Hi

It is always great to be able to make new friends and brothers in blue through the internet, and it never fails to amaze me how many things we have in common all over the world. I want to take this time to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season, and all the best of everything for 2009. For my special friends BRAD, BOBBY, and BULLCOP, don't worry Bro's I am watching your backs even from afar. We're all LEO's but it is always a good feeling to know that even someone from afar is watching out for you. All the best to you and your families this holiday season. Tom :-) :-)

DIVE LIKE A PRO/ TIPS FROM TOM LOW VIZ TIPS T.D. Hanna MSDT PSD Level 4 NAUI /PADI /IANTD /PSAI SDI/TDI/ERDI PSDA IADRS (member) Diver Certication Board of CANADA (DCBC) Halifax NS Diving in Low Visability situations, a few tips (Don't forget, I DIVE BLACKWATER) GEAR UP: Here's your diver's wish list of stuff to have and use in low viz dives: 1) COMPASS (standard) or should be! 2) LINE REEL ( 200' at least) 3) SURFACE SIGNALLING DEVICES (Sea Me Sausage, Whistle, Dive Alert(works of your tank pressure) , even a mirror for signaling. (AIR HORN, if you can fit in your BC pocket, you can never be too safe, LOL) 4) BUDDY LINE (a short length of rope with loops at the ends for your hand), the under sea version of an idiot string for keys!! 5) LIGHTS (when cave diving I take 4), cyalume sticks, head lamps (I'm not kidding). 6) KNIVES OR CUTTING SHEARS ( lines, fishing lines,kelp, idiot's fishing using metal line and not monofilament and of course not seeing the Diver d...

DIVE LIKE A PRO / TIPS FROM TOM BCD SURVIVAL SKILLS: YOU CAN MAKE A SAFE ASCENT!!! Back in the dark ages of diving (60's-late70's) divers worried that BCD use would cause them to have out of control and shoot them to the surface faster than my ex girlfriend could get to a shoe store on buy one get one day!! The old timers used to quip about power inflator's as being "elevator" buttons for diver's and figuring that safe ascents mean keeping your hands behind your back to avoid that "fool's button". I was one of them!! :( And the unfortunate part of all this was that a lot of them were instructor's!! Yup, our pro's!! I remember being taught to dump all the air from my BC and trying to swim up against negative pressure! NOT NICE!! The thinking back then was that swimming up against the negative pressure would prevent out of control ascents, all I remember was cramps!! So what's the modern diver too do?? Here is some basic "now...

NITROX EANx VooDoo GAS!!! LOL!!!!! What is nitrox? In diving terminology; any mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, where these two gases represent the major constituents of the gas mix, is termed nitrox. Note that mixes which contain more than trace levels of other gases in addition to nitrogen and oxygen are not nitrox. Air is considered a nitrox mix. Nitrox mixes which are hyperoxic (contain more than 21% oxygen) are variously known as; enriched air, enriched air nitrox (EAN or EANx) or SafeAir *. For the most part, sport divers will only be interested in hyperoxic nitrox mixes. * SafeAir is copyright of ANDI and refers to any nitrox mix with an oxygen percentage between 22% and 50%. How long has nitrox been around? Quite a while. The early history of nitrox is really the history of research into oxygen toxicity. The toxic effect of enriched oxygen mixtures were first demonstrated by Paul Bert in 1878. He discovered that high partial pressures of oxygen were directl...

Regulator Choice When purchasing a regulator you should consider the following Performance A regulator specified to 50m is all you ever need as any dive you are doing passed 44m your on Trimix anyway (aren't you ???). Due to the lower gas densities of trimix Vs Air, a trimix will breathe easier than air at deapth. The regulator will not need to be the best performer that the ANSTI test can turn out. Construction/assembly of the reg. The second stage NEEDS to be able to be stripped under water, just incase you have debris under the exhaust valve or it has moved (ie folded back) and you are breathing wet also damage to the diaghram can be a problem. As such the front needs to be removable without any tools and with gloves on - after this if its not a simple cleaning job, you can use the spare parts from the other regulators to effect a repair. No one can get out of a 60 min deco and go to the dive shop for a repair and then get back in the water to continue the deco. We use eit...

WHAT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY DIVER/POLICE DIVER???? Public Safety Divers are human, believe it or not - just like the rest of us. They come in various sizes and shapes and speak with as many accents and languages as there are lakes and rivers. Public Safety Divers are found everywhere; in large cities, rural communities and at most departmental budget meetings. The best way to get one is pick up the telephone. Public Safety Divers deliver lectures, diving equipment and bad news. They’re expected to have the wisdom of King Solomon, the abilities of Superman and the generosity of Santa Claus. In the movies, Public Safety Divers are easy to spot. You see them hanging from helicopters and cliffs over some treacherous waterfall or rescue scene. In real life, they’re found hanging around near a telephone - even on Sundays, ‘cause that’s when it usually rings ... just after company has arrived and the barbecue has been lit. Public Safety Divers are a lot of things. When they make a rescue, they’re...