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The liveliest letters from the DIVER mailbag...
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On a recent trip to Mombasa, two friends and I were diving with a divemaster and his student. It was a resort dive and my friends were using hired kit. I made sure we all went through our buddy checks. I am an Assistant Instructor and Graham and Richard had completed their Open Water Diver course on a previous trip. They had done five dives each and this was their second dive of the holiday.
For the check, I use the PADI acronym BWRAF (Begin With Review And Friend)â referring to BC or Buoyancy, Weights, Releases, Air and Final OK. I always find it easier to remember it as Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas.
We descended to 20m and moved along the reef, signalling OK and pointing to the turtles resting under the coral.
After about 30 minutes my friends signalled that they were low on air and the divemaster indicated that they should ascend.
I signalled to Richard to remember to do a safety stop. He looked a little confused. I assumed that he hadn't understood, so watched him ascend safely and returned to my dive.
Later, I asked Richard if he had remembered to make a safety stop. He said he had, but had needed to guess the time and depth, as neither he nor Graham had a watch or depth gauge. In the excitement of the dive, coupled with their inexperience, they had assumed that their kit would include a depth gauge, and had forgotten to bring watches.
Both said they felt OK, though Graham complained of slight deafness, which we put down to a sticky ear. Three days later, back in the UK, he learnt that he was suffering from severe decompression illness and needed four days' treatment in the hyperbaric unit.
Though they were qualified divers, I feel extremely guilty about not identifying the fault with their equipment. Graham seems to have suffered no long-term ill-effects, but it could have been much worse.
That the resort hired out equipment with no depth gauges is appalling, especially with inexperienced divers who put their trust in dive operators. I now include the depth gauge and watch in the Final OK at the end of every pre-dive safety check.
The saying is now: Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas Dancing Weirdly.
Pete Sanderson, Oakham, Rutland
I have just read the news items in your August (South African Claims Scuba Depth Record) and September (Frenchman Stretches Depth Record Still Further) issues of your excellent magazine. Thank you for the exposure which I and my team were given.
The August issue has two inaccuracies. Firstly, my depth of 318.25m does not include rope stretch (the line was measured after the dive by two independent witnesses to exclude the possibility of a line switch).
The difference between 315m (from where the tag was recovered) and the measured 318.25m was due to an accumulated error during the descent line construction.
Secondly, I had two computers. One was a black and white VR3 that did not read past 282m (all other functions worked all the way to 318.25m and back up to the surface).
I understand that in certain cases VR3 can extract the full profile (my VR3 is presently in the UK for that purpose).
The other computer was an old Parkway (made by Uwatec) that read in feet past 1000ft, then started from zero again but did not read past 11ft , so the maximum depth reading was 1011ft (again, all other functions like time worked all the way down and back up to the surface). It remained in emergency mode for a month after the dive. I then took it to the agents to stop the noise by removing the battery - it has now been retired and remains in my memorabilia cabinet.
The tag I recovered was dated and signed by two independent witnesses. This excludes the possibility of the switching of tags.
The ad hoc addition of extra depth for stretch is not very scientific. I have sent my descent line to a university laboratory to determine the exact figure for interest's sake.
The September issue reports that Pascal's VR3 read 270m. In fact it read 266m, which is interesting as I "only" went to 318.25m (my VR3 read 282m) and Pascal went to 330m.
I suggest that he send his VR3 to Delta P Technologies to download his full profile, again for interest's sake.
In conclusion, your suggestion that these dives are "claims" until proven appeals to me.
Nuno Gomes, South Africa
In April, you mentioned that the Scuba Industries Trade Association (SITA) had about 400,000 names on a petition on discriminatory airline baggage allowances (First In: Flight Club). Much as I applaud this, I was wondering if the same number of signatories would be prepared to use this "diver power" on the many conservation issues that affect our oceans.
To date this, sadly, has not been the case. Divers are happy to use this beautiful resource, but very few are prepared to fight for it, as it does not affect their pockets.
In July, Mark Carwardine wrote about the latest news on commercial whaling (If Whales Could Scream). Imagine if 400,000 divers boycotted diving in those Caribbean islands, Japan and Norway which voted to continue whaling. That would make their tourism industry stand up and take note that they can't have things both ways.
The diver training agencies that make all the profits indirectly from the beautiful oceans could unite and form a combined front. Put a levy and a percentage of their profits on all certification that goes towards the active protection of our oceans. It's time that they, and divers, started giving something back!
Barry Coleman, Umkomaas, South Africa
Two news items in DIVER give a false impression regarding incidents and visiting divers in Scapa Flow (Scapa High for DCIs, Liveaboards Low, June; and Profiles, Practice and Beer - Factors in Scapa Bends, August).
DAN's Project Dive Exploration (PDE) started in Scapa in 2001 and to date is the only data set (excluding a few short technical trips) from cold water. It is also the only data set that consistently involves two dives a day, generally below 30m for six consecutive days.
Divers contributing to PDE form about 10% of all those visiting Scapa. The observed DCI incidence rate in 2001 was 36.3 in 10,000 dives, admittedly very high.
However, the project is run in co-operation with Orkney Hyperbaric Trust and Orkney Dive Boat Operators. In 2001 the actual DCI incident rate in Scapa was 11 in 10,000 dives, which clearly demonstrated a sampling bias - yet although we make this point in all our published information, the media always quote the former figure.
This bias was one reason why DAN sent an intern to Scapa this summer to increase the percentage of divers captured in the study.
Though Scapa shows the highest DCI incident rate in the DAN data set, I hardly think it can be classified as the "world's dive site most likely to give a diver decompression illness..."
The second article also gives the impression that Scapa divers are the equivalent of football's lager louts. A short study on alcohol consumption by divers would not support this.
Many of the patients seen at the chamber are dehydrated, but this simply stems from the fact that drysuit divers do not keep up their fluid intake during the day's diving.
Bobby Forbes, Technical Director, Orkney Hyperbaric Trust
I recently travelled to the beautiful island of Zanzibar for eight days of amazing diving. Our last day was meant to be for relaxing on the beach, but as we arrived at the beach dive centre, the manager called us over. Some local fishermen had returned from their overnight fishing towing a young whale shark behind their dhow, still alive and obviously very distressed.
Some tourists had taken video footage and photographs of the fishermen as they cut the fins off the young whale shark. As fishing is their "bread and butter", nobody could stop them or even explain that what they were doing was wrong. All they knew was that fins fetched a high price at the fish market.
The Fisheries Department was called to investigate further. I don't know what came of its visit, but can only assume that a fine would have been imposed on the fishermen.
I felt disgusted by the pictures of the whale shark being butchered no more than 100m from where we departed for our diving each morning. Why can't fishery departments educate local fishermen about what they can or can't take from the sea, and explain the consequences of not abiding by the laws?
I hope my next encounter with a whale shark is below the water, and that such images raise awareness and concern to help save our oceans and all that inhabit them.
Greg Puchert, London
I read with interest in September's DIVER the news item Coral Queen Sinks, and your World Liveaboard Guide.
I was on a Red Sea liveaboard last October. We had been travelling through the night from Daedalus Reef and it was a bit rough.
At about 5am an awful crashing and scraping sound woke me. Confused, I opened the cabin door to see the crew running from their cabin at the bow, panic in their eyes.
I shouted to my cabin-mate, and we woke other divers and assembled on the dive deck. It was still dark, but it was clear that the propellers were at full thrust in reverse.
At daybreak, we saw that three-quarters of the length of the boat was on top of a reef. We were very fortunate to be on a strong steel boat and that it had been high tide.
From the time we went to the upper deck until breakfast was served, there was no contact from any member of crew - no instructions on safety procedures, ie lifejackets, don't go below deck etc. Only after breakfast were excuses given as to why and how it had happened, but it's hard to explain hitting a reef squarely at full cruising speed. We spent the day on top of the reef before being refloated with the assistance of the many dive boats in the area.
Your liveaboard guide compares equipment, but does not mention crew safety training. How is it possible for a helmsman to fall asleep? How can a crew make no attempt to evacuate passengers from below decks but instead run for their own safety? Liveaboard owners may invest in excellent boats, but how much on emergency procedures? Has anyone seen such procedures practised in front of them on a liveaboard?
The man in charge was very embarrassed and apologetic. He cancelled all bills for training, nitrox and the bar. We still had a good week's diving and left none the worse for our experience, but a little wiser and less trusting.
In future, I will go only on a steel liveaboard and, at the beginning of the holiday, will agree emergency procedures with my fellow-divers.
Dave Ireland, Exeter
Off-Gassing saved my holiday in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus.
Three weeks before travelling, I went down with a dreaded ear infection and, after a powerful course of antibiotics, was told: "It's OK to fly but not sure about diving, because of water getting into the ear".
Then I remembered a letter in Off-Gassing about an Oceanic mask called the Pro Ear, so one was purchased and tested in the hotel pool on arrival - much to some people's amusement, no doubt, but it kept my ear dry.
Then it was off to book a five-day dive package doing two dives a day and with no ear problem. So thanks to the diver who sent in the original letter - my subscription has been renewed for another year.
Ed Loft, Birmingham
In response to Grant Budd's letter Too Quick to Instruct (September), I would add that because someone has taken a instructor course, it does not automatically mean that they wish to instruct other divers.
I am a qualified instructor in another sport, but have no desire to teach. I did the course because it looked fun and would help me in learning new skills in the future.
As I dive more and more, one of the things I (and I daresay other people) enjoy is learning new skills. Once you have taken most of the PADI courses, the instructor course seems a logical step to take. I would like to take it myself some day, but have zero interest in becoming an instructor or divemaster.
I just think I would enjoy it and that it would make me a more proficient diver. I would be interested to find out how many people go on to become instructors after passing the course.
I have no idea whether this was the case with Grant's former pupil, and agree that qualifying as an instructor should require more experience. It's down to the resorts that hire these people, because passing an instructor course alone does not make you a competent instructor.
Adam Buteux, London
The consequence of people being Too Quick to Instruct is that an increasing number of divers have been qualified by these instructors. As the owner of a diving centre/school for 20 years, I have seen many changes in diving. More now than ever, I am expected to care for Advanced Divers with very little experience. Occasionally, divers will ask me to look after them, but on the whole the people who dive with me do so without checking my credentials and without being aware of the level of care and attention they require.
Most of their problems concern buoyancy control. Only a few days ago, I prevented someone from diving with a damaged/leaking high-pressure hose, he having supposedly checked his equipment.
A quick regulator change enabled him to carry out his 20m-plus dive safely. He showed no recognition or understanding of what the consequences might have been, and certainly no gratitude.
New divers should be welcomed to the sport but I would ask that they, and all others diving, be aware of their own limitations and convey these to the dive professionals who they expect to look after them.
Lindsay Hollingdale, Nautilus Diving, Corfu
I read with interest the letter from Derek Watts (Mugged by Alpha Males, September). While I can't condone the actions of the Caribbean divemasters, I suggest that it is fear rather than ego that is causing their over-the-top behaviour.
Mr Watts observed that this behaviour was more prevalent among "larger commercial centres". There is the clue.
These guides have probably come up through the ranks knowing only one training agency, so do not comprehend ways of diving other than those they were taught. The "no snorkel - no dive" and lack of understanding of trimix comments seems to back this up.
Should a death or injury occur while divers are outside of known standards or paperwork, the divemasters probably see themselves as out on a limb and unprotected by the law.
This fear has undoubtedly been instilled in them by their bosses, together with the media and the grapevine.
In the Caribbean, if you add in a client base bought up in a blame culture where suing for anything seems to be the norm, you have the perfect recipe for this outlandish behaviour.
This should be a warning to us all - we have allowed lawyers and insurance companies to step in and try to apply inflexible rules and boundaries to a recreational activity. Maybe I should have taken up rugby. By the way, great mag - keep up the great work!
Andy Baker, Cambs
I would like to see excess weight charges on aircraft be the same across the board but, unlike most readers, I think the allowance should be done away with altogether.
Why should we be allowed an extra 10 or 20kg of baggage just because we are diving? When I go diving, I am just another fare-paying passenger. If I want to take my own dive gear and not have to pay rental charges abroad, and run the risk of getting ill-fitting, non-working goods, the money I pay for the excess far outweighs this problem.
The airline is there to provide a service (and make money), so whether you are a diver or a golfer, stop moaning and pay up.
The only way to remove the discrimination between different sports is to do away with the allowance altogether - and no, I'm not rolling in money. Joe Majury, Belfast
My equipment choice is guided by DIVER. As a result nearly all my equipment is Scubapro and I am very happy with it.
My wife, definitely a non-diver, looked back through my old copies of DIVER and used the Fin Test of September 2002 to choose some new fins for my wedding anniversary present.
Imagine my surprise when she presented them to me instead of the normal tie or book! Keep up the excellent work.
John MacDermott, Binfield, Berks
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