Scuba Shack Radio #13 – 9/1/19



In this episode we discuss Nitrox, whales and ocean noise, and where did the term SCUBA come from (you might be surprised)

Enriched Air Nitrox is one of PADI’s most popular classes. Why – longer no decompression limits, especially on repetitive dives. With a combination of electronic learning, classroom lecture, use of the dive computer and practical application, you are ready to manage the risks associated with Nitrox, mainly oxygen toxicity and have more fun. Nitrox is an essential class for all scuba divers.

The ocean is a noisy place and getting louder all the time. Whether it is from shipping, seismic testing or sonar, the noise is doing great harm to the ocean inhabitants, especially whales and dolphins. You can check out a couple of web sites – https://us.whales.org or http://wildwhales.org. The film titled – Sonic Sea is a powerful documentary on this serious threat. You can order it on Vimeo.

Where did the term SCUBA come from? It wasn’t Jacque Cousteau. It was coined in a paper written by Dr. Christian J Lambertsen and Walter A Hahn in 1952. The report is titled “On Using Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus”. It was written for the National Academy of Sciences National Resource Council as Publication 274. Dr Lambertsen was also the inventor of the Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU) – a very early rebreather.