BDSG

Concerning the marking of DSMB/SMBs.

We are rather experienced when it comes to the marking of your surface marker buoys (and our own).

Our SOLAS DSMB stickers offer the advantages of being made from US Coast Guard approved, high visibility reflective SOLAS tape and are very easy to read, can provide as a minimum a phone number for rescue/emergency use or as shown can combine one of our Smart Emergency Stickers so you can provide comprehensive emergency contact info with the tap of a phone. Smart SOLAS Stickers!

Names/nicknames/initials used on your SOLAS DSMB stickers should always be made known to any surface cover/dive marshal/skipper so they know who is under that particular DSMB.

For your yellow emergency DSMB, we find the word 'HELP' really says it all.

We recommend using some common sense and a little communication with your buddy and surface cover/dive marshal/dive boat skipper to avoid any confusion.

Dive safe!

Stand Out When It Counts!

https://www.divesigns.com/product/smart-solas-stickers/

Let’s learn from this incident, have you seen the BDSG guidance in SMB use on our website?

https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/safety-warning-issued-following-contact-between-a-diving-support-boat-and-a-recreational-diver-with-loss-of-1-life?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2XA2qJvxndAT5-3Gbtr1vhURcHn2CnougG9WKToJqbMlEDJlec5PtXCL4_aem_kq4Xn1lycN-0aHT4v159pA.

Safety warning issued following contact between a diving support boat and a recreational diver with loss of 1 life This bulletin urges boat operators to keep an effective lookout at all times when a vessel is underway, and stresses the importance of maintaining detailed and frequent communications with other boat operators in the vicinity.

Gavin is one of our BDSG members…. Well done!!

BSAC’s Gavin Anthony wins British Standards Institution Award BSAC’s scientific advisor, Gavin Anthony has been awarded a coveted British Standards Institution (BSI) Award, one of just 20 recipients to be awarded this year

Are you aware that the DDRC run a fitness to dive line?
https://www.ddrc.org/diving/fitness-to-dive/
A Recreational Diver Medical is available to UK SCUBA recreational divers only.

Please follow this process:

Book your diving doctor 'Fitness to Dive' telephone consultation below. (This 'Fitness to Dive' advice is not funded by the NHS. DDRC is a charity and we subsidise this service, but ask for a £10 contribution.)
You will then receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to proceed. You must complete and return this Self Declaration Form BEFORE your consultation appointment. Email to [email protected].
Once you have had your telephone consultation you will either be signed off remotely by one of our diving doctors (for which there is a £20 fee payable) or be informed that you will require a face to face Recreational Diver Medical and the process for booking this.

Diving Health | DDRC Healthcare | Enquiry Form Are you fit to dive? Do you have a medical condition that you are concerned about? Fill out our enquiry form.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=842591624579685&id=100064865643732

Tobermory RNLI launches to assist diver in the Sound of Mull | RNLI Tobermory’s volunteer crew launched shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday 10 April at the request of the UK Coastguard to a recreational diver who had become unwell during a dive.

https://dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/divers-blog/preliminary-accident-analysis/?fbclid=IwAR12hNrvNMgtRXXGsGpYPWnZhnQ2l4whlYjYBiChPEJzmKl6RHAl53wvyWc_aem_AbXBNBfSFuIZ5mPGUfOz8FysMeClMEJesfLptwHEsFEbi6Lu1b0HIvHzeEa1Ctd18_A

Preliminary Accident Analysis April 3, 2024 Plura Cave System (Pluragrotta), Rana, Norway As part of their injury and fatality monitoring initiatives, Divers Alert Network is in the process of collecting all necessary information […]

HI all - updated comms on the Oban Chamber:
The threat of closure of the Oban Hyperbaric chamber has generated a lot of concern and we appreciate the messages of support that we have received so far. There is now considerable involvement from the local politicians and they are keen to understand fully what the impacts this decision may have on the local economy. Commercial diving companys & clients rely on the chamber to comply with the Diving at Work Regulations, a company that supports recreational diving, or a business that benefits from diving tourism through rental accommodation, restaurant meals etc. Not having a NHS chamber in the region may make divers reconsider coming to the region at all iwhich will mpact tourism.

Both Brendan O’Hara ([email protected]) and Jenni Minto ([email protected]) would encourage letters/emails to them that express your concerns. Remember to include your postcode so that they will know you live in their constituency. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] and we shall collate all communications and send them on Tuesday 9th April.

Petition to keep Oban open, please sign

Sign the Petition Prevent the closure of the NHS Recompression Chamber at Dunstaffnage, near Oban.

Just a quick update on the Oban chamber, whilst they cannot currently under take any treatments we have been informed that the NHS have agreed to undertake a review during April and have revised the status of the service to ‘suspended’

Just to let everyone know BDSG are in contact with Oban chamber discussing what we can do to help support them and challenge the closure. As soon as we know more we will let you know, how both we can help and how you as divers can help too

Huge thanks to Mark Richard Evans for his & his team’s support of the BDSG dive show presence at 2024 GO Diving Show

We will be revamping our website this year. What would you like to see more of on it?

Our first (hopefully of many!) presentations at a dive show

First of our BDSG members speaking this morning .. Chantelle Taylor-Newman from DAN

Are you at the Go Diving Show today? Come & chat with us.. we have a BDSG networking area between the RNLI & Midlands Dive Chamber, various members of BDSG will be around to talk to over the weekend

At a quick glance, can you tell the difference between these two scuba valves to cylinder outlets? 🧐

The valve on the left is suitable for 3/4-inch NPSM cylinder threads. The valve on the right will erroneously thread into a 3/4-inch NPSM cylinder neck for about three to five threads before it begins to bind.

A valve-to-cylinder mismatch recently resulted in a deadly outcome in Europe. 😔 This issue is preventable with formal, function-specific training and a basic understanding of scuba tank valves and cylinder threads.

Read more about how this happened and what can be done to prevent it here https://dan.org/alert-diver/article/mismatched-scuba-valves-to-cylinder-outlets/.

The BDSG meets on a roughly quarterly basis, this quarter we were hosted by the DDST at the Diving Museum at Gosport, thanks to Rosemary E Lunn for her coordination

Great article by one of our members Dr Neal Po***ck

What is Undeserved in "Undeserved Decompression Sickness"? - InDepth Divers still seek comfort in the notion of the “underserved” hit to explain unexpected incidents of decompression sickness. “Hey, my computer said I was fine.” NOT. Here diving physiologist Dr. Neal Po***ck exposes the fault in this notion. While decompression algorithms take into account th...

Some updated IPO guidance from one of our members Dr Peter Wilmshurst

Scuba diving and Immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) IPO probably causes more deaths in scuba divers than any other medical condition

Chantelle another of our BDSG members taking the stage

Want to know more about DCI? Sally Cartwright from midlands dive chamber takes the stage

This should never have happened, let’s try and raise the awareness of IPO

https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdivemagazine.com%2Fscuba-diving-long-reads%2Faccused-a-dive-instructors-wrongful-prosecution-for-manslaughter%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3N1HeclLMlrVncJj6ugBNzi12KEpWw0MHx6iXyBYYNo0u34WOgcseDD5c&h=AT1Dq-uMiikVppfrpJpAVuprPL-gPRA1lEkPkFb2PvFfyU0Ahj9zcwCfdI2PJ6erjQy3Yo2TdoLOuqJGAczdEEap0YRw2qramOOZ4HoxiYeOzOtK9_M8tiI4Vixnv-KioHpc6v5awCYJOWY&s=1

Accused: a dive instructor’s wrongful prosecution for manslaughter Experienced instructor, Nigel Craig, was wrongfully prosecuted for the tragic death of his student, but perhaps neither of these things needed to happen, had the dive community been more aware of the dangers of Immersion Pulmonary Oedema On Sunday, 24 July 2016, dive instructor Nigel Craig began a P...

Let's talk about ladder safety when getting in and out of the water. 🤿

Did you know that keeping your mask and regulator on is crucial when climbing a ladder on a boat?

Here's why:
When you're on the ladder, it's easy to get disoriented, especially if it is swaying or the water is choppy. If you happen to fall into the water without your mask on and regulator in, you risk inhaling water and/or losing sight of where you are, putting yourself and others in danger.

By keeping your mask and regulator on, you'll be able to see clearly and breathe safely as you navigate the ladder. So, before you jump in or climb out of the water, make sure no one is at the top of the ladder, your gear is secure, and your mask and regulator are on. Stay safe out there! 🌊👍🏽

Who is coming to go diving this weekend? Both John Soones, our Chair and Lisa Shafe, vice Chair will be on the RNLI stand on Sunday, Lisa will also be there Saturday. Two of our members Tim Clements and Sally Cartwright are giving talks on Saturday and many other members of our group will be around the show so come along and say hello

Are Full Face Snorkeling Masks dangerous?

Not our usual subject, but some technical aspects translate directly to diving. Full Face Snorkelling Masks are becoming more popular and here is a good article which describes the risks and the design features which mitigate those risks.

https://blog.daneurope.org/en_US/blog/are-full-face-snorkeling-masks-dangerous?fbclid=IwAR3UrbM7xElZzgJsJqHPV8nZt3TxQxVVofxpN71t_A09LsKDnGeuPZz8Rmk

blog.daneurope.org Accidents involving Full Face Snorkel Masks (FFSM) in the US have led to several posts and articles on Social Media suggesting FFSM are dangerous to use. But is this really so? To answer this, we need to understand how these mask work and which risk is pr

Swimming Pools reopen from July 11th. See the Swimming spools guidance on the BDSG website.
https://bdsg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Recommendations_COVID_Section09.pdf

bdsg.org.uk

BDDG website has been up for a couple of weeks and the BDSG/DAN COVID-19 guidance has been completed. Each section is available in the site and there is a “whole document” available too.
https://bdsg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/14_Recommendations_COVID-19_All.pdf

bdsg.org.uk

Independence Day for British Charter Boat Diving!

DEFRA will be withdrawing their guidance "Using a boat inland on on the coast" from July 4th. This is in line with the Government's relaxation of other restrictions on the same date.

A huge effort has been made by the Angling Trust, BSAC, Professional Boatman's Association, RYA, SITA and others to lobby for change, including the .

https://xray-mag.com/content/independence-day-british-charter-boat-diving

xray-mag.com The DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) guidance included a section relating to “skippered day-boat hire and skippered day charter hire” and stated “operators should not allow skippered day boat hire or skippered day charter boat hire.” In other words it prevented char...

The BDSG made enquiries to DEFRA around the science but other individuals and organisations have been lobbying and are likely to be changing their guidance for Sea Anglers and Divers.