American Whitewater kayaker and journalist Tom Legere describes how listening to an interview of Jill Heinerth lead him to better understand the risks and rewards of whitewater kayaking. Read the article here. AmericaWhitewater The original interview of Jill Heinerth on CBC Radio program “Q” can be heard here.
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I often get remarks from divers inquiring about my SE500 side exhaust regulators. I’ve always been a fan of this design, having owned similar Oceanic Omega regs since the late 1980s. Rather than clipping the regs in place, I store them in a bungee loop on the shoulder of my SMS75 Sidemount Harness. They are quick to deploy and lay very flat. The purge will never activate in high flow caves and they breathe like a dream. I’m a fan of upright SPGs as long as they lay snug against my chest or are nestled against the clavicle region. Tank valves hang…
If you own a flexible LP hose such as Miflex brand, you might enjoy the comfort over a standard rubber breathing hose. The increased flexibility may offer less jaw stress and better hose routing. But, if you use these hoses, I want you to try something next time you are in the water. A soft flexible hose crimped or snagged can almost completely cut off airflow. I caution students with these hoses to understand that if the hose gets snagged in your equipment and bent in half, or if it is caught on a rock while you swim in cave, then…
My friend, British explorer, Rick Stanton was never certified as a diver. He was never certified as a cave diver either. I met him in 1997 when we were preparing for an expedition with the U.S. Deep Caving Team. He already had a formidable reputation for his talent in cave and sump diving. Today, so many years later, it was a pleasure to dive again with him in Florida. He mostly dives alone, even on some of his most epic projects which have taken him deeper inside the planet that any human being (30,000 feet+ cave penetration). After a wonderful relaxing cave…
A Lesson from Sidemount Divers Sidemount diving has taken the diving community by storm. The popularity of this style of carrying tanks has grown tenfold in the last few years. Now rebreather divers are taking a lesson from sidemount divers to help them streamline their bailout bottles. Standard stage rigging generally hangs bailout tanks nearly perpendicular to the diver’ s body. This is neither streamlined nor conservation-minded. It is far more effective to mount your tanks in a way that aligns them with your body. There are numerous ways to achieve this, but here are two simple solutions: 1. Use…
There are few things I love more than shooting people… underwater! When I am home in North Florida by the crystalline underwater springs, I love to arrange private photo experiences for interested divers or teams. For some people, it is a chance to learn more about underwater photography. For others, it gives them a beautiful portfolio of shots to share with friends. I also arrange to shoot professional video content for teams and individuals who want some HD footage they will treasure. I can accommodate teams of up to three divers in the cave and more if we are shooting…
My first primary light for cave diving was so heavy I had to mount it on two large D-rings and hang it from the bottom of my tanks. The bulky rectangular housing concealed two large sealed lead acid batteries. A hefty cord lead to a metal light head that could double as a sledgehammer. One day it switched on in the van and burned a hole in the carpet before I could get it shut off. I used to wait to the very last moment possible before turning the light on, well into the cavern zone, trying to save every…
ALERT DIVER, the prestigious and excellent publication of Divers Alert Network recently reached out to me with some questions about how I view dive safety. Establishing a culture of dive safety is of great importance to dive leaders and is central to Divers Alert Network’s mission. They’ll be sharing these thoughts and those of other experts in coming issues of their magazine. ALERT DIVER: Recreational diving culture; what does it mean to you? JILL HEINERTH: Sport diving is a community made up of many different subcultures. These small groups of divers are knitted together by their shop, club, charter operator…