ANDI News
ANDI Hammerhead CCR Textbook now available from the online store. Check out the new recreational diving rebreather textbook. Item 2-273 is a unit specific training and educational aid for the Juergensen Marine HammerHead CCR. Rebreather textbooks include double sided laminated pre-dive checklists. ANDI International & Diving Technologies International announce a collaboration and opportunity! ANDI & DTI have teamed-up to provide the Professional Service Technician with an avenue for affiliation, training and certification in ALL levels of SCUBA equipment servicing. DTI brings to the table Mr. Rudy Mola, an industry expert in SCUBA equipment servicing and founder of IAST (International Association of Scuba Technicians). ANDI brings to the table it's years of experience in the Enriched Air Servicing procedures adopted as the world's standard. This union will result in many new programs available for Service Technician training covering ALL equipment. |
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| Courses are now being offered, please contact
ANDI regional or international
headquarters.
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| These courses are being offered regularly in Sunrise, Florida. | |||||||||||
| Nearest Airport: Fort Lauderdale , FL | |||||||||||
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| Israeli Navy Praises ANDI Again! |
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DcinC & Chief of Staff |
February 25, 2007 Mr. Edward A. Betts ANDI International, USA Dear Mr. Betts, On behalf of the Israel Navy, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for developing a fine training system. After conducting an examination of other diving agencies’ programs, we in the Israeli Navy decided to choose the ANDI System which is exceptional in its approach to the safety issues and the through concepts it contains. Please allow me to inform you that this training system was successfully applied to the Israeli Navy’s needs and now serves our forces well. The high standards of the ANDI System allows our YALTAM Professional Divers team to rapidly, efficiently and safely operate at the depth of 100 meters. I look forward to the continuation of the fruitful cooperation existing between our organizations. All the best, Sincerely yours, Yuval Zur, RAdm. Deputy Commander in Chief & Chief of Staff Israel Navy |
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ORIGINAL LETTER ON FILE AT ANDI HQ |
| ANDI Board Appointment | |
The ANDI Board welcomes and congratulates Helmuth Biechl, IT # 91 who hereafter will be ITD # 12. Helmuth brings to the ANDI Board a wealth of experience and many years of continuous and consistent ANDI support. Helmuth is one of the Europe’s leading Instructor Trainer in Technical and Rebreather programs. Helmuth is now actively working to introduce the ANDI Openwater and Ocean Diver programs to the German-speaking market. |
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March 2007 ANDI is GROWING |
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ANDI is proud to announce the establishment of a regional office in
Seoul, Republic of Korea. One of the first steps in the progress of
ANDI Korea is to take over the operations of NASDS Korea. Under the management of
Chang Jun Deuk,
ANDI Korea is positioned to become a regional leader in
diver training and business management for the diving retailer. Temporary E-mail address is : kingdive@kingsports.co.kr Office address : 35-4 1ga. Mann-dong Chung-gu, Seoul Rep. of Korea |
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March 2007 ANDI is GROWING |
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ANDI HQ announces the opening of our new USA regional office in south
Florida. Under the direction of Laura H. Betts, IT # 22, the new office will
better serve our growing southeastern dealer base. The office will also
serve as a base for local dealer and instructor training and boasts of one
of the finest Gas production systems in the region. |
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February 2007 ANDI is GROWING |
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ANDI HQ is proud to announce the establishment of a new regional headquarters
office (RHQ) in the diving boom-town area of Sharm el Sheikh. The office is
located minutes away from Naama Bay and will provide for local instructor
training and development.
ANDI ME is operated in cooperation with Tornado
Marine Fleet and thus has a good handle on serving the needs of local dive
businesses and live-aboard boats. Contact ANDI ME office at Tel (+2069) 36 610 37 Watch for the new website and domain address. |
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October 10, 2006 ANDI is GROWING |
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ANDI International is proud to announce the transfer of
ANDI UK,
Ltd. to Ian Forster, ITD #8 effective this date. Ian brings to ANDI
UK his many years of experience in the UK market as well as his long
term
ANDI affiliation. To contact Ian Forster directly via email: ian@ANDIUK.com Watch for the new website : www.andiuk.com We wish to thank David Tracy for his steady steward-ship as Managing Director over the past 7 years. We at ANDI wish him the best in his future endeavors. Thank you, David. |
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| ANDI Latin America announces the appointment of Adolfo Morales, IT # 137 as the Managing Director of ANDI Mexico. We send our greetings to Adolfo, with the assurance that ANDI is on a clear path in Mexico. Adolfo’s personal e-mail is tecnodiver@att.net.mx Telephone # 55-11667418 |
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| ANDI Latin America is again expanding by opening a new office in Venezuela under the direction of Hugo Marino, IT # 138. Hugo has long been a leader in diver and Instructor training in this area. We know that he is a valuable asset to the ANDI System and welcome Hugo to the ANDI Family. Contact Hugo at hmarino@corpatm.com |
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This past week I had the privilege to work with Leon Scamahorn of Innerspace Systems Corp to become more familiar with the ISC Megladon CCR. After the week- long experience and diving the rig for 6 hours I feel that my confidence is well-placed. The Meg’s ruggedness and versatility was proven beyond any doubt.
In reviewing the Megladon’s calibration procedures, I prefer the "head only" method because it has less variables to cause error and is therefore more reliable. The ability to vari the injection-rate is an important benefit to those who do different types of diving. To be sure, I will be using this tool.
I am looking forward to receiving my own three units shortly.
In September, ANDI will be again represented at ISC. ANDI IT’s, Pim van der Horst and Helmuth Biechl will be traveling from Holland and Germany to train on the Meg at my recommendation. Other ANDI IT's will soon follow as it is my intention to support this product.
Edward A. Betts,
Executive Director
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Dinosaur fish
pushed to the brink by deep-sea trawlers |
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The worlds
largest water sports consumer show has just completed (Boot
Dusseldorf) where
ANDI once
again staged a strong presence. The booth was manned by
ANDI
Europe. Representatives from numerous other
ANDI
regional headquarters also attended and participated in
strategic meetings. Overall attendance for this year's show
was in excess of 296,000 visitors (up 5%) with approximately
1,659 exhibitors. While diving is just one venue at
the show, according to the official press release:
"Diving
remains a hot water sport. Hall 3 was once again diving
central, boasting everything for the sport from diving
holidays through novelties in equipment to the latest news.
Every fifth visitor wandered through the world’s biggest
diving fair, staged beneath the boot umbrella."
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Press Release |
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| November 6, 2005; ANDI Europe through the dedicated efforts of Pim Van Der Horst (ANDI IT #: 119) today received recognition and certification through the European Underwater FederationCertification Body (operated by the Austrian Standards Institute, ON) in accordance with EN 45011 / ISO-Guide 65. The European Standards relating to recreational diving services have been prepared with the aim of establishing a series of specifications for safety practices and the provision of services. | ||||||
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ANDI Europe becomes only the
third training agency internationally to have received this
certification! |
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| In order to show compliance, the certification process
involved a review of all
ANDI materials relating to Autonomous
Diver training (prEN 14153-2, Level-2 Diver), Dive Leader;
a.k.a. Divemaster (prEN14153-3, Level-3), Assistant Instructor (prEN
14413-1 Instructor Level-1), and Instructor (prEN 14413-2,
Level-2). The audit was conducted by Peter Jonas (from the
European Underwater Federation, EUF) and Don Irish (chairman of
the association of European diving organizations). In addition
to the review of materials, a physical audit by the same representatives of courses being conducted by Pim Van Der Horst was performed. An appreciative “Thank You” is extended by ANDI International for the efforts of all mentioned above! |
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| The significance of this certification is critical. Not only does it validate that the ANDI programs mentioned above have met the scrutiny of published standards but it will also allow the ANDI facilities and Instructors in Europe to operate lawfully within their countries where this certification is required. For more information regarding the EUF go to: http://www.euf-certification.org and for ANDI Europe: http://www.andi-europe.com | ||||||
Industry Announcement
On July 15, 2004 Luxfer Cylinders announced a clarification of their long-held position that cylinders for use with any Oxygen percentage above 23.5% Oxygen must be cleaned and dedicated to contaminant free-gas. While in recent years, Luxfer’s “public statements” on this issue have been twisted to meet various parties needs, Luxfer has never wavered from this belief which they clearly state on their web-site as consistent with ANDI's. As a matter of fact, the ONLY servicing program that Luxfer mentions is ANDI’s!
In their policy statement (which can be viewed at):
http://www.luxfercylinders.com/support/faq/aluminumoxygen.shtml
Luxfer Cylinders once and for all denounces the “40%
rule” as myth:
While Luxfer Cylinders can certainly be considered an authority on issues
surrounding Oxygen equipment issues, Luxfer consulted heavily with
ANDI for their specific experience within the SCUBA industry and because of
ANDI’s reputation as having the only consistent message compatible with
their’s and other industry experts that Luxfer does business with. As
a matter of fact, the only Oxygen-service training program that Luxfer
mentions on their site is that of
ANDI’s!
Beginning in January, 2005 Luxfer will change their out-of-the-box-policy such that “unless otherwise requested, new cylinders will be shipped suitable for AIR ONLY. New cylinders, Oxygen compatible (for use above 23.5% contact), will be available but this must be requested at time of order.” Luxfer further stipulates that by utilizing cleaning & dedication procedures consistent with those taught by ANDI that even a Luxfer-AIR cylinder can be rendered for use with Oxygen mixtures above 23.5% provided proper cleaning and dedication occurs. Isn’t that what ANDI has said since 1988?
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E C H N I C A L B U L L E T I N
Luxfer aluminum scuba cylinders for
oxygen-enriched applications in the U.S.A.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (July 23, 2004)—Oxygen-enriched service for scuba
applications, including 1 “nitrox” service, is defined as
use of a breathable gas mixture with elevated oxygen content above that
normally 2 found in air. A Luxfer aluminum scuba cylinder may be used
for oxygen-enriched service only if the cylinder has been properly cleaned
and maintained for such service.
All Luxfer scuba cylinders manufactured since January 2000 were properly prepared for oxygen-enriched service when shipped from the factory. However, if a cylinder has not been maintained in a proper state for such service, it will be necessary to clean and properly prepare the cylinder before filling it with an oxygen-enriched mixture.
All system components used with a cylinder in oxygen-enriched service—including the valve, regulator and connections—must be oxygen compatible and properly designed and prepared for oxygen-enriched service.
Actual cleaning procedures will vary depending on the condition of a given cylinder and the possible contaminants to which the cylinder has been exposed. Once a cylinder has been properly cleaned and prepared for oxygen-enriched service, the cylinder should be tested and certified “oxygen clean” by an authorized laboratory. (For example, the laboratory will test to make sure that the cylinder meets the regulatory standard for hydrocarbon content, since hydrocarbon content in excess of the standard poses a fire danger in the presence of oxygenenriched mixtures.)
Failure to prepare a scuba cylinder properly for oxygen-enriched service, failure to conduct subsequent testing or failure to use only oxygen-compatible components could result in serious personal injury or death and property loss or damage.
This Luxfer Technical Bulletin supersedes all previous Luxfer statements on this subject.
Reference Luxfer Technical Bulletin dated July 23, 2004 The U.S. Compressed Gas Association (USCGA) and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act (USOSHA)
1 define oxygen-enriched service as breathable air with oxygen in concentrations above 23.5% by volume. In all matters concerning gas filling, gas handling and percentage of oxygen content, Luxfer defers to USCGA publications. The term “nitrox” is broadly used in the scuba industry to refer to various breathing mixtures with variable oxygen content. However, in government regulations around the world, there is no single, clear specification for what constitutes “nitrox.”
The ANDI Twilight Zone Expedition 2004
In
May 2004 a team of ANDI’s
top (American Nitrox Divers International, Ltd.) divers traveled to Indonesia
to explore the depths between 125 and 150 meters on the slope of Manado
Tua Island (North Sulawesi).
The team was hosted by Murex Dive Resort & Liveaboard who provided
accommodations, boats and support staff for the expedition. In addition,
Murex offered the best-equipped gas blending station in the area which
is a necessary part of an expedition such as this
The expedition was led by Bart De Gols, Director of ANDI
Benelux and completed 14 team dives to depths of 100 - 150
metres using Closed Circuit Rebreather systems and housed underwater video
cameras. This team included one of the pioneers of mixed gas technical
diving, Ed Betts, Founder and Executive Director of ANDI
International.
These dives took place on the fringing walls on the south side of Manado
Tua Island. This is where several local fishermen have caught Coelacanth
fish (Latimeria menadoensis).
Bart de Gols & Ed Betts
Dr. Mark Erdmann, the project’s marine biology advisor had previously conducted one survey of the site from a manned submersible and believes that this twilight zone habitat is very suitable for coelacanths.
The ANDI team explored a large range of sites within Bunaken Marine National Park and recorded extensive video footage of the most interesting and unusual fishes and invertebrates encountered. The ANDI team also mapped those areas of the twilight zone in BMNP that are most amenable to further exploration and development as deep technical dive sites.
These dives where the first dives ever to explore the twilight region below 75 metres in Bunaken Marine National Park. Several divers have dived below 75 metres breathing air and upon resurfacing, remembered little or nothing of what they saw. Also Ed Baktis, Deep Support Diver on this expedition made the first rebreather dive in the National Park. The ANDI team used their own proprietary software to plan, calculate and log these dives in the 500 fsw range. This cutting-edge software is now commercially available under the trade name ANDI-GAP DivePlanner. This impressive dive planning tool is of benefit to recreational as well as technical divers. A trial version of this tool is available at ...
Until recently, the twilight zone has only been accessible to submersibles
and commercial divers. Even then, submersibles have generally concentrated
on the deep oceans, while commercial divers have rarely, if ever, found
themselves diving in the vicinity of rich tropical coral reefs. There
has thus been very little exploration and documentation of this unique
habitat to date. In recent years, partly due to ANDI’s
pioneering efforts, advances in SCUBA diving equipment, knowledge and
techniques have greatly reduced the cost and risk of mixed-gas technical
diving. This trend is certain to continue into the future.
Most technical diving at depths greater than 50 metres
has been on deep wrecks, in cave systems, or simply aimed at pushing the
depth envelope. Often deep dives are performed to test the limits of human
physiology. There has been very little, if any technical diving performed
whose primary aim is to explore and document the marine environment in
the twilight zone. No exploration diving has ever been recorded in the
golden triangle of marine bio-diversity centred on the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas
(referred to as the Golden Twilight Zone) except the 2004 ANDI
Expedition. This international “Twilight Zone” expedition
led
by ANDI
Benelux is the first deep technical diving expedition
in the world to explore and document this marine environment. It is thanks
to this expedition that we now know a lot more about the biodiversity
centered on the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas.
Many previously undiscovered and other rare, interesting
creatures were found; including thresher sharks and other unidentified
bottom sharks, chambered nautilus, a range of cuttlefish and octopus species,
red-lipped frogfish, prehistoric stalked crinoids (1.5m height) (tentatively
named Metridium bettsi) with huge commensal galatheid crabs, glass sponges,
giant single-polyp soft corals on 2m stalks, and a host of fascinating
benthic invertebrates that were not easily identifiable.
Metridium bettsi
The team also discovered another new species; a large carnivorous, stalked
tunicates and even photographed a baby coelacanth.
Dr. Mark Erdmann, a marine biologist who has worked in BMNP for the last 7 years was the marine biology technical advisor on this expedition. Dr. Mark played the central role in establishing the existence of the coelacanth in this area, as well as recorded the discoveries made during a submersible survey on the south wall of Manado Tua Island.
The coelancanth fish, Latimeria chalumnae (Smith 1939),
is the only living representative of that organism which first appeared
in the fossil record almost 400 million years ago. Coelacanth fishes were
thought to have been extinct for over 70 million years. Because of the
spectacular discovery of a living specimen trawled
off the coast of South Africa in 1938, this, L. chalumnae has often been
referred to as a “living fossil”.
Coelacanths are large fishes, reaching almost 2 meters in maximum length and weighing close to 100 kg. They may live to an estimated age of 22 yrs and gives birth to live young. Living coelacanths were known only from the western Indian Ocean, and have been captured from South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros Archipelago.
This
view was shattered on July 30, 1998 when a living coelacanth was captured
off the volcanic slope of Manado Tua in North Sulawesi, Indonesia almost
10,000 miles from Comoros. Fishermen from North Sulawesi are familiar with
the coelacanth as a by-catch of deep shark nets, verifying that there is
a valid population of Indonesian coelancanths which they locally call “King
of the Sea”. This raises the possibility of the existence of intervening
populations in the vast stretch of ocean between Sulawesi and Comoros.
ANDI
Benelux, ANDI
International and the ANDI
Expedition 2004 members, say “thank
you” to our sponsors: Malaysian Airlines, Murex Dive Resort &
Live-aboard, Jurgensen Marine, Andy's Dry Suits, Diving Equipment Specialties,
WW Diving Company and the National Resources Management Program.
The Deep Team members
Back row, left to right - Dennis Camp (Bottom Diver),
Ed Baktis (Deep Support Diver), Joe Radomski (Bottom Diver)
Front row left to right - Ed Betts (Bottom Diver), Pim
van der Horst (Bottom Diver),
Bart de Gols (Expedition Chairman and Bottom Diver)
The
ANDI Twilight Zone Expedition 2004 Support Team members:
Mark Erdmann, Ph.D (Marine Biology Technical Advisor), Bruce Konefe (Deep
Support Diver), Manuela van Kessel ( Midrange Support Diver), Russ Baldridge
( Midrange Support Diver), Paul Iwan Batuna (Midrange Support Diver),
Adam Caris (Support Diver), Peter Sante (Support Diver), Sammy Kaunang
(Support Diver), Marion Tatinggulu (Captain of Macarena), Noberto Sahea
(Captain of Symphony), Midel (Captain of Angelika), Edwien Jonnes Rumondor
(Cook), Franki Janoari (Deck Hand), Junico Seba (Deck Hand).