SDI Advanced Adventure Diver

The Advanced Adventure Diver course is designed to give the newly certified diver a chance to experience diving activities without the monotany of basic skills. It is a chance to explore the water while improving on the newly learned skills. The following material should be read and studied prior to taking the written test for ProTech Scuba's Advanced Adventure Diver course. The test will include the following topics: Boat Diving, Deep Diving, Navigation, Night Diving, Dive Tables, and "Lessons for Life" by Michael Ange

Boat Diving

Boats are an integral part of diving. In pursuing this activity, you are likely to encounter any type and size of dive boat, from a tiny inflatable all the way up to a luxurious live-aboard. All dive boats have certain elements in common, along with some basic differences. Techniques used to dive from them can vary as well.

Don't confuse inflatable boats with rubber rafts. Today's inflatable is a high-performance boat, as safe and rugged as any comparably sized hard-hull craft. They are easily stored in limited space, transportable in small vehicles, and require less fuel than hard-hull boats of the same size. An inflatable should be at least 11 feet long to accommodate two divers. They are usually best for offshore runs to local reefs, up to 10 miles round trip.

Upon arrival at the dive site, BCs and tanks should be put overboard, attached to a line. This will open a lot of deck space for final suiting up. The entry should be a backward roll or seated entry, then don your BC/tank in the water. Don't forget to check the anchor on initial descent. When returning to the boat after the dive, remove the BC and tank in the water and attach it to the line. Bringing the tanks back on board should be the last thing done before the anchor is pulled.

Boats designed for fishing (open skiffs) often make the best dive boats. Those designed for touring or water skiing are the poorest, because of reduced space and stability. The most popular sizes of open skiffs range from 16 to 21 feet, although both smaller and larger ones are available. Diving procedures are almost identical to inflatables, but in some larger skiffs it may not be necessary to don BCs and tanks in the water. However, many divers prefer to remove them, along with weight belts, before climbing back on board. The outboard motor can often be an effective stepladder for climbing back in (just make sure the engine is off).

The last two categories of boats are Cabin Cruisers and Yachts, and Charter Boats and Live-Aboards. All are significantly larger than the two categories previously discussed and also have a larger range of travel. These boats should posses what are called the essential for serious dive boats. These include a VHF radio to contact emergency services, a good fathometer (or depth finder) to find the reefs, and a swim step to make it easier to get back on board. Also highly recommended are trim tabs to compensate for over weighting that is almost certain to occur. Another desirable accessory is a LORAN navigation unit or GPS, using electronic coordinated to help you return to favorite dive spots without long fathometer runs.

Over the years, a code of "dive boat etiquette" has been developed by skippers, instructors, and crew. It is based on courtesy and respect for others. Regardless of the size of a vessel, the key to effective boat diving is cooperation. Preparation: Pack your dive bag the evening before the trip, working with a checklist to make sure nothing is missing. Pack your equipment in the reverse order that you will need it, to make it more accessible (pack the items you need first, last). On board: Anything left on deck will probable get wet, so all non-diving gear should be stowed below, in the galley or the bunk room. Most boat captains don't allow wet suits in the bunk room where everything should remain dry. If seasickness strikes, go up on deck and feed the fishes to the lee. Getting sick indoors "including in the head" is considered a serious breach of boat etiquette.

When it's time to suit up for diving, work with your buddy and help each other. Always work out of your bag, taking out items only as you need them, and returning them to the bag immediately after the dive.

Never leave a tank standing unattended. If it isn't secured in a rack, it should be lying down. Never walk on a rolling deck with fins on. To avoid holding up other people at the exit gate, finish all preparation and buddy checks before heading for the gate. The fins should be the last things to go on, and this is done just before entering the water.

After jumping in, swim away from the exit so the next diver can follow closely behind. It is usually a good idea to descend along the anchor line. But be sure to stay about an arm's length away from the line at all times. As the boat bounces on the waves, the line will become slack, then tighten again.

If there is a strong current, begin your dive into the current. In case you are swept beyond the boat on the return, look for the current (or trail) line. This is a long line with a float at the end, trailing behind the boat. Swim for the line instead of the boat, then pull yourself back hand-over-hand.

Return: When reboarding the boat, watch the movement of the swim step as it bounces in the swells. Time your climb when the ladder or step is at its lowest point. Be ready to hand your weight belt and then your fins to the crew member at the ladder. Immediately after the last dive of the day, store all equipment in your gear bag. Be sure to settle up your bills before returning to port. And don't forget a deserving crew. Like most service workers, they are underpaid and depend on tips for their livelihood (tips generally range from $5-$10 per day of diving per person).

Diving from a boat opens a world of opportunity for divers. By following the suggestions outlined here, your experiences on board will be safer and more enjoyable. (1)

Deep Diving

As you gain experience in diving, you are almost certain to be encouraged to dive at sites which have depths in excess of your qualifications. Deeper diving is defined for this text as dives to depths of 60 to 80 feet. Satisfactory completion of the SDI Advanced Adventure or NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver course can qualify you to dive at depths up to 80 feet as long as the diving occurs under circumstances similar to those experienced during your training. Divers are often tempted to dive deeper for adventure and for the challenge, but more meaningful objectives are encouraged. The point is that deeper diving should be justified, and not done just for the sake of going deep.

To dive safely, you must be aware of the hazards of deeper diving and be prepared to cope with them. This involves careful planning and preparation, proper training, special equipment, experience and special procedures. Pressure increases with depth. This results in an increased rate of air usage due to the greater density of inspired air. The increased density of the air increases the effort needed to exchange air in the lungs. Poorly maintained regulators can easily amplify this problem and cause feelings of "air starvation."

Greater pressure can also cause a significant loss of buoyancy due to compression of your exposure suit. Wet suit compression reduces insulation and increases heat loss. Combined with the colder water usually found at deeper depths, increased heat loss can quickly lead to chilling. The rate at which nitrogen is absorbed by the body is also amplified by depth. Higher nitrogen levels contribute to greater likelihood of decompression sickness occurring. Also, nitrogen breathed under higher pressures can produce Nitrogen Narcosis, which affects judgment and, therefore, safety.

Since the risks and potential hazards increase with depth, greater caution must be used when diving deeper. This demands more thorough planning and preparation, extra equipment, and special procedures. We recommend that your regular diving equipment include an extra second stage on your regulator, a low pressure inflator on your buoyancy compensator, full instrumentation, and an underwater slate. Your equipment should also be in good condition and in excellent working order.

Emergency equipment is recommended for all dives, but it is even more strongly suggested that a first aid kit and oxygen be at the dive site for deeper dives. Oxygen is of significant value in the event of decompression sickness or an air embolism. It is not unusual for low light levels to be encountered in deeper water, so a dive light might be another useful item.

You may not be required to have all of the gear just mentioned when you make your introductory dive because you will be under the supervision and direction of your instructor, but you should be aware that this equipment is necessary whenever you and your buddy plan to dive "deeper" without the benefit of an instructor being present. The deeper you intend to dive, the more preparation required. You begin by making sure that you have yourself prepared for the dive with proper training. You must also have a good, confident feeling about the dive. If you are apprehensive about the situation, it is fine to suggest an alternative dive. Personal preparation also includes general good health and physical fitness, currency in skill proficiency, adequate rest the night before, proper nutrition prior to the dive and abstinence from drugs, alcohol, or symptom-producing medications. You need to feel fit, both physically and mentally, when intending to take a deeper dive.

Planning for the dive needs to be more thorough than usual. Extra equipment is needed. Emergency preparedness requires more attention. You need to know the location of the nearest operational recompression chamber, how to contact the facility, how to make arrangements for any needed treatment and how to get someone there who is in need of treatment.

A review of the US Navy or NAUI Dive Tables is in order. Refamiliarize yourself with them by reading the Dive Table Chapter of the SDI or NAUI Scuba Diver Textbook and by working the review questions. You must be able to use the tables correctly when the dives you are making are actual rather than just problems posed on paper.

When planning your deep dive, it is important that you complete a thorough dive briefing, including Sight Survey, Emergency Procedures, Activity Plan (Dive pattern), Buoyancy Check, Air Check, and Gear Check. The dive profile should be filled out on the back of your NAUI Dive Tables including a contingency plan in case you descend deeper than you originally planned. The dive tables should then accompany you on your dive for easy reference. These are the minimum preparations for deeper dives, but don't be misled into believing that this is all there is to going to increased depths in diving. There are more procedures, more things to be learned and additional training requirements to be met before you should make excursions to depths greater than 80 feet.

Procedures and Precautions

When applicable, set up a "down line" and an air cylinder with a regulator attached. Place the tank and regulator at a decompression stop depth of 15 feet. This extra tank should be turned on to ensure that it is full and that the regulator is functioning properly, but should then be turned off to prevent loss of air if the regulator should free-flow while the tank is hanging on the line. Inform all divers that the tank is off.

Whenever possible and practical, it is recommended that surface support personnel be present during deeper dives and that these individuals be divers. Their function is to assist in the preparations to dive, to keep a record of diving activities and to do any and all physical work required following the dive. The divers should keep physical exertion to a minimum because activity increases the chances of decompression sickness as do drinking alcoholic beverages and taking hot showers.

It is a good idea to check your equipment three times before entering the water for a deep dive. You should inspect it yourself after suiting up, your buddy should check it, and the surface support person should also look you over before you enter the water.

Your descent should be controlled. Descend slowly, feet first and eye-to-eye with your buddy. It is a good idea to stop about every 20 feet to recheck your gear and to test your buoyancy. If you sink with a full breath, you need to add air to your buoyancy compensator. Upon reaching the planned depth, test your buoyancy again by letting go of the down line briefly. Do not leave the descent line until your buoyancy is correct.

As the dive progresses, you should frequently reference your proximity to the ascent line, your instruments and your buddy. Always use the deeper reading of your two depth gauges in order to be more conservative. It is important that you proceed at a slow easy pace during deep dives. Always breathe continuously while on scuba. Avoid "skip Breathing," and heavy exertion. Use one third of your air supply for your descent and to navigate away from the anchorline or boat; one third of your air supply to navigate back to the anchorline or boat and begin your ascent; and one third of your air supply for your decompression stop (safety or emergency), as well as for contingency purposes.

A slow, controlled descent and a slow, easy pace on the bottom can also reduce the likelihood of nitrogen narcosis being experienced. There are numerous and various symptoms of narcosis. If you experience any strange or unusual feelings, you should immediately signal your buddy and ascend until the feelings are alleviated.

Your ascent should be made on the down line, which provides a reference, control, and a place to carry out safety decompression stops. Your ascent rate should not exceed 30 feet per minute. This rate is slower than most people realize, so your progress should be monitored by watching your depth gauge and counting slowly or comparing it to elapsed time (every 30 feet should take 60 seconds or one minute.) Beginning in 2003, NAUI began using the rule of halves during the ascent after deep dives. Other agencies quickly followed and today, deep stops are a critical part of deep diving. The rule of halves, as it is called, states that you should ascend no shallower than half of your deepest depth before completing your first safety stop (1-5 minutes). Continue your ascent to no more than half of your first safety stop depth before completing your second safety stop (1-5 minutes). You should now ascent to 15 feet to decompress for a minimum of three minutes, even if your total bottom time is well under the no-decompression limits. This is a good safety precaution.

Upon surfacing from the water after completion of your safety decompression stop(s), note the time for the start of your surface interval, signal the surface support person that you are "OK," and make your way to the exit. Always keep in mind the following dive table rules when deep diving: 1. Complete your deepest dive first (making consecutive dives shallower). 2. Allow a minimum surface interval of one hour between dives. 3. Keep repetitive dives to a maximum of three dive per day. 4. Allow 12 hours before flying for single dives, 24 hours before flying for repetitive dives, and 48 hours before flying for dives that required decompression stops. 5. Always dive conservatively.

Now you may feel as though you are ready for any kind of deep dive; however, there is much more you need to know. Contact your local diving instructor or store to sign up for a Deep Diving Specialty and increase your knowledge and skills further. (2)

Navigation

The first technique is natural navigation. You should be familiar with the use of environmental aids for references from your Open Water training. Examples include the direction of light, formations such as reefs and sand ripples (parallel to shore), depth and bottom contour, currents, surge (perpendicular to shore), and self-made references such as silt trails, rock piles, and object dragging. The keen observation of such aids can help you recognize areas you have visited previously and can serve to help in determining where you are.

There is more to natural navigation underwater, however, than merely taking note of a few environmental aids. To be most effective, also apply the following procedures: 1. Use starting references. Carefully note your point of origin after you descend and before you swim off to begin your activity. 2. Follow a preplanned general course. Natural navigation is much more effective when a general pattern is followed than when you dive at random. Example patterns are: a square, a rectangle, a triangle, or simply out-and-back. 3. Move forward by moving from aid to aid, and look back frequently. By moving from known point to known point, your progress will be more easily repeated. Pick out a distinctive object along your general heading and work your way to it. 4. Develop a desire to remember. If you want to remember natural aids, starting points, and little details to help you navigate more accurately, you can.

The second navigational techniques is good compass use. Again, you should be familiar with how a compass works, and how to set a course and follow it from your Open Water training. You now need to learn the practical application of the compass for diving. The following procedures will be helpful: 1. Have a starting heading and follow a general course. You typically do not follow the exact heading, but instead use the compass as a navigation aid in areas devoid of natural aids. 2. Navigate from point to point. Follow the same principle as with natural navigation. Take a compass bearing to an object and then move along to the object. 3. Be aware of the effects of deviation. The compass is a magnet, and is attracted to certain objects. 4. Learn to estimate distance traveled. When following a general course, maintaining a correct heading is one requirement, and estimating the distance for each leg of the course is another. Several means may be used, including time, number of kicks, air consumption, or just a "feel" for distance (the internal clock).

Calculating your kick or "pace" factor can be very helpful for measuring distance. To begin, you need a set, known distance(i.e. a line stretched out 100ft). Now kick along the line with both feet in a normal fashion, counting only one foot kick in the cycle. Remember how many kicks it takes to cover the 100ft distance. Repeat the process and average the number of kicks. For example, if you had 30 kick cycles one direction and 34 kick cycles on the return, your average number of kick cycles for 100ft is 32. This means that if you swim the same pace, everytime you kick 32 times you will have covered approximately 100ft. Sixteen kicks will represent 50ft.

As a final note it is always important to remember to compensate for currents. You will cover more distance when moving with a current than when moving against it. (2)

Night Diving

You may be wondering why anyone would want to plunge into inky black waters at night or dive when the visibility is only a few feet. When you find out why, you may become just as excited as the thousands of enthusiasts who enjoy these activities regularly.

Night diving has a special fascination and mystique, but this only supplements the real motives for descents into darkness. One attraction of night diving is the opportunity to view aquatic animals. Many of them that flee upon sight or keep their distance during daylight hours can be approached quite closely during nocturnal dives. Because much of the life under water is nocturnal, you also get to see animals that you might not encounter during daytime dives.

By using a dive light at close range, you also get to appreciate the rich, vibrant colors of the sub-aquatic world at night. With no dilution from natural lighting, the colors appear more intense than at any other time. Your narrow beam of light also focuses your attention so your awareness of detail is increased. Night diving is an excellent way to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world.

There are several additional equipment requirements for night diving. It is recommended that you and your buddy each have a large dive light as your principle sources of light and that you each have a smaller dive light as back-ups. The lights you use for diving must be designed specifically for the purpose. A light which is simply waterproof will not work well. The light must be designed to operate not only in water, but under pressure.

A stretchable lanyard should be attached to your dive light to prevent its loss. The stretchable feature is important so your hand can pull free in case the light becomes caught.

In addition to the dive lights, you will need lights for above water use. These include lights to use for dive preparations as well as surface lights to mark the entry/exit location. Lights to mark the entry/exit point can be anything from a lantern to a roadway flasher. The main idea is for them to be distinctive so they won't be readily confused with other lights in the dive area and for you to have complete control of the light.

A special type of light is also recommended for night dives: the chemical glow tube light. A glow tube is attached to each diver "usually on or near the tank valve" and is activated by bending the outer plastic tube until the glass tube inside breaks. Glow tubes make it easy to spot divers in and under the water and their use is recommended on all night dives.

Other necessary equipment includes items which are hopefully part of your regular gear. These items include a sharp dive knife, heavy gloves, a diving compass and a whistle for surface signaling. A low pressure inflator, which allows buoyancy to be controlled with just one hand, is also desirable since one of your hands will be occupied with a dive light.

The best shore diving areas are those where reefs are offshore from a smooth, unobstructed entry area. Diving in familiar areas is recommended. Even then, it is a good idea to dive the known area the same day prior to a night dive to evaluate the conditions and to refamiliarize yourself with the site.

The planning for a night dive is even more important than for regular dives. Be sure to give attention to all aspects of your "DIVE PLAN" or "SEABAG." Make sure your lights have fresh batteries or a full charge.

When preparing to dive, be sure to review signals with your buddy. Standard hand signals can be used, but note that they must be given in front of a light in order to be visible to other divers. Light signals can also be used. A large "O" formed by moving the light in a slow circle is the long distance "OK" signal. Rapid wiggling of the light from side to side is often used to signal "attention" or "look Here." Distress is signaled by moving the light up and down in long, exaggerated sweeps. These light signals are useful both at the surface and underwater.

Additional procedures include the following. Buddy coordination is helpful. Discuss and agree on the general course to be followed. Prior to your dive, lights should be set up to help you identify the exit point. Only lights which are fixed and can be relied upon to remain on until after diving operations should be used. And, when entering the water to begin your night dive, turn your light on and leave it on. This will make it much easier to find if it should be dropped while you make last minute preparations at the surface.

Once submerged and on your way, the following procedures and precautions become important: 1. Keep excursions short. Enjoy a small, limited area. 2. Monitor your air supply, direction, and buddy more frequently than usual (time is least important). 3. If separated from your buddy, remain stationary and turn slowly in a circle while looking for your buddy's light or glow stick. 4. Be sure to keep your light beam out of the eyes of other divers. 5. If your light becomes inoperative, switch to your back-up light and abort the dive as you no longer have a backup light. 6. Control your anxiety. It is common to be apprehensive during a night dive.

As a final note, all your equipment should be kept in place until you are clear of the water after a dive. This will help prevent the loss of gear. Your opportunities to dive can be increased if you can dive safely and competently at night. After finding out what these activities are like, you will probably want to develop your abilities further so you can take advantage of opportunities which may arise. Ask your instructor about a Night Diving specialty course. (2)

Fish Identification

Have you ever wondered what the name of the fish you were looking at on your last dive is? Most divers have at one time or another. Still, even today, after hundreds of dives, I often find fish and ask myself, “What is the name of that fish?” The fish identification class is designed not to necessarily give you the name of every fish you see, but to give you identification features that will allow you to better identify those fish you see when you return to shore and have access to identification materials like books, charts, and the internet.

The first identifying feature that should be observed on an unknown fish is its body shape. There are three primary body shapes: football shape, round, and tear drop. Fish that have the football shape have pointed heads and pointed tails with a rounder, taller body. These fish can be either thick or thin, but tend to be thin from left to right. Grunts have this body type as do most snapper. Fish that have round bodies tend to be thin from left to right with their sides being round or shaped like a dinner plate. Angel fish are a good example of round body types. Fish that poses a tear drop shape have a larger head that tapers back to a thinner tail fin. These fish tend to be thicker from left to right than the previously described fish. Stone fish and cat fish are characteristic of this body type. A final possibility for body shape is to have a body that is long and thin. Two classic examples of this are eels and barracuda.

The next identifying characteristic is to consider whether or not the fish has stripes, bars or nothing. Stripes are colored scales that run the length of the fish. Yellow snapper for instance often have a yellow stripe that runs along both their dorsal (back) and ventral (belly) sides. Bars on the other hand, run vertically. Gray Bar Grunts for instance have gray bars that run vertically over their yellowish scales. The familiar Sergeant Major Fish have five characteristic bars that run over their yellow or blue (depending on the season) scaled bodies. Some fish like Barracuda, have no markings on their scales. This too is an important feature to recognize. Noting whether or not a fish has stripes, bars or nothing makes identification much easier.

The third characteristic that should be noted when completing fish identification is color. The problem with using color underwater is that colored light is not always available and therefore colors can be misleading. The fact is that the deeper you dive, the worst the problem gets. The way to rectify the problem is to bring a dive light with you and reintroduce the colors underwater. This is the function of strobes and flashes on cameras. At any rate, make note of the fish’s general color and the color of any stripes or bars. Additionally, this is a good time to make a note of any special or interesting characteristics. Some fish have eye spots. These are dark colored circles usually found on the posterior or tail end of the fish that are designed to trick predators into thinking that the spots are their eyes. This allows for quick flight should the wood-be predator attack.

The best way to remember the characteristics of the fish you are trying to identify is to record your information on a slate. Start by drawing a rough sketch of the shape of the fish and then add either stripes or bars if the fish has them. Next make a note of the colors that you are observing and any interesting or distinguishing features. It would also be a good idea to make a note of whether or not you saw the fish at the bottom or in the water column, as well as whether or not the fish were singles/doubles or in schools. These additional characteristics aid in the identification process, as some reference materials specifically indicate these habits.

Fish identification can be another exciting way to enjoy the underwater world. In fact, in some areas, fish identification is used to indicate the health of the reef or marine environment and fish counts are often conducted to gather baseline data for future comparisons. Ask your instructor or your local dive facility if and how the data that is collected during this course is being used. The answer may surprise you.

Lesson for Life by Michael Ange

TOO FAST TO LIVE, TOO YOUNG TO DIE. Thrill-seeking divers push the bounds of training and common sense with disatrous results.

MARK STRUGGLED UPWARD kicking hard; his only goal to reach the warm tropical sunshine far above. His mind flashed to the simplicity of the plan. What had gone wrong? Through blurred vision, he glanced at his gauges, seeing his computer's depth readout flash through 300 feet and his SPG needle fall into the red zone below 500 psi. If he could reach the wall, maybe he could stop his descent. That was his final thought as he inhaled against a dead regulator and darkness closed in.

THE DIVERS
Mark and Will were both in their early twenties. Self-confessed adrenaline junkies known for pushing the limits of adventure sports, they had recently been certified as Advanced Open Water divers. Mark and Will were eager to try deep diving, but before seeking training, they set off on a week long dive trip to the tropics.

Over margaritas one night, Mark listened to a team of tech divers discussing their dive to a wreck hanging on the edge of a deep wall at 200 feet. Mark immediately decided if those guys could do it, so could he. At the bar, he sketched out a plan to do a quick bounce dive on the wreck the following day. After a little arm-twisting, Will agreed to join Mark in his plan.

THE DIVE
They quickly discovered that none of the island's responsible dive operators would take them out on such a foolish stunt. Undeterred, the divers rented a boat and hired Bill and Sarah, vacationing college students who agreed to skipper the boat.

At the approximate location of the wreck, the boat's depth finder confirmed the edge of the wall and a depth of thousands of feet on the seaward side. Mark and Will suitedup in tropical BCs, rental regulators and single aluminum 80-cubic-foot tanks. The divers quickly reviewed their dive plan.

Mark figured the wreck would be easy to locate. In order to get down quickly, they would dump all of the air out of their BCs and wear extra weight. The pair would stop their descent with their power inflators. It would be a quick bounce dive. If either diver reached 1500 psi or the bottom time exceeded six minutes, they would ascent immediately.

THE ACCIDENT
Mark and Will stepped off the swim platform and immediately began their descent. Dropping rapidly, the divers swam to within an arm's reach of the wall, scanning for the wreck and letting negative buoyancy carry them deeper.

Though he was descending more slowly than Mark, Will's dive computer couldn't keep up with the descent. Later, Will recalled that at 150 feet, he felt "short of breath" and "disconnected from my body."

The rapid descent had brought on a serious bout of nitrogen narcosis. His body was unable to acclimate to the increasing pressure and the growing load of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in his tissue. Making matters worse, is rental regulator was not designed for extreme depths and was struggling to deliver sufficient air. Will was bordering on panic. He was "over breathing" his regulator, demanding more air, and at a faster rate, than it was capable of providing.

Scared and confused, Will reached out to grab a passing coral head, cutting his had but stopping his descent at 156 feet. He turned to signal Mark to abort the dive, only to find his buddy much deeper, still rapidly descending.

Will faced several moments of indecision, complicated by narcosis. Before he could do anything to save himself or Mark, he needed to establish neutral buoyancy. Will fumbled for the inflator button on his BC and squeezed hard.

Meanwhile, Mark sailed downward, searching for the outline of the wreck. He was soon past 200 feet, and the wreck was nowhere in sight. Realizing the dive was rapidly spinning out of control, he reached for his power inflator, but at his depth and rate of descent it was a losing battle. Mark's BC now required seven times as much air to inflate as it would on the surface, and the inflator simply couldn't keep pace with his rapid descent.

Panicked, Mark began to kick hard toward the surface, but strenuous exertion only added to the debilitating effects of narcosis and carbon dioxide buildup. It's likely that Mark suffered deep water blackout and drowned.

Having arrested his descent by clinging to the wall, Will was able to inflate his BC. As he rapidly ascended, the fog of narcosis began to lift, and Will regained the presence of mind to slow his ascent at around 70 feet. He had enough air to complete a short safety stop at 15 feet, but surfaced with is computer showing a decompression violation.

In spite of his rapid ascent and omitted decompression, Will was lucky. He suffered no notable symptoms of decompression sickness. Mark's body was never found.

LESSONS FOR LIFE
1. DEEP DIVING requires proper training, planning, topside support and gear. Divers need a larger gas supply, high-performance regulators and high-capacity BCs.
2. EXTRA WEIGHT is dangerous on a deep dive. The compression of wetsuits and BC compounds negative buoyancy. At about 200 feet, negative buoyancy is self-propagating.
3. RAPID DESCENTS aggravate nitrogen narcosis. The maximum safe descent rate is 75 feet per minute. Pauses allow the body to compensate for the increasing pressure. (3)

REFERENCES
1. National Association of Underwater Instructors. 1991. "Advanced Diving Technology and Techniques." USA: National Association of Underwater Instructors.

2. National Association of Underwater Instructors. 1992. "The NAUI Textbook II." USA: National Association of Underwater Instructors.

3. Ange, Michael. July 2003. "Lesson For Life." Rodales' Scuba Diving 2003.