Red Sea's Excel Joins Aggressor

The yacht Excel is now an Aggressor-approved vessel. She will follow Aggressor Fleet's Standard Operating Procedures and feature the amenities and high level of service provided on all Aggressor Fleet live-aboards.

Launched in October 1998, the 120-foot Excel comfortably accommodates up to 20 divers in 10 elegant cabins with individual climate controls and in-suite bathrooms. Diving amenities include nitrox, rental scuba and underwater photo equipment, and an on-board E-6 photo lab.

During the summer months, May through August, the Excel offers 10-day "Islands" adventures departing from Hurghada, Egypt and diving the Brothers Islands, Deadalus Reef, Zabargad and Rocky Islands. September through April, her "Red Sea" itinerary offers 7-day charters from Sharm El Sheik, Egypt exploring Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran, the Straits of Gobal, the wreck of the Thistlegorm and the Abu Nuhass wrecks.

For reservations, call your local dive shop, travel professional or Aggressor Fleet, Limited at 1-800-348-2628, e-mail: info@aggressor.com or visit our web-site at www.aggressor.com.

At what age should divers dive more conservatively? As we age, what medical issues should be taken into consideration? Do we encounter additional diving safety risks as we grow older? Add to this the complication that not everyone ages the same. Is it fair to say that divers must go by chronological age in judging their fitness to dive? Some divers consider these questions now; others will consider them in the future.

With little information about aging and diving, answers come with difficulty. To address this subject, researchers must study divers of all ages.

Thus, DAN's Aging Diver Study seeks certified divers who are 50 and older, as well as divers younger than 50. Of particular interest is the occurrence of equipment problems, diving medical problems, non-diving medical problems and other diving related incidents in both age groups.

With an existing methodology DAN uses to collect diving data (as with Project Dive Exploration), DAN began its Aging Diver study in 1999. For the study, "older divers" were arbitrarily defined as age 50 or above. Medical history and dive style questionnaires have been developed and will be used during events in association with DAN's Aging Diver research (see below).

W. Scott McClary, DAN Diamond Guardian and owner of Dive Shop II of Boynton Beach, Fla., will host year-round participants in the study.

Trips this program include for 2000: Belize Aggressor, March 11-18; Okeanos Aggressor, July 22-31; and Cayman Aggressor, Nov. 4-11. Call DAN research at: 919-684-2948 ext. 260 or email: DANResearch@DAN.duke.edu or visit www.DiversAlertNetwork.org. To participate, contact Aggressor Fleet at 1-800-348-2628 or www.aggressor.com.

"Do not dive alone!" has been one of the safety catch cry since the dawn of diving instruction.

Now the industry is some 50 years old and rapidly coming to grips with technical diving. Many diving veterans believe that the time has come to offer the opportunity for sanctioned solo diving.

In many parts of the world this cannot legitimately be done, but often takes place. Many would argue that it's not unsafe for an experienced, well-equipped diver to solo dive.

In 1996 Mike Ball Dive Expeditions purchased Bob & Dinah Halstead's Papua New Guinea live-aboard vessel Telita, where solo diving was the norm and conducted without incident for 10 years. Ball was keen to continue the freedom offered by the Halstead's on Telita but also mindful of not wanting to be seen to be endorsing diving practices perceived as unsafe and a little apprehensive regarding the increasing incidence of diving litigation.

A careful assessment of 500 worldwide scuba fatalities was made to identifying common diving risks likely to affect a solo diver. This information was used to develop the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Safe Solo Program.

Solo divers are required to sign a special Safe Solo Liability release and comply with several simple procedures and equipment requirements.

Acceptance of the Safe Solo procedures by experienced divers, particularly underwater photographers, has been very good. The initial Safe Solo skill evaluation only takes 15 minutes at the start of the expedition and then enables the solo diver to dive solo at will. This service is available on all Mike Ball Dive Expeditions in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Divers should bring their own additional safety equipment as specified.

For more information on Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, call 1-888-MIKE BALL or visit their web site at www.mikeball.com.

Applications are now being accepted for the volunteer docents at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Docents are needed to participate in the Aquarium's spring Outdoor Classroom Program. Docents provide school children with information about the ocean and conduct related activities on Cabrillo Beach. Qualifications include a love of the outdoors; a desire to learn about the ocean, marine animals and the ocean environment; and an interest in children. Docents are asked to commit to work one morning per week from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, from April 4 through June 9. Mandatory training sessions will be conducted on March 13, March 20, and March 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Deadline to apply for this position is March 6, 2000.

Volunteers are asked to become a member of the Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium at a reduced volunteer fee of $15 per year, which entitles them to the full benefits of membership.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is located at 3720 Stephen White Drive in San Pedro and is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. For more information regarding these volunteer opportunities, please contact Randi Abrams, Volunteer Coordinator at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, (310) 548-7562, x5029.

Reef Seekers Dive Company of Beverly Hills is offering free beach diving lessons. Although Reef Seekers does not require beach diving for its certification classes, it wanted to make the educational experience available to any who desired it, even if they were not certified by Reef Seekers. The monthly free course will usually take place at Veteran's Park, Redondo Beach along the South Santa Monica Bay of Los Angeles County. Participants must be certified.

Participants will be given instruction on how to "read" the beach and an orientation to surf entries and exits. Scuba rental gear is provided at no charge if needed. For the next free beach diving lesson call Reef Seekers at (310) 652-4990.

Effective this year, DAN now offers term life insurance to its members through its subsidiary, DAN Services, Inc. The coverage is a group term insurance policy with affordable rates.

The major benefit to this term life plan, according to DAN Services Chief Operating Officer Brian Merritt, is the fact that divers are not rated against in assessing the rates. Thus, being a diver does not elevate one's premium.

"Our goal here in DAN Services is to provide Divers Alert Network and its members with high-quality new benefits, with our customary high level of personal services," said Betty Orr, Director, Insurance Services.

Beneficiaries of those insured will receive a 10 percent additional benefit, up to $25,000 in the event of death from a diving accident. A non-member spouse may also apply for coverage.

This insurance is not available in all states. As DAN Services is licensed in each state, DAN members living in that state will receive complete information and an opportunity to apply.

For information, call DAN Membership Services at 1-800-446-2671.

A new operation, Island Discovery, is offering a unique, adventurous, educational, and rewarding alternative live-aboard dive holiday for teenagers and adults. More than just a "sea camp", Island Discovery uses spacious, fully-equipped shallow draught catamaran sailboats as a base for their expeditions. Groups are small in size. Participants have the opportunity to relate scuba-diving among other matters such as: marine biology, marine conservation, sailing or meteorology. Island Discovery offers a direct "hands-on" learning environment side-by side with professionals and experts such as professional marine biologists, PADI diving instructors, RYA Yachtmasters or researchers.

Diversified activities include trekking, marine biology, marine park experiences plus water-sports such as knee-board, wake-board, water-ski, wind-surf and seakayaks. No-experience is necessary.

There is a "junior" program for students age 15 to 19 and a "senior" itinerary for adults. Island hopping takes place in the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, and the Virgin Islands. Each excursion (12 to 15 days) covers 270 to 270 nautical miles. Participants need not be scuba certified.

For more information, visit www.islandiscovery.com on the web.