Diving Doc: Preventing and Treating Coral Scrapes

Scuba diving is traditionally a look, don't touch kind of sport. But even careful divers can inadvertently run into trouble. By far the most common diving injury is the common scrape, usually from coral.

Irritations often occur as a result of a brush with coral or sponges. Coral scrapes can be painful and sometimes difficult to heal because the living organisms in the coral can get into the wound and cause infections. Contact with a sponge can leave irritating fibers in the skin, producing an itching rash that can range from mild to severe, possibly with pain and blistering.

Even if you're careful, it's likely you'll come into contact with coral someday. If and when, here's what to do:

1. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Makes sure your body is covered, even if just by a dive skin, and wear gloves where allowed.

2. Regularly irrigate a scrape with copious amounts of vinegar over a period of about 30 minutes.

3. Apply triple-antibiotic to the wound twice a day for a couple of days.

4. Scrapes can become infected even with proper initial care. Watch for hotness to the touch, redness or red streaks around the site, swelling, discharge of pus, or fever. If you see them, contact a doctor.

5. Fragments of coral sometimes become lodged beneath the skin and the body mounts a prolonged allergic reaction to them. In some cases, debridement is required to resolve the reaction.

Even in the absence of embedded coral remnants, it is not unusual for a marked hypersensitivity response to a coral injury to continue for three to four weeks before significantly improving. Sometimes the lesion will resolve, then return.

If a scrape doesn't substantially resolve within a month, or gets worse, you should consult a dermatologist.

Editor's Note: Even innocent injuries can turn deadly if you have an allergic or severe reaction. After any accident, watch for severe swelling, dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, weakness, muscle pain, cold sweat and a rapid heartbeat. If any occur, call 911 (or DAN's emergency hotline 919-684-4DAN if no emergency services are available) immediately. Injectible epinephrine can help calm allergic reactions. CPR may be necessary until help arrives.

Thanks to Doc Vikingo has been scuba certified for more than 35 years and has dived all over the world. He is a practising doctor in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area and has held faculty positions at several major hospitals, including Johns Hopkins. With an interest in diving medicine, he serves as administrator at Scuba Clinic Online.

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Sea Star Time-lapse Eating Mussel

Enjoy!!!

Echinoderms: Sea Star Time-lapse: Eating Mussel from Shape of Life on Vimeo.

Kathy Dowsett
www.kirkscubagear.com

How to Identify and Avoid Scuba Diving Risks

Scuba diving is a risky sport. While most people will have a very good dive and never have a single problem, there are still scuba diving risks that can occur at any time. It is very important that you pay attention and are aware of the risks that you could face during a dive.

There are many hidden risks in scuba diving. Some risks can come from nowhere, like a shark attack or bad weather. Others can happen due to errors, like running out of air or having other equipment failure. No matter what causes scuba diving risks, your best defense against them is to be alert and be prepared every time you dive.

Risks involving your equipment are something that are usually easy to avoid. You should always take training classes and be sure that you have the necessary skills to handle a dive. It is important that you also learn about the equipment that you are using. Know how it works and what must be done to prepare it for a dive.

Risks that you can't control, like the weather and shark attacks, can be avoided simply by being observant. Before you dive you need to check out the spot where you will be diving. Check for reports on shark activity and weather reports. Also find out about the water conditions. Doing these things will help you to avoid possible risks in your chosen diving area.

Many scuba diving risks occur because the diver is not in good health. If you have a cold or are suffering from allergies then stay out of the water. You also should not dive if you are taking medications. Being sick or on medication can put you at risk for all sorts of problems because you will not be as alert and focused as you normally would be.

Many scuba diving risks are an issue because they are something divers simply are not aware of or that they do not consider. One such risk is dehydration. Being in the water does not mean you can't become dehydrated. Diving is quite a physical activity, so be sure you are well hydrated before you go out.

Divers can often prevent risks from becoming life threatening situations by diving with a partner. It is a simple rule that you should never dive alone. If you are with someone else they will be able to help you if something goes wrong. Diving alone is a risk itself and one you should never take.

Scuba diving risks do not have to be a part of your diving experience. If you prepare and take all the necessary precautions then you should end up having a great diving experience. If you pay attention and are a smart diver then you should be able to avoid many of the risks of scuba diving.

Articles Base

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Underwater Navigation for the Novice Scuba Diver

The new dive adventurer is similar to being a passenger on a long ride in a car.

You get to looking around and you have arrived at the destination and have no clue of the route taken to get there. The first couple of lessons you may be fine focusing on your breathing, clearing your ears, clearing of the mask and the awesome joy of the underwater adventure. The sooner you start working on your navigation skills the better, especially if you're learning in a lake that has visibility of twenty feet or less. Because just assured as you are reading this, you will be looking around and in an instant your instructor has disappeared into the darkness. Don't panic just stop for a minute and relax. The instructor will be back for you and if he or she doesn't come back ascend slowly to the surface because they haven't taken you far from the boat or shore. It happens don't worry about it, that is when you realize you need to sharpen your navigation skills.

There are some simple rules to navigation that will make it easier to find the way back to the point of entry. The first and most important is to have a dive plan before you and your dive buddy enter the water, decide who will be the lead diver. Follow the lead diver; let that person concentrate on navigating while the other diver focuses on time, air usage, distance and depth. If you are not the leader it is still important to know your dive plan for emergencies or if you and your dive buddy get separated you can get back to the entry point safely.

If the point of entry is a boat follow the mooring or the anchor line down to the bottom and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. From there follow the dive plan your group has put together. If the entry point is from the shore, swim out to the point you have planned to make the decent. Again get familiar with the surroundings and follow the dive plan.

Navigation underwater isn't any more difficult than above ground navigation. Look for markers, rock formations, sand bars and distinguishing corals of any kind or a tree stump. Anything that is memorable can aid you and your dive buddy in returning to the point of entry. These are just a few tips to make the dive more enjoyable and less stressful.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7050831

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Muck diving: A unique form of scuba diving in the South Pacific

When most people think about scuba diving and what you see underwater, they think of colorful reefs, crystal-clear water and plenty of fish swimming around. A growing number of divers have discovered a unique form of scuba known as "muck diving".

It's exactly what it sounds likes - diving in the "muck" or sand. According to "muck" enthusiast Jerry Cummins of J&D Scuba in Allegany, New York, "You can't fully appreciate 'muck diving' until you've done it. There is a diversity of marine life in the sand that most people don't take the time to appreciate."

During a recent trip to Atlantis Resort in Dumaguete, Philippines, Cummins and a group of dive professionals spent quite a bit of time in the "muck" and "sand" just off the shoreline. What did they see? Everything from colorful nudibranchs and shrimp to the elusive "flamboyant cuttlefish". The catch? Almost all of these creature would fit nicely on the top of a silver dollar.

"You have to take your time and look in places you might not normally look," Cummins said.

Muck Divers are an exclusive bunch that travel with large photo and video cameras, bright lights and have an eye for the "little critters". "There is a sense of accomplishment when you catch a photo of an animal you've been trying to see," said another member of the dive group. "Here in the South Pacific, you can see things that are nowhere else in the world. While they might be in the 'muck', they are there and it's great to be able to see them."

Thanks to Scott Jones from the Scuba Diving Examiner

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

200-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Gulf of Mexico

A newly discovered shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico may have originally gone down 200 years ago. The ship is full of glass bottles, ceramic plates and boxes of muskets.

The shipwreck was discovered 200 miles (321 kilometers) off the Gulf Coast in more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) of water by a Gulf of Mexico mission led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The wooden hull of the ship has nearly disintegrated, but a greenish copper shell that once protected the ship's wood remains behind.

"Artifacts in and around the wreck and the hull's copper sheathing may date the vessel to the early to mid-19th century," Jack Irion, a maritime archaeologist with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said in a statement.

The first hint of the shipwreck came in 2011, when a sonar survey by Shell Oil Company turned up an unknown blip on the seafloor. BOEM requested that NOAA explore such unknown blips during a recent expedition by the ship Okeanos Explorer. The ship returned April 29 from its 56-day mission exploring unknown areas of the Gulf.

Along the way, the researchers imaged deep-sea corals near the Macondo well, the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They explored a thick forest of corals at the West Florida Escarpment, an undersea cliff. And they installed a device on Okeanos' remotely operated vehicle to measure the rate that gas rises in the water column.

The research team also explored four shipwrecks on the ocean bottom. One, explored on April 19, was first discovered in the 1980s, but has only been investigated by deep-sea archaeologists twice. This wooden-hulled ship dates between the mid-19th and early-20th centuries, though its story is currently a mystery. An exploration of another wreck, this one near the mouth of the Mississippi River, revealed that what was once thought to be a ship cannon was actually a bilge pump.

But the most scientifically interesting ship explored was the copper-plated wreck found 200 miles off the coast, according to Frank Cantelas, a NOAA maritime archaeologist. The ship was full of interesting artifacts, a remotely operated vehicle exploration revealed.

"Some of the more datable objects include what appears to be a type of ceramic plate that was popular between 1800 and 1830, and a wide variety of glass bottles," said BOEM's Irion. "A rare ship's stove on the site is one of only a handful of surviving examples in the world and the second one found on a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico."

Thanks to LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas


Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Scuba Diver Jobs: Commercial and Recreational Scuba Diving

Are you one of those people who look forward to get away from it all and just dive? For the weekend scuba diver who can't get enough of the thrill of floating weightless underwater may want to do this every single day. If you are thinking about leaving your desk job to become a full-time professional diver, here are some things that you need to know.

First of all, if you plan on making your time underwater as your permanent job, you need to understand that being a professional diver is just like knowing how to drive a car. Scuba diver jobs are divided into two categories: commercial and recreational. Unless you want to just be a "driver," you have to combine scuba diving with another skill to rake in the big bucks.

Commercial Scuba Diver Jobs

If you plan on making it as a commercial scuba diver, consider combining scuba diving with underwater engineering, photography, and research. A full-time diver who knows how to work machinery or tell one kind of marine mammal from the other can really make it commercial scuba diving.

If something more dangerous calls out to you, you can join the military. The military constantly needs and trains divers for their underwater infiltration operations. Another dangerous but equally well-paying job is being a Hazardous Materials scuba diver, which means you clean up oil spills, recover bodies, and repair underwater machinery.

Recreational Scuba Diver Jobs

Succeeding as a recreational scuba diver is hinged on becoming a dive master as well as being a great people person. While the hourly rate will probably never be as high as an executive, you often make up for it in tips. Scuba diving jobs can be found in resorts and cruise ships. This is a great way to break into diving when you need the experience.

Another perk of being a recreational diver is the fact that you can practice your trade in exotic locations like Thailand, Hawaii, the Philippines, and many more. If you are business-minded and are willing to take on extra work, you can set up your own dive shop, too.

Whether you decide to become a recreational diver or a commercial one, one thing is for sure. This job is great for those who are young, restless, and want to spend as much time underwater as they can. If this sounds like you, take a chance and be part of the exciting and potentially lucrative scuba diver industry.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7021983 and Matthew Nathan

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Don't Take Quickie Scuba Dive Courses!

Oxygen toxicity occurs when the lungs take in a higher than normal O 2 partial pressure, which can occur in deep scuba diving. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good Advice Dave Albright::::

There are so many dive shops offering abbreviated Scuba Courses. Don't Do IT. Think about it for just a second.... Does it make sense to try to cram a little knowledge in a short time just so you can get certified to take part in a potentially dangerous sport? The cost is almost the same for a full length course and look at what you get. The attention of a qualified Scuba Instructor for days instead of a few hours. Time in the pool to practice what you are taught and to become proficient in the skills.


This is going to sound funny but time to forget how to do the skill and then reacquire the skill knowledge. Anyone, including a monkey can mimic a skill a few minutes after it is taught. If you have some time in between learning and demonstrating, you will find you actually retain it better.

You will not only have a book to read and take quizzes, you will also have a CD to review the material and most importantly you can ask the instructor questions about anything that is fuzzy. Also, others will ask questions that only make your learning better.

Also, ask yourself 'do you really feel qualified to dive in the ocean with kelp, waves, surf & critters if you only do lake dives in a local lake to become certified? I have heard of divers who become so-called advanced divers who never have been diving anywhere but a local lake. That is not an advanced diver and you have been done a disservice being called one. It does a couple of things

1. Gives you a false confidence.
2. Gives others a false sense of your skills
3. Puts you in danger because you can be exposed to diving above your skill levels.

I have been teaching Scuba Classes since 1984 and they have never been quickie courses but rather the 4 week variety (twice a week sessions) with a full complement of dives at the ocean. The divers I have taught are regularly recognized by dive masters both in Northern & Southern California Dive Boats as superior divers, having skills higher that the 'Advanced Divers' that have only had quickie courses. Also, dive masters at resorts in warm diving areas have often commented on the skill level of my former students. This is not because I am some wonderful instructor, but because the students assemble and dis-assemble gear several times, practice skills until they become second nature and have time to make mistakes and get them corrected in the pool before becoming certified!

It takes time and some effort to become proficient in Scuba. It is not safe to jump in 'over your head' to try and do skills you haven't been properly trained for. Remember, you are only qualified to dive in areas and skill levels similar to your training.

Don't put yourself in life-threatening situations by not being properly trained - take only full length and featured Scuba Classes.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6864012

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com

Children are smart and they usually figure out long before us parents do that they don't like soccer, basketball or even baseball. Maybe they don't like it because they have figured out they aren't good at it or they physically aren't built for it. If a child doesn't like football, baseball or soccer it will be difficult for them to stay interested in the sport. That's where scuba diving comes in to play.

Scuba diving levels the playing field literally and physically. When scuba diving the diver is horizontal, making us all the same height, leveling the playing field dramatically. Some of the physical attributes that are advantages on solid ground are not necessarily advantages underwater. For example a tall person doesn't have an advantage over a short person. In fact, in many cases the smaller scuba divers air supply lasts longer, therefore giving the smaller diver the advantage of staying underwater longer known as bottom time. A longer bottom time is the desire of all scuba divers. But it can work both ways. I heard a famous retired NFL defensive lineman say that at an early age it was obvious that his daughter was going to be too tall to be a gymnast so they got her into swimming sports. It isn't scuba diving but it's an example of how underwater adventures can level the playing field.

Imagine the confidence scuba diving could have in your children's life, the pride they could have in saying "I am a scuba diver". The fact that they are doing something the other kids in class aren't doing. More importantly think of the bonding experience you and your children will have scuba diving together compared to dad and mom standing on the side line watching. There is nothing wrong with watching your children playing sports, but why watch when you could be having the time of your life while building your children's confidence. The confidence children build in themselves will serve them well later in life when difficult situations arise. They will have the confidence to face the situation with assurance that they will succeed. People who scuba dive together refer to each other as dive buddies. The term dive buddies is given through earned trust. For parents and children to refer to each other as dive buddies means there is a trust between them, a trust that children will remember when they have difficult decisions to make in the future.

Start building your children's confidence and enjoy underwater adventures together now. More importantly start your bonding experience with them and making memories that will last forever. Sharing underwater adventures opens a line of communication with children that will last a lifetime.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6891287

Kathy Dowsett

www.kirkscubagear.com