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Risk-Taking Rises as Oil Rigs in Gulf Drill Deeper

JAD MOUAWAD and BARRY MEIER

In a remote reach of the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 200 miles from shore, a floating oil platform thrusts its tentacles deep into the ocean like a giant steel octopus.

The $3 billion rig, called Perdido, can pump oil from dozens of wells nearly two miles under the sea while simultaneously drilling new ones. It is part of a wave of ultra-deep platforms — all far more sophisticated than the rig that was used to drill the ill-fated BP well that blew up in April. These platforms have sprung up far from shore and have pushed the frontiers of technology in the gulf, a region that now accounts for a quarter of the nation’s oil output.

Major offshore accidents are not common. But whether through equipment failure or human error, the risks increase as the rigs get larger and more complicated.

Yet even as regulators investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the broader dangers posed by the industry’s push into deeper waters have gone largely unscrutinized.

“Our ability to manage risks hasn’t caught up with our ability to explore and produce in deep water,” said Edward C. Chow, a former industry executive who is now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The question now is, how are we going to protect against a blowout as well as all of the other associated risks offshore?”

Dangers do not directly increase with greater depth, according to experts like Mr. Chow. But they do rise as exploration and production rigs become more complex and more remote.

Read More Here:  http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100830/znyt01/8303008?tc=ar

Taking care of your 7mm and 3mm scuba wetsuits will add years of life to the wear, warmth, and comfort. Check out the scuba equipment reviews of the most long wearing suits.A single of the extremely critical issues you are able to discover from diving scuba would be to rinse your equipment and products. Its very essential to sustain your own equipment to get highest possible lifetime span and make sure your products performs properly whenever scuba diving.

Washing Station Setup
The easiest technique to organize your own cleansing station is usually to fill a huge bath tub at household that will be filled up with refreshing h2o. If simply no bath tub then the basic garden hose or simply kitchen sink will probably function just like effectively. Several diving outlets or hotels should have a couple containers; one particular container will possibly be normal water for common equipment this sort of as wetsuits and other gear whilst the other will be for specialist products these kinds of as cameras and diver pcs and any other delicate devices.
Exactly where achievable if your equipment has a whole lot of sand on it is to hose it down prior to dunking it in the tub.

Regulator
The 1st issue just before you begin to scrub your regulator is to make certain your dirt cap is safe as any normal water that enters the very first phase will trigger h2o to enter in the inside components and result in damage.
Just before you replace the dust cap you will will need to dried up the dirt cap and the opening of the initial phase. The least complicated way is to use your tank to blow air onto the two elements and this will dry the elements adequately, alternatively you may use a dry cloth to do the job. You can find scuba regulators at absurdly affordable prices at Flipilicious.com.

Once this is carried out you will need to location the regulator in fresh water for 5 minutes, stay away from pressing the purge button as this will let h2o to key in the initial point. It finest to rotate any moving elements to make certain there is no salt which in the prolonged operate will rust. As soon as Its been soaked and cleaned hang it up and dried out.
BCD
Washing a BCD comes in two elements, the inner and exterior of the BCD. The outside is straight forward and can be dunked and soaked in a tub of fresh water to scrub any salt off the BCD.
Step two as described is the inner of the BCD, this will need to have to be completed as tiny quantities of saltwater will enter even though diving, and this will turn to salt crystals which more than time will lead to the values to malfunction and the inner bladder to tear.
So right here is how to do it, Press the deflate button on the BCD and let fresh water to key in to approximate 25%, afterwards shake the BCD and let the h2o the scrub all-around all corners. As soon as you are satisfied you have washed the interior the finest method is to use the exhaust values to empty the normal water which at the very same time will cleanse them too.
Now slight inflate the BCD to guarantee the inner bladder does not stick with each other when drying and hang out to dried out.

Dive Personal computer and Camera
Clean your dive personal computer in cleanse fresh water and not the exact same h2o you have washed your other machines as detergents and sand will injury your delicate gear. Soak this products for a longer time and press all the buttons guarantee there is no salt trapped. If feasible brush the surfaces with a toothbrush to hep cleanse it far better, but don’t use on the sensors or lenses region as it could destruction it.

Wetsuit, Booties, and Gloves
Your scuba wet suits , booties, and gloves need to be washed in freshwater and you may also like to add a wetsuit detergent. Submerge the items in the normal water and turn them within out as well and maintain cleansing right up until clean. Once clean hang out and let to dried out.
Snorkel Fins, Mask, Snorkel, and Other Gear
All other gear ought to be submerged in fresh new normal water, dunked up and down till clean up and hung up to dry.
Ideas: to prolong the existence of your products don’t hang out in direct sunlight as it will make the equipment discolour and minimize the lifestyle span.

Thanks for reading this far. Here are a couple of articles that you might find interesting:

K2 Vacation Ideas: Cruises & Scuba/Snorkel Diving – The Ideal Match

K2 How To’s: Basic Snorkeling Needs & Snorkel Equipment

It is mandatory to get the correct dive gear if one is to safely enjoy the sport. It would be very dangerous and exasperating if you were to get the wrong equipment; for example, if you were to go diving with a scuba mask that has a leakage and keeps irritating you. It is advisable that you take the necessary precautions when choosing your gear, to enable you enjoy your underwater sightseeing experience to the maximum.

The scuba mask enables you to see clearly underwater. It does this by creating an airspace. When diving at depths greater than 10 feet, the airspace created by the mask must be brought to equilibrium otherwise it might crash your face. This is why a scuba diving mask is made to enclose your nose such that your breathing will be used to equalize the airspace. As such, open masks that do not have an enclosure for the nose can only be used for snorkeling and not for diving.

The main features of a scuba diving mask include: a faceplate or lenses, a comfortable skirt and a head strap. Each manufacturer will model these 3 features into various styles and shapes ranging from oval shaped models to low internal volume masks. Besides the design, scuba masks, just like scuba diving fins, scuba tanks or scuba wet suits differ depending on the material they are made from. Divings masks are either made from Neoprene or silicone material. Masks made from Neoprene rubber are usually black in color and whereas those made from silicone are translucent. Neoprene masks have the advantage of being cheaper than silicone masks. Neoprene masks do not allow light in from the sides. As such they are more suited for snorkeling since they keep away reflection of the light that may hinder your visibility when snorkeling. Silicone masks on the other hand are more durable and much more comfortable to wear hence are more suitable for scuba diving.

The following features are worth considering when buying a scuba mask.

• The mask’s field of vision should be wide to allow you greater visibility underwater.
• The mask should provide a good seal and comfortable skirting with a close fit against your face.
• The mask should be made of tempered glass lenses – This ensures additional safety since in the event they were to break, the glass is less likely to shatter in fine small pieces.
• The mask should have nose pockets enabling you to equalize during descents.
• An adjustable strap with an inbuilt lock mechanism. Stay away from masks that have a fused strap.

So you have made a decision to go on getaway. You like tropical destinations, you want to relax a bit, release pressure of the every day life, but you’re also in for some adventure? What would the perfect getaway appear like for you. . . you good looking and smart K2 Member of the Tribe?

Scuba diving cruises is your solution. With a cruise ship you check out locations all above the planet, which includes some of the very best tropical scuba diving locales.

On a scuba diving cruise you can appreciate the climate, the food and the luxury of the cruise ship. But possibly you also like buying or perhaps you are on family vacation with somebody who like purchasing. No issue, options adequate to shop on the cruise ship alone or at the neighborhood shops when stopping at the ports.

If you are seeking for adventure you truly ought to go scuba scuba diving while on cruise vacation. While you visit all individuals great scuba diving places there is practically nothing that must hold you back again. Cruises often visit some of the very best scuba diving areas close to the globe: the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Australia, Hawaii, Jamaica, Malta, Mexico, Egypt, and Thailand. There is a purpose way scuba scuba diving is turning out to be far more and far more well-known.

Do you know that you can have your scuba & snorkeling gear shipped directly to your vacation?

It is as easy as calling us up and giving us your drop dead date, we will handle all of the details and have your brand new watersports gear waiting for you at your destination.

Several cruise ship companies have agreements with the neighborhood scuba diving operators to book scuba scuba diving sessions on the ship itself. The excellent issue about this is that the diving trip is organized by way of the cruise company and the ship won’t leave if for some purpose you arrive back late. But don’t be concerned if your cruise company doesn’t offer you such support. You can often guide you diving sessions just before leaving on holiday. There are adequate choices on the net to do this very simple. Often these neighborhood dive operators even offer you choose up and drop off providers from and to the ship to make every thing simpler.

If you live from evening to evening and just sense like you want to dive some working day, you can always publication the working day by itself when you quit at a seaport.

Now here is something we hope you will really like:

Scuba Diving Hand Signals

K2 News: Nude Snorkelling Record Attempt to Help Great Barrier Reef

In Part 1, we looked at two factors that will influence the purchase of an underwater camera i.e the amount of money you are willing to pay and the area of interest that you will be taking pictures. Let us now look at other factors:

3.  Technical Skill Level

It is recommended that you first perfect your scuba diving skills before you attempt doing anything else underwater, taking pictures included. It is your diving skills that will determine the picture quality of your photo shoots while at the same time ensure your safety. Also consider the fact that while underwater you are your brother’s keeper, so your diving  skills should be good enough to take care of you and your diving partner in case of an emergency.

If you are comfortable with your diving skills, then you can look at your photography skills. If you are not very good at handling camera equipment, consider getting an automatic camera. Otherwise expert divers who can handle sophisticated camera equipment can go for manual camera systems since they are more willing to dedicate a lot of their time to pre and post dive equipment preparation and have the required skills to do it. Look through various scuba diving equipment reviews for more information on automatic and manual cameras.

4.  Diving Destination / Size of the equipment.

Divers who prefer local destinations can easily carry with them all manner of camera /housing equipment however bulky it might be. If travelling to remote destinations, carrying bulky camera equipment might be very inconveniencing, expensive and in some instances impossible taking into account recent travel restrictions.

The size is also a factor when considering other equipment that you will be using e.g. scuba tank, scuba diving bcd, dive computer etc. Carrying too much equipment can easily compromise your safety.

5.  Mode of Distribution

Nowadays, how you will distribute your photos and videos should be a major consideration. Cameras that record directly to memory or disc are preferable due to the ease in sharing the media afterwards. These memory cards are very portable and can easily be stuffed into your scuba wetsuit pockets. However, for others who need professional video and photos for e.g. broadcasting, they may opt for HD recording cameras which are more complex.

Having taken all the five factors into consideration, you can finally make a wise purchase of your underwater camera equipment. Happy buying!!