The Scuba Mermaid

The Scuba Mermaid Chi Felton is a recreational and technical OC/CCR scuba diving instructor, based in Indonesia, and has experience in safety diving, stunts and freediving.

🙌🏽 Sometimes we need to remind ourselves how hard we worked to get here, and how hard we still need to work to get where...
25/07/2022

🙌🏽 Sometimes we need to remind ourselves how hard we worked to get here, and how hard we still need to work to get where we want to be. ⁣⁣
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⏱ It’s been 4 years since I first became a rebreather diver and even though we’ve had some ups and downs together in that time, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. ⁣⁣
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💭 CCRs have taught me so much, even things that I didn’t know I needed to know. They’ve given me the ability to do things I thought I couldn’t. And they’ve opened up a new realm of diving that I didn’t think existed. ⁣⁣
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🤍 If you haven’t breathed on closed-circuit scuba, it’s hard to explain to you what it’s really like. But if I could say just one thing I would say - try it for yourself and you’ll see what’s really so special about it. ⁣⁣
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🌊 Do you dive CCR? How would you describe it? ⁣⁣
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Photos by Hendrik Heuschkel, Ben Reymenants, Byron Conroy and Marc Crane for Oasis Explorers ⁣
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“But what is a rebreather bail out?” 🤿 This probably should have been my first post on bail outs, but better late than n...
17/04/2022

“But what is a rebreather bail out?” 🤿 This probably should have been my first post on bail outs, but better late than never! 😅 ⁣
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🦈 Bailing out on a closed-circuit rebreather (CCR BO) is necessary when there are any issues or irregularities with the unit during a dive, or if a CCR tank has low pressure with no way to connect an external BO tank. ⁣
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Some reasons for BO might be:⁣
• High/low PO2 alarm⁣
• Low tank pressure⁣
• Irregularities in breathing or WOB⁣
• Suspected hypercapnia (excess CO2)⁣
• Suspected hypoxia (low O2 intake)⁣
• Suspected hyperoxia (O2 toxicity)⁣
• Any kind of physical unit malfunction⁣
• O2 sensor failure⁣
• computer error/failure⁣
(*list not exhaustive)⁣
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🐙 Bailing out means to switch breathing apparatus from the rebreather to an open-circuit cylinder. ⁣
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🐠 Unlike CCRs, OC tanks always provide a fixed FO2 (fraction of O2), therefore BO tank gases must be filled with a gas breathable at max depth (for trimix/technical dives corresponding BO deco gases are necessary). ⁣
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🦞 Rebreathers are designed to provide the perfect PO2 = partial pressure of oxygen (and nitrogen/air or trimix) - called the “setpoint” - and they use computers and sensors to do so, but this also means they have more potential failure points/possibilities than open-circuit. ⁣
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🐟 Bailing out is always the first thing we do as introductory or recreational rebreather divers. At more advanced levels we might try to assess and fix the issue before or in addition to BO. ⁣
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🐡 When bailing out, a diver is breathing completely independently of the closed-circuit loop, which means if they want to switch back, they MUST check that the gas in the loop is safe and breathable FIRST. They must also remember the loop is still an independent buoyancy source, which can be a potential safety hazard if not treated as such. ⁣
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🐊 Does learning about the risks of rebreather diving put you off trying it? Or does it encourage you to think one step ahead and work on your skills?⁣
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📌 If I’ve only learned one thing working in diving it’s that a huge part of the business is a smiling face - having an a...
27/10/2021

📌 If I’ve only learned one thing working in diving it’s that a huge part of the business is a smiling face - having an approachable and friendly demeanour is so important in the dive industry because it’s all about connections. You could even argue that connecting with each other is as equally important as connecting with the water. ⁣
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👥 It might seem obvious, but building and strengthening relationships with your dive team or your students is a key foundation for dive safety, comfort, enjoyment and longevity. ⁣
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🏝 If you’re located in a remote area then a great way to connect is virtually- either through social media or even just a simple phone call. And even if you don’t have anything specific to say about diving, just checking in to see how your friends or students are doing will help to secure that foundation. ⁣
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🖇 If you’re a student diver or customer, I recommend reaching out to your instructor or dive centre before your trip/course. Having some regular contact will help you to see if that place/person is the right fit for you. ⁣
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✏️ Don’t know what to say? Write down a list of questions and if you’re truly stuck, ask them what they think you need to know! ⁣
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🤿 Attending dive shows in person is also another way to meet and get to know each other, explore your options and build rapport. ⁣
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🍻 My hopes are high for Düsseldorf Jan 2022! It’s a 9 day show, so plenty of time to shop around and socialise with other like-minded divers. I really hope to see you there! ⁣
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💙🤿 ⁣
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There’s a moment, just after you lean back and just before you hit the water, where you are falling in complete faith. G...
26/08/2021

There’s a moment, just after you lean back and just before you hit the water, where you are falling in complete faith. Gravity takes over just for that moment. And as you exhale and your head submerges you can finally fly. First you fall, then you fly... That’s what this moment is for me. ⁣⁣⁣
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A few people have been asking me where on earth I’ve been recently, due to my absence online, but here’s the thing: I haven’t been on earth at all! I’ve been a bit lost, mostly in my own head, drowning in bad news of all sorts. ⁣
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It’s tough to deal with personal issues, pandemic issues, work (or in my case, lack thereof), and on top of that we are bombarded with the doom and gloom news of the climate crisis, the devastation in Afghanistan, wildfires and floods, famine and hate. But it’s completely understandable to be overwhelmed and want to forget about the things that drag you down sometimes. ⁣
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Whilst we worry and plot on how to save the people, animals and our planet, we can’t forget to care for ourselves. First rule of the rescue diver course is to ensure your own safety before even attempting to help others - it’s pretty obvious why. ⁣
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So do yourself a favour and schedule in a little time just for you, doing whatever relaxes you or thrills you. For me it’s being in water. It calms me and makes me so grateful for being alive and healthy. ⁣
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What is it for you? 💙⁣
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🤿💪🏽 Today is the 7th Annual PADI Women’s Dive Day, so here are 7 women divers who I want to be when I grow up:⁣⁣1. Dr Sy...
17/07/2021

🤿💪🏽 Today is the 7th Annual PADI Women’s Dive Day, so here are 7 women divers who I want to be when I grow up:⁣
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1. Dr Sylvia Earle - pioneer of her field, .sylviaearle is an oceanic icon & my personal hero. Founder of , she’s been to the bottom of the ocean & believes every fish deserves to live.⁣
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2. Jill Heinerth - renowned cave explorer & filmmaker, brilliant writer and captivating speaker. is an absolute legend in diving & exploration.⁣
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3. Zandile Ndhlovu - conservationist, activist & philosopher, is sunshine in mermaid form. She founded & advocates for socioeconomic equality in ocean conservation.⁣
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4. Zakia Rashid - educator & marine activist, founded and approaches conservation with logic & passion. She works tirelessly to spread positive change and motivate others.⁣
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5. Alice Cimino - marine bio student & founder of , is dedicated to saving sharks from anyone & everyone. She went up against Amazon & showed us all it can be done. An all-round animal lover, Alice is also a wonderful friend with a big heart.⁣
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6. Sarah Richards - is a leader in the army of female divers & founded , the largest network of female divers. She advocates for equality among ALL divers & uses her platform to give us all a platform.⁣
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7. Cindy Barhum - last but never least, is the most hardworking & dedicated diver I’ve ever met. She broke many a glass ceiling to become a tech dive guide & she also knows her way around a compressor room. Despite socioeconomic challenges, cultural norms, language & education barriers (& more), she’s achieved so much in such a short time, & will always be a personal inspiration to me. She’s also just the most wonderful & warm person you’ll ever meet.⁣
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🤿 I had to stop at 7 for lack of space, but there are many others who inspire me every day. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of these women it’s: You Do You! Forget everyone else, just be the best, kindest & most badass version of you that you can be!⁣
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💙👇🏽 Comment below who inspires you⁣!

⚠️ Warning! Graphic images! 👉🏽⁣⁣☠️ It’s no surprise that dead animals have begun to wash up on the shores of the island ...
06/07/2021

⚠️ Warning! Graphic images! 👉🏽⁣
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☠️ It’s no surprise that dead animals have begun to wash up on the shores of the island nation Sri Lanka, after the cargo ship X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Colombo in June. ⁣
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☣️ The tanker was carrying 278 tonnes of bunker fuel oil, 50 tonnes of gas oil and 25 tonnes nitric acid - a “toxic chemical soup”, one environmental group called it. ⁣
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🐋 After sinking a few weeks ago, 176 turtles, 20 dolphins and 4 whales have been found washed ashore, along with hundreds of other marine animals, but likely millions have died already, with millions more to come. Most smaller dead bodies will sink to the sea bed or be carried out in ocean currents. ⁣
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🐬 Sri Lanka’s waters were known for their resident blue whales, many species of dolphins, and rich biodiversity. Now it is a toxic graveyard. ⁣
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➤ Please do share this news with your friends, colleagues and followers. There are victims here, and they aren’t just the animals that have lost their lives, they are each and every one of us. This is our home! When are we going to wake up and start protecting it? ⁣
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🌏 🌊 Biodiversity and a healthy planet are really the only 2 things that we simply cannot exist without. If this is the end of the human race I certainly am not going down without a fight. Are you with me? ⁣
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Repost

🦀 How easy is it to implement no-touching rules on marine life? And how do we define no-touching?⁣⁣🌊 I’ve been working i...
06/06/2021

🦀 How easy is it to implement no-touching rules on marine life? And how do we define no-touching?⁣
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🌊 I’ve been working in Bunaken National marine park since 2016, and as part of the MPA establishment there is a strict policy on the interactions that we have with marine life. ⁣
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✋🏽 The rule is: don’t touch animals. It’s a pretty simple one, and most divers understand what it means. But there are still many divers who deliberately bend the rules for their own gain.⁣
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🐚 I have been witness to the following:⁣
- touching with a pointer stick⁣
- chasing animals (turtles in particular)⁣
- collection of shells (often with life still inside)⁣
- resting on coral to take photos⁣
- feeding of fish⁣
And the list goes on...⁣
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🐙 But what if that animal approaches and makes contact with you, completely of it’s own accord?⁣
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🧜🏽 Well, we encourage people in those situations to try and retreat or - in the case of my photos here - gently put the animal back where it belongs.⁣
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🗣 Implementation of these rules is a little less clear. If you’re diving or near the water and you see people trying to grab or touch wild animals, ideally report it to someone working there and let the person know that it’s not really benefiting that animal, and could in fact hurt them.⁣
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🦀 (This cute crab crawled on me for shelter when I was sitting in the shallows, and after noticing him I tried to release him without picking him up. He then crawled onto my DPV and we just had to wait for him to swim off by himself.)⁣
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💭 Why is it necessary to reach your tank valves? Well, it’s not really for recreational divers, but in technical diving ...
29/05/2021

💭 Why is it necessary to reach your tank valves? Well, it’s not really for recreational divers, but in technical diving you will need to be able to perform valve shutdowns. ⁣⁣
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🤿 A valve shutdown is pretty much exactly as it sounds - it’s when you close your tank valve underwater, shutting off access to the breathing gas inside the tank. ⁣⁣
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🔧 We do this for many reasons:⁣⁣
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✔️If an o-ring fails on the first stage or valve⁣⁣
✔️If a regulator freezes (in cold conditions)⁣⁣
✔️To isolate a twin tank (close the manifold)⁣⁣
✔️If a solenoid (gas injector) is stuck open (on a CCR)⁣⁣
⁣ ✔️If there is a catastrophic loss of gas for any other reason⁣⁣
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⚙️ Other than for shutdowns, you may also have to reach your valves:⁣⁣
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✔️To identify a possible leak⁣⁣
✔️To identify/fix an entanglement (if a buddy can’t help)⁣⁣
✔️To open them, if they had rolled closed unintentionally (in an overhead environment)⁣⁣
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🤿 Next time you go scuba diving, see if you can reach your tank valve. You may need to adjust your tank band, or perhaps practice your flexibility, but don’t feel too bad if you can’t do it. It’s not required for recreational diving and a single back-mounted scuba tank is probably the most difficult to reach! ⁣
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⚠️ Warning: do not close your scuba tank valve underwater unless specifically trained to do so and alternate breathing gas is available. ⁣
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Ad 🌏 How do you really know when to trust a brand if they claim to be “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”? Well, part of the...
27/05/2021

Ad 🌏 How do you really know when to trust a brand if they claim to be “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”? Well, part of the problem is that some of these terms aren’t regulated... So often you need to do your own due diligence to find out the truth. ⁣
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🦈 That’s what I did before I decided to collaborate with on this collection. It turns out, this small business makes their 100% organic cotton clothing with renewable-energy, using water-based inks that don’t pollute the environment. Not only that, but they use all paper packaging, their apparel is vegan and cruelty-free, and 10% of profits are donated directly to conservation. ⁣
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🧜🏽‍♀️ The x limited collection is only available to purchase for the next 5 days, so don’t miss out! Visit their website or IG now to browse the full collection and the rest of their beautiful ocean apparel!⁣
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💙 Which print is your favourite? ⁣
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After outcry from the ocean conservation community and several successful campaigns and petitions from NGOs, import and ...
14/05/2021

After outcry from the ocean conservation community and several successful campaigns and petitions from NGOs, import and export of shark fins in the UK are now prohibited by law. ⁣
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Approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year by humans, and while half of those are estimated to be “deliberate”, (from shark fishing and shark finning), the other half are supposedly “accidental” - from long-line fisheries, fish nets, ocean pollution, ocean dead zones and other “accidents”... ⁣
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Detached fins are now banned from trade in the UK, but what about the rest of the world? What about the rest of the shark? What about the rest of the living creatures in the ocean? ⁣
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They need us just as much as we need them. So, are we “only human”? Or are we “human: highly intelligent civilised species”? ⁣
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💬 Does ego stop us from accepting help or admitting we need help?... ⁣⁣I feel like in these situations there are a sever...
03/05/2021

💬 Does ego stop us from accepting help or admitting we need help?... ⁣
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I feel like in these situations there are a several commonly identifiable types of diver behaviours:⁣
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1. A refusal to admit they require help in some form or another. ⁣
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2. A negative association (in our social norms) associated with asking for or needing help. ⁣
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3. A reluctance to offer help or, adversely, a commanding nature to dominate others (demanding authority). ⁣
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🤿 When we talk about ego it’s interesting to approach the topic from the power and social dynamic perspective, especially since the sport takes place mostly underwater - where social behaviour is entirely unique and not yet studied. ⁣
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🗣 In my experience, biological instinct (if that is what it is) is not as easily ignored underwater than it is on the surface, and although it makes sense that the pre-dive period is the easiest time to study and assess behaviour, it cannot be conclusive. ⁣
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🧠 So we may have to delve into the specifics of case studies, continue to have these discussions and try to stay open-minded as we explore the psychology and behaviour of others and ourselves. ⁣
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On that note, I’m still very interested in your thoughts on this: ⁣
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💬 Can over-confidence diminish trust between divers? ⁣
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💬 Is buddy-compatibility important, and can it be measured?⁣
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💬 How can we manage and reduce risk taking “ego” into account? ⁣
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