Scuba Doug

Had a Great set of dives at Ginnie Springs teaching SDI Recreational Sidemount To Keenan Madden.

He is not the one second from the left...

Congratulations to Mark for becoming SDI's newest sidemount diver. Great set of certification dives and then some fun dives the next day.

Congratulations to Jeremiah Madden for becoming SDI's newest Recreational sidemount diver! Now go have some fun!

Congratulations to Manny for becoming SDI's newest Recreational Sidemount diver. You did great!

Hhmmm...

SO easy - only three cuts and piece it together like ladders. If I could make this longer I would slow it down and walk you through each step but I know you all are busy bees. Now I had to build two because I have a million kids and my wife decorates our home with bins and bins full of holiday decorations, quilts and all the dress-up and childrens books we need. I wouldn’t have it any other way because they bring the magic to my life. How to build your own bin storage racks. Love, Dad

Training at Devil's Den in Williston yesterday and Blue Grotto today. I love this gig.

Did a thing with Jeff Boles and Ocala Dive at the Den. 2 newbies getting their first taste of our beloved sport.

Come dive with us!

Good info for scuba diving students...

DAN insurance offers free insurance for entry level students. (See pg. 9 of this quarter's Alert Diver magazine)

https://dan.org/professional-programs/dive-businesses/student-membership-program/

This can happen to all of us... pay attention to the signs and don't be the cool kid that does not want to report that something is off!

Q: I had difficulty breathing during a dive and was in respiratory distress when I got back on the boat. I was later diagnosed with immersion pulmonary edema (IPE). How can I prevent IPE from happening again?

A: Pulmonary edema is believed to be a manifestation of relative pulmonary capillary hypertension, which means there is increased pressure in the capillaries relative to the pressure in the alveoli. This condition causes fluid to leak from the capillaries into the alveoli, where gas exchange occurs, and inhibits your body from necessary gas exchange, causing you to feel like you’re drowning.

Immersion in water causes a fluid shift from the extremities to the core circulation. Normal physiology can deal with reasonable volume shifts, but factors may arise that prevent the system from handling the additional fluid as needed and can cause pulmonary edema. These factors, for example, can be issues involving the heart chambers, valves, hypertension, pulmonary conditions, overhydration, constrictive gear, negative airway pressures (e.g., from a poorly tuned regulator), or excessive effort. Several of these factors are usually present to cause IPE.

Immersion in water always comes with some risk, but we can help mitigate these risks by hydrating appropriately (but not too much), ensuring gear fits well and is serviced, getting regular checkups, and having fitness-to-dive examinations prior to diving when your health status changes.

— Leandra Lynn, NREMT