Safety

Two divers spent nearly two days drifting in the Gulf of Mexico after being swept away by currents before they were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Divers Rescued After Drifting 36 Hours at Sea

A couple from Texas recently endured a terrifying 36-hour ordeal at sea after being swept away by strong currents while scuba diving in the Gulf of Mexico. Their dramatic rescue highlights both the perils of diving in unpredictable waters and the critical need for effective safety protocols.

Navy Experimental Diving Unit
Navy Reserve Navy Diver Seaman Jesse Kole, assigned to Naval Experimental Diving Unit, does an inspection dive of the interior of the wreck of the former Russian submarine Juliett 484.

US Navy is working on dive suit that prevents decompression

The Navy Experimental Diving Unit tested the Deep Sea Expeditionary with No Decompression (DSEND) Suit underwater last February.

The Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) used by the Navy at the moment is cumbersome, unmaneuverable, and requires relatively large sea craft for deployment. With this new project, it will be improved in a number of ways, including the rotary joint design that it now uses.

RescueX

How do you lift a heavy injured diver out of the water? With RescueX—a light stretcher that also stabilizes the injured.

RescueX was developed by some professional American firefighters (who were also divers) who realized the boards, which lifeguards on beaches were equipped with, were not well-suited for rescuing divers.

Personal Safety at Sea: Communicating with the Dive Boat

The Iridium Extreme lets one send an SMS text message, at set time intervals, with exact location coordinates to anyone, from anywhere on the planet. Photo courtesy of the manufacturer.

One of the things close to everyone’s thoughts is diver safety. We spend good money on quality dive gear and prudently have it frequently serviced and maintained, as this equipment will be sustaining our lives while underwater. But what about when we are on the surface? Just how many of us really do think about getting lost at sea?