Construction of Olympic Aquatics center in London ahead of schedule – report
December 1st, 2009
Posted in The construction of the Olympic Aquatics center in London is said to be ahead of schedule and will finish a year before the 2012 staging of the Olympic Games in the said city. The roof has a wave-like shape that could rival the famous Bird’s Nest stadium that became of the venue of last year’s Beijing Olympics.
The roof, which weighs approximately 3,000 tons, is a 160 meter long structure that was lowered into place and can be considered one of the most complex engineering challenges in this project. The roof was designed by Zaha Hadid.
The complex will have two fifty-meter swimming pools, an Olympic diving pool and dry diving area that can be used for both elite and community use.
The establishment will form the gateway to the Olympic Park and is expected to be finished by the middle of 2011.
Sky diving enthusiast recalls damage parachute incident
A sky diving enthusiast saw his life flash before his eyes as he was plunging more than 13,000 feet in the air as his parachute failed to function.
Twenty-seven year old Rafael Sarria 
said that he was lucky to be alive after his parachute got caught on the rear flaps of the plane minutes after he jumped out. The damage on the parachute nearly cost him his life.
Sarria said that he thought his time was up as he fumbled with his parachute to open. During this time, he’s already thinking of his baby girl who he will leave behind in this world.
Luckily, his parachute partially deployed and lessened the speed of his fall. He managed to land in an avocado grove where he was immediately treated on site by the paramedics. After the basic treatment, he was immediately flown to Ryder Trauma Center in Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Doctors have said that Sarria only had a few cuts which will heal in the next few years. Maria Sarria, the sky diver’s wife, said that she found out about the accident while she was shopping for diapers for their daughter, Natalia.
Sarria is currently undergoing physical therapy and is scheduled to be released next week.
Seattle-based company repairs New York’s water supply tunnel
Seattle-based company Global Diving and Salvage has been contracted to 
repair the leaking water tunnel which transports half of the overall needed water supply to the residents of New York City. According to reports, about 20 million gallons of water coming from the Catskill Mountains leaks out of the tunnel per day and on several occasions, the leakage went as high as 36 million gallons.
New York’s Department of Environmental Protection reportedly entered in a 5-year project with Global Diving and Salvage to repair the tunnels. The contract costs $240 million.
About 6 deep-sea divers from the company are currently working on the repairs and has been living for a month in a sealed tank underwater. The said tank is equipped with additional diving equipment, oxygen, shower and television. They have been working on twelve-hour shifts everyday.
Part of the air sealed in the working tank is composed of helium. Therefore, these workers may need to stay in the tank for about seven days to remove the helium which is affecting their voice. The workers need to be conscious with their health because they’re burning more calories than usual. This was revealed by Global Diving Project Manager Robert Onesti.
Onesti assured everyone that these divers are fully qualified to do this risky job.
Paralyzed man swims with the sharks
A thirty-five year old paralyzed man could not believe that he went out swimming with the sharks on Monday, an experience that he could only consider surreal but nice.
Nick Chisholm is currently suffering from “locked-in syndrome,” 
a condition wherein his body does not respond to the commands sent by his brain. It means that his brain functions well but his body does not respond at all. This started nine years ago and doctors have told him that there’s little chance of recovery.
Despite this ordeal, Chisholm went on to fulfill one of his plans – to go scuba diving.
Chisholm was accompanied by his brother Aaron at the National Aquarium of New Zealand located in Napier and swam with the sharks. To make things more interesting, he took part in feeding these humongous creatures.
Chisholm managed to communicate with other people through a clear board adorned with letters and numbers. He only looks at the letters and other people will get to understand what he’s saying by spelling it out.
According to reports, the ecstatic diver wanted to stay longer but the water just got colder.
The event was made possible by the New Zealand Rugby Foundation and The Rotary Club of Dunedin.
What’s Dangerous about Diving Boards?
With summer fast approaching, many neighborhood and backyard pools are being prepared by their owners. One of the things prepared as early as possible is the diving board. Diving boards can be extremely fun but can also be exceptionally dangerous to the safety of the many pool patrons everywhere.
The first dangerous part in a diving board is its top. Although most diving boards are treated and finished with a gritty surface, it still doesn’t prevent falls. Especially when the diving boards become slick, there is a possibility that people will slip, fall off and hit their heads dramatically.
The second danger goes to the effect and impact it has on people after leaving the diving board. The gritty surface that is supposed to prevent falls can greatly scratch the people’s skin. The worst thing is that it can cause scar and infection. Make sure you were proper swimwear when diving to prevent this.
The third danger goes to the construction of the pools. Although people would try to dive safely using their diving boards, the construction of the pool can make any type of dive risky and dangerous. Some cases may include the hitting of the head first, hitting the bottom of the pool and others.
Diving is really fun especially when there’s that beautiful diving board inviting you to try a dive. However, do not forget that safety should come first before anything else.
Why Diving Gears are Expensive?
If it’s your first time in scuba diving or in other diving sports, you might be wondering how come the diving gears that you need are so expensive. Well, one reason for this is that the diving gear that you need should be in a very good quality.
It is logical that you need a considerable and substantial investment because your diving gear should be durable and effective. It should also be a very effective tool that you can use for a long time. These diving gears should be able to stand the test of time, the water, the water climate as well as other things that have something to do with diving. However, if you are not really into diving 
and you are just doing this for some other reasons, it is recommended that you go for those cheaper diving gears. If you widen your searches, you will certainly find some diving gears that will surely fit and suit your budget.
However, there are so many advantages of buying expensive diving gears. First of all, your safety and security is assured because it is certain that your diving gears will work and perform well underwater. You can also use these items for a long time so generally, if you want to enjoy these advantages, you’ve got to shop around for the diving gears that offer lifelong use and topmost performance as well.
Experience a Breathtaking Aquatic Exploration with Hookah Diving!
Long before scuba diving came into the scene, hookah diving systems have been widely used. Diving is made possible by air compressors which constantly supply air with the use of long hoses. Up until now, commercial divers still prefers this form of diving because it gives them more time to explore the water as compared with scuba diving. Aside from that, divers can use all their energy enjoying the sights without worrying about getting back to the boat. In short, hookah diving is diving without struggling!
If you would like to experience hookah diving, there is a crew that will assist you. You don’t need to be a certified diver to try it because the compressor will take care of your breathing. The crew will just be assisting you on the process but you will still be allowed to freely move around. You can stay at the bottom of the sea longer without any fear that you will lose breath. The only thiing you need to bring is your smile and your swimwear!
The beauty of the underwater life can easily be reached with the use of Hookah diving. You can explore and enjoy the sights of rich aquatic resources even if you are not really an excellent swimmer.
UALR Diving and Swimming Squad 2008-2009 Season Opens Today
St. Louis, Mo. – Finally, the most awaited 2008-2009 season for the UALR Diving and Swimming Squad opened today as the team faces two of their toughest competitors, Western Illinois, and St. Louis University. Unfortunately, the UALR Trojans failed to grab the bacon today as Western Illinois won 108 to 68 and St. Louis by the count of 160 to 59 won over them. 
The combination of Audra Stalzer, Stephanie Heutel, Brenda Gannon and Jenna Rutecki finished the 200-yard medley relay for 1:56:89 sporting snazzy bikinis, landing them on the third place.
Stalzer likewise enjoyed her third place when she finished the 200-yard breaststroke for 2:34:26 and the 200-yard individual medley with a mark of 2:18:23.
The second place was snatched by Jordan Moon as he finished the 1000-yard freestyle race with a mark of 11:06:41 placing him behind WIU’s Lauren Trondle who reached the finish line with a mark of 10:58:69.
The UALR Trojans had two other second placers. Gannon finished the 500-yard freestyle with a mark of 5:23:35 while Heutel finished the 100-yard freestyle with a mark of 57:32.
Though the UALR Trojans finished their first day with a second place, they are eager and determined to return to action on the 25th when they host the Rhodes and Hendrix at the Donaughey Center Natatorium. The fight will begin at 1 p.m.
What is Deep Sea Diving?
Have you already heard about deep sea diving? Many people think that this is basically the same as the ordinary diving many people are engaged in right now. Actually, it isn’t. Deep sea diving is the act of going underwater with a depth greater than usual recreational divers dive. To engage in deep sea diving, there are certain factors that need to be considered lik
e the equipment, diver’s training and breathing gas.
According to PADI or Professional Association of Diving Instructors, open water divers could go as deep as 18 meters wile advanced open divers can go as deep as 30 meters. The depths allowed depends on the training the diver took as a recreational diver.
If you are really engage in underwater thrill, you can undergo a training that issues deep sea diving certificate and this certificate will prove the authority that you can be allowed to go as deep as 40 meters.
Another thing that you have to remember when you really want to try deep sea diving is that the breathing gas used here is different from the normal modern-day sea diving. There is a special mixture of nine different gases needed to prevent sickness that a deep sea diver could get from the quick and rapid resurfacing from the great depths.
Buying Diving Gear
Most new divers start out by attending test dive sessions. While there, they will be privy to any available scuba diving gear for rent. Later on as they discover that they want to go diving more often they will start to purchase their own gear. Purchasing Scuba gear can be a very enjoyable time. Nevertheless, scuba divers also have to make sure that they have the right kind of gear for their 
diving needs. Here are a few things scuba diving gear buyers should keep in mind.
The Suit Must Fit – The diving wet suit will be a diver’s second skin. Not only will it keep the diver warm under water, it can also protect him/her from the elements. That is why it is necessary that the diving suit fit just right. Too tight and it might end up cutting up circulation or chaffing the diver. Too loose and it may not function well as a thermo regulator. Loose suits can also be very dangerous and can also slow a diver down.
Other items like goggles, diving fins, swimwear and underwater breathing apparatuses must also meet a diver’s need completely. The goggles must fit a divers face and seal out water. Fins must also be the right size and fit the divers feet snuggly.