News
Buoyancy 101: Do I need some help?
After Sidemount, my favourite course to teach is related to neutral buoyancy and buoyancy control. Why? In my opinion and experience divers gain the most value for money from learning better control of their buoyancy through a one day Advanced Buoyancy class than any other training, gadget or piece of equipment available on the market. I say this because the key benefits of improved buoyancy control are better protection of the marine environment (in case I want to come back and see it again), less physically draining diving and lower ‘Surface Air Consumption (SAC) rates. In simple terms you would probably dive easier and longer for the same money spent on air!
I am constantly reminded when diving of how other divers perceive the concept of trim and neutral buoyancy. Experienced divers I see kicking around or (even worse) lying on the reef as they try to get their next underwater masterpiece, they have the concepts in their head but perhaps are unsure about the execution. Only last month when I was running a small AB class (I call it the ‘Art of Buoyancy’ class), I asked the three students over coffee at the start of the day how they would rate their control underwater. All of them believed they were above average or fairly good. The woman who needed to dive with gloves knew that it was “important to keep off the reef” as she pushes the Gorgonian out of the way with a neoprene covered paw. The gentleman who was completing the course with his daughter claimed he was “very comfortable with keeping off the bottom” as he created a silt storm behind him. The good thing is that these three individuals recognized improving their buoyancy control would improve their diving experience.
The vast majority of divers, like my three students, understand the importance of buoyancy control. Many have not developed the appreciation or have had the opportunity to see or experience buoyancy control concepts in the real world and have not been able to adapt these into their own diving style. So how do you know if you need some help on buoyancy? I’ve listed below a few typical symptoms an signs that your control underwater may not be where you want it and that you may want to think about contacting your local PADI dive center for an AB course:
- Scuffed Fins: Check out the end of your fins. Do they look like they’ve been chewed by the cat for a month? Fins can take a small amount of abuse getting onto or off of the dive boats, but on the whole the fin tips should be fairly even and a recognisable shape. If yours are battered and worn, they have probably come in contact with the reef on a number of occasions.
- High SAC rate: If you had a SAC rate of more than 1 bar per minute (15 psi per minute) and you are usually the first to call ‘low air’ on a dive, and have maybe been referred to as an ‘air hog’.
- Single Kick Style: What is you kick style? Do you only use a flutter kick (up and down movement)? Do you struggle with any other style of kick?
- Hips Down: In candid pictures of your diving from your buddies, are your hips predominately lower than your torso? Get your friends to take some video too and see how you look. Is this how you think you look in the water?
- Handy Man: Do you have a tendency to use your hands for either propulsion or control in the water? We call it sculling, and apart from turning in really tight spaces (usually created by students wanting to see what I am looking at and giving me no room to get out of their way!) it is a really ineffective way of moving in the water. Measure your hand size against a fin and take a guess – which would give you better propulsion if you could control it?
Anyone of these symptoms could suggest that you need to be more aware of your position in the water and your diving style. If your head is bouncing like a nodding dog, then you should come and check me out. Through your Open Water course you’re taught the basic principles of buoyancy control, and many instructors have a different view of the ‘mastery’ requirement. With something like the ‘Art of Buoyancy’ course we’re going to give you the skills to become a master. If you were to take a class like this, your diving would improve. The degree of improvement would depend on how much effort you put in and how much practice you put into each skill, but generally students see marked improvements in their air consumption and are able to enjoy longer dives. They expend less energy on the dive and therefore are less tired during the ‘Après Dive’ sessions.
When I am looking to teach this course, the principal is to use a lot of the skills that you would have learnt in Open Water and try to conduct them in mid-water. This is a principal I was taught when I learned how to dive Sidemount with Fernando Cañada. We would be looking at things like: In confined water conditions can you complete the following skills and still maintain your position?
- Blind hover – Get yourself into a hover in about 2m of water. Close your eyes and hold your position for 20, 30 and 60 seconds.
- Mask remove and replace – Get yourself into a hover in about 2m of water. Remove your mask and hold it off for about 5 breaths before replacing it
- BCD remove and replace – Get yourself into a hover in about 2m of water. Remove your BCD fully and put it back on again.
If you would like to find out more about improving your buoyancy, completing the ‘Art of Buoyancy’ program or learning to dive in the amazing Caribbean Sea off Carriacou, visit www.deeferdiving.com.
Wow! What a story, and what an incredible feat of not only survival for the cook but of the sheer bravery and determination of his rescuers.
It’s an easy read with absolutely no waffle or embellishment and is probably the quickest I have ever read a book from cover to cover. It’s not only a story that will touch the hearts of divers but is also a great read for anyone who has not been to or under the sea at all.
Dived Up Publications announces the release of The Diver and the Cook by Lasse Spang Olsen.
A ship lost. No survivors. A grim recovery mission begins, pushing a team of commercial divers well beyond their comfort zone.
Braving treacherous conditions, saturation diver Nico van Heerden single-handedly combs the cramped, debris-strewn, zero-visibility Jascon 4 shipwreck searching for any sign of the lost crew.
Then, in a scene akin to a horror movie, while exploring a small, isolated compartment, Nico feels a tap on his shoulder. Could someone have survived underwater for over sixty hours?
The Diver & the Cook is the incredible true story of a seemingly impossible underwater rescue. With first-hand accounts, authentic images and detailed reconstructions, author and documentary maker Lasse Spang Olsen brings this gripping tale to life. The book is the result of over four years of work, including intensive interviews, access to previously unknown material, and deep study of conversations and film recorded during the actual incident.
Witness the unwavering determination of the human spirit as Jascon 4 galley chef, Harrison Okene, fights for survival after his ship goes down. Meanwhile, rookie saturation diver Nico van Heerden faces a daunting challenge: spearheading the rescue mission in a perilous underwater environment. With time running out, what rules must the dive team break to save Harrison before it’s too late?
An unprecedented operation, this story provides a unique perspective on the dangers and challenges faced by divers, showing the importance of teamwork and communication in high-risk situations. An incredible survival story against all odds, with an equally surprising aftermath.
Quote from the author, documentary-maker Lasse Spang Olsen:
“There are a whole lot of different versions of this story out there. But I believe that by speaking directly to the key people involved, creating meticulous reconstructions and doing original research we have dug much deeper and got far closer to the truth about the rescue and the sinking than anyone has ever managed to before.”
About the author
Author and veteran filmmaker Lasse Spang Olsen – in a 40+ year career – has participated in stunts and FX on over 600 films, directed eleven features and filmed extensively underwater. He’s led expeditions uncovering historical mysteries like the Flying Enterprise wreck and documented adventures worldwide. He’s also a producer and lecturer. Originally published in Denmark as Dykkeren of Kokken (February 2024), this is his fourth book.
The Diver and the Cook (ISBN 978-1-909455-61-0) is released on 12 November 2024 in paperback and ebook. It is available via online retailers, bookstores, from DivedUp.com and to the dive trade via Nautilus UK.
Welcome to Day 5 of Scubaverse.com’s week-long Christmas Gift Guide!
Struggling to find the perfect gift for that special scuba diver in your life? Read on for Team Scubaverse’s pick of this season’s must-have Christmas gifts.
Every day this week, we are publishing a special Christmas Gift Guide full of different gift ideas that are all ideal for divers, so you’re sure to find something that’s perfect. Take a look at today’s selection below…
SlipIns DiveSkins
Team@slipins.com / www.slipins.com / SlipIns Facebook / SlipIns Instagram / SlipIns Pinterest
DiveSkins are perfect for scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, paddling, surfing, and all water sports. It shows up beautifully in pictures under water.
This tight-fitting, tailored lycra suit offers maximum comfort. stretchy, breathable, fast-drying fabric with the world’s best sun and stinger protection.
SlipIns are:
*Ultimate 50+ UPF sun protection
*Abrasion protection.
*Quick dry, breathable, soft fabric
*The ultimate stinging critter protection
Save 10% on your order if you mention you saw this ad in Scubaverse in your order note!
SAVE YOUR SKIN…WEAR OUR SKINS
Team@slipins.com / www.slipins.com / SlipIns Facebook / SlipIns Instagram / SlipIns Pinterest
Diving Books from Miflex Hoses
sales@miflexhoses.co.uk / www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk / miflexhoseshop.co.uk/acatalog/Diving-Books.html / Miflex Hoses on Facebook
We stock a great range of Diving & Underground book titles, ideal to add to any order or simply buy as a gift for a friend.
Titles we have include:
Shipwrecks of the Dover Straits, Adventures Underground, Pioneers Beneath the Peak, Dive Truk Lagoon, Underwater Potholer, Images Below & many more.
From Authors including:
Stefan Panis, Martyn Farr, Duncan Price, Ron Young, Rod Macdonald, Chris Howes
Visit our website for more details.
sales@miflexhoses.co.uk / www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk / miflexhoseshop.co.uk/acatalog/Diving-Books.html / Miflex Hoses on Facebook
OrcaTorch D710 Dive Light – now available in pink!
sales@sea-sea.com / www.orcatorch.com / OrcaTorch on Facebook / OrcaTorch on X / OrcaTorch on YouTube
Already available in Black, Green, Red and Blue, the D710 Dive Light from Orcatorch is now available in Pink too.
Whether you’re a recreational or a professional diver, you’ll find the OrcaTorch D710 dive light useful in your underwater activities.
With max 3,000 lumens, the D710 is one of the strongest torches in its class. You also have plenty of brightness settings to choose from if you prefer less power.
It runs on one OrcaTorch 21700 5000mAh rechargeable battery with a Type-C charging port, easier for you to charge it anywhere. Now it offers five exterior colour options: Black, Green, Red, Blue, and Pink, to satisfy your diverse needs.
Featuring:
* Uses Luminous LED, max 3000 lumens
* Uses 1 * 21700 Li-ion battery
* 6° beam angle
* Offers four exterior colour options: Black, Red, Green and Blue
* Easy operation with side titanium alloy push-button switch
* Safe lock function, prevents mis-operation
* Intelligent Over-Heat protection
* Battery indicator
* Water pressure resistant construction, depth rated to 150 meters
* Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
* Over-discharge protection function
* Constructed from high-strength A6061-T6 aluminum
* Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized finish for durability and corrosion resistance
* Two sides coated toughened glass with high water pressure resistance under deep water
Sea & Sea is the home of OrcaTorch and other leading diving brands in the UK.
sales@sea-sea.com / www.orcatorch.com / OrcaTorch on Facebook / OrcaTorch on X / OrcaTorch on YouTube
Scubapro Luna 2 AI Dive Computer
Scubapro Europe Website / Scubapro USA Website / Scubapro on Facebook / Scubapro on Instagram / Scubapro on YouTube
SCUBAPRO, the world’s premier manufacturer of high-quality scuba diving equipment, introduces its second generation Luna 2.0, an easy-to-read, intuitive dive computer loaded with easy-to-use features and available in two versions, the Luna 2.0 and Luna 2.0 AI with wireless air integration.
Designed for new and casual recreational divers, the low-profile Luna 2.0 sits comfortably on the wrist. Its oil-filled plastic housing helps ensure reliable performance to depths of 120 meters. A large widescreen display features a high-contrast black and white matrix-segment LCD with full-sized characters for easy reading in all dive conditions. An intuitive menu and simple two-button interface lets the diver navigate the system with ease, aided by clearly marked screen prompts. The LUNA 2.0 offers two algorithms – Predictive Multi-Gas Bühlmann ZH-L16 ADT MB PMG or ZH-L16 + GF PURE, plus 21-50% nitrox compatibility and three selectable gasses for open circuit diving. Three dive modes are available – Scuba, Apnea and Gauge – to suit a range of diving activities.
The Luna 2.0 AI (air integrated) offers the same easy-to-use features and functions as the standard Luna 2.0 plus adds wireless air integration. This not only enables to easily monitor ythe tank pressure, it also provides true remaining bottom time (RBT) and allows the air consumption to be factored into the decompression calculation. Also available with the Luna 2.0 AI is an optional integrated heart rate monitor that lets visually track the heart rate and skin temperature to help staying in the personal target zone.
Both Luna 2.0 models include personalized dive management functions like PDIS (Profile Dependent Intermediate Stops) which calculates an intermediate stop based on N2 loading, current and previous dives and breathing mixes, and Microbubble levels that give the option to adjust the level of conservatism in the algorithm to match the individual experience level, age and physical conditioning for a more enjoyable dive.
The soft silicone arm strap offers a comfortable fit on the wrist, plus bungee mounts on the corners of the housing allow for alternate attachment methods. A Bluetooth Low Energy interface enables the download of the dive data to any iOS or Android device or PC/Mac (firmware can be user-updated), and the CR2450 battery is rated for up to two years or 300 dives.
Scubapro Europe Website / Scubapro USA Website / Scubapro on Facebook / Scubapro on Instagram / Scubapro on YouTube
35% off Red Sea Liveaboard Scuba Scene in Spring 2025
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Embark on the ultimate diving adventure aboard the Scuba Scene, the luxury liveaboard offering an unforgettable Red Sea experience. Known for its exceptional service, safety, comfort, and world-class dive sites, Scuba Scene is the ideal choice for divers of all levels.
Dive into crystal-clear waters teeming with vibrant coral reefs, exotic marine life, and awe-inspiring shipwrecks. From the stunning Ras Mohammed National Park to the famous Thistlegorm wreck, Scuba Scene brings you to the heart of the Red Sea’s best sites. With spacious cabins, gourmet dining, and a dedicated crew that ensures every detail is perfect, this liveaboard guarantees relaxation and adventure in equal measure.
Now is the perfect time to book! Save a massive 35% on any sailing between 3rd March and 28th April 2025. Whether you’re a seasoned diver or taking your first plunge, Scuba Scene promises an experience you’ll cherish forever.
Don’t miss this chance to dive the Red Sea in style and at an incredible price. Book your adventure today!
Tel: 0800 699 0243
info@oysterdiving.com / www.oysterdiving.com / Oyster Diving Facebook / Oyster Diving Instagram
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