THE COVERS Articles & Editorials FEBRUARY 2002 • Volume 12 Number 2
  
By Tanya Burnett and Kevin Palmer		 Entering the water from a dive boat is as easy as putting one fin in front of the other - just hold onto your mask and hoses, and stride in. But at the end of the dive, climbing back up that ladder can be a bit more challenging, especially when the boat is bouncing with the swells or swinging on its anchor. This month's Scuba Skills column offers tips for safe exits from a boat.
FEATURES
16 RECON: The Ocean Conservancy Takes Reef Conservation to New Depths
The program, developed by The Ocean Conservancy, is called the RECON (Reef Condition) Monitoring Program. 		By Alex Brylske
26 The Shark Files: What Divers Need to Know
why man poses a great danger to sharks. 		By Bob Wohlers
36 Caring, Sharing and Self-Sufficiency: The Formula of Successful Diving Couples
does not always come easily. 		By Lynn Laymon and Linda Lee Walden
46 Oxygen and the Diver: Understanding the Breath of Life
and how to manipulate and mitigate its effects. 		By Robert N. Rossier
COMMENTARY
8 Editorial: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. By Alex Brylske
10 Buddy Lines: Advice from Our Readers  
18 Dive Observer: Cleaning Waters Off Hawaiian Islands and other news from the diving industry By Gene Gentrup
89 No Dumb Questions: Air Issues, Tides
Questions from our readers 		By Alex Brylske
DIVE EXPLORATION
78 Dive Geo: Chuuk Lagoon: A Micronesian War Memorial and
Wreck Diver's Heaven. An island nation with a rich history and rewarding diving 		By Joseph C. Dovala
101 Dive Traveler: How to Speak Travel Agent: An Insider's Guide to Dive Travel
A primer on travel agent lingo 		By Tanya Burnett and Kevin Palmer
103 Passport: Dive travel incentives around the globe
Compiled by Gene Gentrup 		 
EVERY MONTH
67 Scuba Skills: Ladder Exits: Safety First and Last
Exit options that put safety first 		By Linda Lee Walden
71 Instructor Tips: A Knight's Duty: How to Set a Good Example for Your Students
Ways instructors can be scuba role models 		By Lynn Laymon
75 Always Learning: Speeding Tickets: Getting Busted By the Computer Cop
The author's ascent rate sets off alarms 		By Mark Twombly
85 Next Step: Cylinder Valves: Unscrambling Alphabet Soup
A user's guide to cylinder valves 		By Jan Neal
94 Dive Shop: What's New This Winter
Compiled by Cathryn Castle 		 
96 Eco-seas: The Return of Whale Hunting: A Sea of Controversy
The continuing controversy surrounding commercial whaling 		By Amy Gulick
105 What's That?: An Underwater Wonderland: California's Kelp Forests
A bounty of marine life in an underwater forest 		By Tom Ryan
109 Classifieds  
113 Dive Training Quiz: Test your knowledge of the information in this month's issue  
114 Final Check: What It Looks Like When ... Your Hose Gets Snagged
How to avoid getting hung up 		By Linda Lee Walden
67 Scuba Skills: Ladder Exits: Safety First and Last
Exit options that put safety first 		By Linda Lee Walden
71 Instructor Tips: A Knight's Duty: How to Set a Good Example for Your Students
Ways instructors can be scuba role models 		By Lynn Laymon
75 Always Learning: Speeding Tickets: Getting Busted By the Computer Cop
The author's ascent rate sets off alarms 		By Mark Twombly
85 Next Step: Cylinder Valves: Unscrambling Alphabet Soup
A user's guide to cylinder valves 		By Jan Neal
94 Dive Shop: What's New This Winter
Compiled by Cathryn Castle 		 
96 Eco-seas: The Return of Whale Hunting: A Sea of Controversy
The continuing controversy surrounding commercial whaling 		By Amy Gulick
105 What's That?: An Underwater Wonderland: California's Kelp Forests
A bounty of marine life in an underwater forest 		By Tom Ryan
109 Classifieds  
113 Dive Training Quiz: Test your knowledge of the information in this month's issue  
114 Final Check: What It Looks Like When ... Your Hose Gets Snagged
How to avoid getting hung up 		By Linda Lee Walden