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CHEERS
Alert Diver
has a captive audience
worldwide because of its
storyboard, design, imagery and
attention to detail. Your Winter
2016 feature by photographer
Jennifer Idol, “My Journey to
Dive All 50 States,” was a perfect
example. Thank you for years and
years of promoting awareness of
our ocean planet and engaging the
next generation to create a brilliant
future for diving.
— Ernie Brooks, Lacey, Wash.
My congratulations to Dr. Petar
Denoble on the Winter 2016 article
“The Future of Dive Medicine.”
It is a very clear explanation of
genetic effects in medicine and
a straightforward explication of
molecular mechanisms in genetics.
He is to be applauded. I would like
to see more articles like this.
— Michael Shwayder, M.D.,
via email
SUNSCREEN SOUNDING BOARD
In reply to your Winter 2016
article “Sunscreen Pollution,” I
am saddened to hear that I have
been polluting the environment,
especially coral reefs. I am a
Boy Scout as well as a diver,
and we pride ourselves on being
ambassadors for the environment.
To find out that what we use to
protect ourselves is hurting the
underwater world makes me feel
like I am not doing my part.
I am glad to share that information
with my fellow scout divers, and I
have limited our polluting with the
use of clothing that blocks ultraviolet
(UV) radiation. I will talk with my
dive shop to see if they carry a
marine-safe sunscreen. I will also try
to persuade my fellow divers to use
clothing to cut down on pollution. I
think this will help protect our own
local dive environment, the fresh
waters of the Midwest.
— Robert Fagan, via email
I recently returned from dive trips
to Roatán and the Mayan Riviera.
Increased education and awareness
about sun exposure and its effects
would go a long way to reducing
pollution in our waters.
I think aerosol sunscreens
should be eliminated. I routinely
saw sunburned people spraying
themselves in gusty winds.
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SPRING 2016
FROM THE SAFETY STOP
LETTERS FROM MEMBERS
JENNIFER IDOL