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Regardless of the availability or cost of DAN insurance for divemasters in Cozumel, they do have other options for insurance. Many dive operators join, or subscribe to, one or another of the chamber clinics, paying a monthly maintenance fee and in return getting discounted or free chamber...

I was one of the first to find and photograph a lionfish in Coz. While the park has only listed 13 documented reports, the number is much higher by now. If you're looking for them here are two hints that'll help. 1- Since they have substancial "windage" they tend to prefer sheltered...

Don't think of this exam as you might a school exam. The object isn't to get a passing grade, but to know the material. I even suggest hanging to the book and brushing up on the stuff from time to time after your certified. Remember you won't have the benefit of a night's cramming or a...

It might. If he's having to fin or continually make adjustments to maintain horizontal trim, that will add significantly to his air consumption, especially if using those large leg muscles. He should do everything possible to offset the tendancy of his legs to sink, and achieve neutral trim...

The best time to do a weight check is at the end of the dive diring the safety stop. Proper weighting is such that with your near empty tank, a fully emptied BC, and relaxed breathing you'll be neutrally bouyant to slightly negative at 15'. Do this while in horizontal trim so that unconcious...

I've had the same BC for about 10 years, and 600+ salt water dives. It's still fine, except for some original straps that were elastic and no longer are (that took about two years). Now sometimes someone will tell me that it looks like a rental, something that I accept as a compliment. My...

So when you get home you should sign up for an OW course with a local instructor or shop. Do it while the motivation is strong, and if you'd rather do the dives in the tropics, you can do what's called a "referral" course, whereby the class and pool work are done near home, and the actual dives...

When you compare the marginal differences in DCI risk between the various tables and computers, to the much larger variations due to things like, age, physical condition, circulatory/respiratory health, blood volume/dehydration, drug effects of things like caffein, and a host of others, it...

Not as a medical pro, which I am not, but in my experience most people who have equalizing problems don't have a biological problem, but simply havent mastered the basic technique. There's no sure way to know for sure, and even if you could get her down to 8 feet in a pool, free diving...

I'm with Vladimir here. Your main life support system is between your ears. You've been trained to prepare for and manage contingencies, and should buy equipment suited to your needs and budget rather than being pressured by the "why skimp on life support" argument. The Gekko is a fine...

Again assuming it's middle ear barotrauma, common to new divers, you might be trying too hard. Under everyday conditions (in air) your ears do a fine job equalizing without any conscious effort on your part. It's a totally automatic operation and you rarely ever notice any pressure...

Nitrox breathes like air, so no training is needed to breathe it. The danger of Nitrox lies in understanding the other implications, most importantly oxygen toxicity. Though it's non-standard practice, as long as the correct gas mix is confirmed and the MOD is deeper the hard bottom at the...

Because you're a new diver, I'll assume that it isn't a an outer ear infection, and that you're suffering from the cumulative effects of mild barotrauma. There isn't any real cure except time, but the cause is always poor equalization. You've heard the phrase "equalize early and often" -...

You seem to have covered the bases, and assuming viz is decent could have a nice dive. One caveat - if the current is fairly fast, make sure your canoe team is briefed on how to manage in a current. Since the current is fastest mid stream at the surface and slower near the bottom, or along...

I'm neither an instructor nor student, but like others, consider an unprovoked assault to be a serious offense above or under the water. Afterwards, on the surface, I'd make it absolutely clear to the instructor in question that the next similar incident would result in the filing of both a...

I don't know what others mean, but I look for light, easy to digest foods go down easy and stay there. (or at the very least come up easily)

I'm glad your ears are OK. A note for the future - you're probably waiting too long to equalize. As you descend external pressure on your eustachian tubes will tend to close them making equalizing harder. The effect is akin to how soda straws collapse if you try to drink a thick shake too...

Don't let advertizing photo's deceive you. Scuba advertizing, like most advertizing, has very little to do with reality. Let me reassure you that unlike most sports (leisure activities) the size/weight distribution in Scuba fully mirrors the general public. Weight isn't an issue since when...

Jax- Congratualtions on your first step. This is a smart way to find out whether you're comfortable breathing underwater, after which you can sign up for the full course. Since a pool can't duplicate a real dive, take some time and watch an underwater documentary on your local PBS...

Just to reassure you about the reg. I've had coughing, and sneezing fits both underwater at depths greater than 60fsw with no problems getting enough air. It might be different in cold water conditions where high air demand can cause free freeflow, but for most purposes coughing won't be a...