Go deep, stay long

OW Class

When our local shop asked if I could lend a hand with classes this spring, I had no idea what I was in for.

Lately, I’ve only been teaching technical and CCR classes.  These students usually have many dives under their belt, and are looking to take the next step beyond recreational diving by honing their skills, learning new ones and expanding their dive planning and preparation.

It was fun working with newer students that were just learning their dive skills.  Since I was assisting where needed, I had the opportunity to work with a number of classes; Open Water, Advanced, Specialties, Rescue…  Then, to top it all off, the shop had nine Diver Master Candidates this spring.

I must admit, to having a lot more fun than expected.  There are always some new students that struggle with simple skills like mask clearing and U/W gear donning.  However, they’ve never done it.  We all struggled with those skills.  Once we learned how it’s done, and had some time to practice, our fear faded.  That’s when we can relax and enjoy the adventure of diving.  This is exciting to see and be around.

Technical diving involves more complicated skills that are much more demanding.  Some of my Tech students joke that I enjoy torturing them.  Not so.  The skills are required by the standards.  Once learned and practiced they become second nature, and can get you out of a bad situation.  Again, that’s when we can really enjoy the adventure.

To all those students that kept me in the pool and up at Dutch, dive safe, practice your skills, and look me up when you need a dive buddy!  Now I’m off to go diving!

Swimming through pillars of coral

After missing out on vacation last year, Val and I decided to head south for some warm sun and diving.

We did not realize just how low the low season is there.  Apparently September and October are quiet down in Mexico.  We felt like we had the resort to our selves.   Not that was a bad thing!

There were a few other divers, but even the boats were mostly empty.  This gave the resort staff time to work on a few projects, which they did very quietly.  On the other hand, everyone also received personal attention from the outgoing staff.

There have been a few changes since our last visit several years ago.  Damage from the hurricanes that struck the Yucatan is still evident, but there is also a lot of new construction.  The food was great as usual, and yes, I will be dieting for the next few months.

Before we arrived, we heard rumors that the weather had been windy the day before, and boat diving may still be suspended.  While true, this gave us the afternoon to unpack and unwind from the trip.   The next morning Val had the beach to herself, and I boarded the boat with a group of fellow photo enthusiasts.

Jumping into 85 degree water was a bit of a shock.  For me it was too warm.  I’ve never been in water above 80, and am not used to it.   I should have brought my shorty or 1 mil.  However, this temperature the fish were active.  We saw a lot of sharks, turtles, and rays along with schools of other fish.

After a few days, we made a number of new friends, and were able to hook up on dives, and meals.   We discussed travel destinations and dive history.   Places to go and things to see.     Underwater, we kept an eye out for each other, and provided models where needed.

I also had the opportunity to catch up some old friends that still worked in the area.  It was interesting to hear details of the storm damage over the years, as well as the changes to the Island.   The last time I was here, Nitrox was in limited supply.  Now Tech diving and gear / supplies are  available locally.   This would make a great place for Tech checkouts.  The dive sites are just a few hundred feet from shore. The water is warm and clear, and there is lots to see during deco.
Hurricane Paula threatened to head our way, so many of the resorts transported guests to more robust locations.  We felt like refugees walking through town in large groups.  We made it back the next day, just in time to pack for the trip home.   Oh well, one day of lost diving.

A few weeks back we headed out to the Bonanza. It’s a low lying wreck in 115 ft of water. Typical of many old wooden wrecks, there’s a chain pile and boiler at one end, and a set of wooden ribs on each side. There’s not much between them on this wreck. The Bonanza is far enough off shore that it’s not hit often, and there are often many lobster.

Terry and Frankie tied us in. Frankie came back with stories of giant lobster getting the better of him. Terry came back with the lobsters. Both described a large school of dogfish above the wreck.

I jumped in with the video camera and a new video light reflector.

To make a long story short, there were lots of Dogfish. We figured 80-100. I’m still editing the video, but here’s a clip to give you an idea.

My wife and I enjoy identifying the different fish, coals and critters (aka invertebrates) found on the reefs we visit.   I take pictures and video while diving, then in the evening we review them and try to identify any that we do not recognize.    In several video sequences, I captured the action of small fish darting in an out of leafy coral heads.  At the time I believed blades to be some form of encrusting coral.  Little did I know.

On closer inspection, there were small spines protruding from the surface.  This was fire coral!  After years of hearing divers warning me to watch out for fire coral, I finally found out what it looks like.   I assume the small fish I was observing were using the fire coral for protection from predators as they darted in and out between the blades.

Fire coral is not actually coral, but a hydroid (more like a jellyfish).  The sharp calcified spines combined with the stinging cells called nematocysts present double trouble for anyone that comes in contact.   Bushing against fire coral can produce a painful sting which last for days.  Cutting your skin on fire coral can take long time to heal.  Since we strive to avoid contact with any coral, I’ve never been stung.  Hopefully these pictures will help others to avoid the burn.

In the process of diving, we are subjecting our bodies to an alien environment. This environment exposes our bodies to conditions that we are not accustom. Divers need protection in a few different forms:

• Thermal protection: The major reason for protection is Thermal protection. Keep in mind that water conducts heat 25 times faster than air. In air, our bodies would be warm at 75 deg F. Underwater, most people would chill very quickly at 75 deg F. Our bodies can not tolerate a drop in temperature. Hypothermia develops after a drop of only a few degrees.
• Abrasion protection: Rocks, shipwrecks, shells, corals can all easily scratch, or cut through exposed skin.
• Marine organism protection: especially in tropical waters, there are many stinging organisms both on the reef, and floating in the water. Sea Urchins, scorpion fish, lion fish and a long list of others have sharp if not poisonous barbs that can easily hurt a diver.
• Sun protection: While not as obvious, the sun in the tropics can burn sensitive skin on the deck of a boat, or even while we are snorkeling in the water.

The type of protection available breaks down into three groups:

• Dive Skin: These provide no thermal protection, but do provide the other three. They are often made of Lycra to hold the suit close to the body and reduce drag.
• Wetsuits: These are made of Neoprene rubber, which consists of thousands of small gas bubbles. The thicker the wetsuit, the more bubbles, and therefore the more thermal protection it provides. The thickness is measured in millimeters (mil) and varies form 0.5 - 7.0. A small amount of water enters the suit (hence the name) but the body quickly warms this water, and the suit insulates it from the outside water. In order to work properly, they must be snug to prevent water from flushing through the suit and cooling the body.
• Drysuits: These provide an airspace under the suit that can be inflated to provide protection. An undergarment holds the air in place around the body and reduces air movement to the highest part of the suit.

Which to use:

Since each diver responds differently to cold, it’s impossible to give an exact answer. Here are some factors that affect how much thermal protection is needed:

• Water temp: Duh. Colder water will need more protection.
• Depth: Often it is cooler down deep, and wetsuits will lose some of their protection as we go deeper.
• Air temp: On an overcast day, it can be cooler in the air than under water.
• The diver: Size, fitness, metabolism, even what was eaten for breakfast will all affect the reaction to cold.
• Length of dive: Longer exposures will require more protection.
• Number of dives: More dives done in a day or over a week can cool our bodies slowly.

There is no right suit for all divers under a given conditions. No one can say “you’ll be warm in a 3 mil suit at 80 deg F.”. However, here are some guidelines:

Dive skins are used in very warm water ( over 85 Deg F ). They have little to no thermal protection, but do provide a layer of protection from sun, scrapes, and stinging organisms. In tropical environments, this protection can be very important. Corals, sea urchins, and shells can cause punctures and abrasions. Also, the Caribbean sun can cause dangerous sunburn very quickly. If you don’t need the thermal protection, it’s still advisable to wear some form of dive skin.

If the water temperature is below 85 degrees, many people should consider a 3 mil wetsuit. At 80 degrees, many will wear a suit between 3-5 mil. On the other hand, some very cold people will where a 7mil suit. As the water get colder, the thickness of the suit can be increased.

Since water temperature varies throughout the year, it can be beneficial to consider layers. A 3 mil shorty can be worn over a 3 mil suit when the weather turns cold. Or, a hooded vest can be warn under a suit to keep the core warm.

Below about 60 Deg F, many people are thinking drysuit. Some will stay with a wetsuit as long as possible due to the cost of a drysuit. For longer dives in colder water, drysuits are heaven sent. With a drysuit, dives under the ice in lakes are possible. To handle cooler temperatures in a drysuit, the undergarment thickness is increased to create a larger air space around the diver. Some exotic materials are often used in the undergarment provide more thermal protection for the same size air space.

Unfortunately, when discussing thermal protection, there is no right answer. It all depends on the diver, and trial and error may be the best approach. One parting point: If you’re warm, you can flush water through the suit, or remove your hood to cool off. If you’re cold, you have to end the dive to warm up. It’s better to error toward the warm side.