Dive Training Blogs
Further into First Aid: DAN’s Diver Medic Technician Course
Let’s face the facts, diving accidents do happen. Thankfully not too often, but as an active scuba diver the law of probability states that sooner or later I will encounter some kind of first aid emergency. With this in mind I would hate to be unprepared or unable to help someone in their moment of need. So when I saw the advert on DAN Europe’s website promoting the diver medic technician (DMT) course run by Code Blue Education, I thought this was the perfect time for a refresher on the latest medical techniques and procedures.
As well as covering the basic ABC’s the 2-week (80 hour) course entered into the realms of suturing, IV cannulation, catheterisation and dealing with a real life pneumothorax. I was really looking forward to the suturing session but the thought of catheterising a patient didn’t really fill me with inspiration. In fact I went weak at the knees just thinking about the procedure.
My last dabble with any form of medical training was a St John’s Ambulance first aid at work course several years ago. I was worried that my level of knowledge would be way below the required standard, but Chantelle Taylor-Newman, Director of Code Blue Education, reassured me that my background would be fine. I didn’t need to bring along any materials as everything from tea, coffee, soft drinks and chocolate muffins to all the course notes and even my own personal stethoscope would be included. I was already starting to get delusions (but then again, Doctor Philpott did have a certain ring to it!).
Chantelle said the DMT course is aimed at commercial and recreational divers. It’s actually an offshore requirement to have one DMT in each commercial diving team. Chantelle, who is also a certified PADI Divemaster, said “The DMT course is designed for commercial divers, but these days there seems to be more accidents in recreational diving, so I feel that it should be taught to all recreational divers as well.”
Code Blue Education is based in Brentford, London. They offer the full range of DAN courses up to Instructor level. The DAN/IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) accredited DMT course is a new addition to their medical training portfolio. Chantelle said “We are looking at running the course every 2-3 months.” The content is currently around 40% theory and 60% practical work. There is a mid-week multiple choice exam followed by a final written and practical exam watched over by a practising medical professional.
Chantelle gave me some website links for pre-course reading, so when I turned up on Monday morning, I was raring to go. Even having to give a personal introduction in front of the group couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm. There was a good mix of people from different countries and job backgrounds. Andrea had just completed a commercial job looking for dead bodies on the Concordia cruise liner in Italy, and Oliver had been welding pipe work inside a sewage tank somewhere in Oz. Jason was studying economics in Scotland and Chris was working for the forestry commission in the home counties. The white collar workers were represented by Morne from DAN South Africa and Clive who owned 2 decompression chambers in Cyprus.
The first two days mainly consisted of theory focusing on physiology and basic first aid principles. Chantelle emphasised that hygiene was extremely important by saying “you can find faecal matter just about everywhere” (that’s such a nice thought!). Guest speaker Cary Marcelo, a care procedures and resuscitation Instructor working at Harley Street, went through the signs, symptoms and treatment for patients suffering from a variety of injuries. We had quite a few acronyms to remember. ABCDE and SAMPLE were the most widely used. Cary’s catchphrase was “Always treat what kills first.” During the practical sessions everybody had to wear gloves and use the oral nasal masks. I never realised how easy it was to use an AED (automated external defibrillator) – the unit basically talked me through the whole procedure. We also went through how to check blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope.
Police diver Steve McKenna turned up mid-week to go through wounds, bleeding and fractures. Steve has worked with the marine unit for the past 14 years and gets called out on jobs anywhere in London. He had some very interesting (and gory) stories about past investigations. I can still visualise the picture showing a severed penis! Steve’s catchphrase was “We are going to lose people.” Steve explained that even with first aid treatment some people will die; in fact, the actual quoted figure is a 5% survival rate if an accident happens out on the street.
The day wouldn’t be complete without a few new acronyms to memorise. This time SAFE and RICE seemed to be the favourites. By far the best product Steve showed us was Celox. The haemostatic granules were developed for military use to stop severe bleeding. They are now being used by civilian paramedics. DAN even sells the packs on their website. The practical session using spinal boards, scoop stretchers and cervical collars gave everybody a chance to stretch their legs. I soon realised that trying to manoeuvre a stretcher and patient up and over objects and around tight corners is not an easy task.
To finish off the week we had a theory day on diving physics and diving related injuries. I already knew most of the information from my PADI Divemaster days so this was really just a refresher. Some of the pictures of skin and facial barotraumas (suit and mask squeeze) looked horrendous, but Chantelle reassured us that the injuries had healed up without any permanent injury.
The second week involved more complex procedures starting with IV cannulation. I am not a fan of needles so this was quite an interesting session. We all got to practise on the plastic/rubber training arms that were filled with fake blood. Even I managed to get the procedure right after a few tries. Catheterisation had everybody grimacing apart from Chantelle who seemed to be smiling as she performed the delicate demonstration. Watching someone put a 30cm long catheter inside a penis brought tears to my eyes (it wasn’t a real penis I might add. We used a training manikin). This is one procedure I would not want to do in real life. Morne, from DAN South Africa, pointed out to me that the correct medical term for the male genitalia is a winky!
Doctor Mark Downs was our next guest speaker. Mark is an HSE Medical Examiner. He is one of only eighty doctors in the country that can conduct commercial diving medicals. Mark is an active PADI Divemaster and has been diving for 10 years. We listened to Mark’s presentations on diving related accidents and how to check out a possible bends case. Mark said “the 5 minute neuro exam provides a reliable system to judge the urgency of a diving emergency. It also demonstrates to the diver involved that there is a problem and convinces them to commence oxygen first aid treatment.” Mark’s catchphrase was “Oxygen is the answer to all diving related injuries.” He stated that in two thirds of all DCI cases there will be some kind of neuro damage, which is quite a sobering thought. We looked at the DDRC, DAN and Mark Powell’s neuro assessment sheets and tried them out on each other for good measure.
Before taking the dreaded exams we spent an interesting day with Spencer Phillips at the Diver Clinic’s recompression chamber based in Reading. Spencer has more than 20 years experience in decompression therapy. We sat through an in-depth presentation on the ‘bends’ going through the general causes and treatments. Spencer said he had recently seen an increase in trimix rebreather related incidents quoting one particular case where a woman wasn’t carrying any bale out gas for a dive in the 50-100m range. When the unit failed she came to the surface missing a considerable amount of deco time. Spencer quoted some interesting statistics. He said that in the UK there is a one fatality per 200,000 dives and one decompression related incident for every 5,000 dives. Rapid ascents seemed to be the main problem. Between 70-80% of the cases he treats are Type 1 bends. 98% of symptoms appear within 24 hours, 50% are within the first hour. Spencer said “time to treatment is crucial for getting a good result.”
On the final day everybody passed the written exams and scenarios with flying colours. Code Blue Education’s second ever DMT course had been a resounding success. The problem I find with any course is trying to retain all the relevant information. After 2 full weeks of theory and practical sessions my brain was about to explode. I had thoroughly enjoyed the course, especially the practical scenarios. Having specialists speakers come in and give presentations definitely made the course more interesting and helped increase everyone’s attention span, although on a few occasions listening to different perspectives did lead to confusion as to what was the correct procedure to use.
Going through accident scenarios in a controlled classroom environment is never the same as facing a real life emergency situation. I kept wondering, how would I react? What I do know is Code Blue Education’s DMT course has certainly raised my first aid skill levels, so if there ever was a situation I had a far better chance of helping someone out.
Participant Fact File
Name: Morne Christou
Resides: Jo’burg, South Africa
Job title: DAN South Africa Office Manager
Years in diving: 12
Qualifications: PADI Instructor
Reasons for participating: To further my knowledge and see how the course is run from a DAN perspective so we can work together with Code Blue on future courses.
Observations: Great course, lots of information I didn’t know. Long days so need to stay focused.
Guest Speakers: From my experience it’s nice to have different speakers. It adds to the dynamics although sometimes there was conflicting information.
Best moments: Definitely the practical sessions, I can really relate to it.
Rating: 8/10
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Name: Clive Martin
Resides: Larnaca, Cyprus
Job title: Decompression Chamber owner
Years in diving: 27
Qualifications: PADI Master Instructor, BSAC Advanced Instructor
Reasons for participating: Increase knowledge.
Observations: Overall I really enjoyed the course. It’s not just diver related, other injuries are included.
Guest Speakers: Not so monotonous with other speakers, it really broke up the days.
Best moments: The hand’s on stuff, scenarios, especially the IV, advanced airway and suturing.
Rating: 7/10
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Name: Jason Teoh
Resides: Malaysia, Kuala Lumpa
Job title: Student studying economics at St Andrews in Scotland.
Years in diving: 5
Qualifications: PADI Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician.
Reasons for participating: I already have basic EMT knowledge but wanted more diving related knowledge.
Observations: Very informative. It covers lots of topics and encompasses lots of diving aspects. I originally trained on the American system so it was good to learn the European standard.
Guest Speakers: It was nice to get different perspectives.
Best moments: Definitely the suturing.
Rating: 8/10
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Name: Chris Jenkins
Resides: UK, Devon
Job title: MD of a forestry company
Years in diving: 2
Qualifications: PADI Rescue Diver
Reasons for participating: Increase personal knowledge.
Observations: I haven’t wasted my time, it was a good course. On a medical level I learnt an adequate amount. I would recommend it to the right person.
Guest Speakers: Nice to break the 2 weeks with different speakers.
Best moments: the practical sessions, especially life support.
Rating: 8/10
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Name: Andrea Cerilli
Resides: Monza, Italy
Job title: Commercial Diver
Years in diving: 4 years as a commercial diver, 8 saturation jobs including the Concordia.
Qualifications: PADI Instructor, air and saturation diver
Reasons for participating: There has to be a DMT on every sat diving team. It’s nice to learn more so maybe I can help someone.
Observations: Generally very good, I learnt a lot.
Guest Speakers: I liked the different lectures. It was nice to hear them talking about their own experiences.
Best moments: the practical
Rating: 7/10
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Name: Oliver Bittar
Resides: Perth, Australia
Job title: Commercial Diver, NW shelf
Years in diving: 4 years as a commercial diver
Qualifications: SSI Master Diver, commercial air diver, degree in marine biology
Reasons for participating: Gain better employment opportunities, extra knowledge.
Observations: Brilliant, really like the course. Lots of information condensed into 2 weeks, particularly the 2nd half. Good course construction and particularly good revision for me.
Guest Speakers: Having specialists added a massive part to being a good course.
Best moments: The hands on practical, especially the IV cannulation.
Rating: 9/10
Blogs
NovoScuba’s Game-Changing Approach for Dive Store Owners: WE PAY YOU!
The diving world thrives on passion and adventure, but for many dive store owners, the financial and operational challenges can be as deep as the ocean.
NovoScuba, an emerging force in the diving world, is on a mission to transform this landscape for the better. With a revolutionary approach to dive store and training agency partnerships, NovoScuba is setting new standards for how dive stores can thrive while keeping their focus on delivering exceptional diving experiences.
A New Paradigm: NovoScuba’s Bold Mission
NovoScuba’s mission is straightforward yet profound: to disrupt the traditional dynamics between dive store owners and training agencies. Traditionally, dive stores have been subjected to substantial fees charged by training agencies, for membership, materials and certifications. These costs have often placed a heavy financial burden on store owners, cutting into their profits and limiting their ability to offer competitive prices to customers.
NovoScuba flips the script by offering a model where dive stores earn money, instead of paying high fees. Dive stores receive commissions for every student they register, and their certification costs are covered. This new model not only boosts profitability but also ensures clients get top-quality training at unbeatable prices.
Financial Upsides: Earn From Student Registration
NovoScuba’s approach is simple yet revolutionary. Dive stores partnering with NovoScuba can earn commissions for every student they enroll.
Here’s how it works: For every student enrolled through NovoScuba, dive stores receive a commission. Each student enrolled will receive their e-learning materials and certification credit included in their subscription. This arrangement is a significant departure from the traditional model, where dive stores often struggle to manage high overhead costs related to training fees and certification expenses.
NovoScuba’s approach ensures that dive stores can focus on what they do best—providing top-notch diving experiences—without being bogged down by excessive financial burdens, and the need to carry large stocks of materials.
Quality Training at a Great Price
NovoScuba stands out by offering high-quality, ISO certified, training that doesn’t break the bank, in fact our students will pay less than with most competing agencies. Clients benefit from top-notch education and safety standards at competitive prices. Dive store owners can confidently promote NovoScuba’s programs, knowing they’re offering fantastic training at affordable rates. This balance of quality and affordability helps dive stores build a strong reputation and attract more customers.
Your Brand is Your Business: NovoScuba’s Commitment to Showcasing Your Identity
At NovoScuba, we understand that your brand is your most valuable asset, and we’re committed to putting it front and centre. Unlike agencies that charge high fees to promote their own brand, we believe in investing in yours. With NovoScuba, you won’t be paying to advertise someone else’s logo alone, — our focus is on showcasing your unique identity. Certifications prominently feature your brand, as well as the training agency, reinforcing your store’s image and brand every step of the way. We’re here to support and elevate your brand, ensuring that your investment directly benefits your business.
Affordable Membership: An Investment in Your Success
NovoScuba’s membership model is designed with dive store owners in mind. Membership fees are kept low and include annual Pro member fees for your team. Payment can be made monthly or annually in your local currency, avoiding the hassle of exchange rate fluctuations. NovoScuba promises no exchange rate changes without a six-month notice, ensuring financial stability and simplifying budgeting. With a membership lasting 12 months from date of joining, you’ll enjoy a full year of NovoScuba’s benefits and support.
Streamlined Operations: Simplifying Your Workload
Handling administrative tasks can be a challenge, but NovoScuba makes it easier. We’ve streamlined certification procedures and reduced paperwork to help dive stores operate more efficiently. Certification processing is quick and straightforward, allowing more focus on teaching and customer service. Our system minimises bureaucracy by storing necessary forms in student profiles, reducing paperwork and administrative delays.
Crossover Made Easy
For dive stores looking to transition to NovoScuba’s model, the crossover process is designed to be smooth and hassle-free. NovoScuba provides support to ensure that the transition is as seamless as possible, helping dive store owners integrate into the new system with minimal disruption. Experienced dive Pros don’t need to undergo extensive retraining. Our crossover is designed to familiarise Pros with NovoScuba’s user-friendly platform, standards and course structures, and not to waste time and expense re-training in water.
With just a few simple steps, you’ll be ready to offer top-notch training through NovoScuba.
Comprehensive Business Support and Training Included in Your Membership
NovoScuba goes beyond financial benefits by offering experienced support and training. This value added service includes:
- Business Training: Optimise your operations with guidance on marketing, customer service, and best practices.
- Marketing and Promotion: Access resources to attract new customers and boost your store’s visibility. Enjoy cross promotions with NovoScuba to gain increased exposure.
- Ongoing Support: NovoScuba’s commitment to its partners extends beyond initial training and setup. The company offers ongoing support to address any issues or questions that arise. This continuous support ensures that dive store owners have a reliable resource to turn to whenever they need assistance.
Embracing Digital Natives: Instant Evolution and Continuous Improvement
NovoScuba’s digital-native approach is a game-changer. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, we ensure our services evolve and improve swiftly. Dive stores benefit from instant updates, the latest features, enhancements, and effective solutions, keeping them ahead of the curve. This continuous improvement helps dive stores stay competitive and deliver exceptional services. Whether it’s a new course update, additional marketing resources, or improved e-learning functions, NovoScuba’s digital infrastructure ensures that dive stores are always equipped with the most current and effective solutions. This continuous evolution not only helps dive stores stay ahead in a competitive market but also ensures they consistently provide top-quality services to their clients.
Why Is NovoScuba Doing This? – Fair Profit Sharing for Greater Access and Growth
At NovoScuba, we’ve taken a bold step by paying commissions to stores rather than following the traditional model of training agencies charging high fees. Our mission is to make diving accessible to everyone and to foster a growing community of new divers and continued education. By redistributing profits more equitably between stores and training agencies, we aim to create a more supportive and collaborative environment within the industry. We believe this approach not only helps individual stores thrive but also stimulates overall growth and innovation in diving. Our commitment to fair profit sharing reflects our dedication to the long-term health and expansion of the diving community.
Getting Started: Join the NovoScuba Revolution
Ready to revolutionise your dive store experience? NovoScuba is here to support your journey toward reduced costs, increased profitability, and enhanced operational efficiency. Get in touch with our team to learn how NovoScuba can transform your business.
For more information, email info@novoscuba.com or visit www.novoscuba.academy.
Blogs
Are you ready to become a Cave Diver?
By Marissa Eckert
What are the requirements to start cave diving? What do I need to do to be prepared for cave training? These are all questions I get asked by so many potential students. There are many options when coming up with an answer. The first option, and the easiest, would be to go the training agency website and look up the requirements to take the class. However, this leaves a lot open for interpretation and doesn’t mean you will necessarily be ready. Like anything, there always needs to be minimum requirements. But is that enough? Maybe for some people it is, but for most people it’s not.
So, what are the requirements?
TDI breaks cave training down into three different levels. Those levels are cavern, intro to cave, and full cave. To start cavern the requirements state that you must be 18 years old or 15 years old with parental consent, have an Open Water Certification, and a minimum of 25 logged dives. This doesn’t sound like much. So, what do I tell my students when they ask me? First, I find out if they are only interested in cavern or if they are interested in potentially progressing into cave diving. If they are interested in progressing into cave diving, I always strongly suggest they get comfortable with a dual configuration first. This configuration can be side mount, back-mounted doubles, or even a rebreather. The main things I tell everyone they need to have down are buoyancy, good trim position, the ability to hover in place motionless without moving their hands or feet, and good overall awareness. This means awareness of oneself and what your body and equipment are doing, but also total awareness of what is going on around you.
So, what does all this mean?
Many times I’ve had students show up thinking they had all these things mastered only to quickly realize they have a long way to go. Which by the way, is okay! After all, we all start somewhere and progress at different paces. The most important thing is to be open to feedback. But there are also ways to prepare yourself better. First and foremost, when starting down this route it is critical to find a good instructor. Take time to look up instructors, ask questions, interview them, look at their past students, look at what type of diving they are doing, and most importantly ask questions! Find out what techniques they use during class.
I have found that video recording students when they are struggling with something gives them a great perspective to see what they are doing wrong and helps them visualize and correct it. Does the instructor look good as a diver? Whether you like social media or not, the internet can be a great place for research. When looking at a diver they should look in trim, almost like they are laying flat on a table. In videos are they finning with their hands? Are their feet constantly moving? Are there things dangling below their body? All equipment and hoses should be extremely clean and contoured to the body.
The most important question to always ask during training is WHY? There should always be a why behind everything we do. And it should never just be because I said so. Make sure the instructor knows why they are telling you to do something a particular way. Everyone can always learn new ways of doing things, instructors included.
How can you truly prepare yourself?
A good idea is to record video of yourself or have a friend record you while diving. Send it to your instructor ahead of time, so they can give you feedback and let you know if there are things you need to work on. There is no certain number of years to be diving, or a certain number of dives to have, that says yes you will be ready. Every individual learns at a different pace. If a class is only offered in a minimum number of days with a maximum number of students allowed, be aware that this means less time practicing each skill. For this reason, you might be better suited doing one-on-one training or having a regular buddy take the class with you. This ensures you are comfortable with each other and familiar with each other’s habits in and out of the water, and that you get along!
The most important thing of all is to come to class with an open mind, a readiness to learn, and no concern with whether you will receive a card, but with a concern that you will learn to be a better, safer, more competent diver. I always tell my students safety is the number one most important thing in cave diving, but fun is a close second! Sometimes, it may not feel fun. Stop and ask yourself does this instructor have your best interests at heart? I know I certainly do. I want to go to sleep each night knowing that I gave my students as much knowledge as possible to make them safe and thoughtful cave divers.
With proper training, proper equipment, proper experience, and a proper attitude I think cave diving can be done very safely. I often joke that the most dangerous thing about cave diving is driving to the dive site!
To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.
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