News
The Sport in Public Safety Diving
One of these days I would like to write a book on some of the public safety diving operations I have had the honor of participating on. Each one comes with their own story of how the body, vehicle, evidence or item got into the water as well as what the divers had to go through to make the recovery. For 33 years I have been conducting underwater criminal investigations so there are a few stories to tell.
One day you find yourself searching a small farmer’s pond for a murder weapon with leaches in the water and cow paddies on the embankment and the next you’re diving below the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 60 feet of water for a tractor trailer that went off the bridge the night before with its driver still inside. A few days later you drive across the state to a man-made lake to search in 120 feet for the body of a young man who, in his intoxicated state, thought he could swim across the lake. If the depth was not challenging enough, at 60 feet you hit the tree tops of the oak trees that still stand in for forest that was never cleared before the lake was created. As you might imagine, every operation challenges your search as well as your diving skills. So your success and survivability depends on them.
Recreational dive training agencies play a vital role in the development of our public safety diving professionals. Recreational dive training can lay down a solid foundation for public safety diving if the diver has continued their diving education by going beyond their initial open water certificate. As you know, each level of training (Open Water Diver, Advance Diver, Rescue Diver, etc.) builds off the other and if taught to the level the courses were intended, you have a solid foundation to produce a highly trained and competent public safety diving professional.
To convert to public safety diving, all that’s needed are qualified training programs that address the needed skills and abilities of the public safety diver’s potential missions and conditions they will be asked to handle. The key to this conversion are the courses and instructors who teach them. The courses must be written and then taught by highly trained and experienced public safety diving professionals who’s been there and done it and who understand what’s needed to succeed and survive.
Your abilities and diving skills are what you bring to the dive site. Training and experience are what gives you those skills and abilities. The more you have the more you bring to every mission and the better your chances of succeeding and surviving that mission. If your diving skills are weak, you have a weak diver on the bottom unprepared, uncomfortable and not focused or ready for the mission.
You might be asking by now, “What skills, knowledge and training does today’s Public Safety Divers need?” Well it depends on the environment, conditions and mission of the individual team. But to point you in the right direction, the basics include: body recovery, vehicle recovery, evidence recovery as well as rescue diving. To understand these operations, you need to know: the physics of body movement in water, rescue and recovery procedures, vehicle entry dynamic, oxidation, fingerprint diminution, underwater evidence collection techniques, standards for documentation, crime scene sketching and photography, search patterns, chain of custody and courtroom procedures just to name of few.
Add to this mix conditions like deep diving, low or no visibility, swift water, and contaminated water you can quickly see where training should be on going and never ending. You should also be able to see why a solid diving foundation is needed and why advancing your dive credentials beyond the Open Water Diver level is so important.
In this post 9-11 era, our abilities to properly and safely respond to and handle a wide variety of public safety diving missions has never been so important. We can be proud that we have divers around the world who have committed themselves to not only train to meet their mission challenges but who use their diving skills to provide a valuable and needed service.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional diver – with the three new main regulators from DYNAMICNORD, everyone will find their favourite regulator. They all look super stylish.
Excellent performance with the TR-80
Quality and performance are the be-all and end-all for regulators. It is not for nothing that the TR stands for Tec Reg. The innovative design of the TR-80 guarantees absolute reliability – even in ice-cold waters.
Perfect breathing effort at 0.8 J/l / certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / structural design made of solid brass for best cold protection / membrane-compensated design with dry seal of the first stage / reduced exhalation effort thanks to optimized exhalation membrane and bubble deflector / adjustable Venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort / innovative design of the front cover prevents free-flow in strong currents or when diving with scooters / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 LP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Amazing underwater adventures with the IR-50
The IR-50 is the top regulator for advanced and experienced divers. Natural breathing is the essence of this regulator.
Ideal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / compensated membrane / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort/ outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
The Workhorse – our CS-30
For diving centres and diving beginners – the workhorse stands for strong construction, reliability and robustness. Perfect for your training.
Optimal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /recommended for diving in waters above 10 degrees / non-compensated piston / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) / outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 1 HP and 3 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Octopus OP-30
The OP-30 is the ideal addition to all DYNAMICNORD regulators. It is identical in construction to the CS-30.
The TR-80, IR-50, CS-30 (DIN & INT) regulators and the Octopus OP-30 are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers and in the online store.
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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