Being Like Mike
By Alex Brylske Illustration by Keith Ibsen
As a child of the 1950s I grew up on the now-classic TV shows like "Howdy
Doody," "Hopalong Cassidy," "The Lone Ranger,"
 "The
Cisco Kid" and "Zorro." But it wasn't the lessons learned from cowboys,
good-guy bandits or even wooden comedians that had the greatest effect on my
life. That came from another show that I never missed, even long after it
was canceled and went into reruns. The show's distinctively ominous theme
music would make me come running no matter what else I was doing. Surely,
even if I'd seen the episode so many times that I could lip-synch the lines,
no other childhood endeavor could keep me from my spot 12 inches in front of
our monstrous but tiny-screened television for my beloved undersea drama,
"Sea Hunt." Sitting there with my Swanson's TV dinner, I was ready for Mike
to take me on my next aqualunged adventure.
In reading Greg Laslo's feature this month, "Must Sea TV: For 50 Years,
Diving and Television Have Been the Best of Buddies," I couldn't help but to
think back to those early days. Little did I know, though, just how
influential the late Lloyd Bridges' character, Mike Nelson, was to become in
my life. Granted, unlike Mike, I never became a Navy "frogman," nor have I
ever solved an underwater crime (though as a 16-year-old, I did belong to an
underwater rescue squad). And I was certainly never called upon by our
government to single-handedly stop a terrorist - back then, communist -
plot. But I did end up sharing one thing with my hero in the blue wet suit
(something I learned only many years later after the advent of color
television): I spent my life as a diver. In no small measure, that was
because of Mike Nelson.
To be sure, later in life as a teenager, I was also glued to the television
for each and every episode of the David Wolper series, "The Undersea World
of Jacques Cousteau," but by then I was already hooked. Jacques merely
nurtured what Mike had long since hatched. It's a shame that Hollywood or
other media powers-that-be haven't been able to produce another successful
TV drama like "Sea Hunt." Then again, it probably makes sense. After all,
what chance would a Mike Nelson have today? He wasn't a superhero, pampered
athlete, gangsta or even a rock star. He couldn't even go back in time or
alter the future. For today's kids, "Sea Hunt" would probably last no longer
than it took to click by it to the next episode of "Mindless de Jour." Mike
was just a regular guy who took us to places that we could, back then,
barely imagine. I'm saddened that kids today don't have a Mike Nelson, not
only to influence them to become divers, but to become better people. I, for
one, am glad that I had the dream - because of television - to be like Mike.
buddy lines
TMJ Suggestion
I appreciated the information you provided on TMJ (temporomandibular joint),
as I also have this condition ("No Dumb Questions," Dive Training, December
2007). I was glad to see mention of the forces on the regulator from the
high-pressure hose, as I find this to be the main culprit. I have come up
from some dives with my jaw so sore that, later on, I could barely open my
mouth to eat. I have had horrible headaches, and have even (on one
particularly difficult trip) developed lasting gum damage for my troubles. I
thought I had the problem solved with a "comfort grip" mouthpiece that I
bring along and ask dive operators to install on the equipment that I rent,
but on the last trip even that didn't work.
While other afflicted divers and I all hope for a convenient equipment
solution, please don't overlook the obvious, low-tech alternative, which is
free and totally effective in the meantime: Simply support the regulator
with one hand throughout the dive. Because you're managing the pull of the
regulator with your hand instead of your mouth, this eliminates the need to
clamp down on the mouthpiece and, therefore, all symptoms. You can always
take the hand away if you need it for managing equipment, communicating, or
whatever, because the few seconds or minutes of jaw time that this involves
won't create any problems. It might sound cumbersome and/or tiring, but I
have not found this to be the case. It might look a little funny to other
divers, but I find this a small price to pay for pain-free diving. It works
every time, and means that TMJ need never be a reason to quit diving.
Thanks for your magazine. It never fails to make me a smarter diver.
Elizabeth Babcock
Via e-mail
Sixgill Correction
I love your magazine and look forward to receiving it in my mailbox every
month. I always find the articles well written and informative.
It is very rare that I catch any errors, however, I did spot one in the
latest issue. In the "What's That? The Bluntnose Sixgill Shark: Icon of the
Pacific Northwest" article in your November 2007 issue, the author writes
that the gill slits are the openings through which oxygen-rich water enters
the shark as it makes its way to the gills. In fact quite the opposite is
true.
Water high in oxygen enters through the mouth or spiricles of a shark while
it swims, or the shark can pump water through its mouth by opening and
closing it. The water is forced through the gill chambers and out of the
gill slits, which give this species its common name. The water exiting the
gill slits is lower in oxygen.
Simple mistake, but we wouldn't want any readers thinking that "six gills"
go swimming around backward.
Keep making a brilliant magazine!
Paul Armstrong
Cambridge, Ontario
Editor's note: The reader is correct. Water enters a shark's body through
its mouth or spiricles but the water is expelled through the gill slits.
Thanks for the clarification.
Cozumel Top Notch
I was disappointed to read the question in the December 2006 issue ("No Dumb
Questions") about diving in Cozumel. The writer said that no divemaster was
assigned to his group, and all were told to simply jump in. They would be
found after they completed their dive.
I have dived in Cozumel 10 or 11 times since 1995 and I have always had a
divemaster go on the dive with me. We have never been told to jump in until
a divemaster has gone in, checked the current and signaled for us to come
in. I have never heard of that kind of behavior in the approximate 150 dives
I have made there.
In my experience only once was the boat more than 30-60 yards (27-55 m) from
the point to which I ascended. That one time was when I made a particularly
long safety stop. In a few minutes the boat spotted me and came over to me.
That is my experience in Cozumel.
Regarding VHF radios, my experience has been that every boat I have been on
for all my dives there had VHF radios and often before each dive the
divemaster would even repeat the name of the boat and the channel on the VHF
radio that the boat monitors.
Gene P. Johnson
Via e-mail
Diving Canada
My wife, son and I started diving about two years ago. We all enjoy Dive
Training magazine and a recent Diving USA looked very interesting, as we are
always looking for new places to dive. To be honest I was a bit disappointed
when I logged onto the www.dtmag.com site and discovered the lack of
reference to both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario diving locations. Lake Erie is
rich in dive locations and I was also surprised that it all stopped at the
U.S. border. We have two great dive training quarries about 10 minutes away
that may interest divers from New York, along with a section of the old
Welland Canal. Any plans to keep expanding this site and including dive
sites in Canada? As per your article, not all dives need to start with a
10-hour flight, and if more divers have better visibility to what's
available within driving distance on a Sunday morning, the sport would grow.
Ed Kaczmarczyk
Welland, Ontario
Editor's note: While our Diving USA section spotlights dive sites almost
exclusively in the United States, we do on occasion cross the border to tell
readers about opportunities with our neighbors to the north. If you know of
dive sites in Canada and the United States that you think are worth a look,
by all means, let us know. See the sidebar "Local Diving" on Page 85 to find
out how.
Spearfishing Thank-You
I want to thank you for the original article on spearfishing. I live in
Washington state where the spearos are few and far between so any
information on the sport is extremely helpful. From my experience in the
cold Washington waters, the only way I can catch anything worthwhile is to
go deep where the "viz" is horrible, and sitting on the bottom for more than
two minutes is mandatory.
John C. Sanders
Port Townsend, Washington
dive observer
Captain Kidd Shipwreck Discovered in Caribbean
Site to be studied, preserved for divers
By Gene Gentrup
A 1699 Captain Kidd shipwreck has been discovered in the Caribbean Sea,
underwater archaeologists say.
The team from Indiana University (IU) say they have found Captain Kidd's
Quedagh Merchant, resting in less than 10 feet (3 m), about 70 feet (21 m)
off the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. The Quedagh
Merchant is the ship abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain
William Kidd as he raced to New York in an ill-fated attempt to clear his
name.
Indiana University marine protection authority Charles Beeker said the
university has been licensed to study the wreckage and convert the seafloor
where the cannons and anchors are marooned into an underwater preserve,
where it will be accessible to divers and snorkelers.
Beeker, director of Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs at IU,
said it is remarkable that the wreck has remained undiscovered all these
years given its location, and because it has been sought by treasure
hunters.
"I've been on literally thousands of shipwrecks in my career," Beeker said.
"This is one of the first sites I've been on where I haven't seen any
looting. We've got a shipwreck in crystal-clear, pristine water that's
amazingly untouched. We want to keep it that way, so we made the
announcement now to ensure the site's protection from looters."
The find is valuable because of the potential to reveal important
information about piracy in the Caribbean and about the legendary Captain
Kidd, said John Foster, California's state underwater archaeologist, who is
participating in the research.
"I look forward to a meticulous study of the ship, its age, its armament,
its construction, its use, its contents and the reconstructed wrecking
process that resulted in the site we see today," Foster said. "Because there
is extensive, written documentation, this is an opportunity we rarely have
to test historic information against the archaeological record."
After his conviction of piracy and murder charges in a sensational London
trial, Kidd was executed and left to hang over the River Thames for two
years.
Historians write that Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant, loaded with
valuable satins and silks, gold, silver and other East Indian merchandise,
but left the ship in the Caribbean as he sailed to New York on a less
conspicuous sloop to clear his name of the criminal charges.
Anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad, director of IU Bloomington's Mathers Museum
of World Cultures, said the men Kidd entrusted with his ship reportedly
looted it, and then set it ablaze and adrift down the Rio Dulce. Conrad said
the location of the wreckage and the formation and size of the cannons,
which had been used as ballast, are consistent with historical records of
the ship. They also found pieces of several anchors under the cannons.
"All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know
from historical documentation, which is extensive," Conrad said. "Through
rigorous archaeological investigations, we will conclusively prove that this
is the Captain Kidd shipwreck."
The IU team examined the shipwreck at the request of the Dominican
Republic's Oficina Nacional De Patrimonio Cultural Subacuatico (ONPCS).
Anthropology doctorate student Fritz Hanselmann, who teaches underwater
archaeology techniques at IU, said there have only been a few pirate ships
ever discovered in the Americas.
Beeker and his students have conducted underwater research projects on
submerged ships, cargo and other cultural and biological resources
throughout the United States and the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Many
of his research projects have resulted in the establishment of state or
federal underwater parks and preserves, and have led to a number of site
nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.
To learn more about the Underwater Science program, visit www.indiana. edu/~scuba.
To learn more about Beeker and Conrad's search for sunken ships, read
http://news info.iu.edu/news/page/normal/3790.html.
Photo: Indiana University marine protection authority Charles Beeker
examines possible wreckage from Captain Kidd's Quedagh Merchant.
DNN
SUBMARINE DESTROYER PURSUED FOR ST. LAWRENCE RIVER DIVE SITE
A Canadian group hopes to sink a retired 372-foot (113-m) submarine
destroyer in the St. Lawrence River as an attraction for divers. The goal of
the Eastern Ontario Artificial Reef Association (EOARA) is to put down by
summer 2009 the decommissioned HMCS Terra Nova in Brown's Bay. Its final
resting site would be just west of the Ontario city of Brockville,
 about
3,000 feet (909 m) offshore and 130 feet
(39 m) below the surface. The St. Lawrence River separates Brockville from
New York.
Project supporters believe the $2 million project will generate $8 million
in tourism income annually for eastern Ontario in its first year and attract
more than 6,000 divers annually.
Aside from providing a tourism boost the project is expected to provide
other benefits. It will increase diver safety because of its location -
about one nautical mile away from St. Lawrence Seaway shipping traffic.
"We're hoping to move about 80 percent of the diving out of the commercial
shipping lane that presently happens in that area and move them to where
this shipwreck will be, in the small-craft channel," said EOARA board member
Michael Ryan, in a story published in the Brockville Recorder & Times.
In addition, the new site will take the pressure off existing historical
wrecks.
"The heritage wrecks are much smaller and have deteriorated greatly over the
last five years. You can go look at a wooden skeleton of a ship or you can
look at a fully structured destroyer escort," Ryan said.
Ryan said dive traffic is having a noticeable effect on the historic ships.
"If we don't get the people off the heritage ones, there won't be anything
to look at in five years."
The Terra Nova has seven decks and 120 compartments to explore and will rise
about 70 feet (21 m) off the river bottom when sunk.
With its clear, even-temperature water, the St. Lawrence is rapidly becoming
one of the world's hot spots for freshwater diving.
A Brockville economic development official estimates there are 50,000 "diver
visits" into the region every year, representing as many as 9,000 individual
divers.
EOARA is working with Canadian Artificial Reef Consultants, an organization
that has overseen 22 similar projects. For more information, visit
www.eoara.org.
KEEP UP WITH CHANGES IN PASSPORT LAWS
January 31, 2008, marks the date for another change in U.S. passport laws.
As of that date, U.S. and Canadian citizens entering the United States by
land or sea must present either a document compliant with the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative or a government-issued photo ID, such as a
driver's license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
A passport law affecting travel by air was put in place January 23, 2007.
That law requires all citizens traveling by air between the United States
and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean region to present a passport
or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.
Additional regulations for land and sea travel will be announced at a later
date, possibly by this summer. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens
entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a
U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS,
FAST or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in
conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. military
identification card when traveling on official orders.
For the latest on U.S. passport laws, visit the U.S. State Department Web
site at http://travel.state.gov/.
[ENVIRONMENT]
NOAA UNVEILS
'SANCTUARY SAM' OCEAN AWARENESS PROGRAM
The federal government has launched a new national ocean literacy,
education, and public awareness campaign featuring Sanctuary Sam, a
California sea lion who will be the program's "spokes-sea lion" from his
SeaWorld-based home in Orlando, Florida.
"What Smokey Bear did for our nation's forests, Sanctuary Sam has the
potential to do, making ocean issues real for all Americans," said Daniel J.
Basta, director of the NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program, at a news
conference at Sea World kicking off the campaign. "The future health of our
oceans depends on all of us caring and taking action. Sam's charge is to
help bring that message to the nation."
Appearing in a variety of communications and educational vehicles, Sanctuary
Sam will help convey important messages to the American public -
particularly children - about the marine environment, highlighting the
current problems facing the oceans, including pollution, marine debris and
habitat destruction.
As part of this ocean awareness campaign, two public service announcements
for television and Internet are being released, featuring the messages
"don't trash where you splash" and "be wildlife wise." Sanctuary Sam offers
tips on ways humans can be better ocean stewards by not throwing trash in
the ocean and not disturbing marine life, such as marine mammals, in the
wild. Sanctuary Sam will also spread the word about the important role of
marine sanctuaries in protecting and preserving our ocean's natural and
cultural resources.
With a Web page and blog already live on MySpace.com, Sanctuary Sam's
likeness and messages will also appear in the National Marine Sanctuaries
Program and OceansLive Web sites, and in school materials, such as lesson
plans, posters, bookmarks and DVDs. Also in production are two more public
service announcements for television and the Internet featuring Sanctuary
Sam and friends.
The Sanctuary Sam campaign will primarily use Sam's image in photos, videos
and cartoon drawings. A number of sea lions around the country will portray
Sanctuary Sam at live events at their home aquaria.
For more information, visit http:// sanctuaries.noaa.gov, www.oceanslive.
org/portal/ and www.myspace.com/ SanctuarySam.
[EVENTS]
OUR WORLD-UNDERWATER SHOW FEBRUARY 15-17
The 38th annual Our World-Underwater Show is scheduled for February 15-17,
at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, in Rosemont, Illinois. The show
features hundreds of booths on dive travel, equipment, environmental
agencies, training and retailers.
A number of workshops covering various aspects of diving will be held
throughout the weekend including equipment repair, dive medicine training,
photography, videography, archaeology and treasure hunting. The popular film
festival also will return.
The host hotel for the 2008 show is the newly renovated Hyatt Regency
O'Hare, adjacent to the convention center. Rooms can be reserved directly
from the show Web site or by calling direct (800) 233-1234. Callers should
mention that they are registering for the Our World-Underwater Show to
receive the show rate. For additional information contact Eileen@ourworld
underwater.com.
BOSTON SCUBA SHOW FEBRUARY 23
The 57th edition of the Boston Scuba Show is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
February 23, at Marlboro Holiday Inn and Resort, intersection of routes 495
and 20.
Featured will be author Jonathan Bird, showings of Kerry and Linda Hurd's
film "In the Tank With the Fish," Dave Clancy's "Squalus," and Chris and
Fred Calhoun's "Between Two Wrecks." Alan Budreau will direct other
presentations on in-water videography and "Scuba History 101."
Tickets to the event cost $20 and will be available at the door, or by
writing to Cecile Christensen, 2 Ocean Ave. (1-H), Gloucester, MA 01930
(checks payable to Cecile Christensen). Parking is free. For more
information, call (978) 525-3432.
TWIN CITIES SHIPWRECK SCUBA SHOW FEBRUARY 23
The "Dive Into the Past 2008: The Twin Cities Shipwreck Scuba Show" is
scheduled for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 23, at the AmericInn and
Mermaid Entertainment and Event Center in Mounds View, Minnesota.
Topics and speakers for this year's event include:
. The U.S. Navy Divers 35W Bridge Recovery Effort led by Navy Diver 1st
Class Glen Milisci.
. "Two Ships Frozen in Time," about two intact shipwrecks found a few miles
apart. The 328-foot W.H. Gilbert, steamer sunk in 1914, and the 163-foot H.P.
Bridge, a barkentine sunk in 1869, by Dave Trotter of Undersea Research
Associates.
. "Icebound: The Ordeal of the SS Michigan" by Jack VanHeest and Valerie
Olson VanHeest of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates.
. "Coast Guard Cutter Rescues." Rick Mixter chronicles four coast guard
cutters, including the Sundew, the Hollyhock, and the Mackinaw.
. "Searching for the L-19 Birddog," the airplane lost in Green Lake in 1958,
by Bill Matthies, Minnesota School of Diving.
. An update on The Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society by president
Steve Daniel.
The show will also include Lee Selisky, who will show off one of the largest
collections of historic commercial diving equipment in the United States.
Tickets are $15 at the door and $12 in advance. Student admission is $5, and
kids younger than 6 are admitted free.
The event is sponsored by The Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society,
which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization established in 1996 to
stabilize, restore and help protect deteriorating shipwrecks of the Great
Lakes region.
For more information, visit www.glsps.org, or contact Bob Nelson at (651)
426-1159 or bobnelson_ glsps@msn.com, or Steve Daniel at
sdaniel@glsps.org.
CALIFORNIA WRECK DIVERS BANQUET MARCH 1
Shipwreck explorer Patrick Clyne, whose career includes the recovery
projects of the Spanish galleons Atocha and Santa Margarita, is the
scheduled speaker for the California Wreck Divers Annual Banquet. The event
is planned for March 1 at the Hacienda Hotel in El Segundo, California.
Clyne was executive vice president in various Mel Fisher enterprises for
more than 35 years, and has been chief videographer for nearly all Mel
Fisher expeditions, as well as captain of Fisher's largest salvage vessel.
His photos have appeared in dozens of books and magazines and his video
footage has been featured on numerous television productions by National
Geographic, A&E, Discovery Channel, and The Learning Channel.
For more information, call Steve Lawson at (949) 462-0462 or visit the
California Wreck Divers Web site at cawreckdivers.org.
GHOST SHIPS FESTIVAL MARCH 7-8
The ninth annual Ghost Ships Festival is set for 3-8:30 p.m. Friday, March
7, and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Wyndham Milwaukee
Airport & Convention Center, across from the Milwaukee airport in Wisconsin
(formerly the Four Points Sheraton).
Advance tickets are $20 and day-of tickets are $25. To purchase a ticket or
for more information, visit ghostships.org or send an e-mail to info@ghost-ships.org.
Those interested in hotel accommodations can contact the Sheraton at (414)
481-8000 and ask for the Ghost Ships room discount.
The festival will feature Ralph Wilbanks from the National Underwater and
Marine Agency (NUMA). Wilbanks, who is part of Clive Cussler's search team,
will share his experience locating the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley, on
Friday.
The Hunley, a submersible known as the "South's secret weapon," was the
first sub to sink a ship in battle, the Union blockader USS Housatonic. The
fate of Hunley and its nine young volunteer crewmen remained a mystery for
more than 131 years. Novelist and adventurer Clive Cussler and divers from
NUMA searched for the elusive Hunley for more than 15 years. Cussler's team,
which included Wilbanks, finally found the sub in 1995 buried under 3 feet
(1 m) of silt four miles (6.5 km) outside Charleston, South Carolina. The
sub was raised in 2000 and is housed at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center
in Charleston.
Other speakers are being added to the festival lineup. An updated speaker
schedule will be posted at ghostships.org.
The Ghost Ships Festival brings together top Great Lakes maritime
historians, authors and divers from throughout the country. The festival
includes films, workshops and seminars devoted to shipwrecks, diving and
maritime history.
BENEATH THE SEA
MARCH 28-30
Beneath the Sea's 32nd annual Ocean Adventure Exposition and Travel Show is
scheduled for March 28-30, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus,
New Jersey.
Ocean Pals, Beneath the Sea's environmental education program for children,
on Sunday, March 30, honors the winners of its 2008 poster contest and hosts
a party for children. For more information on Ocean Pals, visit
www.Beneaththesea.org/v2/ocean_pals.html.
Also planned: The Women Divers Hall of Fame, www.wdhof.org, will presents a
series of events and their new inductees. For more information, call (914)
664-4310, e-mail info@Beneaththesea.org, or visit www.Be neaththesea.org.
[BOOK]
'SEASHELLS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA'
At the convergence point of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
Sea, the Florida Keys are distinctive for their rich and varied marine
fauna. The Keys are home to nearly 60 taxonomic families of bivalves such as
clams and mussels - roughly half the world's bivalve family diversity. The
first in a series of three volumes on the molluscan fauna of the Keys and
adjacent regions, "Seashells of Southern Florida: Bivalves, Volume 1,"
provides a comprehensive treatment of these bivalves, and also serves as a
comparative anatomical guide to bivalve diversity worldwide.
Authors Paula Mikkelsen and Rudiger Bieler cover more than 300 species of
bivalves, including clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, shipworms, jewel
boxes, tellins, and many lesser-known groups. For each family they select an
exemplar species and illustrate its shell and anatomical features in detail.
They describe habitat and other relevant information, and accompany each
species account with high-resolution shell photographs of other family
members. The book includes mostly color photographs and images of shells,
underwater habitats, bivalves in situ, original anatomical and hinge
drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and unique transparent-shell
illustrations with major organ systems color-coded and clearly shown.
"Seashells of Southern Florida: Bivalves, Volume 1" is considered the most
complete guide to subtropical bivalves available. Divers may find it an
invaluable identification guide.
Mikkelsen is a marine biologist and director of publications at the
Paleontological Research Institution in Ithaca, New York. Bieler is an
evolutionary biologist and curator of invertebrates at the Field Museum of
Natural History in Chicago.
The 224-page 8-by-11-inch book, published by Princeton Press, includes 1,359
color illustrations and 74 line illustrations. For more information, visit
your local dive shop or call Princeton Press at (609) 258-4900.
always learning
Deja Vu All Over Again:
Scuba Friendships Douse Wildfire Woes
Story and photo by Marty Snyderman
I felt the knot in my stomach tighten the instant the phone rang. It was
just after sunset on Monday, October 22, and the recorded voice of the
reverse 911 call indicated that it was time for us to evacuate my house. My
girlfriend, Michele, and I were not in imminent danger, but by the time the
call came almost 500,000 people in San Diego County had evacuated or
 were
in the process of evacuating their homes as, once again, wildfires ravaged
Southern California. A number of homes had already burned to the ground,
thousands more were threatened, at least two deaths had been reported, and
authorities were openly stating that the "Witch Fire" in San Diego County,
the fire that was threatening my community, might very well burn all the way
to the Pacific Ocean.
Like people all over the country, but especially those of us who live in
Southern California, we had been glued to our television sets all day. The
hot, dry winds from the desert, known locally as Santa Anas, also called
devil winds, had blown hard throughout the previous night. I estimated gusts
to 40, maybe even 50, mph (64, 80 kmph) at my house, and if that was the
case, the winds had to have been twice that strong in the mountain passes
and communities to the east where hundreds of firefighters were already
engaged. The intensity of the raging Santa Anas was a very good indicator of
the hellish inferno at hand.
Since first light the sky over my house had the look of nuclear winter. The
air was filled with ash and smoke, and coughing was part of breathing. Our
eyes, noses and throats burned, and my house reeked of smoke even though all
doors and windows were sealed. My yard was covered with a layer of ash, and
with every passing hour more and more ash fell from the sky. My home was
still some distance from the closest flames, but when on the run the fires
were advancing at a pace of one mile (1.6 km) every 10 minutes, and accurate
predictions of exactly where the fires were headed and when they would
arrive were impossible to make.
Deja Vu
Four years ago we experienced a similar set of circumstances as wildfires
swept through San Diego County and other parts of Southern California. In
those fires about 2,300 families had lost their homes, and numerous deaths
occurred. It was truly a horrific event. Now, in 2007, it was deja vu all
over again, and I am absolutely certain that all anyone who was in Southern
California during the fires of 2003 had to do to relive that horror was take
one look at the sky, try to breathe, or watch the news coverage for a few
minutes.
At daybreak the authorities told Michele and her neighbors to evacuate their
homes. In response, we packed up her cats and personal belongings and she
came to my house. We fueled up our cars and made sure we had a lot of water,
canned goods, clothing, a battery-powered radio, sleeping bags and
flashlights in our vehicles. We also checked to be sure we had a list of
contact numbers in our possession in the event we somehow got separated in
traffic during a mass evacuation.
The Diving Community
Shortly after we arrived back at my house, Cathryn Castle Whitman, my
co-worker and editor at Dive Training, called to see if we were OK, and she
helped me think my way through the steps we should take to pack my home and
to prepare for any eventuality. Cathryn is a well-seasoned boat captain, and
it was clear that she understood the seriousness of the situation. It was
also evident that her experiences at sea and the fact that she had routinely
been responsible for the lives of others helped her assist me in
prioritizing my actions.
Not too long after Cathryn's call the phone rang gain. This time it was Andy
Sallmon, a professional underwater photographer and a longtime diving buddy,
and he was calling to tell us that his home in Orange County, California,
roughly 60 miles (96 km) away, was open should Michele and I be forced to
evacuate and need a place to go. When he called I thought his offer was
kind, but probably unnecessary as I thought my house was probably out of
harm's way. But when we got the call to evacuate, Andy's home suddenly
sounded like the Taj Mahal, and I was instantly much more appreciative of
his thoughtfulness.
All day as Michele and I were making our contingency plans I was very aware
of my training as a diving instructor and expedition leader influencing my
response to the situation at hand. I did my best to assess the situation
given the information I had to work with, took some of the available time to
consider our options and determine the best course of action, and then
proceeded to do things one step at a time while following the instructions
authorities had given us. Others surely received some training and
preparation from other endeavors, but for me there was no doubt; my
emergency response training comes from my training as a diver and former
dive instructor.
The Evacuation Center
Upon leaving my home, Michele and I headed for the evacuation center in the
gymnasium at Carlsbad High School about 20 minutes away. We were quickly
given a cot and an air mattress by volunteers, and within minutes we had
claimed our home away from home on the gym floor. For the next several hours
we crowded around a television set in the gym and followed the fire
coverage.
Just as had been the case during the fires of 2003, every time a part of San
Diego County was shown on the news I thought of people I know who live in
that area, and so often those people were friends I made through diving. I
have lived in San Diego for just over 30 years, and as I watched the news
coverage I was very aware the vast majority of my Southern California
friendships have come through the diving world.
I had not paid much attention to what I was wearing, but another evacuee
noticed my "Dive Bums" T-shirt. Dive Bums is a local online diving forum,
and I log on almost every day to keep abreast of all things diving. We
introduced ourselves, spoke briefly about diving, and then the conversation
turned to the fire threat faced by some mutual friends.
The day before the fires I had flown in from an extended dive trip to Yap
and Palau, island nations in Micronesia. My body clock was a mess from jet
lag and despite having been up since the crack of dawn the previous morning
helping Michele load up her things I woke up in the gym in the middle of the
night. The authorities had asked us not to use cell phones because they are
part of the emergency response communication system, so we had gladly
complied. At the same time I wanted to let family and friends know we were
safe so I got up and logged onto a computer that had been made available to
us by the school.
I got into my e-mail and already I had more than 20 messages from friends,
most of whom I had met through diving, checking on us and offering support.
I consider myself to be pretty damned self-reliant, but I must admit those
messages provided a layer of comfort and a feeling that no mater what
happened, Michele and I weren't facing the situation in a vacuum. Most of
the e-mails were from diving friends from all over the world. Other messages
came from people I do business with, people who license the use of my
underwater images, and people who sell me dive gear. All asked about Michele
and me, and many also about other mutual friends in the diving world.
No doubt, it felt like 2003 all over again. As I have written about in
previous pieces, one of the things I treasure most about diving is that
diving has a way of breaking down all kinds of social barriers. The nature
of those exchanges and great dives shared together often lead to wonderful
enduring friendships.
Fortunately for Michele and me, within 36 hours or so we were back at home.
We were lucky. Our homes were filthy from the ashes, but they were fine. We
were not victims of anything other than some stress, inconvenience and
having to cope with some very bad air. But so many people in our area were
not as fortunate.
Once things around the house were cleaned up it was time to edit my images
from Yap and Palau, and to get on with planning my diving year. In short, it
was time to get back to "normal." But it is not time to forget that part of
San Diego and Southern California that has and is continuing to suffer, or
to forget my diving friends who reached out to Michele and me in our time of
possible need. We will always appreciate those acts of kindness, and I will
be forever grateful to be part of the larger diving community.
no dumb questions
Swimming Skills for Scuba, Seasickness, and Equalization Concerns
Q: Dave Ireton wrote with a question not about himself but for a
friend. "My girlfriend thinks she'd like to get into scuba diving, but is
hesitant because she doesn't think she's a good enough swimmer. Believe me,
I've seen her in the water, and she's more comfortable than a lot of people
who were in my own scuba course. The problem is that she doesn't believe me,
so I thought that some advice coming from you might be more convincing. I've
been a reader of your column for over five years, so I know you've talked
about this issue before. So, could you please put her mind at ease?"
A: Dave, I believe it would be a disservice, as well as potentially
dangerous, ever to encourage someone to become a diver who wasn't
truly comfortable with the idea. However, you are correct that many
nondivers have a completely inaccurate perception of what it takes to become
certified - especially when it comes to swimming ability. First, let's use
the proper terminology. I prefer to use the term "watermanship" to swimming
ability because the prerequisite to becoming a diver isn't
 how
well one can swim as much as it is how comfortable they are with being in
the water.
As you've probably already told her, you don't have to be an Olympic
athlete, nor even a good technical swimmer, to be a diver. Making this
assessment about the level of watermanship is one of any scuba instructor's
most important duties; and much of it comes simply by having enough time in
the water with a student to get a sense of their level of comfort in being
there. But there are also some objective measures mandated by training
standards. Specifically, before issuing a certification, she'll have to
demonstrate the ability to swim 200 yards continuously, using any stroke and
with no time limit, and remain afloat for 10 minutes without the use of any
aids.
Again, let me stress that the issue that's even more important than any
distance or time criterion is comfort. I believe that anyone who is not
completely comfortable in water that's too deep to stand up in has no place
in a scuba course. Granted, scuba doesn't require you to be a skilled
swimmer. But diving does take place around the water, and it's reasonable to
assume someone could find themselves unexpectedly in the water without
equipment. (People do fall overboard on occasion.) In this case, one's
ability to swim could mean the difference between life and death.
Basically, your girlfriend should ask herself this question: Can I meet the
minimum swimming requirements, and do I feel comfortable in water that's too
deep to stand up in? If the answer is yes, then as far as her watermanship
skills are concerned, she's ready to be a diver.
Q: Jacob Liddel sent in a question about diving in adverse conditions.
"I just enrolled in a scuba course and I'm a bit concerned about my
open-water dives, which will take place from a boat. I get seasick easily,
but my instructor says that once you're underwater that's not a problem. But
my concern is that what if the weather is really rough, and the waves are
really big? Aside from the misery it will cause me while on board the boat,
will big waves have any effect on me underwater? In other words, was my
instructor just trying to downplay my concerns or is there something to what
he told me?"
A: Let me assure you that your instructor wasn't lying to you.
However, his explanation that you won't be bothered by sickness underwater
comes with some conditions - namely environmental conditions. Space doesn't
allow me to get into any detail, but the short answer is that the effect of
surface waves underwater - what we call "surge" - is dependent on the sea
state present. A good rule of thumb is that the energy of any wave passing
overhead is felt only to a depth of one-half of the wave's length. In other
words, if you're diving and the wavelength (distance from crest to crest) of
the swell is only 30 feet (9 m), then you'll experience virtually no motion
from wave action below a depth of 15 feet (4.5 m). On the other hand, if you
encounter much longer swells, say 100 feet (30 m), then the wave energy can
be felt down to a depth of 50 feet (15 m). And that's below the depth you'll
probably be diving on your check-out. So, in underwater effect, it's not the
size (height) of the waves so much as their wave length. In most cases - at
least in those in which you'd be making a check-out dive - you'll probably
notice no effect at all once you're at or below 30 feet (9 m).
Still, dealing with the effects of surge underwater isn't nearly as bad as
dealing with the incessant bouncing on board a boat in rough seas,
particularly one that's at anchor. So, to address your worries over sickness
before you get in the water, here's some advice: Stay on deck in the fresh
air; stay away from the transom (fumes) and in a position near the middle of
the vessel; visually orient to something on the horizon, ideally something
that's stationary; eat something light and nongreasy, but don't overeat; try
to stay busy and be prepared to enter the water as soon as possible after
the boat anchors. Finally, if you plan to take any anti-seasickness
medication, be sure that you first know what effect it has on you, and don't
take it if it makes you drowsy.
Q: Daniel Edwards asks a question never posed here before about an
unusual equalization technique. "I discovered that by clearing my ears near
the surface and maintaining that internal pressure, I could descend to 30 to
40 feet, then take a normal breath and restart the clearing process instead
of clearing every couple of feet. I've seen divemasters do this in Cozumel
before, but didn't understand why or how they could do this. Does this pose
any problems? I know that breath-holding is bad, but usually that's to avoid
lung overexpansion on ascent, not descent. Any thoughts?"
A: I applaud you for trying to be proactive with equalization because
the most common reason for ear squeeze among divers is that they start
clearing too late. The openings of the eustachian tubes in the throat are
controlled by a muscle that, in most people, keeps them closed. Opening the
tubes usually requires positive pressure. The ease with which they open
varies greatly among divers, and some lucky few need do nothing more than
wiggle their jaw. Most of us, however, must take more active steps to clear
our ears, and the most common method is the Valsalva maneuver. This is the
formal name for the technique taught in virtually every scuba course on
earth in which you "pinch your nose and blow."
Your technique sounds interesting and, as I'm not a physician, I hope any of
our readers who are otolaryngologists will wade in on this discussion. I'll
begin by saying that a major mistake that many divers make in equalizing is
that they don't even begin the process until they experience pain. This is
bad because pain means there's something wrong. Studies have shown that pain
normally begins when the differential between the ambient and middle ear
pressure reaches only 60 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). This is equal to a
descent of only 2.5 feet (0.76 m). By the time the eustachian tubes reach a
pressure differential of 90 mmHg (equal to a descent of less than 4 feet
[1.2 m]), they will effectively "lock shut," preventing any air passage.
Therefore, effective clearing must begin before descending a mere 4 feet
(1.2 m), which is what your technique apparently accomplishes.
However, I'm quite concerned about your technique for several reasons. From
what you describe, you are attempting to maintain positive (higher) pressure
in your middle ear throughout your entire descent to the 30- to 40-foot
level. This seems to me to be a rather long time to subject your middle ear
to positive pressure, so my question is whether maintaining that pressure
could make it more likely for you to cause damage. The delicate structures
of the ear can be damaged very easily by overpressurization, and sometimes
this damage is so subtle that it may not be noticed until hearing impairment
occurs. The absence of pain does not necessarily mean that no damage has
occurred.
Diving medical authorities have long recommended that divers use the least
amount of pressure necessary to open their eustachian tubes. In fact, some
ear specialists even advise against the ubiquitous Valsalva maneuver in
favor of less forceful techniques. One such technique is the Frenzel
maneuver, which involves pinching the nose and using the tongue as a piston
to increase the pressure of the nasopharynx, forcing air up the eustachian
tubes. (I'll be the first to admit that this takes more than a little
practice.) Another technique is called the Toynbee maneuver, and involves
simply swallowing while pinching the nose and keeping the mouth closed.
A more serious concern is the matter of breath-holding, which even though
you are descending, I believe is ill-advised. Problems with buoyancy
control, or wave motion could actually result in your movement upward
through the water column, not downward. And sometimes when concentrating on
tasks such as clearing your ears, you aren't even aware of this.
Particularly in the early stages of the descent - in shallow water - any
slight, unnoticed rise in the water column could cause overpressurization
problems.
And there's still another concern. Even those wearing sufficient weight
often experience difficulty in descending the first several feet after
leaving the surface. So, to initiate a descent, many often exhale as a way
to slightly decrease their buoyancy and aid descent. This could create a
special problem that a diver descending with full lungs won't encounter -
the potential risk of a rare condition known as a "lung squeeze." Full lungs
can easily tolerate the descent from the surface to 30 feet (9 m) with no
ill effect. However, making such a descent with empty lungs could result in
compressing them below their residual volume, and suffering the same sort of
damage seen in other gas-filled structures of the body when they aren't
equalized on descent. So, my advice is to, as in all cases, breathe
continuously - never hold your breath - and equalize your ears early and
often, not constantly as you've indicated.
Equalization is clearly one of the most problematic techniques for divers,
and those who venture underwater have experimented with how to accomplish it
most effectively long before the invention of scuba. But there may be good
news on the horizon. Currently, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) is developing
a study that will explore the mechanisms and problems involved with
equalization. This will hopefully offer some new insights into this very
important issue.
Dive
Training Quiz
Test your knowledge of the information featured in this month's issue of
Dive Training.
 1. What actor played the role of the protagonist in the television show "Sea
Hunt"?
A. Jacques Cousteau
B. Lloyd Bridges
C. James Bond
D. Nick Nolte
2. Ways divers can help stop overfishing include supporting:
A. The control of bycatch.
B. An end to fishing subsidies.
C. Effective monitoring and enforcement.
D. All of the above.
3. According to a recent survey, females comprise what percentage of Open
Water students?
A. 20
B. 30
C. 40
D. 50
4. The preferred way to enter the water from a platform near water level is
called the:
A. Giant stride
B. Backward roll
C. Forward roll
5. Cozumel is known as:
A. The Nature Island
B. Land of the swallows
C. The Spice Island
D. Pirate's paradise
6. The standard emergency frequency for a marine VHF radiotelephone is
channel:
A. 2
B. 6
C. 10
D. 16
7. Elements of a typical blog include:
A. Main page
B. Archive
C. Photo album
D. Journal entries
E. All of the above
8. The structures in stinging cells that look like a miniature harpoon are
called:
A. Sea wasps
B. Portuguese man-of-war
C. Nematocysts
D. Little jellyfish
9. The qualities of an effective fin kick include:
A. Propels a diver through the water column with as little exertion as
possible.
B. Does not disturb the surroundings.
C. A & B are correct
D. None of the above
Answers: 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. B 6. D 7. E 8. C 9. C
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