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As
more and more people experience the delights of the underwater
world - estimates put the total as high as five million world-wide
and growing at the rate of 500,000 a year - the protection
of the sights and eco-systems we all enjoy and like to photograph
is paramount, especially in tropical waters.
Sadly,
the evidence can be seen at all the popular sites as careless
or incompetent divers damage corals that might have been growing
for many hundreds of years. Now a system of teaching precision
buoyancy control which is new to the UK will enable divers
of all types to test and improve their techniques.
Aptly
named Diamond Reef, the equipment is being imported by Ocean
Optics, the underwater photographic specialists. Man behind
the move is Steve V&rren, who has always been interested
in training and marine conservation as well as underwater
photography. He said: "This system of 'diamonds' suspended
in the water can add a new element of fun to pool training.
"At
the same time, as divers hover and perform other manoeuvres
within the confines of the 'diamonds', the system hones up
their skills or reveals just how much they are in need of
improvement. Diamond
Reef takes the boredom out of practising buoyancy control."
"Every
diver and every underwater photographer needs these skills.
None of us who enjoy going beneath the waves wants to see
fragile eco-systems damaged in any way. My hope is that Diamond
Reef will make a positive contribution to the protection of
marine life and scenery throughout the world."
The
system, which is described as the world's first structured
underwater education programme to preserve coral reefs and
improve diver training, uses diamond shaped, buoyant Rover
Stations set at different depths and tests divers' buoyancy
control and manoeuvring skills. The Hover Stations are easy
to assemble and collapse down to fit in a convenient, easy
to carry holdall. They fix to normal diving weights placed
on the pool bottom or the seabed and the depth at which they
are suspended can be varied.
A
satisfactory level of proficiency is marked by a distinctive
stamp to go in log books and also a T-shirt bearing the same
illustration as the stamp. The date of issue reminds the recipients
that they have to upgrade their skills on an annual basis
to remain 'in test'.
The
programme was designed by Pete Wallingford, an educational
technologist based in Seattle, Washington, US. The system
is used by the US government and in over seven countries world-wide.
Over 80 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of the Diamond
Reef stamp is spent on educating diving instructors, their
students, travelling divers and snorkellers throughout the
world.
Said
instructor Michael Hamilton: "The system has proved to
be an invaluable training aid. It allows novice divers to
practice their buoyancy skills in the safety of a swimming
pool so that, by the time they get into open water, they have
a high degree of proficiency.
*This
is important to my teaching set-up because we complete the
theory and confined water sessions at Cannons Sports Club,
in the City of London, and finish open water training in the
Red Sea.
"It
is vital they have mastered good buoyancy skills before they
dive on delicate coral reefs."
For
more details contact Steve at Ocean Optics (0171-930 8408).
Reproduced
from in focus 56 (Jan.,
1996) |
