Find the expedition you are looking for at: www.mikeball.com/compare-expeditions
News
The Captain’s Blog: Safety First!
Another Blog from Mike Ball Dive Expedition’s Captain Trevor Jackson…
It’s important, occasionally, to take a good long hard look at yourself. As an individual, you might do this sitting in front of a mirror, or with a spouse. You might want to review your career, your finances or your fitness level (especially after New Years). Sometimes this exercise might seem pointless and then in the process, you discover some things that might need a bit of a tweak. Companies do the same thing all the time, sometimes its a scheduled thing, other times as a result of an external event that requires a company to adapt or strategize in a new direction.
For us, such an event took place in California in September of last year, when the dive liveaboard, MV Conception, caught fire in the middle of the night. 33 lives were lost. I think I can say with some certainty that there isn’t a single dive boat in the world that didn’t do some type of self-examination following the Conception fire. Every one of them would have asked the same questions: Could it happen here? What can we do to make it safer?
The answer to the first question has to be yes… otherwise you’re just kidding yourself. The second question is where the thought and effort are needed to be applied.
At Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, the first thing we did was ensure that every system for fighting or preventing fires was compliant with the current legislation and functioning in perfect condition. Spoilsport is immaculately maintained, so that was a fairly straight forward process with all boxes being ticked. Next, we checked procedures, documentation, and training, again finding we were shipshape and squared away across the board.
There wasn’t a single person in the company however, that was willing to accept that we were perfect. There must be room for improvement, a way to make it even SAFER. There was. After some serious, ‘what if’ style reflection, we found that, in exceptional circumstances, there were two areas on board that offered only one escape path should a fire erupt. For us, this presented an opportunity to not only improve ourselves and our vessel but also to make everyone who comes on board even more safe. Some procedures were changed, some new ones were invented, equipment bought and tested, engineering solutions applied. We soul searched… ‘Are we as safe as we can be?’
I take Spoilsport to sea for a week at a time. We go 100s of miles offshore. There’s no quick fix for any issue out there. I’m responsible for the ship and its crew. We, in turn, are responsible for you. It’s our job to constantly ask that question of our ship, its crew, its procedures… Are we as safe as we can be? The answer is no. The answer will always be no. If we were ever to say yes, we’d be letting you down. It’s our pledge to the people that dive with us, our duty in fact, that we never stop looking into that mirror and asking, ‘what can we do to make it safer?’
Gear News
Go anywhere with Stahlsac
Stahlsac dive bags and travel luggage are built for our community of divers, surfers, kayakers and outdoor explorers who need bags that are constructed with durability, toughness, and the highest quality the industry has ever seen. We were founded by one man determined to build better watersports and dive bags, and today, that mission is carried on by many. Adventure doesn’t just present itself; it requires discovery. When we design dive bags, we make sure they are tough enough for you to explore in all conditions—warm and cold, wet and dry—to the nearest and farthest reaches of the earth. And for those times you want to push the boundaries of adventure, Stahlsac dive bags make sure you can truly GO ANYWHERE.
Abyss Duffels
Made to be your partner-in-crime on every adventure, Stahlsac’s Abyss Duffels protects your gear from Mother Nature’s worst. Tough and 100% waterproof with double-TPU nylon material that shrugs off daily wear-and-tear, and RF-welded seams further boost the bag’s potential for lifelong exploring. Get Wet. Get Lost. Go Anywhere with Abyss.
- A weatherproof duffel for trips, travel, and adventure
- Ultra-durable double-TPU nylon protects your gear
- Material repels water and keeps your equipment dry
- RF-welded seams are flush, tough, and waterproof
- Removable straps transform duffel into backpack
- Zippered internal stow compartments carry essentials
- External zippered flap is easy to open and close
- Welded external handles make transporting a breeze
Panama Mesh Backpack
The most copied design in scuba diving, the Stahlsac Panama Mesh Backpack is the “original” design and features two high-density foam padded shoulder straps, extra durable polyester mesh, duffel bag handles and our unique zippered dry pocket inside that combines with a wet pocket outside. The bottom’s built from reinforced 18-gauge PVC nylon to combat the wear and tear of your active coastal lifestyle, and, as a bonus in every bag, we supply a 12″ x 12″ mesh drawstring satchel for extra stowing utility. Pack up your beach kit and go.
- Density foam padded shoulder straps
- Outside wet/dry pockets
- 2 Carry handles
- Tough, snag-resistant polyester mesh
- Reinforced PVC bottom
For more information about Stahlsac bags, visit www.stahlsac.com/dive-bags.
Sea & Sea is the home of Stahlsac and other leading diving brands in the UK.
Blogs
EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
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