Oceans of Opportunity

Tag: for undersea visitors and practitioners

who’s in the dive team?

I’ve had to switch gears in between diving modes quite a bit as of late, so am re-hashing this post (originally from 2013) to keep some fresh perspective out there on the subject of dive team composition… The overwhelming majority of dives I have made have been alone  – or at least I’m alone in…

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scientific diving – a value add

As my career has evolved, I’ve found myself involved in progressively more challenging environments to work in and under – part of this has been out of personal interest, and part has been out of necessity to take science forward [and deeper]. This pursuit brings out one critical and common thread which needs to be…

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tech tips: hot water valves for divers

Most divers are at least familiar with the concept of a drysuit. Idea being to keep water off of the diver‘s body, which has a cooling effect. Within the suit, an insulating undergarment is worn to retain the diver’s body heat and provide some lasting comfort while diving in coldwater. It’s tried and true, though…

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big sharks in our backyard

Last week we took a much needed family vacation to Cape Cod. Among the many day trips was a drive out to Chatham to walk the national seashore area adjacent to Chatham Light. In the distance – seals, and lots of them. No better chomping ground for big sharks that a colony of seals congregated…

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hitting the pavement with ocean education

While I’ve been out in the community a bit less than I usually am given a very demanding field schedule coupled with after work hours fatherhood, I figured it’s never too early to start educating the little ones about the ocean – even from our very own backyard. So, as it seems, sidewalk chalk art…

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extended range extensions

While it seems like only yesterday, the pursuit of ‘extended range diving’ as it was then defined about two decades ago was very basically understood as the technique used to dive just a bit deeper than conventional recreational diving. It meant strapping on a set of double cylinders, pushing the limits of using air as…

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another ‘S’ word – streamlining

There’s something inherent in diving, and technical diving in particular, that draws us to a degree of obsession about equipment. Even those who prefer the more organic aquatic intervention of freediving, particular attention is always paid to the best fitting suits, masks, and so on. In the end, we all rely on at least the most…

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diving is a pain in the neck

Literally. Two weeks ago I woke up in the morning with that crick in your neck that prevents you from turning your head side to side without a radiating pain. Generally, as most have experienced, a few days rest and its back to business as usual. In my case, my ‘few days rest’ turned into…

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a new world view from the ‘bottom up’

Several year ago, I stumbled on an article by an MIT student that discussed the concept of ‘underwater camping’ – the simple ability to make a foray into the ocean, and stay for awhile. It was a compelling idea. My interests in ocean exploration have always leaned heavily on improving human intervention – advanced diving…

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the american eel

When the dinner table conversation turns to ‘what I do’, the typical response is one of surprise, with a hint of envy, and a honeymoon image of cruising over some coral reef every day to play with the fish. If it were only that simple. While I wouldn’t trade this life aquatic for any other, it…

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