If you’re like me, speaking twelve different versions of English never really counts as being multilingual & languages can be a hot topic in the world of diving.

Adopting the technique of expanding your credentials in diving is one way that can really help you stand out from the crowd, & an excellent way to refresh your career.

If you’re stuck in the rut of being one of many certified instructors looking to open up new horizons, the SSI Instructor Crossover Course is an exceptional way of breaking new ground. This orientation to the SSI History & Philosophy, teaching system & water workshops truly gives the course the feel of a whole new language in just a few days, & can capable of reinvigorating & re-energising any dive leaders calling.

The Go Pro SSI includes workshops on Con-Ed & equipment counselling, Specialty training combo’s & entry level scheduling & the Science of Diving specialty in an all inclusive program, designed to facilitate a leap forward in training & livelihood of each successful graduate & newly minted SSI Instructor.

So just remember, the futures bright, the future’s pink so Go Pro SSI today.

From the 1^st of April 2013, SSI will launch its new global standards. Changing the way the entire organisation works together.

Among the changes made to the new standards & programs being launched around the world is the way we conduct our Instructor Evaluations, or IE.

Updating the our previous entry “What To Expect When You’re Expecting..”  to reflect what Dive Control Specialist around the world are preparing for during their ITC’s, this post will look at the new format of the IE.

Still in keeping with the SSI philosophy that the IE is your audition for Instructorship, the evaluation will still have the schedule of actual Scuba programming of Academic, Pool & Open Water presentations, only now Diver Stress & Rescue enters the mix!

Two Academic presentations will now be required, one from entry level training & another from continuing education programming, the pool will have all the same elements, again with the inclusion of Diver Stress & Rescue skills. Open Water presentations will still be based in realistic circumstances & culminating with the simulated rescues & demonstration of Oxygen administration that have always set SSI leagues apart with its Instructor evaluations.

April the 1^st may be a highly suspicious time of year to launch the new global standards but I pity the fool who doesn’t Go Pro SSI in 2013.

While working as a Dive Medic Technician I was called upon to administer Oxygen in both diving & non-diving incidents.

Now I’m teaching Oxygen Administration as part of the SSI Respond Right Programs to recreational diver wishing to complete the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue Program or Professional candidates aiming for higher ground by completing the SSI Respond Right; Apply Advanced First Aid Instructor Program, I wanted to find an easier way for every candidate at every level to remember which oxygen mask should be used in every scenario they may find themselves in.

Simplifying the technical terms like “Non-Resuscitator Demand Valve “ makes things more practical & increases retention of knowledge for the one time you may need it.

The Good. If a diver arrives back on the boat & is showing signs &/or symptoms of any illness or injury related to the breathing of a compressed gas, take stock of the situation. Is the diver conscious? Are they alert? Can they tolerate a demand system much like your regulator? If so, I consider this situation good & I will head straight for the Non-Resuscitator Demand Valve, giving the highest concentration of Oxygen & helping you manage your reserve of oxygen most effectively.

The Bad. If our friend above starts to find it too difficult to breathe from, or tolerate the “Good” mask. Or is losing consciousness & becoming unresponsive our situation has started to deteriorate & the use of a Non-Rebreather Mask, sometimes referred to as the Continuous Flow System, has become necessary. This is our Bad Mask, delivering a lower concentration of Oxygen to our patient & causing us to use our reserve much quicker as the free-flow metre is initially set at 15 litres/minute.

The Ugly. Further deterioration in our imaginary beleaguered diver may come from the result of their mask no longer fogging. This is a signal for any responder to commence with their look, listen, feel. A lack of response from this check will confirm our situation has turned “Ugly”. Switching to a Resuscitation Mask with supplemental Oxygen confirms our priorities have changed. It’s true, our reserve will deplete very quickly & the percentage of Oxygen reaching the patient has been significantly reduced but priority has changed to the resuscitation efforts demanded by our situation.

Oxygen administration is an essential skill for all divers & is a requirement for all SSI Professional programs from SSI Dive Guide to all SSI Instructor ratings; certification can be gained through SSI’s Respond Right first aid & professional programs. Oxygen administration for diving accidents should be considered as an essential skill for all autonomous divers from SSI’s Open Water Diver & beyond, regardless of training & experience.

It is important to remember any sign &/or symptom presented by a diver which was not there prior to any diving activity MUST be treated as diving related illness/injury. Administer 100% Oxygen, monitor the patient’s lifeline & transport to the nearest medical centre/recompression facility.

Are you as prepared as you feel you should be?

This post comes to you from the very much unmentioned subject, The Science of Diving.

Now before you run to the hills after the merest hint of the S-word, remember the friendly folks at GPS are here to sooth your fears & generally want to help…….a bit!

Today we’re going to be chatting about our very talented Gallic home-boy, Jacques Alexandre César Charles. Charles’ Law states: If the pressure of a gas is constant, then the volume of the gas varies directly with the temperature. So in short: when gas gets hot, it expands.

This is the one thing missing from the equations used in Boyles Law, which is still awesome when explaining equalising & why we may need to deflate on ascent to Scuba-newbies, the heat.

“This ain’t CERN….“

We like a bit of rounding here at Go Pro SSI & like I’ve said before, Just Because We Cheat Doesn’t Mean We Ain’t Smart & Charles’ Law deserves a bit of simplification too. When people first see equations like:

V2 = (V1T2)/T1

Most Divemaster trainees eyes turn into beautiful reflective surfaces vainly distracting you from the fact that their soul is quietly leaving them, which isn’t the look you want from you students mid-presentation. It’s at this point I’ll introduce the simplification of this formula & watch the faith healing commence.

For every 1 degree Celsius: + or -, the pressure inside a SCUBA cylinder will change 0.6 bar.

Fair enough, this isn’t as precise as the real formula but it’s what we need, this ain’t CERN & we just need to know how much to fill our tanks to or what pressure we can expect when we just into The White Sea, when planning Ice Dives, so why not keep it simple?

And if you can’t stand the heat, get under the water & Go Pro SSI today.

When I was but a pup of a scuba-doo, I was given a great way of remember all of the gas law’s pertinent to diving as covered in the Science of Diving, often referred to by newbie Divemaster trainees as “SoD’s Laws”.

The “cheat sheet” to help you remember the laws is based around each law having a physical reminder of how they function, for example Boyles Law is taught by using Balloons as the example. Therefore balloons equal Boyles. The rest are as follows:

Balloons = Boyles Law, the inverse relationship between pressure, volume & density when temperature remains constant; shown to every SSI Open Water Diver.

Celsius = Charles Law, the relationship between gas pressure, volume & temperature; very important to all aspiring Gas Blenders, Professional Divers & cold water divers alike.

“Daltons Law, you’ll see this in action when Deep Diving”

Deep = Daltons Law of Partial Pressure where the total pressure of the mixture equals the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases; you’ll see this in action when Deep Diving & using Nitrox or even combo’d together.

Heineken = Henrys Law of gas absorption & elimination proportional to the partial pressure; in evidence every time you planned a dive using a table or diving with a computer.

I hope this little nursery rhyme for the new & rusty alike has cut down on many hours of head scratching, so good luck with your Science of Diving exams for your SSI Divemaster & your Instructor Training Course pre-tests.

All good trilogies require three parts by definition, Star Wars for example (but only the first ones) & Abbrvs deserves ending as fine as Jedi.

So after our previous delves into the world of diving Abbrvs & Abbrvs: Part Deux, this episode is Part Free, for Freediving. Freediving has its own set of unique abbreviations for the different disciplines, some of which are included in the SSI level 1 & level 2 Freediving programs & can be divided into the categories depth, distance & time.

FIM – Free Immersion is the discipline of descending using just your hands, holding onto the line & pulling yourself down is also a great exercise to help new Freedivers to practice equalising head down. It’s also an excellent warm up technique to use when heading down for “hangs” before deep dives.

CWT – Constant Weight is also a depth discipline like FIM except the gained by the use of fins, preferably the instantly recognisable freediving bi-fins or the less common but extremely powerful mono-fin. The name Constant Weight stems from the fact the same amount of weight is worn during descent & ascent.

 “Generally reserved the incredibly talented or mentally unstable”

DYN – Dynamic freediving utilises the same equipment as CWT except one major difference, it’s performed horizontally instead of vertically & is therefore the first of our distance disciplines.

STA – Static Apnea is our only time based discipline, holding your breath face down in shallow water may not sound like much fun but it’s an excellent way of building up your body’s tolerance to CO2 build up by performing CO2 tables & coupled with DYN can be great “off-season” ways of mentally & physically practicing freediving when deep water may not be readily available.

CNF – Constant Weight: No Fins, Speaks for itself, surely!

DNF – Dynamic: No Fins. Probably the only freediving discipline that almost everyone in the world who has even been to a swimming pool has attempted, how far can you swim without fins!

VWT – Variable Weight is a much more advanced version of the CWT discipline, instead of descending & ascending with same amount of weight you, wait for it…….vary the weight! Using sleds or other devices to assist on the descent by over-weighting the freediver, increases their descent rate & can increase maximum depth. Releasing the weight at their desired depths allows the diver to ascend back to the surface unencumbered, conserving energy & oxygen.

NLT – No Limits is the most extreme depth discipline in freediving & generally reserved the incredibly talented or mentally unstable. No Limits allows in practitioners to use any means necessary to reach the depths they desire & return to the surface as long as it’s achieved on a single breath. This type of freediving leads to mind boggling depths & really is the only type of freediving with any real risk as each freediver has to relay on mechanical assistance for each dive.

Freediving is a safe & rewarding activity. Opportunities for every person to partake in events & compete or just have fun with friends are abundant wherever they are located; at your local pool, nearby lake or even the tropical waters of Koh Tao, Thailand.

So take the plunge & Go Freediving today.

In our previous post we looked at how we could increase our time underwater by increasing our buoyancy skills, leading to less efforts & lower Surface breathing Rates (SBR). Of course, some may say you can always put a bagger tank on your back. You’ll most definitely need Perfect Buoyancy if you’re continuously changing tank type &/or volume.

In this post we’ll look at the best option for tackling the second of our limiting factors, time; more accurately our No Decompression Limits or NDL’s.

“A more elegant solution is to remove N2 from the gas we breathe…”

Not to get all Science of Diving & start quoting Henry’s Law but basically our dive time is limited by the amount of Nitrogen (N2) our tissues can safely absorb & then eliminate or “off gas”. The longer & deeper you dive , the more N2 your tissues absorb & the longer it takes for you to “off gas” & the more repetitive dives you do, the less your body can safely absorb & “off gas” N2. Just as you learned during your Open Water Diver Course, remember?

A very simple solution to this is to plan shorter, shallower dives but this sounds very counterproductive in achieving our goal, more time underwater. A more elegant solution is to remove N2 from the gas we breathe & therefore reduce that controlling factor, Nitrogen absorption.

This is where Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) comes into play, by adding additional Oxygen (O2) to our breathing gas; anything between 22% & 40% O2, gives Nitrox four real benefits to the diver over air.

• Longer No-Decompression Limits
• Shorter Surface Intervals
• Longer Repetitive Dives
• Increased Safety

Combining Nitrox together with Perfect Buoyancy is guaranteed to help every diver achieve their goal of longer, safer & more enjoyable dives.

What else would you “combo” with EAN & PB for your Specialty Threesome? Digital Underwater Photography, Navigation or even Search & Recovery!

This year’s International Training Director conference for SSI was held in Thailand, shortly after its conclusion, all of the SSI Instructor Trainers & Certifiers from the region were invited to attend our annual update at a rather swish conference facility on the Thai island of Phuket.

I was delighted to hear the statistics of this year’s growth for SSI; a staggering 40% for our region making it the fastest growing region in the world’s fastest growing diving agency, something clearly evident on the ground.

With projections requiring an estimated 20,000 additional SSI Instructors in the next few years, it’s never been a better time to be an SSI Instructor & with the increase in standards, quality& value year after year, never a better time to be an SSI diver too.

“It’s never been a better time to Go Pro SSI”

More & more prospective dive professionals are choosing SSI professional courses like Dive Guide, Divemaster, Dive Control Specialist & Training Specialist due to their increased content & training, in contrast to other certification agencies “dumbing down” of their entry level professional programs.  This is also reflected in the increase of Instructor Training Courses (ITC), in 2012 Go Pro SSI ran eight highly successful ITC’s with all candidates finding employment after certification. 2013 already has twelve scheduled ITC’s & may possibly increase to sixteen!

Along with the increase in SSI Instructors graduating from the ITC, SSI has also seen an increase in candidates for the Instructor Crossover Course (ICC) due to dropping recreational certification numbers within other diving certification agencies.

Along with launch of the new XR & TXR programs, CCR workshops, new materials for Respond Right Instructors & a lively “team building” session. I couldn’t have been happier with this year’s update & I’m looking forward to this year with pink tinted glasses.

It’s never been a better time to Go Pro SSI, so what are you waiting for?

Many divers; both new & experienced, wish for one thing above all others whilst diving. More time underwater. Limiting factors in diving come in one of two basic types, time & gas supply. Fortunately for us, we live in a time where extending our limits beneath the surface has never been easier.

In this blog we’ll look at the first of our limiting factors: gas supply. How to get most out from it & how small improvements can bring huge & lasting benefits.

During the SSI Open Water Diver course, all students learn how to calculate their Surface Breathing Rates (SBR); as described in the previous post “Breath Easy…” along with the basic principles & skills involving buoyancy. These skills are fundamental for any diver & buoyancy control effects the SBR greatly.

Wearing the incorrect amount of weight or having weight improperly located can lead to additional effort being undertaken whilst diving, this increased effort requires fuelling leading to increased respiration & faster gas consumption.

“the benefits of decreased gas consumption, automatically leading to increased diving time.”

Improving buoyancy control & weighting techniques can be easily improved during the SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty, focusing on proper equipment configuration & breathing techniques to begin with, any diver undertaking the program reaps the benefits of decreased gas consumption, automatically leading to increased diving time.

Perfect Buoyancy programs are extremely useful for any diver moving between environments, say cold water to the tropics, to allow them to become accustomed to new levels of exposure protection required in different waters. Other aspects of the Perfect Buoyancy Specialty such as body positioning & advanced propulsion techniques are imperative to divers looking to progress into new experiences such as Night & Limited Visibility, Wreck, Deep & Photography diving to name but a few & with SSI divers unique opportunity to combine specialty programs & specialty packages already available, you can truly make the most of the tank on your back.

Put in the time to decrease your efforts today!

Every human being has the capacity for self-directed behaviour change within them, whether its change with their lifestyle or the choices made about Scuba training. Behaviours are influenced by both personal & environmental factors in everyday life, with determinates of social, physical, psychological & economic nature affecting our decision making every day, diving is no different.

People go through five stages when contemplating change.

“I can’t” This stage is often found within the non-diving community, many of the determinates may be the reason for this, physical factors like people saying they are ”too old” are caused by psychological feelings of trepidation towards the unknown but are often overcame by social dealings which leads to the second phase.

“I might” When people see people of similar age & ability partaking in Scuba Diving activities a shift in their motivation occurs. When friends invite non-divers to club social events or begin planning diving holidays abroad, individuals move on to the third stage.

“SSI’s Diver Diamond Philosophy of proper knowledge, skills, equipment & experience”

“I will” One important determinate of this stage is economic. When deciding where to take certification courses or exploring new waters as a certified diver, it should never be based on cost but value. Always educate yourself on the Dive Centre or Dive Boat you’ll be attending & the Instructors & Dive Leaders they employ. Check on-line reviews, ask former customers & even drop into the facility to chat to the staff. Any place worth the money will never have any problem with this &, more than likely won’t be the cheapest. A dive centre that maintains high standards of equipment & facilities & employ a superior level of Instructional staff has to pay for it & if safety & quality of training is important to you, you’ll make the choice of who to dive with based on these factors & move on to stage four.

“I am” During the process of choosing a Dive Centre you be given assurances of the training you’ll receive. SSI’s Diver Diamond Philosophy of proper knowledge, skills, equipment & experience during every dive program ensures new Scuba enthusiast become divers & don’t just complete a diving course, & divers of all levels become competent & confident with their new skills & independent of their Instructor. When these assurances have been fully met divers stay in diving, when the value of proper training is seen by an individual, choices of continuing education, travel & equipment ownership can be made with self-confidence & move divers to stage five.

“I still am” Divers maintain their “addiction” with travel around the world to experience new locations or types of diving, like ice diving in Russia or altitude diving in the lakes of Switzerland. The second “fix” is equipment ownership, there’s nothing like getting new toys to play with or even required equipment when expanding those diving experiences into Technical Diving or Freediving & the final hit is Continuing Education, whether moving towards your Master Diver certification by completing SSI Specialties like Deep, Nitrox, Digital Underwater Photography, Wreck Diver & Diver Stress & Rescue or heading down the professional path with the SSI Divemaster, Dive Control Specialist & Instructor programs.

Although not everybody follows this path in a linear fashion, committed divers often will. Helping individuals to overcome difficulties perceived or real, can help move forward in diving & in life & can assist in making the right decisions in Scuba & beyond.

Which stage are you in when it comes to diving, are you a prospective diver who believes “I can’t” or a Master Diver who’s still blowing bubbles?