ASK DAN: What do divers need to know about cardiac health?
The heart’s importance and the inherent hazards of the underwater environment make it really important for divers to be aware of their cardiovascular health.
Divers Alert Network
RESUSCITATION OF THE DROWNING VICTIM
Drowning events are becoming more common in today’s society. According to the CDC, drowning ranks as the fifth leading cause of unintentional deaths in the United States. There is an average of ten drowning fatalities per day with two of the ten being children. Prevention strategies can make a difference only if they are followed. …
Best places to dive with Manta Rays
Diving with Manta Rays Diving with Manta Rays has to be on most divers wish list, and with good reason. These majestic creatures, a member of the shark & ray family, can grow up to 7m/23ft in length and can weigh up to an astounding 2 tonnes in weight! However, these gentle giants feed on tiny zooplankton, …
What to Keep in your First Aid Kit for Babies
When a new baby joins your family, there will be a ton of things on your mind. You’ll go over everything again and again — the gear you need, sleep schedules, feeding baby, diaper changes and so much more. Things can get overwhelming quickly. But, before sleep deprivation kicks in, there are two important things …
LIFTBAG OR SMB?
A surface marker and guideline are an essential part of a tech diver’s kit. Most people use either a lift bag or an SMB (surface marker buoy) as the marker. A reel or finger spool are two options for carrying and deploying a line. The reasons for carrying these items are many. If diving in …
CONTINUING EDUCATION
After years of dreaming about it, you have succeeded! You’ve completed your training… and have your scuba certification card. Congratulations! Now what?? For some of you, you will hang up your fins. The grand adventure is over. And that is a complete shame! For others, you will seek help and guidance, intrigued by the environment …
Practical Guide to Nitrox Diving
There are many benefits to enriched air scuba diving, with the right training. On today’s dive boats, you’d be hard-pressed not to see one or two of the telltale green and yellow tanks that announce the presence of nitrox, or oxygen-enriched air, which has been used in recreational diving for decades. Every major training agency …
THE BIGGEST AND MOST UNEXPECTED THING I LEARNED IN TECHNICAL DIVE TRAINING
I recently fulfilled my long time wish to become a technical diver. Being a dive instructor, becoming a tech diver had been on my bucket list for ages. However, it just never happened, either because of a lack of time, or money, or both. My motivation for wanting to become a tech diver was two-sided. …
THE BIGGEST AND MOST UNEXPECTED THING I LEARNED IN TECHNICAL DIVE TRAINING Read More »
ALL THE REASONS YOU SHOULD (PROUDLY) PEE IN YOUR WETSUIT
They say there are two types of divers: those who pee in their wetsuits and those who lie about it. Most people who have been diving with me know that I quite proudly fall in the first group. It’s not that I’m trying to gross people out by making pee jokes after dives (admittedly, I …
ALL THE REASONS YOU SHOULD (PROUDLY) PEE IN YOUR WETSUIT Read More »
THE ABCD’s OF TECHNICAL DIVING
The foundational ABCDs of technical diving — Awareness, Buoyancy control, Communications and Discipline — are vitally important on every dive. Every technical dive is different, just like every technical diver is different. And technical dives can take place anywhere from the open ocean to overhead environments like caves and wrecks. However, the ABCDs of technical …