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DAN: How Good is Your Emergency Action Plan?

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DAN: How Good is Your Emergency Action Plan?

(Dive Travel Business News - May 14, 2012) -- With summer fast approaching, divers nationwide are preparing to get back in the water. Fitness programs are underway, gear is being serviced and emergency plans are being dusted off and reviewed (or in some cases, created).

DAN supports that attention to emergency preparation with the latest addition to its online video lecture series. “How Good Is Your Emergency Action Plan?” examines the key pieces of an emergency plan, including what information is necessary in a time of crisis and why.

“DAN is regularly contacted by divers seeking information for their emergency assistance plans,” said Marty McCafferty, DAN medical information specialist and presenter in the video. “We wanted to include the topic in our video series not only to make the answers to their questions more readily available, but because we want to help divers understand that the middle of an emergency is not the time to start thinking about how you’ll respond.” read more »

Divers Alert Network: Live Chats with Experts on FaceBook

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Divers Alert Network: Live Chats with Experts on FaceBook

(Dive Travel Business News - April 26, 2012) -- On April 11, 2012, Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) debuted a new way for scuba divers to engage with dive safety experts though live chats on Facebook. The first chat was an unqualified success as divers gathered to discuss the triggers of diving fatalities with DAN President Dan Orr.

“It was great,” said Orr. “From the first comment, it was a very lively experience with divers joining in from as far away as the U.K. It was a fantastic way for divers to communicate with DAN and engage with each other in real time on topics directly relevant to dive safety.”

Unlike formal presentations, the hour-long sessions are exactly what the name implies: real-time chats that allow the exchange of questions, thoughts, ideas and opinions between divers and experts at DAN. Some topics are chosen by DAN, but already several have been added to the schedule based on participant feedback and requests.

Upcoming chats include: read more »

Treating the Tiny Scourge of the Caribbean Sea.

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Sea Itch: Treating the Tiny Scourge of the Caribbean Sea.

(Dive Travel Business News - April 19, 2012) -- Has a client complained of a red bumpy itchy rash within a day of being in seawater?  And it takes days, sometimes weeks, for it to clear up?  It's "Sea Itch" time of year in the Caribbean. Also known as "Sea Bather's Euption", Sea Itch is an intensely itchy red rash with small blisters, sometimes in clusters and elevated areas of skin which affects the bathing suit-covered - rather than the exposed - areas of the body.  Sea Itch usually becomes noticeable between four and 24 hours after exposure.  A tingling sensation under the bathing suit (breasts, groin, cuffs and ankles of wetsuits) is often first noticed while still in the water.

Although it can occur at anytime of year, Sea Itch tends to be a seasonal affliction for water goers, with outbreaks occurring intermittently between March and August, and peaking between mid–April and early July.  Sea Itch affects most of the coastal United States, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Mexico, and South America. It is also present in the Pacific, notably in parts of the Philippines, Thailand and Australia. read more »

TSA Advises Dive Travelers: No Spear Guns in Carry-On.

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TSA Advises Dive Travelers: No Spear Guns in Carry-On Luggage.

(Dive Travel Business News - February 18, 2012) -- Recently a passenger at a New York-area airport learned a valuable lesson in dive trip packing when a U.S. Transportation Saftey Administration (TSA) screener discovered a 21-inch spear gun and a utility knife in a carry-on bag.

The passenger arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport ticketed to fly to Antigua. After his weapons were detected, the TSA contacted local law enforcement, who questioned the passenger, said TSA spokesman Kawika Riley. The passenger claimed to be unaware that the weapons were prohibited, the TSA said.  The find had no impact on airport operations.

"Just to be clear, passengers should not attempt to bring a spear gun as a carry-on item. The same rule holds for utility knifes," Riley said. read more »

Political Upheaval in Maldives has Tour Operators Seeking Alternatives.

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Political Upheaval in Maldives has Tour Operators Seeking Alternatives.

(Dive Travel Business News - Feb 20, 2012) -- Recent political turmoil in the Maldives have triggered global tour operating companies to look into alternatives for their tourist clients.  The mutiny by sections of the country’s police on Feb 6, facilitated a coup d'etat and the ousting of elected President Mohamed Nasheed, causing international concern. Other Indian Ocean islands, like Mauritius and the Seychelles, are ready to accommodate tourists initially booked for the Maldives or intent to book their holiday there, should the political situation worsen and compel tour operators to seek safe alternatives.

The day after the coup, the people of Maldives rallied en-masse around deposed President Mohamed Nasheed in a peaceful demonstration in Malé. The police and the army violently repressed the demonstration by beating civilians, women, and the elderly, including members of leaders of the opposition, parliament, and the media.   read more »

Tourist Submarine Collides with Reef in Red Sea.

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Tourist Submarine Collides with Reef in Red Sea.

(Dive Travel Business News - February 13, 2012) --  Three tourists drowned in the Red Sea after their sightseeing submarine sank off the coast of a popular Red Sea resort. A German couple and their child died in the accident off the resort town of Hurghada. Thirteen other tourists of different nationalities were rescued. Four of the rescued tourists were taken to hospital, state television reported.

Egyptian state television said a preliminary tourism police investigation found that the submarine had collided with a coral reef, shattering a glass partition and filling the vessel with water.

Submarine excursions allow tourists to see coral formations and exotic fish without having to snorkel or dive. Submarines can accommodate up to 45 people and dive to a depth of 70ft. The larger tourist submarines are operated by two pilots and have large reinforced glass windows.

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Recent String of Tourist Incidents Underscores Continued Unrest in Egypt.

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String of Tourist Incidents Underscores Continued Unrest in Egypt.

(Dive Travel Business News - February 12, 2012) -- A string of tourist-related incidents in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula have raised concerns for travel to the area.  Until recently, inspite of uprisings, travel to Egypt has been relatively safe, although travel advisories have warned of travel to Cairo, following the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak last year.

On February 10, 1rmed Bedouin tribesmen stopped a tourist bus had snatched three Korean tourists and their tour guide as they were traveling back from a famous tourist site on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The tribesmen left several other tourists behind. Just 29 hours later, all four people were safely released. The freed people reportedly said that the gunmen were not violent at all but rather kind, and even gave them some food. read more »

Mexico Travel Advisory Update

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Mexico Travel Advisory Update

(Dive Travel Business News - February 17, 2012) --  The U.S. Department of State has updated its travel warning for Mexico to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in the country and is detailing what areas are affected and which ones are not. This travel warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated April 22, 2011.

The State Department’s updated travel warning for tourists planning to visit Mexico has the distinction of being more specific than previous versions. They include information on drug violence on a state-by-state and city-by-city basis. The travel warning urges Americans to defer nonessential travel to all or parts of the these 14 states: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan and Nayarit. Travelers should also exercise caution visiting all or parts of Baja California, Colima and Morelos.

The previous US travel warning issued for Mexico by the State Department, dated in April, advised American to avoid travel to all or parts of 10 states. read more »

Costa Concordia Capsizes in Europe's Largest Marine Park

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Costa Concordia Runs Aground, Keels Over on Italy's West Coast.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 16, 2012) -- Scores of Italian cave-rescue divers from the coast guard, navy and firefighting service are racing against time to find survivors in the debris-filled partially sunken Costa Concordia since it ran aground on rocks off Italy's west coast. Divers are searching the miles of submerged corridors and more than 1000 cabins for 25 passengers and 4 crew members still unaccounted for after 3200 passengers and 1000 crew were rescued from the hull-torn ship off the coast of Isola del Giglio. The waters off Giglio, popular with scuba divers and snorkelers, form part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park - a marine protected area for dolphins, porpoises and whales. read more »

Security Expert Encourages Properties and Destinations to Audit Security.

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Security Expert Encourages Properties and Destinations to Audit Security.

(Dive Travel Business News - December 22, 2011) --The safety and security of a destination influences travelers' "go/no go" decision, and yet both government and the private sector leadership discount the importance of “law and order” as a factor in visitor arrivals. Philip Farina, an expert in global security issues as they impact on the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry, suggests the first steps in creating a safe environment for travelers.

According to Farina, founder and CEO of Farina and Associates, Ltd. and Antiterrorismcareers.com, hotel property and destination vulnerabilities are visible to a trained eye. Unfortunately, many tourism industry managers are not experienced in risk assessment and are reluctant to bring in the experts to conduct a security audit, leaving the hotel, (including staff and guests) at risk. Whether the property is at the top of the luxury ladder or offers back-packers a clean bed and shower, risk assessment is the first step towards developing a viable security audit and action plan to be implemented in the face of an emergency. read more »