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REEF’s 2023 Discover the Sea Underwater Photo Contest is now accepting entries through September 18, 2023. There are several categories including fish portraits, macro, and more. You can check it out at www.REEF.org/photocontest
The third quarter 2023 Alert Diver Magazine from DAN arrived. This edition features Stan Waterman as the profiled diver. You can also learn about diving in San Diego, Lembah, Palau and Turks and Caicos. Check out the DAN was there for me section for another story of why DAN membership is so valuable.
The Toronto Star newspaper had an article “New government rules spell end for Nova Scotia’s distinctive shark fishing derbies”. After 30 years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has decided these tournaments no longer serve any scientific purpose and will only issue licenses under certain conditions. Turns out the tournaments aren’t able to meet those conditions.
NASA’s Climate Change Newsletter reported that according to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, July 2023 was the hottest month on record since 1880. Still think climate change is a hoax?
Commentary
Being prepared as a diver is critical. Two stories demonstrate the need to be prepared. These two stories had positive outcomes but could have easily been very different. First, there were four divers rescued 50 miles off the coast of North Carolina. They got caught in a current and couldn’t make it to the boat. Fortunately, one of the divers had a strobe that was spotted by a Coast Guard plane. They were ultimately picked up by a Navy destroyer. But what happened to their boat. Did they have anyone onboard? Being 50 miles offshore takes more preparation and perhaps they should have also taken a portable GPS in the water with them – especially if they didn’t have anyone onboard while diving.
Then there is the story of a diver in Florida being rescued by two off duty police officers who were out fishing. They saw a diver flopping his arms in the water and they thought it was a bird. Turns out, the diver also got caught in a current and was pushed two miles from his boat. There was someone on the boat but couldn’t spot their missing diver because of the swell. I don’t think this diver had an SMB and it sounds like they were diving alone. Also, did the person on the boat, know how to effect a rescue.
In this episode of Sea Hunt – Base of Operations – Mike is testing out a new underwater platform for sustained diving operations when he encounters two well-known underwater photographers who want him to help them with a deep dive to a wreck. When Mike refuses to help them, they decide to practice their deep diving alone. They get in trouble with nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. Mike must first fight the narc’d diver and then take the other one down to his Base of Operations for in-water recompression. Mike pulls out all of his tricks to save the diver.