DOCSLIB.ORG

2006 September

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
2006 September Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine The Journal of the South Pacifi c Underwater Medicine Society (Incorporated in Victoria) A0020660B ISSN 1833 - 3516 Volume 36 No. 3 ABN 29 299 823 713 September 2006 Project Stickybeak 2001 Decompression sickness in breath-hold divers Obesity and diving Iatrogenic CAGE The diving doctor’s diary Print Post Approved PP 331758/0015 Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Volume 36 No. 3 September 2006 PURPOSES OF THE SOCIETY To promote and facilitate the study of all aspects of underwater and hyperbaric medicine To provide information on underwater and hyperbaric medicine To publish a journal To convene members of the Society annually at a scientific conference OFFICE HOLDERS President Dr Chris Acott 30 Park Avenue, Rosslyn Park Email <[email protected]> South Australia 5072 PastPresident Dr Robyn Walker 12 Barrallier Street, Griffith Email <[email protected]> ACT 2603 Secretary Dr Sarah Sharkey 1243 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen Email <[email protected]> New South Wales 2101 Treasurer Dr Guy Williams P.O.Box 190, Red Hill South Email <[email protected]> Victoria 3937 Editor Assoc. Prof. Mike Davis C/o Hyperbaric Medicine Unit Email <[email protected]> Christchurch Hospital, Private Bag 4710, Christchurch, NZ Education Officer Dr Fiona Sharp 249c Nicholson Road, Shenton Park Email <[email protected]> Western Australia 6008 Public Officer Dr Vanessa Haller P.O.Box 8023, Carrum Downs Email <[email protected]> Victoria 3201 Chairman ANZHMG Dr David Smart Department of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Email <[email protected]> Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania 7000 Committee Members Dr Christine Lee P.O.Box 862, Geelong Email <[email protected]> Victoria 3220 Dr Glen Hawkins P.O.Box 1674, Maroubra, E-mail <[email protected]> NSW 2035 Dr David Vote P.O.Box 5016, Moreland West Email <[email protected]> Victoria 3055 ADMINISTRATION Membership Steve Goble C/o ANZ College of Anaesthetists Email <[email protected]> 630 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, Victoria 3004 Journal Sarah Webb C/o Hyperbaric Medicine Unit Email <[email protected]> Christchurch Hospital, Private Bag 4710, Christchurch, NZ Phone: +64(0)33640045, Fax: +64(0)33640187 North American Representative Jeffrey Bertsch Email <[email protected]> European Representative Position vacant MEMBERSHIP Membership is open to all medical practitioners. Associate membership is open to all those who are not medical practitioners but are interested in the aims of the Society, and/or those engaged in research in underwater medicine and related subjects. Membership applications can be completed online at the Society’s website <www.SPUMS.org.au> Further information on the Society may be obtained by writing to: SPUMS Membership, C/o Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, 630 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia or email <[email protected]> or go to <www.SPUMS.org.au> The Society’s financial year is January to December, the same as the Journal year. The 2006 subscription will be Full Members A$132.00 and Associate Members A$66.00, including GST. There will be an additional surcharge of $8.00 for journal postage for all members living outside Australia. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Volume 36 No. 3 September 2006 121 the Society have been advocating this for many years, and The Editor’s offering I recall Guy Williams discussing this in his (unpublished) presentation at the Palau ASM back in 1993. The three latest Project Stickbeak reports, 1999 – 2001, have documented 50 more tragic stories, mostly avoidable. The Michael Bennett and his coworkers have spent many years work collecting and collating these data is considerable. gathering and critically reviewing data from randomised However, this is not the end of the story; these data deserve clinical and applied research studies of hyperbaric oxygen formal analysis. John Lippmann indicates in his letter that (HBO) in the world literature and pulling them all together in DAN AsiaPacific is soon to employ a research assistant one place at <www.hboevidence.com>. In addition, Michael to collect diving accident and fatality data, which is good has been involved in a series of a dozen or so Cochrane news. Nevertheless, this requires proper medical oversight reviews of HBO. All this work has now been documented in and it behoves the Society’s current officers to help ensure his doctoral thesis, which may be accessed electronically.2 this happens. DAN reports from the USA lack the detail that This has been a remarkable achievement. It is, of course, Dr Walker has achieved and which is possible only through a neverending task, and no doubt he is already embarked the establishment of a professional medical relationship with upon the next round of updating the Cochrane databases as the coronial system and the police. new evidence comes in. In many clinical situations where HBO is recommended, the evidence still leaves much to be Whether decompression sickness (DCS) occurs in desired. It behoves those working in the field to constantly breathhold divers has been debated for many years. Bob strive to accumulate the necessary research evidence to Wong concludes from the evidence available that indeed justify or reject this modality of care. In some areas and it does. I have seen only two convincing cases of DCS in for various reasons, the gold standard of doubleblinded, breathhold divers and both had been undertaking scuba randomised controlled trials will never be achieved. It is dives during the same period. I suspect we will see more as important to remind oneself that evidencebased medicine freedivers push the limits of time and depth to even greater involves weighing all the evidence available, and not simply extremes. The deepest breathhold dive recorded so far ignoring anything less than Level 1 evidence, as is so often was to 209.6 metres’ sea water by Patrick Musimu in 2005. the case when justifying budget restraints. Musimu floods his sinuses and Eustacian tubes beforehand so that pressure equalisation is not required during the Accompanying this issue is the registration documentation descent, which sounds most unpleasant! for next year’s Annual Scientific Meeting. For only the second time in its 37year history the Society is holding the First introduced by Carl Edmonds and John Knight, The ASM in New Zealand. Tutukaka in Northland is in the heart diving doctor’s diary has appeared intermittently as an of one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world with a educational feature of this journal. Carl has been invited to unique diving environment and the Poor Knights Islands be the first contributor to what we hope will become a regular on its doorstep. In our Guest Speaker, Neal Pollock, we feature once again. Here is a simple lesson that not all pain have an outstanding young physiologist with a wealth of in diving is decompression sickness. A number of members experience that has ranged from highaltitude physiology of the Society have agreed to present occasional casebased to diving in Antarctica. As the convenors, Simon Mitchell educational items. However, any member is welcome to and I intend to outdo the previous New Zealand meeting, contribute if they have clinical cases from which a lesson regarded by many as one of the best in recent times, with of one form or another is to be learnt or which are simply an outstanding scientific programme. It is time to break the interesting or unusual in their own right. Case histories, trend of falling ASM attendances and give the 2007 meeting photos, Xrays, etc., are all welcome. Once again, may I your strong support. remind you that this is your journal, so let’s see more in the way of contributions from the wider membership. References Goble and Acott drew attention at the Noumea 2002 ASM 1� Goble S, Acott CJ. Regulator incidents: 52 incidents to the fact that there were no data to show that standard from the Diving Incident Monitoring Study. SPUMS scuba regulators performed adequately in an ‘octopus’ J. 2004; 33: 303. configuration. They expressed concern that the majority 2� Bennett M. The evidence basis of diving and hyperbaric probably would not cope with two divers breathing from medicine – a synthesis of the high level clinical evidence a single first stage in an emergency.1 Their concerns are with metaanalysis. <http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/ borne out in the Health and Safety Executive (UK) report ~thesis/adtNUN/public/adtNUN20060808.155338/ of which the abstract and executive summary are published index.html> here. Octopus systems are still acceptable provided only Michael Davis highperformance equipment is used. Otherwise, the scubadiving industry is going to have to undergo a wind Front cover photo taken by Dr David Smart in Hobart’s change with the marketing of convenient, welldesigned River Derwent is of the rare, endangered spotted and independent alternative air sources. Some members of handfish, Brachionichyths hirsutus. 122 Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Volume 36 No. 3 September 2006 Original article Provisional report on divingrelated fatalities in Australian waters 2001 Douglas Walker Key words Diving deaths, breathhold diving, scuba, surfacesupply breathing apparatus (SSBA), diving accidents, case reports, carbon monoxide Abstract (Walker D. Provisional report on divingrelated fatalities in Australian waters 2001. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2006; 36: 12238.) During 2001, 12 deaths in association with breathhold and snorkel use were identified in Australia from official sources. There were also 11 fatalities in association with scuba use, and three where surfacesupply air was involved. Case summaries are presented with attention to the medical, equipment and diver performance factors. Significant adverse factors are identified and discussed for each of the groups, with comments on possibilities for reducing the number of fatalities that occur.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cartesio/ Neon Goa User Manual
    CARTESIO/ NEON GOA USER MANUAL LONG LIFE HIGH CONTRAST WIDE DIAMETER EASY ACCESS MULTI MODE 35 BATTERY DISPLAY DISPLAY MENU English 3 Cressi congratulates you on the purchase of your GOA/CARTESIO/NEON scuba • function for dives without decompression calculation and resettable dive watch-computer, specially designed so that you can rely on maximum effi- depth. ciency, safety and reliability at all times. • function for free dives, with alarm disabling function. • Display with “PCD System” for perfect understanding and legibility of the values. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS • Battery replacement by the user. WATCH • Dive planning with manual scrolling of the safety curve. • 12/24 time format with minutes and seconds. • Possibility to change the units of measure, from metric system (metres - °C) to • Calendar. the imperial system (ft.-°F). • Precision stopwatch. • Acoustic and visual alarms. • Second time setting. • Graphic indicator of CNS toxicity level of oxygen. • Alarm clock. • High efficiency backlit display. • Logbook with possibility to store up to 50 dives per type. SCUBA DIVE COMPUTER • Historic dive memory. • CRESSI RGBM algorithm. A new algorithm born of Cressi’s collaboration with • Possibility to reset desaturation – useful for renting purposes. Bruce Wienke, is based on the Haldane model and uses RGBM factors for safe • PC/Mac interface with general data and dive profiles (option). decompression computations in repeated multi-day diving. • Tissues: 9 with saturation half times of between 2.5 and 480 minutes. • “Dive” program: Processor handling all dive data, and decompression data too, as applicable, for each Air and EAN (Enhanced Air Nitrox) dive made. • Possibility to use two different Nitrox hyper-oxygenated mixes selectable during GENERAL WARNINGS AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
    [Show full text]
  • Psdiver™ Monthly Issue 65
    PSDiver™ Monthly Issue 65 ISSUE 65 PSDiver Monthly Volume Number 5 Issue Number 65 August 2009 Greetings, quite right. I fired up my laptop and reread my outline and This time of year seems to always be one of the busiest for presentation notes. It was not horrible but it was close. It me. I usually have classes to teach, last minute trips to was obvious I had gotten tunnel vision and somewhere plan, new projects beginning or even hurricanes and their gotten lost in the project. I hate admitting it but I had aftermath to deal with. So far this year the only thing become one of those experts who know everything and missing is the hurricanes. I can honestly say I am not failed to acknowledge otherwise. I should have asked for missing them. help ... but did not think I needed it. Big mistake … In reality the project was doomed from the beginning and the Recently I was tasked with the responsibility of developing a presentation could have / should have been made in 30 classroom Law Enforcement First Responder for Water minutes – if I had stayed true to my audience. Incidents program. When I accepted the task, I had no reservations that I could produce such a program. The time Tunnel vision set in without me realizing it. How often do we it took and the stress I found myself under was surprising to get tunnel vision on a call? Do we allow ourselves to get so me. Even though I found myself in unfamiliar territory I wrapped up in what we are doing we lose sight of the goal? thought I was doing OK and did not reach out for help.
    [Show full text]
  • US Navy Diving Manual
    ,QGH[ $ decompression . 7-39, 8-33 decompression dives . 9-7 Abducen nerve assessment . 5A-6 emergency free ascent . 7-38 Acclimatization . 3-50 from 40 fsw stop . 14-5 Acoustic nerve assessment . 5A-7 from under a vessel . 7-39 ADS-IV . 1-25 surface-supplied diving . 8-32 Advanced Cardiac Life Support surfacing and leaving the water . 7-40 embolized diver . 20-3 variation in rate . 9-8, 14-14 Air sampling Ascent rate CSS services . 4-9 air diving . 9-7 local . 4-10 closed-circuit oxygen diving . 18-27 procedures . 4-8 delays . 9-8 purpose of . 4-5 delays in arriving at first stop . 14-14 source . 4-6 delays in leaving stop . 14-15 Air supply delays in travel from 40 fsw to surface . 14-15 air purity standards . 8-13 early arrival at first stop . 9-11, 14-14 air source sampling . 4-6 MK 16 . 17-21 criteria . 6-25 Asphyxia . 3-16 duration . 7-14 Atmospheric air emergency gas supply requirements for enclosed components of . 2-14 space diving . 8-6 Atrium . 3-2 flow requirements . 8-14 MK 20 MOD 0 . 8-6 % emergency gas supply . 8-6 flow requirements . 8-6 Bacon, Roger . 1-3 MK 21 MOD 1 . 8-1 Barotrauma emergency gas supply . 8-2 body squeeze . 3-25, 19-8 flow requirements . 8-2 conditions leading to . 3-21 pressure requirements . 8-2 external ear squeeze . .3-24, 3-25, 19-8 preparation . 8-23 face squeeze . 3-25, 19-9 pressure requirements . 8-14 general symptoms of .
    [Show full text]
  • No Limits Freediving
    1 No Limits Freediving "The challenges to the respiratory function of the breath-hold diver' are formidable. One has to marvel at the ability of the human body to cope with stresses that far exceed what normal terrestrial life requires." Claes Lundgren, Director, Center for Research and Education in Special Environments A woman in a deeply relaxed state floats in the water next to a diving buoy. She is clad in a figure-hugging wetsuit, a dive computer strapped to her right wrist, and another to her calf. She wears strange form-hugging silicone goggles that distort her eyes, giving her a strange bug-eyed appearance. A couple of meters away, five support divers tread water near a diving platform, watching her perform an elaborate breathing ritual while she hangs onto a metal tube fitted with two crossbars. A few meters below the buoy, we see that the metal tube is in fact a weighted sled attached to a cable descending into the dark-blue water. Her eyes are still closed as she begins performing a series of final inhalations, breathing faster and faster. Photographers on the media boats snap pictures as she performs her final few deep and long hyperventilations, eliminating carbon dioxide from her body. Then, a thumbs-up to her surface crew, a pinch of the nose clip, one final lungful of air, and the woman closes her eyes, wraps her knees around the bottom bar of the sled, releases a brake device, and disappears gracefully beneath the waves. The harsh sounds of the wind and waves suddenly cease and are replaced by the effervescent bubbling of air being released from the regulators of scuba-divers.
    [Show full text]
  • BSAC Membership Handbook | 2 Your BSAC Membership Handbook | 3 Contact Information
    Cover Photo: Simon Rogerson Cover Your BSAC Membership Handbook | 2 BSAC has 1,000+ branches, is run by volunteers and is the biggest dive club in Britain. Thank you for being part of it. We hope this Membership Handbook will help you get the most out of being part of the club… Photo: Nicholas Watson Your BSAC Membership Handbook | 2 Your BSAC Membership Handbook | 3 Contact information: BSAC, Telford's Quay, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FL W: bsac.com E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)151 350 6200 facebook.com/BritishSubAquaClub twitter.com/BSACdivers BSAC is proud to be in partnership with: Photo: Charles Hood Your BSAC Membership Handbook | 4 CONTENTS Discover more about your BSAC membership inside… Welcome from Mary ................................ 7 Your membership benefits ......................47 BSAC’s Chief Executive Insurance cover Magazine and email newsletters Tips to make the most of BSAC Shop your membership ..................................... 9 Save money with… – Scuba Financial Services BSAC clubs .......................................... 13 – BSAC Travel Partners (sometimes called branches) – BSAC Plus What to expect Working for you ..................................... 55 Diving and training .................................17 Safety and training Training and instructing opportunities Marine conservation Safe diving Underwater heritage Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults Welcome PADI (and other agency) divers ...................... 37 Support for clubs................................... 59 Getting
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Diver Navy Diver
    “We Dive the World Over” NAVY DIVER NAVY DIVER No matter how extreme the conditions or the task QUALIFICATIONS Both males and females are eligible to become Navy Divers. at hand, Navy Divers will be there to play a vital role. To qualify for Diver training, you must: Taking calculated risks when no one else will. Using • Meet specific eyesight requirements: 20/200 bilateral correctable to 20/25 with no color blindness willpower and thorough mental and physical training • Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to excel in any situation. All for the purpose of a (ASVAB) score: AR+VE=103, MC=51 or GS+MC+EI=165 • Be age 30 or younger greater goal: to make the world a better, safer place. • Be a U.S. citizen Navy Divers are members of the Naval Special Operations (NSO) community, comprising men PHYSICAL SCREENING TEST REQUIREMENTS and women who take on the most impossible missions and the most elusive objectives. To qualify for the Navy Diver program, you must complete the following minimum Physical Screening Test Requirements: JOB DESCRIPTION • Swim 500 yards using side- or breaststroke within 14 minutes Their accomplishments are epic. Their expertise is unrivaled. No other force is more intensely • Rest 10 minutes trained to succeed in the perilous world of underwater adventure. Each assignment they take on • 42 push-ups within 2 minutes is crucial and backed by a steadfast dedication to teamwork. • Rest 2 minutes • 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes As a Navy Diver, you will be part of an extraordinary brotherhood. You will journey anywhere • Rest 2 minutes from the ocean depths to frigid arctic waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of Recreational Closed-Circuit Rebreather Deaths 1998–2010 Andrew W Fock Abstract (Fock AW
    78 Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Volume 43 No. 2 June 2013 Analysis of recreational closed-circuit rebreather deaths 1998–2010 Andrew W Fock Abstract (Fock AW. Analysis of recreational closed-circuit rebreather deaths 1998–2010. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2013 June;43(2):78-85.) Introduction: Since the introduction of recreational closed-circuit rebreathers (CCRs) in 1998, there have been many recorded deaths. Rebreather deaths have been quoted to be as high as 1 in 100 users. Methods: Rebreather fatalities between 1998 and 2010 were extracted from the Deeplife rebreather mortality database, and inaccuracies were corrected where known. Rebreather absolute numbers were derived from industry discussions and training agency statistics. Relative numbers and brands were extracted from the Rebreather World website database and a Dutch rebreather survey. Mortality was compared with data from other databases. A fault-tree analysis of rebreathers was compared to that of open-circuit scuba of various configurations. Finally, a risk analysis was applied to the mortality database. Results: The 181 recorded recreational rebreather deaths occurred at about 10 times the rate of deaths amongst open-circuit recreational scuba divers. No particular brand or type of rebreather was over-represented. Closed-circuit rebreathers have a 25-fold increased risk of component failure compared to a manifolded twin-cylinder open-circuit system. This risk can be offset by carrying a redundant ‘bailout’ system. Two-thirds of fatal dives were associated with a high-risk dive or high-risk behaviour. There are multiple points in the human-machine interface (HMI) during the use of rebreathers that can result in errors that may lead to a fatality.
    [Show full text]
  • Regulator Owner's Guide
    REGULATOR OWNER’S GUIDE (888) 383 DIVE | f (510) 729 5115 | Hollis.com Doc#: 12-4014 r07 1/31/16 CONTENTS NOTICES................................................ ...................3 CE INFORMATION ....................................................3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................4 WARNINGS ...............................................................4 NITROX/O2 ...............................................................5 DIVING IN COLD WATER ..........................................5 SETUP & DIVE .........................................................6 2 FIRST/SECOND STAGE PAIRING .............................7 REGULATOR FIRST STAGES....................................8 HOLLIS REGULATOR OWNERS GUIDE OWNERS REGULATOR HOLLIS Preparation to mount a regulator on a cylinder ...... 8 Mounting a regulator with a yoke inlet fitting.......... 8 Removing a regulator with a yoke inlet fitting ........ 8 Mounting a regulator with a DIN inlet fitting ........... 9 Removing a regulator with a DIN inlet fitting .......... 9 SECOND STAGE WITH A VENTURI SWITCH ...........9 Adjustments prior to entering the water ................. 9 Adjustments during the dive ...................................... 9 Adjustments after the dive ......................................... 9 POST DIVE ............................................................. 10 REPAIRS AND SERVICE ......................................... 10 ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS ..............................11 GUIDELINES FOR MINIMUM SERVICE INTERVALS
    [Show full text]
  • DIVEMASTER Love Scuba Diving? Want to Share It with Others on a Whole New Level? Take the PADI Divemas- Ter Course and Do What You Love to Do As a Career
    DIVEMASTER Love scuba diving? Want to share it with others on a whole new level? Take the PADI Divemas- ter course and do what you love to do as a career. Scuba divers look up to Divemasters because they are leaders who mentor and motivate others. As a Divemaster, you not only get to dive a lot, but also experience the joy of seeing others have as much fun diving as you do. The PADI Divemaster course is your first level of professional training. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, you’ll fine tune your dive skills like perfecting the effortless hover, and refine your rescue skills so you anticipate and easily solve common problems. You’ll gain dive knowledge, management and supervision abilities so you become a role model to divers everywhere. As a PADI Divemaster, you’ll lead others as you supervise scuba diving activities and assist with diver training. Whether you want to work at a faraway dive destination or close to home at a local dive shop, the adventure of a lifetime awaits you. PADI Divemasters are respected dive professionals who are aligned with the largest and most respected dive organization in the world—PADI. Who should take this course? Be at least 18 years of age or older. Have a PADI Rescue Diver certification (or have a qualifying certifi- cation from another organization). Emergency First Response Primary & Secondary Care training within the last 24 months. What will I learn? The role & characteristics of a Divemaster. Mapping an open water site. Supervising dive activities and assisting with Conducting dive briefings student divers.
    [Show full text]
  • 3. Technical Divemaster
    TDI Standards and Procedures Part 3: TDI Leadership Standards 3. Technical Divemaster 3.1 Introduction This program is designed to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for an individual to lead certified technical divers in the open water environment. 3.2 Qualifications of Graduates Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may: 1. Assist an active TDI Instructor during approved diving courses provided the activities are similar to the graduate’s prior training 2. Supervise and conduct dives for certified technical divers provided the activities are similar to the graduate’s prior training 3. This program does not cover overhead environment with the exception of advanced wreck 3.3 Who May Teach 1. Any active TDI Instructor may teach this program 3.4 Student to Instructor Ratio Academic 1. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to ensure comprehensive and complete training of subject matter Confined Water (swimming pool-like conditions) 1. N/A Open Water (ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary) 1. A maximum of 4 students per instructor; it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate Version 0221 33 TDI Standards and Procedures Part 3: TDI Leadership Standards 3.5 Student Prerequisites 1. Minimum age 18 2. Certified as an SDI Divemaster (equivalent ratings from other agencies are not accepted for this TDI Divemaster prerequisite) Must have all current SDI Divemaster materials 3. Provide copies of current CPR and first aid training 4. Have a current medical examination 5. Provide proof of 50 logged dives 6. Certified as a technical diver 3.6 Course Structure and Duration Open Water Execution 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Biomechanics of Safe Ascents Workshop
    PROCEEDINGS OF BIOMECHANICS OF SAFE ASCENTS WORKSHOP — 10 ft E 30 ft TIME AMERICAN ACADEMY OF UNDERWATER SCIENCES September 25 - 27, 1989 Woods Hole, Massachusetts Proceedings of the AAUS Biomechanics of Safe Ascents Workshop Michael A. Lang and Glen H. Egstrom, (Editors) Copyright © 1990 by AMERICAN ACADEMY OF UNDERWATER SCIENCES 947 Newhall Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photostat, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publishers Copies of these Proceedings can be purchased from AAUS at the above address This workshop was sponsored in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, under grant number 40AANR902932, through the Office of Undersea Research, and in part by the Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association (DEMA), and in part by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS). The U.S. Government is authorized to produce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes notwithstanding the copyright notation that appears above. Opinions presented at the Workshop and in the Proceedings are those of the contributors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF UNDERWATER SCIENCES BIOMECHANICS OF SAFE ASCENTS WORKSHOP WHOI/MBL Woods Hole, Massachusetts September 25 - 27, 1989 MICHAEL A. LANG GLEN H. EGSTROM Editors American Academy of Underwater Sciences 947 Newhall Street, Costa Mesa, California 92627 U.S.A. An American Academy of Underwater Sciences Diving Safety Publication AAUSDSP-BSA-01-90 CONTENTS Preface i About AAUS ii Executive Summary iii Acknowledgments v Session 1: Introductory Session Welcoming address - Michael A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pursuit S 408 Proves the Perfect Platform for the Adventure of a Lifetime
    breathe in THE PURSUIT S 408 PROVES THE PERFECT PLATFORM FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME. BY KEVIN KOENIG PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC MONTOCCHIO BREATHE IN Don’t worry guys, I lived to tell the tale. ¶ The plan for this story was hatched nearly two years earlier, over beers in a West Palm Beach bar with Pursuit’s in- house photographer, Marc Montocchio. He is a former South African Navy un- 33 feet below the ocean’s surface, derwater demolition diver — both a se- the human body is neutrally buoyant — rious waterman and a bit of a hell-raiser. Atessentially weightless. Above that, the When I told him I wanted to do a free- gases in your body naturally make you diving and spearfishing expedition with float upward. Below it, the atmospheric Pursuit, he was all over it. Pursuit’s mar- pressure compresses those gases, and keting director, David Glenn, who is a you sink at a rate that increases with your waterman himself and has a family with depth. Divers call this phenomenon “the some serious aquatic bona fides, includ- doorway to the deep.” ¶ Thirty-three feet ing three sons who have surfed profes- down is exactly where I found myself sionally and a wife who is a former pro recently, floating statically, swaddled water-skier, also loved the idea. ¶ It in 2,000 feet of warm Atlantic Ocean seemed like everything was in motion. in the Bahamas, with only the air in my But then, as it has a habit of doing, life lungs to sustain me. When I looked up, happened.
    [Show full text]