Wear Dive Gloves!!

[Morgan]

I didn't wear them for all my military dives; for infil dives I guess I got away with it. After I retired I worked inland commercial diving here in SC which involved "manual underwater contruction"... Lots of cuts on hands... My hands stayed cut up and inflamed. Within 2 years the fingers on my right hand started to swell and stayed hot to the touch. My fingers started to sausage and curl under!! It hurt to button a shirt and was almost impossible. I went to the Navy Doc in Charleston and he had no idea. He refered me to a civilian Doc and he said it was " Mico Bacterium Marinum". It sounds silly but this shit was for real!!! I had surgery and some serious antibiotics/steriods to fix. It has been 2 years and I think it may be coming back!!!! BOTTOM LINE!!!!! Wear Good Dive Gloves!!!!!

[Carl Spackler]

Jus curious...what mil dives you do? All my dives required gloves so WTF?

[Trip_Wire]

There are some foreign civilian dive locations that prohibit the wearing of gloves and having a dive knife. Usually in National Marine Parks.

Of course, here in the Pacific Northwest (Puget Sound) the wearing of wet suit gloves in the 44 — 46 Degree water is common. ;)

[SOTB]

All my dives required gloves so WTF?Not all mil-dives either require(d) gloves or enforced the rule, if it existed....

[T-Rock]

It has been 2 years and I think it may be coming back!!!!

Morgan.....congrats, you've got "fish" TB. Hopefully it'll not spred and turn into Potts Disease. "Google": Zoonotic Diseases, M.marinum for further info.

You may now need to invest in Anti-Fouling paint......:D

[Morgan]

That is how the Disease Specialist explained this stuff to me. Fish TB. He performed minor surgery on my hand and put me on Rifampin, Prednisone (spelling all this stuff!), and Doxicycline. It helped and went away but 3 years later I'm starting to feel the same early signs. What was that you mentioned?

And all units have their own OI's or TM'S concerning underwater operations. You can't use a broad brush here!!! Gloves were the least of concern!!!

[T-Rock]

What was that you mentioned?


Just kidding about the paint...that's the stuff Naval Vessels use to retard marine growth.

If the infection is coming back...Go see a Doctor. I'm not sure if M.marinum can cause Potts disease...but....I would be concerned though...it's nasty. Google Potts Disease. Good luck and again...go see your Md.

[Morgan]

By the way, for DDSSDV:My dives were with CCT. Open circuit mostly. I have about a dozen LAR V dives. Commecial was typical SL 18 , 21 and band mask. Civilians are a little dangerous; it's all about production and speed.

[Trip_Wire]

By the way, for DDSSDV:My dives were with CCT. Open circuit mostly. I have about a dozen LAR V dives. Commecial was typical SL 18 , 21 and band mask. Civilians are a little dangerous; it's all about production and speed.


Hmmm ... talking about painting with a 'broad brush,' just what are you trying to say here? Perhaps, I mis-read or misunderstood your meaning here.

"Civilians are a little dangerous; it's all about production and speed."

I'll grant you, that many civilian recreational divers lack training and experience; however, IMHO to paint ALL civilian divers with such a broad statement is incorrect.

Some of the best commercial divers in the world, have no military training or background.

To me, it's more about the individual diver. I have met some military divers and trained with them, whom I would prefer not to dive with on a regular basis.

An SF Diver/PADI Master Diver.

[Morgan]

I'm not slamming on civilian "recreation" divers. I'm sure most are as safe as mil divers. Perhaps I did paint w/ a broad brush when chosing my words. Let me put it this way: The 2 "commercial" dive companies I dove for here in charleston could and should be shut down for safety.... Eason Dive Company is safe and I'm not sure about 2W but I've heard ok things about them. That leaves about 3 other compinies here in charleston....Beware!!

[s1chmoe]

i have to admit that my regard for the majority of civilian divers AND instructors is a bit low, and i work in the industry, my .02

[GDITheman]

A commercial diver is an underwater laborer. That's all. That's the line my father used to keep me in college.

I was making a shore connection for a pipe in Miami inside a sheeted cell. The water was black and stagnate. I wore a superlight and a shorty wet suit, gloves and boots. It was only 25' of water and I was under for 30 mins or so to bolt up the flange. My hands and most of the rest of my body itched for 3 days afterwards. Like I had been working with fiberglass. Some of the guys called it sea lice, but I don't know what it was. Gloves are a good idea, but I don't know how you protect yourself from everything. I can't imagine that itch all over my head from just wearing a band mask.

[Morgan]

Yeah, here in Charleston that is an interesting little part of the job. Diving in biohazard dry suits in 90 degree sewer water!!! Average underwater work time AFD all freakin day!!!

[NightLandNav]

Hmmm ... To me, it's more about the individual diver...

Considering Trip_Wire's experience, not unexpected, and very true.

"I know old divers, and I know bold divers, but I know very few old bold divers" - don't know who said it first.

Safety is a habit, bent if pushed, but broken in weight of peril. - Me

[The91Bravo]

Y'all got all your shit WRONG!!! /joking dont kick off on my ass/
I went on a dive in the Bahamas, and all I had to do was wear a silly yellow vest and keep within range of the floating compressor air line thingy....
That was some dangerous shit.. ;-)

[frankborelli]

I've only ever been a recreational diver - currently PADI Master Diver certified - but I was always taught to wear gloves. Not to protect me mind you, but to protect the wildlife I might come in contact with underwater even if unintentionally. Having read all of the above, I think it will become a religious thing for me... never dive without gloves.

[rmediver2002]

I'm not slamming on civilian "recreation" divers. I'm sure most are as safe as mil divers. Perhaps I did paint w/ a broad brush when chosing my words. Let me put it this way: The 2 "commercial" dive companies I dove for here in charleston could and should be shut down for safety.... Eason Dive Company is safe and I'm not sure about 2W but I've heard ok things about them. That leaves about 3 other compinies here in charleston....Beware!!


Why didn't you work for one of the more reputable companies like Eason or 2-W?

[Royal]

I've only ever been a recreational diver - currently PADI Master Diver certified - but I was always taught to wear gloves. Not to protect me mind you, but to protect the wildlife I might come in contact with underwater even if unintentionally. Having read all of the above, I think it will become a religious thing for me... never dive without gloves.

I'm also a PADI Master Diver (and BSAC Advanced Diver) and almost always wear gloves. However as Trip_Wire says, try diving the Egyptian Red Sea with gloves and you won't leave the boat. It's illegal.

[frankborelli]

Wow. There in lies the perfect example of limited experience (never dove anywhere but U.S. waters) displaying narrow perception. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[The91Bravo]

Royal,
do you know any folks in 1st Royal Regimental Fusiliers? Had a bud I trained with at Fort Lewis while back.
Steve

[rmediver2002]

I'm not slamming on civilian "recreation" divers. I'm sure most are as safe as mil divers. Perhaps I did paint w/ a broad brush when chosing my words. Let me put it this way: The 2 "commercial" dive companies I dove for here in charleston could and should be shut down for safety.... Eason Dive Company is safe and I'm not sure about 2W but I've heard ok things about them. That leaves about 3 other compinies here in charleston....Beware!!


1) There are so many civilian divers out there all with different training and backgrounds. I have seen more that exceed thier limitations and training than don't... There are many out there that are not as safe as military divers.

2) I would not consider military divers the gold standard for safety, military dive operations I have been invoved with had adequate personnel and equipment, exceptional training in diving techniques and equipment, and a good focus on diving safety but... They have just now published the draft version of a manual on contaminated water diving. Many of the sites we dove had contamination levels above what we should have been exposing ourselves to unprotected (wetsuits or skin). Another area that civilians (both commercial companies and recreational "tech" divers) have surpassed current military decompression models and procedures. Military equipment and techniques are often 10-15 years behind civilian technology.

3) There are alot of companies and people out there that call themselves commercial divers. Your going to find safer operations at the companies that carry the correct insurance (USLH, MEL), maintain and update a safe practices manual, hire only adequately trained commercial divers, have a drug free workplace, and run a OSHA / CG compliant operation.

If for what ever reason stated above someone can only work for smaller non-reputable companies they are going to be running into and potentially be the cause of safety issues.

OSHA regs.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/commercialdiving/standards.html

Clarification letter on training

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=23366



Your statements seem to indicate you do not know enough about commercial, military, or recreational diving to be making blanket statements about any of them but..

Your original post on wearing gloves and the potential harm that can come to someone for not protecting themselves was good, you could have stopped there.