Living a Diver's Life

Students Justin Walter (left) and Dan Alix (middle) preparing for Tec 50 open water dives with instructor Bob Bennett  Photo: Rose Bennett   Fred Stratton Instructor and Technician fred@bubblesornot.com Justin Walter successfully deploys a DSMB in the pool prior to open water work Photo: Tata McNaylor TECHNICAL DIVING SERIES PART III Our February 2019 article on Tec 45 was part two in our technical diving series. Let's go deeper still in part three of our technical diving series with t he Tec 50  course , which is also part three in the PADI Tec Deep Diver Program. PADI TEC 50 COURSE Tec 50 takes you beyond your Tec 45 experience by introducing you to the first stages of full technical deep decompression diving. Certified Tec 50 divers are qualified to make multi-stop decompression dives using air, EANx and oxygen (O2) with up to two decompression gases such as   50% Nitrox and 100% O2.  You'll plan and execute four di...

Bob Bennett enjoying life below 130' on a Dive Rite O2ptima Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) Photo: Tara McNaylor Fred Stratton Instructor and Repair Technician fred@bubblesornot.com Close your eyes and remember the first time you breathed underwater. A brilliant, heart-pounding experience you wished would never end.  Your recreational scuba certification enabled you to venture forth into a previously impenetrable world.  The word recreation derives from the Latin word  recreare   meaning create again or renew. I certainly feel refreshed and renewed during every dive. Do you? Lost that Loving Feeling ? Do you still feel the rush of anticipation before your dives and excitment when you descend?  Perhaps you've been certified for a while and, although you still enjoy diving, you yearn for a new adventure. Do any of the following apply to you? - You've been wall diving to 130' and felt the lure  of deeper dwelling flora and fauna....

Nitrox cylinders ready for sidemount diving Image: Rose Bennett Fred Stratton Instructor and Repair Technician fred@bubblesornot.com What is PADI's most popular Specialty Course?  Good guesses would include Deep, Boat, Underwater Videography and Project AWARE. It may surprise you that the  Enriched Air Diver  is number one. Bob Bennett teaching a Sidemout Specialty course using Enriched Air. Image: Rose Bennett In this month's article we'll discuss Enriched Air's progression from commercial and military applications to widespread recreational use, certification, cost, benefits, safety, and equipment considerations. Terminology : All divers know that air is comprised of 21% oxygen (O2) and 79% inert gases (78% nitrogen  and 1% trace elements of helium, neon, argon, etc.).  Any diving gas with > 21% and < 100% pure oxygen is considered enriched air nitrox (nitrogen and oxygen). It is abbreviated EAN or EANx. The number...

Image: Odessa Stratton By Fred Stratton Instructor & Repair Technician fred@bubblesornot.com Image: Odessa Stratton I once foolishly asked my wife "how many pairs of shoes do you need?"  She rapidly replied  "hmm, how much scuba gear do you need?" OK, fair enough. Certified in 1994, Emy knows that diving is an equipment intensive sport and like dressing well, it matters how you configure yourself for success.  In the February and March articles, BC Basics Parts I and II, we discussed selecting a BC and becoming proficient in its use. We also addressed various diving tools and accesories, as well as where to mount them for rapid access while remaining hydrodynamically efficient.  Let's build on that with some specific streamlining techniques. Proper Placement Why do you place your scuba accessories and tools where you do? Dive professionals likely  influenced your initial decisions. Certain equipment placement is standardized acros...