Yesterday, I was lucky to be able to attend some very high caliber diver training provided to about twenty divers from all over the country. Dr. Dan Marelli, with whom I have been in correspondence for some years, invited me to attend one of his lectures on decompression sickness and to possibly offer some comments about the subject. I drove over early and was surprised at the great facilities that are more or less hidden on the government owned project (the island is manmade from dredged sand).

After an excellent lecture, and a good lunch - I watched the students participate in a virtual rescue exercise in association with the Escambia County helicopter. This was fascinating and I really felt as if I were watching an actual diving accident rescue taking place.

EPA Dive Training is under the direction of Jed Campbell. A Research Biologist, he is Director EPA Diver Training/UDO USEPA - Gulf Ecology Division.

Dan Marelli is South Regional Safety officer for the YMCA Scuba program and is a member of the RSTC. He is President of Scientific Diving International, a company which has been leading the course for the past six years. The company which has over 90 years combined experience also offers diving program startups, scientific, public safety and commercial diving program audits, webmaster hosting for diving program databases, diver training, accident investigations, expert testimony and underwater forensic surveys.

The web page about the EPA program is laocated at:
http://www.epa.gov/ged/dtprogram.pdf


Good diving!

scubadoc

Once again Manta Ray Divers is organizing a treasure hunt each this summer for the divers in this area. We are asking that equipment, clothing, safety organization, etc. help us promote safe diving with donations. In return we add them to our sponsor list and promote their company or organization. So, if you can help us it would be most appreciated.

Date for Treasure Hunt – July 26^th, 2008  Blue Lagoon TX

Philip Matticks

Manta Ray Divers

11232 Brittmoore Park Dr

Houston, TX

P: 713-826-5705

F: 832-243-0660

philipm@matticks.com

EVIDENCE-BASED AND HANDS-ON
COME PRACTICE ADVANCED WOUND CARE
June 25, 2008 • Salt Lake City
Purposes
• Gain a better understanding of the evidenced-based treatments of Venous, Pressure, Diabetic, and Arterial Ulcers.
• Learn how to choose an appropriate moist wound dressing.
•Compare similar products side by side in a hands-on setting: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Compression, Perfusion Evaluation, Off-loading, Skin Substitutes, and Maggot Therapy.
• Learn when and how hyperbaric oxygen is a powerful adjunctive therapy in wound healing.
• Discover the utility of an electronic medical record in wound care.

Faculty
Nick Bird, MD
Terri DeJohn, MD
Caroline Fife, MD
Lynne Grant, RN
James Holm, MD
Dick Sample, CHT
Dag Shapshak, MD
Ron Sherman, MD
Carl vanGils, DPM
Gene Worth, MD

Location
Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown
75 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT
Registration Fee
$150.00 (includes lunch)–Additional fee for
CMEs/CEUs. Registration fee increases to
$175.00 after May 1st.
S P A C E I S L I M I T E D – R E G I S T E R E A R L Y
For More Information
Contact Lisa Tidd at UHMS
lisa@uhms.org
Phone
877-533-8467 or
919-490-5140
Register On-Line
www.uhms.org Go to “Meetings and
Events” to “2008 Annual Scientific
Meeting” to “Registration”
Wound Care:
An Evidence-Based and Hands on Workshop
2008 UHMS ASM Pre-Course
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Marriott Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah

Session Summaries
8:00 - 8:30: Venous Ulcers Guidelines: Nick Bird, MD
Dr. Bird will provide an overview of the 2006 guidelines for the evaluation and management of venous disease. Healthcare workers from technicians to physicians will find this talk useful. The lecture is geared for both seasoned wound care practitioners who want to update their practice, as well as those new to wound care who desire evidence-based guidance. While the talk is limited to the highlights of the recent guidelines, handouts and references are available for further reading and discussion.

8:30 - 9:00: Pressure Ulcer Guidelines: Gene Worth, MD
All patients with pressure ulcers require individualized care. In this lecture, Dr. Worth will discuss the
pressure ulcer guidelines and evidence-based recommendations for the care of these patients, including the six principles that must be simultaneously managed for positive outcomes in patients with pressure ulcers: positioning and surfaces, nutrition, infection control, wound bed preparation, dressings, and surgery and adjuvant therapies.

9:00 - 9:30: Diabetic Foot Ulcer Guidelines: Terri DeJohn, MD
Dr. DeJohn will discuss the importance of identifying co-morbid conditions in the diabetic patient such as peripheral arterial disease and neuropathy, and then determining the appropriate interventions to minimize their impact on wound healing, including revascularization, off-loading, and infection control.

9:30 - 10:00: Arterial Ulcers Guidelines: Dag Shapshak, MD
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) affects approximately 10 million people in the United States and is highly associated with morbidity and mortality. PAOD contributes to lower extremity wounds both solely and in the setting of other disease processes (such as venous insufficiency and diabetic neuropathy). Practice guidelines can aid the practitioner in prevention and diagnosis of arterial ulcers. Dr. Shapshak will review infection control, wound preparation, wound dressings, and indications for referral for surgical revascularization. He will also discuss the current evidence to support the use of adjunctive therapies.

10:30 - 11:30: How do you choose a moist wound dressing? Lynne Grant, MS, RN, CWOCN
With thousands of dressings available to the wound care practitioner, deciding on a particular wound
dressing for each patient can be difficult. Lynne Grant will discuss the benefits of maintaining a moist
wound-healing environment and explain the different categories of wound products and their proper use and expected benefit. Limitations of dressings will also be discussed. The talk should provide a roadmap for making these complex choices.

11:30 - 2:30: Hands-on Workshops (in 6 rotating groups, 25 minutes each station)
Lunch in between sessions from 12:45 – 1:15
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: Gene Worth, MD
In this workshop, attendees with have the opportunity to see demonstrations of 3 currently available
negative pressure wound therapy systems. They will have an opportunity to use these systems in simulated wounds/ulcers.

Maggot Debridement Therapy: Ron Sherman, MD, MSc, DTM&H
Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is used increasingly to assist with non-healing or problematic wounds, including pressure ulcers, neuropathic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, and post-surgical wounds. Participants will learn when, why, and how to use maggot therapy dressings.

Skin Substitutes: Terri DeJohn, MD
Using pig's legs, participants will have an opportunity to apply Apligraf, Dermagraft and other skin
substitutes. They will handle the products and learn appropriate techniques for aftercare.

Compression Therapy: Lynne Grant, MS, RN, CWOCN
Many wounds fail to heal due to excessive inflammation, often from untreated periwound edema. This is most obvious with venous stasis ulcers but is often seen with wounds with other etiologies. This workshop will review numerous types of compression dressings and explain their use and abuse. The attendees will have hands-on time to apply these dressings correctly.

Tissue Oxygen and Skin Perfusion Monitoring: Dick Sample, RCP, RRT, CHT
This workshop will provide attendees an opportunity to work with various non-invasive vascular
assessment devices. Transcutaneous oxygen, laser Doppler, skin perfusion pressure, and pulse volume recording devices will be available for hands-on use. Experts will be present to assist with the clinical application of the devices and answer questions.

Offloading and Total Contact Casting: Carl VanGils, DPM
This workshop will review and demonstrate the importance of proper offloading and pressure relief in the treatment of neuropathic foot ulcers. Participants will gain in an appreciation for the role of offloading in limb salvage efforts and management of diabetic foot ulcers. Clinical case examples and literature studies will be reviewed and a variety of offloading techniques will be demonstrated. Total contact casting, long considered the gold standard in offloading the neuropathic foot, will be demonstrated and participants will have opportunity to learn and practice its application.

2:45 - 3:30: Electronic Medical Records for Wound Care: Caroline Fife, MD
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are not simply paper records viewable in electronic form, but can store information in a manner that can be processed. Agencies such as the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) specify the essential requirements a system must meet in order to be called an EMR. Being able to process clinical data means that a true EMR can note only calculate the physician or the facility level of service on an individual patient, but provide outcome measures or financial reports for an entire practice. As Medicare moves toward systems like "Pay for Performance," EMRs will become a necessity for a successful practice. This session will provide a basic understanding of regulatory standards, functional requirements, and implementation challenges for an EMR specific to wound care and hyperbaric medicine.

3:30 - 4:15: HBO2 Therapy: Essentials for the Wound Care Practitioner: James Holm, MD
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a valuable adjunct to patients with wound healing problems. This talk will discuss what hyperbaric oxygen therapy is and how it works. We will discuss the currently accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy with an emphasis on conditions that might be seen by wound care practitioners, including clinical examples and an evidence-based review of the current literature. These conditions include necrotizing soft tissue infections, chronic refractory osteomyelitis, compromised flaps, and diabetic foot wounds. Contraindications and side effects will also be discussed to help the practitioner decide when it is appropriate to refer your patient for a hyperbaric consultation.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:
• Physician CME: The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
o The UHMS designates this educational activity for a maximum of 7.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
o Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
• Nursing CEU: CNE will be provided by Diversified Clinical Services 4500 Salisbury Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32216. Florida Board of Registered Nursing Provider # 56-531. Credit hours 7.5
• CHT/CHRN Credits (NBDHMT): This program has been reviewed and is acceptable for 7.5 Category A credit hours by the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology.

June 26-28, 2008
Salt Lake City, Utah
Top reasons to attend this year’s Annual Scientifi c Meeting:
Great Program: We are excited to have Paul Spark (Kronheim lecture: Raising of the Kursk) and
Michael Holick, MD (Bangasser lecture: The D-sasterous Health Consequences of Vitamin D Defi -
ciency) as keynote speakers. Nine additional plenary sessions (presented by world-renowned
speakers), 170 posters, and 48 oral abstracts will be organized into 6 half-day sessions. The
best trainee abstracts will be showcased in one noon session, when the audience will vote on
the best trainee oral presentation and best trainee poster.
Great Ancillary Events: Come early for Decompression and the Deep Stop (June 24-25) or
Wound Care Workshop: Evidence-Based and Hands-On (June 25). Additional content will be
presented at the Associates/BNA sessions, which run alongside the Scientifi c Program. Stay an
extra day for Intermountain Divers Day (June 29).
Great Location: Warm, sunny days, cool nights, and low humidity. Utah is an outdoor paradise,
with hiking or mountain biking just minutes from downtown or in nearby national parks.
Dining, shopping, and nightlife are easily accessible on foot or by light rail (free downtown).
Don’t miss the Utah Arts Festival June 26-29, where hundreds of visual, performing, and culinary
artists draw a crowd of 80,000 to Library Square each year. See the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir rehearse or perform. Venture out a bit farther to the red rock paradise of Utah’s national
parks or the Utah Shakespearean Festival, just 3 hours south of Salt Lake.
Register now, as discounted registration ends May 1, 2008. Full registration information is
availabe at www.uhms.org. We look forward to seeing you in June.
Lin Weaver, MD, Jim Holm, MD, and Dick Sample, CHT
UHMS Annual Scientifi c Meeting Program Chairs - 2008

Intermountain Diver’s Day
Extreme Diving Situations and Diver Safety
Sunday, June 29, 2008
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Doty Education Auditorium
Intermountain Medical Center
5121 S. Cottonwood Street, Murray, UT

INTERMOUNTAIN DIVER’S DAY
Check/money order enclosed
Make checks payable to LDS Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine
Intermountain Diver’s Day

Registration Form
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone:
Email:
Contact Information:
Payment Information:
Visa Master Card AmEx Discover
Card Number:
Expiration Date: Security Code:
Billing Zip Code:
Name on Card:
Cardholder’s Signature:
Mail registration form with payment to:
LDS Hospital
Hyperbaric Medicine
8th Avenue & C Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84143

For registration questions, please call 801-408-3623
Advance Registration (before June 10, 200 : $35.00
Registration Type:
Regular/Same Day Registration: $40.00
Intermountain Hyperbaric Medicine Service
Intermountain Medical Center
LDS Hospital
For nearly twenty-fi ve years, the Hyperbaric Medicine Service
at LDS Hospital has served the divers of the Intermountain
region, treating dozens of injured divers from a several hundred-
mile radius. This year, we open a state-of-the-art rectangular
multiplace hypo/hyperbaric chamber at Intermoutain
Healthcare’s fl agship hospital, Intermountain Medical Center.
In addition to operating the multiplace and monoplace chambers
at Intermountain Medical Center, our staff will continue
to off er hyperbaric oxygen therapy at LDS Hospital.
Medical director Lin Weaver, MD, is also the Southwest Regional
Coordinator of the Divers Alert Network. Our team of
physicians and advance practice clinicians staff our chambers
24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and are well equipped to
handle diving emergencies. We also provide fi tness-to-dive
evaluations. Many of our staff are diving enthusiasts.
Intermountain Diver’s Day is a unique opportunity for recreational,
technical, and commercial divers to learn about
extreme diving situations, diving safety, current treatment
for diving injury, and special considerations for diving in the
Rocky Mountain region.
For questions about the Diver’s Day program, registration, or
sponsorship, please call us at 801-408-3623.
For diving emergencies, call Lifefl ight at 801-321-1234, and
ask for the hyperbaric physician on call.

Program
7:30 - 8:00
Same Day Registration
Come early and enjoy a continental breakfast.
8:00 - 8:15
Welcome and Introduction
8:15 - 9:00
Breathing Underwater is an Unnatural Act
Richard Vann, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Duke University
Vice President of Research, Divers Alert Network
The underwater environment can aff ect respiration leading to breathlessness
and impaired consciousness. Exercise and carbon dioxide
play key roles in this process. Understanding the process is a good
countermeasure to avoiding the panic that breathlessness can cause.
Examples from “shallow water blackout,” “deep water blackout,” and
rebreathers illustrate the physiology and importance of equipment
design.

9:00 - 9:45
Research Diving in Antarctica
Neal Pollock, PhD
Research Associate, Duke University
Antarctic Field Research, New York State Department of Health
Many think of SCUBA diving as a warm water activity. However, a
small number of divers go to the ends of the earth to conduct their
underwater work. Dr. Neal Pollock has spent six seasons in the Antarctic
as part of a diving research group with the U.S. Antarctic Program.
He will discuss the art and science of Antarctic diving. You will see
how researchers travel to and around the “Ice,” how they get through
6-18 feet of ice, and some of the creatures they fi nd. You will hear
anecdotes regarding native biology, human physiology and the language
of the Ice.

9:45 - 10:30
What is DAN/Are You Really Ready to Dive?
Dan Orr, MS
President/CEO, Divers Alert Network
In the DAN accident data, a percentage of those involved in diving
accidents have indicated equipment, somehow, played a role in the
events leading to a diving emergency and subsequent injury. This
presentation, through the use of candid, and humorous, photographs,
will address how equipment use (or user error) may lead to
a diving emergency.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Intermountain Diver’s Day
10:30 - 10:45
Break

10:45 – 11:30
Treatment of Decompression Illness in the 21st
Century: What is State of the Art?
Simon Mitchell, MD, PhD
Fellow in Anesthesia, Auckland City Hospital
Whilst diving is a safe sport, accidents can occur, and one possible
consequence is decompression illness (DCI). Ideal treatment of this
potentially serious disorder usually consists of appropriate fi rst aid
measures, such as administration of 100% oxygen, followed by recompression
and hyperbaric oxygen administration in a recompression
chamber. In this presentation we will discuss these interventions,
and other aspects of DCI treatment. With reference to the latest diving
medical research, we will address commonly asked questions like: are
there any drugs that might be useful; what is the role of fl uid administration;
do all cases of DCI require recompression; what is the role of
in water recompression; and others. Any enthusiastic diver may one
day be called upon to be an amateur diving physician in the fi eld.
This presentation aims to update your knowledge and provide some
practical advice that might help should this need ever arise.

11:30 – 12:30
Who is in a Hyperbaric Chamber when a Diver
is Not?
Jim Holm, MD
Attending Physician and Diving Enthusiast,
Intermountain Hyperbaric Medicine Center
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is commonly known as a treatment for
diving-related illnesses such as decompression sickness. Although
there are some chambers used just to treat divers, most chambers
are treating patients with conditions other than diving-related problems.
This talk will discuss what Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2)
is and how it works. The currently accepted indications for HBO2 will
be reviewed, including its use for necrotizing soft tissue infections (so
called “fl esh eating bacteria”), chronic bone infections, and diabetic
wounds.

12:30 – 1:45
Lunch and Tour
Intermountain Medical Center’s
Rectangular Multiplace Hyper/Hypobaric
Chamber and Monoplace Chamber
Box lunches are provided. Participants will take a tour in small groups
of Intermountain Medical Center’s state-of-the-art rectangular multiplace
hypo/hyperbaric chamber and monoplace chamber.

1:45 – 2:30
Diving in the Rocky Mountains and the
Intermountain West
A panel of local diving experts will highlight diving opportunities in
the Intermountain West and discuss the unique logistics of diving at
these sites.

2:30 – 3:15
Rebreathers... Just How Safe Are They?
Jeff Bozanic, PhD
Technical Diver and Instructor
Author of Mastering Rebreathers
Currently rebreathers are used in the recreational diving community
primarily by technical divers and photographers. Many active divers
are intrigued by the technology, but are reticent to “take the plunge”
because of perceptions of cost, complexity, and perceived safety issues.
This talk will cover how rebreathers function, their advantages,
and their disadvantages compared to standard open circuit SCUBA
diving. In particular, it will look at the daily logistics and maintenance
involved in using rebreathers, as well as an overview of the accidents
experienced by rebreather divers, and why they occurred.

3:15 – 3:30
Break

3:30 – 4:15
Diving at Altitude and Decompression Illness
Paul Thombs, MD
Medical Director, Hyperbaric Medicine Center.
Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Denver, CO
Denver, like any land-locked city, has a large diving population. Its
altitude and distance from popular dive sites infl uences the nature
of decompression illness diagnosed and treated there. Diving in the
Intermountain West and the Rocky Mountains requires signifi cant
changes in altitude to reach local dive sites. How should this be factored
into dive planning?

4:15 – 5:00
Diving Accidents: A Review of Local Cases
Lin Weaver, MD
Medical Director, Intermountain Hyperbaric Medicine Center
Professor, University of Utah School of Medicine
Despite advances in equipment and technique, SCUBA diving continues
to carry risk. Diving accidents can and do occur in our lcation. Dr.
Weaver will present, specifi c cases of diver injury for discussion and
review how equipment malfunction, diver error, and “acceptable risk”
played their parts.

Vos podés ser un

Buzo de Rescate

"Las estadísticas demuestran que las personas especializadas en Rescate

se accidentan mucho menos que el resto.

 

Ellos están preparados para prevenir accidentes basados

en los errores de otros buzos,

por eso es menos probable que ellos los cometan"

 

Un curso fundamental en lo relacionado a la seguridad en el mar. Está comprobado que los buzos especializados en Rescate son mucho más seguros en el agua ya que reciben todo un entrenamiento en base a la prevención de accidentes.

 

La clave de este curso consiste en "ver" un accidente antes de que este ocurra para de esa forma poder evitarlo, pero de no poder hacerlo el mismo buzo conoce las técnicas necesarias para un rescate rápido, seguro y efectivo.

 

En contra de lo que pudiera creerse un curso de Rescate no es un curso "duro". Se trata que cada uno, dentro de sus posibilidades físicas pueda socorrer a una persona necesitada, lo que es puramente una cuestión de técnica.  Cuando ingresaste al curso de Open Water creíste que había cosas que no podías hacer, sin embargo con la utilización de la técnica adecuada llegaste a realizar los ejercicios sin mayores problemas.

 

Por eso, no dudes en participar en este curso. Si, estás a la altura de las circunstancias y estoy segura que este curso te va a dar muchas satisfacciones además que va a cambiar tu forma de ver el agua y la seguridad en inmersión.

¿El horario? El mejor...

 

Clases teóricas: viernes de 19:30 a 21 hs

Clases prácticas: viernes de 21:30 a 23 hs

todo junto en el mismo día de la semana !!!

 

Duración: dos meses (8 clases teórico-prácticas)

 

Cuota mensual: Socios $ 150   No socios $ 170

 

Comienza el viernes 30 de Mayo de 2008

Anotándote en el curso de Rescate.

En principio el interés de nuestros buzos por temas relacionados con el Rescate y la Seguridad en inmersión nos llenan de orgullo. Hoy en día necesitamos de más Buzos Rescatadores, necesitamos de más gente con los ojos abiertos brindando seguridad en el mar para si mismos y para los demás. Lamentablemente no es moneda corriente preocuparse tanto  por la seguridad de los demás.

 

Somos conscientes que las personas que se preocupan por hacer cursos como Rescate y Primeros Auxilios Básico se están preocupando por el prójimo ya que estos temas siempre se emplean hacia los otros. Sin duda alguna esto habla muy bien de estas personas.

 

Entonces, para reservar nos parece que, más útil que abonar una parte de la cuota del curso, es que reservemos en firme tu lugar con la compra del libro de Stress y Rescate que será utilizado como base del curso. De esta manera podés ya disponer de este material e ir leyéndolo con tiempo, llenando las hojas azules y llegar a Marzo listo e informado para comenzar tu Curso de Rescate con todas las pilas. El costo del material es de $ 50.

 

Te esperamos entonces para anotarte en este curso que, te aseguro, te cambiará la forma de bucear y te hará sentir mucho más cómodo en el mar.

Por que los cursos de tu escuela hacen la diferencia...

Vos sabés...

Please forward the below information to individuals you feel may be
interested.

I would like to invite you to attend the 2008 ocean exploration symposium
at Florida State University - Panama City June 5, 2008.  This year's
symposium will fulfill FSU's Advanced Science Diving Program's charter
goal of inspiring and educating students and the community with research
relating to diving, ocean technologies, and studies that protect and
advance a better understanding of our ocean environment.

Panama City is the hub of Military, Recreational, Scientific, and Public
Safety Diving with facilities such as the Navy Experimental Diving Unit,
Naval Support Activity, Dive Lab, Museum of Man in the Sea, and Florida
State University.  That makes Panama City the ideal location for
underwater research, and consequently the ideal location to host our
annual symposium celebrating our ocean world. I look forward to seeing you
there; Did I mention that it is FREE to the publi.

Presenters:

Karen Kohanowich
Director of NOAA Undersea Research Program
NOAA’s Ocean Exploration and Research: Man and Machine Revealing the Secrets of the Sea

Marshall “Lew” Nuckols, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Research Scientist
Department of Mechanical Engineering & Material Science at Duke University
New Technologies for Cold Water Diving

Capt. Philip Renaud, USN (Retired)
Executive Director
Living Oceans Foundation
Embracing Technology: Coral Reef Habitat Mapping and Resiliency Assessments

Christian McDonald
Scientific Diving and Small Boating Safety Officer
University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
U.S. Funded Polar Diving: Past, Present, and Future

Phillip Lobel, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology & Dive Safety Officer
Boston University
Embracing Technology: Coral Reef Habitat Mapping and Resiliency Assessments

Thursday, June 5, 2008
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
FSU Panama City Auditorium

Best regards,


Michael A. Zinszer, Director
Advanced Science Diving Program

Florida State University - Panama City
4750 Collegiate Drive
Panama City, FL. 32405

Office (850) 770-2203

Undercurrent -- Consumer Reporting for
the Scuba Diving Community since 1975
www.undercurrent.org

Dive News

May 5, 2008

You have received this message because you have signed up on our website to receive this email or your are a former subscriber or Online Member of Undercurrent .

How Much to Tip on Dive Trips : Always a passionate topic among divers. Do you tip no matter what, or not at all? Do you tip individuals or put it in a community pot? Undercurrent readers gave some interesting feedback on how they handle tipping. Read our findings in this month's "Tipping on Dive Trips" article, available to read for free at Undercurrent.

Chinese Divers Saved After 40 Hours at Sea : While diving the Banshee Channel in southern Taiwan, Saturday, April 26, eight divers were reported missing when the boat skipper couldn't locate them and returned to port. The six men and two women divers were being carried by a current opposite their intended direction and so they surfaced twenty minutes after they began the dive, but were too far away to alert the boat. A hunt was launched but after 30 hours at sea with no rescue, the divers separated into two groups, one to swim to land while the other would wait it out. Ding Bo-Ling, a 32-year-old dive instructor, swam ten hours until he hit shore Sunday night, nearly 50 miles from the original dive site. With Ding's help, rescuers at dawn found five divers clicking their underwater cameras' flashes to get attention and later found the remaining two.

Even Grand Cayman has treacherous currents : A father and daughter from Utah were making an early-morning dive in Stingray City on April 15, when currents pulled them out of the North Sound into rough seas with four-foot swells. A marine patrol boat happened on them a few hours later, unhurt but fatigued from unsuccessfully battling the currents to get back into the Sound.

Get Undercurrent Online for $1 : You can read online, the new issue of Undercurrent on the first of the month, research more than 10,000 trip reports and ten years of back issues. For seven days only, you can sign up for a one week trial subscription for only $1. Click here to sign up.

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May 6, 2008

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Oops!: We had a problem with our $1 special offer form that yours-truly introduced at the last minute -- my humble apologies. That form would give you an error message instead of signing you up! Your credit card was NOT charged and no membership was created. It's been fixed now. So please try again if you experienced troubles before. And again my apologies for the problem.

Get Undercurrent Online for $1 : You can read online, the new issue of Undercurrent on the first of the month, research more than 10,000 trip reports and ten years of back issues. For seven days only, you can sign up for a one week trial subscription for only $1. Click here to sign up.

Public article access: A few of you reported problems in trying to access the article on tipping. If you are not currently an Online Member, you need to click on the PA symbol ("Public Area") next to it rather than the title itself in order to access that.

How Much to Tip on Dive Trips : Always a passionate topic among divers. Do you tip no matter what, or not at all? Do you tip individuals or put it in a community pot? Undercurrent readers gave some interesting feedback on how they handle tipping. Read our findings in this month's "Tipping on Dive Trips" article, available to read for free at Undercurrent.

Red-Faced
Dave S. Eagleray, webmaster

---

Note: Undercurrent is a not-for-profit organization. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

A Galapagos Liveaboard Gets Its Dive Permit Back : In our September issue last year, we wrote that the Galapagos National Park had suspended many dive operations and only allowed the Sky Dancer and the two Aggressor boats to keep their regular itineraries. The Deep Blue, has now been reissued its dive permit so it has space available for 2008 trips into August. Call your favorite dive travel agent or click here.

Our Latest Book Pick - "Underwater Eden" : Literally the size and shape of a brick, "Underwater Eden: 365 Days" by American photographer Jeff Rotman features a colorful photo for every day of the year. Rotman took close-ups of reefs from the Red Sea and Costa Rica to Palau and the Great Barrier. Opposite each photo are captions written by Rotman that contain scientific facts and trivia along with personal anecdotes from 30 years of photography. 9 x 6 inches, 365 photos, $30. Order this or any other dive book through our website Undercurrent and proceeds from Amazon.com will go to save many of the coral reefs Rotman photographed.

Popular Grand Turk Dive Instructor Dies : Tyro Talbot, a 26-year-old dive instructor for Oasis Divers on Grand Turk, died while free diving on April 19. Talbot, his brother and a few friends went offshore to free dive, but Talbot apparently went too deep and blacked out. His brother brought him to the surface and hospital personnel tried to revive him, but Talbot died. To see the Grand Turk TV station WIV4 report about his death, click here.

When Is a Passport Full? One of the best things about being an Undercurrent subscriber is the valuable advice we print from other subscribers. Eldon Okazaki from Sunnyvale, CA has this important tip: Make sure you have plenty of empty passport pages before your next international dive trip. While en route to an Indonesian liveaboard last fall, Okazaki was stopped at the Manado airport because he was told his passport was full, even though the last two pages were empty. "The customs officer said when you get to the last four pages, it is considered full. I had to pay a 'fee' to get through." Okazaki was lucky. We've had reports from other divers who were refused entry into a country because their passport was "full.".

The May issue :
The current issue covers
* The little known Reef's End Lodge, Tobacco Caye, Belize
* Diving at Malapascua and Panglao, Philippines, at a total cost on a par with the Caribean
* DAN cases on why divers die
* Freak wave capsizes shark boat, kills three divers
* Proper liveaboard hygiene to avoid getting sick
* Dive computer watches
* Tipping on dive trips
* The Art of Underwater Photography, the best underwater photography book ever

Coming up in Undercurrent :
* Westpunt, Curacao
* Cheng Ho, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, perhaps the world's best diving, on this boat?
* Tipping on dive trips, part II: what to do in Third World countries
* Investigations of dive-related deaths
* How simple yoga can improve your diving skills
* Dive operations that won't take you when there aren't enough divers - and why they don't deserve your patronage

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
PublisherBenD@undercurrent.org  

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Note: Undercurrent is a not-for-profit organization. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

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We are looking for MD Ship Doctors who might be interested in this position aboard the MV Quest based in Oban. If any of your members might be interested, please contact me directly.

Thank you,

 

Pierre Guibor, MD

ISP Ship Doctor Consultant

ATLS, ACLS, NAUI Dive Instructor

1018 Harmon Cove Towers

Secaucus, NJ 07094 USA

PGuibor@aol.com

office 201-392-3438

cell 201-245-7750

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