CHARISMATIC MEGA-ARTIFACTS
Story by Alex Brylske Photo by Jesse Cancelmo
 My
first saltwater dive was on a shipwreck off the coast of Delaware. Ever
since, wrecks have held a special place in my heart, only narrowly eclipsed
by coral reefs. But this is nothing unusual. Wrecks hold similar allure for
almost every diver, which is the subject of Jesse Cancelmo's feature this
month, "Sunken Treasures: What Makes Divers Love Shipwrecks." Clearly our
love affair with wrecks is nothing new, but what is a relatively new
phenomenon in diving is our growing appreciation that wrecks are far more
than mere underwater playgrounds or elaborate backgrounds for photographs.
Scientists and environmentalists have coined a term "charismatic megafauna"
to describe the large animal species with widespread popular appeal that are
used to achieve conservation goals well beyond just those particular
species. Two examples in our neck of the woods are sharks and whales.
There's no question that these two animals have broadened ocean awareness
and conservation far beyond their own plight. In a similar vein, I've
recently come to view shipwrecks the same way. In a very real sense you
could call them "charismatic mega-artifacts." An artifact is an object
manufactured or modified by humans, and shipwrecks certainly fit the
criteria as being both charismatic and mega. Yet mega doesn't just describe
their physical size. They're also enormous when it comes to describing their
importance in understanding human history, society and culture, as I point
out in my feature, "Heritage Awareness: Preserving the Unnatural Reef for
Posterity."
Aside from their aesthetic beauty, wrecks appeal to divers because of their
sense of history. In fact, many divers became divers precisely because of
this opportunity to see a piece of history firsthand. As we experience every
time we swim through the companionways and hatches used once by long dead
and departed mariners, there's a realization that few other activities allow
anyone to experience the past so intimately. For example, I once dove on the
18th-century French 64-gun frigate, Celebre, in the harbor of Louisbourg,
Nova Scotia. Only then did I fully realize what my old high school history
teacher was telling us that day he described the consequences of
British-French conflict in Canada. There, lying before me at arm's reach
were the true consequences for the unfortunate crew who served aboard her.
That day, for me, history came alive, and all because of the opportunity to
dive on a shipwreck. Let's make sure that we don't ruin this wonderful and
unique experience for those who follow because of clumsiness, or by ripping
apart a valuable cultural treasure for souvenirs. Learn to be as
conscientious and careful when diving on historical shipwrecks as we are
diving on coral reefs. They're no less important.
buddy lines
PUBLIC SAFETY THANK-YOU
Public Safety Thank-You
I wanted to thank Dive Training for depicting public safety diving in such
an accurate manner ("Where Diving Makes a Difference: The Demanding Role of
Public Safety Diving," Dive Training, April 2008). I found your article to
be accurate, balanced and educational and I am certain many will benefit
from the information you provided.
As you accurately depicted, public safety diving is not a glamorous job. The
tragedies take an emotional toll over time, however, the occasional "win"
makes all of the previous efforts worthwhile. For your information, the PSD
[public safety diving] community celebrated two "wins" recently.
On April 18, the Chicago Fire Department rescued a 2-year-old child who was
belted in a stroller blown by the wind over the edge of a seawall. The dive
team was notified promptly, dressed en route to the call, exited the vehicle
in close proximity to the last seen point and brought the child to the
surface. The total downtime was estimated at 15 minutes.
Another "win" was scored in Stillwater, Minnesota, on April 14. Four people
from a submerged vehicle were recovered after a 10- to 15-minute downtime.
All four victims were resuscitated and two lived - a remarkable
accomplishment. The diver involved (his first "real" PSD dive) deserves a
lot of credit.
These two "wins" help motivate divers nationwide to make another "mundane"
training dive in hopes their efforts will make a difference. I think your
article did a tremendous job bringing public safety divers the recognition
they deserve and on behalf of the International Association of Dive Rescue
Specialists, Dive Rescue International, and the PSD community I wanted to
say "thank you." You have helped make a difference.
Blades Robinson
Executive Director,
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists
Director, Dive Rescue International
Blood Thinner Clarification
I do enjoy reading Dive Training because you always have something to offer
for divers who are new or experienced.
There are a couple of things in the May 2008 issue that I would like to
comment on. The first is about the article "Deep-Vein Thrombosis: What You
Need to Know About 'Coach Class' Syndrome." I was quite surprised to read
the comments from Dr. Steven Elias, who referred twice to "blood thinners."
As someone who has taken a low dose of Warfarin for a number of years these
comments surprised me because of the misnomer regarding what the medication
does. As I understand, the medication does not "thin" the blood, but rather
slows the clotting process. Although "blood thinner" is an often-used term,
it seems out of place for a specialist in this area to use it rather than
correctly describe what effect the medication has in treatment for blood
clots.
The second comment I have is with regard to the photo on the bottom of Page
104 accompanying the article, "And You Thought Your Mama Dressed You Funny."
There is some very good information in the article. My wife's favorite
species to observe on our dives in the Caribbean is the smooth trunkfish.
She was quick to point out what appears to be a case of mistaken identity.
The caption to the photo identifies the fish as a smooth trunkfish. I
believe it is misidentified and the photo is actually of a honeycomb
cowfish.
Ted Timmons
Ottawa, Ontario
Editor's note: The reader is correct. The patterns on the honeycomb cowfish
resemble honeycombs, distinguishing it from the smooth trunkfish, which
sports a spotted pattern.
Diving as a Lifesaver
While diving about a year ago at the age of 59, I noticed that every time I
returned to the surface my chest hurt and I had a headache. This occurred no
matter the diving depth. Several dives later I went to the emergency room
suffering the same things. An EKG showed that one side of my heart wasn't
pumping right. The doctor found a 75 percent blockage from one side of my
heart to the other. He said the blockage involved a left anterior descending
artery; what they call in the field "a widow maker." The next morning I had
successful bypass surgery. Afterward I told the doctor that I was a scuba
diver and of the chest pain and headaches. He smiled and told me that he,
too, was a scuba diver. He then said that scuba diving is what saved my
life.
After eights weeks he allowed me to dive but no farther than 20-25 feet
(6-7.5 m). Ten weeks after surgery he said I could do what I felt like
doing. I began to work out - boxing, running and, of course, diving. The
doctor said I was in great shape and had 25-30 years left. He wanted to know
if I had any more chest pain or headaches when I returned to diving at
various depths. April 17 was one year from my bypass surgery and I have been
diving all the way to 100-plus feet with no problems. I want everyone in the
scuba world to know: If you dive and come up with any chest pain or
headaches, please see your doctor. Have a checkup, for you may be ignoring
the warning signs of a massive heart attack.
May you have many years left to dive.
S.A.
North Carolina
A Tip About Weight
Having read Alex Brylske's response to the question regarding proper
weighting (No Dumb Questions, May 2008), I would like to pass on a tip I
have used for years.
I agree with all that Alex wrote. It is certainly true that neutral buoyancy
checks made at the start of a dive are distorted by the weight of a full
tank; floating at eye level holding a normal breath with an empty BC
(buoyancy compensator) at the start of a dive will almost certainly lead to
the diver becoming underweighted as their tank empties.
The check that I lxike to use with my students (and in particular students
that may continue their education after having completed their entry level
course with a "get 'em on the bottom" instructor) is carried out at the 5-6
meter [16-19 feet] stop at the end of a dive with a tank of 75 bar [about
1,000 psi] or less. Get the diver neutral at 5 meters, holding onto a line
if needed, and then check their BC. Squeeze the area of the BC around their
shoulders. If you can feel a small amount of air, then they are correctly
weighted with enough air to dump from their BC to control the last 5 meters
of ascent. No air in the jacket at this point would indicate a diver
underweighted; and someone with their BC blown up like a balloon is a sure
sign of overweighting.
Love the magazine. Keep up the great work.
Peter Faulkner
Via e-mail
History Lesson
In a letter about Marty Snyderman's article "Behind the Iron Curtain" (March
2008), one of your readers said that Dive Training should avoid politics and
religion. I read the article and I did not read a thing about religion.
Snyderman was trying to tie the article from the past with the new divers he
met on the live-aboard. I didn't have a problem with this story at all. Dive
Training, keep up the good work.
Jim Crunk
Via e-mail
dive observer
STELLWAGEN REPORT
OUTLINES PROBLEMS
By Gene Gentrup
 The
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a marine preserve 25 miles from
Boston and roughly the size of Rhode Island, has some serious problems,
according to a government report meant to propose ways to protect the
842-square-mile (2,190-sq-km) area. It stretches between Cape Ann and Cape
Cod at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay in the southwestern corner of the Gulf
of Maine.
"On an annual basis, virtually every square kilometer of the sanctuary is
physically disturbed by fishing," the report says.
Designated a national marine sanctuary in 1992, Stellwagen is considered one
of the world's best places to watch whales. Its diverse seafloor topography
and currents attract a variety of small marine life that draws bigger
creatures to the area including dolphins, porpoises and whales.
The report, which took nearly a decade to complete, recommends tightening
restrictions around whale-watching boats and creating buffer zones around
historic shipwrecks on the sea floor. It proposes a fishing ban on sand
lance, a key food for humpback whales that is not fished commercially off
New England. Yet the document avoids pushing for controversial restrictions
on the bank, such as no-fishing zones.
A final plan will be prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration after a public comment period.
Once blanketed with forests and animals, Stellwagen Bank was slowly covered
by water as glaciers melted at the end of the last ice age. The underwater
plateau, 19 miles long (30 km) and 6 miles (10 km) at its widest, is etched
with steep canyons.
The bank's currents create a virtual smorgasbord of small marine life that
nourishes 17 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises; 80 species of fish;
39 species of sea birds; and lobster, scallops, sponges, and corals.
Last year, the National Marine Sanctuary Program issued the bank's first
report card, giving it marks of mostly fair to poor. The biggest concerns
were damage from fishing gear, whale collisions, and declining fish species.
Fishing nets were also getting caught on historic shipwrecks.
The document highlights some progress. New shipping lanes that went into
effect last year shifted ship traffic away from whales. And there is better
technology to track whales.
But overfishing remains a problem. Each year about 17.5 million pounds of
fish and crustaceans from the sanctuary arrive at area ports, but vast
amounts of fish are also thrown back - many presumably dead - because they
were species fishermen are not allowed to catch or don't want. And 10
percent of whale-ship collisions occur in Stellwagen.
For more information, visit http://stellwagen. noaa.gov/management/mpr/draftplan.html.
VANDENBERG SINK DATE POSTPONED
Artificial reef project organizers coordinating the cleanup and sinking of a
former United States Air Force missile tracking ship off Key West, Florida,
have postponed the scuttling date.
The 524-foot Hoyt S. Vandenberg did not sink May 15 as originally hoped for,
said Joe Weatherby of Reefmakers. A new date will be announced in the
future, Weatherby said.
Although most of the cleanup has been completed, unanticipated cost overruns
are keeping the ship in a Norfolk, Virginia, shipyard until the yard bill
can be satisfied. The yard filed a federal maritime lien on the ship to
ensure payment is made on the remaining balance of $1.6 million.
Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge said he, the city attorney and city
manager have discussed the matter with shipyard management and local, state
and federal officials as well as lending institutions endeavoring to arrange
a financial solution.
"Right now everyone is trying to work toward the goal of sinking this ship
off Key West," Verge said. "No one wants to see the ship sent to the scrap
yard."
Weatherby blamed skyrocketing fuel costs and unanticipated cleanup
challenges as reasons why the project, originally estimated at $5.7 million,
now requires another $2.3 million.
The cleanup has been intensive. Begun a year ago, more than 50,000 man-hours
of work have been invested to rid the vessel of all environmental hazards.
That meant removing paint, stripping out 900,000 feet of wiring potentially
containing toxic PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) used in insulation before
the carcinogen was banned, and off-loading any remaining waste petroleum
products.
The result, project officials say, will be a diversified shipwreck that
should appeal to divers of all skill levels and provide benefits to the
environment and economy.
DIVERS CAN VISIT FLORIDA PRESERVES VIA WEB
Divers can now access Florida's underwater archaeological preserves through
a virtual Web tour.
The "Museums in the Sea" Web site, www.museumsinthesea.com, provides video
and information on five of the 11 shipwreck sites that comprise the state's
underwater preserves.
Visitors can choose a shipwreck, take a guided underwater tour of the site,
watch a narrated history of the vessel, and observe the marine life that
lives in the wreckage. Each section of the site has photographs and text to
accompany the videos. Visitors also have the opportunity to download and
print the Underwater Preserve brochures and underwater guides.
The five Florida Shipwreck Preserves currently posted on the new Web site
are the Lofthus, an iron barque wrecked off Boynton Beach; USS
Massachusetts, the oldest existing American battleship sunk off Pensacola;
Half Moon, a German racing yacht off Miami; City of Hawkinsville, the
largest and last Suwannee River steamboat; and SS Copenhagen, a steel cargo
vessel that wrecked off Pompano Beach. Videos and details on the other six
preserves will be added to the Web site soon.
The Web site also provides educators with new research material for
students, who can use their computers to learn about Florida's maritime
history and marine biology, and see environmental changes that can occur to
shipwrecks over time.
The "Museums in the Sea" interactive Web site was created by the Bureau's
Underwater Archaeology Team and the Florida Center for Interactive Media,
with funding help from the Department of Environmental Protection, Coastal
Management Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NEW AGREEMENT WORKS TO BALANCE
BELIZE'S CRUISE SHIP TOURISM AND CONSERVATION
Belize tourism officials are hailing a plan with cruise ship companies to
protect coral reefs.
Under a "Declaration of Commitment" approved recently, key industry
stakeholders, including the government and the cruise lines, have committed
to create sustainable cruise tourism practices, such as protecting coral
reefs.
It is the first to address considerations by an established nature tourism
destination and will likely serve as a model for cruise line travel
destinations around the world.
Over the past five years, Belize has become one of the fastest-growing
cruise destinations in the western Caribbean, which has brought about new
environmental considerations, and demonstrated a need for a plan to manage
cruise ship visitation.
Under the agreement, several basic conservation projects will be carried out
over the next six months:
Mooring buoy project that seeks to address anchor damage to coral from a
spike in boating traffic at highly visited marine recreation sites around
Belize City.
Conservation awareness video for Cruise Ship Passengers that will help
reduce the visitor footprint in threatened ecosystems by showcasing Belize's
rich biodiversity, and invite cruise ship visitors to help Belizeans in
their conservation efforts by adhering to good practices when they interact
with the environment.
ENDANGERED SPECIES MURAL DUNLEAVY'S 54TH
Internationally renowned artist David Dunleavy recently painted an
endangered species mural to raise public awareness of the importance of the
Florida Keys living coral reef ecosystem. He painted the mural on the
exterior walls of Captain Slate's Atlantis Dive Center.
The endangered species mural is Dunleavy's 54th over 15 years.
The mural showcases the Christ Statue, the living coral reef and colorful
marine life that is indigenous to Key Largo. It wraps around three sides of
the building at Mile Marker 106.5 U.S. Highway 1, visible to all driving
into or out of the Keys. The Florida Keys Reef is the only living coral
barrier reef in North America, and is the third largest coral barrier reef
in the world. The reef runs about 221 miles from Key Biscayne to the Dry
Tortugas and is one of the most accessible wildlife areas in the country.
Dunleavy's endangered species murals can be seen in the United States, the
Bahamas Islands, Australia and a local mural at the History of Diving Museum
in Islamorada.
Like Dunleavy's previous walls, the Key Largo mural is designed to increase
global awareness and stewardship, mainly in children.
For more information about Dunleavy's Key Largo "Endangered Species" mural,
visit www.daviddunleavy.com or call (866) 922-8155.
RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO PROTECT ICONIC REEF FISH
The Cayman Islands government and REEF, the Reef Environmental Education
Foundation, have announced the start of a three-year research collaboration
to study and validate efforts aimed at protecting Nassau grouper, an
imperiled Caribbean reef fish.
"Nassau grouper are the poster-children for Caribbean coral reef health,"
said Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF science director. "The species
features prominently on almost every 'Wish you were here' postcard from the
Islands. Unfortunately, Nassau grouper are disappearing rapidly throughout
the region. In the Cayman Islands, we have a chance to help through the
Grouper Moon Project."
REEF scientists and volunteers are partnering with the Cayman Islands
Department of the Environment to study Nassau grouper movement and
reproductive biology using acoustic tracking systems and satellite-linked
drifters. The goal of the research is to determine whether recently
established marine protected areas in the Caymans are meeting their goal of
conserving regional Nassau grouper spawning aggregations.
"The Cayman Islands have perhaps the largest remaining spawning aggregation
of Nassau grouper in the world," said Dr. Brice Semmens, REEF researcher.
For more information on REEF, including the Grouper Moon Project, visit
www.REEF.org.
SAN DIEGO SHOW SEEKS UNDERWATER VIDEOS
Entries are sought for the ninth annual San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition,
scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings, August 22 and 23, at Qualcomm
Hall in San Diego.
Each evening of the show features a different program consisting of 14-16
short underwater films from locations all over the world. There is no entry
fee and the submission deadline is July 1.
Submissions should be sent to: San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition, P.O. Box
927330, San Diego, CA 92192.
For all submission rules, visit www.sdufex.com or contact Eric Hanauer at
ehanauer@san.rr.com or Chuck Nicklin, uwchuck@san.rr.com.
[IN MEMORIAM]
In memoriam. France native Andre Galerne, who helped Jacques Cousteau and
Philippe Tailliez develop the Aqua-Lung and later introduced scuba to
commercial diving, died May 6, 2008. He was 81.
Galerne first dived in 1943 and in 1952 formed SOGETRAM, one of the world's
first international firms providing dive services for industrial work. He is
credited with revolutionizing industrial diving by introducing scuba into
the commercial workplace.
In 1959 he formed International Underwater Contractors (IUC) in Montreal,
Canada, and in 1962 immigrated to the United States and continued to operate
IUC in New York. He later became president of the Association of Diving
Contractors and introduced the regional chapter system. He further modified
the bylaws and articles of incorporation and instigated the formation of
Underwater Magazine.
He joined the advisory board of the Historical Diving Society (HDS) shortly
after it was formed, and received the society's Historical Diver Magazine
Pioneer Award in 1999. Revered in his native France, he helped build
relationships between the HDS and several French diving organizations.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to The American Diabetes
Association, www.diabetes.org.
In memoriam. Hugh Bradner, the man credited with inventing the first wet
suit, died May 5, 2008. He was 92.
A renowned physicist and professor emeritus at the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography in San Diego, Bradner was one of the first Americans to make a
deep-water scuba dive.
In 1951, while working at the University of California, Berkeley, Bradner
spent weekends improving diving equipment for Navy frogmen, which inspired
his pioneering research on the wet suit. He focused on designing a wet suit
for military underwater swimmers and developed a foam prototype using a
unicellular material known as neoprene. Bradner collaborated with scientific
divers at Scripps who were experimenting with the new scuba regulator (which
supplies divers with breathing gas on demand and at the proper pressure)
invented by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. Scripps divers first tested
Bradner's wet suit designs at their scuba training classes in the pool of
the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. "Brad's neoprene wet suit was a
tremendous contribution to scientific diving," said James Stewart, professor
emeritus at Scripps.
Bradner was well-regarded for his collaborative approach to science, evident
in his reluctance to claim himself as sole inventor of the wet suit. His
other research endeavors led to novel diving equipment, including underwater
contact lenses, a single-hose regulator and a decompression meter.
In 1961, Bradner joined Scripps as a research geophysicist in the Institute
of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. He published extensively in the fields
of physics, seismology, geophysics and diving. The family requests gifts in
his memory to The Hugh and Marjorie Bradner Endowment at Scripps Institution
of Oceanography. For more information, visit
http://sio.ucsd.edu/.
[EVENTS]
JIM HAIGH MEMORIAL DIVE JULY 20
Diving, prize giveaways and music are planned for this year's Jim Haigh
Memorial Diver Appreciation Day, scheduled for July 20 at Haigh Quarry in
Kankakee, Illinois.
The steel drum band Od Tapo Imi will perform. Entry fee is $15 and air fills
cost $4. Proceeds benefit the John G. Shedd Aquarium Volunteer Diver
Maintenance Program. For more information, call (815) 939-7797 or visit
www.haighquarry.com.
ICORN HEADLINES
'LEGENDS OF DIVING'
Nick Icorn, one of the first divers ever certified, and who served as the
first executive director of the Professional Association of Dive
Instructors, is the featured legendary diver for the third annual
International Legends of Diving, scheduled for August 8-10 at Portage Quarry
in Bowling Green, Ohio.
In addition to Icorn's appearance, dive legends Sam Lecocq, Dr. Sam Miller
and Alec Peirce are scheduled to return. Other events planned include an
underwater treasure hunt, a Saturday night showing of the "Revenge of the
Creature," and giveaways totaling more than $10,000, including two dive
trips.
Icorn was part of the first formal underwater instructors course conducted
at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 1953 with Connie Limbaugh,
considered the founder of dive training in the United States.
Icorn has written manuals for open-water dive courses and his collection of
dive equipment is considered one of the world's best. One of the most
treasured items in his collection is the rare Commeinhes Scuba unit from
1937, which is the first fully automatic self-contained underwater breathing
unit. It was designed and manufactured by Georges Commeinhes in France, and
produced before the Aqualung.
The Ohio show will be the first time the Commeinhes unit has been displayed
in North America outside of California. Icorn will also present his
"Evolution of Diving" series, with more than 100 slides and displays
illustrating the development of the sport. To find out more details about
the event, visit www.portagequarry.com.
DIVERS FOR HOPE FUND-RAISER
SEPTEMBER 14
AT FORT WETHERILL
Divers for Hope has scheduled a fundraiser treasure hunt for September 14 at
Fort Wetherill in Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Thousands of dollars in prizes donated by local businesses, dive shops,
charter boats and manufacturers will be given away. Registration the day of
event starts at 10 a.m. and dive time is noon. Registered participants get
their chance at the prizes, with food and refreshments available.
Commemorative shirts will be available, while they last. Bring your
certification card, dive gear, and a dive buddy. More information is
available at www.DiversForHope.org.
Divers For Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for
nonprofit organizations that support community service and environmental
causes.
always learning
GETTING THERE:
Dive Travel as Part of the Adventure
Story and photos by Marty Snyderman
 At some point as divers
we all travel, whether it's to a local quarry, to a resort destination in
the Caribbean or to some tiny dot on the map that marks a faraway island
we've just learned to pronounce. The thing about divers that makes us
different from other travelers is that we're not typical tourists content to
arrive at our destination and lounge by the pool until it's time to return
to the airport for our flight home. Nope, we tend to be a bit more
adventurous. And this is where things can get interesting, especially when
our travel involves lots of gear, multiple flights and crossing more than a
few time zones.
The Good Old Days
A lot of crazy things happened to me in my early days of wandering the globe
with my passport and C-card. One time I was with a group of people when we
were told that the weight allowances for our plane had been changed the day
before and we could only take 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of gear each. Paying for
the excess weight was not an option. We were at the airport with close to
100 pounds (45.4 kg) per passenger in a foreign country with no security
lockers at the airport, and we were being told the flight would be leaving
in two hours as scheduled. Have you ever seen anyone wearing a camera
housing as a hat? I did that day. Some clothes got left behind at the
airport and stress levels were elevated, but all worked out in the end.
Another time we got to the dock where we were supposed to meet our boat only
to be told that the captain and crew were in jail and wouldn't be getting
out any time soon. I could go on and on with stories from the crazy, early
days of dive travel.
These incidents along with being very enthusiastic about seeing the diving
world were the r‚sum‚ items that helped me get a job leading dive trips
around the world during the 1980s and '90s. In the early days of dive travel
- before the Internet and travel agencies that specialized in dive travel
planning - it was a very good idea to have an experienced trip leader along
to help divers get their gear and themselves through airports, immigration
and customs without a major confrontation. Outside the airports we often had
to overnight in cities where not many people spoke English, accepted U.S.
dollars or cooked foods with names that were recognizable to many
English-speaking Americans. In some places tipping was expected; in others
tipping offended the locals.
Today, going on a dive trip to the Bahamas, Mexico and Caribbean
destinations is like a walk on Easy Street as long as you play by the
well-published rules regarding things like luggage allowance, and having
valid, up-to-date travel documents. These days, getting you and your gear to
your hotel or boat is a matter of routine, and in many cases you can get out
of your bed at home in the morning and sleep at your vacation destination
that night.
Great Diving a Half-A-World Away
In recent years North American divers flocked to a number of wonderful dive
destinations that are half-a-world away from home in the Indo-Pacific in
countries such as Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Yap, Palau and Indonesia,
places where North American sport divers didn't go very often as recently as
15 years ago. We are being rewarded with some fabulous diving in the most
biodiverse regions in the underwater world. In most destinations, the diving
and safety standards are state-of-the art so it's not like going someplace
where diving is unknown. That's the good news.
The other news is that getting there takes a while, and along the way you
might find yourself in places where no one speaks your language, your
currency won't be accepted, you can't read the signage or understand
announcements at airports, and you are surrounded by armed personnel.
Although it should be comforting to know that law and order prevails, when
you first experience situations like these, you can feel more than just
slightly uncomfortable.
Travel to many Indo-Pacific resorts often takes 40 hours or more. No doubt,
the travel takes its toll. Sleep schedules, meal schedules and body rhythms
get totally whacked. If you take any medications, it's hard to know when to
take them, and you need to remind yourself to stay hydrated.
Until recently I always traveled straight through to my final destination
without stopping along the way. I thought I was saving time and money, but I
was usually so spacey by the time I arrived at my final destination that it
took several days to get my feet back on the ground. So, on recent trips I
have tried another strategy. Rather than planning nonstop "get there as
quickly as possible" itineraries, somewhere along the way I got a room for
part of a day or an overnight stay. Breaking up the trip helped my body
adjust to jet lag and allowed me to move around a little. My body works
better when I do. Making a stop might also give delayed luggage a chance to
catch up with you.
Singapore is the most efficient airport I have ever been to, and when routed
through Singapore I prebook a transit hotel room in the airport. I never
have to leave the airport or touch my baggage for the connecting flight.
Everything can get handled behind the scenes, unless you prefer to see and
recheck your bags. Get off your plane, clear immigration, walk to the
airport hotel, check in and fall into bed. No schlepping bags, no taxis, no
foreign currency issues, getting lost or feeling anxious. A number of
international airports provide this type of accommodation option.
It can take a full 24-hour day or longer to get to Singapore or these other
cities, and I am whipped by the time I get there, but I feel so much better
when I have been able to sleep in a real bed instead of pretending to sleep
on a plane. And there is always the option of spending a day or two in a hub
city just to see the world.
Pack Light, Be Prepared, and Enlist the Pros
One detail I pay close attention to these days is luggage allowances and
weight limits. If you are a traveling diver, at some point in your life when
going to a remote destination it's likely that you will have to pay an
excess luggage charge. Those fees vary greatly, and for the same overweight
I have paid as little as $25 to as much as several hundred dollars. Often I
get charged traveling in one direction, but not in the other.
My advice is that rather than having a coronary on the spot, tell the ticket
agent you have dive gear, ask what options you might have and pay whatever
you are asked to pay. At least that is what I do. Whatever you do, don't let
a few bucks ruin your day or your trip.
I often make my own travel arrangements when going to the Bahamas, Mexico
and the Caribbean, but I have a travel agent who specializes in dive travel
make my air reservations and handle my accommodations when I go to the
Indo-Pacific. They know the geography and the logistics involved. I don't.
The travel pros can also tell me where I might need some local currency, how
to get transportation, and where people do and do not speak English. Having
accurate information on paper with me when I land on unfamiliar turf makes
life a lot easier than having to figure it all out for myself when I am
tired, hungry and feeling lost.
When all has been said and done, traveling the world with my passport and
C-card has been the greatest adventure of my life. Sometimes there are a few
bumps in the road, especially the farther you travel from North America's
footprint, but whether traveling to the Caribbean or the Indo-Pacific, I say
go, and hopefully I can go with you.
no dumb questions
SAFETY SAUSAGE USE,
BLOOD DONATION AND DIVING, RESPIRATION
By Alex Brylske Photo by Joseph C. Dovala
 Q:An
unsigned e-mail came in with an unusual question about sausages, but not the
kind you're probably thinking of. "When, in your opinion, is it OK to use a
safety sausage? The reason I'm asking is because I was told by a lifeguard
(I live in San Diego) to remind everyone in our group that they should be
used only in case of emergency, not as a surface marker, because the beach
patrol will respond to a safety sausage as a request for emergency
assistance. I like to use a safety sausage during my safety stop, but with
this rule in place, I can't. Is this a common practice elsewhere?"
A:First, there are probably some readers who have no idea what a "safety
sausage" is, so for their benefit, let me explain. As the name implies, a
safety sausage is a 3- to 6-foot (1- to 2-m) inflatable tube (hence,
"sausage"), normally made of international orange or yellow fabric, and
carried by divers in the BC (buoyancy compensator) pocket. It's usually
inflated and deployed to the surface for a couple of reasons. Most often
it's used as a surface marker to signal a dive boat or other surface support
personnel of a diver's location. It's especially handy for drift diving,
when divers can easily become separated, and the dive boat remains "live"
(unanchored). However, though most technical divers use lift bags, some
recreational divers use safety sausages as an aid to hanging on a safety
stop. A line tied to the sausage makes it easier to maintain position in the
water than hanging there unaided. The other advantage of using a lift bag or
sausage for a safety stop is that doesn't require that you locate the boat's
anchor line. It also indicates your location to the boat if there's a
current, and you drift away while at the stop.
As an East Coast diver, I've never heard of beach patrols considering a
safety sausage an emergency response signal. However, that doesn't mean that
it can't or shouldn't be used for that purpose. Crude signaling devices,
like waving a flag or blowing a whistle, can mean whatever you want them to
mean as long as all parties are aware and agree on that meaning. Frankly, to
me, if a diver needs help he's going to come to the surface, so the safety
sausage doesn't seem to make much sense as an emergency signal. But I
haven't made a beach dive off San Diego for more than 20 years, so I'm not
going to second guess their world-class beach patrol. Perhaps if you want to
deploy a safety sausage to help you with your safety stop you can get the
beach patrol to let you use another device like a lift bag. Otherwise, brush
up on your hovering skills.
Q:Jeanne Kops is both a diver and responsible citizen who asks about a much
valued public service. "Are there any guidelines or studies on donating
blood and scuba diving? I know they suggest to everyone after donating that
you not exercise strenuously for a short time after, but are there any
special considerations for scuba divers?"
A:I've addressed this issue in past columns, but not recently, so let's take
another look. Blood is the body's transport system for not only gases like
oxygen and carbon dioxide, but countless other substances. It transports
nutrients from the digestive system, and waste products from cells to the
liver and kidneys. It also transports disease-fighting cells and other
proteins throughout the body, and is even used in heat regulation.
Blood is actually made up of several components. It contains red blood cells
(used in gas transport), white blood cells (used in fighting disease) and
platelets (used in clotting), within a fluid called plasma. The red blood
cells contain hemoglobin and that's what transports most of the oxygen and
some of the carbon dioxide. The plasma transports dissolved gases and other
molecules. How much blood your body contains depends upon your size, but an
average adult has about 5 liters (just over 5 quarts). By volume, in healthy
adults, it's composed of about 44 percent red blood cells, 1 percent white
and 55 percent plasma (and from 135 to 180 grams of hemoglobin).
In donating blood you lose about 450 milliliters - about 15 fluid ounces -
of volume. The body responds by transporting fluid into the circulatory
system to replace the lost volume. Generally, after giving blood, this is
accomplished by the next day; but it takes time to replace the blood cells
and platelets, so it's several weeks before blood regains its normal
concentration.
Immediately after donating, the amount of oxygen that can be transported by
a unit of blood is reduced by about 9 percent, but this does not mean that
aerobic performance is reduced by the same amount. This is because the
amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues is determined not only by the
concentration of hemoglobin in the red blood cells, but also the amount of
blood flowing to the tissues, as well as the amount of oxygen that's removed
from the blood by the tissues. Moreover, reducing the concentration of red
blood cells also reduces the blood's viscosity, allowing it to flow more
easily, and increasing the cardiac output. This means that more blood is
delivered to the tissues, partially compensating for the reduced
concentration of hemoglobin. Right now, we just don't know for sure if lower
hemoglobin levels result in an increase or decrease in the delivery of
oxygen to the tissues, but research indicates it may be the former. Maximum
oxygen delivery occurs at about 100 grams per liter, which is much lower
than normal; and high-performance athletes such as marathon runners and
rowers have been shown to have lower hemoglobin and red blood cell
concentrations than the general population. Therefore, ironically, even
though the amount of oxygen that can be carried by the blood is reduced,
oxygen delivery to the tissues might actually increase after blood donation
because the lower viscosity allows more units of blood to reach the tissues.
Some have speculated that this increased blood flow may make divers more
susceptible to nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity and, particularly,
decompression sickness. While one might make a vague theoretical case for a
slightly increased susceptibility to these conditions after donating blood,
diving medical experts think otherwise. In fact, assuming that you don't
dive on the day you donate, they maintain that the increased risk is
negligible enough to be ignored.
Of course, the reduced blood volume immediately after donation makes one
susceptible to fainting. That's why donors are closely monitored, and fed or
given fluids afterward. While the lost fluid is replaced in a few hours,
diving is out of the question that soon. Aside from being prone to fainting,
you're also more likely to dehydrate. Medical experts, including the Divers
Alert Network, advise that no diving take place for at least 48 hours, with
72 hours recommended. Another point to consider is that there's also no
reason diving should affect how frequently one gives blood compared with a
nondiver.
To learn more about blood donation, visit www.givelife.org or call (800)
448-3543.
Q:Ten-year-old diver Jep Sedgwick sent in a simple but very important
question about respiration. "How much oxygen does one breath use up?"
A:This seemingly simple question points up a very important concept - about
which many adult divers are totally ignorant - and a common myth. First, the
myth. I once had a student ask me how mouth-to-mouth resuscitation works if
"all we breathe when we exhale is carbon dioxide." Of course, the answer is
that what we exhale isn't, or even close to, "all carbon dioxide." The
amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is about 21 percent, which means that's
how much is inhaled with each breath. It surprises many that the air we
exhale still has a very high percentage of oxygen. Depending on various
factors, such as your level of conditioning and general health, you exhale
air containing anywhere between 16 percent and 18 percent oxygen. This is
still sufficient to maintain life, which is why mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
works.
However, the full answer to your question is a bit more involved. When
scientists study oxygen use, they don't look at the percentage of gas used.
Instead, they measure the number of liters of oxygen used per minute. As you
know from your experience when you exercise, the more you work (the more
oxygen you need), the more and harder you have to breathe. Lots of
scientists called physiologists - many of whom work for the U.S. Navy - have
studied this in divers. What they've found is the following: At rest, an
adult consumes about 0.3 of a liter of oxygen per minute. So, if someone's
breathing only 10 breaths per minute, then he's using 0.03 liters of oxygen
per breath. However, if he starts jogging, that same person may use 2 liters
of oxygen per minute. But also remember that the increased work effort means
that his breathing rate will increase as well. If it doubles to 20 breaths
per minute, he's now using 0.10 liters of oxygen per breath to satisfy the
extra work of exercise, compared with the 0.03 liters needed at rest. So you
see, how much oxygen you use depends on how much your body needs; and how
much your body needs depends on how much work you're doing.
Quiz
 1. Understanding what
we can learn and why it is important to leave vital pieces of history where
we find them is called:
A. Heritage awareness
B. Artifact intelligence
C. Historical sensibility
D. Archival tolerance
2. Shipwrecks have been excavated in this type of structure, created by
pumping water out to establish a dry environment. The structure is called a:
A. Dry run
B. Cofferdam
C. Dry work room
D. All of the above
3. The primary reason some divers use full-face masks, according to experts,
is:
A. To avoid jaw fatigue
B. To stay dry
C. Underwater communications
D. Warmth and comfort
4. The type of symbiotic relationship in which two species provide mutual
benefit to each other is called:
A. Commensalism
B. Parasitism
C. Socialism
D. Mutualism
5. Thailand means:
A. Gateway to the East
B. Land of the free
C. Underwater pinnacle
D. Narrow tail
6. With portions of its lake bed below sea level, Woahink Lake in Oregon is
an example of what type of body of water?
A. Saltwater lake
B. Volcanic lake
C. Crypto-depression lake
D. Elevated lake
7. Divers Alert Network recommends no diving for how long after a person
donates blood?
A. At least 12 hours, with 24 hours recommended.
B. At least 24 hours, with 48 hours recommended.
C. At least 36 hours, with 48 hours recommended.
D. At least 48 hours, with 72 hours recommended.
8. The highly reflective, mirror like tissue behind the retina that helps
tiger sharks see at night is called:
A. Tapetum lucidum
B. Requiem sanctum
C. Corneum lipidum
Answers: 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. D 8. A
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