Technical Diving in CDN?
Dale,
For years I have tried to promote DIR, and safer diving practices to our local area. I have requested on many occasions that you help educate local divers to the benefits associated with DIR. I have offered you a free DIR Demo. I have offered to write articles for you on the subject matter. And I have offered to even dive with you to help you understand that DIR, while applicable to technical diving, has an equal application to the recreational world and as an added benefit enjoys a unparalleled record of safety.

You have steadfastly ignored all efforts to educate the diving public because you have told me on many occasions you will not discuss or advocate technical diving in your magazine.

Accordingly, I was surprised to see in this month’s edition the following article: “Tahoe Wreck Reached By Divers.”

Have you changed your views on technical diving? Or did I miss something?

Regards,
Michael Kane

Michael,
Being California Diving NEWS, we report what we consider newsworthy. What these divers did was an incredible feat of a disciplined diving practice. It, does NOT, however, mean that we advocate these practices by the general public.

My feelings have not changed. They are: Recreational divers have no business conducting decompression diving of any kind without a recompression chamber ON SITE.

Dale Sheckler
Editor

DAN Intern Program a Success, Thanks to S. CA Divers
Hi Dale and Kim,
I was hoping you could publish the following letter, in one of your next issues:
Thank You To the Divers of Southern California

As we leave another summer behind us, the owners and staff at Laguna Sea Sports would like to thank all those divers who cooperated with the Divers Alert Network Project Dive Exploration Field Intern, Beth Terpolilli. For our second year we were proud to be the host facility in Southern California for their research. Project Dive Exploration (PDE) is an observational research study designed to collect dive profile data on real dives and to compile information on behavioral and health aspects of divers. This will establish a recreational diving database that will serve as a resource for research in dive safety. The study analyzes dive profiles as recorded by a dive computer. The diver’s health status is also verified 48 hours after all dives are finished. Your interest in this worthwhile project is the first step toward helping DAN make recreational diving safer for generations to come.

PDE has multiple objectives: Collecting real-time depth/time profiles for analysis; Documenting the condition of the diver 48 hours after the end of the dive series; Documenting any health changes in the diver, whether related to diving or not; Investigating the relationship between diving and health effects by using statistical analysis; Developing flexible, efficient, low-risk dive procedures for multilevel/multiday repetitive diving; and studying the effects of flying after diving.

During her summer here in Southern California, Beth was able to collect over 450 dive profiles. This was done not only through her near extreme level of enthusiasm for her task, but with the great cooperation of charter boat and Dive Store owners. They were; Island Time - Express Divers, Capt. Chris Carter & Rich Wallace and crew Neil Mitchell; King Neptune - Catalina Scuba Luv, Capt. Bob Kennedy and crew Matt, Jamie, Jeff, Chris, Vicki; Cee Ray, Capt. Arnold Lancaster and crew Mike, Kim and Kay Lancaster; Sea Bass, owner Capt. Jerry Lewis, crew Mike and Kim Marotta; Great Escape, owner Capt. Tim Burke, Brett Stocker, crew Mikey L., Kendal, Terry and Rob. As well the owners and staff at Reef Seekers Dive shop, Billy Wright and Ken Kurtis reached way out to Beth and the PDE project and invited her on many of their summer boats. With the involvement of these dive companies and their staff as well as many individual divers off the beaches Beth’s summer was an overwhelming success.

Please accept our sincere thanks for working with Beth and supporting Divers Alert Network. Because of her success, Laguna Sea Sports will again be a host site for Project Dive Explore Intern for the summer of 2003. Please keep in mind that Laguna Sea Sports is a DAN training facility offering all of the DAN programs, the direct to DAN Computer KIOSK and Oxygen system fills for DAN Certified Oxygen Providers.

Gordon, Tammy & Konner Boivin
And their Staff at Laguna Sea Sports

Planning A March Dive
Hi,
I am a new diver in the California area. I recently went on a dive trip to Santa Barbara Island and it was wonderful.

My friend is considering a visit here the third week in March. Will the diving near the various Channel Islands be just as good in March as it was in August?

Thanks so much for your help.

Sincerely,
Michael Bains

Michael,
March can be a tough month compared to calm and balmy summer days. The good news is two-fold. First, there are so many dive sites in the Channel Islands that a good dive is almost always available. And second, if you use one of the local professional dive charter boats, they are experienced and knowledgeable enough to get you into a super spot any time of the year.

Editor

We'd like to hear from you! Send your comments to EMAIL: mail@saintbrendan.com or P.O. Box 11231, Torrance, CA 90510; Fax (310) 792-2336 (please include include name , city and a way to contact you.)