Page 130 - The Virgin Islands

neutral buoyancy upon reaching the desired may begin to feel its effects at shallower
W all Diving is not for the poorly trained diving depth. depths. Symptoms include lightheadedness,
or rusty diver. It does not require un- euphoria, mental confusion or a “drunken”
usual physical conditioning or special skill egardless of the environment you dive, feeling. These symptoms subside when the
the deepest part of your dive profile diver ascends to a shallower depth.
Rdevelopment, but good diving fitness and
mastery of basic scuba skills are a must. Ex- should be done first. Wall divers generally
cellent buoyancy control, astute depth, air descend to their maximum planned depth, S urface signaling device is a good safety
supply and bottom time monitoring are im- and then ascend to progressively shallower accessory for wall divers. When drift div-

portant. Divers must understand the physi- depths as they explore the wall. Those div- ing along the wall, the boat follows the bub-

ological challenges, namely nitrogen narco- ing from an anchored boat often dive at one bles and picks the divers up as they surface.

sis and an increased risk of decompression depth during the against-the-current leg The combination of divers surfacing at dif-

sickness, associated with deeper diving. and ascend to a shallower depth for the re- ferent times and places, changing currents

S ince the majority of walls are effectively turn leg. Having something to explore at any and choppy surface conditions can cause
bottomless and the water often gin- depth is one of the attractions of wall diving the boat crew to lose track of your wherea-
— you can begin ascending from your maxi- bouts. You may surface and find the boat far

clear, it is easy for a diver to descend beyond mum depth and still have plenty of diving away and the crew not looking in your di-

the planned maximum depth, even beyond left before reaching the top of the wall. rection. In this case an audible, inflatable or

the sport-diving limit: 130 feet or 40 m. That S ince wall diving often involves diving reflective surface signaling device, or better
is one obvious reason why buoyancy con- deep, wall divers should watch for the yet all three, will come in handy.
trol is a critical skill for wall divers. Because

a diver becomes more negatively buoy- onset of nitrogen narcosis, a physiological

ant as he descends, it is important that he condition that occurs when the nervous sys-

add air to his buoyancy compensator as he tem is exposed to increased nitrogen pres-

goes deeper on the wall. This slows the rate sure. Nitrogen narcosis usually occurs at

of descent and makes it easier to establish depths of 100 feet (30 m) but some divers