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
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
If there is anything wrong with the leisure diving industry, it’s the way the owners of one business will rejoice when another suffers some sort of disaster. It’s as if their success is relative to the failure of another. Nobody seems to consider that “there, but for the grace of God go I,” nor that … Read more
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
If, in a future moment of weakness, I were to ever suggest that I had seen it all in diving, please slap me and bring me back to earth. I should know by now that divers are capable of the most extraordinary behavior that can defy logic, nature, and occasionally the laws of physics. Some … Read more
