What’s Dangerous about Diving Boards?
November 3rd, 2008
Posted in 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.
Olympians at the World Junior Diving Championships
The 2008 Beijing Olympics may have ended, but that did not necessarily mean that the Olympians were in for a rest. A lot of them still had many competitions to go after the prestigious games. An example of this is Canadian Jennifer Abel. 
Abel won the silver medal in the three-meter springboard dive last Wednesday. The gold went to the Chinese contestant Han Wang with a 497.15 score. Russian Svetlana Filipova won the bronze she earned 473.20. Abel scored 475.55 in order to win the silver.
Abel, who dives in Speedo swimwear, ranked number thirteen during the same event in the Beijing Olympics.
“I was very satisfied with the result, it was a very strong international field,” supplied Abel. “I gave everything I had.”
Chinese athletes also dominated in other World Junior Diving Championships events. They managed to win the gold and silver medal for the one-meter springboard in the 14-15 age group. Russian Sergey Zhdanov won the bronze.
The World Junior Diving Championships is held in Aachen, Germany. Forty countries from all corners of the globe are participating in the event. The event is estimated to cater to over 200 international athletes. The United States is expected to host the 2010 World Junior Diving Championships.
Scuba Dive for only £10 in Gloucestershire
First time divers now have chance to try out their diving skills in Gloucestershire, England for only £10. This has been made possible through the efforts of a Scuba Diving Club in the UK. They are holding various Try Dive sessions all over Gloucestershire and every one who wants to give scuba diving a go is welcomed.
Gloucestershire may not be as warm or as sunny as the Bahamas or the Caribbean. It may not have the beautiful sites of the Great Barrier Reef. But, at least people won’t have to go far or spend too much just to try their hand at diving. The try dive scuba diving sessions will be conducted in warmed county pools all over Gloucestershire.
The diving sessions will be supervised by trained diving instructors. Participants will be taught about the proper scuba diving gear and the different diving techniques. After they have gotten their share of scuba diving tuition, only then will they be allowed to take to the pool and get their first breath of air underwater.
The Try Dive sessions will last throughout September 2008 and are expected to gain a lot interest from people young and young at heart. Children above 12 and adults under 80 are welcomed to join the scuba diving sessions in Gloucestershire. Don’t forget your swimwear!
The Free Diving Community Suffers a Loss
Competitiv
e Free Diving is one of the most dangerous diving sports out there. This sport involves diving depths without a breathing apparatus. It is also called ‘apnea’. Apnea is the medical term referring to the cessation of breathing. Competitive Free Diving enthusiasts enjoy this extreme sport because of the adrenaline rush that it gives them. It is also a very dangerous diving sport that can easily claim the life of its participants. And as of Wednesday – September 10, the sport did just that.
Forty three year old Apnea diving enthusiast Frank Baldacchino lost his life while doing a practice dive in Malta – he was alone. It was found that Baldacchino suffered from heart failure while on a dive. His family reported him missing on Tuesday and his remains were found on Wednesday. Friends and family report that Baldacchino’s free diving record was 5 minutes.
Baldacchino’s death has sent shockwaves throughout the Competitive free diving community. Health officials are again warning people about the dangers of free diving. Free divers are advised to never go on test dives alone. It is advised that divers bring someone along at all times – someone who knows how to swim and basic life support. Officials say that Baldacchino’s case may have been avoided if he had someone with him.
Diving from 40ft in a foot high pool
Professor Splash, whom’s real name is Darren Taylor is going to try to land safely in a pool no higher than one foot when jumping of a 40 ft platform. He will reach speeds of up to 30 mph before the water breaks his fall and this record attempt will be broadcasted on live television from Hollywood on the Jimmy Kimmel show on US network ABC on Sept 12.
Denver’s Darren Taylor is a former strip-club DJ has a different way of diving as enters the water on his belly with his limps stretched. He says “I study a lot of video, and I transform myself into a different being. I become rock hard, I feel no pain,” he said. This technique however is not one to try at home. “Thirty three feet was the height of the first jump,” he said. “I jumped ‘out’, instead of ‘up’, and I landed in the front of the pool on my face! It hurt, and it did scare me.”
The pain did now stop him though as Taylor set the current shallow diving record anyways and brought it to 35 ft and 5 in. The new record attempt is to go upto 40 ft.
Taylor is 47 years old but has not yet had enough of the diving. In the upcoming three years – untill his ‘retirement’ at 50 – he plans to do three more deadly diving records. Taylor used to compete professionally as a high diver untill he realised that shallow diving could get him into the record books.
Like said before, this is not something to do at home, but if you want to become a shallow divers, Taylor advises you to show commitment and work on your technique all the time. “For your life’s sake, jump straight up, jump out, and make damn sure you land flat enough to blacken your chest and legs,” he said. “You must stay completely focused on your ‘flight plan’, or it could lead to your death. I never forget at anytime what could happen if this dive goes bad.”