knowledge
SLOW DIVE - SLOW LIFE
The city of Pasym, located in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, just two and a half hours from Warsaw.
It is a charming place with a rich history and picturesque surroundings. It is known for its beautiful lakes and surrounding forests. Pasym attracts lovers of nature and peace. In the centre of the city dominates the gothic evangelical church while on the other side there is the Catholic church, which a frequent sight in Masuria. Beside it, there are a beautiful neo-gothic town hall and charming tenement houses, creating an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and tranquillity...
DIVING DEEP INTO... YOURSELF
Water is not our natural habitat. During our first diving lesson, we break down a barrier within ourselves. A natural fear that lies somewhere deep within us. We take our first steps timidly, we are clumsy and we move in a strange unnatural way. There is a lot going on. It's like when you drive a car for the first time. The instructor tells you to shift gears, press the pedals, look in the mirrors and look ahead, turn the steering wheel and then there are the indicators... and what else?! You start tentatively, move into city traffic, shyly operate the gas...
Don't wave your arms, inflate your jacket, straighten your legs at the knees, breathe calmly, equalize the pressure in your ears... and what else?....
CHOOSING A DIVING BUDDY IS HARDER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!
Much has already been written about the buddy diving system. Training organizations focus on the buddy system from the very beginning when teaching diving greenhorns. On its website, DAN also stresses the great significance of a buddy in diving.
This article is not going to tell you how to choose your diving buddy and what traits they should have, as I am not a psychologist. I also don't want to discuss whether the 1 + 1 system is perfect for recreational diving, while three autonomous divers acting as a group are required for technical dives. I would rather like to make everyone aware how important a diving buddy is, how much you can learn from them, how much you can achieve together and how you can... make a true friend in time.
IS IT A HOBBY FOR CHILDREN?
Who needs a hobby? Not everyone has a hobby, but having at least one is extremely important, no matter whether you’re a child or an adult child. They let you grow, stimulate your brain to work and give you enjoyment. With hobbies, life is more interesting, and the time spent on them makes it easier to deal with problems and helps you put some distance between the world and you. In adult life, our hobbies often take second place to other matters, and the time spent on them is limited. But imagine – what if you could share your interests with your child and spend your priceless bonding time doing things that are attractive for the both of you?
WHY DO I HAVE THE URGE TO PEE WHEN DIVING?
We were sitting and drinking coffee, basking in the sun and recalling the dives we had performed that day, when one of our friends carelessly mentioned that, just when she starts diving, she immediately feels the urge to pee, which is ungrounded, as she always remembers to visit the toilet before going into the water.
“You want to pee, because your trim is incorrect” – said someone accusingly.
Today, let us subject this thesis to scientific analysis!
A DIVE INTO CONFIDENCE
Wanting to achieve perfection and the culture of self-optimization can create an atmosphere where women and girls may feel the urge to constantly compare themselves to others, measure their worth based on external validation, and feel a constant need to meet unrealistic standards. These challenges can negatively affect one's self-esteem and self-confidence. But… Where is the link to scuba diving?
ADHESION AND COHESION...
or why you should spit into your mask
Who didn’t feel embarrassed the first time they heard from their instructor that they should spit into their mask for their own comfort? As we gained more experience, this procedure, intended to prevent the mask from fogging up, started to appear completely natural for us.
However, have you ever wondered why do we spit into our masks? What physical processes occur there?
WHERE ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF AN ADVENTURE?
Diving has always been a big part of my life. I didn't look at it as an adventure, however, but as a way of spending time. It was a natural part of the only holidays my family and I went on. Thanks to my dad, a diving instructor and the president of the local diving club, I had a childhood full of trips, competitions, meetings with people, rescue operations. I met wonderful people who shaped me and trained me to be a diver and then a diving instructor.
Every time I thought I had seen it all, my diving adventure was just beginning.
DIVING, A WAY TO GET TO KNOW YOURSELF
This article is aimed at beginners who are apprehensive about diving, want to progress in this direction and at the same time feel the benefits of professional burnout.
It appears that Polish adults, compared to other Europeans, feel on the verge of burnout (STADA Health Report 2022 online survey). The pandemic has exacerbated stress in us. Add to that the war in Ukraine and galloping inflation. It simply can't get any worse.
BLACKWATER DIVING
Encounter with mysterious underwater creatures of the night
Diving is a fascinating adventure that allows you to explore other worlds hidden under the surface of the water. But have you ever heard of blackwater diving? If not, fasten your seatbelts, because I'm taking you on a journey to the land of sea wonders, where larval octopuses are only the tip of the iceberg.
PROJECT GIRLS
In this article, we hear from inspiring women about their experiences in projects. We dive into their roles, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them. We also ask what advice they would give to other women interested in taking up project diving. So, get ready to be inspired by these girls who are making a difference, one dive at a time.
GIRLS CORNER, TWINSET-DIVING
Twinset-diving is for technical divers who only dive long and deep. It needs a lot of strength to carry double-tanks and women are not built to handle such weight.
This was for a long time a strong belief I had. In this article, I would like to tell you how I changed my mind on diving in twinset configuration as a girl.
LONG HAIR AND DIVING
Coming back from three months of diving in Malta, I was forced to cut 7 cm of my hair - a very sentimental and even maybe a bit sad moment, thinking about all the time it took to grow it. During my stay on the island, my hair was tortured with regular exposure to salt water, constant sun, and tearing while putting on the drysuit and taking on and off the mask.
VIRTUAL DIVING
In 2020, when the whole world was lock down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to give up my diving plans in order to protect my health. However, I missed diving terribly and so I found a substitute - I bought VR goggles that opened up a world of new possibilities for me.
I STARTED DIVING BECAUSE I WAS SCARED
Fear is a certain feeling of anxiety and tension. It is a natural feeling and has already accompanied our ancestors by warning them of predators and other dangers, allowing them to attack or escape quickly. Today, we understand the fear better, but at the same time the anxiety may appear in greater numbers of situations where we are not really threatened, because the subconscious gives us an idea of a threat that is not really there.
A WOMAN'S VIEW ON DIVING
For five years, I’ve been working at a diving center and a diving store where I also advise divers or divers-to-be on the choice of equipment. People laugh at me, like: what, a woman? I ask each customer tons of questions, but I’m doing it to get to understand their needs to the maximum extent possible and make sure I choose such equipment for them that they would always want to buy only from me.
BUDDY SYSTEM
Safe diving with a reasonable approach
Each student is trained in the basic safety rules and pro-cedures in emergency situations – under and above water. Once they become certified divers, they stick to these rules and consolidate them in their daily diving rou-tine. Well, routine...
During the OWD, P1 and equivalent courses in other fed-erations, students learn the techniques and principles of safe diving. Their foundation is the buddy system. It is the basis of the whole safety system; if there is no partner – the safety system basically does not work.
MERMAIDING
Mermaid Academy
As the legend has it, an island on the Mediterranean was the home of Mermaids, i.e. beautiful women with fish tails. It is there that sailors would spot them and hear their gorgeous seductive singing. Contemporary Mermaids do not sing anymore, but you do not need to travel far to come across them. Thanks to the Mermaids Academy, they have also come to Poland.
Mermaiding, as this is how diving in a mermaid tail is called, came to existence about 10 years ago. The sport has conquered Western Europe, the United States and many Asian countries. Mermaiding appeared in Poland 3 years ago, thanks to the Mermaids Academy from Warsaw.
DIVER RESCUE
How to effectively provide first aid
Anyone who begins their adventure with such a hobby as diving, from the very first day of the course must follow the safety rules and remember them so that they know how to help themselves or, if necessary, the other divers. Of course, nobody talks about being a hero, it is more about logical and consistent actions in order to help or minimise the risk, from emergency procedures regarding hardware problems to possible physical problems we or our partners can have.
SNOOT IN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Shooting in locations optimal for taking macro shots is conducive to fascinating encounters with the smallest and usually the most isolated inhabitants of the seas on the planet. Most of these monsters or tiny beauties are seen on unremarkable, often litter-covered sandy bottoms. The photographed objects are not only filigree, but also sometimes effectively masked with algae or sponges of similar colours and textures. In such a situation, it is worth having a so-called "snoot" (a conical tube) – a special attachment installed on an external strobe in order to illuminate the object itself, avoiding the disturbing background.
GUARDIAN ANGELS
Polish Medical Air Rescue
You can try to divide divers into those who are aware of the dangers and those who do not pay attention to securing the diving site. Everyone follows their own (hopefully) sound and logical thinking and training. Therefore, in this article, I’m not going to touch or judge the divers’ moral attitude :)
I want to tell a story about the Guardian Angels from a different point of view: a story of passionate people, engaging entirely in what they do in their "job". Probably many of you saw more than once the Polish Medical Air Rescue flying somewhere overhead.
FULL AWARENESS DIVING
During my 20-year diving adventure as a diver, instructor and instructor trainer, it dawned on me many times that my system is missing something; until one time, during a long solo-dive, I spontaneously applied my regular meditation practices during diving – the discovery could be compared with a flash of insight “and that is what this is all about...” and so it all started. As it usually happens with similar discoveries, I started researching.
IS IT WORTH PARTICIPATING IN WRECK AND MARINE DIVING TRAINING?
Do I really need another specialization, another certificate? Actually I don't need it as I only dive in warm waters, in good conditions… nothing can possibly go wrong.
These questions are often asked by both divers and those who are just starting their adventure with diving. I would like to address this article to all skeptics who deny the sense of further courses and gaining knowledge, as well as those who would like to improve their skills in the future at various training courses. In this article I will write why it is worth completing the marine and wreck diving course...
'DIVING INTO DARKNESS'
Review
Diving into Darkness: A True Story of Death and Survival by Phillip Finch is a book for divers, which is difficult to pass by indifferently. I think most divers know this story, if not from the book, then from the movie, or from the evening's chats over a beer, and probably everyone has an opinion on the hero of this story.
The book tells the story of a pilot David Shaw, who discovers the secrets of diving. At one point on his way he meets the diving instructor Don Shirley. From this point on, the story gains momentum. We see more record-breaking dives, exploring the world of rebreathers and cave diving.
VIDEO SYSTEM UV2
Have you ever wondered what a professional diver sees under water and how is it transmitted to the surface?
Unlike recreational diving, a diver working under water gives an image of what he sees on the surface to the person operating the video panel. (...)
On the European market, several companies associated with the production of equipment for the needs of professional diving, also produce such systems. The company Ocean-Tech Sp. z o.o with its innovative solution UV2 (Underwater Video System UV2).
DIVELOCAL
DAN Europe is launching a new, multifaceted campaign to encourage, celebrate, and support local diving in response to the pandemic, which has greatly restricted divers’ ability to travel internationally.
"PADI has led the way and we’re happy to join them along with our industry partners and agencies to encourage divers to explore local diving opportunities”, explained DAN Europe marketing director Cristian Pellegrini. “Given the public health situation we find ourselves in, local diving is one of the things that will hopefully help boost our industry’s recovery".
"MEDICINE FOR DIVERS"
Review
Exactly 906 pages has a new work of Dr. med. Jarosław Krzyżak and prof. dr hab. med. Krzysztof Korzeniewski. This is the fifth version, the most comprehensive publication on diving medicine. Interestingly, all previous versions are virtually unavailable on the secondary market. This is perhaps the best review of previous releases. Let's see what has changed in the latest.
This extremely cavernous book entitled "Medicine for divers" is a kind of compendium of diving knowledge. The authors of this publication approached the topic extremely holistically, describing not only the direct topics related to diving, but also everything related to it.
XI ABC COMMANDMENTS
In my experience, people start to be interested in the ability to help the victim and how to secure and prevent an accident only when they personally encounter such a situation. For years I have been involved in the subject of lifesaving and first aid (both regular and diving). I conduct workshops, meetings, lectures and exercises. I promote safety above and under water. Therefore, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the topic BEFORE you find yourself in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation.
A TRAVELLING DIVER, part II
In the first part of the guide, we discussed issues concerning logistics and documents; today – a few words about health, flights and equipment.
Most divers are aware that in order to dive safely, you need to keep fit. We also know how to avoid hazards in the water and learn how to be environmentally neutral – “leave nothing but bubbles, take nothing but memories”. Yet before travelling, you need to consider several other “nice-to-know” factors.
SAFETY AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN WATER
Even the best swimmers, snorkelers and divers can experience emergencies above and below the water. Therefore, it is worth remembering to observe the safety rules. Even if it takes effort. My guess is that some of you have already thought: "gee, how boring, talking about safety again, and it was so nice...". But please think that it is better to learn from someone else's mistakes than to experience later a difficult and sometimes dramatic situation that cannot be reversed.
A TRAVELLING DIVER, part I
Whether you are taking a 23-hour flight to the other end of the world or a 23-minute trip to the lake, there's a journey of some kind behind each and every dive. That is why safety is crucial aspect of our mission here at DAN. This smart guide is a fast and easy tool to help you prepare for a diving trip to local and remote destinations.
"SHUSH!"
On the benefits of diving with a deaf diver
Diving has you witness a symphony of various sounds, including the humming of motorboat engines, the guide's rattle, air bubbles escaping towards the water surface, the sound of water and many more.
This is the underwater opera you all know and love in your everyday dives.
Now, try to imagine diving or strolling along the shore in complete silence. While you cannot hear any sounds, no birds singing, no humming nor – when you take underwater “strolls” – your own breath or the sound of air bubbles.
Can you imagine that?
THE TERRIBLE HOURS
Review
Thanks to the widespread access to the Internet and television, the tragic story of the Kursk submarine was followed all over the world. However, in 1939, when the USS Squalus sank, it was not possible to follow the rescue operation on television. Only the 1999 the book by Peter Maas, "The Terrible Hours", brought it closer to the world. A story about a man who carried out the greatest underwater rescue operation.
HOW TO SWIM IN ABC EQUIPMENT
We have all the elements of the equipment matched. The snorkel is attached to the right side of the mask, and the reflective cap at its end is bent so that as little water as possible flows into the snorkel. The mask is tight, because we made sure that the hair and hood are well arranged. We insert the snorkel, seal it with our lips and exhale. We lie face down in the water, make sure the snorkel is above the surface and… we can swim :) But… before we start, we should be aware of a few things.
EAP – EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PLAN
Emergency plans – what is this for?
The Emergency Assistance Plan (EAP) or emergency plan is a prerequisite for successfully rescuing an injured diver. It includes immediate first aid on site and emergency treatment, as well as the fastest transport to the nearest and most appropriate medical facility. The responsibility for reacting to the EAP lies with the local dive operator.
CAVERNS MEASURELESS TO MAN
Review
The book was published in 1994. I own a very neat 2009 Mayfly edition, which also contains traditional photographs and maps. The book itself is Sheck Exley’s account of his journey through the world of diving. His recollection of his adventures, which basically inspired many diving procedures we use today, is provided in very accessible manner. Have you ever wondered where the rule of thirds came from?
WETSUITS
Selecting the tipe and size
Before you go for snorkeling, it is worth buying a neoprene wetsuit. Due to the variety of functions that a wetsuit fulfills - it might be useful to everyone.
1) A wetsuit provides thermal protection (as we get cold in water about 25 times faster); 2) It protects against sunburn (back and shoulders); 3) It protects against abrasions (sharp coral reef, jellyfish) that heal for a long time and are painful; 4) Provides better identification of a snorkeling person (colors)...
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
What is it and what is it for?
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are written documents that specify how to organize or perform specific tasks. Their goal is to standardize and improve work. The procedures must be followed by all employees, because in this way you can be sure that all tasks are performed in the same way. Although it seems logical that this is to be expected, many diving centres do not have such procedures. Therefore, when diving several times in the same centre, you may notice that pre-dive briefings (or other tasks) are performed in different ways.
TOURIST ORGANIZER ON THE DIVING EXHIBITION MARKET
How does this work in practice?
Tourist organizer – for several, if not a good dozen or so years, we raise this topic more and more often... I am currently observing a clear tendency to increase the awareness of travelers participating in diving trips.
Until ten or twenty years ago, in the diving environment, we organized diving trips on our own... Instructors, centers, clubs, acted as expedition organizers, taking participants with them to dive in Europe, in popular Egypt, or totally exotic places. When organizing trips since 2007, over the past few years, I observe a significant increase in public awareness.
ABC: MASK, SNORKEL, FINS
How to select and safely use snorkelling gear?
A SNORKEL (a tube). The snorkel should be adjusted taking into account the comfort of the mouthpiece and the bend of the snorkel (a rigid one or the one with a flexible joint). We should also choose the type of the snorkel: a) a traditional, open-top snorkel, whose main advantage is the price, b) a semi-dry snorkel, with a cap partially protecting against flooding with excess water, c) a so-called "dry snorkel" with protecting against pouring water.
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT – HIRA
The DAN Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) program was created to help you identify and reduce the risks associated with running a business in the diving industry. This program is an adaptation of well-known HIRA practices used in aviation, medicine, production and other fields, as well as by security services around the world. DAN has adapted the program to take into account real diving threats, offering realistic and pragmatic risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
ABC: MASK, SNORKEL, FINS
How to select and safely use snorkeling gear?
"A" for MASK. Thanks to the mask, we might observe what is happening under water, so its perfect fit is important. How to achieve it? We should brush the hair back and apply a silicone seal to our face. We do not put on the strap at that point! Now we suck the air in through our nose so that the mask clings to our face. If we shake our head and the mask holds well – we put a strap on the back of our head. Don't do up the strap too tightly! It can cause the mask to leak or squeeze your face. If the strap is loose and you still feel too much pressure in the water - we should lightly blow the air with our nose into the mask. It should help.
DAN MOBILE APPLICATION
In the middle of 2019, its premiere had a mobile app: Divers Alert Network (DAN). We will try to take a closer look at the possibilities of the application and briefly present to you the operation of the app.
Today it is hard to find a diver who does not use a smartphone with Internet access. In response to the needs of most users, in the DAN application we will primarily find our DAN card confirming the insurance, its type and duration. In most diving centres and bases presenting an electronic card is sufficient when registering for a dive.
QUALITY OF DIVING TRAININGS
My job involves, among other things, quite intensive tours around Poland, meeting with divers and instructors during read-outs, workshops or lectures, as well as participating - actively or as an observer - in many different diving courses, as a ‘side effect’ of spending time with divers.
To my surprise and concern, as a representative of DAN, I was asked questions by the divers, which forced me to reflect on the level of knowledge and training in Poland.
While questions about the speed of ascent, suspicious symptoms and used gases I could understand, the question I got from the diver at the AOWD level: ‘What is this decompression sickness all about?’ prompted me to write this article.
PANIC
Experiencing anxiety, even for a short period, is never pleasant. It's even worse when the fear turns into panic, and the worst when it happens underwater. The reason why healthy people suffer from sudden panic attacks underwater has been unknown so far. It is important, however, to try to understand the panic mechanisms. In fact, panic, though harmless by nature, can be the most common cause of accidents among divers.
A DIVING ACCIDENT
Meaning everything is fine until…
As for diving accidents, it is usually the case that everything is fine until something bad happens, and then there is unfortunately no guilty party. Nobody wants to be associated with it or involved in it. We are naturally afraid of being blamed or held responsible for a given accident. We say that we did not do anything wrong or that we did not mean it. If I walk along the sidewalk and suddenly fall over, it is an accident, however, if I had known that I would fall, I would have lain down on this sidewalk. An accident is an event that we did not anticipate and which occurred. What is different is whether we are prepared for a given event - having appropriate training, skills, experience, equipment, sometimes support on the surface.
I CAME, I SAW, I TELL
The Tecline Academy
The TecLine brand is recognisable among recreational and technical divers around the world. I experienced it personally either in Croatia, Malta or even in Cyprus. Its main purpose is to design and manufacture equipment that increases the comfort of diving for both beginners and advanced technical divers. This is what is generally known, but the Academy goes further. An additional goal is to help instructors by facilitating the training process based on intuitively operating equipment.
SCUBA DIVING AND FREEDIVING ON THE SAME DAY
With the growing popularity of such sport discipline as freediving, we ask ourselves about the safety of combining scuba diving using compressed gas and breath-hold dives on the same day.
What are the DAN guidelines for combining these two sports on the same day?
#WHYWEDOIT
The deep blue attracts, calls and invites us to explore it, but the calling is different for each of us. Everyone feels and experiences it in a different way. We are all unique in looking for the sense and the reasons why we dive. That is why some time ago an idea for a campaign was born, in which divers can share their motivations and experiences – a DAN campaign called #whywedoit.
DIVING SAFETY LAB ON HAŃCZA LAKE
At the beginning of November 2018, representatives of Divers Alert Network carried out an advanced Diving Safety Lab on the deepest lake in Poland – Hańcza.
We want to bring you closer to the goal and the course of the research and to indicate how each diver can contribute to an increase in diving safety.
MORE WATER, LESS BUBBLES
Dehydration – what is it?
We speak of dehydration when the body loses more water than it receives. Dehydration can lead to various types of medical problems that can be avoided in a simple way – by ensuring the right level of hydration.
Dehydration – how does it affect divers?