COMPETITION! WIN AN INNOVATIVE AQUA LUNG i300C DIVE COMPUTER WORTH £216!
Q&A WITH PAUL TOOMER:
ALL ABOUT THAT BASS:
THE DIVING LEGEND TALKS TECHNICAL, REBREATHERS AND THE FUTURE OF RAID
LAWSON WOOD VENTURES TO THE IMPRESSIVE BASS ROCK IN SCOTLAND
SCOOTER POWER EXPLORING MALTA'S WRECKS THE EASY WAY
SWANAGE
PIER
ICONIC DIVE SITE gets the ABOVE 18m treatment
6
HIGH-END BCDS RATED & REVIEWED
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The Next Generation
ISSUE 16 | JUN 18 | £3.25
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EDITOR’S NOTE A breath of fresh air...
ALL THE WAY FROM CANADA I am still as addicted to diving as I was when I first took the plunge off Anglesey all those years ago as a wee nipper, but even I can sometimes get a little jaded. This month I had the pleasure of hosting an 18-year-old student from Alberta, Canada, for three weeks of on-the-job work experience in the world of magazines, and seeing her obvious passion for diving gave even this veteran a much-needed fresh impetus towards the sport. Samara Ironside came to me fresh from time in Panama with her Rescue Diver ticket, and while she had dived in some enviable warm-water locations, she had never ventured into cold water. Cue me getting a shedload of stuff in her size ordered in from various manufacturers and then taking her for her first drysuit dives in Vivian inland dive site in Llanberis, North Wales, and off the coast of Anglesey at Ravenspoint in Trearddur Bay and Newry Beach in Holyhead. Vis ranging from a stonking six to seven metres off Ravenspoint to a meagre metre or so off Newry Beach didn’t phase her, and she soon got the hang of diving in a drysuit. Getting used to the cold took a little longer, and she was always happy to get a hat, gloves and jacket on to warm up on exiting the water, but she was a true trooper underwater, even when pressganged into a spot of modelling and all the palaver that entails - you’ll see plenty of her in next month’s special celebrating women in diving. She is starting uni in Victoria, British Columbia, in September, and is now excitedly looking forward to exploring the nutrient-rich waters that surround Vancouver Island. Good luck, Samara!
MARK EVANS, Editor-in-Chief
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com
DESIGN
Matt Griffiths Email: matt@griffital.co.uk
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Rork Media Limited Tel: 0800 069 8140 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ 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. is a registered trademark of Rork Media.
ISSN 2514-2054
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COMPETITION! WIN AN INNOVATIVE AQUA LUNG i300C DIVE COMPUTER WORTH £216!
Q&A WITH PAUL TOOMER:
ALL ABOUT THAT BASS:
THE DIVING LEGEND TALKS TECHNICAL, REBREATHERS AND THE FUTURE OF RAID
LAWSON WOOD VENTURES TO THE IMPRESSIVE BASS ROCK IN SCOTLAND
ON THE COVER
SCOOTER POWER EXPLORING MALTA'S WRECKS THE EASY WAY
SWANAGE
PIER
ICONIC DIVE SITE gets the ABOVE 18m treatment
6
HIGH-END BCDS RATED & REVIEWED
+
The Next Generation
p001_ScubaDiverJun18.indd 1
ISSUE 16 | JUN 18 | £3.25
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‣ Barbados ‣ Great Barrier Reef ‣ Scholar WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
PHOTOGRAPHER: STUART PHILPOTT
24/05/2018 12:22
REGULAR COLUMNS
FEATURES
BSAC clubs commemorate World War One casualties, and another award for Deptherapy.
Stuart Philpott feels ‘the need for speed’ on the island of Malta, when he mounts up on a powerful Suex scooter to zoom between the P29 Minesweeper and the Rozi tugboat off Cirkewwa.
8 News
28 Dive like a Pro
A panel of training agency experts offer advice on what to consider before going diving.
38 Competition: Dive computer Win an innovative Aqua Lung i300C dive computer in our prize draw.
60 Our-World UW Scholar
Eric Jorda introduces himself as the Our-World Underwater Scholar for 2018.
98 The Course Director
Marcel van den Berg explains how YouTube can help with teaching skills in the IDC.
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22 Malta
32 Scotland
Lawson Wood ventures to the imposing Bass Rock out of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, which is famed for its colony of gannets, but is also a dramatic dive site.
40 THE NEXT GENERATION
Part one of Zac Cuff’s odyssey from young snorkeller to experienced junior diver, plus more Case Studies of keen kids who are proving their diving potential.
48 Barbados
Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans waxes lyrical about the prime dive sites on the island of Barbados, including the Stavronikita - one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean - and the Carlisle Bay wreck trek.
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CONTENTS
56 ABOVE 18m: Dorset
Jeremy Cuff gives the iconic dive site of Swanage Pier the Above 18m treatment, and reckons it more than deserves its place as one of the South Coast’s premier shore dives.
64 FREEDIVING: Blue Wild 2018
Stephan Whelan and a cadre of DeeperBlue.com’s finest report on the Blue Wild event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and champions spearfishing, freediving, scuba diving and much more.
68 Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is lauded as one of the greatest dive destinations on the planet, but there are many different ways in which to visit this sprawling marine habitat. Jeremy Cuff rounds them up.
76 TECHNICAL: Q&A - Paul Toomer
UK diving legend Paul Toomer talks about getting started in diving, becoming an instructor, the draw of technical diving and closed-circuit rebreathers, and where the future is going to take his agency, RAID.
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GEAR GUIDE 82 What’s New
New products recently released or coming soon, including Fourth Element’s summer 2018 range of apres-divewear, Aqua Lung’s innovative Rogue BCD, Mares X-Free mask, and the BARE Ultrawarmth base layers.
84 Group Test
The Scuba Diver Test Team heads to Vivian Quarry inland dive site in picturesque Llanberis, North Wales, to test a selection of high-end BCDs from a range of manufacturers.
94 Long Term Test
The Scuba Diver Test Team gets to grips with a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Mares Quad Air, Santi Diving Flex 360, Aqua Lung Outlaw BCD, Suunto’s EON Core, Apeks RK3s, and the Aquasketch Minno 1.
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NEWS
Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from right here in the UK, 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 social media. www.scubadivermag.com/news | .com/scubadivermag | @scubadivermag
BSAC CLUBS COMMEMORATE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CASUALTIES OF WORLD WAR ONE Several BSAC clubs have done commemorative dives to remember the victims of World War One, including Severnside Sub-Aqua Club on the SS Baygitano, and Brighton BSAC on the SS Pentyrch SS Baygitano - Members of Severnside Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC Branch No. 364) from Bristol visited the shipwreck site of the SS Baygitano in Dorset. The merchant navy vessel, which was enroute from Le Havre to Swansea to collect coal, was sunk in British waters by enemy action during World War One at 11.45am on 18 March 2018. The wreck now lies in around 20m about one-and-ahalf miles south of the Cobb at Lyme Regis, Dorset. Scuba divers from various branches of the British Sub-Aqua Club were hoping to dive the wreck at 11.45am on 18 March. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were unsuitable on the day. However, on Saturday, 14 April, the conditions were much better and divers were able to make it to the wreck site in order to lay a wreath inside one of the ship’s boilers, as well as a poem commemorating the sacrifice of merchant navy seamen in World War One and World War Two. Severnside Sub-Aqua Club ‘adopted’ the shipwreck in 2012 as part of the Nautical Archaeology Society’s ‘adopt-a-wreck’ scheme aimed at encouraging understanding of Britain’s maritime heritage. Since then, club members have worked to find out more about the wreck and her crew to promote respectful visits to the wreck site by divers as part of the Society’s Lost Beneath the Waves 1914-1918 initiative. Nigel Braybrooke, Adopt-a-Wreck Project Co-ordinator for Severnside Sub-Aqua Club, said: “We were disappointed not to be able to dive the wreck site on the 100th anniversary of the sinking. However, the rain and snow didn’t dampened our club members’ enthusiasm for diving on the wreck or learning more about its history and the vital role played by the merchant navy in World War One. This will hopefully be the first of several planned trips to dive the wreck during its centenary year and to commemorate the contribution and sacrifice of all those who lost their lives during that terrible conflict.” Members from Severnside Sub-Aqua Club were delighted to be joined on the dive by members from North Dorset Sub Aqua Club. It is hoped to encourage more diving on the wreck during the year. Divers have left a long blue line with floats tied into the wreck attached securely to an eye-ring on one of the main boilers to make it easier to dive the wreck.
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Leon R Smith, Club Chair and Dive Manager of Severnside Sub-Aqua Club, said: “The sinking of the SS Baygitano 100 years ago is a part of Lyme Regis’ history, but so easily forgotten as the wreck now lies underwater. The wreck is not recognised as a war grave because the only two casualties from the shipwreck, the First Mate Frederick Rudolph Richards and Fourth Engineer Harold John Chinn, were not serving members of the armed services. Club members felt that it was appropriate to lay a wreath in their memory and in commemoration of the conflicts in which so many people have lost their lives.”
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DIVING DS N E I WITH FR MALDIVES INDONESIA EGYPT S PA I N SS Pentyrch - 100 years ago, on 18 April 1918, the SS Pentyrch was hit in the rear of the engine room by a torpedo from the German submarine UB-40. She is reported to have sunk quickly and although most of her crewmanaged to escape, one was killed. On the 100th anniversary, Brighton BSAC placed a commemorative wooden plaque on the ship to remember John Snowdon Liddle, as well as the more than 18 million people killed during World War One. Submarine UB-40 was scuttled later that year in October 1918, during the German retreat from Belgium. John Snowdon Liddle died when the SS Pentyrch was sunk. He was a ‘Donkeyman’ on the ship, ‘donkey’ referring to the boiler of the steamship’s engine. It was his job to stoke, maintain and grease the engine. The torpedo fired by the German submarine UB-40 hit to the rear of the engine room. John Liddle was likely killed as a result of this part of the ship’s hull being breached. He is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, along with the 17,000 merchant mariners killed during the conflict. The SS Pentyrch (pronounced pent-earch, as in ear) was built in 1899. Originally named SS Bardsey, she had a tonnage of more than 3,300 and was more than 100 metres long. She was later sold and renamed after a village near Cardiff. During the war, she was armed with a 4.7-inch gun on her stern and shipped coal from Britain to ports on mainland Europe’s Mediterranean coast. In 1916, she was attacked in the Mediterranean by a German submarine but escaped with minimal damage and no serious injuries. She was less fortunate in April 1918. Her last voyage was from South Shields to Genoa, during which she was intercepted by UB-40 in the English Channel a few miles off the coast from Shoreham. The wreck now exists as an artificial reef on a muddy/sandy seabed. The ship is covered in anemones and corals, large conger eels shelter within the twisted wreckage, and large schools of fish can be seen swimming around her. Steve Martin, Diving Officer, said: “Although conditions were challenging after a recent Atlantic storm, we safely and successfully managed to place the plaque on the wreck of the ship. This was a particularly poignant dive, being 100 years to the day since she was sunk during World War One.”
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INDUSTRY NEWS The outstanding work of scuba diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy, and Deptherapy Education, has been recognised with the presentation of a top military award. Richard Cullen, Founder and Chairman of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education, received the Soldiering On Award on behalf of the charity at a black-tie gala event at the Westminster Park Plaza in London on Friday 20 April. Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education was judged by an independent panel to be the winner in the Healthcare and Rehabilitation (Group) category. This award, sponsored by Redwood Technologies Group, was given in recognition of the charity’s exceptional contribution to recovery and rehabilitation of former members of the British Armed Forces Community. The Soldiering On Awards, now in its eighth year and under the patronage of the Rt Hon Earl Howe PC, Minister of State in the House of Lords, honours those who have served within the British Armed Forces and the organisations supporting them. Guests at the awards ceremony included Deptherapy Programme Members and Trustees, who were inspired by stories of those veterans who have overcome remarkable adversity. Classical singer Carly Paoli and the London Military Band provided the evening’s entertainment, while the hosts for the event were Vicki Michelle MBE and Jeremy Vine.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SCHMOOLY/SOLDIERING ON AWARDS
DEPTHERAPY WINS PRESTIGIOUS SOLDIERING ON AWARD
From left: Jeremy Vine, Richard Cullen, Vicki Michelle, Martin Taylor - Co-founder and CMO of the Redwood Technologies Group - and Major General Martin Bricknell OStJ PhD DM - Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces.
On receiving the award, Richard Cullen said: “Winning the Healthcare and Rehabilitation Category at the prestigious Soldiering on Awards in London was a stunning achievement given the very stiff competition we faced in the group. Huge thanks to the team at Soldiering On, those who nominated us, the Judges and Redwood Technologies Group for sponsoring the award. However, the highest praise goes to the Trustees, Patrons, Ambassadors and Volunteers who work tirelessly and for free to help our Armed Forces’ veterans. I sincerely hope that this major acknowledgement of our work will act as a key to open the door to corporate sponsorship, which we so badly need.” The Soldiering On Award is the second prestigious award this year for the Deptherapy charity. Find out more and support the work of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education at: www.deptherapy.co.uk
AMERICAN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST SURVIVES ATTACKS BY SHARK, BEAR AND SNAKE There is a saying ‘third time lucky’, but that doesn’t hold true for 20-year-old Dylan McWilliams, who hails from Grand Junction in Colorado. A keen outdoor enthusiast, he has just survived a third close encounter with the animal kingdom – a shark attack while bodyboarding off Hawaii – having previously been mauled by a bear and bitten by a rattlesnake. In an interview with the BBC, McWilliams said: “I don’t seem to have a lot of luck, but it’s kind of lucky in unlucky situations”. He was surfing off the coast in May when what was believed to be a two-metre tiger shark bit his leg, leaving a wound needing seven stitches. Just last July, on a camping trip in his native Colorado, he awoke at 4am to find his head in the jaws of a black bear. He survived by poking it in the eye until it let go. That encounter left him with nine staples in the back of his head. His first brush with nature was three years ago, when he accidentally kicked a rattlesnake while on a hiking trip to Utah and it bit him, but it was a ‘dry bite’ and very little venom got into his system, and he recovered in a few days.
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Aquanauts Grenada True Blue & Grand Anse, Grenada Phone: +1 (473) 444 1126 sales@aquanautsgrenada.com www.aquanautsgrenada.com
Dive Grenada Mt Cinnamon Hotel, Grenada Phone: +1 (473) 444 1092 info@divegrenada.com www.divegrenada.com
Lumbadive PADI 5 star Harvey Vale, Tyrell Bay, Carriacou Phone: +1 (473) 443 8566 dive@lumbadive.com www.lumbadive.com
Deefer Diving Carriacou Hillsborough, Carriacou Phone: +1 (473) 443 7882 info@deeferdiving.com www.deeferdiving.com
Eco Dive - Grenada Coyaba Beach Resort, Grenada Phone: +1 (473) 444 7777 dive@ecodiveandtrek.com www.ecodiveandtrek.com
Scuba Tech Calabash Hotel, Grenada Phone: +1 (473) 439 4346 info@scubatech-grenada.com www.scubatech-grenada.com
www.puredivinggrenada.com
INDUSTRY NEWS DIVER DIES IN THE LAKE DISTRICT TRAIN WITH US
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Get in touch with the SAA We would love to hear from you! T: 0151 287 1001 E: admin@saa.org.uk saa.org.uk
A diver died on Saturday 21 April after getting into difficulties while preparing to explore Wastwater in the Lake District, which at 80m is England’s deepest lake. Harry Michael Holroyd, 69, from Pleasington, Lancashire, was surface-swimming towards a marker buoy when he had issues, and was brought to the shore by two fellow divers. Emergency services including Wasdale Mountain Rescue Services, North West Air Ambulance, NWAS paramedics, Cumbria Fire and Rescue and the Coastguard then made extensive efforts to revive him, but to no avail. According to police, the death was not being treated as suspicious.
TURTLE HATCHLINGS RELEASED INTO LEMBEH STRAITS North Sulawesi’s Lembeh Strait is best known for some of the world’s best muck-diving, but yesterday, it welcomed 110 cute little new arrivals – baby green turtles! According to Dive Into Lembeh’s GM/ owner Miranda Coverdale, a large green turtle appeared on the beach right in front of the resort about two months ago and laid 114 eggs right on the waterline. As the incoming tide would have washed them all away, staff quickly made a wooden crate, measured exactly how deep the eggs were buried and very carefully placed them in the same way as the mother laid them – and then crossed their fingers! On 30 April, Miranda and her team were overjoyed to see they have 110 tiny hatchlings crawling around in the crate, and these were all released back into the sea by staff and guests. There are four eggs left which are moving around, so Miranda says she is hoping these remaining eggs hatch soon. Miranda added: “This is the second time this year we have been blessed with a turtle visiting to come lay her eggs in front of the resort, and we hope it wasn’t the last!” www.diveintolembeh.com
WEEZLE DIVING SERVICES LTD CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY Weezle Diving Services Ltd, one of the only manufacturers hand-making drysuit undersuits in the UK, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Set up by Paul and Hilary, two enthusiastic divers who were dissatisfied with what was available in 1998, Weezle undersuits made use of new fibres and manufacturing methods that were being developed. With over 200 permutations of product, size, weight and colour, Weezle pride themselves on being able to help most customers from the shelf, as well as offering alterations and repairs, proudly keeping their products ‘out there diving’ for years. www.weezle.co.uk
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To find out more, why not visit us for Aptitude Day? Experience a Surface Supplied Dive, view the Facilities and meet the Training Team Please visit the website for more details 2017 / 2018 Course Dates available www.commercialdivertraining.co.uk info@commercialdivertraining.co.uk 01726 817128 | 07900 844141
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INDUSTRY NEWS GO-DIVE UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP Go-Dive, one of the UK’s largest dive centres, is now running under new ownership. A new partnership between Mark James (owner of MSDS Marine) and James Parsons (current shop manager employed at Go-Dive) have now taken over the ownership and running of the shop, online sales and training. MSDS Marine are a commercial dive company who bring a wealth of specialist knowledge to the business. James will continue to provide a friendly face in the shop and provide his in-depth knowledge gained from 15 years of Go-Dive experience to ensure customers can buy with confidence. Jon will continue to offer the high standard of equipment servicing that customers have come to expect, and the team will also be joined by Alison at the beginning of June. Expect to see lots of new lines for sale in the coming months and some exciting promotions. Mark and James would like to invite all customers, old and new, to come and say hello in the shop on Sunday 3 June, 11am -3pm. Go-Dive will be offering free air fills on the day as well as having a free BBQ (weather dependant!). Mark and James would like to thank Mark Hudson, the previous owner, for giving the new team this opportunity. They said: “Mark has spent the last 25 years building up a successful brand and we hope that we will be able to continue to build on the foundations he has laid. We wish him well in his future endeavours!” www.GoDive.net
PRIVATE INVESTMENT FIRM TAKES RAID INTO THE FOLD In huge news for the diving industry, Inverness Graham Investments - a private investment firm based in Philadelphia, USA, with over US$500 million of assets under management - has announced that its recreational safety education portfolio company, Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC, has invested in RAID training agency. “We’ve been carefully researching the options to enter the scuba market for some time. We chose RAID because it has the values we look for in a company – worldclass programmes driven by an enthusiastic and passionate team that is making scuba fun for everyone involved,” said Inverness Graham Managing Principal, Michael Morrissey. “Their vast array of training programmes and impressive technology platform make them a perfect match to partner with Kalkomey. This marriage positions RAID to challenge the current industry paradigm, which is exactly what we were looking for.” Kalkomey is the leader in online recreational safety education for state-required certifications and is an official provider of recreational safety education materials for all 50 US states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Using a web-based delivery model, Kalkomey has helped millions of students get educated to safely boat, hunt, and operate off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Jason Alexander, Kalkomey CEO said, “Our research indicates that people interested in outdoor recreation participate in many different activities over their lifetime. We believe there is enormous demand among the millions of Boat-Ed and Fresh Air enthusiasts we’ve already trained, as well as the hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts that we newly teach each year, that will want to try scuba diving. We’re excited to apply our expertise in parallel industries to drive these potential customers through the doors of dive centres that join the RAID movement.” “The RAID system focuses on training divers on critical skills such as proper trim and neutral buoyancy in the diver position, we believe it’s essential to also train dive professionals on those same skills to ensure they are best serving the needs of their students to be divers, not just certified,” said Jim Holliday, who will continue on leading business operations as President of RAID.
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INDUSTRY NEWS Dive
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The World of Aggressor, which includes the long-established Aggressor Liveaboards and Aggressor River Cruises, has announced the launch of their new Aggressor Safari Lodges. In destination and adventure travel, the name ‘Aggressor’ has long been associated with offering the ultimate liveaboard experience for scuba divers all over the world. Now, the company has expanded its offerings to include a new safari lodge in northern Sri Lanka. The Aggressor Safari Lodge is located near two national parks, two World Heritage Sites, and the famous Smithsonian Primate Research Centre’s Monkey Kingdom, all of which are included in itineraries available when booking the lodge. Nearby world-renowned Wilpattu and Minneriya National Parks provide excellent wildlife viewing and photography opportunities. Safari sightings include Sri Lankan leopards, Sri Lankan sloth bears, buffalo, and sambar, axis, and spotted dear. A trip highlight, Minneriya is home to over 300 Sri Lankan elephants and two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka, the purple-faced langur and the toque macaque. The six-acre Aggressor Safari Lodge property, located on the Kala Oya River, is itself home to a variety of native wildlife, including diminutive mouse deer, the increasingly rare and beautiful star tortoise, Sri Lankan giant squirrels, the rare and endangered red slender loris, brilliant peacocks and a variety of other exotic birds, all of which are protected on the property. Lodge guests will enjoy being surrounded by nature from their luxurious, spacious and air-conditioned private tented chalets, each with a private bathroom and a fridge stocked with complimentary soft drinks, beer, and wine. The lodge also includes a swimming pool, two bars, and an outdoor fire pit for evening gatherings; and the lodge’s private, tented Aliya Bush Restaurant serves meals and snacks prepared by top chefs cooking both local and international dishes, with produce from surrounding villages and farms. Aggressor CEO Wayne Brown says: “The World of Aggressor has always focused on combining adventure with excellent service and now we’ve brought that combination to the ultimate adventures on land, wildlife safaris. I can’t wait to go again myself, and I know our guests will love the truly ‘untamed luxury’ of our first tented safari lodge in Northern Sri Lanka.” www.aggressorsafarilodge.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR…
SUN’S OUT, LET SILLY SHARK STORY SEASON BEGIN
A CAMERA BUILT FOR A LIFE UNDER WATER
I am getting a serious case of déjà vu… Every summer, the mainstream tabloid media publish sensationalist crap about great white sharks stalking UK waters (never with any photographic proof, I might add) and other rubbish, and now it has started again. The usual suspects – the Daily Mail and the Daily Star – have both run stories about basking sharks being sighted off the coast of Cornwall. Funnily enough, this comes as no surprise as basking sharks are often seen in these waters in spring and summer. However, why on earth do they have to lead with headlines like ‘Terrified tourists stalked by sharks off Cornwall coast’, and ‘This was the terrifying moment a shark was swimming just feet from a kayaker’? Frustratingly, both publications, once they get this out of the way, go on to explain that basking sharks are harmless to humans! So why needlessly perpetuate all the negative press that sharks get anyway? On a more-positive note, great news that basking sharks are back off the coast of Cornwall in April, it bodes well for plenty more sightings as the year progresses.
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DIVE WORLDWIDE INTRODUCES GROUP TOUR TO ST HELENA Known as the ‘Galapagos of the Atlantic’, the island of St Helena offers one of the world’s last pristine diving locations – and now specialist operator Dive Worldwide are introducing a new expert-led group tour here in February 2019. Marooned in the waters of the South Atlantic, the waters teem with marine life. There are over 750 species to discover and many historic shipwrecks, all of which divers will hope to see on this nine-night trip. The focus of the trip is the aggregations of whalesharks each spring. Guests will enjoy three snorkelling excursions with these massive animals, ensuring an intimate experience. Topside, guests stay at the luxurious Mantis St Helena, a historic building in Jamestown, which once served as the barracks for the East India Company. They will also learn the history of the island, with a private tour of the island’s plantation house and estates, and visits to a coffee farm and distillery. The trip is led by cameraman and marine conservationist Danny Copeland, who has worked alongside BBC cameramen, photographers for National Geographic, and filmed for the award-winning Netflix documentary, Chasing Coral. www.diveworldwide.com
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MEDICAL Q&A Dr Oliver Firth has gained considerable experience in the field of diving and hyperbaric medicine since joining LDC in 2006. He is an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers for the UK HSE, and a medical referee for the UK Sport Diving Medical Committee. He is involved in the management of all types of diving-related illness, including recompression treatment, as well as providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for non-diving conditions. He remains a passionate diver and has participated in various expeditions and conservation projects throughout the globe. Q: I have suffered an orbital floor fracture whilst playing rugby. My doctor has instructed me not to blow my nose due to subcutaneous emphysema (and not to play contact sport for six weeks). Although I have follow up appointments to come, where do I stand with diving, both presently and into the future? A: Ouch, these are nasty injuries. Firstly, some orientation: the orbit is the cavity in the skull which accommodates the eye. Orbital floor fractures commonly result from blunt objects (fists, car dashboards, rugby or any other sort of balls) impacting on the eye socket, which then breaks. Over 80% occur in males (funny that). What actually happens is that the object in question, say a well-aimed punch from Anthony Joshua, squishes the incompressible eyeball inwards. The rapid increase in pressure in the socket then causes it to ‘blow out’ at its weakest point, the floor. The fatty tissue around the eye then drops through the hole, often pulling a couple of eye muscles with it, resulting in double vision. And a rapid lie-down. In a victim without visual disturbances, where the fracture covers less than 50% of the floor, and where there’s no trapped fatty or muscle tissue, one option is to leave the area alone and treat with steroids and antibiotics. In more serious cases, however, surgery is needed to reposition the disrupted bony fragments and patch up the fracture with a mesh. One issue with this type of repair and diving is whether there is any possibility of trapped gas within the tissues. This is the ‘subcutaneous emphysema’ your doctor is talking about. After six weeks, I would assume that any gas introduced, through nose-blowing or surgical repair, would have diffused safely away. Otherwise I can’t see (pardon the pun) any reason you shouldn’t dive once you’re fully recovered. Q: I recently woke up with a large floater in my right eye. It’s rather like a gelatinous blob with some black specks randomly moving around in the eye and can cause some blurring. A thorough examination at the opticians revealed that the cause was a poste-
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rior vitreous detachment (PVD). My eyesight remains unchanged and there are no signs of any tears or damage to the retina or the surrounding area. The Optometrist advised me to cancel my upcoming diving holiday and to avoid any strain, heavy exercise or lifting. My GP subsequently advised that these conditions normally heal within a six week to six month time frame. The big question is will I be able to dive in six months time, assuming there is no further damage. A: For those in the dark about what a floater is, this description is classic – they’re those tiny spots, specks, flecks and ‘cobwebs’ that drift aimlessly around in your field of vision, never staying still but moving when your eye tries to focus on them. That is because they are shadows, cast by little bits of the eye’s vitreous (the gel-like material that makes up the major part of the eyeball) breaking loose within the inner back portion of the eye. Normally the vitreous is well adhered to the retina at the back of the eye, but a sudden shower of floaters, especially when accompanied by flashing lights, can signify that the vitreous is detaching itself. In tugging on the retina, it can end up tearing it, which is a sight-threatening complication that needs urgent assessment. Thankfully it appears you’ve got away without any retinal damage. In the year after one attack, some sufferers get another bout of PVD in the other eye; but in the vast majority, the floaters subside over anywhere up to three months, and don’t return. If floaters are still present after this time, then various surgical techniques can be employed to treat the problem more definitively. So, to dive or not to dive? Well, I think it’s difficult to countenance it within the six months after symptom onset; but provided your recovery is uncomplicated, diving could be considered after that. Be sure to stick with the advice from the optometrist in the meantime, to give the eye the best chance of uninterrupted healing: the fewer sudden pressure changes, the better. Do you have a question for Dr Firth? Email: divingdoctor@scubadivermag. com and we’ll pass it on.
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C
lipped on, throttle set to max, we sped out of the bay into deeper water at a fair rate of knots. I felt the increased drag on my regulator so clamped down harder. Diving with scooters was definitely addictive. Alan Whitehead, the owner of Techwise Dive Centre based at St Julian’s Bay in Malta, had suggested a P29-Rozi crossing and I was well up for the challenge. The Rozi and P29 wrecks are located just a few hundred metres offshore at popular shore-diving site Cirkewwa. Due to distance and time restraints, most divers will only contemplate one wreck per dive. Being kitted out with twinsets and stage cylinders would solve this problem but I still needed to look around and compose pictures. I had visions of power finning out to the P29 for a hasty photo-taking session followed by a full-on pump over to the Rozi, in and out of the bridge for a few more happy snaps, and then return via the anchor back to the wall. I am always ‘planning for the worst, hoping for the best’ and was pleasantly surprised when Alan brought out two Suex scooters to get us there and back in double-quick time. Being a rufty-tufty tech diver, I felt slightly guilty about taking the easy option but if I could do the job in comfort and style, then who was I to complain! Italian manufacturer Suex have been building underwater ADVs (Advanced Diver Vehicles), otherwise known as scooters, for more than 19 years. Originally focusing on the technical diving market they have now expanded their range to include five different scooters from recreational to longrange cave. To try them in Malta, get in touch with Techwise (www.techwise.com.mt), which will soon be running the new PADI Suex scooter specialty and instructor courses, or Orangeshark (www. orangeshark.eu), which happens to be the Suex distributor for Malta and Gozo. The batteries had been put on charge overnight, so my first job was to assemble the unit. Alan showed me how to fit the battery into the metal chassis, then slide the outer casing onto the rubber O-ring seal and lock into place. The whole process took less than a minute, so nothing too complicated. The XJOY-7s and XJ VRs are basically polycarbonate tubes 200mm diameter by 760mm long, which is slightly larger and heavier than a conventional 12-litre steel cylinder. Sizes and materials vary with Suex’s higher-spec scooters. There was a carry handle attached to the nose, but nothing on the rear by the propeller, so I had to grab hold of the outer casing when I lifted the scooter onto the pick-up truck. I noticed that the newer units had a carry handle front and back fitted as standard. Located next to the Gozo ferry terminal, Cirkewwa is probably the busiest shore-diving site in Malta. During the summer months, the roadside is often overflowing with trucks and vans from just about every dive operator going - and in Malta, there are quite a few! This means early morning starts are necessary to secure a parking spot. Cirkewwa is not just a ‘one dive seen-it done-it’ site. There are some great natural features to explore, including the sheer wall and the archway.
“Usually the P29Rozi crossing took about 15 minutes when finning conventionally. I checked the time on my watch as we left the P29 and again when we reached the bow of the Rozi. It had taken us just one minute 30 seconds to cross the void”
CROSSING
THE DIVIDE 22
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Scootering through an archway
On the P29 Minesweeper
I have had so many memorable night dives at Cirkewwa searching for macro life, which is usually overlooked during daylight hours. Slightly further out from the shoreline are two popular artificial wreck sites to visit, the more-established tugboat Rozi and the relatively new addition, Minesweeper P29. The 40-metre-long MV Rozi sits upright at a maximum depth of around 35m. She was scuttled in September 1992 and used as an attraction for Captain Morgan’s Cruises submarine safari tours. Captain Morgan’s ceased operations a long time ago, so the wreck has now become a major diver attraction. Fifteen years later, the Malta Tourism Authority bought the 52-metre-long by seven-metre-wide Minesweeper P29 from the Maltese Navy, stripped out most of the fittings, cleaned away all the contaminants and sunk her upright just a few hundred metres from the Rozi. Recreationally speaking it is possible to dive both wrecks in a single dive, but this doesn’t allow much time in between for exploration and to be honest, what’s the point in huffing and puffing across a relatively boring sandy seabed for about 15 minutes just to get a quick glimpse of both wrecks before surfacing. This also relies on good old compass navigation skills, which tends to strike fear into most UK divers. Strapping on a Preparing to dive
twinset and stage cylinder and using a scooter for transportation makes life much easier. As usual I was running on a tight schedule and didn’t have the luxury to wait for a mirror calm day. When we arrived on-site, a blustery northwesterly wind had whipped up the sea. Waves were breaking spectacularly against the sea wall. There are a number of entry and exit points at Cirkewwa. Most have got chunky stainless steel hand rails for divers to grab hold of for support, but even so the concrete steps and slipway can get quite slippery at certain times of the year, especially when stomping about in full scuba or worst case, heavier twinsets and rebreathers. We precariously walked down the steps and placed our scooters next to the rocky entry point. I had a long dive ahead of me so made a dash for the toilets before getting kitted up. It was the first time I had used the new toilet/shower block, which was a welcome change from the chemical ‘Tardis’ loos I had been using
Stuart Philpott saddles up on a Suex scooter and uses it to blast between the Minesweeper P29 and the Rozi at Cirkewwa in Malta PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT
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“There were so many scooter possibilities in Malta. I could see myself scootering around HMS Stubborn submarine, or better still Le Polynesien”
On the Rozi
for years. I managed to stand up in the shallows but had to trust Alan with my camera while clipping on to the scooter. The length of the leash was adjusted so that my body would take up the tension rather than my arm. A rogue wave tipped me off balance and I was left helplessly rolling about on my back like a beached whale. I’m sure Alan was cursing under his breath (or laughing his head off). I eventually switched on the scooter and followed Alan out of the shallows, steering on a course for the P29 at warp speed - hopefully not a collision course! When holding a camera I am not the most-streamlined shape. Even though I was driving at top speed, I still lagged behind Alan. The Suex XJOYs have a max speed of 3.3km per hour and the XJ VRs are slightly faster at 3.9km per hour. When
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Feeling the need for speed
driving a car or riding a bike, this doesn’t seem like much at all but be assured underwater this is a very respectable speed. The top of the range XKs have a mask-dislodging max speed of 6km per hour. Within no time at all, I saw the dark shape of the P29 looming up in front of me. I stopped underneath the stern by the giant rudders to get a few shots of Alan and then ascended to deck level and headed for the bow. Even though the scooters have a dry weight of around 19kg, they are totally neutral underwater, meaning when I stopped to take pictures, they don’t sink. I got Alan to whizz around the bow while I took a series of landscape and portrait shots. The scooters were mainly white in colour, which made a nice contrast. Suex also make a black version, and a dark green special for the military. We scootered back to the deck gun and I took some more pictures with the bridge and mast silhouetted in the background. The silvery scales of a banded bream were irritatingly reflecting the light from my flash guns, so I spent a precious few minutes retaking the shots, but I still had plenty of back gas contingency and a full 50 percent O2 stage cylinder, so from my perspective everything was going according to plan and on schedule. Usually the P29-Rozi crossing took about 15 minutes when finning conventionally. I checked the time on my watch as we left the P29 and again when we reached the bow of the Rozi. It had taken us just one minute 30 seconds to cross the void. We had even seen a few rays gliding over the grassy patches. The MV Rozi has always been a very photogenic little wreck, especially for atmospheric black and white pictures. I hovered over the bow and got Alan to circumnavigate the bridge while I took a spread of shots. The scooter just hung neutrally from the leash not causing any hindrance. There were hundreds upon hundreds of damselfish raining down around us, so much so I couldn’t get a clean shot of Alan. I caught sight of a moray shimmying across the deck and disappearing behind a bollard. I was pleased to see so much marine life milling about. I switched on the scooter again and ascended to the bridge area. We spent a good five Scootering between the rudders
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Checking kit pre-dive
minutes composing some close-ups and then headed off towards the funnel and the stern. After a quick scout about I followed Alan across the seabed to a huge Admiralty-shaped anchor. Again we stopped to take the usual splurge of shots, although this time I managed to stir up the sandy bottom with my subversive driving behaviour. Shortly afterwards we were sitting at 5m decompressing. My surf exit was far from graceful but by this time I didn’t really care. I shuffled out on my knees smiling from ear to ear. The Suex scooters were a lot of fun, very easy to use and added a completely different dimension to my dive. We covered a huge distance and used far less gas doing so. I’m glad Alan had the responsibility of navigating. I’m pleased to report we had no deviations and found both wrecks without any problems. Our dive time was clocked at one hour ten minutes surface to surface and there was still plenty of charge left in my scooter. Suex’s figures for the XJ VR (lithium battery) are 100 minutes at full throttle or a 150 minutes if being more conservative. But in my mind there can only be one speed and that’s full speed! Driving a scooter while holding a housed camera with strobes was, in a word, interesting and required slightly more effort but most divers wouldn’t have to worry about this. My mind was already beginning to wander. There were so many scooter possibilities in Malta. I could see myself scootering around HMS Stubborn submarine, or better still Le Polynesien. With a massive hull length of 152 metres, just imagine how much of the wreck I could see in a single dive - now that would be quite a story! n Using a scooter is far less effort...
...than ‘oldschool’ finning
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This issue, our panel of industry experts discuss what important considerations need to be analysed before you go for a dive PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS AND GARRY DALLAS
W
hen venturing out for a dive, be that at your local inland site or at some coastal location, there are certain vital considerations that need to be made before you get wet. Having the right kit, checking on tide times and weather conditions, even just knowing where you are going, all need to be looked at and processed. Let’s see what our industry pros say… BSAC’s newly minted National Diving Officer Dai Atkins said: “Have you been out there in the middle of the sea, bobbing about on a RIB ahead of that long-awaited weekend fun dive, only to have that lurking thought… ‘Did I pack my ******?’ (*insert missing item(s). “We’ve all done it – I’ve forgot my mask, my sunhat, even the keys to the boat (luckily, our club has someone whose nifty with the old ignition bypass trick) – but how could we try and avoid it, and what sort of things might constitute ‘essential items’ when you’re preparing for the weekend? “Personal kit - Checklists are a great way to help you remember all your personal gear - mask, fins, gloves, suit, cylinder, spare cylinder, weightbelt! Oh, the shame of forgetting one’s weightbelt and having to try and share one on a RIB (this is where your slick dive management comes into play!). If you have a prescription mask like me, it’s all the more important you try and remember these things. If you don’t use a checklist, build up the muscle memory of what items you normally use - mentally picture kitting up on the boat and clipping all your dangly bits on – reel, compass, DSMB, torch, spare torch (did you charge it?). “Boaty stuff - If you’re part of the crew getting the boat ready maybe you need a more-comprehensive list – did we get fuel? Is there enough oil? Do we have all the ropes, shots, buoys, flags and ships’ biscuits? Lesser thought of items might be spare fuses for when one pops as you’re haring it back from the headland off Salcombe, leaving you cast adrift. Don’t ask how I know! If something breaks, will you have the right-sized spanner to fix it? “Dive Manager - the boss of the day. This person has a very responsible job. If anything goes wrong, they’re responsible. So you need to be uber-prepared when Damocles hands you that sword of his! Did you check the weather? The tides – are you going to hit slack? Can you launch and recover the boat? Do you know where you’re going? Did you provide the Coxswain with a route plan? Have you delegated the job of the VHF to someone. You have command of a crack team of divers! So don’t do it all yourself. You’ll burn yourself out and you deserve a fun weekend too. “Other stuff - The Bank Holiday weekend was a gorgeous time for most branches around
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the coast, and a fair few lobster were seen getting off RIBs in Plymouth. So don’t forget to protect yourself – bottles of water, sunhats, shades, sun-cream, and those all-important sea-sickness pills if you need them (and take them the required hour before too, or they’re pretty worthless). “Going diving requires a lot of preparation. It’s only a quick five minutes to return home and get my shuttlecock when I pop to the leisure centre for a quick spot of badminton. However, when you are miles offshore and you’ve forgotten your cylinder, it’s an expensive and long day out for nothing. And it’s often no one else’s fault, I’m afraid. “So, the moral is Dib Dib Dib – be prepared! Okay, so you didn’t heed my advice and you still forget something. Don’t fret, this is where the club comes in handy - someone somewhere will have a spare. Yay! And that person becomes a life-long dive buddy.” Garry Dallas, Director of Training for RAID UK and Malta, said: “Those of you who simply adore diving as much as I do, will understand that the urge to dive at any given opportunity, even to take a day off from the mundane daily work is insuppressible. Quarries tend to be most accessible in any conditions, except when your truck can’t get up that icy hill to the dive site. However, the sea is where the adventure is at!
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“The use of a compass is usually mandatory when diving. Bearings out and inbound, taking into account direction changes in current, require competency, so please don’t leave this to chance. Arriving back exactly where you began your dive is a very satisfying notion, leaving your buddies in awe at your navigation skills!” PADI’s tech guru Vikki Batten said: “Planning a dive is often a balance between precision planning and flexibility. The first thing most divers want to know is the depth and water temperature. These form the basis of the type of dive you’ll be doing and the equipment you’ll need. Environmental conditions such as weather and tides are also key, especially here in the UK. Gaining a bit of knowledge in this area will help you optimise your dives and give you confidence in your judgement. A bit of research into the dive site can make a massive difference, so check out the local currents and underwater geology plus the history, if it’s a wreck, or other divers reports/videos, not to mention the skipper or guide’s briefing. The more info you have the more fun the dive becomes. “Finally, if conditions are not favourable don’t dive, even if other divers do and even if you lose the cost of your dive. If you are uncomfortable with the conditions, yours is the only opinion that matters.”
Every dive is a lottery of what you may find underwater, but unfortunately, so are the weather conditions. Impulsively, tomorrow is the day to go for a dive! It might have been a few weeks, months or just yesterday! Our oceans change on an hourly basis, therefore we need to adapt and understand when is the right time to get wet or not. “From my army days, the 7Ps are burned in my mind - Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents P!ss Poor Performance! Our RAID courses offer a detailed insight into adventure diving from shores and boats. So, before you go, check the weather and tide times around your dive location first. You can seek more local area knowledge from internet local reports, maritime coastguard and specific apps for your phones like MET Office and Windfinder. Be aware of spring and neap tides, wind direction and speed, temperature and wave height, etc, at specific times and forecasts for that day by the hour. These are all considerations to making your entry and exit safer. “Even then, preparing for any eventuality should not be dismissed. Signalling devices, an SMB to make other water users aware of your position underwater, and making it known to surface cover or authorities your position and how long you intend to be submerged is a trait of a safety conscious diver and their team. On exit, contact those people to state you are safely back and prevent any unnecessary worry.
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Jason Sockett, from PADI’s Quality Management team, said: “I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be rushed before a dive. I always like to arrive at the dive centre with plenty of time to say hello to everyone, get my gear ready and just enjoy the days diving. My preparation starts the night before as I pack the dive bag, I have a check list in my head of what needs to go in. I pack the bag in reverse order so that if I am on a small boat the next day, the first piece of kit I need is not at the bottom of the bag. As the kit goes into the bag I am also checking for any wear and tear of my kit - nothing worse than getting to the dive site and find that the mouthpiece looks like the dog has chewed it. I also always have a small dive box with my own ‘save a dive kit’, various O-rings, Leatherman, range of small spanners, Allen keys, one adjustable spanner, spare mask strap, mouthpiece and various bits and pieces that I have collected over the year.” GUE’s John Kendall commented: “One of the joys of being in the UK is that if you don’t like the current weather, you just need to wait an hour or so. This does tend to cause issues when it comes to dive planning. Between the wind, the tides and the rain it can make it tricky to make decisions. However, this should definitely not stop you from going diving. “If I am diving off the UK coast, I like to call the boat skipper a couple of days prior to the dive and ask about the wind. The skippers are the experts when it comes to their local regions and will know what the sensible limits for diving are. If you are shore diving, then again, seek out local knowledge regarding weather and how it effects conditions. Find out what state of the tide the site should be dived at, and then make sure you know when that occurs. There are some sites that can be dived at any time, but many around the coast of the UK can be dangerous to dive when the tide is flowing. Always have a contingency plan in place (even if that is to simply skip the dive and head to the pub) in case you find conditions are not what was predicted. Remember, anyone can stop a dive at any time - and often the best time to do that is before even getting in the water.” n
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Port Gallanach Oban - Scotland 01631 566088 info@puffin.org.uk www.puffin.org.uk
BASS All about that
Lawson Wood explores Bass Rock at the entrance to the Firth of Forth, which offers dramatic scenery both above and below the surface PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAWSON WOOD
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he entrance to the Firth of Forth in southeast Scotland is guarded by a number of islands, with the largest and most-obvious being the Bass Rock, or ‘The Bass’, located some one mile offshore, and just over three miles northeast of North Berwick in East Lothian. While this dive has a range of depths, undoubtedly the largest diversity of life and colour is found in depths of less than 20m along the northern wall from the large sea cave to the eastern section of the near-vertical wall. One of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves, the privately owned Bass Rock is world famous for its resident population of gannets (Sula bassana), named after this rocky stack. This is the largest ‘single rock’ colony of northern gannets in the world. There is a huge sea cave which cuts through this ancient volcanic plug, and grey seals inhabit her small caves during the breeding season. Divers are sure to enjoy their company along the northern side opposite the caves and rocky shore. Formed over 350 million years ago, the Bass Rock is a huge trachyte plug 107 metres at its highest point and fairly circular in shape. This results in near-vertical walls on three sides and a massive tunnel that cuts the rock as it slopes more gently towards the south. There is an old fog horn at the top of the rock, an old lighthouse in the lower regions nearby and a long promontory, which has the gannet-covered remains of a castle which dates back to 1405.
The old foghorn on the top of Bass Rock
Gannets
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Bass Rock lighthouse
Squat lobster
THE GANNETS OF BASS ROCK
The Bass is the largest island gannetry in the world and named after their famous home, the gannet (Sula bassana) is the UK’s largest seabird, with a wingspan of just under two metres. With a skull as strong as a crash helmet, they can hit the water at speeds of 90mph, which actually stuns the fish, making it easier to feed. Over 200 tons of fish each day are consumed by the 150,000 or so birds on the Bass Rock, hence their distant foraging expeditions which can last over 30 hours, leaving their mate to guard the nest. They have been recorded as travelling over 330 miles in their search for food and are quite often found off the coast of Norway. All along the coast you can see gannets flying just above the surface of the sea where there is less wind resistance, making their travel much more efficient. Leaving the rock around October, they are known to over-winter in the Mediterranean and even as far as the Gulf of Guinea on the Equator. Returning in the spring they all lay their eggs during a short period of time in May. Fiercely independent, the nests are packed tightly together, just at the edge of pecking distance and are in the region of three nests per metre. The young gain weight rapidly on their fishy diet and will voluntarily plunge off the cliffs into the sea in September before the worst of the winter storms kick in (hopefully learning to fly on the way down!). Over 75 percent of the new chicks will die before they can gain their independence.
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B-SECURUS automatically switches the compressor unit off when the cartridge reaches saturation point.
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“Diving this site regularly, I keep seeing the same critters, particularly one old lobster which is dark blue and mottled with grey algae�
Common lobster
Anemones cover the walls of Bass Rock
Preparing to launch a DSMB
This volcanic plug is all that remains of an ancient volcano and her sisters can be seen all around this flat region of East Lothian, including the rock which houses Edinburgh Castle. You can dive around all of the Bass Rock, but most divers start along the northern shore nearby the cave and keep the rock face on the righthand side as they dive along its flanks. There is a scree slope to the edge of the northwestern cavern and a more muddy bottom to the southeast. With the huge numbers of seabirds found on the rock, the visibility can be variable due to the large amounts of guano dropping from the sky above. While gannets are the predominant lodger, you can also find shags, kittiwakes, razorbills, seagulls, guillemots and even puffins, which have travelled down from their nesting burrows on the Isle of May. The Bass is visited each day by hundreds of tourists from May to September, but is visited rarely by divers. Most dives are done on an ebbing tide and you start your dive in the northwest and keeping the wall on your right-hand side, allowing the gentle current to help propel you along to the northeastern side of the rock. Regarded as one of the top three cliff dives in the UK and one of the top 12 wildlife wonders of the world,
it is a simple dive plan - drop to your desired depth and just follow the near-vertical wall around until it is time to come up! As you approach the other side of the Bass Rock, you will come to an area of slack water where the current diverges and then will start to push against you, it is usually at this point that you will finish your dive. The rock strata is quite evident and there are near-horizontal clefts all around the cliff face, but take care as you turn the northern corner as the ridges now start to drop down at a steeper angle and if you follow the ridges you can find yourself dropping below a safe diving limit for your time underwater. Diving this site regularly, I keep seeing the same critters, particularly one old lobster which is dark blue and mottled with grey algae. It does have a nice hole on the wall to hide in, but it appears to spend its time wandering around amid the dead man’s fingers and
Seals will often check out divers
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Flatfish Bass Rock is great for photographers
The seaweed is home to many juvenile fish
Macro anemone shot
plumose anemones. Curious volcanic outcroppings are covered in a dwarf species of the plumose anemones (Metridium senile) in both a white and orange form. Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), velvet swimming crabs, small spider crabs, gobies and blennies are all over and what never ceases to amaze me is that species of marine life, which are usually found on the sea floor, appear to be quite happy on a rugged vertical cliff. Adaptation to the environment is always a revelation. Various species of nudibranch are found all over, from the largest Dendronotus which feed on dead man’s fingers to the smallest Eubranchus, which lives on delicate hydroids - the Bass is a wonderland for nudibranch spotters. Dive boats venture out to Bass Rock from various locations, including St Abbs. Independent clubs are able to launch RIBs at a number of sites and navigation is pretty easy, as the Bass Rock is so prominent on the skyline. The trips from Eyemouth have a travel time of around one-and-a-half hours, leaving around 8am and returning around 6pm. Daily expeditions to the Bass Rock comprise of a three-tank dive trip to perhaps include the Isle of May, Fast Castle and a dive in the St Abbs or Eyemouth area. n
“Big and bold, the huge silvery, guano-covered Bass sticks up like a white, rounded jewel, too obvious to be ignored.”
Seal chilling on the surface
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Divestabbs and Shore Diver
St. Abbs
Air/Nitrox Fills Large Dive Boat with Lift
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M: 07710 961050 • T: 01890 771945 E: paul@divestabbs.com • W: www.divestabbs.com Rock House, St Abbs, Eyemouth TD14 5PW ScubaDiverUK.ai 1 17/5/2018 14:27:43
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DiverLog+ App Available for free for Apple and Android devices, DiverLog+ is the essential scuba diving tool that keeps all your dive data safe, organised and accessible. Pair with your i300 and log your dive data, locations, equipment, gas blend, dive modes, plus photos and videos from the dive. Your buddy can even digitally sign your log book! The app features intuitive, attractive and interactive dive profile graphs. Simulate your dive in real-time, add photos and memos to specific points, view data in tabular and graphical format and much more! Your dive listing gives easy access to old dives and you can use the powerful Diverlog+ search query features to filter by location, dive type, and more! 38
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THE NEXT GENERATION
Kids Sea Camp is the undoubted world leader when it comes to children and diving - more than 7,000 youth certifications and counting! - and founder Margo Peyton has painstakingly crafted a series of unique itineraries with unparalleled adventures, allowing families to bond, interact with local cultures, learn history, engage with wildlife and meet like-minded families from around the globe.
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GETTING THE URGE TO SUBMERGE (A BOY'S DIVING STORY) PART ONE – THE JOURNEY TO MASTER SEAL Anyone with children will know, maintaining interests such as diving is not easy. You’ve got to want to do it, and find time for it in an already busy life. Jeremy and Amanda Cuff sought to involve their son Zac in their watery adventures from an early age PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY & AMANDA CUFF / WWW.JA-UNIVERSE.COM
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ince Zac was a baby, aged around three months, we began taking him to the swimming pool. Becoming comfortable and confident in the water was an important life skill, and besides, we might tempt him to dive with us later on! In 2003, we visited Corsica for a week. It was here that Zac had his first experience of the sea, in the flat, calm water under blue skies. As I shot images, it was amusing to see his chubby little ‘drumsticks’ kicking away while Amanda held him. This was the true beginning of his diving journey.
SWIMMING POOLS, SEA AND SNORKELLING
We ensured that Zac came with us on our dive travels when possible, that he got experience in swimming pools, and have opportunities to get into the sea, armed with a mask and snorkel. Zac’s first-ever snorkel was at the excellent Lady Elliot Island in Australia at age four, where he was able to see coral reefs and schools of fish.
THE CAYMAN AGGRESSOR FAMILY WEEK
Things stepped up a gear when we discovered the ‘Family Week’ liveaboards, run by the Aggressor Fleet in the Caribbean. The ‘Family Week’ itinerary was based on the normal ‘grown-ups’ trip, but with a few tweaks to make it more child-friendly. At the time of the trip, Zac was six years old. On the trip, Captain Henri became Zac’s new hero. He would sometimes say ‘the best captain in the world’ and ‘the best boat in the world’. The crew were friendly, encouraging and patient with Zac, and as
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parents we felt completely relaxed about him being onboard. Zac would emulate a ‘real’ diver for the first time, attending the dive briefing and shown how to kit up, check air and so on. He would enter the water with a crew member using a SASY (Supplied Air Snorkelling for Youth) set-up, which is a self-contained regulator and tank, but for surface swimming only. With this equipment, a child can thus breathe through a regulator like a diver, check the air contents, and view the reefs from above, but without risk of a snorkel filling with water. It was a great step towards becoming a diver. We watched Zac perfect his giant stride entry and laughed as he begged Captain Henri to ‘give me some weights’.
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CASE STUDY
RONA BHATTACHARYA, 12, BURNLEY, LANCASHIRE, UK Rona was born to non-diving parents, yet on a family holiday to the Costa Brava, her snorkelling instructor noticed her fish-like nature, and told her father she should take it further. In December 2015, Rona became a Junior Open Water Diver through Clitheroe’s Reefers and Wreckers Dive Centre, completing her dives in bitterly cold conditions at Capernwray. Following her success in England, Rona went on her first dive trip to Gozo, where she won the hearts of the team at Atlantis Dive Centre. She then racked up specialties such as Project AWARE, Navigation Diver, Drysuit Diver, Underwater Photographer and Underwater Videographer, and Deep Diver, as well as returning to Gozo on another dive trip. On 23 April 2017 – which also happened to be her 12th birthday - Rona completed 50 dives and earned her Junior Advanced Open Water Diver cert. Rescue Diver then followed, and in July 2017, she gained her Junior Master Scuba Diver qualification. She has now surpassed 70 dives after clocking up another ten dives in the Florida Keys in April. “Rona is extremely passionate about diving, and wishes to progress to becoming an instructor when she is older, with a special interest in teaching children, in order to
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GREAT BARRIER REEF ‘REEF TEACH’
emulate the mentors and teachers who took her through her first few steps,” explained her parents. Rona hopes to spread awareness both personally and through social media once she is old enough to have her own channels. She plans to become involved with PADI Project AWARE, and wishes to be a part of the UNESCO One Planet, One Ocean Project to help preserve Underwater Cultural Heritage.
After the Cayman Aggressor, more things became possible. For our 2010 Australia trip, we established that the Cairns-based Prodive Great Barrier Reef liveaboards would accept children, so we decided to take Zac (then seven years old). In Cairns, we attended one of the Reef Teach seminars the evening before departure. Its aim is to teach visitors more about the Great Barrier Reef. It’s presented by marine biologists, and gives insights into life beyond the esplanade. Zac was especially intrigued by the specimen jars and enjoyed the coral and fish identification aspects. On the liveaboard, I sat out a couple of dives so that I could take Zac snorkelling, ensuring that he didn’t miss out. When we were diving, he would snorkel with a couple from Singapore, who were happy to go with him.
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OUR MISSION: Kids Sea Camp’s mission is to inspire families to dive, travel and explore environmentally and culturally diversified destinations, and thus we have created family-friendly resort packages, activities and tours designed to provide safe, fun and educational vacations to children and their families.
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BUBBLE-MAKING IN BANDOS, MALDIVES
The Maldivian Island of Bandos would become a special place for Zac. Here, the dive centre offers the PADI Bubblemaker course for eight- and nine-year-olds, so we booked him a place. Zac enjoyed a superb, and somewhat overwhelming, experience on his Bubblemaker course, seeing a myriad of colourful fish, and even a couple of adult blacktip reef sharks cruising the reef. The island was so enjoyable that we visited again the following year, in 2012, with friends. On their Bubblemaker dive, they had a great encounter with a sea turtle.
THE PADI MASTER SEAL COURSE
Through our local dive centre, Zac attended the PADI SEAL course at local swimming pools. This course is designed specifically for eight- and nine-year-olds, and is the first step on the PADI ladder of diving qualifications. Unlike the PADI Bubblemaker, which is more of an experience, the PADI SEAL course mixes the fun and experience side of diving with the first steps of learning essential skills. Each week, Zac would set up kit, learn buoyancy control and regulator removal in the safety of the shallow pools. In the end, he would go for the Master SEAL version of the course, which involved demonstrating extra skills, such as underwater photography. Zac was delighted with his achievement. He had completed his journey to Master SEAL. During this period, the dive club would also run an excellent ‘Bubblemaker Party’ for Zac’s ninth birthday, with ten boys all diving together for the first time. NEXT MONTH: Follow Zac’s story in part two.
CASE STUDY
LUCA HALE, 12, SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT Amyjo Hales contacted Scuba Diver after seeing our Facebook post regarding Case Studies of young divers for The Next Generation, and quite rightly her and husband Kareem thought their son Luca deserved a slot in the magazine. “Our son started snorkelling at just three years old and has been diving from eight years old, starting with the PADI Bubblemaker and SEAL Team, and every birthday he completes a course, which means now at the age of 12 he is a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with over 150 dives,” she said. “He has been recognised by PADI for his efforts and his membership as a keen young diver, and he was made a PADI Ambassadiver because of his true charisma and passion for diving. He receives a huge amount of support from PADI Regional Manager Ahmed Sayed, who regularly meets up with Luca, follows his progress and gives him great support and encouragement. “With a father who is a PADI instructor and myself a manager within a diving centre, the diving is in his veins, and he has joined us on board the dive boat many times encouraging people to dive. “Luca has been in numerous TV commercials and is the marketing face of Pyramids Diving Centre in Sharm el Sheikh. “He speaks fluent English and Arabic and is well known in Sharm for his friendly character and outgoing personality - he really is a credit to the diving world.” She continued: “Luca is enroute to becoming a Junior Master Scuba Diver, having just completed his EFR course with PADI Course Director Yahya Khiry last month, and will continue with his specialty courses this summer.
“He is aiming to be an instructor as soon as he is old enough to do so, and then continue onto being a Course Director. He has set his target and will not rest until he reaches it - pretty impressive for a 12-year-old! “As parents, Kareem and I are overwhelmed by the amount of love and support Luca receives from everyone and everywhere, we are immensely proud of him and are sure he will take scuba diving into the next generation.”
Kids Sea Camp 2018 Summer Break Family Vacations ROATAN: Mayan Princess, June 16th – 23rd ST. LUCIA: Anse Chastanet, June 23rd – June 30th ST. LUCIA: Anse Chastanet, June 30th – July 7th BONAIRE: Buddy Dive Resort, July 7th – 14th GALAPAGOS: Galapagos Sky, July 15th – 22nd *private charter liveaboard*
PHILIPPINES: Pura Vida Homes; Dauin (7 nights) & Ocean Vida Cabilao (5 nights), July 10th – 22nd Fully escorted with Tom & Margo Peyton
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PALAU: Sam’s Tours, and Palau Royal, July 21st – 31st (10 nights or 14-night option) July 21st – August 4th Kids Sea Camp Thanksgiving Family Vacation (NEW) BONAIRE: Buddy Dive Resort, November 17th – 24th New Years Trip 2018-19 Family Vacation (NEW) SOCORRO ISLAND: Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard, December 27th – January 4th, discover the little Galapagos.
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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
FOR MACRO
Following his last article on getting the basics right with macro photography, Martyn Guess provides some ideas on how to use different lighting techniques rather than just point the strobe straight at the subject PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS
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s I said in my last article, ‘good macro photography requires us to follow a few basic rules and then to apply these to our images. As well as being well composed, striking and colourful, with maybe some interesting behaviour, it is critical that the image is creatively and well lit’. There are various lighting techniques that you can use (or put simply – putting your strobe (flash) or strobes in positions that will help you get better results) that will help you to separate the subject from a messy and distracting background, make the subject pop and help show texture and a 3D effect. If used carefully these techniques will then show off the subject in the best possible light (no pun intended!). Most underwater photographers starting out are just happy to get enough light on a subject so that the viewer can see what it is. The strobe position at this stage is normally just pointing straight out from the housing, directly at the subject and the background behind. Everything in the frame is then illuminated and backscatter can be an issue. Compact users with just the in-built flash have only this choice of lighting. If, however, you have graduated to an external strobe or strobes then the position of the strobe can be adjusted so that the angle of light hitting the subject is directed in the best way to suit the subject and its position. CROSS LIGHTING – Helps you separate the subject from the background and add texture. The picture shows the strobe positions for this technique, which are basically pointing straight at each other or the side of the port. Strobes have a remarkably wide angle of coverage so don’t be afraid to turn them away from the critter you are shooting. If only using one strobe, the position is the same and the lighting will be more directional, with strong shadows on the side of the subject without any light, which can be very effective. I regularly turn one strobe off when using this technique. Cross
Moray Eel lit by cross lighting
Rhinopias Frondosa back lit with a blip of front light
lighting limits the light hitting the background and it is this directional light which adds texture to your subject and can give a 3D effect (see the moray image which was lit using this technique). For smaller subjects the strobes are pushed closer together and to the port and pulled further apart for larger subjects and for softer lighting. Try and shoot upwards into the water column by getting low to the subject. as this will help darken the background. Backscatter is not an issue. Use longer strobe arms to enable you to push the strobes forward. If you move closer to the subject, you can introduce some back lighting where the rear of the subject is starting to get light. Great for subjects like hairy frogfish. One of the strobes if using two can be turned down slightly to help create a softer and more natural light effect. Like anything in photography practice, practice and practice this technique and you will soon see the difference in your images. INWARD LIGHTING – I use this when the subject is very close to a messy background. The strobes are set pointing back towards my head (see picture). Push the strobe or strobes forward. The diffusers can be removed as you are only trying to use the edge of the beam to light the subject and the edge will be harder without them. The harder light will help lift the texture of the subject too. Inward lighting is therefore a background problem-solver and is an extreme version of crossed strobes. Push the strobes forward and wide enough so they are out of the field of view. If necessary, use longer strobe arms. While adjusting the angle of the light I use back button focus, and if yours does, I recommend you use
this (see my last article). Compose the shot and focus and then leave the button alone. As I move the strobes around I can then go back to the same shot by moving the camera in and out - when it achieves focus I know it is in the same position and the light angle changes can take effect. With practice you will be able to isolate the subject. Try also using a small aperture and fast shutter speed to help darken the background. The porcelain crab was shot using inward lighting and I was able to hide the rest of the anemone, which was distracting.
MY ESCORTED TRIPS
Want to learn how to take or improve your underwater images? Why not come on a photo-specific trip? These trips are meticulously planned to the best destinations at the best time of year where the conditions should be perfect for building a portfolio of great images. The workshops, which are for all levels of experience but mainly aimed at people with a few trips under their belts, include classroom sessions and presentations as well as in-water help and guidance, all done in a relaxed and non-competitive friendly environment. As I sit here writing this article I am about to journey to Anilao in the Philippines to run a workshop, but will be back there again soon. This year there are macro and wide-angle photography trips through Scubatravel to the Azores for macro, reef and shark photography (September 2018) and Bali for macro and wide-angle opportunities (October 2018) and again in August 2019 and the Azores in September 2019, as well as a Red Sea trip being planned.
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY BACK LIGHTING – You can use a strobe with a piece of old wetsuit arm attached to reduce the light beam and a long strobe arm or arms linked together. This will enable you to position the strobe behind the subject. Clearly this method of lighting can only be used where the critter is in a position which enables you to get a light behind without disturbing it or the reef! I prefer to use a narrow beam torch, which is far easier to position, or to get the guide or a buddy to hold. I always carry such a torch in my pocket on macro dives. Back lighting will transform anything hairy or see-through or something with an interesting shape or edge, such as a seahorse or Rhinopias. This technique will elevate the image to something very memorable if done well. It is also great for hiding backgrounds. It is an easy method of lighting to achieve good results without too much practice. You can just rely on the back light which will create a slightly mystical image, or you can also introduce a blip of light from your strobe position to light the front of the subject and allow the viewer to see the subject more clearly, but still maintain an edge light from the back around the subject to give it considerable impact. The image of the purple weedy Rhinopias is an example of back lighting with a little front light allowing you to see the wonderful pattern of the fish’s skin. The back lighting gives the subject great impact. The camera should be positioned so that it is in the shade of the back light, so move your position so you cannot actually see the light beam in the viewfinder. A strobe will give a bigger back light than a torch, so has to be positioned well out of the frame.
Cardinal fish with eggs lit with inward lighting
CONCLUSION
All three techniques will help you get better images. As a photographer you can choose which to apply to suit the subject and its position. As a rule, I nearly always use one of these methods but in addition, also tend to take a diffuser off when shooting frogfish, and turn one strobe off when shooting a subject sitting on the sand so that I can create a shadow to set it off against. A lot of information to take on board, but concentrate on these basics and I am confident your images will start to take a quantum leap forward. Next time - dealing with black sand or muck, and introducing Snoot lighting… n
BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS
Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly 25 years. He has been very successful in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to Camera and Photography clubs as well as BSOUP. (The British Society of Underwater Photographers) Today he shares his passion and knowledge, and as well as teaching underwater photography courses he leads overseas workshop trips for Scubatravel.
Porcelain crab lit with inward lighting
Sea horse back lit with blip of front light
We don’t recommend stacking 4 lenses together
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BARBADOS INTO THE BLUE IN
Barbados is well known as a party island and a hangout for the rich and famous, but it also harbours some superlative wreck and reef diving. Mark Evans went exploring PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS
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arbados doesn’t feature on the ‘must-visit’ list of many divers, and that is a crying shame, as the island is a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to diving in the Caribbean. Not only does it boast some stunning coral reefs, but it is also home to an awesome shipwreck trail where you can explore several vessels in one shallow dive, and one of the largest artificial reefs in the region in the shape of the 111-metre-long SS Stavronikita. The Stav, as the Stavronikita is known locally, is the jewel in the Barbados diving crown. This massive Greek freighter was built in Denmark in 1956 and was originally named the Ohio. On 26 August 1976, while en route from Ireland to the Caribbean and carrying a cargo of 101,000 bags of cement, the vessel caught fire, killing six crew members and injuring three others. An explosion that followed the fire destroyed all the ship’s radio equipment, making it impossible for the stranded crew to call for help, so they resorted to painting ‘SOS’ on the side of the hull. Even so, the 24 remaining crewmen drifted in the open sea for four days before finally being rescued. The stricken Stavronikita was then towed to Barbados.
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A year went by, and the vessel was still anchored off Carlisle Bay. On 24 October 1977, after it became obvious the Greek government had abandoned her, she was purchased at an auction for the sum of $30,000 by the Parks and Beach Commission with the aim of using her as an artificial reef. The ship was first stripped of all the machinery and brass that could be salvaged, and then she was cleaned of pollutants, namely the 70,000 gallons of oil being carried in her fuel tanks. On 21 November 1978, she was towed to a spot just 400 yards offshore on the west coast of the island. A US Navy demolition team set seven charges totalling 200lb and blew holes in the ship’s hull, causing her to sink. She came to rest upright in around 40-42m of water, with her deck level around the 28-30m mark. Having been on the seabed for 40 years, she is absolutely smothered in corals and sponges. Dropping past the foremast on your first descent, you will be stunned at how much growth literally coats the entire structure. It was impossible to see any metal at all. Once you get down to deck level, the amount of sponge and coral growth does drop off a little, allowing you to make out winches, pulleys and other
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Carlisle Bay’s wrecks are cover in marine life
machinery. The bridge superstructure has collapsed, as a result of the ravages of winter storms, so it is no longer safe or advisable to penetrate in this area. However, this does not detract from the wreck, but rather adds to its charms, making it feel more ‘genuine’ as a shipwreck. Turtles often pay a visit, and barracuda and amberjack stalk the wreck, while smaller jacks swirl around the foremast in a thick cloud-like baitball. This is, without a doubt, one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean, and a must-dive for anyone visiting the island. If you are new to diving, or haven’t got your Deep Diver cert yet, never fear, because the Carlisle Bay ‘wreck trek’ is the perfect environment for you. This Marine Park is home to not one, not two, but six shipwrecks of varying size teeming with marine life. It can be dived from a boat or from the shore (I tried it both ways) and the majority of the wrecks come so close to the surface that even snorkellers can enjoy the experience. However, while this shallow depth makes them a perfect introduction to wreck diving for beginners or novices, there is plenty to see and do on them – particularly the Bajan Queen and the Eillon – that they also make an excellent dive for more-experienced divers. The park is roughly marked out underwater by old cannons, large anchors and pylons to lead the way from one wreck to the next, though some of these are becoming covered by sand, so it is easy to become a little disorientated, especially if the visibility is a bit stirred up. The best bet – at least for your first visit – is to follow a guide who knows the site like the back of their hand. Most dive centres on the island regularly visit Carlisle Bay, and in this instance, we went for the grand tour with G from GFish Barbados. I’d met G back in 2003 on a previous visit to Barbados, and at that point he was a boat captain. Now he owns GFish Barbados Dive Centre. With his infectious grin and larger-than-life personality, not to mention a Predator-style mass of dreadlocks, he is hard to miss, and underwater - with his long freediving fins - is easy to follow!
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Soldierfish and snapper
Barbados beach perfect for apres-dive relaxing
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G took us on a meandering route through the Bajan Queen and the Eillon, the two largest shipwrecks in the park, which offer numerous penetration possibilities, including on the Queen a great swim-through in the well-lit, wide-open engine room. You can pretty much go from one end to the other on both wrecks, and there is plenty of marine life to see inside and outside. Even the smaller wrecks are very photogenic, and while some don’t offer any penetration options, the sheer amount of coral and sponge growth – and the associated fish life – more than makes up for this. The dive operators have added a few ‘additions’ for some underwater fun and games, including a couple of telephones resting on a guide pylon. G obligingly ‘took a call’ and posed for a photograph! Later in the week I had the opportunity to get another dive in on Carlisle Bay, this time from the shore. There is a car park right near the beach entry, and it is easy to get fully kitted by the car and then just stroll into the water, putting on your mask and fins once you get chest-deep. Then it is just
THE SHIPWRECKS OF
Carlisle Bay THE BERWYN
This World War One 21-metre-long French tug boat was sunk in 1919 by her own crew, and now sits in just 6m of water, with her upper superstructure coming to 2-3m below the surface, depending on the tide. She is still in remarkably good condition, and thanks to the shallow depth is smothered in soft coral and sponge growth, and is always surrounded by shoals of reef fish.
THE CE-TREK The Ce-Trek was a derelict concrete boat which was sunk in Carlisle Bay in January 1986 in a depth of 13m. It has still collected a healthy covering of soft and hard corals and sponges in the 25 years it has been down on the sandy seabed.
THE EILLON The second-largest shipwreck in the Carlisle Bay collection, this 33-metre-long drug boat was tied up for six years in the Bridgetown careenage before it was purposely sunk on 8 June 1996. It now sits at a jaunty angle on the sand in 16m and is easily penetrable – you can even find an air pocket in the bow at a depth of 7.5m that is big enough for a couple of divers to surface for a chat (just remember to only breathe from your regulator, though!).
THE BAJAN QUEEN The pride of the Carlisle Bay fleet, the 36.5-metre Bajan Queen was originally named the Pelican when it worked as a tugboat during the construction of Bridgetown Harbour in the 1960s. A decade later, it acquired its new name when it was retired from the tugboat business and converted into a party boat. The Bajan Queen holds many fond memories for thousands of locals and visitors alike, and it is fitting that it ended up as a dive site in the marine park. It was sunk on 19 May 2002 and, while she sits in 10m, because she is so large, she rises to just below the surface.
THE CORNWALLIS This Canadian freighter was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat during World War Two, but on 22 October 2003 it was relocated from its previous resting place and deposited in just 4.5m in the marine park.
THE BARGE Lying in just 3.6m is this Naval Landing Barge. It isn’t much to look at, but it has plenty of colourful sponges adorning its angular frame, and shoals of snapper and bigeye soldierfish can be found sheltering inside.
The wrecks are ideal for photoggraphers Inside a Carlisle Bay wreck
Ross and a friendly turtle
“With his infectious grin and larger-than-life personality, not to mention a Predator-style mass of dreadlocks, he is hard to miss” WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
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“You can pretty much go from one end to the other on both wrecks, and there is plenty of marine life to see inside and outside”
Sponges adorn the Stavronikita Even the Stav’s mast is covered in growth
a case of taking a leisurely surface swim on your back until you reach the wrecks, which are marked with mooring balls, so you have something to aim for on your swim out. It is a fair distance from the beach, but nothing too strenuous, and our arrival time was spot on – the Barbados Blue boat was just leaving, and that meant we had the site to ourselves, only encountering divers right as we came to the surface as they left the newly arrived High Tide Watersports dive boat. Because we now knew the lay-out of the shipwrecks, it was easy for myself and buddy Ross to cruise around the vessels we wanted to see again – predominantly the Bajan Queen and the Eillon – and get a few more photographs in the bag. Not being in a group meant we could take all the time we needed. The shipwreck trail in Carlisle Bay is deservedly known as one of the best sites on the island for a bit of rusting metal, and it really does have something for everyone. It needs more than one visit, and doing a boat dive with a dive centre and guide followed by an independent shore dive really allowed me to explore it fully. n After so long on the seabed, the Stav is a reef all of its own
Sponges on the Stav
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Lighthearted profile of dive centres or clubs from all over the United Kingdom. This issue, it is the turn of Cornwall's Dive Newquay
Who is in
CHARGE?
Name: James Taylor Rank: Technical Instructor Trainer Date of first certification: 2001 Number of dives to date: 2,000+ WHAT’S YOUR STORY? I qualified 17 years ago in Newquay. I always had a keen interest in the history of local shipwrecks, and I couldn’t wait to begin training to explore our local history for myself. The more I discovered, the deeper I wanted to explore, so I began gaining technical qualifications. As I climbed the instructor ranks over the years, I always knew diving was my passion. I became one of the three partners who established Dive Newquay. Seven years later, there are now two partners, myself and my good friend, Paddy Maher. Padz is all about marine life, and is regularly involved in local marine conservation projects.
Q&A with James Q: How would you describe your team at your dive centre? A: A diverse group of passionate professionals, dedicated to creating the ultimate diving experience! With our youngest instructor being 19, and our eldest at 53, we can tailor our diving to each individual, whether interest lies in squidge or wrecks! Q: What is your most-embarrassing teaching moment? A: Nothing beats an unsuccessful snot-watch while debriefing a poor unsuspecting student. Q: What is your favourite place to dive in the UK? A: Newquay! With upwards of 20 metres vis in the summer, more wreck diving than I can dive in my lifetime (with many remaining remarkably intact, not only providing many exciting snippets into history, but also being abundant with marine life). There are also outstanding reefs to dive - Bawden Rock is an incredible dive. Q: What is your favourite place to dive abroad? A: The Azores. The atoll of islands in the mid-Atlantic make it an amazing place to visit and dive. Two great wrecks, Viana (60m) and Ponta 16 barge (25m), are awesome dives, as well as big wall dives, clear blue waters, and abundant life, including sharks and rays, which makes it a great destination for divers and non-divers and we look forward to our dive trips out to Gary Fell at Dive The Azores.
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Q: If you could change one thing about diving, what would it be? A: The unpredictable weather, luckily UK divers are hardened to the changing conditions! Q: Who is the worst air-guzzler in your team? A: Andy Cusens, one of our most keen club members. After I trained him on the Poseidon Se7en CCR, his air consumption has improved (slightly!). Q: Who is the biggest wimp out of the lot of you, and give a recent example? A: Myself, for refusing to dive without my Mares XR heated vest. Q: Who attracts the most attention, good or bad? A: Jordan Allured, for frequently being mistaken for his girlfriend Ellie from behind in their matching drysuits and haircuts. Q: If you could teach a celebrity to dive, who would it be and why? A: Donald Trump. Keep him quiet for five minutes! Q: What’s been the biggest fear factor in your diving career to date? A: Recently completing the SSI Full Cave Diver programme in Lot, France with Adam Wood. Being deep into a cave, doing blackout, lost line drills and hoping I make the correct directional decision to find the way to the exit. The training was rewarding, and I cannot wait for the CCR Cave Programme.
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Why you should
JOIN OUR CLUB Our Scuba Rangers kids club has grown over the years and we now have 120 members who dive with us in the pool on a weekly basis, and during summer months we upgrade the Rangers to SSI Scuba Divers and explore the reefs from the shore and off our boat CLUB NIGHTS Our dive club is open to any certified diver of all abilities. With regular club dives, social evenings, pool sessions to try out the latest equipment, and of course trips away there are plenty of reasons to be a part of Dive Newquay. BRITISH DIVING TRIPS With easy access to the North and South Coast, our favourite dive trips are, of course, close to home. During winter, you can find us around most inland dive sites, NDAC and Vobster have great set-ups and the staff are always on hand to help out the Divemasters and instructors who always forget kit! Spring and summer we are flat out in Newquay guiding and teaching divers, our doors are always open to both club members and visitors alike from one diver to clubs up to 22. FOREIGN DIVE TRIPS Azores, Malta, Croatia, Egypt to name a few. We try and get on two to three trips a year. We recently returned from Egypt on a Blue O Two trip and we were very impressed, the whole team had a great trip and we are looking forward to returning in November. TRAINING FACILITIES We are right on top of many fantastic shore dive sites, and also utilise our eight-and-a-half metre RIB to access offshore wrecks and reefs from Newquay Harbour, which we are located just a few minutes away from. Within the dive centre itself, our on-site 4m-deep training pool is heated to a balmy 28°C, and the classroom enables students adequate time for the academic training. Our equipment is available for rental and maintained to a high standard by our service technician Paddy. We also have a wellstocked retail section and are happy to advise on the latest kit.
DIVE CENTRE factfile Contact details Dive Newquay, 50 East Street, Newquay, TR7 1BE Tel: 01637 876222 Email: info@divenewquay.com Website: www.divenewquay.com Opening hours 9am – 7pm, seven days a week. Courses available Everything from Try Dives, Recreational and all the way up to Instructor Training. We are also a SSI TXR centre for both Open Circuit and CCR. Rental kit and brand The shop holds the latest equipment from a wide range of suppliers, including twinsets, stage cylinders
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and Poseidon CCR rebreathers. Shop The shop doors are always open, whether it be for a friendly chat or to discuss your progression in the diving, or as an instructor from any agency using our facilities. We work closely with Mares, Otter, Fourth Element, Apeks and Poseidon and hold a range of stock from all our suppliers. Gas mixes Air, Nitrox, Trimix, 100 percent O2, all the way up to 300 bar. Servicing We offer equipment servicing from a wide range of manufacturers.
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18m
ABOVE Jeremy Cuff explores the iconic South Coast dive site of Swanage Pier, a place of pilgrimage for many UK divers – and for good reason
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY AND AMANDA CUFF / WWW.JA-UNIVERSE.COM
W
hen Mark (Scuba Diver’s Editor-in-Chief) asked me if I could contribute a feature on Swanage Pier, I probably had enough material already ‘in the bag’, as I’d dived there several times in the past. However, his request gave me the impetus to have another stab at what is a very popular (and perhaps even iconic) dive site on the South Coast, drawing divers from far and wide. The pier itself is located in the pleasant seaside town of Swanage in Dorset, in an area known as Purbeck. It’s a nice place to visit on all sorts of levels. It has a close proximity to the town centre and a sheltered beach that’s popular with families and sunseekers. When combined with other local attractions, it’s an excellent destination for a weekend diving break, as well as providing plenty of things to do for any non-divers tagging along. Swanage Pier has featured regularly in my own diving journey over the years, initially when completing my PADI Advanced Open Water, where we used the flat expanses next to the pier for the navigation dive. At other times, we dived it a couple of times with mates, used it to check out our new DSLR underwater camera rig, took a very nervous diving friend on an easy dive, introduced our son Zac to UK diving, and most recently on this year’s early May Bank Holiday weekend to cover this feature (where I lucked into fabulous weather).
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The original Swanage Pier was completed in 1860 by James Walton for the Swanage Pier and Tramway Company. The pier was built primarily for shipping stone. Horses were used to pull carts along the narrow-gauge tramway which ran along the pier and seafront. When a steamer service started between Swanage, Poole and Bournemouth in 1874, the pier was used for both day-trippers as well as the stone cargo. It soon became clear that it was unable to cope with this dual use and it was subsequently decided that a new and longer pier was needed. The first pile of the new pier was driven on 30 November 1895 and it opened to traffic on 29 March 1897. The first steamer landed people in May 1896, with the last being in August 1966. In 1940, the landward end of the pier was blown up as an anti-invasion precaution. Following World War Two, steamer traffic was reinstated in 1948, but after 1966 the pier deteriorated for almost 30 years. In 1994, the Swanage Pier Trust acquired control of the Pier Company, with the aim of keeping it open to residents and visitors and providing for its eventual total restoration. Much money has been spent on restoring the timber structure, with renovations being financed by sources such as the Lottery and English Heritage. At the time of writing in early May 2018, the pier is undergoing further restoration work which is designed to secure its ongoing future. The work is scheduled to be completed by August 2018, though like many construction (or reconstruction) projects, they have a habit of over-running. By the time you read this, the works should be finished or nearly finished.
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ARRIVAL AT THE SITE
The pier can be accessed by diver’s vehicles via an entrance gate where there’s limited parking on a ‘first come first served’ basis (£9 for a full day). This means an early start, which may or may not be to everyone’s taste. Even if you arrive at 6.30am, expect to see a queue starting to form, especially on good weather weekends, such as my recent visit. If staying overnight, it can be a bit of a faff getting your gear from your accommodation into the vehicle in time to get onto the pier by 6.30am-7am. I drove my pick-up down to the pier at 6.30am to ensure that I got a space and then had breakfast after I’d parked. If the pier parking is full, it’ll turn your pleasant day of diving into a less-enjoyable experience as you’ll have to transport dive kit from another car park uphill from the pier (helpfully, the pier management provides trolleys for transporting dive kit). It must be said that nabbing a pier parking space is definitely key to the day.
DIVE BRIEFING
Even when conditions don’t allow elsewhere, Swanage Pier is always a contender as a reliable place to dive (as much as that’s possible with coastal sites). It’s therefore a good fall-back site, though that is not to say it’s in anyway inferior to local boat dives. The unhelpful weather to watch out for is an easterly wind, which can send waves into the bay and destroy the visibility, so
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it’s worth keeping an eye on the weather forecast. In terms of tides, the range isn’t huge in this area, so it’s possible to dive at any time, though it is much easier when the tide in higher. In my visits, there’s never been any appreciable current, though you may experience surge if any waves are blowing in. The dive itself is very shallow, with the deepest depth I can remember attaining being about 5m at the very end of the pier at high tide. Overweighting yourself is probably the way to go here, to ensure you’re able to stay down rather than accidently bobbing up (perhaps risking clunking your head on a beam in the process) or spending the whole dive kicking to stay down, which isn’t much fun. To enter the water, you’ve normally got three choices (except at the time of writing when refurbishment work was ongoing). The most-popular choice is the steps on the sea wall next to the gent’s toilet (try not to think about that!), or alternatively there’s a lower platform on the pier itself with a ladder; some dive boats arrive and depart from this section so care must be exercised. Similarly, the ‘on-pier’ dive centre (Divers Down) have a pontoon that divers can use as an entry point, though boats are also coming and going from here, so you must be vigilant and sensible (they probably don’t encourage using this). If using the sea wall steps, great care should be taken with any slippery seaweed that could cause a nasty fall. When entering the water here, it can be tricky keeping your footing while navigating slimy, uneven pebbles as you wade into deeper water. Visibility can also vary tremendously, so buddy pairs must keep close to one another to avoid getting separated.
DIVE CENTRES AND PIER OPENING
For fills or other dive-related supplies, you’ve got the ‘on-pier’ dive centre, Divers Down (www.diversdownswanage.co.uk). For pier opening times, check out the Swanage Pier Trust website (www.swanagepiertrust.com)
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THE DIVES
SWANAGE PIER, DORSET WHAT TO EXPECT TYPE OF ‘DIVE’
Very shallow shore dive (easier at high tide).
DEPTH
Exact depth will vary depending on tides and where you choose to go, with the maximum being 5m. Due to this, you need to ensure you have sufficient weight to stay down.
MARINE LIFE/ WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
Swanage Pier is good for sightings; depending on the time of year, expect spider crabs, edible crabs, velvet swimming crabs, tompot blennies, pipefish, wrasse, bass, flounder, prawns, anemones, jellyfish and blennies. You might also be lucky to see lobster, cuttlefish, scorpionfish, schools of grey mullet and even John Dory or anglerfish. Who knows, there could perhaps be seahorses somewhere in the area of the pier, as they’re known from nearby Studland Bay around the other side of Old Harry Rocks.
Wherever you choose to enter the water, there are two basic choices that you can make; stay under the main pier, or swim out to the standing legs of the old pier. If visiting the legs of the old pier it’s worth checking this out visually for orientation before entering the water, to ensure you don’t miss them and avoid the hazard of the dive boat pontoon. Essentially, the dives under and around Swanage Pier are naturalist dives with the added vistas of the pier structure and discarded former pier legs. It’s the kind of place where an observant diver who’s not in a hurry can be rewarded with some interesting sightings. The dive is quite popular with photographers, with good macro subjects and even wide-angle possibilities if the visibility is good. In fact, on my most-recent visit, I’d almost go as far as saying that the shafts of light peeking through reminded me of diving Bonaire’s Town Pier many moons ago. It’s really a case of moving slowly and looking carefully to see what you can see. On previous visits I’ve seen lobster, flounder and John Dory, among the highlights. Most recently I spotted what I believe to be a baby spider crab and saw a large school of grey mullet around the area of the old pier legs (sadly, not close enough for photography). In summary, Swanage Pier is a perennial favourite and iconic dive site that is ideal for divers of all abilities and interests; training dives, marine life spotting, photography and so on. Some combine it with other dives in the area, many of which depart from the pier itself. It’s also quite sociable in that it’s easy to meet other divers (sounds like a diver dating venue!) where you learn about recent sightings, prevailing conditions and the dive experiences that others have had. Swanage Pier is a good place. If you haven’t done it yet, perhaps it’s time to get yourself inducted! n
VISIBILITY
Variable depending on wind direction, run-off and other factors, but can be six to eight metres if you’re lucky. On less ideal days, it can be very much reduced. An average is probably three or four metres.
SEABED
Flat with sandy expanses, extensive weed/seagrass beds, occasional rocks, rubble patches, discarded pier legs and beams.
HAZARDS
Boat traffic, low visibility, disorientation (surprising easy in poor visibility), slippery steps, rocks/boulders (when entering/exiting the water), fishing line, sharp edges, overhead beams.
ACCOMMODATION
There’s a big choice of accommodation in Swanage and its environs to suit all budgets. On my most recent trip, I chose a bed-and-breakfast close to the pier. There are plenty of B&Bs, hotels and apartments in and around the town. For those wishing to camp, there are options in the area.
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DIVERS DOWN IS BRITAIN’S OLDEST DIVE SCHOOL, ESTABLISHED IN 1958 → We have 3 purpose built Dive Catamarans with Diver Lifts → Parking, Boats and Air all available on Swanage Pier → Book online, phone, text or email → Variety of dives from shore diving to drifts. Shallow and deep wrecks, inside and outside the bay → We offer Kit Hire, Training, Air and Nitrox → Our Shop has a large variety of equipment including Masks, Fins, Snorkels, Clips, Bags, Bungee, Hoods, Gloves, Boots, Reels, SMB’s and more!
SWANAGE PIER 2018 RENOVATION
The Pier is undergoing renovation works at the moment and access is limited during the week. Diving around the Old Pier is still available at all times and works should be completed by July 2018.
Tel/Text: 07977 142661 Email: medina@madasafish.com www.diversdownswanage.co.uk
SCHOLARSHIP DIARY
The Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-profit, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for over 35 years. owuscholarship.org
INTRODUCING 2018 SCHOLAR ERIC JORDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC JORDA
I
still cannot believe that it just happened, that it is for real. I remember the day of the interview, flying from Oslo to Heathrow Airport, with my head against the window, staring at the clouds and thinking ‘Wake up Èric, it is not possible that you are one of the three finalists for the whole of Europe!’. But it was not a dream. The next day, for my birthday, I received the email confirming I was selected as the 2018 European Rolex Scholar of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. A whole year ahead to discover the world’s oceans secrets while diving around the globe could not have been a better birthday present! My name is Èric Jorda and I am originally from Barcelona. The deep blue has always fascinated me since I was a child. I still remember the long hours I spent snorkelling in the small coves at Costa Brava during the summer vacations where I discovered the secrets of the Mediterranean Sea. There, I first experienced the thrilling feeling of approaching a dark overhanging rock bursting with encrusting life, the gentle stroke of the posidonia on my belly and the fascination while watching octopuses hiding beneath stones. At that time, my parents bought me the collection of The Undersea World documentaries from Jacques Cousteau and after watching all the episodes, I told myself that I wanted to become an oceanographer. For that, I decided to study a bachelor in Marine Science at the University of Alicante, in the south of Spain. It was after taking the marine zoology classes that I got fascinated with the marine invertebrates. All those small creatures that everyone else seemed to be disgusted with were the ones I found the most exciting and interesting! During my bachelor, I first got introduced to scuba diving, taking all the PADI certificates up to Rescue Diver. Breathing underwater and seeing first-hand what the teachers were explaining us in class helped me a lot to develop a strong feeling of obligation to protect and care about our coasts. The last year of my bachelor I enrolled myself in an ERASMUS exchange to Northern Norway, landing in the small town of Bodø. There I had the incredible opportunity to study the epibenthic communities of a submarine trough in the Vesterålen archipelago. When I saw all the amazing creatures that appeared in my samples, I said to myself that I had to dive in Norwegian waters! In order to dive in the chilly waters of the Arctic Circle, I took the drysuit speciality course in Saltstraumen, the place with the strongest tidal currents in the world. By that time, I was getting in love with Northern Norway; all those breath-taking mountains, the northern lights, the rough ocean, the kelp forests… But I wanted to go further north. When I told my parents that I was moving to the Arctic Archipelago of
Eric Jorda
Svalbard to study one semester at the world’s northern-most university (UNIS), they almost died from a heart attack thinking I was going to be eaten by a polar bear! But I didn’t. There I took some arctic marine biology courses that implied hands-on experience with the arctic environment involving marine research cruises, sea ice sampling and snow scootering. The Arctic captivated me completely! Currently I am studying a MSc in Biology and Aquaculture at Nord University, where I am finishing my master thesis studying the soft-bottom benthic communities of the deepest fjord of Northern Norway, Tysfjord. Being the next OWUSS European Rolex Scholar 2018 is a oncein-a-lifetime chance to witness the challenges marine environments around the world, and especially polar regions, are facing and to investigate how we, as a collective, can contribute to make a change. During my experience I’d like to develop more skills in photography and videography since I believe that these are powerful tools to convey to the general public that marine science is adventurous and continually offers something new to learn and discover. And more importantly, they can make people realise how vital it is to have healthy oceans for our own survival. During this year I hope to improve my diving skills and become a proficient and solid scientific diver and a dream come true would be to dive in Antarctic waters and to explore the deepest parts of the oceans! An enormous thank you to the OWUSS and to Rolex for this extraordinary opportunity! n
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TALES FROM
THE TANK CATERING
FOR ONE BY REBECCA PEARCE, DIVE OFFICER
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ne-to-One Assisted Shark Encounters have always been on the menu at Blue Planet Aquarium, however, we want to add some spice! Over the years, we have taken pride in our aquarium being one of the most accessible for shark experiences in the UK; regardless of ability, we want everyone to come and get up close and personal with these amazing animals. As instructors, we understand the importance of patience; having a personal tutor allows divers to have full undivided attention, and a One-to-One experience gives divers the confidence to take part in an activity that they might have thought was never possible. As we adopt a tailored and flexible approach on our One-to-One experiences, each shark dive can be different to the next. Whether each diver prefers to stay near the surface and see the animals pass by or go for a stroll around the exhibit, we’ll make sure they’re not disappointed. The bespoke experience is designed to cater for the diver’s individual needs. Of course, some divers simply prefer the ‘personal
touch’ of a one-to-one experience (and why not!?), but for those with disabilities, the Assisted Shark Encounter comes into its own. Some divers may like extra time in the classroom or assistance getting in and out of the pool. Several members of our team are trained to cater for visually-impaired divers who need alternative approaches to communication. Whatever the diver’s needs, we aim to provide the experience of a lifetime. To anyone interested in a One-to-One experience, we recommend giving us a call, and then coming to the aquarium to meet the team and see our facilities. Although labelled as One-to-One dives, we recommend sharing these moments with loved ones. In many cases, they can join in with a dive, and spectators can follow the action through our underwater tunnel. Our latest investment includes a new Oxford Dipper Hoist, which coincides with the relaunch of our One-to-One Assisted Shark Dives, which go hand-in-hand with our HSA (Handicapped Scuba Association) specialist trained and experienced instructors. We will be renovating our changing facilities to make them more accessible, working much closer with charities to promote diving for everyone, and delivering additional staff training through agencies that specialise in adaptive techniques. We will be attending the Disability Awareness Day on 15 July at Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington - please do come and say hello! Meet Jacob, an adrenaline seeker that lets no obstacle stand in his way. Jacob and his family are truly inspirational, for nine years they have been traveling around the world for treatments that help combat Adrenoleukodystrophy. His story (Smile4Jacob) is a platform that has raised awareness and is a reminder that you should never limit yourself. n
If you would like more information on diving with our sharks, please call us on (0151) 357 8800, or send us an email to: info@blueplanetaquarium.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
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Papua Paradise This month, we look at the coral playgrpound right in front of the Papua Paradise Eco Resort in Raja Ampat, Indonesia PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PAPUA PARADISE ECO RESORT
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ou might want to spend all your waking moments in Raja Ampat underwater, but there will be times when you can’t dive. So, what can you do in the 24 hours before you fly, or even between dives? If you really can’t resist getting in the water, get your snorkelling gear out or just float in the crystal-clear waters. The water temperature is between 25-28°C all year round, so if you’re not from the tropics, you might not get to swim in water like this for a while… unless you have a very big bath. Right off of Birie Island, where Papua Paradise Eco Resort is located, there is a fabulous house reef. You’ll see thousands of fish, critters and maybe even something a bit bigger like a turtle, reef shark or ray. Dugongs are sometimes even spotted here. Another option is exploring the sand flats that emerge with the ebb of the tide. You might spot starfish, octopus, and jellyfish in the shallow pools. Have you ever heard of a dugong? If you’re a diver you probably have, and it could be one of the creatures you have wanted to spot for a long time. This rare creature has been spotted off of
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Papua Paradise Eco Resort several times, making it a very special place to visit. Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters from the western Pacific Ocean to the Eastern coast of Africa, usually in protected shallow bays. They are found in their largest numbers between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay on the east coast of Australia, but there have been numerous sightings in Raja Ampat as well. In fact, Birie Island, where Papua Paradise Eco Resort is located, is one of the best sites for dugong spotting. Dugongs feed mainly on seagrass, which is plentiful around Birie Island, and especially in the shallow bay where the resort’s overwater bungalows are located. Saying this, it is still rare to see a dugong. They are very shy and gentle creatures and like their peace and quiet. In Indonesia dugongs are listed as a protected species, however this doesn’t necessarily mean protection is always enforced. There are a number of conservation groups working hard in Raja Ampat to ensure the safety of dugongs though, and the Papua Paradise team does all they can to enforce and educate on conservation issues. n
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FREEDIVING SHOW REPORT
BLUE WILD 2018 Every April, thousands of divers of all sorts descend on Fort Lauderdale in Florida to attend a unique show – the Blue Wild Adventure Expo. DeeperBlue founder Stephan Whelan provides an overview, with additional reporting by John Liang, John Griffith and Branon Edwards PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BLUE WILD AND STEPHAN WHELAN / DEEPERBLUE.COM
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ow in its 11th year, the Blue Wild expo is a one-of-akind show. Covering freediving, spearfishing, scuba diving, yoga, underwater photography, boating, art and adventure travel – I can safely say I’ve never been to a show quite like it. The show was created by Sheri Daye, an IBM employee and world record spearfishing champion, originally as a way of generating money for the education centre helping to look after her disabled brother. From 70 attendees back in 2007, it now attracts over 5,000 attendees across the weekend. Not only that, but the show has a strong attraction for families. A kid’s corner has been expanded to include things like crab races and face painting. Kids also get in for free, so you would see lots of families walking the show floor together. In addition to the usual booths with companies showing off their wares, Blue Wild also encompasses a host of seminars and workshops, covering things like The Sex Lives of Great Whites and Making Lionfish Ceviche. On both days, the last one-and-a-half hours covers a massive raffle, where attendees get the opportunity to win hundreds of prizes covering everything from discount vouchers to full sets of kit. Having been at the show for the last four years, the thing that has impressed me the most is the fact this show draws such a young and diverse crowd. Young male and female divers of all sorts bounding around the show eagerly talking to exhibitors and celebrities from the diving world. The energy and excitement on the show floor is felt by everyone and not something I’ve experienced at any other dive show in the last ten years. You can find out more about the event and details for next year at: www.thebluewild.com
Booths range from freediving to military
The hall is rammed with booths
DeeperBlue.com was an official media partner to the show, here are some highlights from our coverage:
IMMERSION FREEDIVING’S TED HARTY AWARDED INAUGURAL DIMITRIS KOLLIAS PRIZE
Immersion Freediving founder Ted Harty was preparing to give a brief freediving safety talk at the Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo, when to his utter surprise, he found out he was getting the inaugural Dimitris Kollias award for his service to the dive community. The award is in memory of Greek spearo and founder of Deep Worldwide magazine Dimitris Kollias, who died from injuries sustained in an accident last year. The Kollias award honours people for their service to the dive community and comes with a US$2000 cheque for the winner to use to advance their work. An anonymous donor committed $10,000 over the next five years, with a new person getting the prize each year.
OCEANER SCORES WITH SPRINGS WETSUIT
For competitive freedivers, a small Canadian company has been quietly producing some of the best wetsuits on the planet. Oceaner Sporting Goods Canada makes hand-crafted wetsuits to cover recreational and competitive freedivers and spearos. The Oceaner Freediving ‘Springs’ suit is designed for women freedivers and is the result of a collaborative effort between
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DeeperBlue.com is the World’s Largest Community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. We’ve been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.
Blue Wild was a great place to choose a holiday destination
Ted receiving his cheque
Talking shark diving with Stuart Cove’s
The hall ready to receive visitors
There was plenty for kids to do as well
Oceaner and USA Freediving member and competitive freediver Ashleigh Baird. The Springs suit is a 1.5mm, women’s sleeved, open-back top, with the same high-quality Yamamoto corporation neoprene, craftsmanship, fit, quality, and performance you will find in the rest of the Oceaner line-up. The Springs suit features flat-lock stitching, a Lycra lining and smooth skin neoprene. All Oceaner wetsuits can be custom fit and are offered in a variety of colour options. The new Springs suit is currently available in graphite and an eye-popping metallic blue. Full pricing and ordering information available via email at oceanersales@oceaner.com
AIDA INTERNATIONAL INTRODUCES FIVE-MINUTE NEURO EXAM FOR DIVERS
Born of Water bought Speared Apparel
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DeeperBlue.com was able to talk to Dr Juan M Valdivia-Valdivia, the medical and science communications chief for AIDA International (the global freediving federation) and learn about a new, five-minute Neuro-Exam for Freedivers Guide that was rolled out as a tool for any diver on the AIDA Facebook Page in May. Dr Valdivia (who prefers to be called Juani) is a neurosurgeon and freediving instructor. He explained that his goal is ‘to teach this to everyone who freedives’. Specifically, ‘the goal is to use
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FREEDIVING SHOW REPORT Learning how to serve lionfish...
...and how to hunt them
AIDA introduced a five-minute neuro exam for divers
this as a tool to assess neurological status after any hypoxic event, administered by freedivers to freedivers, in remote areas with no physician/medic, such as a boat, platform or beach, as is common in freediving’. Cerebral hypoxia is a medical condition where decreased oxygen to the brain results in certain symptoms. In freediving, this is identified as either a Loss of Motor Control (LMC) or ‘Samba’, or a Blackout (BO). A few recent incidents in both competition and in the freediving community at large has prompted Juani to develop his five-minute Neuro-Exam for Freedivers so that an on-the-spot assessment and subsequent reassessments can be accomplished to determine whether a diver should return to the water or receive additional, advanced medical treatment. The handy guide will be posted on AIDA’s Facebook page initially for widest dissemination to divers as a PDF. Juani hopes that this tool will become widely used and a standard part of every diver’s safety skillset.
NEW WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT FOR LONGEST UNDERWATER HUMAN CHAIN TO TAKE PLACE IN JUNE
While walking the floor we learned that there will be a new attempt at smashing the world record for the longest underwater human chain this coming June. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the current record for the longest human chain underwater stands at 308 people, set in May 2017 by a group of divers in Italy. Organizers in the USA think they can beat that and are actively recruiting 400 divers to take part in an attempt on 16 June off Deerfield Beach, Florida. Non-divers are encouraged to get involved as volunteers or to take a PADI Open Water Diver course prior to the event to join in the underwater activities. Also taking place that day will be the 15th Annual Deerfield Beach Pier Clean-up.
BIXPY: THE DIVE SCOOTER YOU DIDN’T REALIZE YOU NEEDED
Imagine a versatile water toy that you can use not only as a dive scooter, but also that you can securely attach to your kayak, your stand-up paddleboard, or even your boat. Of course, you’re thinking this thing must be big enough to ride like a pony, but you’d be wrong - the Bixpy Swim Jet is the
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size and almost the shape of a high-power portable drill. It even has a pistol grip and trigger and only weighs 2.5 kilos, while being just under neutrally buoyant and depth rated to 30m. That got your attention, didn’t it? Now you’re thinking it has to cost as much as your first car, but it’s priced at just US$775. With 45-115 minutes of run time depending on your speed setting, it pushes 492 litres per minute and will pull a snorkeller/ freediver up to three miles per hour and a scuba diver about twoand-a-half miles per hour. Even better, the 147-watt hour battery meets IATA restrictions (no more than two batteries of no more than 160-watt hours), so you can take it on commercial flights. The unit only takes about two hours to charge, and additional batteries are obviously available. There is also a 98-watt-hour snorkeller version that is sold for US$725. Clip it to a retractor or a harness so it’s conveniently attached to pull you along. When you’re done thrusting, you simply let go of the trigger and the unit sinks slowly out of the way. If you can drill a hole with a portable drill, you can operate a Bixpy (www.Bixpy.com)
BORN OF WATER BUYS SPEARED APPAREL
Born of Water began as a standard custom apparel shop, catering for divers of all sorts, but three years ago started promoting itself as a lifestyle brand with T-shirts and hats. Speared Apparel adds a logical expansion with its boardshorts, rashguards, shirts, hats, and gaiters all targeted at the spearfishing community. The two brands complement each other, not only in depth of product lines, but also in design creating a cohesive brand of lifestyle products for divers, spearos, and water enthusiasts alike. You can buy both brands online – Born of Water at www.bornofwater.com and Speared at www.spearedapparel.com n
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THERE ARE LOTS OF HAND SIGNALS IN DIVING WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEART, THIS SHOULDN’T BE ONE OF THEM Book an appointment with a healthcare professional or diving doctor and check that your heart is up to it.
FIND OUT MORE AT RNLI.ORG/SCUBADIVER The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Registered charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland.
Jeremy Cuff explores the varied ways you can explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY AND AMANDA CUFF / WWW.JA-UNIVERSE.COM
Monster cod at Cod Hole
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he Great Barrier Reef in Eastern Australia is a global icon of travel, attracting a constant stream of visitors from around the world. I remember as a boy watching TV programmes about the reef back in the 1970s, when the area was much less known and diving was perhaps more associated with exploration. Since then, increased infrastructure has opened up a wide range of possibilities for the dive traveller to consider. The first thing to understand about the Great Barrier Reef is that it’s huge. In fact, it isn’t one single reef, but a series of nearly 3,000 individual reefs - the exact number depends on which book or website you read, but I was quoted 2,904 by one dive professional. It stretches from Lady Elliot Island in the south to the northern tip of the remote Cape York Peninsula close to Papua New Guinea, a huge distance of more than 1,600 miles. In recognition of its global importance, UNESCO designated the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site in 1981, and the entire reef is managed as a conservation area. There’s plenty of options for diving the GBR, ranging from dayboat trips, island resort visits with local diving options, to short liveaboards, and also longer liveaboards that reach further flung parts of the reef and remote areas out in the Coral Sea. It’s a case of picking the right kind of trip to match available time, geography, budgets, diving experience, interest levels and expectations.
DAYBOATS
In the north of Queensland, the reef is closer to the coast, so it’s much easier to reach for day trips from the tropical hub city of Cairns and Port Douglas, where they’re big business and a major reason why travellers visit the area. After all, it’s the ‘world’s most famous reef’ and features on many peoples ‘must do in my lifetime’ lists. The day boats (such as Silverseries vessels) operate every day and are slickly run, executed with an almost-military precision based on strict departure times to allow enough time out on the reef, where it’s usually possible to do three dives. For divers and snorkellers with little time or a budget that doesn’t stretch to liveaboards, or who perhaps find liveaboards too intensive, these trips are ideal. Inexperienced divers will certainly find these trips enjoyable, reassuring and within comfort zones, as all the dives are guided, combined with the opportunity to see plenty. Families can also enjoy a nice trip to the reef on these day trips, as young children and non-diving grown-ups can join the snorkel groups for what in some cases will be a life-changing experience, and power a lifelong diving obsession. For diving parents, you can mix and match by doing one or two dives and then joining the kids for the snorkelling. Experienced and fanatical divers like myself, who prefer to dive at a snail’s pace (because of the photography aspect of what I do), may find these trips not quite what they’re looking
Heading out on a dayboat
for, but that’s a personal thing, and not a criticism of the way the dayboat trips are run. It’s a case of horses for courses, and it’s up to the prospective visitor to choose the type of diving experience that best suits them. If you want a day out on the Great Barrier Reef, there’s no better place than Cairns or Port Douglas for that dream to come true, or perhaps try it from Magnetic Island, near Townsville (which I’ve not done). It’s also possible to do night dive trips to the reef from Cairns, departing late-afternoons. We jokingly referred to it as the ‘Night Day Boat’ and the ‘Day Night Boat’ and it’s a different twist on the regular day trips. Vibrant starfish
Shark feed
SS Yongala
THE SS YONGALA
It would be a shame to have travelled all this way and not stop off at one of the world’s best wreck dives – the SS Yongala (see the April/May issue of Scuba Diver for the full story). It’s accessible from operators based in Townsville/ Magnetic Island, and from the tiny settlement of Alva Beach with Yongala Dive.
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SPIRIT OF FREEDOM
The 37-metre-long Spirit of Freedom luxury liveaboard offers scuba dive tours of three, four and seven day duration departing out of Cairns to iconic dive sites such as the Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs, North Horn and Osprey Reef, as well as special exploratory tours and trips to swim with minke whales. www.spiritoffreedom.com.au
Turtle cruising the reef
Liveaboard dive deck
“Like most dive hotspots, the GBR offers seasonal spectacles, with liveaboard operators creating special trips to coincide with these events, and to cater for special interests such as whale encounters (minke and humpback), shark encounters and even nautilus sightings”
Liveaboard tender
ISLAND RESORTS
For those with more time (and perhaps budget), there are various options to stay at island resorts on or near the Great Barrier Reef system (as opposed to the mainland), from Lady Elliot Island in the south, to Lizard Island in the north. Some of these resorts offer guests diving options to local sites on day boats. We chose to visit Lady Elliot Island, which is located at the very southern tip of the GBR. This island is an eco-resort and surpassed our expectations in terms of the whole experience; excellent diving, nesting and hatching turtles, teeming birdlife combined with simple, back to nature living. It had that indefinable ‘wow factor’.
In three days of diving we logged manta rays (Lady Elliot is a renowned manta haunt), eagle rays, shovelnose rays, bull rays, reef sharks, leopard sharks, batfish, schooling jacks and barracuda, and a lot of turtles. We didn’t see any dolphins during our stay but they are regular visitors, and there’s also the seasonal spectacle of migrating humpback whales. Turtles are really common around the island. Our visit coincided with the end of the nesting season and slap bang in the middle of the hatching season. If hatchlings are discovered on the island in the day, you are encouraged to hand them to staff so that they can be released at night, to give them a better chance of survival. We were fortunate enough to witness a turtle laying eggs at the end of the airstrip. There can’t be many places where turtles are a hazard to aviation! Although the price might be preventative for some, Lady Elliot is a great place for divers with families. We took our young son Zac, introducing him to snorkelling for the first time. The reefs, birds, turtles and beachcombing possibilities are highly educational and there’s also a swimming pool and play area. Other GBR islands to check out include (but aren’t limited to) Heron Island, Lady Musgrave Island and the Whitsunday Islands, where various diving options exist.
Lady Elliott Island
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SHORT LIVEABOARDS
If you look around at some of the liveaboard options these days, you’ll find that the majority of them only offer week-long trips. That’s fine if you’ve got the time and the budget, but if you’re looking for shorter trips, it’s not easy to find something that fits the bill. As the Great Barrier Reef is such a draw, Pro Dive in Cairns offer a unique niche in dive liveaboards; a two-night, threeday itinerary. Effectively, they’re positioned between the dayboats and longer liveaboard trips and are so popular that you can choose any departure day except Tuesday, with three essentially identical boats in action at any one time. They’re a great way to experience the world’s biggest underwater reef system. These trips are ideal for divers with little time, or a budget that doesn’t stretch to longer liveaboards. Inexperienced divers will certainly find these trips enjoyable and a step forward towards more challenging diving. They’re also very popular for divers doing their PADI Open Water and Advanced courses, which are often run onboard. It’s a nice way to get qualified. For the more-experienced divers, the good bit is that buddy pairs can do their own thing (within reason, of course) with a maximum of 11 dives being possible. Families can also enjoy these trips, as children are accepted onboard (unlike the majority of liveaboards), though it’s unlikely that the crew will be able to organise any special activities due to the number of passengers. In summary, they’re ideal for inexperienced divers looking for a bit of an adventure and a first liveaboard, and fine for experienced divers. Basically, it’s a good all-round dive trip. Turtle seemingly waving goodbye to the divers
Anemonefish
Fly-dives are a neat way to see the GBR
LONGER LIVEABOARDS
At the higher end of the scale, and for those wanting to visit some of the more-remote areas of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea in the north, there are liveaboard options such as those offered by the Spirit of Freedom and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, both experienced operators in what are very ‘off the grid’ locations. Generally, two itineraries are offered in the form of the unique Fly Dive charters, either departing Cairns for the voyage to Lizard Island (visiting Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs), after which guests fly back to Cairns at low level. Alternatively, you can fly up to Lizard Island to join a trip visiting the remote Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea before heading back down to Cairns via the Great Barrier Reef. There’s also an option to stay onboard for the full voyage, combining both trips. Like most dive hotspots, the GBR offers seasonal spectacles, with liveaboard operators creating special trips to coincide with these events, and to cater for special interests such as whale encounters (minke and humpback), shark encounters and even nautilus sightings. They also offer occasional longer exploratory trips to rarely visited areas in the far north, towards Papua New Guinea, which I’ve vowed to do one day. n
“Effectively, they’re positioned between the dayboats and longer liveaboard trips and are so popular that you can choose any departure day except Tuesday, with three essentially identical boats in action at any one time” The GBR still swarms with shoals of fish
MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS
The name ‘Mike Ball’ is synonymous with the Great Barrier Reef and luxury liveaboards since 1969, and today the company offers a wide selection of liveaboard trips on the Spoilsport catamaran, from three night/12 dive fly-dives to full week and exploratory trips. The liveaboard is also well set up for photographers, and can cater for rebreather divers too. www.mikeball.com
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AUSTRALIA
CORAL SEA, GREAT BARRIER REEF, FAR NORTHERN REEFS
spiritoffreedom.com.au
Dive Agency News Each month, we invite all the main dive training agencies to showcase new courses, forthcoming events, staff changes and promotions, and so on. scubadivermag.com/agencynews
Are you getting your Five-a-Day this summer? BSAC have launched a Marine Clean challenge that everyone can be a part of. Calling all divers, snorkellers, beach walkers and coastal explorers - sign up to BSAC’s Five-a-Day litter pick challenge and help make a difference to the health of our environment! Embrace the BSAC Marine Clean ethos in your everyday by pledging to collect at least five pieces of single-use plastic every day. Whether it’s while you’re at work, shopping, out and about with friends or family, or simply walking the dog, the Five-a-Day challenge is a great way to detox when it comes to the throw-away items that surround us. You can pledge to take the Five-a-Day challenge for a week, a month or even longer. All you need to do is collect a minimum of five pieces of single-use plastic or litter every day of your challenge. Pick, snap, share - Share your BSAC Marine Clean efforts on social media using the hashtag #bsacmarineclean to show your support and be entered into the prize draw. You’ll be in with a chance of winning an Apeks regulator worth over £500! The winner will be selected at random after 30 September 2018. You don’t have to be a BSAC member to get involved. More at: bsac.com/fiveaday Remember, every piece of litter you collect is one less piece of rubbish potentially getting into our oceans. THE LOWDOWN ON MARINE LITTER • 80% of all litter in the marine environment comes from the land (source: Greenpeace). • Over 50% of litter recorded by the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch is made of plastic. • One leatherback turtle found in Galloway had one white plastic bag, one black plastic bin liner, three transparent plastic bags and one green plastic bag in its stomach. • Plastic litter can take hundreds of years to break down and may never fully degrade. • One in three fish caught for human consumption now contains plastic. • A plastic bag is used on average for 15 minutes, yet could take 100-300 years to breakdown (source: Surfers Against Sewage). Visit: bsac.com/marineclean to discover all the ways you can get involved.
It is with great pleasure that GUE announces that their President Jarrod Jablonski has been awarded the Dan/Rolex Diver of the Year for 2018. “DAN Rolex Diver of the Year Award winners — and nominees — are among the industry’s most-committed and passionate members,” said Bill Ziefle, DAN President and CEO. “We received nominations from around the world, and Jarrod stood out because of his outstanding contributions to diver training and safety. It is our great pleasure to recognise Jarrod’s important work with this award.” The DAN Rolex Diver of the Year Award began as a grant to DAN in the late-1980s to recognise its important work in dive safety. Over the years it evolved into an annual award, complete with a specially engraved Rolex watch, that acknowledges an individual’s contributions to diving and dive safety. The award is presented to “… an individual who has made significant contributions to dive safety and/or the DAN mission over the past year.” www.gue.com
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Saturday 21 April 2018 saw a gathering of scuba divers meet at The Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool for the Sub-Aqua Association’s Annual General Meeting. The city centre location gave partners the opportunity to wander around this amazing city while SAA members discussed all things diving. Once the formal business of the Annual General Meeting was concluded, minutes of which will be provided to all club secretaries in due course, it was time for the association to honour members. Awards were presented to individuals in recognition of their amazing achievements over the last 12 months, as well as the much-desired Golden Club award. The Kenn Tyler Award for Instruction Chris Kean, a member of Mansfield and District Scuba Diving Club (942) was the well-deserved winner of the Kenn Tyler Award. His passion, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to diving knows no bounds. The George Arnold Trophy for Conservation A very active member of his local club, Ilkeston and Kimberley Sub Aqua Club (945), the recipient of this award was Tony Stacey. The Zanelli Charlton Award The recipients of this award are any SAA Regional Representative or Co-ordinator. This year the winner was Cherie Winnard, the Regional Representative for Yorkshire and Humberside.
For the past three years, divers from every corner of the globe have come together for PADI Women’s Dive Day to bond over their love of the ocean and a passion for diving. This growing tradition will continue on 21 July 2018, further strengthening and supporting the female dive community through a day of fun, adventure and camaraderie. PADI Dive Centres and Resorts hosted more than 900 events in 85 countries last year for the third annual PADI Women’s Dive Day on 15 July 2017. Since the 2015 inaugural event, the celebration has continued to gain momentum as new and experienced divers gear up for everything from high tea on the high seas to shark dives and underwater clean-ups. As a result, PADI female certifications increased noticeably year over year. This was possible thanks to the enthusiasm and participation from PADI Members around the world who got behind this initiative. Let’s do it again for 2018, only bigger. More new divers. More ambassadors for the underwater world. Participate in PADI Women’s Dive Day 2018 to strengthen and grow the female dive community, attract new women to the sports of scuba diving and freediving, and motivate existing female divers to get back in the water and continue their dive training. PADI Members can register their event at: www.padi.com/women/hostanevent
The SAA Medallion for Life Saving The winner of this award was Lee Poxon of Teckno Club, in recognition of his prompt action when faced with a fellow scuba diver who was suffering from DCI. The Golden Club Award This award went to Calne Divers, a very active club conducting dives and training throughout the year. Their committee is hard working and committed to developing the sport and individuals. SAA Certificate While on their National Diver training, Ceri Jones and Richard Grice went above and beyond when one of their fellow candidates became ill. When the diver became sick and was unable to drive his car home, Lee and Richard offered to return the car, which involved driving from Dosthill to Liverpool, before returning home to South Wales. Another certificate was presented to Claire Mortimer in recognition of the work she has done both for her local club and the SAA in terms of activity on FB and marketing. National Diver Five members achieved this highest of diver grades available within the SAA. Ceri Jones, Lee Poxon, Richard Grice, Darren Slater and Keith Greenlees worked extremely hard to achieve this qualification. Retirement Gift Maureen Pillinger has been a member of the Executive for 21 years in the role of Secretary, and most recently Treasurer. She will be sorely missed by her colleagues. Leaving Gifts Gary Asson stood down as National Diving Officer and was presented with a bronze diver and tankard. www.saa.org.uk
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With the new GDPR regulations in place, RAID UK and Malta decided to update the look and feel of the regional blog site. The site is now more user-friendly, helping users to find the information they need quickly. There is now also a Mailing List subscription button; all non-current members and anyone wanting to continue to receive our newsletter ‘The Loop’ need to opt-in to the service using this button. Everything from events to notices about standards updates is posted onto the site. www.diveraiduk.com is the go to site to find out all the latest information on RAID UK and Malta, the site includes information on how to become a RAID professional or dive centre as well as information on membership and upcoming events. We encourage all RAID divers to regularly visit the site, the latest posts are displayed at the top of the page, to keep up to date with any standard changes. We are also happy to share content on the blog that is from our instructors and dive centres including events, dive centre spotlight articles and hints and tips for other divers. If you have something you would like added to our blog, including any RAID Connect events, please contact Robyn at the office: robyn@diveraiduk.com www.diveraiduk.com
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Q: It is safe to say that you can be classed as a living legend in the British diving industry. What do you think is the secret of your success, as you have seemingly risen from the ashes more times than the phoenix? A: You are far too kind, ‘they say you are what you eat, and I don’t remember eating a legend’. I don’t really have a secret, I guess my love and passion for this sport, and all the people who participate in it, is a major part of it. It has never wavered, in fact it’s always just got stronger. I still love teaching, exploring, writing and travelling. I refuse to ever give in, and ‘perseverance’ is essential. At the end of the day, I’m just a diver. I swear, with hard work and perseverance, anyone can do what I have done. Q: You are known for being a highly experienced technical diver, but do you still get that same rush from going on a recreational dive? A: Absolutely! I don’t wear all the rebreathers and cylinders because I like the ‘bling’(well maybe, sometimes, ha ha), I use them because they allow me to do my dream dives. If I could get into a wreck at 100m and spend 20 minutes having fun down there, on a single tank, I would be doing it. I like to wear gear appropriate to the dive. If I’m doing a recreational no-deco dive, you’ll find me in a single tank, that’s for sure. I also teach a lot of new recreational Instructor Trainers, and I always wear the same equipment as my students, so single tank it is. I do use a wing and backplate with a long hose regulator set-up, however. Q: There are many dive training agencies out there. After holding high-level positions within both PADI and SSI, what do you think makes RAID stand out from the crowd, and how will this new acquisition by Kalkomey/Inverness Graham Investments shape the future of the company? A: There are many agencies out there, and I guess most people wonder if there is space for another one. Here is my take on it – there are seven billion people on this planet and between all the agencies, we issue around one-and-a-half million certifications per year. That’s not new diver certifications, but total certifications across the board. So, what about the other six billion something people that don’t dive. I believe we all have a huge opportunity.
PAUL TOOMER
www.narkedat90.com
Paul Toomer is a true icon of the British dive industry, and after stints with both PADI and SSI, he became co-owner of his very own diving agency, RAID. We talked to Toomer about how he got into diving, what drives his interests, and where he sees himself in the future PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANNY BARBER, LISA TOOMER, OLIVIER VAN OVERBEEK, ROBIN ADAMS, ROZ LUNN AND VOLKER KONIETZKO RAID is unique in that it is current. By this I mean - we are environmentally friendly, totally digital; we have never produced or shipped a single book; we are technologically advanced, being born from recreational rebreather means we had to merge recreational and technical from day one, and this still echoes through all our programmes; we protect our divers, instructors, trainers and centres through a dynamic quality assurance system. Our divers know, to the minutest detail, exactly what they need to achieve, and they have to sign off on it. One missing confirmation and the certification cannot be issued; we are totally paper free, even our medical and liability releases are online. This also means our student record files can never be lost, and our dive centres never have the responsibility to keep them; and we are a truly ‘neutrally buoyant while in trim’ agency. Our divers emulate our logo. Let’s face it, RAID is cool! Regarding the amazing merger with Kalkomey, we are simply thrilled. They are an online sports certification company and their knowledge of tech is amazing. They are perfect partners for us, they bring new ideas, new products and a massive new marketing drive. With Kalkomey, RAID can achieve all the goals that we dreamed of when we started this. RAID Kalkomey is the future, mark my words, ha ha.
Paul demonstrating some nifty cylinder handling skills
supporting divers
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Q: Having been in the industry for a very long time, who has been instrumental in guiding your development as a dive instructor? A: This answer is going to be looooooong! I have been tremendously lucky and the industry as a whole has nurtured me. It’s been very kind to me and I’ve managed to work with some incredible people. I learned to dive with Steve Axtell and Phil Short - that must give you an indication of how my career ‘jump’ started. Both of them were, and still are, extremely influential in how I dive and the decisions I make. I have worked with incredible technical instructors and friends, like Jill Heinerth, Steve Lewis, Tom Mount, Randy Thornton, Simon Mitchell, Pete Mesley, Kevin Gurr, Dave Thompson… Man, there are so many amazing people in my life that to mention them all would probably fill your whole magazine. I am a lucky little b*****d, as my wife says.
Chilling on the surface after a dive Paul loves his CCRs
Q: You are a massive proponent of closed-circuit rebreathers, and through RAID you can qualify on one at an early level. What makes you think these advanced pieces of equipment are suited to freshly certified divers? A: Let’s get this perfectly straight, I don’t like rebreathers, I love them. I have a deep meaningful relationship with my rebreathers. Rebreathers have come on a long way in recent times. You can’t go to a dive site or get on a boat without seeing at least one. Aside from slightly more complex training and their initial cost, there are huge benefits to diving a rebreather. You are warmer, you mouth is not dry, you can make longer no-decompression dives and the best of all, since rebreathers make no bubbles, the fish smother you, they don’t swim off when you exhale. With the advent of advanced electronics and some of the safety features available on most rebreathers, we feel it is safe to allow someone to climb onto a recreational rebreather really early in their diving career. Kevin Gurr, my friend and rebreather designer, once told me, ‘when you start rebreather diving, you have to unlearn how you dive’. With that in mind, if a diver is capable and wants to dive a rebreather, why should we make them do 1,000 open circuit courses before they can realise their dreams. This is, after all, 2018 and not 1978.
www.narkedat90.com
Just in case we didn’t notice what light he was using...
The Toomer grin
Q: Having dived all over the world for many, many years, can you name your top five locations to dive, and explain why they hold such a special place in your heart? A: This is a difficult question as there are so many amazing places out there. I’ll give it a go. In no particular order: Malin Head – 6,000 wrecks in one bay, and when you are done diving, you have the most-hospitable, funny people on the planet looking after you. Bikini Atoll – The wrecks here are like nothing you have ever seen or experienced. Super warm water, incredible wrecks and nuclear sharks. It’s not cheap to go. Sell a kidney, it’s worth it. Galapagos – I call it Benidorm for fish. All the world’s fish go here on holiday. I have never seen anything like it. Thousands of hammerhead sharks, turtles, whalesharks, Galapagos sharks, whitetips, sea lions, dolphins. Honestly, no ‘fish’ dive will ever be the same after Galapagos. Scapa Flow – I have been super lucky to have been invited to be part of an incredible expedition team up in Scapa. What an amazing place. If you have not dived here and you come from the UK, you need to have a word with yourself. It’s incredible. Malta – My home from home. The wrecks of Malta are now world-renowned, it’s like the Truk Lagoon of the Mediterranean. I am also extremely lucky to be involved with an amazing expedition team in Malta as well. I love Malta, not just for the wrecks, but the people, the atmosphere, the fun.
Paul in action...
...and young Sebastian following suit
Q: You have been involved in several high-profile expeditions and projects. Which ones will stay with you the most? A: Now this is difficult to answer, but I think the Phoenician wreck and the HMS Olympus in Malta, and, of course, the Hampshire in Scapa Flow. You have no idea how honoured I am to have been involved in these amazing expeditions. Watch this space… Q: Your son Sebastian is growing up fast. Will he be following in your footsteps as a diver, and what are your views on children getting into diving? A: He’s an amazing boy. He’s nuts about the water and desperate to dive. I’m teaching his cousin, who is 11 at the moment, and because Sebastian is only six, he cannot learn yet. He is not amused. I think learning at ten years old is wonderful. Our children are our future. As long as we keep our little ones safe, then I am all good with them diving. I think the industry has done a great job of involving them, while protecting them at the same time. I have little doubt that my Sebastian will follow in my footsteps. I have no doubt that he will eclipse everything I have done. He’s twice as crazy as I am, so get ready. Demonstrating skills
Paul loves his adrenaline sports
Expedition time
Q: What is your most-memorable moment while diving? A: Seeing the Hampshire appear underneath me. I was at 50m and I could see the enormous props illuminated by these huge lights the 3D guys were using. I think a little bit of wee came out of me. Q: On the flipside, what is your worst moment while diving? A: I’d rather not make this sad, as I have been involved in some awful rescues, as have many of my peers. I guess my worst moment is when someone gives me the worst signal any diver can give to another. No, not the ‘bird’, but the thumbs up. How come on the surface the thumbs-up signal means all is cool, but in the water, it means I have to ascend and get out. I hate that signal. n
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What’s New
BARE ULTRAWARMTH BASE LAYERS (SRP: £64.95-£79.95)
When the water gets cold, you want to be nice and warm in your drysuit, and the BARE Ultrawarmth Base Layers can certainly help out with that. The top (£79.95) and bottoms (£64.95) increase thermal energy, provide more endurance and faster recovery thanks to Ultrawarmth Celliant Infrared® Technology embedded in the fabric of the material. The Ultrawarmth Base Layers seal in warmth and create a protective heat barrier, while the advanced stretch-breathable fabric draws moisture away from the body to create a dry zone, while moisture is dispersed over a larger surface for quick evaporation. The Base Layers are available in men’s and women’s top and pant, making them essential to a diver’s drysuit system and ensuring ultimate warmth in all cold conditions. www.baresports.com
MARES X-FREE (SRP: £41) This extremely low-profile freediving mask has an internal volume of under 80cm³, which gives an increased field of vision and also makes it very lightweight. It has an over-moulded frame and anatomical skirt (which uses a new silicone that reduces fogging), a matte finish for anti-reflective properties, and a hydrodynamic profile to reduce drag. It has ergonomic mask strap buckles for easy operation, and an embossed grip area on the nose for perfect fitting with a nose clip. Available in blue, black, white/black, brown/black and apple green/black. www.mares.com 82
OMER APNEA (SRP: £45-£52)
The Apnea freediving mask from Omer benefits from a low inner volume and great peripheral vision, and a special finish on the nose pocket to ease equalisation. The Apnea mask, by Momo Design, comes in all-black, a unique brown/green finish, and black with mirrored lenses. www.omersub.com
SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC (SRP: £TBC) In short, the Teric has all the features divers have come to love in Shearwater Research computers and more. It is the company’s most-compact unit, yet it is also their most-feature-rich unit and, in spite of having the smallest screen, it is more visible than the Perdix. Many divers like the simple and intuitive two-button navigation, but the Teric has four buttons. Shearwater have applied situationally adaptable logic to their menus and buttons, making the Teric easy to figure out. It is also very configurable. You can configure one of the four buttons to give you a single press access to different tools like compass, stopwatch, countdown timer, etc. It is AI compatible and can monitor up to two pressure transmitters in two different tanks. It has tech, oc tech, and CCR tech modes with up to five trimix and nitrox gases. It also has a freediving mode with configurable sampling/logging rates. The Teric also comes with a wirelessly rechargeable battery. Add to this the Shearwater Bluetooth communications protocol for downloading logs and updating firmware, and you have a fully enclosed unit with reduced flooding risks, since the user will never need to open it up. www.shearwater.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
OLYMPUS CAMERAS, HOUSINGS, LENSES AND ACCESSORIES
Nautilus is now distributing the underwater range of cameras, housings, lenses and accessories for the Olympus brand through their dealer network in the UK and Ireland. With a range starting with the renowned Olympus TG5 and going through to the Olympus EM5 II and EM1 II, along with their respective housings, ports and a selection of accessories, there is something for all budgets. Olympus Pro lenses, such as the 8mm Pro Fisheye and 7-14mm Pro rectilinear lenses and the Olympus 60mm macro lens, will also be available. The Olympus Pro range of cameras and housings only will be available through specialist camera dealers, with the Olympus TG5 and general accessories will be available through the general dealer network. www.nautilusdiving.co.uk
C&R TESTING MONITOR (SRP: FROM £1,350) Knowing that your compressor consistently produces pure breathing air is paramount. But as with all mechanical machinery, your compressor needs to be looked after on a daily basis, to ensure it continues to perform and prevent problems. The Monitor was unveiled at DEMA 2017 and it does what it says on the tin. The classic model checks carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2) and moisture levels in the outgoing air. It will even tell you when the compressor requires a service or the filter needs changing. In the event that the Monitor is not happy, it will stop the compressor and send you an email alert stating what the problem is. The Monitor has been specifically designed to be integrated into the Alkin range of compressors, but after being approached by other compressor manufacturers, C&R Testing has made it available to all compressor users. It can now be retro-fitted to pretty much any other compressor provided you have a separate power source and connection to the internet (Either hardwired in, or via wireless). www.candrtesting.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
FATHOM HYDROS DRYSUIT (SRP: £699) Hydros is Fathom’s robust, no-nonsense, rear-entry option. With long bias cut panels, comfort and flexibility come as standard, as do the SiTech Valves, neoprene-lined boots, double layer knee pads and latex seals. Durable nylon trilaminate fabric with a weight of up to 440g/M2 means this suit is built for regular diving, making it an ideal option for schools, clubs and hire as well as being superb value. The embroidered zip cover protects the waterproof YKK plastic zipper and the elasticated waist, coupled with the adjustable braces, allow the diver to fit the suit close to the body, thereby reducing drag underwater. Fancy optional pockets or an upgrade to silicone seals? No problem. Fathom drysuits are hand-made by their specialist team, on-site in their factory in Devon. The Fathom Hydros Drysuit is a made-to-order suit to fit you. If your size is not available, contact the team at Fathom Diving. Every Hydros Suit is supplied with an inflation hose. Hoods and bags are available to purchase. www.fathomdiving.com
FOURTH ELEMENT SUMMER 2018 DIVEWEAR (SRP: £25.95-£49.95)
The Fourth Element Summer 2018 divewear range has been announced, and there is some super-stylish clothing in the line-up, as you’d imagine. There are a selection of male and female cut T-shirts, with names such as Hawaii, Reef, Galapagos, Mexico, Maldives and Wreck (£25.95 each), plus a cool Adventure sweatshirt (£49.95), a Florida baseball top (27.95), and a Dive Word zip hoodie (£49.95). www.fourthelement.com 83
Gear Guide
THIS ISSUE: BACK-INFLATE BCDS (OVER £400)
Each month, the SCUBA DIVER test team assembles to rate and review a selection of dive equipment from a range of manufacturers. Products are split into price categories and are then evaluated for performance, comfort, ease of use, build quality, looks and value for money. The Test Team comprises Editor in Chief Mark Evans and a squad of volunteers, whose dive experience ranges from a couple of hundred dives to well over 6,000.
HIGH-END BCDS (OVER £400) This issue, we kick off our group tests of back-inflate BCDs, beginning with the top-of-the-range models from several major manufacturers. Back-inflate BCDs - and we are not talking about backplate-andwing set-ups, they will be reviewed later in the year - are increasingly finding favour with recreational divers, who like the uncluttered design of these BCDs, and the fact that the basic design (with the buoyancy all at the rear) makes for a lighter weight BCD than a more-traditional jacket-style BCD, which means these are ideal for UK divers who also like to travel to more-exotic locations and want a BCD that can handle both cold and warm water diving.
ON TEST THIS MONTH: • APEKS BLACK ICE • AQUA LUNG ROGUE • HOLLIS HD200 • OCEANIC EXCURSION • SCUBAPRO SEAHAWK • ZEAGLE STILETTO
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Location: Tested at Vivian Dive Centre, Llanberis, North Wales www.viviandivecentre.com Date tested: 24/5/2018 Water temp: 8 degrees C WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
APEKS BLACK ICE | SRP: £540 The Black Ice has been around for many years now, and it can still hold its own in this competitive arena. It has a thick padded backpad, utilises the Wrapture Harness System, has two pockets (one zippered, the other a spacious drop-down design with a Velcro flap), five stainless steel D-rings, and no less than four dump valves. It comes in a range of modular sizes (SM/MD, ML/ LG, and XL/XXL) allowing for a ‘custom fit’, and has dual-channel SureLock II integrated weight pockets, and non-dumpable trim pockets at the back. It can also be rigged for a twinset via an optional twin cylinder kit. The Black Ice is a chunky back-inflate BCD which is robustly constructed and perfectly suited to UK diving (it is a bit of a heavyweight for travelling). It holds you nice and snug on the surface and underwater, and everything just falls neatly to hand. Extremely comfortable, thanks to the Wrapture harness and thick padding, and built to last. www.apeksdiving.com/uk
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 5kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Bulletproof back-inflate BCD that is built to last, can move into entry-level ‘tech’ with you as your skills develop, and is exceptionally comfortable.
SCORE
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AQUA LUNG ROGUE | SRP: £455 The Rogue is like the big brother of the strippedback Outlaw. It uses the same innovative ModLock connectors, allowing a custom fit to be easily achieved by mixing and matching different sizes, and comes complete with SureLock II integrated weight pockets, two folding pockets, an octo holder, knife grommets and four stainless steel D-rings. Optional extras include non-dumpable trim pockets, an SMB pocket, and a waistband extender.
CHOICE
The Test Team were all fans of the Outlaw - currently in Long Term Test - and while it could handle UK diving, it was far more at home in tropical waters. The Rogue, on the other hand, is the best of both worlds - it is more-robustly constructed than the Outlaw, with a few valuable added extras (the ability to fit trim pockets, the two pockets, etc), but still remains a very lightweight jacket perfect for travelling with. It is very comfortable, the front is totally uncluttered, and it holds you securely topside and underwater. It is also very eye-catching in its minimalistic design. www.aqualung.com/uk
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 2.2kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Eye-catching, well-made BCD with some neat features, lightweight but still strongly constructed to last. Perfect companion for travel or use at home.
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HOLLIS HD200 | SRP: £499.95 At first glance, the HD200 looks like a backplateand-wing set-up, complete with crotch-strap, etc. It isn’t, but the robust design has a very technical look to it, which will appeal to many prospective buyers. It is made from 1000 denier Cordura with PU lamination outer shell, and it has a secure pinch-clip integrated weight system, along with non-dumpable trim pockets on the back. It has eight D-rings, including four mounted tech-style on the back, multiple pull dumps, two zippered pockets, and knife grommets on both sides. The HD200 is a solid back-inflate BCD that seamlessly blends recreational and technical styling in a good-looking package. It is very comfortable, and has a nice, durable feel to it, a feeling reinforced by the stainless-steel waiststrap clip and the heavy-duty Cordura material. The pinch-clips on the integrated weights are well-designed and simple to use, and the zippered pockets can be easily accessed while underwater. Efficient pull dumps and inflator. www.hollis.com
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 4.3kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Striking good looks in its red-and-black colour scheme, and a neat blend of recreational and technical. Solidly built, and extremely capable in the water.
SCORE
86
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Venom Frameless Eye Candy just took on a new meaning.
DIVE IN THE FAST LANE
SUEX INSTRUCTOR COURSES
COURSES COST FROM £199
OVERVIEW In conjunction with Techwise and PADI , Nautilus will be offering instructor training on the Suex ADV range of scooters. Specific training for the Suex range will use the Suex ADV Speciality Outline and is a comprehensive overview of the range including basic operations, care and handling. Exclusive features include... • “Gummi Bear UltraSoft” silicone creates an incredibly soft yet reliable face seal • Rigid silicone skirt that is soft but won’t collapse, distort or fold • Schott Superwite® UltraClear lens allows up to 96% of available light to reach your eyes • Exclusive Atomic “Wicked” styling makes a striking design statement.
Contact Nautilus on the below details if you or your school are interested in partaking
COURSE DATES 28/29th July UK 29/30 September Malta 3/4 November UK
Co-Molded Silicone Two different hardness silicone materials are co-molded together to form the mask skirt which is bonded directly to the glass, eliminating the need for a frame and providing maximum viewing area.
Atomic Aquatics Europe GmbH www.atomicaquatics.co.uk
SUEX DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE UK
WWW.NAUTILUSDIVING.CO.UK
OCEANIC EXCURSION | SRP: £434.95 The Excursion is another jacket that has been around for a while, and it still stands up well today. The rear-inflate bladder, made from patented BioFlex material, is bungeed to stay streamlined on the diver, while around front, the shoulder straps are well padded, as is the back pad. It has a patented depth-compensating cummerbund, two zippered pockets (with knife mounts), eight pre-bent D-rings, integrated weight pockets and non-dumpable trim pockets.
BEST VALUE
The Oceanic Excursion is an extremely comfortable BCD both on the surface and underwater. Everything feels nice and tight to your body, and there is no tank movement whatever position you go into while diving. The pockets are easily accessible, and the inflator and pull dumps are efficient. It is robustly built, and so it is not exactly lightweight, but yet it still packs up remarkably small, so if you had the weight allowance, it would still work as a travel jacket. Equally at home in warm or cold waters. www.oceanicworldwide.com
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 3.8kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Subtle styling helps this BCD remain easy on the eye but not in your face. Well made, great performance and a decent price point.
SCORE
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DIVE IN THE FAST LANE
Kieran Hatton
CCR Trimix Instructor
XJ VR £2,195 RRP SPECIFICATIONS Vikki Batten
Martin Robson
Richie Stevenson
Edoardo Pavia
PADI Rebreather Consultant
Cameraman & Explorer
Paul Vincent Toomer Co-Owner, RAID
Cave Explorer
Deep Wreck Explorer
Length mm: 720 (inch 28.3) Width mm: 340 (inch 12.9) Height mm: 425 (inch 16.7) Body diameter mm: 200 (inch 7.8) Weight without battery kg: 11,50 (lb 24.5) Weight with battery kg: 16,50 (lb 35.3) Material type: Tecnopolymers/Polycarbonate Max Static thrust: N 200 (lb 44.96) Top speed mt/min: 65 (ft/min 213) Maximum operational depth: mt 101 (ft 331)
Ian France
CCR Cave Instructor
SUEX DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE UK
WWW.DRYSUITS.CO.UK l SALES@DRYSUITS.CO.UK
CALL US ON 01274 379480
WWW.NAUTILUSDIVING.CO.UK
SCUBAPRO SEAHAWK | SRP: £415 Scubapro has been making rock-solid back-inflate BCDs for many years, and the Seahawk continues the tradition started by the Knighthawk. Made from 1000 denier nylon and 420 denier nylon, it is robustly constructed, with a well-padded backpad and shoulder straps. It has two zippered pockets, six D-rings, pinch-clip integrated weights and non-dumpable trim pockets. It also has Scubapro’s Super Cinch metal clamp to securely hold the cylinder in place. I have always been a fan of the Scubapro power inflator, which is one of the most-powerful on the market. Combined with the pull dumps on this BCD, it makes a great combo. The pinch-clip integrated weights are nice and secure, and the zippered pockets, while being impacted somewhat by the integrated weight pockets, can still stash a back-up torch, etc. It fits closely to your body, and it holds you well on the surface and underwater. It doesn’t bust the scales, either, making it a true all-rounder for use in the UK and in warmer waters. www.scubapro.com
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 3.66kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Good-looking, very well-made BCD with efficient power inflator and pull dumps, and secure pinch-clip integrated weights. Great all-rounder.
SCORE
90
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MTX-R
SIDEMOUNT The MTX-R sidemount regulators are performing flawlessly, we’ve not had a single freezing regulator in spite of very rough weather, the temperatures are below -30°C. Dmitri Gorski | Expedition Bjurälven 2018
WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT DEMANDS APEKS COMMANDS Based on the Apeks MTX military cold water regulator, the MTX-R sidemount set is designed to perform in the very coldest of conditions. With an innovative first stage design that helps to prevent ice build up around the diaphragm, the MTX-R is reliable, rugged and expedition ready.
www.apeksdiving.com | info@aqualung.uk | facebook.com/apeksdiving | instagram/apeksdiving
ZEAGLE STILETTO | SRP: £489.95 Zeagle have been making robustly constructed rear-inflate BCDs for many years, and the Stiletto is made from 1000 denier nylon, yet thanks to clever design, it still only tips the scales at 3.3kg, making this viable for UK use and taking on foreign trips. It features the Ripcord weight system, which is by far the quickest emergency release on the market - one control releases all of the front weights - the red zippers house the weights, the black zippers are the storage pockets. There are also non-dumpable trim pockets on the back. There are five D-rings, and a well-padded backpad. The Stiletto is a comfortable jacket, and its supports you well on the surface and underwater. There is plenty of lift, yet the front is very uncluttered. The Ripcord system is efficient, with the release control falling nicely to hand on the left-hand side. The build quality is plain to see, and with the weight coming in just over 3kg, this would suit a UK diver also wanting warm-water capabilities. www.zeagle.com
TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 3.3kg | INTEGRATED: Yes | TRIM POCKETS: Yes VERDICT: Durable build quality and a reasonably light weight combine to create a solid UK/travel back-inflate BCD. Comfortable and performed well.
SCORE
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VERDICT
There are more and more back-inflate BCDs coming to market, as divers continue to realise the benefits of having the buoyancy at the rear, leaving the front uncluttered. All of the BCDs here put in a strong performance, and none would leave you wanting. The Best Value was a shootout between the Scubapro Seahawk and the Oceanic Excursion. Both BCDs were very comfortable, held you well topside and underwater, and tipped the scales at a weight that made them viable as a travel jacket and UK BCD. There was not a lot in it money-wise, but in the end, the Oceanic just edged out the Scubapro to take the Best Value title. The Choice award was a different matter. The brandnew Aqua Lung Rogue came in all guns blazing against old-favourites the Apeks Black Ice, Zeagle Stiletto and Hollis HD200. All four are fantastic BCDs - strong performances, exceptionally comfortable, robustly constructed - but in the end, the weight of the Black Ice and HD200 left the Rogue and the Stiletto to go head-to-head. The Aqua Lung just pipped the Zeagle at the post - this modular BCD is lightweight, well-made and ideal for use in the UK and abroad.
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Long Term Test MOMENTUM DEEP 6 Mark Evans: The traditional dive watch is under pressure from the rise of the wristwatch dive computer, but there are still plenty of people out there who want a good, old-fashioned diver’s watch adorning their wrist, both for actual diving and to make an apres-diver statement. Momentum make some truly eye-catching watches, and the Deep 6 - classed as ‘oversized’ - certainly fits the bill, especially in this orange-and-black colour scheme, with nifty FIT silicone rubber strap. Even better, it will match the orange Apeks RK3s! www.nautilusdiving.co.uk
APEKS RK3 NEW ARRIVAL
INFORMATION Arrival date: June 2018 Suggested retail price: £195 Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins
MARES QUAD AIR Mark Evans: The Quad Air might be a pretty big, chunky computer, but it benefits from a long battery life thanks to the dot-matrix display, but when it does finally run out on you, it is user-replaceable - simply use a coin to whip off the cover on the back, swap out the battery (available in most electrical shops), check the O-ring is clean and undamaged, and then screw it securely back into place. Job done. www.mares.com 94
Mark Evans: I am still waiting for my orange RK3s to arrive from the Apeks factory, but I did actually manage to go diving with some when I accompanied Dean Martin and Ryan Hoole from Apeks for a dive in Anglesey. Ryan was wearing black fins and Dean had the orange RK3s, and boy, did they show up well. The vis was an acceptable six to seven metres, but the vivid orange of the fins certainly ‘popped’ in the murk when he was at the extremes of visibility. Instructors will love being so visibile, but I can also see INFORMATION buddy teams appreciating Arrival date: April 2018 their other half being easy to Suggested retail price: £120 spot when things get a little Number of dives: 0 murk. Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.apeksdiving.com/uk
AQUASKETCH MINNO 1
INFORMATION Arrival date: May 2018 Suggested retail price: £318 Number of dives: 2 Time in water: 2 hrs 10 mins
Mark Evans: I have tried various slates over the years, generally when testing kit for group reviews, and the one thing that is always irritating is that the pencil usually floats around on a rubber bungee, or dangles on a string, and you always have to fish around to find it, or you try to jam it somewhere safe. The Minno 1 has a neat INFORMATION solution - the pencil securely Arrival date: February 2018 slides into a hole in the side Suggested retail price: £35 of the unit, ready to be deNumber of dives: 6 ployed when you need it. Time in water: 5 hrs 40 mins www.aquasketch.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
SANTI DIVING FLEX 360 Mark Evans: The Santi Flex 360 has been keeping me nice and warm through the winter months, not only while diving, but also while out sledging with my son. However, the stylish jacket has also come into its own as a neat piece of apresdive wear. It is extremely warm, has hand/wrist warmers built in, and it certainly garnered plenty of positive comments from even non-divers who were not aware this was part of an undersuit system and just assumed it was a sports jacket. www.santidiving.com
INFORMATION Arrival date: January 2018 Suggested retail price: £419 Number of dives: 19 Time in water: 17 hrs 55 mins
AQUA LUNG OUTLAW
SUUNTO EON CORE Mark Evans: The beauty of the EON Core - and its bigger sibling, the EON Steel is that they are exceptionally easy to use. Yes, they both boast an extraordinary amount of features once you start to really utilise their capabilities, but for just jumping in and going for a basic dive, then they have got you covered with the minimum of fuss. I had an 18-year-old over from Canada for three weeks of work experience, and her first drysuit dives, and so I kitted her out with the Core. A few minutes explaining what was what, and we were good to go. She had no trouble recognisINFORMATION ing the salient points on the Arrival date: March 2018 display, and was blown away Suggested retail price: £599 by her first encounter with a Number of dives: 11 full-colour display. Time in water: 9 hrs 50 mins www.suunto.com
SHEARWATER RESEARCH NERD 2 END OF TERM
Mark Evans: The Outlaw will be heading off to Spain next week, when its light weight will come in handy not only for the flight out there, but also moving about between hotels and dive centres (it is a whistlestop tour of the Murcia region, with a lot of relocation involved in a short period). However, while being very stripped back, it still retains the nifty Aqua Lung camband INFORMATION clamp, which stops in this Arrival date: February 2017 position before locking home Suggested retail price: £338 to prevent trapped fingers Number of dives: 27 very neat and effective. Time in water: 26 hrs 15 mins www.aqualung.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
Mark Evans: We become accustomed to what we are used to, and for me that meant a wrist-mounted computer. I am just used to glancing at the inside of my left forearm to get my dive data from my Shearwater Perdix AI. However, the innovative Shearwater Research NERD 2 just turned that all on its head as it presents that information right in front of your face. It felt odd for a short while, but it soon became second nature to just alter my focus and INFORMATION heh presto - all my dive info Arrival date: December 2017 was in front of me. Awesome Suggested retail price: £1,427 for photographers, but a useNumber of dives: 12 ful bit of kit for any diver. Time in water: 11 hrs 25 mins www.shearwater.com 95
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THE COURSE DIRECTOR
Marcel van den Berg is a PADI Platinum Course Director working at Sairee Cottage Diving, based on the picturesque island of Koh Tao in Thailand, and here he offers an insight into recreational diver training and professional-level courses, and how these can be rewarding experiences with far-reaching consequences. www.saireecottagediving.com
USING YOUTUBE CAN MAKE YOUR PADI IDC A LOT EASIER
U
sing YouTube during the PADI IDC can make the IDC course significantly easier to complete, and it will be priceless during your PADI IE Exam. A lot of IDC candidates complain that the course is too short. The official PADI Standards state that the PADI IDC course can be completed in seven days. Many PADI Course Directors around the world believe this is not enough time and have extended the IDC course duration to around ten or 12 days. Here on Koh Tao in Thailand, many IDCs run for 14 to 18 days. Even then, we still get a lot of people complaining it was not enough time to practice the in-water diving skills. How much time a person need to succeed in the water skills with high scores depends on the person, the quality of his or her previous training, have they switched between dive organisations, and previous training locations. For this reason, some IDC candidates are stressed about their skill demonstration performance and this is where YouTube can significantly lower the stress levels of the IDC candidate. According to PADI Standards you need to perform all 24 dive skills in the Skill Circuit Evaluation, scoring a minimum of 82 total points, with no individual score below three. Here at Sairee Cottage Diving on Koh Tao, we conduct two PADI skill circuits and we do not send people to the IE unless they get a five (full points) on all skills. An IDC candidate also needs to demonstrate a PADI skill during the IDC Confined Water presentations. Since I started presenting our IDC YouTube training videos to our candidates, it became an easy thing to get full scores on their Skill Circuit demonstrations. My tip to new PADI IDC candidates is to start by preparing before the IDC course. Go to our YouTube Channel and start watching the different PADI Skill Circuit videos, or get a cup of coffee and watch the compilation with all the YouTube videos in one video. Another tip is to also do a ‘dry’ run after watching - this can easily be done in your own house, in front of the mirror or a friend. This might cause some laughs, but it can be really effective! PADI is about to revise the IDC course and will add the new PADI Open Water Diver skills in the skill circuit of the IDC. If you already want to prepare yourself for this, then please check out the Sairee Cottage Diving Extended IDC Skill Circuit YouTube videos here. There are so many different ways and styles to get a good score on your IDC confined presentation. Sometimes this is a great thing knowing you can have your own style, but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming the first time you have to give an IDC confined water presentation. To have the best chance of a great score on your IDC confined water presentation you can use different confined water YouTube videos that I have made. First of all, you can use the Confined Water Briefing YouTube videos to get full points on your IDC confined
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water dive briefing. Then after that you can use the different PADI IDC confined water skill presentation videos that includes the demo for the skill, how to organise it and how to appropriately correct re-occurring problems. The IDC Open Water presentations can be a bit more tricky than confined water as you have a make up for confined and not for the open water presentations on the IDC and IE. This means it is even more important that we don’t get a failing score on the IDC Open Water presentations and these YouTube IDC videos can help a lot. IDC skills can be organised in many different ways, but if you follow the way that you see in our IDC Open Water presentation videos, you will get the highest score of a five on your IDC or IE. Especially skills like Underwater Navigation, Lift Bag, Knot tying, PADI Rescue Diver Out of Air and the CESA can be tricky to organise in open water. For all these skills we have made YouTube training videos. We don’t always have to go into the water to practice IDC diving skills. On our YouTube Channel you will find a lot of workshop videos explaining diving skills on land. These videos are also great to use later when you want to teach these skills to your students after completing the IDC course. Right now we are living in a world where thinking about the environment is very important. Our oceans are in trouble and we have to deal with a lot of plastic trash, coral bleaching events and overfishing. On our channel we have made some YouTube videos about our eco conservation efforts at Sairee Cottage Diving and these will hopefully help you to organise your own eco-conservation events. I hope that these YouTube videos will help you to prepare for your PADI Divemaster and IDC course and that they will help you pass not only the IDC course, but also the PADI IE. Please don’t forget to Like these videos and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on future IDC training videos. n
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