In 1977, two Boeing 747s were on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife. The plane from KLM was lined up, ready to take off, while the plane from Pan-Am was taxiing down the runway towards the first, to exit, turn around and await the former’s departure. However, there was thick fog, and neither crew could see each other.

The great advantage of this unique postgraduate program, compared to others worldwide, is the practical training students receive in underwater archaeology. Students have the opportunity to obtain an internationally-recognized commercial diving qualification at very low cost. The dive center of the Maritime Archaeology Program is approved by the Danish Maritime Authority, and it can issue the Danish commercial scuba diver certificate.

There is much controversy on this subject, and as my disclaimer, these are my personal thoughts and experiences directly related to my recent trip with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions (MBDE). MBDE was probably the first and currently one of the few commercial dive operations that allows certified solo divers with the required safety equipment to dive alone on their trips. Solo diving is becoming quite trendy right now, and more shops and boats are starting to teach and recognize solo certifications.

Helicopters operating over water may experience emergencies, which require an immediate ditching. Ditching is a deliberately executed landing on water with the intent of abandoning the aircraft successfully. A helicopter that ditches onto a body of water is vulnerable to inversion and sinking due to its high center of gravity (engine, transmission and rotor) and its poor seakeeping performance [4]. The helicopters, operating over water, are equipped with Emergency Flotation System (EFS) and life rafts.

The simple answer is—it depends! This article will present a series of arguments so the reader (and diver) can make that decision, as ultimately, it is the diver who is choosing to get in the water and expose themselves to the risks therein. The article will cover some essential definitions and then outline where responsibility could or should lie when it comes to undertaking a “safe” or “unsafe” activity. Note: the article will use figures from the United Kingdom, as these were the easiest for the author to source.

For example, the same first rule is true for technical diving. Gas management 101 starts off by stating something like: “Always have a sufficient volume of appropriate gas to breathe throughout the whole dive!”

The self-sufficiency mindset is where the diver is fully self-sufficient and approaches the dive with the view that they can perform the dive on their own and would be fully able to complete the dive without a buddy. The approach is summed up by the mindset that if you can’t do the dive on your own then you should not be doing the dive at all.

Near the diving center, a guideline was stretched and positioned between some trees. Following a classroom explanation of methods and emergency procedures, the techniques are performed on a land drill prior to their underwater implementation. The exercises enable students to master techniques, correcting and commenting on them right during the exercise. These are often treated in the ludic fashion, allowing time to joke and relax. Zero visibility is simulated by bandages that can be easily removed, providing a very interesting learning instrument.

1. Excellent trim.

Your position in the water and the overall buoyancy are very important and even essential elements that influence your fatigue and your gas consumption. Known as “trim,” this concept embraces the horizontal position of the diver’s body together with perfect buoyancy. You can obtain a correct trim through judicious combination of your equipment configuration and training.