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Their reddish skin suggested the
ineffectiveness of their technique
(or the product), and much of the
sunscreen blew onto other people
or directly into the ocean.
Having had some early warning
signs of skin cancer I have taken
some simple steps to reduce
further effects of the sun, including
the use of UV-protective clothing
such as rash guards, hats and face
buffs. When snorkeling, a full UV
suit with a hoodie lets me play in
the water without worrying about
reapplying messy lotions, which,
as mentioned in your article,
are absorbed into the body with
potentially negative side effects. In
addition to being more effective,
UV-protective clothing is also
more cost effective.
Just taking a close look at the
scum on the surface of resort
swimming pools will give you
some idea what we are doing to
our waters.
— Scott Bodnarchuk,
Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada
My first reaction to Dr. Craig
Downs’ article on sunscreen
pollution on coral reefs was:
“Give it a rest!” Recalling my own
experience diving and snorkeling
in Hawaii while wearing a skin suit,
however, I remembered the futility
of using sunscreen in the water at
all. With my skin suit I was able to
stay in the water for hours with no
sunburn. These suits are available
for around $35 online.
— Mark Bergendahl, via email
U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL
STRIKE FORCE DIVE TEAM
David Helvarg’s article “Always
Ready: The U.S. Coast Guard
Diving Program” (Winter 2016)
states, “They had a rescue
swimmer program that grew out
of a helicopter rescue tragedy in
1983, but no dive program.” This
is incorrect. I was one of the divers
assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard
National Strike Force Atlantic
Strike Team in Elizabeth City,
N.C., in the 1980s after having
completed the U.S. Navy Second
Class Dive School at the U.S. Navy
base in Coronado, Calif.
The U.S. Coast Guard National
Strike Force dive team consisted
of a 13-member dive team that
had two diving officers and a mix
of U.S. Navy-trained First Class
and Second Class surface-supplied
divers. As a dive team, we traveled
and performed various diving
operations such as safety diving
at the dunker in Norfolk, Va.,
conducting emergency hazardous
material diving training with other
agencies and participating in
the recovery of the space shuttle
Challenger
in 1986. The U.S. Coast
Guard National Strike Force dive
team ended in 1986, when the
dive team was disbanded due to
budget cuts.
— Linda Moroz, via email
I really enjoyed the article “Always
Ready” about the U.S. Coast Guard
diving program. It’s good to hear
about collaboration between the
recreational dive community and
our armed forces.
— Wes, Parsippany, N.J.
EYE ALERT
While diving I developed eye
irritation that was so painful I
visited my local emergency room.
The medical staff said it looked
like a chemical burn and irrigated
my eye. After speaking with the
doctor, it seemed that the most
likely cause was the mask defogger
I used. My eye is fine now and back
to normal. In thinking about the
injury, I believe the problem was
that the defogger had gelled when
I used it (it was cold [45-50°F] and
windy). Thus, instead of applying a
couple of drops, I applied a couple
of globs. In all my dive and first aid
training, I have never heard this
mentioned as a hazard. If you use
mask defogger, read the label, and
take care when applying it.
— Darrell Barabash, via email
GOING STRONG
I am extremely grateful to be
able to continue diving at age 90.
My comfort and confidence in
the water are as good today as
they were when I was certified 45
years ago. Of course, I am more
selective about the areas and
conditions in which I dive now. To
minimize accidents, I believe the
certification agencies should try
to ensure everyone who dives is,
first, psychologically capable and,
second, a member of DAN®. I am
certain my physical condition is a
major factor as well — I go to the
gym seven mornings a week for a
vigorous hourlong workout.
AD
— James Monaco, via email
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RYAN CARPENTER