Nitrogen Narcosis may be called the ‘Martini Effect’ and might be compared to being ‘drunk’ or ‘high’ but at 100 feet or deeper underwater, it can spell disaster. And if you still think it can’t happen to you, let me tell you that if you dive to 100 feet on air, your chance of getting narced is almost 100 percent!! No one is immune to nitrogen narcosis, it’s effects just happen to vary from diver to diver.

You’ve probably been that deep or even deeper and never felt narced, right? and that’s exactly why it can be dangerous. The first symptoms of nitrogen narcosis are subtle and can make you feel silly, slightly excited, normal or even great. Chances are you’ve never even noticed the effects of narcosis cause not cause you haven’t been narced but rather you haven’t noticed. Most times when nitrogen narcosis hits, you haven’t had do anything but breathe normally through your regulator, which is almost second nature if you’ve been diving a while. It’s when and if you have react or deal with anything that requires some thoughtful response you’ll be in trouble. So while you must have heard about decompression Illness being the biggest risk of diving, some consider Nitrogen narcosis more dangerous as it attacks the most important piece of life-support diving equipment a diver has- their brain.

Symptoms of Nitrogen Narcosis
In some cases you’ll be able to see the effects of the narcosis right away. Divers have been known to do some pretty amusing things as if they were drunk on alcohol, like start to chase the pretty fishes, hear fish sing or talk, hump coral heads and so on while some behave in ways that cause more concern, like checking their octopus for air pressure instead of their gauge or in the case of the picture, almost kill their own dive buddy because they were hallucinating. Still think it’s pretty harmless? Think again. The effects of the nitrogen absorbed into the bloodstream causing a high nitrogen concentration and in turn slowing the nervous system and brain function does more than just messing with your mind.

It slows down your thinking process: Because of the depth and breathing compressed air, the nitrogen starts acting like an anesthetic and can reduce mental powers to those of a staggering drunk. As an advanced diver certification student, you probably remember your instructor making you do a puzzle or math problem on the surface and underwater at around 100 ft (30m). This was to test your response time and compare the two to test if you got narced.Needless to say incase of an emergency underwater a diver needs the ability to think quick and react according.
You can’t multitask: The increased pressure of nitrogen on the nervous system and the slowing down of the brain function makes it harder for a diver to think of multiple things at the same time. And since diving is a multitasking activity as you have several things to consider at once to make decisions like buoyancy, depth, tank pressure, your buddy etc, if a problem arises your brain limits your options for dealing with it which could lead to trouble.
Short-term memory loss: Narcosis often makes divers show signs of short-term memory loss. They can forget their most recent training or how to work their rental scuba gear and equipment (like BCDs) or even forget the task they were sent down to do. So, when you’re advised to practice your emergency skills over and over again even when not in need, you may want to pay heed as if you get narced it could very well save your life.

Luckily, ascending about 10 feet or so, depending on your depth can clear the effects of narcosis almost immediately and there’s no permanent damage or after-effects of it. The major problem faced by divers is recognizing the symptoms and or accepting that you’re narced to deal with it.

Learn How To Deal With Nitrogen Narcosis in our next post…

*Photo credits: photos by Daniel Kwok, Gagliardo_Daniel, Daniel Kwok on flickr.

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It’s always been debated whether one needs be a good strong swimmer to be a scuba diver and whether fitness actually plays an important part in this sport, cause of the weightlessness underwater when using a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD). But truth of the matter is that while almost anyone can dive irrespective of their shape or size, a fitter diver does help being a better diver.

When scuba diving you can’t predict the prevailing conditions all the time and if faced with strong currents on a dive, even the most experienced diver’s strength can be put to the test. Poor physical condition reduces one’s stamina and energy levels which can cause fatigue, another major concern that comes with diving that can even put a diver in risk of cutting down his/her air supply, causing undue stress or panic and increasing the chances of decompression illness. Which is why building up stamina and getting your body in shape can improve your underwater performance by quite a bit.

Experts say that with the right exercise and diet plan divers could cut down their air consumption, prevent cramps, stress, sleep problems and tiredness, as well as reduce blood pressure and the chance of decompression illness.

Getting fit through exercise-
Let’s face it to strengthen the muscles you use when you dive i.e your legs, shoulders, arms and back you need to do regular cardiovascular exercise which will improves your breathing and general fitness. You don’t have to go the gym to do cardiovascular exercises – power walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and even walking up and down stairs will raise your heart rate and improve your stamina. 30 minutes of cardio two or three times a week along with a few exercises targeted at those specific muscles you use in diving is a good way to start.

For the thighs- body weight squats are an ideal way to strengthen those leg muscles that’ll help in a strong current. For the arms and upper body- Push-ups or half push ups (keeping your knees on the ground) will exercise not only your arms but the entire upper body making lifting those heavy cylinders a little easier.The yoga pose known as the cobra pose is a good gentle way of working on your lower back muscles (see how to do the Cobra pose here) to ease that back into lifting and carrying your kit around.

Getting fit by eating healthy-
We all know that getting fit involves eating healthier. And it’s no big surprise that a well-balanced diet will help maintain energy levels, reduce fatigue, help control weight which we’ve seen can help improve our diving. So the next time you reach for that greasy bacon post dive, think twice!

For more details on Scuba Diver Diet questions like -what constitutes a good pre-dive breakfast? Is it okay to eat before you dive? Is having breakfast before a dive necessary? What kinds of surface interval snacks are beneficial? check out our post – A Scuba Divers Diet Questions Answered.

And lastly, we should have to say this but DRINK PLENTY OF WATER! Dehydration is thought to be a major causes of muscle cramps, along with fatigue and sodium/electrolyte imbalance. More importantly, not drinking enough water can also increase the risk of decompression illness, so make sure to get enough water in you, before you get in the water!

*Photo Credits: photos by tobze, mikebaird, foodswings on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Diver Fitness: Get Into Better Shape To Improve Your Diving is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Some of the best dive sites in the World have underwater currents. It’s a simple fact that currents carry in food (plankton) to an area which in turn draws fish and more fish and animals that feed on that fish and so on, making it a lively dive site to explore. However, currents can often be intimidating for divers because of their unpredictability and your natural survival instinct of fighting it. Sometimes going with the flow is hard when you are unexpectedly pushed into the fast lane without being prepared. It’s at these times it is better to have some idea as to how to deal with the situation rather than to be caught clueless and scared.

Here’s a look at some tips in dealing with underwater currents when your diving-

• Check for currents before the dive. Before getting into the water, look for current patterns on the surface itself and have the boat drop a drift line in the water to see if there are any. Usually local fisherman, boat hands and experienced dive masters who are familiar with the area can recognize the conditions from the surface.
• Take a cue from the fish. You can tell changes n currents or the appearance of one from the reef fish. Generally, small fish will all be facing up-current, unless it is so strong they are forced to take shelter. In a downcurrent, however, fish may be finning up and down and frantically in circles. If the downcurrent is particularly strong, you may even see larger fish being swept downwards.
• Descend down an anchor line when there’s a prevalent current at a particular dive site. Avoid free descents. Remember not to let go of the line until you reach the bottom or desired depth and make sure your dive buddy is ready too.
• If you’re in for a current dive, it’s best to make it a drift dive if possible. For that however, you would need to appoint a reliable surface supervisor that can spot the divers on the surface and bring the boat around for retrieval. It’s also important that you trail a surface float while you dive for the dive boat to keep track of the group and every diver should carry a safety sausage or a deploy-able high visibility buoy that can help the dive boat spot you should you separate from the group and have to surface. A whistle attached to your BCD might help as well in such a situation.
• If you know you are to dive in fast currents try not to overload yourself with too much dive gear and scuba accessories like large cameras and torches. What you may want to consider carrying instead are things like an SMB (for sure!), a buddy line to avoid separation (however it risks getting snagged), a reef hook- a great way hang around a spot to wait for other divers to catch up or just stop and watch the passing life. This blunt hook about 10cm-long is attached to a 2m long line clipped to the diver and can be snagged into a piece of dead coral or a rock crevice.
• If you’re not drift diving, always start the dive against the current, time the dive carefully and plan your turn around time depending on the speed of the current.Stay close to the reef wall or sea floor when in the same direction as the current. The current is almost always lesser at the bottom near the sea bed, so if you need to slow down or wait for the group to catch up with you, go lower and hug the bottom. If you find yourself pulled into an unexpected orientate yourself horizontally to make yourself as streamlined as possible and try to cross it diagonally by heading upstream of your destination.
• Pace your breathing and keep a close eye on your gauges. It’s easy to loose track of both your depth and air consumption when you’re riding a fast current. Be prepared to inflate or dump air quickly if you get dragged down or up. If caught in a downcurrent, try to get as close to the reef as you can and tuck yourself behind a ledge, be prepared to dump air from your BC quickly as soon as you get out to avoid ascending fast.
• Streamline, streamline, streamline. Dangly bits can be a nightmare on a fast drift dive. You will get the best from the dive if you stay as neutrally buoyant and streamlined as possible. Wear a good pair of gloves in case you have to grab on to rocks and dead coral against a current (however avoid touching anything unless absolutely necessary).
• Lastly, if you don’t have much experience don’t attempt a current dives unless with a certified dive instructor or a more experienced diver than you.

*Photo Credits: photos by Twm™, welshcathy, kah_adiving, utnapistim, kradk on flickr

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What makes an exceptionally good dive? When asked the question, most divers would answer, the diving conditions; such as no/mild currents, no-swells, perfect visibility and warm water temperature. But that’s not what we are talking about here. Besides water and weather conditions, what makes divers surface with a huge grin on their faces and go “wow, that was a good dive!” We’re talking about those dives you look back on while leafing through your logbooks and remember them instantly as one of your best dives ever.

It seems there are several different things that qualify a dive as a good dive, and often it is a combination of these factors that makes the dive satisfying. We have tried to compile a list of the ingredients that make a great dive. These factors may differ from one person to another, but most of these ingredients are present is a majority of your favorite dives.

Zero-Stress
What we call the comfortable dive, where everything works out as it should, from the planning to the scuba equipment to your buoyancy and air consumption. Divers often have anxiety or stress when they are distracted having to cope with uncomfortable dive gear, like a tight mask, large mouthpiece, ill-fitting fins, or simply not getting your buoyancy right. Often getting angry or annoyed with your buddy, the Dive Master or a fellow diver also leaves you stressed and unable to enjoy the dive. Look back to your best dives and you will instantly identify that these were dives where you felt at home instantly when you dropped into the water, and weren’t stressed out at all.

The Wow Factor
The Wow factor is that impressive structure of a wreck’s Hull looming up in the distance, or a stunning pinnacle rising from the depths of the ocean, a monstrous  cave-mouth appearing from nowhere, or  an enormous wall steeply dropping-off into the deep; essentially anything that makes you go wow.  Coming across an impressive underwater feature on your dive that reminds you of how impressive nature can be, is often a key ingredient to a great dive.

Exceptional Marine life Sightings
An extension of the wow factor described above, often sighting uncommon marine life or coral can mean the difference between an ordinary dive and a great one. Dolphins, Sharks, Manta-Rays, Dolphin, Whales, Sea-lions, turtles, etc. are all sightings that instantly make your dive worthwhile. The marine life sightings need not be rare-species, but simply coming across a shoal of Barracuda, or Sardines is often  enough to impress. Often its an ordinary dive until you spot this dive-changing creature, and suddenly its the best dive ever!

Unexpected Stuff
Again closely linked to the two points above, coming across unexpected stuff on a dive often makes the dive more interesting. For example, spotting a pod of Dolphins during your safety stop, or sighting jellyfish during the stop, or having a curious grouper follow you throughout your dive, are all examples of things you didn’t expect to happen on the dive, but the occurrence of which made your dive more interesting.

Effortless Communication
Sometimes, just getting your underwater communication right with your buddy is enough to make a dive good. We’re talking about the dives where you find something fascinating and turn to look at your buddy and he already has the same big a grin on his face as you do. Communication is effortless, you’re in sync with your dive buddy and fellow divers, which simply makes things go much smoother underwater.

Learning something new or doing something better
Learning a new skill, or simply improving upon an existing technique or skill is often what makes a dive memorable. The dive where you finally understood buoyancy, or regulated your breathing correctly, or improved your fining skills, all leave you feeling elated at having accomplished something new. Most experienced divers tend to enjoy those dives where they improve on existing skills a bit or have the opportunity to test their skills to their limits and coming out on top.

photos from flickr by: Boogies with Fish , g-na, Kevin Eddy, alfonsator, Olivier Egloff

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | What Makes An Exceptionally Good Dive? is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

One of the most common ailments effecting of Scuba Divers after a dive are headaches.  Unfortunately headaches are also perhaps, the most commonly occurring symptom for a wide range of Scuba related illnesses and traumas which makes identifying the cause of the headache very difficult and treatment even harder.

Divers should be aware of some of the most common causes of post-dive headaches to help them identify other possible symptoms and identify the cause, as a headache could signify anything from a condition as serious as Decompression Illness to something as minor as a common cold.

Sinus or Ear Barotraumas
Sinus Squeeze occurs when the air inside your sinus cavity cannot equalize itself with the outside pressure sue to a buildup of mucous or congestion. The pressure buildup in your sinus is often the cause for headaches during ascent or descent. These headaches are identifiable by pain that is usually over the forehead or cheekbones, behind the eyes or on top of the head. Use of a nasal decongestant spray or decongestant pills may help clear your sinuses before a dive.

Sinus and Ear Infections
An outer ear infection, sometimes called “swimmer’s ear,” because it often occurs after prolonged water exposure can cause headaches for divers. This needs to be treated by an ENT by antibiotic ear drops and cleaning of the water in the ear. Outer ear infections are painful and often take longer to heal. Inner ear infections are caused when contaminated water enters the inner ear and causes infection which can cause pain when pressure changes while diving.  Symptoms include earache, decreased hearing and sometimes headaches.

Mask Squeeze
Mask squeeze occurs when  the intense pressure underwater pushes the mask tightly against the divers face. Usually the diver should compensate the increase in pressure by puffing air into the mask from the nose, however if not carried out, the pressure of the mask against the cheek/sinuses causes small blood vessels around the eye to burst. Often after surfacing the diver may experience a headache as well as hemorrhaging in the eyes. To avoid Mask Squeeze headaches, one must ensure that they have a properly fitting mask, not have the straps on too tight, and constantly equalize the pressure of the inside of the mask on descent.

Gas Toxicity
Often divers in their effort to artificially reduce their air consumption skip breathing, which leads to a build-up of CO2 in the body leading to Carbon Dioxide Toxicity. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and headaches. By improper breathing, physical exertion or skipping breaths to increase air time, your lungs are unable to expel the carbon dioxide buildup causing the symptoms.

Gas Toxicity caused by impure air in your tank can cause carbon monoxide gas toxicity which can also lead to headaches.

For Gas Toxicity administer pure oxygen to the affected diver and allow the diver to rest. If the symptoms are severe, then rush the diver to the hospital to be treated.

Diesel Fumes
Similar to Gas Toxicity, but caused on the surface due to the dive boat diesel emissions,  inhalation of Carbon Monoxide  or smoke fumes can also result in headaches. Make sure you are seated upwind from the engine exhaust on the dive boat to prevent this .

Dental Problems
Tooth pain during diving caused by tiny pockets of air within your dental work creating a pressure vacuum as you ascend and descend may manifest itself in the form of a headache. A bad-fitting mouthpiece can also cause headache by causing discomfort in your teeth and jaw.

Decompression Illness
Headaches are also a symptom of Decompression illness, and often manifest themselves when bubbles are formed in or near the blood vessels surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If you’ve had an irregular dive profile, or missed safety/decompression stop, and experience headaches,along with the other symptoms such as pain in joints and / or muscles of the arms, dizziness, fatigue or itchy skin, get yourself checked and treated immediately for DCS or Decompression Illness.

Dehydration headache
A dehydration headaches feels like a throbbing pain, especially when you stand-up. The sensation of a head rush which becomes a dull throbbing headache is often due to insufficient fluid intake, or excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption before the dive which act as diuretics. The solution is to constantly stay hydrated on your dive, drinking plenty of water and fluids before and after your dive.

Neck/Upper Back Sprain
Often the incorrect positioning of the Scuba air tank on the upper back may cause neck sprains which can lead to headaches. Also constant craning your neck to look at things rather than turning your full body may also result in neck/upper back injuries leading to headaches.

photos from flickr by: phunkstarr, mhalon, Twaize

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Headaches and Scuba Diving is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Of all the Frequently Asked Questions in Scuba Diving, queries regarding the proper time to fly after diving is one of the most common asked. The dilemma usually crops up, cos as divers we are always keen to squeeze in those few extra dives just before we have to make the most of our diving trips, after-all you just heard the other divers spot a manta ray at a particular dive site, what if it’s still around this afternoon? or you really wanted to have one last look at the amazing Electric Flame Scallop you’ve never even heard of before…whatever the reasons you’re wondering whether it’s reasonable to dive on the day of departure or the evening/night before an early flight.

The U.S. Navy tables recommend that you wait at least two hours before you board a plane after scuba diving; the U.S. Air Force says you should wait 24 hours; DAN recommends a 12-hour minimum surface interval before flying; PADI Flying After Diving guidelines say that you should not go to an altitude (fly) within 12 hours of completing a single dive or 18 hours when doing multiple dives (where possible wait 24 hours)….So which guideline should you follow?

Truth of the matter is that ascending to an altitude immediately after diving causes a significant risk for decompression sickness. Flying after diving, increases this risk because of the decreasing atmospheric pressure as we ascend. You might have only a few tiny bubbles, causing no problems at all, in your body when you reach the surface after a dive. If, however, you go flying, the small bubbles can expand (due to the reduction in pressure with altitude) and could cause the onset of DCS symptoms.

So what’s the minimum time you should give before flying after diving?
Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward correct answer to the question. It all boils down to the risk you are willing to take.

The current winner of the debate is a DAN guideline which states:
a. A minimum surface interval of 12 hours is required before ascent in a commercial aircraft (8000 foot (2438 m.) cabin).
b. Wait an extended surface interval beyond twelve hours (18 hours or more is suggested) after daily, multiple dives for several days or dives that required decompression stops.
c. The greater the diving the longer the duration (some sources say 24-48 hrs) recommended before flying.

The above is for sports diving and should not apply to commercial diving or nitrox diving. Because of the complex nature of DCS and because decompression schedules are based on unverifiable assumptions, there can never be a fixed flying after diving rule that can guarantee prevention of bends completely.

Whether you wait 12 hours or 24 hrs there are no guarantees that you won’t get decompression sickness when you fly. However, the longer your pre-flight surface interval time, the more nitrogen you expel from your system which minimizes the risk of decompression sickness. We recommend you use your judgment and consider some factors before making your decision like- The number of previous dives you’ve made on this dive trip, type of dives (decompression, non-decompression, altitude dives, nitrox etc), your general health and your age. The estimated DCS probability for the 12-hour flying-after-diving surface interval is about 1 percent. Of the 300,000 to 400,000 people who fly home 12 to 24 hours after their last dive, the estimated incidence of decompression sickness among these divers is about 0.004 percent, making the 12-24 hour rule the most followed among divers across the world.

*Photo Credits: photos by caribb, ianmyles, rsgranne on flickr

References:
Divers Alert Network

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One of the most frequently asked question by divers starting out in underwater photography is what causes distorted and blurry pictures underwater? Most divers will end up taking hundreds of photographs on a dive trip only to find a handful of usable, clear, sharp photographs,  with the rest being  inexplicably fuzzy and blurry. Here are some useful tips on the causes of out-of-focus pictures underwater which may help point & shoot camera users to get their photographs in sharper focus.

Not enough light
One of the primary reasons for blurry pictures underwater is insufficient light. Poor light makes it difficult for your camera to focus on the subject; it additionally sets your camera to take photos at a slower shutter speed to allow more light to reach the sensor. The slower shutter speed plays havoc underwater when all of your subjects including yourself are moving, and you need to remain stiller than normal. This is the reason why most UW Photographers invest in a good external strobe, or a pair of external strobes to compensate for the loss of light. The inbuilt flashes on most point & shoot cameras are not powerful enough to illuminate subjects at a distance underwater properly, however if you don’t have external strobes, make sure your built in flash is set to forced fire or shoot in shallower waters.

Featured above the Sealife SL109 DC1000 Digital MAXX Camera, with the SL961 Digital Pro Flash available at Leisurepro.com

Suspended Water Particles
Often your camera’s autofocus is programmed to lock on to the closest subject it ‘sees’, and will lock on to floating particles or water debris, causing your camera to ‘hunt’ continuously for your subject.  Upon inspection of these photographs, if you see the white particles known as backscatter in focus but your intended subject blurry, you are facing a problem with backscatter. Using manual focus to correct this is not possible using a point and shoot, so one has to attempt to shoot subjects on contrasting backgrounds, get up close to your subject, or use an external strobe mounted on the side to illuminate your subject and not the particles.

Shutter Lag
Although most modern point and shoot cameras, have decent shutter lag times, often you’ll get a camera that has a significant delay from the time you depress the shutter till the time the picture is actually taken; this is known a shutter lag. Cameras with shutter lag require the diver to stay still for a moment longer after depressing the shutter release button. This is often hard to do when you are taking a picture of a moving fish, where you need to anticipate the position the fish will be in and press the button; additionally you will need to remain incredibly still otherwise you’ll end up ruining all your photographs.  Cameras with long shutter lags are no good for underwater photography, especially since everything is moving.

Camera Preset Mode
Several photographers don’t even realize that their camera’s have separate modes for Macro and Landscape photography. The Macro mode, which usually is indicated by a flower icon on most cameras, adjusts the cameras lens to take pictures with very little distance between the lens and the subject (refer to your camera manual to find out how much distance). If this mode is turned on, the camera may not take good landscapes, or distant pictures, as it is constantly hunting for a Macro subject that is nearest the lens.  The same applies for the landscape mode (indicated by a picture of a hill) which if turned on, attempts to focus at infinity or distant objects and not objects nearby. If the landscape mode of your camera is turned on and you are inches away from say a shrimp, you will probably get a blurry picture as your camera which should’ve been in Macro mode is busy trying to focus from infinity.

photos from flickr by Star5112, mrjorgen

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Underwater Photography: How to Avoid Blurry Underwater Shots- Part 1 is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

One of the most frequently asked question by divers starting out in underwater photography is what causes distorted and blurry pictures underwater? Most divers will end up taking hundreds of photographs on a dive trip only to find a handful of usable, clear, sharp photographs,  with the rest being  inexplicably fuzzy and blurry. Here are some useful tips on the causes of out-of-focus pictures underwater PART 2 which may help point & shoot camera users to get their photographs in sharper focus.

Camera Zoom
When taking pictures underwater with a point and shoot, avoid using your cameras zoom as much as possible, and try getting closer to your subject instead at a wide angle (zoom fully retracted). The more you zoom, the more sensitive your camera is to movement, causing even the minutest of motions to result in blurry images. Imagine your zoom lens as looking through a telescope at a star, even a slight movement translates into a large shift, or shake.

Shutter speed is too slow
To get a correct exposure your camera could be selecting a shutter speed that is too slow to freeze the action or allow for a little camera movement resulting in blurry pictures. If you cannot manually select shutter speed, try shooting in shallower water where there is more light, or use a strobe to allow your camera to capture motion at a higher shutter speed. Bump up your ISO settings to compensate for the loss of light allowing you to take higher shutter speed snaps.

Lens fogged up.
Sometimes the reason you get blurry pictures is simply due to the lens getting fogged by the condensation inside the camera housing. If moisture is trapped inside the housing and you leave your camera in the hot sun on the dive boat, you are likely to have condensation build-up inside your housing. A silica desiccant packet should help to keep the moisture at bay. Also closing the camera in a dry, low humidity environment and keeping your camera out of direct sunlight may help prevent this. Often while underwater the heat from your flash, or strobes, causes some build-up of condensation; a silica gel packet may help reduce this effect.

Your Buoyancy
Often the simplest cause for blurry photographs is the diver not being able to remain still enough to take the shot. As funny as this may seem, so many divers take up underwater photography with lousy buoyancy control and complain that their camera equipment is no good. Good buoyancy control is key to underwater photography, and anyone taking pictures should have done enough dives to be very comfortable with controlling his/her buoyancy underwater.

Brace the camera correctly
To get steady shots underwater try holding the camera with your elbows pressed up against your chest and not at arm’s length. This gives the camera greater stability, as your body absorbs the shock and vibrations.

Gently depress the shutter release button
While pressing the shutter release button, do so smoothly in one swift motion so as to not cause the shifting of the camera. This takes practice. We suggest plenty of surface photography first to get familiar with the camera and depressing the shutter smoothly in a fluid motion without jarring the housing before taking it underwater.

Motion Blur
Sometime you get blurry shots simply because your subjects, namely fish, and yourself, the photographer, are constantly in motion causing motion blur. If you get your photographs with the subject blur but the background clear, then it’s usually caused by the movement of your subject , or a shutter speed not fast enough to freeze the action of the movement.  Shoot with high shutter speeds and practice on stationery subjects like coral first, then slow moving fish, or turtles, until you get the hang of it. A technique used to capture moving subjects known as ‘panning’ involves moving the camera with the movement of your subject as you depress the shutter and follow through once you are done. This technique is supposed to get you a clear subject but motion blur on the background.

* photos from flickr by: Quinn.anya , jurvetson , PhotopediaPhotos

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Underwater Photography: How to Avoid Blurry Underwater Shots- Part 2 is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

A few questions that get asked a lot by divers are, what constitutes a good pre-dive breakfast? Is it okay to eat before you dive? Is having breakfast before a dive necessary? What kinds of surface interval snacks are beneficial? Today we attempt to answer some of these Scuba Diver Diet questions below.

Breakfast and Scuba Diving
Contrary to what many divers think, for a normal morning 2 tank dive, one should always have proper breakfast before their dives. Your body usually burns calories to stay warm underwater, and the exercise of swimming and diving require a large amount of energy In the form of calories. A good breakfast provides your body with the necessary source of fuel to expend while diving while preventing you from spending your dive shivering constantly.

What kind of breakfast should a scuba diver have before a day’s diving?
Try to eat something that will give you a long lasting energy supply. It is recommended that a light breakfast free from heavy fats, sugars and oils is best. A breakfast of cereal, fruit, yogurt, toast, muffins, bagels and even egg , will give you sufficient slow burning energy, your body needs to keep you warm during your dive. Try to restrict yourself to eat bland, non-greasy and non-acidic foods, trust me you don’t want heart burn underwater. Also be sure not to overeat, eat just enough to last until lunch.

A key recommendation for divers is to drink plenty of fluids in the morning. Tea, juices, and water are key to preventing dehydration on the boat or while diving. Avoid excessive orange Juice consumption as its acidic nature may make you sea sick. Consumption of too much coffee before a dive is also not recommended as caffeine acts as a diuretic which brings on dehydration. Dehydration can play a significant role in DCS so consume plenty of water before your dive or restrict yourself to decaf, or tea instead.

The saying about eating before you swim, giving you cramps is a myth. However try not to eat anything within 45 mins – 2 hrs before your dive, mainly to allow your system to digest before you set out on a boat to prevent yourself from being queasy and sea sick while on the rocking boat.   For those that get seasick easily, stay away from a heavy breakfast and try foods like ginger snaps, dry toast, cheese and crackers which usually help absorb the stomach acids, making you feel better.

Are Surface Interval Snacks Ok?
During your surface intervals, between dives, we recommend you snack on some high-carbohydrate foods, such as bananas, fruit, granola bars, energy bars, cereal bars, yogurt, cookies and biscuits to give you instant energy for your next dive. Ensure you also re-hydrate yourself between dives by drinking plenty of water or a sports drink.  Bananas are perhaps the most popular surface interval snack, although some boat captains don’t allow bananas onboard their boats, citing an old superstition that bananas bring bad luck to sailors. Try to avoid heavy starchy foods during your surface interval; your aim is to replenish your energy and fluids for your next dive after which you can eat whatever you like.

* Photo credits: photos by lepiaf.geo, sifu.Renka, happysnapper, Spanner Dan on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | A Scuba Divers Diet Questions Answered is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Stubborn ears are among the top reason divers pull the plug on a dive. Sounds easy to do but we all have good and bad days and even the best of divers can have trouble popping their ears on a dive. But with a few of these tricks and advanced techniques, we hope that on a bad day you won’t have to end a dive because of ear woes.

Valsalva
The most common way to equalize taught to you before your first dive is known as the Valsalva maneuver. The Valsalva method teaches you to pinch your nose so that no air can pass through your nostrils, and then gently “blow” your nose. This action forces air into your inner ear space, equalizing the pressure within to the outside pressure often with an audible popping or clicking sound.

Toynbee
The Toynbee technique of clearing your ears is to simply pinch your nose and swallow at the same time. This tenses the muscles in the throat and soft palate to pull the tubes open, while your tongue compresses air against them.

Frenzel
Holding your nose, forcefully press your tongue against the back of your throat while making a “K” or “ng” sound. What this technique does is, contracts the throat muscles to open the tubes while compressing air against them with the tongue.

Voluntary tubal opening
Try yawning with your mouth closed by contracting the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth and throat while pushing your jaw forward and down. Tensing and stretching the muscles pulls the eustachian tubes open.

Lowry
This method is a combination of Valsalva and Toynbee and a little tricky, especially with a regulator in your mouth. Pinch your nose and then blow against your closed nose while swallowing at the same time. It’s good way to ensure the tubes open up and stay open.

If your ears are particularly stubborn, while trying the equalizing methods tilt your head from side to side or look up towards the surface. It helps stretch the folds surrounding the eustachian tubes making it easier to open them.

Read our 10 Tips to Equalize Your Ears When Scuba Diving

*Photo Credits: photos by torbenator and Acid Zebra on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Scuba Diving Ear Woes: Techniques for Equalization is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!