Table of contents for Fourth Quarter 2016 in Sources

Scuba has always been an equipment-intensive activity. When we dive, we are, after all, in a lethal environment. The current record for static apnea (without a pre-dive boost of oxygen) is just shy of 12 minutes. I suggest you “don’t do this at home.” As instructors and leaders, we do a lot of diving, and we become so accustomed to the burden and operation of our gear that wearing it and using it feels fully normal. We pay careful attention to it during setup and pre-dive buddy checks, and then for most of the dive, it is just there, working as surely as always, not drawing our attention. If something untoward happens with it, we immediately see, feel or sense the change, and act appropriately to resolve the issue or…

The major board events this fall are our annual board election and the DEMA Show in Las Vegas, from November 16 through 19. I will be there for the entire show, and I welcome the opportunity to visit with you. Check the schedules for NAUI presentations, and make certain that you attend the NAUI Annual General Membership Meeting and awards ceremony. I want to thank board members Danny Grizzard and Karen Kayser for their due diligence this year with the election committee. Thanks also to committee members Jeff Heim and Will Irvin for serving on the committee and assisting with the selection process. Each year, we strive to improve the election process and select the best candidates for whom you, our NAUI members, will vote. One of the election committee’s…

Our Northwest and Southwest regions continue to be represented by JIM LARSEN and RAY BULLION. Larsen’s Northwest region covers Alaska, northern California, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming in the U.S., plus Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Bullion’s Southwest region is Arizona, Southern California, Nevada and Utah. They both bring years of NAUI experience to their given territories, and we are delighted that they will continue their efforts in promoting the business and training benefits of our NAUI educational programs. KENNY WHEELER, who has been managing our Midwest region, will now be focusing his efforts and expertise in our Southeast region (Alabama, northern Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia). Kenny is another NAUI sales and educational veteran who brings a wealth of knowledge and…

Helium is a noble gas used in deep diving, but it was not always so. In the early days of technical and recreational diving, the use of helium for deep diving was discouraged, even feared. Based on misinformation and a few early problems in the deep-diving arena, helium acquired a voodoo-gas reputation with a hands-off label. This was unjust. Someone once said, “God created helium for diving, and the devil changed it to nitrogen.”Well, let’s take a closer look. Some misapprehension stemmed from the Hannes Keller tragedy involving helium mixes in 1962, some from misconceptions about isobaric switches from light to heavy gases, some from tales of greater CNS toxicity risk, and some from a paucity of published and reliable decompression tables. Some concerns arose because no-decompression time limits (NDLs)…

One of the aspects of diving that most thrills divers is the sensation of weightlessness, of being able to “fly” in any direction underwater. Perhaps the only environment known to man that takes that sensation to the next level is outer space, where astronauts experience a microgravity environment. Microgravity means exactly that: less gravity. On the International Space Station (ISS), 250 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth, objects would weigh 10 percent less than they would on Earth’s surface. The reason these objects appear weightless is because they’re all falling at the same rate! Yes, being in orbit is actually like a neverending free fall. The ISS is “falling” at a rate of over 17,000 mph (27,000 kph). Outside of the ISS, because there is no atmosphere to cause drag, both…

I am indeed honored that the membership supported my appointment as Executive Director. It is both a privilege and a responsibility I take seriously every day. NAUI accomplished a great deal in 2016, but progress is always the result of teamwork, so I would like to introduce a few of the newer members of the NAUI team. Since DEMA 2015, Jim Gunderson (NAUI 53243) was selected as Training Manager to work along with Randy Shaw, Director of Training; Communications Coordinator Angie Cowan (NAUI 53628) has returned to a full-time position alongside Christy Wideman, Creative and Communications Associate in the Marketing Department, led by Derik Crotts (NAUI 10943L). (By the way, don’t miss Cowan’s DEMA Show-sponsored presentation on Friday, November 18 at 10 a.m.) Jack Snively (NAUI 7044) has assumed the…

NAUI once again has agreed to co-sponsor the PSI-PCIVisual Cylinder Inspection Course,on Tuesday, November 15 at the DEMA Show. For NAUI members, PSI-PCI will offer a discounted rate of $265 for the PSI-PCI Visual Cylinder Inspector Course. This full-day course is known for its comprehensive cylinder-inspection training, which includes scuba and SCBA aluminum, steel and composite cylinders, and the regulations and inspection requirements associated with each. Upon completion of the training, students will receive a Certificate of Training, which is recognized around the world as the gold standard for visual-cylinder-inspection training. PSI-PCI is the only training agency whose training is endorsed, recommended, utilized and referred to by cylinder manufacturers, and recognized by USDOT and the Compressed Gas Association. You will not find a more professional level of expertise, training and…

JIM GUNDERSON (NAUI 53243) is a native of Casper, Wyoming, and currently resides in the Tampa, Florida, area. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wyoming and a Bachelor of Arts in Marine Science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He is the recipient of the PACON International Award for Integration of Technology into Marine Science Research. Gunderson is a founding member of the Wyoming Outdoor Program at the University of Wyoming and member of the National Ski Patrol. Gunderson has been an avid diver since 1986, where he was certified in the cold lakes of Wyoming. He’s conducted more than 4,000 recreational, scientific and instructional dives in places such as the high-altitude lakes of Wyoming and Montana, the Great Lakes, the Caribbean Sea, Hawaii…

NAUI leaders have the skills and training to take real action to save our oceans, lakes and streams. Dive not just for recreation, but with purpose. The NAUI Green Diver Initiative is proud to announce the launch of the Dive4Change Grant Program. This new resource will further empower NAUI members and others to continue to dive in and discover, preserve, and restore our waterways. Most granting agencies allow only nonprofit organizations to apply for individual-project funding. The Dive4Change Grant Program fixes the problems associated with limited funding by securing the necessary resources needed to succeed. The Grant Program will fund projects related to: Restoring coral-reef communities Reducing the number of invasive fish, like lionfish, through targeted environmentally friendly methods Removing harmful marine debris from aquatic environments Tracking and surveying marine-life…

You receive Sources as a free benefit of your NAUI membership. Since we began publishing the new digital Sources with the second quarter 2016, you have been receiving both the digital edition and the paper version. In 2017, this will be changing. As a NAUI member, you will continue to receive the digital edition at no charge. We will continue to print a limited run of the paper edition for special purposes but will stop mailing the printed magazine to the entire membership. However, you can subscribe to the print version if you wish to continue receiving it. The subscription cost for NAUI members will be $29 per year. (Non-NAUI member subscription price is $39.) Your 2017 NAUI membership-renewal form will have a prominent checkbox that you can mark to…

On August 22, the Stream2Sea skin-care company announced it had committed its support to the NAUI Green Diver Initiative (GDI) as a new corporate partner. This new partnership will directly support GDI’s new Dive4Change Grant Program, which will launch in fall 2016. The grant will support global projects that help divers protect and save our oceans, lakes and streams. “We are excited to have the support of Stream2Sea as a new corporate partner,” said Sam Richardson, manager of the NAUI Green Diver Initiative. “Our mission is to empower divers and individuals to take action to preserve and conserve our ocean planet. A product like Stream2Sea, which helps protect our global community of Green Divers who, in turn, help protect our oceans and waterways, is a perfect fit.” CEO and formulator…

Full-face masks (referred to as FFMs) have been around for a long time. They are primarily used for commercial, technical, public-safety and military diving. They are common among professional divers and have been typically thought of as “tec” gear. Defining an FFM is simple: It is a mask that covers the entire face, allowing the diver to use the mouth or nose for breathing, and it has a dedicated second stage. While a dive helmet also covers the face, it is considered part of hard-hat diving and a different category altogether. There are several manufacturers of FFMs: Ocean Technology Systems (Guardian), Interspiro (AGA, Divator, etc.), Ocean Reef (Neptune) and Kirby Morgan (M-48, EXO-BR), to name a few. I’ve had experience with all of them, but my personal preference is the…

NAUI Worldwide Headquarters 9030 Camden Field Parkway Riverview, FL 33578 USA 800-553-6284 813-628-6284 813-628-8253 Fax nauihq@naui.org naui.org NAUI Technical Training Division Tim O’Leary, NAUI 10144 9030 Camden Field Parkway Riverview, FL 33578 USA 956-761-7986 956-761-6039 Fax nauitec@naui.org naui.org NAUI Worldwide Offices NAUI Enterprises Japan Yoshinori lzumi, CEO Nishiikehonda Bldg. 8F 3-30-3, Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku Tokyo 171-0021 Japan 81-3-5956-9922 81-3-5956-9923 Fax welcome@naui.co.jp naui.co.jp NAUI Services Europe Richard Lucas, NAUI 36364 Bedrijvenweg 3a 7442 CX Nijverdal Netherlands 31-0548-612366 31-0548-611769 Fax info@naui.nl naui.nl NAUI Services Asia Pacific William Tong, NAUI 40366 24 Jalan Delima 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 60-3-2110-2141 william@nauipacific.com nauipacific.com NAUI Services Brazil Alvanir Oliveira, NAUI 19845; Lilian Megumi Notomi, NAUI 48788 Av. Pedro Blanco da Silva 681 - sl. 3 Jundiaí, SP 13208-630 55-11-4497-0031 55-11-4497-1962 Fax naui@naui.com.br naui.com.br NAUI Services Middle East…

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 2016 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower 2000 S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89104 CONTACT: Shannon McCoy smccoy@naui.org NAUI MEMBERS-ONLY RECEPTION You and a guest can look forward to a memorable evening of camaraderie at the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower with fellow NAUI members, colleagues and friends. Enjoy drinks and entertainment surrounded by unlimited access to rides and private tower and balcony entrances. This is an RSVP event. If you do not have a confirmed reservation, please check at NAUI booth No. 4095 during the show for possible availability. There is no cost required to attend this event. However, attendees must register to receive a wristband for admittance. Party attire is business casual, although attendees are encouraged…

The New Oxford American Dictionary describes the word “technical” as “of or relating to a particular subject, art, or craft, or its techniques.” A closely related term is “technology”: “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.” In this issue of Sources, we focus on the technical aspects of diving. For some, like inventors, engineers and manufacturers, there is a focus on the development of new tools and equipment to allow us to adapt to the underwater world. As professional educators and dive leaders, members of NAUI focus on the identification of scientifically validated knowledge and techniques that form the basis for the information and skills we teach our students. Since 1960, NAUI leaders and instructors have been among the first to apply emerging technologies to shape our professional practice.…

In 1969, NAUI launched the International Conference on Underwater Education (ICUE, or simply IQ). The conference became a yearly diving event, predating the DEMA Show by several years. All divers and instructors were invited, and IQ became so popular that registration finally had to be limited. The location was usually a large hotel that could accommodate the crowds. The overall purpose of the conferences was “making diving safer.” Each IQ lasted for several days that were filled with presentations and seminars on all aspects of diving and the business of diving: the latest ideas and developments in educational theory and practice, diving sciences, equipment improvements, diving medicine, retail and travel. Papers on topics such as emergency skills, first aid, teaching techniques, team teaching, physics and physiology, younger students and special-needs…

Just in time for this issue, NAUI Green Diver Initiative is thrilled to announce the addition of Vivid- Pix imaging software to the Corporate Partner program. Vivid-Pix is a software company launched in 2012 by business partners Randy Fredlund and Rick Voight. The company’s mission is to design, create and deliver fast, easy imaging software. “We believe in helping those who help others and the environment,” stated Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix. “We love supporting the grassroots activities that NAUI Green Diver helps fund. As a company, we enjoy diving and photography but know getting great underwater photos is hard. This is why we invented and patented our underwater software – so divers and snorkelers have a fast and easy way to fix their pix.” Vivid-Pix has been a longtime…

Some divers will always feel the pull of the unknown that lies just beyond their grasp. To go deeper, stay at depth longer or access overhead environments, many of those divers turn to the field of technical diving. Technical divers use complex equipment and elaborate procedures to dive beyond the limits of recreational diving. Extreme environments and high pressures affect both the physical and cognitive performance of divers and increase the risk of equipment failure, leading to an increase in the diver’s risk of injury. Because of the high-risk nature of technical diving, a culture of dive safety is vital to mitigate the risks and keep divers safe. Establishing that culture of safety in all aspects of diving is a central part of the mission at Divers Alert Network (DAN).…

surface, where the rate of volume change is greatest. Individual susceptibility can vary from day to day, and different individuals will be affected differently — or not at all. Especially under stress, some divers might have problems eliminating gas. Abdominal distension and discomfort can be managed. Everyone has gas in the digestive tract. The amount varies. Knowing why excess gas is present will help a diver find ways to reduce the problem. The most common solutions are changing diet, reducing the amount of air swallowed or taking medications. Gas enters the digestive tract through: • swallowing air (We get rid of some swallowed air by belching; the rest will pass into the intestines.) • back passage of gas from the blood stream into the intestines • production of gas through…

It’s been three and a half decades that Divers Alert Network (DAN) has been our go-to resource for diving-emergency assistance and general medical advice. We announced the inauguration of DAN’s hotline in the November 1981 issue of NAUI News . DAN’s services to diving safety have grown ever since. Today DAN’s support of the diving community includes an array of first-aid courses developed by DAN’s medical experts. NAUI has recently partnered with DAN so we are able to offer joint NAUI-DAN training and certifications that utilize DAN’s excellent materials and curricula. If you have not already done so, register for the Instructor Courses (naui.diverelearning.com) and complete the Instructor Modules for your authorization to teach the NAUI-DAN courses.…

INDUCTION INTO THE NAUI HALL OF HONOR is the highest award we bestow upon deserving members in recognition of their service and dedication to NAUI and the diving community. Induction into the Hall of Honor is reserved for those members who, by virtue of their character and actions, have made outstanding longtime contributions to NAUI. Our association is stronger because of their selfless contributions, and this year we honor four of our best! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 NAUI HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES. J. MORGAN WELLS (NAUI 4175) Dr. J. Morgan Wells received scientific-diving training at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California) in 1962. In 1965, he became a U.S. Navy Sealab Aquanaut and received mixed-gas and rebreather training from the U.S. Navy Mine Defense Lab. For more than…

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM NAUI Course Director/Instructor Trainer Requalification Workshop Room: Westgate Hotel and Casino, Pavilion 4 3:00 – 3:45 PM Teaching NAUI Tech Tim O’Leary Room: s202 4:00 – 4:45 PM Teaching NAUI/DAN First Aid Jim Gunderson Room: s202 5:00 – 5:45 PM Becoming a Public Safety Diver Mike Sieverman Room: s202 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 10:00 – 10:45 AM Defining the Difference Dallas Edmiston Room: s202 4:00 – 4:45 PM NAUI Member Update Dallas Edmiston Room: s202 11:00 – 11:45 AM NAUI New Products and Dual Courses Concept Derik Crotts Room: s202 5:00 – 5:45 PM NAUI Annual General Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony Room: s202 3:00 – 3:45 PM Teaching Freediving Primer Kirk Krack Room: s202 7:00 – 10:00 PM NAUI Member Reception Room:…

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, WESTGATE HOTEL AND CASINO, PAVILION 4 NAUI Course Director and Instructor Trainer Requalification Workshop Take advantage of this experience to further your training and learn more about teaching NAUI Leadership and Instructor courses by attending the NAUI IT/CD Requalification Workshop. On-site registration is only on a space available basis for $275. Any NAUI Member who is not an Instructor Trainer or Course Director is invited to audit the requalification workshop for a minimal fee of $100 on-site, if space is available. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16, 3:00 – 3:45 PM, ROOM s202 Teaching NAUI Tech • Presented by Tim O’Leary Learn basic principles and philosophy behind NAUI Technical Diving training. Additionally, the session will focus on the value of NAUI Technical (NTEC) gear configuration…

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Recognizes members who distinguish themselves in service provided to the Association JOSHUA ROTEN, NAUI 50395 MATTHEW SEEMANN, NAUI 49456 ROBERT VON LOEWENFELDT, NAUI 43459 ANTHONY HARDEE, NAUI 51033 TODD GRAHAM, NAUI 15931 ERIC BROOKS, NAUI 17438 KURT ROEPCKE, NAUI 55008 MICHAEL DICK, NAUI 52572 MICHAEL SIEVERMAN, NAUI 53926 KAREN JENKINS, NAUI 55978 RICHARD MCFARLAND, NAUI 55473 BERT RANDY PAQUIN, NAUI 35007 KAREN PARISIEN, NAUI 16721 MAHMOUD H. ZAHRAN, NAUI 55835 JOHAN BEZUIDENHOUT, NAUI 39817 DAVID J. LAWRENCE, NAUI 52541 COURTNEY GIBSON, NAUI 51941 DICK LUCAS, NAUI 7890 SAMIR YAZBEK, NAUI 45669 CONTINUING SERVICE AWARD Recognizes members who have continued to distinguish themselves in service provided to the Association SU YEN, NAUI 4315L SIMON M.P. LAM, NAUI 11140 PARK CHANGE SOO, NAUI 13189 WILLIAM E. PFEIFFER, NAUI 45432…

ABDULLA M. IBRAHIM, NAUI 55468 As the director of the Dubai Voluntary Diving Team, Abdulla Muhsen Ibrahim has been working diligently to remove debris from the Arabian Gulf region since 1995. He has held the position of NAUI Green Diver Initiative (GDI) ambassador in the Middle East UAE since 2013. While incorporating the GDI mission in all of his environmental campaigns, diving events and sponsorships, Ibrahim uses the Initiative as an opportunity to raise awareness. To share his message and vision with his students and fellow NAUI Instructors, Ibrahim has created environmental-education materials in both Arabic and English. His work has proved successful and beneficial to many of the NAUI Instructors in the region, who now regularly implement Green Diver topics in their training courses. Ibrahim leads by example, concentrating…