AWESOME AUCKLAND
EXPLORING TIMOR LESTE
LOOK TO THE SOUTH
OVERVIEW OF THE DIVING OPPORTUNITIES OFF THE NORTH ISLAND
DON SILCOCK LIFTS THE LID ON THIS HIDDEN DIVING GEM LYING NORTH OF AUSTRALIA
CHELSEA HAEBICH ON THE UW ATTRACTIONS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Q&A WITH TECHNICAL DIVING PIONEER AND UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER PETE MESLEY
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EDITOR’S NOTE LEARNING TO COPE WITH A COVID-19 WORLD
Times are changing, and to keep the magazine free, we’re asking dive stores to cover their own postage costs. If you enjoy reading the magazine, think about helping out your centre with a small donation to help cover their costs.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com
DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com
CONTRIBUTORS
I think that it fair to say everyone has now had enough of COVID-19, second waves, lockdowns and the constant uncertainty surrounding this vicious virus. It would appear that despite the assertions of some highly placed officials, this virus is not simply going to disappear, so it is time to start living our lives once more albeit in a socially distancing COVID-safe sort of way. With that in mind, I am planning a trip to Cairns. Shortly before the world went into lockdown, I was in this oncebustling and vibrant town for a liveaboard trip. Now, several long months later, a lot has changed. Cairns is a town built on tourism, and it is fair to say it has been adversely affected more than most in the recent turmoil. I am keen to see how the dive operators are finding ways to keep going in these incredibly difficult times. In this issue, we have plenty of great content as usual, and I am pleased to welcome Chelsea Haebich and Don Silcock. Chelsea is a south Australian resident who recently won the much-coveted Guru award at the Underwater Tour annual photography competition. Her report on the great diving that South Australia has to offer is a must-read for anyone looking for a different diving experience. Don Silcock is a photographer of quite some repute, and in this issue, the well-travelled photojournalist gives us the rundown on diving in the little-known gem of Timor Leste. We also look at the Auckland region of New Zealand, plus the usual news, medical, conservation and equipment review sections. Finally, we end on a positive note! Rork Media is pleased to confirm that our highly acclaimed annual dive show in the UK is still going ahead for 2021. The GO Diving Show dates have been changed from February to early September in the hope that this will give a better chance for more international participation.
Adrian Stacey, Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand)
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM
Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com
Martyn Guess, Pete Mesley, Don Silcock, Chelsea Haebich, Brent Tassell.
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Rork Media ANZ Pty Ltd 193 Latrobe Terrace, PADDINGTON, QLD 4064 Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.
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AWESOME AUCKLAND
EXPLORING TIMOR LESTE
LOOK TO THE SOUTH
OVERVIEW OF THE DIVING OPPORTUNITIES OFF THE NORTH ISLAND
DON SILCOCK LIFTS THE LID ON THIS HIDDEN DIVING GEM LYING NORTH OF AUSTRALIA
CHELSEA HAEBICH ON THE UW ATTRACTIONS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
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REGULAR COLUMNS
FEATURES...
8 News
18 Australia
Port Jackson sharks mating caught on camera, renewable energy sparks hope for the Great Barrier Reef, SSI launches crossover promotion, an ecology course with Ocean Ventures Fiji, shark expert Erich Ritter dies, Volivoli Beach Resort gets Blue Ocean Dive Centre accreditation, a scholarship programme in the Solomons, and a great white shark spotted off Lady Eliot Island.
16 Medical Q&A
The experts at Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific discuss mask squeeze, what causes it, and how to avoid it.
66 Conservation Corner
Conservation projects in and around Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia - this issue, Project Manta takes centre stage.
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Award-winning photographer Chelsea Haebich extols the virtues of the diving that lies off South Australia, in particular the numerous jetty dives that lie in wait, as well as the Aussie marine version of South Africa’s Big 5 - leafy sea dragons, great white sharks, Australian sea lions, giant cuttlefish, and blue devils.
26 Timor Leste
A warm welcome to new contributor Don Silcock! In this issue, the well-travelled photo-journalist urges divers to sample the topside and underwater attractions of Timor Leste sooner rather than later. Where, you ask? It lies just north of Australia and is a hidden diving gem.
32 New Zealand
Brent Tassell waxes lyrical about the diving opportunities that lie off the North Island of New Zealand, in particular the underwater attractions of the Hauraki Gulf.
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CONTENTS
...CONTINUED
GEAR GUIDE
40 Underwater Photography
54 What’s New
Underwater photography guru Martyn Guess offers some sage hints and advice on the optimum methods of shooting - and capturing eyecatching images - of sharks and other big animals.
44 Scuba.Digital
Scuba.Digital is a new online dive show for diving, freediving and snorkelling, which will run for a full 72 hours from 12 noon (GMT) on 23 October to 12 noon (GMT) on 26 October - and we asked co-founder Jason Haiselden for the lowdown on what ‘visitors’ can expect.
48 TECH: Q&A with Pete Mesley
In the first of a two-part feature, we talk to Pete Mesley, a hugely charismatic figure on the international diving scene, who has carved a niche for himself in the world of technical diving and expeditions, both to world-class shipwrecks, and destinations famed for big-animal encounters.
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Round-up of new products, including the Aqua Lung DS mask range, Scubapro’s Aladin A2 dive computer, Mares’ 28XR-HR full sidemount tech set of regulators, the Retra Supercharger for their well-regarded strobe, and Fourth Element’s Surface wetsuit.
56 Test Extra
This issue have a selection of Test Extras from Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans and Editor-at-Large (US and Canada) Walt Stearns, focusing on the Santi Diving E.Lite+ trilaminate drysuit, the Dive Rite Hydro Lite back-inflate BCD, and the innovative xDeep LS200 and NX700 regulator.
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Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as all over our water planet. To find out the most up-to-date news and views, check out the website or follow us on our various social media (@scubadivermag) www.scubadivermag.com.au
THE MATING RITUALS OF
PORT JACKSON
SHARKS ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLAS REMY
I
n Sydney’s winters, the water temperature drops down to the mid-10s, but calm seas, greater visibility and easier parking make it a very pleasant season to dive. However, with two East-Coast lows generating five-plus meters swells, and heavy rains draining sediment from the river through to the bays and ocean, winter didn’t always deliver on its visibility promise.
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Yet, that Saturday morning I am glad I woke up early, to enter the waters of Cabbage Tree Bay (Manly, north Sydney) with buddy Jeroen. Topside, all looked fine. Underwater, it was a different story - the gloomy green conditions being reported earlier in the week were still prevailing. After one hour and 30 minutes, my open-circuit buddy had to ascend, and I honestly was tempted to follow since we hadn’t seen much.
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Cabbage Tree Bay being an underwater marine park (the only one in Sydney), I always feel there is potential for ‘something special’ to happen down there. So I decided to carry on, in the silence of my rebreather, and wander across the bay for another two hours, in search for the unexpected. Winter is known to bring Port Jackson sharks (heterodontus portusjacksoni) into New South Wales waters, as they migrate up the coast from Tasmania to mate. Sydney hosts some of their breeding grounds, so I was pleased – but not surprised - to spot some individuals here and there. My heart started racing when I distinguished an unusual shape a few metres away - what looked like a modern sculpture actually was a living pyramid of… sharks! Immediately I knew I had stumbled upon something special. Whatever was happening, I had the feeling it wouldn’t last long, so I quickly adjusted my strobes, while carefully approaching the scene. From a distance it looked like a fight, but once closer I understood what was happening - the bottom shark was a female, and the above one a male. The male was biting onto the female’s pectoral fin, to hold her close and enable the coitus. A third shark was swimming around, in an unsatisfied hope to also extend his lineage. I had the time to take a few good photos, though a curious Maori wrasse did a good job at photo-bombing most of them! In less than a minute, the female decided enough was enough, and despite the male’s attempt to grab her again, she managed to flee away. I took a final photograph of that last interaction and then she was gone. The male swam after her, and the third shark stuck around with me, seemingly undecided about his next move. I kept exploring the bay, now hoping to see a repetition of this behaviour, but after spotting a dozen of sharks from the same species, mostly inactive, I realized how lucky I had just been. As a closing word, don’t let the conditions deter you. Even with less-than-ideal visibility and cold water, the ocean still holds wonders for us to see, just go for it! n
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10
The announcement of three proposed Renewable Energy Corridors for Queensland by the Palaszczuk government is encouraging news for our Great Barrier Reef, its amazing wildlife and the thousands of tourism jobs it supports. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) says the best way to support the health of the Reef into the future is to lower the greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of dirty coal and gas. The mining and burning of these fossil fuels is driving global warming, which has led to three damaging mass coral bleaching events on the Reef in just five years. Unlocking the Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) shows the Queensland government is serious about transitioning to clean energy and lowering emissions, which will ease the pressure on the internationally famous icon. “The proposed Renewable Energy Corridor in North Queensland could deliver up to five REZs, including the Reef coast from Cairns to Townsville. This will bring clean energy jobs and investment to a region really suffering because of the COVID restrictions,” said AMCS Cairns campaigner Elise Springett. “The benefits this will bring to our Reef are also great news for our suffering tourism industry. Measures like this will help safeguard the future of our amazing natural wonder that provides so many families in Cairns with their livelihoods. As we emerge from COVID restrictions and the tourism industry gets back on its feet, they will need a healthy, vibrant Reef more than ever.”
SSI LAUNCHES FREE CROSSOVER KIT PROMOTION Scuba training agency SSI has launched the ‘We want you’ promotion – a free crossover kit for all scuba and freediving professionals. SSI continues to add new Training Centres and professionals by supporting them through virtual trainings, promotional ideas and product improvements. One example of this support was the Free Science of Diving campaign. The promotion was overwhelmingly successful, with more than 50,000 registrations worldwide totalling more than 3.5 million in retail support. Now, SSI want to do the same thing by launching the ‘We Want You’ promotion globally with the following goals: Acquire new professionals to fix the permanent shortage of SSI professionals for both SSI Training Centres in local and resort markets. Connect new SSI professionals to the SSI Instructor Trainer Network to promote Specialty Instructor and Assistant Instructor Trainer training. Guido Waetzig, CEO SSI International GmbH, says: “The SSI Network is expanding so rapidly that the demand for professionals exceeds supply. The ‘We Want You’ promotion is designed to compensate for this shortage, support business recovery and stimulate further international growth!” The free crossover kit will run from 1 September 2020 to 31 January 2021, with the mandatory In-Water Training sessions beginning 15 October 2020 onwards.
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OCEAN VENTURES FIJI LAUNCHES CUTTING-EDGE CORAL REEF ECOLOGY COURSE
With extremely limited global travel, and the almost total shutdown of the tourism industry in Fiji, Ocean Ventures Fiji, a PADI scuba diving operator based in the untouched Natewa Bay near Savusavu, decided to put their time to good use by writing a first-of-its kind coral reef ecology course. Taking inspiration from a field ecology course they have been teaching for many years, this eLearning course - South Pacific Coral Reef Ecology - aims to bring coral reef ecology and a love of the marine world to everybody who is unable to travel and experience these amazing ecosystems for themselves during these difficult times. This comprehensive programme looks at the ecology of coral reefs, starting with their importance as ecosystems, before discussing in detail the amazing biodiversity found on reefs, including the corals themselves, common reef fish, and marine invertebrates. The course then covers the intrinsically-linked ecosystems, mangroves and seagrasses, before concluding with a detailed look at the threats faced by coral reefs and the actions being taken to preserve these wonders of nature. Although the majority of the course content is applicable to all coral reefs globally, each section also includes significant local context with many examples from reefs in the South Pacific. Stunning photos and underwater videos illustrate the course, most shot in Natewa Bay by the Ocean Ventures team themselves. Although it is the largest bay in the South Pacific, Natewa Bay remains a little-known gem home to pristine reefs and incredible biodiversity. This eLearning course can be taken either as a standalone program at US $50, or with certification in Ocean Ventures’ exclusive PADI distinctive specialty, PADI South Pacific Coral Reef Ecology at US $95. Ocean Ventures will deduct the basic cost of US $50 from selected diving courses and dive packages for anybody diving with Ocean Ventures Fiji in the future!
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The course is hosted on the established teaching platform Teachable.com, which uses a secure 128-bit SSL encrypted payment system. Who might be interested in this online coral reef ecology course? • Anybody with an interest in coral reefs globally and/or marine conservation • Anybody with a general interest in our oceans and the environment • Anybody with a specific interest in the coral reefs of the South Pacific • Anybody who planned an ocean-based trip but is currently unable to travel due to restrictions • Scuba divers and snorkellers • Divers looking for an additional certification (this PADI specialty can credit towards PADI Master Scuba Diver) • Students interested in the fields of marine science or marine biology • Underwater photographers looking to improve their knowledge of marine creatures and basic ID skills For more information about the Coral Reef Ecology Course, visit: www.oceanventuresfiji.com
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SHARK EXPERT DR ERICH RITTER HAS DIED The world of shark conservation is in mourning after hearing the passing of Dr Erich Ritter. Dr Ritter was a sometimes controversial figure in the world of shark research and conservation, especially after he was badly bitten in the calf by a bull shark while filming Bull Sharks: World’s Deadliest Sharks with Nigel Marven in the Bahamas in 2004, but through his work with the Florida-based Erich Ritter Shark School, he did much to further our knowledge of these much-maligned creatures. According to the Shark School Facebook page, Dr Ritter passed away in his sleep peacefully at his Florida home. No more details are known at the present time.
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CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A GREAT WHITE SHARK
© Adrian Bullock
Photographer Adrian Bullock received the fright of his life when he had a close encounter with a great white shark while on a snorkelling trip at Lady Eliot Island. Fortunately, he regained his compose and overcame his fears to get some fantastic footage of the magnificent creature. Mr Bullock recalled the incident and was at first concerned for his fellow snorkellers. “I screamed: ‘White shark! White shark! Get out of the water! My heart sunk and I was in a bit of shock at first.” The four-metre great white shark came within three metres of Mr Bullock and is thought to be only the second sighting of a great white shark at the island. Mr Bullock, a regular visitor to Lady Elliot Island, added: “It’s so amazing, it got to within three metres of me and I realised then it was either very full or pregnant. “I look on it and I enjoyed the moment; it was very emotional, but I can laugh and smile about it now. “I feel very proud to have been the one to be chosen by the shark to have a swim with. “I’m not sure anyone really believed me when I first got out of the water, but once they all saw the video, they knew exactly what it was.”
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Bunaken National Marine Park w w w.s i l a d e n.c o m
Siladen-UK half--88x262.indd 1
09/10/2019 09:04
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VOLIVOLI BECOMES FIJI’S ONLY BLUE OCEANS DIVE CENTRE The team at Volivoli Beach Resort and Ra Divers Fiji are absolutely thrilled and delighted to announce they have just been awarded and accredited as Fiji’s only Blue Oceans Dive Centre. Blue Oceans is a global environmental awareness project focused heavily on the ocean and waterways, however also addresses many land and human-related environmental impacts. The team at Volivoli Beach Resort and Ra Divers Fiji are not only known as Fiji’s ‘Premier Dive Resort’, they are actively committed to proactively supporting a range of protocols and procedures.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
• Commit to personally protect the environment • Prevent others from causing damage through positive action and motivation • Support useful projects and organizations dedicated to marine protection • If possible, collect garbage on your dives – but only if doing so does not cause more damage to the environment • If possible, cut hanging ropes and collect floating nets and plastics • Inform your buddy or the crew on the surface if you were not able to remove the net • Never eat shark fins, whale meat, turtle eggs, etc • Report immediately violations of the ban on the use of marine animals as souvenirs
AVOID GARBAGE
• Never throw inorganic waste into the sea – Plastics decompose incredibly slowly • Minimize the production of garbage: Use reusable coffee mugs and lunch boxes, glass or metal bottles and shopping bags • Do not bring unnecessary packaging to the resort • Dispose of your waste in as eco-friendly a manner as possible • If you smoke, dispose of cigarette butts in the proper receptacle, not on the ground or in the water
DEALING WITH THE UNDERWATER WORLD
• Only use a swim-through if you can do so without touching anything • Don’t swim or snorkel too close to the reef • Don’t touch or break corals • Use labeled entrances/exits for the water • Don’t disturb the sand, since it reduces visibility and smothers corals • Don’t hunt or bother animals • Don’t touch animals unless properly trained
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• Don’t feed animals • Don’t take souvenirs from the sea – broken coral pieces or empty snail shells still serve as useful habitat • Only place a reef hook where it will not damage or disturb the reef • Do not disturb animals or habitat to improve your photo opportunity
RESPONSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES
• Shower only as long as required to get clean, especially in areas with minimal ability to store/purify water • Wash your equipment in the provided container, and only when necessary – often it’s enough to clean equipment thoroughly at the end of the dive trip • Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them • Use alternative transportation or walk instead of driving • Avoid unnecessary waste – food plans and shopping lists help save you money, and prevent purchasing unnecessary food that may go to waste The team at Volivoli Beach Resort and Ra Divers Fiji are strong believers in ‘Together we can protect our oceans’, and as such heavily invest time, energy and passion in not only cleaning and removing debris from both the ocean and land, but educating and diligently working hand-in-hand with the local community, schools and with their global partners. www.volivoli.com
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DIVE MUNDA ANNOUNCES DIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME FOR SOLOMONS’ YOUTH
MALDIVES
Submerge with Prodivers Maldives Dive Munda has announced a sponsorship initiative to encourage the youth of the Solomon Islands to learn to dive during the COVID-19 downtime. The heavily sponsored programme invites individuals, families and businesses to sponsor a candidate and contribute to training costs. “We are super excited and our team is ready to start, as this not only gives Dive Munda a positive and creative project to work on during this time of crisis over the next several months, but we are also doing an amazing thing for our youth,” said Belinda Botha, Operations Director at Dive Munda. “As well as providing Solomon Islands youth with certified training in new skills, by educating the young we are also helping share knowledge about protecting and preserving our natural resources – preserving our ocean, reefs, sharks and fish,” she said. “We are particularly keen to encourage girls to be nominated and participate. The age for all youth will be between ten and 21 years old. Medical clearance and parental agreement will be required.” Those sponsoring can nominate a specific student, or gift a course to any local youth. Dive Munda will manage the process of candidate approvals via an independent panel (including representatives from the ministry, Tourism Solomons, local community conservation office, Agnes Gateway Hotel and Solomon Airlines). During lock-down the cost for an SSI Open Water Course is $2,200 SBD ($370 AUD). During the months of August to December, Dive Munda will contribute $800 SBD ($130 AUD) towards this course for young Solomon Islanders, plus fund the certification and course materials. The remaining $1,400 SBD will be the sponsorship or gift to a Solomon Islands youth to become a certified open water diver – AU $240. Courses will be run over three-night weekends and students will have to make their own way to Munda. Solomon Airlines and Agnes Gateway Hotel is partnering with Dive Munda to offer amazing certify-fly-stay packages for our youth and their families coming from other provinces, with airfares and accommodation discounted up to 68 per cent. The airfares are available from Honiara and Gizo to Munda, exclusively for those participating in the sponsorship and those accompanying them. For information, contact: dive@divemunda.com
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LHAVIYANI ATOLL Famous dive spots such as Kuredu Express and Caves are reachable by boat within a few minutes. The Lhaviyani Atoll is an absolute must if you want to see big fish. Schools of grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks and eagle rays can be seen on a scooter dive through the channels!
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SOUTH ARI ATOLL The South Ari Atoll offers some of Maldives' best dive spots and a enormous diversity of marine life. Strong currents provide the atoll with enough nutrition so that even manta rays and whalesharks can be seen all year round.
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MEDICAL Q&A Palau’s premier scuba diving and eco-adventure company
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The Divers Alert Network (DAN) is the diving industry’s largest association dedicated to scuba-diving safety. Serving divers for more than 30 years, DAN provides emergency assistance, medical information sources, educational opportunities and more. www.danap.org Q: I am a recently certified diver and have just completed my first dive trip. After completing my dives, I noticed what looked like a bright red patch of blood over the white of my eye. When I asked my instructor about it, he said it was probably due to mask squeeze. How does mask squeeze cause me to get a blood spot on my eye, and can this be a serious condition? What is the treatment for mask squeeze? Should I be concerned if this happens again? A: Although you may look like you’ve been badly injured, mask squeeze is usually not serious. So, what is mask squeeze? Like the air spaces in your sinuses and ears, you must also equalise the air space in your mask as you descend. When you descend, failure to equalise, or add air to the air space in the mask, by exhaling through your nose, can create unequal pressure between the mask air space and the vascular pressure within the blood vessels of the face. This can result in various degrees of facial barotrauma, or injury to the soft tissues of your face contained within the mask. Imagine your face in a suction cup. The soft tissues beneath the mask and especially around the eye swell and discolour, such as redness or bruising. So, what treatment do you need? Unless you are experiencing eye pain or visual problems, there is no treatment for facial barotrauma except time. Because it is a bruise, your body will eventually reabsorb the effect of your mask squeeze. Your physician or an eye specialist should address eye pain or visual disturbances such as blurred vision or loss of part of the visual field immediately. These symptoms would be extremely rare in mask squeeze, however. The signs and symptoms of mask squeeze can take up to two weeks or more to resolve. Unfortunately, it is one of those conditions where you will probably look worse than you’d like before it gets better. Not only will blood and oedema need to be reabsorbed, but it tends to be gravity-dependent, which means it will spread downward on your face. Who gets mask squeeze? Mostly new divers get squeezed - they tend to be overwhelmed by all the skills they need to remember, such as buoyancy control and equalising their ears and sinuses, all while being mesmerised by the mysteries of the sea. More experienced divers, however, are not immune to mask squeeze. They tend to have mask squeeze when they are concentrating on some new activity or focused in on a task which diverts their attention from clearing their mask. Changing to a new mask or to a low-volume mask may also lead to mask squeeze, because the diver may not be accustomed to when to add air. Finally, poor-fitting masks or other issues such as facial hair may lead to problems with equalising. How do you prevent mask squeeze from happening again? The solution to preventing mask squeeze is to remember to keep your nasal passageways open during descent. By exhaling through your nose and using a properly fitted mask, you will minimise the risk of facial barotrauma. A mask should fit comfortably against your face and you should be able to achieve an appropriate seal by gently placing the mask on your face and inhaling through your nose. The mask should seal to your face and not fall off even without the mask strap in place. It is not unusual for a small amount of leakage to occur while diving, especially if you have facial hair. Exhaling through your nose and tilting your face towards the surface while cracking the lower seal of the mask will generally remove any unwanted water from your mask. DANAP.org
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A
few months back, a certain state premier asked a seemingly innocuous question about South Australia: “Why would anyone want to go there?” However, as more Australians view a Covid Landscape stretching out before them, we are beginning to look closer to home, exploring corners of our world with new eyes. Now we are finding ourselves genuinely asking THAT question, and in doing so, discovering some of our local magic all over again. As new and experienced divers, having to look closer to home means we are further asking the question: “Why would I DIVE there?” We are starting to open our minds and curiosity to the idea of diving local places, within our vast country, that will deliver the unique experiences once offered by our favourite overseas diving destinations. Okay, so you may not be able to head to Africa anytime soon for your ‘Big Five’ must-see megafauna either, but you can certainly head to South Australia for our ‘Big Five’ marine safari, and more! Instead of lions, leopards and elephants, South Australia gives you serene experiences with leafy sea dragons, adrenaline-pumping great whites, gregarious Australian sea lions, giant cuttlefish mating en-masse, and close encounters with misanthropic blue devils! And the bonus!? World-class macro diving, and that is the heart of my passion for South Australia. When most people think of world-class diving, it conjures images of the tropics, endless reefs, warm water and bountiful schools of fish (Yes, okay, for a moment I went there!). However, some of the best and most-underrated diving is here on our Great Southern Reef system. The gulfs and peninsulas of Southern Australia sit right in this temperate system and, owing to the nutrient-rich waters that pass through, they are ecologically some of the most-biodiverse in the world.
If you’re here in winter months, it’s a great to time to extend your exploration of Yorke Peninsula with the cuttlefish migration as that’s a quick trip around the top of the Peninsula and down to Whyalla on Eyre Peninsula
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Look to the Chelsea Haebich extols the virtues of the diving that lies off South Australia, in particular the numerous jetty dives that live in wait PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSEA HAEBICH
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And the best part - much of this is accessible as shore dives from jetties, with the luxury of steps to take you right down into the water. Easy access means there’s a huge variety of dives to experience across the state. All you need is your trusty transport, dive gear and some local know-how. Local jetty diving has been my passion since I learnt to dive ten years ago. While I love intrepid trips and tropical warm waters, nothing to me is as accessible, inspiring, varied and convenient as my local jetties. From the first dive, I fell in love with the colours, creations and critters found under the tide line of our jetties, and I still love the anticipation of seeing something new.
Pipefish
Encrusted pier support
We have three main peninsulas here in South Australia, all lined with jetties to explore, the first one I will explore is Yorke Peninsula and its resident jetties. With many of the jetties well over 100 years old, it’s fortunate that, as the jetties have slowly gone into disuse from their original purpose of wheat, wool and mining exports, they have grown in abundance and diversity underneath and are now home to a vast array of the weird and wonderful. Diving our jetties in South Australia is like treasure hunting. Pick the critter you want to hunt for, grab a mud map from the local dive shop in the know (of which there are a number to choose from), or better yet, a professional guide, and then explore and discover the treasure each site holds hidden in its trusty beams. Be ready for a few hidden surprises and gems on the way. Kelps and grasses sway rhythmically providing shelter, stability and food. Pylons and cross beams have created artificial reefs, structure, and habitats for an endless variety of fish, nudibranchs, cephalopods, crustaceans and cryptic critters. Entire other worldly ecosystems have come into existence under these structures. Each one offering something slightly different to the next. The great thing about these places, if you have come from afar with the family in tow, is there is no shortage of surface side exploration to do, with something for everyone. Wineries and wine regions line the journey to your chosen dive sites. Pubs, historic towns and bespoke breweries are only a stone’s throw away. Award-winning restaurants and bakeries will keep you fed and waterfalls and national parks will keep the non-
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Batfish
Jetties are a dive hotspot
Pufferfish
Blenny
Everything from the day goes into overdrive and nocturnal animals like octopus and pyjama squid come out to play
diving members of your party thoroughly immersed in nature and burning the bakery-earnt calories. First stop on our treasure map and first pick of local destinations is Edithburgh Jetty, right down the bottom of Yorke Peninsula. A mecca for all that is macro. Approximately three hours from Adelaide you will find the sleepy town of Edithburgh. And right at the end of the main street, the allhallowed jetty.
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After a beautiful coastal drive down the western side of Yorke Peninsula you arrive on the main street. A favorite holiday destination for locals, the wide main street seemingly looks abandoned, however there is no shortage of accommodation here to set up digs for a few days. From caravan parks, B&Bs or a simple shack, you’ll want a few days here as there is much to explore under the jetty. Photographers from the world over pilgrimage to this site as it’s just heaving with critters. Some that can be found virtually nowhere else. Head down to the jetty any time, day or night, and find a park right at the start of the jetty. Gear up among fisherman and after a short walk you will find the steps to enter from. As soon as you descend into the sheltered waters, the treasure hunt begins and owing to the variety of the landscape, there is always something different to be discovered. I hope you brought your treasure map!
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MTX-RC REGULATOR CONTROL IN THE EXTREME
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Bobtail and dumpling squid are often found in the sand at the steps. Short-headed seahorse bob in the cork-weed on the northern edge of the jetty and are great to watch feeding at night, their white bellies glowing in your torch light. Giant cuttlefish hide among the moonscape ocean bottom under the jetty and the thousands of razor clams, poking up like alien pods, provide shelter and homes for blennies, blue-rings, and mouth-brooding cardinalfish. Plenty of multi-coloured frogfish and tasseled anglerfish can also be found among the rubble and I haven’t even begun to cover the cryptic critters that hide everywhere. Velvetfish and warty prowfish, to name a few. But don’t get so caught up that you don’t take the time to look up! Treasure and gems sparkle everywhere there too. Spectacular sponge-encrusted pylons crisscross everywhere and compete with ascidians, bi-valves and tube worms. Night dives are not to be missed here either - under any circumstances! Everything from the day goes into overdrive and nocturnal animals like octopus and pyjama squid come out to play. There is so much to see just at this one site that it’s impossible to do it in one dive or one week. Thankfully, one bonus to jetty diving here in South Australia is bottom time! Most of us never feel like we dive enough, but with shallow dive depths of 3-10m, it affords you the luxury of nice, long, indulgent dives… with no long surface intervals! Watch as local divers surface, swap tanks, snack, down hot drinks, exchange excitement of critters discovered, and head straight back in again. Various species of cuttle and squid can be encountered Leafy sea dragon
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Edithburgh, on the southern end of Yorke Peninsula, can be dived all year on westerly winds. Summer is fantastic for long night dives, however it’s very much a winter dive destination when the cold Antarctic south westerlies prevail and blow out our metro dive sites. On the occasion that it isn’t possible to dive in winter, you are still well positioned to make the most of what else ‘Yorkes’ has on offer. Get your tanks filled at the local petrol station and head on up to beautiful Port Hughes Jetty or the grain terminal Jetty of Wallaroo for the day, both great dives. With a homely pub literally on the other side of the Port Hughes Jetty car park, you can indulge in a warming meal minutes after a dive. Let’s face it, that’s a big part of diving, right? The food and banter with friends afterwards. Port Hughes Jetty has more light reaching its pylons than Edithburgh. Soft corals encrust the pylons here as well as hot pink, purple sponges and swaying kelp. Blennies hide everywhere and watch your every move. I’ve lost count of the number of pipefish I’ve seen and frogfish are also a star attraction too. Like Edithburgh, Port Hughes has a pygmy version of everything. Button-sized leatherjackets and tiny cuttlefish are favourites. Port Hughes in the summer months, apart from being a superb holiday destination, it’s also blue swimmer crab season and this macro dive site is often visited by resident smooth rays and eagle rays keen to make the most of the crabs startled by divers. One ray even likes to accompany divers and exploit this, giving the most impressive of encounters.
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Frogfish Jetties attract marine life and divers
Even seagrass can hide critters Seahorse
Other sites not to be passed up on Yorkes is the quirky and eclectic Ardrossan Jetty and the scenic and grassy Wool Bay, where if you are lucky you might just share the waters with our State Marine Emblem - the leafy sea dragon. This creature defies imagination and is first pick on most divers’ treasure map when visiting South Australia. It’s beautiful to watch it swaying in the grass and kelp at this site, and many others around South Australia. No doubt, there is always somewhere to get in and explore on Yorke Peninsula. If you’re here in winter months, it’s a great to time to extend your exploration of Yorke Peninsula with the cuttlefish migration as that’s a quick trip around the top of the Peninsula and down to Whyalla on Eyre Peninsula. Heck after that, why not keep going and look for dragons at Tumby Bay on your way to Port Lincoln and the great white shark experiences there with Calypso Dive Charters day trips, or liveaboard adventures with Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. Both charters will get you out with the adorably playful Australian sea lions at the right time of the year too. Who wouldn’t want that! But that’s a story for another issue! I also haven’t touched upon the amazing diving on our closer Fleurieu Peninsula. Fleurieu is where the rugged Mount Lofty Ranges meets the sea at Second Valley. Here you will find the Dragons Lair at the base of these rocks and the leafy sea dragons are home most of the year. Among the rocky shore line, grumpy blue devils also sit and pose disagreeingly. However, if that’s not your flavour, then the majestic pylons and schooling fish of Rapid Bay Jetty might be. The beauty
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about travelling to SA to dive is it can be a family affair as well. You can day trip, camp, glamp, caravan or Air B&B. Many dive sites can also be snorkelled by the non-divers of the family. Afterwards pop into a winery on your way back or visit a food market or brewery. Pick up some local art, often reflecting our amazing marine environment. So, while diving with great whites or turfing yourself into frigid winter waters in Whyalla for cuttlefish might not be everyone’s bag, there is something here for all year around and its very accessible for all levels of divers. Certainly, come here for your ‘Big Five’ marine adventure, but don’t miss out on some of the mostenjoyable macro and jetty diving you will find anywhere. n
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Surfers Paradise Dive&Cruise was established in 1988 and is the oldest dive operation currently running in the Gold Coast. As a PADI 5 star IDC, we offer a full range of courses and specialties. We provide our customers with a premium dive experience and dive a wide variety of dive sites including the historical wreck of the Scottish Prince that sunk in 1887. So why not include diving in your next visit to Australia's number one tourist destination (07) 5591 7117 info@aquaadventures.com.au
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O
n 20 May 2002, a new country was born to the north of Australia. It was a very painful experience for its people, but one they had fought long and hard for, earning the respect of even those who had opposed its separation from Indonesia. The country, Timor Leste, emerged from centuries of foreign rule – 455 years as a colony of Portugal, and then 24 years under Indonesia after it was ‘annexed’ by its much-larger neighbour. In what is a long and sorry tale of colonial exploitation followed by brutal Cold War ‘realpolitik’, Timor Leste arrived in the world in a pretty sorry state, with the land stripped of its rich and highly prized sandalwood, and its infrastructure destroyed by the departing Indonesians. But it was free and independent at last… and in the 18 years since then, Timor Leste has done its best to moved forward and start to realise its full potential. With scuba diving seen as a key component of a sustainable tourism industry, the country wants so much to develop! So, what’s special? A quick look at the map, combined with a basic understanding of the phenomenal force of nature that marine scientists call the ‘Indonesian Throughflow’, is enough to tell you that the northern coast of Timor Leste holds considerable promise! To the north of Timor Leste are Alor and Wetar, the most easterly of the chain of islands called the Lesser Sundas, which form the southern boundary of the huge Indonesian archipelago. Further north still are the deep basins of the Banda Sea, layered with the rich phosphorus and nitrogen-laden detritus of the sea. And, as the mighty Throughflow surges south towards the shallower waters of the Lesser Sundas, it creates upwellings that suck up those nutrients from the depths below. Between Alor, Wetar and Timor Leste is the Ombai Strait, one of the three main passages through the Lesser Sunda islands and those nutritive-dense waters create and sustain the incredible biodiversity of that area.
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DIVING TIMOR LESTE
Timor Leste’s diving locations can be broken down into three main areas, consisting of those in and around the capital Dili, the coastal locations up to two hours’ drive to the east and west of Dili, and the large island of Atauro to the north of Dili.
DILI
There are three sites that are dived regularly in Dili - the Pertamina Jetty near the center of the city, Tasi Tolu on the western outskirts, and nearby Dili Rock. All are shore dives and both Pertamina Jetty and Tasi Tolu are muck/critter sites, while Dili Rock is a mixture of critters and coral gardens. Tasi Tolu takes its name from the three freshwater lakes below the nearby foothills and is a flat patch of marine growth in about 15m of water just off the beach. It would be very easy to miss, or simply ignore, that patch if you were not guided and that would mean missing out on the wide variety of resident photogenic critters! Dili Rock, on the other hand, is a much-prettier site and its coral gardens are a delight to photograph, but you won’t find exotic critters there… Pertamina Jetty is the wreck dive you do when there isn’t an actual wreck… As the name suggests, it is the jetty used to import fuels and refined products from the Indonesian national oil company Pertamina. It can only be dived when there are no tankers moored there, but it’s an interesting dive and has a lot to see and photograph.
EAST OF DILI
There are numerous dives sites heading east from Dili, all of which are shore dives reached by short paths from the main road and involve getting kitted up under whatever shade is available and then walking down the beach.
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Don Silcock urges divers to sample the topside and underwater attractions of Timor Leste sooner rather than later PHOTOGRAPHS BY DON SILCOCK
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Jetties are a haven for marine life
Crinoid on a barrel sponge
Healthy hard corals
With scuba diving seen as a key component of a sustainable tourism industry, the country wants so much to develop! All the sites have sheltered entries, so actually getting into the water is easy and exposure to the strong currents of the Ombai Strait is gradual and manageable. My personal favourites to the east of Dili were Secret Garden, Marble Rock and One Tree, with Secret Garden standing out because of its small, but superb, sponge garden with its resident colonies of photogenic purple anthias and silvery glass fish.
WEST OF DILI
There are two main dive site areas to the west of Dili – Bubble Beach, and the picturesque town of Maubara. Bubble Beach is reputed to be one of the best dives in Timor Leste, but unfortunately access from the shore is not possible anymore as the area had been fenced off because the ‘bubbles’ are believed to be natural gas leaking up from the deep water gas reserves that hold the key to Timor Leste’s future prosperity. The fenced-off area is the site of a proposed gas processing facility… There are two sites at Maubara – the Church and the Fort, with the former offering some superb diving around the numerous bommies on the sloping coral slope. First impressions should be ignored though, because the shallower parts of the slope are not particularly appealing. But as you go deeper at around 15m, they come to life and positively abound with marine life that is nourished by the strong currents that sweep the site.
My favourite bommie was about 200 metres to the north-west of the main entry point straight down from the car parking area near the church. It is at around 19m in depth and was simply teeming with life.
ATAÚRO
The large and visibly stunning island of Ataúro lays 30km due north of Dili and suits right in the path of the Indonesian Throughflow as it flows into the Ombai Strait. The area has a reputation as a ‘marine mammal superhighway’ because of the regular sightings of pelagics, dolphins and numerous whales, including the mighty blue whale and the incredible sperm whale! While the sightings are very real, encounters with those creatures are unlikely near the island while on scuba… A dedicated trip with a fast boat to get in position ahead of the migrating animals would be needed, and the encounters would be on snorkel at, or near, the surface – something I am hoping to do later this year…
FOCUS ON: DON SILCOCK
In more normal times, Don is based from Bali in Indonesia, but is currently hunkered down in Sydney. His website www.indopacificimages.com - has extensive location guides, articles and images on some of the best diving locations in the Indo-Pacific region, and ‘big animal’ experiences globally.
Unspoilt scenery awaits topside
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THE INDONESIAN THROUGHFLOW
The incredible flow of water known as the Indonesian Throughflow is caused by the significant difference in sea-level between the Pacific Ocean to the northeast of the archipelago and the Indian Ocean to the south-west. The massive disparity is created by the trade winds and associated oceanic currents, which act in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. But the overall result is the largest movement of water on the planet, which flows through the Indonesian archipelago. So huge is the volume of water associated with the Throughflow that traditional measurements such as cubic meters and gallons are inadequate to describe it in an easily understandable way. So, the Norwegian scientist Harald Sverdrup invented the Sverdrup – one million cubic metres of water per second. The best way to visualize a Sverdrup is to think of a river 100 metres wide, 10m deep and flowing at four knots, then imagine 500 of those rivers all combined together and that is one Sverdrup! It is estimated that the total amount of seawater that passes through the Indonesian Throughflow is 20-22 Sverdrups, or 10,000 of those rivers!
Outrigger boats on the shore
Kitting up for a shore dive
Ataúro suffers from a lack of rainfall, which means that life is hard for the permanent residents of the island and development is significantly slower than on the mainland. But the lack of run-off from the island means that the visibility around Ataúro is exceptional. The diving at Ataúro is concentrated along the west and east coasts of the island, with the west’s defining feature being its dramatic steep walls that descend into the depths of the Ombai Strait, while the east coast is more scenic, fringing reefs that slope down gently.
CONCLUSION
As divers we tend to be constantly looking for new and exciting places to try and Timor Leste offers an interesting mix of things to see both above and below the water. Like they say in the real estate business – location, location, location… and Timor Leste’s location is perfect!
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Very much in the mode of a developing country, Timor Leste’s rough edges add to its charm and the sheer determination of its people to overcome the country’s colonial past and the brutal years of the Indonesian occupation are simply admirable. If you do decide to go, do yourself a favour and allow some extra time to do some land-based exploring and enjoy the country as it is now, because it won’t stay like that forever! n
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Timor Leste, East Timor or Timór Lorosa’e… Geographically, the country is located in the eastern half of the island of Timor – the western half is very much part of Indonesia. Officially, the country is Timor Leste – a name derived from ‘timur’, the word for ‘east’ in Bahasa Indonesia, while in Portuguese ‘Leste’ is also ‘east’, so Timor Leste means ‘East East’. East Timor also means ‘East East’, while Timór Lorosa’e is the Tetum (the language of the island of Timor) version of ‘East East’… 29
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BUBBLES ON THE BRAIN
W
ould you recognise if your buddy was experiencing neurological DCS? Learn to recognise the signs of one of the mostserious types of decompression sickness and brush up on your knowledge before your next dive – it might make all the difference. Cases of decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological symptoms are thankfully rare, but when they do occur they must be responded to rapidly and effectively. Do not let worrying about the ‘worst-case scenario’ make your diving less enjoyable, but do take measures to learn how to identify and respond to a diver with neurological symptoms. Knowing how to respond correctly can make all the difference. While articles are no replacement for training, they’re a great starting point to build on skills you already have or become aware of new skills you’d like to acquire.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Effective treatment of a diver with neurological DCS depends on rapid recognition and response. In any case involving a suspected dive injury, you should respond as if it were the worst-case scenario — a speedy emergency response can only help an injured diver’s condition. If a symptom could potentially be linked to neurological DCS and lacks an obvious exclusionary explanation, assume the symptoms are a result of DCS and proceed accordingly. At times it can be very difficult to discern whether a diver is experiencing DCS or an unrelated medical condition, but being familiar with typical symptoms can give you enough direction to respond effectively. Here’s a list of classic DCS symptoms to look out for: • Confusion • Numbness • Paraesthesia (a ‘pins and needles’ sensation) • Muscle weakness • Difficulty walking • Problems with physical coordination or bladder control • Dizziness or vertigo • Nausea or vomiting • A dry cough or difficulty breathing • Assess, Identify, Respond Once you have recognised that there is a problem, the next step is to identify the type and severity of symptoms. When responding, your priorities are to quickly determine whether an injury has occurred, activate your emergency-response plan and local emergency services, quickly assess the severity of the injury (and the level of urgency required), and (if appropriate) begin conducting a neurological exam while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
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Neurological examinations begin as conversations and progress to a series of cognitive tests. Injured divers with serious cases of DCS can be wholly unaware of their own symptoms, and you may have to identify their symptoms for them with careful examination. An on-site assessment guide is a useful tool to have when conducting these neurological examinations. In fact, DAN’s neurological assessment slate was created specifically for this purpose. When you begin, ask the injured diver how they are feeling and note when each symptom began. Go through a checklist of possible symptoms, but avoid listing them aloud or posing questions in a way that might suggest symptoms that do not exist. As you conduct your assessment be sure to write down pertinent medical history, the dive profile, gas breathed, time of onset, and any reported symptoms. These are critical pieces of information for healthcare providers, and proper documentation can improve both the quality and speed of care once an injured diver reaches a hospital. Next, you’ll want to assess the diver’s mental awareness and physical condition. Determine whether they are alert and oriented - if they have an impaired level of consciousness your priorities may shift to basic life support and airway management. If the diver is alert and oriented, ask simple questions like “Do you know where we are?” and “Do you know what time it is?” These will help you identify possible confusion. In most cases this exam will be interrupted by the arrival of emergency medical personnel, and you should immediately transfer care of the diver to them — along with whatever information you have gathered. If time and the diver’s conditions allow, however, extend the exam to include assessment of bilateral motor function, balance, numbness, and the ability to walk. If is vital that you as a diver are able to recognise the symptoms of a dive injury and activate an emergencyresponse plan. Skills beyond that are highly recommended and could very well save a life, but the ability to identify and respond to major emergencies is something that should be expected of all divers. Your training may not equip you to do more than call emergency services and comfort an injured diver, but your response could very well improve the outcome for an injured buddy all the same. n
DAN EMERGENCY HOTLINE
In the event of a diving incident, we encourage all divers to call the DAN EMERGENCY Hotline promptly for advice: • Within Australia: 1800 088 200 • Outside Australia: +1 919 684 9111 • Within Indonesia: 21 5085 8719
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Diving the N
estled between the Coromandel peninsula and the northern-lying isthmus of the main north island is a 4,000km2 submerged plain. Covered by the Pacific Ocean around 7,000 years ago at the melting of the last glacial age and joining the expanse of the Pacific Ocean via three main channels, the Hauraki Gulf lies protected by her outer-most-lying ‘barrier’ islands to the north, and the 80km-long peninsula of Coromandel to the east. This expanse of shallow sea is home to a sprinkling of islands, each easy to reach and offering many diving possibilities, enabling easy diving regardless of the sea state or wind direction. With too many dive sites to list, the following are a few of the great dives that the area has to offer.
group, with a collective formation of six smaller islands (the Chickens, or Marotere Island chain) further north. The Hen herself is remnant of a four-million-year-old volcano, as are many of the islands within the gulf. With deep, blue waters surrounding her and 360-degree options of cover from prevailing seas and winds, Wahine Bay on the southern side of the Hen is an easy option, with a broad textured rock bottom stepping down to the 45m sandy floor of the Hauraki. RMS Niagara (the so-called ‘Titanic of the Pacific’) was sunk nearby with a belly full of gold in 1940 to a German laid mine. She still lies in 120m of water nearby with a reputed five ingots of unrecovered bullion, eliciting a perpetual cycle of unrealistic ambitions to any self-aggrandising members of the New Zealand diving community.
THE HEN AND CHICKEN ISLANDS
SAIL ROCK
Named by James Cook (for unknown reasons), these islands lie ten nautical miles off Bream Bay. Hen Island Scenic Reserve (also known as ‘Taranga Island’) lies southernmost in the
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A prominent feature immediately to the south of Hen Island, Sail Rock juts from the ocean and provides yet another rewarding dive location.
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Brent Tassell waxes lyrical about the diving opportunities that lie off the North Island of New Zealand PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEX STAMMERS, BILL XU, MARTIN RUDDY AND JAN VAN DIJK
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Scorpionfish
Divers preparing to descend
She stands sheer-sided in 45m of water with a surprisingly textured wall below the water. Rich with cracks and kelpcovered, this is a constant favourite with a big blue-water feeling to her. A sometimes ‘adventurous’ dive entry and a keen-handed boat captain are required to deposit divers to the appropriate side outside the current and close to the rock wall. A remarkably rewarding garden tucked into a slab plateau on the northern side is the safety stop location of choice. The much-depleted crayfish of the Gulf (now declared ‘functionally extinct’) can still occasionally be found peering back from deep recesses within the rock. Schooling mao mao, porae and attendant kingfish idle on the currents at the periphery of the rockface. Sail Rock has a ‘big-blue’ dive feeling to her and is a guaranteed favourite.
MOKOHINAU ISLANDS Crayfish
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Some 100km north from Auckland City is the Mokohinau Island group. A clustered collection of sheer-sided islands, that serve as a wildlife preserve for some of New Zealand’s lesser-known terrestrial species and free from human habitation, these islands are a chain of volcanic stacks standing on the edge of the continental shelf. Complex and textured islands, these are a popular location for fishing and day charters, and offer a myriad of bays and sea-cliffs to find shelter in. With an almost ‘Avatar-esque’ quality of vertical rock rising from sheltered coves, the Mokes can be trying and exposed to get to, with the nearest port being 50km due west (locating the islands a further 28km offshore from the Hen and Chickens). For the effort in crossing an exposed expanse of water to get there, the rewards are an almost-inexhaustible choice of diving on rocky shelves to a white, sandy bottom below.
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Various rays call these waters home
KAUWAU ISLAND (+ SURROUNDING)
The topography is rugged Nudibranchs of all shapes and size can be found
Just 1,400 metres from shore and 40km north of Auckland is one of the largest and oldest human-inhabited islands in the Gulf. Kauwau Island has had a chequered past, and at various stages of Victorian governance was responsible for importing some of New Zealand’s most-famous (and infamous) nonnative species. The Bourgeois ‘Mansion House’ and garden is a popular landing spot for boat trips upon arrival and presents a grassy open space among the wandering peacocks (you read that right) to enjoy a protracted surface interval or extended lunch break. Red moki, snapper and eagle rays abound in the surrounding kelp gardens on the northern side of the Island. Shallow waters and a gentle descent into the channel also make this a great location for less-than-expert dive groups but entertaining and complex enough biologically to hold the interest of the experienced. The Tawharanui Peninsula Marine Reserve is a short two nautical miles due north, inviting an ideal alternate location. Several smaller islands (such as Motuketekete, Takangaroa and Flat Rock) immediately adjacent offer varied shallow diving options to pick around the rocks in 10m of water or less, and again are easy alternate locations within reach. The topside scenery is stunning
On a moody day the mistdraped eastern face ascends from the water to a low cloud ceiling on the island top and could easily be the set piece for King Kong’s ‘Skull Island’ WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
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Macro shooters will be in their element
The eastern shoreline is a favourite site to spy on breeding hammerhead colonies among the shallow rock plates that step down to the sandy floor of the Hauraki below. The ubiquitous bat, eagle and stingrays hunt the shallows here for crayfish and the kina (sea urchins) population are in held in check with a healthy balance of biodiversity.
TIRITIRI MATANGI
Known to the locals as ‘Tiri’, this small island sits two nautical miles from the suburban Whangaparoa Peninsula and is a 15-minute boat ride from the Gulf Harbour Marina. Deemed an ‘open sanctuary’ (meaning able to be visited by the public), this island is a popular fishing location and offers up several small semi-submerged islets (such as Shearer and Shag Rocks) a short distance further east. These features stand in 30m plus of water and are functional up-wellings for the domestic species of finfish of the region. Although worked hard by local fishermen, there is usually a surprise to be had by the odd kingfish or bronze whaler shark. Small populations of New Zealand fur seals can be seen basking on the exposed rock occasionally, and this inner Gulf area is the best place to spot the occasional little (or ‘fairy’) penguin.
Some rays can achieve huge size
LITTLE BARRIER ISLAND
Twelve nautical miles from the mainland shore prominently stands Little Barrier Island. An extinct volcano, steep sided and Jurassic in appearance, she rises almost symmetrically on all sides to 720 metres above the surrounding Jellicoe and Craddock channels of the Gulf. She is the southernmost of three ‘sister’ volcanoes and protects the Gulf from the brunt of the northerly flow of the open Pacific Ocean beyond. New Zealand’s first nature reserve and unspoilt by human habitation for over a century, Little Barrier is an arc to threatened birdlife, and sits in a warm-moist flow of air, precipitating a rising cloud forest at her crown. On a moody day the mist-draped eastern face ascends from the water to a low cloud ceiling on the island top and could easily be the set piece for King Kong’s ‘Skull Island’.
Blenny posing for the camera
An inexhaustible amount of diving lies along the entire western length of the island, with sheer cliffs rising from the ocean in an uncountable number of bays and rock walls WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
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Sea lion
THE HAURAKI GULF (IN GENERAL)
Bring your macro lens!
GREAT BARRIER ISLAND
The best in this collection is last. Great Barrier Island. The sixth largest Island of New Zealand and lying eight nautical miles off the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, Great Barrier Island offers a marine eco-system no longer viable within the inner Gulf. Sparsely populated, but with some amenities for visiting boats and campers, the island is the marine equivalent to a step back in time. An inexhaustible amount of diving lies along the entire western length of the island, with sheer cliffs rising from the ocean in an uncountable number of bays and rock walls. Weather permitting, a transit to the northern-most tip, Needles Point, will yield truly amazing diving but in a very exposed sea, and a long way from any assistance. This is expedition-style diving, amenities not far from shore. The Island boasts some of the country’s best spearfishing (which is always a solid indicator of marine health), and even has a regular flight service from Auckland’s North Shore aerodrome. This is the kind of underwater landscape you see when you close your eyes, rich and teeming with life. Far enough from the mainland to be unaffected by run-off (and therefore atypically clear visibility), the cool waters invite deep sea pelagic species close to the surface and set up an interaction between predator finfish species and schooling fish. If I could only dive one location for the rest of my days… this would be it.
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The Hauraki Gulf sits at the southern-most turning point of the South Pacific Gyre (and therefore the East Australian Current). Although under constant stress from the explosion of human habitation along its fringes, the northern-most and outlying areas have an abundance of marine life. Ocean temperatures, while rising in trend, qualify as ‘temperate’, with summer water temperatures typically 23°C, and winter water temperature as low as 13°C. Winter diving is best done in a drysuit, although a solid semi-dry is adequate year-round. A 5mm wetsuit will serve briefly in the summer peak of February to March, although I would still recommend a hood. New Zealand’s waters are home to a rising number of marine mammals, and there is a well-embraced public spirit to protect and enjoy these, with the Department of Conservation being an active participant in their welfare. As such, there are scripted rules to interacting with these species to be observed by all. Please visit our ‘Big Blue Backyard’… Chur (colloq. - Kiwi ‘Thank you’). n Above water is just as beautiful as below
The kelp is home to all manner of marine life
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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHING SHARKS AND OTHER LARGER SUBJECTS Following his last article on opening the aperture, Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on, shooting sharks and other larger subjects PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS
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lthough this is a huge subject, you can break photographing larger animals underwater into two approaches – available light, where you will not be using strobes (Image 1) and balanced light, where you are generally very close to the subject (Image 2) and will be using strobes to light the subject and ambient light for the background. These days we often tend to know what we are going to try and photograph before we get in the water. Diving at Manta Sandy in Raja Ampat, for example, photographers will have been briefed that the site is a manta cleaning station and the presence of subjects is in the title! However, there are rules about how close you can get. It would be absolutely pointless using your strobes to light these large subjects in the distance. More on available light shooting later. Similarly, if you are going to do a baited shark dive or dive in the middle of a seal colony, you will know what to expect and will be briefed that the subjects will likely get very close to you, making strobe lighting ideal and helping greatly in capturing detail. Of course, there are also chance encounters with large subjects, and you have to be ready to shoot with very little time. Often in these instances, the subjects are not very close, so it is worthwhile knowing how to turn your strobes off quickly – my Nikon D5 has a single button to press for
Image 1 - Manta and diver Ambient light
Image 2 - Blue shark Balanced light
this purpose. If the strobe light has little chance of reaching the subject, you will get a much-cleaner image without any potential backscatter if the strobes are turned off quickly. One of the main things to emphasize with larger subjects is that you might well have travelled a long way and spent a large sum to get the opportunity and when it comes you don’t want to leave anything to chance. The best images of these types of subjects are created by photographers who have
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Holiday highlights... Join photo pro Martyn Guess on a workshop in the the heart of the coral triangle, the Bunaken Marine National Park with Siladen dive resort. The workshop package includes 8 nights garden view villa on an full board basis – optional room upgrades available. 21 nitrox boat air boat dives. Local taxes are prepaid. Return airport transfers in Manado are included. Ask for a quote to add international flights.
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BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS
Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly as long. He has been very successful in national and international competitions and regularly makes presentations to camera and photography clubs and diving shows as well as The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP) and other underwater photography groups. Today he shares his passion and knowledge - as well as teaching underwater photography courses, he leads overseas workshop trips for Scuba Travel, and his articles regularly appear in Scuba Diver magazine.
Image 3 - Whaleshark Ambient light
planned well and thought about the techniques that they are going to apply and the equipment, lens choices, etc, and leave little for chance. On a recent workshop that I ran in the Azores, where we were photographing blue sharks in the open Atlantic, I advised everyone to have their cameras turned on and strobes turned on and positioned with safe mid-power and approximate camera settings before we got in the water. The sharks were very skittish and there was likely to be a brief chance to get some images. Of course, the only diver close enough to have a great chance of getting a good image on that particular dive had his head in his camera selecting settings to use as the shark passed behind and was totally unaware of the opportunity which was completely missed!
Image 4 - Dolphins Ambient light
GETTING READY FOR A DIVE WITH A LARGE SUBJECT
It is a good idea to assess before you get in the water, what you believe you are likely to see, how close you will likely get, how quickly the subjects will move past you and what the sunlight conditions are, as well as the depth you will be diving. All of these factors will enable you to come up with a plan. I tend to use manual settings for my photography but with larger and sometimes erratically moving subjects, I will use Shutter Priority - this gives me one less thing to think about. If you set to a minimum speed of, say, 1/30th Sec or higher, then most, if not all, of your shots will be sharp unless the subject is moving very quickly, when you will need to increase the speed. With dolphins for example, which move very quickly, you will need a far faster speed - if using available light, then speeds of around 500th of a second will work well. I also like to use auto ISO as this will compensate for under exposure when shooting with fast speeds. When you get the chance, check your shots in your LCD in order to know whether you should be adjusting things to get a good water colour or whether the sun is too strong, particularly if you are shooting slightly upwards or are very shallow and blowing out the top of the frame. This is easy to do particularly when shooting verticals. Make sure also from the image reviews that the camera hasn’t adjusted the aperture too open, as your images might become a little soft with reduced depth of field. With focus, I tend to use Nikon’s full auto with the maximum number of focus points. You can use 3D tracking, but it is difficult when things are moving quickly to move the focus point to say the eye of the subject. Full auto focus tends to give me the best results. If there are lots of particles in the water,
you might need to focus on say your fin and then lock focus. As long as you are not using a relatively open aperture, the depth of field will be good enough to take a crisp shot of the subject. I quite often also set the camera up for continuous shooting, so that I can keep shooting as the subject gets closer, simply by holding the shutter down. Ambient light shooting can be very liberating not to have cumbersome strobes attached to your rig. If you know that the subjects won’t be close enough for strobe light to reach them, then dive without strobes – you will also be able to move through the water quicker (image 3). You won’t be restricted by the cameras/strobes sync speed and this will enable you to shoot at high speeds if you need to. This is the perfect set up to snorkel with dolphins (Image 4) or even bigger subjects moving quickly. It is amazing how fast a whale or whaleshark moves!
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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 5 Hammerhead taken with Magic Filter
If you have time when you first get into position, make a point of knowing where the sun is in relation to where the subjects will likely appear. Get into a position with the sun on your back, then take some test shots shooting into the blue, adjusting speed to get a good background water colour, but keeping it fast enough to freeze the action. Remember that if you move position when following a subject and turn into the sun, and thus shoot into the light, it is likely that the subject will become quite dark and exposure becomes quite difficult. However, if done well shooting into the light with sun beams, for example, can add to a picture and make it more dynamic. If you are diving in shallow and sunny conditions, it is worth considering using Magic Filters. These will give a very natural look to the subject (image 5). With the sun behind you it is possible to get a very nice blue background.
BALANCED LIGHT
Depending on the conditions and the subject and of course how close you will get, strobe lighting is great for getting definition and detail in your pictures and also make the subject stand out. If the weather is over-cast or if it is late or very early in the day or you will be diving at depth, then you will need massively high ISOs to get a reasonable shot. Using strobes and getting close is best. Even when diving in bright Bahamas sunlight with hammerhead sharks, I opt to use strobes to make the subjects ‘pop’ in the image, in the knowledge that these sharks will get close. Image 7 - Grey seal with strobes The best position very close in for your strobes is to have them at 10 and 2 on an imaginary clock dial. If the subject is low to the bottom, as is often the case with hammerheads, for example, then having the strobes in a high
Image 6 - Hammerhead with strobes positioned high
position relative to the housing will help you to avoid burning out the light Bahamian sand (Image 6). Remember also that the width that the strobes are from the housing needs to be adjusted the closer the subject is to you. When shooting grey seals in the UK they will come right up to the dome port and you need to quickly bring the strobes closer together. In the case of the seals if you don’t bring the strobes tight to the housing and dome port, you will have a very characterful, but underlit and dark face in your image! (Image 7). Sharks are creatures of habit and they tend to swim in the same pattern. You will have time after they pass to review some images and check settings and composition before they come around again. You will see them in the distance coming in for a pass, so you should have time to get ready. As they get closer, wait until they are filling the frame and then shoot. For shooting in darker conditions, consider using very slow shutter speeds for some motion blur, but when using this technique use plenty of strobe light to freeze the subject. Use speeds of 1/8 or 1/10th sec and if panning the camera through the frame aim for the area just behind the head of the subject and you should get the whole subject in the frame. Remember to set your camera to front curtain if panning with a moving subject or rear curtain if holding the camera still (FC or RC controls when the strobe is actually fired in the exposure either the beginning or the end) (Image 8). When you next get the opportunity to photograph a large subject, plan how best to shoot it beforehand and set up accordingly and then when you get in the water you can enjoy the rare experience and think less about the camera. n
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Image 8 - Caribbean reef shark with slow shutter blur
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Image by Alex Mustard An underwater photographer using 2x Retra Flash with Wide Angle diffusers attached observes a Blacktip shark. Image lighting with 2x Retra Flash PRO.
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ARE YOU READY TO ENTER…
SCUBA.DIGITAL? Scuba.Digital is a new online dive show for diving, freediving and snorkelling – and we asked co-founder Jason Haiselden for the lowdown on what you can expect
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irtual dive shows have been attempted before, but have suffered from glitchy connections and other technical issues, but Scuba.Digital is set to break the mould. The brainchild of Jason Haiselden, April Fung, and brothers Stefan and Boris Glumpler, who know a thing or two about digital being as they were also behind the creation of ScubaClick (a well-received liveaboard management, reservation and booking system), Scuba.Digital had been around in concept form for a few years, with the team even investing in a platform on which to run the event while attending the DEMA trade show in November 2019. The advent of COVID-19 gave them the impetus they needed, and so Scuba.Digital was truly ‘born’.
WHEN IS IT?
Scuba.Digital will run for a full 72 hours from 12 noon (GMT) on 23 October until 12 noon (GMT) on 26 October. Unlike a traditional show, Scuba.Digital will not close at night, but instead will remain open and thus catch audiences and exhibitors in all time zones. It is envisaged that Scuba.Digital will ‘follow the sun’, covering the following areas – EU and Africa, then the Americas, followed by the Pacific, and then Asia and Australia.
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WHAT’S FEATURED AT SCUBA.DIGITAL?
Scuba.Digital is seeking to be a true show in every sense of the word, covering scuba diving, freediving and snorkelling. There will be a main stage where most presentations will be, and there will be ‘break out’ rooms (known as sessions), where further discussions and smaller-scale presentations will take place. Live presentations currently scheduled include a focus on liveaboards and resorts, an insight into the latest dive equipment, hints and advice on underwater photography, informative talks about coral and pelagics (sharks), and a call-to-arms on conservation. There is even a ‘Networking’ area – a bit like bumping into people at café tables or in the halls of a traditional show. Exhibitors are able to ‘man’ their expo areas throughout the entire 72 hours, so whenever you ‘tune in’ as a visitor, you will be able to find out the information you need through videos, links to websites and special offers, or even interact with these dive industry experts live via an ‘in-person’ session, much as you would chat to an exhibitor at a true show. For visitors, this section will be like a virtual version of wandering the aisles at a traditional dive show.
A NEW DAWN?
The concept of Scuba.Digital appears to have been well received. Jason explained: “We put the website together, started setting up the show on the platform, and on Saturday 16 May we launched. “We had 40 people sign up to take part as speakers and exhibitors in the first ten days, and fully expect to have nearly 200 exhibitors as we approach the end of September.” Jason added: “The multi-lingual event may have an even broader reach, in that we can envision surfers/kite surfers also being a target audience, as there is quite a crossover for resorts and liveaboards that also cater to these audiences.” Scuba.Digital will be free to exhibitors and speakers, and Jason explained why. “Quite simply, without exhibitors and speakers, there is no show for visitors, and we want to make Scuba.Digital the biggest online dive show there have ever been, with plenty to keep people attending occupied for extended, or even multiple, visits. “The important thing to stress about Scuba.Digital is that it is a truly ‘live’ event, and visitors will be able to speak directly to exhibitors right there and then, as well as take part in fully interactive presentations and talks.”
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WHO IS SPEAKING?
There are a selection of speakers already lined up, including the likes of shark expert Cristina Zenato, underwater photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, Georgienne Bradley from Sea Safe Foundation, Atlantis Dive Resort’s Brent Durand and Roni Ben-Aharon, Christopher Bartlett from Indigo Safaris, Deborah Dickson-Smith from Diveplanit Travel, Beneath British Waters’ Mark Barrow, Bryan Horne from Dive Curacao, Yan Cai from Navatics Technology, Thalassa Dive Resort’s Simone Gerritsen, Bernardo van Hoof from Goby Divers and Watersports, Oceans Below’s Elisabeth Lauwerys, Alain Tiggelaar from Tec Diving Curacao, the International Scuba Divers Club’s Alejandro Dutto, Lance Higgs about Truk Lagoon, The Wanukaka Corporation’s Freddy Jousset, Scott Gietler from Bluewater Travel, Reef-World Foundation’s Sam Craven and Chloe Harvey, Madeline St Clair Baker from Adelaar Cruises, Dr Martin Stelfox of the Olive Ridley Project, The Smiling Seahorses’ Camille and Franck Fogarolo, Cozumel Marine World’s Jorge Marin Moreno, Jorge Hauser from Baha My Love, Brendon Allen from Desert Reef Dive Systems, Scubapsyche’s Dr Laura Walton, Enrique Rubio from PT Innerseas Adventures, Stephen J Craig-Murray from ITDA Group International, Frank Lewis from DivewithFrank. com, and Susanna Lourenco about the psychology of freediving. More speakers are being announced all the time, so keep checking the website: scuba.digital/speakers
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EXHIBITORS
More exhibitors are signing on all the time, but as we went to press, the list included:
PRIZE DRAWS – BE IN IT TO WIN IT!
Each visitor that purchases a ticket for Scuba.Digital will automatically be entered into the prize draws. The draws will take place on the main stage, with the sponsors who provide the contribution being able to join the stage to present the prize to the winner. Names will be drawn electronically and read out to the audience. If the winner is in the audience, then they will be able to claim the prize, otherwise another name is drawn, so make sure you are there ‘in person’ when the draws are made. Prizes currently include offerings from Indigo Safaris, Fundiving Curacao, Diveplanit, PT Innerseas Adventures, and SG ScubaGaskets Ltd. More are being added all the time – check out: scuba.digital/prize-draws for the latest.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO TAKE PART?
All you need is a good internet connection and a mobile, tablet, laptop or PC with a video camera and a microphone. You are then all set to attend Scuba.Digital from the comfort of your own home, at a time that is convenient for you.
WANT TO ATTEND?
Tickets covering all three days of the show are available now, with early bird specials! There are only 500 ‘Seahorse’ tickets available at the special discounted rate of $10 – normally $20. Head to https://div.ng/SDM
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D-Luxe Dive Gear, Tourism Fiji, Greenwood Beach Resort, Dewi Nusantara, Bunaken Oasis Dive and Spa Resort, Dive Tribe, MV Valhalla and MV Valkyrie, Undersea Hunter, Cocotinos Boutique Resort, Sea Save Foundation, Devocean Divers Malapascua, Emperor Divers, South Pacific Island Travel, Blue Ocean Dive Centre and Abu Dabbab Lodge, Walindi Plantation Resort, Galapagos Sky, Aggressor Adventures, Coral Guardian, UnBelizeable Travel, Fort Young Hotel and Dive Resort, Dominica, Quest Dive Adventures, Sand Dollar Condominiums, Manta Trust, Indux Media, Reef and Rainforest Dive and Adventure Travel, Scuba Libre Adventures, Bluewater Travel, Dive Travel Curacao, Dive Curacao, Pacific Dive and Travel, All Star Liveaboards, Goby Divers Curacao, Naboo Resort, Lighthouse Point Resort and Residences, Africa Tour, Cayuco Reef Divers SA, Cozumel Marine World, Belize Dive Haven, Dive Flag Jewellery, Divebooker.com, Fascination Maldives, Atlantis Dive Resort and Liveaboards, Ilios Dive Club, Solitude Liveaboards and Resorts, Fourth Element, Scuba Diplomacy, Professional Scuba Inspectors, Dutchcraft, YourBagTag.com, Freedive Cozumel, The Fifth Point, Cabrits Dive Centre, Red Sea Elite Diving, Dive Inspire, Bilikiki Cruises, Oceans Unlimited, The Diver Medic, Scuba Psyche, EVE Diving, Weelze Diving Services, Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort, Shark OFF, Maltaqua Dive Centre, Calico Jack Charters, Tambora Dive Cruises, Conor Culver Photography and Design, Scuba Gifts, Rabaul Dive Adventure, Best of Papua New Guinea, Indigo Safaris and Best of PNG, Olive Ridley Project, Manta Ray Bay Resort and Yap Divers, Roots Red Sea, Wetwear, St Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventure, Baja My Love, Costa Rica Scuba Diving and Adventure Tours, Oasis Guesthouse Bonaire, Seafari International, Tec Diving Curacao, Pelagic Dive Travel, Asia Scuba Instructors, NAUI, The Reef-World Foundation, Kasai Village Dive Resort, Swanage Boat Charters, Liquid Diving Adventures, Fundiving Curacao, Damai Liveaboards, Sunset House, Magic Resorts Philippines, Go Dive Bali, Jungle Bay Hotel Dominica, Rafida Liveaboard, La Galigo Liveaboard, Asia Liveaboard, DivingPass, Thalassa Dive Resorts Indonesia, Lumbalumba Diving Manado, Pelagic Fleet, Dive in Culture, Finclip, Snorklean, C&R Testing, Ocean Geographic, Diving in Elba, Oyster Diving, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort, Diveplanit Travel, Nature Island Dive, Carpe Diem Maldives, WaterMate Boats, Underwater Tour, St Andrew’s Divers Cove, Navatics Technology, Diveshop, Infiniti Liveaboard, PT Inner Sea Adventures, Blue Force Fleet, The Smiling Seahorse, Heaven Saphir Liveaboard Red Sea, SG Scuba Gaskets, and Dive Patches International.
Keep checking the website for the most up-todate list of exhibitors: scuba.digital/exhibitors
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BEYOND TECHNICAL
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In the first of a two-part feature, we talk to Pete Mesley, a hugely charismatic figure on the international diving scene, who has carved a niche for himself in the world of technical diving and expeditions PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PETE MESLEY
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We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com
Now, diving in the South of England was not for the faint-hearted. We would regularly be diving wrecks in the 30m-45m range, with a large-capacity steel tank with a three-litre pony bottle for redundancy strapped to the side of it being the norm
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BEYOND TECHNICAL
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Q: You are undoubtably one of the southern hemisphere’s most-experienced technical diving instructors and explorers, but how did you first get into diving in the first place, and what led you down the technical route? A: I have always had a love for the water and from a very young age I wanted to be underwater. I have memories of wearing this ‘fishbowl-style’ rubber mask whenever I went swimming and would strap empty pool chlorine bottles (twins) to my back with old rope I found in the garage. Thank heavens I didn’t try and breathe from them or this would have been a very short story! Like some kids (you know who you are), I also attempted to implode my lungs by trying to breathe from a hose pipe from the bottom of the pool while the hose was outside. That didn’t end well. But I just loved being underwater. I had converted this love for being in the water to becoming a marine biologist. This is what I associated diving with being in terms of a vocation, but once I hit senior school I realised that I needed to go to university in order to study marine biology. That stopped me dead in the water, as I was no academic giant and knew that there was no way I would finish school, let alone go to university! This was quite disheartening for me. It wasn’t until I had left school (I did manage to finish my senior schooling with A-levels in English and Art!) and was living in London at the age of 20 with some ex-school mates that the underwater world reared its head again. One of my friends was heading out to do his pool session for his open water diver course one night. I asked if I could join him. After some negotiating at the pool, someone took me in for my first dive. It was then I knew, wholeheartedly, that this was for me. I just loved it. Now, I had a different route in order to make this passion a reality - to become a dive instructor! So I spent every waking hour, every weekend and every penny I had dedicated to pursue my goal of making diving my career. Now, diving in the South of England was not for the fainthearted. We would regularly be diving wrecks in the 30m-45m range, with a large-capacity steel tank with a three-litre
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pony bottle for redundancy strapped to the side of it being the norm. This was in 1991. So I guess most of the diving I was doing was in the 30m and deeper range. It was an easy progression to get into technical diving. But it wasn’t until I moved to New Zealand in 1994 that I really started getting into mixed-gas diving. Up until then it was just deep air to 60m, with accelerated decompression with 50 percent and O2. Q: You started specialising in CCR and technical diving trips way back in 1998. What was the driving force for you beginning your own excursions and expeditions, and what makes them different to anything else out there? A: I planned a trip to Fiji in 1995 and I will never forget what a shocker of a trip I had. I was there with my wife and I had planned to do some diving while we were on holiday. I booked on the trip and we headed out on the boat. Most of the divers were ‘resort divers’, fairly new, inexperienced holiday makers wanting to get out for a dive, which was totally fine. We were all briefed and all 12 of us were told to stick with the guide. You can imagine what a spectacle that was. Arms and legs flying around everywhere, etc. About 15 minutes into the dive we were all given the ‘thumbs up’ and the dive was ended because one guy went through his gas really quickly. That was it. I vowed to never again be subjected to this madness and from that day onwards, I dedicated myself to planning diver trips focusing on experienced divers. There had to be more people out there who felt the same way as I did. From there onwards I started specialising in rebreather trips, logistics and gear.
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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS Q: Some of your Lust4Rust destinations include Bikini Atoll, Truk Lagoon, the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific. What are the high points and attractions of your chosen locations? A: Well, like most, I’m a diver and explorer first and foremost, so the biggest drive to go to these areas is the personal ambition to dive these world-class places. I remember when I was just learning to dive and my instructor in London was heading off to Truk Lagoon. I couldn’t believe it. He was so lucky to go to a place that I only dreamed of going. I remember thinking to myself that I would never be able to afford to go there… Thankfully, I was wrong! Highpoints? Wow, where do I start? For me, personally, it’s the whole culture of diving. It quite literally is all aspects that brings me such joy. I just love spending time with people, building friendships and sharing experiences which are special and lifelong memory builders. It’s also the historical aspects of diving these massively important monuments in time. So when I descend onto the stern section of Japanese battleship Nagato, bypassing the massive rudders, four screws and 16-inch guns to get to the bridge tower where none other than Marshal Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stood, giving the order to attack Pearl Harbour, that is a humbling experience not soon forgotten. Other strong memories etched into my core emotions was swimming into hold four on an ocean liner converted into a passenger/cargo auxiliary raider for the Combined Fleet in Truk Lagoon. The Aikoku Maru. This hold was converted into troop accommodations and during Operation Hailstone in February 1944, Aikoku was one of the first ships to be bombed by the US during the attack. A number of 500lb bombs were dropped into the forward holds which triggered the ordinance which was stored there. This catastrophically blew the ship in half, totally destroying the first half of the ship. The intense shockwave and heat instantaneously killed all 400-odd troops in hold four, totalling over 700 deaths on one ship alone. You could see the buckling of the bulkheads as a result of this shock wave. Going into this hold was a very humbling experience for me and the overwhelming feeling of complete and utter loss was claustrophobic. I am constantly reminded when I dive in Truk (Chuuk) about the ravages of war and hopefully by not forgetting what happened there, this may never happen again in the future.
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Q: You are renowned for your Lust4Rust wreck-diving expeditions, but you are now getting up close and personal with some big critters with Shock & Awe Big Animal Diving. Tell us a bit more about that side of the business. A: It’s funny, I have built a career based on being a ‘Rust Head’ but what I really love is just being in the water. You could put me in a shit pond with no visibility and I would still be happy! I cut my teeth on the South Coast of England where every waking hour we were talking about wrecks, finding them, diving them (and the possibility of locating and procuring a bit of spidge, too). I left the UK and went walkabout working as a dive instructor in the Red Sea, Cyprus, South Africa, Australia and finally making my way to New Zealand in 1994. I worked very hard to build the ‘Lust4Rust’ brand so I had to create another brand to furnish my absolute love for big animals, which I was subjected to while on my travels. That’s where ‘Shock&Awe’ Big Animal Diving was born. Somehow I don’t think that running a trip to the Galapagos on a Lust4Rust trip would wash? But, man-oh-man, what fun I am having. I think, in fact - I know - that I am the luckiest man alive (apart from having the most-understanding wife on the planet) I get to not only dive some of the best places on Earth and witness some pretty cool shit, but spend time with outstanding people. And if there is a ‘Cheeky Shiraz’ to be had at the end of the day, then that would finish it off perfectly. Shock&Awe has just really started kicking into gear in the last few years. I run trips to Galapagos specialising in tenday rebreather-only and experienced OC diver trips. Socorro Islands, Palau, great white experiences in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Solomons. All the places with incredible experiences.
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www.narkedat90.com Q: You were a pioneer in the world of technical diving, and rebreathers, particular in New Zealand. Tell us more about your progression into the deep. A: By trade I am a Course Director and have been teaching dive professionals since 2000. I have also been training technical divers for even longer. I did my first tech instructor rating in 1994. When I got to New Zealand, man, that was an education. Noone had ever seen a DIN fitting before, let alone knew about technical diving. I had to conduct all my personal tech training in Australia, then come back to NZ and home grow some tech divers so I had someone to dive with. I was just looking back and having a laugh. Nitrox was the new kid on the block and I had a blending panel made for me from an engineer’s shop. We pumped the country’s first nitrox fill in late-1994. Too funny! From there we plodded along and the next few years I started reading all about these rebreather contraptions! Then, I think it was 1995 when Peter Ready did his world tour promoting his PRISM rebreather. Mesmerised by this technology I lapped up as much information as I could, did the try dive in the pool and was hooked, line and sinker! But being a man of meagre means (I was a poor dive
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instructor!) I could not afford these amazing pieces of technology (The Inspiration had just come out) so I set about doing a Dolphin Rebreather course in Australia. Before the course had even finished I was already hard at work trying to figure out how to close the loop. That’s when I sought the council of the AARG (Australian Amateur Rebreather Group). This was brilliant. It was actually a bunch of like-minded (skint) diving enthusiasts who were totally and utterly crazy! Their motto was ‘Never test your unit in a pool’! So long story short – the birth of ‘The Widowmaker’ in 1996. I had converted a Dolphin semi-closed rebreather into this gigantic monstrosity. BUT it worked! In fact I completed over 500 hours on the Widowmaker and successfully dived the Niagara (125m deep ocean liner in NZ). The Widowmaker was 100 percent manual CCR, I push a button and O2 goes in. That’s it! What was I thinking? (Thank God my wife knew nothing about this except for the name and she really wanted me to call it something else). It was monitored by three independent cells. One Drager PO2 meter, an Aladin Pro AirZ and one of the first production ‘Brick’ VR computers from Kev Gurr. Anyway. The Widowmaker did me proud for a few years. I finally bought a Buddy Inspiration CCR in 1999 because I knew that I would never be able to teach people on my homebuild rebreather, so had to go legit! Much to the relief of my wife. I have been actively diving the Inspiration since then, just recently going over to the JJ in 2016. n
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D
iving the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is now possible with a selection of local operators awarded licenses to take divers and snorkellers to visit Jason deCaires Taylor’s latest underwater masterpiece. It is the only underwater art museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and the project aims to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education on a global scale. Located in the central part of the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Townsville, MOUA is the first of a series of installations by the world’s leading underwater sculptor – Jason deCaires Taylor.
JASON DECAIRES TAYLOR
Jason deCaires Taylor is a sculptor, environmentalist and professional underwater photographer. Born in 1974, Taylor graduated from the London Institute of Arts in 1998 with a BA Honours in Sculpture. Over the past ten years, Taylor has created several large-scale underwater ‘Museums’ and ‘Sculpture Parks’, with collections of over 850 life-size public works. These include well-known installations such as NEST in the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Crossing the Rubicon in the Canary Islands, and Vicissitudes in the West Indies.
MOUA
The Coral Greenhouse is the first underwater building created by Taylor, and the first of a series of three installations on the central Great Barrier Reef, with further underwater installations planned for Palm Island and Magnetic Island. Weighing more than 58 tonnes, the ‘Coral Greenhouse’ is filled with and surrounded by 20 reef guardians, who are propagating coral to spread the message of reef conservation. Located approximately 80km from Townsville, two hours by boat, on John Brewer Reef, the construction is made from stainless steel and pH-neutral materials to instigate natural coral growth. John Brewer Reef, located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, is a naturally formed reef, with some weather protection, 10-15metre visibility, natural coral walls and a flat sandy base.
THE CENTRAL GREAT BARRIER REEF
The installation adds a whole new dimension to diving the central Great Barrier Reef, which has long been overshadowed by the n orthern reefs accessed from Cairns and Port Douglas. The nearby reefs of the Bunker Group include beautiful sites such as Peacock Bommie at Davies Reef, which rises from depths of over 30m up to 5m from the surface. Here you’ll likely see huge schools of fusiliers, basslets and snapper hugging the reef, as larger pelagic fish cruise past in the blue. Waft away clouds of glassfish to uncover pipefish, cleaner shrimp and coral cods. Vic’s Patches on Keeper Reef is often referred to as Fish
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Bowl. The site has tantalising swim-throughs with beams of light that make it a photographer’s favourite. Look closely for nudibranchs, frogfish, giant pufferfish and big eyes peeking up through the dark. The North Face of Wheeler’s Reef offers an action-packed drift dive, cruising past schools of humphead parrotfish and Spanish mackerel. Keep an eye on the sandy bottom as you drift along, for sleepy wobbegongs and the occasional grey reef shark.
THE SS YONGALA
And, of course, the installation gives you just one more reason to visit the region for a dive on the SS Yongala, consistently voted Australia’s number one wreck dive. The Yongala came to grief in a category five cyclone over 100 years ago, and in that time has attracted an incredible amount of marine life. Expect to see huge schools of batfish, barracuda, jacks, giant trevallies, all sorts of rays, reef sharks, Queensland grouper and the wreck’s signature creature - olive sea snakes. The wreck itself is adorned with vibrant hard and soft corals, gorgonian fans and bright red whip corals. Adrenalin Dive and Yongala Dive are two of the local centres with access to the installation, with four-day liveaboard trips to be announced soon. Both the Museum of Underwater Art and the Yongala can be dived from Townsville, Magnetic Island or further south in Ayr. Contact the team at Diveplanit Travel for pricing on dive/ stay packages and liveaboard options. enquire@diveplanit.com Diveplanit.com
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What’s New
FOURTH ELEMENT SURFACE
Designed for freediving, snorkelling and surface watersports, the Surface is the first diving wetsuit to be made with certified sustainable natural rubber and recycled inner and outer linings. The minimal design features a mini chest-zipper, eliminating the need for a back zip, radically improving mobility and minimizing the opportunity for water to enter the suit through the teeth of the zip. The flexible rubber of the suit provides freedom of movement and the inner ankle and wrist seals ensure that suit flush is minimized. Perfect for snorkelling and freediving, this suit is also suitable for other sports, including stand-up paddleboarding and open-water swimming due to the unrestricted nature of the design. Using Yulex Pure, a 100 percent plantbased alternative to neoprene, the Surface is lined with recycled polyester made from post-consumer plastic bottles. Seams have been blindstitched and bonded with waterbased glue, delivering comfort from a suit designed to have minimal impact on the ocean. www.fourthelement.com
RETRA SUPERCHARGER The new Retra Flash Pro and Prime are capable of much more with the new Supercharger. Recycle time is reduced by more than 50 percent, and the autonomy is doubled. Retra reckon you can get more than 700 flashes at 50 percent power using the Supercharger, and thanks to the shortened recycle time, you will never miss a shot during rapid photo sequences. The Supercharger works with additional four AA-cell batteries, giving you a total of eight AA-cell batteries to power your Prime or Pro. The voltage of the battery compartment is doubled, and the recycle time is reduced by more than 50 percent due to higher efficiency of energy transfer. The Supercharger featuees double O-ring sealing on all surfaces, and once mounted, it is very compact and robust. Another bonus - by purchasing the Supercharger, your warranty for the Retra Flash Prime or Pro will be extended by six months. www.retra-uwt.com
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MARES 28XR-HR FULL SM TEK SET
This new Mares Extended Range complete set is for your most-challenging dives, both sidemount and backmount. The set comprises two 28XR first stages, two HR second stages, two Miflex XT-Tech hoses (60cm-210cm), two short Miflex XTTech sidemount inflator hoses, one metre of 4mm bungee, and two pressure gauges. The 28XR first stage uses a balanced diaphragm concept, controlled by a double piston (TBP - Twin Balanced Piston system) which is environmentally sealed using antiinfiltration technology (AST - Auto Sealing Technology) to avoid possible sand or particle entry, especially on cave dives or in polluted waters. This also guarantees the perfect seal against possible water entry when rinsing the first stage, and allows for the eventual removal of the first stage, even while diving. This model includes four LP ports on a swivel turret, all facing the diver for optimum use, one vertical LP port and two symmetrical HP ports at a 10° angle for perfect hose positioning. There is also natural DFC on all LP ports to guarantee superior performance. The first stage is completed with a shiny chrome metal body which is lightweight at 790g. The HR Second Stage is adapted for main and back-up backmount, sidemount, stage and ‘hard breathing’, offering simple breathing force adjustment by turning the large, side control knob, which is easily accessible, even when using thick neoprene gloves. It is possible to regulate the ‘hard’ second stage when it is not being used, and make it ‘softer’ when it is in use. The simple, ultralight technopolymer body provides excellent performance. It includes PAD Pneumatically Assisted Design to minimize breathing effort, an oversized purge button for easy use, even when wearing thick neoprene gloves, and a highly resistant Miflex XTTech hose made with 12 threads, reinforced in titanium and protected with a special, transparent PU to guarantee maximum durability and consistent performance over time. www.mares.com
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AQUA LUNG DS MASK RANGE Aqua Lung has launched three new diving masks – the Profile, the Horizon, and the Mistique. All three masks are fitted with Aqua Lung‘s easy-touse flexible joint buckles and silicone 3D strap, and all come packaged in a luxury zippered Aqua Lung-branded EVA case. The Profile is a super-comfortable frameless mask. It has superior vision due to the design of the lens in both vertical and horizontal angles. The Horizon is a hard-frame twin-lens mask that offers a great field of vision. It is low volume and has a stylish teardrop shape. The Mistique is a hard-frame single-lens mask that offers an uninterrupted field of vision. It is low volume and has a stylish dragonfly shape. Aqua Lung has two lens options for the new masks - the Plus and Blue HD Mirror lenses. Both technologies block out harmful HEV light that could damage your retina. The Plus HD lens allows a moderate level of light into the eye and provides some glare protection while enhancing warm colours underwater. It’s a practical lens technology for changing conditions. The Blue HD Mirrored lens provides excellent vision in both high and low light environments. In low level light, this lens technology offers a clearer vision, amplifies the light and provides higher contrast. In high light levels, it also reduces glare. www.aqualung.com
SCUBAPRO ALADIN A2 The new A2 is designed for advanced divers and technical divers who appreciate the compactness and convenience of a wristwatch-style dive computer, but demand the kind of features and functions that enable them to excel in their sport. For daily topside use, the A2 offers full timekeeping functions and a Sport mode. When it’s time to go diving, the A2 offers everything an advanced recreational diver wants, and everything a technical diver needs. It has a high-resolution hybrid matrix display with large numbers that are easy to read under water, even in adverse conditions, wireless air integration that can monitor multiple tank pressures and provides true remaining bottom time, while the digital tilt-compensated compass provides easy navigation under water or on the surface. The A2 lets you choose from six Dive modes – scuba, gauge, apnea, sidemount, trimix and CCR - and the predictive Multi-Gas ZHL16 ADT MB algorithm accommodates eight gases (21-100 percent O2) and two in CCR mode. Plus, because it’s designed with Scubapro’s Human Factor Diving, it incorporates cutting-edge biometrics. Whatever type of diving you do, the A2 is ready to go there with you. www.scubapro.com
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SANTI DIVING E.LITE+ | SRP: $3,699 Mark Evans: Over the years, I have dived several Santi drysuits, including the E.Lite and the E.Motion, and so I was keen to get wet - and stay dry - in this E.Lite+. Polish company Santi are past-masters when it comes to exposure protection, and their drysuits and undersuits are used by technical and expedition divers worldwide in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. The E.Lite was a delight to dive, but what is new with the E.Lite+? Well, as the name suggests, the E.Lite+ is based on the E.Lite, but has been upgraded by the use of a new flexible and soft-to-the-touch fabric, which increases the comfort and fit of the suit, but critical areas that are prone to abrasion, are protected by the durable E.Lite material, which was created especially for Santi. I am lucky in that a standard Large fits me like a madeto-measure suit in most manufacturer ranges, but I have always been a fan of the cut of Santi’s drysuits. Most trilaminates these days have a more-tailored fit than the good old days, when the first trilaminates were akin to wearing a loose-fitting ‘bag’, and air migration and movement was a nightmare, but Santi are definitely in the top tier when it comes to fit. The E.Lite+ is a good-looking suit, that’s for sure, and it is extremely comfortable. I wore a Fourth Element Halo 3D undersuit beneath it, and I was able to freely bend and twist to my heart’s content with no restriction. The suit stays in place via comfortable braces inside, which are attached to a front zippered pocket that is ideally placed so that you can access it by pulling up the crosstorso dry zipper - a lightweight plastic version rather than a heavier metal type - just 8-10 inches and inserting your hand. So handy if you have got fully kitted up and then realised you left something in the car - you can gain access to this pocket easily even if you have your BCD or wing on. Very neat and effective. Talking of that plastic zip, you either love them or hate them. I know plenty of people who prefer the old-school metal zippers, but I do like the lightness of the plastic versions. I do find that they can be a bit finicky, though, so ensure you take the time to properly put some sealant on the end of the zipper where it pulls shut, otherwise you will get a bit wet. I was bone-dry after a dive of over 65 minutes in depths ranging from 18m up to an extended time in 5-6m. Despite its rugged construction, the suit is actually quite lightweight, so you could happily take this with you to the Med or the Red Sea in the winter and not use up too much of your valuable luggage allowance. It has a comfortable latex neck seal, with a 3mm neoprene collar for warmth, and to tuck your hood into. It is equipped with Santi’s SmartSeals ring system on the
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cuffs, which makes it a doddle for the user to swap out a split seal, change it for another material, or even add on drygloves. An Apeks inflation valve and shoulder-mounted outlet valve take care of filling and venting the air from the suit, and are tried-and-tested units. They are simple to operate even wearing thick neoprene gloves. The E.Lite+ is fitted with two spacious cargo pockets, which have a zippered pocket in the ‘flap’, and then offer plenty of room inside for slates, spare mask, DSMB and reel, etc. Dual bungees provide added security when needed. The knees and shins are given added protection with robust Kevlar pads, but these are not too thick that they feel cumbersome on your legs. The ankles have an extended Velcro strap around them, which means you can effectively ‘lock off’ your boots and seriously cut down on air migration into your feet. The Flexsole neoprene boots round out the suit. These are comfortable and fit well, but the sole is quite thin compared with some of the other drysuit boots on the market, and walking on sharp rocks to the water’s edge, I could feel them on the sole of my feet. The test suit was just black, but you can customise it with panels in grey, blue or a very eye-catching red. The E.Lite+ comes with a waterproof travel bag, and a neoprene hood. www.santidiving.com All pricing is in $AUD unless stated otherwise
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DIVE RITE HYDRO LITE BUOYANCY SYSTEM | SRP: $850 Walt Stearns: Travelling divers know that small and light is good when it comes to packing the gear. Nowhere does this come to light faster than when flying internationally on airlines that may impose unrealistic baggage allowances. In many cases, BCDs are the heavyweight space hogs of the gear bag. The obvious solution is to choose something lighter and leaner in a BCD. But at the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice durability or function. As an avid underwater photographer accustom to doing a lot of diving both at home and abroad, I have some specific preferences in a travel BCD. I prefer a soft backplate design combined with a low-profile wing, as this combination is both lightweight and can be fitted or crammed into a gear bag in a number of ways to accommodate everything else that I need to carry. And because I dive often and year-round, the BCD needs to endure season after season of vigorous use. These were the criteria I had in mind when I had the recent opportunity to evaluate Dive Rite’s Hydro Lite BCD. The company describes this product as a ‘tech-inspired, lightweight BCD for discerning single tank divers’. Out of the box, the size large Hydro Lite Dive Rite was kind enough to loan me came complete with an integrated wing providing 30lb of lift and weight pockets. It tipped the scales at under 2.8kg dry. Playing around with how I could pack it into a gear bag, I found it worked best in one of two ways - lay it flat or fold it over to create a mass just under 17 x 10 x 7-inch in size. Cool, this one will be easy to pack for a trip somewhere.
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I give the Hydro Lite equally high marks for construction. Like its big brother, Dive Rite’s TransPac XP harness, the Hydro Lite features a load-bearing mountaineering backpack-style harness utilizing two-inch webbing backed with 2-3/4-inch-wide padding for the over the shoulder segments, coupled to an integrated chest strap. It is available in five harness sizes from S to XXL, with quick adjustability for in-between sizes. The shoulder pieces are designed to be both user-replaceable and adjustable for fine-tuning the fit and has the capability for adding extra D-rings for customizing the BCD. The weight pockets that came standard with Hydro Lite are user-removable and can be replaced by larger pockets that can hold 4.5kg or more each. Below the shoulder segments, the harness transitions to a low-profile quick release using 1-1/2inch wide webbing with anchor points on the soft backplate located near the kidneys to better help transfer the load to the hips. For added stability the harness features a 1.5-inch crotch strap. Four two-inch D-rings are located on the chest and waist belt. An integrated lumbar pad, hip pads, and shoulder pads are included for additional comfort. Where Hydro Lite differs from the TransPac XP is that it is not at all suited for use with a twinset or having the tanks slung off the sides as a sidemount rig. If that is what you intend to do, better go with the TransPac, otherwise keep reading. No gear review is complete without getting to the part where the rubber meets the road, or in this case the BCD meets the water. Taking the Hydro Lite for a couple of spins at my favourite shore diving site, the Blue Heron Bridge, allowed me to really get a feel for what it offered. I suited up at the car with a high-pressure steel 100 and 2.7kg of lead in each weight pocket —which is the max for the standard pockets. Walking some 36 metres across the parking area and beach to get to the water, I found the harness did a good job of distributing the load to my shoulders rather than my lower back. Underwater, my most-important criteria for a BCD is that it should not be constantly reminding you that it’s there by shifting or riding up your back when the tank is low or when the aircell is partially inflated.
As mentioned earlier, the Hydro Lite features an integrated aircell providing 30lb of inwater lift, which is more than sufficient for single tank. The wing’s aircell is constructed with a 600-denier polyester material outer bag with a 210-denier nylon laminated inner bladder. The cell follows a continuous 360-degree oval configuration to prevent the aircell from wrapping around the tank like a taco or trapping air to one side. That last part can be annoying when there is the negative weight of a high-pressure steel tank on your back trying to roll you onto your side. The Hydro Lite scored high marks in both areas working fully with me instead of against me. I didn’t even think about it as I went about my hunt for subjects to photograph. To sum it up: The Hydro Lite is lightweight and relatively compact for travel; constructed with durable materials that should provide many years of use; very comfortable in water without any apparent annoying traits in regard to fit and trim. Overall, it delivers the convenience of an all-in-one streamlined system that is ideal for warm water diving and travel, all without sacrificing the features that advanced divers would demand most in a BCD. www.diverite.com All pricing is in $AUD unless stated otherwise
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XDEEP NX700 / LS200 | SRP: €580 SINGLE-TANK SET / €840 DOUBLE-TANK SET
Mark Evans: Polish company xDeep has really earned itself a solid reputation for its robust, well-made and stylish backplate-and-wings, and its no-nonsense fins and mask, and its forthcoming drysuit is sure to follow this tradition. But before we get our hands on the drysuit, xDeep is releasing its long-awaited regulator, the NX700 / LS200. I first saw a prototype of this at a dive show a couple of years ago, and at the time I was struck by the design, which is unlike anything else on the market, at least when you are talking first stages in particular. xDeep’s Piotr Czernik explained: “The goal for the design of all of our recent products was to set a completely new level of efficiency, streamlining and overall comfort of use. We hadn’t planned to launch the regulator, but over the years, we came to a conclusion that while with the NX Series BCDs we optimised the BCD design to the absolute limits, there was no regulator that could match the ‘configuration clean-ness’ of our NX Series wings in terms of hose routing and efficiency. “In 2017, we determined the perfect regulator should work great in any configuration, perform in any environment, be compact, robust, and easy to service with simple tools. The result was the NX700 / LS200.” Fast forward to now and I got hold of one of the first NX700 / LS200 regulators out of the Italian factory. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a slight upset, as I had lots of shiny new kit sat in my office that I was unable to testdive, but finally, as restrictions were lifted, I was able to get out and into the water with it all. Let’s talk about that first stage. The NX700 is the definite show-stopper when it comes to this regulator. It has two high-pressure ports and five low-pressure ports.
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The forged body is protected by a shiny chrome finish. It is an environmentally sealed overbalanced diaphragm design, and a heat exchanger ‘wrapped’ around the HP valve, so perfect for cold-water diving as well as warm-water adventures. So far, so normal. Where it all goes xDeep is in the design of the body. The two high-pressure ports and two of the low-pressure ports come straight out of the main body of the first stage, as per the norm, though they are routed at quite a steep angle, which sets the hoses to perfect flow under your arms - your drysuit hose, for example, and your SPG. This reminded me of the OMS regulator from a couple of years back. However, the NX700 then pulls its party piece. On the front of the first stage is a large circular addition, which has another three low-pressure ports. This is a unique swivel, mounted on the face of the first stage instead of on top, as with some other regulators, such as the Scubapro MK25 EVO. In another first, it can also be locked in place, or left to move freely. xDeep recommend it be locked in place for use as a single-cylinder regulator, or for the secondary first stage on a twinset. For other configurations, such as the primary first stage on twinsets, in sidemount, or on a stage, it should be unlocked. There are four grooves in the swivel, which dovetail with a small threaded pin, which has two locations to screw into the main first stage body. This offers up lots of customisation by the diver, and it is a very quick and straightforward operation to move or remove the pin. When it comes to the pneumatically balanced LS200 second stage, things get back to a more-traditional style. There is a large circular purge button on the front, and the primary has a large venturi lever and a chunky cracking resistance control. The secondary regulator just has the purge and venturi lever. All of these controls can be easily located and operated even when wearing gloves. The mouthpiece is quite large, but comfortable, the right blend of soft and firm. Interestingly, the cover can be removed with no tools, even during the dive, to remove sediments during cave diving, for instance. Connecting the second stages to the first stages are braided hoses which have a smooth covering. In use, I liked the routing of the hoses from both the main first stage and the swivel. I played around with different
angles for the swivel and found one that nicely brought the primary reg over my right shoulder and fed the secondary under my right arm, while keeping the ‘bunny ear’ loop of hose to a minimum. I was expecting the xDeep regulator to be a decent performer, given the quality of all of their past products, and I was not disappointed. It provided a smooth and dry breath in all positions, and was not found wanting even when I upped my breathing rate considerably - it just kept delivering all of the gas I needed for minimal effort. The venturi and cracking resistance controls did make a difference to the breathe, and I had no problems using them even wearing thick neoprene gloves. You can buy the xDeep regulators are single stand-alone first and second stages, as a single-tank set, and as a set for a double-tank set. www.xdeep.eu All pricing is in $AUD unless stated otherwise
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Lifestyle
UNDERWATER
magic
Wanting to capture beauty when scuba diving is natural. Here are our tips for the best photographs beneath the surface.
SUBJECT & COMPOSITION
CAPTURING TRUE COLOURS
Shoot up and not down; down typically results in poor contrast between subject and composition. Avoid centering every subject and ensure you shoot from a few angles. With mid-range shots, get some blue water in the frame so that colours in the foreground stand out against the blue background. Try applying the general photography rule of thirds; mentally separating the image into nine equal squares.
With increasingly less natural light, colours are lost and everything appears bluer the deeper you go. Following the spectrum, red is absorbed first followed by orange, yellow and green. An option is to stay in shallower reefs up to 15 metres with the sun behind you. Delve deeper and you’ll need a strobe light. In a pinch the camera internal flash, a large flashlight or large video light can possibly suffice. Although a white diffuser on the waterproof housing can somewhat minimise the effect, an internal flash will likely result in backscatter where light reflects off particles.
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ODMA eye talk LOOKBOOK 2020
Quality dive masks are nonnegotiable for precise
underwater vision
and magical photography. For divers that require vision correction, wearing glasses is not a practical option. Some divers wear soft contact lenses while others prefer prescription dive masks.
Prescription Dive Masks Using exclusive technology, the highly experienced laboratory team at Prescription Dive customises each lens exactly to the diver’s prescription empowering wearers to see the underwater world as it’s meant to be seen.
DISTANCE For best close photography, you should be no more than one metre away from the subject. Controlling your buoyancy, get up current and drift along motionlessly. When approaching marine life, gently fin kick and breathe slowly to reduce bubbles which can scare fish. A macro lens with a lot of zoom functionality is best for close ups. When taking photographs of fellow diving buddies or larger ocean life such as manta rays and sharks, you should be no more than two metres away. A fish eye lens is most suitable for these wider shot angles.
Divers supply their prescription and PD (pupillary distance) which can be easily obtained from their optometrist. As experts in prescription lenses, safety prescription eyewear and prescription diving masks, the team at Prescription Dive are happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have. The prescription lenses are laminated onto a range of diving masks from top brands including Tusa®, Hollis®, Apollo® and Aqua Lung®. Alternatively, Prescription Dive can laminate the prescription onto a diver’s existing mask.
Visit prescriptiondive.com.au Call 1800 111 381. Use code LOOKBOOK at the checkout to get 20% off.
Single Vision Lenses
Gauge Reader Lenses
Bifocal Lenses
VISION UNDERWATER Quality dive masks are non-negotiable for precise underwater vision and magical photography. For divers that require vision correction, wearing glasses is not a practical option. Some divers wear soft contact lenses while others prefer prescription dive masks.
ODMA eye talk LOOKBOOK 2020
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AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES
QUEENSLAND
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
FEET FIRST DIVE
OZAQUATEC SCUBA SERVICE CENTRE
SOUTHCOAST DIVING SUPPLIES
t: 02 4984 2092 e: enquiries@feetfirstdive.com.au a: 97 Stockton St, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 SDI/TDI SCUBA, Snorkelling, & Spearfishing Retail & Training Centre. Shore dives in marine sanctuary, grey nurse shark double boat dives. www.feetfirstdive.com.au
t: 07 3399 1413 e: admin@ozaquatec.com a: 4/89 Gosport St, Hemmant QLD 4171 Brisbane’s largest SCUBA servicing centre. Servicing all brands of SCUBA gear, Air/Nitrox fills and SAI Global accredited Test Station for all your tank hydro needs. www.ozaquatec.com.au
t: 08 98417176 e: whale@divealbany.com.au a: 84b Serpentine Road, Albany, Western Australia, 6330 Diving Albany means diving anything from wrecks to reef, plunging drop offs to awesome canyons with unbelievable colours and fishlife. www.divealbany.com.au
SCUBA HAVEN t: 0407 457 542 e: info@scubahaven.com.au a: 20 Merrigal Rd, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444 SCUBA Diving Port Macquarie and Laurieton Areas. Offering Dive trips, Courses, Introductory dives, Sales and services. www.scubahaven.com.au
SOUTH WEST ROCKS DIVE CENTRE t: +612 6566 6474 e: info@swrdive.com.au a: 98 Gregory Street, South West Rocks, NSW Australia’s best Shark and Cave dive. Family owned and operated for over 40 Years. swrdive.com.au
WINDANG DIVE & SPEARFISHING t: 02 4296 4215 e: info@windangdive.com.au a: Shop 1, 239 Windang Road, Windang, NSW, 2528 Scuba Diving Courses to Instructor. Spearfishing needs and servicing of all brands of scuba and spearfishing. www.windangdive.com.au
QUEENSLAND BUNDABERG AQUA SCUBA t: 07 4153 5761 e: Julian@aquascuba.com.au a: 17 Walla Street, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670 Bundaberg has world class wreck diving sites, access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and the best coral reef shore diving in Queensland. www.aquascuba.com.au
LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT t: +61 7 5536 3644 e: reservations@ladyelliot.com.au a: Lady Elliot Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef, QLD Lady Elliot Island ‘Home of the Manta Ray’ boasts 20 incredible dive sites and is renowned for amazing marine encounters. www.ladyelliot.com.au
MANTA LODGE AND SCUBA CENTRE t: 07 34098888 e: info@mantalodge.com.au a: 132 Dickson way, Point Lookout, QLD 4183 Amazing diving all year round. Manta Rays, Sharks, turtles and whales along with a huge variety of marine life. www.mantalodge.com.au
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PASSIONS OF PARADISE t: 07 4041 1600 e: Reservations@passions.com.au a: Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns, QLD Dive, snorkel and sail the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns onboard a sailing catamaran with locally owned Passions of Paradise. www.passions.com.au
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VICTORIA ALL ABOUT SCUBA t: (03) 9939 4913 e: info@allaboutscuba.com.au a: Unit 17/30-34 Maffra Street, Coolaroo, Victoria, 3048 A fully equipped SCUBA service centre with a passion for servicing so we can safely explore the underwater world! www.allaboutscuba.com.au
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WARRNAMBOOL DIVING t: 03 5562 1685 e: scubaone@live.com.au a: 179A Fairy Street, Warrnambool VIC 3280 Warrnambool offer some of the best shore dives along the great ocean road with access to the ship wreck coast. www.divingandfirearms.com.au
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GLOBAL DIVE t: +64 9920 5200 e: info@globaldive.net a: 132 Beaumont Street, Westhaven, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand NZ’s Premium Dive Store. Leaders in Training, Servicing and Travel. Home of Fourth Element, OMS, Shearwater, XDeep, Light&Motion, DUI, Cinebags. www.globaldive.net
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WAIHEKE DIVE & SNORKEL t: +64 9217 4892 e: info@waihekedive.com a: 110 Ocean View Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, Auckland, NZ, 1081 NZ’s most fun little dive shop! We’re your choice for online retail, diving & snorkeling adventures – just 35 mins from Auckland CBD! www.waihekedive.com
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t: +64 7867 1580 e: info@divethecoromandel.co.nz a: 10 Campbell Street, Whitianga 3510, New Zealand Dive charters, training, service and retail store. Many and varied dive spots. Beautiful coastal town location. Offshore islands & Marine Reserve. www.divezonewhitianga.co.nz
SUBAQUA DIVE CENTRE t: 09 988 9508 e: subaquadivecentrenz@gmail.com a: 108 Cameron Street, Whangarei, NZ Friendliest dive shop in town. Stocker of Hollis, Ratio Dive computers, Atomic Aquatics, Bare, Oceanic and Zeagle. www.facebook.com/subaquadivewhangarei
WELLINGTON DIVE WELLINGTON t: 04 939 3483 e: dive@divewellington.co.nz a: 432 The Esplanade Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand Wellington’s Padi 5 Star Centre, right across the road from Taputeranga Marine Reserve. Come and dive or snorkel with us. www.divewellington.co.nz
MARLBOROUGH GO DIVE PACIFIC t: 0274 344 874 e: info@godivepacific.nz a: 66 Wellington Street, Picton, Marlborough, New Zealand Dive one of the biggest cruise ship wrecks in the world, the Mikhail Lermontov, suitable for recreational to advanced technical divers. www.godivepacific.co.nz
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PAIHIA DIVE t: +64 9402 7551 e: info@divenz.com a: 7 Williams Rd, Paihia 0247, New Zealand We run daily trips to the Canterbury wreck, The Rainbow Warrior wreck and reef sites in the Bay of Islands. www.divenz.com
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Project Manta was founded in 2007 to investigate the population biology and ecology of manta rays in eastern Australia PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMELIA AND ASIA ARMSTRONG
Project Manta
T
he research group is comprised of a multidisciplinary team, originally based out of the University of Queensland. In 2014, the project went national, teaming up with researchers from Murdoch University and Deakin University to investigate connectivity and movement around Australian waters, and has recently shifted base to the University of the Sunshine Coast. The research has been funded by two Australian Research Council Linkage Grants, with the support of several industry partners. Despite the popular interest worldwide for manta rays, very little was known about their biology and ecology until recent years. Our research project has focused its energy on the population ecology and biology of manta rays around the Australian coastline. Project Manta aims to provide important information on the life history characteristics of manta rays, which is needed to inform conservation efforts globally. The main aspects investigated are: • Population ecology (population size, structure and distribution) • Habitat use at aggregation sites • Feeding ecology (diet composition, feeding behaviour, preys’ nutritional quality, etc) • Cleaning ecology (cleaning fish species, parasites, cleaner fish segregation, cleaning stations) Photo identification (photo-ID) is one of the key methods used in our research as individual manta rays can be differentiated by their distinctive ventral markings, comparable to human fingerprints. ‘Citizen Science’ is a major component of Project Manta for photo-ID data collection. Professional and recreational divers provide photographs and sighting information of manta rays along the entire east Australian coast. Involving the community with our research has not only led to increased public awareness about manta rays and their marine environment, but has also led to discoveries that would not have been possible without these contributions. Knowledge of manta ray distribution and movement patterns is vital for conservation purposes. The reef manta ray is known to occur and aggregate at several locations around the Australian coastline. However, the vast and unpopulated coastline provides challenges for research, as we simply do not have the resources to investigate the whole
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area. Away from the well-known aggregation sites, we have relied on some non-traditional methods to fill in the gaps. Project Manta’s PhD student, Amelia Armstrong, has compiled sightings from internet blogs, YouTube, Facebook, etc, as well as mining government surveys and reports to confirm the distribution of manta rays around the whole northern coastline of Australia and down to approximately 30 degrees latitude on each coastline. Citizen science contributions have also been able to update our knowledge about the long-distance movements of this species. In June 2018, Project Manta received photoID submissions of two individuals from the wreck of the SS Yongala, just south of Townsville. And both individuals had previously been sighted off North Stradbroke Island in southern QLD. This represents a 1,150km point-to-point movement and is the largest known distance covered by a reef manta ray. In fact, this finding almost doubles the previously documented movements for this species, which were in the region of 600-700 km. This finding has potential bearing on the management of these species, as it shows they are capable of moving distances that could represent crossing borders between jurisdictions where they are subject to differing levels of protection. This finding was only possible with the help of Project Manta’s citizen scientist supporters. The Project Manta team visits Lady Elliot Island several times a year. On these expeditions they conduct research which includes photographing, observing and recording manta ray behaviour. In the lab, they identify individual rays from photographs and enter the results in our sightings database. Lady Elliot Island is an important aggregation site and is integral to the important research undertaken by Project Manta on the east coast. Regular updates about Project Manta’s recent discoveries and research news are distributed to the public through email, Facebook and other internet resources. If you would like to learn more, go to the website https://biomedicalsciences.uq.edu.au/project-manta n
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