New Jersey Scuba Diving

Beach Crabs

Ghost Crab — Ghost Crab
Ocypode quadrata

Fiddler Crab — Fiddler Crab
Uca spp

These small crabs are largely terrestrial. Female Fiddler Crabs lack the huge claw of the male, which is very strong but is used only in dance-like territorial displays. Several species in the area differ mainly by habitat. Fiddlers prefer marshes and stream banks, where huge colonies riddle the peat with tunnels near the waterline. Almost entirely terrestrial, you will find Ghost Crabs skittering across the beaches at night. Placed in the water, they may even drown! Both grow to a body size of approximately 1 inch.

Fiddler Crabs — Fiddler Crabs tend to live in nasty places. Note the odd left-handed male at upper-right.

US Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile

Regulators - First Stages

regulator

First stages come in several forms. Your main options are generally:

balanced or unbalanced
piston or diaphragm
sealed or unsealed

Manufacturers will try to make a big deal out of these and various other features. Here's what I think:

balanced or unbalanced - Today only the very cheapest regs are unbalanced designs. Breathing performance will suffer, and any reg that cheap will likely be deficient in other areas. There is no reason to buy an unbalanced first stage.
piston or diaphragm - This doesn't much matter, there are good designs that use both systems - worry about other things.
sealed or unsealed - This refers to whether or not water can enter the first stage. If water can enter, then so can sand and grit, which will inevitably cause a malfunction, probably while you are in the water. Also, for cold-water diving ( not ice diving, just cold water, say 45°F ), the water inside the first stage could actually freeze, with the same result. Do not buy an unsealed regulator for use around here. In fact, don't buy one, period. Sealed designs are generally more expensive to buy and maintain, but it is worth the extra cost. Some regulators ( Genesis, Sherwood ) accomplish the same effect without technically being sealed. This is just as good, maybe better, because the design is simpler.

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