Shark Attack

“Thump!” “I felt the impact on my back, but I wasn’t sure which part of me was hit. I felt myself being carried through the water like a helpless ragdoll. I remember hoping I wasn’t losing too much blood although after the initial impact I felt no pain. It turned into a dreamlike sequence, an … Read more

Underwater Photography: It’s Easier Than it Was But You Still Need Some Skills

At weekends, I work in a store that specializes in underwater photography equipment. We try to match products to each customer’s needs. Recently, a young woman came in to buy an underwater camera. She professed to be a professional writer intending to supply articles to diving magazines. She wanted a camera that was very straightforward … Read more

The Dangers of Social Media

Occasionally, a boat crew witnesses some diver doing so incredibly stupid that, rather than dismiss it as a one-off event, it’s simpler to write it into the boat’s policy or procedures. Like the liveaboard I worked on once; we had a rule that divers, equipped with tanks in place, should step down the ladder at … Read more

Alternative Protocol for In-Water Recompression by Dr Carl Edmonds

This is an alternative Protocol by Dr Carl Edmonds of the Australian Navy School of Underwater Medicine for treatment of DCS in water at a shallower depth, as suggested by John Lippmann. In-water Oxygen Treatment Procedures Oxygen should be supplied at maximum depth of 9 msw (30 fsw), from a surface supply system. The ascent … Read more

Bret Gilliam’s Protocol for In-Water Recompression at Remote Dive Sites

Presentation of DCI Problems If a diver surfaces and reports any signs or symptoms of decompression illness (DCI), they should immediately be evaluated against the list of DCI symptoms and equipped for re-entry into the water as quickly as possible. Be certain that the victim is functionally responsive, mentally aware, and capable of answering questions … Read more