Cayman Brac
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS CONSIST OF THREE ISLANDS — Grand Cayman and Little Cayman; Cayman Brac, however, is not as well-known among dive aficionados despite the island’s infrastructure and …
Alert Diver Issue: Q2 2022
Imps of Darkness
IT IS DAY FIVE OF THE VOYAGE, and our liveaboard has finally finished the overnight crossing south from the warm waters of Darwin and Wolf islands to Cape Douglas, Isla Fernandina. Although we don’t travel a great distance …
A Photo Diary of the Spiegel Grove
THE LONG, STRANGE TRIP OF THE Spiegel Grove began in 2001 over beers at Sharkey’s Bar in Key Largo, Florida. Several Bibb and Duane shipwrecks project organizers were musing about what they would do …
Mistakes and Bad Decisions
I WAS ON A TRIP TO TULAMBEN to dive the Liberty wreck for three days. The first day was recreational dives followed by two days of technical diving. I had a cold and sinusitis leading up to the trip, but the conditions had cleared up …
Bell’s Palsy and Surgery
DAN® MEDICAL INFORMATION SPECIALISTS and researchers answer your dive medicine questions. “I have developed Bell’s palsy. Due to its internal effects, are there any reasons I should not dive? I understand the risks of its external effects — but could diving cause …”
Peter Buzzacott’s Research Journey
WHEN DID YOU START DIVING? I got certified in 1992 on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. For the next five years I dived in Turkey, Thailand, and on the shipwrecks of Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, Scotland — all over …
A Little Detail
I TAKE A GIANT STRIDE off the back of the boat and splash into a cascade of tingling, magical bubbles. The sea’s embrace is chilly; I can feel the 74˚F water through my 5 mm wetsuit and thick 4 mm hood. My vision clears as the …
Unconscious Diver
FEBRUARY 6, 2022 HAD ALL THE MAKINGS OF A PROMISING DAY out on the water in the Gulf of Mexico off Destin, Florida. Though I work at a dive shop, this was a recreational lionfish harvesting trip with friends …
My Octopus Goes Where?
THE DIVE INDUSTRY IS FULL OF DEBATES. Should you use a jacket-style, back-inflate, or backplate and wing buoyancy compensator? A canister light or a cordless light? A weight belt or integrated weights? Regular fins or split fins?
Fitness for Scuba: Exercises for All Ages
SARCOPENIA IS A NATURAL MUSCLE LOSS (atrophy) due to aging. Periods of inactivity due to injury, illness, or a busy life can accelerate this process. Individuals over the age of 65 are particularly …
