Cover JULY manta v4_April Cover(final) 03/06/2013 12:03 Page 1
MONTY’S CANADIAN WRECK TOUR
BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING DIVING MAGAZINE
JULY 2013
INDIAN OCEAN SPECIAL
divernet.com
BE THE CHAMP!
Maldives to Cocos K, UAE to Mauritius
Photos that sing from UK waters ✹
LAST BELL IN TRUK Leigh Bishop is on the case
HOW TO SHOOT U/W VIDEO Are you the next Spielberg?
MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR!
TORBET ’S TOP KIT
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9 770141 346176
07
£4.40
Cressi (Leonardo + XS Compact) – 03_13_Full Page Bleed 05/06/2013 10:46 Page 1
M A D E I N I T A LY
computer
LEONARDO regulator
XS COMPACT
DIVE IN STYLE.
cressi.com
CV-A3.indd CV A3 i dd 3
15-12-2011 15 12 2011 13:59:11 13 59 11
First In JULY_May First In 03/06/2013 12:11 Page 03
STEVE WEINMAN, EDITOR
FIRST IN RIPPLES IN A BIG OCEAN WHEN YOU SURFACE FROM A DIVE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN to find what you hope is your boat picking up other divers somewhere near the horizon, you get to thinking about what an infinitesimal speck you are in the big scheme of things, and just how enormous this ocean is. You’re floating in what constitutes one-fifth of our planet’s watery surfaces, after all. On the other hand, you may just be squinting to see the jellyfish pictures you took on the safety stop, or struggling to sort out a tangled SMB line – I don’t know how contemplative you become while hanging out at sea. Anyway, the mighty Indian, the world’s warmest ocean, includes many of diving’s greatest locations, from South Africa to Indonesia, from Kenya to Thailand, and from Malaysia to Western Australia – not to mention all those palm-treed islands that speckle the blue expanses between its margins. And it’s easy to forget that the Red Sea, while it might stand alone as UK divers’ favourite overseas haunt, is itself an extension of the Indian Ocean. Add it all up and you have a massive chunk of our diving universe. As the majestic manta ray on our cover suggests, we focus on some of its hotspots in this month’s divEr. We could hardly cover the Indian Ocean without sampling once again the diving jewel at its heart. The Maldives is still wracked by terrible political problems, but you’ll see no evidence of these as you fly in and are quickly whisked off to your holiday island.
ADD IT ALL UP AND YOU HAVE A MASSIVE CHUNK OF OUR DIVING UNIVERSE
And if, as John Bantin did, you fly on to the southernmost reaches and meander back north on a liveaboard, exploring little-dived locations, the outside world will seem a distant dream. Even more remote is “the other Cocos”, the one with the bracket. We can’t pretend that it’s easy to reach Cocos (Keeling), an island group belonging to Australia, but Pete Atkinson has been telling us of its merits for so long that we thought it was time he shared them with everybody. Mauritius happens to be the island where Richard Aspinall managed to flood his camera, much to his frustration – but would a certain gift for improvisation allow him to return with any photos? I’ve been on a flying visit to the United Arab Emirates’ portion of the Indian Ocean, aware that the weather gods might not be on my side and wondering whether flying visits were really a practical proposition. The weather gods, as it turned out, were toying with me. It’s strange that the dive-rich Indian Ocean should be named after a country that seems to offer precious few diving opportunities. Jo Caird thought she had found an exception when a long and difficult journey landed her on the island of Kadmat. Whether she can ever return seems to lie in the balance. We even span the Indian Ocean with eye-witness accounts of love-making cephalopods near its eastern limit and, in the far west, of fighting Red Sea scorpionfish. You might feel a trip coming on.
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Mares (Matrix) – 07_13_Full Page Bleed 21/05/2013 16:03 Page 1
MATRIX
CENTRE OF INTELLIGENCE. INTELLIGENCE. CENTER EDGE OF PERFORMANCE. The perfect symbiotic relationship of style and function. A full-dot matrix - high resolution display, packaged in a sleek metal housing; displays time, diving decompression data, and a digital compass. Like many modern devices, the Matrix offers rechargeable batteries. Highly intuitive to use and easy to read guarantee the Matrix will be your choice of companion in and out of the water. Be intelligent. Take the edge of performance.
mares.com
Contents JULY v2_Contents_MAY 03/06/2013 14:02 Page 05
JULY 2013 Volume 58 No 7
CONTENTS
FEATURES 24 Last Bell A deep Japanese wreck in Truk reveals its final secret
24
30
Southern Crossing A remote fortnight on a Maldives liveaboard
37
37
40
My Favourite Kit
incorporating
Published monthly by Eaton Publications, 55 High Street, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8HA Tel: 020 8943 4288, Fax: 020 8943 4312 Email: enquiries@divermag.co.uk Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Nigel Eaton nigel@divermag.co.uk Editor Steve Weinman steve@divermag.co.uk Publishing Consultant Tony Weston tony@divermag.co.uk
Action diver Andy Torbet sets out his selection
Technical Editor John Bantin john@divermag.co.uk
Above & Below
News Editor Paul Fenner paul@divermag.co.uk
The English Channel under water and overhead
Production Manager George Lanham george@divermag.co.uk
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The Art of Making Movies Keep friends and family onside with our video guide
52
Make Love… Cuttlefish find romance in Indonesia
46
54 64
…Not War
Classified Advertisement Sales Sara Duncan sara@divermag.co.uk Senior Advertisement Executive Alex Khachadourian alex@divermag.co.uk
The Other Cocos
Advertising Production David Eaton david@divermag.co.uk Subscriptions Manager Teresa Pullen teresa@divermag.co.uk
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Fish Geek Camera-flooding incident in the Land of the Dodo
82
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Advertisement Manager Jenny Webb jenny@divermag.co.uk
Scorpionfish look for trouble in the Red Sea
This one is a real Indian Ocean hideaway 54
Webmaster Mike Busuttili webmaster@divernet.com
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Fresh Water, Fresh Views
Marketing, Sales & divEr Bookshop Dorothy Eaton dorothy@divermag.co.uk Elizabeth Puttock uwp-mailshop@divermag.co.uk
A Dutch diver records her inland-site adventures
Financial Controller Kojo Gyamera kojo@divermag.co.uk
Indian Ocean Mini-Break
Reception enquiries@divermag.co.uk
A flying visit to dive the best of the Emirates EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
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Archaeology Martin Dean Biology Dr David Bellamy Industry Dr John Bevan Law Prof Mike Williams Medicine Dr Ian Sibley-Calder Photography Saeed Rashid, Brian Pitkin Ships Richard Larn Wrecks Kendall McDonald, Rex Cowan
http://tiny.cc/b2uld
THE MAGAZINE THAT’S STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE… HOW TO GET YOUR divEr: SUBSCRIPTION: Twelve issues, including p&p, cost £52.80 (UK); £64.80 (Eire/Europe/Worldwide surface); airmail rates available on request. Pay by Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, sterling cheque or UK Postal Order. Contact the Subscriptions Dept, divEr at the above address. NEWSAGENT: If you prefer to buy divEr over the counter, place an order with your newsagent now? All newsagents can obtain the magazine, but in case of difficulty please notify the Circulation Manager at the above address. divEr (ISSN-0141-3465) is published monthly by Eaton Publications, Periodicals Postage Paid at Jamaica NY 11431. USPS no. 22517. US agent: Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to divEr Magazine, C/O Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA.
www.divernet.com 5
Contents JULY v2_Contents_MAY 03/06/2013 14:03 Page 06
CONTENTS REGULARS First In
3
Editor’s view
8
Off-Gassing
8
A magical summer in Scotland and other letters
News
10
Diving blind in a good cause
Beachcomber
22
Undercurrents from the diving world
Blackford
57
The buddy no-one wants to know
Be The Champ!
58
Photography in British waters, with Alex Mustard
Trewavas
63
On recovering a bomber
Monty Halls
81
10
Overcoming the cold in Canada
Booking Now
93
Holiday news, including some dive-training ideas
Diver Tests
96
Two regulators, BC, wetsuit and boots
102 Just Surfaced New but untested diving products
104 107 108 109 112 113
Dive Holiday Directory Dive Centre Directory Liveaboard Directory Classified Ads Advertisers’ Index Subscribe Here
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– and get a free Apeks diving watch!
114 Deep Breath A first and possibly last off India’s coast
102 Cover shot: Manta ray in the Maldives, by John Bantin The reproduction in whole or in part of any of the contents of divEr is expressly forbidden without the written permission of the Publishers. Copyright © 2013 by Eaton Publications. divEr reserves the right to reproduce on-line any articles that it has published in print. The views expressed in FIRST IN are not necessarily those of anyone but the Editor, and other editorial should be ascribed only to the authors concerned. The publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or alterations, or for any consequences ensuing upon the use of, or reliance upon, any information contained
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herein. Due caution should be exercised by anyone attempting dives on any site herein described or indicated. The company does not accept liability for submitted photographs. The printing of an advertisement in divEr does not necessarily mean that the Proprietors endorse the company, item or service advertised. divEr is distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT (tel: 020 7429 4000) and printed by Headley Brothers Ltd, The Invicta Press, Queens Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH (tel: 01233 623131).
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OFF GASSING
This month’ s selection from the divEr inbox… First to see the Duke
MY GREAT SCOTTISH SUMMER
Having just read Leigh Bishop's article about that great wreck the Duke of Buccleugh on divErNet (Mystery of the Iron Duke, October 2011), I feel the need to put the record straight regarding the wreck's discovery. As I have been living in Venezuela for more than 10 years, I am rather out of touch with events. However, the truth is that I was the person who discovered and was first to dive the wreck. I spent more than two months with old charts and carrying out many abortive searches using my dive charter-boat Arun Diver. The people on board with me at the time were Bernie Attwood, Nigel and Dave (Pongo), the skipper. Ray Lee, although a good friend, was not on board and has never dived this wreck.
TREVOR FRANCIS, VENEZUELA
KIM VAUDIN
Give it a chance
I am writing to thank divEr for your help in maximising my diving experience up in Shetland last summer. An opportunity arose to live in Lerwick for six months when my wife Moyra was seconded there. I was armed only with a print-out of Jane Wilkinson's article in your September 2009 issue about a shore-dive circuit, notes from another article by Gavin Parsons from October 2011, and contact details for Zetland BSAC's Diving Officer – who had promised to get me into the water. Five minutes' walk from our house was a beautiful white-sand beach with a protruding taing, or headland. This was the Sands O'Sound, and I decided to use it as a test dive-site. Snorkelling to recce the reef around the taing, I couldn't believe the beauty under the water, with various kelps, dahlia anemones of all colours in the sandy gullies and no end of encrusting sponges, algae, squat lobsters, crabs, sea hares and so on. I even came face to face with an otter under water, and got the briefest of video clips of him doing a U-turn into the reef. I couldn't wait to dive there. I subsequently dived that site five times, with its maximum depth of 8m as you follow the edge of the reef out with lots of colour and life. On one occasion a grey seal stayed and played for more than half an hour – awesome! With the help of Zetland BSAC I was equipped with spare cylinders and use of the club compressor for air-fills. Our first dive was from Alluvion, a hard-boat used by the club and skippered by Bernie Edwardson, whose knowledge and experience of the local waters was tremendous. We dived on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings and I filled in the rest of the week with shore dives from Jane Wilkinson's list and others suggested by locals. Of Jane's suggestions my favourites were Hamnavoe Pier, only 5m max but always
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offering something new to see, and Mavis Grind, a deeper darker challenge with lots of squirts and sunstars. I managed to get a week's diving in Scapa Flow at the end of June with Scapa Scuba centre, doing two dives on the Barriers and six more on German fleet wrecks. In July a place became available on Halton with skipper Bob Anderson and First Mate Terry. Getting up to Unst and diving the E49 sub among others was a fantastic experience. Altogether I managed 64 dives that summer, including three on a trip home to Plymouth. One of those was in the Scilly Isles, too – real end-to-end UK diving! I took hundreds of photos of the amazing marine life and colours that summer, and on returning home took some of my favourites to Kim Vaudin of Deep Impressions Underwater Art and asked if she could compose a painting for me (above). Together we looked at the photos and designed the layout, with a little poetic licence in the geography of the two headlands and the position of the wreck Fraoch Ban. The painting now hangs in our living-room to remind us of our fantastic adventure. Thanks again to divEr for making a trip of a lifetime more memorable. I use your Wreck Tours all the time now I'm back in Plymouth, and find them invaluable for planning and navigating the local wrecks.
Thank you for publishing the review of the iUnderwater series of interactive books for the iPad in your April issue (Video Shorts, Reviews). I would just like to take this opportunity to clarify some of the points raised in the review. The aim of the series is to provide a visual guide to dive sites around the world, so that people can get an idea of what the diving is like before they travel, and also have a concise, professionally produced record of sites they may have visited to show their friends and family when they return. As the design of the series is that of a coffeetable-style book, the information is deliberately kept to a minimum, with emphasis being on the visual aspect of the sites through photographs and video, which show what you actually see, rather than a stylised version of it. The aim is to produce two to three new volumes each year that can grow into a visual reference of diving around the world, all with footage/ photographs shot specifically for the series. Of the five volumes already available through Apple's iBookstores, only about 15% is archive footage. If anyone would like a closer look, a full breakdown of the format, as well as details of the dive sites featured in each volume, can be found at www.iunderwater.net, and free samples are available through the iBookstore. The price of each volume is £3.99 in the UK – the equivalent in other countries – which includes well over 150 photos and 20 minutes of HD video, and once bought, is on the iPad, with no further connection to the Internet required to enjoy the content of the books. I hope your readers will take this opportunity to check out the series, and all feedback is greatly appreciated.
JEREMY PIERCE, PLYMOUTH
YOUR CHANCE
TO WIN
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This NANUK case and all the other products from Beaver Sports are obtainable at all good dive shops. For a free colour brochure, prices and stockist list, call 01484 512354 or visit www.beaversports.co.uk
MIKE SEARES
Send us our lead letter and you win this watertight NANUK 905 case, measuring 31 x 25 x 15cm. With cubed foam inserts and weighing just 1.5kg, it retails at £59. NANUK cases come in four colours and seven sizes – full details at www.nanukcases.co.uk
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Off-Gassing July v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 10:40 Page 09
CRITICISM HOW TO TAKE CONSTRce.UCTIVEbeen drysuit-trained. I have been the owner of DiveStyle in Reading for the past four years. Please thank the Mystery Diver for taking the time to visit (June). I have read divEr for as long as I can remember, and have always found the Mystery Diver column to be a good objective view of the customer experience at the selected centre. Feedback of this type is extremely valuable. Good feedback lets us know what we are doing right; negative feedback highlights what we need to improve. The review of DiveStyle has done just that. It has revealed a need for additional staff training, especially around the drysuits. What the Mystery Diver has brought to the fore is that Georgia has not absorbed all of the aspects that were presented on the training. I have the dive centre manager reviewing her training as a result of the comments. Mystery Diver has shown that our current policy is not only confusing for the staff but also for customers. We offer a free pool session with every drysuit purchase, including online purchases. This gives us an opportunity to get a feel for a customer's
drysuit experien Most customers take up the offer but for those that don't, we provide information about drysuit courses and the dangers of using scuba equipment without training, and encourage them to seek training before using the suit.
We try to do as much due diligence as possible. If we feel that they are not suitably trained etc, we will not allow them to hire a drysuit. The same applies for regulator rental. It could be viewed as paranoid, but I have seen many divers get into trouble when diving with a drysuit because they have not had proper tuition. The Mystery Diver did hit on one point that I have always found to be a moral bone of contention. A full set of scuba kit is basically a life-support system, yet a customer can pop along, buy it and decide to have a go with no training at all! I believe that as a dive centre we have a If a customer buys a responsibility to ensure that drysuit, we will offer the our customers are made as opportunity to attend a aware as possible of dangers discounted drysuit course. of using diving equipment With rentals we have more without the correct training. opportunity to apply a level Mystery Diver is a great request of control. We can divEr feature and I hope you reasonable evidence that they have experience or have continue to run it long into the future! been through basic training JOHN CAMPBELL, DIVESTYLE, to use a drysuit. ARBORFIELD, READING We do this by requesting logbook tion, certifica of proof Comment: We’d be interested review, familiarising to hear from other dive centres agency ourselves with other standards or an email from an about policy on qualifications, kit sales and hire. instructor stating they have
LSD ‘r us The June issue of divEr included a letter from an individual who stated that he does not wish to be associated with LSD (London School of Diving). While everyone has the right to choose where
to dive, we would like to point out that LSD is one of the UK's top dive schools, a PADI 5* CDC facility with an excellent reputation for standards of instruction and Club activities. The Try-Dive Pool (pictured) at the recent London International Dive Show was, as stated, operated by LSD. We were busy on both Saturday and Sunday with “trialists” of all ages getting wet. Footfall at the show was definitely up year on year and there was a larger percentage of new divers, which is encouraging for the industry.
MALDIVES
Equatorial Far South 10 & 12 day trips ‘Huvadhoo & Gan’ and ‘Shark Special’ itineraries See our website for full details, offers and ‘Exclusive Tours’
NICK MOBLEY, LONDON SCHOOL OF DIVING
01284 748010 Got something diving-related you’d care to share? Email steve@divermag.co.uk, including your name and postal address – and please confirm that you’re writing exclusively to divEr
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info@scubascuba.com www.scubascuba.com 9
News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:35 Page 10
DIVER NEWS
Four die at the start of summer F
OUR BRITISH DIVERS lost their lives during May, with two of the fatalities occurring in Britain and two abroad. Off north Devon, a 44-year-old female diver died after surfacing unconscious during a second dive of the day off Lundy Island. The experienced diver, qualified as a PADI Divemaster, was taken aboard the chartered dive-boat from which she had been diving in a group. She was airlifted by SAR helicopter to North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, but did not survive. A 51-year-old male diver lost his life after getting into difficulty off the Isle of Man’s southern coast. An emergency call was put out from a dive-boat off the Calf of Man and the casualty was transferred to
the Port Erin RNLI lifeboat and landed at Port Erin jetty. Suffering from ”diving-related injuries”, the casualty was transferred by ambulance to Noble’s Hospital, where it was confirmed that he had died. Deep diver Paul Towning, 51, from South Yorkshire, died after getting into difficulties while diving on the 91mdeep wreck of the Bengasi off southeastern Sardinia. Towning was in a group of six, the other divers being from France. They had embarked on a week of deepwater wreck exploration. He was reported to have surfaced unconscious and, despite attempts to revive him, died at the scene. William Clephane, 59, from Perthshire in Scotland, died while on holiday in Lanzarote. Clephane, a diver
of moderate experience, got into difficulties during a group dive run by a local dive centre. He was taken ashore on the quayside at Puerto del Carmen, where it was confirmed that he had not survived.
…as inquest reaches verdict A BRITISH DIVER holidaying in the Philippines died after suffering pulmonary barotrauma, or ”burst lung”, during ascent, an inquest has heard. Toby Wilson, 37, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, died last October while on the second of a holiday package of six dives, Hatfield Coroners Court has
heard. An established diver who had completed some 60 dives, Wilson had consumed a large portion of his air supply while on a wreck dive. He was taken to the surface by other divers who were concerned about his well-being. During the ascent, the inquest heard, Wilson pointed seemingly to his heart, suggesting discomfort. On surfacing, he lost consciousness after being sick. However, a post mortem revealed that the cause of death was pulmonary barotrauma, which would have occurred because Wilson did not exhale sufficiently to avoid damage to his lungs as the air within them expanded on ascent. Coroner Edward Thomas recorded a verdict of accidental death. ■
’EMERGING EXPLORER’ STATUS Divers caught during drug-smuggling bid FOR THE QUEEN OF MANTAS TOP MANTA RAYS RESEARCHER Andrea Marshall has been made one of 17 National Geographic Emerging Explorers. ”National Geographic Emerging Explorers can be selected from virtually any field, from more traditional arenas of anthropology, archaeology, photography, space exploration, earth sciences, mountaineering and cartography to the worlds of technology, music and filmmaking,” said Terry Garcia, Executive Vice President for the National Geographic Society’s Mission Programs. He said that the programme ”recognises and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists and innovators who are at the forefront of discovery, adventure
’Emerging Explorer’ Andrea Marshall.
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and global problem-solving while still early in their careers. ”As National Geographic celebrates this 125th anniversary year and looks forward to embracing a new age of exploration, we look to our Emerging Explorers to be leaders in pushing the boundaries of discovery and innovation. ”They represent tomorrow’s Robert Ballards, Jacques Cousteaus and Jane Goodalls.” Marshall, co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, works from her base in Mozambique, which features one of the largest identified manta populations. Among her achievements have been the discovery of a second manta species and the creation of a global database to enhance the usefulness of manta ray research. She has also worked successfully to lobby conservation organisations and governments around the world to protect rays, including the establishment of statutory marine reserves. The manta ray was recently listed by CITES, whereby member-states agree to help to protect the species internationally through a system of controlled fishing or, in some areas, fishing bans. Marshall has spoken on a number of occasions at the Dive Shows in London and Birmingham. www.marinemegafauna.org, www.nationalgeographic.com/emerging ■
THREE DIVERS FROM FRANCE have been caught planning to remove a cache of cocaine held in a canister attached to the bottom of a ship in Rotterdam. The ship had voyaged from Venezuela, stopping in Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. One of the divers was known to have served nine years in jail for a French bank robbery that had netted 146 million francs. French police tracked him for a year after his suspected plan for importing drugs attached to the undersides of ships was established. When he and his two diving colleagues drove recently from the South of France to Rotterdam, using rental cars into which diving equipment including lifting gear was loaded, the French tipped off Dutch police. They intercepted the divers in Rotterdam before they were able to get into the water. Police divers subsequently located a torpedo-shaped metal container, about 2.5m long, attached to the underside of the cargo vessel targeted by the divers. It was found to contain just over 100kg of pure cocaine, with a street value of about seven million euros. The divers were arrested and returned to France for questioning. Meanwhile nine other people were arrested in connection with the case in Toulouse, Nice, Marseille and Corsica. A cocaine workshop was discovered. Following the arrests, five people are reported to be facing drug-trafficking charges. Asked whether the technique could have been used elsewhere, Bernard Mascarelli, of Nice judicial police, told press that operations could have been carried out in any number of countries, including Britain. ”We are the first to have caught a team in the act, but it’s almost certain others are or have been doing the same thing,” he said. ■
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:36 Page 11
DIVER NEWS
THE BIG QUESTION You can’t let go! It’s official – nearly two-thirds of you are hoarders! Yes, according to your replies to our latest Big Question ”Do you hoard old dive gear?”, and taking you as a cross-section of the diving community, 64% of you do exactly that.
NO... ”Old gear gets donated to the dive club.” Shaun Atkinson
Playtime in a cosmonaut training tank
”If it is still usable I sell it on eBay. Better to let someone else have the benefit than have it gather dust.” Andrew Marmion ”Dive centres should make it easy to pass on old equipment to new divers. Mine, Somerset Divers, does this through its forum.” Ken Fanson ”I keep what I can if it might provide spares for other gear but if it’s past its safe usage period it’s in the bin!” Ian Blakeman ”It amazes me when divers bring in dirty regulators up to 25 years old containing cobwebs and dead flies for servicing.” Debbie Evans ”I don’t think so but my partner may have another view.” Miles Herridge ”I pass it on to a new diver.” Andrew Whittle ”I try to sell it and put money towards the next bit of kit!” Mark Robinson ”Your gear should only be kept if you can use it.” Trevor Holliland
A GROUP OF SLOVENIAN DIVERS recently had the chance to descend into the massive diving tank at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Star City. Several divers from the International Association for Handicapped Divers (IAHD) Adriatic branch were invited to dive at the facility with a Russian and fellow wheelchair-diver, who had trained as a sport diver with Russian state diving instructors. The indoor dive tank is 12m deep, covers 5000cu m and contains full-size mock-ups of Russian space station modules. Located outside Moscow, Star City was set up in the 1960s as Russia’s sole cosmonaut training establishment. It was a ”dream dive”, said Damian Peklar, one of the group. The divers enjoyed an hour in the tank’s ”crystal-clear” water, finning in and out of the space units. Slovenian diver Branko Ravnak, principal organizer of IAHD
”If I haven’t used it for nine months and it’s old it has to go. I don’t have the space in the house.” Paul Firth
YES...
”It’s not hoarding, it’s having redundancy!” Kevin Jordan ”It’s like Steptoe’s yard in my garage!” Liam Kenny ”I only have old dive gear!” James Kitson ”You never know when that slightly perished 1970s rubber mask will come in handy!” Mike Bradley ”I can always adapt or re-engineer it into other useful items, eg old BC straps can hold an underwater camera.” Mark Watts ”I hoard way too much old dive gear! Maybe on my next house move I’ll donate it all to a local dive school, or stick it on eBay!” Mark Chapman ”A reminder of past times and happy memories.” TR Amp ”I have sheds full of stuff that ’might come in useful one day’ – and odd bits have occasionally fulfilled that promise.” Richard Boutcher ”I have a ’bits & bobs’ box for parts etc. Good for friends who may need something at short notice, too.” Anthony North ”I keep it until I’m sure the replacement kit is for me.” Becky Schumann
Adriatic, said that the dive had been ”the first of its kind in the world”. The divers were supported by diving equipment manufacturer Suunto, which supplied instruments for the dive. IAHD Adriatic is a member of the Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques (CMAS), which governs much diving activity in continental Europe. ■
Injury as dive-boat overturns A DIVER WAS AIRLIFTED to hospital after being hurt when the boat in which he sat rolled off its trailer. The incident occurred at the slip in Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset in late May. The boat was being towed with divers still aboard when it fell from
www.divErNEt.com
the trailer and overturned. The casualty suffered a chest injury and, after being tended by paramedics, was transferred to an air ambulance. As divEr went to press, his condition after treatment had yet to be announced. ■
”I never need to worry about it going out of fashion, as most of it was old stock when I bought it new (I love a bargain)!” Dave Barber ”Dive gear is expensive, so I just have to hoard it!” Katie Lewis ”In today’s ’elf & safety world, is it safe to dispose of?” Wilf Tanser ”Who cares if it’s old if it saves a dive?” Dale R ”Hoard it no, use it yes. Buddy Commando anyone?” Sergio Fernandez ”From the first fins I purchased, to the giveaway snorkel I got at the Dive Show, though I haven’t carried a snorkel for 10 years!” Tony Marsh ”A secret corner of the shed is the lair of the Snark – the Fenzy & the weird mask with two snorkels attached.” Jerry Drury ”Of course I do, I’m a diver, we all do.” Chris Heywood Go to www.divernet.com to answer the next Big Question and for a chance to win a £109 Luxfer 3-litre compact emergency pony cylinder from Sea & Sea. To find out more about Luxfer cylinders, visit www.dive-team.com This month’s winner is David Simpson
THE NEXT BIG QUESTION Have digital apps improved your diving experience? Answer yes or no, and feel free to comment
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:36 Page 12
DIVER NEWS
Diver goes ’blind’ for guide-dogs A
NORMALLY SIGHTED DIVER has dived blindfold to raise funds for guide dogs for the blind – after being inspired by the feats of a blind adventurer. Anna Chouler went on a diving holiday to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt recently as one of 20 divers from Deep Blue Pirates of Whitley Bay, Newcastle Upon Tyne. In Sharm she took the opportunity to tackle blind diving with the help of staff at Emperor Divers who were hosting the group. ”My original inspiration to go blind for a day actually came from a TV programme called Expedition Impossible, where groups are set various challenges that are extremely difficult,” Chouler told divEr. ”One group called No Limits has Erik Weihenmayer on their team. He is blind and has faced challenges such as Mount Everest, riding a stallion and abseiling on huge mountains. ”I completed a 26-minute dive at a maximum depth of 15.1m, accompanied by my dive buddy Rachael Mckendry, who assisted me throughout the dive, as well as friends to help with photographs and video.” Both are ”experienced divers”, but once in the sea with ”a blindfold on top of my dive mask to replicate what it would be like to dive when blind”, all sorts of challenges cropped up. ”I couldn’t communicate by voice and I needed to know from my gauges how deep I was, how long I had been diving and most importantly how much air I had left,” said Chouler. ”I worked with Rachael to create touch communication so that she could tell me the information I needed.” Systems established, Chouler ”really enjoyed” her dive and ”wasn’t stressed out at all”, finding the whole experience ”very peaceful”. ”I imagine for some it could have been stressful but I trusted my buddy and I am very comfortable in the water,” she said. Mckendry was probably ”more worried than I was”. ”My senses were definitely on overdrive, especially hearing,” said Chouler. ”I could hear the other divers breathing in the water and any boats
Anna Chouler with buddy Rachael and (below) Rachael and other support divers.
going overhead. I had no idea which direction I was going in. I felt myself going up and down at the end of the dive but in between I had to completely rely on my buddy to lead me around. I had no idea what fish were in the water.”
Chouler chose to raise money for guide dogs for the blind as they make ”such a big difference in thousands of lives across the country” and are dependent on donations in the absence of government funding. ”It costs around £50,000 to breed, train and support a guide dog throughout its working life,” she said. Some ”180,000 blind and partially sighted people rarely leave their homes” because they lack the confidence which would be engendered if they had a guide dog. As divEr went to press, Chouler had raised £600. Donations: www.justgiving.com/blindscubadive ■
Salvage of last Dornier underway DIVERS HAVE BEGUN WORKING off the coast of Kent to raise the remains of a WW2 Dornier 17 that crash-landed over the Goodwin Sands in August 1940, during the Battle of Britain. The work is being carried out by Hendon’s RAF Museum, with a view to saving what is thought to be the only example of the small twin-engined bomber known to have survived. The plane is relatively intact because it made a controlled ditching, albeit a landing that went awry at the last moment.
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The aircraft is thought to have flipped onto its back when a wingtip hit the sea prematurely. It sank 18m to the seabed, upside-down. Two of the four-man crew died, their bodies washed ashore. The pilot and observer were rescued to become prisoners of war. The wreck has been known of since at least 2006, when it was observed by Bob Peacock, licensee of the Goodwin Sands’ protected Stirling Castle wreck. The site was examined with sidescan sonar in 2007/08 by
English Heritage’s contracted surveyor Wessex Archaeology. In 2009 the RAF Museum carried out its own survey of the site, using divers. The project to raise and conserve the aircraft is being supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. As divEr went to press, the work was expected to take several weeks to complete. The remains will be conserved at the RAF Museum’s Cosford centre for two to three years before moving to north London for permanent display. ■
Dornier 17 bombers in action.
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Aqua Lung (Women's Line) – 03_13_Full Page Bleed 21/01/2013 14:26 Page 1
News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:37 Page 14
Paul Rose (left) joins volunteers to clean up Chesil Beach.
Divers keep it clean D
XCS2 TECH DRY • Newly advanced NST (No Stitch Technology) seaming process enhances the suit’s overall stretch characteristics • Innovative TIZIP main entry zipper is low profile in design and extremely flexible • PROTEKT shoulder, elbows and knee protection • 2mm hyper-compressed neoprene minimizes changes in buoyancy and thermal protection at depths • Lifetime Guarantee
IVERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED in two very different types of clean-up – one involving a classic open-sea and coastal pollution threat, the other the messiness of urban living. At Chesil Beach in Dorset, some 100 volunteers cleared a large amount of rubbish, much of which consisted of cordage and plastics, which cause immense harm to marine life through entanglement or ingestion. Organised by local dive company Scimitar Diving and the Plastic Oceans Foundation, the event was rounded off with an evening gathering at which broadcaster Paul Rose and BAFTA-winning cameraman Mike Pitts spoke. Inspired by Rose’s highly successful Lake Windermere clean-up (News, May), Scimitar Diving now plans a larger clean-up event for next year. www.scimitardiving.co.uk, www.plasticoceans.org In London, when members of the British Sub-Aqua Club’s Kingston University decided to clear a 30m stretch of water off Horsefair Quay near Kingston Bridge, they were shocked to recover no fewer than 82 supermarket trolleys. And that wasn’t the end of it. ”There are still plenty of trolleys down there; we just ran out of space in the barge,” said organiser Chris Elliott. Other items recovered included 17 skateboards, eight bicycles, eight traffic cones, an engine block and a mid-1950s US army helmet, plus the usual
Kingston’s supermarket sweep. collection of bottles and cans. But all is not bad news. ”Ironically, despite the rubbish there is loads of wildlife in the river and a couple of environmental scientists in our club reckon it’s in its best condition for 60 years,” said Elliott. ■
Orcas give Mexico divers a run for their money A DIVING COUPLE holidaying in Mexico were amazed by a large pod of orca whales that swam in the wake of their speeding dive-boat for an hour, frequently leaping from the sea. Keen divers and underwater photographers Laura and Richard Howard were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary at Costa Baja Resort. The pair had entered the water from the boat off the coast of La Paz when the orcas turned up – a rare occurrence for the area. The dive operator brought the divers back aboard for their safety and left the scene – but, as the fast
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dayboat got up to speed, so did the orcas. There were other, slower dive-boats in the vicinity, but an estimated 20 or so orcas decided that it would be more fun to follow and cavort around the quicker craft. Swimming at what must have been close to full pelt, the creatures took it in turns to swim into the boat’s wake and leap out of its quarter wave, to the delight of those aboard. The incident occurred two years ago but has only now been publicised. See the footage at www. oceansofimages.com/surfing_killer_whales.html ■
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Apeks (New XTX) – 04_13_Full Page Bleed 04/03/2013 16:55 Page 1
New XTX
Photograph by Dean Martin
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 10:50 Page 16
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Left: Bill Lynch with the shotgun he found in Kew Gardens Pond. Below: The LSD team swings into action. Bottom: Another boatload of rubbish is recovered.
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WO SHOTGUNS WERE AMONG items to be brought out of the water during a recent clean-up operation in the pond at west London's Kew Gardens. The clean-up, carried out by London School of Diving (LSD), was part of preparations for a new development at the celebrated centre for all things horticultural – the Tutti Frutti boating experience, featuring rowing boats and a gigantic pineapple! The "LSD Muddies", as the clean-up team calls itself, included 15 divers plus surface support from LSD, other clubs and Kew Gardens staff. Two skips were set up on either side of the pond and entry was via steps near Kew's Palm House. Lead Muddies Alex Khachadourian, Darren Stone and Derek Boyle organised the dive-team. The first dive went well, with several boat-loads of rubbish brought ashore, the teams concentrating on bigger items. Among these was the barrel of a side-by-side shotgun found by diver Bill Lynch – as well as the stock, which was recovered by his colleague Drew Noble. Police were informed and at once sent a team to investigate. For the second dive LSD used a lined dragnet to investigate parts of the pond not previously covered. It was during this dive that Lynch found the barrel of a second shotgun. This was handed to the police, who remained on-site throughout the day. LSD Muddies collected a skip and a half of rubbish during the two dives, each of which lasted for more than an hour, www.kew.org, www.londonschoolofdiving.co.uk ■
ALEX KHACHADOURIAN
MALDIVES
Shotgun surprise for LSD Muddies at Kew Gardens
DARREN STONE
Dive
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01273 844919 Specialist Watersports Holidays in the World’s Best Locations 16
ALEX KHACHADOURIAN
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:54 Page 17
DIVER NEWS
DDRC changes its name P
Smerdon, CEO and Research Director. ”HBO is used to treat a wide range of conditions, not just divers with decompression illness. With our growth in provision of training and treatment services, alongside the research work, it felt as though our name no longer represented all our different activities.” Medical Director Dr Christine Cridge, a keen diver, said: ”Choosing a new name was not an easy process. Our charity is well respected, nationally and internationally, and we were keen to build on existing support, particularly from the diving community. We will continue to provide 24-hour emergency medical services, support, education and research to divers.” A subsidiary, DDRC Professional Services, provides specialist training, consultancy and medicals, primarily to the diving, maritime, offshore and medical markets. Another subsidiary, Plymouth Wound Care, provides a private wound treatment service. Both subsidiaries are notfor-profit. The DDRC Healthcare name will, said Cridge, allow the centre to ”acknowledge and retain an element of our heritage, whilst becoming more widely relevant to our current breadth of patients and customers, attending for medicals, courses or party. launch care Health DDRC the for cake atory An unusual celebr wound care”. ■
LYMOUTH’S DIVING DISEASES RESEARCH CENTRE has been renamed DDRC Healthcare, to better reflect its broad role in medical treatments, research and training. The hyperbaric facility, which carries charitable status, operates within the grounds of Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital. It was originally established at the city’s Fort Bovisand in 1980. For a long time the DDRC existed purely to treat decompression illness in divers and to research diving-related conditions. However, in recent years it has expanded into treating a range of medical conditions that benefit from oxygen enrichment. ”We work to improve the understanding and use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy,” said Dr Gary
Planet Scuba marks VR Technology now part of Avon its first decade A diving company is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a party intended to combine business with pleasure. Planet Scuba, of Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire, has set up a couple of marquees and, on 29 June, plans to fill them with equipment for divers to inspect. To help them staff will be on hand from companies including Scubapro, Mares, Apeks/Aqua-Lung and Oceanic/Hollis. There will be a prize raffle and presentations include Dr Frances Dipper on fish identification, David Jones of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, and an Ocean Optics/INON photo workshop. Children can look forward to a bouncy castle and face painting, and free barbecue food will be provided by Planet Scuba. Proceedings begin at 10am. Planet Scuba, 01279 466011, www.planetscuba.co.uk ■
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VR TECHNOLOGY, THE rebreather and dive computer manufacturer, has been acquired by Avon Protection, part of Avon Rubber plc. Avon specialises in respiratory protection system technology and is said to invest substantially in research and development. The company says it will continue to support VR Technology’s recreational market. ”This is a great opportunity for us all at VR Technology and something we are excited about taking forwards with the team at Avon,” said VR Technology boss Kevin Gurr. ”We will be looking to use our strengths in key technologies to expand into global military markets.” Gurr welcomed the opportunity to use ”the combination of Avon’s R&D and marketing capability, our innovation in life-support systems and our existing association with AUP/Hollis to expand our recreational market sales and service with significant product development”. ■
A diver prepares for helmet entry.
A trip back to diving’s past A GROUP OF MIDLANDS CLUB DIVERS had fun recently when they tried out traditional hardhat diving dress at Leicestershire’s Stoney Cove. Divers from the BSAC’s Black Country Divers branch in Halesowen organised the event with the help of the Historical Diving Society (HDS). Divers from Wolverhampton and Birmingham also took part. ”We were wearing a large brass diving helmet dating from 1932, which I believe was once used by Royal Navy divers and could even have been on underwater operations during World War Two,” said Black Country Divers’ Diving Officer Dan Higgins, who had thought up the event to celebrate his 40th birthday. The ”old-style heavy diving suit made of canvas over rubber” was not original but a faithful reproduction of ”kit used 60-80 years ago”. Fleece undersuits kept the divers warm. ”Once we were down there we didn’t go very deep, just about 6m to a shelf, and spent the time mooching about trying to get used to the equipment,” said Higgins. ”The equipment we were wearing weighed about 13 stone altogether, but it was fascinating to see how well it all worked and everything went without a hitch thanks to the group from the HDS. ”We enjoyed ourselves so much that some of us are now thinking of joining the society so that we can wear the equipment again.” ■
HDS members lend a hand.
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:40 Page 18
DIVER NEWS
Shark-fin off the menu at Red Chilli… B
RITISH CONSERVATION GROUP Bite-Back has persuaded several Chinese restaurants in the UK to stop selling shark-fin soup. ”Four Chinese restaurants in the Red Chilli Group, including two in Manchester, have pledged to put conservation before commerce and no longer sell the controversial dish,” said Bite-Back. It attributed the success to ”direct communication from Bite-Back supporters and increased pressure from customers”. ”The breakthrough coincides with Bite-Back’s plans to make Britain the first country in the world to ban shark-fin soup,” it added. Speaking for the Red Chilli Group, General Manager Paul Lui said: ”To be a great Chinese restaurant you don’t have to sell shark-fin soup. ”We would rather our reputation was based on our modern, authentic and award-winning dishes than the inclusion of an outdated item that has chronic implications for the
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Red Chilli staff now embrace shark protection. marine environment.” Graham Buckingham, Bite-Back Campaign Director, said: ”We must applaud the Red Chilli Group for taking this forward-thinking and compassionate decision. ”We are confident that restaurants hold the key to the survival of many shark populations. If we can
encourage restaurants to stop selling shark-fin soup, the need to hunt these marine predators on an industrial scale will diminish dramatically.” If this approach fails, Bite-Back says it will work to persuade the British Government to enact legislation outlawing its sale.
According to Bite-Back, shark populations have ”fallen by 90% in the past 60 years” because of the push by fisheries to meet the demand for shark-fin soup, mainly in Asia but also in other parts of the world, and other shark-related products. Bite-Back recently commissioned advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather to create a 45-second commercial, Fin – Help End The Horror. The film stresses graphically the technique whereby sharks are caught and, after their fins have been cut off, dumped back into the sea to sink and die on the bottom. www.bite-back.com ■ ✹ Staff at Master Divers dive centre in Thailand have committed themselves to swimming more than 14 miles around Koh Tao island in a bid to raise US $3000 to back campaigning by PADI Project AWARE against shark-finning. finathon.org/masterdivers
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News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:41 Page 19
DIVER NEWS
… and now Marathon ride for Heinerth in New York – but not Texas WHILE AMERICA’S STATE OF NEW YORK looks set to ban all trade in shark fins, such a ban has failed to gain approval in Texas. New York politicians voted recently to ban all commerce related to shark-fin products and, as divEr went to press in late May, the bill awaited the state Governor’s signature to make New York the eighth US state to instigate a ban. States that have already banned the sale, purchase or possession of shark fins are California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon and Washington. However, in Texas a bill proposing a similar ban was passed in the state’s House of Representatives but received insufficient support among senators in May to go forward for a Senate vote. The argument that held sway in the House of Representatives was that, while any sort of profitable market exists for shark fins, fishermen will be tempted to engage in shark-finning, whereby fins are removed while at sea and carcasses thrown overboard. Shark-finning is already against federal law but, it was argued, the temptation would remain because selling fins yields profits that outweigh any expected fines. Among senators it was argued successfully that, while finning is illegal, fishermen should remain able to sell any parts of sharks brought ashore whole. As things stand, general trade in sharkfin products, whether caught in legal fashion by Texan fisheries or imported from abroad, remains legal. Following the Senate bill failure, this will continue. ■
16-year-old girl gets a bend A TEENAGER SUFFERED decompression illness on her very first sea dive, off Portland, Dorset in late May. According to Coastguard reports, the 16year-old girl had completed her dive from a local boat and started to show signs of DCI after returning ashore. She was transferred by ambulance to the SAR helicopter base situated nearby and flown to Poole for recompression. As divEr went to press, because of medical confidentiality the girl’s subsequent condition had not been made known. ■
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CELEBRATED CANADIAN underwater explorer Jill Heinerth is cycling across Canada to promote her water conservation education programme. Known for her cave-diving exploits as well as her openwater explorations, Heinerth has made an award-winning documentary, We Are Water, which explores the link between clean water and human survival. Now Heinerth is cycling some 4600 miles across Canada with
husband Robert to spread the message further. Before her departure she said: ”We are all building a movement; one that unites people in positive experiences in the outdoors
Jill Heinerth switches from caves to an epic bike-ride.
JILL HEINERTH
JILL HEINERTH
Volunteers invited to aid Cornish marine life CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST is conducting ”an exciting programme of Seasearch surveys throughout the summer”, and is inviting divers to get involved. Seasearch, the voluntary marine life research group allied to the Marine Conservation Society, runs projects all over the country, but Cornwall is one of the most active areas for its work. ”Cornwall is very lucky to have a fantastic team of dedicated Seasearch divers,” said Catherine Wilding, Marine Survey Officer for the Trust. ”We are keen to encourage them to keep on recording, while at the same time inspiring new divers to become involved by telling us what they see beneath the sea. ”We have trained 26 divers already this year, all of whom have successfully completed the one-day classroom session of the Observer Course.” Divers who volunteer ”benefit from the opportunity to expand their enjoyment of the sport by learning about the fascinating marine life right on their doorstep”, while ”knowledge generated can then be used for conservation and management, to identify which sites are richest in marine life, and those which are most in need of protection”. ”For conservation measures to be a success, thorough understanding of our seas is essential,” said Wilding. “There are still large gaps in our understanding of the marine environment and what lives in it, and Seasearch divers play a vital role by supplying more information.” For more information email catherine.wilding@cornwallwildlife trust.org.uk or call 01872 273939, ext 256. ■
enjoying adventure, challenge and fostering a stewardship of our natural resources.” Personal interaction is, she feels, an important part of the process. ”Robert and I have discovered that we can make the biggest impact by meeting people peer to peer,” she said. ”When we are able to give presentations and speak informally with large and small groups, people remember.” The pair set off in May from Vancouver, bound for Newfoundland. The journey is expected to last for four months and will cross ”a couple of little hills” – the Rocky Mountains. They expect this to be their ”biggest known challenge”, as they ride with towed trailers containing all their camping gear and supplies. One backer of the ride, as it has been for Heinerth’s film, is diving equipment manufacturer Suunto. If all goes well, a similar ride across the USA could follow. We Are Water film and ride blog: www.wearewaterproject. com/we_are_water/about.html ■
Divers hurt in collision A SKIPPER AND THREE DIVERS were hurt, one seriously, after their boat ran into a pier at high speed in Victoria, Australia. The accident happened at Portsea, a resort town, in late May. The motor vessel ran into Portsea Pier at an estimated 15-20 knots. The four crew were ”thrown forward and received head and neck injuries”, The Age newspaper reported. All were hospitalised, one diver being airlifted with ”serious injuries” while the others were treated for ”minor injuries”. It was not reported how the collision occurred, except that a police spokesman said that the skipper ”misjudged it”. Portsea is a popular scuba centre, with diving in Port Phillip Bay and beyond. ■
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MAST (FP) – 07_13_DIVER Full Page 03/06/2013 10:07 Page 1
PADI Underwater Archaeology Diving the ‘Coronation’ wreck by Tony Gilbert
Summer is here! Wondering how to fill the weekend? Join MAST for one of our next PADI Distinctive Speciality courses to be a Basic Archaelogy Diver – yes, BAD! The course is a no-frills, no fuss introduction to the basics of archaeology underwater with simple recording techniques using little more than a camera and tape measures. It also includes a lecture on the laws governing divers and underwater archaeology in the UK. After completion you will have the opportunity of a rare guided tour from the licensee of the 1691 Coronation protected wrecksite off Plymouth.
For details please contact us at mast@thisismast.org or ginge@thisismast.org or visit www.thisismast.org Tel: 07814 791796 or 07768 080105
Supporting our heroes. See our website for details
News JULY v2_Layout 1 04/06/2013 09:42 Page 21
DIVER NEWS
New phone app to predict tides A
NEW MOBILE PHONE APP that can predict the tides at any point in time throughout the British Isles has been launched. anyTide, developed by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Liverpool with Winchester Innovation, is available to download for iPhones and iPads from the Apple App Store. The programme covers points around the coastline plus major estuaries. An Internet connection is initially required to obtain the tide predictions but once a location is bookmarked, predictions for that location can be accessed even when the device is offline. Dr Jeff Polton, physical oceanographer at NOC in Liverpool and co-developer of anyTide, says that for the price of ”a local tide
table for a few local spots, you can have the whole country, continuous along the whole coastline”. Working to a resolution of one nautical mile, the programme includes accurate local predictions. ”Rather than using somewhat arbitrary chart datum we have computed tides relative to a close approximation of the lowest astronomical tide for all coastal points where we do not present measured data,” says Dr Polton. The free download gives predictions for the current day plus longer-term ones for a single site so that users can practise functions for accessing longer-term data. Or, for £1.49, you can download all data for the calendar year. An Android version will follow if the app proves a success. ■
Lundy photo contest PHOTOGRAPHERS are invited to compete for prizes in an on-the2011 Marine Abstract category winner by Mark Lavington. day underwater competition to be in 2012, when poor weather held around Lundy Island, off the caused the event to be cancelled. Bristol Channel. Entry costs £20, to include The Lundy Splash-in takes place camping on the night of the 29th, on Saturday, 29 June. The island, when evening pub entertainment a protected Marine Conservation will feature a local band. Zone in which fishing is banned, To pre-register, recommended offers spectacular marine life, as places are limited, contact from colourful cup corals to a Beccy MacDonald at warden@ strong population of grey seals. lundyisland.co.uk. More at: The marine reserve’s warden, www.lundyisland.co.uk and who organises the competition, www.lundymcz.org.uk ■ will be hoping for better luck than
Chilly terrapin hitches a ride A DIVER WHO EMERGED recently from the Looe estuary in Cornwall was surprised to find a terrapin attached to his leg. The creature, a non-native species originating from North America, was thought to have been a tank pet
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that was dumped. It now resides at Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay. ”The terrapin had an infection from going from a warm tank to the cold but is now doing well. He is becoming quite a character,” said aquarium curator Paul Strachan. ■
RY MYSTERY DIVER MONARCH AIRLINES
I
T’S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS since I last reviewed an airline and how it treats its travelling divers. Over time I have reviewed several, and for the most part the results have been disappointing, with uncomfortable seats, terrible food and a poor weight allowance for diving equipment (compared to golfers) being the main themes. Recently the Mystery Diver family joined friends on a short break to a European destination also known for its diving. The temptation was too great – the divers in the group decided to take their gear for a cheeky dive or two. The airline that had the best schedule and prices was Monarch. Its website appears to be diverfriendly, with the promise of being able to take your dive equipment for a £25 fee each way, with no prescribed weight limit. For years golfers have always seemed to get the better deal with airlines, but not so with Monarch, where they pay the same fee but are limited to 20kg. I CALLED TO ASK A FEW questions about the service and was told that there was no weight limit for diving equipment – it just had to be for one person. However, to access this service you would have to provide proof at the airport that you are certified with BSAC or PADI. I asked if SSI or any other training agency would be recognised, but apparently not. Questions about whether the rules included rebreathers and air cylinders were met with reference to the Monarch website, which
seems sufficiently broad to . above. My guess include all of the ather An APD rebre was that the call-taker didn’t really know and was simply reading off the same screen I was looking at. Another positive for Monarch is an additional 5kg in addition to your regular luggage allowance for divers travelling to Egypt. If only it could extend this to all parts of the world! When it came to booking seats there were plenty of options, including the payment of an additional fee for 3kg more of hold luggage allowance, as well as a seat with a 34in pitch. We chose these, which meant we didn’t need the option of a £25 fee for extra diving equipment. WITH THE BONUS of a 10kg hand luggage allowance, we were confident that we could manage our dive gear within a total of 36kg-worth of weight allowance. The only stumbling block to booking the dates we wanted was a lack of infant-friendly seats. No problem for the Monarch call-taker, who re-shuffled a party of adults to allow space for us. Excellent customer service. Once on our flight the great service continued. The seats were spacious and comfortable, the pre-booked food tasty and, for those who hadn’t booked ahead, there was a good range of reasonably priced snacks. ☛ Monarch experience was This outstanding. We paid a premium for the extra legroom and luggage allowance, but all felt the extra cost was excellent value. A model for other airlines to follow? ■
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Beachcomber July_Beachcomer 30/05/2013 09:51 Page 22
BEACHCOMBER
ON RAISING THE FLYING PENCIL By the time you read this, a World War Two Dornier aircraft shot down in the Battle of Britain should have been raised from the River Thames. The twin-engined German bomber, nicknamed “the Flying Pencil” because of its slim, elongated fuselage, has been lying in 18m of tidal water since the dark days of 1940, and reportedly is still in excellent condition. The aircraft was found by divers some five years ago, and a scheme is well under way to lift the remains to the surface. Once there, the idea is to conserve what’s left but not restore it, and put it on
Captioned wrecks Well done English Heritage! That wellknown preserver of national monuments thinks that our underwater heritage is as important as the castles and abbeys on dry land, and is creating a series of trails to allow divers to explore historic wrecks. The trails will have waterproof guidebooks, and you’ll follow them by navigating from marker to marker, pausing at each one to read the appropriate bit of the guide that will explain exactly what you’re seeing. Perfect. Instead of looking at funnyshaped bits of metal encrusted with marine life, I’ll finally be able to tell my hawse from my scantlings.
Escaping on a loop Imagine yourself tangled in monofilament fishing line that pulls tighter every time you try to free yourself, or lost deep inside a wreck that has become a nightmarish labyrinth of dark, rusty passages, none of which lead to open water and the surface. Time is critical. You don’t have much of it if you’re going to make it out alive, and the stress is pushing up your heart rate and making you breath faster and deeper as it becomes ever more urgent to get to the blessed, sweet-tasting air at the surface. Being trapped under water
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display beside the similarly conserved but not restored remains of a British Hawker Hurricane fighter, also shot down during the Battle of Britain. One young man died when his Hurricane was shot down, two more young men died when the Dornier was downed, and the idea is to show the shattered remains of the aircraft as a memorial and a reminder of the tragedy that lies beneath every war. If you want a justification for wreck diving, that’s it right there. Land-based memorials are sanitised and hide tragedy beneath dignity. As divers, we see the raw reality, and it’s a sobering thing.
deserves to be every diver’s worst nightmare. Or, if you’re Isla Fischer, it’s just the day job. Isla is an escapologist, and is routinely swathed in leg-irons and handcuffs and dumped into a glass tank in full view of a live audience. A clock nearby counts down the seconds, and if she doesn’t make it out in less than a minute, a tank full of hungry piranha is dumped into the water with her. I think that’s a bit belt and braces, really. Not drowning is probably all the motivation she needs. Anyway, she does all this in a sparkly swimsuit and a pair of highheels, and you can find her performance on the Internet. Something to recommend next time you have a trainee who doesn’t like the ditch and retrieve exercise.
Retro-strip Talking of ditch and retrieve, here’s an idea for the cabaret at your club’s next dinner-dance. In the late 1950s, there was a brief fad for underwater strippers. It was quite lucrative at the time, I’m told. Divena, for example, made 70 grand a year on the back of three performances daily. At the height of the craze dozens of performers were working regularly. Each performance involved the artiste entering the water in a ballgown and
removing her clothing in a balletic and artistic manner for three minutes, to the accompaniment of music she couldn’t hear and for a crowd she couldn’t see. It wasn’t uncommon for the stripper to finish her routine facing the wrong way, waving and blowing kisses to an audience that was actually behind her. Not that it made much difference to what you saw. When she’d finished disrobing she was still wearing bra and knickers. If you thought you were going to get any more than that, you’ve forgotten that this was the 1950s. Anyway, if you go for it, feel free to send in the pictures.
Does it get worse? The world’s worst diving jobs keep getting worse. Indian newspaper The Hindu names a 25-year-old K Pavan as a freelance corpse-recoverer. He dives in wells and rivers to retrieve bodies, charging 2000-5000 rupees per body. To save you looking it up, that’s £24-60, though he says he often has to settle for a lot less. He recently recovered two bodies from a well for a poor family that could pay him nothing. “Sometimes we have to do it out of humanity,” he explained. Pavan had no specialist training, but then, Corpse Recovery Specialist is never going to sell many courses.
Art imitates life Ten years ago, underwater photography was hard. You stuck a roll of film in the camera, did your best and were happy if you got one half-decent snap out of the lot. Now digital has made it easy. Point and press and Fuji (or Canon/Nikon/Olympus) does the rest. Not if you’re Andreas Franke. He takes photos of shipwrecks and combines them with studio images of strolling 17th century couples or little boys fishing to produce strikingly different images. He then makes big prints that he puts on display on the wrecks he has dived and photographed, allowing the build-up of algae and other marine life to discolour and erode the images so that they become a part of the wreck itself. Now that’s spooky. Search the ‘Net for Andreas Franke and you’ll see what I mean.
Helium stocks I have good news and bad news for technical divers. The bad news is that the helium is running out, and it isn’t really news at all. Helium is a naturally occurring gas that can’t be artificially synthesised, and our deposits are almost exhausted. The good news is that scientists have just found a load more helium. It’s released by erupting volcanoes, and because it isn’t used by any sort of living creature for anything at all, all the helium released is available. Now all we have to do is figure out how to catch it before we’re back to deep air.
Originally cold And finally, according to scientists life may have evolved in chemical gardens that form naturally in the frigid, ice-cold waters of the Antarctic. Something to think about when the quarry-diving season rolls around again next winter.
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023_DIVER_0713_DIVER_2013 03/06/2013 11:15 Page 023
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Last Bell_v1_Layout 1 04/06/2013 16:20 Page 24
THE LAST
BELL A deep Japanese wreck eventually reveals its final secret. LEIGH BISHOP dives the site and asks: ‘Is this the last bell to be found in the legendary Truk Lagoon?’
Pictured: Australian diver Craig Challen admires the huge Reiyo Maru bell.
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I
SETTLED ON THE DECK at about 55m and orientated myself quickly, eager to head in the right direction. I had been told that the ship’s name Reiyo was engraved on the bell, and I couldn’t wait to see it. The Reiyo Maru lies well off the usual Truk tourist route. It’s the sort of wreck for which technical diving was invented. A dive here will throw at you everything any hardened deep wreck diver could ever wish for. The Reiyo rests on an even keel in the extreme north-eastern quadrant of the 4th Fleet anchorage, an area generally very good for visibility – and the odd shark or two. Even after 70-odd years on the seabed little growth has settled on the wreck, probably because of the lack of light.
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At first sight it appears very clean and well-preserved, but grey and a bit dull. But it isn’t. If not for the depth, this wreck would be one of the most popular dives in Truk. Resting on a clean whitesand seabed at around 66m, it is one of the deepest wrecks in the lagoon, with only the destroyer Oite and the Katsurigusan Maru slightly deeper. It was discovered by the Cousteau expedition of 1969, and verified with a fathometer by Kwajalein-based divers four years later. Klaus Lindeman rediscovered the site in 1980 but since then Reiyo has seen few visitors. Developments in closedcircuit technology are now changing all that. Australian technical diver
Craig Challen joins me on the deck, and I indicate towards the bow where, of course, most ship’s bells can be found. We have landed on the forward welldeck, so we don’t have far to go. After checking our rebreathers’ set-points and computer read-outs, we fin off in an east-north-east direction. We had been exploring the engineroom of the “Million Dollar Wreck” San Francisco Maru only 24 hours before, while the rest of our expedition team had been exploring the Reiyo. When we met them on shore British divers Des Murray and David Wilkins had looked extremely pleased with themselves, and had been quick to tell us how they had found a bell that had been undisturbed for almost 70 years. CRAIG’S TORCH waved frantically – f***, he had spotted the bell before me! Australian cave-divers are not supposed to do that when diving alongside British wreck-divers! The bell was as big as described and, yes, the ship’s name stood out clearly, despite a certain amount of encrustation. Craig used his strength and lifted it onto a nearby capstan so that I could shoot some stills. After a few frames,
I laid my camera on the deck and we both admired what we were seeing. A bell, on a wreck, in Truk Lagoon – a rare sight indeed. By now there seemed to be a lot of activity around us. The bell had become the centre of attention as I’d been photographing, and other divers from our team had turned up to see it for themselves. Before long the beehive of activity had kicked up the silt, and I set my mind on my next goal. If you plan to explore any engineroom in Truk, it’s a good idea to be the first diver in, especially if you intend to shoot images. These engine-rooms see zero flow, so degrading rust and sediment settles everywhere. Disturb it and your visibility is gone in seconds, so only a careful and experienced diver will enjoy an engine-room in its entirety in ginclear water. Any loss of concentration in such an environment can result in a total siltout, and that can be fatal. To a photographer, any disturbance of silt will result in dirty back-scattered shots fit only for your recycle bin. So the race to find clear water was on, and I reckoned the bell would keep the others busy for a while. SWIMMING AFT, I maintained my depth as the forecastle dropped to the well-deck, where I could see holds 1 and 2. Two doors either side of the forecastle were slightly ajar – this was where Des and Dave had discovered the bell in storage. The forward mast lies to the port side, obviously blown off during the explosions during World War Two. On my right was the port “weatherdeck”, where a mass of angle iron is piled up, perhaps cargo intended for construction on the islands. Smaller sections lay in a disorderly fashion across the deck, and aft and outboard of hold 2 I could see small crew-hatch openings leading below. A large hole in the portside deck indicated where a bomb had struck, tearing the deck and hull-plating apart. I stuck to the portside gunwale as I swam. Looking over the edge of the ship, I could see a large split leading downwards along it, and this had apparently been instrumental in the final sinking of the ship. Two reasonably sized winches could be seen on the deck aft of hold 2, and then I reached the wheelhouse. I had read the sinking and damage report of the Reiyo, and knew that fire spread throughout the wreck for at ☛
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least a couple of days. This would have consumed the wooden bridge, and little of the equipment that would have been inside it could be seen. Closer inspection indicated that telegraphs and helms might have fallen through the teak decking as the fire ripped through the ship. Finning across the top of the wheelhouse area, I could see in the distance the funnel, collapsed to the port side but indicating the location of the engine- and boiler-rooms. I noticed another diver over my right shoulder, perhaps someone with the same idea as mine, and finned a little harder to reach the open hatches above the engine-room. With no air-conditioning on these ships, the hatches would have been left open to let in cooler air as they sat at anchor in the intense Pacific heat. Belgian diver Danny Huyge arrived at the hatches alongside me. As a videographer he understood what I
Above, from left: Looking across the top of the triple-expansion engine; chains and block tackle inside the engineroom were once used for lifting machinery; these gauges in the engine-room can still be read.
REIYO MARU THE REIYO MARU was a medium-sized freighter of 5446 tons, reasonably large for the small company that owned her. Built in 1920, she carried both passengers and cargo from the Far East to New York, and from Yokohama to southern Chinese ports. She made two trips to Truk, her first departing from Yokosuka in November 1943, carrying 3700 tons of consigned military stores, 1100 tons of tools and instruments apparently for repairing bombs. She was also said possibly to be carrying five large landing-craft. She returned to Yokosuka in January 1944 to be loaded with similar cargo for her final trip to Truk, but was hit on 17 February – the very first day of the USA’s Operation Hailstone.
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intended to do, and indicated that he would follow close behind. I was right! The engine-room was free of divers, and as we dropped into the darkness it felt like making a freefall skydive at night! Danny’s “big-time” light cast my shadow across the gantry walkways as we dropped to the room’s deepest regions. Best to begin exploration at the bottom levels and work our way up, out of any disturbed silt. THE REIYO’S ENGINE-ROOM is perhaps as good as that of her sister-ship Nippo Maru, sunk nearby and regarded as one of the best on the tourist route. Danny’s light picked out electrical switchboards and a wall full of capacitors and switchgear. Our bottom time was clocking up, so the order of the day was a good look round and back up to the shotline. I squeezed into a tight gap and edged around the back of the engine itself. On the far wall I could see a number of extremely large wrenches, all hung neatly in their fixed positions.
American bombers launched from nearby aircraft-carriers at 6am caught the Japanese by surprise. Dive-bombers from the Essex scored two 1000lb bomb hits, one amidships and the other just aft of the bridge. Ten minutes later, planes from Intrepid managed another direct hit aft of the bridge amidships, and a near-miss off the stern quarter. Fires broke out in hold 3 and spread through the ship to hold 2, where munitions caught fire, resulting in multiple explosions. Eight crewmen died in the raid. Reiyo remained afloat for two days before the fire and explosions took their toll. She sank at her mooring point about three miles off Eten Island, on a bearing of 060°.
Danny found his way around the other side of the engine and moved into the frame to add scale as I shot some stills. Above us was a repeater telegraph, consumed by time and looking as eerie as rusticles inside Titanic. As our eyes adjusted to the darkness and I looked around the old-fashioned machinery workshop, I got a feel of what it would have been like to work in here. I could see heaps of rope and blockand-tackle equipment once used for lifting heavy objects in and out of the room. I could read the gauges on the engine. How often does a diver get to experience an intact engine like this? A bleep drew my attention to my wrist console. A quick check and everything settled down, but it was a timely reminder. As we moved into shallower water, we could see the top of the triple-expansion engine, and gantry walkways either side. Atop the engine were those wonderful ornate little 1920s oilers that once dripfed lubricant into the working parts. On the upper levels, small rooms branched off on either side. On the port side intriguing wheels led to unknown machinery, and insulated pipework turned the place into a maze of metalwork, though we kept an eye on the dim exit light high above us. There was also a neat little workshop room built within wire-caged walls and still very much intact. AS WRECK-DIVERS, Danny and I understood how triple-expansion engines worked, and what evaporators and other machinery on a wreck of this age do, but some of what we were looking at baffled us. Our eyes followed the pipework of a large oil reservoir bolted to the wall to insulated electrical contraptions. What they once did was a mystery, but they made the dive that bit more interesting. We had cooked up more than an hour of bottom time, and with some two hours of decompression showing it was time to leave. As we made our way up the shotline, our eyes now fully adjusted, we could see the decks below in the ☛
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deep blue water. It was now obvious that the ship had been hit hard by the large bombs and subsequent fire. I returned to the Reiyo for one final dive before my Truk expedition was over. I wanted to circumnavigate it, to weigh up its construction and the damage sustained in that 1944 air-raid. Boat operator Nick from the Blue Lagoon dive centre finds the wrecks and will put a shotline in exactly where you want it. The downline was fixed securely into the bow, and I arrived to find him taking in the sights for himself. It’s not often that the “Trukese” guys get to dive the deep wrecks, other than when CCR divers come to town. Diving with a single cylinder of air, Nick’s bottom time was up in minutes, and he confidently left us alone for another hour or so of exploration and a further two of decompression. At first visibility was blurred, the wreck resembling a desert mirage. I was sure it was a halocline. Reiyo, built with what is known as a plumb bow, appeared to be holding her construction quite well, unlike other deep wrecks.
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Above: UK diver John Dryden looks at mooring bollards on the stern section. Right: An iconic Truk Lagoon gas-mask found inside the wreck. Below left: No one knows the Reiyo better than the dive guides at Blue Lagoon.
At the opposite end, it is blessed with one of those wonderful counter-sterns, again still in brilliant shape and fabulous to see with the ship on that even keel. The aft mast had fallen from its base and lay diagonally across holds 3 and 4. Its inverted crosstree section lay against the deck aft of the superstructure, but the top section of the mast appeared to be missing. THE HOLD BULKHEADS in this area and aft weather decks seemed to have suffered heavily during the air strikes and were twisted and buckled. This was a three-island vessel with an extended island amidships. There divers can view much damage but also kingpost standards either side of a hatch and still standing proud. The amidships suffered heavy damage. It was here that Danny and I located the galley, where china plates and cups could be seen, bearing the Toyo Kisen K &K (Oriental Steamship Co Ltd) crest. It was a delight to see the Reiyo ’s bell. The previous year our team had located and photographed the bell aboard the Oite destroyer, only to discover on our
return that some souvenir-hunter had removed it. These we think were the only two bells left in Truk, and sadly no one knows where any of the other bells from Truk’s many wrecks have ended up. Could the Reiyo’s be the last bell in Truk Lagoon? The bell is the heart and soul of any ship, below or above water, a focal point of beauty, but has beauty any value if it’s unseen! Let’s hope that on the Reiyo Maru at least, it remains to be seen.
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SOUTHERN I
T WAS LITTLE MORE THAN a bleak sandy channel, fringed on each side with high coral reef walls. Some way in from the ocean stood a lonely coral boulder, a solitary feature in what looked like a sandy runway. This was the place. Reminiscent of an airfield, the underwater aircraft lined up in turn to come in from the ocean and approach this single servicing point, where tiny technicians set about cleaning the fuselage of each one. As soon as one was satisfied, it would return back down the channel to the ocean, only to be replaced by the next waiting in line. A handful of us divers clung to the coral rubble at the edge of the channel, watching the seemingly endless show like so many plane-spotters gathered at Heathrow. I flattened myself and slid slowly across the sand towards the coral boulder, in the hope of getting a closeup of an underside as it passed over but was soon pulled back by airfield security, in the form of one of our dive-guides. I chose instead to head out alone down the channel to get my close-ups as these magnificent creatures headed in. Reef mantas. There are many places in the Maldives where the rays come to get cleaned by small reef fish, and this was just one of them. The mantas allow access to their mouths and gills, and the little cleanerfish get a free meal in exchange for their efforts. The channel seemed ideal for the mantas to manoeuvre. They didn’t need to negotiate any coral obstructions until they got to the maintenance bay that was the boulder lying alone on the sand. At the same time, the rather straight channel became a highway that allowed me to anticipate their route both in from and out to the ocean. I found a handy outcrop on the coral wall that they would often pass over, and behind which I could conceal myself. Ambush-hunting is the best philosophy when attempting to photograph animals that can swim a lot
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Two weeks exploring the Maldives’ more remote atolls by liveaboard reveals healthy hard corals, mild currents and often elusive animal life – but JOHN BANTIN manages to find those magic moments
faster than you can. The visibility was less than clear. After all, mantas love planktonloaded water, even if underwater photographers do not. It’s what they feed on. To encounter a spa after a meal was a bonus as far as these gentle giant elasmobranchs were concerned. I was able to photograph several rays without disturbing their relaxed approach, wings flapping in a leisurely manner, to their regular morning treat after a night of ocean roaming.
It was a treat for me to be one of so few divers present. A small liveaboard is initially less seductive when booking a trip than some of the more exotic vessels around. On board, there’s little you can do to escape the other passengers if you need your own space. The upside is that with only eight other divers in the water, you have the ocean very much to yourself once you’re immersed in it. Sea Queen is a small liveaboard by
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INDIAN OCEAN DIVER
CR SSING
Pictured: A manta ray approaches the cleaning station. Inset above: Surfacing divers’ view of the diving dhoni.
today’s standards, sleeping a maximum of 12 passengers. It’s based on a traditional Maldivian dhoni and has a smaller dhoni that is used as a diving tender. All the diving paraphernalia is kept on the diving dhoni, including the compressor and nitrox-mixing installation, which makes more use of space on the main vessel. All the facilities one takes for granted, such as endless fresh water, en suite bathroom and air-conditioning, are
available, though the cabins are a little more cramped than on bigger vessels. Three or four dives are the order of the day, and I soon found that I could be left to my own devices. The main group would follow the dive guides, and as soon as I paused to make a photograph, I found myself very much on my own. That suited me. A good surfacemarker device meant that I was always spotted and picked up when I needed to be. I HAD FLOWN DOWN with a group of other divers to join Sea Queen in one of the most southerly atolls, Huvadhoo, just north of the Equator. Our route meandered northwards through Laamu, Thaa, Meemu, Vattura
and Vaavu atolls, until we finally disembarked at Male airport 12 days later. We rarely spotted another dive-boat during the journey, and saw no other divers under water at any time. It was a relatively long journey, but very little of it was done in the open sea, most of the crossings being within the calm waters of the various lagoons. The atolls form a chain that stretches both north and south of Male, the capital island. All the other islands fulfil the specification for a dream palmfringed tropical paradise. Of course, because the larger animals found under water around these atolls rarely get to see divers, unlike the animals in the often-visited Ari atoll and the two Male atolls, they tend to be ☛
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Pictured: A leopard shark poses for the cameras. Inset above, from left: A hawksbill turtle makes a dash for open ocean; camera-shy humpback snapper.
a little skittish. Approaching a roosting turtle had to be done with extreme patience to get a picture before they made a mad dash for the open sea. It was the same whether they were hawksbill or green turtles. Occasionally a less-experienced hawksbill turtle would get confused, think my camera’s glass dome port was a jellyfish and try to bite it, giving me the chance for the close-up, but these occurrences were few and far between. Sadly, we saw evidence that turtles were still being hunted by the locals when we went ashore on a local island. There were plenty of grey reef and whitetip reef sharks out in the blue, but always at the periphery of visibility and never close enough to photograph properly. The same could be said of the marlin and other sailfish that we observed. They were “sightings” rather than true encounters, However, it was great to see virgin coral reefs that were as extensive, varied, profuse and vibrant as all the Maldives reefs had been before the awful coral-bleaching incident back in 1998. If it was schooling fish that interested us, there were plenty. Besides the Maldives’ signature fish, great clouds of yellow blue-line and aggregating red snapper, there were spirals of barracuda and schools of silvery jacks to tantalise. I was especially pleased to get a closeup of a school of humpback snapper with their pretty red fins. It’s a species of fish that is particularly reticent about getting its picture taken. If leaf-fish float your boat, our diveguides found at least one on every dive, and teams of juvenile batfish would head in from open water to take a closer look at us. I like animals that are bigger than me, and a pair of feathertail rays in two different colour schemes, lying together on the reef, got me excited. At Vattara atoll, the solitary ring formed by a defunct volcano between ☛
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Meemu and Vaavu atolls, we came across a lonely leopard shark that was kind enough to lie lethargically in one place while everyone recorded video and took pictures of it. When it finally swam off it didn’t go very far, and I was able to follow it and get my shot once it had settled down in a new spot on the reef. In fact most of our dives fell into the lethargic category. Although the channels or kandus of the Maldives are notorious for the powerful currents driven by the ocean squeezing in and out of the lagoons, and I had come equipped to cope with the strongest flows, we were lucky in that we experienced little of this. The most frenetic dive was towards the end of our trip at Alimatha Island. The local resort had got into a routine of feeding the sharks every night for the
benefit of its guests sitting high and dry on the jetty. We hijacked the event by diving nearby. Our dive-guides put in a large tin-canful of fish scraps on the seabed, and these attracted the feeding frenzy over to where we were. SOON WE WERE SURROUNDED by walls of fully grown nurse sharks, piled up in the darkness all around us while a few of the braver ones made forays in to get at the bait. Assorted large rays, marble, whip-tail and feather-tail, were cluttering up the seabed as large silver trevallies excitedly flitted in and out of our lamp beams in the gloom. At last we had some large animal encounters that were worth writing home about. It required a steady nerve combined with perfect buoyancy control in the
darkness to ensure that one didn’t accidentally lie on a ray, because everything rushed in and out of the pool of light provided by the lamp. The black water seemed to be churning with large animals, and several of the divers in our group momentarily found themselves closer to sharks and rays than they might have planned. The whole dive was at a maximum depth of 14m and lasted for a very hectic hour. Everything was moving far too quickly for me to attempt to compose a picture, so I just clicked away, hoping to catch magic moments. These odysseys up through the lessvisited southern atolls give you the opportunity to add a few new names of dive-sites to your logbook – all the while enjoying tropical weather.
Pictured: Sea Queen at Alimatha, scene of the night dive. Inset, from left: Trevallies, nurse sharks and assorted rays turned up at the night dive site; hunting nurse shark.
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FACTFILE GETTING THERE8 Fly with BA, Sri Lankan, Emirates or Oman Air to Male and connect via local carrier. DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8 Sea Queen, www.scubascuba.com WHEN TO GO8 The driest part of the year is January to June. CURRENCY8US dollars and credit cards. HEALTH8No malaria in evidence. Hyperbaric treatment only in North Male atoll. PRICES8 Scuba Tours Worldwide offers various packages aboard its own vessels Sea Queen and Sea Spirit, in addition to island-based diving holidays. A typical 12-night liveaboard trip that takes in Huvadhoo and Gan costs around £3290, including flights from London. Nitrox is around £5 per fill extra. FURTHER INFORMATION8 www.visitmaldives.com
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Sachika
My Favourite Kit JULY v2_Layout 1 30/05/2013 10:24 Page 37
DIVE GEAR
MY FAVOURITE KIT Scots man of action ANDY TORBET started diving at 12. He is a cave-, mixed-gas and rebreather diver and freediver and a military and commercial diver and supervisor. He gained a degree in zoology before spending 10 years in the Forces as a paratrooper, diver and bomb disposal officer, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and the Falklands. Andy is also a mountaineering instructor, caver, sea-kayaker and extreme sportsman. Recent TV projects included Operation Iceberg and Coast and he is currently filming with Monty Halls
M
Y GARAGE IS COMPLETELY taken up
with dive kit. I’ve run out of room. For example, I’ve got about 26 cylinders, and these days I’m doing mostly rebreather, so I don’t need to keep more than a couple of single 10s. The problem is that our house is too small. We may have to move home to get a bigger garage! I wouldn’t ever throw kit away, although I occasionally give it away to a local club or someone I know. But we have to thin out!
REGULATORS
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I’LL BE HONEST – I’VE NEVER FOUND A MASK THAT DOESN’T LEAK WING I’ve got a Dive Rite backplate, though I don’t particularly rate Dive Rite above anyone else, because all the backplates and harnesses are pretty similar these days. I’ve got an aluminium and a steel one. I try to use the steel one as often as possible, because it means fewer blocks of lead around my waist. I try to keep weights to a minimum because I smashed five vertebrae and permanently damaged three discs in my back when I was 21, but when I’m travelling sometimes the best thing is to take the aluminium backplate. I have a small travel wing and a small doublebladder wing. I do like wings more than BCs.
KATE WESTAWAY
I have two sets, Poseidon Xstreams and Cyklons. I use the Cyklons usually for cave-diving, because you can bludgeon them to death and they keep working. The Xstreams you can use down to 150m, and if it’s all going wrong and you’re flapping a bit they’ll keep going. It’s a good bit of kit. I’ve pretty well always used Poseidons. I got a set of Xstreams when they first came out and I liked them, whether used with twin-sets or stage bottles or whatever – and with a rebreather I use an Xstream for bail-out. If you’re at 120m and have to come off your rebreather, you want to know that your bail-out is completely reliable, so that almost gets more attention than the main reg. There aren’t many bad regulators these days. If you’re doing 30m dives in the Red Sea it’s fine to have an Xstream but you don’t need one. I also like it because it’s light and compact. A good proportion of what I do, especially in the UK, is in caves or mines, and often in mountains, but even on boats I like to carry everything myself, and keep it light and small and easily tucked away. I think it’s because I was in the army.
Diving is a very personal thing, and it doesn’t matter how much time, effort and advice you get, someone in diving will always tell you you’re wrong!
SUITS I have an O’Three 1.1mm neoprene drysuit. It’s really good, really flexible and keeps me warm. It was my first suit with neoprene seals. Latex seals are really good because you can change them in the field, but I find neoprene ones warmer and much more comfortable. I’ve got 3, 5 and 7mm Fourth Element Proteus wetsuits. I was nagging Jim [Standing] to make me a silver 7mm one, because black suits are all well and good but they’re rubbish for on-screen ☛
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My Favourite Kit JULY v2_Layout 1 03/06/2013 11:23 Page 38
DIVE GEAR photography. He’s done it, and it looks phenomenal in pictures, both topside and below. I used it on Operation Iceberg. There are only two in the world and I’ve got both of them. A few people have asked about them and Jim might be thinking about making a limited edition. My favourite piece of equipment is my 5mm Fourth Element hood. I’d never change it, because it’s just the most perfect fit. I genuinely love that hood for the way it sits – it’s as if they used my head for the mould! When they made the silver wetsuit they got another company to make the hood, and it never fitted properly. It domed up at the top and let in air. I refuse to wear a silver wetsuit with a black hood, so I’ve nagged Fourth Element and they’re making me a 5mm hood in the silver as well!
UNDERSUIT The Fourth Element Halo is a brilliant bit of kit. It’s non-compressible, and I’ve used it diving under icebergs at 30m when my gauge was reading -2°. The scientists told me no, it must have been -1.7°, but I said: “Look, fellas, for the purposes of this story it’s -2°!” I do get free kit from O’Three and Poseidon, and Fourth Element and Suunto also support my projects, but I should point out that I was already using all these companies’ kit before that.
freeive I use a little Poseidon low-volume mask.
REBREATHERS At the moment I’m loving the simplicity and reliability of the JJ. It’s such a small, light unit. Rebreathers are very personal things and the JJ wouldn’t be right for everyone, but the first time I used it, I just clicked with it. I also have a Poseidon MkVI. I support the idea of recreational rebreathers, and believe that it's bold moves like this that will keep the industry alive. We need to keep attracting new divers and motivating current divers to live and grow as a sport. I like any manufacturer, training agency, magazine or individual putting themselves out there to try and push things forward. It can only help us all and we should support them, not, as a small minority do, just see the negatives.
LIGHTS For personal lights I have a couple of little Intovas on my helmet, a narrow and a wide-beam. They do the job – you can never see that far into caves and wrecks anyway. Although they’ve been
Kit Andy lugged up Italy’s Appian Mountains to dive the Cave of Skulls! STU KEASLEY
FINS I’ve had a set of Mares Plana Avanti Quattros for 17 years, with the same plastic buckles and the same rubber straps. When I bought them I was told to be careful, because when you drop them the buckles break. Mine get kicked, I’ve had them in caves and on wrecks all over the world. They’re still among the biggest sellers today, and I think Mares just got them right first time. People claim to have faster fins but if you need to fin that fast you’ve usually done something wrong. For freediving I use a pair of Beuchats.
MASK I’ll be honest: I’ve never found a mask that doesn’t leak. It must be my face. I make sure to shave closely in the morning. I’ve tried everything. I try on a mask in the shop and it seems to fit me pretty well, but not when I get in the water. On open-circuit it’s not a drama, but when you’re on a rebreather it’s a real pain. I’ve gone back to my old Oceanic Shadow. I like it because it gives me loads of space with a nice high volume. When I
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I have a Canon 550D but I’m no professional – though I have had quite a bit of footage broadcast on television, which has all come from GoPros. A good proportion of the times I pop up on Operation Iceberg, perhaps in the middle of a big icecave, it’s me on my own filming with a GoPro. Under water I’ve often used the Intovas and the Keldans with a filter to light the scene. You often have to point them away to avoid hotspots. I’ve become a bit of a GoPro geek. Shooting with Monty or on Operation Iceberg, the BBC might have six GoPros and I bring my two and they say: “Andy, can you look after all the GoPros, because you know more about them than anybody else!” They’re a great little bit of kit, because they’ve made the filming of the underwater world accessible to everyone. They’re small and light and you can stick them anywhere. I’ve not been on a shoot in the past year where they haven’t used GoPros. They’re GoProtastic! I’m going to buy one of the new ones and test it out for battery life. Weight and self-filming are the issues for me, so GoPro’s a great option.
KNIFE
COMPUTER I use the Suunto D10 computer-watch. I’ve been diving a JJ rebreather recently for Monty Halls’ TV projects so I use it as back-up. I’ve used it in the Red Sea down to 100m, and it’s been absolutely spot-on so far.
CAMERAS
kicked around a lot they’re still working. They’re not that bright but then, they’re pretty cheap. Recently when we’ve been filming and needed a lot of light, I’ve been using Keldans. I used to use the Greenforce Squid LEDs but the Keldans have 5000 lumens – and that’s just the small ones. Rich Stevenson, who we’ve been filming with, has some bigger versions that are like a couple of suns. That’s where diving technology has come on – in the old days the lights would last about an hour if you were lucky, and were incredibly expensive. Now it’s like lighting the world.
WEIGHTBELT I like the little Beuchat waistcoat with weightpockets in the back. It gets the weight away from my spine and prevents me from getting pain in my lower back. The biggest area of buoyancy in your body is your lungs, so you want to have loads of weight beside them. If you can spread it up to your shoulder-blades that’s a lifeline, and I find it easier to freedive that way. I often wear ankle-weights if I’m wearing a drysuit, too, just to keep my trim.
I used my army knife until a couple of years ago, proper 1970s with a massive knife on the leg! It may look good but it’s useless for caves or wrecks. So now I’ve got a little knife on my forearm. It’s just one piece of metal, there’s no rubber handle. I made the holster from a piece of webbing folded over, with a stitch up the side and Velcro to keep the flap closed. It’s held on with elastic. Blue Orb, the distributor for Keldan, gave me a cutting tool called an Eezycut Trilobite. It’s a really good bit of kit, razor-sharp, so I keep that fixed just below my crotch-strap. If you want to know where something is, keep it next to your balls! For filaments and fishing-nets, big knives are useless. But if I’ dive where I know there’s big bits of thick rope, I might take a good old bread-knife. It’ll rust, but it costs £1.99 so you just get another one.
REELS I said I liked things light and compact, but there’s a limit when it comes to things like reels and SMBs. It’s fine in the Red Sea, but if you have freezing cold hands what you need is massive chunky things. I’ve got little finger spools for warmwater stuff, a couple of 100m Custom Diving reels that I use for deep deployment and a couple of huge ones that Kent Tooling made for me. They take 300m each of 3 or 4mm thick cord, for laying permanent line.
SMB I use an AP Valves crack-bottle SMB. It’s really good for rebreather diving and also quite handy to take freediving. Any problems and you just crack it. Andy Torbet was talking to Steve Weinman.
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The Scuba Place (Escapes) – 07_13_Full Page Bleed 30/05/2013 12:09 Page 1
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Eastbourne_v2_Layout 1 31/05/2013 10:37 Page 40
ABOVE
THE CHAN BELOW
The waters out of Eastbourne offer some great wreck-diving, but time it right and you can also enjoy a stirring display overhead. The aftershow race back to harbour is a spectacle in itself, says JOHN LIDDIARD
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Below: Battling with the yachties in Sovereign Harbour lock.
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S WE LEAVE THE LOCK at Sovereign Harbour, it is a perfect diving day. Flat-calm sea, clear sky with just a bit of haze. The sort of day that could convince me that I was in the Mediterranean rather than the English Channel. Our W makes easy progress out past Beachy Head. Skippers Dave and Sylvia soon have the shot hooked into the Pottery Wreck, and now we just wait for slack water. With the glassy sea, an ebb tide and a departure dictated by lock schedule, we’re here extremely early. Some divers are already kitted up and ready to go, boiling in the bag while looking out for the wake over the shot buoy to disappear. I wait. The skippers will take turns to
get a quick dive in each, swapping over while we’re all down on the wreck, so I reckon there’s no need to get ready until I see Sylvia pulling her drysuit on. The real name of the wreck is unknown, but the forward hold carried a cargo of Belgian-made pottery. A name once put forward was the Branksom Chine, a steamship built in 1899 and torpedoed by U8 on 23 February, 1915. However, the wreck’s electric-light fittings have a type of metric thread that places the date some time between the world wars. Besides which, who would ship brightly painted mass-produced pottery from Belgium in 1915, when Belgium was either occupied by the Germans or full of trenches? The Branksom Chine is no longer a possible candidate. Divers from Tunbridge Wells SAC have recovered and cleaned the compass binnacle hood, but it had no markings to identify the wreck or manufacturer. The Dieppe ferry passes half a mile or so west of us before the tide on the shot buoy is noticeably dropping. I take my cue from Sylvia and get busy. Dave gives each pair of divers a couple of minutes to get at least partway down the line before dropping the next pair on the shot. We are all in and on the wreck while the tide is still ebbing. The shot is placed nicely across the superstructure at 30m. Above the
engine-room I can see one of the difficulties presented in identifying the wreck. The engine and boiler or boilers are completely enclosed by hull and deck, with debris across them. I can’t make out any detail of the engine and, while I suspect there is just a single boiler, I wouldn’t bet on it. At the stern, the steering is a T on top of the rudder-post, the sort of machinery that would have been pushed by steam power, suggesting perhaps a newer ship. A deck-house between the aft holds used to support the aft mast, then amidships the superstructure rises higher than I would expect from an older ship, with solid steel construction high above the engine and boiler. Were this a World War Two steamship wreck, chances are it would be covered in guns. If it were a WW1 wreck, there’s a good chance it would have carried a stern gun. IMMEDIATELY AFT OF THE superstructure, across the bulkhead to the first hold aft, the ship is almost split across. Such damage could have been caused by it hitting the seabed, but also by collision, mine or torpedo damage. So, despite the many clues, the Pottery Wreck remains an unknown. By the time I surface, both skippers are back aboard. All divers recovered, we head towards the beach at Eastbourne.
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UK DIVER
NEL MARK JARVIS
Good second dives only a little further down the English Channel can be hard to come by, unless you wait six hours for the next tide. By the time you get as far up as Eastbourne, the now-rapid narrowing and shallowing of the Channel causes a big change in tide times for 20 or so miles along the coast. A wise skipper can take advantage of this to catch two
anniversary dive on the Holland 5 submarine (divEr, December 2012). With a tide that was picking up but still manageable, the NAS team had a buoy to replace and some site details to check, and the rest of us joined them to have a look. As the site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act, diving is permitted only with a licensee or with a visitor’s licence from English Heritage.
slack waters only a few hours apart (see panel overleaf). There are also some inshore locations where back-eddies or friction with the shore change the time of slack water. It was just such a tidal influence that had enabled us to dive the Norman's Bay wreck as a second dive the day before. The Nautical Archaeology Society had chartered Our W for a 100th Left: Steering at the top of the rudder post on the Pottery Wreck.
IT WAS AS RECENT as 2006 when Martin Wiltshire, Steve Pace and Paul Stratford dived the Norman’s Bay site while trying to free a lobster pot, and found piles of cannons and anchors. This site had long been known as an echo-sounder trace. “I often pinged it when heading east from Sovereign, but never got round to having a look. There were always more pressing dives to do,” says skipper Dave, kicking himself again for not being the first to dive it. There must be others who thought the same. The wreck is now surveyed, but not identified. It was a third rate warship ☛
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Eastbourne_v2_Layout 1 31/05/2013 10:39 Page 43
UK DIVER
downloaded as a PDF that keys these markers to the site plan. Back to today, we have a second dive option that comes up just four days a year, and even less frequently with perfect conditions – an August afternoon off the beach at Eastbourne watching the air show. THE BIGGEST SEAFRONT air show in the UK, Airbourne is now in its 20th year. Following various air display accidents and crowd disasters in the 1960s, aircraft are not allowed to perform low over a crowd, but at Eastbourne the audience lines the beach and the aircraft do their thing at low level just off it. If you have a boat, from Thursday to Sunday you can anchor up right beneath all the action and get a really good view.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE TIDES SLACK WATER at the eastern end of the English Channel is governed by the meeting of tides coming up the Channel and down the North Sea. It would be easy to assume that these meet at Dover, where the channel is narrowest, but they actually meet around Dungeness, and are even responsible for the formation of the extended shingle headland. The Channel’s funnelling effect, combined with an opposing stream from the North Sea, results in the time separation of tides east of Eastbourne being sufficiently compressed for divers to take advantage of it. After a slackwater dive, by driving the boat 15-20 miles along the coast you can rendezvous with slack water on the previous or next tide only a few hours later. This all depends on the tides being at the right time of day, so the weekends when such favourable tides
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occur tend to be snapped up fast. Skipper Dave Ronnan has a couple of generic plans for doing this. Ideally, you catch a high-water slack closer to Eastbourne, then chase the same tide up the Channel to catch the same high-water slack only a few hours later. Less conveniently, because the boat has to drive against the tide all day, you start well to the east on a lowwater slack, then head back towards Eastbourne to catch the following high-water slack. Dave also cautions that the first dive should be shallower than 35m, with a total run time of less than one hour, allowing time to drive the boat to the second slack and to keep the decompression sensible for the length of surface interval. If you stay in too long on the first dive, there won’t be time to get to the second dive!
EASTBOURNE TOURISM DEPARTMENT
of 800 to 1000 tons, about 40m long and dating from 1600-1800. HMS Resolution, a 70-gun ship that sank during the great storm of 1703, has been suggested but there are other unlocated historical wrecks of similar size in the area. Three Dutch ships were lost in Norman’s Bay when the French defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1609. Timber samples from the wreck have been identified as originating in Holland or Germany at about that time, strengthening the case for it being a Dutch vessel. As I crawl close to the seabed and beneath the current, I find the ballast mound, some timber, the anchor and some of the 42 guns. The site is marked out with a perimeter line and trail markers. A diver's guide can be
Above left: Waiting for slack water above the Nyon. Above: Crowds line the seafront to watch the Red Arrows. Below: Cylinder head from the six-cylinder marine diesel engine on the Nyon.
On Our W it is always a well-booked dive trip. We sit out on deck and watch historical WW2 aircraft perform mock dogfights or just fly low above us. More modern stunt planes then put on a higher G-aerobatics display and we are treated to creative performances by a good selection of current military aircraft and helicopters. I am sure some of the pilots waggle their wings just for those of us watching from boats. Having finished my sandwiches long ago, my enjoyment is marred only by the waft of barbecue coming from a boat anchored upwind of us. There is something about the sound of the Merlin engines of Hurricanes, Spitfires, a Lancaster bomber and a pair of Mustangs that is addictive. Wouldn’t it be great if dive-boats sounded like that! As the display ends, anchors are pulled and we race for the Sovereign Harbour marina. The queue for the lock is already trailing back through the outer basin, ☛
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UK DIVER
Left: Cluster of tubes beneath collapsed deck of superstructure, possibly a water-maker, on the Nyon.
past the breakwater and building up behind us. Among those who know what they are doing are the usual mixture of those who never did, those who leave harbour only once a year, and those who may once have known what they were doing, but not in a building crosswind, and certainly not after the alcohol they have consumed through the afternoon. The working boats are happy to stack several deep against the side of the lock, but some of the yachties are a bit precious about their sparkling white GRP and never seem to have fenders in the right place or enough of them, so will do all they can to have the lock to themselves. Not that it stops traffic control from packing them in, but the whingeing does slow things down. Dave and Sylvia bring the big Offshore 125 carefully into position and the continuing mayhem among the yachties provides entertainment almost as good as the air show.
It stops just short of carnage, but yacht’s railings are bent and stanchions pulled from decks among much cursing about right of way, while using too much throttle and not enough finesse as another yacht messes up and enters the lock sideways. Even if you’re not here for the diving, setting up for an afternoon picnic beside the lock will keep the kids entertained.
Above right: Skipper Dave Ronnan at the helm of Our W as it passes Beachy Head.
NEXT MORNING we’re too early for the outbound lock to be crowded, but not so early as to affect my beauty sleep. The few yachts we share with have the serious crews who place their fenders in the right positions as they manoeuvre delicately alongside the working boats. Our wreck today really is a wreck and a half, but we get to dive only the wreck, not the half part – which is in Scotland. The Nyon was a 5364-ton motor ship that ran onto the shore in fog just along from St Abbs in 1958. Tugs couldn't pull the stranded vessel free, so she was cut in Left: Our W safely back from the lock crush in Sovereign Harbour.
two just forward of the engine-room, using explosives. The aft part was towed to North Shields for temporary repairs before going to Holland for a new bow. The bow part was soon reduced to debris by a storm. The newly rebuilt Nyon re-entered service 4.7m longer and rated at 5,365 tons. On 15 June, 1962, she collided with the Indian cargo ship Jalazad in foggy conditions off Beachy Head. Fog and the Nyon never did get on. The position given in Nyon's distress signal was 80 miles west of the true one, but all the crew were rescued by the Jalazad. The Nyon sank for the second and final time in just 14 minutes. Navigation on the forward part of the wreck is tricky. There is a twist between the two forward holds and the central hold, where the bridge and forward superstructure would have been. Could this be where the Jalazad's bow cut into the Nyon? Or perhaps this was caused by the bow dragging on the seabed as the Nyon sank. There is also a gap in the wreckage where the stern has fallen to port behind the last hold, so perhaps the collision was there. It’s a rougher day, so as the air show continues off the beach we don’t linger. We all enjoyed yesterday, and agree that today one good dive is enough.
FACTFILE DIVING: Our W / Dive-125, skippers Dave Ronnan and Sylvia Pryer, 07764 585353, www.dive125.co.uk AIR: Our W has an onboard compressor and a limited supply of oxygen for mixing nitrox. If you require large quantities of oxygen or any helium, arrange it in advance. The nearest commercial air station is Newhaven Scuba Centre, 01273 612012, www.newhaven-scuba.co.uk FURTHER INFORMATION: Admiralty Chart 1652, Selsey Bill to Beachy Head. Admiralty Chart 536, Beachy Head to Dungeness. Ordnance Survey Map 199, Eastbourne & Hastings, Crowborough, Battle & Heathfield. Dive Sussex, by Kendall McDonald. Shipwreck Index of the British Isles Vol 2, by Richard & Bridget Larn. World War One Channel Wrecks by Neil Maw.
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Ambient Pressure Diving – 05_13_Full Page Bleed 28/03/2013 12:05 Page 1
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THE ART OF
MAKING Do friends and neighbours run and hide when they see you bearing down on them with another home-made underwater mega-production on your iPad? It doesn’t have to be that way, says JOHN BANTIN
time-frame was a great discipline. Look for an opening shot that will grab the attention of the viewer, something dramatic in-between, and a killer shot that will bring your programme to a satisfying conclusion.
S
Consider Attention Spans
OME DIVERS USE THEIR cameras only for video clips, the moving equivalent of a snapshot. Often these clips get no further than being viewed on the LCD of the camera, never to be seen again. Others want to produce something more ambitious, in the form of a viewable programme. Whether you shoot on a giant Panavision 70 camera, an expensive high-definition Red Epic or a modest little GoPro, the basic rules of shooting scenes that can be bolted together to form something that is viewable remain the same. Each segment of footage, every moment that you record, should be considered as an important brick in the architecture of the final programme. A traditional feature-film director
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such as David Lean, with a background as a film editor, only ever shot exactly what he needed to fulfil the script. You may prefer to shoot everything that moves and a lot that doesn’t. Under water, we rarely have a script to follow and so are left shooting opportunistically. However, a little forethought can go a long way to getting shots that can be stitched together later in a sensible way. Still pictures can stand alone. Movies rely on the shot shown before and the one after. It’s a sequence.
Tell a Story I gained my filming experience making television commercials. They rarely lasted more than 30 seconds on screen but they had a beginning, a middle and an end, and getting all that into a short
TV commercials not only have to keep the viewer engaged but must stand up to repetition. Bear in mind that your viewers may not be as engaged with your subject matter as you are, and consider 20 minutes to be the longest time they’re likely to watch your production before making their excuses to leave.
It Never Happened A movie is a sequence of events recorded and joined together to form an event that never actually happened. The key element is that these segments must fit together in a believable way.
Continuity Feature-film productions employ people specifically to check on continuity. Even so, enough continuity bloomers find
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UNDERWATER VIDEO
MOVIES their way onto the screen to keep outtakes programme-makers happy. Under water, we have to think in terms of continuity of lighting, which is mainly dictated by the time of day. Also, if we feature divers in a sequence shot over more than one dive, they need to be wearing the same kit in exactly the same way. Inserting a shot from night into a broad-daylight sequence will never look right.
Keep the Camera Still The subject moves and the camera remains still. That’s often more easily said than done under water, but professional film-makers go to extraordinary lengths to keep their cameras steady while the action goes on in front of them. Ironically, the latest generation of little action cameras are harder to keep steady while recording. However, unless you are jumping off the top of a mountain and your viewer is intrigued to see the expected moment of impact, a wobbly image will simply make the video more difficult to view,
and in some cases may even make your viewers sick!
Wide, Middle, Close-up Gather the shots that will become useful when it comes to constructing your movie. Shoot a wide establishing shot, a middle-distance action shot and a close-up of each subject. You’ll be amazed how useful the material you’ve collected will be when it comes to assembling a production.
Let Your Subject Go Following an animal as it moves is seductive when you are there, but don’t do it for too long. It gets boring to watch. Let the animal move into frame, follow it for a bit and then let it clear the frame. This will give you the moments in which to cut from one shot to the next.
Don’t Cross the Line A cardinal rule on land is to imagine that there is a line down the middle of the path your moving subject takes. Never cross that line with your camera, or it will look as if your subject has changed
direction and gone back the other way. Less crucial with underwater subjects, “crossing the line” often gives the impression that the video has more than one subject – and that can make the action busy.
Build the Story A still picture has to tell the whole story at a glance, but a moving picture adds time-scale. You can build a picture of your subject by joining together lots of shots. This is fortunate, because it’s very hard to get a satisfactory wide-angle image that is well lit, thanks to the limitations of underwater lighting. Instead, you can build by joining together lots of close-ups, so that the light you take with you will have a full effect, and give you some decent colour in your subject.
Clever Tricks There was a moment in Jaws when Roy Scheider, playing the police chief, thinks he sees the shark. Spielberg dollies in with the camera while zooming out ☛
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UNDERWATER VIDEO
with the lens. The effect is to keep the actor’s head the same size but change the perspective. His nose grows out and his ear pin back. It’s a classic moment of cinema, but if it was used more than once it would simply become a cliché. If you get an idea for a clever piece of trickery, use it once only and maintain its value.
Slow Motion Increasing the camera frame rate from the viewed 25 frames per second gives a slow-motion effect. This smoothes down the action and is especially useful with fastmoving underwater subjects. It’s almost standard procedure with underwater wildlife films.
Record Cut-Aways A cut-away is a shot that allows the editor to cut from the main action for a moment, and comes in very useful when constructing awkward sequences. The effect is to imply that these animals so recorded are bystanders to the main action. Luckily, you can use almost any underwater subject as a cut-away, but it’s important that the camera is steady if these shots are to be inserted into a moving camera sequence.
Be Ruthless Once you start editing your material, be ruthless. The cuttingroom floor is as important as the retained material. Choose the essence of the action. Keep it brief. Keep your audience wanting more, not less. When you have a lot of footage, the cameraman can become too emotionally attached to it. That’s why movies are traditionally edited by people who were not present at the shooting stage.
Never Show Your Rushes The term “rushes” was applied to the print from the raw camera material that was rushed from the lab to the studio viewing theatres for directors to see what they’d got. Today, we can conveniently play back the video footage. A cardinal rule was never to show the rushes to anyone not directly involved in the shooting. People will only remember the offcuts. So only ever show an audience your finished production.
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Respect Copyright You’d be rather upset if someone broadcast your film without your permission, so don’t use the work of other artists as a soundtrack to your movie. Enya or Daft Punk might take offence if they discovered that you’d done that. Use the non-copyrighted music that is available cheaply from music libraries, or record your own if you are able. I know you think your movie is only for home use but who knows what the future will hold? Everything gets onto the Internet nowadays.
The Hardware “Not another video of blue fish!” I can just hear the groans of my friends from my early days of underwater video-making. Light under water is filtered so that only the shorter blue wavelengths penetrate much more than a few metres from the surface. So if you are shooting anywhere other than the shallows, where a colour-correction filter over the lens will work, you’ll need some independent lighting to give you a full spectrum of colour. Video lights need to give a wide and perfectly even spread of light. Two will make it easier, and give lessharsh shadows. These lights can be mounted on a rig that holds the camera, and although some of these little cameras are tiny in the extreme, mounting them onto a larger rig, perhaps with grips and mounting-points for lights, will help you to achieve a steadier operating position. Lights that are popular on account of their small dimensions are the Light & Motion Sola family, but plenty of alternatives are available. Light gets filtered by water so that, however bright your lamp, it won’t be effective for any subject much more than 2m away. Although you can get lamps of up to 10,000 lumens output, there’s little point in getting anything brighter
than 2000, and lamps of 500 lumens output appear to work just as well. Extending telescopic poles on which you can mount a little camera are becoming popular. They allow a diver to get the extreme close-up of what may be a slightly daunting animal without needing to get too close up and personal. At the same time, a small sedentary animal will not be scared off by the massive dark shape of a diver looming over it. One manufacturer, Hugyfot, offers a robust housing for the tiny GoPro camera that can be mounted on the end of a pole with a 2.5m-long feed cable to a separate monitor at the operator’s end. Avoid head-mounted cameras under water. The material they produce is usually very wobbly, disfigured by exhaled bubbles and otherwise of use only to a coroner’s investigation. Even some keen underwater stills photographers have been seen recently experimenting with tripods.
The Software Video-editing software is required to put your shots together to make a programme on your home computer or laptop before you can start giving out DVDs to your friends. Adobe Premier Pro CS6, Final Cut Pro, Premier Elements 9, Apple iMovie, Corel VideoStudio Pro X4, Cyberlink Power Director 9 Deluxe, Microsoft Live Movie Maker, Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD, the list is endless, but you will need software of some sort and the computer to run it on. Start by consulting your camera manual for the recommended software. ☛
Most digital cameras – and mobile phones – now have a video option.
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UNDERWATER VIDEO Compact Cameras
CAMERA CATEGORIES Moving-image cameras can be divided into five distinct groups:
Compacts are relatively inexpensive in a proprietary acrylic housing, and most of them will shoot short video clips. They make a great aide memoire, al though their immediacy may be more seductive than the quality. It all depends on the camera concerned. Some high-end compacts are equipped to shoot HD video.
CANON G1X VIDEO FORMAT8 MOV (H264) RESOLUTION8 1920 x 1080 HD @ 25fps MAX RECORDING TIME8 29min PRICE8 (ex housing) £450 approx
SONY DSC RX100 VIDEO FORMATS8 AVCHD (H264) and MP4
RESOLUTIONS8 1920 x 1080 HD @ 50fps and 1440 x 1080 @ 25fps
MAX RECORDING TIME8 29min
PRICE8 (ex housing)
Pure Video Cameras Rapidly becoming the sole domain of professional film-makers, this sector is dominated by the brands Sony and RED. Their cameras can shoot highdefinition material of broadcast quality. RED has recently cut its prices in two.
£475 approx
Canon G1X – rear view, ready for video action.
Big boys’ toys – purely for the professional.
Nikon D800, one of today’s DSLRs that can shoot video of broadcast quality.
Many digital single-lens-reflex cameras can now shoot video at the flick of a switch, and many can shoot material of a quality that is acceptable to the BBC for broadcast. This is why you might see professional underwater wildlife photographers using top-end cameras from Canon and Nikon in underwater housings. As such they are put into “live view” mode and are used in exactly the same way as modern mirror-less cameras that take interchangeable lenses, viewing the image on the LCD. Some have an HDMI take-off to allow use of a separate image monitor.
RED EPIC-M BRAIN FORMAT8 HDRx RESOLUTIONS8 inc. 5120 x 2700 @ 48fps and 2048 x 1080 @ 120fps
MAX RECORDING TIME8 Solid-state (n/a) PRICE8 (ex lenses & housing) £16,000 approx
SONY NEX-FS 100 FORMAT8 AVCHD RESOLUTIONS8 inc. 1920 x 1080 @ 50fps and 25fps
MAX RECORDING TIME8 510min PRICE8 (ex lenses & housing) £4000 approx
CHANGING PROTOCOLS There was a time when anybody with a camera under water was in a minority. Now it’s the majority, and small video cameras are forging ahead. The problem arises when a group of camerawielding divers come across a single subject that interests all of them. Witness the big groups of divers at Lembeh surrounding a poor, lonely hairy frogfish. At least with still images, people take their picture and move on. But a 30-second take with a video camera does take half a minute. Increasingly you’ll see groups of video-makers surrounding a solitary animal such as a roosting turtle, running their cameras, recording video and waiting for the animal to do something interesting. What it usually decides on is a bolt for safety.
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DSLRs and System Compacts
Small cameras also make the underwater photographer more nimble, and give him the chance to steam into a situation without giving it any thought first. Some bad underwater behaviour can result. In Sipadan, Malaysia’s only truly oceanic island, there is now talk of banning all but professionally credited photographers in response to this problem. Further popular and endangered diving environments might follow suit. The answer to all this is not to dive in a photo/video-oriented group. Dive centres and liveaboards might have problems coming to terms with this, but I see a return to more traditional intimate buddy diving in the future. Underwater paparazzi, you have been warned!
NIKON D800 VIDEO FORMATS8 MPEG-4 and H.264 (compressed using B-frame data or bypassed using HDMI port) RESOLUTIONS8 inc. 1280 x 720 @ 60, 50, 30 and 25fps (1920 x 1080 and 640 x 424) MAX RECORDING TIME8 29min PRICE8 (ex lenses and housing) £2000 approx
PANASONIC LUMIX GX1 VIDEO FORMATS8 AVCHD and MP4 RESOLUTIONS8 inc. 1920 x 1080 @ 50fps and 1920 x 1080 @ 25fps
MAX RECORDING TIME8 29min PRICE8 with 14-42 lens (ex housing) £500 approx
www.divErNEt.com
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Action Cameras The GoPro range of HD cameras is the unassailable brand-leader in this field at the moment, although other cameras such as the Liquid Image Ego, the Contour, the Drift, the JVC Maxx and the Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 have recently rushed to join this fastgrowing segment of the market. Most recently Polaroid has introduced a range of three action cameras, although these are depth-limited. All these tiny units allow programme-makers to position cameras in places that would formerly have been impossible. Even BBC Wildlife programme- makers are employing their tiny size and almost “disposable cost” to get shots that would otherwise be out of the question (see this month’s My Favourite Kit, with Andy Torbet).
GoPro Black – leading the ‘action camera’ charge.
GOPRO HERO HD3 BLACK FORMAT8 HD RESOLUTIONS8 inc. 1080 @ 60fps MAX RECORDING TIME8 40min approx PRICE8 (inc basic housing) £360 approx
Phone Cameras The iPhone and its Android competitors can all shoot movie sequences, and underwater housings are rapidly becoming available for them. As with the video clips obtained with lower-end compact digital cameras, clips from phones make a great souvenir but are not yet up to making programmes. However, the world of technology is fast-moving, so watch this space.
IPHONE 5 64GB FORMAT8 HD RESOLUTION8 1080 @ 30fps MAX RECORDING TIME8 n/a PRICE8 (ex housing) £529 www.divErNEt.com
You can find many places selling UW photo kit but only one place has it all
We stock: Canon, Olympus, Inon, Sea & Sea, Nauticam, Light & Motion, Subsee, Patima, Hugyfot, GoPro, etc... Address: 11-14 Northumberland Ave London, WC2N 5AQ Underground: Embankment Contact: Phone: 020 7930 5051 info@oceanleisurecameras.com www.oceanleisurecameras.com
iPhone – with waterproof housing and lanyard.
Open 7 days a week
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MAKE LOVE… What happens when the normally shy and cryptic cuttlefish lets its guard down and allows us an intimate view of something very special? DEBI HENSHAW found out
W
ATCHING ANY MARINELIFE interaction is fascinating, but the act of reproduction surely has to be one of the most interesting. On a muck-dive site in the Raja Ampat on which nothing much seemed to be happening, my attention was drawn to two small cuttlefish that seemed to be extremely interested in each other. Settling to watch the unfolding scenario, I soon realised that these were not the only cuttlefish in the vicinity. The whole area was alive with activity, with at least 10 more animals all with just one thing on their minds – mating! Most cephalopods are “big-bang” spawners with just a single breeding season, and I seemed to be right in the middle of it. Cuttlefish are famous for their ability to change the way they look. One minute they are blending into their
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surroundings, often reinforcing their disguise by pushing up fingers of skin to mimic branches of weed or coral. The next, they are putting on a firework show of pulsating and flashing skin changes, especially when stalking prey, fighting rivals and courting mates. These colour changes are made possible by small structures within the skin that contain coloured ink. These can be expanded and contracted to allow cuttlefish to communicate with others through patterns, textures and many colour schemes. Cuttlefish belong to an order of molluscs with a porous internal shell. This cuttlebone plays an important role in buoyancy control, because they fill
the chambers or empty them of gas, much as we do with BCs. I watched a courting pair where the male, the larger of the two, was following the female’s every move. They would be actively feeding, then, with a quick flash of colour, would turn to face each other and come together to mate. With the female opening her arms to reveal her mouth, the pair would lock arms together and the male, using his modified arm, would pass a
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MARINE LIFE
Above: Sperm can be seen around the mouth of the female. Pictured and below left: The male approaches the female and transfers his sperm. Females, followed by males, die once the mating process is complete.
spermatophore, a waterproof container for storing sperm, into a pouch near the female’s mouth – the “seminal receptacle”. The transferred spermatophores then burst, and the sperm moves up the oviduct to fertilise the eggs. Sexually receptive female cuttlefish mate repeatedly, and their choice of mate is not exclusive, which makes the competition between males intense. The male has to protect his
valuable sperm investment, and will closely guard “his” female and chase and even fight off would-be suitors. Mating and reproduction is a one-off affair in cuttlefish, although the process can last for days. Once the eggs have been laid, the female will die, followed soon afterwards by the male. I continued watching this magical ritual, with the cuttlefish pair feeding one minute and mating the next, and suddenly became aware of a third cuttlefish in the territory. Another male had arrived, and it was down to the guarding male to ensure that his mating efforts were not in vain. Smaller males will often mimic females by acquiring their mottled skin-pattern and imitating their egglaying posture. This enables them to get closer without raising suspicions from the consort male – sneaking in through the side door, you might say. Suddenly, with alarming speed and intense colours flashing, the intruding male was chased off to try his luck elsewhere. Soon afterwards the courting couple resumed their mating, totally
oblivious to me and my bulky camera. The term “sperm competition” is used to describe the competitive process between the sperm of two or more males trying to fertilise an egg of a lone female. Images I took on this dive shows evidence of this, with the collection of sperm around the female’s mouth. The male may have propelled a jet of water into the female’s pocket to expel any previously deposited sperm, but DNA analysis has proven that sperm from more than one male has been used to fertilise a clutch of eggs. This suggests that the female can draw on any of her sperm stores to fertilise the next generation. The eggs, typically round or cylindrical, are laid on the seabed, often attached to rocks or coral, developing and hatching within one to two months. The new-borns are near-perfect replicas of the adult, with a nourishing supply of yolk to keep them alive until they make their first kill. They also carry ink designed to confuse and help them evade any would-be attacker. If you see more than one cuttlefish on the reef, slow down, approach quietly and watch what must be one of the most beautiful events in the sea. ☛
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SCOTT SMITH
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MARINE LIFE
…NOT WAR RICHARD CAREY witnesses an unusual sight in the Red Sea
D
EVIL SCORPIONFISH are quite a common species on Red Sea reefs. They are not always easily spotted, as they are well camouflaged and sit motionless waiting for an unsuspecting fish to come within range. It is not often that we see two together, so we have little idea how two fish will react to each other when their paths cross. On a dive at
Gabr el Bint near Dahab, I spotted a scorpionfish on some rubble, and when I got close I realised that there were in fact two of them – and one had the other by its pectoral fin. The two fish were fighting, probably in a territorial battle. I stayed with them for more than 15 minutes. They would fight, one would get a grip on the other, then that one would wriggle free and the battle would resume. At one point one had the other's head in its mouth – and had apparently won the battle – but not for long, because each time the held fish would summon some extra reserves of energy and break free to fight back. Eventually one of the scorpionfish broke free and swam away – presumably deciding that it was better to escape to fight another day.
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BLACKFORD DUFF BUDDIES NOBODY WANTS TO DIVE WITH DUFF DEREK. Disaster slinks at his heels like a mangy dog. Nothing is Derek-proof. Electricity panics when it sees him coming: his mere presence causes fuses to blow, switches to burn out, cables to melt. A spy satellite could trace his movements by the puddle of darkness that accompanies him wherever he goes. At Sturminster Parva Branch, he was the common factor in an endless succession of frustrating episodes. Perfectly sound inflatables would deflate when he stepped aboard. Just-filled cylinders would prove to be unaccountably void. Even the simplest items of equipment – fins, snorkels – would fail mysteriously when subjected to Derek’s reverse Midas touch. I once spent three hours with him on a liveaboard off Jersey. We were waiting for the lifeboat. A pygmy shrew, of a variety found only on a remote South Sea archipelago, had somehow gnawed through the tungsten steel hawsers of the rudder assembly. To pass the time, Derek told me his life story. He had originally trained as an accountant, but after his employer had called in the Official Receiver – an occurrence unique in the profession – he’d switched to the demolition industry, where his special talents might be better put to use. The court case relating to the destruction of the 11th century City church of St Clovis the Unfortunate, a World Heritage Site, still rumbles on. His next position was as an undercover agent for Military Intelligence. His work simply required him to join any organisation that the authorities felt was a threat to national security. At last, Derek seemed to have found his niche. Mayhem followed him from terrorist cell to animal rights organisation to nihilist brotherhood. Explosives refused to detonate, or went off prematurely. Through the most bizarre chains of coincidence, incriminating emails re-directed themselves to Scotland Yard. But then the bacterium of chaos, of which Derek was the carrier, infected MI4 itself. After a series of bungled operations (including the attempted assassination of the US president because of a typographical error identifying him as Obama Sin Laden) the department was dissolved. Derek was worried at first – jobless again, with a CV that would make a Greek tragedy read like PG Wodehouse. But the Department of Work & Pensions came to the rescue. It seems they would go to any lengths to ensure that he never worked again. He was housed rent-free in a seven-bedroomed council penthouse suite in Belgravia, sharing a helipad with the Mayor of London. Then came a news update from the skipper: the lifeboat had foundered on an uncharted reef. Derek shrugged philosophically. “We’ll just have to swim for it. Ready?” I didn’t hesitate.“Love to, Del, but the old knee is giving me gip. You just go ahead – I’ll be fine.” As he finned confidently away towards Newfoundland, I watched with satisfaction as the Coastguard’s chopper raced towards us. And then, with rather less satisfaction, as it was forced to ditch, the result (it transpired) of an unprecedented electrical fault.
THEY WOULD GO TO ANY LENGTHS TO ENSURE THAT DEREK NEVER WORKED AGAIN
ANDY BLACKFORD www.divErNEt.com
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BE THE CHAMP! L
OCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Where you dive
is a crucial factor in underwater photography, and the different conditions and subject matter in each locale usually require quite different approaches if we want to produce winning images. In the next few issues of divEr I want to look in detail at three destinations that dominate the British diver’s agenda: the Red Sea, the Maldives and, to kick us off this month, British Seas. Each throws up unique challenges, and I plan to tackle the key issues for shooting great images at each spot. Poor visibility is the biggest constraint on photography in British Seas. One of John Bantin’s favourite photography gags sums it up well: “If you want better pictures, invest in better water.” And JB’s point is particularly true here in the UK. I know we can’t just buy better water, but even before we get wet we can greatly improve our images by searching for the best conditions. Periods of calm weather with a lack of rainfall means less sediment and run-off, although during the first half of the season, such conditions are perfect for kicking off a bloom. Trying to second-guess the vis is a thankless task, but there are a few rules worth following. Head west for the clearest water. Cold, dry winter weather usually brings our clearest water. Early-season dives are often particularly good. Calm summer weather improves the vis on the shore dives in the south of England. And popular sites, particularly shore dives, are much clearer on a weekday than at a weekend! However, even the most experienced visibility soothsayer will be proved wrong by the fickle nature of British
STARTER TIP Concentrate on colour. People expect British seas to be drab, so seek out gaudy nudibranchs, flashy wrasse and bright soft corals and anemones. Colourful images will always catch the eye.
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There is a basic requirement for successful underwater photography in a climate as challenging as Britain’s, says ALEX MUSTARD, and that’s careful selection of your time and place. Tricky, but there are short-cuts
’Trying to second-guess the vis is a thankless task’ seas. As I write, the past two weeks have had fairly stable weather, and last weekend I popped to Babbacombe to see the cuttlefish. The day before in Plymouth we’d had close to 10m vis, but in Torbay it was less than 1m. Then, just five days later, with no obvious change in conditions, it was up to 6m and my buddies nailed some truly excellent images. As one of the local divers said to me: “Nobody can explain why it suddenly improved”.
THE BEST INFORMATION is local knowledge. Local dive shops will usually have a good idea, but they can have a slightly optimistic bias! Your best bet are local photographers, using forums or Facebook to ask about the vis. There is even a Facebook group called UK Viz Reports. If possible, always ask photographers, as they will understand the difference between workable and unworkable conditions. Before I dive in the UK, I am always on the phone with my buddies. And our conversations contain much more “How’s the vis?” than “How’s the wife?” All the leading British underwater photographers are equally obsessed, and most of us are decent enough to email our buddies when we find surprisingly clear water on a popular site. That said, I
always take both a macro and wide angle lens in the car and will always choose wide when the conditions allow, simply because good-quality macro can be achieved in both good and bad conditions.
AS YOU PROBABLY know,
Below: In poor conditions, macro is our go-to technique, but the best shots tend to come when we choose to shoot small, rather than being forced to. Taken with Nikon D4, Nikon 105mm VR, Subsee +10 dioptre. Subal housing, INON Z240 strobes. ISO 400, 1/320th @ f/32.
backscatter is caused when particles in the water reflect the light back to the camera, in extreme cases covering the image with an unsightly blizzard. We’ve all been there! There are lots of solutions, and almost all of them are completely logical when we understand the cause properly. Put simply, we get more backscatter the more particles that both the flash illuminates and the lens sees. We can’t decrease the concentration of particles in British seawater, but poor ☛
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PHOTO TECHNIQUE Pictured: When we’re lucky enough to get clear water, we should make the most of it and do shots we couldn’t on a normal day. This is the E49 submarine in Shetland. Taken with Nikon D700 + Nikon 16mm. Subal housing, Zen 230 dome. No flash. ISO 1000, 1/30th @ f/7.1.
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PHOTO TECHNIQUE
MID-WATER TIP
Pictured: British seas are full of colour and life, but conditions are not always suited for every type of shot, and reward correct photographic technique.
Visit specific sites for specific subjects. There are plenty of spots known for particular subjects, so go there and really work the opportunity. Plan a trip to shoot wide-angle soft coral-covered rocks in St Abbs, tompot blennies under Swanage Pier and so on.
Nikon D7000, Tokina 1017mm, Nauticam housing, Zen mini-dome, INON Z240 strobes. ISO 200, 1/60th @ f/18.
inwater skills can increase them! Good diving skills, including buoyancy and fin awareness, really make a difference. Many British dive sites are silty, and if you plummet into the sediment or plough through the kelp, your pictures will always have more backscatter than those of the more careful photographer. The less you move, the less you disturb. However, while we can’t reduce the concentration of particles in the water, we can decrease the number by simply moving closer. I know it sounds obvious, but it is the best way to reduce backscatter, and is often overlooked as photographers confuse themselves with ever more elaborate strobe angles. One tip is to go one lens wider and force ourselves to get closer. So if you normally shoot a critter with a 105mm macro lens, try a 60mm if the vis is poor, and so on. And if you are already under water and finding it murky, think of compositions that will work when you are close, such as not shooting the whole animal, or concentrate on non-moving subjects, which will allow you to shoot from very close.
STROBES CAUSE backscatter and while we need strobe light to illuminate the subject, we don’t need it everywhere, otherwise it is just lighting up particles in the water. It is a truism of underwater photography that when a photographer buys a second strobe, he or she will rarely dive with just one strobe again. Yet, in murky conditions, going back to a single strobe can halve your backscatter in a simple step. We can improve matters further by restricting the beam of the strobe, using a snoot. The aim is not to create a spotlight of light in the picture, but to illuminate the subject properly and not the surrounding water, therefore greatly reducing backscatter. Many leading British photographers dive with plant-pots, funnels and spare bits of neoprene on their strobes to narrow the beam and minimise backscatter in this way. Finally, backscatter shows up most clearly against a brilliant black 60
background, so when conditions are bad we can hide the fact by shooting a subject against the seabed, or using
EXPERT TIP Dive with other photographers. Club trips are great fun, but choosing diving that “pleases everyone” rarely yields the best images in challenging UK conditions. Instead, plan some photography-focused diving with a friend and take in popular imaging spots, such as the sea lochs of the Scottish west coast.
a long exposure to frame it against green water. However, subjects often look at their most spectacular against a strong black – they jump off the page and the background emphasises their graphic qualities. So these solutions, while necessary at times, will reduce the impact of our shots. The take-home message is to shoot to the conditions, and where possible to ensure that our camera is heading for the best conditions even before we leave the house.
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Trewavas JULY_Layout 1 03/06/2013 12:17 Page 63
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I’M WAITING FOR THE PLANE. Not just any old plane: the Dornier 17 that’s been lying upside-down on Goodwin Sands since it crashed after a bombing raid. Sometimes I believe it’s imminently about to emerge from the sea, and at other times I lose confidence. Even the BBC’s Nick Higham – so chipper and assured at the start of the story – is beginning to take on the appearance of a man who’s been sold a dud. As we go to press, the umpteenth attempt has just been cancelled because of “high winds”. But what a great story! A genuine Nazi warplane, uncovered after being hidden for decades by the mysteriously shifting sands off the Kent coast. It’s got an amazing back-story and it’s the only one of its kind left. We’ve seen the underwater footage of the wreck, and the black and white images of the Dornier 17 in flight. We’ve heard from the historical experts. We’ve been shown the animation of how the plane will be raised. Now all we need is the actual wreck to rise, and at the moment it’s just not happening. “It’s a bit choppy out here,” reported Nick Higham, dressed up good and proper in his technical gear while reporting from the deck of the dive vessel. Actually, from where I was sitting it looked like a sea state 2-3; imminently diveable. Hmmmm. So at this point a doubt was beginning to form in my mind about the determination of the commercial company involved in the lift. After all, who wants the pressure of cocking things up on a live broadcast, while being watched by a global audience? With 16-plus days of diving already lost and the money rapidly running out, the plan has had to be changed and simplified. Why did none of the divers say earlier that keeping it simple was a better option? I’ve now resorted to praying to Neptune for more favourable conditions. Things are looking desperate. I’m wondering how many extra visitors the RAF Museum is counting on to justify the £600,000 that’s been invested in the project. And now I start to get annoyed. How hard can this lift be? The bloody thing is only 15m down! The combined efforts of local BSAC branches employing a cat’s cradle of SMBs could do a better job. I say that because I know about the power of amateur efforts from projects like the recovery of the Bluebird. Bluebird succeeded because the vast bulk of the work was carried out by divers, entirely free of charge. The wreck was at a far more challenging depth of 40m and Coniston is fed by freezing cold melt-water that is stained tannic brown. It wasn’t a fun dive! But it was a huge adventure and – until the day of the final lift – there weren’t the rules, regulations (and costs) of a commercial operation to worry about. The joy of UK divers is that we believe. If there’s a setback on a project, we’ll be back tomorrow. We’re personally invested in the outcome. And our price? It’s always right. Perhaps the truth of the matter is that a job like this is best left to the amateurs.
I’VE NOW RESORTED TO PRAYING TO NEPTUNE FOR MORE FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS
LOUISE TREWAVAS 63
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INDIAN OCEAN DIVER
THE OTHER
COCOS It’s the famous Cocos in the eastern Pacific that grabs all the diving headlines, but just as hard to get to is an ultra-remote Indian Ocean hideaway that has captured PETE ATKINSON’s imagination
A
S WE LINED UP for the strip, we could see that the ocean below was unusually calm. Dieter Gerhard, owner of Cocos Dive, greeted us with the news that at first light we would be leaving for Pulu Keeling, 22 miles north. He hoped that no camera gear was languishing in our suitcase, which was still in Kuala Lumpur. Fortunately it had contained only non-essentials for the tropics, such as clothes. Pulu Keeling National Park is about as remote as you can get. Visitors are rare. A closed atoll with a brackish lagoon, it is home to millions of seabirds, including the endemic Cocos buff-banded rail. The passage between Cocos (Keeling) and Pulu Keeling is open ocean, with swells driven by trade winds for much of the year, so very few boats make the trip. It is even rarer to get a chance to dive there. Dieter used his 8.5m aluminium dive-boat Putri Laut (which means something about a princess rather than a festering yob) for the trip north over
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the lazy swell. On board was a descendant of one of the crew of the SMS Emden. This German light cruiser had a spectacular career in the Indian Ocean, capturing or sinking 31 vessels, and Captain von Muller was highly regarded for his gracious treatment of prisoners. On 9 November, 1914, Emden had sent a small contingent ashore at Direction Island to destroy the Eastern Telegraph Company wireless telegraph and cable station. While they were ashore, Emden was engaged by the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney, which had been escorting a troop convoy nearby. Sydney had heavier guns with longer range. After a crippling bombardment, Emden was beached at Pulu Keeling, and further shelling persuaded her to surrender. This was Australia’s first naval victory. The German shore party commandeered a local schooner, Ayesha, which they sailed to Sumatra, eventually returning to Germany seven
Above: Lobophyllia coral along the drop-off. Opposite page: A grey reef shark mouths the dome port at Geoff Christie’s Shark Reef.
INDIA
INDIAN OCEAN
INDONESIA
Below: Propeller and shaft strut of the SMS Emden.
Cocos (Keeling)
AUSTRALIA
months later. Surviving crew from the Emden were allowed the rare honour of adding the suffix Emden to their names. It was one of only two vessels ever to be awarded the Iron Cross by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Over the years, much of the wreck was salvaged, and the site is exposed to swell from the Southern Ocean. It is only a few metres deep and, on a good day, an easy dive. The boat can’t anchor at the Emden site, so the divers went in relays; the visiting film crew first, the hoi polloi and us later. The propellers and drive-shafts are prominent, as are 105mm guns concreted into the reef. There’s a no-touch policy from Parks Australia, which might have been better applied to the Japanese salvors who in 1950 ripped the ship apart with explosives and shipped much of it off to Japan, or to the swells that thunder in emphatically for much of the year. We dived on the north coast of Pulu Keeling too, a thriving coral wall, ☛
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CocosKeeling_v1_Layout 1 03/06/2013 11:32 Page 67
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but the large schools of fish you might expect were absent, and there were few sharks. But we dived without current. When it rips past the end of the island, as it often does, I suspect that it’s a spectacular dive – if you can hang on. It may be a national park, but you are allowed to fish. There’s not much point regulating what you can’t police. The police RIB was there too, for the dive. It will fly at 60 knots, but it has a transponder that tells tales, so it’s restricted to 25 knots for health and safety reasons. In the lee of Pulu Keeling, where we anchored for lunch, green turtles were clambering over one another to get their genes represented in the next generation. Or playing piggy-back. Cocos (Keeling) is in the middle of nowhere, and flights are expensive and not entirely reliable. Perhaps that’s why it receives only about 30 visitors a week. The atoll belongs to Australia, although it lies closer to Sri Lanka than it does to Perth in Western Australia. It’s flatter than a nit, with 23 islands necklaced around a shallow lagoon. On the windward side lies Home Island, home for 400 Cocos Malay people. West Island is five miles to leeward across the lagoon and has the airstrip, one restaurant, one cafe, a bar and 120 Australians. The road end to end is seven miles long. Traffic hazards include goats,
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crabs, erosion and high tides. Parts of the atoll are beautiful, with interesting diving. And if you want a palm-covered island with clear water all to yourself for the day, that’s easy to arrange. Exclusivity is ensured by the difficulty and expense of getting there. From Perth, you can have a week in Bali, including accommodation, for the price of the flight to Cocos. If it’s raining in Jakarta, the plane to Cocos (Keeling) might not fly. If you’re flying from Kuala Lumpur on the weekly charter flight to Christmas Island, there’s a chance that the flight will be postponed in the wet season. The cloud base is often 500m, but the altitude of the strip at Christmas is 270m. All our flights worked, but the bag with our clothes arrived a week late. Luckily we were staying in Cocos (Keeling) for six weeks. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS in Cocos (Keeling) is not a dive at all, but a snorkel. Called The Rip, it’s a narrow channel east of Direction Island, where clear ocean water floods continuously into the lagoon, the strength of current depending on the tide, the swell and the phase of the moon. So anything up to about four knots. You throw yourself into the water towards the seaward end and get blasted through towards the lagoon. There’s a safety rope if you can’t swim back, but
Top: Pete’s wife Darin snorkelling at Prison Island. Above: Darin with one of several cannons at Gerhard’s cannon site.
swimming cross-current brings you into calm lagoon water for the trip back. The Rip is about 7m deep, and the southern wall is covered with live coral, riddled with caves and teeming with fish. Some are regulars, like a 1.5m barracuda and a blacktip reef shark with its dorsal fin missing. There are humphead parrotfish, Napoleon wrasse, reef sharks, morays and grouper. Because every visitor comes here, the fish are oblivious to people. On the far side you can shelter in eddies behind the coral, so we would spend an hour there until we were cold. The water in October was 27°C and it doesn’t get much cooler. Direction Island is a favourite ☛
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anchorage for yachties on their way across the Indian Ocean. It’s idyllic, or was until some bright spark decided to introduce four pages of rules about what you can and can’t do, and a fee to anchor. One of the things I love about Cocos (Keeling) diving is the variety. There are steep coral walls dropping off into the abyss. There are shallow coral gardens. There’s the wreck of a Catalina flyingboat strewn through the seagrass beds, a fishing-boat wreck and areas of old junk from the dismantled telegraph station on Direction Island. There’s a resident dugong, Kat, who likes to scratch himself on the anchorline; spinner and bottlenose dolphins, mantas, reef sharks and an area with several encrusted cannons. Not long ago they saw humpbacks, whale sharks and tiger sharks too. It’s an oasis for anything passing, so you can expect the unexpected. Catalina JX 435 was on a flight from Red Hills Lake airbase in Madras via Colombo when it crashed into the lagoon at Cocos (Keeling). It attempted a downwind landing on a choppy lagoon. Bouncing once, it flipped over
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and caught fire before it sank. Rescuers from Direction Island pulled seven men out, but two died later from their injuries. Seven more were lost with the plane and never recovered. The two Pratt & Whitney engines now lie close to one another, but the debris field extends 600m to the south-west and most of the fuselage is missing. It is only a few metres deep to the seagrass beds, so you can explore the whole area in a couple of dives. The atoll lagoon is shallow to the south, with circular depressions – blue holes – that you can see on Google Earth. Not far from Direction Island is a large area of blue “broccoli coral”, something I had never seen before. THERE ARE SEVERAL GUEST HOUSES on the island. The most basic, Cocos Beach Motel, costs Aus $105 a night and a buffet-style meal at the Tropika Restaurant is $27 a head. It may seem dear, but the costs of doing anything are daunting, so far from the mainland. There is Internet, but it’s not great. Much has been spent on infrastructure by the Australian government, but like most government projects (awarded to private contractors) they consult first and then do what they want anyway. So the wonderful new boat ramp is not quite strong enough for some of the boats that want to use it. Four wind turbines were shipped to the island. In 2009 two were up; now none of them work. The Cocos Malays were originally brought in by John Clunies-Ross in the 19th century to work the copra (dried coconut flesh) plantations. Muslims, they have a fascinating culture, a mix of Malay and Scottish. Queen Victoria gave the islands to George Clunies-Ross and his descendents in 1886 in perpetuity, and the islands became an Australian territory in 1955. John Cecil Clunies-Ross sold Home Island to Australia in 1978 for $6.25m. There are probably few places in the world where you can have an idyllic island
Clockwise from left: The wing of the Catalina lies in the seagrass beds; the resident single male dugong, known as Kat; Darin with a devil scorpionfish in the Rip.
to yourself for the day. Prison Island lies on the windward side between uninhabited Direction Island and Home Island. You can walk round it in 10 minutes. Now it is heavily eroded, but the sand is perfect and the water is clear. I can’t think of a better location for photography. You can attract blacktip reef sharks with a small offering and the palms provide shelter from the sun. You can walk there from Home Island at low tide, but I wouldn’t recommend it – we nearly had to spend the night after an error of judgment! Better to hire a glass-bottomed RIB from Geoff Christie, whose demeanour redefines “laid-back”. He can take you to the Blue Holes, the broccoli coral, Direction Island and many other gems. One of my favourites is his shark reef, where just the arrival of his boat will bring many blacktip reef sharks and greys to the surface. That was one place where we felt less inclined to snorkel!
FACTFILE GETTING THERE8 Virgin Australia flies to Cocos (Keeling) from Perth via Christmas Island three times a week. Christmas Island Air charters a Malaysian Airlines plane for a weekly flight from Kuala Lumpur to Christmas Island. There’s an onward Virgin flight next day. Divers are allowed 10kg extra free baggage from Kuala Lumpur. DIVING8 There is only one operator, Cocos Dive, www.cocosdive.com. Booking ahead is essential. ACCOMMODATION8 Homestead one of the best guesthouses; Castaway is mid-range, www.cocoscastaway.com WHEN TO GO8 Year round. MONEY8 Australian dollars. PRICES8 Cocos Dive offers a self-contained holiday house package based on two or more divers, with seven nights’ accommodation and four days’ diving including air-fills and lunches from Aus $1164pp. FURTHER INFORMATION8 www.cocoskeelingislands.com.au, www.cocosbarefootphotography.com
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Mauritius_v1_Layout 1 03/06/2013 11:39 Page 70
FISH GEEK IN THE
LAND OF THE DODO ‘It looks like weak tea with a green tinge of copper’ – and it’s every underwater photographer’s nightmare, a flooded camera housing. RICHARD ASPINALL experiences the highs and lows of diving on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius
M
AURITIUS IS ONE OF THOSE exotic destinations that you read about but never actually expect to visit. Yet here I am, trekking through what remains of the island’s original forest cover in search of rare birds I’d been asked to photograph, to accompany various articles about the island as a luxury destination for travellers. The threatened black ebony woods were once the realm of the dodo – and the echo parakeets, Mauritian fodys and Mauritian kestrels I am here to see very nearly went the same way as that avian poster-child for conservation. But just as the creatures of the forest are rare and restricted to this green oasis in the western Indian Ocean, so is much of the island’s underwater life. “Why is it called Emily Reef?” I ask Jonathan, my dive-guide. “Well, Richard” he says sadly, “You see, it was on this reef that Emily died.” He looks sad for an instant, watching my “stuck for words” expression, but can’t hold it any longer, and cracks up laughing. He shouts a comment
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in Creole to his friend at the wheel, who laughs in turn, and the RIB speeds off through the waves at the outer edge of the fringing reef. These guys are going to be fun! “It is a wreck,” he says. “It carried water and was sunk for the fishes.” His face is full of good-natured humour and typical of the welcoming population of Mauritius, derived from African and Indian settlers with a smattering of Dutch, British and French genes and, of course, the cultural influence of these former colonial powers. We speed past the mangrove-fringed coastlines. Every so often you can see a Hindu shrine on the shore, often built in harmony with an adjacent Catholic one. The only thing that divides this small country is football, and I have a certain cachet attached to me, as I live near the fabled city of Manchester. The folks I meet can’t really comprehend that I have never seen a football match in my life. They clearly think I’m a little odd. What does interest
a fish geek like me is the reef, and I learn to tell people I live near Liverpool. Few folk want to talk about Liverpool. Earlier in the week, we had discussed our dive plan and chatted through what I wanted to see. I wanted to match my photos of the indigenous animals on the surface with shots of the fish that also live here and on the nearby island of Rodriguez and nowhere else. “Le poisson clown”, everyone suggests, which seems a good place to start. After all, everyone loves a clownfish. The thing is, it wasn’t going to be so easy. AS ANYONE KNOWS WHO transports a camera and housing to foreign parts, it is an almost constant source of worry, “has it been knocked about by baggagehandlers?” being the chief concern, but mine seems fine. As we head out to a site known as Anemone Pass, which sounds ideal for my purposes, I turn the Nikon on, check that the flashguns are firing and my new 105mm macro is focusing. All is well, or so I think. We roll off the RIB, signal OK and sink into the deliciously warm, planktonrich waters, purging our BCs and keeping close. The view is a little murky – a less-than-average day in the Red Sea, I’d say. We head down to the crack in the reef, thickly carpeted with anemones. There is
Above left: Richard Aspinall, making the best of a bad job. Above: A Mauritian clownfish in frame – but is the camera working? Left: Clownfish portrait.
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I LOOK THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER TO SEE – BLACKNESS. HAVE I LEFT THE LENS CAP ON?
my first Mauritian clownfish – Amphiprion chrysogaster has been spotted. All anemonefish are charming and great subjects for photography, but instead of the usual orange colour these guys sport a deep brown to black between their bright white stripes. I check my buoyancy, line up the shot and look through the viewfinder to see – blackness. Have I left the lens cap on? With a sense of doom and the dawning realisation that I am in real trouble, I see the colour of the water inside my now-flooded, normally clear housing. It looks like weak tea with a green tinge of copper! It’s the worst colour in any underwater photographer’s eyes. In a matter of minutes, the camera’s innards have started to dissolve into a warm saline soup of electronics. The rest of the dive is something of a “going through the motions” exercise. I barely register the turtles, the shoals of snapper are of no concern, and the expanses of anemones are just animated gloop as far as I’m concerned.
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I just want to hide in a corner. So what went wrong? I take the housing apart at the hotel and recheck the O-rings, and there it is – the ring between the port and the housing has a nick in it. Sulking like a kid at Christmas who gets the sensible present and not the X-Box, I retire to the bar for drink and melancholy. AT SOME POINT IN THE MIDDLE of the night, I have a thought – is all entirely lost? I have another camera body, after all, and several lenses. Yes, my Nikon D200 is wrecked, but I have a D300s with me, and the fault was that of the O-ring, right? I have a spare O-ring and, more importantly, I have a Swiss Army knife, a recent Christmas present that has lots of attachments. Can I pull it off? I had thrown the housing into our plunge pool, and as I sit there at 3am drying it off with my wife’s hair-dryer, I hatch a plan. Clearly the TTL circuitry that allows the Nikon to speak to the flashguns is
fried, but if I cut that out and twist the five wires together and insulate them somehow, I can hardwire the hot shoe connector to the flashgun bulkhead, I won’t get TTL, just the flash firing, but I often use manual mode anyway. This might just work. There is one last hurdle. My housing, and more specifically the attachment to the backplate, is matched to each camera model. However, with a little adjustment (the saw-blade on the knife proving very handy), I can wedge the D300s in and it will fire and focus. Nothing else; it doesn’t look good, but it might be enough. So far, so good. The housing stays watertight in the pool all night and remains watertight at 5m when I’m snorkelling. The lens points through the dome-port at a slight angle to true, but I am ready. NEXT MORNING, I TELL JONATHAN the story of my late-night camera surgery. He sympathises and, as a photographer himself, oohs and ☛
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ouches in all the right places. I think he is as relieved as me when I give him the OK sign as we hang over the reef at 15m. Firing and focusing is all I need. Below lies a gorgeous sight. The corals tend to be quite robust to withstand the frequent storms but they are colourful, their pinks and soft violets almost glowing in the tropical sun. I follow Jonathan as he heads off to a small bommie he has visited a few times before, and points out several anemones replete with fish. “Finally!” I say through my reg as I survey the scene. Three anemones with a pair of adult clownfish living among their tentacles, but they aren’t alone. They are joined by a few blackwith-white-spotted domino damsels that are constantly being “moved on” by the territorial clowns. Their frustration with these squatters
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appears almost human. They just get one anemone clear, and then have to return to another and kick the little blighters out of that one. With an immense sense of pleasure, I set about taking some shots. I balance the flash against the preset exposure and feel very smug with myself. Every so often I look up at Jonathan, who is shooting the clowns, though for some reason they keep trying to attack his dome port and won’t pose for him as they did for me. Then there is a movement in the corner of my eye and a huge lionfish sitting close to my shoulder, with a look of “glad you’re here mate, I’ve been after these buggers for ages – let’s get ‘em”. I may be reading too much into this, but as the clowns chased the damsels, the lionfish looked for a free meal from the confusion and here I am, adding a new element to the mix. Normally lionfish keep a wary distance from divers and present their venomous dorsal spines to any potential threat, but not this guy – in his mind, I’m his ally. Every time the damsels are ousted and have to flee into another anemone they are at risk from that cavernous mouth, but they always make it, and my presence isn’t putting them at risk. Much to the lionfish’s annoyance, of course – every time they speed past, it looks more downhearted. This of course raises an important issue. We are observers in this realm and should abide by some equivalent of
Above: This lionfish seemed to regard the author as an ally in its hunt for damselfish Left: Stonefish on the Stella Maru.
doctors’ Hippocratic oath to “do no harm”. While I’m fascinated by the behaviour I have inadvertently engendered in this small community, I don’t want to be the cause of removing one of the players from the drama. As I can’t press the buttons on the camera back, I have to trust to fate that I have something acceptable on the memory card as we move off to explore the rest of the reef. RETURNING TO THE SURFACE that was being gently pummelled by warm tropical rain brings with it a superb feeling. I have the shots I need, the housing has stayed watertight and I am heading back for a delicious fish vindalaye (the Creole version of a vindaloo, though a little more subtle). The following dive is on a wreck called the Stella Maru, sunk as an artificial reef but landed on its side. Today the wreck is right-side up, a testament to the power of an ocean whipped into a fury by a cyclone in the 1980s. As we drift around the wreck and enjoy shooting a huge stonefish, superbly camouflaged amid the spongeand rust-encrusted wreck, I am in dive heaven. I’ve risked all and pulled it off. ✹ Richard Aspinall stayed at Starwood Hotels’ Le Meridien Ile Maurice, www.lemeridien-mauritius.com, and dived with Easy Dive Mauritius, www.easydivemauritius.com
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Monty JULY_Layout 1 30/05/2013 10:36 Page 81
BEHIND THE SCENES
‘SWIVEL YOUR EYES & WAGGLE YOUR FINS!’
F
OR US BRITISH DIVERS, there are a few things in which we can justifiably claim to be world leaders. We shouldn’t get too carried away here, however – let’s face it, the French invented scuba, and the east coast of America is largely seen as the birth place of technical diving. But there’s one thing that we are really very, very good at indeed. In fact, dare I say it, but we do this better than anyone else. Our particular skill – unmatched on the global diving circuit – is scrabbling around in low visibility in water that is really quite chilly. OK, so there are places that are colder, and I’m sure there are one or two places that have worse visibility, but as a combination of the two we’re right up there. I speak, by the way, as an absolute champion of British diving. Some of my very greatest diving memories come from trips off our own coastline. When it’s good, it’s really, really good. Is there anywhere on Earth to compare with our vast array of historic wrecks? I think not. Is there anywhere on Earth with such a resolute and indefatigable diving community? I doubt it. It’s just that for a fair few of our dives the vis is less than crystal, and the temperature less than tropical. Still, we soldier on.
If I had been writing this column 10 years ago, I would have mentioned appalling visibility as well, but thanks to the inadvertent introduction of zebra and quagga mussels into the lake (pumped out of ship’s bilges, apparently), the visibility is now fantastic. This makes me sad as a biologist – invasive species are invariably bad news – but happy in a rather guilty way as a film-maker, because the wreck we’ve come to see deserves to be viewed in all of its eerie, panoramic glory. We’re here to dive the Cornelia B Windiate or – as our director has brilliantly termed it – “The Ghost Ship of Thunder Bay”. This does mean hanging around in the aforementioned 4°C for very long periods to get all the filming done. And so, just out of interest, I thought I’d
mention what I’m wearing to stay toasty. First layer: my lucky pants (obviously, all divers have lucky pants). Second layer: Montane silk longjohns and long-sleeved vest. Third layer: a Thermulation heated vest. Imagine, if you will, halfway through a dive someone walks up behind you and wraps you in a warm, fluffy towel straight off a piping hot towel rail. Well, that’s what this vest is like. The first time I turned it on during a dive, I made such extravagant noises of approval that my buddy thought a humpback was in full song nearby. As we were in Vobster at the time this would have been unexpected. Fourth layer: a Halo undersuit. Fifth layer: an O’Three drysuit. All topped off with a 7mm hood and mittens. All of this means, of course, that you can’t actually move, bend any portion of your body, or do anything at all with your hands, but at least you’re warm (bordering on hot). All you can do is swivel your eyes and waggle your fins, but that seems to get me round the wreck just fine.
WHY GO TO ALL THIS TROUBLE? Well, the Windiate just might be one of the bestpreserved wrecks on Earth. Lying in 60m of frigid lake water, she sank perfectly upright in a terrible storm in 1875 in Thunder Bay. No trace of her crew was ever found, and all manner of riddles remain about just what happened to the vessel. Why was she so pristine as she sank? Why did she settle so perfectly upright? What happened to her crew? Why was she found in Lake Huron, when she was thought to have sunk in Lake Michigan? And why, as historical records indicate, did she set out into the teeth of the November storms so heavily overloaded and with such an inexperienced crew? Here is a vessel that basically committed suicide, and now lies as a silent monument to the folly of pursuing profit over people. WE’RE HERE TO TRY to answer some of those questions for the upcoming television series, and as I type these words I’ve just returned from our first dive. I must say that all the hassle, all the thermal protection, all the palaver of visiting Cornelia B Windiate in her watery grave became instantly worthwhile the first moment the wreck materialised before me. Some things require that little bit of extra work, that little bit of extra grit and determination, but pay off spectacularly once you reach journey’s end – surely a fitting mantra for British divers and diving.
SO THE GREAT LAKES, from where I type this missive, is actually not quite as much of a challenge as you might think. Sure, the temperature on the bottom of Lake Huron is a somewhat parky 4°C, and the dives we’re doing are two hours in duration because of depth and decompression penalties, but as British divers we are well equipped to deal with the vagaries of both time and bone-cracking frigidity.
Hoping to solve riddles on the wreck of the Cornelia B Windiate. RICH STEVENSON
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FRESH WATER, I
’M ATTRACTED TO THE
freshwater sites near my home because they’re easy to dive. No long journeys, no dive-centre charges – all I need is my bike and either a snorkel or my dive gear. I live in Limburg, a province of the Netherlands, and I’ll give any local puddle a try. Sometimes, of course, it can be disappointing, with little vegetation or fish to see, but often enough it can be surprisingly good. First impressions tend to be of a great green mass of plants followed by a layer of sand as you venture further out than 8m or so. If you’re lucky, a new world then opens up. Low-hanging branches of trees growing on the banks send slanting beams of sunlight onto green freshwater sponges attended by shoals of perch. A sunken gravel barge looms in the
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Dutch diver NICOLE NEUHOF relishes the instant accessibility of freshwater sites and has devised an interesting way of recording them
distance. You may come across a pike, ready to protect its nest from intruders at all costs. You need to be careful in case it bites you. A reedy waterscape is entirely different. It looks like an underwater forest inhabited by small fish, and perhaps the occasional larger specimen. Once I was swimming in fringing pondweed and suddenly met two huge carp swimming towards me. You are more likely to see such animals when you’re on a snorkel than when you’re bubbling away on scuba.
Shock gave way to curiosity and we all stopped and looked each other over at some length. Settled algae forms an emerald carpet, but if you aren’t careful with your fins this can easily turn into a green whirlwind of particles. Frog-spawn becomes more interesting when the frog guarding it suddenly pops up to see what this weird intruder is doing. Pondweed bushes resembling a fairytale forest harbour pumpkinseed sunfish, a colourful species that could be from tropical waters. TWENTIETH-CENTURY GRAVEL PITS that have formed large contiguous lakes beside the River Maas are favourite sites of mine. They lie in the middle of Limburg, between the towns of Roermond, Maasbracht and Heel. The quality of their water has
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FRESHWATER MARINEDIVER LIFE
FRESH VIEWS improved enormously in recent years, and this is reflected in the view, the vegetation and increased fish stocks. And gravel-and-sand quarries such as those in the Hoge Kempen national park in Opgrimbie, Belgium, can be full of surprises. The brown-red colour of the soil, combined with sunken trees and the effects of the sun, fire the imagination. All this beauty had to be recorded.
Above: Carp in Sonnevijver gravel pit. Below: A surprised frog in a sand quarry at Opgrimbie in Belgium. Bottom: A freshwater turtle in Sonnevijver.
I started with a Nikonos with 35mm lens, but soon realised that I needed a wider angle of view. My idea was to create images that recall the views you experience as a diver, or as if you were watching an aquarium. A wide-angle lens for a Nikonos was a costly gadget for me to buy, so I decided to scan the negatives I had made
side by side in PhotoShop to create underwater panoramic photos. It takes time, because everything must fit seamlessly and the colours must be consistent. I am happy with the results, however, and feel that the 35mm lens gives an objective view without the distortion you get with a wide-angle lens if you're too close to the subject. ☛
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FRESHWATER DIVER
These days I work with a D70s and a 12-24 lens, which makes everything a lot faster, if not all that much easier. One panoramic picture often consists of 10-15 photos, and the biggest challenge is to avoid raising any silt when taking a number of pictures at the same spot. I use the sun as a light source, because I find it so atmospheric. Each time I venture beneath these freshwater surfaces I feel like an explorer. There is always something to discover in the natural world, even if the site is just around the corner from your home!
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Top: Pike and carp in Boschmolenplas, a lake beside the River Maas. Second from top: Perch in Sonnevijver gravel quarry. Above: Tree branches in another Maas lake called Polderveld. Left: Pike in a detail from a Boschmolenplas panorama. Below: Spectacular sky from below the surface at Maasmechelen lake.
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INDIAN OCEAN MARINEDIVER LIFE
INDIAN OCEAN
MINI-BREAK T
HE EXOTIC INDIAN OCEAN is no-one’s idea of a typical long weekend. Having said that, if you are moved to shoehorn some Indian Ocean diving into a short space of time, it’s the Red Sea that will give you your closest, most convenient access to that vast body of water. And after that, it’s the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is 3400 miles or a seven-hour flight from the UK. Of course, it’s a popular stopover for long-haul flights east too, so you could also break a longer trip to dive there. Anything’s possible. I gather that a lot of Polish divers are currently unhappy about being sold diving-holiday packages in Dubai, after being led to believe that they could enjoy the pleasures of the Arabian metropolis combined with popping under water whenever the fancy took them. In fact the decent diving in the Emirates is in Fujairah, a longish drive from Dubai city and airport, and four hours a day there and back wasn’t quite what the Poles had in mind. So you have to factor that taxi-ride into the equation. Even so, I reckoned that by staying in Fujairah itself I should be able to squeeze seven or eight dives into a flying visit.
The Indian Ocean isn’t a short hop away, but fly to Dubai and you’re almost there, says STEVE WEINMAN
Opposite: Seahorse on the Inchcape 1. Left: Cardinalfish engulf a concrete cage, part of Le Meridien Al Aqah’s ongoing reefball project.
forego diving Inchcape 1, but on that occasion the mooring buoy had come adrift and the wreck had gone AWOL temporarily. We jumped off Al Boom’s dive-boat, one of four it operates from its centre at Le Meridien, into choppy waters. My first thought on hitting the water was that bringing a 3mm wetsuit had been a trifle optimistic in April, when the water temperature is still around 23° and cooler at depth. With a fair old surface current running we slipped down on the line, through green water full of the sort of tiny life-forms that gladden a whale shark’s heart, but render visibility pea-soupy. Then, at just short of 30m, the upright wreck emerged out of the broth, and gladdened my own heart. This is a lovely little wreck, not least
because of its colourful inhabitants. USbuilt, the 20m cargo vessel worked in the UAE for some 30 years, latterly for Inchcape Shipping, and was sunk as an artificial reef 12 years ago, the deeper of a pair lying off Fujairah. The vessel is swarming with yellow snapper, and lionfish patrol the open hold. Alongside the wreck, a cuttlefish hovered over the sand. And two giant honeycomb morays also call Inchcape 1 home – the pair live apart but within hailing distance, like sophisticated divorcees. I watched one of them – Fred I think, though it could have been Freda – sharing its dwelling-place with flower cardinalfish that seemed reluctant to leave its side. Best of all, dropping off the starboard side of the wreck, I was able to hang just below a green seahorse. We sometimes forget that common seahorses can grow as long as 20cm, and this was a hefty specimen as they go. ☛
I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED a visit that was less of a gamble, but with Fujairah’s five-star Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort pretty well occupied on weekdays in April and rammed at weekends, when many Emiratis arrive for the diving and other recreational pleasures, the best it could offer was three midweek nights. I would arrive Monday lunchtime after an overnight flight, dive that afternoon and the next two days, and leave on Thursday. But the Gulf of Oman isn’t the Red Sea, so would the weather be kind? The gods seemed to be looking in kindly fashion on the enterprise with my first dive, on the local wreck Inchcape 1. On my last visit to Fujairah some years ago, I had been sorry to have to
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INDIAN OCEAN DIVER These photogenic fish usually start doing the twist as soon as a camera appears, yet this one remained in perfect profile, blessedly unbothered. Framed as it was by delicate soft corals in fiery colours, its convenient appearance within my first few minutes under water seemed to bode well for the trip. After that exciting first dive it was time to kick back and bimble, and I wanted to see the new reef garden I had heard was putting down roots off the beach in front of the resort. The reef is part of a long-term plan hatched by diving hotel manager Patrick Antaki and Dubai-based Al Boom head honcho Simon Tambling to add more underwater diversions for guests. With access to some 300 purposebuilt structures from the Reef Ball Foundation, they were still considering how best to deploy them all. That’s a lot of concrete to shift. A sandy area is enclosed by the beach on one side and by three massive walls formed by Geotubes, effectively long bags pumped full of sand to make rigid sausage structures. These had already proved effective in preventing shoreline erosion caused by storms, I was told. BEYOND THE REAR BREAKWATER in 8m or so you find a large cage-ball and at present a dozen satellite reef-balls, with one acting as a mooring point. The vis wasn’t conducive to viewing the whole vista, but what I could see was how popular the cageball in particular had become with the cardinalfish. Sergeant-majors congregated near the top of the swirling mass, as if aware of their rank, and lionfish and butterflyfish were also in evidence. Following the breakwater around, mildly chilled by the end even though I had graduated to a 5mm by now, there were signs of early colonisers: anemones and their attendant fish here and there, spider and hermit crabs peeping from the bottom of the wall and a few nudibranchs. Plenty of sting rays and
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Above, clockwise from top: Morays galore – freeswimming geometric; giant honeycomb on Inchcape 1; yellow-margin. Below: Torpedo electric ray.
flounders lurked in the sand, too. It’s early days for the reef-ball project – it isn’t pretty yet but you can’t hurry nature, just encourage it. So it was a promising afternoon and, looking forward now to two full days of diving, I sauntered down to Al Boom the next morning without a care in the world. I found Bruce and Ceri Henderson, the amiable Scots couple who run the centre, looking glum. The reason turned out to be a twomile Coastguard ban on recreational craft imposed that morning because of strong winds. My worst fears were coming to pass, and I could only console myself with the thought that I’d got to Inchcape 1 in time. From where I sat, the sea was only mildly ruffled and the palms swaying gently. “It doesn’t look that bad,” I said plaintively, but it seems that the
Coastguard don’t take any chances. In other circumstances I’d love to spend a morning chatting to Bruce and Ceri, who are excellent company, but I just kept wondering: would this offshore wind blow for the next two days? Luckily not. By mid-day, it seemed that although the north was off the menu, sites further south had become a distinct possibility. Pre-arrival, Bruce had suggested a trip north to Musandam in Oman for that day, but given my short stay I had been reluctant to add further travelling time. It was a little early in the year to see whale sharks there, too, though a good success rate is claimed from April on. As it happened, of course, the trip would have been blown out. So we jumped on a boat and headed south to nearby Sharm Rock to explore the three pinnacles rising from around ☛ www.divErNEt.com
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INDIAN OCEAN DIVER
12m. Pipefish, scorpionfish, flounders, hermit crabs and a marble ray under an overhang – not the most thrilling dive, but it was a relief to be under water. With our options still limited by conditions in the afternoon, it was a
Clockwise from above: A ray with unusual markings; anemonefish; diver above two reef-balls, all on the artificial house reef
return to the barnacled breakwaters of the embryonic house reef and life among the rays, scorpionfish, anemonefish and other sand-dwellers. On this occasion a small resident green turtle that I had seen previously at the surface performed a fleeting flypast above the reefballs. RUNNING OUT OF TIME, I prayed that the weather would smile on my last day. It did. There were only two divers on the morning boat, guide Ronald and me, and it took 25 minutes to reach Shark Island off the Khor Fakkan commercial area, where the underwater terrain is marked by rectangular rocks decorated generously with sea urchins. Again we saw morays in abundance, including a geometric specimen relaxing in a landscape-format pose outside its hole, an assortment of rays, little cowfish, an enormous star pufferfish in a gully and more anemonefish. Towards the end of the dive we surprised a big green turtle that took off quickly. Back at the centre, a boat-load of
divers were heading out to Inchcape 1 so, reluctant to miss any opportunity, I climbed aboard. The current was much stronger today, even beyond the surface, and although visibility on the wreck was better I didn’t see the seahorse. My final dive was a return to a celebrated shallow site I had enjoyed on my previous visit – Dibba Rock. Damage wrought four years before by Cyclone Kimo, followed by a devastating algal bloom or red tide, was still evident on the latter shallow section of the dive. Discoloured fragments were all that remained of the resplendent “raspberry rice” coral fields that had once hosted turtles and cuttlefish in abundance. I wished the climax of the dive had been the first part, because that was a happy parade of cuttlefish, morays, sting rays, Nemos and a multitude of snapper and other fish among the corals and overhangs. A mini-break in the northern Indian Ocean? It’s risky, but it’s do-able. I’d rather play safe and make it a week.
FACTFILE GETTING THERE8 Direct flights to Dubai with Emirates, www.emirates.com, and on to Fujairah by road.
DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8 Al Boom Diving at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is a PADI Gold Palm centre with four dive-boats. The luxurious 5* resort was one of the first in Fujairah, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com
250 dirhams (about £44). www.travelbag.co.uk FURTHER INFORMATION8 www.fujairah-tourism
WHEN TO GO8 October to March are the coolest, wettest months, with temperatures from 25-30°C, though in January the vis effectively rules out diving. Summer brings the clearest water, but also intense heat. CURRENCY8UAE dirham, credit cards. PRICES8 If booked online via Travelbag, four nights’ B&B in a deluxe ocean-facing room (two sharing) costs from £1463, including flights and taxi transfers. Seven-nights costs under £200 more at £1646, so go for the week if you have time. A two-tank boat trip costs
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Best of Above & Below Water Travel Join our Whale Shark Experts at Mafia Island, Tanzania & Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Dr Simon Pierce
Safaris to see Africa’s Great Migration, Wildlife & Reefs Rainforests, Mayan Ruins, Cenotes & Reefs of Mexico & Belize AFRICA - ASIA - ARCTIC - ANTARCTICA INDIAN OCEAN - L ATIN AMERICA Ralph Pannell
Dive Pemba With 550 species of fish, 200 miles of dive sites and only three boats, the time to visit the Zanzibar Archipelago is now
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Booking Now July_Bubbling 04/06/2013 16:18 Page 93
HOLIDAY NEWS
BOOKING NOW…
On the side blue o two has introduced PADI Recreational Sidemount courses as an option for guests booking onto the liveaboards in its Red Sea fleet. Sidemount-diving has become popular with recreational as well as technical divers in recent years, as it allows easy access to the one or two cylinders mounted at their side rather than on their backs.
BASK REGION
SHANE WASIK
Newcomer Basking Shark Scotland says it is the only operator based in Oban to run trips to the islands of Mull, Coll and Tiree to snorkel with basking sharks. The population there is the most abundant and consistent in the world, says BSS. The sharks arrive at the start of May and leave around midSeptember, and it’s thought that Scotland may be an important breeding area for them. BSS is running single, two- and three-day trips that also take in natural wonders such as Fingal’s Cave and the Corryvreckan whirlpool. The boat is a new 12m cabin RIB, with 14 suspension seats, all-round windows, toilet and galley. Prices start at £150 for a day trip to £420 for three days with bunkhouse accommodation (£480 for B&B). Group rates apply. 8 www.baskingsharkscotland.co.uk
Four dives over a week on the vessel are dedicated to the training, and the course costs £120 per person. Divers must be Open Water qualified and 15 or more. 8 www.blueotwo.com
Red Sea saver In July and August you can save up to 15% on accommodation, diving and transfers at Oonasdivers’ southern Red Sea resorts at Marsa Shagra, Marsa Nakari or Wadi Lahami. The reductions are offered on a first come, first served basis. Prices start from £820pp with discount, including flights, transfers, seven nights’ full board in a Beach Safari Tent (upgrades available) and five days’ diving. 8 www.oonasdivers.com
Arabian adventures Regaldive is playing its part in this Indian Ocean-themed edition of divEr with a range of offerings in Oman.
Fancy a short shark-diving break to Nassau in the Bahamas, or perhaps do it as a stopover combined with another trip? Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort and Stuart Cove’s dive centre are offering four nights’ stay for the price of three plus a $100 food & drinks credit, three days of twotank diving, transfers and taxes from US $727pp (two sharing) until just before Christmas. 8 www.stuartcove.com
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MIKE FORD
Shark break
In the north, seven nights’ at the Extra Divers Villa near the harbour in Musandam costs from £840pp, including flights, transfers and seven nights’ B&B
(two people). A three-day dive pack costs from £165. The equivalent week at the Al Sawadi Beach Resort in the resort of Muscat is priced from £911pp and offers more than 40 divesites including the Daymaniyat and Fahal Islands. A three-day dive-pack costs from £157. Further south, you pay £1146pp for the same deal at the Marriott Salalah Beach Resort, in the Dhofar region near Salalah and Mirbat, where diving takes place between October and May. The dive-pack costs £154. If you find it hard to choose between the resorts, Regaldive also offers liveaboard trips that take in rarely visited dive sites, the Hallaniyat Islands and the City of Winchester wreck. Prices for seven nights afloat start from £1594pp. This includes flights, transfers, full board accommodation and five days of diving. 8 www.regaldive.co.uk
Freedom goes north Australian liveaboard Spirit of Freedom is to provide a rare chance to dive the most remote waters of the Great Barrier Reef. The isolated Far Northern Reefs, around 500 nautical miles north of Cairns, are said to be among the last ”totally pristine” areas of the GBR, seldom visited by boats, and many as yet unexplored. Divers can expect ”masses of pelagic and reef fish and an incredible variety of colourful corals and invertebrates,” says the operator. Look out for nesting green turtles and, on outer walls, the chance of finding tiger sharks, manta rays and whale sharks. Two 10-11-day Far Northern Expeditions take place in late October/early November this year, starting from and returning to remote Lockhart River airstrip. Rates for the trip start from Au $5370 (around £3500). 8 www.spiritoffreedom.com.au
Wake and chill Tired of feeling exhausted? Scuba Travel's new freediving and yoga liveaboard is designed to combat fatigue, as well-known freediving instructor Emma Farrell hosts what it calls "a relaxing Red Sea holiday with a difference". Over a week Emma and three other instructors share the secrets of freediving "in a calm and safe environment", with yoga sessions twice a day to complement your new freediving skills. Beginners are welcome, says Emma.
The week runs from 9-16 November and costs £1395 including flights, full board on the liveaboard and three dives a day. 8 www.scubatravel.com
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HOLIDAY NEWS
…BOOKING NOW
Seychelles in August
CAYE DECISION
Ambergris Caye in Belize is an island known for its diving opportunities, and Las Terrazas is a 5* resort with a 5* dive centre onsite. The Barrier Reef just offshore, featuring a number of deep channels, forms part of the second longest reef in the world, where turtles, sting rays, nurse sharks and a variety of fish and corals are promised. Excursions to the famous Blue Hole and
If you’re hoping for an Indian Ocean whale shark encounter, August is the time of year to visit the Seychelles. Microlight aircraft set out to locate the sharks each morning using advanced satellite tracking technology, and in the afternoons boats follow their reports so that guests can snorkel with these enormous creatures while researchers continue monitoring their activities. You stay at the Romance Bungalows in the north of the island of Mahe, close to Beau Vallon beach and a dive centre. Dive Worldwide can arrange it all from £2065 for seven nights’ B&B, eight dives and two whale shark excursions, with flexible departures between August and October. 8 www.diveworldwide.com
other dive sites around the island are available. Las Terrazas is offering a Maya Reef Diving Package that includes seven nights’ B&B accommodation (two sharing) in a onebedroom/two-bathroom poolside residence, and four two-tank dives, plus complimentary use of kayaks and Hobie Cats, for £1140pp, travel extra. 8 www.lasterrazaresort.com
It’s Fish Geek Week in Manado to free presentations each evening after diving, but have nothing extra to pay to take part. The two diving doctors will again be carrying out a Bunaken fish survey to add to the database of the national park and assist with its conservation.
To join in, book a minimum seven-night stay at Eco-Divers’ Manado & Minahasa Lagoon Resort covering those dates. Seven nights’ allinclusive with 12 dives costs from 1080 euros. 8 www.eco-divers.com
SHANE WASIK
It must have gone well last year, because guest lecturers Drs Mark Erdmann and Gerry Allen are following up their ”Fish Geek Week 2012” with a return gig at Eco-Divers in Manado, Indonesia from 31 August to 7 September. Guests can look forward
TRAINING ROUND-UP Dry-dive offer Calling clubs and groups – if you’re looking for an unusual training experience, hyperbaric facility Midlands Diving Chamber has an exclusive offer for divEr readers. The chamber can take up to 10 people on a dry dive and the offer is for three free group places on one of its dry-dives, applicable per group of eight or more divers. You also get a chamber tour, a talk on DCI, narcosis and dive medicine by new MDC Hyperbaric Physician Dr Mike Gonevski and his staff, a goodie bag and a free copy of the book FAQ Dive Medicine. Price per head is £30 for a 40m dry dive and £40 for 50m. Based at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, MDC provides a 24-hour national advice line for divers (07940 353816), and Dr Gonevski
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carries out ”fit to dive” medicals five days a week. He also intends to introduce courses such as the Emergency Scuba Medic now run at sister London Diving Chamber. Quote ”divEr offer” on booking. 8www.midlandsdiving chamber.co.uk
Malta for tech Experienced divers looking to progress their skills need not
travel further than the Med to find a suitable challenge, says Regaldive, which is encouraging divers to stay closer to home this summer – on Malta. Its wrecks and deep reefs make it ideal for a technical diving course, says the tour operator. PADI Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 are the successive deco-dive courses available and for divers booking the St Julians Bay Hotel or Preluna Hotel & Spa, Tec 40 courses cost from £191pp; a Tec 40 & 45 from £404 or all three from £638, including instructor, certification, twin-set, deco stage tanks and transport to dive sites. Seven nights’ B&B at St Julians Bay cost from £407pp including flights and transfers (two sharing). The equivalent at the bigger Preluna costs from £575. 8www.regaldive.co.uk
Be a BAD diver! The PADI Basic Archaeological Diver course aims to help divers get more from their wreck-diving, and Marine Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) archaeologists are experts ready to deliver it. All profits from its course contribute to the charity’s ongoing archaeological projects. Over two days the team cover the basics of archaeology and surveying techniques, and you get to apply your knowledge on three underwater surveys. The BAD course should leave you with the skills needed to undertake further underwater archaeological surveys. It costs £185 and details of upcoming dates in the UK can be found on the MAST website. 8www.thisismast.org
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WELL AND TRULY
TESTED
Getting used to new equipment quickly is part and parcel of testing – this month JOHN BANTIN has close-fitting but zipfree wetsuits and boots and a whistling mouthpiece to keep him on his toes
BC
SEAC PRO 2000 HD LET’S BE HONEST – many years ago when Seac products were introduced to the UK, the importer at that time chose to bring in some pretty awful bits of kit. Then big John Camm took over the agency and introduced the Seac Pro 2000 to us divers. It was the year 2000, hence the name. This BC was so good at that time that it alone, under John’s energetic persistence in getting dive-shops to stock it, turned around Seac’s lacklustre performance in the British market. Seac may have a different importer now but the lessons have been learned, and only goodquality stuff seems to gets landed on our shores. I’m not even sure whether Seac makes any of the cheaper stuff anymore.
Design This BC follows in the footsteps of its predecessors in that it is a hybrid with a large expanding buoyancy cell at the back in the style of a wing-style BC, but with front sections that can be called into play if you wish to sit in comfort at the surface while waiting for a boat to pick you up.
The secret of the Pro 2000 HD is that the capacity of the back-flotation can be adjusted while waiting. Use it as a wing under water, then pull the yellow webbing straps concealed in the side-pockets so that they tighten on their buckles, and the capacity of the wing is greatly reduced. This allows further air to be added to the BC to inflate the forward portion of the buoyancy cell. Job done.
Integrated Weights I needed only 4kg of lead, thanks to the massively heavy steel tank I was using. The four little blocks were easily stowed in the quick-release weight-pouches, and clipped into place in a positive manner. I never felt in any danger of losing them. They will take a maximum of 8kg and can be augmented by two weight-pouches for up to 2kg each, fitted to the single camband that goes around the tank. There are also a couple of capacious zipped pockets in which to stow a spool and SMB or a current-hook. I wish the zips had run from back-tofront, because that would have made it easy to clip something on with a piston-clip to one of the small Drings and then close the zip. In the event they ran the other way, so that was not possible. There is also a hidden back-up pocket on one side, but this is not closed by any method so I didn’t use it.
D-rings & Dumps The Pro 2000 HD is a tough item, built in 1000D Cordura coated in PU to withstand the hardest wear. It has plenty of stainless-steel D-rings – three curved, two straight and two further smaller ones. There are three ways to dump air during an ascent, not counting the oral-inflation valve at the end of the corrugated hose. The toggles for the right shoulder dump and the right kidney dump are on long cords
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SPECS PRICE8£379 MAXIMUM LIFT IN SIZE M817kg INTEGRATED WEIGHTS8Yes, with trim weights DUMP VALVES8Three SIZES8S-XL WEIGHT84.6kg CONTACT8www.blandfordsubaqua.co.uk DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★✩ that take into account the enormous size of the buoyancy cell once it’s fully inflated. This does make them likely to get entangled, and I took to grabbing the cord where it protruded from the valve to dump air during a quick descent from the surface, rather than search for either toggle. Of course, when it comes to the point of ascending, you have time to look for them. There is a novel octopus-holder that I abandoned after a while because I found it left the octopus second stage too close to my face when I turned to the right.
In The Water The harness is fully adjustable in combination with the back-cushion to fit supremely well, whatever shape you may be. It’s attached directly to the backplate and fits snugly, so the BC really becomes part of you. ☛ www.divErNEt.com
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DIVER TESTS During diving I found misplaced. Those divers that I could position myself have forgotten the pleasure at any orientation I wished. of diving with a more I never had to fight with conventional arrangement the buoyancy of the BC. for buoyancy control. With my Pegasus Thruster drive unit attached Integrated-weight system. to my tank, I could take off in the currents that form Once I was at the surface and around the channels of Maldivian reef systems, finding that I might have a long wait while our swimming in a horizontal and streamlined way, pick-up boat attended to other divers along the while if I wanted to go head-down or head-up reef, I could fully inflate the jacket and find there was nothing stopping me. myself propped well above the water. I think the love affair some divers have with At this time, the buoyancy in the front part of wing-style BCs (probably because it’s the the Pro 2000 HD comes into play, and I never felt perceived-to-be-correct technical diver’s multithat I was struggling to resist being pushed tank-rigged way of doing things) is sometimes face-down, as you are with some pure wing
At The Surface
designs that have a massive buoyancy cell. In fact I felt at times that I was in one of those inflatable armchairs you might see in the swimming pools of the rich and famous in Hollywood. I needed only an iced piña colada complete with a little umbrella to complete the scene. I developed a good tan on my face in this way during a two-week trip to the Maldives. My only real criticism is that the Pro 2000 HD used up a greater part of my checked-baggage allowance than I would have liked. COMPARABLE BCS TO CONSIDER:
Aqua-Lung Pro QD, £370 TUSA Selene, £304 Oceanic Probe HLC, £460
REGULATOR
SCUBAPRO S600 TITANIUM ANSTI MACHINES ARE USED to test regulators to ensure that they meet European standards. This means that it should not be possible to buy (in Europe) a bad regulator. Martin Parker, the boss of AP Valves and Ambient Pressure Diving (APD), knows a bit about ANSTI machines because his company owns one big enough to get a complete rebreather inside. When we at divEr carry out regulator comparisons we have often taken the precaution of getting the results confirmed by ANSTI test, but we get ANSTI to do the testing. That said, Martin has pointed out that the shape of a mouthpiece can affect the work of breathing, and the flaw in the plan is that regulators have their mouthpieces removed to fit onto the ANSTI machine. If you look at the mouthpiece of an APD Inspiration rebreather, you will realise that it is
not interchangeable with the standard-size mouthpiece of any other regulator. Taking into account the extra weight of the CCR unit, the mouthpiece of an Inspiration is wider, with a larger exit hole than is standard. This brings me to the Scubapro Titanium S600 MK25 regulator. It’s a fabulous device, the best that Scubapro can make when it comes to the ease with which it should breathe. Constructed in lightweight but super-tough titanium, it’s bound to become a favourite with divers who travel and suffer the checkedbaggage limitations of economy-class tickets. I took one with me when I recently went for an extended trip to the Maldives.
Mouthpiece So what’s all this about mouthpieces? Well, I found that this otherwise wonderful regulator was spoiled by its mouthpiece. During dives I noticed that I could hear a slight whistle on inhalation. This combined to give a little more labour on my part than I was accustomed to. Experimenting over a few days, I found that if I held the mouthpiece securely between my ☛
SPECS PRICE8 £1199 FIRST STAGE8Piston-type PORTS85mp, 2hp SECOND STAGE8BRA and Dive/Predive WEIGHT8920g CONTACT8www.scubapro.com DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★✩✩✩
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DIVER TESTS molars the work of breathing was more than if I let the mouthpiece lie loosely in my mouth. This implies that the aperture in the mouthpiece, the exit hole for the inhaled air, was getting distorted during normal use and was not as efficient as it might have been. If I owned one of these regulators, I would soon swap the mouthpiece for a better one, of a type fitted as standard to Atomic regulators. When Gilbert de Coriolis, the Technical Director of Scubapro, reads this, he might send me a rude letter. On the other hand, he might change the specification of the mouthpieces Scubapro fits. Let’s hope it’s the second option. In the meantime, let’s get back to the main business in hand.
First Stage The MK25 first stage is the pinnacle of the development of Scubapro’s long love affair
with piston-type regulators, and of course this one is made in hard-wearing but lightweight titanium. There are two high-pressure ports either side of the main body of the regulator. Four medium-pressure ports are arranged conveniently around a swivelling turret, while a fifth allows a hose take-off from the end of the turret. I find the first stage quite tall, and prefer to fit it to my tank with the turret facing downwards.
Second Stage The business end of the regulator is an upgraded and remodelled design, but it has all the usual features that S600 regulator users will find familiar. There is the pre-dive/dive switch that swivels the end of the second-stage valve to interrupt the clean passage of air that would otherwise benefit from a venturi effect. This avoids
exponential freeflows at or near the surface. There is also a breathing resistance adjustment (BRA) knob that allows the user to turn up the cracking pressure required to heave open the valve on each inhalation. The purge control is easy to find and is progressive in its effect.
In The Water Mouthpiece gripe apart, I used the S600 three times a day for a week and never had any doubts about its ability to deliver air at whichever depth I chose to go with it. The regulator gave a dry breathe at absolutely any angle, and as an underwater photographer I can assure you that I tested it at most angles possible. COMPARABLE TITANIUM REGULATORS TO CONSIDER:
Atomic T2X, £1067
BOOTS
CAMARO TITANIUM CLASSIC NO-ONE KNOWS BETTER THAN ME how hard it is to dry off the inside of a pair of wetsuit boots before setting off for home from some warmwater diving destination. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could turn the boots of the Austrian manufacturer Camaro inside-out to dry, even though they’re said to be 6mm thick. That’s because they are made from such flexible “titanium” open-cell material. The manufacturer claims that you can simply shake them dry, although I did find that claim a little optimistic. They don’t even need a zip. You just force your
foot through the very stretchy top. Of course, you need to make sure that the tops of the boots are efficiently secured under the ankle-seal of your wetsuit, or they will gather up water as you swim, ballooning out like two sea-anchors. It’s a bit like wearing rubber socks, with no annoying seams next to the skin. I found them to be very comfortable, but I attracted some unkind remarks whenever I climbed out of the water back onto the boat. That’s because any water within my suit drained down into the boots so that I tripped over them. I found that getting the elastic straps of my
SPECS PRICE8 £60 SIZES8Euro 34-48 CONTACT8www.camaro.at DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★✩✩✩✩ fins off while still in the water needed a little more thought than I was used to, but that’s because the fin-strap retainers on the heels are very prominent. That’s not so much a criticism as a statement of fact. These boots have a finely Vulcanised ribbed rubber sole that made climbing the round ladder-rungs of the boat less painful that it might have been with flimsier boots. The heel and insteps are reinforced with the same material and, sensibly, the upper that would otherwise rub on the foot-pocket edge of your fins is reinforced too. That said, it’s the super-flexible uppers that make these boots unique. If they were tight enough, one could almost describe them as waterproof. They do what they say on the box and, should they need attention, there’s a free repair service within Europe for the first three years. COMPARABLE BOOTS TO CONSIDER:
Fourth Element 6.6mm Pelagic, £48 Oceanic Neo 6.5mm Classic, £40 O’Neill Sector 5mm, £35 Typhoon 7mm Surfmaster, £35
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DIVER TESTS
REGULATOR
MARES ABYSS 52 SWITCHING TO THE MARES ABYSS from another regulator during a long diving trip was like becoming reacquainted with an old friend. The all-metal second stage is built to withstand the slings and arrows of misfortune handed out to diving gear that stays rigged for action for 10 days or more, with never so much as a refreshing rinse in fresh water.
Second Stage The second stage doesn’t go out of tune and need tweaking at the breathing resistance knob, because the designers at Mares designed out the need for such a gizmo long ago. It uses a patented inhalation by-pass tube that routes the gas you breathe well away from the pressure-sensing diaphragm, and feeds it direct to the mouthpiece. The remaining pressure of gas within the body of the second stage takes care of matching the gas pressure delivered to that of the surrounding water. Without any air flowing fast across the back of the diaphragm, there’s no localised drop in pressure to allow the diaphragm to pull in, opening the valve further and causing that freeflow effect encountered with so many conventionally designed regulators at the surface, at the cusp between air and water. You simply put the Mares Abyss second stage in your mouth and breathe. The pressure-sensing diaphragm is covered in
such a way that, when a diver is hooked in and facing into a strong current, there is no tendency for the regulator to purge involuntarily. That’s because water access through the front part is nicely diffused.
First Stage The MR52 first stage has been rethought with cold freshwater divers in mind. It’s a diaphragmtype design with four mediumpressure and two high-pressure ports placed and angled so that there was no problem fitting a pressure-sensor for an airintegrated computer, even with a full complement of hoses. Either side of the first stage there are large metal heat-sinks shaped to reduce the chance of ice-creep, should the water you are diving in be cold enough to freeze around it.
In The Water Gas was delivered into my mouth in a comfortably diffused way, and there was always plenty down to the maximum depth of 50m at which I tried this regulator. The purge button was easy to locate, and although it worked well
SPECS PRICE8£360 FIRST STAGE8Balanced diaphragm-type PORTS84mp, 2hp SECOND STAGE8Vortex bi-pass tube means no diver adjustments required
WEIGHT8925g CONTACT8www.mares.com DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★✩ enough, there was never any feeling that it was going to blow my tonsils down my throat. The medium-pressure hose is of the modern super-flexible woven type, so routeing was never a problem, and I never encountered that nagging feeling that if I turned my head suddenly to the left, the mouthpiece might get dragged from my grasp.
Conclusion Overall, I enjoyed using the Mares Abyss for a week’s repetitive diving, and encountered no snags. Its bomb-proof design has evolved over all the years in which I have worked in the diving industry, and its most recent incarnation merely reveals recent developments of what was already a first-class design. COMPARABLE BALANCED DIAPHRAGM REGULATORS TO CONSIDER:
Cressi MC9 XG Compact, £209 Hollis 212 DC1, £350 Subgear SG1000, £349
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DIVER TESTS
WETSUIT
SCUBAPRO EVERFLEX C-ZIP 3/2 JOSH DEARING
WHAT CAN ONE FIND TO SAY about a wetsuit? Well, quite a lot actually, if it’s the Scubapro Everflex C-Zip 3/2. Wetsuits have come a long way since we used to disappear inside a cloud of talcum powder as we dragged our unwilling bodies into unforgiving neoprene. This is mainly due to the super-flexible neoprenes now available. The Everflex 3/2 is so called because it uses the thicker 3mm-thick material where it’s needed and the less-thick 2mm neoprene where extra flexibility is required. Some years ago, I was measured up for an innovative wetsuit from New Zealand, made by Pinnacle and called the Stealth. It was unique in that it had no zips, and you climbed into it through the neck-seal. The one I was sent fitted me like a glove. It was made from a very thick neoprene, and after you were safely inside it you pulled a yoke affair over your head, passed your head through the neck-seal and fastened its bib to the front of your chest. It was such a close fit that I took it snorkelling in Wraysbury Lake and reported being less wet in it than I had been in some drysuits I had tried. I still have the Stealth but unfortunately, due to the ravages of time, it has become rather time-consuming to climb into. The chances of climbing out of it in a hurry for a pee are nil.
Other Features There are some nice features, like the extra padding at the spine that could be said to give extra insulation or simply makes toting a tank more comfortable. The area at the seat is finished in a grippy material to reduce the chances of you slipping off the wet tubes of a RIB driven in more than a calm sea. The torso area is lined with an insulating material called Heliospan, which proves very comfortable when wearing the suit for long periods. The Everflex C-Zip 3/2 is a lightweight suit, suitable for use in the tropics. The knees are reinforced. This is the area that soon wears out when a suit is used by busy diving instructors, kneeling on the seabed to demonstrate skills at holiday resorts. There are non-slip areas at the shoulders too, to resist the tendency for a heavily loaded BC to slip off sloping shoulders. An especially nice touch is the computerstrap retainer at both wrists. When diving with a skinny suit, I often find that my computer-watch slips down onto my hand during a busy dive. The Everflex C-Zip 3/2 has two retainers, which allows me to wear two matching Suuntos, my preference when doing repeated shallow dives in warm water. There’s also a little loop that can be concealed at the right thigh.
Gaining Access The Scubapro Everflex C-Zip 3/2 appears to employ many of the design features of that Stealth wetsuit, although it’s made with a much lighter-weight material. When it arrived I tried to guess at the chances of finding myself stuck half in and half out of it, while trying it for size, should anyone ring the doorbell. I did struggle into it, thinking that it would look much better on a younger man or even a fabulously slim young woman, but (back to reality) I concentrated on dragging that neckseal over and fastening the bib at the front. This bib is held in place by a zip, and I was misled into thinking that I might be able to zip it up myself. Well, I did eventually, but not without numerous failed attempts to get the zip started. Had the bib been a bit longer I might have been able to see what I was doing, instead of having my chin obscuring my view. A press-button tag stops the zip slipping open on a dive. The chest zipper is derived from surfing suits to allow minimum water entry. The C-Zip 3/2, like other Everflex suits in lightweight neoprene, gives a painted-on effect. Be warned – if you haven’t got a body that looks good painted black, this suit might not be right for you. I’m not sure that it’s right for me www.divErNEt.com
The Range nowadays, but at least I could get into it without resorting to a coating of goose grease. I found the suit slightly more arduous to get into in a hurry than some I’ve used, and I took care to wear light nylon socks to help me push my feet through easily, and made sure that I had it pulled it up well into the crotch before I attempted to get my arms into it.
SPECS PRICE8£239 SIZES8Men X-S to XXX-L, Women X-S to XX-L THICKNESS83/2mm CONTACT8www.scubapro.com DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★✩
Scubapro now offers a wide range of suits for all occasions, and there’s a surfeit of choice when it comes to choosing something to wear in the Maldives, which is where I took this suit. There’s everything from the 0.5mm Profile , the Tropical 1mm and Hybrid 1mm, to the conventionally laid out Everflex 3/2 and even 5mm suits. There’s a 5/4 version of the Scubapro Everflex C-Zip too. The Scubapro Everflex C-Zip 3/2 is available in a range of off-the-peg sizes pre-shaped to suit both men and women. I did think it was rather expensive compared to what else is available. COMPARABLE 3mm SUITS TO CONSIDER:
Cressi Summer 3, £94 O’Neal Explore 3, £110 Fourth Element Proteus 3, £190
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NEW BUT
UNTESTED The latest kit to hit the dive shops
UnderWater Camera Stuff Housing Sentry 4444 New from America is a vacuum leak test device that will prove that your camera housing is watertight without the risk of a wet experience for your camera. The Housing Sentry allows you to put a partial vacuum on your housing once it has been assembled, and the integrated pressure gauge on the pump will let you know if any air leaks in during the following 20 minutes or so. No air in, no water in either. The Housing Sentry Basic costs US $290 and consists of a vacuum connector, block-off plug, input fitting and manual pump. The vacuum
connector will fit an unused 14mm threaded bulkhead for a Nauticam, Subal or Seacam housing and is a stainless-steel valve with an anodised aluminium adapter. A less-expensive option that might appeal to those with more modest camera rigs is the Housing Sentry Economy. Finished in chrome-plated brass, it costs $229. There are seven housing installation options, including for Aquatica, Sea & Sea, Ikelite or any housing with an unused Nikonos bulkhead connector. 8 www.uwcamerastuff.com
Scubapro Climasphere Undersuit 6666 Complete thermal protection is the claim for this low-profile two-piece drysuit undersuit. Scubapro says this four-waystretch fleece garment is breathable and windproof. It has neoprene wrist- and ankle-cuffs with thumb strops, and the long john adds a layering facility that allows you to adjust for varying water temperatures. The Climasphere is available in sizes XS to XXXL and costs £149. 8 www.scubapro.com
TUSA Solla Fins 5555 Available in a full-foot (FF) or open-heel (SF) format, these new Solla fins from the Far East have a new blade design angled at 20° to the foot-pocket, and an anatomic footstep with an easy-to-adjust buckle system. FF23 fins are available in three colour-ways and six sizes from XS to XL and cost £42 per pair, while SF22s come in eight colourways and four sizes from XS to L, and cost £75 per pair. 8 www.cpspartnership.com
O’Three Port 10 Drysuit 5555 From a Dorset-based company known for high-quality drysuits but on the costly side, this is O’Three’s bid to make a suit at a more attainable price. It’s a basic design constructed in 4.5mm-thick neoprene, with a BDM cross-shoulder zip and neoprene wrist- and neck-seals. It has heavy-duty boots attached, and a bag with a changing mat and a vented hood and hose is included in the price. The Port 10 is available in a limited range of sizes to suit men only (M, M/L, L, XL, XXL) and only minor adjustments can be made to suit the wearer. It costs £595. 8 www.othree.co.uk
Northern Diver Mini Quest Light 3333 This handy little lamp pushes out a useful 230 lumens of light from its Lumileds 3W LED, powered by four AA batteries. It’s rated to 95m deep, has a magnetic switch and promises up to 3.5 hours of burntime per set of batteries. The Mini Quest costs £45. 8 www.ndiver.com
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JUST SURFACED Polaroid XS7 HD Camera 3333 One of three new cameras bearing this famous photographic name, this one is probably the least expensive way to shoot HD video under water. The microsized helmet cam features a 5cm fullcolour LCD screen for framing your subject, playback and monitoring its lithium battery life. The waterproof case is rated to 10m deep, where good full-
colour light still penetrates. The XS7 shoots video of 720P or still pictures up to 5MP on its HD CMOS sensor. The price includes bicycle handlebar and vented helmet-mounts plus a standard tripod adapter, but not the essential MicroSD memory card. A range of other mounting methods is also available. Price is £60. 8 www.actioncameras.co.uk
Aqua-Lung Favola Mask 6666 Promising to provide an “incredible” field of vision, with lenses that are inclined to give a wide-angle view, this Italian-made mask has patented double-joint buckles to its strap, and a quick counterposed push-button activation is said to make these easy to adjust even when wearing gloves. The Favola comes in six colour schemes, with either a clear or opaque silicone skirt, at £50. 8 www.aqualung.com
SubGear Black Pure BC 5555
YES IT CAN YUCATAN
This adjustable BC with “super control” is claimed to be perfect for all levels of recreational diving. It features knife grommets, a balanced inflator, three dump-valves, rapid-release weight-pockets, zipped cargo pockets, an octopus slot and stainless-steel D-rings. Available in five sizes, it costs £230. 8 www.subgear.com
NEXT ISSUE MONTY IN MALTA Med island choice for a family diving holiday
IT’S SO COLD! Get a grip on hypothermia – before it grips you
UK WRECK DISCOVERIES Do the homework and find your own new dive-sites
www.divErNEt.com
NIGEL WADE
Nigel Wade embarks on a road trip to check out the celebrated dive locations of eastern Mexico
ON SALE 18 JULY
DHD – July 2013_Holiday Directory 04/06/2013 11:25 Page 104
HOLIDAY DIRECTORY FACILITIES INCLUDE:
Hotel or guesthouse
Self-catering
Equipment for hire
Dive boat charter arranged
Suitable for families
Packages from UK
Compressed Air
Nitrox
Technical Gases
BSAC School
PADI Training
NAUI Training
TDI Training
SSI Training
DAN Training
Disability Diving
AUSTRALIA GREAT BARRIER REEF – CORAL SEA MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS 143 Lake Street, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia. Tel: (00 61) 7 4053 0500. Fax: (00 61) 7 4031 5470. E-mail: mike@mikeball.com www.mikeball.com UK Agent: Divequest – divers@divequest.co.uk
OCTOPUS DIVING CENTRE PO Box 40124, Larnaca, Cyprus. (Dive centre located on the Larnaca to Dhekelia Road, 100m from the Princess Hotel.) Tel/fax: (00 357) 24 646571. Mobile: (00 357) 9965 4462. www.octopus-diving.com E-mail: octopus@spidernet.com.cy PADI 5* Gold Palm Resort & Cyprus’ only BSAC Premier School.
LIVEABOARDS SEA QUEEN FLEET Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Tel: (00 20) 12 218 6669 or (00 20) 12 100 3941. E-mail: seaqueen@link.net or karen@seaqueens.com www.seaqueens.com Red Sea liveaboards. Dive Centre.
GRENADA ST. GEORGE’S SCUBATECH DIVE CENTRE Calabash Hotel, L’Anse Aux Epines. Tel: +1 (473) 439 4346. Fax: +1 (473) 444 5050. E-mail: info@scubatech-grenada.com www.scubatech-grenada.com Discover The Difference!
BARBADOS HIGHTIDE WATERSPORTS Coral Reef Club, Porters, St. James, Barbados. Tel: 001 (246) 432 0931. Fax: 001 (246) 432 6628. E-mail: info@divehightide.com www.divehightide.com Barbados’ premier PADI diving centre.
CANARY ISLANDS
PAPHOS
SHARM EL SHEIKH
CYDIVE LTD
ALUN & MOYRA’S ELITE DIVING
Myrra Complex, 1 Poseidonos Avenue, Kato Paphos. Tel: (00 357) 26 934271. Fax: (00 357) 26 935307. www.cydive.com E-mail: cydive@spidernet.com.cy PADI 5* CDC. First Career Development Centre in Cyprus and Eastern Mediterranean.
Divers United, Coral Hills Hotel, Hadaba, Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai. Tel/fax: (00 20) 1224 308 780. E-mail: info@elite-diving.com www.elite-diving.com British-owned and managed.
FUERTEVENTURA DEEP BLUE P.O. Box 33, Caleta de Fuste, Antigua E-35610, Fuerteventura. Tel: (00 34) 606 275468. Fax: (00 34) 928 163983. www.deep-blue-diving.com E-mail: info@deep-blue-diving.com CMAS, IAHD. Harbour location. Special group rates.
TRUE BLUE BAY RESORT – AQUANAUTS P.O. Box 14161, Grand Anse, St. George’s. Tel: (473) 443 8783. Fax: (473) 444 5929. E-mail: mail@truebluebay.com www.truebluebay.com Boutique hotel, Gold Palm diving centre.
FIJI BEQA ADVENTURE DIVERS P.O. Box 343, Pacific Harbour, Fiji Islands. Tel: (00 679) 345 0911. Fax: (00 679) 345 0901. E-mail: adventuredivers@connect.com.fj www.fijisharkdive.com Fiji’s Premier Shark Dive Team.
LANZAROTE SAFARI DIVING SL Playa de la Barilla 4 (Playa Chica), 35510 Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Tel: (00 34) 625 059712, (00 34) 928 511992. www.safaridiving.com E-mail: enquiry@ safaridiving.com or ukagent@safaridiving.com English owned, only centre directly on beach, open 7 days a week, RYA powerboat training. SSI Instructor Trainer Facility. Daily shore and boat dives.
DIVE POINT Parmenionos St. No4, Tombs of the Kings Rd, Kato Paphos, Cyprus 8045. Tel/fax: (00 357) 26 938730. E-mail: divepointcyprus@hotmail.com www.divepointcyprus.co.uk British BSAC/PADI instructors.
INDONESIA BALI AQUAMARINE DIVING – BALI
FRANCE PROTARAS
COTE D’AZUR
DRAGON DIVERS
DIAMOND DIVING
P.O. Box 33932, 5319 Paralimni. Tel: (00 357) 2383 4244. Fax: (00 357) 2383 4245. E-mail: dragondivers@cytanet.com.cy www.dragondiverscyprus.com Training from beginner to Instructor.
11 Rue to Pecheurs, Golf Juan. 06220. Tel: (00 33) 615 305223. E-mail: info@diamonddiving.net www.diamonddiving.net Quality PADI training French Riviera. PADI 5*IDC Resort, six IDCs per year.
NORTH SULAWESI BAHOWO LODGE Tongkeina, Manado, North Sulawesi 95016. Tel: (00 62) 819 404 5261. E-mail: bahowo@gmail.com www.bahowolodgebunaken.com British owned and run resort, linked to PADI 5* dive centre.
GREECE
CYPRUS
CRETE
LARNACA RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER 24/7 professionally manned and fully computerised, privately owned and operated 14-man recompression chamber, internationally approved and the DAN Preferred Provider for the island. If in doubt … SHOUT! Poseidonia Medical Centre, 47a Eleftherias Avenue, Aradippou, Larnaca 7102, Cyprus. 24hr Emergency Dive Line: +357 99 518837. E-mail: info@hbocyprus.com www.hbocyprus.com
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Jalan Petitenget 2A, Kuta, Bali 80361. Tel: (00 62) 361 4738 020. Fax: (00 62) 361 4738 021. E-mail: info@AquaMarineDiving.com www.AquaMarineDiving.com
EGYPT HURGHADA ILIOS DIVE CLUB Steigenberger Al dau Resort, Yussif Affifi Road, Hurghada. Tel: (00 20) 65 346 5442. E-mail: info@iliosdiveclub.com www.iliosdiveclub.com PADI Dive Centre, border free.
CRETE UNDERWATER CENTER Mirabello Hotel, Agios Nikolaos, P.O. Box 100, P.C. 72 100. Tel/fax: (00 30) 28410 22406. Mob: (00 30) 6945 244434, (00 30) 6944 126846. www.creteunderwatercenter.com E-mail: info@creteunderwatercenter.com IANTD Nitrox training. Groups, individuals & dive clubs welcome.
RAJA AMPAT PAPUA DIVING Sorido Bay Resort and Kri Eco Resort, Kri Island, West Papua. Bookings Office: +62 (0)811 4804610. E-mail: info@papua-diving.com www.rajaampatdiving.com First dive operator (since 1993) and conservation centre in Raja Ampat. Resorts open 365 days.
To advertise in the divEr Holiday Directory contact Alex on 020 8943 4288 • e-mail: alex@divermag.co.uk
DHD – July 2013_Holiday Directory 04/06/2013 11:26 Page 105
HOLIDAY DIRECTORY MALTA
IRELAND
MALTAQUA
CO. CORK OCEANADDICTS Ballynaloughe, Nohoval, Co. Cork. Tel: (00 353) (0)87 7903211. E-mail: anne@oceanaddicts.ie www.oceanaddicts.ie Day boat and liveaboard diving.
Mosta Road, St. Paul’s Bay. Tel: (00 356) 2157 1111. Fax: (00 356) 21 580064. E-mail: dive@maltaqua.com www.maltaqua.com On-line booking service. BSAC Centre of Excellence 007, PADI 5* IDC. ANDI
SUBSCRIBE TO divEr MAGAZINE AND PICK UP A FREE DIVE TORCH 1-year subscription
ANCHOR DIVING MALTA
plus …
Sunhaven, Lampuki Street, Bugibba/St Paul’s Bay, SPB 03. Tel: (00 356) 2756 7238. e-mail: info@anchordiving.com www.anchordiving.com
KENYA EAST AFRICA PARADISE DIVERS DIVE CENTRE P.O. Box 1772-80400, Ukunda, Kenya. Tel: (00 254) 722 684513. Fax: (00 254) 040 3202741. E-mail: booking@paradisediver.net www.paradisediver.net Diving, safari, African restaurant, eco-lodge.
…FREE Lenser Frogman LED Torch, worth £51
‘
This neat little lam p uses hi-tech electronics to squeez e more light from its LED than you would think possible … RECOMM ENDED
’
– divEr TEST EXTRA
AQUAVENTURE LTD The Waters Edge, Mellieha Bay Hotel, Mellieha MLH 02. www.aquaventuremalta.com Tel: (00 356) 2152 2141 Fax: (00 356) 2152 1053 e-mail:info@aquaventuremalta.com PADI 5* Gold Palm. Watersports available.
✹ Take out a ONE-YEAR subscription to Britain’s best-selling diving magazine for just £48.95 (a saving of 7 per cent off the normal UK price) ✹ You also receive a powerful Lenser Frogman LED diving torch (worth £51) ABSOLUTELY FREE ✹ Featuring an energy-efficient LED light chip, it gives up to 50 hours of high-intensity light from a single set of 4 x AA batteries (included) ✹ Offer includes p&p for the Torch and for the 12 monthly magazines
MALAYSIA BORNEO, SABAH THE REEF DIVE RESORT (Mataking Island), TB212, Jalan Bunga, Fajar Complex, 91000 Tawau, Sabah. Tel: (00 60) 89 786045. Fax: (00 60) 89 770023. E-mail: sales@mataking.com www.mataking.com PADI 5* Dive Resort.
DIVE DEEP BLUE Deep Blue Lido, 100 Annaniija Street, Bugibba. Tel: (00 356) 21 583946. Fax: (00 356) 21 583945 E-mail: dive@divedeepblue.com www.divedeepblue.com PADI 5* Gold Palm/BSAC Premier. Technical Diving support service. ANDI
Offer worth £103.80 – YOU PAY ONLY £48.95 £X8.95 MALTA (inc. GOZO & COMINO
STARFISH DIVING SCHOOL
GOZO GOZO AQUA SPORTS Rabat Road, Marsalforn, MFN9014, Gozo, Malta. Tel: (00 356) 21 563037. www.gozoaquasports.com E-mail: dive@gozoaquasports.com PADI 5* IDC Centre. DSAT Tec Rec courses available. CCR/Rebreather & Trimix friendly.
Corinthia Marina Hotel, St. George’s Bay, St. Julians. Tel: (00 356) 2138 2995. E-mail: info@starfishdiving.com www.starfishdiving.com Excellent seafront location. Own jetty.
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DHD – July 2013_Holiday Directory 04/06/2013 11:26 Page 106
HOLIDAY DIRECTORY THRESHER SHARK DIVERS
PALAU KOROR FISH ’N FINS DIVE CENTER / OCEAN HUNTER I & III LIVEABOARDS
Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu 6013. Tel: (00 63) 927 612 3359. www.thresherdivers.com E-mail: dive@thresherdivers.com British, PADI 5* IDC, IANTD.
SPAIN BALEARIC ISLANDS – MALLORCA SCUBA MALLORCA C/d’el Cano 23, 07470 Port de Pollença, Mallorca. Tel: (00 34) 971 868087. Mobile: (00 34) 615 875609. E-mail: info@scubamallorca.com www.scubamallorca.com PADI 5* IDC.
PADI 5* IDC & TDI. Technical diving. 6 & 16 pax luxurious liveaboards. 30+ WWII Japanese wrecks to explore. Check our special events! www.fishnfins.com www.oceanhunter.com
THAILAND PHI PHI ISLAND ISLAND DIVERS Tonsai Bay, Phi Phi Island. Tel: (00 66) 898 732205. E-mail: info@islanddiverspp.com www.islanddiverspp.com World class diving. Spectacular scenery.
SURAT THANI/KOH TAO
PHILIPPINES ANILAO, PUERTO GALERA, VISAYAS, CAMGUIN PHILIPPINE BANCA DIVE SAFARI Unit 404, Cedar Mansion 2, Escriva Drive, Pasig City, Manila. Tel/fax: (632) 633 0716. www.bancadiving.com E-mail: info@bancadiving.com / yvetteclee@gmail.com Safari diving throughout the Philippines.
DAVY JONES’ LOCKER
SOUTHERN AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA
BALEARIC ISLANDS – MENORCA
AFRICAN DIVE ADVENTURES
BLUEWATER SCUBA
Shelly Beach, South Africa. Tel: (00 27) 82 45678 85. Fax: (00 27) 86 516 0061. e-mail: afridive@venturenet.co.za www.divingwithtigersharks.com Sharks, Sharks, Sharks, Sharks, Sharks.
Calle Llevant, Centro Civico Local 3, Cap D’Artrutx, 07769 Ciutadella de Menorca. Tel/fax: (00 34) 971 387183. www.bluewaterscuba.co.uk E-mail: sales@bluewaterscuba.co.uk Dive the famous Pont D’en Gil cavern!
9/21 Moo 2, Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Surat Thani, Thailand 84280. Tel: (00 66) 77 456126. Mob: (00 66) 79 700913. www.techdivethailand.com E-mail: djl_kohtao@hotmail.com Recreational, reef, tech, deep, wreck.
ANDALUCIA – COSTA DEL SOL HAPPY DIVERS MARBELLA Happy Divers Marbella & IDC College, Hotel Atalaya Park Marbella-Estepona. Tel: (00 34) 609 571920, (00 34) 952 88 36 17. E-mail: college@idc-spain.com www.happy-divers-marbella.com The only PADI 5* CDC & NG center in Spain, Nitrox & DPV speciality center.
TOBAGO BLUE WATERS DIVE’N Batteaux Bay, Speyside. Tel: 1 (868) 395 9343. E-mail: wpalmer@bluewatersinn.com www.bluewatersdiven.com PADI 5* Dive Centre.
TURKS & CAICOS IS. DIVE PROVO Tel: 001 (649) 946 5040. Fax: 001 (649) 946 5936. E-mail: diving@diveprovo.com www.diveprovo.com 1990-2010, 20 years of Diving As It Should Be!
SIMPLY DIVING Carlota Alessandri 25, 29620 Torremolinos, Malaga. Tel: (00 34) 600 506 526. E-mail: dive@simplydiving.com www.simplydiving.com Centres in Torremolinos and Fuengirola. Only British run PADI 5* IDC Resort in Southern Spain. We dive 240km of coastline, inc. famous Gibraltar wrecks.
ZANZIBAR RISING SUN DIVING c/o Breezes Beach Club & Spa, Zanzibar. Tel: (00 255) 777 872163. Fax: (00 255) 741 333151. E-mail: bookings@risingsun-zanzibar.com www.risingsun-zanzibar.com East Africa’s first National Geographic & 5* PADI Resort.
SRI LANKA
The latest diving videos from around the world showing now at
www.divErNEt.com 106
UNAWATUNA DIVING CENTRE 296 Matara Road, Peellagoda/Unawatuna, Galle. Tel: +94 (0)91 22 44 693, +94 (0)91 22 83 753 Mob: +94 (0)77 44 36 173, +94 (0)77 34 80 934, +94 (0)777 90 34 30. E-mail: info@unawatunadiving.com www.unawatunadiving.com Situated on the beach of the east bay of Unawatuna. Only PADI certificated dive shop in Unawatuna, PADI Resort S-36133.
To advertise in the divEr Holiday Directory contact Alex on 020 8943 4288 • e-mail: alex@divermag.co.uk
DCD – July 2013 v2_Centre Directory 04/06/2013 12:31 Page 107
DIVE CENTRE DIRECTORY IANTD
FACILITIES INCLUDE:
DAN
DAN
BSAC School
PADI Training
SSI Training
TDI Training
IANTD Training
Member of SITA
IDEST approved
DAN Training
Cylinder testing
Regulator servicing
Equipment for hire
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Dive boat charter arranged
Compressed Air
Nitrox
Technical Gases
Disability Diving
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DORSET
ENGLAND
LEICESTERSHIRE
DIVERS DOWN SWANAGE
CORNWALL DIVE ACTION DIVING CENTRE Unit 2c, Industrial Estate, St. Keverne, Helston TR12 6PE. Tel/fax: (01326) 280719. Mobile: (07831) 820820. E-mail: gary@diveaction.co.uk www.diveaction.co.uk 0900-1730 7 days a week; other hours by arrangement. Inspiration and Dräger rebreather courses.
WARWICKSHIRE
STONEY COVE – THE NATIONAL DIVE CENTRE
The Pier, High Street, Swanage, Dorset. Tel: (01929) 423565. Mob: (07977) 142661. E-mail: medina@madasafish.com www.diversdownswanage.co.uk Open 7 days a week during the dive season. The UK’s oldest dive centre.
Leicester, LE9 4DW. www.stoneycove.co.uk www.underwaterworld.co.uk Sales & service: (01455) 273089; The Dive School (PADI 5* IDC): (01455) 272768; Nemo’s Bar & Diner: (01455) 274198. UK’s leading dive company. Dive “Stanegarth”, Britain’s biggest inland wreck.
DIVING CYLINDER AND REGULATOR SERVICES 148 Coventry Road, Warwick CV34 5HL. Tel/fax: (01926) 493797. E-mail: dc-rs@hotmail.com Open Mon-Fri 1030-1800. Computer/watch batteries and pressure testing.
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LONDON
THE DIVERS WAREHOUSE LONDON SCHOOL OF DIVING
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PADI 5* IDC Centre. Porthkerris, St. Keverne, Nr Helston TR12 6QJ. Tel: (01326) 280620. www.porthkerris.com E-mail: info@porthkerris.com 7 days a week, tuition from novice to instructor, hardboat/RIB charters, escorted dives, dive shop, beach café, basking shark trips, camping, shore dive.
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MERSEYSIDE
ANDARK DIVING PORTHKERRIS DIVERS
Otter House, 911 Wakefield Road, Dudley Hill Slip Road, Bradford BD4 7QA. Tel: (01274) 307555. Fax: (01274) 730993. E-mail: sales@diverswarehouse.co.uk Mon-Fri 0930-1730; late night Thurs ’til 2000; Sat 09301700; closed Sun. Manufacturer of Otter drysuits. PADI 5* Centre. PSAI.
11 Power Road, Chiswick W4 5PT. Tel: +44 (0)20 8995 0002. Fax: +44 (0)20 8995 5100. E-mail: info@londonschoolofdiving.co.uk www.londonschoolofdiving.co.uk Open 1000-1800 Mon-Thurs, 1000-1700 Fri-Sat. PADI CDC, onsite pool, kids parties.
256 Bridge Road, Lower Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7FL. Tel: (01489) 581755. Fax: (01489) 575223. E-mail: bookings@andark.co.uk www.andark.co.uk Open 7 days, PADI 5* IDC, RYA powerboat, 3.5m pool & classrooms, large shop, mail order, kids parties, Club, helo escape, disabled friendly, 300bar.
WIRRAL SPORTS & LEISURE 164-192 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead CH41 3QQ. Tel: (0151) 647 5131. Fax: (0151) 666 2631. e-mail: sales@wirralsports.co.uk www.wirralsports.co.uk Mon-Fri 0900-1730; Sat 09001700. Air to 300bar. Diving, watersports, mail order and online shopping. Friendly, helpful staff, PADI Centre.
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14 Portmore Road, Portstewart BT55 7BE. Tel: (028 70) 832584. E-mail: dive@aquaholics.org www.aquaholics.org Open 0900-1730. Diving Malin Head to Rathlin Island. DAN
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DEVON DIVERS DOWN 139 Babbacombe Road, Babbacombe, Torquay TQ1 3SR. Tel: (01803) 327111. Fax: (01803) 32463. E-mail: info@diversdown.co.uk www.diversdown.co.uk Open Mon-Fri 1000-1730; Sat 0900-1730; Sun 1000-1600. PADI 5* IDC.
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DIVE MACHINE Unit 11 Orchard Business Centre, Sanderson Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1QF. Tel: (01732) 773553. Fax: (01732) 773663. E-mail: robert@divemachine.com www.divemachine.com Mon-Sat 0930-1730, closed Sunday. Friendly, helpful, huge stocks. PADI CDC Centre.
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Get Britain’s best-selling diving magazine on Apple Newsstand, major Android devices, Kindle Fire, HP Touchpad and PC & Mac.
G&H DIVING SERVICES Unit 1 Willow House, River Gardens, North Feltham Trading Estate, Feltham TW14 0RD. Tel: (020) 8751 3771. Fax: (020) 8751 2591. E-mail: Ghdiving@aol.com Mon-Fri 0900-1800; Sat 0900-1230. ANDI Training.
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Simply download the divEr app for FREE from the App Store or Google Play and receive a sample copy completely FREE. Once you have the app, you will be able to download new and back issues or take out a subscription all for less than the newsstand price. Don’t forget to register for your Pocketmags account (using the same username and password you registered for your App), which will also allow you to view your purchases on multiple platforms. You can also access digital editions of divEr via www.pocketmags.com and Pocketmags Magazine News Stand for Kindle Fire.
To advertise in the divEr Dive Centre Directory contact Sara on 020 8943 4288 • e-mail: sara@divermag.co.uk
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Liveaboard Directory – 07_13_Liveaboard Directory 04/06/2013 13:57 Page 108
LIVEABOARD DIRECTORY DWw Dive Worldwide
GD
Geo-Dive
Divequest
HD
Holiday Designers
O
Oonasdivers
AF
Aqua-Firma
A
Aquatours
DQ
CT
Crusader Travel
Emp Emperor
CT DWw STW UD
AUSTRALIA – Cairns Spirit of Freedom www.spiritoffreedom.com.au Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
26 11 Y 37m steel
ST
240V Y Y Y N
www.mikeball.com
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 32.3m
Snooba Travel
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
CT DWw STW DQ
INDONESIA S/Y Indo Siren
26 15 Y 30m alum
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
240V Y Y Y N
A DWw DQ SS
BAHAMAS – Georgetown Caribbean Explorer II www.explorerventures.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
18 9 Y 35.1m alum
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 40m wood
110V Y Y Y N
CT DWw DQ Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
8 4 Y 24m wood
MALDIVES – Malé Carpe Vita Explorer
www.explorerventures.com
www.explorerventures.com
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
18 9 Y 35.1m alum
DQ Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
COCOS IS. – Puntarenas, Costa Rica Argo www.underseahunter.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 39m steel
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
SS 110V Y Y Y N
TSP DWw STW
20 10 Y 38.2m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
HD
EGYPT – Sharm el Sheikh VIP One www.vipone.com 16 8 Y 29.5m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220V Y Y Y Y
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 9 Y 38.2m Steel
DQ UD DWw SS STW Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220v,110v Y Y Y Y
DWw UD STW
PALAU Ocean Hunter Palau Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 31m steel
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
240V Y Y Y Y
CT DWw UD DQ STW www.worldwidediveandsail.com
PHILIPPINES S/Y Philippine Siren
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 40m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220V Y Y Y Y
CT DWw DQ
THAILAND S/Y Siren Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 34m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220V Y Y Y Y
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220V Y Y Y N
THAILAND & INDONESIA M.V. Queen Scuba
www.maldivesdivingadventure.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
14 7 Y 30m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
www.queenscuba.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
220V N Y Y Y
21 9 Y 28m steel
A DWw DQ SS
TURKS & CAICOS Turks & Caicos Explorer II www.explorerventures.com
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
12 6 Y 26m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
220V Y Y Y Y
MALDIVES – Malé Theia www.cruisemaldives.travel
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
www.trukodyssey.com
240V Y Y Y N
MALDIVES – Malé Eagle Ray
240V Y Y Y Y
MICRONESIA – Truk Lagoon M.V. Odyssey
www.worldwidediveandsail.com Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
www.scubascuba.com 24 10 Y 45m steel
Ultimate Diving
220V Y Y Y Y
MALDIVES – Malé Sea Queen & Sea Spirit
www.seaqueenfleet.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
110V Y Y Y Y
EGYPT – Sharm el Sheikh Sea Queen 1
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
A DWw DQ SS
CARIBBEAN – St. Maarten & St. Kitts A DWw Caribbean Explorer II
UD
220V Y Y Y Y
www.worldwidediveandsail.com Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
Sportif
www.oceanhunter.com
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
INDONESIA S/Y Mandarin Siren
S
TSP The Scuba Place
N Y Y N
www.worldwidediveandsail.com Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
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Scuba Safaris
A DWw DQ SS STW
GALAPAGOS Humboldt Explorer www.explorerventures.com
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
CT DWw
AUSTRALIA – Cairns Spoilsport
SS
STW Scuba Tours Worldwide
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
16 8 Y 32m wood
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
240V Y Y N N
Pax Cab EnS Lth Hull
20 10 Y 37.8m alum
Elec Cour A/C Ntx CCR
110V Y Y Y N
To advertise in the divEr Liveaboard Directory, call Alex on 020 8943 4288, or email: alex@divermag.co.uk
Please remember to mention divEr Magazine when replying to any of these advertisements
Classified page 109_07_Classified RHP 03/06/2013 16:19 Page 109
CLASSIFIED ADS
CLASSIFIED ADS CHARTER BOATS
FARNE DIVING SERVICES
Scotland
• TWO CHARTER BOATS WITH LIFTS • TWIN/DOUBLE ENSUITE B&B • DORMITORYS • CAMPING • AIR STATION • RIBs WELCOME
South West
STAN/LEE HALL (01665) 720615
Plymouth 2013. Dive the Maine, Eddystone, Hands Deep, Persier, Scylla, James Eagan Layne, plus some of the best scenic dives in the UK from “Venture”. Midweek discounts, free hot snacks, stern lift, diver/skipper for safe, relaxing, no-stress diving. Contact Pete 07778 494274. Email: venturecharters@virginmedia.com Check Venture out on www.venturecharters.co.uk (18861) Plymouth, Discovery Divers, Fort Bovisand, boat charter, air, nitrox, trimix, from £15pp. Groups + individuals. Contact Danny 07739 567 752. (25411)
www.farnedivingservices.com e-mail: leehalldiving1@aol.com
DIVE BRIGHTON www.brightondiver.com
FARNE ISLAND DIVING CHARTERS
10m cat with dive lift. Individuals and groups. All levels, novice to technical. BSAC Advanced and trimix skipper. Call Paul: 07901 822375 or 01273 301367
HOLIDAYS IN UK
PROGRAMME FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL GROUPS Blue Turtle 2013 midweek dive programme can be seen on our website. Programme is very flexible. Always willing to change the site to suit your needs. Diving wrecks such as Salsette, M2, Empress of India, Moidart and many lesser known wrecks.
Wreck, reef & seal diving on 12-man, fast, quality RIB, MCA fully licensed, with full electrics including GPS. Diver/skipper. O2 Nitrox. Catering for individuals & small groups, large party discounts. Tea, coffee, refreshments all included in the price! Accommodation available.
Phone Rob on 07970 856822/(01404) 881240
Call Graeme on: 0191 297 0914, Eve: 0191 297 0484
www.blueturtle.uk.com Dive Lyme and Start Bay and Salcombe from Torbay on “Jennifer Ann”. All year round. Novice to technical, wrecks Bretagne, Empress, Maine and reefs. Individuals and groups. 10.5m hardboat with new emissions compliant engine. Unbelievably still booking at 2007 prices. Starting at £300 midweek, £400 weekends. Diver/skipper 26 years’ experience. Rick: (01803) 607704, 07971 276658. e-mail: jenniferann@deepsea.co.uk www.jenniferann charters.co.uk (28660)
Lymington - “Wight Spirit”. Diving West Wight, East Dorset, English Channel. Beginners to technical and small groups. Electric lift. Easy access, easy parking. Owner/skipper Dave Wendes. Tel/Fax: (023) 8027 0390, e-mail: wightspirit@btinternet.com www.wightspirit.co.uk (21779)
Mob: 07802 785752, farnesdiving@yahoo.co.uk
www.farne-islands-diving.co.uk
Scotland (Scapa Flow)
divingcellar.com
Farne Islands
(01856) 850055
All year round diving from our hard boats and RIB for groups and individuals. Air Station with air fill collection service.
A few spaces still available for 2013, & now taking bookings for 2014.
diver@farne-islands.com WILLIAM SHIEL www.farne-islands.co.uk Tel: 01665 721297 Mob: 07799 666573 www.farneislandsdiving.co.uk
Contact: leigh@divescapaflow.co.uk
Scotland Bad-Daraich House, Tobermory, Isle of Mull. Sleeps up to 14 people, self-catering, ideal for divers. For more information on Bad-Dariach House go to www.argyllproperties-scotland.co.uk/bad-daraich.htm or email: currie6qa@btinternet.com. Tel: (01688) 302599. (28286) Beautiful Tobermory, Isle of Mull. Diver-friendly accommodation in 2 quality properties, sleeping 9 and 6. www.tobermorylets.com or tel: (01688) 302228. (21409)
HOLIDAYS ABROAD
DIVING SEA SAFARI DIVE SCAPA FLOW & ORKNEY’S NORTHERN ISLANDS ABOARD THE 70ft LIVEABOARD MV SUNRISE
DIVE year round on CEEKING Price per diver or full boat. Boat only or with B&B. Side lift. Free drinks 01752 663247 07702 557317 www.divingplymouth.com & cylinder hire. Dive Lundy aboard the “Lundy Murrelet”. Purpose built charter, maximum 10 divers. Diver skipper with 30 years’ experience. Oxygen carried. For details, please phone: (01237) 424228 or 07974 805086. Also ask about midweek specials! www.lundy-charters.co.uk (27753)
Shelter deck, six double cabins with hot/cold water, 2 showers, 2 toilets, large saloon, central heating, galley with all facilities and dry changing areas. Long established, high standard of service. Nitrox, trimix & onboard meals available. ★ NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR 2013 ★ Tel: 01856 874425 Fax: 01856 874725 www.sunrisecharters.co.uk E-mail: dougie@sunrisecharters.co.uk
Looking for last minute spaces on a UK dive charter boat? Then click on
Northern Ireland
Wales Anglesey. Hard boat diving aboard “Julie Anne” and “Empress”. Diver lift. Visit: www.julie-anne.co.uk or tel: (01407) 831210, mobile: 07768 863355. (26354) Quest Diving. Hardboat with lift. Diving Anglesey, Bardsey and the Isle of Man. Tel: (01248) 716923. Visit: www.questdiving.co.uk (16963)
7 days/6 nights Komodo liveaboard 8 days/7 nights Raja Ampat liveaboard
ACCESSORIES
South Dive Littlehampton – Our Joy. Shallow to deep, we cater for all. Skipper & crew on board, available 7 days a week. Minimum 6, maximum 10. Tel: (01243) 553977 or 07850 312068. www.ourjoy.co.uk (25545) www.channeldiving.com Midweek diving for individuals. Tel: 07970 674799. (16741) www.sussexshipwrecks.co.uk “Sussex” Eastbourne. Fast Cat, lift, O2, toilet, tea/coffee. Groups and individuals. Diver/skipper Mike mobile: 07711 570294 e-mail: dive@sussexshipwrecks.co.uk (21670)
DIR: UK Boat Spaces at
www.divernet.com
NOV/DEC WEEKENDS AVAILABLE
North East
SO V
EREIGN
DIVING
Seahouses
Dive the Farne Islands aboard Sovereign II & III Seals, scenic and wrecks. Own quality B&B. Fully stocked dive shop and air station. Air to 300bar and nitrox available. Tank hire also available. Ailsa, Toby & Andrew Douglas.
Tel/fax: (01665) 720760 or www.sovereigndiving.co.uk
DIVE 125 E1
25.CO.UK
OUR W
07
764
58 53
53
07764 585353
Custom built 42' dive vessel, huge deck space, Diver lift, large wheel house + separate toilet.
Air + Nitrox
Dive with friendly seals at Lundy Island with Clive Pearson, one of the area’s most experienced skippers. Wrecks, reefs, drop-offs, basking sharks Jul/Aug. Some weekends still available. Please phone for a chat and brochure (01237) 431405. www.clovellycharters.com (25059) Dive Swanage and Poole aboard “Preditor 2”. Wide 7.5mtr RIB, MCA CAT 4. Wreck, reef and drift dive sites. Ladder. Diver/skipper. Tel: 07866 035420. email: yvonne.b.sharp@blueyonder.co.uk www.preditor divingswanage.co.uk (23491)
www.divingseasafari.com www.seasafaricruises.com
Dive Belfast, Strangford Loughs and Rathlin Island. Weekend break packages from £190 per person, inc ferry, accommodation and diving. Tel/fax: (02891) 464671, web: www.dvdiving.co.uk (19474) Aquaholics. Diving from Rathlin Island to Malin Head www.aquaholics.org (25204)
DI V
PLYMOUTH
www.jeanelaine.co.uk
Onboard Compressor
Diving in Newquay - Atlantic Diving. Two 10mtr super fast catamarans, both with diver recovery lifts. Superb visibility, stunning wrecks, basking sharks, seals, blue shark cage diving. Accommodation, midweek specials. Air, nitrox & trimix available. www.atlanticdiver.co.uk Tel: 07860 927833. (28600)
SCAPA FLOW, ORKNEY'S NORTH ISLES, SHETLAND IS., EAST & WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND We cater for all types of diving from the wrecks in Scapa Flow through to deep technical projects. Air, Nitrox and Trimix onboard, dayboat or liveaboard option.
www.dive125.co.uk Eastbourne Charters
2012/13
THE divEr TRAVELGUIDE ● Don’t make a move without consulting it!
Continued overleaf
● Special Price £6.95 (inc p&p) – SAVE 12% ● divEr Subscribers’ Price £4.95 (inc p&p) – SAVE 27% ● SAVE MORE! Download with the divEr app TO ORDER: Call The divEr Bookshop on 020 8943 4288 or use the coupon on the last page of the classified adverts or go to www.divernet.com Offer open to UK and BFPO addresses only. Please add £2 per copy for postage to overseas addresses.
Advertise in divEr Classified from only 61p per word inc. VAT. Contact Sara on 020 8943 4288 • e-mail: sara@divermag.co.uk
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Classified page 110_07_Classified LHP 03/06/2013 16:21 Page 110
CLASSIFIED ADS
CUSTOMER NOTICE Attention Spare Air Owners. Spare Air cylinders are now CE marked. Spare Air owners with cylinders manufactured between 1999-2012 should return their cylinders to their distributor for replacement. To locate the closest distributor visit: www.spareair.com/locator, or email the manufacturer at info@submersible systems.com (27498)
DIVING MEDICALS Diving Medicals - Nottingham. Sport Diving medicals: £50. HSE Commercial Diving medicals: £110. UK and Norwegian offshore medicals: £100. Student and Group discounts. Combine with an HGV/taxi medical for an extra £5. Tel: (07802) 850084 for appointment. Email: mclamp@doctors.org.uk (21544) Diving medicals: London. HSE, Sport and phone advice. Tel: (020) 7806 4028 www.e-med.co.uk (21998) Dr Des McCann, Dr Gerry Roberts and Dr Mark Bettley-Smith. HSE Medicals and phone advice. Tel: (01202) 741345. (83580) Diving Medicals - Midlands (Rugby) - HSE, Sports Medicals and advice at Midlands Diving Chamber. Tel: 01788 579 555 www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk (27633)
TECHNICAL DIVING Nitrox extended range - Trimix - Blending Technician Technical Instructor Training - Rebreather (Draeger and Inspiration). Holidays visiting some of the best wrecks in Northern Ireland. Tel/Fax: (02891) 464671. http://www.dvdiving.co.uk (19365)
COMPRESSORS Used HP compressors. Electric/diesel/petrol. Many makes, models & sizes available. New stock available daily. Spares & servicing all compressors also available. Tel: (01772) 687775 for details. www.smp-ltd.co.uk (18300)
WANTED Wanted: Dive gear. Anything considered. Cash waiting! Tel: (0783) 464 0659, e-mail: DiveGear2000@aol.com (24608) Brass & copper diver’s helmets wanted by private collector, Siebe Gorman - Heinke. Tel: (07976) 294981 or (01708) 551967 or Email: andy@deepdive.fsnet.co.uk (28405)
REPAIRS/SERVICES WET & DRY SUIT
REPAIRS All makes, all types
0161 304 8471 9 Waterloo Court Waterloo Road Stalybridge Cheshire SK15 2AU
email: repairs@gybe.co.uk
www.gybe.co.uk
CLUB NOTICES
FREE OF CHARGE. (Max 25 words). Non-commercial clubs, no sales. Active and friendly BSAC club. All year diving in local lake. New and qualified divers of all agencies welcome. Own clubhouse with 7m RIB and compressor. For further information visit www.mksac.co.uk (23739) Alfreton (Derbys) BSAC 302. Welcomes new members and qualified divers. A small but active club with own RIB, wreck diving a speciality. Contact Charlie on (01246) 236328. (82204) Banbury SAC. Friendly, active club with weekly meetings and training sessions, own boat, compressor and equipment. Welcome divers/non-divers. www.bansac.org or call 07787 097 289. (18457) Bracknell Sub Aqua Club welcomes new and experienced divers from all agencies. Meets poolside at Bracknell Sports Centre, Thursdays from 8.30pm. Diving, training and social calendar: www.bracknellscuba.org.uk or tel: 07951 855 725. (79962) Bromley/Lewisham. Active divers required. Full programme of hardboat diving throughout the year. Check out Nekton SAC www.nekton.org.uk or contact Jackie (01689) 850130. (22662)
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To order call 020 8943 4288 or use the coupon on page 112 MasterCard/Visa/Amex/Maestro accepted Braintree Riverside Sub Aqua Club based in Braintree, Essex. A friendly club, we welcome divers of all abilities and have an active diving and social programme. Come and join us! email: denise.f.wright2@btinternet.com www.braintreeriversidesac.co.uk (20201) Buckingham Dive Centre. A small friendly club welcoming all divers and those wanting to learn. We dive throughout the year and run trips in the UK and abroad. www.stowesubaqua.co.uk Tel: Roger 07802 765 366. (16525) Buntingford Horizon Divers SAC 1121. All divers welcome. Weekly pool meetings. Regular trips to dive in the UK and abroad. Own 5.8m RIB. Call us on 07526 734004 or visit www.horizondivers.org (82457) Cheshire. Icicle Divers SAA Club. Meet every Monday evening 9pm at Crewe Pool, Flag Lane. New and experienced divers welcome. Try Dives available. www.icicledivers.com (81582) Chingford, London BSAC 365. Friendly and active club welcomes divers from all agencies and trainees. Meet Wednesday 8pm, Larkswood Leisure Centre E4 9EY. Information: www.dive365.co.uk Email: loughtondivers365@gmail.com (83897) Cockleshell Divers, Portsmouth, Hants. Small, friendly club welcomes new and experienced divers from all agencies. Meets at Cockleshell Community Centre, Fridays at 8pm. Email: cockleshelldivers@hotmail.co.uk (27103) Colchester Sub-Aqua Club welcomes experienced divers and beginners. Sub-Aqua Association training. Diving at home and abroad. Meets at Leisure World, Friday evenings. Contact Tony (01787) 475803. (17207)
Coventry Sub-Aqua Club. Fancy “a come and try” session or learning to dive with the BSAC? Contact: Dave_plumb@btinternet.com (20005) Darwen SAC, in Lancashire, with an active diving programme. Own RIB. new members welcome regardless of agency/training. We provide BSAC training. Weekly pool sessions. www.darwensac.org.uk (17129) Dream Divers. Very friendly dive club in Rotherham welcomes divers of any level/club. Meet at the Ring O Bells, Swinton, last Thursday of the month at 19.30. Email: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk (18971) Ealing SAC, BSAC 514. Friendly, active club, own RIBs; welcomes new and experienced divers. Meets Highgrove Pool, Eastcote, Tuesday nights 8.30pm. www.esac.org.uk (82032) East Cheshire Sub Aqua. Macclesfield based BSAC club. Purpose built clubhouse, bar, two RIBs, minibus, nitrox, compressor. Lower Bank Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7HL. Tel: (01625) 502367. www.scubadivingmacclesfield.com (80148) East Durham Divers SAA welcome new/experienced divers of any agency. Comprehensive facilities with own premises half a mile from the sea. Contact: John: 07857 174125. (19189) East Lancs Diving Club, Blackburn. Friendly and active club welcomes new members at all levels of diving from all organisations. Tel: 07784 828961 or email: ELDC@ hotmail.co.uk www.eastlancsdivers.co.uk (84298) Eastbourne BSAC; RIB, banked air (free) to 300bar, Nitrox, Trimix. Enjoy some of the best diving on the South Coast, all qualifications welcome. www.sovereigndivers.co.uk (80241) Eastern Sub Aqua Club SAA 1073. We are a small friendly dive club and welcome new and experienced divers alike. We are situated north of Norwich for training. For more information please see out website: www.esacdivers.co.uk (80334) Eastleigh (Southampton) Sub Aqua Club (BSAC). Want to learn or are you an experienced diver? Interested in a course or a try dive? We meet every Tuesday at 10pm in the Fleming Park Leisure Centre bar. Contact us on: 07923 553 645. www.eastleighsubaquaclub.org.uk (81861) Ellon Sub Aqua Club, Aberdeenshire, welcomes newcomers and experienced divers. We dive year round and meet on Thursday evenings. Contact www.ellonsubaquaclub.co.uk (80427) Flintshire Sub Aqua Club based in Holywell, Flintshire, welcomes new and experienced divers from all agencies. Full dive programme. Meet Wednesdays. See us at www.flintsac.co.uk or call (01352) 731425. (23863) Greenock SAC - SAA 1038. Small, friendly club in Inverclyde welcomes new and experienced Divers from all agencies. Meet at Castle Dive Store in Port Glasgow on Saturday mornings. See us on facebook @Greenock Sac. (80814) Haslemere Sub Aqua Club based at Haslemere, Surrey. Friendly, active club welcomes new and experienced divers, offers full training. Meets Thursday nights. Contact Mike 07754 968297. (25965) Hastings SAC 58 years old SAA Club (0044) welcomes new and experienced divers. Two hard boats. Meets 8.45pm Tuesdays at Summerfields, Hastings. See www.hastingssubaqua.co.uk (81303) Hereford Sub Aqua Club, is looking for new members. Regular diving off the Pembrokeshire coast on own RIBs. Training and social nights. Contact: rusaqua@ googlemail.com (20733) HGSAC. South Manchester based, friendly, non-political club welcomes newcomers and qualified divers. Lots of diving and social events. Family. Three RIBs and compressor. www.hgsac.com (22476) High Wycombe SAC. Come and dive with us - all welcome. Active club with RIB on South coast. Contact Len: 07867 544 738. www.wycombesubaqua.com(18627) Ilkeston & Kimberley SAA 945, between Nottingham and Derby, welcomes beginners and experienced divers. We meet every Friday night at Kimberley Leisure Centre at 8.30pm. Contact through www.iksac.co.uk (22755) K2 Divers, covering West Sussex/Surrey. A friendly BSAC club, but all qualifications welcome. Training in Crawley, boat at Littlehampton. Email: k2divers@yahoo.co.uk or tel: (01293) 612989. (82365) Kingston BSAC, Surrey. Two RIBss , clubhouse and bar, active dive programme, 2 compressors, Nitrox, Trimix, full training offered at all levels. All very welcome. www.kingstonsac.org or tel: 07842 622193. (20113) Leeds based Rothwell & Stanley SAC welcomes new and experienced divers, full SAA training given. Purpose built clubhouse with bar, RIB, compressor. Meet Tuesday evenings: 07738 060567 kevin.oddy@talktalk.net (20560) Leicester Diving - Friendly & active BSAC club based at Wigston pool. Meet Tuesday nights at 8pm. Contact Daniel on 07957 507517 www.delmardiveclub.co.uk (80520) Lincoln - Imp Divers. Small, friendly, non-political diving club with our own RIB are looking to welcome new and experienced divers. Contact Richard: 07931 170205. (20387) Lincoln and District BSAC. Active club with own RIB, compressor and other facilities. Regular trips and training. www.lincolndivingclub.co.uk (18720) Lincs Divers BSAC 1940. Friendly, active dive club offering dive trips and training for new/experienced divers, Lincoln based. www.lincsdivers.co.uk (81768) Llantrisant SAC, two RIBs, towing vehicle, welcomes new and experienced divers. Meet at Llantrisant Leisure Centre 8pm Mondays. Contact Phil: (01443) 227667. www.llantrisantdivers.com (22569) London No. 1 Diving Club encourages divers of all levels, from all agencies. Based in Central London with 7m RIB, compressor, hire kit etc. www.londondiver.com (81396) Manchester Diving Group. Friendly, active club, welcomes new and experienced divers. Own clubhouse with bar, lecture room, compressor, RIB. Weekly pool sessions . Email: buddy@manchesterdiving.org.uk (28043)
Manta Divers. Norfolk wreck & reef diving. Small, friendly, experienced club. All agencies welcome. SAA training. www.mantadivers.org (23370) Mercian Divers (BSAC 2463) Active and friendly club. New, experienced & junior divers welcome. Own RIB. Based in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. Tel: (01905) 773406, www.mercian-divers.org.uk (80600) Millennium Divers. Active, friendly club for all levels and certifications of diver, based in Portland, Dorset. UK diving and holidays. Club social nights www.millenniumdivers.org (82282) Mole Valley Sub Aqua Club. Surrey based SDI club, own RIB, active diving UK & Abroad, training and social events. Trainees/crossovers welcome. Contact: 07552 498558 or email: committee@mvsac.org.uk (19080) Monastery Dive Club (Dunkerton Branch). New divers welcome to join our club. Trips to Plymouth and NDAC. GSOH is a must. South Wales area (Crosskeys, Risca.) Please text me: Flinty 07971 432803 or email: welshflinty@hotmail.com (80055) Nekton SAC. Based in Bromley, we are a friendly and active SAA Club that welcomes experienced and new divers alike. Info@nekton.org.uk or call Steve: 020 8467 4599. (82110) Nemo Diving Club. Small friendly dive club offering dive trips and training for non/experienced divers in Retford and surrounding areas. Contact: www.nemodiver training.co.uk (24969)
.com There’s no better site! Newhaven. Small friendly group with 6m RIB looking for divers happy to dive Sussex wrecks in 30-40m depth range. Most neap weekends. Tel: Iain: 07595 877883. (83181) North Glos BSAC 80. Friendly, active club welcomes new and experienced divers. Own boat and equipment with weekly pool sessions, Thursdays, 8.30pm at GL1 Gloucester, (Gloucester Leisure Centre). www.nglos.co.uk (22277) North Notts Nautilus SAA942, Mansfield. Family dive club, diving and social members welcome. Own clubhouse with licenced bar. Regular dive trips and holidays. www. NNNDivers.co.uk Tel: (01623) 622130. Facebook. (80679) Nuneaton. Marlin BSAC welcomes experienced divers to Pingles Pool every Thursday. Active training, diving, social programme in a flourishing club with no politics allowed. www.marlinsac.com (18534) Orkney SAC. Small, friendly active dive club, based in Kirkwall, welcomes divers of any level or club. Own RIB and compressor. Contact Craig: 07888 690 986 or email: craigbarclay31@hotmail.com (26486) Preston Divers SAA 30. The friendliest dive club. Come and meet us at Fulwood Leisure Centre, Preston on Monday nights between 8.00pm - 9.00pm. www.prestondivers.co.uk (22848) Reading BSAC28 offers an active, friendly diving club. Open to all grades and agencies. Pool training Mondays, club night Thursdays. www.rbsac.org.uk Email: rbsacinfo@gmail.com Tel: Sue 07772 172 575. (26104) Reading Diving Club. Experience the best of UK diving with a friendly and active club. All welcome. Tel: 01183 216310 or email: info@thedivingclub.co.uk www.thedivingclub.co.uk (16417) Ruislip & Northwood BSAC. Friendly, active club, RIB, welcomes new and qualified divers. Meets Highgrove Pool Thursday nights 8.30pm. www.rnbsac.co.uk Tel: 07843 738 646 for details. (84160) Sheffield BSAC36. Friendly, social and active dive club welcomes newcomers or qualified divers. Trips, socials, weekly pool and club/pub meetings, club RIB. See www.bsac36.org.uk (83990) Slough 491 BSAC; small friendly club welcomes divers at all levels. Meet at Beechwood School, Fridays 19.30. Diving holidays and South Coast. Email: malcolm@uv.net or tel: Tony (01344) 884 596. (20829) Somerset Club. Wellington and Taunton SAC dive out of Plymouth on their own hard boat. Training available and all trained divers welcome. Tel: (01823) 338 086. www.watsac.org.uk (27209) South Queensferry SAC, near Edinburgh. Two RIBs, gear for hire. Pool training during the winter; trips & expeditions in the summer. Pub meeting at Hawes Inn. Call Warren: 07980 981 380. www.sqsac.co.uk (26799) Tamworth, Staffs - Eurodive Club seeks new members for local diving and trips. Photographic section. Pool sessions 3rd Thursday in local 3m pool. Tel: 07739 208 094 or 07815 745 709. (27375) Teddington Pool, Teddington, Middlesex, Wednesday’s 21.00. Training and good social side. Diving near and far. deepexplorer@blueyonder.co.uk Tel: 07951 064448. (25846) Totnes SAC (Devon). We are an active multi-agency club and welcome new members and qualified divers from all organisations. Two RIBs and own compressor/nitrox, plus club 4WD. Based in Totnes, but dive all round South Devon and Cornwall. Visit www.totnes-bsac.co.uk for details. (84083) Watford Underwater Club BSAC. Family friendly, approachable, established and fun club. Portland based 7mtr RIB. Development and training all levels. www.wuc.org.uk email: info@wuc.org.uk (81675) West Wickham, Kent. BSAC 0533 welcomes new and qualified divers. Active training and diving. Club RIB at Brighton Marina. All agencies welcome. Thursday 20.30 22.00. Dave 07906 837 744. www.wickhamdiver.co.uk (81489) Witham, Essex. BSAC 1159. Friendly dive club welcomes new and experienced divers. Meets at Bramston Sports Centre every Thursday 8.30pm. Visit our website: www.bramstonsac.com (20294)
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AGGRESSOR FLEET......................................................23
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DD APEKS watch ad_Layout 1 03/06/2013 12:42 Page 113
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Deep Breath Jo Caird_Layout 1 30/05/2013 10:56 Page 114
DEEP BREATH
Finding heaven only to have it snatched away There isn’t much diving off India itself, but JO CAIRD thought she’d broken through when she reached, with some difficulty, the island of Kadmat. Just don’t bank on following in her wake
A
S WE ARRIVED AT THE SAND PATCH, the eagle rays took off like a flock
of birds. They wheeled around in the water, then returned to the seabed, settling one on top of the other in an orgy of fins and wings. A moment later all eight were off again, circling up and around before finding the sand for a second time. One final take-off and they were gone, fading into the blue distance as if they’d never been there at all. I felt I’d earned this extraordinary experience. Kadmat, a teardropshaped island in the centre of the Lakshadweep archipelago, off India’s west coast, was not an easy place to get to. Had I thought about this trip in advance, getting there might not have been such a challenge (there are, in fact, a handful of UK tour operators who can arrange everything for you). As it was, my boyfriend and I were already in India when we decided to try to reach Kadmat, and made the foolish assumption that it was simply a matter of booking a ticket and hopping on a boat. Alas not. Kadmat is the only island of the 36 in the archipelago that non-Indians STEVE PRETTY are permitted to visit. And even so, access is tightly restricted in order to protect its unique culture. All-inclusive travel, board and accommodation packages can be purchased only via a handful of government-authorised travel agencies. All those I contacted had used up their allocations for the dates we wanted to travel, so my only option was to book directly via SPORTS, the tourism arm of the Lakshadweep Administration.
SPORTS ACCEPTS ONLY CASH payments, so we packed our bags and raced the 500 miles from the beach in Goa on which we'd been lounging to SPORTS' offices in Kochi, Kerala in time to put down a deposit to secure the tickets.
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This 20-hour journey by rickshaw, bus, train and rickshaw again was followed two days later by 16 hours on an overnight ferry (which we almost missed because of a wildcat strike by dock workers), a ship-to-shore transfer by dieselchugging fishing-boat and a short ride in the back of a truck. When we finally arrived at the Kadmat Island Beach Resort, the only hotel on the island, I wasn't exactly relaxed. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to adapt to the pace of island life. The resort has a maximum capacity of 50 guests, but it's rare to find more than 30 visiting at any one time. Locating a private patch of flawless, white sandy beach is no more of a challenge than running into a noisy traffic jam on the Indian mainland. Our days were punctuated by mealtimes and, of
course, diving. We started our PADI Advanced Open Water course on the day we arrived, study sessions taking place on the beach and in the cool of the Lacadives dive centre. This tiny building, the porch of which looks out onto the resort's jetty, doubled up as the home of Marieke and Torben, the delightful Danish couple in charge. The diving was astonishingly good. We could have gained our underwater naturalist credentials on any of the 13 dives we did that week, picking up the hand signals for the creatures we spotted as if learning sign language – endless varieties of angelfish, boxfish, sharks, coral and nudibranch, to name just a few.
On one remarkable dive we saw more than 60 green turtles. One after another the snoozing reptiles woke up as we approached, some swimming off into the blue, others landing elsewhere, not yet fully awake enough to start their days. At one point, practically everywhere I looked there were turtles. The following day I got up close to an enormous ray at rest on the edge of a sand patch. Almost my size, the creature fixed its huge black eyes on me, entirely unperturbed by my presence.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE ADVANCED course was my first-ever night dive, which took place just after sunset at a site they called the Potato Patch. I was expecting to be terrified of the dark, but as we descended, I was surprised by how peaceful it was in the blackness. The moon hung far away up at the surface as if through a mirror in a fairytale, its beams too weak to illuminate this alien landscape. It's only now that I've done night dives elsewhere and in larger groups that I can appreciate how fortunate we were that night to be immersed in darkness so complete, unaffected by the light pollution of too many torch beams. I'm not sure I've ever felt so alone, or so thrilled by that feeling. I’ve been dreaming about returning to Kadmat ever since. But it doesn't look like something that's ever going to happen. The local administration has decided that it no longer wants outsiders running the diving there, so it told Lacadives that it could stay only if it handed over to an entirely local team. Uncomfortable with that idea – there simply isn’t enough diving expertise on Kadmat, it says – the company decided to pull out of the resort. You can still dive on Kadmat, care of SPORTS, which is now operating its own dive centre. But having seen the shambolic way the resort is run, it's not something I'd be keen to try. I've asked SPORTS to provide me with detailed information on the new set-up – instructors' experience, courses available, etc – but following an initial acknowledgement of my email, I've heard nothing back. I feel sad about this and extremely lucky at the same time. At least I made it to Kadmat once. That’s not something that very many people can say.
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