Certified Solo Diver

In 1990 I had a story published in Michael Menduno’s  aquaCorp Journal. Michael is a pioneer of Technical Diving for sports divers, and is credited with coining the term “Technical Diving” or “Tec Diving”. We all know what the term means now, but it was a giant leap at the time to get divers from … 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

No computer, no sense!

There’s a feeling of instant camaraderie among the passengers on a liveaboard dive boat because it’s in the interest of everyone on board that nobody has an accident. However, you don’t usually know everyone beforehand, neither do you know their levels of diving skill. The water at Ras Mohammed, a wall  at the southern tip of Egypt’s … Read more

Dengue Fever in Paradise – Hawaii’s Big Island

Dengue fever (also known as “breakbone fever”!) is a mosquito-caused illness.  Those with dengue exhibit disease symptoms which include a sudden onset of fever, severe headaches, eye, joint, and muscle pain, and a rash. The rash typically appears on the hands, arms, legs and feet within 3-4 days after fever begins. Minor bleeding problems can also … Read more