Diver - May 2017 PDF

Cover MAY.
qxp_April Cover(final) 28/03/2017 10:54 Page 1
HOW WILL BREXIT AFFECT TRAVEL? BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING DIVING MAGAZINE
MAY 2017
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DISCOVER ZANZIBAR A4 ING i dd 1 16/02/17 14 54

First In MAY v2.qxp_May First In 04/04/2017 15:01 Page 03
FIRST IN
Farewell
to a great
friend
Venom
Frameless W
E OPEN THIS ISSUE on what to us and
everyone who knew Nigel Wade is a
devastatingly sad note. Our Technical
Editor and gear-tester died at the start of April at
the age of 59 following a sudden heart attack –
Eye Candy just took on not diving-related – and left us in deep shock.
a new meaning. Nigel was well-known and well-loved in the diving

community. Those readers who met him will know
that he was an intensely vivacious character – always
fun to be with and great company, he was the sort of
man you couldn’t imagine no longer being around.
Nigel could talk for England, as he was first to agree.
There was always so much going on in his life that
there was hardly time enough in the day to share it.
That didn’t stop him being a good listener. His was
essentially a giving nature. He rarely had a bad word
to say about anybody, and I never came across STEVE
anyone who had a bad word to say about him. WEINMAN,
EDITOR
Nigel was multi-talented. Although his predecessor
as Technical Editor had occupied the post for 20
years, he stepped lightly into the role, and relished it.
Gear-testing is no easy task. Being scrupulously thorough and honest
in appraising kit calls for deep comparative knowledge and ability.
While always putting the readers’ interests first, Nigel also proved
popular with the diving trade, who I believe respected his integrity.
He devised ways of testing everything from lamp burntimes to blade
sharpness. You may well have followed his unending quest for, among
Exclusive features include... other things, the perfect mask, and his passionate campaign to keep
divers safer at the surface by carrying the most effective devices.
• “Gummi Bear UltraSoft” silicone creates Nigel’s death came when all but this page of the magazine were at the
an incredibly soft yet reliable face seal printer, so the divEr Tests you’ll read inside are the last he wrote.
• Rigid silicone skirt that is soft but

won’t collapse, distort or fold NIGEL WAS A FIREFIGHTER for 30 years, with all the qualities that
profession demands, and carried such disciplines into his diving,
• Schott Superwite® UltraClear lens much of it technical and much of it carried out in British waters. He
allows up to 96% of available light to was an experienced instructor, and deep wreck-diver. He was the first
UK PADI Self-Reliant Diver, as related in divEr at the time.
reach your eyes
But he was rarely happier under water than when diving a rich and
• Exclusive Atomic “Wicked” styling healthy tropical reef – he loved his coral.
makes a striking design statement. He had recently returned from a good trip to his beloved Maldives,
diving with whale sharks by night, and had been looking forward to
Co-Molded Silicone heading out to another of his favourite destinations, Bali.
Two different hardness
Nigel saw everything under water with his image-maker’s eye. He was
silicone materials are
a professional photographer in every sense, topside as well as under
co-molded together to
water, describing himself as “a photographer that dives as opposed to
form the mask skirt which
a diver who takes a camera”. An Associate of the Royal Photographic
is bonded directly to the
Society and a BSoUP member, he had been UK & Ireland Underwater
glass, eliminating the need
Photographer of the Year 2008-2009.
for a frame and providing
maximum viewing area. Many readers will have learnt from his illuminating
talks on underwater photography at the Dive Shows.
Atomic Aquatics Europe GmbH As a member of the divEr team, and as a friend, Nigel
www.atomicaquatics.co.uk Wade is simply irreplaceable. Our deepest sympathies
go to his wife Karen and to all his family.
3
TUSA (Hyflex Switch fins) – 05_17.qxp_TUSA 23/03/2017 12:11 Page 1
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Contents MAY.qxp_Layout 1 03/04/2017 12:10 Page 5
the magazine that’s straight down the line…

MAY 2017 Volume 62 No 5
Published monthly by Eaton Publications Ltd,
CONTENTS
Suite B, 74 Oldfield Road, Hampton,
Middlesex, TW12 2HR
Tel: 020 8941 8152
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
Technical Editor
Nigel Wade divingnige@btinternet.com
FEATURES
Production Manager
George Lanham george@divermag.co.uk
20 Back to Sharm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If flight patterns have changed, so has the diving
Webmaster
Mike Busuttili webmaster@divernet.com
Advertisement Manager
Jenny Webb jenny@divermag.co.uk
Senior Advertisement Executive
27 Where the Hell did our Boat Go?
Lost at sea in the Indian Ocean
Alex Khachadourian alex@divermag.co.uk
Advertising Production
David Eaton david@divermag.co.uk
Subscriptions Manager
subscriptions@divermag.co.uk
34 The Joy of Snorkelling. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Don’t underestimate the value of going by tube
Marketing, Sales & divEr Bookshop
Dorothy Eaton dorothy@divermag.co.uk
uwp-mailshop@divermag.co.uk
Financial Controller
Kojo Gyamera kojo@divermag.co.uk
40 Burma Maru
Clues lead divers to a WW2 wreck in Cambodia
Accounts Assistant
Julian Auty accounts@divermag.co.uk
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
Archaeology Dave Parham
Biology Dr David Bellamy
44 In the Bull-Shark Observatory. . . .
Eye-opening experiences on a trip to Mexico
Freediving Marcus Greatwood
Industry Dr John Bevan
Law
Medicine
Prof Mike Williams
Dr Ian Sibley-Calder
Photography Saeed Rashid, Brian Pitkin
54 Gorging on M&Ms
Unexpected highlights of a Maldives shark tour
Ships Richard Larn
Wrecks Rex Cowan
HOW TO GET divEr MAGAZINE

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Beneath Alpine ice on a single breath
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Behind the myths and under the shell
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Don’t Touch the Crown-of-Thorns
Starfish can be deadly – a warning from DAN
Copyright © 2017 by Eaton Publications Ltd. divEr reserves the right
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Contents MAY.qxp_Layout 1 03/04/2017 12:10 Page 6
Britain’s best-selling diving magazine
CONTENTS
REGULARS
3 First In
Editor’s view
8 News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diving deaths – and a new survival course
18 Beachcomber
Virtual reality with water features
31 Sport Rebreathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Second half of Simon Pridmore’s CCR review
50 Be the Champ!
The art of photographing cleaners
53 Trewavas
When the dive has to be called
76 Review
New books: from South-east Asia to North Wales
78 Booking Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
All the latest holiday news
82 Diver Tests
Ambidextrous reg plus light, mask and computer
88 Just Surfaced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New but untested diving products
98 Deep Breath
How will Brexit affect dive travel? An inside view
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Pink Crab photo by Scott Johnson
News MAY 2.qxp_DIVER grid 30/03/2017 08:33 Page 8
DIVER NEWS
Diver died in 3m taking UK FATALITY

HAD HEART
girl on her first dive CONDITION
AN EXPERIENCED UK diver who
drowned during a deep wreck-dive
A
VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL off Spain had an undiagnosed heart
DEATH has been reached on condition, an inquest has heard.
a diver who drowned in 3m Neil Fears, 51, a company director
of water off a South Cornwall beach from Belper in Derby, was diving
last summer. the ss Stanfield, a WW1 wreck that
Paul Dold, 43, an engineer from lies in the 45-60m range off Cape
Horsham, West Sussex, was spending Palos in Murcia, in August 2015.
a week’s holiday in Gorran Haven He became separated from his
with his partner Catherine Gray and buddy and the other two divers in
her three children last September. the group.
But as reported in divEr (News, Fears’ body was found three
November 2016) things went wrong hours later by a dive-team. A
when he took Gray’s 12-year-old medical examiner stated that he
daughter Harriet on her first dive. had suffered from a moderate-to-
Coroner Emma Carlyon heard that severe coronary atheroma, or
Dold had recently rediscovered his narrowing of the arteries.
NILFANION
old diving kit and was keen to use it Coroner for Derbyshire Louise
to go diving with Harriet, as reported Gorran Haven in Cornwall. Pinder concluded at proceedings
in Cornwall Live. in February that the heart
According to Harriet Gray’s police into the shallows. After Catherine suited to cave- than open-water condition was a contributory factor
statement, the pair entered the approached a group on the beach diving. He said that the “homemade” in Fears’ death through asphyxia
shallows at East Portholland beach for help, 16-year-old Jago Bayley harness carrying his tank, regulator by drowning.
and then swam out a little farther. In swam out, spotted Dold’s yellow tank and weights had not been quick- As reported in the Derbyshire
the process she had misplaced her and pulled him to the surface. release. Telegraph, the coroner said that
regulator twice, and said that He had struggled to keep the Manners also said that the hoses Fears was an experienced diver who
although Dold had retrieved it for diver’s head above water, but with on both regulators were restrictive in seemed “pretty fit and well”.
her the first time he had been the help of a woman with a kayak that they were only 70cm long as He was unaware of his heart
unable to do so the second time and had managed to bring him back to opposed to the standard 1m, and the condition, which would have made
had instead given her his, which she shore. A holidaying paramedic second-stage mouthpieces would him susceptible under the extra
also lost. performed CPR, but Dold was have been unsuitable for a child as pressures of an activity such as
Both divers started to panic, and declared dead at the scene. they were longer and larger than scuba-diving.
Catherine Gray, who had been Harriet Gray had been airlifted to standard. However, he also stated With no sign of Fears having
watching from nearby rocks, said in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and that the equipment had not struggled, the coroner concluded
her own statement that Harriet had had required treatment to return her contributed to the diver’s death. that an “acute medical episode”
surfaced and was shouting. breathing to normal. Returning her verdict, the Coroner could have rendered him
Instructing her daughter to kick Diving expert John Manners of commended Jago Bayley for his unconscious very quickly, leading
her legs, she had entered the water Devon & Cornwall Police described bravery, describing the action he to the drowning. Her verdict was
and managed to get the girl back Dold’s diving equipment as better took as “very, very impressive.” n one of accidental death. n
MCS DISHES UP ITS CHANGE FOR FISH

pod at NEMO33. A NEW SCHEME under which a helping hand to ensure that chefs seafood sustainably,” said
restaurants and pubs donate cash can serve up fish suppers for Mitra. “We believe the
from the sale of seafood dishes has generations to come,” says MCS Change for Fish scheme
been devised by charity the Marine Corporate Partnerships Manager will highlight the good
Conservation Society (MCS) – both Sanjay Mitra. dishes and encourage
to raise funds for its sustainability Before being classed as a Change diners to choose those
campaigns and to increase for Fish establishment, MCS in ahead of others where less
consumer awareness. collaboration with restaurant-rating information is available.”
“Change for Fish” encourages organisation Fish2fork will help it to In return, the charity
eateries to nominate one or more identify any red-listed species on its expects restaurants to benefit from The app aims to help consumers
seafood dishes that, when ordered, menu, and suggest replacing them custom attracted through the MCS make environmentally sound
suggest a discretionary donation to with fish that are better-rated in the and Fish2fork supporter databases – seafood choices, using a traffic-light
the MCS. The charity works to MCS Good Fish Guide. which it says represent almost system to provide an at-a-glance
promote improvements in the way “In a recent assessment of 11 200,000 potential customers. They guide to fish species to be avoided,
seafood is caught and farmed. high-street restaurant chains and will also be featured on the MCS and based on current sustainability. It is
“With almost 90% of world fish pubs we found that it’s a lack of Good Beach Guide websites and free on both iPhone and Android,
stocks fully or over-exploited from information about the sources of listed in the new Good Fish Guide from goodfishguide.org
fishing, plus pressure from climate seafood that is one of the biggest app, named a 2016 Gold winner in Information about Change For
change and pollution, stocks need barriers for diners trying to eat the London Design Awards. Fish can be found at mcsuk.org n
DIVER NEWS
THE BIG QUESTION

Your fitting response
‘All divers Because the Big Question has been a popular feature in divEr for such a
long time, it can be interesting to revisit questions and see whether your
responses have changed over time. Eleven years ago, 62% of you told us
can learn’ that you preferred DIN to A-clamp fittings on your regulators, but when
we asked you again last month, that figure had risen to a hefty 83%.
Perhaps it’s surprising that A-clamps are still around, but prime factors
from Sea seem to be their entrenchment in some parts of the world and, judging by
your answers, perceived ease of manipulation with cold hands.
Survival course YES

“Why would anyone knowingly choose to use an inferior system?”
Tom Chilcott
THE RNLI’S NEW ONE-DAY Diver Sea emergencies, what to do if faced with
“It’s a smaller, more secure fitting, and lighter for when one travels. Also
Survival course is now available separation on the surface, survival
you can convert to A-clamp if necessary.” Steven Merrick
through PADI and BSAC - and the techniques, and navigation and
marine charity says that divers at all safety kit on dive-boats. “I’d rather have control of my own O-ring than rely on the one in rented
levels will benefit from the training. Also included are two open-water tanks, as well as having the lower profile and more mechanically robust
The course is the outcome of dives to give participants the chance fixing of DIN.” Richard Boutcher
research initially conducted by the to practise the skills and techniques “I never had a problem with A-clamps but feel that DIN is more secure,
RNLI with the British Diving Safety learnt. especially if you’re poking your head where you shouldn’t!” Kevin Walker
Group (BDSG) in 2013. Their aim was While the core target audience “I prefer DIN as it provides a more secure fit, but I keep an adapter in my
to segment leisure-divers according was identified as less-experienced UK glovebox just in case!” Denis Connolly
to their motivation for diving and divers, Fecher reckons the training
“A-clamp should be banned from the face of the Earth.” John Orr
attitude to risk, and identify those has a much wider application, “from
groups most likely to take risks. the more experienced divers who “Undoubtedly. Surprised A-clamp still exists!” Patrick Boyle
They also wanted to identify the think they know it all to those new to “With my adaptor it fits either type of cylinder-valve.” Bill Hyatt-Steel
most effective methods of diving in our temperate waters. “DIN every time – it’s always screwed in.” Nicholas Ray
communicating safety messages to “To this end we’ve worked closely
“Much prefer DIN because the O- ring is fully enclosed and far less likely
the high-risk groups, with a view to with BSAC to develop a workshop
to cause a freeflow.”Paul Nicholas
changing their behaviour. version of the course, which is aimed
The research at the club-diver and “Much easier to get the alignment correct with DIN.” Patrick Wadsworth
NATHAN WILLIAMS
results were is more scenario- “Increased risk of the loss of a dive due to a missing or damaged O-ring
combined with data based,” he says. Films on an A-clamp cylinder.” Tony Leverett
from dive-centre and used in the theory “I'm a convert to DIN, having spent a decade on A-clamp. I think it’s safer
club focus groups, presentation were – I can't prove it but it just feels right.” Steven Harts
the RNLI’s own files, re-edited to that
“It’s definitely a more securely fitting valve – once it’s on, it’s on!” Wilf
BSAC Incident end. BSAC is due to
Reports and launch its workshop “Much better than A-clamp – reduced entanglement and the captive
consultation with all version of the O-ring making failure well nigh impossible.” Richard Bloore
BDSG members - “so course, to be taught “Allows greater security, less likely to fail and can use up to 300 bar.”
the new course has through its regional Clinton Novelle
benefitted from the coaching scheme, in “It’s more secure with a trapped seal, and more compact.” Michael Lyons
input of many late March.
“Never even used an A-clamp, thankfully! Looks bulky and unreliable.”
experienced and PADI launched the
Markus Battarbee
respected divers,” Nick Fecher. course to its
says RNLI
Community Safety Product Manager
instructors last
October, and more than 100 have so
NO
“I prefer the A-clamp as I always struggle to fit the DIN.” Diane Fisher
Nick Fecher, leader of the project. far signed up to teach it in the UK,
Fecher, a BSAC Advanced says Fecher. “Feedback from “I use A-clamps because they’re easier to unscrew, especially when your
Instructor and PADI Master Instructor, participating students is that they hands are cold.” Clair Read
learned to dive with BSAC in 1984 have all come away with new “A-clamps do the job and are easier to connect. Try fitting both with
and later owned dive-centres on the knowledge and, for some, new cold hands on a moving boat and see what you think.” Mike McLaren
South Coast, gaining experience in practical skills.” “There are adapters for both, but if you dive mainly in the Caribbean
dive retail, training and RIB dive More than 100 PADI instructors are you won’t need one with A-clamp.” Ian Nixon
charters. “So the course and already teaching the course in the
“I find that a lot of dive centres abroad have only A-clamp/ international
workshop have much of my past Netherlands, and by the end of
fittings on their rental cylinders.” Sergio Fernandez
experience reflected in them,” he summer SSI, SAA, SDI, IANTD and
told divEr. NAUI are all expected to be teaching
Diver Sea Survival is designed to either the workshop or course Go to www.divernet.com to answer…
provide the skills for diving more version, says Fecher.
safely in UK and Irish waters, says Find out more and to see a film THE NEXT BIG QUESTION
Fecher, and covers dive-planning and about rescued diver Paul Gibson at Do you take part in other sports that help to keep you fit for diving?
preparation, visibility at sea, a review respectthewater.com/activities/
Please answer yes or no, and if yes, tell us which sports you enjoy
of how best to tackle out-of-gas scuba-diving-dive-course n
DIVER NEWS
13 more wrecks get

protected status
T
HE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE is Pheasant and HMS Viknor. ‘secondary’
working towards a situation in The additions bring to 79 the vessels, for
which permission is required number of protected places, where example RN
for recoveries from all military wrecks diving is allowed but not physical trawlers,
in British territorial waters and by contact with the wreck. fleet HMS Cressy – already heavily salvaged.
British nationals from wrecks beyond The primary, though not exclusive, auxiliaries
territorial waters. reason for designation is to protect and armed merchant cruisers and subs has alerted the MoD to the
That is one of the policies war graves. There are no new troop transports – Laurentic and need to address the many Royal
underlying the MoD’s latest list of 13 additions to the 12 controlled sites Moldavia.” Until now, said Prof Navy subs lying in the North Sea
wrecks to be designated under the on which all diving is banned. Williams, the designations had and Med.”
Protection of Military Remains Act Maritime lawyer and divEr’s law tended to come in reaction to Stressing that his is a personal
1986, in the view of a maritime law consultant Professor Mike Williams problems that had already occurred interpretation of the Government's
expert. believes that this sixth tranche of with particular wrecks, or where they approach, Prof Williams also believes
The new order came into force in designations marks a change in the were newly discovered and therefore that as the four years of WW1
March, and includes a number of Government’s approach. especially vulnerable. commemoration events moves
well-known dive-sites. Designated for “What we are seeing here is the The inclusion of submarines was towards its climax next year “there is
the first time are HMS Aboukir, HMHS MoD making good on its declared also noteworthy: “My feeling is that a need for the MoD to be seen to be
Anglia, ss Armenian, HMS Cressy, HMS ambition to designate all military the spate of submarine discoveries protecting WW1 vessels – even
E47, HMS E49, HMS Falmouth, HMS wrecks,” he told divEr. “So more such as HMSub P311 and the heavily salvaged ones such as Cressy,
Hogue, HMS Lady Patricia, HMS obscure wrecks are being included, recoveries of conning towers by and ones no-one is likely to ever dive,
Laurentic, HMS Moldavia, HMS and what might be termed Dutch and Danish divers off WW1 such as Bulwark.” n
GOZO’S AZURE WINDOW FINALLY COLLAPSES DURING STORM

UK DIVERS HAVE BEEN among the “Suddenly, the arch collapsed
BERIT WATKIN
many visitors to Malta to mourn the into the sea with a loud whoomph,
loss of the famous Azure Window at throwing up a huge spray,”
Dwejra on the island of Gozo. eyewitness Roger Chessell told the
The iconic landmark collapsed into Times Of Malta.
the sea following heavy storms on 7 “By the time the spray had faded,
March. the stack had gone too.”
A large section of the limestone Divers visiting the site during the
arch had already collapsed into the following week reported that the
sea in April 2012, and divers were stack appeared to have collapsed
aware of the large blocks of rock left outwards, causing the arch to fall.
partially blocking the popular route The arch became even more
under the arch connecting the Blue famous when it featured early on in
Hole and the Inland Sea. the TV series Game of Thrones.
Following that collapse, a three- “The Azure Window’s demise
month geological survey in 2013 should serve as an eye-opener to all
revealed that natural erosion could The famed Azure Window as it looked until recently. concerned to look after and maintain
not prevent complete eventual and protect where possible the
disintegration, although the for decades. Warning signs and or climbing on the landmark, but the touristic sites this little island has to
scientists had said at the time that penalties had been introduced at restrictions were said to be poorly offer," was the response of the Gozo
they expected the feature to survive that point to prevent people walking enforced, and often ignored. Tourism Association. n
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Shark and ray tourism guide released Dive

FOUR HUNDRED shark and ray combined to produce what they guide’s producers, with one in four diving holidays worldwide
tourist-interaction operations are say is the world’s first practical species now threatened with
established around the world – guide for such operators. extinction. “Shark- and ray-
and this number could more than Responsible Shark and Ray focused eco-tourism has great Philippines
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the sharks and rays, local of the need to protect often- economic benefits to local
communities and tourists such as endangered species. communities and economies. Yet
divers, the conservation Unsustainable exploitation of sadly there’s limited practical
organisations Project AWARE, sharks and rays, mainly driven by guidance out there.”
WWF and the Manta Trust have overfishing, is widespread, say the “Lack of best-practice guidance
can often leave operators
confused about how to assess the
impact and improve the
50+ Destinations
sustainability of their operation,“
added Isabel Ender of the Manta
Maldives
Trust. “We sought advice from 7 nights from £1195pp
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a best-practice guide – the first of
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and checklists. The material can be
downloaded free from the
websites of Project AWARE, WWF
or the Manta Trust. n
Land + Sea
ARTIFICIAL REEF-FUNDING GOES PUBLIC
AN UNUSUAL APPROACH to the species, which has suffered from like it in the history of crowd-
SAVE UP TO 25%
financing an artificial reef has been habitat destruction and competition funding.”
adopted by Torbay-based small from the introduction of aggressive ARC Marine plans to extend its
business ARC Marine, which in March US crayfish. activities to installing a reef in the sea
launched a £30,000 crowdfunding Co-founder Tom Birbeck said he off Torbay by the end of summer. It
appeal to install its modular system chose crowdfunding over will work alongside the University of
initially at Somerset inland dive-site commercial sales or grant funding to Plymouth, where Dr Nicholas Higgs,
Vobster Quay. Deputy Director of the
The appeal, set to close on Marine Institute at its
14 April, had raised close to COAST lab facility, tests
£11,000 in pledges as structures built for marine Luxury Liveaboards
divEr went to press. environments.
The Virgin StartUp-backed Dt Higgs said that such Philippines | Bali | Manado
company is claiming that its installations “provide Maldives | Red Sea
patented ARC module, structure by concentrating Lembeh | Caribbean
developed to be stronger fish and nutrients around
Cape Verdes | Canary Is
and more permanent than a the reef, creating a whole
sunken ship, is a “world first” eco-system.
Malta | Cyprus
because it is multi-functional. “They also prevent Sri Lanka | Far East
It says that such a system fishing in that area, as $PHULFDV_3DFLÀF
can obstruct illegal depth these big structures stop Galapagos + More
trawlers, protect endangered ships towing fishing
and declining species, provide and trawling gear through
a strong anchor-point for the area.” Group Discounts
One of the modules is lowered into place.
cages and buoys, boost stocks Of the Vobster project + Free Places
of overfished species and protect underline the need for collective he said: “The ARC modules provide See online for OFFERS
coastlines and underwater habitats responsibility in solving increased habitat complexity. By
from erosion. environmental problems. providing that living space, you
At Vobster the intention is to “We’re giving the crowd the power should be able to increase the
provide a habitat for endangered to rebuild and protect our delicate amount of crayfish that can live in
white-clawed freshwater crayfish. marine environment for generations habitats like quarries and man-made www.sportifdive.co.uk
ARC Marine is collaborating with to come with a 500-plus-year project water bodies.” Find out more at
nearby Bristol Zoo to help regenerate lifespan,” he said. “There is no pledge arcmarine.co.uk n 01273 844919
DIVER NEWS
Cruise ship devastates

Raja Ampat coral reef Cruise ship Caledonian Sky.
S
OME 19,000 SQUARE METRES of coral at The damaged area of coral reef turned out to be are fully investigated, understood and any lessons
the Crossover Reef site in Indonesian scuba- even bigger than preliminary estimates, according learned incorporated in operating procedures.”
diving hotspot Raja Ampat was severely to the report of a joint investigation by the Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and
damaged on 4 March when a cruise ship drove Indonesian government and Noble Caledonia’s Forestry is calculating the compensation to be
into it at low tide. insurer. levied, which is expected to run into several million
The 90m, 4290-tonne Caledonian Sky, operated More than 13,000sq m of reef were destroyed dollars. Apart from Britain the Swedish and
by British-based Noble Caledonia, was on a bird- initially by the grounding, with additional Bahamas governments will be involved in
watching cruise between Papua New Guinea and “medium” damage – in which the chances of coral discussions, as Noble Caledonia’s owner is Swedish
the Philippines with 102 passengers and 79 crew surviving are put at no more than 50% – resulting and the vessel was flagged in the Bahamas.
aboard when it ran aground on the reef near Kri. during the bid to refloat it at low tide. Indonesia’s Ministry for Maritime Affairs is now
The Caledonian Sky was only slightly damaged, In a statement, Noble Caledonia described the understood to be seeking to upgrade Raja Ampat’s
but extensive damage to the reef was aggravated incident as “unfortunate” and said it was “firmly UN status to Particularly Sensitive Sea Area and
when a tugboat from Sorong tried to refloat it. The committed to protection of the environment, reviewing the number and size of cruise ships
cruise ship departed following questioning. which is why it is imperative that the reasons for it allowed to enter its waters in future. n
Pacific wreck-hunter
Conan lost at sea
ALAIN CONAN, 72, a wreck-diver based in the
French overseas territory of New Caledonia in the
south-west Pacific, went missing at sea on 6 March,
and air-sea searches failed to locate him.
Conan’s wife called the emergency services in
early afternoon when her husband failed to return
from a solo boat-trip in the south of the main
island, Grand Terre. He had not indicated whether
he planned to dive, but dive-gear was found
aboard his 8m boat Mea Culpa. The vessel had
been anchored near Boulari Pass, a channel to the
south-west of Grand Terre, known for its strong
and changeable currents.
A large-scale search was launched by the Marine
Rescue Co-ordination Centre in the capital
Noumea but was later called off.
In 1981 Conan established the Salomon
Association to investigate the sinking of the two
18th-century frigates Boussole and Astrolabe.
The vessels were engaged in scientific
exploration under French explorer the Comte de
La Pérouse in 1788 when they were wrecked in a
storm off the Solomon Islands.
Artefacts recovered by Conan’s dive-team over
time are displayed in New Caledonia’s Maritime
Museum, and he had recently completed work on
a website dedicated to La Pérouse, which can be
&(17(52),17(//,*(1&(. found at collection-laperouse.fr/en n
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Be intelligent. Take the edge of performance.
mares.com
The 18th-century frigates Astrolabe and Boussole.
DIVER NEWS
Dolphins viewed as …as BANTER

helps ID them
they see themselves… THERE ARE 40 SPECIES of dolphin
in the world, and a problem for
researchers trying to track or
count them through acoustic
monitoring is that to human ears
their speech patterns sound
broadly similar, making it difficult
to distinguish individual species.
Now the US National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) has developed a computer
algorithm called BANTER to
overcome that problem. This
“compound acoustic classification
method” takes into account data
from all the different types of call
that dolphins produce, including
whistles, echo-location clicks and
NOAA
Dusky dolphins’ usually unseen behaviour has been captured. “burst pulses” (rapid-fire clicking).
It merges the signals to produce
OBSERVING NATURAL marine-life Zealand with the aid of long poles Dolphin specialist Heidi Pearson of what it says is a far more accurate
behaviour uninhibited by the and suction cups. the University of Alaska Southeast way of classifying each species.
presence of humans can be a “One challenge of doing this said that the research had great Led by NOAA bioacoustics
challenge for scientists, but an research on small and fast animals potential for protecting endangered expert Shannon Rankin, the team
international research team says that like dusky dolphins is that there is species. tested the system over four
by attaching non-invasive video limited surface area on the dolphin’s “With these video cameras, we can months off the USA’s west coast,
cameras to dusky dolphins it has body for tag attachment, so there’s ‘see’ from the animals’ perspective covering some 1000 hours of
captured some nine hours' of only a small window of time to and begin to understand the dolphin recordings and more than
footage of rarely seen activities. actually deploy the tag as the challenges they face as they move 2 million individual signals.
Mother-calf interaction, playing dolphin swims past,” said Dr Peter throughout their habitat,” she said. Checking the results against
with kelp and flipper-rubbing were Jones from the University of Sydney. “For example, in marine areas visual evidence, correct
among the types of intimate social The footage obtained is claimed to subjected to high degrees of human classification scores for individual
behaviour observed and analysed offer new insights into wild dolphins’ disturbance such as shipping or species ranged from 71% to 92%,
by marine biologists from the prey and habitats. coastal development, the ability to giving an overall score of 84% for
Universities of Sydney and Alaska “For the first time, these cameras collect data from the animal’s all five species. This is expected to
Southeast. have given us the opportunity to see perspective will be critical in make estimating population sizes
The custom-made video cameras, what dolphins do on their own understanding how and to what using underwater microphones
each with a six-hour battery life, were terms,” said Dr Gabriel Machovsky- extent these stressors affect an rather than cameras or human
loaded with memory boards, VHF Capuska of the University of Sydney. animal’s ability to feed, mate, and observation more efficient.
and satellite transmitters and time- “There were no wildlife crews, no raise young.” The scientists say that the
depth recorders. invasive underwater housings – and The researchers hope to develop approach can be easily upscaled
They were attached to eight wild the dolphins remained largely the videocams further, for use with and adapted for studying other
dusky dolphins off the coast of New unaffected by our cameras.” other cetacean species and sharks. n types of wildlife. n
AQUARIUM RAY THAT KILLED DIVER REVERTED TO INSTINCT

THE DEATH OF AN AQUARIUM transferring four leopard rays out of Chan had climbed onto the flick their tail up to deploy a barb.
diver when he was stung by a their tank for onward transport, platform, but other divers heard him The aquarium’s veterinarian
leopard whiptail ray has been according to a report on the inquiry cry out before collapsing. consultant Dr Frederic Chua testified
ruled a tragic misadventure at in Today. The diver was unresponsive as that the ray’s behaviour had been
a coroner’s inquiry. State Coroner Marvin Bay heard they removed him from the tank, unusual, in that on detecting Chan it
The incident, which took place at that the dive-team had struggled to and after seeing a barb protruding had reversed through the water.
the Underwater World Singapore persuade the last of the rays out of from his chest he was taken to He thought that the ray, which
aquarium last October, was reported deep water onto a shallow holding Singapore General Hospital, where had been caught from another
in divEr (News, December 2016) platform. Once they got it there he was later declared dead. enclosure eight years before, was
The aquarium had been An autopsy found that the probably “devising ways to escape
closed since June, with long- 22cm barb had punctured his capture”.
serving senior supervisor and heart and aorta, and he had The coroner drew the lesson that
diver Philip Chan, 62, retained died as a result of excessive despite long-term captivity, wild
as part of a team of 10 tasked bleeding and heart failure. animals that are cornered, surprised
with transferring its 2500 The inquiry heard that or feel threatened, could “revert to
occupants to new facilities. although leopard whiptail rays their hard-wired natural instinct to
Chan had devised a low- normally avoided any threat, if reflexively lash out and inflict fatal or
stress procedure for they felt cornered they could severe injuries”. n
DIVER NEWS
‘NATIONAL TREASURE’ TO GO ON SHOW IN GOSPORT

THE FATHER AND MOTHER OF Augustus Siebe, the provenance, the Science
diving helmets is to be manufacturer favoured by the Museum classed it as a
displayed at the Diving Deanes – although through “national treasure”, although
Museum in Gosport from mid- their association Siebe would it has never displayed it.
April. Never seen in public later become very successful. The HDS started running the
before, the helmet is the The Deanes invested their Diving Museum in Gosport on
working prototype with which fee for the Carn Brea Castle a voluntary basis in 2010 and
the brothers John and Charles salvage in improving their applied to display the helmet
Deane first proved their diving helmet and the suit there, but was turned down.
concept 188 years ago. that went with it. John Deane More recently Kevin Casey,
Charles Deane had patented based himself to Gosport and a former saturation diver,
a smoke helmet for firefighters, in 1836, using his diving dress, became the museum’s director
and around 1827 he joined his discovered the long-lost Tudor and managed to obtain a
brother to produce a modified wreck the Mary Rose. £21,000 grant to boost security
version to use for diving, That “standard diving dress” to the high level required.
using a pair of forge bellows to was adopted by the Royal A special display case was
pump in air. Engineers and then the Royal installed, and evidence of four
By 1829 the brothers had Navy, forming the basis for an weeks of acceptable internal
developed a fully functional international diving industry. It environmental monitoring had
diving set-up based around the is still used by commercial to be shown before the Science
helmet. They carried out their divers around the world today. Museum would release the
first commercially successful The Science Museum helmet on loan.
diving operation salvaging acquired the helmet from the The Deane helmet can be
valuable cargo from East private Siebe Gorman Museum seen at the Diving Museum
Indiaman the Carn Brea Castle, after John Bevan of the until the end of October. It is
which had run ashore on the Historical Diving Society (HDS) open from 11am to 4pm on
Isle of Wight in a gale. had stepped in to prevent the weekends and bank holidays,
The original helmet was not disposal of its contents at admission £3 for adults – more
a commercial success, and only auction. After Bevan had information can be found at
HDS
The working prototype of the Deane diving helmet.
about six units were built by explained the helmet’s thehds.com/museum n
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DIVER NEWS
Unqualified diver ran out UK freediving

team named
of air on shallow ascent THE LINE-UP FOR the eight-
person UK freediving team to
compete at the 2017 AIDA
Depth World Championships in
A
NEW ZEALAND CORONER 9m to collect crayfish and sea The divers removed his weight- Roatan, Honduras, has been
has pronounced a verdict of urchins. On reaching 50 bar each belt, brought him to the surface and named by the British Freediving
drowning on a man who was man was to ascend and swim back to towed him ashore where CPR was Association (BFA).
unqualified as a scuba-diver but used shore with his catch. administered, but it was too late. In order of ranked
open-circuit equipment to dive in Summers separated from the According to a report by Police performance, the women's team
Lyall Bay, Wellington in December, others on completing his dive and National Dive Squad Senior consists of Liv Philip, Helena
2015 – and has suggested that the returned to shore alone. Constable Paul Ferguson, Collins Bourdillon and Nancy Gibson,
death could have been prevented. When Soro checked his contents appeared to have used all his air with Kate Goodwin in reserve,
Coroner Tim Scott said that if the gauge after about 20 minutes while before reaching the surface and, while the male line-up is
two friends of Willie Collins had not at a depth of 6m he found about 150 being untrained, had failed to check Michael Board, Dean Chaouche
separated from him, the 39-year-old bar left, but seeing that Collins was his contents gauge or ditch his and Carl Atkinson, with Adam
boxing and fitness coach might still already down to 50 bar he signalled weight-belt and catch-bag. Mustoe in reserve.
be alive, according to a report in the for him to ascend and head back to The report stated that Collins’ Selection was based on best
NZ Herald. shore, indicating the direction on his rapid air consumption could be proven performances in the
Collins’ friends Wade Summers and compass. attributed to lack of experience but three freediving disciplines Free
Apakuki Soro were both experienced He said that Collins had given him that fatigue after the surface-swim Immersion, Constant Weight
scuba-divers. Soro said he had a thumbs-up, which he took to mean and a moderately narrowed coronary and Constant Weight No Fins.
believed Collins to be capable of the that he understood. He watched him artery found at a post mortem might The Championships are being
shore-dive as he was a freediver and swim away towards the shore, have been contributory factors. held in the 25th anniversary
had been to the planned maximum ascending as he went and, feeling “The divers should not have year of freediving's governing
depth of 9m before. that he was safe, continued his dive. separated and Willie, who was the body AIDA, between 22 August
It was unclear whether a buddy- When Soro joined Summers least experienced, should not have and 3 September. The event is
check had been carried out, but ashore they realised that Collins had been left to his own devices to reach organised by Roatan Freediving
according to Soro all three divers not surfaced. Another friend alerted the shore,” stated the report. Had at School & Training Centre under
carried single cylinders filled with air the Coast Guard while the two divers least two of the divers remained the direction of Esteban
to 200bar. Their plan was to surface- returned to Sharktooth Point, where together, Ferguson said he believed Darhanpé. The BFA said it was
swim the 200m from shore to a site Soro found Collins on the seabed at a it “highly probable that the tragedy seeking further sponsorship of
called Sharktooth Point and dive to depth of 4-5m. would not have happened”. n the UK team. n
First Brixham Marine Conservation Day set for May

LUC VIATOUR
BRIXHAM MARINE CONSERVATION

Day is an new initiative set to take
place in South Devon on 30 May.
Local nature enthusiast Annie Wilson
has invited organisations involved in
marine conservation, education,
research and tourism to get together
to build awareness “of how we can
help make a cleaner, healthier and
safer marine environment“.
The inaugural event is free to
visitors and participants alike.
Brixham Yacht Club is set to host
talks through the day from
organisations such as Torbay
Community Seagrass Initiative, Brixham Harbour.
Devon Wildlife Trust (Marine
Conservation Zones), Brixham Sea a ghost gear retrieval dive by A marine-conservation themed and sea-based conservation,
LUC VIATOUR
LUC VIATOUR
Watch, Ghost Fishing UK (scuba- Fathoms Free. photography competition is to be education and research.”
divers retrieving fishing-nets for Manning stands will be the marine held in the run-up to the event, with The build-up to the event can be
recycling), Seiche Training (marine science team at South Devon College winning entries displayed on the day. followed on Facebook and Twitter
mammal acoustics) and more. (micro-plastics accumulation in “Everything seems to have just @BrixhamDolphins, more
Planned outdoor activities include herrings project), Plymouth fallen into place,” says Wilson. “People information is available by emailing
a marine-mammal rescue University Marine Institute (Lyme Bay are really enthusiastic about this brxmarineconservationproject@talk
demonstration in Brixham Harbour underwater video project), Sea Watch event and keen to take part. talk.net, and details of the photo
by British Divers Marine Life Rescue, a Foundation (cetacean protection), “We are hoping that following the competition can be obtained by
beach-clean and survey organised by the Shark Trust and Devon Seals in success of this year’s day we will emailing photocompbmcd
the Marine Conservation Society, and the Wild. grow the event to include both land- @talktalk.net n
DIVER NEWS
Fame at last – Poole

wreck mystery solved POOLE MUSEUM
A
FTER YEARS OF research the
historic Swash Channel Wreck
has finally been identified as
a Dutch armed merchant vessel
called the Fame, which sank in a
Atlantic scores first
storm near Poole Harbour in Dorset
in March 1631.
for NAS in England
The wreck was first noted when a ATLANTIC SCUBA of Falmouth in
HDS
dredger struck it on Hook Sands in Cornwall has become the first English
1990, and Wessex Archaeology dive-centre to be affiliated with the
began to investigate the site in 2004. Nautical Archaeology Society.
HDS
The work has been led by marine- The NAS, the main UK training
archaeological divers from agency for underwater
Bournemouth University. archaeologists, traditionally organises
Lying between 7 and 9m deep skills days for its Recorder and
with about 40m of the port side of A moustachioed head decorates the rudder of the Fame. Surveyor and other courses at set
the hull remaining, and now buried locations and dates up to a year in
under sand, the vessel was timbers,” commented Bournemouth crew under captain John Jacobson advance, but Atlantic Scuba says it will
designated a Protected Wreck Site in University marine archaeologist Dave Botemaker. Seeking shelter from a be able to hold courses “on demand“,
recognition of its historical Parham. “Everything fits, although storm in Studland Bay in February, it as it does for the range of diving
significance. you can never be sure.” dragged its anchor and broke up on courses it already offers.
The announcement of the Commissioned by the university Hook Sands. “Atlantic Scuba has set up a team
identification was timed to coincide to undertake the historical research The crew survived, but contents of experienced instructors, including a
with the display at Poole Museum in into the wreck, Dr Ian Friel says that and cannon appeared to have been maritime archaeologist,” said NAS
March of the ship’s decorated 8m- he sifted through more than 15,000 looted. Dr Friel believes that the CEO Mark Beattie-Edwards.“It is the
long rudder. This was raised – along manuscript pages in Dorset and missing guns could indicate that a licensee of four protected wreck-sites
with the bowcastle, part of the London before eventually finding celebrated Dutch salvor known as in Cornwall, so it has plenty of
upper structure and artefacts – in the contemporary accounts of the Fame Jacob the Diver was active at the site fieldwork experience too.”
years up to 2013 and conserved by being declared a danger to shipping following the sinking. Atlantic Scuba intends to offer
York Archaeological Trust. Analysis of after breaking up on a sandbank. Dr Friel’s account of the detective taster sessions for anyone interested
the raised timbers helped to identify The ship was believed to have work that went into identifying in nautical Archaeology. It will also be
the wreck as the Fame. sailed in ballast from Hoorn in the the Fame can be read at offering fieldwork days for those who
“It's the right name at the right Netherlands in January 1631, ianfrielhistorian.wordpress.com. have already completed the required
date with the right age of the heading for the Caribbean with 45 Display: poolemuseum.co.uk n NAS courses. n
LONG-TERM, SCUBA-DIVERS LEAVE SHARKS COLD

IT SEEMS TO BE NEWS TO CHEER indicated that such changes were
environmentally concerned divers – likely to be short-lived.
it is possible for human/shark No differences were detected in
interactions to take place without reef-shark abundance or behaviour
any long-term effects on the sharks. between heavily dived and undived
That’s according to recently locations, and there were no
published research by scientists from differences in residency patterns at
University of California Santa Barbara dived and undived sites during a
and Florida International University. year that saw substantial diving
The researchers started from the activity, and another year with no
premise that despite rapid growth in diving at all.
STEVE WEINMAN
marine tourism its impact was not “Our results suggest that humans
well understood, with most studies can interact with reef sharks without
focusing only on behavioural persistent behavioural impacts, and
changes in sharks resulting from that well-regulated shark-diving
feeding or baiting. central Pacific. Based at a scientific and scientific diving, although tourism can be accomplished
Instead they carried out long-term research station there, they used intensive, is concentrated entirely on without undermining conservation
observations of differences in various survey techniques, including a small number of dive-sites. goals,” concluded lead author Darcy
residency, abundance and behaviour remotely operated underwater video While the researchers knew that Bradley.
of reef sharks in response to scuba- cameras carrying small amounts of sharks had previously been shown to No Persistent Behavioural Effects of
diving at remote Palmyra Atoll, in the bait, and acoustic monitoring. change their behaviour towards Scuba-Diving on Reef Sharks in the
Northern Line Islands between Palmyra is a wildlife refuge where people in the water over short time- Marine Ecology Progress Series can
Hawaii and American Samoa in the fishing has been banned for 14 years scales, the results of their survey be downloaded from int-res.com n
DIVER NEWS
Turkish devil-ray
landings blasted
MARINE CONSERVATION groups
condemned the landing in Turkey
in March of 30 giant devil rays,
which they said contravened
Mediterranean agreements to
protect the endangered species.
According to Turkish news
reports, fishermen caught the
rays unexpectedly on 11 March
and landed them in Izmir, ready
to export the meat to Greece.
Under a 2012 measure
adopted by the General
NATIONS ‘BOUND BY LAW Fisheries Commission for the

Mediterranean (GFCM), landing
and selling all shark and ray
TO PROTECT CORAL REEFS’ species listed under a special

protocol of the Barcelona
Convention is banned. Turkey and
IN THE WEEK IN MARCH in which the growing more dire every year… Asked how offending nations could Greece are both signatories to the
Trump appointee to head the USA's elevated ocean temperatures have be called to account, Noni Austin told convention and to the GFCM.
Environmental Protection Agency triggered wide-scale coral-bleaching divEr: “Every year at its annual Devil rays bear just one pup
denied that carbon dioxide causes events around the world, from the meeting, the World Heritage every one to three years, so are
global warming, a US/Australian report USA’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine Committee makes specific particularly susceptible to
stated that every nation with World National Monument to France’s recommendations to countries about
Heritage-listed coral reefs can be held lagoons of New Caledonia, the actions that must be taken to protect
responsible under international law to Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll and Kiribati’s World Heritage properties.
protect them from climate change. Phoenix Islands Protected Area. “These recommendations bring
Australia was singled out for special “On Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a international attention to
criticism in a report released by staggering 22% of corals died in 2016 a government’s failure to protect
lawyers from the USA’s biggest non- – the worst coral die-off in recorded a World Heritage property and,
profit environmental law organisation history. On some reefs in the north, consequently, encourage
Earthjustice and its equivalent almost all the coral died. governments to address the threats
Environmental Justice Australia. “This is an international tragedy for to a property. Australia’s ban on
Presented at the World Heritage our shared world heritage.” dumping of capital dredge spoil in overfishing. The giant devil ray
Centre, IUCN, in Paris, the report stated Environmental Justice Australia 2015 was in part due to concerns (Mobula mobular) of the
that the World Heritage Committee lawyer Ariane Wilkinson commented expressed by the committee.” Mediterranean is classified as
can call nations to action to minimise “Australia is custodian of the Great She said the recommendations also Endangered on the IUCN Red List
non-climate reef threats, such as Barrier Reef and has primary “educate and empower civil society, of Threatened Species.
pollution and overfishing, while those responsibility under the World pressure financial institutions to “Divers are especially fond of
with significant CO2 emissions and the Heritage Convention to protect and withhold funding for fossil-fuel devil and closely-related manta
means to take action have an conserve the reef. projects, and could potentially open rays, and we have fought hard to
additional obligation to reduce their “Our analysis shows that Australia is the door to domestic litigation, all of win them protections under
contributions to climate change. failing to fulfil its obligation.” which helps force government action wildlife treaties,” noted Ania
“Corals around the world are She called on the country to take to protect World Heritage properties.” Budziak, Associate Director for
bleaching and dying because of “serious and effective action” to cut The report World Heritage and Project AWARE. She said that
ocean-warming and acidification greenhouse-gas emissions and stop Climate Change: The Legal CITES listings now coming into
caused by out-of-control greenhouse- constructing fossil-fuel extraction Responsibility of States to Reduce Their force were key to preventing
gas emissions,” said Earthjustice lawyer infrastructure that would lock in Contributions to Climate Change – A devil-ray trade from contributing
and report author Noni Austin. decades of such emissions.“Australia is Great Barrier Reef Case Study can be to further population declines,
“The plight of these corals is failing miserably on both counts.” downloaded from smh.com.au n and “could help to remove the
incentive to land rays that are
caught incidentally in fisheries
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST diver- targeting other species.”
training agency PADI has been
sold again – for a reported US
MANDARINFISH BUYS PADI Conservationists are also
looking to a GFCM Compliance
$700 million. It has gone to a based PADI in 2015 from another it. Despite the price shortfall it still Meeting in June and a new IUCN
consortium of wealthy families private-equity firm, Lincolnshire managed to triple its investment, Global Conservation Strategy for
and endowments, said to include Management, which had itself according to the Wall Street Journal. Devil and Manta Rays as key in
marine conservationists, called owned the agency for only three PADI says it has issued more addressing policy deficiencies.
Mandarinfish Holding. years. PADI has now been owned than 25 million certifications in its This includes adoption of best
Previous owner Providence by four private-equity companies. 50-plus years of existence. It has practices for carefully releasing
Equity Partners LLC had initially Providence helped PADI to 6400 dive-centres and resorts, rays from fishing-nets, as used in
looked to raise $1 billion from the expand in Asia and upgrade its e- some 133,000 affiliated instructors the Pacific to boost their chances
sale. It had bought California- commerce system before reselling and an international staff of 400. n of surviving accidental capture. n
Beachcomber MAY 2.qxp_Beachcomber 30/03/2017 16:29 Page 18
BEACHCOMBER
Killer nurses
VIRTUAL YET WET the academics are getting in on
the act.
Six different local and international
Now this I really don’t get. Or designed for use under water (in
archaeological excavation missions
maybe I do. See what you think. a swimming pool rather than on
have had their work permits signed,
You’ll know all about virtual- a dive) and presumably there’s all
and they’re back in the water this year.
reality headsets. You stick a sort of sorts of spectacular footage that
steampunk welding visor with will transport you to foreign parts
attached earphones over your face, where you can see sharks being Must be desperate
and it’s like being immersed in really scary but also dead sexy and
The Bradford Telegraph & Argus recently
another world. high up on the list of things people announced that Bradford Sub-Aqua Club
I tried one recently and found want to see but daren’t, on account was celebrating increasing female
The Daily Star shared a story about
myself in the middle of a shoot-out of not wanting to be bitten. members. I thought it was marvellous of
what it called a pair of brave divers
as I hurtled through the streets of My first reaction was really the branch to show such solid support for
who swam into an underwater cave
London in a high-speed car chase. negative. I mean, why bother with any ladies who might be putting on
and discovered TERRIFYING creatures,
The experience was totally realistic, the VR, why not go dive for real? weight, but I don’t know how the ladies
critters which are among the scariest
except that I wasn’t moving, and But then I thought that it would be feel about it.
on Earth and which presented the
when I reacted to the visual input cool if you could load a VR When the auction ads dry up, there are
divers with a SHOCKING discovery.
by bracing myself to go round a presentation on a dive you really, always the job ads to read, and one
I assume that they used capital
corner, I really want to do but can’t afford or company recently advertised for an
letters in case you didn’t believe them,
fell over. don’t have time to do. “Underwater Boat Bottom Cleaning Diver“,
and I didn’t.
It was You could go dive Lembeh or which wouldn’t be my idea of heaven as
The lads, as the Star called them,
genuinely Titanic or wherever, and while you a job, but we’re all different.
saw a small opening in a reef, swam in
amazing. were doing it you could actually be If you’re interested you need to know
and spotted a nurse shark. Completely
Anyhow, under water in a pool so you also that “This job is VERY HARD work for VERY
disregarding the mortal danger that
someone get cold and need to pee, but will LOW pay”, you’ll have to pass a weekly
they weren’t, in fact, experiencing, the
has now made never be in any real danger ‘cos all drugs and nicotine test, be 100% reliable
lads swam further into the cave and
a VR you need to do is stand up. and display VERY strong attention to
found even more sharks, which also Just remember to
failed to menace anyone. close your mouth in the pool… headset Doesn’t that sound fantastic? detail. Almost in passing, it was pointed
To be fair, the lads themselves, un- out that you also need to be a certified
named but reportedly brothers, were head and swam down to remove it. film adaptation of the cult comic The diver.
clearly aware that nurse sharks are The event was inevitably filmed by Underwater Welder. Wonder how many applicants they got?
often seen in caves during the day, one of the dive-party, and the good But pride of cinematic place this month
apparently asleep but certainly doing news was that the shark was seen goes to Chris Evans (no, not that one, the
nothing, and were more delighted alive and well later in the week, Captain America one), who is going to star Dead-end job
than scared to see them. It was the apparently no worse for the incident. in a spy movie entitled Red Sea Diving Still, it’s a better job than that of Ashu
paper trying to juice up what must Brett had no idea how the shark Resort (I know) which revolves around the Malik, a professional recover of bodies
have been a slow news day. came to be knifed in the head but 1981 rescue and transport of Ethiopian from the Bhakra Main Line Canal, work
Not really surprising sharks get a stories like the one from the Daily Star Jews to Israel. for which he averages $100 a month.
bad rep, is it? don’t help. Sounds interesting, and I guess the Red Find his story online, it’s heartbreaking.
Sea dive industry we all know and love
would be delighted if it helps to get more
Thankless task Stars under the sea people back to the area. Should be OK
The Australian Daily Mail managed a It was a busy month for diving movies. Continuing my trawl of auction sites,
slightly more uplifting piece. Or maybe not. First, Kristen Stewart was announced to be I came across what was advertised as a “Lot
Its reporting was less sensational but it still in talks to star in the snappily titled Green shoots of Scuba Gear“, and was very taken by the
didn’t fill me with joy. adventure thriller Underwater, for which Mind you, the Egyptian Red Sea might honesty and forthright nature of the seller,
The report was about Kate Wilkins, who she seemingly needed to get a serious just be showing the first signs of who declared that among the kit was a
devoted two hours a day to clearing diver’s haircut. recovery. Well, not the Red Sea, regulator that “worked the last time I used
rubbish from beneath jetties in Adelaide Then there was footage from the obviously – that has already benefited it (several years)”. Buyer beware!
and recovered 89kg of junk in a month – forthcoming Justice League movie showing hugely from the reduction in diver On the other hand, and there’s rarely a
including much barbecue hardware, by the Aquaman (Jason Momoa, an actor who, numbers with flora and fauna shortage of other hands in scuba-diving,
look of it. incidentally, majored in marine biology) recovering wonderfully – but the I have reg sets that I’d have to describe in
Unfortunately, said Kate, when she swimming under water with not a lot of kit dive-operators are seeing tourist exactly the same terms if I sold them, and
returned at the end of the month to the on, while Ryan Gosling trailed a feature- numbers creeping back up, and even I expect them to work.
site where she had begun her clear-up, the
public had already dumped as much
rubbish as she’d shifted.
We have to stop.
Mercy mission
Brett Johnson, a diving instructor, was
leading a recreational dive with a
gaggle of paying customers in the
Cayman Islands when he saw a nurse
Set to dive: Kristen Stewart… …biologist Jason Momoa… …weld-class Ryan Gosling… …and Chris Evans in the Red Sea.
shark with a knife sticking out of its
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Back to Sharm.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:59 Page 20
BACK TO
SHARM
Why wouldn’t you? The Egyptian resort’s
dive-sites are back to their best and there are
plenty of routes in – how about a European
city-break on the way, for instance? NICK &
CAROLINE ROBERTSON-BROWN report
divEr 20
RED SEA DIVER
I
T’S BEEN SOME YEARS SINCE ghost town, and while the UK thanks to the wreck of the Lara. This
Caroline and I spent any time Government plays politics with the Cypriot cargo ship hit the reef in 1981
diving out of Sharm el Sheikh, on livelihoods of the people who live there, and, despite being partially demolished
the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai slowly the rest of Europe is making its in 1996, the remains still sit on top of it.
Peninsula. When we did, it would be way back. The propeller has fallen to 56m at the
pretty much typical to moor up It is not all doom and gloom, bottom of the reef pinnacle.
alongside 10 to 15 other dive-boats, fortunately, because a vast reduction Some of the seafans we saw were
with numerous divers all trying to get of diver numbers on the many dive-sites enormous, and on Gordon we had to
their chance to examine what was on used by Sharm operators has given the use four underwater flashguns and two
the reef at the same time. soft corals, sponges, seafans, shoals powerful video lights to do anything
There were bubbles everywhere, and of fish and even the hard corals the like justice to the wall of half-a-dozen
for a photographer it was becoming time and opportunity to recover their fans, each one of which was enormous.
increasingly difficult to get a clean shot. former glory. There is no shortage of big animals
It was not unusual to be lining up a We recently spent 10 days in Sharm, either, and we had several encounters,
shot of the reef when a dozen or so hosted by Camel Dive Club & Hotel, including with a small pod of
divers would drift along beneath you, and on every single venture under water bottlenose dolphins shepherding a
swathing you in an endless stream we were blown away by the colour and young one, and looking after a very
of bubbles. life that envelope the reefs. pregnant female.
That, however, was before the Several reef systems are regularly There were scalloped hammerheads,
troubles that destroyed the atmosphere used, and the reefs of the Strait of Tiran too, cruising just off the reef in the
of this buzzing, lively town, full of are all pretty spectacular. The four distance, and the turtles present seemed
tourists and divers seeking guaranteed principal reefs were named after the totally unperturbed by divers, even
sun and beautiful diving. After two British cartographers who originally when the two of us started sticking our
revolutions and a terrorist attack on a mapped the area: Jackson, Woodhouse, oversize camera-rigs in their faces.
Russian flight out of Sharm airport, the Thomas and Gordon are all about an This has to be the best bluewater
scene that now greets you on arrival hour’s boat-ride out of Na’ama Bay. diving that you can do within easy reach
tells an entirely different story. You can spot this reef system from of Europe – and it really is still quite
Na’ama Bay in Sharm is almost a some distance off as you approach, easy to get there. ☛
Pictured: A diver explores

inside the wreck of the
Dunraven.
Right: Never had Nick &

Caroline seen such huge
sea fans – it took both of
them to light this cluster.
21 divEr
022_DIVER_0517.qxp_DIVER_2017 29/03/2017 17:07 Page 022
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RED SEA DIVER
Another of the dive locations easily treated to sunlight streaming in through

accessible from Sharm is the national the gaps, and glassfish playing in the
park of Ras Mohammed. Diving there in shadows.
winter doesn’t afford the opportunity to Leaving Shark and Yolanda, we set off
see the large aggregations of schooling on the seven-mile journey to the
bohar snapper and barracuda, but there Dunraven. Much of the wreck has
is still plenty to see, and anyone who has collapsed, but what’s left is still enough
dived there before will surely have to make this one of the Red Sea’s most Above left: Dolphins on The other wreck that we dived while
experienced Shark and Yolanda Reef. popular wreck-dives. Jackson Reef keep their there was the Red Sea’s signature rust-
distance, possibly because of
There are several ways to dive this It lies upside-down at a depth of 15- dive, the Thistlegorm.
the youngster in the group.
reef system, but many favour dropping 30m, and because the cargo of timber One of the issues that used to put us
in off the wall of Shark and, with the and cotton was lost when the ship Above : Glassfish hug a sea- off diving this iconic wreck was the vast
current gently nudging you, making caught fire, there are large cavernous fan on a local reef dive. number of dive-boats, and hence divers,
your way along the deep vertical wall areas where the light comes in through on the wreck at any one time.
until you get to the saddle. gaps and holes, creating a superbly Now, however, is a really good time to
atmospheric, almost cave-like, area in get out to Sharm and dive this wreck.
T HE DEPTH SEEMS TO MAKE no

difference as you traverse the reef-
wall, because everywhere you look the
which to dive.
This is also a favourite haunt for large
grouper, the occasional barracuda and
We started our trek from the harbour at
6am, and when we arrived at 9 there was
only a single dive-boat moored up.
Below: A Napoleon wrasse
surface is covered by purple, pink and numerous glassfish that move around joins the divers on the wreck As we set our lines, its divers were
ivory soft corals, all of which are the wreck like a swarm of bees. of the Yolanda. just coming up from their first dive. ☛
surrounded by darting orange and
lilac anthias.
Before you know it, you’re at the
porcelain-covered carnage that was the
cargo of the Yolanda, after which this
dive-site is named. Both corals and
marine life have made the broken
toilets, sinks and bath-tubs their home,
and it’s not unusual to see enormous
Napoleon wrasse paying a visit too.
One soft coral has made its home
inside one of the many toilets, and this
is a favourite spot for underwater
snappers to seize a Kodak moment.
There are at least eight or nine other
famous dive-sites at Ras Mohammed,
and on another visit to this reef system
we dived Jackfish Alley and Ras
Ghozlani. Jackfish Alley, like all these
reefs, appears to be fully recovered from
previous overdiving, and apart from the
huge and colourful soft corals, some of
the table corals are truly impressive.
There are two cracks cut into the reef
and photographers can enter to be
We were heading down to the some suitable prey, and colliding with Above left: The
Thistlegorm a minute after the final one of these venomous creatures can Thistlegorm from the stern,
showing the anti-aircraft
diver from the other boat climbed back cause you more than a little serious pain. gun.
aboard, and had this amazing wreck all We used the opportunity to try out
to ourselves for at least an hour. some black-light photography using two Above right: The cargo
As we came up the divers on the first ultra-violet torches. Once you get your holds are a peek into
boat were getting in for their second eye in, it’s a lot of fun seeing the corals history.
dive. It couldn’t have worked out better, glow in the dark. Right: The corals are
especially with the zero current. hard for photographers
There is plenty of local diving to be
had around Sharm too, as well as the
shore-dive where you can walk straight
A T THE END OF OUR eight days’
diving, we were sad as we started to
pack our dive-gear away in preparation
to resist.
into the sea at Na’ama Bay. for the flight home. Camel Dive Club is
On all the local dive-sites such as an ideal place to stay, because everything
Near, Middle and Far Garden and a diver needs is all around you.
Temple, for example, the story is the There is the famous rooftop bar
same – the soft corals are thriving, and where you can sit and have a beer with
wherever you go you’re surrounded by the other divers and dive-guides while
colourful corals, fish and critters. you fill in your logbooks and discuss all
On Middle Garden, we were even the stuff you’ve seen on the day’s dives.
visited by a turtle that came along to Arriving back at the hotel coincides
Below left: Happy
check us out and see what we were with happy hour at the bar, when all the divers up from their
doing. The shore dive at Na’ama Bay is beers are two-for-one. The rooms are second dive and
used by Camel for its night-dive, and big, and they all have a patio door out eager for lunch.
this is a very safe and easy place to onto a balcony or the poolside.
navigate your way around in the dark. One criticism we photographers had Below right: A
turtle keeps an eye
There are, however, a fair number of of the rooms was the lack of any bright on the divers while
lionfish who like to follow you around in lights above the table along the length of having its own
the hope that your light will illuminate the room, making it quite gloomy when lunch.
RED SEA DIVER
setting up our camera-rigs. But

everything else was ideal – the food at
Right: The shallows on the
the in-house restaurant was excellent,
and there are two bars upstairs, one on
Strait of Tiran are a beautiful
place to do a safety stop.
FACTFILE
the roof and one on the first floor for GETTING THERE8 Nick &
when the temperature is on the cool Caroline flew with Egypt Air
side, as it was during our January stay. to Cairo and on to Sharm on
And despite what you might think a domestic flight. Alternative
since the UK’s airport ban, getting to options are available via Istanbul
Sharm el Sheikh is not difficult. with Turkish and Pegasus
We simply flew from Heathrow to Airlines, and there are also direct
flights via Brussels (TUIfly) and
Cairo with Egypt Air and caught a
German (Germania & FTI) and
domestic onward flight. The baggage
Italian cities (Meridiana & Neos).
went straight through to the final
For cover Camel recommends
destination and the allowance was more Westfield Sub Aqua & Marine
than enough for our dive gear, SLR Insurance Services,
camera rigs and clothes for the week. divinginsuranceuk.com
There are, however, several other ways
DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8
to gain access via European cities, and
Camel Dive Club & Hotel,
prices are not that much higher than the www.cameldive.com
crazy package deals that were available
before the troubles. Ornella at Camel WHEN TO GO8 Year-round
can provide a host of alternative routes. CURRENCY8Egyptian pound.
We met one UK couple who had PRICES8Flights with EgyptAir
flown to Milan and taken a short city via Cairo from around £300.
break before jumping on a flight directly Seven nights’ B&B at the
to Sharm. Also, contrary to popular 4* Camel Hotel with a 10-boat-
belief, you can get insurance very easily. Inset: Crew and instructors dive package, transfers and
So if you want to see Sharm back at at the end of free nitrox costs 311 euros
a great week of diving. (no single supplement).
its very best, with the reefs in gloriously
healthy condition and very few boats Below: Beautiful soft VISITOR INFORMATION8
and divers crowding the best sites, now corals cling to every part www.egypt.travel
is a great time to go. of the reef.
divErNEt.com … it’s where divers click!

Lost At Sea.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:59 Page 27
LOST DIVER
In February IAN PEACH and

his buddies went through a
nightmarish boat-separation
experience off Mozambique.
In a divEr exclusive he
explains what happened – and
how to avoid it happening to you
WHERE THE HELL

DID OUR
BOAT GO?
W
E HAD TRAVELLED as a group involving a beach or river launch through February (but a Monday, not a Friday!)
of three to South Africa and the surf to reach open ocean. There was nothing untoward, except that
Mozambique for a 10-day In South Africa the RIB skipper hadn’t the visibility was probably the poorest we
package with ScubaAddicts Diving dived, and we were accompanied by a had seen so far in Mozambique.
Adventures. I had dived with the dedicated guide, while in Mozambique We saw schooling hammerheads
company three times before, including the RIB skipper also acted as dive-guide, almost immediately, because we seemed
a Sardine Run trip. I’m 49, Martin Hull is with a local “mariner” acting as cover to have dropped into the middle of them.
62 and Andy Campling 52, all of us from when the guide was diving. In both We also saw the odd bull shark, but
the UK and with some 7000 dives locations, the dive-guide towed a surface generally it was a quiet dive compared to
between us. marker buoy. what we had been seeing on previous
We had enjoyed some fantastic diving All the diving in Mozambique was days.
and great shark encounters, the main at an advanced site called Pinnacles, After 52 minutes our group of six
point of this trip. We had seen plenty a seven-mile ride out from Ponta do Ouro divers, including the guide, confirmed
including raggies, tigers, leopard, and known for shark and pelagic activity. that their computers were clear, and we all
oceanic blacktips, silvertips, schooling I have dived there before, but it was surfaced together.
hammerheads, bulls on every dive in Martin and Andy’s first visit. What followed was the nightmare
Mozambique and a whale shark. The day of our incident was the final scenario that I had only previously read
The diving was from an 8m RIB, day of the planned diving on our trip. It about in dive magazines and seen in the
generally challenging and usually would be the 13th dive – on the 13th of film Open Water. ☛
A diver’s natural reaction on surfacing I had a large SMB in my backplate, so Above: Dive-guide Mike’s sharks. They had generally been placid on
is to look around for the cover-boat. popped that up immediately. Martin and marker buoy at the surface - previous days, and we had observed them
not easy to see in a swell.
That’s what we did, but conditions had Andy did the same. Whistles were blown, from above or horizontally, but this
changed a little while we had been diving, and with our three more prominent Below: Bull shark at the particular shark was starting to approach
and there was now a considerable swell. marker buoys up we waited, but there Pinnacles. from below in a far more aggressive way.
I assumed that the RIB would appear was still no sign of the boat. I remember thinking that all I had with
imminently, but my 360° turn revealed which to defend myself was my GoPro
nothing. I could see the others doing the
same before the penny started to drop
that the RIB was not in the vicinity.
A FTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES Mike
made a judgment call – we should
swim slowly towards the distant shore.
pole, and that if the worst happened to
me people back home would be saying:
“At least he went doing what he loved.”
Our guide Mike was now muttering That would take us away from the No! Being taken at sea by bull sharks
about James the Mozambican mariner, Pinnacles frequented by the sharks. is very much not the way I would want
and I could see that the seriousness of our Among our group was a Belgian, a to go, thanks.
situation had dawned on him. We were on competent and experienced diver but After several minutes’ finning, Mike
the surface at an offshore site known for carrying a lot of camera equipment. asked me if the sharks were still with us –
its shark activity, with no boat cover. There was also a less-experienced female I confirmed that they were, but
I looked down into the blue. We had who was starting to show signs of panic. behaviourally less aggressive now.
been joined by three bull sharks, each She was also struggling to swim at the Those sharks will never know that
about 2.5m long. They had followed us up surface and stay with the group. had they been braver there was an easy
and were now circling about 5m below the I had been keeping an eye on what was meal waiting for them, but their non-
surface. I couldn’t believe that this was happening below, and had noticed a intervention reaffirmed my knowledge
happening to us. change in the behaviour of one of the bull that they are not the mindless killing
‘I HAD BEEN KEEPING

AN EYE ON WHAT WAS
HAPPENING BELOW’
divEr 28
LOST DIVER
machines too many perceive them to be. Dizzy and almost unable to stand, I was the RIB, and while he was attending to
We had dumped our weight-belts, and finally washed up on shore, covered in that he had lost sight of Mike’s SMB. So it
after an hour finning on our backs I seagrass. The sense of relief is difficult seems that the contributory factors to us
remember asking Mike what the search to explain. We were safe, but the beach losing the boat were changing conditions
protocol was. Surely James would have was deserted. and human error.
called it in, and other boats would launch Martin, Andy and I discussed our near-
miss. We were all sunburnt – my lips were
from Ponta in search of us?
I didn’t get a straight answer, but was
encouraged to keep swimming towards
T HEN WE HAD a stroke of luck that
you couldn’t make up. Almost as soon
as the last of our group had made it
a complete mess – but things could have
been so much worse.
the shore. I live in Southsea and across ashore a RIB that had been out searching I don’t think we’re having flashbacks,
the water is the Isle of Wight – my for us saw our SMB on the beach and ran but as I write this a week after the event
guesstimate after an hour was that the in through the surf and up the beach to I do know that it is constantly on our
distance to land was still about that from rescue us. minds, and I keep picturing that one bull
Portsmouth to Wight. The RIB was relaunched into the surf, shark coming up from below me.
We had no idea what the current was and we were taken back to Ponto Da Ouro. The dive-operator was fortunate that
doing, and there were certainly times Rehydration was our pressing need and we were strong swimmers and generally
when we questioned whether we were after this, disappointingly, we had no time experienced in the water, but we were also
making progress at all. to debrief the dive-operator because we very, very lucky. Current could have easily
Martin, Andy and I regularly checked had to be back across the border in South taken us further into the Mozambique
on and kept encouraging each other. Not Africa by 5pm. Channel, and then we would have been
sure if it’s just a British thing, but there However, we were told that James had even more like needles in a haystack – and
was plenty of gallows humour going on. explained that a tank had come loose on it could all have ended so differently.
The woman was having
to be towed, and the
Belgian diver was not
about to let his expensive
camera system go.
I DON’T KNOW when

the sharks had left us,
but all I could see beneath
us now was blue water.
After two hours, and with
our SMBs remaining up,
there was still no sign of
boats, but we did seem to
have made progress.
I knew by now that
I was strong enough to
make landfall and that
I would see my daughter
again, but it was really
tiring work. The sun was
beating down and
we were becoming more and more
Above: View of Ponta do
dehydrated. I have a thing about never
Ouro – but the beach where
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but we concluded that
peeing in my wetsuit but personal hygiene there were some learning points for all concerned:
the divers finally landed in
rules went out of the window in what was strong surf was deserted.
now a full-blown survival scenario. 1 Crew on the cover-boat should know the GPS marker of the drop-point.
A deserted beach came into sight, but Then, if needed, they can use it as a point of reference for a circular search.
the most challenging part of our drama They could also record the GPS position during the dive, say every 10-15
was still to come, because the surf break minutes if there is current.
onto the beach was significant, to say the
least. To provide some perspective, 2 During the dive-briefing, don’t be afraid to ask about procedures in case of
launching dive-boats in South Africa and missing divers. We were not convinced that there was a particular protocol
Mozambique involves the divers wearing in terms of the time we had been missing being called in.
life-jackets and wedging their feet into
straps to minimise the risk of parting 3 Ensure that the SMB is fit for purpose. A small float-type buoy towed by a
company with the RIB in the surf. guide is inadequate in a big ocean, and had we had paid it more attention
Our final challenge was to navigate the we would have queried it. Pop your own buoy if you feel more comfortable,
surf in our dive-kit to reach the beach. and don’t be afraid to rely on your own judgment and experience.
By now it had been nearly three hours
since we had surfaced from the dive, and 4 Fitness should not be disregarded. When things go wrong you are at less of
we were all flagging a little. a disadvantage if you are dive-fit. Ask yourself honestly if you would make
All we could do was allow the surf to a three-hour surface swim in a swell with your kit.
try to take us over the final hurdle, so we
endured the rollercoaster ride. The 5 Consider adding a personal locator device to your equipment – we certainly
undertow was the strongest I’ve ever felt. all are now!
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Technique MAY.qxp_DIVER grid 27/03/2017 15:03 Page 31
TECHNIQUE
SPORT
Last month
SIMON
PRIDMORE
looked at the
history of sport
rebreathers and
explained why they failed to
catch on in mainstream
REBREATHERS
diving in the 1990s. In
the second decade of the
21st century, a series of
developments took place
that would push rebreathers
back into the mainstream
limelight
TAMARA THOMSEN
INDUSTRY ACCEPTANCE
F
IRST OF ALL, A LITTLE
background: for any new
technology to make significant
headway, first the market at which the
technology is aimed needs to be
prepared to accept it. It is useful here to
go back a few years, and draw a parallel
with what happened with nitrox.
Before 1995, the only training agencies
teaching divers to use nitrox were
relatively small boutique outfits such as
IANTD and ANDI, and very few dive-
centres worldwide offered nitrox fills.
It was also difficult to find dive-
computers capable of tracking dives on
gas mixtures other than air, because
these were made only by a couple of
companies such as Dive Rite and
Cochran, which had very small sales
and distribution networks.
Nitrox-diving would have remained
a specialist niche market, but in 1995
PADI climbed aboard the nitrox wagon,
universal public acceptance followed,
PAST, PRESENT
and suddenly all the other mainstream
training agencies followed suit.
Simultaneously, big manufacturers
AND FUTURE Pt 2
such as Suunto, Oceanic and Aqua Lung
added nitrox-capable computers to their operations to take a closer interest in the Above: Diver with an early of earlier systems and reducing the
product lines. This happened so fast that technology and set up rebreather- model of the Sentinel CCR. potential for diver error.
within a couple of years it was hard to friendly facilities. It also persuaded They had important features such as:
find an air-only computer any more. major equipment manufacturers to look
In 2011, a similar shift seemed to take at developing their own units and add 1 Cheap, reliable, pre-packed,
place when PADI announced a range of fixed-PO2 capability to dive-computers disposable CO2-absorbent canisters
rebreather training courses. Before that, to help rebreather-divers track their 2 Carbon-dioxide monitoring
only boutique agencies such as IANTD decompression status. technology
and TDI had been teaching divers to use 3 Real-time decompression calculation
rebreathers, and it was still very difficult
to find dive-centres that could provide
THE NEW WAVE 4 Mask-level status displays (reducing
the need for divers to monitor their
support for rebreather-divers. New units were designed with an eye to gauges constantly) and
However, the arrival of PADI’s new making rebreathers less demanding for 5 Alarm-driven switching to open
courses encouraged more dive the user, tackling some of the drawbacks circuit. ☛
Technique MAY.qxp_DIVER grid 27/03/2017 15:03 Page 32
TECHNIQUE
The addition of such features meant technology and have rebreathers

that the new units did not impose such available for hire.
stringent demands on the diver as For this to happen, there also has to be
previous systems. conformity in design and use. At present,
Simply put, the primary task of every model is different, and
monitoring the system was handed over certification on one unit does not qualify
to the electronics. The user just had to a diver to use another.
follow warning messages that would I know that the comparison is not
flash when the machine detected a entirely fair, but imagine how difficult it
problem. would be for dive-operators to offer
This is a similar concept to the way in rental regulators if divers were restricted
which modern cars are designed. You to using only the brand with which they
don’t have to understand what’s had trained.
happening under the bonnet; you just
have to keep to the service schedule and A VISION OF
take the car to the garage when a
warning light comes on.
THE FUTURE
These developments were a major step So are rebreathers the equipment of the
forward in terms of rebreather safety, future? The answer would appear to be,
and they did indeed lead to some market “not yet”.
expansion. However, the rebreather However, we’re on the right path and
revolution stalled again. it seems likely that one day, and it may
Divers, it seemed, were still not ready be soon, someone, somewhere, will
to change the way they dived and introduce a rebreather or some other
abandon open-circuit diving in any technology that fulfils all the practical
great numbers. requirements I listed, and captures the
imagination of divers, as Cousteau did
SO WHAT IS with the Aqualung all those years ago.
STILL MISSING? want to store and maintain cylinders,
they live somewhere from which they
Then we will all be able to dive on
ultra-silent machines that give us the
Common sense suggests that for any always have to fly to dive, or they have maximum amount of dive-time possible
replacement technology to be accepted calculated that it makes sound economic within physical and physiological limits,
by the majority of sport-divers, it must sense not to buy. warn us when there is a problem and
not only cure the problems of diving If a diver has never bought a cylinder, advise us on exactly what to do to solve
open-circuit, but must also match the it seems unlikely that he or she will ever the problem.
advantages. buy a rebreather. They will be available everywhere,
Otherwise divers will simply be This means that for rebreathers to light, comfortable, fuss-free, easy to set
exchanging one set of problems for replace open-circuit systems as a diver’s up and intuitive to understand.
another, and it will be tricky to convince first choice, they must become There will be no need to question
them that they really need it. universally accessible. whether we really need one of these
The advantages of open-circuit Units need to be cheap enough and machines. The answer will be obvious,
systems are that they are readily reliable enough to persuade dive-centres and we will finally be able to consign
available, robust and tolerant of rough and liveaboards to invest in the new Cousteau’s Aqualung to the museums.
handling, resistant to diver neglect, easy
to maintain, economical, simple to
operate and easy to learn to use.
The disadvantages are that they are
heavy, uncomfortable, noisy and limit a
diver’s in-water time.
Even the new generation of sport
rebreathers cured only the noise and in-
water time problems. They were still
Read more from
heavier and more uncomfortable to Simon Pridmore in:
carry than open-circuit systems and did
Scuba Confidential –
not match any of open-circuit’s
An Insider’s Guide
advantages, being expensive, fragile,
to Becoming a
complicated and time-consuming in Better Diver
terms of preparation and maintenance.
Scuba Professional –
Insights into Sport
UNIVERSAL Diver Training &
ACCESSIBILITY Operations
Scuba Fundamental
The majority of the world’s open-circuit
– Start Diving the
JETSAM TECHNOLOGY
divers don’t own their own scuba Right Way

cylinders. This reluctance to purchase
is not a reflection of their commitment
All are available on
Amazon in a variety
to the sport; it just means that they
of formats.
prefer to hire because either they don’t
Malta advertorial 0517 v2.qxp_Layout 1 29/03/2017 12:55 Page 33
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
What they’re saying about

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W
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To find all this and more, there’s no freedom when, instead of sticking to Faroud tanker; scuttled ferries Xlendi,
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accolade from the most Malta is also a nirvana for
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Anyone who has dived equipment set up to
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With hot summer days historic capital Valletta
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Snorkelling.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:57 Page 34
THE JOY OF Non-competitive diving without scuba gear

often gets overlooked or regarded as a fall-back,
but snorkelling brings its own pleasures and,
where big animals are concerned, is often the
only practical approach. Essay by STEVE WARREN
2
AM: BACKLIT BY myself. At 18 I joined a branch in Cornwall to get
A POWERFUL deck-light reef stretched out from trained properly. After 11 months of weekly
that had lured the copepods the shore. The prime-time meetings, I had ticked off only one set of pool
and small fish that, in turn, had enticed the TV series The Undersea scuba skills, so I returned to bandit-diving.
world’s largest fish to circle the Maldivian World of Jacques Cousteau was I was 23 before I got a formal qualification. By
liveaboard’s stern, I watched the whale shark’s fresh in my memory, and then it was possible to go to a professional PADI
belly flash dirty white for an instant as my I was drawn inexorably to the water. school and get trained and certified in five days,
strobes fired. I was instantly captivated. Lime-green which is what I did.
I tried to follow as the shark cruised overhead anemones fluttered in the surge, iridescent One reason BSAC training was so drawn-out
and out of the beam, and was suddenly starfish glowed cobalt against tan rocks, and was the emphasis on learning snorkelling before
disorientated. Looking up, all was black. black- and silver-striped bream caught the you ever got near a scuba-set.
Attempting to surface, I found with my head the dancing yellow shafts of the late afternoon Historically, BSAC included snorkelling in its
hull of the support dhoni that was tied alongside Mediterranean sun. entry-level course to build watermanship, self-
the bigger boat. Now, at least, I could see stars. confidence and because, in the early days of the
I had drifted below the boats and into the
pitch darkness cast by their shadows. I swam out
from beneath them, and snatched my first breath
S OON MY AMBITIONS turned to scuba-
diving. That proved a difficult transition.
Back then you had to be 14 to dive, and training
sport, when many dives took place from the
shore, snorkellers provided safety cover for the
scuba-divers. BSAC rarely revised its training
in 90 seconds. took place through an amateur club system. programmes.
Snorkelling was my introduction to the BSAC branches dominated training in England, In the early 1980s, PADI began its worldwide
underwater world and I’m still smitten. In 1970, to which I’d returned, but none was local to me. expansion. Paring down its existing course, it
as a seven-year-old, I’d left the Midlands to live in At 16, armed with a scuba-set, a little informal concentrated on the essentials as it saw them.
a Gibraltar beach-front hotel. A modest house coaching and a diving manual, I largely taught Snorkel-training was all but deleted. What
divEr 34
TANK-FREE DIVER
SNORKELLING
little remained was shifted, so that it took
place after students had already learned
basic scuba skills.
PADI’s radical restructuring was
prompted by the belief that students
found it easier to learn scuba skills before
learning snorkelling, which requires
breath-holding and a greater comfort
level in the water.
PADI also embraced a business model
that said: give the customers what they
want. And customers weren’t signing up
to scuba classes to become snorkellers.
In truth, even those scuba-divers who
had gone through snorkel training rarely
chose to use the skill afterwards.
Snorkelling is, however, a very
rewarding and useful skill for recreational
divers. It’s something you can enjoy when
you can’t rent scuba tanks or get air, or to
extend your time in the water between
scuba-dives. And it can be a way to Above: Snorkelling is often
continue your explorations when age or the only permitted means
ill-health calls time on your scuba career. of interacting with big
marine creatures such as
whale sharks.
S OMETIMES, AS WE’LL SEE,
snorkelling is simply the best way to
enjoy some of the most spectacular
Left: Heavily bubbling
divers can often see sensitive
marine-life encounters the oceans have marine life taking off for
to offer. As a former BSAC, PADI and quieter parts.
NAUI diving instructor, I support the Far left: Mark Koekemoer
relegation of snorkelling to a minor part lines up a lionfish shot under
of scuba-training. But on a personal level, a pier in Dahab, Egypt.
I and many others would encourage
scuba-divers who haven’t given
snorkelling a fair crack to think again. vibration and noise open-circuit and dive uncaged, but conditions that year
Let’s draw a distinction between semi-closed-circuit scuba produces from were against us, with poor visibility and
snorkelling and freediving. I had the exhaled bubbles. feisty sharks. So we stayed inside the cages
pleasure of being on a trip with Mark Some fish avoid scuba-divers because and were grateful for their protection.
Harris, author of the freedivers’ guide to of this. Divers either don’t see them at all At first we had breathed through
underwater photography, Glass and or get just a glimpse as they rapidly seek regulators connected by hoses to scuba-
Water. Nick Balban, our captain, the cover of the reef or safety of distance. tanks on Black Cat’s deck, but we quickly
remarked to me after one dive: “Wow, abandoned them. “We tried the hookah
you were down longer than Mark!”
Of course I was. I had been kneeling in
10m, desperately trying to unpick my
M ANY TOP UNDERWATER
photographers and film-makers
first learned to stalk shy fish with a
system, largely just because it was there,”
says AJ. “Although we tried it only for a
short time it seemed that the bubbles
camera menus to take a photograph, and speargun, and now combine the might be putting the sharks off, at least
had lost track of time. But the long, deep snorkelling skills and marine field-craft until they’d become used to it.
snorkel-dives that champion freedivers they learned then to succeed behind the “The thing is that this isn’t some frenzy
such as Mark make so effortlessly are camera now. of large numbers of animals, it’s generally
beyond me. But it is with encountering megafauna individuals that approach cautiously at
It is in the shallows that snorkelling has that snorkelling often scores spectacularly first. We wanted to make the most of the
gifted me its finest moments. Mostly I’ve over scuba. In 2001 I flew with Andrew limited time we had. The sharks need to
stayed within 6m of the surface, breath- (AJ) Pugsley, also a scuba instructor, to keep moving, so make passes and then
holding for only a minute or so. This is South Africa to photograph great white return. This meant that there was no real
well within most people’s capabilities, sharks under the expert guidance of those advantage in using breathing apparatus,
including children’s. outstanding shark-wranglers Andre only potential disadvantages.”
Among the main motivations for Hartman and Mike Rutzen. Off Gansbaai, feeding the sharks
abandoning scuba for snorkels is the It was a private charter. We hoped to isn’t permitted. This might explain ☛
Right: Great-white diving – why they are more prone to evade

’Get in there with my bubbling divers than in other hotspots
snorkel, really?’
where they are fed, a reward for staying
Below: Without scuba around and, perhaps, overcoming their
equipment, snorkelling can aversion to exhalations.
allow easy access to hard- The poor weather in the Cape of
to-reach sites. Storms that had silted the water had made
Below right: Snorkelling it impossible to put to sea for some weeks
was in the headlines when a before we arrived. Several professional
leopard seal killed a British film-makers and photographers had been
Antarctic Survey scientist. unable to work, and were running out of
time to get their shots.
We were asked if we would share our
boat. David Doubilet, shooting a white-
shark assignment for National Geographic
magazine, joined us for a day.
Marshalled by Mike Rutzen, David had
attempted to work briefly in the open Reaching up to reposition it, air had zoomed by a seal. I watched the pair
with a lone great white. Mike had gushed from his cuff-dump and the great gambol together, barrel-rolling and
anchored near the edge of a kelp bed, white shark that had taken so long to turning somersaults. “Being in the water
using it and the boat to restrict the sharks’ attract bolted, never to return. with the seal, both of us breath-holding,
approach, creating an arena to make it It reminded me of a US underwater could best be described as the aquatic
easier for him to control the encounter. photographer who had tried an early parallel to a three-dimensional game of
semi-closed rebreather when diving chase with a dog,” recalls AJ.
B OTH MEN CHOSE to snorkel. They

duck-dived together, David holding
his camera, Mike an unloaded speargun
with hammerheads.
It had proven a disadvantage. “With
open circuit I can hold my breath, so as
“There was definite interaction, and on
the practical side, being unencumbered
by bulky equipment meant that I could
to firmly push the shark away if needed. not to spook the approaching shark,” he move quickly, turn sharply and not worry
Fading light quickly caused Mike to explained. “With the SCR, it just blows off about pressure changes.
call time. Great whites wear dirty water bubbles at exactly the wrong time.” We “On the emotional side, it felt much
like an invisibility cloak. used snorkels. more meaningful than it would have if I’d
The following year, we left the cages. The art of Andre’s shark sense was to used scuba. On scuba it would have been
We watched the reaction that bubbles be able to create a situation in which bait a different experience, because you
from an ungainly drysuited scuba-diver lured four great white sharks close couldn’t play as much.”
could provoke. As one photographer enough to us to make for a compelling
submerged, his strobe arm had collapsed. experience, while knowing that each
would make only a cursory examination
as it swam by and departed.
W HERE FOOD DOESN’T WORK
as a ploy to bring an animal in
close enough to observe or photograph,
“Andre,” our landlord Mervyn Meyer having fun can. A marine biologist and
stated flatly, “thinks like a shark.” expedition leader who alternates his
During the long days waiting for working life between the Arctic Circle
whites, we would sometimes go and the Antarctic continent, Jamie Watts
snorkelling. Crossing the sand trails that is another scuba instructor who
split the seaweed canopies that we evangelises snorkelling.
explored and hid in was like crossing a Jamie is well-known to divEr readers
road for me. Look left, look right, look left for superbly researched and beautifully
again and swim for it. After all, we were in written creature features. Playing is a
the sharks’ prowling grounds, and our tactic that Jamie, with his deep insights
bait flowed on the tide. into pinnipeds, the family to which seals
Among the tall fronds of kelp, AJ was and sea-lions belong, recommends. He
JAMIE WATTS
JAMIE WATTS TANK-FREE DIVER
has used it to work with the only seal range of motion, it also tends to restrict
believed to regard humans as prey. your field of view, so you can’t turn and
“I love leopard seals,” Jamie enthuses. you can’t twist and you can’t engage.
“Of any animal I’ve seen in the water “The other side is that from the
anywhere in the world, leopard seals are animal’s perspective you become rather
the most fluid, the most boldly boring. As a freediver you can twist, turn
inquisitive. They interact, they engage. and interact and be much more
“They are the only seal I know that interesting to the seal.
holds your gaze. They don’t just look at “I know BBC crews who, when they
you, they interact with you on a level that want to film leopard seals, put someone in says Jamie, who has worked for BAS. Above left: With light gear
most seals don’t. They are the only true the water just to keep it interested so that “Investigations showed that there had to carry, a kayak can be used
to access a site.
seal that swims with all four limbs, more it doesn’t get bored and move away. It’s a been more attempted takes by leopard
like a sea-lion. Their agility and the way two-way thing. You have to be interesting seals, usually under ice or around the Above: Jamie Watts aims to
they move through the water is unlike enough to get the animal intrigued edges of sea-ice in winter and springtime. emulate seal behaviour to
anything else on the planet. They are enough to interact with you.” “There were stories going back to early elicit a positive response.
utterly beautiful.” As with leaving the cages to encounter explorer times when seals had come up
Below left: The author
Jamie crewed the 2014 Antarctica the great white, which now borders on and broken through the ice and tried to finds a bubble-free approach
Elysium project led by Michael Aw. He routine, free-swimming with leopard seals take people, but not succeeded.” handy for shallow
helped to organise snorkelling with the is becoming more commonplace. Just as Andre and Mike had been open underwater photography.
leopard seals for top photographers Partly this is because of people like about the risks of free-swimming with
including David Doubilet and Emory Jamie, who have built experience in the great whites, Jamie is candid about the
Kristoff, and famed big-animals specialist water with the seals incrementally, despite dangers leopard seals pose. “Of course,
Amos Nachoum. their reputation. you’re choosing to get in the water with
Of Elysium Jamie says: “The task an animal that is much bigger than you
Michael set the group was to produce the
greatest visual representation of the
Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea and
T HAT REPUTATION WAS reinforced
by the 2003 death of British Antarctic
Survey (BAS) scientist Kirsty Brown,
are and can wipe you out very, very easily,
so there has to be an understanding that
this is completely at the whim of the
South Georgia area that had ever been while snorkelling. animal, and that things could go wrong
done, and I think he probably succeeded.’ Kirsty was not deliberately seeking out and the animal could turn.”
Jamie agrees with AJ that scuba leopard seals, and the animal was unseen The manoeuvrability Jamie exhorts
equipment makes you clumsy in the before it struck her, taking her by the head helps him, he believes, to respond in kind
water. “Scuba slows you down and makes and dragging her down to 70m. to the seals’ own displays and body
you very cumbersome. By restricting your “It wasn’t a completely isolated event,” language. “A recurring theme with
leopard-seal encounters is that initially
the seals seem to be interested, but stand-
offish, and then they get a little bit more
curious and a little bit more bold and a
little bit more comfortable with you.
“We get what I consider to be
greetings, which may involve them
swimming straight at you and flashing
teeth and then backing away.
“One of the accepted wisdoms, if we
can claim enough experience to call it
that, is that if you do something similar
back, you’ve created an understanding of
sorts. If you lunge back a little at that
point, you set a boundary.
“Experience so far shows that this
works. It might not work forever.”
I ask Jamie if he could have the ☛
same experience with marine mammals By implication, a scuba-diver’s own

on scuba. His reply is unequivocal. “No, bubbles may be interpreted as both a
definitely not, not even close.” threat, causing the animal to leave or at
Mark Koekemoer originally learned least keep its distance, or a challenge to
to dive through the South African be met with force.
Underwater Union. He went through
a training programme that included a
strong snorkelling content, similar to
the early BSAC programmes
I T IS NOT ONLY THE EXOTIC
megafauna encounters that make
snorkelling so much fun, so intriguing
I had experienced. and, for underwater photographers, so
In the Strait of Gibraltar, Mark’s productive. It can also be the sheer
breath-holding skills would prove amount of time you can spend in the
essential to successfully photographing water, free to work your subjects and
pilot whales. able to chase the best light, unhindered
“There were two compelling reasons by the rigid schedules of a dive-centre
we could not use scuba in the Strait,” or dive-boat.
Mark explains. “The first was the speed In Dahab, Mark and I had enjoyed
at which we needed to get into the water wonderful diving from the pocket
to encounter the whales, and the speed liveaboard Aeolus. Now we waited to
with which we sometimes needed to get depart as it backed up to its
out to avoid shipping. moorings.
“Second, the way in which the whales In Egypt’s good times,
themselves act meant that we needed to brigades of divers had
be fast and manoeuvrable ourselves. crossed the pier as they
“Once you’re in the water, you lose boarded and
sight of the oncoming whales until they disembarked from
are almost on top of or underneath you, the small fleet of
so you have to be ready to duck-dive and boats that
intercept them instantly.” shared its dock,
Bubbles can be unwelcome around
mammals. “Blowing bubbles can be a
sign of intimidation with a lot of seals
and sea-lions. Sea-lions in particular
DANNY KESSLER
blow bubbles as a threat display,” notes
Jamie Watts.
AJ, Mark and I had also
experienced this behaviour with the
pilot whales. They often followed
up bubbling with other threat
displays, including feigned
bites, tail-swipes and, most
unnervingly, herding us
against the surface.
but few had over territory or a female. A big
cast their common octopus had taken residence
gaze down into beneath the pier. It provided ample
its rich waters. photo opportunities and posed
Mark did. “With the gracefully for us as it leapt from pillar
last dive of the charter over, to pillar.
I still longed to be in the water,” “Dwarf scorpionfish lined up along
he tells me. “With not much boat the pier supports. They presented a
traffic from the pier and being at the great opportunity to try out my bugeye
end of the lagoon, it was a very lens.” Over the next couple of days,
tranquil experience. we returned again and again to take
“I enjoy the freedom of not having pictures in the shadows below the
to go with the extra scuba gear. I love boardwalk and on the sprawling sun-
not having to constantly check my dappled sandflats surrounding it.
pressure gauge – I can just fully absorb In Mikidani, Tanzania, Mark had also
the experience, and time goes out of spent hours taking pictures beside a sea-
the window. wall bordering the coast road of the
“We had seen schooling lionfish from small town in which we were staying.
above the pier, so I knew there had to He describes one of his best dives. “It
Pictured: Fin whales are be at least that spectacle to capture on was late afternoon, after our last scuba-
among the hardest camera. I got right in the middle of the dive. It was serene, not a soul in sight.
mammals for underwater
photographers to get action, photographing lionfish preying The lagoon was flat, the surface like a
near – a snorkelling on baitfish. mirror, the sun beginning to fall.
approach is vital, as here “Two geometric male morays were “Stingless jellyfish were in
for Danny Kessler. battling it out with each other, either abundance. I wanted to get some shots
divEr 38
TANK-FREE DIVER
against the dappling sunlight. I spent ages

in the water, photographing jellyfish from
all angles, and as the sun descended, the
light transformed the images one by one.
“As the final rays disappeared beyond
the horizon, I could hear, but not see, the
creatures of the lagoon coming to life. It
was like the sound of a city waking up in
the early hours of the morning.
“I walked back along the bay road, in
almost pitch darkness, heading toward the
one or two street-lights in the distance,
reflecting on the wonderful experience I’d
had all alone in the lagoon.” Mark’s point
is well made. The quixotic pursuit of deep
water by scuba-divers often means that we
can overlook the rich bounty of
opportunities passed on the way.
S NORKELLING CAN ALSO KEEP you

in the water when the opportunity to
scuba-dive has passed. Richard Thorn, the freedom of no heavy gear and no
pushing 60, is a veteran scuba-diver who pressure to rush for boats.
recently needed to have a rethink. “Perhaps crucially as well, I found that
“Over the past few years I have realised snorkelling allowed me to make the sort
that the cost-benefit ratio for diving, of images I like to make. Not having scuba
given my interest in photography, has not equipment was not really an issue.”
been as clear as it used to be,” he says. Then Richard suffered a near-fatal
“As I’ve got older the effort of getting in medical emergency that required an
and out of boats and up and down slips ascending aortic dissection – surgery that
and steps loaded with gear, drysuits, has a survival rate of about 10%.
weights, SLR camera and housing and “To get this is relatively unusual; to
lights has rarely matched the reward of survive it is very unusual. To be a diver
making good pictures. and get it and survive it is unheard of,”
“Having dived for many years, been
everywhere I wanted to go, achieved all
I could as an instructor and been national
says Richard. A graft inside the aorta
from where it leaves the heart goes
around and down the descending part of
A S A SCHOOLBOY I had weaved my
way through the tide-pools left by an
ebbing tide off Looe in Cornwall, belly-
Top: Richard Thorn has
found that there is life
after scuba-diving, thanks
to the snorkel.
diving officer, president and vice-president the aorta, and there has been no research flopping seal-like across the kelp-slicked
of the Irish Underwater Council (IUC), on the impact that changes in pressure reef to reach the next oasis. I found myself Above: A shanny
I was starting to wonder how much I was internally would have on the graft. in the company of gobies and shrimp and photographed by Thorn
getting out of diving.” “In consultation with the president of tiny scuttling crabs. while snorkelling.
After a hip replacement in April 2015, the medical commission of the IUC we The basins held so much trapped life at
Below left: Mark
Richard was back up and about by mid- decided that it would be best if I was not which I could marvel, at such close range Koekemoer interacts with
June. “As part of the rehab I was doing a guinea pig,” says Richard. “So I took the and none in more than half a metre of a jellyfish at leisure.
a lot of snorkelling, and I found that with decision to give up diving. However, the water. I was entranced for hours.
just wetsuit, light weights and fins, mask, president was quite happy that I could Last summer, in a small sea-pool in
snorkel and camera I was really enjoying continue snorkelling.” Lanzarote that all but dries out at low
water, I was reminded of that experience
40 years ago. I was watching blennies.
The fish were bold. They flicked up
onto a small boulder, staring me down.
Sunburn had left my shoulders peeling,
and I was suddenly aware of a sensation
of the skin being ruffled and then tugged.
Then I got bitten. A shoal of bream had
set about me. Emboldened by snorkellers
hand-feeding them bread, the fish were
used to snatching a meal from incautious
sun-worshippers.
A gangly young boy wearing mask and
snorkel slipped in beside me, arms and
legs flailing about the place. Those few
fish enthralled him and, perhaps, in that
modest lagoon, he’ll find his own life-
time’s inspiration to scuba-dive, as I did
in Gibraltar nearly a half century before.
But, if he does, I hope he will never lose
the joy of snorkelling.
Cambodia.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 15:13 Page 40
BURMA MARU
T
HE GHOSTLY SHAPE OF
TIM LAWRENCE and friends were looking for a stern appeared out of the gloom.
deep wrecks off Thailand, but the tempting And as we swam around the deck,
the very first piece of machinery to
tip-off obtained through diligent research reveal itself turned out to be the stern
and whisky would eventually lead them south telegraph. A diver’s dream!
to Cambodia. Photographs by MIKKO PAASI Everywhere we looked beneath the
thick coral growth we found evidence
of life aboard a steamer in wartime.
We dropped briefly into the holds.
Below-decks was crying out for
investigation, but we would have to resist
the temptation on this particular dive.
I started wondering what the
Japanese crew had been thinking in their
final moments.
Had they resigned themselves to their
fate, or gone down battling to the end?
It’s the kind of reflection with which
most technical divers will be familiar.
This wreck had lain hidden for 75
years, and now we could feel that its
secrets were within reach of our dive-
team. We were convinced that we had
found the World War Two wreck we
had been seeking.
The Burma Maru plied her trade
around the coral-encrusted turquoise
waters of South-east Asia. Maru was the
title given to all Japanese cargo vessels of
that time, and loosely translated means
“round”, possibly referring to return
trips from and to the home port.
Built in Japan in 1917 by Kawasaki
and owned by Nanyo Kaiun kk, she was
a striking ship. Her mid-centre bridge,
forward and aft holds and large
superstructure contained cabins for
fare-paying passengers.
She was 117m long with a 15m beam,
and could be admired as beautiful or
functional, depending on your point
of view. Either way, the coral-encrusted
wreck that now remains is a celebration
of man’s ongoing battle with the forces
of nature.
B URMA MARU MET HER END

violently, at 4.34am on 12 June,
1942. The Sargo-class submarine USS
Swordfish, commanded by Lt-Cdr
Chester Carl Smith, fired a salvo of
torpedoes, missed, and then fired a
second salvo. One of the torpedoes
found its target, forward of the bridge.
Burma Maru stopped dead in the
water, and over the next 12 minutes
settled by the bow. So what would have
gone through the minds of her captain
and young crew, so far from home and
WRECK DIVER
with little hope of rescue? Above: One of the many South of Thailand,
We had first become interested in the
Burma Maru three years ago while we
brass portholes on the deck
of the ship…
Cambodia, because of OILED ALONG BY A
were searching war-record reports, Below: …and another
its turbulent modern
history, has been slow to BOTTLE OF BLACK LABEL,
initially for potential targets around our
diving base of Koh Tao in Thailand.
marked for further mapping. take advantage of GPS
and sounder technology, TWO MARKS EMERGED
We were struck by the freighter’s and fisherman’s marks are
classic shape, but were stymied by lack thin on the ground there. Burma Maru war-record report to raise
of information about the wreck. Then a chance meeting occurred the blood pressure. The game was afoot!
The report gave the usual chart between my dive-buddy Dave Polly and Unfortunately an injury then delayed
position, but these are so often a Thai fisherman in Koh Chang. Oiled our planned expedition by no fewer than
inaccurate, given the limits of the tools along by a bottle of Black Label, two two years, and when it resumed it had to
available to a submarine commander marks emerged – close enough to the proceed without Dave.
during World War Two. We were lucky, however, and struck
a deal with one of his old students at
a dive-shop in Cambodia.
We assembled a team. Leon Webber
and I were from Davy Jones Tech and
Mikko and Ivan from Koh Tao Tec
Divers, and we were joined by Dennis
Funk from the Dive Shop Cambodia.
Dennis and Ivan planned to dive
open-circuit, so we also called in Oliver
Zaiser, a closed-circuit rebreather diver
based in Bangkok, to team up with
Mikko the photographer.
We left Koh Tao on 16 February on a
16-hour drive to the Cambodian border,
and after some delays managed to
transfer all of our equipment across.
We then hired transport to get us to
Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand
coast, and six hours later we were there. ☛
WRECK DIVER
The depths on the charts had

indicated a need for helium. This would
mitigate problems with narcosis, but
mean that we would have to pre-order
helium and oxygen and do the blending.
The rebreather team would use a
combination of gases – trimix 15/35 on
board to give us easy cell validation at
the average depth of 57m (PO2 1.005)
and a bottom bail-out of TMX 19/35,
giving us a PO2 of 1.27 at depth.
This would allow a narcosis loading of
28 or 34m, depending on requirements.
The choice of gases also allowed us a
smooth transition should a bail-out be
necessary, because the gases would be
matched by the unit at depth.
We would also carry a deco bail-out
of 50% nitrox.
Although tired from the long journey,
on arrival we busied ourselves blending
gases before loading up the trucks and
setting off for the harbour.
T HE WEATHER FORECAST was good.

We set out for the marks, arriving at
7am. I took over the boat to run the
weight, and Ivan ran
a reel on a bearing
towards the mark.
search, and within minutes the sounder Holding his
was showing an image. depth, he managed
Going around the mark again we to tie a line into the
readied the shotline and deployed, but stern, but because
the sea gives up its mysteries grudgingly, of that depth and
and by the time Leon and Tim had his available gas he
descended the line to tie into the wreck, paid the penalty
the current had moved the shot. and was unable to
We ran a search pattern to find the identify the type of
wreck again, but were rewarded with a ship we’d found.
mud dive at 67m. Every technical diver I was up next
knows that sinking feeling of having an with Leon, and
hour’s deco to complete with no reward. with the advantage of helium, that was Above from top: Stern
We reshot the wreck, and Mikko and the point at which we were able to make telegraph stand; a stern This was confirmed on subsequent
Oliver were up next, but the current beat out the distinct shape of the stern. hatch to the living quarters. dives. During the third one we managed
them too. Now we had a slight problem – But it only was after Mikko and Oliver Below, from left: Oliver to reach the bridge, passing the cabins
Ivan and Dennis were completing a had returned with the footage that we Zaiser, Mikko Paasi, Tim and funnel which had collapsed with the
course and were limited to depth. could be certain that we had found the Lawrence, Leon Webber, passage of time.
So we reshot the wreck with extra Burma Maru. Ivan Karadzic and Dennis Everything was there – the helm, the
Funke. main telegraph and the big brass voice
communicator were all shouting out for
our attention.
A S MY MIND STARTED DRIFTING

once again to 1942, my thoughts
were interupted by the buzzing of a cell
warning – probably water vapour, a
diluent flush unable to move.
It was time to turn. Fortunately the
cell caught up with the others and the
alarm stopped. Left again with my
thoughts, we drifted back to the stern,
the current helping us along.
Colourful nature had brought life
back to the former scene of destruction.
At present the fate of the captain and
crew remains a mystery, but because of
the ship’s isolated position we must
presume that all hands were lost.
Our research continues, and further
dives are in the planning.
blue o two (FP Advertorial) – 05_17.qxp_Full Page Bleed 24/03/2017 14:28 Page 1
Bull Sharks.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:56 Page 44
IN THE
BULL-SHARK
OBSERVATORY
LISA COLLINS enjoys extraordinary
close-up experiences with Mexico’s
bull sharks and argues for greater
protection for these
misunderstood predators
D
ESCENDING ONLY A FEW shark dive offered by guides we had boarded Pro Dive’s boat,
metres, I could see a sandy Pro Dive International, one of moored in the shallow water off the
seabed 15m below me, rippled Mexico’s leading dive-centres. beach by the centre. A 10-minute ride
with wave-like indentations. Pro Dive has nine centres located on north and 500m off the beach that runs
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an the Yucatan peninsula, the holiday along the whole coastline brought us to
ominous, sinuous but bulky dark body playground renowned for its white- Shark Point, a known resting area for
appeared, unmistakable in its shape and sand beaches and turquoise waters, and female bull sharks. They come every
hugging the bottom as it swam lazily incorporating the island of Cozumel. year between November and March,
below us – a bull shark. We were using the centre at the before and after giving birth.
Gustavo, our dive-guide, signalled Royal Hideaway Hotel in Playacar. With Gustavo had told us as part of his
for us to level off in midwater and swim excellent facilities and a perfect location comprehensive briefing that the sharks
away from the shark, continuing our to access all the main dive-sites along disappear for a week or two from late
descent once it was out of view. the coast, Pro Dive also offers free January to early February to give birth
Kneeling calmly on the bottom at nitrox to qualified divers. This was in fresh water, before reappearing for
16m, we waited for several minutes, helpful, particularly for the bull-shark several weeks while they recover. They
peering into the blue around us. dives, conducted between 16 and 25m. then leave the area in search of a mate.
We were on an observational bull- With five other divers and two other From ID photos and tagging, the
divEr 44
SHARK DIVER
same sharks are known to visit the area well camouflaged was it. Once she attacks. They have among the highest
year after year while pregnant. realised that we had spotted her, she levels of testosterone of all sharks,
Bull sharks have a long gestation turned aside and described a lazy, making them prone to extreme
period of around 11 months, and curious circle round us, never coming aggression and particularly efficient at
deliver one to three live pups. closer than 15m before disappearing ambushing and killing prey.
Female bulls don’t reach sexual again into the blue. The females, while pregnant and just
maturity until the age of 18, whereas for We waited several minutes for the after giving birth, produce little or no
males the age is 13-15. We don’t know shark to reappear, then Gustavo testosterone, so in theory are not
how long bull sharks live, but it is signalled for us to follow him close to aggressive. They also suppress their
believed to be more than 30 years. the seabed. He had told us not to swim natural urge to eat – to avoid
too far off the bottom if sharks were in cannibalising their new-born pups –
A FTER A FEW MINUTES of looking

around, our backs towards each
other, a distinctive shape headed
sight, because that could agitate them.
We were to kneel on the bottom
immediately if we saw a shark, and keep
and consume only just enough to
survive. However, bull sharks remain
unpredictable, so we were to take no
straight for us. It was disconcerting how eye-contact with it at all times. Bull chances. What is certain is that they are
close the shark seemed to be compared sharks are ambush predators and very bold and curious.
to the supposed visibility of 25-30m, so known for seemingly unprovoked Gustavo signalled to us to kneel as ☛
45 divEr
the shark approached again, still

keeping her distance but circling us for
some time. Again she disappeared, and
we swam slightly deeper, to 19m.
The sharks are known to inhabit the
entire coastline at depths from 15m to
around 50m, but are mostly found
between 20 and 25m.
Going deeper we saw the same shark
again, recognised from a slight scratch
on her side, but this time joined by a
smaller shark. They maintained their
distance, swimming in and out of sight.
Very soon our air was depleted –
though thanks to the free nitrox tanks
our no-deco time hadn’t been reached –
and we started to ascend, awed by this
natural sighting.
T HERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL of

controversy about bull-shark dives
in Mexico. Three or four dive companies
run shark-feed dives very close to this
area in around 25m depth, 500m from
the beach. Some people have expressed
concern that the sharks are being fed too
close to areas where unsuspecting
swimmers and snorkellers play, and feel
an attack is just waiting to happen.
I spoke to Luis Lombord Cifuentes,
the director of the local non-
government, non-profit organisation
Saving our Sharks. is, prevalent in fishing communities local fishermen. SoS has campaigned to
SoS runs a scientific research project worldwide. The shark-feeds, according stop this, and for any sharks caught to be
to help protect sharks in the area to Luis, provide less shark-food than returned unharmed to the ocean, but
through tagging, air monitoring, genetic fishermen used to throw overboard. there are still one or two who actively
mapping, photo ID and education. In more than 30 years there have been fish for bull sharks.
It has worked hard to get every dive- no reports of attacks by bull sharks in One in particular regularly posts
centre in this part of Mexico involved in the area, leading to the conclusion that photographs of himself with his catches
the project. The centres are expected to neither the feeds nor observational on social media.
follow a set standard for both shark- dives, which have been running for more By getting the dive-centres to
feeds and observational dives, and to than 15 years, are changing the sharks’ participate in the shark-dives and charge
educate their guests by providing behaviour materially by making them their customers the SoS $5 research fee,
adequate briefings and teaching them want to seek food near humans. the charity has been able to persuade the
about bull sharks. government to impose a protected no-
With the help of some of the leading
local centres SoS designed a standard-
setting manual several years ago. Pro
A S ON SHARK-FEEDS in many parts
of the world, a chum-bucket is taken
down by a chain-mail-suited feeder to
catch area for sharks. It is hoped that this
will be implemented by the middle of
the year, before the next group of female
Dive was instrumental in helping to entice the sharks. They are encouraged sharks arrives in the area.
design this manual and continues to to “behave“, lining up in an orderly way Fishing might bring in large taxable
support SoS by regularly taking its before approaching the feeder calmly to revenues for government, but SoS has
researchers out on its boats to help with take a fish-head. demonstrated that by running
their data-collection. Each supporting It may be that this food is just enough interactive dives with the bull-sharks
dive-shop charges a set US $5 fee per to help the pregnant females survive more money is being brought in through
diver, which goes to fund SoS research. without needing to hunt for more, or tourist divers.
Bull sharks are a species known to perhaps these morsels are just canapes By educating the diving and fishing
habitually live and hunt in shallow to the sharks, which will hunt for the community (all dive-centres have to go
waters, Luis told me. He doesn’t think small amount of food they need in through an in-depth SoS training
the shark-feeds unnaturally attract bull deeper waters. programme before being allowed to
sharks to the shallows of the Yucatan Research indicates that the sharks are conduct shark-dives), the plan is make
peninsula. not fed enough to keep them in the visiting divers and sports fishermen
Old fishermen tell of how they and area – if they were, they would stay year- more aware of the need to protect sharks
their ancestors would catch bull sharks round and males would be attracted too. and help with shark-conservation
in very shallow water in these areas. However, there is a big problem with programmes.
While cleaning their catch of fish they the sharks being in the shallow waters of Pro Dive itself runs a five-day Shark
would throw back the unwanted parts, the Yucatan peninsula. The area is not School each year with SoS, including
which would attract the sharks. protected so fishing is allowed, and the shark-dives with and lectures by shark
This practice was, and sometimes still sharks are being caught regularly by behavioural scientist Dr Erich Ritter.
SHARK DIVER
FACTFILE
GETTING THERE8 BA has direct flights to Cancun, or you can fly
via major US gateway cities with several airlines.
DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8 You can do the bull-sharks dives from
any location on the Yucatan peninsula. Pro Dive has nine centres conducting the
observational dives, www.prodiveinternational.com
WHEN TO GO8 Bull shark season is December-March. The females leave the area
for a week or two at the end of January to early February to give birth.
CURRENCY8 Mexican peso
PRICES8 A bull-shark observational dive and one local dive costs US $79.
TOURIST INFORMATION8 www.visitmexico.com, Saving our Sharks:
www.savingoursharks.org, donations: www.prodivemex/saving-sharks
I have done many shark-feed dives

around the world, but the observational
dive was quite different. We weren’t
feeding the sharks, although they were
in an area near to where shark-feeds are
conducted. It felt like a very natural
experience for me – we were entering the
sharks’ realm and they were checking us
out from a distance as many other
sharks would naturally do, for no reason
other than curiosity.
There was a slight current, which we She swam on and circled behind towards
W E DECIDED TO DO another
observational dive the following
afternoon. The wind had dropped and
hadn’t felt the day before.
Almost immediately a large female
bull approached, coming much nearer
Mateusz, who was a few metres behind
me and around 10m from the other
group. He was looking in the other
the waves lapped the shore gently from than on the previous day’s dive. There direction at another shark approaching
a virtually flat sea. We dropped into Below: Mateusz is thrown were 14 of us. My buddy Mateusz, him.
fantastic 40m-plus visibility and found off balance as a shark comes Gustavo and I stayed slightly separate, The shark brushed past him and
the bottom at 20m. in closer than usual. 30m from the rest of the group. turned quickly to speed through the gap
The shark swam a lazy figure of eight between the divers. With the slight
between the two groups, and was very current, Mateusz got pushed slightly off
quickly joined by another from the balance, but quickly righted himself as
opposite direction. the other shark came in close.
Within minutes three more arrived The dive-guides’ eyes seemed to be on
and were swimming all around us, stalks as they signalled for us to close the
disappearing before approaching again gap. Gustavo looked at me and winked, a
from various directions. big grin on his face – he was excited!
As the sharks grew bolder, coming For the whole 42 minutes of the dive
ever closer, the two groups of divers the five sharks swarmed around us.
moved nearer each other to try to stop Their body positions did not show
them coming between us. One especially aggression – their backs weren’t arched
bold shark swam directly towards us. or their pectoral fins lowered, the
I didn’t think she was going to stop, so normal position when hunting or
held my camera out in front of me. attacking – so I think they were just
She turned just as she reached my curious and bold.
camera, skimming past extremely close. In fact, as the reunited group ☛
SHARK DIVER
swam away from the sharks to shallower came much closer. Again, she stayed for
water before ascending, one bull a few minutes before swimming away.
followed and continued to circle below We waited, then rose from the bottom
us as we did our safety stop – an slightly to fin gently over the sandy
exhilarating experience, to say the least! bottom. Ten minutes later, I had given
Once back on the boat, it was clear up hope of seeing a shark again. There
that this had been no normal dive. The is little to see other than sand at this
dive-guides were high-fiving each other site – hardly any other fish or reef.
and their divers. Everyone was Then suddenly the shark appeared
commenting on how close the sharks again. We recognised her from the free-
had got to me, Mateusz and the Pro Dive swimming remora in pursuit and the
videographer. The dive had made my enlarged belly. This time she came much,
heart beat a little faster, but I had not differently to the previous morning. Above: A remora decides much closer.
really felt threatened. We decided to do another to hitch a ride on Gustavo’s The remora, perhaps fancying a rest,
tank.
The observational dives are made observational dive next morning for skipped over to Gustavo and tried to
in the morning, which did make me comparison. Again, it was fairly windy, attach to his tank while he was
wonder whether this dive was unusual so the water was slightly choppy and stationary on the bottom.
because of the calmer waters, the slight visibility a little lower. The shark swam round us for several
current, or the fact that it took place in minutes, very close at times though
the afternoon.
The dive companies in the area have
agreed that shark-feed dives should be
W E HAD A VERY SIMILAR
experience to the first one. We
dropped to the bottom at 18m and had
again it seemed to be out of curiosity.
As my air was almost at 50 bar, I was
thankful when she disappeared again.
conducted at 11am and 3pm and the to swim around slowly for almost 10 Although I hadn’t felt threatened, being
observational dives at 9am and 1pm. minutes before we spotted a shark. This in a small group of three I hadn’t fancied
Our dive fell between the two shark- time, with less visibility, we separated ascending while she was right by us, and
feeds, so fish-oils and particulates from from the rest of the group. doing a safety-stop above her head!
the morning were still in the water, and The shark was beautiful, heavily I really hope that the government
as the sharks expect feeds in the pregnant and swimming gracefully implements the ban on fishing soon.
afternoon, perhaps they were gathering towards us. Keeping her distance at first, These bull sharks are magnificent
in anticipation of it. she checked us out before moving away. creatures and they deserve to be
I don’t know, but certainly there was Several minutes later, just as we were protected, especially when they are
some reason why the sharks had acted about to swim again, she reappeared and vulnerable in pregnancy.
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Be The Champ MAY.qxp_Layout 1 29/03/2017 12:34 Page 50
It's clean-up time – continuing
BE THE his long-running series on

finding ways to take prize-
winning photos, this month
CHAMP! ALEX MUSTARD considers an

approach based on observation
and patience
‘Getting close and personal with a cleaner usually means

distancing ourselves from the noise of group diving‘
B
EHAVIOUR IS NATURE’S WAY
of making our images winners,
but it can be an intimidating
photographic challenge, because many
photographers admit to struggling even
to find macro critters, let alone catch
them doing something photogenic.
That’s where cleaning comes in.
If there is one behaviour that is truly
widespread and easy to spot, it's
cleaning. Symbiotic cleaning is
quintessentially aquatic. On land there
are very few instances of dedicated
cleaning relationships between species,
but from freshwater to coral reefs there
are countless underwater examples.
Cleaning takes place on every scale,
and with so many different species
involved the photographic permutations
are inexhaustible.
As a spectacle it ranges from a
diminutive cleaner shrimp picking
parasites from a cardinalfish, to
a mighty oceanic manta getting
a makeover courtesy of a gang of And we can even persuade cleaner
clarion angelfish. shrimps, cleaning gobies and cleaner Above: Frame a pleasing presence is not an intrusion.
Furthermore, because the cleaner and wrasse to give us a manicure. pattern from the client fish Perfect buoyancy control and slow,
and then wait for the
client species change from region to They will even volunteer to hop inside smooth breathing are essentials.
cleaner to accent the
region, there are always new twists in the a dive-guide’s mouth – I’m sure you’ve composition. The good news is that finding cleaning
tale to photograph as you travel. seen pictures. stations is usually simple. The largest
On Caribbean reefs, shrimps and Taken with a Nikon D4 and stations are typically located on or near
Sigma 150mm. Subal
gobies do much of the work, while in the
Indo-Pacific wrasse take charge and
then, in the East Pacific, butterfly and
T HE KEY TO GETTING great natural
cleaning photos is to learn that
hardest diving skill of all. We don’t need
housing. 2 x Inon Z240. ISO
200, 1/320th @ f/29.
a prominent topographic feature, like
a coral outcrop.
A queue of client fish is usually the
angelfish are common cleaners. to go deep, dive sidemount or reverse- give-away or, if you have sharp eyes, you
The basic deal remains the same, fin, but we do need to stay still and may also see the bobbing dance of a
however. The client fish get cleaned of watch. Behaviours will reveal themselves cleaner wrasse or the beating antennae of
parasites, dead skin and loose scales, much more quickly to our lens when our a shrimp trying to attract custom.
while the cleaners get a free meal and However, if we rush in, we’ll disturb
don’t get eaten. the behaviour and it will be a long wait
A curious problem that scientists have STARTER TIP for it to start again.
is showing that cleaning actually makes Getting up close and personal with
any difference to the health of the reef A little knowledge goes a long way, a cleaner usually means distancing
community. Perhaps it doesn’t, or but to get started it doesn't have to ourselves from the noise of group diving.
maybe their experiments just can’t be yours. Ask a dive-guide to point Loose buddy-team diving is my
resolve it? It's surprisingly hard to tell. out a cleaning station, and then try preference. Then we should approach
Whatever the case, as soon as we go to spot more. slowly, settle in, move as little as possible
diving we can see that cleaners and A queue of client fish milling and be relaxed in our breathing.
clients are most willing partners. around a coral head is usually the Dive-site choice can make a difference
Even if an Indo-Pacific damselfish is best sign. The best photo too. I often plan and shoot behaviour on
put in an aquarium with a Caribbean opportunities come when you find check-out or training-dive sites.
goby, they will soon strike up a cleaning behaviours yourself, rather than as The resident fish will be used to divers,
part of a group.
relationship. and if we don’t thrash about we’re ☛
PHOTO TECHNIQUE
Pictured: A cleaner
wrasse emerges from
the mouth of a
sweetlips.
Taken with a Nikon

D7100 and Nikon
105mm. Subal housing.
2 x Inon Z240. ISO 200,
1/100th @ f/8.
51 divEr
PHOTO TECHNIQUE
accepted quickly. And even if we’re not Above: With patience you the bigger the mouth and the bigger the
interested in the behaviour, these can approach cleaning very
closely. Here I could fill the
teeth the better. The more apparently ADVANCED TIP
cleaning station are the best place to perilous the pose, with a small and
frame with a fisheye. Longer lenses suit behaviour
catch fish portraits, because fish are vulnerable cleaner happily going about
particular approachable there. its business between the cavernous jaws photography, giving subjects a
Taken with a Nikon D7100
and glistening teeth, the more powerful bit more personal space. A long
and Tokina 10-17mm. Subal
macro lens, such as a 100/105mm
C LEANING IMAGES have an interest
factor that makes them compelling,
especially to non-divers. They also
housing. 2 x Inon Z240. ISO
200, 1/30th @ f/16.
the picture.
For this reason, client fish such as
morays and grouper should always get
or even 150mm, is a great option
on an SLR.
generate a feel-good factor, implying our attention. Because of the longer shooting
that the photographer was able to With more average reef fish, we distance, you should push the
closely observe natural behaviour and should consider other options. strobes out wider to reduce
was not harassing the wildlife. But A favourite solution of mine is to find backscatter, and open the aperture
planning some stand-out compositions an attractive natural pattern in the scales to help the strobe light to carry to
will raise them higher still. of the client fish and wait for the cleaner the subject.
The wow factor of cleaning behaviour to come into the shot.
is the incongruous association These compositions catch the eye
between two very different creatures: because of the pleasing colours or actively cleaning or reappearing from
a crustacean cleaning a fish, a tiny textures of the frame, but they hold the the mouth or gill of the client.
wrasse among the teeth of a moray, viewers’ attention when they “discover” Avoid shooting when the cleaner is
or a freshwater sunfish cleaning a the cleaner, giving a delayed payoff. blocking the eye or other key features
manatee. The juxtaposition adds drama If clients are large and charismatic, of the client.
to our pictures. such as mantas and sharks, it works best We should also look to catch client
The next rule for jaw-droppers is that to frame them fully. poses that communicate that something
A barberfish against the solid grey is happening: clients do everything from
flank of a shark is not as impressive a hanging vertical, to yawning, to
MID-WATER TIP photo as one that shows the entire blushing.
scalloped hammerhead! Wide-angle Capturing cleaning requires us to slow
Once settled in at a cleaning station, stay there and make lenses are best here. down and go beyond looking and really
the most of the opportunity. The hard part is being And finally, as with any behaviour see. Taking time to stop, think and
accepted, so don’t waste it. shot, we must catch the peak of the consider your photography is a valuable
Don’t just shoot one interaction and move on. Instead, action. In most cases it's best to focus skill, not just for behaviour shots but
wait for the client fish to change, and even bag portraits of literally and figuratively on the cleaner, one that will benefit all your underwater
other species queuing up. catching it at moments when it is either photography.
Trewavas MAY.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2017 16:39 Page 53
TREWAVAS
Gone with
the wind
LOUISE
D
O YOU DREAM OF WRECKS? I’m pretty
sure it isn’t just me.
I don’t mean those dreams when you go
inside the wreck and get a bit lost, and end up
inside the ship’s mess with the crew, queuing up
for lunch. Only when you get to the front of the
line you find that not only have they run out of
the shepherd’s pie, but they’re refusing to serve
anyone dressed in neoprene. No, not that dream.
What I mean is when you get it into your head
that you just have to go and dive a particular
wreck – a compulsive wreck-session.
Mine started in the deep south of the USA,
where they quite literally sink ships for fun. This
is a place where super-size matters, so the wrecks
can be enormous.
There’s USS Spiegel Grove, sunk off Key Largo.
It’s 155m long and rising 26m high. Gorgeous, and
I’ve dived it several times.
Then there’s USS Vandenberg out of Key West: 159m long and
around 30m high. An astounding dive. I’ve done it three times, and
I barely got it covered.
And then there’s the “Mighty O”, USS Oriskany. Sunk in around
64m off Pensacola, it’s 271m in length and rises a whopping 50m
from the seabed. I’ve never dived it. It’s like an unscratched itch.
D O YOU EVER DO that thing where you decide to calculate the

real cost of your dive? Warning: don’t go there.
You add up the time you spent planning, plus the cost of the
travel, the accommodation and food, the equipment and gas, and
then the actual dive charter or cost of the RIB.
When you’ve recovered sufficiently from the shock, you divide
that total by the number of minutes that you spent under water.
That’s when it dawns on you that a cocaine habit of rock-star
proportions is likely to cost less per minute than wreck-diving.
I mention this as a preamble to my story of the “Mighty O”,
which in my case is the Mighty Obsession.
Somehow, some way, I managed to carve out a weekend when I’d
be in Pensacola, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with the aim of diving this
wreck. That’s a round trip of 9000 miles.
Pensacola has a sweeping, dramatic bay. It’s a little like
Blackpool on steroids, but with a military base tacked on for good
measure. The beaches here are made of powder-perfect white sand,
and they stretch for miles and miles.
Yes, in true Southern style everything here is larger than life.
That also applies to the storm fronts.
Some people claim that the customer is king, but when it comes
to scuba-diving, the weather rules all.
T HE BLUE SKY HAS TURNED a dark steely grey and the surf
is pounding the coast. I call every dive-centre, but the
weekend’s activities have been cancelled.
My window of opportunity for this dive is slamming shut.
Wind stops play.
Well that’s diving for you. I came 9000 miles to not dive
the Oriskany.
So, do you dream of wrecks? If you do, you’ll know that dreams
won’t die that easily. As Scarlett O’Hara would say: “After all,
tomorrow is another day!”
I might be blown out. But there is always a chance that I’ll be
blown away.
53 divEr
MandMs.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 15:11 Page 54
No, NIGEL MARSH & HELEN ROSE

weren’t on a chocolate binge, it’s
just that every major highlight of
their four-atoll liveaboard tour
seemed to start with the letter M!
W
HEN YOU BOOK ON a dive- We didn’t have high expectations of
trip to the Maldives labelled Kanduohgiri, because the briefing made
the “Sharktastic Tour”, you no mention of sharks, but this was where
expect to see plenty of sharks and for our M&Ms week started – with an
them to be the highlight of the trip, extraordinary encounter with moray eels.
especially as all shark species have Seconds after descending we ran into
been protected around this island nation the first of them, a giant moray hanging
since 2010. out of a hole in the reef wall.
Well, we did see plenty of shark action, We were just about to photograph it
but as it turned out, the sharks were not when we spotted a more spectacular sight
the highlight of this trip. Instead it was nearby – a honeycomb and a giant moray
the M&Ms – diver attractions beginning sharing a hole. Beyond this pair was
with the letter M. another honeycomb moray, and another,
Spread across 35,000sq miles, the 26 and another. We had stumbled across
atolls that make up the Maldives are a garden of eels.
dotted with countless reefs, cays and
resorts. The best way for a diver to explore
them is to join a liveaboard, and with
more than 150 plying the local waters,
D URING THE BRIEFING the chief
dive-guide Issey had mentioned
that this site was near a tuna-processing
the choice is immense. plant and was home to a few morays, but
Emperor Divers’ Sharktastic Tour over the course of this dive we saw well
sounded perfect for us, because it over a hundred.
involved visiting four atolls and diving The large honeycomb morays were
some of the best shark sites. It is offered easily the most spectacular with their bold
only from January to April, the best black-and-white colouration, but we also
season to dive the Maldives, so we booked saw grey, white-eyed, clouded, yellow-
onto a trip this February. margined, giant and dark-spotted
Our boat was Emperor Virgo, one of six morays. This has to be the greatest
the company operates in the Maldives and collection of moray eels at one dive-site –
one of the smaller vessels in its fleet at and this was our check-out dive!
32m long. We were impressed from the Besides the morays we enjoyed an
moment we boarded and were handed abundance of fish life in the 30m visibility
a cool fruit drink. – schools of barracuda, trevally, fusiliers,
The vessel accommodates 18 guests in bannerfish, bigeyes and even a pack of
large en suite cabins over three levels. It roaming remoras. But this site was also
has a large sun-deck and a spacious home to garden eels, sting rays and a large
dining and lounge room and bar. Napoleon wrasse.
Like other Maldives liveaboards, it has We quickly got into liveaboard mode –
no dive-deck. All the dive-gear, cylinders dive, eat, nap, dive, eat, nap and repeat.
and compressors are kept on the The rest of the first day was more about
accompanying dhoni. This seemed a bit sharks. At South Male Atoll we did our
strange to us at first, but we quickly saw first channel or kandu dive at Embudhoo
the advantages – no wet, smelly dive-gear, Express. These kandu dives, a signature of
and larger cabins on the main boat. the Maldives, generally require the use of
For our check-out dive the dhoni took a reef hook to anchor you to the bottom
us to a site just north of the capital, Male. in the strong current. ☛
MALDIVES DIVER
Left: The crew search in

vain for whale sharks at
Maamigili.
Pictured: Numerous
spectacular honeycomb
moray eels were to be
seen at Kanduohgiri.
55 divEr
Embudhoo Express was a typical

example, and hooked into the reef we
watched a parade of grey and whitetip
reef sharks in the blue water. They were
great to watch, but stayed frustratingly
out of camera range.
We also encountered trevally, batfish,
mackerel, tuna, jobfish, bonito and
Napoleon wrasse. After 20 minutes of
shark- and fish-watching we unhooked
and drifted down the channel, exploring
the many fish-filled ledges and caves in
the channel wall.
We got much closer to the sharks on
our night-dive at Alimatha Faru. This site,
off the end of a resort pier, is renowned
for its tawny nurse sharks and rays, and it
didn’t disappoint.
The sloping reef at this site is a popular
overnight spot for liveaboards, and we
were sharing the site with four other
boats. Even with 100 divers in the water, covered in colourful reef fish.
it was a blast. Each day the crew of Emperor Virgo Top: The highlight of our We were busy photographing the fish
We saw dozens of large and small spoilt us with their wonderful service and Maldives trip was seeing this when we suddenly heard a series of clicks
tawny nurse sharks either swimming a feast of food. The meals were buffet- huge pod of marine and whistles. Peering into the blue, the
mammals – spinner source of the noise could be faintly seen,
around the reef or inspecting the divers, style, and chef Camilo cooked up an
dolphins.
hoping for a bit of food. They were incredible range of Asian and Western a pod of dolphins. We then swam like
often accompanied by groups of Jenkin’s dishes that left no one wanting. Above: Large marble rays crazy into the middle of the channel and
whip rays, trevally and also the occasional are a common species in were rewarded with an extraordinary
the Maldives.
reef shark.
Our guides didn’t feed the marine life,
but it was entertaining to watch a guide
O N DAY THREE WE HAD another case
of the M&Ms – this time a rather
unexpected encounter with a group of
sight – hundreds of spinners!
It was an incredible spectacle as pod
after pod of these delightful creatures
from another group getting mobbed by marine mammals at Meemu Atoll. swam past a group of spellbound divers.
the sharks, rays and fish each time he Each time we dived one of the reef The procession lasted only two minutes,
produced some morsel. channels we expected something special, but it is locked into our memory forever.
The following day we dived sites on hoping for a sailfish, a tiger shark or After this amazing marine-mammal
Vaavu Atoll, exploring more channels a hammerhead, and it was no different encounter the rest of the day could have
from the open water into the atoll lagoon. when we dived Vanhuravalhi Kandu. been an anti-climax, but we saw more
We saw plenty of shark action at We spent the first 10 minutes of the than enough reef sharks at Mulah Kandu
Miyaru Kandu, but Golden Wall was dive hooked in at the channel mouth, to keep us happy.
spectacular with its lovely soft corals and watching the reef sharks and pelagic fish. This site was also home to schools of
masses of fish, including schools of pretty But after unhooking we explored a large trevally, barracuda and rainbow runners.
oriental sweetlips and five-lined snapper. coral head riddled with ledges and Our shark adventures were due to
MALDIVES DIVER
continue the next day at South Ari Atoll, Above: More M&Ms – the best action was at a site called
with whale sharks on the itinerary. Manta magic at Moofushi. Moofushi. This reef has numerous
Unfortunately someone forgot to remind Right: Hang on, this begins cleaning stations, and over two dives
the whale sharks. with T – but this titan we experienced some spectacular
They are regularly seen on the sloping triggerfish trying to crack manta moments.
reef at Maamigili, we were told, but not open a shell at Maamigili On the first dive the main cleaning
that day. We still had two nice dives with does add some colour station was devoid of mantas, and it
among all the big stuff!
a good collection of reef fish and turtles, wasn’t until we moved to a smaller group
but the visibility on this western atoll was Below: The original idea of coral heads that we encountered one.
only 12m, unlike the 30m plus we had was to see sharks, like this This ray was extremely curious, and we
enjoyed on the eastern atolls over the tawny nurse shark, though found ourselves eyeball to eyeball with it
previous three days. The north-east most of the time they kept many times.
their distance.
monsoon was pushing dirty water from But the real magic started when a
east to west. second, third, fourth and finally a fifth
manta joined the party, zooming around Our final M&M came all two quickly
T HE FOLLOWING DAY it was M&Ms

time again, the magic word being
mantas. The Maldives has the world’s
us and around the cleaning station.
It was a wonderful experience, but
very frustrating to photograph in only
with a visit to a wonderful dive-site on
North Ari Atoll known as Maaya Thila,
home to an impressive group of marble
largest population of manta rays, and 10m visibility. rays. We dived this brilliant pinnacle of
while Hanifaru Bay is the most famous On the second dive there were even coral over two dives and found it
manta dive in the country, these gentle more manta rays to be seen. At the main overflowing with marine life.
giants can be seen at many other sites. cleaning station four large rays were The first dive was at night, and while
We had enjoyed our first brief manta hovering, and we found another three on the small critters such as octopus,
encounter the day before at Rangali, but the smaller cleaning station. cuttlefish, crabs, shrimps, nudibranchs ☛
MALDIVES DIVER
FACTFILE
and flatworms were all fun to observe,
it was the bigger creatures that really
entertained. GETTING THERE8 Several airlines fly
During our hour-long dive we from the UK into Male – transfers to the
encountered sleeping hawksbill liveaboards are direct from the airport pier.
turtles, soaring spotted eagle rays and an
DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8Emperor Virgo is
unexpected stonefish. Also out hunting one of six liveaboards operated by Emperor
for prey were reef sharks, moray eels and Divers in the Maldives,
packs of trevally. www.emperormaldives.com
But the highlight was the group of
WHEN TO GO8Year-round, but the two prevailing
hungry marble rays. Every few minutes
monsoons affect the diving in different areas.
one of them would come into view,
December to May is the best for diving during the
grubbing in the sand for prey. At one north-east monsoon, with the calmest seas and
stage we had three swimming around us, clearest water around the eastern atolls. From
which made it a very special night dive. June to November the south-west monsoon
brings clearer water to the western atolls, but
W E DID A SECOND DIVE at

Maaya Thila the next morning.
Unfortunately the marble rays had
rougher seas. Water temperature is 26-29°C.
MONEY8The rufiya, but US dollars and euros
widely accepted.
disappeared, but the shark action made
PRICES8Flights London to Male from about £430
up for that. We had seen a lot of sharks
return. Seven-day Sharktastic trips on Emperor
on this Sharktastic Tour, but had found
Virgo in 2018 start from £1332pp (two sharing).
the reef sharks frustratingly camera-shy –
however, this was not the case on our final TOURIST INFORMATION8visitmaldives.com
dive at Maaya Thila.
Cruising around this pinnacle were
dozens of grey and whitetip reef sharks, a macro lens because of the reduced Above: A signature fish of exposed us to some amazing dive-sites
including numerous juveniles. On visibility. Fortunately there were plenty of the Maldives is the powder and incredible marine life. But our
blue surgeonfish.
previous dives we had been lucky if the great macro subjects, including a range of memories of this trip will always be of the
sharks came within 6m of us, but at this friendly reef fish. M&Ms – the manic morays, the marine
site they came within 2m. That recent wonderful week in the mammals, the magnificent mantas and
The only problem was that I was using Maldives ended all too quickly, and the magic marble rays.
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Ice Cool.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:53 Page 60
N
INETEEN-YEAR-OLD Valentina
Cafolla, a freediver from
Croatia, has set what she claims struggled to stay conscious to fulfil the
to be a new world record for diving resurfacing requirement protocol of
under ice on one breath. the international association CMAS, 16mm fisheye and 16.35mm lenses,
Cafolla swam 125m beneath a sheet which ratified the record. and reported that the water was clear
of ice 50-70cm thick – beating the AIDA is the official world governing but “really cold” at 2°C.
previous world record held by Turkey’s body for freediving, but diving under His biggest problem was the low
Denya Can. She had aborted her first ice is not one of its disciplines. light level under water because of the
dive but accomplished the feat on her “I’m really happy that all the thickness of the ice and the large
second and final attempt, which took intensive preparation paid off,” said quantity of snow above it. Fortunately,
place on the Lago Di Anterselva Lake in Cafolla. “I’m also happy that I’ll be able however, it was a bright sunny day, so
the Italian Alps in March. to dive into warmer water next time!” he was able to make use of what light
“I didn’t get the perfect breath Images of the dive, as shown on this was available.
before the start and started to panic a spread, were taken by extreme-sports A day earlier, 32-year-old Arthur
bit, so I had to abort it after 75m,” she photographer and Subal ambassador Guerin-Boeri of France had set a new
said of her first bid later. Predrag Vuckovic (on scuba!) men’s ice-freediving world record –
Her successful dive took only 87 Vuckovic used a Nikon D5 camera by finning 175m under the ice at the
seconds, but when she surfaced Cafolla in a Subal ND5 housing with Nikon Sonnanen See in Finland.
divEr 60
Ice Cool.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:53 Page 61
ICE FREEDIVER
Above: Freediver Valentina

Cafolla and (right)
photographer Predrag
Vuckovic –with the
benefit of scuba – get
ready for their dives..
PREDRAG VUCKOVIC / EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER.COM
61 divEr
Green Turtles.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 12:07 Page 62
THE TURTLE
THAT HOLDS
Turtles, and in particular the green
turtles most commonly encountered
by divers, have not been revered for UP THE
nothing, says ALEXANDER KURAKIN.
Photographs by ANDREY NEKRASOV WORLD
divEr 62
MARINE-LIFE DIVER
T
HEY SAY THERE ARE ONLY three
things in the world that we never
tire of contemplating – flames,
running water and somebody else
working. When I first saw a green turtle
“flying” in water, not far from Marsa
Alam in Egypt, I realised that this list
needed to be expanded.
The grace, inner power and harmony
of this animal’s movements are
absorbing to an onlooker. It is like a
bird’s flight but in slow motion.
The underwater world is one of
silence, however, and we need not so
much physical as musical terms to
describe such movement.
A vague silhouette appears. It grows
rapidly, separates from the blue
background and transforms into a big
turtle. Its front flipper/wings move up
and down, showing us largo, which is
slow and broad.
But here the turtle catches sight of a
group of divers and loses its rhythm. Its
head turns to the trouble-spot, first one
eye, then the other. The flippers quiver
alarmingly, the motion range decreases,
tempo speeds up and we get moderato. Left: A majestic green turtle in what is now India believed a turtle to carapace) symbolised the vault of
One of the divers moves carelessly, with its accompanying be one of the major figures in the heaven.
remoras blocks out the sun.
and an explosion in tempo is the universe. Legend has it that seven In the folklore of many nations such
response – despite its impressive size, Above: Portrait of an elephants support the Earth on their concepts as Mother Earth, water, the
the armoured creature undertakes a ancient species. shoulders and stand on a turtle’s back. beginning of creation, fertility, time
steep turn and quickly moves far away, The turtle is held by a snake. and immortality are associated with
using quick, powerful strokes – allegro Below: Green turtle in the Native Americans believed that the the turtle.
Red Sea.
turning into presto. “cosmic tree” grew from a turtle’s back Turtles have lived on our planet for
But to maintain such a rate for long and symbolised the whole universe. In a very long time. Paleontologists believe
does not suit the turtle’s temperament. Japanese legends, a turtle supports the that they appeared during the Triassic
After a dozen strokes it starts to slow “world mountain” that rises from the period of the Mesozoic era, some 220
down, then the blue space absorbs the primaeval ocean to organise space and million years ago (compare that to our
silhouette again, and we’re back to the time. And back in India, the giant turtle own 2-5 million-year history).
familiar largo. was one of the incarnations of the god The size of today’s green turtles may
and guardian of the world Vishnu. be impressive (maximum carapace
I N ANTIQUITY, THE EARTH was

thought to rest on the back of a giant
turtle in the “world ocean”. Tribes living
The lower part of its shell (the
plastron) was identified with the Earth's
surface, while the upper part (the
length more than 2m, weight 500kg),
but this is nothing compared to its fossil
ancestor, archelon.
This turtle, from the seas of the
Cretaceous period, grew more than 4.5m
long and weighed more than 2 tonnes.
N OWADAYS TURTLES ARE FOUND

almost everywhere in the tropical
and sub-tropical waters of the Atlantic,
Indian and Pacific Oceans, but only six
species of these reptiles have survived.
Most of them are predators feeding on
various invertebrates and fish. And only
one type follows a vegetarian diet – the
green turtles most often seen by divers.
We can see them when they graze on
grass in shallow coastal waters, soar over
a distant reef or sleep in a sea-cave. We
might get an illusion of well-being from
these sightings, but the green turtle has
certainly seen better times than these.
When Christopher Columbus’s ships
were approaching the West Indies in the
15th century, sailors were amazed by the
number of “living stones” dotting the ☛
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➤ From water-makers to black water treatment, Oasis was
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www.bunakenoasis.com
or email us at info@bunakenoasis.com
MARINE-LIFE DIVER
sea surface. These were green turtles.

The group of islands where this
phenomenon was observed were even
called Las Tortugas.
In fact there were so many turtles that
they created difficulties for the ships,
which had to try to get round them
while trying to follow a direct course.
It would have been hard to imagine
that in a few centuries turtles would be
rare there. Even the name Las Tortugas
would be obscured, as the islands came
to be known as the Caymans.
E VEN WITHOUT HUMAN

intervention, nature is quite severe
to these shelled wanderers. Young
green turtles spend their youth
among algae accumulations floating in a season. She covers them with sand
at the ocean’s surface, eating and carefully disguises them – though
jellyfish, crustaceans and molluscs. how can a creature succeed in hiding
They are tasty prey for sharks and something when it leaves its caterpillar
other predatory fish. track-like “footprints” in the sand?
Only when they are five years old
and have attained a respectable size
do they dare to return to shallow
coastal waters.
W ITH A SENSE OF RELIEF the
female finally returns to the sea
while, in the deep, warm sand, the
Here they change their diet, the turtles’ hard life begins. Many nests are
main dish becoming sea-grasses. ruined during the six to eight weeks of
For the next 10-20 years, they keep incubation, as snakes, raccoons, ocelots,
travelling in search of new pastures. jaguars, stray dogs and other predators
Then the eternal procreative instinct enjoy a nutritious diet of turtle eggs.
leads turtles back to the very beach Top: Divers too often give 1250 miles to get home! Eventually the small (about 5cm-long)
where they hatched from an egg years chase to turtles, but they’re In the waters of their cherished island, hatchlings dig their way out of the sand
not easy to keep up with.
before. Scientists have yet to discover turtles find partners that have made the and head towards the sea. Few make it
exactly how turtles find the way to their Above: Far better to let the same difficult journey. Some time after through the gauntlet of predators
birthplaces. turtle approach the diver – if mating, the females crawl ashore at awaiting an easy profit – those already
Some believe they move towards the it wants to. night. Turtles may be active and graceful mentioned are joined by huge flocks of
smell of a “home bank” spread by ocean in the deep blue but they’re clumsy on birds of prey.
Below: Coming up for air.
currents, others that they navigate using land, so each movement is performed And those tiny turtles that get to the
the sun and stars, and a third group with great difficulty. water can’t celebrate their victory yet,
insists that it is terrestrial magnetic And there is much to be done: to find because shoals of hungry fish are
fields that guide them on their way. a place above the splash zone, and dig a loitering beyond the splash zone.
One way or another, the turtles cross fairly deep hole with flippers designed Scientists estimate that the hatchling
vast distances to find some island they not for digging but swimming. survival rate can be measured in
left two or three decades earlier. In one The mother turtle oviposits 100-200 hundredths of a percentage point.
officially registered case, a turtle swam eggs in the two to five nests she makes But everything is balanced in nature.
Until humans meddled in this cruel
arithmetic, turtles could weight the
scales on their own behalf.
A green turtle lives for about 80 years,
giving it the chance to produce so many
eggs that even under the most
unfavourable conditions a positive
balance of the species numbers is
guaranteed, as was shown by Columbus,
Cook and other explorers of the Age
of Discovery.
Unfortunately, the explorers looked at
turtles not from an aesthetic but from a
gastronomic point of view. After all,
the journey lasted for months, and
long-term storage of products was very
limited, so turtles were regarded only as
a reliable source of fresh meat.
Over the years, as communication
between the Old and New Worlds
increased, so did the rate at which ☛
65 divEr
MARINE-LIFE DIVER
turtles were consumed. native environment can be much more

The green was also known as the profitable than eating them.
edible turtle, and it should be noted that
“green” describes not the colour of the
animal (which can be green, brown or
dark brown) but that of the fat scraped
W E VISITED MALAYSIA’S east
coast, where in 1991 nine offshore
islands were united as a marine park,
from inside the upper shell. Pulau Redang. One of the world’s largest
The so-called calipee, a tender turtle “kindergartens” is located on
cartilaginous tissue, was cut from the Redang Island.
lower part of the shell, and this and the The staff ensure that nobody bothers
fat were the most important ingredients the armoured mothers during egg-
of the famous turtle soup. laying, and guard the precious sets until
Sadly, turtle soup remains popular, the babies start hatching.
and turtle eggs are widely used in Human intervention at this stage is
cookery and confectionery all over the useful, because it enhances survival rates
world. So the number of these reptiles dozens of times over. On summer
has reduced, and turtles, which still can evenings, when a great number of small
be found on Turkey’s Mediterranean turtles appear out of the sand, the
coast or in the vicinity of the Egyptian conservationists roam over the beach,
resorts of Marsa Alam and Abu Dabab, collecting the “harvest” in large plastic
are hardly a thriving maritime tribe. buckets.
Fortunately, many coastal countries These turtles spend a night safe in the
have realised that attracting tourists who buckets during their predators’ most Top: Green turtle in the in the morning, not on the beach but out
want to enjoy seeing the turtles in their active hunting period, and are released Red Sea. in the deep sea. This doesn’t guarantee
that all will survive, but their chances are
Above: Concerned humans significantly increased. The work done
can help turtles – this one is
being encourage to feed.
by the marine park is important, but
every one of us can protect the turtles.
Left: Facing many dangers, If we refrain from buying turtle
the next generation. souvenirs made of carapace and don’t
order turtle soup, it all goes towards
limiting the profitability of the turtle
business, and the more people who
follow this line, the more chance we
have of saving these amazing animals
and preserving the beauty and diversity
of the world.
After all, our world rests on a turtle.
Dive Safari Asia (FP) – 02_17.qxp_Full Page Bleed 20/02/2017 12:37 Page 1
DIVER’S GUIDE
Choose the destinations that offer the
style of diving you love with our range of
Asia based dive safaris.
TO INDONESIA
We’ve handpicked locations that can
be seamlessly mixed and matched over a
multi-centre trip. Create your own adventure in
Indonesia, get in touch to start planning today.
01 Raja Ampat
02 Bali
03 Komodo
05 04 Alor
05 Sulawesi
01
06 East Indonesia
06
02 04
03
Papua Paradise Eco Resort Scuba Seraya Resort Komodo Resort
Raja Ampat Rich and healthy reefs are the order BALI Bali is a destination that has a lot to offer if you Komodo Head to Komodo for excellent chances of
of the day in Raja Ampat. We love the abundance know where to look for it. Good quality muck diving mantas, reef sharks and big fish. A top spot for reef
of soft corals in the southern regions whilst central can be found along the eastern coast, there’s the lovers there’s an abundance of soft and hard corals
areas boast big congregations of fish life and Liberty Wreck covered in soft corals also. Islands to to be found among the islands of this vast archipelago.
exhilarating diving. Topside the islands and beaches the east offer good chances of mantas and beautiful A trip to see the legendary Komodo Dragons is
are simply stunning. Multi centre trip with 2,5 reefs to match. Multi centre trip with 3,4,5 highly recommended. Multi centre trip with 2,4
Alami Alor Resort Siladen Resort Amira Liveaboard
Alor New destination on the Indonesia scene, Alor is North Sulawesi With rich and healthy reefs ideally EAST INDONESIA Explore the remote islands of Indonesia
quickly becoming a top spot for the region. The island suited to all levels of experience North Sulawesi by liveaboard to destinations like whaleshark hotspots
offers the best of both worlds with superb critter makes for a perfect gateway destination to Cenderawasih and Triton Bay. The Forgotten Islands
diving and pristine fringing reefs in near proximity. diving in Indonesia. Bunaken Island offers a mix offer virgin reefs and masses of marine life or opt for
Time to escape the crowds at this off the beaten of healthy reefs and diverse critter life. the beautiful regions of Komodo and Raja Ampat.
path location. Multi centre trip with 2,3 Multi centre trip with 1,2 Multi centre trip with 1,2,3
0800 955 0180 | divesafariasia.com

Canningford House | 38 Victoria Street | Bristol | BS1 6BY | info@divesafariasia.com
Misool Indonesia.qxp_DIVER grid 29/03/2017 11:52 Page 68
WHAT IT MEANS
Misool in Raja Ampat is not like
other places, and the dive M ISOOL IS A FOUR-HOUR speed
boat journey from the busy port
of Sorong. Beehive-shaped limestone
centre is a bit special too, says islands litter a highly productive
JOE DANIELS seascape. This area is where the Pacific
meets the Indian Ocean in a mixing bowl
of marine biodiversity.
Descending onto the reefs around
M
Y FIRST EXPERIENCE OF On only a few occasions in my diving Misool is to witness a functioning,
diving Raja Ampat came career had I seen visibility like this – healthy eco-system. The area boasts
three years ago. The area was 35m would have been a conservative more than 1500 known fish species, 537
something of the holy grail of dive estimate. I deflated my BC and made my coral species and 700 species of mollusc.
destinations for me. Being an way down to a gently sloping wall with The reefs swarm with jack, fusiliers,
underwater photographer, my shot-list a pinnacle up ahead. Napoleon wrasse and giant trevally.
was extensive and, I thought, ambitious. The wall was beautiful, covered in Ancient gorgonian seafans and
After a few days of diving, however, it enormous seafans in every conceivable impossibly colourful dendronepthya
was clear that the place was exceeding my colour and form. Many, it turned out, soft corals cover deeper areas of reef,
expectations. The abundance and were hosts to pygmy seahorses. while the shallows are dominated by
diversity of life was overwhelming. Occupying the space between the stony acroporas and soft leather corals,
My seven-day trip only scratched the seafans were soft corals that appeared creating pristine gardens bathed in
surface of what was on offer, so I had to almost neon, so vibrant were the shafts of light.
return to explore further. colours. The coral in the area also seems to be
The Coral Triangle is the term divers The highlight of the dive was the more resilient against bleaching effects
use to refer to the global epicentre of pinnacle. Looking up from the base at those in other locations such as the
marine biodiversity. The area, which 20m, schools of delicate anthias and Great Barrier Reef.
encompasses the Indonesian-Philippines manic yellowtail fusiliers flowed over the There are seamounts too, where the
and far south-western Pacific regions, seafans, soft corals and barrel sponges convergence of the two oceans creates
covers 1.6% of the earth’s oceanic area. that decorated it. the sort of nutritious currents that
And at the centre of the triangle lies an Behind me, out in the blue, chevron attract giants. Misool is home to a
archipelago of tiny limestone islands barracuda hung effortlessly in the population of around 800 manta rays
called Misool, which is where I would be gentle current. that regularly use the cleaning stations
spending the next 10 days. Stocky grey reef sharks also made on the seamounts. They sit motionless in
We crossed a small body of open sporadic appearances before the current while cleaner wrasse pluck
water to a chain of islands that ran east disappearing into the endless blue. parasites from their gills and skin.
to west for our first dive. Expecting I had been blown away by the reefs of
a check-out dive on an average site,
I rolled back off the boat into the 29°C
water and looked down.
northern Raja Ampat, but after only one
dive further south it was clear that I was
diving in a very special place.
B UT WHAT MAKES MISOOL unique
is that both species of manta ray, the
oceanic or giant Manta birostris and the
reef Manta alfredi, can be seen together
Pictured: Once a former
at the same dive-site.
shark-finning camp, the
lagoon is now home to There are very few places on the
juvenile blacktip reef sharks. planet where these two species interact.
Magic Mountain is one of the top
Right: Friendly batfish on dive-sites in the area, if not the world.
Magic Mountain.
I had heard a lot about this sea-mount
and was keen to spend as much time
there as possible, because I had heard
that you never knew what might turn up.
There is far more to it than seeing
both species of manta interacting. On
my first dive there we descended to a
ridge at 25m, the deeper of the two
cleaning stations. While waiting for the
mantas, we watched enormous schools
of barracuda, bluefin trevally and giant
divEr 68
INDONESIA DIVER
TO BE GREEN
trevally chase down smaller baitfish,
creating a visual feast.
After 15 minutes we made our way to
the shallow area. As we finned along the
edge of the ridge, it soon became
apparent why the term mountain had
been chosen – it was not only the
colossal size, but the shape.
We made the ascent until we reached
the summit at around 7m beneath the
surface. Here we found a football-pitch-
sized area covered in soft corals and
giant bommies, and teeming with life.
Schools of jack, giant trevally, batfish,
yellow snapper and fusiliers were all
present in this small area, making it the
perfect playground for underwater
photographers. We were unlucky with
the mantas on this first dive, however,
with only one distant sighting.
M ANY ENDEMIC SPECIES inhabit

Misool’s waters, including the
relatively recently discovered Raja
Ampat walking shark (Hemiscyllium
halmahera), a species of epaulette shark.
Above: Vibrant soft corals
To see it you need to do a night dive, are a common sight.
so on the second night of the trip I
headed out with my dive-guide Bram to Right: The red morph of the
try to catch a glimpse (and perhaps a Hippocampus Denise is
photo) of this curious little shark. found only in Raja Ampat.
We descended onto a seamount called Below right: The newly
Cafe D’Break, and Bram checked the discovered Raja Ampat
various crevices and caverns. walking shark.
It wasn’t long before we had our first
sighting, but the shark seemed nervous
of our presence, and quickly made its
way into a hiding place in a bommie.
These sharks are extremely flexible, saw five individuals between 70cm and
and seem able to squeeze snake-like into 1m long.
any crevice. Another endemic I was keen to
A few minutes passed, and then Bram photograph was a red morph of
was calling me over with frantic signals Hippocampus denise, affectionately
from his red torch. I finned over to find named the Santa Claus pygmy seahorse.
a walking shark out in the open! These very cute seahorses can be found
This guy was in no rush, and even only around Raja Ampat, and are
posed for a photograph. That night we most numerous in Misool. ☛
69 divEr
Bram knew exactly

where to go. The next day
we went straight there,
descending onto the red seafan that
was home to this half-centimetre-
long seahorse.
Patience is key when photographing
pygmies, because they tend to shy away
from the camera, and who can blame In 2005 the
them? Although there are endless such owners of the island
macro photography opportunities in and surrounding reefs,
Misool, it always felt like a risk strapping the local community
on a macro lens, because you never quite and Misool Eco Resort
know what would turn up. cemented the partnership
Fortunately much of this pristine that would result in the region’s Misool
seascape is encompassed by a patrolled first no-take zone. Marine Reserve,
470sq mile no-take zone, established The local community lives off the sea, biomass on many of
by the founders of the Misool Eco Resort and the no-take zone is an area that was the reefs has increased
& Conservation Centre, Andy and Marit remote and therefore rarely fished, so the Pictured: An oceanic by 300% over a six-year period, and some
Miners. move did not restrict its activities. manta ray over a sea- have increased by 600%. These figures are
mount.
The resort, located on the idyllic island Quite the opposite – fishermen reported to increase year by year.
of Batbitim, was built by hand solely working outside the Misool Marine Another study has shown that there are
from reclaimed wood from the area, Reserve have reported better catch rates 25 times more sharks inside the Misool
so not a single tree was cut down to build since its implementation. Fish thrive in Marine Reserve than outside. Once a
it. The result is spectacular. the no-take zone but fishermen benefit hotspot for shark-finning, the reserve is
The site was formerly a shark-finning from any overspill. now a sanctuary for them.
camp, and when Andy first landed on the Now the reserve comprises two no-take
island the beach was strewn with finned
shark carcasses. The fins would have
been sold on to buyers for the sharkfin
zones, linked by an area of open water
with restricted-gear use. The area of the
reserve is now twice the size of Singapore,
S TAYING AT THE RESORT, guests see
a constant procession of juvenile
blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus
soup trade. and would undoubtedly be exploited if it melanopterus), the poster boys of this
The resort was conceived as a way of wasn’t physically patrolled by 15 full-time conservation success story.
funding a conservation centre that could rangers ,split between three ranger Blacktips are not the only
foster research, education and the stations on the borders of the reserve. elasmobranch species to benefit from the
protection of south-east Misool. Since the implementation of the marine reserve. Oceanic manta sightings
divEr 70
INDONESIA DIVER
Right: Blacktip reef

sharks and red snapper
congregate in front of the
resort’s jetty.
Below: A red snapper

among a large school
of jack.
Below right: A thriving

coral garden just beneath
the surface.
FACTFILE
have increased 25-fold between 2010
and 2016.
Along with the reserve, Misool has GETTING THERE8 Fly from the UK to Jakarta, then
been carrying out research on mantas proceed via a stop in Manado or Makasarr to Sorong. Divers
since 2011. Through the data collected, often opt to fly with Garuda Indonesia as it offers a sports
the project was instrumental in Indonesia baggage allowance. From Sorong it’s a five-hour boat-ride
implementing a nationwide ban on to Misool.
manta fishing and trading in 2014, and DIVING & ACCOMMODATION8Misool Eco Resort, misool.info
the successful petition to protect sharks
and rays across the entire 15,500 sq miles WHEN TO GO8The resort is closed July to early September.
of the Raja Ampat region that saw the HEALTH8The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Australia’s
Raja Ampat Shark & Manta Sanctuary Northern Territory, 460 miles from Sorong.
created in 2010. CURRENCY8Indonesian rupiah.
After spending 10 days in Misool, and
PRICES8Dive Worldwide packages trips centred on Misool
every available minute in the water, it
Eco-Resort from £4175pp. This includes return flights from
proved tough to leave. For me as a diver, the UK, transfers, two nights’ B&B at the Novotel Manado
photographer and conservationist it is and one night in Sorong, nine nights’ full-board in a water
paradise found, and what’s so special is to cottage at Misool and a 10-dive package with nitrox. Add
know that it will be safeguarded not only £450 for an unlimited dive-package, diveworldwide.com
for future generations of divers but for
VISITOR INFORMATION8misoolfoundation.org
the local people as well.
71 divEr
Discover
Raja Ampat
Explore the undiscovered Solomon Islands. Enjoy 4 to 5

dives daily from our huge dive deck with nitrox, rebreather
support and unlimited hot showers. Relax in air-conditioned
comfort in the spacious salon or one of our 12 well-appointed
Discover the incredible cabins. Discover the most intense bio-diversity worldwide,
along with WWII history and unique cultural experiences.
reefs and marine life of Raja
Ampat, the most bio-diverse For more information or to make a reservation:
marine region on earth. book@dive-solomon.com

www.solomonsdiving.com
Dive Raja Ampat

15 days from £3,875 Request our brochure
divErNEt.com
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LIVEABOARD DIVING FLEET
www.explorerventures.com info@explorerventures.com +1.307.235.0683

DAN Medical.qxp_DIVER grid 28/03/2017 16:23 Page 73
MEDICAL DIVER
NICK HOPGOOD
Never underestimate the damage
the starfish Acanthaster planci can
inflict on a diver. If you do touch
one, go to hospital right away,
says CAREN LIEBSCHER – waiting
only makes it worse
DON’T TOUCH THE MEDICAL VIEW
CROWN-
OF-THORNS DAN Europe is a not-for-profit
worldwide organisation that
provides emergency medical advice
and assistance for underwater diving
injuries. It also promotes diving
safety through research, education,
I
T’S A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY surgeon among the guests says she
and Nelly (not her real name), a dive needs to fly to Bali for decent hospital products and services
instructor, conducts her four divers treatment if the finger doesn’t get any
along a spectacular wall close to the dive better in the next 24 hours.
resort, located on a tropical island in However, leaving the island quickly is in Bali as an outpatient, and returns to
South-east Sulawesi, Indonesia. a challenge. Planes come and go only once the hospital several times. The secondary
The dive is nice and relaxed, with no a week. Nelly is lucky, however – only infection has built an abscess which has
current. All goes well until towards the three days after the incident, there is a to be opened to allow a lab examination
end of the dive. Turning to signal to the flight to Bali. She now contacts DAN to be conducted.
divers to ascend after the safety stop, Europe and, after authorisation to cover Despite the antibiotics, the finger gets
Nelly accidentally hits a crown-of-thorns her travel and medical expenses, takes off. no better. Finally, an X-ray reveals that
starfish with her right hand’s index finger there are still traces of spines embedded
and gets stung deeply by three venomous IN HOSPITAL in the soft tissue of Nelly’s hand!
spines. In Denpasar, Bali, Nelly visits the Over the following four days the finger
On board the boat she removes the international hospital. It diagnoses is cut open twice, and more antibiotics
spines, cleans her hand by putting it in a secondary infection due to contact and painkillers prescribed. Nelly still can’t
hot water, and finally disinfects the with marine life and prescribes more fly back to Sulawesi, and has to get back
wound with Betadine. The pain is antibiotics (clindamycin) and an army to hospital for an emergency treatment.
excruciating. of painkillers. Finally, three weeks later, with the
Despite this first-aid treatment, on the Over the next two weeks she has to stay doctor’s OK, she is on her way back to the
following day her finger is worse, and little island, and starts diving again.
swollen. As the island is very remote,
there are no doctors. However, she ACANTHASTER PLANCI NOT OVER YET
doesn’t call DAN immediately and begins A month later, Nelly is back at the
a self-administered treatment, first with The crown-of-thorns, also known Its home is in the most hospital in Bali for a follow-up visit on
Ibuprofen and later, as her finger gets as the seastar or venomous beautiful dive-spots – in the the wound debridement (removal of the
worse during the night, with a penicillin- starfish, is littered with sharp tropical zones of the Indo-Pacific spine traces).
like antibiotic. venom-filled spines up to 6cm (Philippines, Indonesia, Great The situation has worsened – her
Considering the circumstances, Nelly long, and looks pretty vicious Barrier Reef in Australia), the finger is still stiff, red and swollen, and
is quite well off – there’s no nausea or with its six to 23 arms and Red Sea and Central American she feels pulsating pain. She has kept
vomiting, and her wounds are small, average diameter of 40-60cm. coastal areas, generally in coral- applying antibiotic ointment and two of
affecting only half of her index finger with Its mainly red colour is a reef regions. the three wounds have actually healed,
adjacent swelling of the hand. warning that it is venomous. Its Prevention is your best friend. but the third one is giving her trouble.
As the antibiotic cannot act effectively defence system makes it an Protect yourself by wearing shoes Movement of Nelly’s finger is limited.
at this stage, her finger is even more impressive survivor with almost and/or boots, gloves or other She feels numbness but, luckily, there is
swollen the next day. An American nothing able to predate on it. clothing such as thick neoprene. no pus in the wound. ☛
DAN Medical.qxp_DIVER grid 28/03/2017 16:23 Page 74
MEDICAL DIVER
The surgeon requests a new X-ray, drowsiness and fever, Tessa’s left hand
which reveals that there is still a foreign and wrist were swollen and very painful
body inside the soft tissue of the finger, and her arm, hand and fingers were
causing the swelling and inflammation. paralysed. Lymphagitis and left axillary
That means another 14 days as an lymphadenitis signalled that her immune
outpatient in Denpasar, where an system was pretty occupied.
orthopedic surgeon reopens the wound. A surgeon opened the wounds and
Luckily there is no infection of the removed all thorns. Tessa was put on
bone, but the saga has been dragging on heavy medication with dexamethasone
for almost two months now… and this all and clindamycin given intravenously
because of three little spines. every eight hours. Because she had lost
a lot of fluids, she was also put on an IV
FIVE MONTHS LATER… drip for fluid-replacement. Later she was
In Italy, it’s another busy work-day in the able to start moving her fingers again.
life of Julia S, Case Manager at DAN
Europe, who has just started reading RECOVERY
her emails. Discharged from hospital six days after
At the same time, on a small, beautiful the incident, Tessa, although her hand was
island on Thailand’s west coast, Tessa, still numb, felt happy again. The bill for
a Finnish dive instructor, is in despair. her five-day inpatient treatment
During her dive she has accidentally hit amounted to 6000 euros – amazing, the
a crown-of-thorns starfish with her huge costs a little starfish can incur!
entire arm. There would still be numbness in
Her hand starts bleeding heavily. Tessa’s hand a couple of months later, and
Shortly afterwards it becomes numb, with even five months after the injury
really hard pain. Nausea begins within a occurred, two fingers had not regained
few minutes. sensitivity yet. Healing is a long process.
On the boat, Tessa puts her hand and MATT WRIGHT
Tessa’s nine-page medical report and
arm in hot water for an hour. However, TREATMENT the extensive list of different drugs used
the hand is swollen and the skin marbled Cortisone (ointment) is a possible first aid demonstrate that the hospital in Phuket
all the way to the elbow. self-medication that can be used to mitigate took really good care of her.
Back on land, she seeks help at a local the symptoms of a contact dermatitis from In an emergency, quick decision-
clinic. The doctor prescribes her touching crown-of-thorns spines. making, good judgment and experience is
antibiotics, but has no idea of what the Antibiotics and cortisone cannot help the crucial for effective case-management.
crown-of-thorns is. Tessa is being treated wound to heal properly as long as pieces of People like Doc Marroni and Julia can
as if she had touched a sea urchin. venomous spines are still embedded in the make a difference and make things
Later, back in the resort, she decides to tissue. Only after their removal and happen – even from a distance.
email DAN Europe about her injury, and disinfecting the wounds will the use of They spared Tessa a lot of pain,
it’s Julia who receives it. When she reads appropriate antibiotics and cortisone be unnecessarily prolonged suffering and
“stung by the crown-of-thorns starfish”, able to promote the healing process. debilitating, life-threatening illness.
she immediately remembers Nelly’s case,
and is instantly on high alert.
She grabs her phone and calls Tessa to However, over in Thailand, after Tessa LESSONS LEARNED
check her current status. Tessa’s voice is has had an awful night with increased Put your health first. Take an incident with a
very weak – she can’t even stay awake. pain, nausea, vomiting, extreme crown-of-thorns starfish seriously. Seek help
Julia gets the impression that the girl sleepiness and headaches, her friends take immediately or it will get worse, and then
is close to fainting, and tells her that she her to another doctor in what is called a you might not be able to travel to a decent
needs to seek decent medical help in “first standard” clinic close by. hospital by yourself anymore.
Phuket, immediately. Unfortunately, this doctor doesn’t Debridement of spines is mandatory, and
Remembering Nelly’s case, and aware know about the crown-of-thorns either, they be located only by ultrasound or X-ray.
of Tessa’s much larger injury, she knows but looks it up on Google. Tessa gets The wounded side will swell quickly, and it
that she has to act quickly. another antibiotic, this time applied should be needless to say that this kind of
What she usually does in such an intravenously, and is told to come back injury curtails any scuba-diving activity.
emergency is to call “Doc”. No matter and repeat this treatment within the next There are obvious limitations in self-
whether it’s day or night, Sunday or few days. She is actually running out of treatment because an injury like this will
Christmas, this one goes directly through time and options. always require surgical intervention. The
to Alessandro Marroni, President, CEO Telephone lines between Italy and spines easily break off and stick in the tissue,
and Chief Medical Officer of DAN Thailand run hot as Tessa’s evacuation is
releasing the venom.
Europe, one of the most experienced organised, and once her address has been
The inflammation is ongoing because the
diving medicine specialists in the world. found everything runs smoothly.
body tries to get rid of a foreign body and
She wakes up in bed in an intensive
fight the venom at the same time. Nelly’s
DOC STEPS IN care unit. An ambulance had arrived the
story shows that the wound will not heal as
Prof Marroni gives Julia immediate night before, and Tessa had been placed
long as the foreign body (filled with venom)
authorisation for an urgent medical on an intravenous drip and been escorted
remains inside the tissue.
evacuation, as he fears that Tessa will go by a nurse to the international hospital in
On the other hand, Tessa’s case shows that
into anaphylactic shock, a possible and Phuket to undergo medical treatments
quick and adequate medical intervention
life-threatening allergic reaction to the fully covered by DAN.
Suffering from nausea, vomiting,
can shorten the suffering effectively.
starfish’s venom.
Brilliant photos and videos

with DSLR-like imaging results.
SONY® 1” Sensor
60m + shockproof
Easy to use
'HSWKRIÀHOGHIIHFW
RAW & JPEG Capture
Full HD 1080p 60 fps
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Simply point, shoot, share and enjoy – over and under water. 4 Underwater Modes
sealife-cameras.de
DC2000
Review MAY.qxp_Layout 1 27/03/2017 15:00 Page 76
BOOK REVIEW
Words of wisdom
from bio-hotspots
Diving in
Southeast Asia
by Sarah Ann
Wormald,
David Espinosa,
Heneage Mitchell,
Kal Muller,
Fiona Nichols &
John Williams
THAT’S QUITE AN
author list, but these
experienced divers take A weedy seadragon off Sydney, from
turns to write about the Nigel Marsh’s new book Muck Diving.
areas they know, and
seem to do their level impression, with its bright red frogfish
best to fulfil the perched on the sensibly laminated
promise of the book’s cover (sensibly, because it’s likely to
sub-title: A Guide to the get a fair bit of hard use if it’s taken on
Best Dive Sites In a dive-trip).
Malaysia, Indonesia, It’s written by Australia-based
the Philippines and divEr contributor Nigel Marsh, who
Thailand. referred to it in his A Tale of Two Muck
Given that their Sites article in our March issue. The
mission is to nail the publisher announces Muck Diving as
richest sites in the “the first complete guide to the
richest part of the globe for diving, this a genuinely useful title. Tuttle has subject”, and I have no reason to
and all in a mere 290 pages, they make specialised in books about Asia for argue with that claim.
an impressive job of it. nearly 70 years, and its experience While the author stresses that
I leafed through this beautifully shows here. For anyone who dives the muck-diving can be enjoyed
produced reference book, stopping Coral Triangle, it’s good to have a book anywhere that has silty, sandy
at the sites I had dived to see whether like this to give shape and form to all environments, most of the diving in history and techniques of muck-
the writers’ descriptions tallied with those mouth-watering site-names. this weighty book takes place in its diving, its guides and photography.
my own recollections, which they Tuttle Publishing spiritual home – those areas covered The bulk of the book then ranges
invariably did. ISBN: 9780804845946 by Diving in Southeast Asia, reviewed through the main groupings of muck
It’s always likely with a book of this Softback, 290pp, US $19.95 above, plus Australia and PNG. critters, fish and reptiles (sea snakes),
sort that readers will take issue with In fact the two books make good and it’s all pulled together with
the weight given to one site compared companion-pieces. Both agree that sections on destinations and operators,
to another, or the omission of one CRITTER the term “muck-diving” was coined paving the way for you to take off in
place altogether, but this book is
clearly the result of a lot of hard work,
COMPENDIUM by another estwhile divEr
contributor, Bob Halstead, in PNG in
pursuit of those highly prized photos.
Nigel Marsh is a photo-journalist
deliberation and careful curation. Muck Diving: A Diver’s Guide the early 1970s. and he approaches his subject from
The writing succeeds in getting a to the Wonderful World And the pursuit has matured with a photographer’s point of view, which
flavour of the underwater experience of Critters digital photography, as so many divers makes it very readable for divers.
and character of individual sites and by Nigel Marsh seek unusual, exotic and compliant His photos are not all “arty”
regions, rather than being a catalogue subjects to capture in pixels. depictions using black backgrounds or
of facts and figures. And another AND HERE COMES ANOTHER new The first 30 pages or so are bokeh, but show the creatures as we
welcome aspect is the collection of book that makes a good first dedicated to the environments, see them in their naturally unattractive
detailed maps marked with individual habitats – appropriate in this context.
dive-sites, which I for one will find The case is made for divers to make
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING DIVING BOOKS
helpful in future. a stand against “critter-fiddling”, but
In fact my only mildly negative as listed by www.amazon.co.uk (9 March, 2017) I was interested to see that the author
observation would be that among 1. Diver Down: Real-World Scuba Accidents and How to Avoid Them, by Michael Ange feels strongly that banning gloves as
all the nice little wildlife photographs 2. Discover UK Diving, by Will Appleyard a way of preventing divers from
that make this book so bright and 3. Underwater Photography, Art and Techniques, by Nick Robertson-Brown touching anything is unwise.
colourful, it would have been good 4. Scuba Diving Hand Signals: Pocket Companion for Recreational Scuba Divers, by Lars Behnke He reckons we need gloves for our
to have more than the sprinkling of 5. Underwater Foraging – Freediving for Food, by Ian Donald own protection in environments in
wreck pictures we do have, but that 6. The Diving Manual, by Deric Ellerby which tiny but deadly dangers lurk
really is nit-picking. 7. The Darkness Below, by Rod Macdonald well-camouflaged everywhere.
The 55-page “Practicalities” section 8. Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Belize, by Franz O Meyer This is not an ID book – there are far
at the back (along with further reading 9. Amazing Diving Stories, by John Bantin too many strange species out there,
recommendations and index) make 10. Submerged: Adventures of America's Most Elite Underwater Archaeology Team, by Dan Lenihan with more being discovered all the
76 www.divErNEt.com
Review MAY.qxp_Layout 1 27/03/2017 15:00 Page 77
BOOK REVIEW
of colour and lighting shortcomings, 60mm macro lens section as is

many photographers would in all employed 32 pages later to illustrate
likelihood consign to the bin. the virtues of the 100mm macro lens.
And each photograph is George and I also agreed that
accompanied by a long caption the unparagraphed sans typeface,
detailing how Mr Gates took the shot. especially when set across the full
Initially I assumed that some of these width of the page, was not exactly
would be along the lines of “I included easy on the eye.
this one to show you how not to take Larry Gates, a US diver, tells us
a shot of snapper in low light…” but that he spent 10 years teaching
no, all the captions are mildly self- underwater photography in and
congratulatory. around the Caribbean, and has drawn
God knows, my underwater on that experience for his book.
photography is light years from There are certainly many lessons to
anything to write home about, but be learnt from studying these pictures,
while I might use it to illustrate an though not perhaps always the
article, I don’t put it in a book entitled lessons the author intended.
A Pictorial Guide to Shooting Great There are so many great books on
Pictures and pitch it as a benchmark underwater photography now out
for others to shoot by, while charging there to inspire, awe and educate us, (Revisited) are exemplars of how to
£34 for the privilege. and I’m sorry to report that Underwater write such a reference book – diligent
time – but it does provide a valuable I then started wondering whether Photography is not one of them. research based on first-hand diving
perspective on muck for any divers Larry Gates had happily sent his Amherst Media experience, loads of detail, informative
hooked on this fascinating branch of masterpiece off to the publisher and ISBN: 9781682031322 maps, good topside and notably good
our sport. Recommended. had it banjaxed at the printers. So I Softback, 128pp, £33.99 underwater photographs, and helpful
New Holland passed it to our esteemed Production refinements such as GPS positions and
Manager George Lanham, who knows echo-sounder traces.
ISBN: 9781921517815
Softback, 352pp, £15.99 all there is to know about print. THE OTHER Every pain is taken to ensure that
George wasn’t sure what to make of HALF TURNS UP if you visit any of these dive-sites
the photos, because there seemed to you’ll be thoroughly prepared for the
IS IT US, OR be no consistency in the reproduction. The Essential Underwater experience and equipped to avoid any
IS IT LARRY? “Some images look as if they’ve been
badly manipulated in Lightroom or
Guide to North Wales
Volume One (Revisited)
pitfalls. I also like the fact that where
the diving is undistinguished, the
Underwater Photography Photoshop – others as if they’ve been Part Two: Trywn Porth author feels no need to talk it up.
by Larry Gates printed from RGB files,” he said, Dinllaen to South Stack The digital format was chosen both
getting technical. “Others look flat, or (ebook) for cost-savings and to allow Holden
I DON’T GO LOOKING for trouble, but contain too much magenta. to update whenever necessary, and to
by Chris Holden
this book was submitted to me for “With the sections on point-and- provide the updates free to buyers.
review, and reviewing means giving shoot cameras or smartphones I can TWO YEARS AGO I reviewed the first Part One of the first volume covered
an honest opinion, so here goes. understand the difficulties, but some part of Chris Holden’s ebook on the coast north from Barmouth to near
Take a look at the cover. Note first of these images are simply terrible.” essential North Welsh dive-sites – Nefyn, and now Part 2 continues the
that it is subtitled: A Pictorial Guide to Including a short chapter at the now part two has been delivered clockwise journey through chapters
Shooting Great Pictures. Then look at back on post-processing seemed as promised. 7-13, around Caernafon Bay and on to
the two cover pictures – a nice shot ironic in the circumstances. These two ebooks are much- Anglesey as far as South Stack, the
of a turtle with its reflection at the The book’s format is to run through expanded versions of a print book that island’s westernmost point.
surface, and a not-that-nice blue- different types of camera and lens, and first appeared in 2003, based on 20 My only criticism of the first volume
green view of a queen angelfish. group together examples of images years’ of diving and research. A second was that the wide column-setting and
And that’s the story of this book: taken with that equipment. print book, Volume 2, South Stack to long paragraphs (see also Underwater
many perfectly competent but not After a while this gives the sense Colwyn Bay, which was published in Photography by Larry Gates) made it
especially inspiring photos alongside of being trapped in the home of 2007, has still be digitised, and so harder to read than it needed to be,
a lot of others that, mainly because someone just back from their holidays: Holden‘s life-work continues, though and I pointed out that in digital format
“And this is one I took in Key Largo…” I get the distinct impression that he’s that would be easy to remedy.
Oddly, exactly the same image of enjoying the process! I’m proud to note that no notice at
a flamingo tongue snail is used in the The two halves of Volume One all has been taken of my comment!
But this is essentially a generous
book, with no short-cuts taken as
TOP 10 MOST WISHED-FOR DIVING BOOKS
Holden dives his way north. If you’re
as listed by www.amazon.co.uk (9 March, 2017) diving in North Wales, having it on
1. The Silent World, by Jacques Cousteau your tablet or phone would be an
2. Diver Down: Real-World Scuba Accidents and How to Avoid Them, by Michael Ange eminently good idea. Like Part One,
3. The Darkness Below, by Rod Macdonald it is formatted for Mac, Android and
4. Underwater Foraging – Freediving for Food, by Ian Donald Windows devices, though not Kindle.
5. Staying Alive: Applying Risk Management to Advanced Scuba Diving, by Steve Lewis Calgo Publications
6. Deco for Divers: A Diver's Guide to Decompression Theory and Physiology, by Mark Powell ISBN: 9780954506643
7. Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die, by Chris Santella
eBook, 363pp (Google Play Books
8. The Darkness Below (Kindle edition), by Rod Macdonald
version), £11.99
9. Technical Diving from the Bottom Up, by Kevin Gurr
10. The Last Dive: A Father and Son's Fatal Descent Into the Ocean's Depths, by Bernie Chowdhury Reviews by Steve Weinman
www.divErNEt.com 77
Booking Now MAY.qxp_Bubbling 27/03/2017 15:00 Page 78
HOLIDAY NEWS
BOOKING NOW…
DeLoaches
JUSTIN GILLIGAN
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY in Dominica

They get around, do US diving couple
Ned & Anna DeLoach, authors of reef-
fish identification and behaviour
books, and from 3-18 June they host
their first Marine Life Education weeks
at Buddy Dive Dominica.
Christmas Island, an Australian national park in the They will join guests on boat-dives,
Indian Ocean, is a new and, hopes Diverse Travel, give a reef and fish ID presentation,
intriguing choice for its clients. Referred to as the share their knowledge generally and
“Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”, it is the site of the no doubt find time to sign copies of
famous annual red crab migration (right) as well as their discounted books too.
home to rare birds and turtle-nesting beaches. Guests booking a dive-package
Diving on pristine reefs and drop-offs is possible during these two weeks are entitled
year round, says Diverse, with reef sharks all year too to three free boat-dives and a US $75
and whale sharks from November to May. The tour food credit per room.
operator also reckons Christmas Island is a good Marine Life Education weeks also
destination to combine with a trip to an take place at the original Buddy Dive
Indonesian dive-location such as North
Sulawesi, Bali or Raja Ampat.
It charges from £1999pp for a
package consisting of flights from
London via Jakarta (30kg baggage
allowance), seven nights’
accommodation (two sharing), 10
guided boat-dives with Extra Divers, one
night’s B&B in Jakarta and all transfers.
8 diversetravel.co.uk
Resort Bonaire in August and

September, with guests visiting
during this period able to take
advantage of a two-divers-for-one
offer on diving.
8 buddydivedominica.com
MALAPASCUA
ON OFFER
Ultimate Diving is offering trips to

Double the bubble: Philippines diving jewel Malapascua
in September from a competitive
Komodo & Raja Ampat £1095pp. The island off Cebu is

famous for thresher sharks year-
round, though it also offers a range of
Dive Safari Asia has put together Resort on a private island in Komodo colourful reef, critter and also wreck
a two-week Komodo and Raja Ampat National Park, and continues to diving. Seven nights’ B&B at the
itinerary for reef-enthusiasts, Papua Paradise Eco Resort (left) on Malapascua Exotic Resort at that price
involving stays at two secluded a private beach in Raja Ampat, with includes flights from London, airport
Indonesian resorts with access to water-bungalows extending over transfers, and five full days of diving.
what the tour operator describes as the house reef. There is also the option from £750
some of the healthiest reefs in Asia. Including internal flights, to add a second week further south at
“The sheer volume of fish and transfers, full-board accommodation the Magic Island Resort in Moalboal,
other marine life including manta (two sharing) and diving, the trip with its own range of underwater
rays, reef sharks and wobbegongs is costs from £3500pp plus environments and marine life and
simply awe-inspiring,“ it enthuses. international flights. occasional big-animal visitors.
The trip starts at Komodo Island 8 divesafariasia.com 8 ultimatediving.co.uk
78 www.divErNEt.com
HOLIDAY NEWS
BOOKING NOW…
Oman – plus four more Aggressors WORKING

HOLIDAY
IN OMAN
Talking of Oman (left), another
of those Biosphere Expeditions
volunteer trips comes up in the
week from 24 September, this
time to the remote and
mountainous Musandam
peninsula. Based on a liveaboard
WAYNEWORKS MARINE
yacht, you get to help map Gulf
Regaldive is now booking trips on the coral reefs and their inhabitants
steel liveaboard Oman Aggressor, as part of a study that Biosphere
which starts operations in November. says has already led to the
Despite its 45m length the vessel creation of two protected areas,
carries just 22 guests in 11 air- with perhaps more to come.
conditioned staterooms. You need to be a qualified
It has three seven-day Jewels diver but the expedition
of Oman itineraries: Musandam includes Reef Check EcoDiver
Peninsula, Daymaniyat Islands and training. The cost is £1580,
Hallaniyat Islands, plus the occasional excluding flights to the meeting
10-day combo of the last two. point in Dubai.
A Hallaniyat trip including flights, 8 biosphere-expeditions.org
full board in a deluxe cabin, all drinks
including alcohol and up to five dives
a day costs £2384pp (two sharing).
Regaldive already offers Oman
safaris on Saman Explorer. Its seven-
night Mirbat and Salalah itinerary Thailand Aggressor (top), offering a Finally, Regaldive’s other two new
starts from £1929pp, including flights, choice of either Andaman Sea North Aggressor responsibilities are 32m
transfers, six nights’ full-board and one or Gulf of Thailand itineraries. sister-boats based in Palau, the
night’s half-board in a hotel, and five Then there is the 30m Fiji Aggressor, Rock Islands Aggressor and Palau
days’ diving (up to 20 dives). which takes just 10 guests, offers Aggressor II. Each takes up to 18
Across the Indian Ocean in Phuket, a seven-night itinerary encompassing guests on seven- and 10-day
Thailand, meanwhile, Regaldive has Gau, Makongi, Namena and the Best of Palau itineraries.
taken on representation of the 35m Wakaya Islands. 8 regaldive.co.uk
Back on the
home front
Need some pre-trip practice? A
tucked-away Kent inland dive-site
that’s feeling a bit overlooked is
PADI 5* IDC Southern Scuba. It’s at
Buckland Lake in a nature reserve
in Cliffe and is run by Tony & Janine
Mansford. “In three years we’ve
taken the centre from a burnt-out
shell to what we hope is
somewhere that divers want to do
both recreational/tec diving, and
somewhere that instructors can
Two for
teach,” says Janine.
In-water attractions include one at
a double-decker bus, planes and
boats, a pumphouse with deep
well and swim-through, a penguin
Diverland
and a shark! Topside there is air- Diverland Maldives, which has and you get an additional The dive-centre chain also has
filling, changing-rooms with toilets, dive-centres on Embudu, Summer consecutive six days – that covers a regular quiz running on its
a tea-room for wet and dry divers, Island and Gan, is offering a twofer everything but kit rental, boat Facebook group that enables
a shop, kitting-up area and deal on a six-day no-limits house- trips and other extras, says users to win a free day’s diving,
classroom. Entrance fee is £10pp reef dive package in the months of Diverland. Better still, on Gan it including boat trips (which
and air-fills start at £5 per single. June, July, August and September. has extended the offer to every normally costs an extra $17 each).
8 southernscuba.co.uk Pay the standard price (US $480) month of the year. 8 diverland.com
www.divErNEt.com 79
HOLIDAY NEWS
BOOKING NOW…
FREE PHOTO-WORKSHOPS EXTEND TO RED SEA
Because its free photo workshop
add-ons to trips in the Maldives were
“highly successful” last year, Emperor
Divers now plans to offer them both
there and in the Red Sea. Spanish
underwater photographer Jordi
Chias, who has 16 years of experience,
offers the free mini-workshops for
those guests with their own cameras
who want to hone their skills.
There are two Red Sea trips on
Emperor Elite sailing the Simply the
Best route on 3-10 or 10-17
November – they cost from £903.
The Maldives trips run from 3-10 and
10-17 December on Emperor Orion
and Emperor Serenity respectively,
both on the Best of the Maldives
JORDI CHIAS
itinerary and costing from £1607.

8 emperordivers.com
Shopping in South Wales

Bridgend, close to the south-west Wales coast, is the
setting for the Dive Shop, the first retail outlet for
Easy living
a PADI-accredited scuba-training company. Welsh
Diving has dive-schools in Newport and Cardiff
in Alphonse
and had been teaching classes in Bridgend before
deciding to open the store there.
“We teach people to dive and to enjoy diving –
that way they keep diving with us after they’re
qualified,” says MD and lead instructor Martin
Donovan. The shop is in Pen Y Bont Road, Pencoed.
8 welshdiving.co.uk
Aqua-Firma’s in
SIMON PIERCE
Madagascar now Alphonse Island in the Seychelles is the perfect 2017 destination
for scuba-divers of all abilities, claims the resort, which has a PADI
Hot on the heels of Dan Burton’s feature on 100-plus bonito tuna and diving seabirds dive-centre, 24 dive-sites within a half-hour boat-ride and a
diving in Madagascar in divEr last month, often accompany the sharks, along with “valet-dive“ level of service.
Aqua-Firma has introduced an adventure mating and breeding humpback whales. Abundant coral gardens, turtles, rays and reef fish are
package called Madagascar Whale Shark Add possible sightings of rare Omura’s promised at sites ranging from deep drop-offs with shallow
Research – Islands, Humpback Whales & whales, dolphins, turtles, giant mobula rays plateaus, patch reefs, mini-walls with overhangs, flat bottom reefs
Lemurs. You could join a team of marine and leopard sharks plus lemurs and other and pinnacles. “Advanced divers can explore uncharted waters
biologists and photographers researching land creatures and it’s a wildlife wonderland. around neighbouring St Francois island and perhaps name a new
an endangered whale-shark population. Snorkelling takes place with the whale dive-site,” says Alphonse Island Dive Centre, which offers PADI
Additional to existing whale-shark sharks but scuba-diving experiences are diving and courses.
projects in Mexico and Tanzania, Aqua- also available. The trip, which includes A seven-night package including seaplane transfers from
Firma’s new venture is based on evening talks and optional free Mahe starts from US $6000pp (two sharing) with 10% off if
aggregations that take place in October and photography workshops, runs from 10-17 booked 60 days in advance. A variety of non-diving activities
November, with 130 individuals already October and costs £1790pp plus flights. from kayaking to windsurfing are included in the price, but a
identified. The operator says that schools of 8 aqua-firma.com 10-dive package including equipment costs $1000 extra,
8 alphonse-island.com
80 www.divErNEt.com
Maltaqua (FP) – 04_17.qxp_Full Page Bleed 20/02/2017 16:15 Page 1
DIVER Tests May.qxp_Layout 1 27/03/2017 16:44 Page 82
WELL AND TRULY Sometimes a good idea falls by the

wayside because it’s ahead of its
time. The ambidextrous regulator is
now back, and NIGEL WADE reckons
it could be set for its day in the sun
REGULATOR
MARES LOOP 15X
VIRTUALLY
EVERY DIVER
TRAINING AGENCY
has a set standard for
kit configuration. The
term “regulators on the right,
what’s left on the left” was burnt into my psyche The manufacturer central hose connection at its base.
when I first learnt to dive, and still forms the also produced an The hose-to-demand-valve connection is
basis for me and many others when setting up ambidextrous second fitted with a lateral swivel and hose-guard.
our recreational scuba units. stage with a central hose connection for the An internal air bypass tube delivers gas
It follows then that regulator manufacturers same purposes. Unfortunately, this clever to the mouthpiece in a vortex with a low-
mostly produce first stages for recreational design concept seemed to fall out of favour pressure area in the centre to help keep the
diving in the same way, with evenly distributed as higher-performing standard-configuration diaphragm down during the inhalation cycle,
high- and low-pressure ports on either side of regulators started to appear in dive-shops. with the intention of providing sensitive and
the first stage and second stages, designed to be We haven’t seen a take on this type of easy breathing at all depths. Mares call this its
used solely from the wearer's right-hand side. regulator for many years, but now forward- Vortex Assisted Design (VAD).
Historically, one particular regulator maker thinking Italian manufacturer Mares has The second stage also features an oversized
bucked the trend and produced ambidextrous released an up-to-date version of the silicon purge button and twin exhaust valves.
second stages. These were primarily lateral- ambidextrous second stage. I took a Loop 15X to It can be configured from either the left or right
exhaust models that could be configured from the Indian Ocean to well and truly test it. side, with the 110cm hose routed under the
either side, and they quickly became the diver's shoulder. The Technopolymer second
regulator of choice for technical divers. stage weighs in at 199g.
The divers were able to set up their back- First Stage
mounted twin rigs in virtually any orientation The 15X first stage is made from marine-grade
without having to visit a service centre to brass with a satin chrome finish. The balanced Under Water
change the “hand” of their standard second- diaphragm design features Dynamic Flow Before diving with the Loop and 15X
stage demand valves. Control (DFC), engineered to minimise the combination I spent some time contemplating
The units were also perfect for side-mounted intermediate pressure drop during inhalation whether to add a neck bungee to the primary
bail-out and stage decompression rigs. and to maximise gas delivery in extreme second stage. My worry was that when the
conditions. regulator was out of my mouth it wouldn’t
The first-stage valve benefits from the maker’s hang over the shoulder in the same way as
advanced-coating technology, which is claimed a standard set-up, and would therefore be
to increase its durability by 600%. Four low- awkward to recover in the traditional manner
pressure and two high-pressure ports are pre- with a reverse sweep of the right arm.
orientated and evenly distributed on either side I needn’t have bothered, because this never
of the body. The 15X is available with either became a problem. The long hose, although
international (yoke) or DIN connections, routed under the arm, proved just as simple to
weighing in at 772g and 598g respectively. recover.
The big difference from a side-fed regulator
was how unrestricted the whole set-up felt.
Second Stage I could swivel my head from side to side or
The Loop second stage is built almost up and down with a freedom that I’d never
15X twin-valve entirely from abrasion-resistant Ultralight experienced before, because the lightweight
exhaust port. Technopolymer with a vertical design and Loop almost felt unattached.
DIVER TESTS
I was stationary. I could live with that, given the

overall performance of this little Italian opera
d’arte.
The hose-routeing was as streamlined as it
gets, without any loops of intermediate hose
from primary and alternative second stages
appearing from behind my right ear.
Instead they were neatly tucked under my
arm, following the contours of my scuba unit
and well out of harm’s way.
The big purge button was easy to locate, and
delivered a progressive increase in airflow as
it was depressed to its limit. Upside-down, it
didn’t let any unwanted seawater enter the
case, nor did it freeflow when spat out.
Conclusion
I had almost forgotten about the virtues of
Mares Loop 15X ready to dive. ambidextrous regulator sets, because it’s been
a long time since the innovative Poseidon
Another advantage was the fact that it never Triton appeared on the market, its horizontal
got caught in my camera’s strobe-arm system. swivel at the base of the second stage The Loop under water.
With a traditional side-entry second stage I’m marking a breakaway in traditional regulator
forever having to free the intermediate-pressure design and giving it an almost cult status.
hose when it gets caught between the arm’s Mares’ new concept of a vertical hose routed SPECS
joint and ball-clamp locking handle – deep joy. vertically to the bottom centre of the second PRICES8 Loop 15X £263. Loop Octo £105
There is only one way to describe the breathe stage is, as far as I know, unique, marking the
FIRST STAGE8Balanced diaphragm
– “simply outstanding”. The reg delivered gas in Loop as the first of its kind. It’s a simple
the same smooth, natural way at whichever concept and one that has been well-built by the PORTS8 4 lp, 2 hp
depth I was. The soft silicon mouthpiece felt team at Mares. SECOND STAGE8 Vertical connection
comfortable in my mouth, and with the exhaust My regular dive buddy Bruce (the Italian USER ADJUSTABLE8 No
ports resting snugly on my chin I didn’t have to Stallion) Milani-Gallieni insisted on trying the WEIGHT8 A-clamp 1.146kg, DIN 972g
bite down to keep the Loop in place. regulator out during the test dives in the (including hose)
This was turning out to be an amazing Maldives. His initial response was “incredibili, OPTIONAL EXTRAS8 CWD Dry Kit
regulator, but there was one problem – the Mares bravo!” and it was testament to this CONTACT8 mares.com
exhaust bubbles interfered with my vision, brilliant piece of dive-kit that I had a fight on my
DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★★
because they passed the front of my mask when hands to get it back from him. ■
LIGHT
BIGBLUE TL 3100P SUPREME
THESE PAGES HAVE BEEN with an anti-corrosive anodised coating. At
FESTOONED with dive- 119 x 63mm diameter it has, like its tester,
torches recently, and for a chubby profile.
good reason; there are so Three XML LEDs placed within precision
many new hi-tec LED lights reflectors are set behind a tempered optical-
delivering outlandish glass screen. These high-powered LEDs
lumens with unheard-of provide a maximum output of 3100 lumens
run-times around that delivered in a 10° beam at a colour
buyers can easily become temperature of 6500K.
confused. A Batcell 18650x4 Supreme lithium-ion
My role is to help readers to rechargeable battery-pack powers the light,
see the wood for the trees by which has four power levels between 310 and
evaluating contenders. This month 3100 lumens, with claimed burntimes of
I’ve picked a dive-light from the between 30 and three hours.
Bigblue line-up called the TL3100P A single push-button gives access to the
Supreme, which boasts potentially light’s switching system and has blue, green
impressive outputs. and red LED battery-state indicators set at its
base. The light weighs in at just over 500g (in
air) including the battery-pack and has double
The Design O-ring seals to give it a depth-rating of 100m.
Supreme with This compact torch has a body built A soft Goodman glove is supplied to
Goodman glove. from marine-grade aluminium alloy provide hands-free underwater use, and ☛
Why have an Aston On a late-night dive with a

Martin and drive it feeding whale shark this
at 40mph?
powerful little package really
came into its own.
The tight 10° beam
cut through the
plankton-rich water like
a surgeon's scalpel and
penetrated far beyond
any light I’d previously
used, before gently
falling off into a dull glow in
the far distance.
The beam was crisp and
evenly spread without any
sign of an external halo or
central hotspot, and its
reach gave me the
advantage of spotting a big
shark approaching from the Supreme with
black waters long before handle attached.
anyone else saw it.
there is also an optional anodised aluminium regarded as unattainable, and for it to burn for
handle plus a lanyard for traditional use. three hours at that output would have been
A built-in thermal-protection system the stuff of science fiction.
automatically cuts the power to prevent the It just goes to prove how far the LED and
light overheating from prolonged use in portable power revolution has progressed in
air, or at temperatures exceeding 70°C. a short time. I don’t think it has reached its
Power is reinstated as the temperature zenith, either, and fully expect to see
drops to safe levels. even more outrageous outputs and
burntimes in the near future.
In the meantime, I can do no more
In Use than marvel at this state-of-the-art
I opted to mount the light on its light – in terms of size and brilliance,
supplied Goodman glove to it’s a staggering package. ■
provide me with hands-free
operation while simultaneously
using my camera rig. It was a simple
SPECS
operation involving a single stainless- PRICE8 £399
steel screw and a small Phillips LIGHT SOURCE8 3 x XML LED
screwdriver. OUTPUT LEVELS8 I - 310lm. II - 775lm.
That done, I fully charged the battery. III - 1550lm. IV - 3100lm
Surprisingly, this took only two hours from BODY8 Anodised aluminium alloy
a totally depleted battery-pack, using the SWITCHNG8 Push-button with three-level
supplied smart charger. I was ready to go. LED battery power indicator
The glove felt comfortable and snug on my
POWER8 Li-ion rechargeable battery
right hand, leaving my fingers and thumb for The three XLM LEDs deliver 3100 lumens.
trivial tasks such as fiddling with the camera BEAM ANGLE8 10°
settings, or more important operations such BURN TIMES8 3-30hr
as controlling buoyancy with the BC inflator. Conclusion DEPTH RATING8 100m
The single push-button was easy to access “Three thousand, one hundred lumens” – I had SUPPLIED8 Soft Goodman handle, metal
with a single press to turn the light on and to repeat it to myself over and over as a handle, battery-pack, smart charger
subsequent single presses to scroll through reminder of what that actually entails. Just CONTACT8 liquidsports.co.uk
the four light levels. a few years ago light levels of this sort from DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★★
A small clear ring around the switch base such a compact package would have been
illuminates in blue, green or red to indicate
the level of charge remaining in the battery.
There’s something hypnotic about having
such a powerful light. I don’t know why, but
I was seduced into using it at maximum level
almost exclusively, and it seemed the perfect
choice for illuminating coral vistas during the
day to bring out their true colours.
The 3100 lumens certainly overcame the
bright midday sun, and I’m sure the next
setting at 1550 lumens would have had a
similar outcome, but hey, why have an Aston
Martin and drive it at 40mph? Switch and battery-level indicators.
DIVER TESTS
MASK
AQUA LUNG REVEAL X1
ANOTHER MONTH, another mask – this one
a single-lens design. It carries the Reveal X1
designation and it was adorning my craggy
old fizzog for some late-winter UK diving.
The Design
Aqua Lung claims to have spent
years of research and testing
before it came up with the final
rendition of the Reveal X1 mask.
The single lens is set into a
polycarbonate frame attached
to a soft silicon skirt, and
Aqua Lung’s “Advanced Fit”
technology is incorporated in
the skirt, with the intention of
enhancing the sealing properties
and delivering a feeling of comfort.
Features include a textured
external surface either side of the
nose-pocket to assist in gripping the
nose when equalising, and wrap-around
geometry for better fit on a wide range of face
shapes and sizes.
The spherical silicon headband is attached
to the mask with one-touch button quick-fit
buckles mounted directly on the skirt.
Taking the Reveal X1 for

In Use some late-winter diving.
At first glance the Reveal X1 looked like a
sleek, low-profile model with modern stylish
looks, and it just happened to fit my face like
a glove. After toothpasting the hell out of
the internal surfaces of the lens to remove
unwanted silicon release agents and attempt
to make it hydrophobic, I took it under water a great field of
at various inland sites. view. Yes the
The strap was a doddle to adjust, even with nose-pocket was
dry gloves. It slid smoothly through the single- a little tight, but
button buckle and locked solidly in place. when your
The broad spherical strap-pad sat neatly nickname’s
around the back of my head and stayed in “Shonky” that
place throughout the dives. might be
The silicon skirt felt soft and pliable and did expected. I could
its job of keeping the water out brilliantly. find nothing
I can remember only a few occasions on which else to dislike
I had to purge unwanted water. about it.
The field of view offered by the teardrop- Aqua Lung
shaped single window was huge, both has created a SPECS
vertically and laterally, enhanced I’m sure by beautiful-looking mask, and for an underwater
the close proximity of the lens to my eyes. photographer who regularly shoots portraits PRICE8 £46
I had only one gripe, and that was that the for divEr I was thinking how great a clear- LENS8 Single, tempered glass
nose-pocket felt a bit snug. I do sport a rather skirted version with a brightly coloured frame BUCKLES8 Quick-fit, one touch
large honker, however, and it seems to be would look on a model in front of some SKIRT8 UASS
growing as I get older, which is worrying. vibrant soft coral and a bright blue backdrop – COLOURS8 Clear skirt with black, blue, yellow
the creative juices were flowing! or orange frames. Black skirt with black or
I might just slip one of these masks in my black/white frames.
Conclusion kit-bag for that very purpose or, of course, CONTACT8 aqualung.com/uk
The Reveal X1 proved excellent for me, fitting I could wear it myself as I shoot some of those
DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★✩
my face, keeping the water out and providing ubiquitous selfies. ■ ☛
DIVER TESTS
COMPUTER
SUUNTO D6I NOVO ZULU
A 2-4-8 and 10 o’clock four-button interface is settings to be a little on the
used to select modes, and to scroll through conservative side and that’s
menu options or make changes to the dive a good thing, especially when
parameters. I have my camera with me and
The Zulu strap is based on the established tend to end up with “yo-yo”
standard NATO design. It’s made of textiles with profiles. I’d rather be out
a wire buckle and clasp with stitched-in strap- of the water early than
keepers. The computer is powered by a li-ion breathing oxygen on the
button battery with a claimed duration of two dive-boat.
years in time mode and 1.5 years based on The Novo Zulu was a few
100 dives a year. It has to be replaced by a steps forwards in the
service technician. fashion stakes from my
The D6i can be air-integrated by own all-black model, but
partnering it with Suunto’s optional this didn’t mean it was a
wireless tank transmitter. The display step back in comfort – in
then shows real-time cylinder pressure fact it turned out to be
and remaining-time calculations. the most comfortable
wristwatch-style
computer I’ve had
In Use the pleasure to
A disclaimer first: I have owned a use.
standard D6i and wireless transmitter Cosmetics
since the model was first released. It’s aside, the D6i
been my primary computer of choice on every remains the
dive since. same, simple
The first thing to note was the supreme to operate and
comfort of the Stealth-coloured NATO Zulu outstanding in
strap. The numerous holes in the band allowed performance.
D6i Novo Zulu’s tilt- for infinite fine adjustment around my wrist – Overall I feel that
compensated 3D I placed it over my wetsuit cuff and it stayed in user-changeable
digital compass. place regardless of suit compression and batteries are the
expansion. way to go for
The familiar display was crisp and easy to dive instruments,
read, especially near the surface with the bright although the
Equatorial sun illuminating the scene. longevity of D6i
The matrix screen is laid out in a logical batteries and
GONE ARE THE DAYS when we calculated our format with risk-critical information such as exemplary
dives using US Navy tables, run-times and slates. current depth and no-deco times in bold fonts, aftersales service
The modern diver relies almost exclusively on and less important information such as water delivered by
micro-processors and ingenious software to temperature and local time in smaller Suunto UK do
calculate real-time, risk-critical no-deco times segmented fonts. give me pause The NATO-style
during both the underwater and subsequent Warnings are visually displayed by blinking for thought! ■ Zulu strap.
surface phases of single and repetitive dives. icons, with the option of setting an audible
Finnish sports-instrument maker Suunto has beeping alarm for maximum depth, exceeding
been producing wristwatch-style dive- no-deco limits or fast ascent rates.
computers for what seems like eons, and its In no-deco diving a three-minute countdown SPECS
models are a popular choice with divers around for safety stops is activated at depths above 6m, PRICES8 £695
the globe. and the countdown is in minutes only.
MODES8 Air, Nitrox, Gauge, Free, Off
It has recently refreshed its D-series with In Deco mode the screen displays the
fashionable colour schemes in the Novo range, minimum ceiling depth, stop times and time GASES8 Up to 3 (O2 21-99%)
and has now added a durable NATO-style strap to surface, again in one-minute increments. MAX PO28 1.2 - 1.6
to its D6i model, in a combo called the D6i Novo Following a dive or series of dives the D6i DECO MODEL8 Suunto RGBM
Zulu. It was my companion for an overdue test continued to calculate the off-gassing phase, DEEP STOP8 Yes
on a liveaboard trip in the Indian Ocean. displaying diminishing no-fly times in hours and ALARMS8 Visual, audible
surface-interval times in hours and minutes.
WEIGHT8 137g
The Hardware DEPTH RATING8 150m
The instrument has a 45.6mm-diameter steel Conclusion NOVO ZULU COLOURS8 Black, Stealth, Blue
case with a stainless-steel bezel and sapphire My own D6i has kept me safe on more than 500 (instructors only)
crystal glass face with an anti-reflective coating underwater excursions, even when I’ve pushed CONTACT8 suunto.com
housing an LCD matrix display with user- the no-decompression limits or ventured to DIVER GUIDE ★★★★★★★★★★
configurable backlight. stupid depths. I have adjusted the personal
JUST SURFACED May.qxp_Layout 1 27/03/2017 14:58 Page 88
NEW BUT
The latest kit to hit the dive shops
TUSA Hyflex Switch Fins 5555

Powered by TUSA’s PuriMax polyurethane blade system, these fins are said
to provide a quick, “snappy” response to every move the diver makes. The
“Vortex Generator” design is further claimed to reduce water resistance
through the fin-stroke. There is a multi-compound foot-pocket and universal
bungee-straps, and the fins come in black, yellow or blue in sizes XS, S, M Aqua Lung Pearl BC 5555
and XL. Expect to pay £159. This wraparound, hybrid-style jacket BC for women offers an
8 cpspartnership.co.uk adjustable waistband and curved shoulder-straps that are said to
provide a customisable and comfortable fit. The BC features low-
profile flat valves, the SureLock II mechanical weight-release
system and an adjustable, removable chest-strap for personal
Limes Endurance PD comfort. Price is £331.
Watches 4444 8 aqualung.com/uk
The dial on these diver
wristwatches shows only a minute
scale, oversized luminous
indices and the date at 6
o’clock. Limes says it has
dispensed with brand name,
depth-rating and movement
type to prevent distraction.
The 30atm-rated timepieces
come in blue or black with
stainless-steel bracelets or black
rubberised leather straps. Prices
start at 960 euros.
8 limes-watches.com
Seac R20 Torch 6666

The rechargeable R20 LED torch has three settings offering 100% and 50%
outputs, plus a strobe mode for attracting attention. This 900-lumen light
has an adjustable 11° spot to a 78° flood beam, and Seac claims burntimes of
3.5 hours at 100% and nine hours at 50%. Double O-ring sealed for a depth-
rating of 200m, it costs £179.
8 seacsub.com
Zeagle Diver Tool Kit 5555

The kit contains a 15cm stainless-steel dive-knife with 4.5cm serrated
blade and a pair of stainless-steel EMT shears. Both tools are secured
in their BC-mountable webbing carry-pouch with webbing straps.
Expect to pay £64.
8 zeagle.com
JUST SURFACED May.qxp_Layout 1 27/03/2017 14:58 Page 89
JUST SURFACED
Nauticam NA A6500
Housing 4444
This housing for the Sony Alpha A6500
mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
features an oversized paddle-shutter
release lever, AE-L/AF-L thumb lever and
Nauticam’s port-locking system. It
comes with the electronics circuitry for
an integrated vacuum-monitoring leak-
detection system and stainless-steel
handle brackets. The price of £1665
excludes camera and ports.
8 nauticamuk.com
TUSA Roller Dive Bags 3333

These bags are said to be robustly built and feature
expandable heavy-duty pull-handles and twin wheels.
They have one large and one small zippered external
and two internal pockets, plus a zipped mesh pocket,
compression straps and external carry-handles.
Capacities are 47, 81 and 108 litres, with respective
price tags of £135, £159 and £179.
8 cpspartnership.co.uk
Waterproof Meshtec 4444

The latest thermal insulating undergarment
from Waterproof is made from the same 3D
mesh lining as is found in its D1 hybrid drysuit.
The Meshtec is a two-piece garment with
a non-compressible sprung fabric that’s
claimed to keep the inner and outer layers
apart when under pressure to create constant volume insulation. The separate
top has an extra long back to avoid gaps and provide extra padding in the
weight-belt area. Tops and bottoms each cost £95.
8 cpspartnership.co.uk
WE’RE ON
CARIBBEAN NEXT ISSUE
TIME Beneath Tuscany
Is this the most pampered cave-diving yet?
Matchless Maldives
Seeking the best the Indian Ocean has to offer
True Crimea
HENLEY SPIERS
We hear the name a lot, but what’s the diving like?
Photo Finishers
More cream-of-the-crop competition-winners
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DHD – May 2017.qxp_Holiday Directory 04/04/2017 11:37 Page 91
HOLIDAY DIRECTORY
FACILITIES Hotel or guesthouse Self-catering Equipment for hire Dive boat charter arranged Suitable for families Packages from UK Compressed Air Nitrox
INCLUDE:
Technical Gases BSAC School PADI Training NAUI Training TDI Training SSI Training DAN Training Disability Diving
PAPHOS PHILIPPINES
CANARY ISLANDS CYDIVE LTD INDONESIA
Myrra Complex, 1 Poseidonos Avenue, Marina Court 44-46,
LANZAROTE Kato Paphos. www.cydive.com Tel: (00 357) 26 934271. ALOR THRESHER SHARK DIVERS
Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu 6013.
SAFARI DIVING LANZAROTE Fax: (00 357) 26 939680. E-mail: info@cydive.com ALOR DIVERS Tel: (00 63) 927 612 3359. www.thresherdivers.com
Playa Chica, Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. PADI 5* CDC. First Career Development Centre in Jl. Tengiri N. 1 Kalabahi, Alor Island, NTT, Indonesia. E-mail: dive@thresherdivers.com
Tel: (00 34) 625 059713, (00 34) 928 511992. Cyprus and Eastern Mediterranean. Tel: (00 62) 813 1780 4133. British, PADI 5* IDC, IANTD.
www.safaridiving.com E-mail: enquiry@safaridiving.com E-mail: info@alor-divers.com www.alor-divers.com
English owned, award-winning BSAC School and Pristine. Diving. Exclusive. Covert. Destination.
Seamanship centre, SSI Instructor trainer facility and
PADI dive centre. Open every day of the year. Daily shore
and boat dives, night dives too – all same price. Great
deals for groups, universities and the solo diver.
DIVE POINT MALAYSIA SPAIN

Parmenionos St. No4, Tombs of the Kings Rd, Kato
Paphos, Cyprus 8045. Tel/fax: (00 357) 26 938730. BORNEO, SABAH
E-mail: divepointcyprus@hotmail.com
S’ALGAR DIVING
www.divepointcyprus.co.uk THE REEF DIVE RESORT Paseo Maritimo, S’Algar, Menorca.
(Mataking Island), TB212, Jalan Bunga, Fajar Complex, Tel: (00 34) 971 150601. www.salgardiving.com
CROATIA British BSAC/PADI instructors.
91000 Tawau, Sabah. Tel: (00 60) 89 786045. Fax: (00 60) E-mail: info@salgardiving.com
89 770023. E-mail: sales@mataking.com Facebook: menorcasalgardiving PADI 5*, BSAC Resort
RAB ISLAND www.mataking.com PADI 5* Dive Resort. families, groups, fun & tec = all welcome!
KRON DIVING CENTER
Kampor 413a, Rab 51280. Tel: (00 385) 51776 620.
Fax: (00 385) 51776 630 Email: office@kron-diving.com
www.kron-diving.com
SSI Diamond Training Center.
PAPHOS/PISSOURI
CYPRUS DIVING ADVENTURES
Makedonias 40, Shop 1, Pissouri Village, 4607. THAILAND
Tel: (00 357) 97 661046. www.cyprusdivingadventures.com MALTA (inc. GOZO & COMINO
CYPRUS E-mail: info@cyprusdivingadventures.com PHUKET/SIMILANS
PADI 5*. TDI. UK trained professionals. GOZO SHARKEY SCUBA
GOZO AQUA SPORTS 363/10 Patak Road, Karon, Muang, Phuket 83100.
LARNACA Rabat Road, Marsalforn, MFN9014, Gozo, Malta. Tel: (00 66) (0)89 725 1935, (00 66) (0)86 892 2966.
RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER Tel: (00 356) 2156 3037. www.gozoaquasports.com E-mail: info@sharkeyscuba.com
24/7 professionally manned and fully computerised, E-mail: dive@gozoaquasports.com www.sharkeyscuba.com Fun and smiles with Sharkey, the
privately owned and operated 14-man recompression PADI 5* IDC & DSAT Tec Rec Centre, BSAC Dive Resort. British company with the personal touch.
chamber, internationally approved and the DAN Premier Technical Diving Support Service.
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
SURAT THANI/KOH TAO

DAVY JONES’ LOCKER (DJL DIVING)
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.
GREECE
CRETE
CRETE UNDERWATER CENTER MALTA
Mirabello Hotel, Agios Nikolaos, P.O. Box 100, AQUAVENTURE LTD
P.C. 72 100. Tel/fax: (00 30) 28410 22406. The Waters Edge, Mellieha Bay Hotel,
TO ADVERTISE Mob: (00 30) 6945 244434, (00 30) 6944 126846. Mellieha MLH 02. www.aquaventuremalta.com
www.creteunderwatercenter.com Tel: (00 356) 2152 2141 Fax: (00 356) 2152 1053
YOUR DIVE CENTRE E-mail: info@creteunderwatercenter.com IANTD Nitrox e-mail:info@aquaventuremalta.com
training. Groups, individuals & dive clubs welcome. PADI 5* Gold Palm. Watersports available.
HERE, CALL
020 8941 4568
Please remember to mention divEr Magazine when replying to any of these advertisements 91
Liveaboard Directory – 02_17.qxp_Liveaboard Directory 04/01/2017 15:11 Page 92
LIVEABOARD DIRECTORY
AF Aqua-Firma DWw Dive Worldwide HD Holiday Designers RD Regaldive S Sportif
bo2 blue o two DQ Divequest 0 Oonasdivers STW Scuba Tours Worldwide TSP The Scuba Place
CT Crusader Travel Emp Emperor OD Original Diving ST Scuba Travel UD Ultimate Diving
AUSTRALIA – Cairns CT DWw GALAPAGOS DWw MEXICO – Socorro, Guadalupe

Spirit of Freedom STW UD Humboldt Explorer DQ RD Nautilus Under Sea AF TSP UD
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Pax 26 Elec 240V Pax 16 Elec Pax 18 Elec 240V
Cab 11 Cour Y Cab 8 Cour N Cab 8 Cour N
EnS Y A/C Y EnS Y A/C Y EnS Y A/C Y
Lth 37m Ntx Y Lth 32.3m Ntx Y Lth 29m Ntx Y
Hull steel CCR N Hull CCR N Hull steel CCR Y
AUSTRALIA – Cairns CT DWw MALDIVES – Malé MICRONESIA – Truk Lagoon DQ UD

Spoilsport Adora M.V. Odyssey DWw STW
www.mikeball.com www.maldivesboatclub.com www.trukodyssey.com
Pax 26 Elec 240V Pax 21 Elec 240V Pax 16 Elec 220v,110v
Cab 15 Cour Y Cab 11 Cour Y Cab 9 Cour Y
Lth 30m Ntx Y Lth 37.5m Ntx Y Lth 38.2m Ntx Y
Hull alum CCR N Hull GRP CCR N Hull Steel CCR Y
CARIBBEAN – St. Maarten & St. Kitts MALDIVES – Malé STW DWw PALAU DWw UD
Caribbean Explorer II DWw Carpe Vita Explorer DQ AF Ocean Hunter Palau AF STW
www.explorerventures.com DQ RD www.explorerventures.com www.oceanhunter.com
Pax 18 Elec 110V Pax 20 Elec 240V Pax 16 Elec 240V
Lth 35.1m Ntx Y Lth 38.2m Ntx Y Lth 31m Ntx Y
Hull alum CCR N Hull wood CCR N Hull steel CCR Y
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Silver Bank MALDIVES – Malé PALAU RD CT DWw

Turks & Caicos Explorer II DQ Eagle Ray S/Y Palau Siren STW AF DQ
www.explorerventures.com DWw www.maldivesdivingadventure.com www.worldwidediveandsail.com
Cab 10 Cour Y Cab 7 Cour N Cab 8 Cour Y
Lth 37.8m Ntx Y Lth 30m Ntx Y Lth 40m Ntx Y
Hull alum CCR N Hull wood CCR Y Hull wood CCR Y
EGYPT – Sharm el Sheikh & Hurghada MALDIVES – Malé STW PHILIPPINES AF

CT DWw
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Lth 27m Ntx Y Lth 26m Ntx Y Lth 40m Ntx Y
Hull wood CCR Y Hull wood CCR Y Hull wood CCR Y
EGYPT – Sharm el Sheikh HD MEXICO – Socorro, Guadalupe SOLOMON ISLANDS – Honiara

VIP One Nautilus Belle Amie AF TSP UD Taka
www.vipone.com www.nautilusbelleamie.com bo2 DQ www.solomonsdiving.com
Pax 16 Elec 220V Pax 28-30 Elec 120V Pax 24 Elec 240V
Lth 29.5m Ntx Y Lth 41m Ntx Y Lth 33m Ntx Y
Hull wood CCR Y Hull steel CCR Y Hull steel CCR Y
FIJI RD
CT DWw MEXICO – Socorro, Guadalupe TURKS & CAICOS DWw
S/Y Fiji Siren STW DQ Nautilus Explorer AF TSP UD Turks & Caicos Explorer II DQ
www.worldwidediveandsail.com AF www.nautilusexplorer.com bo2 DQ www.explorerventures.com
Lth 40m Ntx Y Lth 35m Ntx Y Lth 37.8m Ntx Y
Hull wood CCR Y Hull steel CCR Y Hull alum CCR N
92 Please remember to mention divEr Magazine when replying to any of these advertisements
12-24 issues no gift 0217 r-h f-p.qxp_Subs Offers 29/03/2017 17:11 Page 93
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Classified page 94-95_05.qxp_Classified LHP 04/04/2017 14:45 Page 94
CLASSIFIED ADS www.sussexshipwrecks.co.uk “Sussex” Eastbourne. Fast
CHARTER BOATS Cat, lift, O2, toilet, tea/coffee. Groups and individuals.
Diver/Skipper Mike mobile: 07840 219585, e-mail:
dive@sussexshipwrecks.co.uk (70604)
RESEARCH WANTED
Brass & copper diver’s helmets wanted by private
Scotland (Scapa Flow) WEEKEND SPACES – SEE WEBSITE
DIVE 125 Custom built
SEAPRO - SUBSEA collector. Also looking for old Rolex diving watches. Tel:
07976 294981 or (01621) 744666 or email:
Onboard Compressor
andy@deepdive.fsnet.co.uk (71145)
1 25
.CO.UK
42' dive
MODULES
Air + Nitrox
E vessel, huge
CLUB NOTICES
V
DI
deck space,
Diver lift,
OUR W
large wheel are HOUSINGS for FREE OF CHARGE. (Max 25 words).
07 3 house + Non-commercial clubs, no sales.
764
58 53
5
separate SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT
07764 585353 toilet. Active and friendly BSAC club. All year diving in local
www.dive125.co.uk Eastbourne Charters

and VIDEO SYSTEMS lake. New and qualified divers of all agencies welcome.
Own clubhouse with 7m RIB and compressor. For further
information visit www.mksac.co.uk (64403)
www.channeldiving.com Midweek diving for
individuals. Tel: 07970 674799. (69567) Special Packages on Alfreton (Derbys) BSAC 302. Welcomes new members
and qualified divers. A small but active club with own
Video Cameras RIB, wreck diving a speciality. Contact Charlie on (01246)
North East and Housings 236328. (68370)
Banbury SAC. Friendly, active club with weekly meetings
See web site:
DIVING
and training sessions, own boat, compressor and
REIGN
O VE
equipment. Welcome divers/non-divers. www.bansac.org
www.greenawaymarine.com
S Seahouses “PACKAGE DEALS”
or call 07787 097 289. (69308)
Bracknell Sub Aqua Club welcomes new and experienced
Dive the Farne Islands aboard Sovereign II & III divers from all agencies. Meets poolside at Bracknell
Seals, scenic and wrecks. Own quality B&B. Fully stocked Sports Centre, Thursdays from 8.30pm. Diving, training
dive shop and air station. Air to 300bar and nitrox available. GREENAWAY MARINE and social calendar: www.bracknellscuba.org.uk or tel:
Tank hire also available. Ailsa, Toby & Andrew Douglas.
Tel/fax: (01665) 720760 or www.sovereigndiving.co.uk Tel: (01793) 814992 07951 855 725. (65792)
Braintree Riverside Sub Aqua Club based in Braintree,
Essex. A friendly club, we welcome divers of all abilities
Wales and have an active diving and social programme. Come
Anglesey. Hard boat diving aboard “Julie Anne” and

REPAIRS/SERVICES and join us! email: denise.f.wright2@btinternet.com
www.braintreeriversidesac.co.uk (69397)
Bristol Scuba Club meets at Kingswood Leisure Centre,
“Empress”. Diver lift. Visit: www.julie-anne.co.uk or tel:
(01407) 831210, mobile: 07768 863355. (68771) BS16 4HR, every Friday, 8pm - 10pm. Diver access to a
Quest Diving. Hardboat with lift. Diving Anglesey and
North Wales.
www.questdiving.co.uk
Tel: 07974 249005. Visit:
(71392)
WET & DRY SUIT large pool. www.bristol-scuba-club.co.uk or call: 07811
374944.
Bromley/Lewisham Active divers required. Full
(63812)
With full shelter deck for all weather, six spacious double
cabins with hot & cold water, two showers, two toilets,
South West REPAIRS programme of hardboat diving throughout the year.
Check out Nekton SAC www.nekton.org.uk or contact
Jackie (01689) 850130. (68537)
large saloon, central heating throughout, galley with all
facilities and two dry changing areas. Long established,
Plymouth, Discovery Divers, Fort Bovisand, boat
charter, air, nitrox, trimix, from £25pp. Groups +
All makes, all types Buckingham Dive Centre. A small friendly club
welcoming all divers and those wanting to learn. We dive
individuals. Contact: Danny, 07739 567 752. (70914) throughout the year and run trips in the UK and abroad.
high standard of service. Nitrox, trimix & onboard meals
available. Reduced off-peak season rates. Venture Dive Charters. For quality diving from
Plymouth, visit: www.venturecharters.co.uk or Tel: 07948
0161 304 8471 www.stowesubaqua.co.uk Tel: Roger 07802 765366.
(69433)
Chelmsford and District SAC meet at 8pm every Friday
201 SPACESAVAILABLE 525030. (70030)
at Riverside Pool. New and qualified divers are welcome.
Tel: 01856 874425 Fax: 01856 874725 See our website for details: www.chelmsforddiveclub.co.uk
E-mail: dougie@sunrisecharters.co.uk
ACCESSORIES (68620)
Cockleshell Divers, Portsmouth, Hants. Small, friendly
club welcomes new and experienced divers from all
South 9 Waterloo Court agencies. Meets at Cockleshell Community Centre, Fridays
Waterloo Road at 8pm. Email: cockleshell.divers@aol.co.uk (64762)
Lymington - “Wight Spirit”. Diving West Wight, East Stalybridge Colchester Sub-Aqua Club welcomes experienced divers
Dorset, English Channel. Beginners to technical and small and beginners. Sub-Aqua Association training. Diving at
Cheshire SK15 2AU home and abroad. Meets at Leisure World Friday
groups. Electric lift. Easy access, easy parking.
Owner/skipper Dave Wendes. Tel/Fax: (023) 8027 0390, evenings. Contact Tony (01787) 475803. (68263)
e-mail: wightspirit@btinternet.com
email: repairs@gybe.co.uk Cotswold BSAC, a friendly club based at Brockworth
www.wightspirit.co.uk (70245)
www.gybe.co.uk Pool, Nr Cheltenham, Fridays 8pm. Regular inland diving
and coast trips. Tel: 07711 312078.
DIVE BRIGHTON www.cotswoldbsac332.co.uk (68577)
www.brightondiver.com
10m cat with dive lift.
Individuals and groups. All levels,
novice to technical. BSAC
INSURANCE
Advanced and trimix skipper.
Call Paul: 07901 822375 NOW BOOKING 2017
Dive Littlehampton “Final Answer”. Shallow to deep,

we cater for all. Skipper and crew on board, availability
7 days a week. Maximum 10. Tel: (01243) 553977 or
07850 312068. Email: ourjoyboat@gmail.com
www.ourjoy.co.uk (71271)
Looking for last minute

DIVING MEDICALS
Diving Medicals - Midlands (Rugby) - HSE, Sports
spaces on a UK dive Medicals and advice at Midlands Diving Chamber. Tel:
(01788) 579 555 www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk
charter boat? (67952)
Diving Medicals - Nottingham. Sport Diving medicals:
£55. HSE Commercial Diving medicals: £120. OGUK
Offshore medicals: £110. HGV/PSV medicals £55. Student
and Group discounts. Combine any two medicals and
pay only £5 extra for the cheaper of the two. Tel: (07802)
Then click on 850084 for appointment. Email: mclamp@doctors.org.uk
(70400)
DIRECTORIES: Diving medicals: London. HSE, Sport and phone advice.
Tel: (020) 7806 4028 www.londondivingchamber.co.uk
UK Boat Spaces (70798)
Dr Gerry Roberts and Dr Mark Bettley-Smith. HSE
@ www.divernet.com Medicals and phone advice. Tel: (01202) 741345.
(68196)
Classified page 94-95_05.qxp_Classified LHP 04/04/2017 14:46 Page 95
CLASSIFIED ADS
Chingford, London BSAC 365. Friendly and active club Leeds based Rothwell & Stanley SAC welcomes new and Sheffield BSAC36. Friendly, social and active dive club Totnes SAC (Devon). We are an active multi-agency club
welcomes divers from all agencies and trainees. Meet experienced divers, full SAA training given. Purpose built welcomes newcomers or qualified divers. Trips, socials, and welcome new members and qualified divers from all
Wednesday 8pm, Larkswood Leisure Centre E4 9EY. clubhouse with bar, RIB, compressor. Meet Tuesday weekly pool and club/pub meetings, club RIB. See organisations. Two RIBs and own compressor/nitrox, plus
Information: www.dive365.co.uk Email: loughton evenings: 07738 060567 kevin.oddy@talktalk.net www.bsac36.org.uk (69191) club 4WD. Diving all round South Devon and Cornwall.
divers365@gmail.com (69208) (69371) Slough 491 BSAC; small friendly club welcomes divers Visit www.totnes-bsac.co.uk for details. (68319)
Darwen SAC, in Lancashire, with an active diving Manta Divers. Norfolk wreck & reef diving. Small, at all levels. Meet at Beechwood School Fridays 19.30. Wells Dive Group. Friendly, active club in Somerset
programme. Own RIB. new members welcome regardless friendly, experienced club. All agencies welcome. SAA Diving holidays and South Coast. Email: malcolm@uv.net welcomes new or experienced divers. Meeting/training
of agency/training. We provide BSAC training. Weekly training. www.mantadivers.org (64088) or tel: Tony (01344) 884 596. (69722) at The Little Theatre or the pool on Thursdays, try dives
pool sessions. www.darwensac.org.uk (69161) Mercian Divers (BSAC 2463) Active & Friendly club. SOS Divers (SAA 263), Stourport, Worcestershire. available. Regular RIB diving, trips around the UK and
Eastern Sub Aqua Club SAA 1073. We are a small friendly New, experienced & junior divers welcome. Own RIB. Founded 1979. Friendly family club welcomes qualified abroad. Visit: www.wellsdivers.co.uk or Tel: Rob, 07832
dive club and welcome new and experienced divers alike. Based in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. Tel: 01905 773406 and trainee divers. Own RIB. Contact Althea by email: 141250. (69653)
We are situated north of Norwich for training. For more www.mercian-divers.org.uk (65391) arannie123@outlook.com (57542) Wiltshire’s newest Scuba Diving Club - JC Scuba Dive
information please see out website: www.esacdivers.co.uk Millennium Divers. Active, friendly club for all levels South Coast Divers (SAA 1150) Portsmouth. A friendly Club. Friendly active dive club based in Swindon, all
(65879) and certifications of diver, based in Portland, Dorset. UK and active club welcomes new and experienced divers affiliations welcome. Pool sessions, UK & Worldwide
Dream Divers. Very friendly dive club in Rotherham diving and holidays. Club social nights from all agencies. Email: southcoastdivers@hotmail.co.uk trips, shore, boat & liveaboard diving, regular socials.
welcomes divers of any level/club. Meet at the Ring O www.millenniumdivers.org (68351) or call Darren: 07449 794 804. (69224) Affiliated training school, fully insured. Exclusive member
Bells, Swinton, last Thursday of the month at 19.30. Mole Valley Sub Aqua Club. Surrey based SDI club, own South Queensferry SAC, near Edinburgh. Two RIBs, gear benefits. www.jcscubadiveclub.co.uk (68279)
Email: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk (69699) RIB, active diving UK & Abroad, training and social for hire. Pool training during the Winter; trips &
Ealing SAC, BSAC 514. Friendly, active club, own RIBs; events. Trainees/crossovers welcome. Contact: 07552 expeditions in the Summer. Pub meeting at Hawes Inn.
welcomes new and experienced divers. Meets Highgrove Call Warren: 07980 981 380. www.sqsac.co.uk (64861)
Pool, Eastcote, Tuesday nights 8.30pm. www.esac.org.uk
(68413)
498558 or email: committee@mvsac.org.uk
Monastery Dive Club (Dunkerton Branch). New divers
(68691)
welcome to join our club. Trips to Plymouth and NDAC.

Steyning Scuba Club, West Sussex. All divers welcome.
Steyning Pool , Monday evenings at 8.30pm. Contact
WANT TO
East Cheshire Sub Aqua. Macclesfield based BSAC club.
Purpose-built clubhouse, bar, two RIBs, minibus, nitrox,
compressor. Lower Bank Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7HL.
GSOH is a must. South Wales area (Crosskeys, Risca.)
Please text me: Flinty 07971 432803 or email:
welshflinty@hotmail.com (65305)
Andy Willett on 07786 243 763. www.seaurchin
divers@hotmail.co.uk (63956)
The Bath Bubble Club SAA777 seeks new members. New
ADVERTISE
Tel: 01625 502367. www.scubadivingmacclesfield.com
East Durham Divers SAA welcome new/experienced

(65609)
Nekton SAC. Based in Bromley, we are a friendly and
active SAA Club that welcomes experienced and new
and qualified divers of all agencies welcome. Weekly pool
training, every Wednesday at 9pm, Culverhay Sport
Centre, Rush Hill, Bath. Regular diving programme from
YOUR CLUB?
divers alike. Info@nekton.org.uk or call Steve: 020 8467
divers of any agency. Comprehensive facilities with own 4599. (68387) club RIB. www.bathbubbleclubuk.co.uk (68434) Email: Jenny Webb,
premises half a mile from the sea. Contact: John: 07857 Nemo Diving Club. Small friendly dive club offering dive TridentDivers.co.uk (find us on Facebook) Cardiff-based
174125. (68663) trips and training for non/experienced divers in Retford SAA club taking on new trainees and crossover members jenny@divermag.co.uk
East Lancs Diving Club based in Blackburn. Friendly and surrounding areas. Contact: www.nemodiver contact us on 07547 398802. (71656)
and active club welcomes new members at all levels of training.co.uk (69640)
diving from all organisations. Tel: 07784 828961 or email: North Glos BSAC 80. Friendly, active club welcomes new
ELDC@hotmail.co.uk www.eastlancsdivers.co.uk
Eastbourne BSAC; RIB, Banked air (free) to 300bar,

(69411)
and experienced divers. Own boat and equipment with
weekly pool sessions, Thursdays, 8.30pm at GL1
Gloucester, (Gloucester Leisure Centre). www.nglos.co.uk
WEBSITES
Nitrox, Trimix. Enjoy some of the best diving on the (68483)
South Coast, all qualifications welcome.
www.lumb-bros-das.co.uk
North Wales Sub Aqua Club. Llandudno based and open
www.sovereigndivers.co.uk (65695)
Ellon Sub Aqua Club, Aberdeenshire, welcomes
to new and experienced divers. Fun, friendly and active Quality Diving Products
SAA affiliated club. Training every weekend.
newcomers and experienced divers. We dive year round www.nwsac.wales (70688)
and meet on Thursday evenings. Contact Richmond (Surrey) SAC welcomes new and experienced
www.ellonsubaquaclub.co.uk
Fife Scuba Divers Tel: 07575 372575.
www.fifescubadivers.com. SAA Club No203. Meetings:
(65523) divers to join our active diving, training and social
calendar. Meet Mondays 8.30pm at Pools on the Park,
Richmond. Tel: 07825 166450 (Gemma) or email:
www.otterboxes.co.uk Rugged waterproof cases for
every environment
Thu 19.30, 81 East Way, Hillend, KY11 9JF. Training Club, clubmembership@rsac1489.com (67103)
www.tek-tite.co.uk
Crossovers welcome. (72380)
Flintshire Sub Aqua Club based in Holywell, Flintshire,
Nuneaton. Marlin BSAC welcomes experienced divers Torches, strobes, marker lights
to Pingles pool every Thursday. Active training, diving,
welcomes new and experienced divers from all agencies. social programme in a flourishing club with no politics
for diving and outdoor pursuits
Full dive programme. Meet Wednesdays. See us at allowed. www.marlinsac.com (69322)
www.flintsac.co.uk or call 01352 731425. (64293)
www.unidive.co.uk
Orkney SAC. Small, friendly active dive club, based in A quality range of masks, snorkels,
Hartford Scuba BSAC 0522, based in Northwich, Kirkwall, welcomes divers of any level or club. Own RIB
Cheshire. A friendly, active diving club. Compressor for and compressor. Contact Craig: 07888 690 986 or email: fins and knives
air and Nitrox fills. RIB stored in Anglesey. craigbarclay31@hotmail.com (69735)
www.hartfordscuba.co.uk (67287) Plymouth Sound Dive Club welcomes qualified and
Hereford Sub Aqua Club, is looking for new members. experienced guest divers. See www.plymouthdivers.
Regular diving off the Pembrokeshire coast on own RIBs. org.uk for more information/weekly club notices. Contact
Training and social nights. Contact:
divErNEt.com
relevant dive manager or divingofficer@plymouth
rusaqua@googlemail.com (69146) divers.org.uk to join a dive. (72219)
HGSAC. South Manchester based friendly, non-political
Preston Divers SAA 30. The friendliest dive club. Come
club welcomes newcomers and qualified divers. Lots of
and meet us at Fulwood Leisure Centre, Preston on
diving and social events. Family. Three RIBs and
Monday nights between 8.00pm - 9.00pm.
compressor. www.hgsac.com (68501)
www.prestondivers.co.uk (64198)
HUGSAC - BSAC 380. Experienced club, based around
#1
Reading Diving Club. Experience the best of UK diving
Hertfordshire, with RIB on the South coast. Members
with a friendly and active club. All welcome. Tel: 01183
dive with passion for all underwater exploration. All
216310 or email: info@thedivingclub.co.uk
agencies welcome. www.hugsac.co.uk (63275)
www.thedivingclub.co.uk (69447)
Ifield Divers. Crawley-based club. Twin engine dive boat
with stern lift in Brighton Marina.Training for novices,
diving for the experienced - all qualifications welcome.
www.ifield-divers.org.uk Email: info@ifield-divers.org.uk
Reading Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC 28). Active, friendly,
based Palmer Park. Clubhouse, licenced bar, compressor,
2 RIBs. Club night Thurs, all grades/agencies. Training
to Adv Diver +. rbsacinfo@gmail.com www.rbsac.org.uk
The UK’s
or tel: 01883 345146. (64514)
Tel: Colin 07939 066524. (72402)
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 (68559)
Robin Hood Dive Club. Yorkshire based and one of the
most active in the country with a full 2016 calendar of
trips. All agencies and grades welcome. No training or
pool, just a growing bunch of regular divers.
Diving Website
K2 Divers, covering West Sussex/Surrey. A friendly BSAC
club, but all qualifications welcome. Training in Crawley, www.robinhooddiveclub.com or find us on Facebook.
(59245)
All your favourite divEr features from
boat at Littlehampton. Email: k2divers@yahoo.co.uk or
tel: (01293) 612989. (68335) Rochdale Sub-Aqua Club. Beginners and experienced
divers welcome. Full training provided. Pool session every
past issues, including
Kingston BSAC, Surrey. Two RIBs , clubhouse and bar,
active dive programme, two compressors, Nitrox, Trimix, Wednesday. Club has two boats. More info at
www.RochdaleDivers.co.uk or call Mick 07951 834 903.
divEr Tests • Wreck Tour • Be The Champ
full training offered at all levels. All very welcome.
www.kingstonsac.org or tel: 07842 622193. (69176) (65103)
Lincoln - Imp Divers. Small, friendly, non-political diving Ruislip & Northwood BSAC. Friendly, active club, RIB,
club with our own RIB are looking to welcome new and welcomes new and qualified divers. Meets Highgrove Pool
experienced divers. Contact Richard: 07931 170205. Thursday nights 8.30pm. www.rnbsac.co.uk Tel: 07843
(69383) 738 646 for details. (69469)
Lincoln and District BSAC. Active club with own RIB, High Wycombe SAC. Come and dive with us - all welcome.
compressor and other facilities. Regular trips and training. Active club with RIB on South coast. Contact Len: 07867
www.lincolndivingclub.co.uk (69336) 544 738. www.wycombesubaqua.com (69131)
Lincs Divers BSAC 1940. Friendly, active dive club Scotland Plug Divers. Small, friendly dive club welcomes
newly qualified and experienced divers to join us. Regular
offering dive trips and training for new/experienced
divers. Lincoln based. www.lincsdivers.co.uk hardboat diving around Bass Rock/Firth of Forth/
• latest diving, gear and travel news • competitions
Llantrisant SAC, two RIBs, towing vehicle, welcomes Eyemouth and trips abroad. Tel George: 07793 018 540.
Email: plugdivers@btinternet.com (64638)
• great prizes • UK boat spaces • FREE personal ads
new and experienced divers. Meet at Llantrisant Leisure
Centre 8pm Mondays. Contact Phil: (01443) 227667. Selby Aquanauts SAA 1117. Family friendly club, • holiday offers • and much more
www.llantrisantdivers.com (68519) welcomes new and qualified divers. Regular trips UK &
Lutterworth Dive Club, active, social, friendly. Own RIB, abroad. Meet every Thursday, Albion Vaults, Selby at 9pm.
regular trips. Welcomes qualified divers, any agency. Contact Mark: 07831 295 655. (69261)
Training at all levels. Most Tuesdays, Lutterworth Sports
Centre. www.lsac.co.uk
Mansfield and District Scuba Diving Club.
(70043)
Sutton Coldfield SAC, friendly BSAC club, welcomes all
divers from trainee to advanced. All agencies. Own RIBs
and compressor. Meet every Wednesday, 8.15pm at
divEr Magazine online - with Xtras!
www.scubamad.co.uk. Sub Aqua Association - club 942. Wyndley (3.4m pool). For free try dive call Alan: 07970
8 Beech Avenue, Mansfield, Notts. NG18 1EY. (71643) 573638 or Mark: 07787 106191. (64974)
Project2_Layout 1 05/04/2017 08:32 Page 1
DIVE CENTRE DIRECTORY

FACILITIES BSAC School PADI Training SSI Training TDI Training
IANTD
IANTD Training Member of SITA IDEST approved
DAN
DAN
DAN Training
INCLUDE:
Cylinder testing Regulator servicing
✓
Equipment for hire

Dive boat charter arranged Compressed Air Nitrox Technical Gases Disability Diving
ENGLAND HAMPSHIRE NORFOLK IRELAND

ANDARK DIVING CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA
62 Whiffler Road, Norwich NR3 2AY. FLAGSHIP SCUBADIVING LTD
CORNWALL 256 Bridge Road, Lower Swanwick, Southampton SO31
7FL. Tel: (01489) 581755. Fax: (01489) 575223. Tel: (01603) 485000. E-mail: info@scuba4me.co.uk Jenkins Yard, Hudson Road, Sandycove, Co. Dublin.
www.scuba4me.co.uk Open: Mon-Sat 0930-1800. Dive Tel: (00 353) 284 5180. E-mail: info@flagshipscuba.com
E-mail: bookings@andark.co.uk www.andark.co.uk
PORTHKERRIS DIVERS Open 7 days, PADI 5* IDC, RYA powerboat, 3.5m pool & courses, Holidays, Equipment, Servicing and much more. www.flagshipscuba.com Open Tue-Fri 1000-1730; Sat
PADI 5* IDC Centre. Porthkerris, St. Keverne, Nr Helston 0930-1700. Diving Malin Head to Rathlin Island.
classrooms, large shop, mail order, kids parties, Club, helo
TR12 6QJ. Tel: (01326) 280620. www.porthkerris.com escape, disabled friendly, 300bar.
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.
✓ A N T
WEST SUSSEX A
OCEAN VIEW DIVING SERVICES
✓ DAN
DAN
A N T
160 South Street, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8AU.
Tel: (01903) 767224. E-mail: info@oceanviewdiving.co.uk
IANTD

www.oceanviewdiving.co.uk Open 7 days a week 0900-
✓ DAN
DAN
A N
1700. PADI TecRec Training. Diving Holidays.
TO ADVERTISE IN THE
LEICESTERSHIRE
STONEY COVE –
DIVE CENTRE
DEVON
THE NATIONAL DIVE CENTRE
Leicester, LE9 4DW. www.stoneycove.co.uk
www.underwaterworld.co.uk Sales & service: (01455)
DIRECTORY
273089; The Dive School (PADI 5* IDC): (01455) 272768; Call Alex on
DIVERS DOWN
020 8941 4568
Nemo’s Bar & Diner: (01455) 274198. UK’s leading dive
139 Babbacombe Road, Babbacombe, Torquay TQ1 3SR.
Tel: (01803) 327111. Fax: (01803) 32463.
E-mail: info@diversdown.co.uk
company. Dive “Stanegarth”, Britain’s biggest inland wreck.
✓ A N T
www.diversdown.co.uk Open Mon-Fri 1000-1730; Sat
0900-1730; Sun 1000-1600. PADI 5* IDC.
✓ A N
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
AGGRESSOR FLEET 7 MALTA TOURISM 33
AQUA LUNG 19 MALTAQUA 81
DORSET AQUA-FIRMA 48 MARES 12
DIVERS DOWN SWANAGE IANTD ATOMIC AQUATICS 3 NAUTILUS LIVEABOARDS 26

The Pier, High Street, Swanage, Dorset.
Tel: (01929) 423565. Mob: (07977) 142661. ✓ DAN
DAN
A N BEAVER 30
E-mail: medina@madasafish.com OTTER DRYSUITS 22
www.diversdownswanage.co.uk Open 7 days a week
during the dive season. The UK’s oldest dive centre. BLUE O TWO (MALDIVES) 58 PRO DIVE INTERNATIONAL 49
MERSEYSIDE
BLUE O TWO (MASTER LIVEABOARDS) 34
PRODIVERS MALDIVES 6
WIRRAL SPORTS & LEISURE
164-192 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead CH41 3QQ. BUNAKEN OASIS DIVE RESORT & SPA 64
Tel: (0151) 666 6629. PROFESSIONAL DIVING ACADEMY 87
e-mail: sales@wirralsports.co.uk
www.wirralsports.co.uk Mon-Fri 0900-1730; Sat 0900-
CAMEL DIVE CLUB 22
REGALDIVE (RED SEA) 22
1700. Air to 300bar. Diving, watersports, mail order and
online shopping. DIVE 2017 90
REGALDIVE (WORLDWIDE) 59
DIVE MASTER INSURANCE 75/94
IANTD RNLI 99
✓ DAN
DAN
A N
DIVE SAFARI ASIA 67
SCUBA TRAVEL (MALDIVES) 59
DIVE WORLDWIDE 72
SCUBA TRAVEL (RED SEA) 64
DIVER APP 48
UNDERWATER EXPLORERS SEA & SEA (ORCA TORCHES) 53
Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, DIVER SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Dorset DT5 1FD. Tel: (01305) 824555.
E-mail: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk SEALIFE CAMERAS 75
www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk Open 7 days a week MAGAZINE ONLY 93
0900-1700 minimum Equipment for sale. SOLITUDE ONE LIVEABOARD 87
A N TORCH 90
✓ SOLOMON ISLANDS DIVE EXPEDITIONS 72
WATCH 97
EMPEROR DIVERS 59 SPORTIF 11

MIDDLESEX
G&H DIVING SERVICES EURO DIVERS 49 SUUNTO DIVING UK 100
Unit 1 Willow House, River Gardens, North Feltham
Trading Estate, Feltham TW14 0RD. Tel: (020) 8751 3771. EXPLORER VENTURES 72 TURKISH AIRLINES 2
Fax: (020) 8751 2591. E-mail: Ghdiving@aol.com
Mon-Fri 0900-1800; Sat 0900-1230. ANDI Training.
GO-DIVE 14 TUSA (CPS PARTNERSHIP) 4
A N T ✓ A N T LIQUID SPORTS 26 WESTFIELD INSURANCE 22/94/95

✓
96 Please remember to mention divEr Magazine when replying to any of these advertisements
Diver Subs watch NON-DD rev 0417.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2017 08:33 Page 97
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Deep Breath MAY.qxp_DIVER grid 27/03/2017 14:57 Page 98
BREATH
DEEP post-
Referendum
25
JUNE 2016 – THE DAY it expensive for UK citizens. However, even similar to those that currently apply with
was revealed that Britain had in these destinations it is possible to save Norway, Iceland and Croatia.
voted, unexpectedly, in money with package deals, all-inclusive
favour of leaving the European Union.
What would this mean for the future of
the UK, for Europe and for the future of
options and liveaboards, which offer
added value because food, and some
drinks, are included in the package price.
O N A SEPARATE NOTE, leaving the
EU could bring a positive spin to
Britain, because local fish stocks will no
travel from the UK? For destinations such as the Maldives, longer need to be treated as a shared
Following the shock announcement, a liveaboard is the way to go. Doing away resource. This means that, should the
currency rates between the euro, the dollar with the worry of additional costs for country take control of its own fish stocks,
and the pound went through a period of food, drink and dive excursions means we will have the unique opportunity to
intense fluctuation. you can rest assured that your holiday cost rebuild them. If Britain adopts an active
Many tour operators, Planet Dive is set, even if the pound does take a dip. stance in this regard and works to declare
Holidays included, lost money on holidays marine reserves, Britain’s sea life could
MARCUS BULL
of Planet Dive
that had been booked before the vote.
Invoices in euros and dollars were
suddenly costing 10-15% more. Despite
A S PART OF THE TWO-YEAR
negotiation process that needs to
happen before the UK can exit the
actually be thanking Brexit.
So far the predictions seem to have been
a lot worse than the reality. Small tour
Holidays takes this, we held our prices and avoided European Union, a number of current operators such as Planet Dive Holidays
a look at what passing that extra cost on to our clients. agreements will need to be looked at. took an initial hit but have moved on with
Brexit could While the pound has now stabilised These include the Open Skies a positive outlook – and so, it seems, have
against other currencies (I’m writing this agreement, which allows cheap flights many diving enthusiasts.
mean for your in mid-March), it has done so at rates between the UK and Europe. So far, We have been surprised by the number
future diving lower than before the referendum, so some budget flights between the UK and Europe of early bookings for summer 2017, and
holidays local prices for food, drinks, shopping and have only really been affected by the actually welcomed in a record number of
locally booked tours might be more currency fluctuations, but this could last-minute bookings in late 2016.
expensive for British tourists. change if agreements like this are changed. The referendum has created some
Initially there were fears that this Additional European agreements that uncertainty in the travel business, and it is
change in financial security might mean could also be reviewed include possible that travel in the future could
that fewer Brits would be willing to book compensation schemes if flights are become more expensive for UK citizens.
a summer break, but the latest data seems delayed or cancelled, duty-free limits for The reality, of course, is that
to show a different trend, with increases in alcohol and cigarettes and reciprocal negotiations to leave the EU have yet to
both flight and accommodation bookings. health and medical understandings. begin, and any changes that might affect
For some destinations tour operators Currently British citizens can travel, travellers and tour operators will happen
like us are still able to offer pre- live and work freely in most EU countries only after the UK formally leaves the
referendum prices for 2017, because hotel without a visa. Although many have union, in two years’ time.
contracts were negotiated in pounds jumped on the visa-scare bandwagon, it is Although tour operators can’t change
sterling long before the vote and the highly unlikely that British citizens will the uncertain political future that Europe
subsequent currency issues. have to get visas to travel to countries in faces, rest assured that our suppliers will
The currency losses in these cases is Europe, or vice versa, and instead the UK still deliver the same, top-quality products
absorbed by the hotels, something that and EU will put in place agreements that they always have. n
they will be looking to correct in 2018.
J UST AS OUR RELATIONSHIP with

Europe is going through a period of
uncertainty, travel to the more affordable
long-haul diving destinations such as
Sudan, South Africa and Mauritius, has
seen a big boost this year.
The pound is still holding up against
most of the African currencies, and Egypt,
Oman and Indonesia still continue to offer
great-value holidays for travellers as well.
Other luxurious international
WWW.PLANETDIVEHOLIDAYS.COM
destinations such as the Maldives, and

many islands in the Caribbean, have
currencies that are linked to the US dollar.
So although their value continues to
fluctuate while the USA goes through its
own political upheaval, eating out and
some items in the shops are now more
RNLI.qxp_Layout 1 03/04/2017 12:34 Page 99
THERE ARE LOTS

OF HAND SIGNALS
IN DIVING
WHEN IT COMES
TO YOUR HEART,
THIS SHOULDN’T
BE ONE OF THEM
Book an appointment with a healthcare
professional or diving doctor and check
that your heart is up to it.
FIND OUT MORE AT RNLI.ORG/DIVESAFE
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603)
and Scotland (SC037736). Registered charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland.
Suunto (Eon Steel - Free pod) – 05_17.qxp_Suunto 03/04/2017 12:33 Page 100
CONQUER
NEW
TERRITORY
FREE POD WITH
EVERY EON STEEL
SUUNTO EON STEEL

EXPLORE MORE - FULL CUSTOMIZATION
The intuitive Suunto EON Steel combines advanced technology with
customizable features and display to show clearly what you need.
Visit your local authorised Suunto retailer for
With heavy duty housing, a stainless steel bezel, and user updatable
more information. Offer valid until 30th June
software, Suunto EON Steel will dive with you for years to come.
2017. Suunto Diving UK reserve the right to
www.suunto.com withdraw the offer at any time. Offer only
valid while stocks last.
For more information call 01420 587272

Discover Moves at www.movescount.com
Follow us on @SuuntoDivingUK and at www.facebook.com/SuuntoDivingUK

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Cover MAY.

qxp_April Cover(final) 28/03/2017 10:54 Page 1

HOW WILL BREXIT AFFECT TRAVEL? BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING DIVING MAGAZINE

DISCOVER ZANZIBAR A4 ING i dd 1 16/02/17 14 54

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Britain’s best-selling diving magazine

96 Dive Centre Directory @diver_magazine

AGGRESSOR FLEET® WORLDWIDE DIVING AND T R AV E L A D V E N T U R E S

Since 1984, Aggressor Fleet worldwide

liveaboards have offered our guests pampered

topside service and adrenaline-pumping,

awe-inspiring marine encounters.

Inspiring your next science ﬁction novel.

Inspiring your next day dream.

Inspiring your next abstract painting.

Inspiring your next Dive!

Visit our website for Generous Travel Specials

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Diver died in 3m taking UK FATALITY

MCS DISHES UP ITS CHANGE FOR FISH

THE BIG QUESTION

Survival course YES

13 more wrecks get

GOZO’S AZURE WINDOW FINALLY COLLAPSES DURING STORM

divEr Magazine online - with Xtras! www.divernet.com

Shark and ray tourism guide released Dive

Cruise ship devastates

The 18th-century frigates Astrolabe and Boussole.

Dolphins viewed as …as BANTER

AQUARIUM RAY THAT KILLED DIVER REVERTED TO INSTINCT

‘NATIONAL TREASURE’ TO GO ON SHOW IN GOSPORT

Unqualified diver ran out UK freediving

First Brixham Marine Conservation Day set for May

BRIXHAM MARINE CONSERVATION

Fame at last – Poole

LONG-TERM, SCUBA-DIVERS LEAVE SHARKS COLD

NATIONS ‘BOUND BY LAW Fisheries Commission for the

TO PROTECT CORAL REEFS’ species listed under a special

• AirCore VTec Breathable fabric keeps you dry, warm

RED SEA DIVER

Pictured: A diver explores

Right: Never had Nick &

01353 659999 z Choice of pockets

CALL OTTER TODAY ON 01274 379480

Travel Insurance Annual or Short Period

Cover for divers

For an instant quote phone ‘your insurance buddy’

RED SEA DIVER

Another of the dive locations easily treated to sunlight streaming in through

T HE DEPTH SEEMS TO MAKE no

RED SEA DIVER

setting up our camera-rigs. But