The Sad and Sordid History of the “Dorkel” 8

No Dorkels!For the record, I have nothing against snorkels. Hell, I even use one…every single time I go snorkeling. I also make sure that, when diving in the ocean — or any body of water sufficiently large that I might find myself stuck on the surface some distance from the boat or shore — I have my trusty folding snorkel with me. At the very bottom of my thigh pocket. Below the safety tube, signal mirror, pocket mask and whistle (items I’m more likely to actually need under these circumstances). But to stick one on my mask? While scuba diving? Do I really look that stupid?

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The Politics and Practicalities of Crossing Over 2

CrossoverA recent Facebook group discussion on an entirely different topic eventually devolved into What should a training agency’s Instructor Crossover process consist of? It’s an important question, especially considering that, depending on the agency, the process can vary considerably.

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The Day SKIN DIVER Magazine Saved Cave Diving

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The latest news in what I will simply refer to as the Eagles Nest Incident is that the victim’s father wants the state to “close” the cave to prevent further tragedies. Personally, I think that’s a great idea — just like I think closing all public schools will prevent further masacres like the ones in Newtown and Columbine. Yeah, right…

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The Quarter Turn That Kills 58


no_quarterAt least one diver won’t be spending the holidays with family and friends this year, thanks to the dangerous practice of opening a scuba tank valve all the way, only to close it back a quarter turn. According to an article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, an Edgewater, Florida, diver perished October 9 with more than 140 bar/2,000 psi remaining in his tank. His valve, however, was only open one-quarter turn.
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Threading Quick-Release Buckles 3

01Is there a “right” way to thread a standard 50 mm/2.0 in quick-release buckle? No — if for no other reason than not all of these buckles are identical. There is, however, a way that we’ve found works extremely well with most such buckles and for most applications.
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10 Ways to Tell Your Students Are Not Ready for Open Water 40

10 WaysIn the 1970s, classroom and pool training for the typical beginning scuba course met twice a week for from four to five weeks, providing a minimum of at least 30 contact hours. By the 1980s, this was generally down to twice a week for two to three weeks, providing less than 20 contact hours.
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Punished for Being a Winner 2

No 1st PlaceYou may remember the recent news story about the nine-year-old boy in New York state who was punished for trying too hard. It seems the county librarian disqualified him from participating in the local book-reading contest because he had read so many books, no one else had a chance of winning. In the librarian’s estimation, allowing him to compete would be damaging to other children’s self esteem.

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A “Device” Does Not Control Your Buoyancy 3

icon_bcdOdds are, you learned that the object in the accompanying picture is called a Buoyancy Control Device or BCD. The funny thing is, most of the companies that make this equipment — not to mention the majority of dive magazines and training agencies — don’t call it that.

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