Diving Safety Lines 3rd Quarter 2000 1. A New Look 2. Master Diver's Corner 3. Training 4. Warm Water Diving 5. Diving Statistics 6. E-Mail Addresses 7. Faxing 8. "Men of Honor" 9. Farewell 1. A New Look As you can see, we have changed the format of Diving Safety Lines. We figured that with it being the year 2000, we ought to get on the technological fast track. If you like or don't like what you see, let us know. We're open to all suggestions. Also, due to the increased availability of the Internet throughout the Navy, we have transferred appropriate files to the download area of our web site and disconnected the Naval Safety Center bulletin board system (BBS). To obtain diving safety news and information, please utilize the web site. In addition, you only can send DRS reports by regular mail, e-mail, or by uploading via our web site. www.safetycenter.navy.mil/afloat/divers/diverdefault.htm POC: LT Nelson, Ext. 7085 tnelson@safetycenter.navy.mil 2. Master Diver's Corner The Navy goes to great time and expense training Navy divers to use good judgement. Unfortunately, this effort does not get through to everyone, as many of our fellow divers are perishing during off-duty dives or while swimming. There is no official directive governing recreational diving by off-duty, Navy divers using personal equipment. However, utilizing the principles operational risk management (ORM) off-duty, like you do on-duty, is a great start. Too many of you, as evidenced by the string of off-duty mishaps, seem to be leaving this important tool in the diving locker when you go on liberty. Risk management is as effective at home as it is at work. Use it. Making sure you dive safely and are physically ready to dive is your responsibility. Be smart; plan all your dives carefully. Follow established Navy and civilian (PADI, NAUI, SSI, etc.) safe-diving practices. If you see or hear of any member of your command diving dangerously, either on- or off-duty, report it to your diving officer and master diver. POC: HTCM(DSW/SW) Matteoni, Ext. 7082 lmatteoni@safetycenter.navy.mil 3. Training The greatest measure of an effective diver training program is not the training itself, but getting the program started and running for more than a few weeks. Training should be accomplished at least once per week and cover a wide range of diving topics. Here are some helpful tips in establishing and maintaining a training program: * Ensure your training program is structured, integrated into the command's long-range training plan, and faithfully documented. Attendance documentation not only helps your command cover all those "admin wickets," it also assists your divers by giving a clear record of their ongoing professional development. * All divers assigned to your command, including officers, should attend diver training. Make sure all levels of your chain of command are committed to the program. Also, ensure that diver training is an established, regular evolution in your command's routine. Cancelled training due to operational commitments should be quickly and firmly rescheduled. * Great sources for developing a workable diver training curriculum are Navy Diver PQS, Small Boat Coxswain PQS, the U.S. Navy Diving Manual, NAVSEA technical manuals, manufacturer's technical manuals, and pertinent instructions, notices, and diving advisories. Make the training interesting and informative by varying training topics and presenting them in new ways. In conjunction with your instructors, formulate innovative and easily understood approaches to present the training lectures. * Involve everyone in the presentation of diver training. Nothing is duller than listening to the training petty officer or chief give every lecture. Occasionally administer tests or quizzes to wake up your crew, and get them actively involved in the lectures presented. * Don't forget drills. Remember, training does not always imply lectures. An effective training program includes frequent drills in emergency procedures as well as practice in routine and non-routine operations. Cross-training in different positions is also encouraged. An outstanding training program can be quickly achieved with a little enthusiasm, imagination, and determination. Your divers may even thank you for a program that reinforces good diving practices without putting them to sleep. POC: BMC(SW/DV) Vitez, Ext. 7087 rvitez@safetycenter.navy.mil 4. Warm Water Diving Diving advisory 00-08 (DTG 010636Z AUG 00) provided interim guidance authorizing diving operations using Mk 16 UBA, Mk 25 UBA, Viper VSW UBA, scuba, and surface supplied UBA in water temperatures up to 99 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Diving in water temperatures above 99 degrees F should not be attempted without first contacting NAVSEA 00C. Final guidelines will be provided by a change to the U.S. Navy Diving Manual (Rev 4) once FY 01/02 warm-water studies are complete. If you have questions concerning the above, contact LCDR Lewis (NAVSEA 00C32) at (703) 607-2766 or DSN 327-2766. POC: BMC(SW/DV) Vitez, Ext. 7087 rvitez@safetycenter.navy.mil 5. Diving Statistics Here are some of the latest statistics on diving within the Department of Defense. These charts show the breakdown by dive purpose and dive apparatus for calendar years 1997 through 2000 (data through 31 July 2000). DIVE PURPOSE 1997 1998 1999 2000 4 year Total SPEC WAR OPS 11688 10204 13061 2764 37717 REQUAL 3914 4856 6342 1472 16584 SEARCH 1986 2909 3835 953 9683 RESEARCH 2994 1833 2398 1172 8397 SALVAGE 615 1558 874 86 3133 SELECTION PRESSURE TEST 339 171 132 70 712 STUDENT TRAINING DIVE 7665 14251 14623 8617 45156 INSIDE TENDER HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT 166 176 172 173 687 INSTRUCTOR SAFETY OBSERVER 2955 2854 2603 867 9279 INSIDE TENDER PRESSURE TEST 428 315 192 108 1043 SECURITY SWIM 391 290 149 66 896 UNDERWATER CONST OPS 2241 2269 3328 81 7919 OTHER 707 1271 1589 834 4401 INDOCTRINATION 129 302 277 141 849 INSPECTION 2739 1962 1878 832 7411 SHIPS HUSBANDRY/REPAIR 14711 14616 10101 4206 43634 RECOVERY 711 857 453 116 2137 INSIDE TENDER RECOMPRESSION TREATMENT 213 236 251 57 757 INSIDE TENDER CLINICAL HYPERBARIC TREATMENT 703 976 557 215 2451 EOD OPS 6692 6861 7111 2514 23178 INSIDE TENDER AV BENDS 38 39 31 5 113 ICE DIVING 0 13 155 35 203 AIDS TO NAVIGATION 0 29 18 21 68 ( blank ) 0 3 0 0 3 Totals per year 62025 68851 70130 25405 226411 DIVE APPARATUS 1997 1998 1999 2000 4 year total SCUBA OPEN 27751 30591 29851 11777 99970 CHAMBER 3033 3108 2518 1227 9886 LAR-5 11350 10774 18268 3942 44334 NONE (FREE ASCENT) 9 0 53 0 62 FFM SCUBA 178 257 257 81 773 MK-20 9719 10212 8509 3735 32175 MK-21 MOD O 2044 3310 1360 796 7510 MK-21 MOD 1 5024 6917 5749 1752 19442 MK-16 2390 2961 2776 1205 9332 EXPERIMENTAL 525 695 744 889 2853 MK-22 2 13 40 1 56 ( blank ) 0 13 1 0 14 SUPERLITE 17B 0 0 4 0 4 Totals per year 62025 68851 70130 25405 226411 If there are other specific statistics that you or your command needs to have, please contact us with the details. We will attempt to retrieve the data for you as fast and as accurately as possible. POC: MMC(SS/DV) Gest, Ext. 7103 kgest@safetycenter.navy.mil 6. E-Mail Address We mentioned this in a recent message to AIG 7702; but, due to the underwhelming compliance with our request so far, we are saying it one more time. Many commands are e-mailing DRS reports without listing their command name and UIC. This makes it difficult for us to track the report's origination. We usually can identify the command by the e-mail address, but this is impossible for those using a home e-mail address. Do us a favor: When sending DRS reports via e-mail, put your command's name and UIC in the subject line or body of the e-mail. This will help us track the reports you send. POC: MMC(SS/DV) Gest, Ext. 7103 kgest@safetycenter.navy.mil 7. Faxing In an article regarding personal dive history (PDH) requests a few issues back, we noted that you could fax a copy of your request in advance. The purpose of this was to expedite the routing process. The problem we are experiencing, however, is that the original letter never follows many of these fax requests. Unless we receive the letter, we cannot release the dive history. Remember, to receive your PDH, you must submit a letter of request on command letterhead or send a personal letter with the following unsworn statement: "I declare under penalty of perjury, under the law of the United States of America, that the foregoing is true and correct." Faxed copies only will not suffice. For more information on what needs to be included in your request, please visit our web site. POC: ENC(SW/DV) Birmingham, Ext. 7081 rbirmingham@safetycenter.navy.mil 8. "Men of Honor" For those who haven't heard, Hollywood has taken the plunge and made a movie about Navy divers. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Robert DeNiro, "Men of Honor" follows the inspirational, true-life story of Carl Brashear (Gooding, Jr.), the Navy's first African-American master diver (and first master diver at the Naval Safety Center). Brashear runs into formidable opposition in Billy Sunday (DeNiro), a rebellious senior training officer and master diver who ultimately helps Brashear overcome a crippling injury, and fight racism and bureaucracy, to make military history. Although originally scheduled for a spring 2000 release, the movie is now set to open on November 10. We'll have a complete review of the film in the next issue. POC: LT Nelson, Ext. 7085 tnelson@safetycenter.navy.mil 9. Farewell After serving 24 years in the Navy, including five at the Naval Safety Center, ENC(SW/DV) Tom McLaughlin decided to call it quits in July. A fond "Farewell and Following Seas" goes out to Chief Mac as he embarks upon a new journey in the civilian world. 8 7