THE COVERS Articles & Editorials MARCH 1999 • Volume 9 Number 3 
  
photos By JENNY CLASEN		 Computers are so commonplace in our everyday lives that we often overlook their importance (until our PC's hard drive crashes, of course.) This month's covers and the feature article "The Vital Link: How Lessons are Learned from Downloadable Dive Computers," remind us that our dive computers have just as much to offer at the surface as they do underwater.
FEATURES
24 The Vital Link:
The ability to download a dive computer isn't just a gee-whiz gimmick for generating nifty graphics-detailed dive logs. The data recorded and stored becomes a powerful tool with a myriad of applications. 		By Robert N. Rossier
34 On Location: Behind the Scenes at an IMAX Film Shoot
especially the underwater shots of large animals like sharks and whales? The author lets us in on what it's like to be a part of an underwater film crew. 		By Lance Milbrand
44 Diving Under the Influence:
As many divers believe, the symptoms of nitrogen narcosis are akin to alcohol intoxication, and usually don't occur - or aren't noticeable - until a depth of around 100 feet/30 m. But does that mean narcosis is only a problem on deeper dives? 		By Alex Brylske
COMMENTARY
8 Editorial: Good Divers Are Always Diving...
No Matter What 		By Alex Brylske
10 Buddy Lines: Breathing Lessons
16 Diving Notes and News: Okay to Go Down:
and other news from the diving industry 		By Greg Laslo
92 No Dumb Questions: DCS, the RSTC and the ABCs of Fins By Alex Brylske
DIVE EXPLORATION
74 Dive Geo: The British Virgin Islands: Many Islands Add Up to Diverse Diving
The main islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. But there are dozens of others - almost 60 islands, rocks and cays. Each island has its own special personality and offers a unique dive travel experience. 		By Jim Scheiner
82 Dive Traveler: You're Getting Verrry Sleeepy... How to Combat Jet Lag. Find out why jet lag doesn't have to be a drag. By W. Lynn Seldon Jr.
85 Passport: Dive travel incentives around the globe
Compiled by Cathryn Castle
EVERY MONTH
53 Scuba Skills: Buoyancy II: The Ups and Downs of Buoyancy - Ascending and Descending. Second in a three-part series on achieving better buoyancy By Lynn Laymon
57 Always Learning: Checklists: Did You Remember to... A look at how aviators do it - and how divers should, too. By Mark Twombly
61 Instructor Tips: Regulator Setup: Sweating the Small Stuff. How the little things we overlook can be big trouble once a student is under. By Jan Neal
65 What About: May I Ask You A Question? DAN's Information Line
Last year, the DAN Information Line received 12,692 telephone calls and 1,923 e-mail messages from divers and the medical personnel who treat and care for them. 		By Barry Shuster
69 Imaging: Available Light Photography: Using the Sun to Light Your Underwater Shots. Learn how the largest strobe in the universe can help you get dramatic underwater photos. By Dave Albrecht
80 Smithsonian Reports: Panama's Tropical Research Institute. Where Caribbean and Pacific Research Meet. By Michael Lang, Edited by Alex Brylske
86 Dive Shop: Hot Ideas in Dive Equipment
Compiled by Cathryn Castle
88 Diving Medicine: Smoking and Diving: A Bad Combination for Divers Clear lungs are key to good health - and safe diving. By Paul S. Auerbach, M.D.
97 What's That: Lumpy, Dumpy, Fat and Short: How Do You Describe Frogfish? Funny-looking fish, fascinating behavior By Dee Scarr
101 Classifieds
105 Dive Training Quiz: Test your knowledge of the information in this month's issue.
106 Final Check: What It Looks Like... When You're Where You Belong. When it comes to good buddying, "How close is close enough?" By Linda Lee Walden