Month: <span>February 2014</span>

Save-A-Dive Kit: DAN Courses

We wouldn’t think about leaving on a dive trip without the standard back-up equipment and trusty save-a-dive kit, but does your dive planning include unique skill training in specialized areas?

As divers and snorkelers we choose to play in an environment that offers its own unique challenges in the field of first aid. Primarily we have to deal with two main areas of concern: We face injury from animals that are unlike any land based animal injury or we have a sudden onset of a neurological condition. In most cases, we must deal with both of these in remote locations. Sometimes the difference in the outcome is how quickly the proper first aid is given.

Winter and Spring months find us focusing on specialty classes that can be completed in a few hours, don’t require any diving and have minimal homework for the class. There are many PADI and DAN classes that meet these requirements let’s focus on two DAN classes that are well worth adding to your preparedness kit. Each of the Courses are $89.00 and include an eBook download. Divers, snorkelers and non-divers can attend.

This DAN First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries course teaches divers how to identify and avoid potentially harmful marine life. It also provides first aid skills to minimize these injuries and reduce discomfort.
You will learn about:

Vertebrate and invertebrate sources of envenomations
Traumatic injuries
Life-threatening complications
Seafood poisonings
Avoidance of marine life injuries

The DAN Neurological Assessment course focuses on how to obtain essential information about an individual involved in a dive emergency or suspected of having a stroke and what information to relay to EMS.
You will learn about:

Nervous system overview
Stroke
Decompression illness
Neurological assessments

For more information about these courses visit our website or call 937-428-9836 to register today for the next course.

Make sure your save-a-dive kit planning includes knowledge and training……………….Happy and Safe Diving.

Adventure for Valentines Day

Thousands of outdoor enthusiasts will converge on Dayton, Ohio: The Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest for a weekend of outdoor skill, culture and experience. Join them, and see what the excitement is all about! Five Rivers Metro Park and Wright State University will once again bring us this fantastic opportunity to get out and move! With activities, exhibits, free lectures and non-stop pool and indoor challenges, there will be something for everyone. Aquatic Realm Scuba Center will once again be part of the event and as always, we will be offering a Try Scuba session in the Wright State Pool. This is a great event and we are proud to be part of it.

Stop by and visit us at the booth.

Friday, Feb. 14th 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm & Saturday, Feb. 15th 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

For more information: http://theadventuresummit.com/

Do you know where that snorkel has been?

As I write this blog today, more snow has fallen in the Ohio Valley and I get it…………….We are all tired of it and want to find someplace warm, sunny and surrounded by water to play in. This time of year many of us are headed off to cruises, all inclusive resorts or any place warm. Recently in the news there has been a lot of press about viruses and people getting sick on cruise ships and most of us can relate to getting a cold on the flight from or to our destination. So we would like to offer a little professional advice to help you stay healthy while you are playing in the oceans this winter.

In the dive center we are busy teaching snorkeling and doing scuba refreshers for people planning a escape from the winter weather right now. We are repeatedly told that they don’t need to own or plan on taking their own mask, snorkel, regulators or even fins. The reason being the cruise ships, resorts, etc. supply them and they don’t want to pack them or spend the money. But our advice…………………….own them and pack them!

The pathway for any virus is the mouth, nose and eyes and in our recreational sport that is where we put our gear. Masks enclose our nose and eyes and snorkels and regulators go directly into our mouths. Do you know where your rental snorkel or regulator was before you put it into your mouth? While I would like to think that all places rinse and disinfect their rental equipment as completely as we do, we know that they don’t. Sometimes they don’t have the time or don’t think about the personal contact involved in the gear. I would no more use a rental mask, snorkel or regulator on a cruise ship or resort than I would use a stranger’s toothbrush.

A mask and snorkel can be purchased for under $50 and for what you paid for the vacation it is a small price to pay to protect yourself. So when you are running down the list of need and what if items for your long awaited get away and if there are snorkeling or diving activites in the plan, we highly recommend you consider taking your own gear. It just makes good sense…………and Have a Great Time!