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Where are the best dives you know of?
What is the best dive equipment you know of?
We were very appreciative of the efforts of Mark Butler, who took the time, on
the eve of his wedding, to write the following piece especially for the launch
issue of this magazine:
The views which follow are intended only to express an informed opinion and are not to be taken in any sense as educational material.
ENTERING THE NEW BUBBLENNIUM
by Mark Butler -
Commercial Dive Instructor
As this century gets underway, the "Aqualung" will soon be almost sixty years old!
That is not to say that Scuba is sixty years old.
Compressed air diving in its most basic form is even older - closer to a hundred
years if early devices are included.
The twentieth century really has been the "age of Scuba", so where are we today?
Surely my sleek, metallic-tinted cylinder with attached chrome-plated, ergonomically designed, impact-resistant regulator is at the cutting edge of technology ?!
Since Messieurs Cousteau and Cagnan developed their version of Scuba in the 1940's, which was subsequently made available to the masses, the basic principles and operation have remained exactly the same.
So, what of the future? Is there anything to indicate that we'll be diving any differently in the 21st century?
Well, there are one or two possibilities that show promise.
Already, what has become known as 'Enriched Air Diving' is gaining popularity. For anyone unacquainted with the substance, I will attempt a simple explanation.
Air is made up, basically of 21% Oxygen and 79% Nitrogen. Add a little more Oxygen and voila! You have 'enriched air'. Do I hear you ask why anyone would want to do that?
As with anything in life, there are pro's and con's. Using air with a little extra Oxygen in it can extend 'no stop' time or reduce the risk of 'the bends', or decompression sickness, for the same dive time.
Got to be a winner, eh?
Well, the down side is reduced operational depth, due to potential Oxygen poisoning.
Additionally, equipment used for more than a certain percentage of Oxygen requires specialist cleaning.
There is also a requirement for the diver to receive additional training and extra care must be taken in dive planning.
The major disadvantage, at present, is that enriched air is nothing like as easy to obtain as air.
This is changing though, and this form of diving is bound to undergo accelerated development into the next century, as more dive centers get geared up for the growing demand.
Another area generating a great deal of interest and, indeed, excitement in certain circles, is that of
Re-breathers.
Without indulging in too much 'techno-blather', as the name suggests, this apparatus allows gas to be re-breathed, extending the endurance of the gas many-fold, compared with conventional Scuba.
Carbon Dioxide is removed chemically, as the diver breathes to, and from, a 'bag'.
In its most efficient form, endurance with this equipment is not limited by the size of the cylinder you can carry but by the life of the Carbon Dioxide absorbent.
The result is a lightweight, compact, unit, ergo no more backache.
Somewhere! Gotta be cutting-edge technology, right?
Well, not really.
A chap by the name of Henry Fleuss came up with the first workable design for a
re-breather in 1878 and development has continued, primarily by military establishments, right up to the present day.
The real technological breakthrough is that units are now being produced for the purely recreational diving market, using state-of-the-art production methods, materials and gadgetry.
Training in the use of these new units is much more extensive and their use requires higher levels of discipline than conventional Scuba.
Nonetheless, more and more people will be diving this way in this new millennium and the choice of techniques is there for those who want them. The choices seem to increase almost daily.
So, heads up! There's a lot to look forward to.
Editors Note: The author wishes us to stress, in the strongest possible terms, that casual use of any type of diving apparatus or technique in the absence of proper training can cause fatal injuries and should never be undertaken.
Once again we'd like to thank Mark Butler for his thought-provoking article
which even we managed to understand! Moving on to the fun side of being down in
the deep, how are you at underwater photography?
 Here
are a couple of photographs taken by Jonathan Savage.
He has been known to take pictures forty feet down, free diving...these were
taken while he was out snorkelling in the Tobago  Cays
in the Caribbean.
(Just click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized
photo.)
What will you need to know if you are going to dive in a particular place?
We'd like to hear from you, whatever your level of interest or involvement!
What was the most memorable diving experience of your life so far?
Where do you get your tanks filled in the places you visit? What was your diving course like? Who is offering dive courses?
Tell us anything you'd like to tell us connected with the world of diving. All about you.
How did you come to be a diver? What topics would you like to see discussed on this page?
We'd love to hear all about remote diving devices and techniques from anyone involved in that world...
Drop us a line next time you come up for air...you needn't be Shakespeare or Stephen King. We
edit, where necessary!
You may like to visit the Library and see some
brief reviews of Water
Sports books. If you have any books you think other readers might enjoy
reading, you may like to drop us a line with details, including the ISBN number,
to help in tracking a copy down in libraries etc.
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