Nov991028b.p65

Mayan ruins and rich with history. The large After we all had our fill of that, we hit a couple structures stand on high embankments above a of wonderful beaches through the Akumal area on our way back to Playa del Carmen for the ferry ridehome.
We returned in time to get cleaned up for dinner, which was their weekly barbecue on thebeach. The food was traditional Mexican fare, butthe highlight of the night was the festive piñatabashing. The resort is equipped with staff membersthat are expert at embarrassing even the mostseasoned piñata veterans.
After perusing the ruins thoroughly, we pro- ceeded to El Grand Cenote, a large and beautifulsinkhole well known in the spring and cave divingcommunity. We snorkeled around in the cool waterand took in the unusual sites of the crystal clearwater and large stalactites and stalagmites.
Is that Mark McGuire or Wendy McCleskey? The game went long into the night with both Wendy McCleskey and Gail Yates from our grouptaking turns with the bat. Finally, the piñata yieldedits contents, and everyone retired, exhausted fromthe long day.
El Grand Cenote provided clear water and interesting Octopus were friendly and plentiful See ‘Cozumel’ on page 6
MARTIN DIVE CLUB ‘News’
‘Cozumel’ from page 5
There followed two more days of great diving, eating, shopping, napping, etc. The trip home,luckily, was uneventful.
Seahorse right off theresort shore have not had the opportunity to talk directly to any Galapago Inn) passed all reviews from both groups participants on either of these trips, take the time to of MDC visitors with flying colors! It definitely look up someone. You are assured of hearing many ranks up there as a “go back to” location. If you We Did Some ‘Business’ at the October Meeting
Well, we found another meeting place. Johnny • A vote was taken to increase the cost of mem- Rivers’ Smokehouse has a nice facility and a back room that’s just right for our group. And the food’s • A membership campaign was discussed.
great (not that the $1 drafts influenced my decizion).
(sic) Last, but certainly not least, we had our famous door prize event. Our thanks to the prize donors, President Mark got off to business right away and remember to mention the MARTIN DIVE
and kept us in some kind of ‘order’ through judi- CLUB when visiting our local dive merchants.
cious use of the revered “Mr. Gavel.” • We’re looking for a vice president; Mike Witt • Coverage of the Blue Dolphin Dive Club Road • Upcoming events - Fantasy Fest, Photo Contest, • Member Michael Craun’s training classes and MARTIN DIVE CLUB ‘News’
Safety Chairperson
can place behind your ear that release the drugslowly through the skin. “Sea Bands” areanother option — a knitted, elastic stretch band How to Control Seasickness
with a button that applies pressure to an There are many ways to describe it: tossing your cookies, hugging the porcelain, calling for Ralph, or 3. Do not consume alcoholic beverages because letting out a technicolor yawn, but no matter what these make you prone to vertigo (sensation of you call it, it’s no laughing matter. Motion sickness is a common problem of boaters and divers. At best 4. If you are on a large boat that is rocking bow to it is annoying, and at worst it becomes totally stern, seek the middle of the vessel, so the 5. Some people recommend “keeping something in involves the cerebellum (part of the brain that your stomach” during a bout of seasickness, but controls, among other things, balance), vestibular if you are truly seasick, it won’t stay there for system (labyrinth of the inner ear that plays a major part in the control of equilibrium), the nerve con- 6. Try to keep your fluid intake up with sips of nections between the eyes and the inner ear, and the something like an electrolyte-containing sports gastrointestinal tract. Signs and symptoms of seasickness include a sensation of dizziness orspinning, a sensation of falling, pale skin color, 7. If you are known to suffer from seasickness, sweating, nausea, weakness, yawning, and increased take particular care to be well hydrated before your journey because you will at a minimumhave decreased appetite and fluid intake, and in Here are a few tips to help you treat, or possibly the worst case, lose a fair bit of fluid by throw- 1. Keep your eyes fixed on a steady point in the Finally, don’t try to cure serious motion seasick- distance. If on board a ship, stay on deck.
ness by putting on your dive gear and heading underwater. Mild nausea attributable to seasickness 2. There are several pills available, such as may disappear when you get under the surface, but Dramamine, Antivert, Bonine, and Marezine, you shouldn’t put yourself or your dive buddies in a that can be taken orally. To be most effective situation where you might throw up under water.
however, the first dose of medication should be Getting sick when you are in the water can lead to taken prior to boarding a ship by around an hour.
panic and a serious diving accident.
There are also patches (Transderm-Scop) you Information for this article was obtained from the October1999 issue of Dive Training. Check Out the Online Version of the MDC News
For all of you with Internet connections, we publish this newsletter on the World Wide Web. You can view itif you have an Internet connection and a current Web browser. See it on our CLUB home page at:
Thanks for all your help. You've been great at getting articles to me by the 15th of the month.
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From the Web
concentration of specific serum IgE to Parietariapollen allergen, together with symptoms in the Diver’s asthma attack linked to pollen in air tank
Before the dive in question, the diver used a new supplier to recharge his air tanks. When the scuba diver’s life-threatening asthma attack some 27 investigators later inspected the premises of this meters (almost 90 feet) below the surface was supplier, they found that “the compressor was not apparently caused by exposure to pollen from the fitted with an air filter and the area was rich in Mediterranean nettle Parietaria, according to Italian Parietaria plants,” suggesting that air containing pollen from the plant was used to fill the tanks.
The investigators warn divers who are allergic In subsequent experiments using air from tanks to pollen to make sure that a filter is used to remove and pollen traps, D’Amato’s team detected “dam- allergens from air used to fill air tanks.
aged granules of Parietaria pollen that could have Reporting in the September issue of the Journal released specific allergens responsible for the of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Dr. Gennaro D’Amato and colleagues, of Azienda Ospedaliera ad The evidence that the asthma attack was pollen Alta Specialita A. Cardarelli, Naples, note that their related is “very persuasive,’’ D’Amato and col- patient had had “long experience of underwater leagues say. They advise divers at risk for pollen- induced breathing disorders “to check that the air The 37-year-old man also had bronchial asthma used to recharge their tanks is filtered to prevent the and had tested positive for allergy to the nettle, passage of respirable pollen grains.’’ including “positive skin test responses and a high SOURCE: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology1999;104:710 MARTIN DIVE CLUB
MP 60
2924 Crystal Creek Blvd
Orlando FL 32837
November 9 - Meeting: Photo Contest
December 5 - “Not a Meeting”: Holiday Party at Lee’s Lakeside
January 11 - Meeting: Guest Speaker
MARTIN DIVE CLUB ‘News’

Source: http://www.netwide.net/users/mccleske/img/nws9911b.pdf