Table of contents for Q2-17 in Sources

In February, NAUI generously donated 10 Premier Scuba and Nitrox Dual Course NAUI Education Systems to FORCE BLUE to support its outreach and scuba training efforts for Special Operations veterans and coral reef conservation. The donation will support a cause to professionally document Special Ops Iraq War and Afghanistan War vets on their first postwar underwater mission as they learn how to adapt their skills to repair and preserve a damaged stretch of coral reef off the coast of Grand Cayman. FORCE BLUE (forceblueteam.org) is the only nonprofit organization specifically created to aid former combat divers and Special Operations veterans in their reassimilation to civilian life by giving them a new, positive mission — one that teaches them about the marine ecosystem and the threats it faces. It also gives…

“Do a fantastic job. Spend time with each and every student, and remember the loved one concept. If you do these three things, your training will grow — if you market yourself — and your divers will more likely keep diving.” Kenny Wheeler (NAUI 9063) began in retail as a youngster in Kentucky, working in his parents’ ice cream parlor and then in their grocery store. Like many growing up in the late 1950s, he was attracted to scuba diving through television and the series Sea Hunt , though he didn’t begin diving until he went to a convention in Hawaii, where, he says: “There was this cute blond instructor giving free pool intro classes, and for $40, if you did OK, you could do a shore dive. I did…

Many NAUI leaders have already taken advantage of the alliance between NAUI and Divers Alert Network (DAN). For those of you who have, thank you! For those of you who haven’t, what are you waiting for? Here are some of the frequently asked questions about this alliance and the resulting NAUI-DAN program, NAUI First Aid — Powered by DAN. If you have already completed the modules available through this alliance, this will be a good review for you, and you might even pick up a tip or two. If you haven’t, this will be a great resource for you moving forward. Q: What is the NAUI-DAN alliance? A: The NAUI-DAN alliance was formed to benefit both NAUI and DAN. NAUI benefits from having access to DAN’s up-to-date medical standards and…

Field Testing and Diver Deep Stop Poll Models need validation and testing. Often, strict chamber tests are not possible, economically or otherwise, and bubble models employ a number of benchmarks and regimens to underscore viability. In addition to computer-downloaded profile data, the following are some specific field data supporting bubble models and the NAUI-released RGBM nitrox, heliox and trimix diving tables: 1) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) exercises have used the RGBM (full iterative deep-stop version) for a number of years, logging 3,000-plus dives on mixed gases (trimix, heliox, nitrox) with low (less than 1 percent) incidence of decompression sickness (DCS) on open-circuit (OC) and rebreather (RB) system decompression dives with at least two-hour surface intervals and in the forward direction (deepest dives first). Such deep decompression diving was used…

We are looking forward to the return of the International Conference on Underwater Education (ICUE, or IQ) and the opportunity to honor some of our NAUI leaders who established and grew this event, the first of its kind in the dive industry. The conference will take place May 6-7 in conjunction with the 2017 Scuba Show in Long Beach, California. “The concept of ICUE is still relevant today. There are always opportunities for education and getting divers together to build community. Diving is a very social sport — that’s important. Social media and the internet connect us, but back in the day, you didn’t get to see everyone very often, but you would see them at the industry conferences where we created networks and shared ideas. ICUE created a forum…

To go further into underwater photography, we’ll look at the use of light in the deep. You can create and catch the mood of the underwater world to depths of 40 meters (130 feet) or even more. Yes, it is possible! Of course, you first need to be a qualified and experienced diver. Diving certifications are your basic boarding passes to explore the depths. The photographer-diver must be competent and relaxed underwater. Buoyancy control is also critical. You will be busy taking pictures, so basic diving skills must be second nature. Next come the adventure and the enjoyment of the photographic experience. Digital photography has brought incredible changes to underwater photography. Numerous land cameras have dedicated custom housings for underwater use. Underwater cameras are also available, and there are many…

I love being a NAUI Instructor. It has guided me to be all that I can be: educated, responsible, skilled, alert, assertive, effective. And it has permeated every aspect of my life in one way or another since I became a NAUI Instructor in the late 1970s under Mark Flahan at San Diego State University. Then, after teaching at the San Diego Diving Locker, I was off to the Marshall Islands and a new dive business in June 1979, and I’ve been here ever since. As an experienced instructor, you have a lot of responsibility, and it does give your personality a certain flavor. Still, there are times when your judgments are flawed and you end up humbled. But life is fun, so thanks, NAUI. I hope you all will…

A new diving era begins in Argentina. NAUI has designated an official representative to serve the regional market in a more direct way. In September 2016, Daniel Millikovsky (NAUI 30750L) was appointed as our representative in Argentina to act as a liaison to the offices of NAUI Worldwide in Tampa, provide support for translation of materials into Spanish, and supply information and assistance to leaders and instructors with regard to NAUI events and changes in our standards. He will also provide workshops for requalification and/or NAUI Member Updates, as well as various courses to train the best diving professionals in the industry in both recreational and technical diving. This new position opens more doors through which the local market can address issues that may arise from geographical, linguistic and cultural…

NAUI’s Marketing and Business Development teams have been working hard to support our members in promoting their businesses as well as the NAUI Worldwide brand. We’ve been traveling across the globe and extensively throughout North America, meeting with members and affiliates and attending several trade shows to get connected to the association and better meet the needs of our members. We recognize how much elbow grease you put into your business, and we understand how much effort you put into packing up, traveling and promoting your business during local and regional dive industry events. The importance of representing your business and NAUI Worldwide in the best light at these events cannot be understated: The competition is stiff, establishing a professional appearance and effective delivery is essential, and ensuring a return…

Human factors skills, more widely known as nontechnical skills (NTS), have long been recognized as an important component of high-risk industries such as aviation, nuclear power, oil and gas, and healthcare. Nontechnical skills are those that improve human performance at both the individual and team level and, as a consequence, improve safety and performance. While these skills, which include decision making, communication, teamwork, situational awareness, leadership and followership, and other performance-shaping factors such as fatigue/stress, have long been incorporated to a certain degree in dive instruction and leadership training, the formal teaching and coaching of NTS skills as an essential aspect of diving and dive leadership are more recent developments. Through the development of his Human Factors Skills in Diving course, Gareth Lock, founder of Human in the System Consulting,…

Last October, I went to Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, a NAUI Dive Destination in Nassau, to present a workshop to his staff instructors. The goal was twofold: to present NAUI’s training philosophy and to set up a protocol for the instructors to use with the NAUI Universal Referral Program (URP), designed for students sent by NAUI Instructors and NAUI Affiliates to do their open-water evaluations in a warm-water environment. As NAUI Instructors, we know this is important, because we need to be sure that NAUI standards are met when conducting open-water training via the URP. There is concern that receiving instructors will use their own agency’s standards or even try to convert the students to their agency. You can now rest assured that if you send URP students to Stuart…

For divers and water enthusiasts, protecting and preserving our aquatic resources is essential. To be enjoyed by future generations, aquatic habitats and wildlife must be sustainably managed. This requires a balanced approach to research, education, outreach, use and conservation efforts. Another key factor — and arguably the most essential — in sustaining these resources is engaging future generations in these efforts and instilling in them a sense of stewardship. One organization that exemplifies this balanced approach to sustainability and youth engagement in aquatic resource management is Love A Sea Turtle (LAST), a charitable fund founded by Casey Sokolovic under the sponsorship of The Community Foundation of NC East, a 501(c)(3) organization based in North Carolina. In March, LAST was awarded a NAUI Green Diver Initiative (GDI) Dive4Change grant to support…

This time of year, boat shopping becomes a popular activity as water enthusiasts look forward to summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Boat shopping is a tried-and-true exercise in fantasy, infantile gratification, denial and envy for most participants, whether they’re buying or selling. Lottery winners and trust funds aside, for most of us, a diving vessel is usually a used boat: something someone else has more or less “loved” for a period of time, and upon which we too often mistakenly believe we can graft our own nautical dreams. Buying a used boat for your own diving, teaching or leadership activities is a terrific way to rationalize what is often an insane act of fiscal irresponsibility. Buying a boat may even be a good idea if you have money you…

Separated by a mere 19,300 kilometers (12,000 miles) of mostly ocean, Brazil and the Philippines may sit on opposite sides of the planet, but there’s certainly one thing that unites them: diving, and now freediving. While Brazil has more than 28 times the landmass of the Philippines, the Philippines can boast more than 4.8 times the amount of coastline: 36,200 kilometers versus 7,400 kilometers (22,500 miles versus 4,600 miles). Regardless, both countries offer a gamut of diving opportunities sure to please any NAUI Dive Center or diver planning a trip. They both offer wrecks, reefs, big animals, small critters and mostly warm, clear waters in which to explore. BRAZIL Brazil claims nearly 50 percent of South America’s landmass. It’s the fifth-largest country in the world and contains one of the…

Offshore of the narrow islands of the Florida Keys is one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems. Protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, these large areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are off-limits to wildlife and coral harvesters or others who might damage the natural environment. As you travel the length of the Florida Keys on the Overseas Highway (U.S. 1), you’ll find small green mile marker signs placed all along the route by the highway department. The first, “MM zero,” is in Key West, and the last, MM 127.5, is at the Florida Turnpike. Addresses along the route are designated by their MM number. The Upper Keys stretch from MM 65 to MM 106. Captain Slate’s Scuba Adventures is located oceanside at MM…

There are many diving spots around the world that allow you to dive as you wish, whether on a relaxing vacation, to engage in tech diving, to go in search of archaeological treasures, to teach diving or to work. While I have been exploring these many ways of approaching scuba diving for more than 20 years, both as a leisure pastime and as part of DDIVE, my professional activity, one of them has been a constant for a long time and affects me specially. Every year, without fail, I drop my ordinary activities for a few days around June 6 to go with friends on an annual rendezvous with history. Here in Belgium, we usually explore local quarries, lakes and diving spots of the North Sea. Yet just a few…

Whether representing equipment manufacturers or NAUI or his own business as principal of an insurance brokerage, Harper says, “My motto has always been ‘My business is helping your business.’ ... [I]f you help others get what they want, you’ll get ahead also.” Like many of us, Bo Harper (NAUI 38636) got into scuba on a whim. He was 15 years old and in high school when he took his entry-level certification course in 1979. His reason was simple: “It sounded like more fun than anything else going on in the evening [and] it led to a fun and rewarding career.” Harper began working in the world of scuba in a dive shop in Lansing, Michigan. He got the job via a want ad he saw in the Michigan State University…

Argh, me hearties! Locals in the Tampa Bay area are quite familiar with the pirate invasion and festivities surrounding Gasparilla Pirate Festival every January or February by the shores of downtown Tampa. This beloved festival started in 1904 and celebrates the mythical Spanish pirate José Gaspar and his swashbuckling activities in southwest Florida. Members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla kick off the festivities, sailing on a large pirate ship followed by hundreds of boats to the Tampa Convention Center. Upon arrival, the pirates demand the key to the city from the mayor and celebrate their victory in the streets with a huge parade. Gasparilla has become one of the biggest parades in the United States and was even ranked third largest in the country in 2015. The huge cleanup…

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNDERWATER EDUCATION ICUE 2017 LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - MAY 6 & 7“DIVE SAFETY THROUGH EDUCATION” Dear NAUI Members and Friends, I am honored to have been elected to the NAUI Board of Directors (2016-2019). My first assigned task was to look into bringing back the International Conference on Underwater Education (ICUE, or IQ). Considering that I knew nothing about the innovative and successful conference, I quickly educated myself by reading through a few of the proceedings that my predecessor (Dr. Robert Millott, NAUI 2445) left behind when he retired from the University of Florida, as well as the findings that Sources Editor-in-Chief Peter Oliver was able to provide. Past IQ events allowed NAUI members and divers from all over the world to meet in one location to…

In August 1998, as I sat on the back of a boat with Tanya Streeter, recapping our most recent training session in preparation for her world-record no-limits freedive to 113 meters (370 feet), I grabbed a cylinder of 80 percent oxygen decompression gas to catch my breath and off-gas from all the work I had just done safety freediving. Ten minutes later, it was time for me to check on two trimix divers who were still underwater, decompressing at 4.6 meters (15 feet). I quickly donned mask and snorkel, took one last breath, jumped overboard and headed down to them. I was a trimix instructor trainer at the time, and I knew this use of oxygen wasn’t a risk at this depth for what was supposed to be a quick…

The NAUI-PFI freediving alliance is gaining momentum! In September 2016, Dan Semrad (NAUI 56283), of Scuba Specialties Northwest and the Oregon Freediving Co., became the first NAUI Instructor to complete the new NAUI Freediving Instructor program, established through NAUI’s alliance with Performance Freediving International (PFI). NAUI’s first Freediving Instructor Training Course, taught by PFI Instructor Chris Bustad, was completed in San Diego, California, and hosted by San Diego Divers. Being a NAUI Freediving Instructor qualifies Semrad to teach several co-branded courses, including NAUI Snorkeler, NAUI Introduction to Freediving, Safe Buddy, Open Line Diving, Coaching Session and NAUI Freediver. As for his personal training progression, Semrad’s next step is to take the PFI Advanced Freediver course so he can work toward his PFI Intermediate Freediving Instructor certification, which NAUI is not…

In 2008, while being treated for a severe back injury, I was told by my spinal surgeon that my days of skydiving, rock climbing, snowboarding and mountain biking were over; one bad fall or hard landing could have life-altering consequences. But he did recommend getting in the water. Much of my physical therapy was water based, so I knew firsthand the he a l i ng power of the water. My doctor also encouraged me to look into scuba diving as a potential new adventure in life. After some begging and pleading with my better half, I was able to try an entry-level course during a vacation, and I was hooked. The scuba bug bit me hard and would not let go. I’m sure I don’t need to convince this…

DIVING OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY RISKS: BOAT OPERATIONS Diving Occupational Safety Risks Continuing with our examination of safety risks we are exposed to as dive professionals, we will look at risks in compressor use and gear handling. COMPRESSORS Noise Compressors are noisy monsters, and operating them is a task that nobody loves to perform, but everybody needs the result. Only recently have operators in South Africa started wearing hearing protection when operating compressors. Even so, when they want to quickly top off just one cylinder, they do not wear it. Hearing damage occurs when a person is constantly exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels (dB) or higher. For comparison purposes, normal speech is around 60 dB, a vacuum cleaner operates around 74 dB, a table saw cutting through wood can reach…