Families of 34 killed in liveaboard disaster sue US Coast Guard
Family members of the 34 people killed in a fire aboard a scuba diving boat off the California coast two years ago have sued the U.S. Coast Guard for lax enforcement of safety regulations that they say doomed the passengers, Associated Press reports.
New Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary established by NOAA
At the time of its designation in 2021, the sanctuary included 36 known shipwrecks dating from the 1830s to the 1930s, including Wisconsin's two oldest known shipwrecks, the schooners Gallinipper, which was constructed in 1833 and sank in 1851, and Home, which was built in 1843 and sank in 1858.
DAN to host COVID and Environmental Considerations Webinar
The live event is scheduled for 07.00 AEST, 17.00 EST, 22.00 BST, 23.00 CET.
It is important that divers understand the important role that cleaning and disinfecting dive gear plays in minimising the spread of illnesses, including COVID-19
WDHOF announces new Simone Melchior Cousteau Grant
The North American-based, not-for-profit professional honour society advised that the grant was made possible, thanks to a US$5,000 donation from the Netherlands fashion brand 'Scotch & Soda'.
Scotch & Soda
Scotch & Soda states "we give the same love and attention to the sustainable production of our garments, as we do to their design."
We strive to make issues surrounding the environment, animal welfare and safe working conditions a priority. Scotch & Soda
Masks are now mandated on US vessels
Operators are required to use best efforts to make sure that any person on the vessel wears a mask when getting on, getting off and during travel. Best efforts include:
DEMA announces the 2021 Board of Directors
The following individuals will serve three terms.
A1: Manufacturing
Jenna Meistrell, Body Glove (elected 2021)
A2: Diver Certification and Training Agencies
Tom Leaird, SEI Scuba
Jeff Mondle, PADI Americas (elected 2021)
A3: Dive Publishing, Media, Consulting and Non-Retail Service Providers
William Cline, Cline Group Advertising
Dan Orr, Dan Orr Consulting (elected 2021)
A4: Retailers
Two more dive shows postponed
On Friday 29 Jan and only a few hours apart, we received similar updates from the organisers of the New Jersey-based Beneath the Seas dive show and the Swedish Dive Show, Dykmässen, which in recent years have been taken place in Gothenburg in the Swedish West coast. Both announced that they will be postponing their respective events until next year due to the restrictions being imposed because of the pandemic.
Beneath the Seas writes:
Press Release
Next TEKDiveUSA event put on hold
Message from the organisers:
TEKDiveUSA has been monitoring the evolving situation on coronavirus both in the U.S. and around the globe. Due to the public health emergency, we are currently facing, we believe that it is not possible to move forward with TEKDiveUSA.2020 as planned.
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Fish thrive on WWII shipwrecks
In 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) undertook a closer examination of the wrecks of the German U-boat U-576 and the Nicaraguan freighter SS Bluefields, using glass-domed submersibles. The two historically significant and deep (200m) shipwrecks sank near one another on the continental shelf of North Carolina, USA, during World War II.
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Last Year’s Deadly Fire Accident Aboard The Conception Dive Boat Has Consequences For All
In September 2019, off the coast of California, a fire aboard the MV Conception, a 23-meter (75-foot) scuba diving liveaboard, broke out during the night, killing 33 passengers and one crew member. The captain and four crew members barely escaped. After more than a year of speculations and rumors, the NTSB (the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board) published the results of its investigation and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a new policy on a few topics, including the charging of lithium-ion batteries aboard small vessels and liveaboards.