HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: witrens@wsu-eng.eng.wayne.edu (Derek Witrens)
Subject: Re: Device for talking underwater
Reply-To: witrens@wsu-eng.eng.wayne.edu (Derek Witrens)
Organization: Wayne State University, Detroit
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 22:21:12 GMT

>In article <fourie.8@odie.ee.wits.ac.za> (Andre Fourie) writes:
>> I am very interested to find out whether anybody know of a device with which 
>> you can talk while diving - anybody heard of such a gadget?
>> 
>> Regards
>> Andre Fourie
>
>Yes, I have used such a device. It's a full face mask with a (optionally)
>built in microphone connected to a special underwater transmission device.
>You also have some kind of earphone to hear what your Buddy says. The system
>allows diver <-> diver and diver <-> surface communication, but it is really
>expensive (~$3000). It is made by AGA.
>
>Michael Walz
>walz@elde1.epfl.ch
>

Are you trying to say Viking sells the AGA with a communication setup ??

Can you get this communication setup made by AGA in the USA ??

Back to the original question, there is a company called OTS in CA that
sells a neat little communication unit that connects to a regulator to
allow communication underwater.  I know that it sells for less than $3000.

Also, an AGA FFM and OTS's lowest grade communication device can be
had for about $1000.  Shop around a bit for best prices.


-Derek

Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: tomw@IASTATE.EDU (Thomas M Woestman)
Subject: scuba job possibilities in Florida or Island areas
Keywords: job Florida
Reply-To: tomw@IASTATE.EDU (Thomas M Woestman)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 22:52:08 GMT

I have a friend who learned scuba in Alaska under the (patti?) system.  He is
interested in pursuing it as a full time career.  Unfortunately, he doesn't
have many contacts in Florida currently - he just moved from Alaska to 
Minneapolis.  If anybody knows of people whom he could contact in Florida or
any of the island areas please drop me a line.  

He is very serious about scuba, he learned in a place where dry suits were a
necessity!

Thanks,  Tom
From: leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence LEONG)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 13:26:37 GMT
Subject: Re: more BC questions...
Organization: HP Singapore
Newsgroups: rec.scuba

In rec.scuba, keulen@possum.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Mike van Keulen) writes:

|leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence LEONG) writes:
|
|>IMHO this is only an issue on the surface.  About the only type of BC that
|>will reliabily float you face up is the horsecollar BC (ABLJ to our English
|>friends).  For this reason (among others) BCs are not certified as life
|>jackets.  Under water, as Chris points out, this face-down feature is less of 
|>an issue.
|
|Does this mean that horsecollars (yes - I'm a happy user of a horsecollar)
|_are_ eligible as life jackets?  I guess this differs from country to country.

Don't know about down under, best to check, but i know that jacket BCs 
cannot be sold as lifejackets.

lawrence

|
|Mike
|--
|+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
||                            Michael van Keulen                            |
|| Snail: School of BES - Biology         e-mail: keulen@murdoch.edu.au     |
||        Murdoch University              phone:  ++ 61 (09) 360-2843 (work)|
||        Murdoch WA 6150  AUSTRALIA              ++ 61 (09) 417-3902 (home)|
||                           "To Love is to _LIVE_!"                        |
|+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: carl@Cayman.COM (Carl Heinzl)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Trip report - Cozumel and Akumal
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:33:28 GMT
	<1992Sep11.203659.28888@axis.dsg.ti.com>
Organization: Cayman Systems Inc., Cambridge, MA
In-reply-to: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com's message of 11 Sep 92 20:36:59 GMT
bcc: carl


>Cozumel is a small island in the Carribbean.  It is off the Yucatan
>Peninsula (the southern tip of Mexico).  American Airlines,
>Continental and the Mexican airline (don't remember the name offhand)
>all fly into the island regularly.  From the Dallas Texas area it's
>about the best diving for the money.  I've been there several times.
>We usually leave Dallas in the morning (9ish), have a short stop in
>Cancun to drop off passengers & then on to Cozumel.  All total about
>2-3 hour trip.

There are rarely deep discount air fares going into Cozumel.  For
those people who are very price conscious you can fly into Cancun,
take a taxi to Playa Del Carmen (shouldn't be more than US $20) and
take the ferry over to Cozumel (round trip US $17).

I've seen air fares as cheap as $300 (even saw $199) round trip to
Cancun (this is all from Boston, fyi) but the best that we could do
into Cozumel last May was $575 !!!  I figure that $275 difference is
worth roughly another 3 days stay.  This would also be a very nice
option for people who plan on mixing some Cozumel diving with the
cave/cavern diving available in Akumal (on the mainland).

-Carl-
--
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: paul@mr.med.ge.com (Chuck Paul 4-6544 MRCE)
Subject: Need Nikonos service info
Keywords: nikonos
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 16:32:13 GMT

Can someone supply information on Nikonos camera service?

I have a Nikonos IVa that I picked up used a couple years ago.
I would like to use it for diving soon, so I think it would be
good to get all the seals changed to be sure it's as watertight
as possible.

I have info on the Southern Nikonos Service in Texas, but I hear
there is a good service center in Ohio that's just as good, but
cheaper.  I need info to reach them.  Maybe there are other good
options.  I have experience with Chicago Nikon service taking over
8 weeks and not being fully satisfactory.  If you have had better
experience, I might try again.

Thanks, Chuck
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Paul        HAIL PURDUE !         | We take pride in our image!
{crdgw1.ge.com}!mr.med.ge.com!paulc     | GE Medical Systems, MR Center
or use: uwm.edu!mrsvr!chuck             | P.O. Box 414,  Mail code W-826
Work: (414) 521-6544                    | Milwaukee, WI  53201-0414
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: geoff@peck.com (Geoff Peck)
Subject: Re: Need Nikonos service info
Keywords: nikonos
Organization: Geoffrey G. Peck, Consultant, San Jose CA
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 02:23:45 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.163213.4383@mr.med.ge.com> paul@mr.med.ge.com (Chuck Paul 4-6544 MRCE) writes:
> Can someone supply information on Nikonos camera service?
>
> I have info on the Southern Nikonos Service in Texas, ...

I sent my Nikonos III to Southern Nikonos about a year and a half ago.  It
hadn't been used in a while, and I decided that it would be a good idea to
have it serviced before taking it underwater.

The turn-around was very fast -- 4 or 5 days as I recall -- and the
service superb.  They had to straighten the frame, a common problem with
older Nikoni, which they did for a minimal charge.  When they sent the
camera back, they included a number of article reprints on camera care and
maintenance whch were written by their staff, and were very, very
helpful.  I do recommend Southern Nikonos very highly.

I did call a local Nikonos service place in San Francisco, who quoted a
much higher price and a much longer turn-around time -- even if I brought
the camera to them and picked it up.

						Geoff
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: Hakan Traff
Subject: Re: Trip report - Cozumel and Akumal
Reply-To: Bill Mayne
Organization: Dept. of EE. Linkoping Univ.
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:29:09 GMT

In article <10637@sun13.scri.fsu.edu> mayne@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Bill Mayne)
writes:
>Highlights: Punta Sur, cavern dives at Chankanaab, underwater sex
>(logistics only), Akumal. Okay and relatively cheap Scuba Inn.
>
>My wife Kris and I arrived in Cozumel August 10 with a vague plan
>but no reservations. On a previous trip we had found the Diver's Inn
>which offered an attractive (i.e. relatively cheap) lodging and dive
>package. I had been unable to reach them by phone, but figured just
>showing up in Cozumel I could find something better than paying U.S.
>travel agent prices. I had been particularly disappointed by the
>performance of Innerspace Adventures on a previous trip.
>

...and the rest looks wonderful!! But I do not know anything about the place at
all, not even which part of the world (no offence). Could you (or anyone)
please tell me how to get there. And please do it rather detailed...

Thank you,                
Hakan Traff

Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: archer.sbd-e@rx.xerox.com (Stephen Archer)
Subject: Re: mask strap
Reply-To: archer.sbd-e@rx.xerox.com
Organization: Rank Xerox Ltd.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 10:48:36 GMT


>>Are there any safety reasons for diving with a mask strap? ...................... 
>No, it's not a safety problem. It probably has to with the way you were taught.
>I have noticed that U.S. trained divers (PADI,NAUI,YMCA) tend to dive with the
>snorkel in the mask strap whereas CMAS, BSAC trained divers tend to dive with
>the snorkel under there knife strap, and then inserting it under the mask strap
>while at the surface.

well speaking as a BSAC trained diver, I recall being taught in the pool and having to have the snorkel in its correct place
Then as soon as we got to do some real diving I and all the other trainees were advised to remove it from the mask and put it somewhere else, under the knife strap was the favourite place. The reason for this was the large amounts of kelp we were likely to encounter.
A snorkel on your mask dramatically increases the chances of having your mask knocked from your face by the kelp, so really its just adapting the training to suit the environment.

But to answer the original question. I dont think I could get into the water without my mask coming off if it didn't have a mask strap!!!
Furthermore as you start your ascent, the volume of air inside the mask will gradually increase as the pressure outside it decreases, Bolyes Law. 
Normally as you ascend the pressure builds up inside the mask to the extent that it 'vents' by breaking the seal betwween face and mask, this isn't a problem because the strap holds it in place and it reseals when the pressures are equalised.
Now if you dont have a strap holding it on I would suspect that as the air escaped and the pressure equalised water would enter the mask, perhaps to the extent you'd have to completely clear it or catch it as it fell off!!!!

I certainly wouldn't ever dive without a mask strap, and if the strap broke during a dive I suspect I'd ascend there and then and hold the mask on during the ascent.


Stephen

Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com (Ron Beck)
Subject: Re: more BC questions...
Reply-To: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com
Organization: When I get time...
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 16:15:50 GMT

In article <53460050@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com>, leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence LEONG) writes:
|> In rec.scuba, keulen@possum.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Mike van Keulen) writes:
|> 
|> |leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence LEONG) writes:
|> |
|> |>IMHO this is only an issue on the surface.  About the only type of BC that
|> |>will reliabily float you face up is the horsecollar BC (ABLJ to our English
|> |>friends).  For this reason (among others) BCs are not certified as life
|> |>jackets.  Under water, as Chris points out, this face-down feature is less of 
|> |>an issue.
|> |
|> |Does this mean that horsecollars (yes - I'm a happy user of a horsecollar)
|> |_are_ eligible as life jackets?  I guess this differs from country to country.
|> 
|> Don't know about down under, best to check, but i know that jacket BCs 
|> cannot be sold as lifejackets.
|> 
|> lawrence
|> 

I believe the main reason that BCs are not considered as lifesaving devices is
that they are air filled.  All UCSG approved PFDs (Personal Flotation
Device) that I've come in contact with have been filled with a bouyant solid
and will float even if the outer cover has been penetrated (ripped, torn, or 
punctured).  A BC must be inflated (they'll sink w/o air) and will not hold a 
sufficient amount of air if punctured or ripped.

|> |
|> |Mike
|> |--
|> |+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|> ||                            Michael van Keulen                            |
|> || Snail: School of BES - Biology         e-mail: keulen@murdoch.edu.au     |
|> ||        Murdoch University              phone:  ++ 61 (09) 360-2843 (work)|
|> ||        Murdoch WA 6150  AUSTRALIA              ++ 61 (09) 417-3902 (home)|
|> ||                           "To Love is to _LIVE_!"                        |
|> |+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald J. Beck           | IP rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com |Do now what others
Member, Group Tech Staff | MaBell (214) 952-4566       |won't so you can do
Texas Instruments        |                             |later what others
McKinney, Texas          |                             |can't
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: mayne@phi.cs.fsu.edu (William Mayne)
Subject: Help needed in understanding Buhlmann
Reply-To: mayne@cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State University Computer Science Department
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 92 02:40:15 GMT

I have recently been working with air tables photocopied from
Buhlmann's book. Based on the separate tables of "coefficiants"
(A and B parameters) it appears to be ZH-L_12, which actually
has 16 compartments. (The "12" in the name evidently refers to the
fact that there are 12 pairs of "coefficients", i.e. some compartments
have the same "coefficients" and differ only by the half times.) In the
directions I found the following paragraph which seems to suggest these
tables can be used for multi-level diving, though I don't understand
what he saying:

"For step-wise descent and ascent, the depth and duration of
the first dive ascertain the repetitive group with an addition
of time calculated for the depth that is averaged over the entire
duration of the dive. An example is given by 20 min at 18 m is
in Group C, plus 15 min at 24 m, plus 15 min at 18 m, and plus 15
min at 35 m, yielding 65 min at an average depth of 22.8 m, for which
the supplement in Group C is 20 m for 21 m. The decompression will be
as for a stay of 90 min at a depth of 21 m."

I confess that this makes no sense at all to me. I can't even
figure out how he arrives at an average depth of 22.8. This is
not the average of all the parts, either weighted by time (which
would be the only way that would seem reasonable) or unweighted,
whether the first 20 min at 18 m is included or not. Is he saying
this is part of the actual dive or RNT from a previous dive?
I should explain that the table shows 20 min RNT for either 18 m
or 21 m in Group C. If it is RNT why pick 18 m for the depth? Does
it matter? I'd really appreciate if some users of Buhlmann tables
could explain this to me. While I am on the subject, what is the
difference between ZH-L_12 and ZH-L_16 and are the tables in the
book ZH-L_12 as I've assumed they are?

Bill Mayne
From: mayne@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Bill Mayne)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Flower Gardens Tragedy
Date: 14 Sep 92 18:51:51 GMT
Reply-To: mayne@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Bill Mayne)
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University

In article <1992Sep10.214425.1665@PA.dec.com> fgz@brush.pa.dec.com (Federico Genoese-Zerbi) writes:
>In article <1992Sep10.204832.17155@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>, mayne@creat.cs.fsu.edu (William Mayne) writes:
>
>> Just out of extreme curiosity, what were you doing at 250' for
>> 5 hours? Were you by any chance in a chamber?...
>> You must have a very interesting story to tell about this.
>> Please say more.
>
>It was a joke, Bill....check out the smileys... I figured that my
>reference to "pesky convulsions" would give away the fact that
>I was joking.

Boy am I embarrassed. Thanks for the reminder not to take this
so seriously.

>I apologize to anybody else who may have been misled!
>
>(and I'd like to meet anybody who's had CNS convulsions at
>depth and not drowned, BTW)

I thought about that and that was why I asked if you were in
a chamber. I do know of a three cases of people surviving CNS
O_2 toxicity or other seizures at depth. This is not to
minimize the risk of drowning or embolism while being brought
to the surface in these situations. I'm tempted to say that they
were lucky. But if they were so lucky why did they have seizures?

One had a full blown O_2 seizure when a problem with an experimental
rebreather let the partial pressure of O_2 get too high. I got this
story from the inventor of the rebreather, who was acting as a safety
diver and got the victim to the surface without a fatal embolism.
He recovered.

Another had a seizure while on scuba in an experimental program
validating tables at the same place, but a different time. The safety
diver who rescued him told me this person had a history of seizures
but had lied on his medical forms to get into the program. So I don't
know if his problem at depth was caused by O_2. He also recovered
but was disqualified from the research diving program.

In both of these cases there were safety divers on the scene looking
out for problems and ready to do rescues, not just buddies who happened
to notice something wrong. Otherwise the outcome might well have 
have been different.

My cave diving instructor had symptoms of O_2 toxicity while
decompressing on O_2 (at about 20 feet, I think) but not full blown
convulsions. He recognized what was happening and switched to air in
time to avoid major problems. He did not go into details about it.
He still uses O_2 for decompression, with care and knowledge of the
risks which I hope never to get first hand.

Bill Mayne
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: mstacc@ultb.isc.rit.edu (M.S. Tremblay)
Subject: Re: Delphis as carry-on
Originator: mstacc@ultb
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 17:51:12 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.104949.4005@spectrum.xerox.com> writes:
>In article 28344@mksol.dseg.ti.com, (Dillon Pyron) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep9.100949.11840@resonex.com>, (Dan Kell) writes:

**Start Flame**

Alright people, enough is enough.  I am getting _really_ tired of
reading posts that contain the ENTIRE article they are referencing,
which contains the ENTIRE article it references, which contains ....,
and its starting to get annoying.

Most of us pay close enough attention to what is written that if you
MUST reference text from another article, only the EXACT part you refer
to need be included.  I am believe if your article is well written, we
won't need any clues to what is being said...

**End Flame**

-- 
-Mark Tremblay              
  software specialist                       Internet:    mstacc@ultb.isc.rit.edu
     Rochester Institute of Technology      Phone:       716.475.2986
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: billp@sco.COM (Jerque Clumsoe)
Subject: Re: novice diving questions
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 22:42:43 GMT


In article <9208211713.AA18873@shogun.smos.com> joseph@shogun.smos.com (Joseph Crunk) writes:
>
> 
>
>#        Great divers are taught by great instructors.  Find the
>#        best instructor available; you'll probably have a lot more
>#        fun too.
>
>Are we in love with ourselves or what! :-) Great instructors and all :-)
>
>I've gotta disagree on this one. Those divers I've personally dove with that
>I would consider great ALL got that way by themselves. Not by paying someone.
>
>I dive with folks that have nothing more than OWI certification and a
>commitment to self improvement and self advancement. These are by far and
>away the BEST divers!!! These are your "great divers".

Well, yes and no. Producing a good diver is a combination of nature
and nurture. There are people who take to the water without any problems,
these people are great. However, a well designed course and a good
instructor can take an average person and produce an above average diver.
Take a University course that can over 2 to 3 times the instruction 
time that a dive shop can offer. 
>
>The suggestion to find the best instructor possible is a good one. But, how 
>does one go about doing this? How does someone *shop* for an instructor?
>

That's a tough one. It's like picking a new roomate. You can talk to the
person, get some references here and there. I believe you can check with
their certifying agency and inquire about their track record. I would 
find how long someone has been teaching and even inquire with some of
their students who are established diver. But, in any case it's pretty
difficult.

-mr.billp

NAUI #11211
billp@sco.com
-- 


    "What's all this gear for?" He asked. "For Scuba Diving," I told him.
    "Scuba Diving?" He looked outside at the snow, then back at me.
    "Wait, don't tell me. You're from California, right?"
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: nda1@Ra.MsState.Edu (Noel D. Addy)
Subject: A FL chamber incident
Organization: Mississippi State University
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 17:58:13 GMT

Saturday, Sept. 12, 1992.  The News Herald, Panama City, FL.

BMC hyperbaric chamber reopens after year closure.  
by Bridget Correll.

Bay Medical Center reopened its hyperbaric chamber Friday after
a year-long closure that followed the death of a nurse who died
from decompression sickness after tending a patient in the 
chamber.

According to a hospital press release Friday: "Independent expert
consultants retained to examine the chamber have been unable to
relate any defect inthe chamber to the death of the employee."

Joyce Vause, 52, died around 11am July 22, 1991, about an hour
after completing a half-day stint in the chamber with a patient.
The 14th Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner's Office ruled that
Vause died of a nitrogen embolism due to decompression sickness.
Her death was ruled an accident.

Roger Dart, the patient who was treated by Vause has served
BMC with legal notice of intent to file suit over the incident.
Dart admitted himself to a Tallahassee hospital after his
release from BMC and was treated in that facility's hyperbaric
chamber.

Because of the pending lawsuit, hospital officials said they
would not comment further on the investigation of the nurse's
death.

"Due to the pendency of this claim, and upon advice of council,
Bay Medical Center is unable to comment further or provide 
additional information," the press release stated.

Hospital Administrator Jothn Taylor said BMC would not release
the report on Vause's death because it contains confidential
medical records.

According to operations logs that THE NEWS HERALD obtained 
following Vause's death, the nurse entered the hospital's
hyperbaric chamber on July 21 around 8pm with Dart, a patient
who had a diving accident that day.  Another nurse, Naomi Guy,
wwent into the chamber with Vause and Dart at 4:30am.  The
pressure in the chamber was, at some point, equivalent to a
dive 165 feet deep.

Dart and Vause had been pressurized in the chamber 13.5 hours
when they and Guy exited the chamber at 9:30am July 22.  Vause left
work at about 10am.  She died around 11am.

BMC hired a firm to test samples of the hyperbaric chamber's
gases and a consultant to inspect the chamber itself.  The 
hospital also hired Dr. Richard Heinbach, a San Antonio
physician, to look over the nurse's medical records, the
autopsy report, and the medical records of Dart.

Since the chamber's closure July 22, the Navy's Coastal Systems
Station has treated the emergency patients in its hyperbaric
chambers.

BMC's chamber is now available to the public 24 hours a day
upon physician referral.


Newsgroups: rec.scuba