Punditry

Scuba training has come a long way since its early days. Simon Pridmore takes an entertaining look back at what was required of students just a few decades ago.

Recreational diving as a sport today is in a better state than commonly thought just two decades ago. Simon Pridmore takes a closer look and offers insights into the positive developments in diving.

In part one of this series, which appeared in issue #103, I suggested a few commandments to consider in order to ensure, as far as possible, that your technical dives are safe and successful. These were: First commandment: Prepare paperwork; Second commandment: Nominate a supervisor; Third commandment: Deploy safety divers. In this sequel, I deliver a few more tablets of stone.

When divers face unforeseen conditions, the actions they and the dive crew take at the surface can significantly impact the outcome. Simon Pridmore shares his personal experience and insights on handling challenges on a dive.

What happens when confusion hits a group of divers during a dive trip? Simon Pridmore takes a closer look and offers insights and advice to keep you diving safely.

There are times when conditions on a dive may become challenging, and divers must decide whether to abort the dive. Simon Pridmore offers insights and advice on how to handle such situations and how to abort dives in a safe way.

Smartwatch dive computers are here. Are we on the cusp of a safety revolution? And are we prepared for the changes that this revolution may bring? Simon Pridmore takes a closer look.

Mike Ange discuss methods of building a safer and more comfortable diver at the more advanced levels by preventing the diver from anticipating issues before they occur. While this may sound contradictory to the earlier articles in this series, in reality, it is taking those skills to the next level.

Today, technical diving is well into its fourth decade. We now have better tools, technology and systems than we did in the past and we know far more about which methods, decompression strategies and gear configurations work well and which do not.

It was seven in the morning and my coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. The dive guide was giving me a slightly more thorough dive briefing than normal. I wasn’t supposed to wear anything colorful or shiny, and black gloves and a hood were required. Also covered in black neoprene, he was putting on chainmail gloves and told me he’d have a pole with him. He said it was more for the potato cods though, not the sharks.