of saltwater aquariums: fish only, fish only  with live rock (FOWLR) and reef tanks. Fish only is easy to understand. Just fish, no live plants or coral. FOWLR is live fish, but with pieces of dead coral that house live flora and fauna and beneficial bacteria. A reef tank is a step up, and contains live coral. Each step up, from fish only to FOWLR to reef tank, requires more expertise, more time and more money.

A fish only tank is easiest. You have to make sure you have the basics, and fish that don’t find each other tasty. With the other two kinds, you need to make sure your fish don’t eat each other and don’t eat your live rock or coral.

The basic hardware required of these systems is similar, with the biggest difference being the type of lighting required. Fish only don’t require sophisticated lighting, while live rock requires a little better lighting, and reef tanks require very good, specialized lighting.

The first piece of equipment you need is the tank itself. Tanks are made out of either glass or acrylic. Glass is cheaper and heavier, acrylic is lighter, more expensive and scratches easier. Stan has a page on his website that shows you how to build your own 55 gallon glass tank. Stan learned to make his own equipment while living for ten years on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He couldn’t get any equipment on the small island, so he had to make his own.

For those who prefer to purchase a tank, there are numerous manufacturers. I spoke with Keith Young, Vice-President of Consulting Services of Tenecor Aquariums (www.tenecor.com), one of the biggest tank manufacturers in the world. Keith explained that Tenecor builds over 800 tanks a week, and sets them up so they keep their customers happy and in the hobby. Tenecor focuses on high quality systems that make maintenance easier. They do high-end aquariums, all the way down to ten-gallon systems. Tenecor counts among its clients The National Aquarium, The New York Aquarium, The Key West Aquarium, The Waikiki Aquarium, The Alaska Sea Life Center, and The Florida Aquarium. Keith suggested a glass aquarium for smaller tanks, and acrylic for larger. Glass tanks are easier to clean without scratching.

The next component for your aquarium is a filter system. Both Keith and Stan emphasized filtration as the most important piece of equipment. You will need mechanical filters to keep the water from becoming toxic from fish waste. The better filter you buy, the fewer problems you have and the more fish you can keep in the tank.

You also need lights. Greg Morgan, co-owner of Reef Geek (www.reefgeek.com), a California based company that specializes in aquarium lighting, explained the different kinds of lighting available. There a three basic kinds, fluorescent, metal halide, and LED. Fluorescent lighting has different variations, and can be very high output, but still power efficient. Metal Halide is very bright, but uses a lot of power and produces a lot of heat, which can be a problem. LED lights are the future of the industry. They are low heat, low energy and long life, but are now still a little pricey. If you want a reef tank, you’ll need to have some of his high quality lighting - corals have specific light needs.

You’ll also need a water pump or two-one to circulate the water through the filtration system, and one to move the water around inside the tank to simulate wave action. The wave action helps keep debris from floating to the bottom by suspending it in the water where it can be removed by the filter. It also gives the fish exercise!

When you set up your tank for the first time, you’ll have to let it stabilize. This involves letting beneficial bacteria grow, and to let the water reach the right temperature, salinity and PH. This takes around six weeks normally, but Stan recommended a product that speeds up the process immensely, named Right Now Bacteria from Hiatt Distributors.

After you have your tank set up, you’ll need to perform maintenance. How much depends on how well you set up your system and what kind of tank you have. Reef systems can require an hour a day. Fish only, as little as five minutes a week, plus 30 minutes every month for a major cleaning. And for those who don’t have the time, there are companies that will set up your aquarium and come service it twice a month.

Cost varies widely. Obviously, size and type of tank make a big difference. Greg said just the purchase of a 55 gallon tank can vary from $300 to $1500. Stan says you can expect to pay around $1000 for a nice 55-gallon system.

No matter which way you decide to go, you’ll have to learn quite a bit about the equipment needed and the chemical functioning inside the tank. With a little effort, you can have a spectacular saltwater display with exotic fish and corals. If the desire for that gorgeous tank is rising, there are several ways to make it happen, from building it yourself (Stan’s site has a great on-line class to walk you through) to hiring others to build and service it. Since aquariums are proven to lower blood pressure, it may be a cost effective investment of time and money. And you can actually find Nemo!

Let’s get going! We’ve spoken to some pool professionals about the things you should consider when building a pool. John Gay of Panama Pools and Spas in Panama City Beach, Florida, and David Galloway of Galloway Pools in Corpus Christi, Texas were kind enough to give helpful hints about pools. Both Panama Pools and Galloway Pools are members of the Master Pools Guild, an international fellowship of high-end pool builders who have been associating to share ideas, collectively solve building problems and improve their quality since 1962. Generally there is only one Master Pools member builder in an area. Members are selected based on their market position as an elite, custom pool builder in their region. They must be craftsmen, operating with a strong commitment to high quality, customer service and business ethics. In other words, they know their stuff and come recommended.

Who should you hire to build your pool? Both Gay and Galloway agree: someone with experience. How do you know how long they’ve been in business? “So many times you see ads that say ‘35 years experience’, but that doesn't tell you anything,” said Gay. “Look at the license number, then go to your state’s licensing bureau and look up the license number and it will tell you when that person was licensed.”

What else should you look for from a prospective builder? How about references? According to Gay, “The thing NOT to ask is a list of references. That is useless; no contractor will give you a customer's name that is not happy with his work. If you want to get a list of customers, go to the building department and look at the permits he/she has pulled over the last year and pick out 3-4 and call them on your own.”

In addition to picking a builder, you have to figure out what you want your pool to look like, and what pool equipment to install. The hottest styles these days are freeform custom designs, the ones with lots of curves, as opposed to the old rectangles of yesteryear. “We have a lot of requests for vanishing edge pools, where the water spills over into a catchway,” said Galloway. He also said that waterfalls and natural rock features are hot items. Gay says he’s seeing lots of requests for zero entry (no steps, just a gradual slope down into the water) and sun shelfs (shallow area, around 6 inches deep, for younger children), along with requests for upgrades on plaster, from standard quartz plaster to pearl or mini-pearl plaster. As far as what new equipment is hot, it’s clearly salt chlorine generators. These new chlorination systems convert salt into chlorine, which produces water that is comfortable and easy on the eyes, skin and hair.

Now the big question, price. Pool prices are based on square footage and perimeter. With the non-rectangle pools being popular, it isn’t as easy as it used to be to calculate square footage. You’ll need to obtain the square footage, and then divide it into the price to see how much you are paying per square foot; then you can compare the prices between builders. Since pools vary considerably in size and complexity, there is no standard price. Customers of Panama Pools and Galloway Pools spend an average of about $50,000 on a pool. Remember the tax advantages of pool building, and that home equity loans usually have a nice interest rate.

The pool industry is constantly evolving, and new equipment and styles are emerging weekly. The choices in design keep increasing, and maintenance keeps decreasing. Mortgage rates are low and new building has slowed. If you’ve ever thought about adding a pool, what better time than now? With $4 gas and outrageous airfare, you’ll never find a better time to rationalize your way into a nice, relaxing, shimmering oasis in your backyard. And the kids will love you for it!

Michael Malone, of WKMC Architects, also in Dallas, has seen the push for green change his interaction with customers. “In our practice it has required us to help educate our clients and help them understand what it means to be green. The initial idea for being green comes to us from our clients and it is met with support, but in execution there can be challenges (and additional costs) which often make their initial enthusiasm wane. For merchant (speculative builder or developer) housing the idea that they are green is often driven by marketing trends which can seem like a cynical application of this idea. In almost every meeting with potential clients, green concepts almost always come up and we discuss them and try to gauge the willingness of the clients to really follow this path and incorporate it meaningfully into their homes.”

What design elements can be incorporated to be more green? According to Malone, “In our experience people are not requesting specific designs or design elements to be green, they are asking for the entire project to be developed in a manner that is green and sustainable. I don’t think green is a style yet…many green principals can be adapted to any number of home design styles and often things that were elements of more traditional homes make a lot of sense for green design. Simple elements we try to use that often seem pretty old fashioned include screen porches and window screens, ceiling fans, overhangs on roofs and over windows, driveways that are not fully paved but include grass strips or grass planting elements. These can be combined successfully into any type of residential style and are limited only by the creativity of the designer.”

Most of the push to be green is taking place in the choice of materials. Malone said, “We select materials for the construction of our houses that are sustainable and either recycled or recyclable (commercially grown and harvested wood, local stone, metal, concrete). We also like products that take the place of more traditional materials but are durable and low in maintenance (cement board panels and siding). We discourage carpet in every form other than rugs, which can be removed for cleaning and airing. We like light colors to be sued throughout the house to make it feel open and bright and to increase the reflectivity of the available lighting. We like metal roofs because properly selected they reflect the sun and don’t absorb it. We like properly installed masonry and stone because it is durable and water resistant and with normal care never needs to be refinished or repainted. One component of green building is the use of materials that are local so they don’t have to be transported very far. For us that means local limestone from Texas and southern yellow pine for framing and finish woods. We also have a wide range of locally manufactured brick, which does very well in our climate. One reason to use materials like these is the longevity of their use without major upkeep and refinish. You don’t have to paint a brick or stone wall. It may cost more to build initially, but it is a ‘permanent finish.’”

The placement of homes and of entire housing developments can also be done with green consideration. Situating a house so it takes advantage of the sun’s angles to reduce heat buildup is one way. And according to Ware, “When you get to the community level of green, there are many important strategies to implement:

· Combination of densities and home types.
· Provide public open space and community space.
· Combining residential with local community retail amenities so people can actually walk to the stores they go to the most often. 
· Home orientation can be determined by street layout– Orient the house to take advantage of the sun – This can save 15% on the energy bill by itself. 
· Provide easily accessed public transportation.
· Focus on the pedestrian rather than the car.
· Size the roads to be appropriate for the use. Much narrower roads for residential streets, wider sidewalks for commercial. 
· Push commercial closer to the street and have cars park behind so that it encourages pedestrian access more than car access.
· Reduce light trespass to the sky and to adjacent properties.
· Reduce black and dark surfaces on the site and on roofs.  Dark surfaces absorb more heat from the sun and create a heat island effect. Cities typically are hotter than open countryside due to this and therefore require more air conditioning. By doing this you reduce the areas ambient temperature and therefore people’s energy bills.”

What lies in the future for green homebuilding? Ware says, “We see significant energy reductions due to putting the existing technologies we have into better practice. There are many very bad standard practices that could be changed for no up-front cost increase and reduce the energy use by at least 50%. The most important of these is to get the HVAC unit and air ducts into conditioned space, so they are not affected by 130-degree attics. The next is to seal the home very tightly, which allows you to reduce the size of the A/C unit.  Designing the A/C unit to the correct size is critical; too big and you have humidity problems and too small you have temperature problems. Also, lighting is making huge strides in energy efficiency every year. LED lighting will be very predominate in the years to come.”

Mr. Malone also sees green construction being legislated. “Green and sustainable building is the right thing to do, so in the future either we will develop our designs to be as conscientious as possible in our use of materials or it will be mandated for us,” he said. “I think we are on a path where green concepts will be legislated to the building industry with the same sense of importance as we have all adapted to universal handicapped accessibility.”

Our world has now changed to the extent that green building may not be a choice in the future, but a legal requirement. For those of us who can recall, it seems a lot like 1974.

Montgomery: I find that we are all so busy with our lives and once we begin thinking about buying a vacation or retirement property we simply don’t know where to begin.  There is so much data out there and it is hard to start organizing it into a practical guide to start the search.  My approach is not rocket science, but a thoughtful and methodical approach to finding the community of your dreams.

So when do you start your search? As soon as you begin to think about it! My husband and I “talked” about it for years; where did we want to retire, mountains, water, big city, small town, an over 55 community, south, north, east or west. As you travel for vacation or business start paying attention to your surroundings - you may find some areas you are interested in researching further. Subscribe to magazines that cover retirement living and communities (Gulfscapes, Southern Living, Coastal Living, AARP publications). Attend Home Shows and Expos, and surf the web. Over time – a few years and some online research – my husband and I decided on the state (NC) and decided to look closer to the coast than the mountains. Then the research really began. We found retirement property in a golf and marina gated community and plan to begin building in the next 3 years. We also own an oceanfront condo in Ocean City, MD. We plan to spend our summers at the beach condo. 

Gulfscapes: How do you go about finding your perfect retirement home?

Montgomery: Research, research, research. Travel to the areas you are considering. Talk to the locals, pick up brochures and guides at the visitor centers located in most towns. Take pictures so you can remember what you looked at. The web is wonderful thing and you can gain so much knowledge about the areas that you are considering. Visit the city/town web page and learn about local government, businesses, things to do and see, medical facilities and local culture. Study the taxes and figure out where you will be happy and have a good/reasonable tax situation (all the states have web sites that explain their tax structure). While many states might exclude some or all of your pension from income taxes, you need to consider other taxes, such as sales tax and property taxes. Most communities have websites and you can glean a wealth of information to help in deciding whether or not the community is worth a look to you. Develop a spreadsheet and use it as a checklist when considering what you want as your dream property. Once you have narrowed it down, contact the community (most have realtors onsite) or a realtor in the area to make arrangements for a visit. Many communities have what they call “discovery packages” which provide for lodging at a reduced rate and may include other goodies such as a free round of golf, or a meal at the club house. Ask about these packages when you call. As I was visiting potential properties, I stayed in some nice villas and hotels at less than $100 per night. 

Gulfscapes: What details should you take into consideration when selecting your retirement home?

Montgomery: Make a checklist of issues that are important to you – consider:
- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
- AMENITIES (gated community, golf, tennis, marina)
- STATE TAXES (some states don’t have sales tax/some do not tax pensions)
- PROPERTY TAXES
- MEDICAL AND HOSPITALS (I am a cancer survivor, so medical is very important to me)
- MILITARY BASES
- SHOPPING
- CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
- CHURCHES
- AIRPORTS and other PUBLIC transportation
- INTERSTATES/and state ROAD systems
- WEATHER

When my sister and I decided to buy retirement properties I created a spreadsheet of all the amenities we thought we wanted; did the research to find properties in the areas we were interested in; and created another spreadsheet of all the properties we wanted to visit. We figured out in what order we would visit the properties and how long we would stay in each location (some locations had multiple properties). We made appointments for visiting and hit the road. It was a great road trip. We were gone for 10 days and by the time we returned home each of us owned a new piece of property. We took cell phones, a digital camera and my laptop, and each day we would email our husbands the best of what we looked at providing details over phone calls. Once we each bought a piece of property all the details were worked out, including settlement, by email and mail. 

Gulfscapes: Many people buying a second home on the coast will be experiencing a new type of ownership – a condo. What things should they know about owning a condo (fee assessments, etc.)?  As for second homes, what terms might be new about owning a
home in a community - homeowners associations, covenants, homeowner’s fees, etc.?

Montgomery: Condo ownership is great for a second home, vacation home, or for people that don’t want to be bothered with outside maintenance. There are condo fees involved and the amount will depend on the size of the condo community and the amenities associated with the condo – like a pool, golf course, tennis courts, workout room. We have a beach condo and we pay a condo fee quarterly -- we have a pool and an elevator, two parking spaces and common areas that have to be maintained. We don’t worry about much except for having fun and enjoying the beach life. These days there are not many communities that don’t have homeowner’s fees associated with their property. These fees are used to maintain the common grounds, as well as the amenities. Most communities are trying to become all-inclusive, so you don’t have to go far to swim, play tennis, play golf or exercise. The cost of the fees are associated with the type of property/community – is it a golfing, tennis and/or marina community? Are there bike and jogging paths to be maintained? Is there security? Second homes are just like owning your primary residence, except you don’t live there fulltime. One thing to do once you are seriously considering a property is to check with the Homeowner’s Association – you can get this information from your realtor, and some associations can be found online. An important item to check is the association’s reserve funds – are they collecting a sufficient amount to replace/repair aging amenities and emergencies? If not, an owner could be hit with special assessments and it could cost thousands of dollars. You want to make certain the Homeowner’s Association is planning ahead, as well as managing the day-to-day issues.  

Gulfscapes: Do you have any tips about buying that reflect the current economic state?  It's a buyers market, how do retirees take advantage of this market?

Montgomery: BUY NOW. Even if you don’t keep it, it will likely sell for more than you paid because the market has to go back up. Consider it an investment – part of your portfolio. There are some great deals to be had and the buyer has the negotiation power right now. You may be able to ask for extras, like having the club membership fees paid, or some free golf rounds. Financing is another issue and depends on your personal economic situation.  Some choose to finance the property; some take out equity loans on their primary residence; others dip into their portfolios…it is a personal choice.