Diving in Overhead Environments

Posted: Feb 02 in Latest News by

One of the most exciting parts of being an Illinois tech diver is the ability to explore underwater wrecks, discover extensive cave systems and get up close and personal with plenty of unusual deep-sea creatures. No matter where your scuba diving takes you, as a tech diver you’re likely to encounter overhead environments. From penetrating a cave to exploring a wreck, here’s how to safely navigate your way through challenging overhead environments.

Use the rule of thirds – Following the tech diving “rule of thirds” ensures you use one-third of your gas for penetration, one-third for exit and keep one-third in reserve for emergencies.

Light it up – Always scuba dive with adequate lighting equipment. This includes at least one high-powered primary light and two back up lights. Never dive with flashlights that have too short a burn time or too small a power rating.

Every ounce counts – With overhead tech diving, buoyancy control down to the smallest inch of movement must be mastered. After all, you don’t want to find yourself knocking your equipment into the top of a cave – or worse yet, getting tangled in an overhead wreck. For this reason, every single ounce of your gear counts. Over weighting can have a serious impact on your buoyancy control, even by a few ounces.

Develop a sixth sense for your buddy – Buddy awareness in overhead environments is absolutely critical. With limited space, you can’t ascend to find your buddy. Know your buddy; the more dives you do together, the better partners you’ll both become.

Learning to master tech diving in an overhead environment is a lot like transitioning from your comfortable, four-door sedan to driving a Ferrari. Every movement and breath you take can truly affect your performance as a diver. Overhead diving is a precise and efficient process. With practice, you’ll learn to streamline your diving skills for deep penetration in wrecks and caves.

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Diving=Life

Posted: Jan 17 in Latest News by

Thanks to Duane Johnson for posting this on his Facebook page.   Diving can change your life!  Enjoy.

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Oceanic QLR3 Weight Pocket Recall

Posted: Jan 13 in Latest News by

Oceanic has just issued a recall for certain of its QLR3 BCD quick release weight pockets.  BCDs affected include the Excursion 2, Probe HLC, and Ocean Pro 1000.  The pockets at issue have a black stiffener, not gray,  and will be replaced by Oceanic.  Go to this link for further information on how to receive replacement pockets: http://www.oceanicworldwide.com/us/support-safety-notices/    If you have any questions, you can give us a call.

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Inventory Clearance Sale

Posted: Jan 10 in Latest News by

Now that 2012 is here, we are clearing out some of our 2011 inventory  to make way for new stock.  Discounts from 30 to 60% on selected fins, boots, wetsuits, and more.  Stop by to see the latest markdowns.  Sale ends January 31.

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Dive Skill Basics

Posted: Jan 07 in Latest News by

Becoming a competent and skilled  scuba diver starts with mastering basic diving skills. Advanced diving and tech diving build on these basic skills, so it’s especially important that you are comfortable and confident with these fundamentals. From clearing your mask to finding a lost regulator, here are the top four basic skills to master that will lay the foundation for safe diving – whether you’re exploring quarries in Illinois or swimming over a coral reef in the Caribbean.

1. Equipment check – Before you ever enter the water, know how your equipment operates and that it is working properly.  All this is made much easier if you have your own equipment (if you’re renting, you are probably getting different gear every time you go out).  Either way, make sure you understand how to read your gauges to manage your air and depth.  If you’re using a computer, step one is to read the instruction manual and make sure you know what the computer is telling you!  Equally important,  know how your BCD (buoyancy control device) works.
Which button inflates the BCD?  How do I dump air?  If the BCD has integrated weight pockets, make sure you know how to load and ditch the pockets.   While many dive operators will set up your equipment for you, you need to be comfortable attaching the first stage and BCD to a full tank, and then disassembling  it once your dive is complete.

2. Regulator removal and replacement – Sooner or later during your diving career, your regulator will get knocked out of your mouth.  Locating a dislodged regulator is not difficult, and is made all the easier by the fact we carry alternate air sources.  If you lose your regulator, remain calm,  simply pick up your alternate (it should be attached to the front of your BCD or around your neck in a regulator necklace), clear it, and resume breathing while you find the errant regulator second stage by using either the arm sweep or reach method.   All divers need to be comfortable with, and practice, the basic regulator skills of removing, replacing, clearing, and recovering their regulators, preferably in a horizontal, swimming position off of the bottom, and not on your knees!

3. Mask flood and clear – Like regulator replacement, being able to comfortably flood and clear your mask will ensure that when a stray kick from your buddy dislodges your mask, you can put it back on without panicking.  Unfortunately, many divers  are not very comfortable with this skill after they complete their Open Water scuba class, and drop out of diving.   The only way to get comfortable, is to practice, practice, and then practice some more until you can do it in your sleep, again preferably in a horizontal/swimming position, not on your knees.  Winter is a great time for pool practice, or to seek help from your friendly dive professionals here at Do Dive In.

4. Trim, buoyancy control and weighting– Proper weighting, good trim and buoyancy control are the keys to safe and nearly effortless scuba diving.  (Good propulsion/kicking techniques are also important, but we’ll save that discussion for another day)  A properly weighted diver swimming in a trimmed out, horizontal position uses very little energy or air and seldom needs to adjust their buoyancy once underwater.  One of the biggest mistakes that new divers make is over weighting themselves, which makes swimming and proper buoyancy control much more difficult and is a sure fire way of sucking all the fun out of scuba diving.  Achieving proper trim and precision buoyancy control are skills  that take time and practice, but starting off with the right weighting is an important first step.  The more you dive, the more comfortable you get, which for most divers translates to better breathing patterns and the need for less weight.  While most divers have been taught to check their weighting at the beginning of a dive, a good way to double check your weight is at the end of a dive with around 500 psi in your tank.  If you can hold a safety stop at 15 feet with little or no air in your BCD without hanging on to the down line or  floating up to the top, your weighted pretty good.

If you can develop your basic skills to the point you can do them while hovering off the bottom in a stable, horizontal position, you will be amazed at how effortless and fun diving can be!  Things to work on in 2012.

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Upcoming Classes and Events

Posted: Dec 30 in Latest News by

Jan. 7:    Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty Class

Jan. 10:  Scuba Review Pool Session

Jan. 15:  Begin Sunday Learn to Dive Scuba class

Jan. 24:  PADI SEAL Class begins-AquaMissions 1 & 2

Jan 16:   Monday/Tuesday Learn to Dive evening class begins

Jan 28:  First Aid/CPR Class

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Bonne Terre Mine Feb 25 & 26

Posted: Dec 27 in Latest News by

We’re heading down to Bonne Terre Mine near St Louis to do some “deep earth” diving the weekend of Feb 25 & 26.  A former lead mine, Bonne Terre’s unique ” Billion Gallon Lake” is illuminated with over 500,000 watts of surface lighting.  All dives are guided, with  a total of twenty-four different “trails” laid out in the lake which take divers through mammoth archways, past beautiful calcium falls, around gargantuan pillars and to the many abandoned mining artifacts scattered throughout the mine. Depths of the dive tours average between 40 to 60 feet.  Water temperature is a  constant  58 degrees year round with no thermoclines, and air temperature in the mine is a comfortable 62 degrees.  This is not cave diving, but an underground lake.

The plan is to do two dives on Saturday and one Sunday morning.  Cost is $70 per dive.  Fees are due at the time of sign up and are not refundable as per Bonne Terre policy.  For more information, or to sign up, give us a call or stop in.

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Happy Holidays

Posted: Dec 23 in Latest News, Local Dive Sites by

We wish everyone a  wonderful holiday season.  We truly appreciate your business and friendship.  Thank you for your support and we hope to see all of you out diving in 2012!

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Holiday Scuba Class Special

Posted: Dec 01 in Latest News by

Looking for the perfect gift for that special friend or family member (or yourself for that matter)?  How about a gift that will open up a lifetime of fun and adventure-Scuba diving!  From now until Dec 24, you can purchase the Academic and Pool portion of the Open Water Scuba class for only $179.99, which includes books and materials, a savings of $60 off our regular price.  You’ll receive a gift certificate for the class along with the student materials, so you’ll have something to put under the Christmas tree.  Too crazy busy to stop in?  No worries-we can mail you the materials and the gift certificate if you prefer.  Just give us a call.

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Scuba Club Cozumel: June 23 -30, 2012

Posted: Nov 14 in Latest News by

Join Do Dive In on a trip to one of the Caribbean’s top diving destinations: Cozumel, Mexico.  Cozumel offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean and is famous for its drift diving, incredibly clear water, and amazing marine life.  We’ll be staying and diving with the fine folks at Scuba Club Cozumel.  Diver’s package for the week is $1025, which includes lodging (dble occupancy), hotel taxes, meals, 5 days of 2 tank boat dives, and unlimited shore diving.   Air fare, airport transfers, departure taxes, and marine park fees are not included.  Call or e-mail Jan for more information.   A $500 deposit is required to reserve your slot.

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Diving with Nitrox

Posted: Nov 14 in Latest News by

Frustrated with short bottom times? Ready to stay down longer on your scuba dives? If you’ve been breathing regular compressed air, switching to Nitrox, which is an enriched air mixture, can help you stay down longer. Use of Nitrox has become increasingly popular among recreational, as well as technical divers.  Unlike recreational divers, technical divers may use several different enriched air mixtures during the course of their dives.

Regular air is a mixture of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% inert gases. When we dive, nitrogen from the air mixture is absorbed into our bloodstream and tissues. Too much nitrogen in our tissues can lead to decompression sickness, also known to scuba divers as “getting the bends.” When diving, we use our dive tables or dive computers to safely determine how long we can stay down without overloading our tissues with nitrogen. We may also need long surface intervals to allow enough nitrogen to leave our tissues before it is safe to dive again.

Enriched Air Nitrox refers to any gas mix with an oxygen content greater than 21%. Tech diving may also use the term “EANx”, where the “x” refers to the percentage of oxygen in the mix, such as EAN36. Within recreational diving, Nitrox blends are typically 32% oxygen or 36% oxygen. Technical divers with the proper training and certification,  may use additional Nitrox mixtures with 50% or even 100% oxygen during scheduled decompression stops.

While divers using a standard air mix worry about the bends, scuba divers using Enriched Air Nitrox blends need to be cautious of oxygen toxicity. Because of the increased percentage of oxygen used in Nitrox mixes, the oxygen in the mix may become toxic when breathed at increased depths due to the increased “partial  pressure” of the oxygen in the mix. For example, EAN36 is typically not used below a depth of 95 feet in order to avoid oxygen toxicity.

Divers  interested in using Nitrox must obtain additional training in the safe use and handling of enriched air gas mixtures.  Nitrox specialty courses are offered though numerous dive training agencies such as NAUI, PADI and SDI/TDI.   The certification course will teach you, among other things,  the benefits and potential hazards of enriched air diving,  how to use EAN dive tables and computers, the warning signs of oxygen toxicity, and how to get the most out of your scuba diving experience!  If interested, give us a call or check our calendar.  We offer Nitrox specialty classes on a regular basis.

 

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2012 First Quarter Schedule is Now Up!

Posted: Nov 08 in Latest News by

Check out our Schedule page for the latest in 2011/2012 classes, trips and other events.  We’ll be tweaking things as we go of course, so check back often.   There’s always something new and exciting to learn in our sport, even for those of us “mature” divers.   If there is  class you’re interested in that’s not on the schedule, drop us an e-mail or call and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!  As the saying goes, “a good diver is always learning.”

We’re looking forward to a busy year of diving adventures and hope you’ll join us.

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Turks & Caicos Explorer II, Apr 14-21, 2012

Posted: Oct 14 in Latest News by

Join us as we experience some of the best diving in the Caribbean aboard the 124 foot live-aboard dive boat Turks & Caicos Explorer II. Famous for its spectacular walls filled with huge gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, hard coral arches, and ample marine life, the Turks and Caicos islands offer a dive experience for everyone. Diver package is $2295 and includes 7 nights/8 days aboard the boat in double occupancy staterooms, all meals plus snacks, up to 5 dives a day, use of tanks and weights, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic, beverages, and nitrox fills for certified nitrox divers. Deposit is $750. We hope to have a complete trip description posted on our travel page within the next couple of days. Until then, call Jan for more information.

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Effective Gas Management Tips

Posted: Sep 30 in Latest News by

One of the most important aspects of diving, whether you are sport diving or technical diving, are effective gas management skills. Once you descend, running out of gas is not a viable option! This is especially true for technical divers who frequently put themselves into more complicated underwater situations that make a direct return to the surface exceedingly difficult. This is why it is so important to have a solid understanding of gas management skills prior to setting out for the water.

The fundamental basics of gas management revolve around a few simple concepts:

  • Understanding the average amount of gas that you and your buddy(ies) consume over a given period of time.  Gas is a shared resource-the goal is to make sure every one conserves enough gas to get  the team back safely even if someone runs out of gas and needs to share.
  • Understanding the way in which your consumption rate is affected and varies based upon a number of factors, including variations in depth and your mental and physical state. For example, your consumption rate will be higher the deeper you dive or if you become stressed or anxious while underwater.
  • Understanding the best way to efficiently use the gas that you have available, and knowing when it is time to return to the surface based on your tank pressure.
  • Once underwater, follow whatever plan you and your team mates have agreed upon.  Simply put: Pay attention to your and your team mates gas supply throughout the dive!

A simple, but useful plan for managing your gas on easy, relatively shallow recreational dives, is the rule of thirds.  (On deeper recreational dives or technical dives, a more conservative gas management plan might be advised)  With the rule of thirds, you plan your dive so that you use no more than one-third of your allotted gas for your descent and swim away from your entry point, another third of your gas supply is dedicated to the return trip, and the remaining third is reserved for contingencies. By following this simple rule you will greatly enhance your odds of  having enough gas to return safely to the surface, with plenty to spare, in case of an emergency.

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Nitrox Fills Now Available

Posted: Jul 25 in Latest News by

Our Nitrox fill station is up and running!  We can do Nitrox fills up to 32%.  Price is $12 per fill.  Nitrox tank rental with fill is $17.  Right now we’re filling tanks individually but hope to have Nitrox 32 banked in the very near future.  So, for the time being if you need Nitrox please call ahead.

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