Improvised Underwater Spy Glass

Ken — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 00:00:11 +0000

If you’ve ever used a diver’s mask or goggles under water, you have experienced the clarity that it brings to your vision which otherwise would be very blurry. It’s literally a window into an underwater world.

But let’s suppose that you are not swimming under water nor are you inclined to stick your face in the water either. Is there a way to look under water with the same clarity without a divers mask or goggles? And for that matter, why would you want to look below the surface of the water anyway?

Perhaps you want to see where the fish are hanging out under the dock for strategic fishing, or, perhaps you dropped something important overboard like your keys or fishing gear. Seeing where it is will help you retrieve it. Hopefully you have packed a Pringles potato chip can or similar clear-top cannister in your picnic basket or perhaps you can obtain one close by. You can modify this simple container into a spyglass for under water viewing.

First, remove the clear plastic lid and the foil seal beneath it and empty (eat!) the contents. Then, use adhesive tape to seal the lid back onto the canister rim, making sure that it’s water-tight. Next, open the bottom with a P38 can opener or just cut it off below the metal rim. Now, invert the can so that the lid is placed into the water just below the surface while the can’s bottom is topside. You can peer down the cannister tube and see into the water with clarity like a diver’s mask.

When the water is clear and without turbidity it’s amazing to see the depth and detail of the subteranean world. These commom materials will enable you to make this simple device for use in an impromptu or emergency situation.

One-Eyed Strategy

Ken — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:25 +0000

Aarrghh! When we think of pirates, images of eye-patches come to mind. On an episode of Mythbusters, the team tested the hypothesis that pirates kept one eye covered so that it would remain sensitive in the dark, so that when they raided ships, they would uncover their patched eye below decks and have better vision in the dark. This proved to be true. It can take 10 to 20 minutes for your eyes to acclimate to the dark. It takes a moment of bright light to “blind” you until you can return to the dark and recover. In an emergency situation you may not have the needed time to recover your night vision.

A friend recently wrote to me about this principle that was taught to him by his grandfather. If you have been outside in the dark and need to go indoors briefly for some reason such as to answer a phone or fetch a tool, you can close one eye before entering the building and keep it close for the duration of your time inside. Once you exit, you can open your closed eye and it will retain it’s sensitivity in the dark. This technique could prove critical if you don’t have supplementary lighting like a flashlight.

Take time to practice this technique. Once you make the quick trip inside a lit area and then return to the dark, compare the vision from each eye and notice the difference.

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Improvised Underwater Spy Glass

One-Eyed Strategy