Subsea 155

SUBSEA Ireland’s Only Diving Magazine

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS Protect Dublin Bay Diving the Amoco Cadiz Raising the Costa Concordia

B4 Vol. 10 No. 155 Summer 2016 '))(++ %&!,#%$*

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SUBSEA

CONTENTS

ISSN 0791 - 475X Volume 10 Number 155 Summer 2016 5

EDITORIAL Editor's comment

5

BRIEFINGS What’s happening at home and abroad

9

IUC CLUBS RAISE AWARENESS OF DUMPING IN DUBLIN BAY Special area of conservation under threat

11 TRIP TO OCEANADDICTS, KINSALE

By Timur Kholodenko 15 COSTA CONCORDIA

By Brian Mac Allister

Bluefire jellyfish and buddy, Donegal.

Canon 7D, Hugyfort housing, F7.1, ISO400, 1/160 Photo by and © Maja Stankovski.

Attention SubSea contributors • Submit all material to the Editor at editor@diving.ie or to Head Office • Material must arrive well in advance of the deadline.

• Pictures are essential to illustrate news items and articles.

• Authors must remember that they bear responsibility to ensure that material is not copied from another copyrighted publication.

• Ensure that digital photos submitted are: 120 pixels/cm (300 dpi) and sized at 30cm X 21cm.

SubSea is published by the Irish Underwater Council. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Council.

The magazine is not intended as an invitation or prospectus to members of the public or other interested parties to dive on any of the sites that are mentioned in the text and anyone intending to do so should take appropriate advice with regard to the safety and viability of their proposed actions. Boarding a wreck requires the permission of the owner. Diving on a 100 year old wreck requires a permit.

Edited by: Shane Stanley

Advertising: Sarah Campbell

Proofreading: Eibhir Mulqueen Martin Johnston

Typesetting and Design: Bernard Kaye Honorary Archivist: Michael Moriarty SubSea, Irish Underwater Council, 78a Patrick St., Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin.

Tel: (01) 2844601. Fax: (01) 2844602.

Web site: www.diving.ie E-Mail: info@diving.ie

Printed by Doggett Print & Design, Dublin.

Tel: (01) 453 3151. Fax: (01) 453 3156.

20 UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS Book review by Damien McGuirk 21 DROWNING: A DECEPTIVELY QUIET EVENT

By Mario Vittone 23 EXPLORATION OF CLIFF CAVE (FANORE)

By Jim Warny 25 INFOMAR IUC DIVE GUIDE APP Guide to features of the app 28 PROFESSOR JAMES FRANCIS PANTRIDGE Noted Irishmen by Denny Lawlor 29 SEASEARCH

By Tony O’Callaghan 32 DIVING WRECK GIANT Diving the Amoco Cadiz by Catherine Connors 37 PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS LEARNED UNDERWATER

By Maja Stankovski 42 IDEST Who they are and what they do…

45 SEAL RESCUE IRELAND

By Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan 48 FITNESS FOR DIVERS: ARE YOU REALLY FIT FOR DIVING?

By John Collins

Affiliated to

49 MARINE WILDLIFE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN Book review 50 MART AND EXCHANGE

CMAS

Autumn 2016 Issue Deadline All articles for inclusion in the next issue of SubSea should be sent to the editor before August 25th.

All advertising should be sent to CFT Head Office before August 25th.

SubSea Summer 2016

3

EL HIERRO

DIVE HOLIDAYS – EL HIERRO DEPARTURE DATES – 2016

A magic, undiscovered little gem of an island on the western edge of the Canary archipelago. Only 25 miles long but 5,000ft high it has an extraordinary diversity of scenery from green fields and stonewalls like the west of Ireland, up on the plateau, through beautiful pine and laurel forests and vineyards down to fertile coastal plains awash with bananas, pineapples, papayas and cereals. The people are extremely friendly and there is zero crime on the island. There are no Irish bars, no English bars, no fast food joints, no golf courses, no snakes or mosquitoes - and hardly any tourists. In fact no nasties at all!

The scenic driving and hill walking are both dramatic and amazing so it is idyllic for the non-diving spouse who values peace and quiet and an utterly relaxing holiday in the sun.

“OUR FLEET”

We have 4 vehicles and anyone who wishes can take a car for a drive around the island or to nearby swimming spots.

The picture shows “our fleet” of two x 8seater Toyotas, a 5-seater Mercedes and a 4-seater Mercedes, parked beneath the apartments, overlooking the harbour in La Restinga.

Those of you who were with us in the early days may mourn the passing of our old 11 -seater Land Rover but you will find these cars a lot more comfortable!

THE DIVING The best diving in all of Spain. The Spanish Open U/W Photography Competition (a major, heavily sponsored event) has been held here for the last 16 years! Probably the best diving in all of

Book your Ryanair flights to Tenerife on the designated date. I collect you at Tenerife airport and we transfer to a hotel in the nearby resort of Los Cristianos from where we depart by fast ferry next day to El Hierro. We travel back on Sunday evening to the bright lights of Tenerife before flying home Monday. Departure dates: ■ Monday 10 Oct ■ Monday 17 Oct ■ Monday 7 Nov ■ Monday 21 Nov

HOLIDAY COST Euro-land. It is, after all, the most southerly (28 degrees) and the most westerly (18 degrees) point in Europe.

Temperatures are tropical and the Ocean is 25 degrees in autumn so there is abundant Oceanic and tropical life, particularly in the Marine Reserve, situated in The “Mar de Las Calmas” or tranquil sea, an area of several square miles completely protected from the prevailing NE winds by huge cliffs.

The seascape is spectacular with dramatic dropoffs, caves and pinnacles.

Depths are daunting with 3,000m not far offshore. Visibility is 30m plus and the sea is a vivid blue. The variety and abundance of marine life is exceptional.

LA RESTINGA The tiny fishing village at the southern tip of the island which is our base for the week; our lovely apartments are on the little promenade overlooking the harbour. Everything is within a couple of minutes’ walk - the Dive Centre, “El Bar” the little “supermercado” and the 5 very good restaurants (fresh fish every day).

There are safe and simple swimming and snorkelling spots and the outdoor dining and wining under the stars are memories to cherish.

The diving holiday price which includes all transfers and transport; all ferries; all accommodation and ten boat dives with tanks, air, weights and dive guide is €625. Non divers and hill walkers (5 days guided walking) travel for just €425.

GODS OFFER GODS (Golden Oldies Diving Society) members get €50 discount (Divers: €575 and Non- divers & hill walkers: €375)

INFORMATION If you wish to give me a postal address I can send you the information leaflet Contact me on e-mail at any time if you have questions or queries.

Good Diving!

Shane

BRIEFINGS EDITORIAL Summer is upon us readers and with any luck we will get some fine weather and calm seas in which we can luxuriate in the sport we love. For the rainy days, Subsea.

Congratulations to Athlone SAC on a well hosted Dive Ireland International which I very much enjoyed. It was a great opportunity for me as editor to finally meet and greet readers and contributors alike and receive face to face feedback on the magazine we produce.

In many people’s eyes, UW photographer extraordinaire, Alex Mustard was star of the show and his book ‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’ is reviewed here for you by Damien McGuirk. Staying with photography, Maja Stankovski continues to provide us with some of her wonderful images and has penned an article describing the lessons she has learned in UW photography over the years.

For wreck lovers, Catherine Connors describes the exhilarating experiences she had on her first wreck dive to the giant Amoco Cadiz which ran aground in 1978 and provides as always the fascinating background history of that ship. Skip forward now 34 years to another ships disastrous end and read Brian Mac Allisters descriptive account of what happened to the Costa Concordia on one particular Friday 13th in 2012 and how a cruise liner, 3 times the size of Titanic was refloated.

The Making Diving Visible workgroup, which includes members from some of the Irish Dive Centers and the Irish Underwater Council, have devised an initiative to make the sport of diving, in all its forms, more visible to the non-diving Irish public and details of this are well worth a read along with a look at the new dive guide app launched by the IUC and Infomar.

All this and many articles besides. I do, as always, hope you enjoy reading and would be delighted to hear your thoughts. Dive safe this Summer my friends. Until next time….

Regards Shane Stanley

VHF Course run by Dundalk Sub Aqua Club’s Don Baldwin

Right to left: Aaron Rooney, April Dillon, Margaret McCarthy, Frances McClean, Paul McMahon, all of Dundalk SAC and Alex Buda of Aughinish SAC. Standing: Don Baldwin, approved SRC Course Provider & CFT Instructor-Dundalk SAC.

Congratulations to the six candidates who recently achieved success on a S.R.C. (Short Range Certificate) Course, Modules 1 and 2, which was run by Don Baldwin of Dundalk SAC on April 16th and 17th. The two day course involves training in VHF, DSC, EPIRB, SART, NAVTEX, ANTENNA, 12V BATTERY and GMDSS. This particular course

also looks at PLB, Marine Radio & GPS for Divers, SAR In-Water Communications and Communications with Coast Guard Helicopter. The course concludes two written exams and a practical test supervised by a Department of Transport examiner. Successful candidates receive SRC Module 1 and 2 licences which are both National and International Qualifications.

TAKE THE

LEAP

Get the INFOMAR CFT Dive Guide app for iOS and Android See page 25 for full details SubSea Summer 2016

5

BRIEFINGS

The 10th Great Jamestown to Drumsna Swim, Fin or Snorkel & 1916 Street Party In August Leitrim SAC will host their 10th Annual Fin Swim from Jamestown to Drumsna. This event will be used to raise funds for two local charities. In 2015 swimmers and snorkelers from all corners of Ireland joined in to make it a great day and fun for all. CFT’s National Snorkelling Officer & Children’s Officer presented Certificates of Achievement to all who took part.

The event was very well marshalled by members of Leitrim SAC with cover boats and canoes provided to ensure the safety of all.

Following the swim a BBQ was a welcome sight with warm food to replenish all. That evening the entertainment continued in a local hostility into the early hours. By all accounts everyone enjoyed the occasion.

This year’s costume theme is 1916 Start 27th August 2016 at 2:30pm from the Jamestown Weir Sponsorship cards from Duignans shop or on the day €10 Or email: leitrim.sub.aqua.club@gmail.com we will send you a sponsorship card Registration from 12 noon at Drumsna Quay This is the 10th year Leitrim Sub Aqua Club has run this event, This year we will share with Jamestown pre-school & Drumsna Community centre • 2pm: Barbeque, Music & Face Painting • 2:30: Swim Starts • 3:30: Fun & Games with Music on the Quay • 5pm: 1916 Costume Street Festival in Drumsna • 9pm: Giant raffle in Duignans Porter Emporium with live tunes

6

SubSea Summer 2016

BRIEFINGS

South East Dive Rally 2016 Make sure you’re there, by Hook or by Crook! e South East Dive Rally is Although the Rally is once again set to descend on now heading into its 4th year, its roots are much Hook peninsula this older than that. The very summer. Put the dates in first dive rally ever held in your log book now and make Ireland happened over a sure you’re South Eastbound Whit Weekend in Slade on the 15th of July! e Hook Sub Aqua club are already harbor back in 1965! Just looking forward to like today, the divers welcoming divers from all arrived armed with their over the country to take part bottles, regs and tents and in the annual rally and the high hopes that weather committee are hard at work conditions would be planning BBQs, table favorable for diving. They First ever Dive Rally held in Ireland. Slade, Whit weekend 1965. Irish club, quizzes, photography were not disappointed back Curragh club, Waterford Harbour club and a few strays attended. Photo, Mick competitions, raffle prizes, then and for sure, today’s Moriarty collection. and most importantly, divers won’t be diving! ey are getting disappointed either. ere are numerous dive sites of ready to host the 160+ divers that are To celebrate CFT’s 50th anniversary, it varying depth and variety suitable for was decided to revive this first dive rally expected to arrive again this year! divers of all levels. Fantastic shore dives and so the South East Dive rally was Fast becoming a traditional event on are just a plunge away from the HSAC born again in 2013. the annual diving calendar, the rally is a clubhouse and boat dives will depart from We are delighted that it is getting 3-day diving bonanza that will run from Slade Harbor daily and head out to the bigger and better with each passing year the 15th-17th of July. many offshore sites around the peninsula.

Now entering its 4th consecutive and we hope that you can come this e diving day will begin for early birds on th year, it has established itself as a focal summer and make it a weekend to Friday 15 and continue throughout the event for divers and clubs to come remember. weekend. Dives will range from wreck together and share their common love So all fingers and fins crossed for dives such as the Girl Arleen, Harrys of the sea. And what better place to do superb diving, perfect viz and flat calm Wreck and e Lismore to scenic dives on this than Hook head, renowned for its seas!

Make sure you’re there by hook or the breath-taking Big and Western Rocks scenic beauty both above and below the by crook!

For more information email us and fantastic shore dives at the Tower waves. at southeastdiverally@gmail.com Hole, e Bathtub and Churchtown.

Slade Harbour from the air. Photo by Noel Furlong.

SubSea Summer 2016

7

BRIEFINGS

Making Diving Visible Diver jumping. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.

The Making Diving Visible workgroup, which includes members from some of the Irish Dive Centers and The Irish Underwater Council, have devised an initiative to make the sport of diving, in all its forms, more visible to the nondiving Irish public.

Ireland has one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world and now we also have the Wild Atlantic Way, the longest Defined Coastal Route in the world.

People in Ireland know about these, but how many people know that we have some of the best diving in the World?

Diving in Ireland is actually the best-

8

SubSea Summer 2016

kept secret in the world. But let’s change that!

On Sunday the 31st of July, divers all over the country will be invited to take part in The Great Irish Dive In. From South to North, East to West splashes will be heard as divers take the plunge in this great Irish Dive In. We will be asking you to upload you Images, Stories, and Videos to our Facebook page Great-IrishDive-In Whoever you are diving with, centre or club, wherever you will be diving on July 31st (the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend) highlight it by posting

your pictures, videos and stories on our facebook page: Great Irish Dive In (https://www.facebook.com/Great-IrishDive-In-941358412629670 /timeline). We will have prizes for the entries with the most likes!

You don’t have to go anywhere special, your local dive sites are fine, wear a funny hat, take a photo of a strange fish, make a video of your day, write a story, give us the quote of the day...Let your imagination go wild We will be contacting the national press, and we are looking for your help to contact the local media in your area and tell them about your event. Let’s get the country talking about diving and raise the profile of our sport so that we can attract more people to it. The aim is to showcase that it is possible to dive in Ireland, that we have fantastic diving and that diving in Ireland is fun.

Let’s all work together on this to start a process of increasing the number of new divers into diving in Ireland, by showing non-divers what they are missing by not being involved in diving. ◼ Please register your interest in taking part with any of the undersigned Irish Underwater Council info@diving.ie 01 2844601 Oceanaddicts anne@oceanaddicts.ie

087 7903211

Sandra Waterworld dive@iol.ie

0667139292

Scubadive West info@scubadivewest.com

095 43922

IUC clubs raise awareness of dumping in Dublin Bay IUC divers take to the Liffey to raise awareness of the proposed dumping.

On Sunday 24th April clubs in the Dublin region gathered in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for an awareness raising campaign to highlight the planned dumping of dredged spoil from Dublin Port into Dublin Bay along the Burford Bank. Concerned members turned up to show their support and to raise awareness with the public of this issue. Ten boats departed from Dun Laoghaire bound for O’Connell Bridge. Once there members disembarked and handed out information leaflets to the general public who were taking part in centenary celebrations. We would like to thank those clubs and members who turned out to raise awareness.

Divers Against Dumping The Irish Underwater Council has now formed a lobby group, Divers Against Dumping, (DAD), which is an association of organisations, businesses and clubs that share a common interest in the protection of Irelands underwater habitats and heritage. Together we hope to create a strong voice in Ireland for the protection of our reefs and underwater habitats. At present we are concentrating on the Dublin Bay area however we intend to extend this group nationwide in time.

which lies in the middle of Dublin Bay. This is also within the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve. We

have reason to believe that this spoil may be “mildly to moderately” contaminated.

Dublin Bay Dumping The Dublin Port Company (DPC), plans dredging of Dublin port this year.

Spoil resulting from the dredging will be dumped in the Rockabill to Dalkey Island Special Area of Conservation (SAC), specifically at the Burford Bank

Octopus in Dublin Bay. Photo by and © Lucinda Keogh.

SubSea Summer 2016

9

Dumping in Dublin Bay

One of the ten dive boats taking part in the awareness campaign

Special Areas of Conservation are created under the EU Habitats Directive to protect vulnerable habitats and animal species. The Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC has been designated to protect the harbour porpoise, the smallest member of the whale and dolphin group, and rocky reef habitats, both requiring protection due to their vulnerability to pollution.

The permit being used by DPC to dump this spoil was awarded in 2011 before the area was designated an SAC. If the same permit application were to be made today, it would have to go through an appropriate

assessment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the statutory body in charge of sustainable management and protection of the environment, states that this permit which was awarded in 2011 is valid for 6 years from date of commencement of dumping even though it underwent public consultation for use only until the end of November 2015. put a spot light on the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to grant a licence for dumping within an SAC. The extended use of this permit has not undergone any public consultation contrary to Articles 4 and 5 of

Snorkellers enjoying the waters of Dublin Bay. Photo by and © Andy Keegan.

10 SubSea Summer 2016

Directive 2003/35/EC on public participation. Under the Convention, the public has a right to participate in decision-making in environmental matters. http://www.environ.ie/environment/aa rhus-convention/aarhus-convention) While we accept the necessity to dredge the channels in Dublin Port we strongly oppose the use of a European Special Area of Conservation as the waste ground for dumping spoil.

More sustainable options for dealing with dredged spoil should be investigated. ◼

Lobster at Ireland’s Eye. Photo by and © Fintan Keating.

Trip to Oceanaddicts, Kinsale

by Timur Kholodenko Oceanaddicts boat, “Embarr” in Kinsale, Cork. Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

ello. My name is Timur. I live in Massachusetts and if you are reading this article on the pages of Subsea, then it is safe to assume that we both enjoy discovering the “treasures” hidden below the surface of the ocean. My “panning kit” consists of an Ikelite housing, Canon DSLR, Sola spotlight and a few substrobes. Although I like all forms of underwater photography, my passions - macro-organisms and nudibranchs occupy the top of the pyramid of my interests. (Words “treasures” and “panning kit” can be replaced with “reaches” and “treasure hunting kit”) I consider myself very lucky that I have had the opportunity to travel a bit around the world and dive at several exotic destinations. But no matter how striking, unusual and colourful the underwater flora and fauna of Philippines, Fiji, Indonesia and Caribbean were, I never lost interest in local diving. Those trips only fueled my desire to get back into the cold and frequently murky waters of the North Atlantic.

Once, while looking for the name of a nudibranch, I stumbled onto the

H

site “Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.” Since that time I wanted to dive on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean. A few years passed and finally in July of 2015 I made it happen.

My initial search “Diving in Ireland” turned out to be an auspicious one.

Among the top results was “Oceanaddicts” – the dive operation located in Kinsale, Southern Ireland.

I sent a few questions and a day later was rewarded with an email containing detailed answers to all my inquiries, plus some additional and very valuable information. Anne Ferguson, one of OceanAddicts’ proprietors, helped me to design and to finalize my trip. I was going to fly to Dublin, rent a car, drive and spend 4 days around Cork; dive 2 days in the Maharees; and finally, dash across the country back to Dublin. Sounds like a lot of driving but in reality … it was fine. I will also say that before I arrived in Ireland, I had never used my camera as much above the surface as I normally do underwater.

I would have gotten from point “a” to point “b” much sooner if not for the

countless stops taking yet another scenic photo. The route of my driving, instead of a solid, continuous track, looked like a zigzagged, indiscernible strip of Morse code. But I loved it. And I made it to my first destination with lots of fine pictures stored in my memory.

OceanAddicts At 79 feet long, the ex-Royal Navy Fleet Tender “Embarr” (an old Celtic word that means “imagination”) is located on the river Bandon, moored to the Kinsale’s main pier. Painted blue-and-white, it was not difficult to spot, especially if one takes into account that a distinguishing feature of the Irish address is not only the number of the house but the colour of its window frames and front doors.

The boat has 1 four-berth and 4 twin cabins, which are clean, quiet and have sufficient extra space for all your gear. There are two electrical outlets in each cabin for your charging needs.

The dining area has a flat screen TV with various connections to view your pictures on a larger screen. Nitrox, up to 30%, is available on board and included in the price of the package.

SubSea Summer 2016

11

Trip to Kinsale

Spiny squat lobster. Black Head, Canyon dive-site, Kinsale, Cork. Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

Diving Due to the impact of the Gulf Stream, the water temperature on the south coast of Ireland turned out to be much warmer than I had imagined. My computer registered 52F at depth and 65F near the surface. Therefore, I was very thankful for my friend Julie’s suggestion to get a Waterproof D9, front zipped, light-weight (about 4lb), breathable, quad-lam dry suit.

Combining that with Weezle, a onepiece undergarment, I felt very comfortable no matter how long or how deep we dove.

Anne wanted to do a checkout dive in the safest area, so my first plunge was at the Little Bay, Cuasin na Daoine Boite, where the average depth was about 20 feet. I did not complain since I understood that safety is very important but little did I know that I’d spend 74 minutes there and come out with more than 100 photos. Actually, I liked

12 SubSea Summer 2016

it so much that when Anne asked me where I would like to do my last dive I picked that same location.

“Bream Rock” was a bit deeper than others, an average of 50+ feet, but visibility was more than 60 feet and I came out with 200 good photos, (it would be more if not for the depleted tank).

On other dive sites, visibility varied between 20-30 feet at least. Not expecting such clarity, plus trying to

Eubranchus farrani. Diving in Ireland. Kinsale, Cork.

Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

keep up with luggage weight restrictions, I left my wide-angle port at home. That was a big mistake because there were lots of opportunities for amazing scenery.

Anne Ferguson was my divecompanion and I could not wish for a better dive-guide. All my good shots were taken thanks to her extensive experience, ability to spot tiny animals and to her considerable patience. Since our first communication, Anne knew that I favour macro photography, especially nudibranchs – those slow moving, beautiful sea organisms that God uniquely created to satisfy a growing army of underwater photographers.

At the very first dive, at the Little Bay, besides other critters, Anne helped me to find 7 species of nudibranchs that I’ve never seen before.

I vividly remember that on my very first evening on board Embarr, Graham

Trip to Kinsale

Jewel anemone. Cuasin na daoine Baite, (Little bay of drowned people) dive-site. Kinsale, Cork. Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

gave me Paul Naylor’s book – Great O’Conner, my dive-buddy, managed to very cooperative prawn. As I was British Marine Animals. I quickly discover the elusive mollusk. setting up my camera for a shot, the scanned it and stopped at the pages Besides sea slugs, I saw many curious animals were edging closer with nudibranchs. Pointing at Limacia marine animals that I have not seen and closer to my lens. Patella clavigera, I asked Anne; before. Among my new favorites is pellucida Linnaeus, or Blue-rayed “Do you think, Anne, we will be European lobster (Homarus limpet, also became one of my able to find this species?” gammarus) – the crustacean that is favorites.

“Well,” Anne answered, “about a similar to our American lobster only And of course, there was the jewel hundred”. its body is blue. I also liked Galathea anemone. You must see them in their And she wasn’t far off from the strigosa, a squat lobster which is vivid habitat to fully appreciate the stunning actual count. Just three minutes into red with electric blue stripes. colour patterns of each colony. Each my first dive she pointed out my first Palaemon serratus turned out to be a member of the white, green, orange, Limacia. Thirty minutes pink and red colonies is later I was picking which equipped with up to 100 Limacia to photograph. color contrasting tentacles Then Anne spotted and it presents the perfect Polycera faeroensis, subject for a great shot. I Lemche, a minute later it never passed up a chance was Polycera quadrilineata, to snap yet another picture and then it was Facelina of this very attractive auriculata. But Janolus animal. cristatus was one If you like wreck diving, nudibranch that Anne was according to the keen to find and yet unable OceanAddicts website to locate. As it happened, “within a short boat spin four days later, on my there are several wellsecond dive around preserved shipwrecks Maherees peninsula with within sport diving range, Jewel anemone. Cuasin na daoine Baite, (Little bay of drowned people) dive-site. Kinsale, Cork. Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

Waterworld, Danny from the historic Aud to SubSea Summer 2016 13

Trip to Kinsale Conclusion

Facelina auriculata Diving in Ireland. Kinsale, Cork. Photo by and © Timur Kholodenko.

the interesting Santo and a couple of armed trawlers the Clifton and the Morococala”.

I’m sure if I kept diving with OceanAddicts I would have discovered more things to appreciate. As Anne said

to me once, “Every dive I see something new.” But regretfully my three days expired. I had to leave Kinsale and continue to Kerry, my next dive destination. The next time I visit OceanAddicts, I’ll definitely stay longer.

As I was planning this trip, I visited quite a few websites dedicated to diving around Ireland. Thus, I was expecting to see quite a few things.

But in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t imagine experiencing such a remarkable marine ecosystem. Just 6 hours flying time from Boston, warm, clear and rich with life, the waters around Ireland present incredible opportunities for any curious diver.

Also, I’d like to add that as I soon as I stepped on board Embarr, I felt right at home. Staying and diving with OceanAddicts introduced me to the nice, caring family that I wished I had known before. I’d like to thank Anne and Graham from the bottom of my heart for the unforgettable time that I spent with them in Kinsale. Good luck to you, strong health, safe diving and many happy discoveries for years to come.

Hopefully, we’ll meet again soon. ◼

Dive with OceanAddicts

Oceanaddicts is an IDEST Accredited Test Centre committed to Top Quality Customer Service.

We can arrange to collect & deliver your cylinders, providing a transparent service in our modern workshop VIP s Hydros Valve Service

14 SubSea Summer 2016

www.oceanaddicts.ie graham@oceanaddicts.ie anne@oceanaddicts.ie Graham 087-2744992 Anne 087-7903211 www.facebook.com/oceanaddicts

Costa Concordia

by Brian Mac Allister Costa Concordia, where she settled on the two pinnacles. Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

At 10 AM on January 13 2012, the Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia (weighing 120,000 tonne and approximately 1000 feet in length) hit a pinnacle rock off the picturesque island of Giglio.

It was Friday the 13th. She was approximately two and a half times larger than the Titanic, which was only 45,000 tonnes.

The primary impact area of the pinnacle was the engine room amidship and her engine was immediately shut down causing her to be carried on under her own way about 2 kilometres out to sea to a depth of 200 metres. However the prevailing north easterly winds that blow off the Tibetan shelf around that time of year blew her back towards the shore outside the harbour of Giglio and there she settled and hung on two reef pinnacles with her starboard keel settling at a depth of 40 meters. The reef bottomed out at 80 meters in this area. She settled onto her starboard side. At the time of the incident she was carrying 4,250 passengers, officers and crew onboard of which all but 32

passengers made it ashore, however if she had sunk in the 200 metre depth the death toll is presumed to have been much higher. The main cause for loss of life was shock and hypothermia of the passengers attempting to swim to shore.

Italian dive teams commenced immediately within weeks of her sinking to prevent her from slipping into the 80 metres of water, and to debunk her of fuel, oils and black water. this process involved drilling into the tanks and tapping the contents called hot tapping.

The largest salvage company currently operating in the world ‘Titan salvage’ was awarded the contract to salvage her, of which we were

contracted under, and it was decided to right her on location and re-float her. The operation began in October 2012 then started the largest salvage operation ever in maritime history. It was important to remove the costa Concordia as the islands of Giglio, Elba and Monte Cristo are important tourist locations in Italy with connections to Napoleon and the novel and movie ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. They are also marine reserves.

The initial series of operation was to install twelve 40 tonne anchor blocks along the reef which were at a 10 metre depth level on the granite reef. This granite reef had to be levelled out by an industrial tungsten rock grinder mounted on a digger arm SubSea Summer 2016 15

Costa Concordia

Jacking towers and strand jacks in situ. Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

positioned aboard on one of the barges. These anchor blocks would hold her in place as there was always a danger she could slip into the 80 metre depth below. Following their emplacement we began the enormous task of creating a level platform for her to land on when she was pulled upright which required sculpting a concrete pad using 5, 10 and 40 tonne mattresses when pumped full of grout and 6 steel platforms fixed onto the edge of the reef drilled 30 metres into the granite reef. for us to accomplish this mammoth subsea structure it took 13 months of continuous 24 hour/ 365 day diving with 12 teams of divers, each team around 10-12 divers, and 4 barges each charged at 100,000 dollars (circa 87,604 euro) a day, each had a stationary dive station with 2 decompression chambers on board as well as a purpose built universal small barge ‘the Laguria’ carrying 3 chambers and was small enough to fit into the swimming pool and leisure area of the capsized Costa Concordia. One back

16 SubSea Summer 2016

up decompression chamber was located 5 minutes away on Giglio harbour. In the process 18,287 dives had been logged, 95 per cent of which were at a depth of 40 metres so divers had to be decompressed each time in one of the 9 decompression chambers.

Divers were decompressed out on pure oxygen.

A typical commercial diver in any other situation had to tow a 100 meter umbilical tethered to him from the dive station. However due to the size and access of the wreck and the

Brian MacAllister, dive supervisor on shift aboard ‘D.S.V. Pioneer’.

Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

distances sub sea needed to travel the diver had to tow a 300 meter umbilical.

The typical job for the diver was laying the grout mattresses in a brickwork pattern below the wreck. In the water each mattress empty was neutrally buoyant but still large enough to be awkward and difficult to move.

Basically something akin to taking a stubborn elephant for a walk underwater. then when a pattern of roughly 7 - 10 bags were laid the grout was pumped into the mattresses. The grout was pumped through a 3 inch grout house that had to be manually dragged on the bottom by the diver throughout the wreck site. once grout pumping started on the currently laid mattresses it could not be stopped as the grout would harden in the hose.

Management of the hose required a diver in the water at all times to man the hose and the grout, to direct it.

This was achieved that after 30 minutes into the first divers bottom time manning the grout hose the dive supervisor of that operating diver

Costa Concordia

Everything in situ prior to commencement of power-buckling. Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

informed another dive supervisor on another barge to jump his diver who would locate and meet the current diver and take over the grout hose. 30 minutes into that dive the same change over was done again by a diver from a third barge eventually rotating back to the first barge thus keeping chambers clear which allowed divers to decompress out. 22,000 cubic metres of grout was was pumped into 1,400 mattresses to create the concrete pad and the steel platforms and buoyancy tanks required enough steel to build roughly 4 Eiffel towers.

Timing was of the essence, when one diver was in the water it was paramount that there would be a dive chamber ready for him when he returned to the surface. Typical bottom time per dive was 45 minutes, which gives a decompression time of 65 minutes, if we ran the diver to 50 mins, he had a chamber time of 80 minutes which seriously could hinder the chamber rotations. Although the diver was only in the water for

approximately 40 minutes a day, out of the water and on deck he was still responsible for general maintenance of operations as part of the diver rotation i.e for the first hour he became the standby diver up top for the current diver in the water. for the hour after that he was diving followed immediately by an hour of decompressing in the available chamber. following that he was then in charge of the chamber decompressing the diver who had just come out of the water. Once he finished that he spent the next hour as

Brian MacAllister.

Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

dive tender for the following diver who was in the water. Once he had finished his hour as tender he then ran tool operations supplying the current diver i.e. hydraulics, powerpack, burning and welding operations etc. for the following hour he carried out upkeep and maintenance of the dive station, equipment and tools. The next stage of the divers shift involved him operating the LARS (Launch And Recovery systems) bringing the diver to and from the surface followed there after by an hour of deck work/winch operator. For the next hour after that he was the crane banks man aiding the lifting of heavy equipment and materials in and out of the water.

Lastly and most importantly for the final hour of his shift he was the tea and coffee boy for the dive crew.

Thats is a total 12 hour shift and during this hectic schedule he had to get his meals in. This went on for tours of 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off.

While the diver rotation was occurring the dive supervisor was in SubSea Summer 2016 17

Costa Concordia 115 tonnes and 80 tonnes with many smaller cranes available to us. For the light lifts rather than using the cranes which would require the positioning of the barges it was quicker and more effective to use Helicopters to lift smaller loads.

12 jacking towers were built on the anchor blocks at the 10 meter level. On completion of the installation of the jacking towers each tower had 2 strand jacks each of which had a pulling power of 5,000 tonnes. The jacks strand were attached to Dynima rope (possibly the strongest substance known to man) which was connected to the 24 chains (of which each link weighed circa 3 quarter tonne) attached to the buoyancy tanks and the hull on the port side of the Costa Concordia. The chains were run around the underside of the hull connected to the dynima rope which ran to the jacks. The Jacks would pull the ship over onto the pad and

Salvage diver dressed and ready for the water. Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

control of all these operations on a full 12 hour shift at the diver supervising station. A fleet of ROV’s (Remotely Operated Vehicles) were always around to monitor the diver from the surface. The primary ROV used was the small Video ray.

While the platforms were being installed diving works were ongoing across the site, specifically fitting the huge 6 million dollar buoyancy blister tank under the bow designed and made direct from the negative of the blueprints of the Costa Concordia to fit perfectly tight against the hull.

Fitting of the buoyancy tank under the bow was in itself another mammoth task which myself and my dive team were entrusted with. This was done by cutting out the 3 bow thrusters and inserting 3 massive pins

18 SubSea Summer 2016

with a length of 25 metres and diameter of 2.5 metres through the thruster tunnels to attach the blister tank to. This buoyancy tank had a lift capacity of circa 30,000 tonnes. It was quite a feet of naval architecture due the fact it fitted so snugly to the hull of Costa Concordia, it in itself to lift into the water required 2 x 1,000 tonne cranes and was was floated over to the bow and sunk into position. meanwhile the large buoyancy tanks were also being affixed down along her port side hull.

The largest crane on site was a 16 wire fall and took 8 hours for the roughly 25 tonne block to be lowered to water level before any lifts with it could even commence. It had a lift of about 3’500 tonnes.other cranes on the barges had a lift capacity of 190 tonnes,

“The fact that half her superstructure (which was aluminium) had spent nearly 2 years in the corrosive salt water environment there was every chance she may buckle and collapse …” platforms from underneath. A process known as power buckling.

A third pinnacle under the bow had to be rock blasted by drilling over 1,100 meter deep holes into the rock at different blast stages and inserting green break which is a low charge explosive detonated by a surface detonator under the command of myself as the dive supervisor. The detonation of the explosive material was the only time there was no diver in the water which was less than 5 minutes. Most underwater rock blasting has only been done in shallow water to a max depth of 50 metres so the charges had to be modified on site to reach the depths needed. The diver

Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia sitting upright in 40 meters of water just outside the harbour of Giglio. Photo by and © Brian Mac Allister.

had to take a box of circa 20 charges down and along the sea bed and under the wreck 300 metres to the blast site, just over half a kilometre there and back from barge to site. At the blast site he had to place each charge into the holes and wire in series.

On September 16th at 10 am, watched globally on live TV, we started the strand jacks and within the first hour we could visibly see Costa Concordia moving. The fact that half her superstructure (which was aluminium) had spent nearly 2 years in the corrosive salt water environment there was every chance she may buckle and collapse however by 4 am on September 17 she was sitting upright on the platforms, to much relief and surprise she had remained completely intact. When she was righted her even keel was sitting on the platforms 40 meters deep in the water with 8 decks of her super structure still above surface.

After she was sitting upright we were stood down for 14 days while military and law enforcement commenced forensics on her due to

“... and thus came the end of the largest and most expensive salvage operation, to the tune of 2 billion, 70 million dollars.” her being categorised as a crime scene with regards to loss of life and incident report. Two bodies were still missing at this stage.

It was then October and the decision was made not to lift her until the following spring so we carried on diving until the end of December 2013

stabilising her on site for the winter.

Salvage operation recommenced at the end of may 2014 and it was merely the task of lifting in and sinking in place the starboard lift sponsons and hooking them onto the righting chains and blowing all buoyancy tank with air and re-floating the Costa Concordia.

On the 23rd July 2014 Costa Concordia was finally towed from her wreck site and to a maritime scrapyard in Genoa, Italy, her home port and thus came the end of the largest and most expensive salvage operation, to the tune of 2 billion, 70 million dollars. As of today demobilisation of all the equipment, grout mattresses and clean up is still in underway with the exception of the 6 platforms intended to become an artificial reef for coral and other aquatic flora. May you all enjoy dining on them in the coming future as they will be spectacular. ◼ SubSea Summer 2016 19

Underwater Photography Masterclass Book Review:

By Alex Mustard, review by Damien McGuirk

There are very few underwater photographers in the world who haven’t heard of Dr. Alex Mustard. Certainly, after this year’s Dive Ireland get together in Athlone, you should know who he is by now!

There is no doubting that Alex is one of the world’s best-known underwater photographers (see SUBSEA Spring Ed. 2016) and he has been on the UW photo scene for many many years. The release of his new book ‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’ (ISBN 978-178145-222-6 pub. by Ammonite Press) has created a huge buzz of excitement and has been very well received by the underwater photographic community throughout the world.

I’d go so far as to say that this book was a long time coming, but so glad it has finally arrived! The demand for Alex’s skills through his instruction and international workshops is evident for all to see, yet for those of you who have yet to experience an underwater photography workshop with him, this book certainly is the next best thing without a shadow of a doubt!

‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’ is jam packed with information which I’m sure has been hard won by the author on his journey to be at the top of his game. The book is beautifully illustrated with the author’s photographs throughout and split into nine core subject chapters. The book covers many themes and techniques for given underwater photography challenges e.g. shooting a wreck, shooting sharks, using a magic filter, wide angle lighting considerations, shooting ambient light, super macro photography etc. Every ‘double page’ spread addresses key considerations and ideas for making images underwater, which is further blended with personal insight and tips from Alex.

Such valuable instruction is very easy to digest and gets straight to the heart of the subject matter. You will also find yourself not necessarily reading the book in sequence, but rather using it as an immensely helpful

20 SubSea Summer 2016

reference to dip into for specific topics of underwater photography e.g. inward lighting techniques for macro, tips for setting up a diver modeling shot, working with snoots etc. The really nice thing about using this book is that you have in your hands a signpost for whatever underwater image you hope to achieve, and you are getting this signpost from a world class master photographer.

There is also a super glossary section at the back which further complements what is highlighted in the chapters. The author includes a personally selected bibliography and the actual camera settings/equipment listing he used for all the photographs used in the book.

Another lovely touch is that the book is small enough and light enough to fit into any travel bag to bring with

you on your photo trips, either at home or abroad!

In summing up, I can hand on heart say that ‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’ by Alex Mustard is the ‘must have’ instructional underwater photography book for 2016, and will be an essential ‘must have’ for future generations of underwater photographers to come.

The book retails at £19.99 sterling and is available directly from the author (see www.amustard.com), with an option to get it signed by him with a dedication if you wish. Do note though this option is of limited availability, so order your signed copy now!

It is also available from the usual online merchants e.g. www.amazon.co.uk.

Be inspired! ◼

Drowning

a deceptively quiet event

RNLI lifeguards in action.

In most cases, drowning victims are unable to call for help and cannot wave their arms in distress. Knowing the signs is essential to conducting an effective rescue The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed, but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar.

“We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. “Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not 10 feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

How did this captain know, from 50 feet away, what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by

experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Dr. Francesco A. Pia – is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect.

There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind

vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In 10% of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this: Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface,

SubSea Summer 2016 21

they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so that they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements, such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to the end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a

trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs. (Source: On Scene magazine: Fall 2006) This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water: • Head low in the water, mouth at water level • Head tilted back with mouth open • Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus • Eyes closed • Hair over forehead or eyes

• Not using legs – Vertical • Hyperventilating or gasping • Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway • Trying to roll over on the back • Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks okay, don’t be too sure.

Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure, Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why. ◼ ____________________________ This work has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder – Mario Vittone. This applies worldwide.

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Exploration of Cliff Cave (Fanore)

by Jim Warny

Entrance seen from the inside looking out. Photo by and Š Jim Warny.

With the discovery of Cliff Cave last year, we had high hopes on exploring and documenting more passages this year. At the end of the summer last year, we explored a tunnel with a stream way feeding the sump we had just passed.

During the summer, we had very few weather windows to dive the cave. For a successful dive, we need calm and stable weather as well as flat sea conditions. As we were planning to explore the dry section behind the sump we needed to be prepared for getting stuck beyond the sump. To ensure this, we did a series of setup dives to stage survival equipment beyond the sump. This was achieved by diving trough the sump with sensitive equipment stored in sealed dry tubes. By August, we finally had everything ready to do a push dive if we got a weather window.

This finally came on 3 of October Myself and Michal set off around 9:00, each carrying our usual cave diving gear plus a dry tube stuffed with things we would need beyond the sump. The dive through was routine

for us as we have done this numerous times. It took the usual 60 minutes.

Once we got to the far side of the sump we stored our diving equipment in a safe place to ensure we would get back out several hours later. The sump is tidal! Once we got to our base camp we both got busy transforming ourselves into cavers.

I wore a caving wetsuit under my dry suit, therefore, eliminating the need to strip down entirely. This conserved a lot of heat although it meant on the dive in, I was slower than usual due to the bulk of wearing the extra layer under the dry suit.

Once I was changed, I fired up the stove and made a quick cup of tea before we set off. Comfort in our camp could be better by adding some mats for the floor to sit and get changed on.

Once we were both ready we set off up the stream way heading towards our previous exploration limit. The stream way we followed was spacious and less than waist deep. Michal made some video and pictures along the way while I did a rough survey of the passage.

Some of the sections along the way are well decorated with lots of straws hanging from the ceiling. The general trend in the passage is north, northeast.

No significant side passages were noted along the way. Soon we arrived in the chamber where we had turned back on our last trip. From here a bedding passage leads off northeast.

I entered first and started crawling a couple of meters in the passage dropped down to stream level again.

We kept crawling for what seemed an eternity.

SubSea Summer 2016 23

Exploration of Cliff Cave

A sidemount diver simming in the first section of the cave. Photo by and © Jim Warny.

Every corner I turned I was hoping the passage would open up again. After an hour of crawling, we began to lose hope of this happening. Approximately 700 metres in, I passed a difficult

squeeze where I had to remove several boulders to be able to pass through.

Beyond this squeeze, I could see another boulder blockage that would require large boulders to be removed.

The guidline leading to the end of the sump. Photo by and © Jim Warny.

24 SubSea Summer 2016

The stream can be seen continuing beyond this point. We both we both decided we had enough for the day at this point and took a break before turning around.

The return trip was swift. We had another break at camp before changing into the dive gear. We exited the cave at around 17:00 making a total trip of 8 hours. Not bad considering we did the following things in these 8 hours: – 700m swim to the entrance – 1000m dive trough the sump – 1000m of stream way – 700m of flat out crawling – And then all of the above again in reverse order.

The end of the dry section is now at approximately 2.7KM from the entrance.

Further exploration is possible but will require a longer trip…..

For more information on our projects please visit our website: www.irishcavedivers.org ◼

INFOMAR IUC Dive Guide App

The Irish Underwater Council (IUC) are proud to announce the launch of a new diving and snorkelling app for both Android and Apple devices. We are delighted to have been able to partner with Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the Marine Institute (MI) and Compass Informatics to bring you what we believe is a most in-depth and useful tool when planning a diving or snorkelling excursion. Some highlights of the app are: • Comprehensive map of Irish wreck diving sites to include download of vessel history, seabed mapping and chart, GPS location • Google mapping of Irish reef dive sites including GPS location and launch site information • Google mapping of Irish snorkel sites including GPS location and launch site information • Tidal information for various sites nationwide

Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland for spearheading and supporting this project.

• Ability to turn on or off various layers of data including ocean depth, Wave height, surface height

Irish Underwater Council – Join the Adventure today – visit www.diving.ie

• GPS positioning locator We hope to have a built-in reporting mechanism where the user can communicate easily with the development team to report corrections / updates to site information. This information once relayed to the development team will be updated allowing the app to grow with its users.

This is a one-stop shop for all your marine information and a must have for all marine users. Best of all it’s absolutely FREE. Just search for Infomar diving app in the Apple or Android app store.

The IUC would like to sincerely thank the development team at Compass Informatics as well as the

A little more on the app…

The design and development of the Diving app has been supported by the Geological Survey of Ireland and the INFOMAR programme. INFOMAR is a joint venture between the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and the Marine Institute (MI), funded by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The project aims to map the inshore areas of Ireland’s seabed. These areas include Ireland’s bays and the seabed up to 200m depth. The INFOMAR team measure water depth (bathymetry) and also the geophysics of the seabed i.e. the physical characteristics of the seafloor, such as hardness, roughness,

sediments and the presence of geohazards (including shipwrecks). All this creates a richness of data on our coasts and seas. The intention behind the dive app is to bring some of that data to recreational users – divers, swimmers and snorkelers – and lead to an awareness and engagement with the INFOMAR programme and its huge data resource.

Designers and developers of the diving app, Compass Informatics, have been delivering information technology and location analytics solutions for many years for clients like the EPA, Marine Institute, local authorities, along with clients in the UK and South Africa.

The development of apps has for a number of years been part of this service – with, for example, the GoParkit app and platform supporting parking payments and management, the Biodiversity app supporting nature sightings for the National Biodiversity Data Centre and another series of apps supporting consistent road management across local authorities. It’s a diverse range of applications but that is what keeps the work interesting for the team at Compass Informatics.

Challenges faced in the development of the diving app have included, for example, the management of the large seabed and related datasets, the ability to access data when off mobile networks, and as ever to make the app usable for a range of users. The intention is that there will be on-going support for the app – to reflect corrections to the information on dive and snorkelling sites, and to add new features as feedback is received from the app users.

To discover more the INFOMAR website and social media is well worth a visit and a follow - www.infomar.ie, @followtheboats. Compass Informatics is at www.compassinformatics.com and @CompassInfo.

SubSea Summer 2016 25

INFOMAR IUC

IUC Diving App

Feat

Data legend

Layered information

Tidal information

26 SubSea Summer 2016

C Diving App

tures

IUC Diving App

Zoom in to specific dive sites

Legend of information

Detailed wreck data

Dive site information

SubSea Summer 2016 27

Noted Irishmen by Denny Lawlor

Professor James Francis Pantridge Another great Irishman who has saved countless lives but may not be that well known by those who use his life-saving equipment Professor James Francis Pantridge, the “Father of Emergency Medicine” was an Irish man and, amongst other achievements, once saved the life of President Lyndon B Johnson.

Frank Pantridge was born in Hillsborough, County Down on 3 October 1916. He was educated at Friends’ School Lisburn and Queen’s University of Belfast, graduating in medicine in 1939.

To give him his full title, Professor James Francis Pantridge, MD, CBE was a physician and cardiologist who transformed emergency medicine and paramedic services with the invention of the portable defibrillator.

During World War II he served in the British Army. He was commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps as a lieutenant on 12 April 1940. He was awarded the Military Cross during the Fall of Singapore when he became a POW. He served much of his captivity as a slave labourer on the Burma Railway.[ After his war years, he worked as a lecturer in the pathology department at Queen’s University and then won a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he studied under Dr. F.N. Wilson, a cardiologist and authority on electrocardiography.

He returned to Northern Ireland in 1950 and was appointed as a cardiac consultant to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and professor at Queen’s University, where he remained until his retirement in 1982. There he established a specialist cardiology unit whose work became known around the world.

By 1957 Pantridge and his colleague, Dr John Geddes, had

28 SubSea Summer 2016

introduced the modern system of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the early treatment of cardiac arrest.

They were very much aware that most people who suffered a heart attack died within the first hour and, therefore, needed to be treated before they could be taken to a hospital. Epidemiological data had shown that the majority of coronary deaths were sudden, and thus occurred outside hospital. Pantridge suggested that, if the problem lay outside the hospital, ventricular defibrillation should be corrected where it occurred, in the workplace, the home, the street or in an ambulance.

This led to his introduction of the mobile coronary care unit (MCCU), an ambulance with specialist equipment and staff to provide pre-hospital care.

Pantridge went on to develop the portable defibrillator, and in 1965 installed his first version in a Belfast ambulance. It weighed 70 kg and operated from car batteries, but by 1968 he had designed an instrument weighing only 3 kg, incorporating a miniature capacitor manufactured for NASA. He maintained that any lay individual who could perform CPR was

A selection of AEDs available today.

Professor James Francis Pantridge, MD, CBE The “Father of Emergency Medicine”

capable of using a defibrillator and a defibrillator should be beside every fire extinguisher since life was more important than property.

The Belfast treatment system, often known as the “Pantridge Plan”, became adopted throughout the world by emergency medical services. The portable defibrillator became recognised as a key tool in first aid, and Pantridge’s refinement of the automated external defibrillator (AED) allowed it to be used safely by members of the public.

The AED system we know and use today and see availably in many public places.

They say a prophet is never recognized in his own country and this would seem to have been the case with Frank Pantridge. It was not until 1990, almost 25 years after he installed the first defibrillator in a Belfast ambulance, that Secretary of State for Health Kenneth Clarke announced £38 million was to be made available to equip all frontline ambulances in England with the equipment.

Professor James Francis Pantridge, MD, CBE died on December 26th, 2004, at the age of 88.

The number of lives saved throughout the world by the device he pioneered is quite simply incalculable. ◼

by Tony O’Callaghan

Love marine life, want to learn more and want to record it? Bored of taking wonderful underwater photos but not knowing what they’re of? Got nothing to do while your dive buddy is taking his 20th photo of the dive after 3 minutes? Or even just want an excuse to do 5 dives a year without the trainees in tow? Then you should sign up for ‘Adopt a Site’/The National Citizen Science Marine Monitoring Scheme.

The National Citizen Science Marine Monitoring Scheme is a collaborative project between Seasearch Ireland, the Irish Underwater Council and the National Biodiversity Data Centre to record changes to inshore marine biodiversity in Ireland.

Participants will be asked to survey a chosen dive site and record the presence or absence and abundance of a list of designated species 5 times a year. By gathering this data, we hope to monitor changes in species distribution, detect trends in species abundance and marine inshore biodiversity and track the introduction and spread of invasive species.

Seasearch Seasearch Ireland is a citizen sciencebased recording scheme that encourages the recording of marine species through the Observer and Surveyor programmes and to date has collected survey information from 1,115 sites around Ireland with 46,927 records of 1,147 species. This information is freely available online at on the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s (NBDC) Biodiversity Maps (www. maps.biodiversityireland.ie).

Seasearch Ireland receives on average 100 forms a year, with a relatively small

Map of Ireland showing all Seasearch sites 2003 – 2015

group of recorders producing large amounts of data, though as some of the surveys are produced by professional marine biologists and specialists in specific groups the information obtained can be quite detailed. However, we are looking to expand the number of people recording marine inshore biodiversity and so are launching the National Citizen Science Marine Monitoring Scheme or ‘Adopt a site’, where clubs/groups are provided training and support to record the marine biodiversity at a local dive site.

Distribution of the Velvet swimming crab (Necora Puber) in Ireland

SubSea Summer 2016 29

Seasearch

Conger Eel, Cuckoo Wrasse and Leopard spotted goby are distinctive species that can be readily identified in the field. Photos by Tony O’Callaghan.

Rationale for scheme (the science bit) In an ideal world, species recording would involve counting each individual of each species in an area but this is obviously impossible for most species or areas. So smaller areas are more intensively surveyed and the results extrapolated or larger areas are surveyed at a lower intensity (e.g. citizen science schemes). Citizen science data is traditionally used to produce atlases or presence only maps over a large area and can be used to detect coarse changes in biodiversity and species distributions. However, presence only maps are chiefly useful when done over a long time scale (traditionally ten years) and in order to detect trends in species abundance or biodiversity filtering of data must occur, which lessens the survey information available and removes some of the citizens from the citizen science. Citizen science data has a number of issues, chiefly based around the concept of ‘variation in recorder effort’ which must be resolved to make all the data collected available for analysis. Variation in recorder effort is a catch-all term that can include: a different number of visits to the same sites each year; sites visited by different recorders; differences in identification skills and training of recorders; and differences in recording effort per site visit amongst others. This variation makes it difficult to detect the absence of species rather than just an absence of records from a site.

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The ability to detect absence is particularly difficult in diving as different species have different factors affecting their detectability on dives, for example, wrong time of year, “I didn’t see any sugar kelp because it’s December”; visibility, “I didn’t see any pollack because the vis was less than a metre”; habitat, “I didn’t see any Tompot blennies because I didn’t look in any of the crevices”; identification difficulties, “Did you see the Flabellina in there, weren’t they lovely? What the hell is a Flabellina?”; or even the catchall, ‘there’s always one syndrome’, “Did you see the seal? What do you mean you didn’t’ see the seal? He nearly kicked your mask off ”.

Variation in recording effort and detectability can be best exemplified by a terrestrial example. If you record 1 magpie in your garden on the 1st of January while the record in of itself is useful there is a no way of quantifying recording effort. Did you see 1 magpie on your way to the car in the morning,

A watch list species, the Trigger fish (Balistes Capriscus) requires high temperatures in order to breed so increasing sightings in Ireland could suggest the species distribution is shifting northwards. Photo by Tony O’Callaghan.

rushing to work with a struggling child under each arm and your car keys in your mouth? Or did you quietly sit at your kitchen window all day and only one solitary magpie visited your garden all day?

The easiest way to deal with these issues is to use a standardised methodology. In other marine recording schemes (REEF Check or Seasearch Australia) traditionally involves the laying down of transects and grids and a 3-6-person team working on identifying different species to survey the area.

However, this requires specialist training for divers, is cumbersome and time-consuming and, to be honest, boring, and unlikely to attract a large number of volunteers.

Methodology (What will I be doing?)

The ‘Adopt a site’ scheme will involve 5 dives per site, one a month from May – September, recording the abundance of ‘Benchmark species’ from a list provided at a single site. Participants can select their own site or contact Seasearch and ask for a site to be assigned but dive sites ideally will be diveable in most weather, accessible as a shore dive or inshore boat dive and largely shallow (less than 25m for the majority of dive to allow time to be spent recording).

The ‘Benchmark species’ are divided into 7 broad taxonomic groups: Fish (bony & cartilaginous); Seaweeds (Algae); Crustaceans (Crabs & Lobsters); Cnidarians (Anemones & Jellyfish); Echinoderms (Starfish,

Seasearch

urchins & sea cucumbers); Molluscs (Shells & Snails); Tunicates (Sea squirts); Miscellaneous (Worms, Sponges etc.); and Watchlist species (Geographically rare or species not currently thought to be present in Ireland). Species selected are those that can be reliably identified in the field, are relatively common and cover a broad range of taxonomic groups. For example, 3 fish species selected are the conger eel (Conger conger), leopard spotted goby (Thorogobius ephippiatus) and Cuckoo wrasse (Labrus mixtus) which are unlikely to be confused with any other species. Where identification in the field may be difficult, for example distinguishing Pollock (Pollachius pollachius) and saithe (Pollachius virens) the species can simply be recorded as Pollachius species or in the case of ray species the abundance of the wider group can be recorded and the species identified by submitting photos.

Feedback (What’s in it for me?)

Seasearch are acutely aware of the pressures most dive clubs are under in terms of membership, running costs and organising dives. Most local

authority Biodiversity Action Plans contain a marine element and the scheme offers a low-cost alternative to local authorities interested in recording marine biodiversity. As part of the partnership between Seasearch Ireland and the National Biodiversity Data Centre, clubs and individuals fully participating in this scheme will be provided with letters of support and assistance in applying for local government grants and biodiversityrelated projects. The data collected will be freely available online through the NBDC maps and an annual report for each site will be available to all participants in order to help promote the scheme and the individual sites.

Training and contact details (Sign me up) Training workshops will be run locally for any club or individuals interested in participating in the scheme. Clubs or individuals are asked to contact Seasearch or the Monitoring scheme directly (emails below) in order to sign up for the scheme and organise a training date. As an aim of the scheme is to facilitate divers interested in

biodiversity and species identification and recording in an area individual divers that cannot commit to monitoring a site on their own are encouraged to sign up to be partnered with locals who share their interests.

Training on this scheme will involve 1 or 2 evening classroom sessions or a 1-day weekend classroom session followed by a training dive at a local site and will cost â‚Ź20 euro to cover the cost of training material (a book and identification sheets for certain species).

So get in touch, before all the good sites are taken, and good luck recording this summer. â—ź

Contact details and links Seasearch Ireland: seasearchireland@gmail.com National Citizen Science Marine Monitoring Scheme: nmmsirl@gmail.com National Biodiversity Data Centre: http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/ Seasearch website: http://www.seasearch.org.uk/

SubSea Summer 2016 31

Diving the world’s biggest wrecks is among one of the most exhilarating moments in life.

Now imagine that you’re just a junior diver, heading off from shore with your dive guide on a small rib, that rib taking you to the first wreck you’ll ever dive … well, that’s what happened to me … leaving the shore of Brittany with a local dive club I headed off for an adventure of a lifetime, when we arrived at the dive site, I kitted up with my guide and dropped into the clear waters of Brittany. Making my way down the shot line I was concentrating on my equipment when my guide made a sign to turn around and look, and so I did… what I saw was a wall of rusting metal, so tall I couldn’t see the top and as I knelt in the sand at 32m and took in the enormity of the ship lying before me my regulator almost floated out of my mouth as my jaw dropped… my heart quickened and that was the moment I became a passionate wreck diver…

That ship was the Amoco Cadiz.

32 SubSea Summer 2016

Diving Wreck Giant

by Catherine Connors

A diver dwarfed by the enormous bollards of the ship, an indication of her sheer size.

Photo by and Š Nicolas Job. SubSea Summer 2016 33

Diving Wreck Giant

Pressure gauges within the remains of the Amoco Cadiz. Photo by and © Nicolas Job.

The story of the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz isn’t a pretty one. On March 16, 1978, one of the biggest oil tankers on the oceans, the VLCC tanker Amoco Cadiz, ran aground on Portsail Rocks off the coast of Brittany, France. The tanker had departed from the Persian

Gulf and was en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands with a cargo of 1.6 million barrels of light crude oil.

Sea conditions were bad when the Amoco Cadiz entered the English Channel on March 16th with a strong gale and winds reaching force 10

One of the ships ladders still intact deep inside the ship. Photo by and © Nicolas Job.

34 SubSea Summer 2016

coupled with very heavy seas. Around 9:45 am, the vessel was struck by a large wave and the tanker’s rudder failed to respond. The crew found the steering gear had been damaged allowing the hydraulic fluid to leak out, they attempted to repair the rudder but the damage was just too severe and so began the beginning of the end for the Cadiz. The captain notified other vessels in the area to standby and later requested a tug.

By 11:30 am the tug Pacific had responded and arrived on the scene an hour later, but because of the heavy seas, it took several hours for the tug to pass a towline over to the disabled Cadiz. By 2 pm a towline was connected, but tragically the towline snapped only a few hours later. Several more attempts were made to connect a towline and after a long struggle, they managed to reconnect a towline by 9 pm. But by this time strong winds had pushed the tanker closer towards shore, and towards her doom.

Only 10 minutes after the towline was connected for the second time, the tanker had run onto the rocks of Brittany. The Cadiz’s hull ripped open

Diving Wreck Giant

Huge holes of torn metal along the ship’s hull where she was split open on the rocks. Photo by and © Nicolas Job.

The warped and twisted remains of the mighty Amoco Cadiz towards her midsection. Photo by and © Nicolas Job.

SubSea Summer 2016 35

Diving Wreck Giant

Nicolas Job. Photo by and © Nicolas Job.

near the stern resulting in the flooding of the engine room, and a short time later the Cadiz ran aground again but, this time, the cargo tank ripped open and oil had started to spill into the ocean. The French Navy dispatched helicopters and airlifted the crew to safety with the exception of the Captain (H. Weinert) and one other officer. By 5 am the next morning, the captain and the officer were also removed off the tanker when it became clear that she was lost.

“The resulting oil spill from the tanker was the largest oil spill to that date (now the 5th worst oil spill in history), a 12-mile slick formed and washed onto a 45 mile stretch of the French shoreline.”

Around 10 am on the morning of the 16th of March, 1978 the Amoco Cadiz broke in two and the cargo of 219,797 tons of light crude oil spilled into the ocean along with 4,000 tons of fuel oil. The resulting oil spill from the tanker was the largest oil spill to that date (now the 5th worst oil spill in history), a 12-mile slick formed and washed onto a 45 mile stretch of the French shoreline. At that time the

36 SubSea Summer 2016

disaster resulted in the largest loss of Marine Life ever recorded from an oil spill, the mortality of most animals occurred over a two-month period from the date of the oil spill. Approx.

20,000 birds died, oyster mortality was estimated at 9,000 tons, millions of dead molluscs, sea urchins and other living organisms washed ashore, and fishermen in the area were to catch fish with skin ulcerations and tumours for a long time afterwards.

In 1990, some $120 million was paid by the American oil company Amoco to France. Later the French Navy laid depth charges on the wreck.

Today as a wreck dive it is among one of the most impressive in France.

With no visible traces of the oil spill and the teaming marine life that surrounds the wreck, it’s hard to imagine it was responsible for such pollution less than 40 years ago. She lies 32m to (bright luminous) sand making her an accessible wreck for most divers. To give you an idea of her size, the Amoco Cadiz was 65m longer than the Titanic, with a volume five times greater. The whole wreck area measures more than 500m in length and the field of rubble is so vast that dive clubs will only dive one section at a time. She is regarded as the largest diveable shipwreck in the world.

The huge hull has huge cracks and long slits all down along it, with broken wreckage visible inside. Huge sections of the interior of the ship are broken open like the mouth of giant

“To give you an idea of her size, the Amoco Cadiz was 65m longer than the Titanic, with a volume five times greater. The whole wreck area measures more than 500m in length and the field of rubble is so vast that dive clubs will only dive one section at a time.

She is regarded as the largest diveable shipwreck in the world. caves, diving inside the belly of such a huge ship is simply mind blowing… I was inside the belly of the wreck with about 10 other divers and we had so much room that if we reached out to each other we still wouldn’t touch.

On the deck and the giant mast brightly coloured, dense seaweed grows like the hair of a giant, and as it moves with the current one has the feeling of diving through a magical garden. If I could recommend one wreck to put on your ‘must dive’ list it would be the Amoco Cadiz. ◼

Catherine Connors

Bio - Catherine made a gift of a ‘Try a Dive’ to herself some years ago and she immediately fell in love with diving the moment she dropped below the surface for the first time… now an accomplished FFESSM N3 (Fédération Francaise d’Etudes et de Sports Sous-Marins) Diver, Wreck Diver, CMAS *** Diver, NAS & Archaeology diver, and keen photographer (both on land and under the waves) Catherine likes to keep herself challenged with continued learning and dive training. She lives and dives in Normandy, France. You can read her blog and her own WWII Wreck diving experience at www.bringhistoryhome.wordpress.com

Photography lessons learned underwater

by Maja Stankovski

Get closer – Cedar Pride Wreck. Photo by and © Maja Stankovski.

When showing my underwater images to colleagues and non-divers I am often rewarded with comments like “Oh, that’s a great camera” or “Was this shot in the tropics?” It is very difficult to explain to non-divers that camera quality has very little to do with it or how complex and difficult it actually is to produce good quality underwater images. It takes many years of practice to learn the

necessary skills and even now, every dive is a learning dive. However, I do explain to them about the location as they are unaware of the amazing colours and good diving that is available in Ireland. Due to low visibility in many places around our emerald isle, especially during winter months, I prefer to focus on macro and sometimes on close wide angle photography.

What follows are some of the important lessons I’ve learnt over the years, sometimes the hard way.

composition of the picture, it is also important because your strobes won’t carry the light as far as they would above water. For taking pictures of wrecks, this means that you should be as close as possible to them with the widest angle

Get closer Taking pictures underwater is completely different than on land. You’re not only restricted by the time and challenging conditions, you also have to understand the different lighting, (or lack of ) colour loss and water density that affects your pictures.

Objects in water will appear around 33% larger and 25% closer than they actually are. This is due to your flat mask underwater (unless you have a double dome mask). Due to this effect, we think we’re closer than we actually are and try capturing images from distance. Solution? Simple, get closer than you think you should. Sometimes you have to place your camera almost in subject’s face. While the same effect happens to your flat camera ports, this is not the case with dome ports. Getting closer is not only important for the

Get closer – Butterfish among seaweed. Photo © Maja Stankovski.

SubSea Summer 2016 37

Photography lessons

Don’t shoot down – Janolus cristatus nudibranch.

Photo © Maja Stankovski.

as possible (10mm if possible) and strobes as wide as you can manage to set them.

During my travels, I have seen that photographers are tempted to zoom in to get the shot instead of getting closer. Don’t be tempted to do so! You will lose the wonderful colour that is there and you will also capture some of the backgrounds that you weren’t planning to. So get closer and compose the shot instead of zooming in.

You never know, you might even notice the smaller subjects out there.

For smaller subjects, get almost into their private space while taking care you don’t frighten them. Make sure you focus on their eyes (or another part if they don’t have eyes).

If eyes are sharp and the subject is looking into the camera, that will portray the personality of the fish or whatever macro subject you are shooting.

Get to know your camera Getting to know your camera above water and how to change its settings is essential due to limited time spent underwater where you have to change settings in a moment to either catch an action or adjust your settings according to conditions. You will then know what settings will work and how to change them very quickly. It is also important if possible to never use auto settings. Cameras are generally

Don’t shoot down – Nudibranch feeding on hydroid, The Bill, Ireland. Photo © Maja Stankovski.

designed to work above water, so most cameras will get auto settings wrong underwater. Try to use manual settings or alternatively, priority aperture settings.

I have been asked on many occasions how to make the background look black and my answer has always been that you must close the aperture and use flash to expose your subject. In trying to help people to make better pictures and explain to them, ok, use this setting or that one, I find that they never knew how to set it in the first place despite the camera having the options to do so. This makes it even more critical underwater since you have to think about so many other things besides taking pictures that setting your camera must become almost second nature.

Don’t shoot down Many beginner photographers whom I have met over the years are very tempted to shoot down but shooting down almost never makes a pretty picture. You have to always shoot either parallel or up. Not only will this give you a more pleasing image, it will also portray your subject better and give you the ability to isolate them against a busy background.

For example, if you look at the picture of Janolus cristatus nudibranch, you might find it uninteresting and that there is nothing artistic about it. The background is cluttered and the nudibranch is not portrayed well. Despite the fact that this picture might be interesting to an underwater naturalist (due to the lice that are attached to the poor nudibranch), it’s really not pleasing to the eye at all and doesn’t draw us in. To a nondiver, they may even wonder what it is they are looking at.

In contrast, the Nudibranch feeding on hydroid looks better. You can clearly see the subject, your eyes are drawn to it.. ok.. getting there… now ask yourself… can I do any better?

The exceptions where shooting down will work are: – Unusual patterns (starfish, algae, bryozoans, turtles, rays..)

– Wrecks

Don’t shoot down – Blue Rayed Limpet on Kelp.

Photo © Maja Stankovski.

38 SubSea Summer 2016

The photo of the Blue Rayed Limpet on Kelp is an example where shooting down works (due to the unusual shell pattern of the limpet)

Photography lessons

Try to capture something unusual – Crabs. Photo © Maja Stankovski.

Try to capture something unusual When taking shots of the usual subjects, don’t be tempted to take just a good shot of your subject. Think about how to portray them in their natural behaviour or try to capture something that hasn’t been seen before. For example, on many of your dives in Ireland, you will encounter edible crabs and they are very easy subjects to photograph as they are slow moving. Even in a pleasing background, they can make good subjects, but instead of just taking a picture of a crab in a nice background, try to capture the crab feeding or portray the crab in its natural environment where it lives with maybe another diver in the picture so you will get a sense of their environment and the size of the crab.

You have to keep in mind that your subject audience might not only be other divers but also non-divers that might not understand the subject unless you put it into context. This means that you have to give the audience something that they can recognize or that they can identify with.

Try to isolate subjects against uncluttered background It will always make a pleasing picture if you can take the shot against a more pleasing background. Not only will that bring out the subject, it will also lead the eye to your subject and make it stand out. That can be anything from the blue sea, a

nice looking sponge, kelp or even if you have a whiteboard with you, why not put it behind the subject to isolate it from the cluttered background. Also don’t feel that you need to always put your subject in the middle of the picture.

Sometimes putting them a bit to the side can make the picture even more interesting and show the pattern of the background even more.

Get to know the terrain of your subject in advance Research always pays off and it will make your dive all the more rewarding if you know the dive site in advance. If possible, get an idea of what you can see there in advance. Not only will that lead to a better prepared and more relaxing dive, but it will also mean that you will know what to expect there.

For example, you might find out that there are some really nice gullies and if you stay shallow, you can take some really nice shots of the gullies and the sun rays coming in or you might find out that this is a really good spot for noticing eagle rays or coming across octopuses. Try to do as much research as possible, whether that is on www.diving.ie to check the description of the dive site or www.youtube.com to see what other people have seen there or filmed there. Books and word of mouth are always excellent sources of information as well.

This will help you avoid disappointment when trying to take shots of specific subjects and maximize your chances of SubSea Summer 2016 39

Photography lessons

Try to isolate subjects against uncluttered background – Spinyhead Blenny in a Brain Coral. Photo © Maja Stankovski.

spotting them. Let’s say you want to photograph blue-rayed limpets. The best time to spot them might be in autumn when they gather at the stem of kelp plants. If your subject is jellyfish, the best time to spot them will be July and August.

Of course, you can see them at other times of the year, but if this is your subject choice, maximize your chances to spot them and remember, you only have up to an hour on a normal dive, if even that.

photography but also so you notice your surroundings better and get a feel for the reef. By doing so you will also start noticing the smaller subjects out there and you will have more time to think about the composition and what works and doesn’t work. Another suggestion is to take a couple of test shots before you approach your subject just to see whether your settings are working so you can approach your subject (especially if the subject is skittish) ready to take that shot and capture the action.

Practice good buoyancy

Think beyond me too shoot, try to be creative…

Diving in cold water in Ireland is difficult in its own right and the visibility isn’t great at the best of times, so practicing good buoyancy becomes even more important especially in areas with a lot of silt and sand where every incorrect fin stroke will lift the silt and this will be visible in your pictures.

If you learn good buoyancy it will also give you the confidence to get closer to your subjects without touching the reef or if you feel like you absolutely need to, make sure you only put one finger on bare rock to balance yourself before taking the shot and keep those fins up!!!

Slow down Many dive buddies who dive with me express their frustration at my lack of speed during a dive and attribute that to diving with the “annoying” photographer that can stay in one spot for 20 minutes just to take one shot.

However I find it really pays off to slow down, not only for

40 SubSea Summer 2016

While it is always tempting to take a nice shot of the images that other photographers have taken, try to think beyond that. It is true that better known subjects can make more pleasing images especially with non-divers, however try to think beyond that and capture a good picture of the same subject, but in a slightly different way.

For example, the shot of the pink anemone fish is very pleasing to the eye and will always be very popular with nondivers, but why not try capturing something beyond that?

Again, think of unusual behaviours. Better still, try to show in the image you have produced something many have not seen before or sometimes take a shot of a very familiar subject from different perspective, different settings. Try a shot half underwater, half above water, instead of taking a shot of a turtle with a wide angle lens, try to take a picture with a macro lens or instead of taking a picture of a small subject, take it wide. You never know what your experiments might bring. ◼

Photography lessons

Think beyond me too shoot, try to be creative – Pink anemone fish in purple anemone, Ambon, Indonesia. Photo © Maja Stankovski.

Do’s

Don’t

Get closer

Zoom in

Shoot up

Shoot down

Slow down

Rush

Know your camera

Take a camera that you don’t know underwater

Practice good buoyancy

Use fins, only a slight frog kick

Take pictures of a subject in a pleasing or blue background

Take pictures of a subject in a busy background

Investigate the dive site in advance

Show up with wide angle lens for a muck dive site SubSea Summer 2016 41

IDEST – Who they are and what they do…

20 questions and answers Q1. Have you gone to a dive centre for a cylinder fill and been refused ‘because it has not been tested by IDEST’?

A. Well IDEST does not test cylinders.

Q7. Where can I find out more information about them?

A. IDEST operates under the auspices of the Scuba Industry Trade Association (SITA) and has a section on the SITA website that can be found at www.sita.org.uk/idest.

Q2. What does IDEST do then?

A. IDEST is an independent, certification organisation that assesses test centre technicians and their facilities to British, European and International standards.

IDEST is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024:2012 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for carrying out these assessments.

Q8. What does the website show me?

Q3. So who does the cylinder testing?

Q9. How else does IDEST communicate?

A. The cylinder testing is done at Test Centres by their IDEST certified technicians. These centres have gained IDEST certification to do testing of cylinders and servicing of cylinder valves.

A. IDEST has a Facebook page that can be accessed at www.facebook.com/idestuk. This is a page for technicians to exchange ideas, concerns and advice on matters concerning dive cylinder testing.

Q4. Why should I have my cylinder tested?

Q10. So what will it cost for a cylinder test?

A. For safety’s sake. For your safety and the safety of the centre staff or club members who fill your cylinder.

A. This price is determined by the test centre that you take your cylinder to. IDEST does not dictate the cost of cylinder testing, it is a commercial decision by the test centre.

A. The website is primarily for the test centre technicians but is open to public viewing. It shows the latest news, technical documents for download, bulletins and how to contact us.

Q5. What does IDEST get out of the cost of a test?

A. IDEST gets nothing from the cost of a cylinder test.

The money is taken by the test centre and is part of their business income. IDEST charges the centre an annual registration fee and a further fee, every three years, to cover their inspection.

Q11. Can other test centres test dive cylinders?

A. Yes. Other test centres can test dive cylinders but they have not been assessed by an independent organisation, unless they have been accredited by UKAS themselves.

They are not allowed to use the unique IDEST centre identification stamp or logo in their publicity.

Q6. Who is IDEST then?

A. IDEST stands for Inspectorate of Diving Equipment and Servicing and Testing. As mentioned earlier, IDEST is an independent, certification organisation and consists of five people actively involved in running the organisation. The Chairman and three inspectors are ALL volunteers, paid expenses only. The Administration Manager is the only paid member of staff.

42 SubSea Summer 2016

Q12. So what will be on my cylinder when I get it back from an IDEST centre?

A. If your cylinder passes the hydraulic test, you will receive a clean cylinder, stamped on the shoulder with the IDEST centre stamp, containing their unique number, the year, as 2 digits followed by the month. If it has had a ‘visual’ inspection then there will be a ‘V’ stamped at the end. You will also receive a test

certificate and test report detailing what has happened to your cylinder while in their care.

Q13. How long will that test last?

A. The current interval between hydraulic and visual tests is two-and-a-half-years. The centre may contact you nearer the time of your next test to remind you that it is due.

Q18. Can I not just have the cylinder back?

A. No. The standards dictate that a bare cylinder that has passed the test cannot be returned to the customer.

This is to avoid any chance of an untrained person putting another valve into the cylinder. That valve may not have the correct thread and so would be incompatible with the cylinder. This would be regarded as a mismatch and people have died as a result of mismatches.

Q14. What happens if my cylinder fails?

A. If your cylinder fails a test then the centre will inform you. They should/may offer you a replacement cylinder for your valve to fit in to. The cylinder will be destroyed and the working valve kept. Keeping this valve ensures that it is not fitted to another, possibly untested or incompatible cylinder, by an untrained, unqualified person. It is for your safety’s sake.

Q15. Why would my cylinder fail?

A. There are a number of reasons why your cylinder might fail the test. The inspection covers the exterior and interior condition of the cylinder prior to the hydraulic test being carried out. If the exterior or interior show signs of wear and tear, rust deposits or damage to threads that is not acceptable under the standards, the cylinder will fail. The cylinder may fail the hydraulic test by showing a permanent set, or stretch, after test, of more than 5% of the increase in volume when under test pressure.

Q16. Can my cylinder pass but my valve fail?

A. Yes. It is possible for your valve to fail and your cylinder to pass. A valve will fail the test if the threads on the valve stem cannot be gauged correctly.

Likewise if the outlet threads do not pass the thread check then the valve will be failed.

Q19. But I have other valves at home that might fit.

Can I not use them?

A. Other valves that you may have can be brought to the test centre for checking of their compatibility with your cylinder. If one is found, then that valve would need to be tested and serviced. It would then be assembled into the cylinder by a trained technician using the correct tools and the correct torque. That way you are guaranteed a safe cylinder and future fillers will also be safe.

Q20. How long has this system and IDEST been in existence?

A. IDEST was founded in 1985 by the late Mike Todd, BSAC Diving Officer. He formed the organisation because of the very concerns mentioned above.

Cylinder testing must be carried out by a competent technician at a centre with specialist equipment. That competent person is someone who has received specialised training, has gained a qualification in testing dive cylinders and has been assessed independently of his/her training agent.

Extra Question: How many of those questions could you answer correctly?

A. If you did not answer them all, then now you know who IDEST is and what they do.

Q17. What happens then?

A. If your cylinder passes the test but your valve fails, the valve will be scrapped. The centre should offer you a replacement valve that they will fit correctly before returning the complete unit to you.

Alistair Reynolds (IDEST Inspector) March 2016 SubSea Summer 2016 43

www.diving.ie Your source for CFT news and information 44 SubSea Summer 2016

Seal Rescue Ireland

by Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan At the time of writing in early December, Storm Desmond was raging across the country bringing heavy rain and strong winds. It ripped roofs off leisure centres, flooded towns, knocked trees and shut off power to thousands of homes. Another far less obvious consequence was the damage done to the seal population of Ireland who had to take refuge from the storm, and not always successfully.

Moulting seal. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan

Before Desmond, and previously storm Barney decided to blow us an ill wind, I visited Ireland’s only seal rescue and rehabilitation centre, Seal Rescue Ireland in Courtown, Co Wexford. On that day it was already full to the brim with young seal pups they had taken in from all around the coast. Winter storms see many more seals coming in, but conversely, lovely summers can mean more harbour seals needing help as rookeries are disturbed by boating activity and people and dogs on beaches frightening away mothers, leaving pups abandoned.

SRI Director Ally McMillan told us that “the most common reasons for seals needing help are sadly usually

Seals come to the centre tangled in netting, bleeding from propeller wounds, or even dog bites. Nearly every pup that comes in is suffering from starvation to some degree, with some critically emaciated.

down to human factors. Seals come to the centre tangled in netting, bleeding from propeller wounds, or even dog bites. Nearly every pup that comes in is suffering from starvation to some degree, with some critically emaciated. Whether this is down to the animals being naive, or simply there not being enough fish around I would not be qualified to say - but from what I have read on the issue, overfishing could be the cause sadly”.

It was disgusting and ironic that the same week it was reported in a local paper of a seal being shot, the two biggest trawlers in the world were plundering the west coast of Ireland unchallenged.

SubSea Summer 2016 45

Seal Rescue Ireland

Hand feeding fish. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan

Animals Operations Manager, Meadow Greenwood showed us around the centre. “Not all seals that we receive a call about are in need of help,” she said. “It is very normal for seals to be on land. They are not like dolphins, they can easily move about on land and need to come ashore to rest, digest their food, breed and give birth. So when we receive a call, we need to assess whether the animal needs to be rescued to begin with. If it is deemed that it does need to be brought in, we coordinate the rescue and upon arrival at the centre the seal is tube fed a sugary rehydration solution full of electrolytes. The pups are settled into a kennel and given a warm blanket to lie on and a heat lamp to keep it warm. Many people are shocked that we do not allow new arrivals to have access to swimming water, but remembering that seals are mammals and that when they come to us they are sick and underweight, they can easily become hypothermic from cold, so keeping them warm and dry is very important. Seals do not need to be wet, or remain in water to survive”. Pups are brought to the centre by volunteers dotted throughout the country and transport is a practical way we as divers can help out.

Meadow expanded on the treatment, “Usually pups are started

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Pups are brought to the centre by volunteers dotted throughout the country and transport is a practical way we as divers can help out.

immediately on an antibiotic to treat their ailment. Pain medication and a worm dose are administered if required. After the first few days of hydration therapy, we then introduce fish into the seal’s diet. How we offer it to them depends very much on their age. For pups under three weeks of age that should still be on mother’s milk, we give them blended fish soup via tube feeding. For older pups we offer them

Intubating a seal. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan

Seal Rescue Ireland

Seal hanging out of bath. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan

whole herring straight away.

Often we are required to force feed the whole fish several times until the seal feels well enough to eat on their own. Once they are eating well and gaining weight we allow them access to a bath in their kennel where they can eat fish. Eventually, once they have gained sufficient weight and they are clear of their illness/injury they are moved into a nursery pool with the other seals to socialise, compete for fish, exercise and to have minimal contact with humans in preparation for their release.”

Once the seals are fit and have sufficient blubber (25kg for harbour seals and 35kg for grey seals) they are released back into the wild. This process can take up to three months - sometimes less and sometimes more depending on the seal! The average annual cost of running the centre is around €80,000. The biggest bills the centre encounter are for fish, fuel, electricity, water and

veterinary costs and then there are many other expenses from maintenance, supplies, volunteers expenses, and office costs. They have no paid staff. Volunteers run the entire organisation.

SRI always need help, from people willing to transport seals, to tradesmen willing to lend a few hours of their time.

For information on how you can help check out their website www.sealrescueireland.org or our Facebook page

Topping up seals water. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue and Ally McMillan

If you happen upon a seal, what you should do is: • Do not put the seal in the water • Do not disturb, observe from a distance • Do not touch - these animals can bite, and human interference could lead to abandonment • Keep dogs and children away • Contact us for advice - if the pup is alone, injured or if unsure please call 0871955393 ◼ SubSea Summer 2016 47

Fitness for divers: Are you really fit for diving?

By John Collins When RNLI Lifeboats initiate a campaign on diver safety you know they must have good reason. Their stand at the Birmingham Dive Show last October was dominated by graphics and information to do with diver fitness – specifically heart health in the over 50s.

Most divers consider themselves fit to dive if they have successfully passed their diving medical. CFT divers undergo a medical examination on first joining as a diving member; on reaching the age of 35; three yearly from the age of 35; and annually from the age of 55. The final guideline on the medical form also suggests a diving medical if the diver’s health status has changed since their last medical. However, there is a world of difference between being medically fit for diving and being physically fit and in good health. The purpose of the diving medical is to ensure that a person does not dive using scuba equipment if they have an underlying medical condition that would expose them to risk. More general physical fitness is a personal responsibility that we all have to ourselves.

The Dive Safety campaign came about through research which showed that over half of all diving deaths in the UK in the 2013 incident year were in divers aged 50 and over. British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) figures showed that 8 of the 14 diving deaths (57%) that occurred in the UK during this time period were male divers in this age category. In addition, over the past two years, all nine diving fatalities attributed to medical causes were of divers in this same age range. As a result, the RNLI decided to run a campaign to encourage divers aged over 50 to make sure they are fit enough to cope with the rigours of diving.

Nick Fecher, diving safety lead at the RNLI, said: ‘Divers in this age range are likely to be experienced, safety-conscious divers who are aware of the risks involved in diving. However, the greatest risk they face is their health being able to cope with the demands of diving. I would encourage all divers, especially those aged over 50, to

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Regular training to maintain fitness, along with full medical check-ups will substantially reduce your cardiac risk while diving. Photo by Rogue Fitness, Kinsale.

carry out a realistic and honest selfassessment of their health. Diving can be a demanding on the body and if you have a medical emergency when you’re mid-dive, the consequences could be fatal. Don’t be afraid to say no to a dive if you have any concerns about your health, even if you’re just about to enter the water’.

As a diver in this age group, this struck a chord with me and got me thinking not just about my own health, but that of my diving colleagues. I think it is fair to say that many divers over 50 approach the diving medical with a sense of foreboding, hoping that nothing will show up that would prevent them from diving. It’s almost a case of keep your mouth shut and hope for the best, breathing a sigh of relief when you see the doctor sign on the dotted

RNLI Dive safe advert April 2015.

Photo courtesy of RNLI.

line. My personal approach has always been a little different, being a health professional myself as a pharmacist. In any healthcare role, you are always grateful for your own good health in helping others to overcome their health difficulties. As I approached the dreaded 50, I was undergoing regular medicals as a crewmember and helm on Kinsale lifeboat. On the smaller inshore lifeboats, the retirement age is 50, and on my last medical the doctor did flag raised blood pressure and suggested that I make some lifestyle changes to look after my health. I subsequently visited my own GP and got a thorough medical check-up which showed elevated cholesterol, a poor lipid profile and confirmed the raised blood pressure, putting me in a pre-hypertensive category and at risk of cardiovascular disease. At the time, I was also overweight, with a BMI of just under 30. I realised that it was time for a serious change in lifestyle.

My personal journey into better health over the past two years is one that I have really enjoyed and see it pay dividends on many levels every day. I shed the excess kilos and got fit. That improved fitness is a real benefit in diving as you are more nimble on the dive boat and in the water, as well as being stronger in lugging the gear. I found the guidance of a personal trainer invaluable and was most surprised at what I did not know about the importance of nutrition in our health. This has encouraged me to take this further and I am currently studying for a Nutrition Diploma. I would really encourage all of my fellow 50-somethings to take a hard look at your health and bite that bullet of doing something to improve it – you might be pleasantly surprised at how much you will enjoy getting fitter and healthier. ◼

Marine Wildlife of the Mediterranean Book Review:

By Enric Ballesteros and Toni Llobet

If you are considering a dive holiday (or snorkelling trip) to the Mediterranean this year, and you have an interest in marine life, then you are strongly recommended to take a copy of this little guide book with you. It is small enough to pop easily into hand luggage (just 20 x 13 cm, and 260 g weight), but provides a fantastic introduction to the marine animals and plants of the Med. It packs in 832 species of seabird, fish, crab, anemone, starfish, etc. in just 140 pages.

The layout is crisp and concise.

Every species has a short paragraph description covering the main points of interest, and there are simple-touse icons to show expected depth range and habitat and how common or rare the species is. And all species have a colour drawing to assist in identification. Related species are all brought together on a single page, making it easy to compare similar types and again helping to make those IDs. The book was given a rigorous field test last autumn during a short club dive trip to the Medes Islands on the Spanish coast. The islands are a long established marine reserve and a well-known biodiversity hot spot for the Western Mediterranean.

In spite of the huge variety of fish and invertebrates recorded over the few days of diving, virtually every animal and plant that was seen was covered by this little book, from huge grouper and barracuda, through to starfish and tiny marine worms.

If there was a version of this book for Irish waters, there would be a copy of it in all our kit bags!

However, many of the species described in this guide are easier to find than the book itself! It is available from the online ecology supply specialist www.nhbs.com for â‚Ź14 excl P&P. â—ź

SubSea Summer 2016 49

Mart & Exchange Mart & Exchange carries small ads for commercial services at a rate of E50.00 for up to 50 words, cash with order. Ads from diver to diver for non commercial services are free.

Send advertisements by fax, E-mail or post to CFT Head Office for inclusion in the next issue. If gear is stolen please advertise to assist recovery and alert the trade.

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