Tag Archive: Diving
The following commentary was first published as a post on the Scubaboard internet discussion forum. I felt that it provided a very beneficial perspective on the positive and negative aspects of sidemount configuration; particularly in comparison with back-mounted alternatives. It’s a useful read for those divers, of all levels and backgrounds, who are considering their [...]
Diving the Showa L2D ‘Tabby’ Wreck – Subic Bay, Philippines This week I took several newly graduated technical divers onto an unidentified aircraft wreck in Subic Bay. Within a short time of descending on the first dive, it seemed very likely that the wreck was some variant of a C-47 Skytrain (DC-3 Dakota). The wreck lies [...]
Tec Sidemount Course Open Water Dive One Video Congratulations to Marcus Sulander for completing his Tec Sidemount course in February 2013. This video shows the first open water training dive of the course, Marcus completed a total of 2 confined water sessions and 5 open-water dives, using 2-4 cylinders and simulated decompression. Tec Sidemount courses [...]
DIY Sidemount Wreck Diving Helmet I noticed, with some surprise, the high cost of cave sidemount wreck diving helmets currently being sold on the scuba market. Light Monkey sell an excellent diving helmet, but the cost (certainly here in the Philippines) was prohibitive for me. I promote a policy of frugal investment on rugged and reliable dive [...]
Sidemount Wreck Workshop 5-11 January 2013 Overview: 3 Day Sidemount Familiarization plus 3 Day sidemount-specific wreck penetration orientation. The Sidemount Wreck workshop provides comprehensive familiarization in 2-cylinder sidemount diving configuration and techniques, followed by basic wreck penetration training. Sidemount topics: Equipment configuration and personalization, overhead environment considerations, gas management and planning, fundamental scuba skills development; [...]
The Evolution of Sidemount Diving Continues. By Jeff Loflin For those of you who are unfamiliar with the sidemount gear configuration, it is simply moving your backmounted gas cylinders to the side of your body. The basic safety advantages of having your cylinders mounted on the side is that all of the gauges, hoses and leak points are always in the [...]
How To Evaluate A Wreck Diving Course by Andy Davis, PADI/TecRec/ANDI Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor In this article I will be looking at what differentiates basic wreck diving courses – the good, the bad and the ugly. In particular, I want to examine specific wreck penetration issues, so that the reader may find some guidance [...]
PADI Sidemount Diver Course – Promo Teaser Video Sidemount Diving is a ground-breaking new approach for streamlined, convenient & safe diving, at both recreational and technical levels. It is time that you learned more about the fastest-growing revolution in scuba diving… Sidemount training provides a structured approach for recreational and technical divers who wish [...]
Scuba Diving Skills – How to Judge Your Ascent Rate Without a Dive Computer Novice divers often express frustration about how to best conduct safe and controlled ascents from their scuba dives. In particular, I see many new divers questioning the best technique for judging their ascent speed. The common use of dive computers [...]
Technical versus Recreational Scuba Diving: Why is there a need for Rules, Boundaries and Limitations? There is currently a strong debate about the need to differentiate between recreational and technical scuba diving. Some people believe that ‘diving is diving’ and question the need to draw a distinct boundary between recreational and technical diving pursuits. In [...]
An abridged version of this deep stops article was originally in DeepTech, 5:64; and the full version subsequently published in Cave Diving Group Newsletter, 121:2-5. The Importance of Deep Stops: Rethinking Ascent Patterns From Decompression Dives by Richard L. Pyle Before I begin, let’s make something perfectly clear: I am a fish-nerd (i.e., an ichthyologist). [...]
Landing Ship Tank (LST) Video – Subic Bay A nice video taken on the Landing Ship Tank, by a friend Mathew Payne when he was visiting and diving in Subic Bay. Landing Ship, Tank (LST) was the military designation for naval vessels designed during World War II to support amphibious and landing operations. They were [...]
Following the start of an artificial reef construction program at Arizona Resort Dive Center, coupled with a nice long spell of dry weather, we enjoyed a few days of staff diving with a camera on the wrecks, reefs and muck diving sites of Subic Bay. Here’s a selection of the results, photos taken courtesy of pro-photographer [...]
Silt Out – Wreck Danger! This video, filmed by myself in Subic Bay, graphically shows the danger of silt out to wreck divers conducting penetration dives. What looks like a nice safe and benign compartment, with plenty of light and an obvious exit (well within recreational wreck diving limits) turns into a potential death [...]
Ten Tips to Attain a Better Horizontal Hover – Scuba Diving Techniques by Andy Davis, Scuba Tech Philippines Scuba diving techniques to improve your comfort and capability underwater. In this article, I list ten simple techniques that will allow you to develop a better horizontal hover whilst scuba diving. 1. Get Your Weighting Right Fine-tune & [...]
Sidemount Diving Technical Wreck in Subic Bay, Philippines. Just a few pics from today’s dives on the wrecks in Subic.. Diver: Andy Davis, tec instructor, Scuba Tech Philippines Photos courtesy of Jun Lao, PaparazSea Images. Diving Logistics: Arizona Dive Center For details about my specialist wreck diving courses, please see: [...]
Dive Philippines ! This video was shot and produced by ‘Yaggit Diver’ and truly showcases the amazing marine biodiversity and spectacular scuba diving available in the heart of the ‘coral triangle’.
Technical Diving Skills – Valve Shutdown Drill Explained This article, posted at Dive DIR, provides a very clear explanation of valve shutdown drills for isolated manifold doubles/twinset cylinders. Great reading, if you are thinking about technical diving or just doing recreational scuba dives with doubles cylinders. http://www.divedir.com/Drills-and-Skills/vdrillexplained.html A sample: Tuesday, 02 November 2010 17:39 This [...]
Technical Diving Skills – Reaching Your Valves This article, posted at DiveDIR, gives great advice on how to reach your valves when conducting valve shutdown procedures. It’s the most comprehensive analysis of this key skill attribute that I’ve read to date. They call it the ‘ultimate guide’… it really is! Direct Link: http://www.divedir.com/Drills-and-Skills/valve-drills-the-ultimate-guide.html Sample: Reaching Your [...]
Decompression Theory – Links and Resources Here is my selection of educational articles and resources for further reading on scuba diving decompression theory… - Bubble Decompression Strategies by Eric Maiken - VPM Decompression Site by Eric Maiken - Confessions of a Mortal Diver by Richard Pyle - The Importance of Deep Stops by Richard Pyle - Half-Times Explained by Mark Powell - Deco Lessons by Erik Baker (pdf) [...]
Scuba Equipment Guide: How to critically evaluate and purchase the perfect Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) for your needs! Shopping for a scuba buoyancy control device (BCD) is like completing a jigsaw. There is a huge variety of products and options available for the diver to chose from. The diver needs certain functions, but may also want certain [...]
PADI Wreck Diver Course – Video Diary The video below illustrates the 4 training dives that comprise the PADI Wreck Diver course. The course featured was run by Andy Davis, in Subic Bay, during the 13-14th November 2012. Congratulations to Tim Chambers and Trevor Horrigan who worked very hard during the PADI Wreck Diver course [...]
Cone Shell Hunting Video Some footage of a hunting Cone Snail (Conus Sp.) taken in Subic Bay, Philippines. Cone snails are a type of predatory sea snail of the species Conus. Conus species have shells that are shaped more or less like geometric cones. Most sub-species have colourful patterns on the shell surface. Conus snails are all venomous and should be handled [...]
Scuba Cylinder Specifications for Buoyancy and Weighting Calculations When scuba divers calculate their buoyancy with an aluminum cylinder, it is essential for them to know the relative buoyancy characteristics of their chosen cylinder – at full pressure capacity and also at their minimum reserve (500psi). The following tables provide buoyancy information on the common Luxfer [...]
Confessions of a Mortal Diver – Learning the Hard Way (Decompression Sickness, Treatment and Recovery) by Richard L. Pyle (deepreef@bishop.bishop.hawaii.org) ScubaTechPhilippines note: I’ve posted this article as it represents a serious lesson and learning text for technical divers. It was originally posted via a washington.edu website, but sadly that location hasn’t remained online. The true story, [...]
Scuba Diving Resources – How To Scuba Dive I hope you enjoy my comprehensive list of the best ‘how to’ scuba diving articles and tips on the web. If you have any suggestions, please feel welcome to contact me for addition. - Gas Management for Scuba Divers - Rock Bottom Gas Management Calculator - Air Consumption (SAC / [...]
Using Your Hands Whilst Scuba Diving Many novice divers wish to improve their air consumption during dives and increase their relaxation and fluidity underwater. A major obstacle to these goals is using your hands for control and/or propulsion I think that most novice divers have an instinctive tendancy to try and ‘swim’ underwater. Who can [...]
VIDEO – DIVING THE LST SUBIC BAY WRECKS This video, by Mathew Payne, is one of the nicer insights into the LST wreck available on Youtube. One of the premier Subic Bay wrecks, the Landing Ship Tank (LST) is a phenomenal dive for those with experience to dive safely below 30m/100ft. Following the end [...]
More Muck Diving Critter Photos from last week in Subic Bay Another installment of photos showing the huge diversity of macro critters we spotted on last week muck diving extravganza in Subic Bay. See the first batch of superb macro photography here: Muck Diving Subic Bay Diving a previously unknown, un-publicized site – we were treated to a [...]
Scuba Diving Tips: Choosing and Using A Redundant Air Source by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Instructor Pony cylinders are a popular choice amongst divers who seek a redundant form of air supply as a contingency for Out-Of-Air (OOA) emergencies when scuba diving. There is a lot of debate about when, or [...]
Wreck Diving Subic Bay Some snaps from this week’s wreck diving Subic Bay, Philippines. May is a perfect time to visit Subic Bay – the weather is hot, the skies are clear and the water calm and blue. The Bay is sheltered from rough weather and all of the wrecks are within 20 minutes travel [...]
Hazardous Marine Life – The ‘Demon Stinger’. (Inimicus Sp.) Inimicus is a genus of venomous fishes, closely related to the true stonefishes. These benthic fishes are found on sandy or siltysubstrates of lagoon and seaward reefs, in coastal regions of tropical oceans. They are collectively known by various common names, including Bearded Ghoul, Sea Goblin, Spiny Devilfish, Devil Stinger, Indian Walkman and Stingfish. Lifestyle and peculiar habits Demon Stinger is an ambush predators. They are nocturnal and [...]
Core Overhead Environment Diving Skills A collection of video tutorials from the web – depicting key skills for overhead environment diving in wrecks and caves. For information only. Please get properly trained before attempting to enter shipwrecks! I will update this blog entry with more videos and features as I find them… if you have [...]
When Some Scuba courses are more Equal than Others There’s some big discrepancies in course pricing for seemingly ‘identical’ scuba courses. Cheaper courses, that result in the same certification and adhere to the same minimum agency standards should all be equal…. shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t a prospective student simply shop around for the cheapest deal [...]
TecRec Technical Diving Log Book Page Insert Click on the link below to open a PDF copy of the TecRec log-book insert. Save and print… hey presto!…. you can now log your technical dives! TecRec Technical Diving Log Book Insert
ANDI Ascent & Descent Procedures – Open Circuit Diving During all ANDI training courses, students are taught to follow a set system of procedures for ascent and descent. These procedures include a number of stops, to enable team cohesion, increase safety and conservative off-gassing. You don’t need to be an ANDI trained diver to appreciate [...]
Stress Management in Scuba Training – What can be done about the Panic Reaction? I’m not a psychologist, but I have noticed some trends when it comes to diver reaction to scuba diving incident stress, and how those trends can be, to a greater or lesser degree, influenced by the effectiveness of scuba training. The [...]
Scuba Diving First Aid – Marine Life Injuries This is an excellent first-aid resource for scuba divers. It’s so nice to see some detailed information available on the internet for the benefit of divers. The article deals with a wide range of common, and less common, marine life injuries that are risks to scuba divers. [...]
Sidemount Technical Wreck – Teaser Video A short (4 minute) HQ video showing highlights of the sidemount technical wreck exploration and training dives in Subic Bay, Philippines. ANDI, PADI and skills clinic training and videography by Andy Davis (PADI MSDT 634077) and Bruce Konefe (ANDI I.T.D. #15). Dives filmed on (in): the USS New York, [...]
QUESTION: I am a recreational diver and I dive mostly with my husband. Our relationship issues (bickering) caused me stress. Is this a factor I should consider when scuba diving? I know of at least one diving fatality that could otherwise have been avoided if intra-relationship dispute and/or the associated stress wasn’t a factor. It’s [...]
Advanced Recreational Wreck Diving, Subic Bay, Philippines Going beyond a standard ‘Wreck Diver’ course and exploring the full range of training and equipment available to recreational divers who seek to dive safely and confidently in a wreck environment. This video was taken during an ‘Advanced Recreational Wreck’ workshop in Subic Bay, over 4 days [...]
The Physics of Diving – Scuba Gas Laws A concise explanation of the critical scuba gas laws for divers by Andy Davis PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Instructor Scuba diving is all about getting gas into your body while you are underwater. What complicates scuba diving is the way gasses behaves at depth, under [...]
OXYGEN EXPOSURE MANAGEMENT by Richard D. Vann Oxygen metabolism is the primary energy source in higher life forms, but when oxygen enters the metabolic process prematurely, reactive oxygen species can form which interfere with normal function and cause convulsions or other symptoms of oxygen toxicity. Immersion, exercise, and inspired carbon dioxide increase susceptibility to oxygen [...]
DECOMPRESSION SOFTWARE FOR TECHNICAL DIVING Technical diving courses are typically taught using laptop decompression software. These permit the technical diver to develop a unique and specific dive plan, plus contingencies, for the actual dives they will carry out. The ‘schedule’ for that plan will typically be printed, or transcribed, onto slates, wetnotes or laminated paper [...]
Tec45 Sidemount Course – F4 Phantom (45m) Check-Out Dive By Andy Davis, PADI and ANDI technical and sidemount course instructor In June 2012, I ran a PADI Sidemount Course in combination with the TecRec Tec40/Tec45 program, based out of Subic Bay, Philippines. These are photos from the graduation dive – conducted on the Vietnam-era F4 Phantom supersonic fighter-bomber. [...]
Review of Scuba Tech Philippines ‘Sidemount Diver’ Course A kind review of my PADI Sidemount Diver course, courtesy of Camille Lemmens, PADI Course Director. Was really great to finally meet Camille in person, as we’ve been online friends for a long time and have many mutual friends. Camille teaches PADI Instructor Development Courses across Asia [...]
Sidemount Diving Video – The Force of Sidemount I hope you enjoy this sidemount diving video, just put together with some footage from technical wreck dives in Subic Bay earlier this year…. For more information about basic and advanced/technical sidemount courses in the Philippines, please visit the Sidemount Overview Sidemount Diving is a ground-breaking new [...]
Sidemount Diving Course Notes By Andy Davis, ANDI & PADI Sidemount / Tec Sidemount Diving Instructor See also ‘Sidemount Course Powerpoint Presentation‘ See what courses I have to offer – Andy Davis Sidemount Training, Subic Bay 1. What is, and isn’t, Sidemount Diving? Sidemount Diving Sidemount diving is the, now increasingly formalized, approach towards conducting [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass Series #1 STREAMLINED SCUBA EQUIPMENT by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Streamlined scuba equipment is a critical factor in making overall improvements to your comfort and control in the water. Scuba divers should consider streamlined scuba kit to be a high priority when purchasing and configuring [...]
I’m helping to arrange an ANDI Trimix course for later in October. The instructor is very highly regarded (cave pioneer) and will have time to run a Trimix course during a stop-over in Subic Bay. This would be a world-class training opportunity, with a well respected agency and premier league instructor. Prerequisites are: Extended Range [...]
Some truly memorable footage by Dave Allen, at Electric Blue Media, used for presentations at US scuba shows… Philippines Scuba HD Videos – Threshers Sharks at Malapascua – Part #2: Macro critters and other marine life…
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass Series #8 THE BALANCED RIG by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor When considering the configuration of their scuba equipment for precision buoyancy and weighting, scuba divers should pay heed to the safety issues arising from having non-ditchable weight. To mitigate those potential problems, it is worthwhile [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass #7 ASCENT, DESCENT & BOTTOM PHASE by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Scuba buoyancy plays an important role within all the phases of a scuba dive. In this article, we look in detail at particular elements of a scuba dive, with an emphasis on the impact [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass #6 SCUBA BUOYANCY AND BREATHING by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Breathing plays a critical role in scuba buoyancy control. As we breath, the inflation and deflation of our lungs is continually affecting our buoyancy, but providing the breathing remains steady, slow and controlled it is [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass #5 PRECISION TRIM & POSITION CONTROL by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Whenever we use our fins for propulsion in the water, we create directional thrust. If our body is not horizontally trimmed (‘flat’) in the water, then we will be accidentally directing that thrust at [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass Series #4 PERFECT SCUBA WEIGHTING by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Divers seeking perfected scuba buoyancy can achieve precise and correct weighting through the application of several assessment methods. As the diver progresses in experience, whenever they change equipment or whenever they change diving environments (salt/fresh [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass ACHIEVING GREAT SCUBA BUOYANCY CONTROL by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Scuba buoyancy control is determined by a number of different factors, such as breathing control, BCD/Drysuit inflation/deflation, weighting, trim and propulsion. As we know from our initial scuba training courses, our relative buoyancy underwater is [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass Series #2 PRECISION BUOYANCY CONTROL BENEFITS by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Let’s have a look at 7 specific reasons why effective scuba buoyancy control is critical to the scuba diver: Environmental Considerations The underwater world is a fragile environment and unintended contact from a diver [...]
ADVANCED WRECK DIVING – COURSE NOTES by Andy Davis, PADI / ANDI Technical Wreck Instructor Disclaimer: These notes accompany a professionally supervised advanced wreck diving workshop, aimed at developing specialist skills for qualified wreck divers. This information is not a substitute for gaining proper experience under qualified direction. Wreck penetration is a very hazardous [...]
Scuba Gas Management – Course Notes by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor How To Improve Your Scuba Diving Safety Through Scuba Gas Management & Advanced Dive Planning. Surface Air Consumption Surface Air Consumption (SAC) is a useful measurement of air consumption at surface pressure, which enables the diver to [...]
Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass Series #1 Scuba Buoyancy Control for Divers by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor Effective scuba buoyancy control is, without doubt, the most important attribute that a diver needs to develop. Control of your buoyancy has a direct impact upon air consumption, comfort, relaxation and the control [...]
