What does “Nation of Secrets” have to do with the scuba industry?

Investigative reporter Ted Gup is 180-degrees from a tabloid sensationalists. With over 20 prestigious journalism awards, Gup has been called, “A National Treasure” by the Director of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Alex Jones.

Gup has no agenda for either side of the aisle, but is a patriot who understands that sometimes secrets are necessary. Some may know that inside the lobby of CIA’s headquarters are black stars on a white marble wall. Each star represents a CIA operative killed in the line of duty, and most stars are anonymous, only the date of death is shown. Gup is the only journalist ever allowed access to the stories behind the CIA Stars, compiled in his previous book, “Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives.” This unprecedented history of covert operations at the CIA was compiled from interviews with over 400 and former CIA officers, and access to personal letters and diaries.

Ted Gup’s latest book, published in June 2007: “Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American Way of Life” details how from the classroom to the boardroom, from your doctor’s office to the highest reaches of government, your right to vital information has been hijacked by someone else’s claim to secrecy. Each year, tens of thousands of secret court settlements involve defective consumer products from most industries. Some products, already known to be defective, remained on the market for years to cause further deaths and injuries, as unethical manufacturers game the CPSC’s rules of compliance.

A particularly grievous example uncovered by Gup involved multiple multi-million dollar settlements paid by Scubapro / Uwatec, a leading manufacturer of recreational scuba equipment, related to their defective dive computers known by insiders to have caused life-long debilitating injuries.

After Gup’s book was published he learned that the New York Harbor Department’s Dive Team had purchased 20 of these defective computers, years after Scubapro / Uwatec, and many Scubapro retailers knew the computers were defective.

Sealed and secret out-of-court settlements are a common tactic of the major scuba manufacturers and training agencies in the USA; this includes currently pending cases already sealed months before a pending trial date. Cloaked from daylight are accidents involving defective scuba products, and training standards for instructors and consumers known to be deficient by the industry’s leadership and insurance underwriters. The USA is the only industrialized country in the world that lacks any form of government oversight of recreational scuba, and the only country where self- regulated accident reviews have never blamed defective equipment. When accidents occur, the USA’s recreational scuba industry’s “playbook” is to (A) attempt to bury the story, (B) blame the victim, (C) impugn all sources of information outside the industry, and (D) stand behind the liability waivers signed by the victims.

miting. The reefs I dived didn’t show damage, but it’s not a good sign for the future in this still primitive society. Wherever we stopped, local residents pad- dled out in their outriggers to trade produce for rice, sugar, or salt. Their lifestyle is basically the same as it’s always been, and they seem no more worried about the future — unfortunately — than they do the past. We tourists passed out a few trinkets — pens, pencils, combs, hair scrunchies, and balloons — and they rewarded us with big smiles and thank you’s in pidgin or English.

As for the diving, each time I got wet I saw more fish than I would see in the Caribbean in a week! But this itinerary didn’t have spectacular shows such as those in the currents of Palau’s Blue Corner and Peleliu Cut, the walls of jacks and barracudas as in the Solomons, or the squadrons of eagle rays in the Maldives. Because all the diving was on coral gardens and bommies, they were all similar. Nonetheless, the reefs were beautiful, the fish plentiful, and the boat superb. Two back-to-back weeks were too much; next time, I’d take one here and take another of the many boats (see sidebar) that travel elsewhere in PNG. After all, there is a lot of ocean here. -- K.I. Diver’s Compass: We made all arrangements through & Rainforest in Sausalito, Calif., www.reefrainfrst.com ... Peter Hughes’ website for the Dancer Fleet is www.peterhughes.com ... Rates for our cabin in 2002 were $2195 + $65 port charges, per week, with a 10% discount for back-to-back weeks ... is available at extra charge ... the nearest chamber is Australia, a long and painful haul ... The price for 2003 is listed as $1895 for the same room — quite a difference ... We used frequent flyer miles to fly to Sydney, then Cairns, from where we hopped to PNG on Air Niugini ... At the Cairns Colonial Club, our Superior Room was $105 per night, including trans- fers, www.rihgacolonialclub.com.

Aladin Air X Nitrox Computers Recalled at last UWATEC AG, of ware underestimates the buildup Switzerland, is recalling about It turns out that problems of residual nitrogen during 390 Aladin Air X Nitrox dive with the Aladin Air X had repetitive dives. The greater the computers manufactured in already surfaced by 1996. We number of repetitive dives — 1995. The software “may inaccu- learned of the computer’s long, and the longer the surface inter- rately calculate desaturation sorry history by reviewing public vals — the greater the danger. times, resulting in possible documents filed in product lia- sickness under bility lawsuits by customers who Was a 1996 Recall Stifled? aggressive dive conditions.” claim they got bent while using the computer. These records , who today UWATEC has received five allege a pattern of problems owns International Training Inc. reports of DCS “allegedly associ- either being ignored or denied, (TDI and SDI) and Fathoms ated with use of the 1995 dive in the face of mounting evi- Magazine, is the ex-vice presi- computers.” UWATEC has stat- dence of a dangerous “air-switch- dent and CEO of UWATEC ed, “For safety reasons, we ask ing” defect. In its Nitrox mode, U.S.A. He stated in a May 2002 that you stop using the 1995 dive the user-programmable comput- deposition that on his first day of computer immediately.” er allegedly assumes that the work at UWATEC U.S.A. in April user is still Nitrox dur- 1996, he found a recall notice To which we can only reply, ing surface intervals. By not drafted by his predecessor, Sean “What took you so long?” switching to an air table, the soft- Griffin. Gilliam, who has testified

10. © 2003 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org that he had no prior knowledge at Johnson’s and at UWATEC’s U.S.A. in November 1998 when of either a defect or a recall, main office in Switzerland not to Johnson merged UWATEC asked UWATEC’s owners in do so — that such an action U.S.A. with Scubapro and relo- Switzerland for an explanation. would only produce bad publici- cated both to El Cajon, Calif. He But, he has stated, Heinz Ruchti, ty for the company. remained under contract as a UWATEC’s founder and owner, consultant until July 2000. convinced him the recall notice Questionable Safety was bogus, merely an attempt by Commission Finding An Even Earlier Warning former employees who had been discharged to get back at the The wrongful termination In March 1999, Mitchell company. Ruchti was preparing case was eventually settled out of Skaggs and Resvan Iazdi, each to sell the company to Johnson court, but publicity about the using the 1995 UWATEC, devel- Worldwide Associates — now possible defect triggered a 1998 oped serious DCS following a Johnson Outdoor International, Consumer Product Safety series of repetitive dives on which also owns Scubapro — Commission (CPSC) investiga- Nitrox. Court filings allege that and they finalized the sale in late tion into the ‘95 Aladin Air X. In both men were treated at Duke 1996. It took effect in July 1997.

According to documents filed in the product liability law- In March 1999, two divers each using the suit, two ex-employees, who had 1995 UWATEC Aladin Air X Nitrox computer, been discharged before Gilliam’s arrival, sued for wrongful termi- developed serious DCS following a series nation in South Carolina in 1996 of repetitive dives. claiming, among other things, that they had been “fired because of their attempts to pub- licize the very air-switching September 1998, Gilliam had University in North Carolina and defect.” An expert witness at the begun a limited recall of the unit released with continuing neuro- wrongful termination trial even on his own initiative. After logical deficits and other testified about the defect. The approximately 25 computers injuries. Gilliam testified that two jury in that trial handed down a were returned, he testified in his months later a copy of a January $2 million verdict in favor of the deposition, he was instructed to 1996 document from a Swiss ex-employees, which UWATEC send them to Switzerland, where company called Dynatron, which then appealed. By then, howev- the UWATEC facility would had developed the proprietary er, Johnson owned UWATEC ostensibly make battery changes software for the Aladin Air X and allowed the suspect comput- and return them to the U.S. Two Nitrox, was anonymously mailed ers to remain in service. months later, Gilliam said, he to him and to Skaggs. The docu- was instructed to provide a few ment referred to the very air- Another Recall Turned Down of these returned computers to switching defect and included Johnson’s attorneys, who then instructions on how to work Gilliam, now CEO of UWA- forwarded them to the around it until new units could TEC U.S.A., had dived with the Consumer Products Safety be supplied. According to Aladin Air X himself and said Commission for their testing. Gilliam’s testimony, this docu- he had no problems. So he testi- The results of those tests pro- ment confirmed to him that the fied that the defect might just duced no defects. When asked defect was, in fact, real and had have been a mechanical flaw in in his deposition whether this been covered up since at least one or perhaps only a few units. sequence of events now suggest- early January 1996. As part of the strategy for ed to him that the computers appealing the wrongful termina- had been “tampered with or Product Liability Suits tion suit, Gilliam suggested that altered in some fashion by the dealers be asked to return ‘95 time they were returned” from Skaggs and Iazdi sued UWA- Aladin Air X’s for testing, hope- Switzerland, Gilliam replied, TEC, Scubapro, and Johnson in fully to disprove the allegations “Apparently so.” July 2001, claiming product lia- of defects. According to bility, negligent manufacture, Gilliam’s deposition, he was Gilliam stepped down as vice breach of warranty, and material instructed by senior executives president and CEO of UWATEC nondisclosure. They claimed

11. © 2003 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org that the defendants had commit- ted “fraud, malice, and oppres- sion” for specifically concealing a The 15-foot octopus is alive and well known defect from users. Ironically, Gilliam testified that If you thrill over those little eight-legged, three-foot wide he had personally heard Ruchti creatures you might discover in the Caribbean, you ought to try tell Skaggs —UWATEC’s sales diving Puget Sound in Washington State. There you’ll find the manager at the time — during largest octopuses in the world — the Giant Pacific octopuses the 1996 wrongful termination whose heads can be as big as watermelons and can measure 15 trial that there was absolutely no feet long and weigh as much as 100 pounds. defect in the product and that it could be used with confidence. To detect whether the population is healthy, divers spon- So much for insider knowledge. sored by the Seattle Aquarium hit the water in February to see how many they could find. Roland Anderson, Puget Sound Later, Skaggs and Iazdi were curator at the Seattle Aquarium, told the Associated Press that joined in their lawsuit by two 136 divers counted 73 octopuses, concentrated in three areas — other divers who claim they got Admiralty Inlet near Port Townsend and Keystone, the Tacoma DCS while using the Aladin Air Narrows Bridge, and Hood Canal. X Nitrox. These plaintiffs allege that Johnson must have known One goal was to see if octopuses were back in Hood Canal, about the defect long before which has been suffering from low dissolved for several Skaggs and Iazdi got bent. If years. Two years ago, they saw no octopuses in the canal. “They Johnson’s management hadn’t are definitely back,” Anderson said. Oxygen levels were particu- discovered warnings of a defect larly low last fall, causing fish to flee or move to shallow water. during the due diligence phase of the UWATEC acquisition, Divers reported seeing two dying or dead octopuses. Both they certainly should have were in their dens guarding a clutch of eggs, which was proba- known about it after the trial. bly why they died. Female octopuses lay one clutch of 70,000 eggs during their lifetime of two to three years. The female will In his suit, Skaggs claims he barricade herself in her den with the eggs for six months with- suffered “permanently disabling out eating, losing up to half her body . When the eggs systemic injuries arising from hatch, she dies. serious Type II, central nervous system .” He has given up his lucrative div- case ruled that Gilliam’s deposi- Nitrox. In his complaint, Raimo ing career and recently told tion would be reopened. They was described as a highly trained Undercurrent, “The thing that irri- deposed Gilliam again in diver with more than 2,500 dives tates me most is I believe October 2002, when he offered in his log, including several on [Johnson, Scubapro, and UWA- additional evidence from his files the 220-foot-deep Andrea Doria. TEC] knew about this and acted that included correspondence, As the owner of two New York like they didn’t. I tried to get internal memoranda, and faxes dive shops in the ‘80s and ‘90s, them to notify the public that chronicling his lengthy dialog he had also been an authorized something was wrong, and they with senior executives about the UWATEC reseller. Like Skaggs, never did anything, even after allegations of defect dating all Raimo claims he continues to more people got injured. I feel the way back to his initial hiring suffer from lingering and debili- sorry for those other divers, and in April 1996. tating injuries. I’d like to see some justice.” Recall III: At Last Raimo’s attorney, David After Gilliam’s May 2002 Concannon — whose website deposition, the legal proceed- Then came the surprise “vol- www.davidconcannon.com ings seemed to bog down, with untary” recall announcement in opens to a photo of a great white lawyers for the defense trying to February, two months ago. At with the slogan “Is your lawyer a keep him from testifying about least it was a surprise to the pub- shark or a guppy?” — wrote to the company’s attempts to cover lic. It seems that a fifth diver, Johnson last January threatening up the defect, based upon vari- Bob Raimo, had been injured in to file a class action lawsuit call- ous claims of “privilege.” Later in April 2002, while diving in ing for a mandatory recall of the 2002, the presiding judge in the Bonaire with an Aladin Air X 1995 computers unless the com-

12. © 2003 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org pany initiated a voluntary recall Concannon has withdrawn the case, telling Undercurrent, “I first. Johnson’s lawyers respond- his class action suit and instead am not inclined to try my cases ed by threatening a counter suit. filed an amended claim on in print. We do that in court Concannon then filed his class behalf of Raimo, adding charges where we have rules of evidence action, prompting a letter from a of fraudulent concealment and and sworn testimony.” A trial is Johnson attorney that claimed deceptive advertising on top of scheduled in November. And, that the demand for a recall on the other plaintiffs’ claims of we should note, depositions are such short notice was “asinine.” material nondisclosure. Another sworn testimony. Yet even as the legal fists were plaintiff, David Sipperly, has shaking, the company was appar- reached a confidential settle- Meanwhile, if you have a 95 ently working with the CPSC on ment for an undisclosed sum. Aladin Air X Nitrox computer, a recall, which they announced stop using it and contact UWA- on February 5. The defendants UWATEC, TEC for a free replacement — Scubapro, and Johnson the $900 Air Z Nitrox. Complete By then, seven years had Outdoors are vigorously defend- instructions are on the firm’s passed since a recall had first ing the remaining claims, and website at www.UWATEC.com,or been attempted and in those no liability has yet been deter- you can call 800/806-0640. seven years at least five divers mined. Matthew Monroe, attor- got bent, though less than 400 ney for the defendants, declined computers were in service. to comment on the merits of

Legal Diving in Cuba Another fish story? Salty Dog Adventures (High Well, slow down divers. The most sure-fire way to get Ridge, Mo.) is promoting dive Remember our reports on into Cuba legally is to apply for a trips to Cuba for Americans. Scubacan? Several Undercurrent specific license from the Salty Dog’s proprietor, Captain subscribers reported traveling to Treasury Department, which is Robert I. “Rib” Bolton, has Cuba with the Toronto travel granted only to certain cate- obtained a general license from wholesaler, believing that they gories of applicants meeting stiff the Treasury Dept.’s Office of were free from OFAC travel standards, such as the news Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) restrictions. Turned out that media, researchers, teachers, authorizing marine research OFAC had a different idea, and and exchange students. What there using the fish survey meth- what looked like a loophole Bolton offers is an opportunity ods of the Reef Environment & turned into a noose. Some of for paying volunteers to tag Education Foundation (REEF). these travelers are now facing along under his general license. Bolton claims that divers can major fines. now travel to the forbidden land According to OFAC’s website as volunteer researchers for Bolton told Undercurrent he (www.treas.gov/offices/ REEF. had run two trips on the live- enforcement/ofac/sanctions/ aboard Oceanus from Cancun. cuba_res.pdf), certain categories In Bolton’s words, “Not only The trips included time ashore of travelers “are permitted to are these expeditions to Cuba in Havana. Apparently none of spend money for Cuban travel ... legal, in most cases, they are also his clients have been challenged under a general license without tax deductible due to REEF’s by either OFAC or the IRS. But the need to obtain special per- nonprofit status ... since the that only leaves the matter up to mission from the U.S. Treasury research expeditions are under further interpretation. Department.” One of those cat- the auspices of OFAC, the egories is “full-time professionals research divers are allowed to We checked Bolton’s claims whose travel transactions are not only spend money in Cuba, about the legality and the tax directly related to professional but also to return to the U.S. deductibility of these trips with research in their professional with up to $100 of Cuban goods both agencies, and the best we areas, provided that their — including cigars!” could come up with is a quali- research (1) is of a noncommer- fied “maybe.” cial, academic nature; (2) com-

13. © 2003 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org rules galore. And that “Galapagos of the Caribbean”? Too good to be true. For what turned out to be rugged Caribbean diving without critter surprises, the Hughes, Aggressor, and Caribbean Explorer boats and Caribbean itineraries are far better options. -- G.S.

Diver’s Compass: My week on the Nekton Rorqual cost $1,575, including the roundtrip shuttle. ... The Rorqual offered replace- ment parts and rental gear, although the camera and video rentals were “under repair.” ... Tips were recommend at 15% to 20%. ... Nitrox, or “geezer gas” as they call it, was an addi- tional $150. ... The boat departs out of Mayaguez, a port city on the western coast of the island, a 2.5 hour drive from San Juan. ... If you’re an early arrival at the airport, you wait so the van driver can pick up everyone. I waited three hours. ... Nekton’s descrip- tion of a “two-hour picturesque ride” turned out to be almost three hours on a toll road crammed with traffic. ... A nice touch was a Polaroid photo of everyone on the bulletin board with our room number, making it easier for the crew and divers to know who’s who. ... Make sure to visit Old San Juan El Morro Fortress and San Juan Cemetery and wander the narrow streets crammed with tourists shopping in the many curio-type stores. ... The average year round is 82 F. ... Luis Munoz Marin International Airport is 1,000 miles southeast of Miami. ... This is a winter trip for the Nekton Rorqual and is planned for next winter; the Puerto Rico government is concerned about the moorings they are installing and has stopped it for the time being; the two parties are discussing the issue.

The New Wave of Dive Computers tests find some more readable – and conservative

Individual features aside, all If you want to be cautious, lows. Deepwater stops are a relative- dive computers perform the same seek out a conservative computer. ly new procedure for square-profile basic functions. The problem, as Diver editors ganged together 11 divers. However, multilevel divers the editors of Britain’s Diver different computers to make side- have been using this approach for Magazine put it in their December by-side comparisons. Taking them years, by making natural progres- issue, is that “all decompression beyond the limit of no-stop diving, sions up a , for example. theory is exactly that — theory!” In they could detect differences in With the test computers ganged fact, has their algorithms (mathematical side by side, the divers performed reported that two out of three calculations that attempt to keep the deepwater stops required by divers who had to be recom- divers safe from the ill-effects of some and the long hangs in the pressed for DCS in the year 2000 breathing nitrogen under pres- shallows required by others, to had followed no-decompression sure). They focused just on the avoid bending any of them. guidelines and were diving within decompression information dis- recommended safety limits. Nearly played during a dive — a compari- The recently introduced 75 percent were using computers. son that can’t be determined in a Gekko (similar to the dive shop. Stinger and Mosquito) and the Clearly, some folks are more Dive Rite NiTek He multiple-mix susceptible to DCS than others. Some computers today call for computer proved the most conser- Factors believed to increase DCS deepwater stops to reduce the vative. In most cases the testers felt susceptibility include age, weight, chances of microbubbles forming. confident that the mandatory dehydration, an abnormality of the The theory is that by reducing the deco requirements displayed were heart called Patent Foramen Ovale build-up of symptom-free sensible, and they never triggered (PFO), and certain dive practices microbubbles during an ascent, less fast-ascent warnings on any of the such as repetitive multilevel profiles. deco time is required in the shal- computers. “That said,” they point-

8. © 2004 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org ed out, “no one can tell you how love tinkering with electronic ani- editors missed one of these stops, close you come to getting decom- mals” than those who want to get the VR3 displayed a large down- pression sickness or, even more into the water with marine ones. ward arrow and counted down 60 likely, sub-clinical DCS. (from $600) seconds to get there. “If you’re not quick enough getting back down “Those computers that seem Cressi Archimede: The test com- to the stop you have passed, the less cautious might in fact be puter was faulty and went into VR3 sulks and will display the telling the truth about your “error” mode under water. words ‘Use Tables.’” But even then decompression status, while the the VR3 still allowed the tester to others might just be keeping you Dacor Darwin: Made in Italy by use it fully on the next dive. Stops in the water for longer than neces- , this computer is bulky. are displayed with the additional sary. Or some might simply be Apart from information being graphic of a diver passing up a line more cavalier with your health. We have no real way of knowing.” All the more reason to err on the side of caution. Some computers today call for deepwater stops Computer Comparisons to reduce the chances of microbubbles forming.

Buddy Nexus: A Finnish model By reducing microbubbles during an ascent, mainly used with the closed-cir- less deco time is required in the shallows. cuit AP Inspiration , it can also serve as an open-circuit two-gas-mix Nitrox computer. The testers set it for less-cautious “nor- arranged in a slightly different lay- to reveal the possibility of continu- mal” rather than “harsh” condi- out on its LCD and slight casing ous decompression within a cer- tions. In its “normal” setting it differences, it should perform simi- tain depth range: “quite fun to proved slightly more conservative larly to the Mares M1 computer. watch.” The deepwater stops prop- than most of the other comput- The testers found it necessary to erly undertaken meant that the ers, but the information it dis- press the mode button much VR3 presented shorter mandatory played was generally in line with longer than the two seconds men- deco-stop times than some of the the mainstream. The testers tioned in the instruction book to other computers once in the shal- found much of its display too activate the Darwin. It performed lows. A “good choice of computer small and too hard to read for in line with the mainstream, if you have the money to buy it serious open-circuit diving. (from adding a safety stop only after the and the time to get to know it.” $600) testers ascended past the 15-foot- (from $950) depth mark — which was often Cochran Commander: The after it had returned to no-stop div- Dive Rite Nitek He: This testers set up this model with a ing mode. “We would be confident Japanese-made Nitrox and maximum 50 percent safety factor to use this computer, whether computer “aims squarely at the to align it with the other con- Darwin or Mares M1, to monitor fraternity.” But the tenders. The Commander had a our deco for this type of diving, testers used it with an air setting large and clear display and went with the proviso that we treated and “obtained results we might into deco-stop diving mode almost the safety stops as mandatory.” have got with its much cheaper lit- as soon as, if not before, any of its (from $300) tle brother, the Nitek.” Its display rivals. But it would often rack up was not the biggest but clear stops at ever-deepening depths, Delta P VR3: The testers found enough. In past comparison tests, rather than lengthening stop-time the display hard to read “because the testers found the Nitek to be at one depth. It then shed those there is, quite simply, too much the most cautious of computers, stops on the way up, sometimes information available.” The VR3 because it doesn’t seem to shed prematurely. It permitted “masses allows the user to choose the the final minute of a displayed 10- of no-stop time available” when depth of the shallowest stop com- foot stop until actually most other computers were still puted for. To bring it in line with reaches that depth. In these tests, insisting on deco stops of five min- the other computers the testers its algorithm “seemed to be either utes at 10 feet (plus a safety stop in chose 10 feet. It requires deepwa- the first or second most cautious.” some cases). The testers found it ter stops, some as deep as 90 feet “A sensible choice for this type of “rather more suited to those who on the 160+ foot dives. When the diving.” (from $1,100)

9. © 2004 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org fect world. Given major calamities like storms, parrot- No Touching the Reef? fish and crowns-of-thorn that destroy coral, and coral In our February issue, we had a story about diseases, just how bad can it be that a photographer Cayman’s Conch Club Divers policy of not permit- put two fingers on apparently dead coral? Zealotry ting divers to touch any part of the reef, dead or allows no sense of proportion.” alive. The policy was supported by comments from — Nick Ferris marine biologist Bill Alevizon. Some of our readers Arvada, CO thought the approach was overzealous. Here are two comments. “What about marine biologists when they are doing scientific studies on the reefs? They don’t “Naturally, no one wants to damage the reef, but touch anything? There are many divers who have it appears that Conch Club Divers is of a zero toler- learned through diving with marine biologists how to ance frame of mind, to the extent that even dead explore the reefs without damaging things. coral is untouchable. (This reminds me of schools that eject little girls for having butter knives in their “I’ve been diving for 30 years and practice neu- lunch pails.) There might be a coral cell on the dead tral , and all my hoses are hooked onto my spot trying to regenerate the colony, it was said, but it BC so they don’t drag on anything. If I find an inter- can be observed that most dead coral stays dead for a esting macro critter to photograph, but I can’t get long time. The argument is a stretch. The photogra- close without harming something, I won’t take the pher exercised good judgment in steadying himself picture. I wonder how many of those great macro with only two fingers on apparently dead coral. photos we all see in the dive magazines taken by the There is nearly always a current or surge requiring pros were done without anything being touched? some stabilization effort if good pictures are to be obtained. It isn’t the apparently dead coral that is “Regarding Conch Club Divers, with whom I paying Conch Club’s bills, but divers including the have dived, I find it interesting that with this strict photographer. Nothing was said of an alternate policy, they still lead divers through tunnels and means of helping the photographer. ledges where I see air tanks hitting the reef and divers using their hands to help themselves along.” “It could be argued that the reef would be ‘healthier’ without divers at all, but Conch Club’s — Wayne Joseph bank account wouldn’t be. It’s hard to achieve a per- San Mateo, CA

Mares M1 RGBM: Identical in went into deco-stop diving only a recent recall, reported in the every other way to the Dacor below 160 feet, some time after all August Undercurrent. The instruc- Darwin and Mares M1, the new the other units sitting alongside it tion manual offers little in the way Italian-made Mares M1 RGBM and was generally back into no- of guidance as to which of five lev- uses a modified Mares algorithm stop diving as soon as the testers els of microbubble suppression to put in optional deepwater stops, reached 30 feet. The amount of anyone should use, so the testers and thereby credits the diver with no-stop time then offered seemed activated the setting “Micro-Bubble less time required in the shallows. “enormous” in comparison to the Suppression Level 1.” The display The M1 RGBM returned to no- others. The editors found that the gives lots of information, laid out stop diving mode a couple of min- Veo 250 “revealed a Jekyll and in a very easy-to-read way. What the utes before its more traditional sib- Hyde character in that at times it manufacturer calls “level-stops” ling, the Dacor Darwin, on every seemed to be working with two were always called for at 20 or 10 dive. (from $330) entirely different algorithms.” feet, which seemed no different They concluded: “We cannot say than extended deco stops. The Oceanic Veo 250 (also Versa that it was either too cautious or testers suggested that new users set and Versa Pro): This new U.S.- incautious because we could never it at micro-bubble suppression made computer proved easy to anticipate which of the two it was level 2, where level-stops might be read and simple to set up by going to be.” (from $350) displayed at more obviously deep- means of its two-button menu-sys- er depths. “Setting up the comput- tem. It offered information on Scubapro Uwatec Smart Pro er needed a little intuition, not to necessary deco-stops completely (also Smart Com): This Swiss- say dexterity, as it had rather old- unlike the other computers. It made computer was the subject of fashioned wet-finger contacts, and

10. © 2004 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org the important setting-up icons minute safety stop in the shallows, required by its similarly set sibling were very small.” Unlike the other once up past 20 feet (included in Gekko (RGBM 100), with only computers tested, the Smart Pro the total ascent time). (from $350) about one minute in 10 being does not have a user-changeable shed from total deco-times even battery. (from $500) Suunto Vytec: This top-of-the- after a long series of dives in the line Suunto offers computations 160+-foot range.” The testers Suunto Gekko: The Gekko uses using three different Nitrox mixes found all Suunto computers “very the same Suunto RGBM 100 algo- which are easily changed during a user-friendly, with easy-to-set-up rithm as the Stinger, Mosquito, dive. It can gas-integrate, with Mix and clearly understood displays.” and Vyper. The editors found it 1 giving tank- display and (from $850) “probably the most conventionally calculated remaining air-time with conservative of all the computers the aid of an optional high-pres- Note: U.S. prices listed here are tested here, with long stops at 10 sure transmitter on the regulator approximate starting points. Options feet consistently indicated on every first stage. It also gives the option such as PC interfaces can increase dive.” They set the Gekko for its of both Suunto RGBM 100 and prices considerably. Most are distributed least cautious mode or “personal the less cautious Suunto RGBM 50 in the U.S. but may not be in your local setting,” and its clearly designed algorithm, which the editors used dive shop. In such cases, you’ll have to display indicated total-ascent time for their comparison. Still, they order them through international mail- and stop-ceiling depth when in found, “there seemed to be little order catalogs or through e-tailers. deco-mode. It also adds in a three- difference to the decompression

Divers and Home Aquariums if you want to conserve reefs, why do you have that aquarium?

“We who dive along the Kona divers.” At Hat Island, dive opera- Most coral reefs are located in Coast have seen a drastic and defi- tors told the Manchester Guardian, developing countries. While fish nite reduction in our tropical fish 38,000 fish were taken within one collecting is a source of income for populations over the past few month last year. the people, the aquarium trade years, due in part, at least, to the has been heavily criticized for dam- tropical fish collectors’ increasing Near Bali’s Barat National aging techniques occasionally used numbers.” So says Dick Dresie, aka Park, the Wildlife Conservation to collect the animals, overharvest- “Dick the Diver,” who conducts Society has seen a considerable ing some species, and the high shore dives at Hawaii’s most popu- decline in aquarium species. mortality from inadequate han- lar sites. His concerns are being Prompted by cyanide fishing at dling and transport of sensitive liv- echoed by divers and conservation- Helen Reef in Palau and Komodo ing organisms. Improper collec- ists worldwide. National Park in Indonesia, The tion and shipping practices can Nature Conservancy is working to introduce alien species, result in Rene Umberger of Octopus prevent the long-term effects of this overharvesting, and threaten the Reef says “the entire southern practice. Collectors squirt cyanide extinction of target species. Maui coastline has been impacted into crevices where fish hide. The by fish collecting (and run off), poison stuns the fish, making them The roster of nations export- including Ulua Beach, Makena easier to catch. But large numbers ing marine ornamentals reads like Landing, and 5 Graves.” of the weakened fish die in transit, a diver’s wish list. Besides those so far more fish are collected than already mentioned, divers in In Vanuatu in the South necessary, to allow for a “fatality Florida, Australia, the Caribbean, Pacific, reefs are over-exploited for margin.” The poisons destroy reef Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, the lucrative trade. A spokesman for ecosystems by killing nontarget ani- the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, tourism companies, Peter Whitelaw, mals including coral and inverte- Samoa, Micronesia, the told ABC Net News: “There are par- brates. In the Philippines, 70 per- Dominican Republic, Mexico, ticular reefs that they’ve targeted cent of ornamental reef fish are Sulawesi, and Kenya all collect and a lot of them are the very reefs caught with cyanide. marine organisms for export. to which we take snorkelers and Many work the same reefs that we

11. © 2004 DSD, Inc. publishers of Undercurrent • www.undercurrent.org application of viscous lotion or Readers were equally cre- Reader Mary Chipman petroleum jelly can do the trick.” ative about devising remedies (Singer Island, FL), who is sea- and weeding out the ones that lice-savvy because she lives and And If You Do Get didn’t work very well. Etola Zinni deals with them annually in south (Villa Park, IL), who had a sea Florida, says “Safe Sea works as the Barb? lice encounter on Bimini when well as anything as a preventive she swam through some bands of measure. However, the best relief Start by immediately apply- floating seaweed to get to deep is Tend Skin, which is basically ing a mixture of isopropyl water, said she was given Right salicylic acid. When you put it alcohol and vinegar. Lacking Guard (yes...spray deodorant on the sea lice sore, there is an that, try pure vinegar or even applied directly to the itchy welts intense burning sensation that Windex. Next, apply a hydro- only served to burn like heck), lasts for a minute or two. Then cortisone cream/lotion twice a udder balm, an aloe salve, and the itching and pain goes away day. Calamine lotion can also be mouthwash. Nothing worked. At for hours.” helpful in reducing the itch. As the island’s medical center, she with most allergic skin reactions, was given a cortisone shot, corti- No matter what remedy you a dose of oral antihistamine sone pills, and cortisone cream. try, remember that home rem- (e.g., Benadryl, Claritin, Tavist) These did work. Etola now stocks edies only address mild to mod- can help, but factor in how side her own dive first-aid kit with pre- erate reactions. Some reactions effects like drowsiness could scribed prednisone pills. to the stings can be severe, and, affect your activities. if nothing is helping, it’s time to find a physician.

UWATEC Settles Over — the final calculations of the Aladin Air X Nitrox

Five divers who got bent Public records filed in the ing a series of repetitive Nitrox while using UWATEC Aladin Air lawsuits also alleged a pattern of dives with Aladin Air X comput- X Nitrox computers have settled problems either being ignored ers in 1999. Although Skaggs, lawsuits against UWATEC and or denied in the face of mount- Iazdi and two more bent divers its parent company, Johnson ing evidence of the dangerous sued, the company still refused to Outdoor International. The div- “air-switching” defect. According acknowledge a problem with the ers complained of permanent to a deposition by Bret Gilliam, computer, according to Gilliam’s neurological damage, including the ex-vice president and CEO deposition. paralysis in some cases, after div- of UWATEC U.S.A., repeated ing with faulty computers manu- attempts to recall the comput- Finally a fifth defendant sued factured in 1995. In its Nitrox ers were stifled as early as 1996 in 2003. Bob Raimo, who had mode, the user-programmable by Heinz Ruchti, UWATEC’s been an authorized UWATEC computer assumed that divers founder and owner. Gilliam, who dealer, said he was injured while were still breathing Nitrox during went on to found International diving in Bonaire with an Aladin surface intervals. By not switch- Training Inc. (TDI and SDI) and Air X Nitrox in 2002. Raimo’s ing to an air table, the software Fathoms Magazine, testified that attorney, David Concannon, filed underestimated the buildup of after Ruchti sold the company a class action lawsuit in early 2003 residual nitrogen during repeti- to Johnson Worldwide Associates calling for a mandatory recall of tive dives. The greater the num- — now Johnson Outdoor the 1995 computers unless the ber of repetitive dives — and International, which also owns company initiated a voluntary the longer the surface intervals Scubapro — Johnson execs con- recall first. Despite claims from a — the greater the danger of suf- tinued the cover-ups, even after Johnson attorney that the recall fering from decompression sick- Mitchell Skaggs and Resvan Iazdi demand was “asinine” on such ness. developed serious DCS follow- short notice, the company did,

13 in fact, recall the 1995 Aladin a sequently hired Sipperly’s private both Snelling and Monroe are a short time later. “About time,” as investigator to work for them, matter of public record. Undercurrent stated in our April, but when the judge found out, 2003, article on the case. he issued an opinion disqualify- Three of the other cases ing the investigator and almost settled in the fall of 2004. The Some of the legal wrangling disqualifying Johnson’s corporate final suit, brought by Raimo, was in these proceedings got down- counsel for hiring him.” Snelling scheduled to go to trial this past right ugly. The first plaintiff to was disqualified after Johnson’s February. However, at the elev- settle, in February 2003, was first law firm, Monroe & Shapiro, enth hour Johnson requested David Sipperly. According to and partner Matt Monroe, were mediation, which led to a settle- Concannon, “Sipperly’s private disqualified for unethical miscon- ment. Says Concannon, “There is investigator, Donald Snelling, duct in March, 2003. The court’s an ironclad confidentiality agree- uncovered a lot of dirt on the scathing opinions disqualifying ment in place,” so details of the defendants. The defendants sub- settlement are unknown.

Comparing Dive Computers — identifying the liberals and the conservatives

By reading the depth and could certainly impact the propor- a comparison of the dive profiles recalculating every few seconds, tion of DCS cases arising from for five common dive computers. dive computers have enabled within this group. (Look around The study compared the Suunto dive times to be extended well the sometime and count , Suunto Vytec, Uwatec beyond those permitted by tables the number of divers seen check- Aladin Pro, Uwatec Aladin Smart, on most dives, especially on ing a dive table between dives.) and Oceanic Versa over several multi-level dive profiles. However, However, there’s also significant dive series. The Suunto Solution while over the past few years variation in the conservatism of preceded the Suunto Vytec, and many of the current computers dive computer algorithms them- the Uwatec Aladin Pro preceded have been re-programmed to selves, and diving “within the the Aladin Smart. The earlier increase conservatism, reduc- limits” of a ‘liberal’ computer may models were tested because they ing no-stop times and increasing well be riskier than diving “within are still commonly used and decompression requirements the limits” of a more conservative can help determine differences (even to the extent that param- model. in the updated decompression eters such as temperature and algorithms incorporated into the gas consumption are factored Current dive computers vary newer models. All computers in), there still remains concern greatly in the bottom times they were set in the standard mode about dive computers’ efficacy allow and decompression stops with no “safety” or altitude time in minimizing the incidence of required. Assessing the level of reductions implemented. decompression sickness (DCS). risk actually being assumed starts with assessing how liberal or This group of computers Some of these concerns come conservative the computer itself was subjected to several series of from statistics, such as DAN’s data is. That sounds simple enough, pressure exposures in a small, indicating that in 2002, 72% of the but unfortunately there are few Perspex compression chamber divers who were treated for DCS studies actually comparing such filled with fresh water. Although had been using a dive computer. variances. some of these exposures were DAN’s data from a 1997 study also undesirable from the perspective indicate that in a very high pro- In 2004, John Lippmann, of DCS risk, the profiles were portion (93.7%) of similar cases, Executive Director of DAN, designed to simulate as closely as divers reported diving “within the Southeast Asia-Pacific, and Mark possible actual depth-time diving limits” of their computers. DAN Wellard, a research fellow at profiles that might commonly acknowledges that the high pro- the Brain Research Institute, occur in actual use. Computers portion of divers using computers Melbourne, Australia, undertook were allowed sufficient time

14 to reset between each series of profiles tested. However, the 25 minutes variation on decom- profiles. Aladin Smart was considerably pression stop time and up to 38 more conservative on the multi- minutes of allowable no-stop time The no-stop times allowed level profiles than the Aladin Pro on some profiles. and the decompression require- and all the other units tested. ments indicated by the comput- Lippmann and findings sug- ers were then compared with The Oceanic Versa was con- gest that it would be prudent for those generated by the Canadian sistently less conservative than divers to research and choose a ’ (DCIEM) tables. The the other dive computers and the dive computer that is relatively DCIEM tables are a widely DCIEM tables except on a series conservative on the types of pro- accepted benchmark for deter- of deep, repetitive “bounce” files they dive most frequently. mining decompression risk. dives. In this case, it required The complete abstract of this decompression times well in study, along with charts of the Of all the computers tested, excess of the other dive comput- specific profiles, can be found in the Vytec times more closely par- ers and the DCIEM table model. South Pacific Underwater Medicine alleled those of the DCIEM table The decompression times indi- Society Journal Vol. 34, No. 3. model. The Vytec was consis- cated in these cases appear to be Since this study, more computer tently more conservative than its excessive when compared with models have been tested. Those predecessor, the Solution. other decompression tables. results have yet to be published.

The Aladin Pro and Aladin On occasions, the five mod- For more information on Smart models generated similar els of dive computer tested in SPUMS, see www.spums.org.au no- stop times and decompres- this study varied widely on their sion times on the rectangular decompression advice, with up to

During 1998 and 2002, Dan’s Project Dive Exploration tracked the inci- Who Gets dence of decompression sickness (DCS) in four different populations: live-aboards, shore/day boats, dive guides, and Scapa Bent More? Flow wreck divers (Britain’s Orkney Islands). Each group has certain inherent risks: Cozumel dive guides dive most frequently; shore/day boats attract more novice divers; live-aboards host gorilla divers who do multiple dives for seven to ten-day stretches; wreck divers endure cold water and dive square profiles. Try hazarding a guess as to how these risk factors translate into actual bends rates for each different population; then compare your prediction to the actual rates shown in the table below.

For the study, 4,255 divers conducted 6,397 dive series (each series with between one and 88 dives) involving 41,294 air and 7,254 Nitrox dives. Out of these, there were 26 DCS cases (9 Type I, 17 Type II). The table below shows the DCS rate per 10,000 dives and the DCS rate per 100 divers.

DCS Rates for Live-aboard Divers, Shore/Day Boat Divers, Scapa Flow Divers, and Cozumel Guides Number Number Number Dives No. of DCS No. of DCS of DCS of of Per Cases Per Cases Per Cases Dives Divers Diver 10,000 Dives 100 Divers Live-aboards 2 19,882 1,187 14.5 1.0 0.1

Shore & day boats 5 15,695 2,330 6.6 3.2 0.2 Scapa Flow 14 4,987 462 10.5 28.1 3.1 Cozumel Guides 5 5,050 42 87.8 8.6 9.8

As you can see from the table, live-aboard divers came out on the low end with one case of DCS per 10,000 dives (0.1%). Scapa Flow divers and Cozumel dive guides were on the high end in rates per 10,000 dives. While numerous variables affect the different dive groups studied, the results are interesting and should encourage more study as to the reasons for the wide variance.

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