Admittedly, the Woodland camouflage caught my eye, but it made me consider that as organizations integrate females into their formations the need for additional modesty while changing clothing becomes more prudent.
The All The Way Poncho from RVCA offers just that. Essentially, it’s a large, poncho-shaped cotton towel that can be donned over your marops gear and there’s enough room to swap clothing underneath.
www.rvca.com/all-the-way-poncho
I ran this about a year ago, and I thought I would rerun it. I know many Public Safety people (police and firefighter) are thinking about retiring, or they have already put their papers in to do that. Many places are trying to come up with ways to incentivize people to stay on the job. Most seem to be trying to take a page right out of the military playbook by saying that you can wear shorts, grow a beard, or have a ponytail if you stay on the job. So, I thought to help everyone out; I would rerun this article on how to dive with a beard. I know most public safety divers (PSD) use Full Face masks, but I hope this will still be very helpful to you.
One of the hardest or easiest things to do is dive with a beard or a mustache. I say it that way because, like most things, if you practice doing it, you will get better. But if you have never done it before, please don’t wait until you are getting ready to do a 3-hour dive or dive in some nasty water to try it for the first time. There are a few things you can do that are going to help when diving with facial hair. I will cover some of the gear and other tricks and repost a video that I found that I hope will help.
First, you need to have the correct type of mask. Not all dive masks are the same. If you buy a $20 mask at Exchange, you will have a mask that will be good for playing in the pool, and that’s about it. Like everything, you get what you pay for. The size of your face and the amount of facial hair will help determine the mask you need. But honestly, you should still be able to use the same mask you always have unless you have gone full bigfoot. Here are a few of the better masks that are out there for dive with hair.
I have tried to pick low-volume masks that are good for combat swimmer operations and good backup masks for people using a Fullface mask.
The SCUBAPRO Synergy 2 Mask is excellent for people with beards because of its unique two-skirt system. The flexible skirts fit tightly against your face, with the outer skirt providing additional support and rigidity. Combined, they deliver superior comfort and resistance to leaking compared to other masks. When people are diving and their mask starts to leak, the first thing you try and do to fix it is to pull it tighter, and if that doesn’t work, you pull it tighter again. If this isn’t working, you do it again. If your mask keeps leaking no matter what you do, try losing it up a little; when it is too tight, the mask will get ripples, like if you were to put a rubber band over your shirt sleeve. The Synergy 2 mask is suitable for people with a smaller face. If you have a beard or mustache and want a solid mask, this is a great place to start.
Next is the SCUBAPRO Solo. The double-sealed silicone skirt conforms to almost every face, giving you an excellent leak-free seal. The SCUBAPRO Solo features a frameless, single-tempered glass lens specifically designed to provide a wide field of view. Because of how close it sits to your face, the Solo has a low volume fit and easy cleaning. Other notable features include a wide-split style, non-slip strap with adjustable buckles, a silicone skirt that comes with double-feathered edge sealing that is effective even against facial hair, and a nose pocket that allows you to pinch your nose to clear.
The SCUBAPRO Crystal Vu Plus is a single lens mask, which some people like because it can provide a clear, unobstructed view underwater. It comes with a purge valve, and this makes it easy to clear and rarely fogs up. Should water enter the mask because the mask didn’t seal properly around your beard or mustache, exhale air through your nose to clear the water. You can breathe out through your nose, and the water is vented out. The purge valve can fit a little tight for some people, but most people love this mask once they try it. Another feature of this mask is the side viewing windows, which provide excellent peripheral vision in the water. It has a perfect seal that should allow it to fit snug and tight on about 90% of people, even with facial hair.
There are some other great masks for diving with beards or just using in general. It all depends on how much you are willing to pay to save the beard. The Atomic Venom Frameless mask is a great all-around mask. It uses a rubber very similar to the Solo mask that is great for conforming to your face and around those lone beard hairs that might cause a leak. The same goes for the Hollis M1 Frameless mask. Again, a tremendous all-around mask that is low volume and suitable for use with hair. If I didn’t work for SCUBAPRO, I would have one of these two masks. But I like the SCUBAPRO Spectra that is my favorite mask by far, but that has nothing to do with this. Just FYI, you know Christmas is never far off, just saying.
Some people look to use some lubricant (like Vaseline) on their face, under their nose to help with the seal. If you are diving O2, you should not be using anything like this, most are petroleum-based, and oil and O2 do not get along very well. But there are other things out there you can try. Just make sure you do your research first.
Lastly, since we talked about hair, SCUBAPRO also has an excellent mask strap for diving with long hair or just more than you had in boot camp. It is also great because it is basically a ski goggle strap, and there is a 99% chance it won’t break on you when you are diving. It works with a lot of SCUBAPRO masks.
In the video, Richie Denmark talks about using a razor to help trim a little bit of your facial hair away. I just wanted to point out the Schick Silk Touch-up multipurpose exfoliation tool. It is excellent for fine-tuning your hair.
Richie, Thank you for letting me post your video.
There are a lot of good masks out there besides the ones I mentioned. Like everything you do, you need to make sure you practice. Even if it’s just getting in the pool a couple of times, it is easy to say it is the gear’s fault that you cant do something. I have noticed that many people want equipment to fix their bad habits or lack of skill.
I have been around a lot of different end user diver groups of over the past couple of months and we always seem to talk about fins, and we have been discussing different designs and what is the best go-to fin. Now I have started to think of fins like shoes and I think you need more than one set for different types of water work. But if I was to pick one set of fins, I truly cannot say enough good things about the SCUBAPRO Go Sport fins. If you are in the military and you need a good fin for over the beach (OTB) operations, river and stream crossing, or diving, these fins do a great job! For OTB, where you might have to go through the surf, there is enough power to help you get through it. River and stream crossing, where you would have to carry them with you in the jungle or wherever, the pair weighs less than 1.5Lbs and are easy to don and doff with boots on, making getting in and out of the water easier. When used for combat swimmer operations, they are comfortable for long use and good for use in tight areas like around piers or ships. There are holes in the blade, which makes it easy to attach to your wrists when climbing a ladder if you want your fins with you if there is a strong current or coming out of the surf or attaching to your gear when patrolling. Below they are attached to a Mystery Ranch patrol pack. The other picture they are attached to the famous SEAL Float coat used in patrolling the jungles of Vietnam (thanks Drew via Eric G). They also have the Matbock Skins on them.
A lot of the things I mentioned about that make them good for the military also apply for Public Safety Divers. They are outstanding for tight turns, like when you are doing a search grid. The fins are so light so they can be used in the summer when using a wetsuit or in the winter when using a dry suit. If you do plan on that make sure you get the right size for the winter bootie. You can always wear a winter bootie in the summer but trying to use a summer type bootie in the winter is never a good thing. They go on fast if you are a marine patrol unit and need to get into the water quickly.
Lastly, they are a great surface swim fin. For example, Go Sport Fins are the perfect option for PTs in ocean or pool swims. I used to have a CO who, anytime the weather was bad and the sea was rough, made us do ocean swims. He would say, ‘you have to train when the weather and surf are bad because you can’t choose when you will be on the water’.
SCUBAPRO GO SPORT FINS WIN SCUBALab testers choice award.
Zodiac Milpro and Vectis Marine Design are very pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Vectis Marine Design by Zodiac Milpro on this day 30th April 2021.
Zodiac Milpro is a world leader in the manufacture of inflatable boats and RIBS for the military and professional market. Present in France, Spain, Canada, USA, Australia, UK, Italy and Singapore, Zodiac Milpro has a team of 400 employees worldwide and delivers a turnover of 60m Euros. Vectis Marine Design is a naval architecture consultancy based near Southampton, England with whom Zodiac Milpro has worked successfully for many years.
Created in 2008 by Andrew Humphries and John Fox Robinson, two highly skilled naval architects, Vectis Marine Design specialises in the engineering and design of high-performance and specialist vessels. The company has a strong reputation in the design of fast patrol boats, RIBs, Special Forces craft, rescue craft and other vessels to meet demanding operational requirements.
It is to Vectis Marine Design that Zodiac Milpro owes the development of the ECUME the well-known highly capable military RIBS for the French Navy, and the aluminum SRA series for the professional market, which sets a new benchmark in its field. Zodiac Milpro is currently entrusting Vectis Marine Design with the extension of this SRA range and other development of new innovative products.
As well as new vessel design, Vectis Marine Design provides technical support to a wide range of vessels and this will continue and develop with Zodiac Milpro’s backing. With this acquisition, Zodiac Milpro strengthens its autonomy in design and innovation, its capacity for engineering, and ability to deliver complex tenders and projects more effectively. This acquisition is part of the Group’s development strategy to support its growth and meet an ever-increasing demand from customers for more capable and efficient craft.
Guillaume Laurin, President of Zodiac Milpro commented,
“We are particularly pleased with this agreement. Vectis Marine Design and Zodiac Milpro have been working together for a long time. Thanks to Vectis Marine Design’s know how, experience and professionalism, Zodiac Milpro will be able to handle more complex programs and further increase its innovation dynamic. Our respective teams know each other well and appreciate working together. This acquisition is completely in line with our strategy to strengthen our internal capabilities. It is a natural rapprochement which will give both our companies great opportunities of further development and continue to offer our clients the best military and professional craft on the market.”
Andrew Humphries, Managing Director of Vectis Marine Design added,
“We have worked closely with Zodiac Milpro since 2009 and are delighted that Vectis is now becoming part of the Zodiac Milpro group. We have always enjoyed working with Zodiac Milpro and appreciated their professional and collaborative approach. We see this next exciting step as a great endorsement of the work that the whole Vectis team has put into the business since Vectis was established in 2008. We very much look forward to the closer partnership with Zodiac Milpro while at the same time continuing to support our other clients with innovative design, engineering and technical support”.
www.zodiacmilpro.com
www.vectismarine.com
The Battle of the Coral Sea is known for being the first Naval battle where the two opposing forces never met. It was the birth of the aircraft carrier. No surface ships sank another ship in this battle. It was also one of the Allies’ first victories in the war in the Pacific. It did come at a hefty price for the Allies, at a loss of 1 aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington CV-2, 1 Destroyer USS Sims DD-409, 1 oiler USS Neosho AO-23, 69 aircraft and 656 people killed; the USS Yorktown was also significantly damaged. The Lexington was so severely damaged that the U.S. sank it with torpedoes the day after the battle. The Japanese lost 1 Light strike carrier (Jeep Carrier), 1 destroyer, 3 small warships, 97 aircraft, and 966 people killed.
The Allies learned of the intended plan of the Japanese to seize Port Moresby in New Guinea. The Japanese wanted to take control of the Coral Sea and use it as a staging base to invade Australia. When the Japanese landed at Tulagi on May 3, carrier-based U.S. planes from a Task Force 17 struck the landing group, sinking one destroyer and some minesweepers and landing barges. Most of the naval units covering the main Japanese invasion force that left Rabaul, New Britain, for Port Moresby on May 4 took a route to the east, where they clashed with TF17.
On May 5 and 6, 1942, opposing carrier groups sought each other and, on the morning of May 7, Japanese carrier-based planes sank a U.S. destroyer and an oiler. Allied planes sank the light carrier Shoho and a cruiser. The next day Japanese aircraft crippled the U.S. carrier Lexington and damaged the carrier Yorktown. U.S. planes crippled the sizeable Japanese carrier Shokaku so bad that it had to retreat away from the battle. So many Japanese planes were lost that the Port Moresby invasion force, without adequate air cover and harassed by Allied land-based bombers, turned back to Rabaul.
The four-day engagement was a strategic victory for the Allies. The battle, which U.S. Adm. Ernest J. King described as “the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot,” foreshadowed the kind of carrier warfare that marked later fighting in the Pacific War.
My Stepfather was on the Lexington during this battle. He was a Water Tender (today’s Machinist’s Mates) in a boiler room when a Japanese torpedo slammed into it. After they abandoned the Lady Lex, he spent the next month and a half making his way back to San Diego before he could get any new clothes and a new sea bag. Like every good sailor, he went out and got drunk, lost his seabag and was arrested by shore patrol. He ended up in the brig and had to rent a seabag so he could get out because without a full seabag he would have had to stay in jail. He was one of the most significant people in my life and one of the biggest reasons I joined the Navy. He joined in 1939 and had great pride in being in the Navy. He had left Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941, so they could bring planes to Midway. He was supposed to get out in early 1942, but stayed in for the duration of the war.
A little over two years ago, the USS Lexington was found at the bottom of the Coral Sea, and she was seen for the first time since she was lost so long ago. God bless all the sailors and airmen who are still interned in her and never had a chance to be someone’s Stepfather or live their lives.
news.usni.org/2018/03/05/video-billionaire-paul-allen-finds-lost-world-war-ii-carrier-uss-lexington
Over the past ten years or so, more and more divers have started wearing helmets when they dive. It is done for a lot of different reasons. For example, when using a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) to help protect your head if you run into something; wearing your Night Optical Devices (NOD) so when you get out of the water, you can take your mask off and pull your NODs down; for protecting your head when working around piers or doing a ship attack. You want to be ready to fight when you get out of the water, so you have your helmet on and, for some reason, people like to wear GoPros for everything they do now. But the main reason is protection for your head.
There are some things you should take into consideration before you jump into the water with your helmet on. How much protection do you need? Is it just for bump protection? If so, can you just use a thicker dive hood or do you really need something more? Let’s say you and your dive buddy are swimming along, he has his head down looking at the attack board and you are along for the ride, thinking about what you need to buy at home depot to add to your new deck you want to finish up this weekend, and then BAM!! KaPOW!! He runs into the pier cutting his head open. Now you have to buy him a steak dinner and/or lots of beer to make up for him hitting his head.
Any time you will be around piers, rocks or ships, you should have something covering your head, even if it’s just a thin dive hood. If you choose to wear a helmet, you have a few choices. Start with its physical components: does it need to be Ballistic, Non-Ballistic (glass-filled nylon or carbon fiber), or can it just be something just used for mounting gear, like the Ops Core Skull Crusher/ Head-mounted system.
Almost all helmets can be used in the water, but like everything you bring into the water, it needs to be adequately cleaned. Some companies make very cheap knock offs of different helmets. Please don’t be fooled if you pay $100 for something that would normally cost $1000. There is a good chance it won’t last that long and please for the love of god don’t do that with a ballistic helmet and then use it in war. I know looking cool is rule one, but a very close second is” don’t go dying on me” because you wanted to look cool.
All helmets used by U.S. SOCOM (sorry, bought by U.S. SOCOM) can be used in the water. If you are planning on getting out of the water and you might get in a gunfight, you might want to wear your ballistic helmet. If you are using a DPV or just need bump and scratch protection, then a non-ballistic helmet should work. If you just want to look around with your NODs when you get out of the water, a Skull Crusher works excellent. If you’re going to add lights or again you want/need to record something, then any of the above will work.
One of the issues you can have when diving a helmet is getting your mask to fit under or over. Once you have it where you want it, you can’t take it off and put it back on quickly. However, with the SCUBAPRO Odin helmet mask strap, you can attach your mask to your helmet for quick donning and doffing, when done with your dive or working around saltwater.
If you need to use a Full-Face Mask like the OTS guardian or even have a thin dive hood on, sometimes this makes buckling the chin strap a little hard. You should consider adding a chin strap extension. The extension will truly make it easier to dive your helmet; it will also help you adjust and remove it, if needed, above and below the water. Most companies make chin strap extensions for use with gas masks or other reasons.
I have had numerous inquiries about the nuts and bolts used on Ops-Core helmets and “why don’t they use stainless steel bolts so that they won’t rust?” Stainless steel does rust; it is just more rust resistant than most metals. The nuts and bolts on your ballistic helmet are ballistic bolts; they are designed not to break apart as easily if shot or blown up. So proper maintenance is required for anything you bring into the water. If you bring it into saltwater, it needs to be soaked, not just rinsed, in freshwater to get the salt crystals out. If the salt crystals are not rinsed out, they will slowly start to cut through the nylon fabric and cut it apart. This is also true for climbing ropes, harnesses, and armor carriers used in the water — make sure to clean them well. Also, always take the pads out of the helmet and make sure they are soaked in freshwater then dried.
You don’t have to take the chin strap off. Just make sure it’s dry, as well, before you store your helmet. Do not leave your helmet in the sun to dry; the sun is not suitable for anything. It is the one thing that is bad for nylon and other material like that. Leave it in a cool, dry place with air moving around and, if you can, with a dehumidifier or Damp-Rid to help pull the water out of all the webbing. Once it is dry, you can wipe the bolts with a little (a little, not a lot) of WD-40 or another type of water displacement film. Once all of this is done, you can put your helmet away or hang it in your locker. Make sure if you do put it in a helmet bag or your locker, try and have some Damp-Rid or Desiccant packs in there to help pull the moister out of your gear, as it is tough to get all the moisture out completely.
SCUBAPRO has also just launched their Professional Services webpage. It’s just a start but we hope this well show our commitment to Working divers, the Military and Public Safety Divers.
SCUBAPRO Professional Services
Vienna, 8 April 2021 – The Romanian Border Police operates the CAMCOPTER® S-100 for maritime surveillance purposes. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) service is delivered by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and is also extended to Bulgaria.
Stationed in Mangalia, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 supports the Romanian authorities in carrying out general Coast Guard functions, conducting day-to-day monitoring and surveillance of all shipping including port security, as well as responding to any search and rescue, accident and disaster needs. The S-100 executes these various tasks equipped with an L3 Wescam Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch, a Becker Avionics BD406 Emergency Beacon Locator and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.
Operations in Romania and Bulgaria are part of the EMSA awarded multi-year maritime surveillance contract for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) RPAS, awarded to Schiebel in November 2018. In the execution of this contract, Schiebel provides simultaneous maritime surveillance services to several EU member states and EU bodies. Most recently, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 was operational in France, Denmark, Finland and Croatia.
Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “Once more, we are supporting local authorities with our ‘eye in the sky’. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 has proven its outstanding capabilities numerous times and we are proud to be working with EMSA on supporting EU member states with these vital tasks.”
CLEVELAND, OH (March 29, 2021) – Cleveland-based Team Wendy®, a leading global provider of exceptional head protection systems, announced today the launch of its EXFIL® Maritime Liner System. The liner features sealed pads made from Team Wendy’s patented Zorbium® foam optimized to dry quickly after routine exposure to water.
The EXFIL Maritime Liner System is a drop-in system offered in two configurations: one for the Team Wendy EXFIL Ballistic and EXFIL Ballistic SL, and one for the EXFIL Carbon and EXFIL LTP bump helmets. Designed specifically for Team Wendy’s EXFIL shell geometry, the liner is available as an aftermarket retrofit system for these four Team Wendy helmets. Each system contains front, crown and rear impact pads, as well as a fit adjustment pack with four (4) shim pads.
“Wet helmet pads negatively impact comfort and add weight, and every minute they take to dry makes a difference for coastal and underseas operators,” said Mike Romanchek, director of sales and business development for Team Wendy. “The EXFIL Maritime Liner doesn’t absorb water and dries quickly while still maintaining the protective integrity our Zorbium pads are known for.”
Both configurations of the EXFIL Maritime Liner retail for $99.95 and are available for purchase on TeamWendy.com and through authorized Team Wendy dealers.
