Gas Management 101
A SIMPLE ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT TECHNICAL DIVERS DO… Most of us are aware of the basic technical diving gas management “Rule of Thirds.” It ‘dictates’ one-third of a diver’s starting volume to begin the dive and reach the ‘destination,’ one-third to swim back to the starting point, and one-third in reserve as contingency gas. It’s a simple rule based on a team diving in an overhead environment: a cave. It works for diving in caves, mines, inside wrecks, or any environment where direct access to the surface is either impossible (because of the overhead) or impractical (such as being a long a swim away from a safe exit point such as a mooring line). It is the go-to solution for
What’s the ideal first dive?
THE BEST OPTIONS AFTER GRADUATION ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE… AND ALWAYS… JUST GET OUT AND DIVE! When a friend, fresh off obtaining their C-Card, asks, “Where’s the best place to dive?” what do you tell them? Unless you’re fortunate enough to live near Sharm el Sheikh or a local dive site with its own community of resident turtles and vibrant coral, it might not seem appealing. The average scenery is rarely as beautiful as this photo suggests. But don’t worry; every dive contributes to experience and comfort level. It’s tempting to recommend to any new diver, popular dive destinations—places you love or those spots on your bucket list—like the Red Sea, Cozumel, Southern Africa’s famed sardine run, or Thailand.
Equipment Failure
TAKING IT IN YOUR STRIDE One of the biggest fears divers have is gear giving up the fight and failing to work during a dive. This according to a recent survey from an online scuba magazine. Unfortunately, the survey did not specify what type of equipment failure was top of the list. One would imagine that, given the option, most of us would prefer to deal with a broken fin strap on the surface rather than a regulator first stage falling to pieces at 30 metres. But the survey left that to the reader’s imagination. So, let’s look at the situation for ourselves, logically. What’s bad and what’s reasonably easy to avoid… or at least easy for a diver to
Asking Questions is an Education
AND SOMETIMES THE ANSWERS ARE A PLEASANT SURPRISE A common mistake is for a company to think they own their brand. Most management books will tell you that’s wrong. A brand isn’t the sum of the logo, the company colour scheme, its mission statement or value proposition. A brand is something that lives in the mind of its audience… its customers. With that in mind, from time-to-time was ask our members — the professionals who teach for us, and the folks they teach — to reinforce what RAID represents to them. Want we tell ourselves, the ‘water cooler talk, around the office is that RAID is about safety. And of course it is, but the answers we get from the
There’s a bit more to it than gas
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE GETTING ‘NARCED’ Every beginner’s dive class introduces its students to the topic of nitrogen narcosis: the anesthetic effect of certain gases particularly nitrogen, when breathing compressed air or other gas mixtures under high pressure. It’s an important piece of info. In many ways, critical knowledge for any level of diving. However, for the most part, initial discussion, even in some advanced recreational courses, is pretty basic stuff. It’s just enough to scratch the surface of what is a complex and nuanced topic. And the proof of just how basic is right there in the name. What tends to be overlooked, is that although nitrogen partial pressure is the trigger, there are a bunch of factors other than
Monthly Specials
FEB/MARCH 2025 — VERSATILE SIDEMOUNT Learn to fly sidemount with the experts. RAID’s sidemount specialty is one of the most popular and something the agency is famous for… RAID has early bragging rights! If you’re ready to add this to your scuba adventure, you’ve come to the place: the place where it all started. The foundation of any new skill is to start the journey learning from comprehensive manuals and challenging quizzes. Students tell us our online course is excellent on both counts. That’s no surprise really, our sidemount specialty materials and standards were created by SMEs* who have been diving and teaching open-circuit sidemount for a couple of generations in conditions as diverse as under the ice in eastern