All active, SEP dues paying, back-slapping, guitar strumming, NOAA divers should have received their copy of the new NOAA Diving Manual. NDC has a limited supply of manuals, so if you or anyone else in NOAA needs additional copies, please order them from Best Publishing as listed below. IF YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A NOAA EMPLOYEE WHEN ORDERING A MANUAL YOU WILL RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT OFF THE PURCHASE PRICE. This discount is for NOAA employees only. Please do not abuse this arrangement (non-NOAA persons…. you know where this is going) or we all will loose this discount. Retail price is approximately $80 for these manuals. Please contact:

Best Publishing
2355 North Steves Blvd
P.O. Box 30100
Flagstaff, Arizona 86003-0100 U.S.A.
Tel: 800-468-1055, Ext 10 or 520-527-1055
Fax: 520-526-0370
www.bestpub.com

The newly updated NOAA Diving Regulations have been submitted to NDC’s Webmaster and will soon be available on the NOAA Supervisor’s Handbook web site (www.ndc.noaa.gov/uds, regulations, NAO 209-123). These changes were made during the last NOAA Diving Safety Board Meeting. Some of the notable changes include:
  "Scope" of regulations clarified (if that’s possible).
  Remove UDS requirement to maintain dive logs on site.
  Expand Divemasters to include Scientific Divers.
  Clarified requalification program requirements for lapsed diving activity.
  Changed Scientific Diver certification qualifications to allow significant diving activity to substitute for an advanced diving certification.
  Redefined Advanced Working and Master Diver qualifications.
  Change 2 months to 6 weeks for maximum time between dives before certification lapses.
  Delete requirement for facility director signature on observer diver log.

A different reminder about monthly dive logs...

  It seems most divers have made the transition to the new format dive log (dated 10/00). THANK YOU. It makes the data entry much smoother.

  Please note that not all of the reference numbers are the same as on the old logs. Reference numbers for the fields of “Purpose of Dive”, “Dive Platform”, and “Breathing Gas” have changed . Please take a look at the fields and make sure you are entering in the correct reference number.

  Okay, okay. So we thought the online log would be ready for everyone in March. But then we decided to try it out on your trusty Unit Diving Supervisors first. So they are currently using the system, finding the bugs and making suggestions. Changes have and will continue to be made to the system based on their suggestions. We’re close to opening it up for all divers.....honest! We want to make sure the system is as complete and bug free as possible, though. There will be a general announcement with instructions, the web site location, etc. when things are ready to go. THANK YOU for your continued patience .

  For the UDS’s currently using the online log system; if you would like to print your newly entered dive log , use the browser print icon or pull down menu. I found that MS Internet Explorer 5.5 using the landscape print mode worked the best. It is recommended you keep some form of a paper copy of your dive logs for your personal records. Electronic logs are periodically backed up, though, in case of server problems.

A four day Diver Refresher course was held March 27 - 30. Four divers successfully completed the training and were certified/re-certified as Working or Scientific Divers. The class consisted of 3 half-days of lecture, one half-day of pool work, one tower dive, and six open-water dives. Congratulations and good job to the attendees for successfully completing this course. The next Refresher Course is tentatively scheduled for August. Anyone interested in/needing refresher training should contact NDC.