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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | OCTOBER 2020 15 Gene Shabinaw, off the coast of Catalina Nudibranchs off Southern California coast is not to panic, but stop, think, and then act on any given situation. They have plenty of air, and panic can kill! With today's technology if a regulator were to fail, it will always fail in the open position, providing a diver has managed their air supply properly, they have sufficient air to reach the surface. Which raises the issue of allowing enough time to get to the surface, especially if deep diving. Decompression sickness (DCS or "the bends") affects divers who breath compressed air that is at a higher pressure than the surrounding water pressure. The risk of DCS increases if a diver does not ascend at a safe rate or ignores required safety or decompression stops to reduce excess nitrogen in the blood stream. Recreational dive tables based on Navy dive tables were previously used, but Gene now relies on his underwater computer, which tabulates how much air he has left, his depth, when to rise to a higher level and how long he can stay at a given depth without going into decompression status. As you can imagine, he checks and double checks his equipment, also relying on backups and redundancies to guarantee his safety. Clearly his effort pays dividends. Not only is Gene able to take gorgeous photographs, he has volunteered his photography services to several groups including police organizations sponsoring troubled youth diving programs and high school science diving projects. He donates his photographs to the groups to document their experience and to share with family and friends. Foremost among his activities is his work with the disabled veterans' group, Dive Warriors. This non-profit group supports wounded veterans in their recovery. I will let Gene tell it in his own words taken from an article he wrote to document diving and photographing these veterans: As I boarded, I noticed the sacrifices these warriors made. Some with horrific scars covering much of their body from burns and countless surgeries, missing arms and hands. It was humbling to watch a warrior with a steel hook or claw pulling on a dive boot not asking for help or needing it. Never once did I hear a complaint. (As I was taking candid shots) it was so moving to see a warrior pass with a wetsuit sleeve tied in a knot as there was no arm, or fingers of a glove pushed in because there were none. They were overcoming adversity and achieving success while having a great time in a beautiful place. So, if you are out and about and happen to run across Gene when he is above water. shout out a cheery "Bon Jour" to Solera's own Jacques Cousteau. To see more photographs, contact Gene directly at gsntem2004@yahoo.com for a link to one of his many portfolios. Wreck of the Kitiwake off Grand Cayman Island Wreck of the Yukon off San Diego

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