Sight Search

Lost Divers | Missed Opportunity

TEXT by Dr CLEEVE ROBERTSON (MBCHB FEMSSA)

Some time ago, I gave a talk at a DAN Workshop at False Bay Underwater Club on lost divers, perhaps naively thinking that these occurrences are rare. Still, in the recent past, the last few weeks, there have been several lost diver incidents, mainly along the East Coast.

We spend hours looking for lost divers, meaning that if you get lost, you will be in the water for a long time. I will never forget the story of my mate who, during an ascent on Deco, had to release a jammed buoy line, and by the time they surfaced, the boat was nowhere to be seen, and they drifted through the night somewhere off Zanzibar until they were found the next day. Or my trip to Bassas da India, almost thirty years ago, when the boat guy, not a diver and with no diving experience, overshot the dive group and ended up two kilometres down the reef.

Fortunately, we could swim to the submerged reef and walk backwards until we could swim to our yacht. Then on my last trip to Zanzibar, I surfaced with the DM in quite a hostile choppy
sea, off Mnemba Island, only to find the boat was attending to the snorkelers closer in, about a kilometre away. We waited over thirty minutes before waving down another boat and getting a lift back to the ‘mother ship’!

On the positive side, in 2019, I took an adventure diving trip off Agulhas and was dropped into 30m of water 12 nautical miles from the Southern Tip of Africa. When we surfaced in 2- 3m swells, choppy sea and a strong Westerly, the skipper was right on top of us.

It goes without saying that prevention is better than a kick in the pants, and there’s a definite psychology involved in making sure that divers never get lost. I’ve learned in Emergency Services that systems involve team dynamics and that a team’s collective, coordinated action ensures safety. Everyone knows about the Swiss Cheese Model and the Domino Theory of Accident evolution, and the challenge is to close those holes and keep the dominoes upright by ensuring that each team member does their job.

Although Maritime Law places the responsibility for safety on the boat skipper, we’ve learned, from recent litigation, that responsibility and accountability accrues to everyone in the dive group from the dive business, operator, instructor, divemaster, skipper and even the dive buddy. Each one has a unique role in a sequence towards safety.

Safety is a culture, and although checklists, operating procedures and tick boxes may be useful, people's ownership and commitment to safety make the most significant difference. Reputations make an industry, and financial sustainability individually and collectively depends on a reputation for safety.

So lost divers start with the leadership in the business, the quality of training, the experience of operators, the responsibility demonstrated, and the diligence to elements that guarantee safety.

I once had an attorney greet me after a talk I had given at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. He had been one of my dive trainees thirty years before, and he remembers that one of the most important lessons I had taught him was that sometimes the conditions were not safe to dive. He recalled that one lesson, not safe! (he was referring to a howling offshore South Easterly wind on a shore dive)

The obvious immediate preventative actions related to each dive concerning lost divers include weather assessments, dive briefings, communication between skipper and divemaster, group sizing and the use of location aids.

Each operator should have limits, wind, swell, visibility, and current, in terms of which a dive can be safely conducted. One can use a simple hazard identification and risk assessment tool to compute the combined risk, which assists decision-making. Swell and sea conditions are significant components of being able to locate divers on the surface. Searchers use terms like
Probability of Area (POA) which relates mainly to current, and Probability of Detection (POD) which relates to the environmental and sea conditions. If you don’t know, don’t go!
Dive briefing must include information that facilitates the group's understanding of the dive and all the safety aspects that prevent diver separation and loss. Maintaining the relatively appropriate diver proximity for visibility is very important, and divers should easily be able to identify the divemaster/lead in their group. Night dives present unique challenges, but a flashing underwater strobe, for example, can differentiate the leader from the rest with cyalume sticks.

Brief for belief!

The divemaster, as is standard practice, should drag a buoy that is visible to the skipper on the boat at all times. This may be difficult on deep dives with a strong current. I always insist that every diver has a reel and buoy because any one of the group can become separated. Recent incidents have indicated that the wind often knocks over the tube buoy that divers deploy, so it’s essential to keep it under tension and vertical in the water if you are separated from the boat. These physical detection aids and practices are probably the most effective actions to ensure detection.

Be for Buoys!

Sound devices attached to the BC power feed may be helpful but are unlikely to be universal.
I’m often asked about VHF radios, AIS Beacons, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and cellphones as ways of sending a location from a lost diver. The answer is that the communication loop needs to be closed, which means the device has to be part of a system that someone will respond to. It’s useless activating a device if nobody detects or receives the message and activates a response. AIS beacons set off an alarm on the boat they are closest to, but the skipper must recognise the alarm. Most skippers have never heard one go off! Once recognised, finding the person is easy because the missing person is GIS located
on the vessel plotter. These AIS PLBs would need to be waterproofed for pressure to be used by divers.

Short Range VHF radios designed for diving use are also on the market, but again if nobody is listening or monitoring, the message or distress goes nowhere. We haven’t created a national network and structure to detect and respond to these devices.

The NSRI manages a very successful cellphone App called SafeTRX, which requires that the cellphone be dived in a waterproof pouch. It also needs the cellphone to be within network range. Our experience with the Surfski community has demonstrated that it works well even far out to sea, but there’s no guarantee.

Smoke flares are another possibility, but they are expensive, not universal and difficult to waterproof.

SO, IN SUMMARY.
Owning responsibility and accountability for safety is non-negotiable.
A safety culture is a must.
Planning and preparation to prevent lost divers are essential.
Team dynamics and cohesion are key. Create HIRAs to inform safe diving conditions.
Ensure dive group proximity and contact. Use practical detection aids, and buoys, collectively, and individually. Don’t depend on electronic communication devices unless you’ve tested the system.

EXAMPLE DIVEMASTER BRIEFING ON LOST DIVER PROCEDURE
Lost diver briefing:
  1. Must be clearly and powerfully delivered – it's essential!
  2. Make sure your divers hear it, and understand it, i.e. make eye contact with them as you are delivering it to ensure comprehension.
THE BRIEF
Avoiding getting lost in the first place:
  1.  Stay within sight of the buoy line & person holding the buoy line always (Descent, during the dive, on ascent)
  2. Don’t descend if you cannot see the line/person holding the line – you won’t find them underwater
    How to know if you are lost:
  3.  If during the dive, you find yourself away from the buoy line/holder, ascend a metre or two, rotate and search for bubbles/bright colours to locate the buoy line/holder. But – take no more than five breaths doing this. If, after five breaths, you can’t see the buoy line/holder (irrespective of whether you are on your own or as part of a group), you are lost!
What to do if you are lost:
 4. Surface as quickly as is safe. Deploy your SMB and keep the line under tension to ensure maximum buoy height. Avoid your safety stop if safe to do so. Remember that during strong current drift dives and in rough conditions – the surface 5m of water moves much faster than the group at the bottom, and thus further away from the boat watching the buoy line. If you surface more than 50m from the buoy line, there is a good chance the boat won’t see you – so get to the surface quickly to reduce the chances of not being seen by the skipper.(
 5.  On surfacing – at about 5m depth – “purge” your regulator to make a plume of bubbles that is visible on the surface. This “warns” vessels that a diver is below and surfacing – to reduce the possibility of being run over, and alerts good skippers that divers are away from the group.

 6. On the surface, unless you see that the boat is aware of you, inflate your SMB as soon as possible, and hold it taut so it is vertical in the air (all divers should have one). If you don’t have one–useafintowaveintheair–toincrease your height of visibility by a vessel.
 7. Use your whistle (sometimes on snorkel, sometimes on BCD, etc.) to attract attention.
 8.  If you are not picked up by a vessel in 10 min – consider self-rescue to the shore. Always stay together with your buddy/group – never separate! Together you add more visibility than a single person. Self-rescue (no matter how far offshore) is a mind game, so stay calm, keep focused, and maintain an economical pace that you can maintain for a few hours – slow but steady. Don’t tire yourself; the current will help.
 9. Use any signalling/tracking device you may have but know how it works before you need to use it!
What to do if you are the DM and notice a lost diver/group of divers?:
 10.  A good DM constantly counts their divers to know that all are accounted for.
 11. If you notice that one or more divers are missing, then essentially, it is the same procedure:
 12.. Surface a few metres to search for bubbles/bright colours, etc. Take no more than five breaths doing so.
 13. After five breaths, and no one is found, terminate the dive and get everybody to the surface as quickly and safely as possible.
Annoyed-off customers are better than lost divers never found; it’s not an option.
By explaining this consequence in the briefing – divers are more likely to ensure that they stay with the group.
 14. Alert the skipper as soon as you break the surface – to check if the “lost divers” are on board. If not – the skipper can take a minute (no more) to do a quick circle around the group (before loading the divers but keeping the divers visible) to see if they can spot the lost divers. If none are found after 1 minute, then return to the group, and alert shore/base/other operators/other vessels/NSRI to begin a search/process.
 15. The sooner the search begins – the smaller the search area. After an hour – the search area grows exponentially – especially in strong currents. Rather call out the NSRI and stand them down after 5 or 10 minutes than wait a few hours when search success becomes more difficult.
 16. Once the not-lost divers are loaded, the vessel should stay on-site and search for as long as fuel allows. Relaying the following information as soon as possible is critical:
The exact time and location the lost divers were last seen.
Dive conditions – current strength (bottom/top) and direction. The more precise, the better (i.e. bearing of 190 degrees vs. Southerly current).
Details of the persons being searched for (gender/name/age/colour wetsuit, etc.).
 17.  The NSRI has sophisticated search tools, programmes & techniques, which depend on the data accuracy given. The earlier and more accurate – the better chances of a good outcome for the lost diver.

Tips for good skippers/vessel operators:
  1. Maintain visibility of the buoy line at all times.
  2.  Good skippers also maintain visibility of bubbles (when not too deep/too rough) and “groups” of bubbles moving away from the buoy line so that despite divers' best efforts - the skipper doesn’t lose them.
  3. The ability to take landmarks (when visual) gives skippers a great spatial awareness of the reef and current strength and conditions. This skill has tended to be lost in the age of GPS but is valuable in knowing where divers are and are going.
  4. Be careful of relying on your senses when further offshore and out of sight of land – rather trust a compass / GPS for directions than your “feeling”.
  5.  Vessels must have communication -whether cell phone or VHF radio. Communicating positions and the fact that an emergency has happened is very important. Operators that don’t have or do this endanger lives, the business and the industry.
  6. Skippers should “mentally practise” the various emergency procedures so that if and when they do happen, they are executed as effectively as possible. Rescue diver courses are also great practice for skippers – instructors should include them when possible.

Categories

 2024
 2023
immersion and bubble formation 2009 232bar 24Hours AGE AIDA Accident management Accidents Acid reflux Acute ailments Adam Sokolski Advanced courses Rescue diver Aerobic exercise After anaesthesia Aged divers Air Ambulance Air Quality Air consumption Air exchange centre Air hose failure Air supply Airway control Air Alert Diver December 2022 Alert Diver Magazine Alert Diver March 2023 Algorithms Alice Cattaneo Alice Modolo Alopecia Alternate Airsources use Alternater Air Source Alternative gas mix Altitude changes Altitude diving Altitude sickness Aluminium Oxide Ama divers Amino acids Amos Nachoum Anaerobic Metabolism Anilao Animal intelligence Animal life Annual renewal Antarctica Anxiety Apea Apex predators Apnea addicts Apnea Apnoea Aqua corps Aquatic creatures Aquatic life Aquatics and Scuba Diving Archaeology Argonaut octopus Argonauts Argon Arrythmia Arterial Gas Embolisms Arterial gas embolism Arthroscopic surgery Aspirin Audible signals Aurel hygiene Australian Flat backed Australia Aviation o2 BCD BHP BLS BOSS400 BWARF Baacterial infections Back adjustment Back pain Back treatment Backextensors Backmount CCR Badages Bag valve mask Bags Bahamas Bail out cylinder Balancing Bandaids Barbell back squat Barometric pressure Barotrauma Barry Skinstad Basic Life Support Basslets Batteries Bazaruto Archipelago Beach entry Beached coral Becky Kaga Schott Becky Kagan Schott Beluga whales Bench press Bends Benguerra Island Benign prostate hyperplasia Benzophenones Beth Neale Beto Vambiane Beyond Standards Big Sur Bilikiki Tours Biophysics Black Water Photography Black Blood flow Blood pressure Blood thinners Blue Desert Blue Wilderness Blue economy Blue heron Bridge Bluff Blurred vision Boat diving Boat etiquette Boat safety Boats Bobbit worm Boesmans gat Boesmansgat Bonaire Bone fractures Bouyancy compensators Bouyancy control device Bouyancy controls Boyle's Law Boyle\'s Law Bradycardia Brain Brandon Cole Breast Cancer Breath Hold Diving Breath hold diver Breath holding Breath hold Breath-hold Breathing Gas Breathing gas contamination Breathing oxygen Breathing Breathold diving Bright Bank Broken bones Bruising Bubble detection Bubbleformation Buddy Exercise Buddy checks Buoyancy Burn wounds Burnshield Burns Business B CCR CE markings CGASA CMAS CNS CO2 COVID-19 Updates COVID-19 COVID CPR CSI Cabin pressure Caissons diseas California Camera equipment Camera settings Cameras Cancer Remission Cancer treatments Cancer Cannabis and diving Cannabis Cape Diver Research Cape Nudibranchs Cape Town Dive Festival Cape Town Dive Sites Cape Town CapeTown Carbon Monoxide Carbon dioxide Cardiac Health Cardiac research Cardiaccompromise Cardio health Cardiological Cardiomyopathy Caribbean Carmel Bay Carribean Conservation Catalina Island Cave Cave diving Cave divers Cave diving Cave exploration Caves Cave Cenotes Ceotes Challenging Environments Chamber Locations Chamber Safety Chamber maintenance Chamber medical staff Chamber science Chamber treatment Chamber Charging batteries Charles' Law Charles\' Law Charles\\\' Law Charles\\\\\\\' Law Charles\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' Law Charlie Warland Chemotherapy Chest compressions Children diving Chiropractic Chlorophll Chokka Run Christina Mittermeier Christo van Jaarsveld Chuck Davis Chuuk lagoon Citizen Conservation Citizen sciences Citizen science Clean Air Cleaning products Cleeve Robertson Climate change Closed Circuit Rebreathers Closed Circuit Rebreather Clothing Cmmunity partnership Coastal diving Coastalexcursion Cold Water Cold care Cold sores ColdWater Cold Commercial Fishing Commercial diving Commercial operations Commercial schools Common consideration Common understanding Communication Compact Cameras Composition Compressed Air Compressed gas Compressor operators Compressors Concussion Congestive heart Faiture Consercation Conservation Photographer Conservation photography Conservation Contact lenses Contaminants Contaminated air Coping with cold Coral Bleaching event Coral Conservation Coral Reefs Coral Restoration Coral bleaching Coral preservation CoralGroupers Corals Core strength Corona virus Coro Coservation Costamed Chamber Courtactions Cozumel Cradiac valvular Crime scene Cristina Mittermeier Crocodile Crohns disease Crowns Crystal build up Crystallizing hoses Cubs Cutaneous decompression Cutting tools Cylinder Ruptures Cylinder capacity Cylinder handwheel Cylinder safety Cylinder valves Cylinder weight Cylinders DAN Courses DAN Europe DAN Instructor trainer DAN Instructors DAN Profile DAN Researchers DAN Training DAN hotline service DAN instructor DAN insure DAN medics DAN members DAN report DANTraining DCI DCS Decompressions sickness DCS theories DCS DEMP DFA instructor DM training DNA DPV DReams DSMB Daan verhoeven Dahab Dalton's Law Dalton\'s Law Dalton\\\'s Law Dalton\\\\\\\'s Law Dalton\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Law Danel Wenzel Dangerous Marinelife Dauin island Dave McCowan David Doubilet Dean's Blue Hole Dean\'s Blue Hole Deco dives Decompression Illness Decompression Sickness Decompression Stress Decompression benenfits Decompression chamber Decompression illsnes Decompression ilness Decompression limits Decompression treatment Decompression Decomression sickness Decorator crabs Deep Freediving Deep diving Deep water exploration Deepest SCUBA Dive Delayed Offgassing Dennis Guichard Dental Depth limits Dever Health Diadema Response Team Diagnosis Diaphragms Diets Diopter Dirty water Discomfort Diseases Disinfectants Disinfection Disorientation Distraction Dive Accident Dive Action Dive Buddy Dive Centre Dive Chamber Dive Chmber Dive Computer Dive Destinations Dive Destination Dive Fitness # fit to dive @Dive health Dive H Dive Industry Dive Instruction Dive Instructor Dive Lights Dive Masters Dive Medical Form Dive Medical Dive Practices Dive Professionals Dive Pros Dive Rescue Dive Research Dive Safari Dive Safety Tips Dive South Africa Dive Taiwan Dive Training Dive Travel Wakatobi Dive Travel Dive accidents Dive bell Dive buddies Dive caves Dive centre rules Dive communications Dive computers Dive courses Dive cover Dive cylinder Aluminium Dive equipment Dive excursions Dive exercise Dive exeriences Dive experience Dive fitness Dive gear Dive heallth Dive health Dive in Africa Dive insurance Dive leaders Dive masks Dive medical insurance Dive medicals Dive medicines Dive medicine Dive operators Dive opportunities Dive planning Dive point Dive procedures Dive safety 101 Dive safety briefing Dive safety Dive safe Dive skills Dive staff Dive teams Dive travels DiveLIVE DiveTravel Diveleader training Diveleaders Divelights Diver Ethisc Diver Food Diver Health Diver Profile Diver Travel Diver education Diver infliencers Diver on surface Diver recall Diverover 50 Divers Alert Diversafety Divers Divesites Diving Divas Diving Equipment Diving Family Diving Fatalities Diving Feet Diving Helmets Diving Kids Diving Programs Diving Trauma Diving career Diving emergencies Diving emergency management Diving etiquette Diving fit Diving guidelines Diving history Diving injuries Diving science Diving suspended Diving Dizziness Dizzyness Documentary photography Dolphins Domestic Donating Blood Donation Doug Perrine Dowels Dr Rob Schneider Drift diving Drysuit diving Drysuit valves Drysuits Dur4ban Undersea club Durban Dynamic environment Dyperbaric medicines EAPs EAP EKG EMS EN standards Ear barotrauma Ear pressure Ear wax Ears injuries Eat fish Eco friendly Ecowise Education Electronic Elizabeth Bockheim Embolisms Emergency Action Plan Emergency Planning Emergency action planning Emergency contact Emergency decompression Emergency plans Emergency treatments Emergency underwater Oxygen Recompression Emergency Endurance Entry Envenomations Enviromental Protection Environmental factors Environmental impact Environmental managment Environmental stewardship Equalisation Equalise Equalization Equipment care Equipment failure Equipment hygiene Equipment inspection Equipment significance Evacuations Evacuation Evaluations Even Breath Evironmetaly friendly Exercise Exercising Exhaustion Exploration dives Exposure Protection Extended divetime Extinction Extinguisher Extreme treatments Eye injuries Eye protection FAQ Face computer Factor V Leiden Failures FalseBay Diving Fatigue Faulty equipment Feet Femal diver Female divers Fenivir Fetus development Field practice Filling stations Fillings Fin Foot Fins Fire Coral Fire Safety Fire extinguisher Firefighting Fires First Aid Equipment First Aid Kit First Aid Trainig First Aid Training First Aid kits First Aid FirstAid Fish Identification Fish Life Fishing Fish Fit to dive Fitness Levels Fitness Training Fitness evaluation Fitness to dive Fitnesstrainng Fitness Flying Focus lights Food Footissues Foundations Fractures Francesca Diaco Francois Burman Fred Buyle Fredive Free Student cover Free diving Free flow Freedive Competition Rules Freedive Competiton Freedive INstructor Freedive Safety Freedive Training Freedive competition Freedive computer Freedive modes Freedive rescue procedures Freediver Staff Instructor Freediver Freedive Freediving Instructors Freediving performance Freediving Fun Divers Zanzibar Fur rade Galapagos Gar Waterman Gardens of The Queen Gas Density Gas Planning Gas consumption Gas emboli Gas laws Gas management Gas mixes GasPerformance Gasblends Gases Gass bubbles Gastoeusophagus Gastric bypass Gastroenterologist Gas Gear Servicing Georgina Jones Germs Geyer Bank Giant Kelp Forest Giant Kelp Giant stride Girls that Scba GoDive Gobies Golden fish Gordon Hiles Great White Sharks Green sea turtle Green turles Greenlings Gregory Driessel Guidebook Guinness World Record Gutt irritations HBOT HBO HCV HELP HIRA HMLI HMS Britanica Haemorhoid treatment Hand signals Harry Chammas Havanna Hawaii Hawksbill Hazard Description Hazardous Marine life Hazardous marinelife Head injuries Headaches Health practitioner Healthy Food Heart Attack Heart Health Heart Rate monitor Heart fitness Heart rates Heart rate Heart Heat loss Heat stress Helen Walne Heliox Helium Gas Helium Hematoma Hemodynamic Hepatitis C Hepatitus B Hiatal Hernia High Pressure vessels High pressure hoses High temperatures Hilmar Luckhoff Hip strength Hip surgery Hippocampus History Hole in the heart Hood Hot Human diver Humans Hydrate Hydration Hydrogen Hydroids Hydrostatic pressure Hygiene Hyperbaric Chamber Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments Hyperbaric Oxygen Hyperbaric research Hyperbaric treatment Hyperbarics Hypertension Hypothermia Hypoxia I-52 found INclusivity IdentiFin Imaging Immersion Immine systems In Water Recompression Increased pressure Indemnity form Indian Ocean Indigo SCuba Indonesia Inert gas Infections Infra red Imaging Inhaca Ocean Alliance Injections Inner ear Instinct Instruction Instructors Insulation Insurance policy Insurance Integrated Physiology International travel International Internship programs Internship Interval training Investigations Irritation Irukandji Syndrome Islamorada Isotta housing Italy Itchy Rash Its OK Jellyfish Jennifer Hayes Jill Heinerth Joanna Wyrebek John Vowles Joint pain Joshua Journal for Technical Diving Junior Open Water Diver KZN South Coast KZN Karen van den Oever Kate Jonker KateJonker Kelp Forest Kelp forests KelpForests Ken Finlay Kenya Kidneys Kids scubadiver Komati Springs KwaZulu Natal Kwazulu-Natal LED lights LED Labour laws Lake Huron Lara Lambiase Laryngospasm Lauren Arthur Leanne Walmsley Learning to dive Leatherbacks Leatherback Legal Network Legal advice Legislation Lembeh Straights Lenses Leslie Lwaney Leukemis Liability Insurance Liability Risks Liability releases Liability Life expectancy Lifestyle Lighting equipment Lighting Lightroom editing Lights Lionfish Live aboard diving Liveaboard Liver Toxicity Liver diseas Liz Louw Llandudno Loss of consciousness Lost at sea Lost divers Low Visability Low blood platelets Low blood pressure Low pressure deterioration Low volume masks Lumpsuckers Lung Irritation Lung flexibility Lung function Lung injuries Lung over expansion Lung squeeze Lung surgery Lung MOD MOzambique diving MPA Macro photography Mafia Island Maintenance Malaria Mammalian Dive Response Mammalian effect Manatees Mandarin Fish Marfan syndrome Marine Biologist Marine Biology Marine Mega fauna Marine Science Marine Scientists Marine conservation Marine parks Marine plants Marinelife Marinescience Mark Barker Markus Dirschi Marlin Marne protecte areas Mask clearing Masks Mask Master scuba diver Matty Smith Mauro Jije Maximum operating depth Medical FAQ Medical Q Medical emergencies Medical forms Medical oxygen Medical questionaire Medical statement Medical team Medicalquestionaires Medicalresearch Medicalstudents Medication Mehgan Heaney-Grier Membership benefits Menopause Menstruation Mental health Mermaid Danii Mesophotic Metotrexate Mexico Michael Aw Micro Photography Microbubbles Middle ear pressure Mike Bartick Military front press Military Misool Resort Raja Ampat Mixed Gas Mnemba Ataol Mono Fins Mooring lines More pressure Mosselbay Motion sickness Motionsickness Mount Kilimanjaro Mozambique Muck Diving Muscle pain Mycobacterium marinum NDL limits NSRI Narcosis National Geographic Nature Nausea Nauticam Ambassadors Nauticam Ambassador Nautilus Navigation Ndibranchs Neck pain Neoprene layers Neuro assessments Neurocognitive research Neurological assessments Neuromotor exercises New Caledonia Nichola Bird Nicorette Nicotine Nitrogen Narcosis Nitrogen build up Nitrox No Decompression Limits No-decompression limits No-decompression Non-nano zinc oxide Non-rebreather Mask Non-smoking Nondiving related illness Nonrebreather masks Normal Air North Sulawesi Northern Taiwan Nosebleeds Nudibranchs Nuno Gomes Nutrition O2 enriched O2 oxygen provider. O2 providers O2 servicing O2 treatments O2treatments OOxygen maintenance Ocean Alliance Ocean Projects Ocean Research Ocean animals Ocean clean up Ocean community Ocean conservation Ocean life Ocean mammals Ocean migrations Ocean pollution Oceangate Ocean Octopus Oil contamination Olive Ridley Open Ocean Open water divers Operatorethics Optical focus Oral contraseptives Orbital implants Oronasal mask Osteonecrosis Otters Out and about Out of air Outer ears Outreach Overhead Envirenments Oxygen Administration Oxygen Cylinder Oxygen Toxicity Oxygen Units Oxygen deficit Oxygen deicit Oxygen dificiency Oxygen ears Oxygen equipment Oxygen explosions Oxygen kit Oxygen masks Oxygen providers Oxygen safety Oxygen supplies Oxygen supply Oxygen systems Oxygen therapy Oxygen treatment Oxygen P J Prinsloo PADI Freedivers PFI PFOs PFO PJP Tech PTSD Paper Nautilus Paralysis Parentalsupervision Part 3 Partner Training Patent foramen ovale PatentForamen Ovale Pemba Island Peri-peri Divers Personal Perspective Petar Denoble Peter Lindholm Philippine Islands Philippines Phillipines Photographers Photographer Photography tips Photography Physical Fitness Physioball Physiology Physiotherapy Pills Pilot Whale Pistons Planning Plastic pollution Plastic Plimsoll Interface Pneumonia Pneumothorax Poison Pole fishing Polka Dot Bat fish Pollution Pool Diving Pool chemicals Pool maintenance Pool workout Pools Post traumatic Post-dive Potuguese man-of-war Pre-dive fitness Pre-dive Predive check Pregnancy Pregnant divers Preparation Prepared diver Press Release Preventions ProDive Port Elizabeth Product scuba nudi Professional rights Protection Provider course Psycological Pulmanologist Pulmonary Barotrauma Pulmonary Bleb Pulmonary Edema Pulmonary Hypertension Pulse Punture wounds Pure Air Pure Apnea Purge Quit Smoking Q RAID South Africa RCAP REEF RMV ROS Radio communications Range of motion Rashes Reactive oxygen species Rebreather diving Rebreatherdive Recces Rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable Recompression chamber Recompression treatment Recompression Recreational dives Recycle Red SEA Reef Chcek Reef Conservation Reef Environmental Education Foundation Reef protection Reef safe Reef surveyors Refractive correction Regal Sea Goddesses Regulator failure Regulators Regulator Remote areas Remote dive locations Remote islands Renewable Rental gear Report incidents Rescue Divers Rescue Procedure Rescue breathing Rescue breaths Rescue diver Rescue skills Rescue skill Rescue training Rescue Researcher profile Research Respitory Minute Volume Resume diving Return To Diving Return to diving Reuseable items Review Rhinopias Risk Assessments Risk assesments Risk assessment Risk elements Risk management Risk mitigation Risks of Seizures River diving Riviera Maya Roatan Marine Park Roatan Ronblom Rubber ducks SABS 019 SAC SMB SRC SafariLive Safe diving practices Safety Concerns Safety Divers Safety Gear Safety Stop Safety in Air Safety SaherSafe Barrier Salisbury Island Salish Seas Salty Wanderer Sanitising Sanne Volja Sara Andreotti Sara Banderby Sara Campbell Sardine Run Sargassum sea Saturation Diving Saturation diver Save our seas Schrimps Science of diving Science Scoliosis Scombroid Poisoning Scorpion Fish Scuba Air Quality Scuba Guru Scuba Injury Scuba Instructor Scuba children Scuba divers Scuba dive Scuba diving Scuba education Scuba gear Scuba health Scubalearners Scubalife Sea Horses Sea Turtles Sea rescue Sea slugs SeaXplore Sodwana SeaXplore Seagrass Sealcolonies Sealife Seals Seasickness Seaweeds Seaweed Sea Self Rescue Send Nudi Shallow Water Blackout Shallow dives Shark Protection Shark Research Shark conservation Shark diving Shark specialist Sharks Shipwrecks Shit Happens Shore entries Shoulder strength Sidemount Sideplank Signalling devices Signs and Symptoms Silty bottoms Sinda da Graça Sit-ups Sixgill Sharks Skills in action Skin Bends Skin outbreak Skin rash Smart phone photography Snells Window Snorkeling Snorkels Social Distancing Sodwana Bay Sodwana Solomon Islands Sonnier bank South Africa Southern Sea Otters SpareAir Special Operations Special forces units Sperm Whales Spinal Bend Spinal bends Spinal cord DCS Spinal dura Spinal pain Spinner dolphins Spleen Splits Sports medicine Squeezes Squid Run Stability exercise Stage cylinder Standars Static breath hold Statin Mediction Stay Fit Stay Warm Steel Stefan Randig Stents Step ups Stephen Frink Stepping up Stobes Stockton Rush Stonetown Stretch band exercise Stretch bands Stretching Strobe Lighting Strobes Stroke Submerge tech Submerged Sudafed Sulawesi Sun protection Sun screen Sunscreen Supplemental oxygen Surface Air Consumption Surface Consumption Rate Surface Marker Buoys Surface supplied Air Surfaced Surfers Surgeries Surgery Survivor Suspension training Swim Fitness Swimmers health SwimmingIn wateractivities Swimming Sylvia Earl Symbiosis Symbiosys TRavel safety Tabata protocol Talya Davidoff Tank valve Tanzania Tara Panton Tattoes Tchnical diving Team Awareness Tec Clark Tec divers Tec diving Tech diving Technical Diving Technical diver Technical divng Temperature Homeostatis The Bends The Cavettes The Produce The Titanic Wreck The Wild Coast The greatest Shoal The silent world The truth Thermal Notions Thermoregulation Thomas Peschak Thresher shark Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Tides Tips and trick Tonga Tooth squeeze Transplants Trashbag Trauma Travel Safe Travel destinations Travel smarter Travel tips Travel Tropical Coastal Management Tulamben Tullum Tulum. Tumbatu Island Tuna Tunnelling Turks and Caicos Turtles Tweezers Ultrsound Umkomaas Unconscious ascent Unconscious diver Unconsciousness Underground waterways Underground work Underseaa world Underwaater Photos Underwater Photography Underwater Photograper Underwater Photograpgraphy Underwater Photographer Manirelife Underwater Photographers Underwater Research Underwater camera Underwater critters Underwater floral Gardens Underwater hockey Underwater imaging Underwater lights Underwater models Underwater photographer Underwater photography Underwater photos Underwater pho Underwater sound Underwatercommunications Underwater Underwtaer photography University of Stellenbosch Unresponsive Urchins Urinary retention. VGE Vacations Vaccines Vagus nerve Valsalva manoeuvers Valve stem seals Vape Vaping Vasopressors Vasvagal Syncope Venous gas emboli Ventilate Venting Verna van Schak Veterinarian Videography Vincenzo Ferri. Virus infections Volatile fuels WWII wrecks War stories Wash gear Washout treatments Wastewater Watchman device Water Resistance Water Weakness Weck Weigang Xu Weightloss Weights West Papua Western Cape Diving Wet Lenses Wet diving bell Wetsuit fitting Wetsuites Wetsuits Wetsuit White balance Whitetpped Sharks Wide Angle Photos Wide angles Wildlife park Wildlife Winter Wits Underwater Club Wolf Eels Woman and diving Woman in diving Woman's Health Womans health Woman Women In Diving SA Women and Diving Women in Freediving Women in diving Womens Month Womens health Work of Breathing Workout World Deeepst Dive Record World Records Wound dressings Wreck History Wreck divers Wreck dive Wreck diving Wreck exploration Wreckdiving Wrecks Wrist technology Yachts Yoga Youth diver Zandile Ndholvu Zanzibar Zoology Zooplankton \ Blennies abrasion absolute pressure acoustic neuroma excision adverse seas air-cushioned alert diver altitude alveolar walls anemia antibiotics anticoagulants antiseptics ascent bandages barodontalgia bent-over barbell rows bioassays biodiversity bloodcells blue carbon body art breathing air calories burn canal blockage cannabis oil carbon dioxide toxicity cardiovascular career developments cerebrospinal fluid cervical spine checklist chemo port children child chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clearances closed circuit scuba compressed gass coral growth corrective lenses crystalweed currents cuts cylinder filling daggaolie dagga dead lift decompression algorithms decongestants decongestion deep dive training dehydration discovery dive clubs dive injuries dive medicing dive ready child dive reflex dive tribe divecomputers diver in distress diver rescue diver training dive diving attraction diving hoods doctors dolphns domestic travel dri-suits drowning dry mucous membranes dry suits dry e-cigarettes ear spaces earplugs ears elearning electrocardiogram electrolyte imbalance electroytes emergency action plans emergency assessment emergency training environmentally friendly equalising equalizing exposure injuries eyes fEMAL DIVERS fire rescue fish watching fitness Balance fitnes flexible tubing frediving freedivers gas bubble gas poisoning gastric acid gene expression health heartburn heron bridge histidine hospital humidity hypobaric hypoxia immersion and bubble formation immersion pulmonary edema (IPE informal education isopropyl alcohol jaundice join DAN knee lanyard laparoscopic surgery life jackets longevity lower stress lox oxygen level lungs malaise mamalian effect marielife marine pathogens medical Questions medical issues medical procedures medical risk assesment medications mental challenge mental preparedness micro-organisims micro minor illness mucous membranes multilineage dysplasia myelodysplasia nasal steroids nasal near drowning nematocysts neurological newdivers nitrogen bubbles no tanx off-gassed operating theatre operations orthopeadic otitis media out planting outgas pain parameters perforation phillippines phrenic nerve physical challenges pinched nerves plasters pneumoperitoneum polyester-TPU polyether-TPU post dive posture prescription mask preserve prevention professional emergency responders proper equalization psychoactive pulmonary barotrauma. pulmonary injury. pulmunary barotrauma pure oxygen radiation rebreather mask rebreathers retinal detachment risk areas safety stops saturation scissors scuba equipment scuba sea goddesses single use sinus infections situationalawarenes smoking snorkeling. spearfishing spliff sterilising stings strength sub-aquatic sunscreen lotion swimmer's ear swimmer\'s ear swimmers ears tattoo care tecnical diver thermal protection tissue damage toxicity trachea training travel Insurance trimix tympanic membrane unified standards upcycled upwelling virtual coach vision impaired vomiting warmers water quality zinc oxide