Safety Tips for Dive Operators and Professionals

By Francois Burman

Q2 2021

The first step in ensuring the safety of staff, divers and the public is to develop a detailed awareness of the real risks present in all operations performed by dive businesses and professionals. DAN® has produced a brief guide for anyone responsible for safety. The guide offers an introduction to identifying and understanding 17 of the most common areas of concern. These potential incident sources highlight the kinds of considerations that need attention and help operators to better understand how they might apply this knowledge to their businesses.

Diving in a Time Capsule

By Becky Kagan Schott

Q2 2021

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron off the northeastern coast of Michigan has nearly 100 known shipwrecks, and others are still being discovered. The oldest shipwreck there sank in 1849, but many wrecks are from the mid- and late 1800s to the early 1900s. The location, history and variety of ships — from wooden schooners to freighters — make Thunder Bay special. The wrecks are at various depths, ranging from the snorkel zone to recreational and technical diving levels.

DAN Member Profile: Tec Clark

By Tiffany Duong

Q2 2021

Dive legend Tec Clark has built a memorable career and legacy around training excellent divers. He describes his underwater experiences as “absolutely worshipful” and “otherworldly.” It’s the place where he feels closer to God than anywhere else on Earth. Helping others safely and professionally experience this same life-changing magic is his focus. Clark summed up the philosophy behind all his advice to new dive professionals: “Great training is the key to great diving. Don’t cut corners. Offer excellent training. Go beyond the standard.”

Flower Garden Banks Photo Gallery

By Jesse Cancelmo

Q2 2021

Jesse Cancelmo provides a bonus photo gallery of images from Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

A Slug’s Life

By Sarah Egner

Q2 2021

At the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut, nudibranchs have become storytellers for an issue facing our oceans that is difficult to understand yet imperative to know about: global climate change. The aquarium has taken a unique approach to educate the public on this global threat. Their new exhibit, A Slug’s Life: Facing the Climate Endgame, showcases the adored mollusk and runs through Sept. 6, 2021. The exhibit’s specific intent is to help guests understand the warnings that changing slug populations provide about the health of their habitats.

Oceanic Unveils Predator Freedive Equipment

Q2 2021

This Summer, dive and snorkelling gear manufacturer Oceanic is inviting its customers to “Set Their Dive Free.” Dubbed the Predator line, the company is releasing a free dive-specific fin, mask, snorkel and mesh carry bag to support this growing segment within the watersport market.

It Takes a Village

By Nevada Winrow, Ph.D., Brian Davis, Ph.D., Taylor-Symon Winrow, Courtlandt Butts and Dwayne Johnson

Q2 2021

Ocean literacy is important for the public to make informed decisions about ocean restoration efforts and to take increased individual responsibility in those efforts. Younger generations are crucial for developing an ocean literate society, but adequate ocean science education is a challenge for underserved and underfunded schools. Informal educational opportunities run by the Black Girls Dive Foundation (BGDF) fill the knowledge gap and are a resource for environmentally minded students.

Forging a Blue Economy

By Patricia Wuest

Q2 2021

For the founders of three of Indonesia’s dive resorts, the mission was clear: Protect the region’s natural resources by providing economic, educational and environmental benefits while empowering residents to participate in the process. These visionaries blazed a path for a “blue economy” — ensuring sustainable use of ocean resources while promoting economic growth and improved livelihoods for the people who live there.

Shallow-Water Arterial Gas Embolisms

By Joseph Gessert

Q2 2021

Pulmonary barotrauma can occur in a shallow swimming pool if a diver holds their breath during ascent or inadvertently floats to the surface while holding their breath. Most dive-related pulmonary barotraumas occur in compressed-gas diving due to pulmonary overinflation during a breath-hold ascent. Pulmonary barotrauma can occur even with normal breathing if there is an obstruction in the bronchial tree that prevents one lung segment’s normal ventilation.