The Big Blue Tech family became a little bit bigger with the arrival of Andy Holdaway to start his technical dive master internship which will take him from a rescue diver to a member of staff as an instructor in a few months time.

Andy joins us from England where he has spent the past few years as a Royal Marines Commando and served with our director James Thornton-Allan over 4 years ago. Andy has been to Koh Tao before but this time he’s staying.

Being as Andy already has a relationship with the staff means there’s been quite a few late nights and shakey mornings. However the celebration of his arrival is over and now it’s time to get to work. Andy will be enrolling in the following courses.

PADI Divemaster Internship
TDI Technical Divemaster
TDI Advanced Gas Blender
TDI Service Technician
TDI Advanced Nitrox
TDI Decompression Procedures
TDI Extended Range
PADI Open Water Instructor
PADI Specialty Instructor - Deep and Nitrox
BSAC Compressor Operator

Once that’s done Andy will be joining us to take over the responsibility for all our specialty course training and freelancing for recreational diving while he builds up experience to take on the ominous role of TDI technical instructor.

For the past 3 days, members from the Big Blue Tech team have been training Erik Blix and his family to become Rescue Divers.

Erik Blix is a journalist who’s television and radio work has given him a reputation of being a witty comedian who’s fame derived from political satire.

The course began with a CPR and First Aid segment delivered by our dive medic. We even brought out the defibulator for some proper hands on treatment.

The Rescue itself was broken into three days so each student of the group of 4 could have plenty of time for skill practice and development. The final day (yesterday) was filmed by our videography department and we hope to have a copy online for you in the next few days. Special thanks to Evalina, Duncan, Lara and Olga for participating as victims for our 4 new Rescue Divers.

It’s all about speed for the Peoria County Underwater Rescue Team, which practiced ice rescues Sunday morning.

“Someone who goes through this water would only last a couple of minutes,” said rescue diver Tim Sommer, standing on top a layer of ice on the Bedwell Lake. “To me, if you go through this water, it feels like you are getting burnt.”

The 14-member volunteer team trains once a month and responds to water-related incidents throughout Peoria County. Taking advantage of the freezing weather, the team sawed a 7-foot triangle in the ice and practiced a variety of rescue scenarios on the lake near the Farmington Sportsman’s Club.

While simulating incidents where people may have fallen through the ice, three rescuers in blue dry suits stood on the dock gripping two water-proof yellow ropes. Connected to the other end of the ropes were two rescue divers taking on the role as rescuer and victim.

“This spot, they may have been fishing on that side of lake,” said Sommer, while yanking on the rope and dragging the two team members out of the hole and across the ice.

There are many reasons why these men willingly jump into 35-degree water. For rescue diver Chris Lingenfelter, he enjoys the team unity and helping others.

“If someone breaks through the ice, we know exactly what to do,” he said.

Some members on the team have been plunging their bodies in the cold for more than a decade.

Sommer, 50, has been a member of the team for 30 years, and has responded to more than 80 water rescues. On average, two incidents occur each year. Like most of the men on the team, Sommer is both an emergency medical technician and a firefighter.

“You take out of this world what you put in,” he said. “If I was lost up in a mountain, I would want someone to come get me.”

After the ice rescue exercises were complete, the team moved on to “ice dives.”

“Now we do the fun stuff and go underwater” said 13-year team veteran Ed Feldsha of East Peoria. Joining him was Jeremy Galloway of Elmwood, who has been diving for 10 years.

Wearing about 80 pounds of equipment, including oxygen masks, both men submerged underwater and didn’t return to the surface for 20 to 25 minutes. All team members took a turn.

“We will be taking a hot shower later,” said Feldshau.

By STEPHANIE GOMES
of the Journal Star

Here at Big Blue Tech we’re always striving to fill a gap in training for people who want something more. The PADI Rescue Diver course provides a great deal of education and training for recreational divers progressing in the world of recreational scuba diving. However for individuals who now do the rescue course to progress into technical diving we have developed a non-certification add-on to the Padi Rescue Diver Course to prepare the student for the realities of decompression accidents and difficult diving conditions. Not only will the student walk away with a great recognized diver certification but they will also learn the following.

Swim 800 yards in 20 minutes
Basic Scuba Skills: While wearing all scuba gear appropriate to the area accomplish the following:

* Entries and exits (giant stride, roll)
* Proper BCD control
* Swim 800 yards on the surface in full scuba gear withing 25 minutes.
* Clear mask and regulator underwater.
* No mask underwater swim and buddy breathing.
* Make an emergency swimming ascent from 25 feet of water as a bailout and in gear.
* Show proficiency in putting on gear in water and removing gear in water.

Skin Diving Ditch and Recovery: To be preformed wearing a weight belt, mask, fins, snorkel and an inflatable vest or BCD. Dive to the bottom of 8 - 12 feet of water remove and place all equipment on bottom, surface and dive and recover all gear in one breath. All gear in place on surfacing with mask and snorkel clear. Additionally upon surfacing swim using snorkel 50 yards.
Scuba Diving Ditch and Recovery: Diver descends to at least 8 feet of water wearing complete scuba equipment and removes all equipment including mask, fins and snorkel. He then shuts off the tank and returns to the surface. Upon surfacing he swims at least twenty feet away and signals the “OK” at which time he then surface swims back to the ditch location, performs a proper surface dive and recovers his gear. Total time of this exercise is not to exceed 5 minutes.

Scuba Equipment Exchange: First diver submerges in 8 - 12 feet of water wearing complete equipment. Second diver submerges without gear assumes a position on the bottom, gives diver one the “OK” awaits the return sign and then receives mask, fins, snorkel, scuba unit, BCD, and weight belt, and dons all equipment.

Throughout exercise each diver must maintain control and buddy breathing. Once second diver is in all gear he gives the “OK” to diver one who surfaces as a free diver. Diver two surfaces in all gear.

Scuba Bailout: Diver enters the water and submerges to at least 8 feet. Once at bottom he removes all gear and surfaces keeping gear in hand and treads water for 5 minutes while holding all gear.

Demonstrate the three forms of in water putting on of scuba gear while doing a rapid entry:

*

(1) Diver holds all gear including mask fins, and snorkel and enters the water in giant stride entry from low diving board, boat or pier, upon entering the water he places on all gear while moving to a location at least 25 yards from the entry point.
*

(2) Diver holds all gear including mask fins, and snorkel and enters the water in back roll entry from low pier, or boat, upon entering the water he places on all gear while moving to a location at least 25 yards from the entry point.
*

(3) Diver holds mask fins, and snorkel and throws scuba unit and BCD in the water, he then enters the water in giant stride entry from low diving board, boat or pier, upon entering the water he places on all gear while moving to a location at least 25 yards from the entry point.

Practical Demonstration of Use of Compass
Practical Demonstration of Search and Recovery Techniques
Practical Working Knowledge of Scuba and Water Rescue Equipment as well as Search & Recovery Equipment
Practical Knowledge of and Demonstration of Water Rescue Techniques
Practical Knowledge of and Demonstration of being able to manage and carry out all Dive Team operations from preplanning to rescue to postmortem and command dive team operations.

Curriculum Objectives

* Practical Knowledge of Pressure Related Accidents
* Practical Knowledge Physiology & First Aid
* Practical Knowledge Marine Life & Environment
* Practical Knowledge of Dive Tables
* Practical Knowledge of Diving Physics
* Practical Knowledge of Boat Operations

Peer Review: All Rescue Diver candidates are graded not only by the Instructors must also pass daily peer reviews. Any rescue diver candidate who fails in peer review will not pass the course. We all must work together and if a diver cannot work well with his fellow rescuers then he will fail the course.

Today is the final training scenarios for Hans who has already graduated from the PADI Rescue Diver course and has now enrolled in the extra days of curricular training learning extra education for the future. This is also the first step in his Technical Diver Internship where he will be exposed to far more including dive medic, equipment maintenance and cave diving.

For those interested in this course, you must be current or future technical divers who are looking to become professionals in the diving industry.

Over the next few days we’ll be publishing articles on diver safety and medicine as a resource for future students.