Dive Pacific 162

ISSUE 162 - $9.90 inc GST February / March 2018

PA C I F I C ’ S M O S T I N F O R M AT I V E D I V E M A G A Z I N E

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Suspending gravity and time The underwater art of Jose G Cano

Divers must lead!

Jean-Michel Cousteau

Niue www.Dive-Pacific.com

The dark side

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582 claims cover all NZ coast • Fish quota debate heats up

Spearfishing champs Full report

Antarctic What lies beneath?

Great Barrier Reef Coral update

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An experience without equal “The diving and snorkelling at Wakatobi is outstanding, that’s well known. But also important is the excellent customer service of every staff member. Wakatobi can teach customer service to any industry or organization. You feel at home the first day, and it just gets better every day after that.” ~Steve and Cindy Moore

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www.wakatobi.com www.divenewzealand.com 1

contents

42

EDITORIAL: In Depth 4 New Zealand not so green?

First Kelly Tarlton Award presented

SPECIAL FEATURES 16 D ivers should lead! ‘As divers, we are the eyes that see first hand the changes to our ocean,’ say JACLYN MANDOSKE and JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU

SOUNDINGS: Local and international news & comment.

6 Deepest depths of Kermadec Trench explored

COVER STORY 41 S uspending gravity and time: The photographic art underwater of Jose C Gano

7 Coroner finds diver death accidental Year of the Reef!

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eport those dolphins with rounded fins!

R Diver Alert (DAN) campaign on the need for clean air underwater

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Paua diver wants starfish theory researched

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Suspending gravity and time The underwater art of Jose G Cano

Divers must lead!

52 Gearbag: New stuff to capture your wallet

Jean-Michel Cousteau

Niue

The dark side

55 S pecies Focus: Mola: Summer visitor, with Paul Caiger

15 582 claims cover all New Zealand's coast!

20 New international airport in Solomons nearly ready

56 K elp entanglement fatal: Accident Incident Insights, with DAN, the Divers Alert Network

23 Spearfishing National Champs: Full report 30 Claims deepest ever dives led to brain damage

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DESTINATIONS 26 Antarctica: what lies beneath!

E xercise and Diving: Does it affect risk of decompression sickness? Dive Medicine, with Professor Simon Mitchell

64 S hooting in RAW: Digital Imaging, with Hans Weichselbaum

32 The northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef revisited 38 The dark side of Niue!

•

582 claims cover all NZ coast • Fish quota debate heats up

Spearfishing champs Full report

Antarctic What lies beneath?

Great Barrier Reef Coral update

The work of underwater fine art and fashion photographer Jose G. Cano, based in Nelson, New Zealand. Jose's images are commissioned by an international clientele.

He has also been working recently for environmental awareness campaigns.

Photo: Jose G. Cano

66 Diving the web, with Phil Bendle

48 Lord Howe Island: Paradise in the Pacific

60 O ur SHADES OF COLOLUR photo competition: the latest stunning images

Check out our website www.divenewzealand.com

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Dive New Zealand / Dive Pacific magazine is available in the lounges and inflight libraries of these airlines:

2 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

PA C I F I C ’ S M O S T I N F O R M AT I V E D I V E M A G A Z I N E

REGULAR COLUMNS 14 L egasea Update: Ministerial discretion over fish quota must stay

10 People’s Choice: Finalists in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year

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ISSUE 162 - $9.90 inc GST February / March 2018

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www.Dive-Pacific.com

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67 Classifieds Do you have a possible cover image?

Email: divenz@divenewzealand.co.nz. NZ$100 will be paid if used.

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www.divenewzealand.com 3

INDEPTH EDITORIAL

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New Zealand not so green?

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been developing a new digital monitoring regime, called the Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System, which would record information including video of fishing activities on-board all commercial fishing vessels.

Presently under 5% of vessels are monitored.

Through the Official Information Act, Forest and Bird obtained

di stribut ed

correspondence between the Fishing Industry and MPI. The correspondence shows the industry seeking to prevent the public from ever seeing images of by-kill of dolphins, seals, penguins and a range of bird life and fish being discarded.

Correspondence and images are available on the Forest and Bird website.

The Quota Management System is 31 years old and there are calls for it to be overhauled to reflect the industry today.

Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says he’s already facing pushback from various sectors over data relating to the Industry. He

further commented, there are ‘issues’ within the MPI and didn’t rule out the possibility of an inquiry.

The above reminds me of comments my son made when doing work experience at an Auckland fish processing facility many years ago. His one comment that I guess said it all was, “Dad, if the New Zealand public could see the bycatch and the sheer volume of discarded marine life it would be shocked.”

The Fishing Industry’s practices and attitude is the problem.

They are part of the continuing degrading of New Zealand’s so called green image, which they

Photo: Ministry of Primary Industries

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ou would be aware of the New Zealand Fishing Industry request to Government to keep secret material including video collected from commercial fishing vessels.

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February/March 2018 Issue 162 Publisher Gilbert Peterson +64 27 494 9629 Dive Publishing P.O. Box 34 687 Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand 0746 divenz@Divenewzealand.co.nz

say is of concern to them re their international reputation!

Most thinking people know that New Zealand’s green image has been steadily degraded and to continue to promote that image

of New Zealand is total BS, until we as New Zealanders clean up our act!

Dave Moran Editor at Large

Editor at Large Dave Moran +64-9-521 0684 davem@divenewzealand.co.nz Advertising Sales Manager Colin Gestro +64 272 568 014 colin@affinityads.com Art Director Mark Grogan +64-9-262 0303 bytemarx@orcon.net.nz Printed by Crucial Colour Ltd

On Sunday 17th December, 2017, NZUHG hosted a group of 60 people at the Lighthouse Function Centre at Dargaville Museum where Mrs Rosemary Tarlton presented Mrs Julie Hilliam and members of the Hilliam family with the Kelly Tarlton Award for services to Underwater Heritage.

There were many reminiscences and tributes.

Inaugural Kelly Tarlton Award presented to Hilliam family

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ast year the New Zealand Underwater Heritage Group decided there was an opportunity to create an award recognising individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions through research, practice or advocacy, to underwater heritage, maritime archaeology or maritime history.

The award is to recognise long term accomplishments or those 4 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

who have made a notable impact through a significant innovation, body of work or publication.

A candidate’s contributions can include innovative ideas or maritime conservation projects, including services that have promoted underwater heritage in New Zealand communities.

The Tarlton family were approached as to naming rights and willingly gave their approval

for the award to be named the Kelly Tarlton Award. Kelly Tarlton (1937-1985) was a marine explorer, diver, conservationist and treasure hunter. He was posthumously inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2012. His mana rivals Jacques Cousteau. A meticulous recorder, incessant innovator and charismatic team leader, Kelly’s work epitomises the qualities which the award recognises.

It was the unanimous decision of the Award committee to posthumously make the inaugural award to Noel Hilliam of Dargaville. The announcement was made at the NZUHG’s Annual General Meeting held

at Mahia, Hawkes Bay, on 11th November, 2017.

shipwrecks along the nearby coastline.

Noel Hilliam was NZUHG founding President and served on the committee of the Group until illness forced his resignation. He had a huge passion for history and was widely recognised as the authority on shipwrecks on the Kaipara’s wild and rugged coast, the site of over 100 shipwrecks.

His energy and research led to his discovery of a number of lost shipwrecks and recovery of artefacts for display in the local Dargaville Museum which Noel was pivotal in establishing.

With Noel’s passing we have lost a tireless character who made a large contribution to our understanding of the rich underwater heritage of the Kaipara Harbour and coast.

Among relics he recovered were those from the French Corvette L’Alcemene lost in 1851.

His investigations and survey of the wreck was recognised by the French authorities.

Noel’s knowledge and skills of shipwreck artefact conservation is evident in the many historical exhibits he has conserved and are now on public display. He was a man of energy, adventure and a ‘can do’ attitude. He even built his own aircraft which he flew from his farm to search for

Retail distribution NZ: Gordon & Gotch Aust: Gordon & Gotch Contributions

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The trophy incorporates artefacts recovered from the Elingamite, is mounted on English Oak with a NZ Kauri base, and was created by Bruce Alexander, a NZUHG member.

Diver Emergency Number, New Zealand : 0800 4 DES 11 1800 088 200 (toll free) Australia : +61-8-8212 9242

www.divenewzealand.com 5

SOUNDINGS

SOUNDINGS

NEWS

Scientists explore deepest parts of Kermadec Trench Scientists exploring the Kermadec Trench believe they have retrieved the deepest ever sediment sample from the bottom of the ocean using a wire-deployed corer. The sample was obtained at 9994m deep in a mission that took six hours to complete.

The sample was obtained during a three-week voyage to the Kermadec Trench aboard New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmosphere’s (NIWA) flagship research vessel Tangaroa.

The Kermedec Trench is 1500km long and comprises a series of deep basins more than nine kilometres beneath the sea surface. The deepest, Scholl Deep, almost 10km down, was discovered by a Danish research expedition in 1952.

During the latest voyage, scientists in a combined NIWA and University of Southern Denmark expedition, used a range of autonomous deep-diving vehicles as well as traditional sampling approaches.

Prof Ronnie Glud from the University of Southern Denmark, said their work confirmed other recent research suggesting the trenches act as hotspots of intensified biological activity.

“We found that the greatest depths in the Kermadec Trench hosted intensified biological activity, but what was more surprising was the high degree of variability in the metabolic activity among the basins along the trench axis.”

The deep trenches are far more diverse than originally believed.

“If we are to understand the biological and biogeochemical function of the great trenches and their importance for regeneration and sequestration of nutrients and organic carbon in the global ocean, it is of great importance to acknowledge this diversity,” Prof Glud said.

Scientists will now identify the various microbial and faunal

communities and seek to explain the variation in the organic carbon processing among the different trench basins. The trenches host unknown and unique life forms that are adapted to extreme pressure.

NIWA marine ecologist, Dr Ashley Rowden, co-leader of the voyage, says the samples and data will help understand how life functions under such conditions, and how it differs from that at shallower depth.

“The deep trenches remain understudied and represent some of the few spots left to on the globe to be explored. We were really pushing the sampling envelope by attempting to take cores of the seafloor from wire cable-deployed instruments.

It took more than one go, but it was worth it,” he said.

The international team on the expedition included researchers from Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Chile and New Zealand and was funded by the European Research Council and NIWA.

6 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

Coroner finds diving death accidental The coroner’s report on the diving death of 23 year old Malaysian student Luqmanulhakim Bin Moien on April 28th, 2014 in Lake Puketirini, Huntly was released late last year. The coroner found the death to be accidental, but has asked for his recommendations arising from the event to be widely publicised.

The coroner said Mr Moien was a Malaysian learning to dive at a commercial diver training course being held at Lake Puketirini, Huntly, when he became separated from other in his group. He was seen breaking the water and in distress and not wearing his face mask or regulator. A search was commenced and Mr Moien was located on the lake bottom not breathing. He was brought to the shore of the lake.

Emergency services had been notified. CPR was commenced immediately and continued until his death was declared by paramedics at the scene. The reason Mr Moien lost his mask and was not using his regulator could not be established.

Testing showed that all of his diving equipment was in good functioning order. However the BCD used by Mr Moien was too large for his small frame and Mr Moien had placed too much weight on his weight belt.

NEWS

These matters are likely to have exacerbated Mr Moien’s distress when he found himself in difficulty while submerged in the cold lake waters and zero visibility because of the large silt cloud. While Mr Moien was a recreational dive with some experience he was not experienced diving in these conditions. He died as a result of drowning and his death was found to be accidental.

6. Dive with a source of light (torch, chemical glow stick) in low light level conditions.

The coroner said several issues in the case could easily occur on other diving training courses, resulting in the following recommendations for them:

10. E nsure lifelines or float lines are used when possible, unless risk of entanglement makes it impractical

1. A ssess the validity of students’ previous dive history and records 2. Assess the site and if it suitable for the experience level of the students 3. A ssess the students’ abilities. Is the student capable of the dive?

Is the student able to recover themselves unassisted if the need arises?

4. P lan for the ability to abort the dive if the situation changes rapidly.

5. Highlight the importance of regular buoyancy checks. Do not rely on students to continually monitor their weight.

7. A lways carry some form of cutting implement that is easily reachable in an emergency 8. A ll divers to carry a watch or timing device on all dives 9. E nsure communication equipment is utilised at all times

11. T raining facility to adhere to the correct standards (AS/NZS2299) 12. Ensure duties and roles (Diver, Diver’s Attendant, Standby Diver, Supervisor, Assessor, Instructor, are clearly assigned and adhered to 13. Whenever possible reduce the ratio of student divers. If only one diver needs to conduct a dive then conduct a dive with one student only 14. E nsure all students are familiar with the operation of all equipment.

For the full Coroner’s report go to: https://tinyurl.com/y9mf7te7

Third International Year of the Reef kicks off partnerships and share information between stakeholders for their sustainable management.

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has declared 2018 to be the third international year of the reef (www.icriforum.org). The organisation runs Reef Check which is active in 82 countries and territories throughout the world.

Activities planned in many countries include beach clean-ups across many locations to highlight the issue of marine debris and particularly plastic wastes which represent a serious threat to marine ecosystems.

Reef Check was established in the USA in 1996 to raise awareness of the importance of coral reefs and the threats to them from overfishing, pollution and sedimentation from land-based development.

More research, publications and reports will also be supporting the community-based initiatives to provide data to decision makers.

IYOR 2018 aims to strengthen global awareness about coral reefs and associated ecosystems, promote

In Malaysia the focus is on marine debris as reports of alarming amounts of

plastic and other trash on beaches around Malaysia affect tourism - a major industry in Malaysia - as well as impacting marine mammals and food security.

www.divenewzealand.com 7

SOUNDINGS

SOUNDINGS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS

Dolphins with rounded fins? Report them!

Sightings of Hector’s dolphins – those with rounded fins – are wanted and you can report them easily on a free smart phone app ‘Hector’s Dolphin Sightings’ from Google Play and the App Store.

Photos can be uploaded instantly with the app – they photos are wanted to assist in species and individual identification.

Hector’s dolphins are endangered and Ma–ui dolphins critically endangered. They are the smallest dolphins in the world and unique to New Zealand waters.

Summer sighting reports have been come from all coastal regions around the South island with a very rare and important sighting report of a Hector’s dolphin early last December from Napier.

- ua diver wants starfish theory researched Pa Scientists keen to get underway

Gemma McGrath who manages the app, says, “Usually Hector’s dolphins are very local, with an average alongshore range of just 50 km. But there’s certainly some adventurers. There are at least two Hector’s dolphins living with the Ma–ui dolphin population now.”

Phil Walker, a pa-ua diver, claims he has accidentally discovered a way to make the shellfish delicacy spawn during harvest and boost pa-ua numbers, reports the Marlborough Express. Walker fishes commercially in what is known as Area 7 stretching from Ka-hurangi Point on the West Coast to the Clarence River.

“Every sighting is important,” says McGrath. Remember to always approach dolphins slowly, and from behind. Gentleness is key and results in much richer experiences.

Walker said his daughter asked him three years ago to bring a starfish home for her to take to school. The diver said the starfish seemed to stress the pa-ua, and they released the spawn.

The app is free, quick and easy to use, and sightings of other whales and dolphins are reported on it too. Data is shared with app users, scientists and the Department of Conservation.

"I've been doing it for more than three years now and I'm seeing much bigger stocks coming away in those areas,” he said.

Photos: Will Raymant

“I'm seeing pa-ua in places I've never seen them before - I haven't seen the biomass so good for 40 years,

Safety is in the air:

so much young stock coming on.

Everywhere I fish I spawn and it's quite unbelievable in places.

“The females give out the spawn and the males all clump together and fertilise the eggs. It's a no-brainer” Walker said researchers had talked about studying his approach and he hoped they would finally take him seriously.

Pa-ua Industry Council scientist Tom McCowan confirmed Walker's spawning approach had not been studied, and said it should be looked at.

“I've spoken to Phil about it. It's quite a controversial one and the short answer is we don't actually know if it works, but there's a chance it might do," McCowan said.

“We've been interested in testing

whether stressing pa-ua with starfish releases viable gametes [reproductive cells] to increase recruitment, but that hasn't been done yet.”

Aquaculture scientist Dr Norman Ragg, of Cawthron Institute said he was aware of Walker's efforts, and it merited more research.

He said divers like Walker who were interested in improving their industry could provide research that would cost "tens of millions of dollars" for scientists to replicate.

To get real buy-in you first need impartial observation. My preference is to then hand that back to the divers so you have trained individuals in the industry who know what they're looking for," Ragg said.

“It's certainly time for someone to come out and support this.”

New Awareness Campaign from DAN Asia-Pacific If it wasn't for scuba cylinders and surface-supply breathing apparatus that give us the possibility to breathe underwater, we wouldn't be able to explore the underwater world. However, we also need to be vigilant that the gas we breathe is safe as there are various kinds of contaminations that can turn your underwater life support into poison.

After the relatively recent death of a scuba diver, it was found the level of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in his tank was over 450 times the accepted limit. He had filled his tank from a compressor which had not been properly maintained or regularly tested. As a result, the air being supplied was found to be very high in Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels.

This has prompted DAN AP to launch a long-contemplated safety and awareness campaign in an effort to prevent a repeat of this incident.

Many divers only think about air 8 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

problems from the perspective of running low or managing an out of air emergency, so DAN AP will work to create awareness for this very real issue. Contaminated gas can lead to perception changes and subsequent poor decisions, headaches, dizziness, nausea and, in extreme cases; it may cause unconsciousness and even death. Unconsciousness from CO poisoning often occurs during or shortly after the ascent and can often lead to drowning unless the diver is rescued very quickly.

Over the coming months we will be sharing information that is focussed on prevention and aimed at equipping recreational and professional divers with: •A n understanding of the dangers of carbon monoxide and other contaminants • T he ability to identify the symptoms associated with CO poisoning • First Aid and Treatment; and •K nowledge on how to reduce the risk of poisoning.

The main goal of the campaign is to prevent people from diving with contaminated breathing gas in the first place. We encourage you to share the information so we reach as many divers as possible.

Join the campaign via DAN AP’s Facebook (search DAN Asia Pacific), Twitter (@DAN_APAC), Blog (DANInsider.org), and access resources via the Diving Safety section of the DAN AP website (danap.org).

Let’s work together to ensure the air we all breathe when diving is safe.

Note: Safety campaigns are financed

by DAN membership dues. Thank you to our members for their invaluable support.

Safe Diving.

The DAN Asia-Pacific Team

Pa-ua diver Phil Walker puts starfish in with his pa-ua to make them spawn, which he claims boosts numbers.

Scientists say the idea of scaring pa-ua with starfish to make them spawn needs put to the test.

Travelandco appoint diving specialist Adventure travel company, Travelandco, has appointed diving specialist Laura Hutchings to advise clients on underwater destinations. Laura is a scuba diver, a PADI Instructor, an ocean enthusiast and environmental activist with a passion for ocean conservation.

Laura has dived in many places worldwide; with dolphins in Jamaica, manta rays in Western Australia and sharks in Fiji. She has also zip wired through the rain forests in Costa Rica, and quad biked in the Egyptian desert, and she has just returned from Niue.

She is an active supporter of The Dive Against Debris programme and through PADI Project Aware courses.

“I like exploring new places,” Laura says, and she’s keen to use her experience to help create the best active travel experience for you.

Laura Hutchings

www.divenewzealand.com 9

SOUNDINGS NEWS

The people’s choice Elegant mother and calf Ray Chin, Taiwan Every year from July to late October southern humpback whales migrate north from their Antarctic feeding grounds to give birth in the warm sheltered waters off Tonga.

Ray encountered this humpback mother and calf peacefully floating in the plankton - filled water around the island group of Vava‘u, Tonga. After Ray gently approached them, the giants swam a bit closer to have a look at him.

While they made this elegant turn, Ray took the shot.

He later converted the image into black and white which he felt represented the simplicity of the scene.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 16 – 35mm f4 lens; 1/100 sec at f6.3; ISO 250.

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he public were given 24 images to choose from out of almost 50,000 submissions from 92 countries in London’s Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. Voting has now closed but the winners will be showcased at the Museum until 28 May 2018.

Warning wings - Mike Harterink, The Netherlands Diving off Blue Bead Hole, St Eustatius, Caribbean, Mike used a slow shutter speed to capture the motion of this ‘flying’ gurnard. The fish’s large pectoral fins are divided into a shorter forward fin with spines, which it uses to ‘walk’ around and to poke the ocean floor for food, and a larger wing-like part. When threatened the fish expands its wings to scare away predators.

Cleaning session - Jordi Chias Pujol, Spain The protected waters around Carall Bernat, Medes Islands, Spain, and Jordi knows of an area there where sunfish visit in the spring to be cleaned by Mediterranean wrasses. The Sunfish adopt an upright position, signalling they are ready. Jordi was able to take a shot while the wrasses went to work picking off the skin parasites which the sunfish are commonly afflicted with.

Panasonic Lumix GF1+ Panasonic Lumix 8mm lens; 1/40 sec at f8; ISO 100; two Inon strobes.

Nikon D200 + 12 – 24mm f1.4 lens at 12mm; 1/8 sec at f22; ISO 100; Seacam housing; two Seacam flashes.

The top five People’s Choice Award images are also on display online at wildlifephotographeroftheyear. com joining the 100 strong winning portfolio selected by the judges.

Here’s the four underwater photos that made the shortlist, and two others to demonstrate the strength of the competition.

The brothers - Marco Urso, Italy Millions of salmon spawn each year at Kuril Lake in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, attracting large numbers of brown bears. Rain falling onto the lake added extra atmosphere.

Fujifilm X - T2 + 50/140 mm lens; 1/500 sec at f8; ISO 800 10 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 11

TE ACH

“I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me.”

Hammerhead - Adriana Basques, Brazil/USA Scalloped hammerhead sharks are generally found in the deep waters off Cocos Island, Costa Rica, where the currents are often fierce and the visibility unpredictable. This particular shark stayed just long enough for Adriana to capture a full frame with a school of cottonmouths in the background.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 16 – 35mm f2.8 lens; 1/160 sec at f5; ISO 640; Aquatica housing; Aquatica glass megadome.

My students inspire me to teach. Being a PADI Instructor has taught me to become a better leader, which ultimately has transformed my everyday life.

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Visit padi.com or your local PADI Dive Shop to find out more.

Available from your Professional Dive Store. Trade enquiries welcome

12 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 13 © PADI 2017.

582 claims cover all New Zealand's coast

LegaSea Update

…the Ministry admits fish dumping from commercial vessels is “the single biggest issue we face in our wild stock fisheries”.…

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Manukau sport fishing club members sharing fish (kai).

When LegaSea was first invited to have input into The Future Catch project by Dr Randall Bess we were excited because the project was described as ‘a well funded study to improve recreational fishing’. It didn’t take long to realise this was yet another attempt to upgrade commercial rights to our fisheries and remove the Minister’s discretionary powers that protect our fishing and environmental interests.

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t is vital to retain this Ministerial discretion as a defence for managing our fisheries in the best interests of all New Zealanders, not just for a handful of corporate quota shareholders.

The project’s third report was presented to the Minister in late 2017. LegaSea did not support its recommendations which are to use current settings as a basis for allocating a defined proportion of each fishery for public use. Any proportional allocation scheme like this is unfair because it takes away the Minister’s legal obligation to provide abundance for our kids’ futures.

To achieve real abundance, and allow a fair go for future generations, recreational harvesting must remain outside the failing quota system.

Importantly, we must retain our ability to conserve fish by leaving them in the water and not have them scooped up and exported for low value returns.

Since time immemorial saltwater fishing and diving have been an integral part of our Kiwi lifestyle.

In the old days the primary objective was sustenance for the family.

Nowadays these activities represent a social event with family, an oppor-

14 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

tunity to take time-out from worklife or to spend precious time outdoors with the young ones.

Given the significance of recreational fishing and diving the Minister must remain free to make sustainable catch and allocation decisions.

The commercial wild fish catch is over 400,000 tonnes per year with our collective recreational harvest estimated to be under 11,000 tonnes, yet the recreational harvest is being promoted as the major flaw in New Zealand’s fisheries management.

Let’s get real. Even the Ministry admits dumping from commercial vessels is “the single biggest issue we face in our wild stock fisheries”.

In 2014 the Director of Fisheries Management said they couldn’t quantify the tonnages involved but did say, “we suspect they are significant to the point that they are impacting on stocks”.

The Ministry’s failure to prosecute those responsible for dumping tonnes of fish is a travesty. Clearly the promises of husbandry, efficiency and innovation have long gone, overtaken by the relentless drive by quota shareholders to squeeze a buck out of our fisheries, and to sideline recreational interests.

It’s time for the Minister to wrest back control of our fisheries, apply a good dose of kaitiakitanga [guardianship] and establish policies that will deliver on the sustainability obligations we all have to our kids and theirs. Ministerial discretion must stay.

Fisheries Management Annual Report LegaSea is grateful to New Zealand Underwater for providing a summary of their year’s activities for including in the LegaSea-New Zealand Sport Fishing Council Fisheries Management Annual Report 2017.

The report can be downloaded at www.nzsportfishing.co.nz/userfiles/ file/FM-Annual-Report-2017-web.pdf

Subscribe a mate To be successful we need people engaged and learning about the state of our inshore fisheries. Ask your friends, family, any fishing folk, “May I please have your permission to subscribe to the LegaSea database?”

Then send their email to us at subscribe@legasea.co.nz Or call us on: 0800 LEGASEA (534 273).

Email us info@legasea.co.nz Subscribe at www.legasea.co.nz Read more at www.facebook.com/legasea

n 2004, the government of Prime Minister Helen Clark passed the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act (FSA), but when an outcry ensued over private coastal ownership issues the government tried to protect public access in perpetuity by enshrining the coast in Crown/public ownership.

Some iwi objected to not being able to test their rights to the coast in court, and with the formation of the National-led government in 2008, a supply and confidence agreement with the Maori Party was made, a key factor of which was a review of the Act.

Public notification The only notifications the public has had about the claims made to the High Court were single public notices in a local paper, standard practice for the court system, though few people read them. Often little is known about the claims affecting where people live, work or play.

Two applications have proceeded at this stage, both carried over from the now-repealed Foreshore and Seabed - ti Porou and Act. These are for Nga Ngati Pahauwera. Both are in the form of Bills which still need to be passed into law through Parliament in the usual manner. (There’s more about these at www.parliament.govt.nz )

In 2011 the government passed the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act, to no less controversy.

The coast was to become a type of “no-man’s land” with Maori able to claim certain rights or title to it.

It will take time for the remaining applications to be processed, but it’s important to note:

At the time Prime Minister John Key dismissed concerns saying there’d ever only be a handful of claims. But at last year’s deadline, overlapping claims made directly to the Crown and to the High Court totalled 582.

Rather more than a handful!

These claims cover all of the coastline, including harbours and islands. Two are for the whole lot, though these will not be heard as the previous Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations has ‘declined to engage’ them, unsurprisingly.

The Marine and Coastal Area Act asserts that while Maori may have exclusive cultural interests in otherwise public areas of foreshore and seabed, those interests cannot prevent existing rights and uses such as public access, navigation, fishing, diving, aquaculture and mining. But rights to recreational access and use - hi tapu may become subject to wa conditions that are included in any government agreement or High Court - ori customary order recognising Ma rights under the Te Takutai Moana Act. (Te Takutai Moana Act SS 26-28)

Ways to claim

A good thing environmentally?

There are two pathways for applicants who sought to make a claim: direct engagement with the Crown, and/or lodging an application in the High Court. Groups can, and have, applied through both pathways. The tests are supposed to be the same either way. The Crown received 380 applications directly and the High Court ‘about 190’. Many of the applications were to both and there is a lot of overlap between them.

Some areas where customary title is being claimed are under intermittent rahui to prevent overfishing. (See Dive, Issue 157 Dec/Jan 2017 for an explanation of rahui.)

What will stop you going to the beach?

There will be public consultation It’s early days yet and for those undergoing the Crown procedures, there will be a public submissions phase, if people find out about it. For the High Court applications, anyone

may register as an interested party to a specific claim.

Groups must prove they have ‘customary claim’ There is a belief by some groups that they will be awarded their claimed area if no one contests the claim. But groups making an application need to prove they have a customary claim either by occupation, culture (tikanga), or customary fishing rights etc. If they do not adequately prove this, or do not pass certain ‘tests’, they will not be awarded customary title.

More information For a history of the Acts visit: Wikipedia https://tinyurl.com/h3o8487 Te Ara https://tinyurl.com/ybluc2ah For information about the Te Takutai Moana Act: Community Law https://tinyurl.com/yc5ag3n2 Department of Justice: https://tinyurl.com/yd2hs3x8

The worst that could happen?

Successful claimants might gain the following rights: • Prohibiting or restricting access by imposing wahi tapu enforced by trespass fines of $5,000.

• Charging individual users of wharves, ramps and other coastal infrastructure.

• Charging commercial users for access to the coast.

• Vetoing or charging for resource consents.

• Leasing their rights/title to others.

• Obliging councils to implement Coastal Policy Statements which cannot be appealed against, even if conflicts of interest exist.

The deadline to register your interest in a claim at the High Court is 26th February 2018. https://tinyurl.com/ybqox5x5

www.divenewzealand.com 15

Divers should lead.

Dive industries can make it happen

ago, today they are less alive, less magical. As divers, we are the eyes that see firsthand the changes to our ocean. It is time the dive world also becomes a voice.

By Jaclyn Mandoske and Jean-Michel Cousteau

The opportunity to lead

There is no community more ready to take on ocean challenges ahead than divers.

Diving is transformative. It takes us from being land animals tied to the Earth to become aquatic astronauts free from the grasp of gravity.

I

am sure it is no stretch that most of us remember that distinct feeling when our faces first dipped below the surface, our lungs brought in that first breath of air, and our bodies submerged wholly, weightless, underwater. But that feeling quickly pales in comparison to the experience that comes next

– a living world suddenly alive in front of our eyes.

What was once impenetrable becomes possible. It might be the fish we first see, coral reef, sunken ship, or maybe the sheer recognition that we’ve just entered a new realm of Earth. But

something changes us. We no longer fear the unknown because we’ve seen it. Once we’ve seen, we know.

I have been a diver for over seventy years and I have seen the ocean change before my eyes. Magical places I dove only a decade or two

The oceans today are facing changes from our human actions that are happening faster and stronger than ever before. A warmer world as a result of more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere means a warming ocean, with changes on both global and local scales.

In the last few years, we have seen the worst coral bleaching events on record – events that occur when ocean temperatures get too high to support the health of corals and the algae partners they depend upon. From the Pacific to the Caribbean, high temperatures

can turn vibrant coral reefs into graveyards of white skeletons.

…As divers, we are the eyes that see firsthand the changes to our ocean. It is time the dive world also becomes a voice…

Our changing world is affecting the chemistry of the sea, turning waters more acidic and shrinking oxygen levels. At the coastlines, human activities may dump chemical runoff and trash into the seas, smothering and weakening the living seascape we, as divers, crave to see. Just as we want to dive in clean, healthy waters to avoid getting sick, so too, does the life within. But all hope is not lost.

As long we’re willing to help, the dive community can be a force of change for the better.

It works

When people step up to give the ocean a chance, life can once again thrive. I’ve seen it happen myself.

When I first began setting up operations to open an eco-resort in Fiji, I had the pleasure of working with local community members and village elders.

Using their knowledge of the coral reefs and traditions of village rights, we worked together with many others to help establish the Namena Island Marine Reserve – a protected area to give strength back to the sea.

Once open to unlimited fishing, the Reserve is now legally protected and is the largest no-take marine reserve in Fiji.

Home to colorful corals, waving sea fans, and fishes large and small populating its well-managed grounds, these protected coral

Mangroves At the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji our on-site marine biologist, Johnny Singh, takes guests on daily excursions: snorkeling/diving on coral reefs, hiking through the rainforest and exploring the mangroves. All the excursions have an ecological message of connections and conservation. ©Michael Scott Hanrahan, www.earthmedialab.com

Doug Meredith caught two nautilus at once. When pursued, they flee rapidly but once cornered among the rocks they give themselves up, just wobbling erratically as if overcome with terror.

Jean-Michel Cousteau

16 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 17

reefs now draw in many more divers eager to see the magic of the ocean world. Today, less than five percent of the world’s oceans are protected. As divers, together we can raise our voices for more.

Role of the dive industry But it is not only up to divers to lead the change, it is also the role of the diving industry to drive ocean conservation forward.

After all, the dive community gains from healthier oceans. It starts with making sure all dive shops and centres offer guests the opportunity to enrich their knowledge and minimize their environmental footprint.

At the dive centre my team operates in Fiji, naturalists guide the divers, sharing their knowledge

engaging with them on the connections between the oceans and our own lives. Divemasters provide thorough dive briefings on good buoyancy control and the importance of not touching or damaging sensitive coral reefs. Our

to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of the ocean.

Committing to best practice

…Today, less than five percent of the world’s oceans are protected.

As divers, together we can raise our voices for more…

To be part of the change, divers must make the conscious effort to spend their money at dive shops that employ only the best practices. At the same time, it is equally critical for dive shops to step up and offer divers the ability to both enjoy and protect the ocean.

dive centre strives to use only the best practices to protect coral reefs – these include never anchoring on reefs, instead using moorings, drift diving, or free boating all sites. Plastic is replaced with reusable stainless steel bottles to minimize unnecessary waste. And educational resources are available

While best practices should be applied to all dive shops and used by every diver, as a diving community we cannot forget the global driver of ocean change. The continued use of fossil fuels for energy is the main cause of the rapid changes we see. Industries around the world – from small

Divers Grunt Petit St Vincent The Caribbean is home to almost 10% of all the world’s coral reefs and offers divers an opportunity to understand the value, beauty and fragility of coral reefs. © Richard Murphy, PhD, Ocean Futures Society

18 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

businesses to major corporations - are seeing the economic value in making business practices more sustainable. Being more energy efficient saves money for businesses, while at the same time reduces the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.

Every year more businesses commit to sourcing 100 percent clean and renewable energy to power their facilities. The oceans are full of power. Why not take advantage of all the talent, inventiveness, and passion of the dive community before us to find solutions? The dive industry can drive a clean energy transformation, and there has never been a better time, or opportunity, than now.

A community of innovators There is no community more ready to take on the ocean challenges ahead than divers and dive industries. We are a community of innovators – explorers, inventors, dreamers,

…We divers are a community of innovators – explorers, inventors, dreamers, photographers, storytellers, and pioneers.

We are the first hand witnesses of harmful change in the ocean, invisible to all who are not divers, and we must speak out and take action… photographers, storytellers, and pioneers. We are the first hand witnesses of harmful change in

the ocean, invisible to all who are not divers, and we must speak out and take action. We come from different background, beliefs, and perspectives. Yet, something pulls us together.

As my father so eloquently said during the years we traveled aboard Calypso, “the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

We are truly held together in a net of wonder, of our love for the ocean and water world, and we all have something unique and valuable to bring. We are the eyes of the ocean, and like our first meeting with the sea, something changes us. It is time to lead the change.

Cameraman filming school of fish-Fiji Coral reefs are cities under the sea; a perfect educational classroom to teach about how coral reef functions—the jobs of individual residents and how they collectively create a sustainable community. ©Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

www.divenewzealand.com 19

Solomon Airlines begin direct weekly flights from Brisbane to Munda starting April 2018

SOUNDINGS

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S

New international airport for the Solomons about to open

T

he gateway to the superb diving available in the western region of the Solomon Islands, Munda, is about to get a big boost with the opening of its international airport. Munda is about an hour and a half flight from Honiara, the capital.

Direct flights between Brisbane and Munda are understood to be commencing within a few months, but the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara is tight lipped over the precise timing. In response to a request for details a spokesperson said only that there will be an official announcement in due course, and that the specific timing and details of this are still in discussion.

Last year aid funding to the Solomon Islands from New Zealand was $NZ24.1 million. The airport upgrade to international status is understood to have exceeded $NZ30 million over several years, and consisted for example, of runway lighting, perimeter security, communications, fire services and training.

On its website the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says “New Zealand is the lead donor in sup¬porting critical avi¬ation infrastructure projects and aviation reform to unlock Solomon Islands tourism potential and create conditions for economic growth.”

“The benefits of these upgrades include: increased passenger movements domestically and internationally to Western Province, increased tourism, improved safety for larger aircraft, opportunities to expand air services at Munda Airport to international flights, increased aviation freight capacity, reduced aviation fuel loads, and increased government revenue from the aviation sector.”

Diving in the Solomons is a prime attraction with high visibility, many coral reefs and numerous shipwrecks and planes from the war to explore.

In fact the Munda airfield was originally cleared by the Japanese during WWII but the Americans quickly

took it from them to complete the job. Since then it has operated as a regional field, lately with several daily flights from Honiara.

New Zealand has been involved with Solomon Islands development particularly since the success of the Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI) which concluded in June 2017 and is implemented through the New Zealand Police.

Other projects being funded by New Zealand there include making renewable energy more available, and strengthening their capacity to sustainably develop and manage fisheries.

Magical Munda - Dive the unexplored

www.divemunda.com

Dive Munda is a multi award winning SSI Instructor Training Centre in the Western province of Solomon Islands committed to sustainable dive eco-tourism. Scuba dive unexplored reefs, WWII history, Kastom culture, hard and soft coral, cuts and caverns along with pelagic life and shark action, all in one of the last wild frontiers left on planet ocean.

Support also focuses on increasing the capability of primary level teaching, and providing tertiary scholarships and vocational training opportunities. www.mfat.govt.nz/en/ aid-and-development/scholarships/ https://tinyurl.com/yd5t9xwv

Experience Magical Munda at Agnes Gateway Hotel Award winning service and pristine diving SSI Instructor Training Centre WWII wrecks, caves and reefs – untouched and unspoilt

Winner Munda airport

20 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

divemunda@dive-solomon.com Find us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram www.divenewzealand.com 21

Take the plunge as a PADI Instructor

Spearfishing champs a big success

Whether new to diving and looking to progress through the PADI system, or a seasoned diver interested in the next step, there truly has never been a better time for you to become a PADI Instructor in New Zealand.

Why should you take the plunge in 2018? Read on!

By New Zealand Spearfishing President Darren Shields

• Love your job: Wake up

excited knowing that you will be teaching people to dive or helping them improve their dive skills and knowledge.

• Teach the best: PADI

Instructors are the most soughtafter because they’ve completed the programme that sets the standard for training dive professionals.

• Live anywhere: PADI

Love your job, teach the best, live anywhere If you like people, have a passion for scuba diving and want an extraordinary life, become a PADI Instructor.

Teaching scuba diving allows you to share your love of the aquatic world with others while doing what you enjoy – being in, around and under water.

Professional are employed at over 6,400 PADI Dive Centres and Resorts around the world including all over New Zealand.

PADI Instructor Development Course The Instructor Development Course (IDC) is made up of two parts: the Assistant Instructor (AI) course, and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) programme.

Most dive professionals complete the entire IDC and go on to attend

an Instructor Examination (IE), which is the final step to earning a PADI Instructor certification.

It’s the next step after the PADI Divemaster course. Before the PADI Divemaster course there is a continuing education system you can follow to achieve each PADI certification.

Tertiary education assistance In New Zealand you may even be eligible for Tertiary Education Assistance in your pathway to become a PADI Instructor through the Academy of Diving Trust. For more information about this or to arrange a local enrolment consultation, visit academyofdiving.ac.nz The above is only the beginning on why you should become a PADI Instructor. If you have every thought about it, take the plunge in New Zealand in 2018.

Find out more about becoming a PADI Instructor at local PADI Dive Shop or at padi.com.

T

he Honda Marine 2018 National Spearfishing Championships held at Tryphena on Great Barrier Island for the first time was very successful.

Forty pairs of competing adults participated in the Open Event competitors from as far away as Portugal, Greece, Hawaii and all corners of New Zealand. Twenty eight women and juniors entered their event.

The event included a Seafood Cooking competition, swim fin races and a sand castle building competition: It was a fun packed week!

Base was the Sunset Lodge at Mulberry Grove, and Great Barrier turned on the best conditions we could have asked for: flat calm seas and in places very blue water.

We chose two areas that had never been dived for an Open previously, with varying terrain that meant the divers really had to think about their day’s swim.

Corey Herbert, winner of the Under 10 division with a nice boarfish Jody Lot from Portugal World Number one in 2012 takes out the highest ranked overseas competitor

22 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

Chris Marshall winner of the swim fin race

Gemma O'Brien, Women's champ

Scott Mackereth and Dwane Herbert took out first place and for most species for the event

www.divenewzealand.com 23

NEW Z-330 STROBE

Paul Best and Jackson Shields second overall won day 2 but not quite enough to beat the reigning champs

the island was not taken lightly.

Regular weather updates were discussed and plans put in place for boats to travel together where possible.

The top two pairs of competitors really distanced themselves from the rest of the field in terms of catch showing just how good they are.

Our sponsor Honda Marine has been very good to us, getting

There was a lot of thought put into the fish list this year with sustainable catches and the ability to make sure we could handle the fish coming in being the top considerations.

Conditions leading up to the event were up and down; the safety of small boats crossing to stay at

alongside Spearfishing New Zealand to help make the event happen.

After we had given the first day’s catch to the elderly and needy, Mulberry Grove School auctioned all the rest of it off. And on top of

this, the school invited in campers from the event and put the dinner on. It was a great partnership with the school taking away around $8000 from the event.

A big thank you to all involved for making it a brilliant week!

Honda Spearfishing Nationals Swim fin race start

Honda Marine are proud to sponsor this year’s New Zealand Spearfishing Nationals and judging by the remarkable fish speared this year, it was a great time in and out of the water for everyone involved.

The idyllic Great Barrier Island, off the coast of Auckland, was the scene for this year’s Honda Marine New Zealand Spearfishing Nationals. The Barrier is renowned for its clean, green and environmentally friendly lifestyle – elements that are all of paramount importance for Honda Marine. Anyone who owns a Honda outboard will tell you that they are quiet, fuel efficient and deliver great performance, but it’s also our respect for the environment that sets our engines above the rest.

Honda engines have ultra-low emissions, deliver increased fuel efficiency and have very low noise levels. Make sure you ask for a Honda outboard next time you repower and experience the results.

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Spearfishing workshop for Juniors and women being run by the number 2 spear fisherman in the World, Giannis Sideris from Greece at the Nationals Honda Spearfishing Comp Half Pg.indd 1

24 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

19/01/18 2:04 PM

www.divenewzealand.com 25

Diving beneath Antarctic ice Scientists from the University of Waikato and University of Canterbury and researchers from the Korean

Iceberg from Mt Melbourne glacier One of the instruments used for collecting data from under the ice

Polar Research Institute returned recently from seven days of diving under Antarctica’s sea and lake ice in the Ross Sea.

T

he research data they were collecting is to help monitor the impacts of climate change on the environment and carried out between November 7th to December 2nd last year at Jang Bogo Station at Terra Nova Bay, and Cape Evans.

Diving in these extreme conditions means unusual hazards. Dives are through holes in two metre thick ice

A dive hole used at Terra Nova Bay

at -2 degrees. But the water is very clear, with low current, low irradiance, and with the sea or lake floor is typically visible from the surface.

So dives follow a well-rehearsed Dive Plan. (see page 29 )

erected over them.

Single and paired divers operate down these holes on lifelines beneath a dive locker facility in a hut

All divers had significant previous experience – Dive Supervisor, Waikato University’s Professor Ian Hawes, has been diving in the Antarctica for 40 years – and they adhere to strict protocols and procedures. The diving is also part of the science programme.

Professor Ian Hawes scouting the sea ice Cape Evans

Ice build up on dive gear

Programme’s objectives The goal of the research programme, reports Science Diver and Waikato University Senior Technician Warrick Powrie, was to collect data to assist in detecting long term changes in the marine ecosystem linked to climate change.

“For the work we used remote video

Stunning ice formation on the sea ice

26 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 27

Under the ice at McMurdo from the observation tube

Camp site at Cape Evans

processes, with divers describing the biological communities on the seafloor, he said. “The monitoring scheme supplements and tests our models of how the marine ecosystem will respond to anticipated environmental changes.”

Along with the Korean programme, our long term research programme is

on the dynamics of inshore marine ecosystems in the Ross Sea against which the effects of anticipated climate change-induced change can be measured, he said.

To do this they deployed logging sensors at Terra Nova Bay and Cape Evans, and assessed the status of benthic communities using video

transects and 3D modelling of transect lines.

Warrick said his role was as dive tender and safety person was to make sure the diving operations ran smoothly and safely while divers are in the water. “Safety is paramount,” he said.

Weddell seals we had to contend with for our dive holes

Rigorous safety protocols highlight risk The Dive Plan strictly adhered to in Antarctica follows protocols that have been developed over many years and includes:

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change after diving. Suit leak results in dive termination.

•E very diver in the water has two attendants, one standby diver, and a record keeper.

• Dive holes about 50 metres from the primary dive hole must all be uncovered and chipped free of ice at the start of every day’s diving.

•A ll gear is tested before the divers undertake a maximum of two dives a day, to a maximum depth of 30 metres, and with no diver doing more than five consecutive dive days.

•E quipment has to be high quality with full redundancy of gas supply, dive tethers, 15 litre steel faber cylinders, with hang tanks at 6 metres, and near the bottom of the hole.

•d entifying the nearest recompression chamber (in this case McMurdo Hospital) with an evacuation plan linked to the communication systems at Scott Base via an Iridium phone or high frequency link.

•C old water temperatures can lead to a regulator’s first stage freezing open, hence a backup regulator must be available.

•H ypothermia risk is minimised by on site heated accommodation with a feeding facility where divers and standby divers can take refuge and

•T o minimise the risk of decompression sickness all dives are planned conservatively to a depth of 30m. Dives are all planned as square dives, using tables with conservative profiles and slow ascents and a safety stop for two minutes

at 5m. Air reserves are set at 70 Bar with two 8 litre steel tanks suspended at working depth and at 6m. Cylinders are fitted with twin pillar valves to allow two fully independent first and second stages.

•D ivers are tethered.

•P otential dive hole sites are checked by drop camera prior to making a dive hole to ensure excessive accumulation of platelets below the ice is not present to avoid the risk of Brash ice.

•S ince the air pressure at sea level in Antarctica is chronically low – it can sometimes equate to 300m above sea level – the dive team has to equilibriate to the ambient pressure. Diving is always conservative and to Bhulman or Us Navy tables and guidelines.

www.divenewzealand.com 29

SOUNDINGS

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S

Deepest dive results in claims divers have brain damage Claims have been made that the deepest commercial dive in West Australia last year has resulted in brain damage for the divers involved.

The Sunday Times in Perth ran two major articles late last year on the circumstances in which it says the divers are displaying bizarre neurological disorders and are under the care of one of the country’s top specialists in hyperbaric medicine. The newspaper reported the National Offshore Protection Society and Environment Management Authority is investigating.

273 metres depth Some 15 divers descended to 273 metres last June and July to repair a pipeline on the ocean floor. During the work they reported experiencing nausea, hallucinations, headaches, tremors and cognitive impairment, the report says.

Compression times too short Saturation diving experts claimed the men should not have been allowed to leave the diving bell given their acute symptoms of high pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS). HPNS occurs, the report says, when recompression occurs

too quickly. The first three teams comprising nine men were allegedly ‘blown down’ in eight hours while the fourth and fifth teams were allegedly ‘blown down’ in five hours and 20 minutes.

Blowdown is when the diving chambers on board a ship are pressurised to a shorage depth – in this case 234 metres – close to the depth the divers were working at.

Industry standards used The Perth based diving contractor, DOF Subsea, is reported to have said the diving operations were conducted in accordance with recognised industry standards, but many of the divers were said to question why they were being blown down so rapidly.

A UK expert in diving and hyperbaric medicine, Dr Philip Bryson, is assisting DOF Subsea to ensure as many of the divers as possible get help. He is also reported saying some of the symptoms the divers were experiencing “have never been known to last as long.” “It’s kind of new, so DOF could not necessarily have expected this.”

Dr Bryson said DOF had followed standard US Navy tables for the diver blow down.

However, the union’s national

secretary Ian Bray said it was the deepest dive in Australia ever so you would have thought it would have been treated with kid gloves from all aspects,” the newspaper reported. Mr Bray said blow down schedules for deep saturation dives elsewhere in the world ranged from 17 to 26 hours, and there was no table in the world on a standard dive that says its ok to do it in eight or five hours.”

HPNS effects One expert cited said “HPNS is like being drunk off your rocker and going out to perform heavy construction work. Industry practice is, if there’s HPNS, all diving should cease immediately.”

The Sunday Times report had MUA’s Ian Bray saying he believed five of the divers were now undergoing medical tests with others in denial and some scared of losing their licences.

DOF Subsea has put out a statement saying “We are aware two divers currently present with potentially prolonged HPNS effects.

DOF Subsea continues to engage with the team of internationally recognised experts and has offered further specialised medical help to all the divers in the original dive campaign.”

Diving with sharks: New guide book

M

ost people can think of nothing worse than encountering a shark but each year more and more divers are heading underwater for exciting encounters with these magnificent and misunderstood predators.

Shark diving is also big business; divers are traveling around the world to view Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, hammerhead sharks, Whale Sharks and other species at shark diving hotspots like Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Fiji and the Bahamas.

Diving with Sharks was written and photographed by two self-confessed shark fanatics, regular contributor

30 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

to Dive mag, Nigel Marsh and Andy Murch, who have spent decades photographing and observing sharks.

It takes a detailed look at shark biology and behaviour, threats to sharks, shark research and shark conservation. It features all the popular, and many lesser known shark species divers can encounter around the world.

A number of shark diving hot spots are included, along with advice on getting the best from shark diving experiences, the dos and don’ts, the pros and cons, photography tips, and possible dangers.

With over 500 known species of

sharks, and more being discovered every year, Diving with Sharks is the ultimate guide to learning about these incredible creatures, where to see them, up close and personal.

Hard cover, 288 pages. RRP $39.99.

Available in book shops and online.

Fiji’s Beqa Lagoon presents Shark Fest 2018

B

eqa Lagoon Resort Fiji is promoting a ‘world’ Shark Fest on July 7th, claimed to be an adrenaline filled week of shark encounters and interactive seminars, with international shark expert, Dr. Erich K. Ritter.

Attendees are poromisde to learn everything there is to know about sharks as well as practical skills to apply in their interactions with these mesmerizing ocean beings.

By sharing his passion for sharks, Erich hopes to raise public awareness about how important sharks are for the oceans and for life on the planet.

Beqa Lagoon Resort’s Shark Encounter dive affords divers the opportunity to encounter 11 shark species.

Shark Fest Course fees are USD$660 a person. Spots are limited. For reseravtions email: reservations@beqalagoonresort.com

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www.divenewzealand.com 31

A rare twin-spot lionfish encountered at The Pinnacle

A lovely little epaulette shark encountered at Raine Island

Exploring the far north of the Great Barrier Reef Text and images by Nigel Marsh www.nigelmarshphotography.com

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef complex - over 3000 reefs spread over 2300km; it’s immense. And while many areas of this natural wonder of the world are easily accessible on day boats, from island resorts, or via a liveaboard, one region is rarely visited: the Far Northern Reefs.

T

he Far Northern expanse starts north of the popular Ribbon Reefs and extends all the way to Papua New Guinea, a 600km stretch that remains largely unexplored, a remote area only accessible on a liveaboard boat, and then they only journey there during October, November and December, a time when calm weather conditions prevail.

32 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

Only a handful of liveaboard boats offer trips to the Far Northern Reefs; one is the wonderful Spirit of Freedom.

The Spirit of Freedom is a luxurious 37m long vessel operating out of Cairns that usually runs trips to the Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef. But each year they also do seven day trips to the Far Northern Reefs and in October last year I was lucky enough to join one of these adventures.

83 surveyed reefs) and even worse, some media reports were that the entire reef north of Port Douglas was dead. It proved a great relief to find the reefs we dived on were healthy and alive, and spectacular.

First I had to fly 600km north of Cairns to join the boat anchored at the small settlement of Portland Roads. North again from there our checkout dive was on a site called Auriga Bay at Southern Small

… A highlight was the cave dive at Big Woody, a peninsula with walls on both sides and a cave cutting right through it covered in exquisite corals of every imaginable colour…

whip corals, Maori wrasse, sweetlips, snappers and schools of parrotfish.

In the shallows too, were pretty coral gardens with good collections of reef fish and invertebrates. This was a great start, but more impressive sites were to follow.

Detached Reef. Here we explored coral gardens and a wall dropping into the abyss. Down the wall we see lovely gorgonians, soft corals and

Highlights of 10 dives Over the next week we explored 10 reefs: walls, pinnacles and many, very pretty coral gardens. The walls

State of the coral My Spirit of Freedom trip to the Far Northern Reefs was a superb adventure, and I was very happy to see the hard corals alive and well. Prior to the trip I was concerned about the state of the corals since there has been two recent coral bleaching events on the northern section of the reef. Some scientists had reported a quarter of the coral in the region was dead, (though based on only

www.divenewzealand.com 33

SEA TECH HAS YOU COVERED

A large Forskal’s sea slug found on a night dive at The Pinnacle

in this part of the reef are festooned with gorgonians and beautiful soft corals patrolled by pelagic fish and sharks. At Black Rock we encountered schools of barracuda, trevally and snapper, and were buzzed by several large silvertip sharks. At Epic the sharks followed us as we explored the wonderful gorgonian fans.

SEA TECH has been supplying divers with their photographic and lighting requirements for over 20 years!

A highlight was the cave dive at Big Woody on Wood Reef, a peninsula with walls on both sides and a cave

FOR GREAT DEALS & WIDE RANGE VISIT

cutting right through it, covered in exquisite corals of every imaginable colour.

… The best of the stunning coral gardens were dominated by healthy, hard corals and abundant reef fish.

These were at Perisher Blue, Turmoil, Aladdin’s Cave and especially Well Worth It, a sensational dive.…

The best of the stunning coral gardens which were dominated by healthy, hard corals and abundant reef fish, were at Perisher Blue, Turmoil, Aladdin’s Cave and especially Well Worth It. This last one is a sensational dive. We started the dive exploring caves and ledges lined with gorgonians and buzzing with barracuda, trevally, mackerel and gropers. But then we spent much of our time drifting over endless fields of hard corals, where reef fish and whitetip reef sharks were darting about, and where, on a second visit, a lucky group of divers encountered a small whale shark.

At Stella and Plates On Parade we saw lovely corals and a good variety of reef fish and invertebrates. At Stella we also saw reef sharks and a tawny nurse shark, while at Plates On Parade the highlight was the best collection of plate corals I have ever seen.

A longnosed hawkfish photographed at the fabulous Deep Pinnacle.

www.seatech.co.nz facebook.com/SeaTechLtd

34 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

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www.divenewzealand.com 35

At Pirate’s Cove we encountered dozens of yellow boxfish

We found numerous turtles in the shallows at Raine Island waiting to go ashore to lay eggs.

Another highlight was an afternoon diving the wonderful Raine Island, the largest and most important green turtle nesting site in the world. As you might imagine we saw plenty of turtles, including a mating pair, but we also encountered reef sharks, pelagic fish, Maori wrasse and several small epaulette sharks.

The hard corals at Raine Island are wonderful; short, squat and packed together to endure rough seas.

Towering pinnacles My favourite sites were two towering pinnacles at Great Detached Reef.

The first we explored was Deep

Pinnacle, which rises from 60m to 14m. This twin peak pinnacle is covered in soft corals and gorgonians, and alive with schooling fish and sharks, as well as home to many small critters. Here I concentrated on the small stuff – the pipefish, boxfish, nudibranchs, flatworms, blennies and hawkfish.

The tower of coral that is simply called The Pinnacle was just as good. As it rose to 4m it gave us a much longer bottom time. Here the macro critters won the day with anemonefish, leaf scorpionfish, pufferfish, octopus and numerous sea slugs.

Over the final days we headed south, with our last day spent on the Ribbon Reefs before returning to Cairns. Here we explored Google Gardens and Steve’s Bommie, both wonderful. But unfortunately Steve’s Bommie was not a good as my last visit there six years ago; this amazing pinnacle is suffering from cyclone damage and coral bleaching, still a brilliant dive though, and fingers crossed it will return to its former glory.

More information: www.spiritoffreedom.com.au

Weather improving During the week on the Far Northern Reefs we experienced a mixed bag of conditions. It was windy, choppy and overcast at the start but calm, sunny and clear by the end. Visibility also varied greatly, from 12m to 40m plus, due to tidal flows and recent rains.

The water temperature varied from 26°C to 27°C. Many beautiful basslets are found on the Far Northern Reefs, with the mirror basslet one of the prettiest

36 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

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Photo by Buccaneer Adventures Niue Dive

The dark side of Niue

By Annie Gray Paradise has a dark side. A foreboding underbelly in stark contrast to the sunny scenes you expect in the South Pacific. These desolate, hidden corners attract a certain type of person, the sort that’s most at home with scuba gear on their back and a dive torch in hand: Caves and caverns. iue has a system of caves and caverns undercutting its limestone landmass ranging in complexity with some are even found in the depths of the forest, requiring little more than a sense of adventure and a mask and snorkel.

At Anapala near the village of Hakupu, signage and a pathway of stairs lead visitors to a secluded water-filled chasm where the occasional aquatic creature is the only witness to a refreshing swim.

Other caverns like Vaikona demand a guide, part mountain goat, part fish as they scramble, rope-climb and duck-dive their way on an experience which is oh so worth the blood, sweat and tears, but would have most safety officers quaking in their mud encrusted boots.

… With the only light coming from the entrance it’s like swimming into a black hole…

Silhouette city

Photo by Buccaneer Adventures Niue Dive

Just as mentally challenging, but a lot less physically taxing is the honeycomb of caves accessed from the sea.

Accomplished breath-hold divers will have no trouble exploring those with shallow entries and streams of light beckoning them in. This is silhouette city, a favourite for photographers enamoured with sunlight shafts in the ultra-clear water Niue is famous for.

Several chasms and caverns are a short swim from the main wharf in Alofi. At first glimpse these may appear devoid of life, but closer inspection reveals numerous inhabitants.

38 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

Niue’s distinctive black and white sea krait, a close relative of the sea snake, loves the relative safety and tranquillity of these semi enclosed spaces. It’s often spied dozily swimming to the surface for a breath of air before slinking back down for another sleep.

Schools of sweepers, convict and surf surgeons are regular visitors, along with painted crayfish and white tip reef sharks. Even the occasional coconut crab has been known to take a dip in the dark.

Going further back While snorkelling is possible in several of the sea caves, a set of scuba gear allows them to be explored at more depth. At low tide Whale Cave can be accessed from the surface but certified divers can get right to the rear of the ‘whale’s belly’ swimming over the ribs before surfacing in the ‘blow hole.’

Bubble Cave is one best left for the divers. It may be shallow, but with the only light coming from the entrance it’s like swimming into a black hole. An intrepid explorer will head towards the back of this

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What you see is what you get in Niue. And what you see diving is everything.

With crystal clear waters, surrounding the world’s largest uplifted coral atoll, you can see up to 80m in any direction. A world teeming with healthy marine life.

A world waiting for you to discover.

Start discovering Niue today, www.niueisland.com

cave to the unexpected bonus of a pressurised chamber. Once on the surface there they discover an unworldly vista of stalactites cloaked in sea mist patrolled by sea kraits which crawl out of the water to lay their eggs here.

Underwater this is torch territory at its finest; so many surprises hiding in amongst the rocks, carefully camouflaged from predators: nudibranchs, crays, lionfish and a nursery of hatchlings sheltering far from the daylight.

Surfacing in chambers underwater The Dome is also best suited for divers not afraid of the dark. A 30 metre swim under the island leads to its impressive air filled chamber, much larger than Bubble Cave and frequented by coconut crabs. There’s a sense of serenity here with the roof towering above, water gently lapping, and only the slightest hint of the light-filled world that divers abandoned to reach this anomaly.

But be warned – this is not a place to discover equalising problems – there is only one way out and that’s by sinking eight metres down to the cave’s base.

Photo by Buccaneer Adventures Niue Dive

Limu Twin caves are a less daunting

prospect but just as rewarding. These two large light-filled chambers have entries top and bottom making navigation easy, even without a torch, and a narrow passage connects both sections, a must do for less claustrophobic visitors. Schools of midnight sea perch greet divers at the entrance, ribbon eels guard the base and decent sized puffers can be found on ledges. And the shallow swim throughs up top are almost as much fun as the caves themselves.

… Be warned – this is not a place to discover equalising problems – there is only one way out and that’s by sinking eight metres down to the cave’s base…

The Twin Caves are a good warm up for the Chimney, a more confined system with dual entries and a tight chamber off to the side that’s a favourite hangout for painted crayfish. Good buoyancy is paramount on this one as there’s not a lot of room to manoeuvre on the descent and it’s easy to stir up the cave.

Lunarscape From the outside, Tunnel Vision doesn’t look particularly promising.

The seascape around it has a lunar quality, with a couple of massive round boulders punctuating the starkness. Those willing to give it a go, however, will not be disappointed. The arched entrance opens into a curved tunnel leading to a light chamber with a darker one behind.

The photographic underwater art of Jose G Cano

Surfacing at the back provides a view out to sea through a small window in the rock face. Wait for a swell and the scene disappears behind a curtain of mist. There’s a further surprise: towards the exit a triplex of holes stacked neatly on top of each other bathes divers in fingers of light.

It’s true that at some of Niue’s cave sites, divers have to sacrifice colour for contrast, but that’s not the case at Snake Gully. This iconic dive manages to combine both in narrow gullies etched into the coral reef.

It also boasts a trifecta of chasms, cavern and cave all in one place, a spot where it would take many dives to explore every nook and cranny.

And that’s the beauty of Niue; every adventure leads to another. Take a dive on the dark side and discover why there’s nowhere like Niue.

'Suspending gravity and time' Dive magazine's Gilbert Peterson interviewed Jose G Cano during a meeting in Auckland, New Zealand in January this year and later by phone and email.

40 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 41

Jose G Cano

What is your background?

How long have you been in New Zealand, and in Nelson?

Why there?

I am originally from Spain where I worked in the fashion industry. But after some years I wanted to see the world, so I sold everything I had and bought an old sailing boat, where I went to live and sail.

My travels brought me all around most Mediterranean countries, the Red Sea, and south to Eritrea, Djibouti and ďŹ nally crossing the Indian Ocean, stopping in Sri Lanka.

The Red Sea South of Egypt was deserted at the time because of the wars, especially in Sudan, so there were no tourists at all.

I had also the opportunity to dive at the underwater settlement Jacques Cousteau built in Sudan. It was absolutely magical as he was an inspiration as a kid for me. http://www.messynessychic. com/2013/05/27/remains-of-an-underwater-habitat-leftby-1960s-seadwellers/

Then I landed in Thailand where I stayed for 10 years before coming to New Zealand with my wife on a campervan holiday looking for a place to live. Nelson’s climate reminded me of Spain and with a nice balance between small and big town.

Seren Whitearns 42 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 43

The beautiful cathedrals and churches of Spain, with their amazing baroque and Renaissance frescos was truly inspiring for me. As a child I would sit in these sacred spaces, in silence and look at the epic paintings and sculptures of Angels and Demons, Warriors and Madonnas. Now I think they looked quite similar to some scenes out of The Lord of the Rings!

What do you have to teach your models about being photographed underwater? How long does it take to get them to learn what they need to do to be ready to start modelling underwater?

Jessica Sea Creature. Body paint artwork is by Yolanda Bartram of BodyFX , who also painted all the sea creatures earns

What got you started at underwater photography? Were you a traditional photographer before your current work? What is your professional background?

My professional background is completely different. I studied business administration and went to work in a chain of department stores. But I felt it was not what I wanted to do and that’s why I left Spain in search of a more adventurous life. Photography was always my hobby, and while living in Thailand I did documentary work for NGOs and commercial

work. But before that, when I started diving in Spain and bought an Ikelite housing for my then Nikon camera, that is when I got hooked in underwater photography. …As a child I would sit in these sacred spaces and look at the epic paintings and sculptures of Angels and Demons, Warriors and Madonnas.

Now I think they look quite similar to some scenes out of The Lord of the Rings…

"I started in a small plastic tank and evolved to a big concrete tank.

This is my theatre underwater" 44 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

What inspires you? What sort of images are you seeking to capture?

Photographically speaking, I am more interested in the people as models. They are more versatile and expressive than fishes and corals! So for years I would stay in documentary and studio, where I was doing lots of dancers. During one of those shoots, I asked myself how I could slow the beautiful movements in order to capture them. Then my underwater experience came back to me, and I started photographing dancers underwater.

The beauty of dance and the bodies while underwater was an explosive mix of inspiration and awe. Suddenly I felt that I could cancel, somehow, gravity and time, or at least, slow it, so my series Aqua Ingravitas was born. https://tinyurl.com/y9a3ouud

A lot of your images seem influenced by renaissance art? Is there a reason for that?

Most people think that they need to hold their breath very long but this is not the case.

They need to be relaxed, and let the air go, or they cannot sink. So, 15 or 30 seconds is all we need. After that it is difficult to be relaxed and they get exhausted, so that’s what we teach them: how to sink effortlessly and safely. …Suddenly I felt that I could cancel, somehow, gravity and time, or at least, slow it…

How do you choose your models?

For their appearance? Or their ability underwater?

To feel comfortable in the water and of course being able to swim is a first selection point. Fortunately in New Zealand most people have been in contact with the sea since childhood so it’s easy.

Then my favourite group are dancers, as they have an extremely demanding training and develop an enormous grit.

They are conscious of every inch of their bodies and have graceful movements, and with them you have the perfect underwater model.

And, as you cannot communicate when we are down, I explain to them before what we are trying to achieve, the mood, the story we are telling, and they “act” the shot or the movement. Of course, we have

Alesha Sea Creaturetearns

a series of hand signs for safety and also for my assistant to communicate to the model when she resurfaces. …It’s as if they cast a magic spell on me, forcing me to bring them to life…

How do you go about your set design? Do you design the costumes?

I am 90% a visual person so it all starts with things I imagine, or scenes of movies or contemporary dance performances.

Then images appear and take hold of me, and I can only get free of them if I photograph them! It’s as if they cast a magic

spell on me, forcing me to bring them to life. Then, with my wife and volunteers, we create the dresses, headpieces and all we need for the shoot, with simple materials and lots of acquired Kiwi ingenuity!

Where do you do your photo shoots? Do you do some in uncontrolled environments such as the sea or a lake?

I have done this in the past, but the main problem we have is with water clarity and also changing weather. It makes it very difficult to plan a more complex shoots with models, costumes etc. Working on an underwater studio pool, here at Kashiwa Studios allows us to shoot all the year in a www.divenewzealand.com 45

Jessica Sea Devilrns

controlled environment. It also allow me to use powerful studio lighting which makes an enormous difference.

Can you talk about some of the technical 'secrets' you employ?

Many images are dream-like. Is that just because they are underwater? Or is there more to it? For example, the iridescent effect?

Jessica and Fae

46 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

The iridescent effect was achieved with a couple of cheap black lights, the same they use in clubs. The use of studio lighting I think is my main difference as it increases the quality of underwater photography enormously. As there are no books, or much information even on the web about this, I had to resolve the technical issues. For example,

wireless doesn’t work underwater, so I have to create my own UW trigger or, resolve the connectivity so we could work connected to a computer at the surface.

But, if there is something that I would say that is the most important that would be lighting. Learn how to light, observe how the light reacts and changes underwater, because this is the main issue.

As for equipment I have two Canon 5DIV bodies and two main lenses, a 17-35 and a ďŹ x 24 mm from the L series of Canon. I also have two housing, my trusted Ikelite and another Aquatica. I use Profoto strobes as they can handle a lot of heavy duty work. A MacBook pro laptop completes the equip-

ment list. Dave from SeaTech in Auckland is the man I always go to with technical, nearly impossible, demands, and he has been always able to resolve them or point me in the right direction! But I will be revealing all my secrets this year during a workshop I will be teaching so everybody can learn the tricks. www.josegcano.com

As this interview was being recorded Jose advised one of his images on ghost nets done in collaboration with US environmental artist Christine Ren, had just won an award by the United Nations environment Program in association with the Global Partnership on Marine Litter. www.divenewzealand.com 47

Lord Howe Island: Paradise in the Pacific

R

elatively close to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island is a place I had been itching to visit and dive for years so when I finally got an opportunity to go there a few months ago I was rapt. This stunningly beautiful little island has it all: incredible scenery, spectacular bushwalks, unique bird life, character accommodation, amazing food, and most importantly, outstanding diving.

Ocean speck

Story and images Dave Abbott As I descended through the clear water to the white sand below a fast-moving Galapagos shark flashed across my field of vision, followed by a second and then a third. As I reached the sand they raced around me in expanding circles across the bottom, totally focussed and obviously hunting something I still couldn’t see. Suddenly there was a puff of sand and a large flounder shot away with all three sharks converging on it. Another flurry of movement drew my eye and I turned to see a large Bull ray gliding toward me. If this was how good the diving was in the lagoon, I could only imagine how good it was going to be around the outside of the island!

Lord Howe is 600km off the NSW coast, a two hour flight from Sydney straight out to sea, and when the island finally comes into view you realise it really is just a tiny speck in the middle of a very big blue ocean. Which helps explain why it is such a special dive location!

As we drop lower we see the towering, emerald green peaks of Mt Gower and Lidgbird contrasting with the clear, turquoise and shallow water of the lagoon. Landing here on the tarmac ringed by green-clad hills feels a bit like arriving at Jurassic Park.

The first striking thing about Lord Howe is the lush vegetation walling the quiet narrow roads and how few cars there are.

There are probably more bikes than cars. Lord Howe is only 11km by 2km with less than 400 residents and only 400 visitors allowed on the island at any one time. The place has a quiet and personal vibe. Houses and accommodation are set in small clearings carved out amongst the trees. There are no street lights ...at night just a ceiling of stars.

Lionfish

the path of the East Australian current, the same warm current that brings those interesting tropical visitors down to New

…The island’s waters are home to nearly 500 fish species, with an interesting mix of tropical and temperate species…

Zealand waters in summer. The water temperature is a balmy 25°C in summer and a comfortable 18°C in winter and, as there are no rivers there is also no runoff, which means great

year-round visibility.

Rare fish common

Being surrounded by deep oceanic water Lord Howe is visited by many pelagic species, from marlin, yellowfin tuna and Wahoo to Galapagos sharks and turtles. The island’s waters are home to nearly 500 fish species, 10% of which are endemic, and there is an interesting mix of tropical and temperate species, from familiar species like kingfish and trevally to Lionfish, Butterflyfish and Double header wrasse. Fish rare in New

Catfish

Southernmost coral reefs

From a divers perspective Lord Howe is unique. Home to the southernmost coral reefs in the world and rising out of very deep water (over 3000m) it lies in

48 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 49

on a regular basis and he took me to some great places, with my favourites around The Admiralty Islands. Offering a combination of coral reef, rock walls and canyons these small offshore islands have some truly beautiful dive sites teeming with colourful life. The 6km long lagoon has a lot of good dive sites on offer too, with much of the same marine life you see diving offshore, including Galapagos sharks, stingrays, Lionfish, turtles and numerous wrasse species and, if you are lucky, Pygmy seahorses and snake eels.

Spanish nudibranch

Zealand like Yellow Banded Perch and Painted Moki are extremely common around Lord Howe Island; every dive delivers something special.

Bull ray

Getting around

During my stay I dived with Pro Dive owned by Aaron and Lisa Ralph, a friendly and enthusiastic couple passionate about diving

and running a very professional operation with great staff, good quality equipment, nitrox fills and a nice 9.5M dive boat. Aaron goes exploring for new dive sites

High on my bucket list to dive was the awe-inspiring Ball’s Pyramid, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t good enough to get to it in the week I was there.

This spectacular offshore rock stack requires calm conditions, and it offers deeper diving and the chance of seeing large pelagic

species… I guess I will just have to go back!

Spectacular bush walks

If you do have a ‘bad weather day’ on Lord Howe there are some awesome bush walks up through the rainforest to the peaks of Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird with spectacular views of the island’s coastline and lagoon. At the other end of the island are equally beautiful views from Malabar Hill and Kim’s Lookout. Seabirds are common everywhere with colonies of shearwaters, terns, Noddies, Boobies and Red-tailed tropic birds offering nearly as much life above the water as below.

The old saying ‘big things come in small packages’ applies especially to Lord Howe Island and if you are thinking about a Pacific island dive trip put it at the top of your list. You won’t be disappointed.

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www.divenewzealand.com 51

GEARBAG Fishers introduce new marine magnetometer Fishers claim their new Proton 5 marine magnetometer debuted at the DEMA Show last year, the US’ largest diving exhibition, is a top performing underwater detection system.

Every new, fully field tested Proton 5 is almost ready to operate; all you need are two 12v batteries (car or marine type) for power and locally sourced fluid for the proton sensor.

After cabling up the system, deploying the towfish, and turning on the power, an auto-tuning routine is entered via the display’s user interface menu system on the 6” LCD screen.

Up to 80 previous measurements are displayed graphically in a history plot on the screen, with the routine selecting the optimum system tuning for the area you are operating in.

Once the tuning routine is complete you are ready to begin your search!

The new ‘auto tuning’ feature greatly simplifies set-up when operating in different locations.

The base system includes a 200-foot depth rated towfish, 150 feet of Kevlar reinforced tow cable, and a topside control box.

Optional USB data output and Tracker 3 mapping software are available to allow magnetometer readings to be displayed and stored on a laptop computer.

www.jwfishers.com

New Minn Kota & Humminbird Inflatable PFDs – Level 150 Humminbird® and Minn Kota have released new Inflatable Level 150 PFDs (personal flotation devices), manually activated and approved to Australian Standard AS4758150.

Their slim, multi-fit design is suitable for continuous wear with an oral inflation tube, whistle and 25mm ‘D’ ring lanyard attachment point included.

The outer 420 denier nylon cover is printed with clean care, donning and inflation instructions. The inflatable body features 5mm radio frequency welded seams with a heavy duty PVC protective cover over the CO² cylinder and firing mechanism.

The 38mm wide, webbing back strap includes a heavy duty adjustable side release buckle. An annual service record chart is also printed on the inflation bladder.

SRP: $99 www.humminbird.com

Joystick piloting ‘mesmerising’ on Stabicraft 2750 A brand new, electric blue Stabicraft 2750 is making itself known across the Bay of Islands with the new owner absolutely loving – loves it,” says Craig Lewis, from Gulfland Marine which installed the Mercury JPO (Joystick Piloting for Outboard) system, that’s attracting all the attention.

When the owner picked up his new craft from Gulfland, in Stanmore Bay outside Auckland, he decided to boat it back, a five-hour trip.

“On the way, he stopped over some pinnacles he knew about that are 300 metres deep and he engaged the Skyhook on the JPO and threw a line in,” Craig said.

Skyhook is the digital GPS positioning system which holds a boat in position, regardless of tides or wind.

“He filled a 300-litre bin with Hapuku in half-an-hour. He said all these other boats were circling him, trying to get in on the action, and they couldn’t believe he was just sitting there, not moving. They were mesmerised, watching him and forgetting about the fish!”

52 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

JPO provides boat drivers with full 360-degree control at their fingertips, allowing them to move sideways, diagonally or spin the boat on its own axis.

Weighing 3½ tonnes and accommodating up to nine people, the Stabicraft 2750 is the manufacturer’s first centrecab model and rated for up to 500HP. https://tinyurl.com/yagjkbj8

EXPLORE MORE SUUNTO EON CORE

The compact Suunto EON Core is a great dive companion whether you are just beginning diving or an active diver exploring new depths. The key details of your dive are easy to read from the clear colour display with large, prominent digits and intuitive menu logic.

This fully-featured and customisable dive computer is your reliable partner no matter if you’re exploring shipwrecks or admiring the colourful marine life. With wireless connectivity you can review and share your experiences with others too.

For nearest stockists go to http://www.suunto.com/en-NZ/Dealer-Locator/

__Water resistance 80 m (262 ft) __Customizable color screen with large digits __Rechargeable battery, 10 – 20 h per charge __Wireless mobile connectivity __User-updatable software __Gauge/Air/Nitrox/Trimix/CCR (fixed point) __Multiple tank pressure reading (with Suunto Tank POD) 3D digital compass __Tilt compensated www.divenewzealand.com 53

GEARBAG

SPECIESFOCUS

Mercury technician finalists battling for ‘best’ crown and a 150hp four stroke

Ocean sunfish

Mercury Technicians from around Australasia are locked in a battle for two big prizes: bragging rights to the title “Mercury Technician of the Year” and a brand new 150hp Mercury FourStroke outboard.

~Mola mola

The competition requires technicians to complete a Factory Certified training curriculum and attend factory-based training courses which comprehensively cover all technical engine systems.

The ocean sunfish or common mola (Mola mola) is the heaviest bony fish in the world; some weigh in at over two tonnes. But as enormous as the ocean sunfish is, it only seems to resemble half a fish, with a large head, no noticeable body, and small fins. Many cultures’ names for the animal refer to these features of it, including the German term Schwimmer Kopf, meaning “swimming head”.

Regional exams in the regions have now been completed with the best technicians shortlisted.

The highest performers go through to a head-tohead practical Grand Final test held at Mercury Marine HQ, in Dandenong, Victoria.

• • • • •

WA Adam Holmes, Bluewater Marine VIC Stephan Schmitter, Nautical Marine NSW Lieuwe Mellae, Hitech Marine NSW NZ (South Island) Cam Williams, Stihl Shop Marine NZ (North Island) Ben Castle, Gulfland Marine

Grand Finalists each receive a $500 tool voucher and a Mercury merchandise pack. www.mercurymarine.com

Ocean sunfish are true to their name in that they often sunbathe at the surface, largely to warm up after foraging dives in colder, deeper waters. Here the lazy motion of their large upright dorsal fin can often be mistaken for sharks cruising the surface.

Side scanners prove versatile One of the most effective tools for underwater search and recovery is a Side Scan Sonar (SSS) system able to search large areas quickly and produce detailed images of lake or ocean floors regardless of water clarity.

Users include fish farm operations, salvage, law enforcement, and archeology as well as engineering firms.

For instance Alldive Ltd, based in Malta, specializes in water surveys, underwater video and photography, hull and underwater cleaning, and underwater welding and cutting, both inside and outside Maltese harbors using JW Fishers Side Scan Sonar systems for bottom surveys to include fish farms, jetties, and for the recovery of lost anchors. Other users include the US Navy’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Technology Division, the Oil Services Company FEM Associates in Nigeria, and Guangdong Construction Engineering in China.

Mola often become so infested with external parasites, such as copepods, that they are regularly seen at fish cleaning stations. They even allow seabirds to pick off the parasites at the surface. Even more remarkable are their full breaches, where the fish completely clears the water in a presumed attempt to dislodge its parasites.

An unusual find by this means recently was a well head found submerged in a lake bed formed in upstate New York over a century ago when several reservoirs were formed to control the flood waters of the Hudson River.

The power to leave the water in this manner is a sure indication of how fast they can swim, not bad for a two-ton “head” with only small dorsal and anal fins for propulsion.

Light up your dive and photography with Both torches are ideal for video with a 6500K white light 120° beam and a comfortable compact size to fit in your hand. But if you're keen to go hands-free they also come with a handy glove mount as well as standard ball joint mount fittings so you can joint them to an arm and tray system. All Bigblue torches are depth rated to 100m and come with rechargeable batteries and chargers – and we've got spare batteries if you want them.

All torches also have white flashing SOS functions.

The sunfish’ four fused teeth are an indication of their family relations; they are in the family Tetradontidae, which includes pufferfish and porcupinefish. In fact, their larvae don’t resemble adult sunfish at all but appear very similar to pufferfish with spines, large pectoral fins and a tail. The tail subsequently stops growing and folds in on itself to become a basic rudder.

Sunfish dine predominantly on jellyfish and salps which they consume with their small beak-like mouth and their very low nutrition rate means huge quantities have to be consumed. Unfortunately, due to the close resemblance of jellyfish to plastic, sunfish often also consume large amounts of plastic materials causing them to either suffocate or block up their insides.

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54 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

By Paul Caiger

All products come with full manufacturer’s warranties & New Zealand back-up service

~Mola mola

1 The world’s heaviest bony fish, with some

5 Mola means “millstone” in latin, referring to

2 Found worldwide in temperate and tropical

6 Predated on by sea lions, orcas and sharks.

7 Closely related to pufferfish and porcupinefish.

8 Utilises seabirds to remove parasites at the

weighing over two tonnes. waters.

3 Feeds on jellyfish and salps.

4 Lay more eggs than any other vertebrate animal, up to 300,000,000 eggs at one time.

their grey, round shape and rough texture.

surface.

www.divenewzealand.com 55

INCIDENT INSIGHTS

By DAN Asia-Pacific

WITH THE DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DANAP]

Untrained diver dies entangled in kelp

By DAN's Brian Wake The dives

A group consisting of three scuba divers and a free-diver were all related as cousins. None of them were agency-certified divers. Divers Two and Three were experienced, self-taught; Diver One had some dive experience, but this was his first night dive. The free-diver was on the boat during the incident and was using only mask, snorkel and fins to assist.

All three divers entered the water and started their descent. Five

minutes into the dive, Diver Two's tank slipped out of its BCD strap and was floating free. Diver Three was able to get Diver Two's attention and let him know his gear had become loose and needed adjusting.

Diver Two signalled he was going to the surface to return to the boat to get the gear adjusted. Diver Three also ascended without getting Diver One's attention, leaving him alone on the bottom.

After reaching the boat, the two divers realised that Diver One had not returned to the surface with them. After a short surface search, the free-diver located Diver One in about 8m of water entangled in kelp.

He got the boat captain's attention and indicated that the diver was still wearing his mask, and that his regulator was still in his mouth. The free-diver made several attempts to swim down to try and free the diver from the kelp but was unable to help. The free-diver had to return

to the boat and explained that the diver was conscious, and panicking and struggling to free himself.

with the other two, each thinking the other was paying attention to the third diver.

A fourth diver on the boat now equipped with scuba gear entered the water and found Diver One completely entangled in thick kelp. Unfortunately, by this time the diver was no longer wearing his mask, had lost his regulator and apparently ceased breathing. Dive Four brought the unbreathing diver to the surface and pulled him onto a small boat piloted by a good Samaritan who had heard screams for help. CPR was started immediately; the diver was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Retrospectively it appears if the rescue diver had entered the water immediately when the entangled diver was spotted, the entangled diver may have been saved, but this is just a speculation. Having a divemaster or rescue diver on the boat, ready to dive, is important when diving in areas with high risk.

Evaluation

The three divers were related and not certified divers.

They had some experience diving together many times previously. However, Diver One was not as experienced as the other two and had not participated in a night dive before.

Though all three were diving together there was no indication they were paying much attention to each other. When the two divers returned to the surface with a gear malfunction, there was no indication that Diver One was considered missing until they reached the boat.

The entangled diver became separated from his cousins and did not know they had ended the dive and returned to the surface. The diver then became dangerously entangled in the kelp and drowned before the rescue diver was able to reach him. The trigger factor could have been either the separation or the kelp entanglement provoking a panic.

The victim's gas tank was recovered and found to still contain 2200 psi of air. If the diver had not panicked and had stayed calm until the rescue diver arrived, he may have survived this ordeal.

Discussion

Diving in heavy kelp requires special training, particularly in managing entanglement. Open-water, formal training provides knowledge about the risks of diving in kelp, proper gear configuration ("tighter" gear configuration, no dragging hoses or gauges), tools and the skills needed to free yourself or others from entanglement. It was not reported whether the divers had appropriate cutting devices that could have been used to cut away the kelp from the entangled diver.

Divers prepared through formal training are likely to experience less stress and anxiety. Formal training also would have taught the divers to dive in buddy pairs, not as a trio. It has been found many dive accidents are caused by the third person in the group losing contact

Lessons learned

•D o not dive without formal training.

•T ake specialty training for diving in conditions and environments with specific risks such as kelp, night diving, etc.

•H ave a contingency plan for known hazards, share it with your buddy, and comply with it.

•W hen diving in kelp, streamline your equipment to reduce the risk of entanglement.

•C arry proper cutting tools to liberate yourself from the entanglement.

• If entangled, stop, think and then act.

DAN AP has launched a new blog, where we discuss topical diving health and safety issues. Visit: daninsider.org and follow us on Facebook by searching DAN Asia Pacific.

Not yet a DAN member? Join at danap.org Engage with DAN on Facebook for insights into various dive-related safety and medical issues.

DAN Dive Safety 8x6cm Dive Log NZ Search ‘DAN Asia Pacific’ or scan here.

dive safety A diver collapses after a dive.

He urgently needs oxygen.

20/5/15

12:46 PM

begins with me.

Do you know Pantoneto Colorsdo?

Version what Contact DAN: the Specialists CMYK Version www.danap.org

in Oxygen & First Aid Training and Equipment.

Photo: Gilbert Peterson

56 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

www.divenewzealand.com 57

Pag

DIVEMEDICINE

Exercise and diving: Does it affect risk of decompression sickness?

Professor Simon Mitchell, University of Auckland

I

wrote in my last article that one of the subjects of consistent interest to divers is the issue of how to minimise their risk of suffering decompression sickness (DCS). I pointed out that everybody appreciates that the depth-time profile of a dive is of paramount importance in determining this risk. But what divers are frequently referring to when they ask questions about risk minimisation are those factors other than depth-time profile that may be relevant. In the last article I discussed the potential effect of water temperature on risk, but pointed out that there are other important factors such as exercise.

Exercise: Friend or enemy?

The relationship between exercise and risk of DCS is one of the most complex issues in the pathophysiology of this fascinating disorder. It turns out that exercise can be your friend or enemy, depending on when you perform it, and to some extent on its intensity. Specifically, exercise can have very different implications depending on whether it occurs before a dive, during bottom time, during decompression, or after the dive.

For my money, one of the most intriguing discoveries in diving medicine in the span of my career has been the finding that pre-dive exercise may reduce the risk of DCS, perhaps dramatically so. This started in the early 2000s with an experiment by a Norwegian group which aimed to determine whether being fit reduced the risk of DCS. The work was performed using a rat model of DCS (yes, you can train rats to be fit, or not). To cut a long story short, they showed that even a single bout of exercise about 20 hours before a decompression that resulted in death of most rats seemed to prevent serious (and sometimes any) manifestations of DCS. It did

58 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

not seem to relate to being fit so much as the timing as the last bout of exercise prior to diving, and even a single properly timed exercise session was protective. There has been much discussion of the possible mechanism, and this is beyond the scope of this article. It probably has something to do with transiently reducing numbers of gas micronuclei or other places where bubbles can easily form in blood or tissues.

…Intense exercise at any time between 24 hours and immediately prior to diving has been shown to reduce the formation of bubbles in the venous blood of human subjects after diving…

The difficulty in confirming a finding like this in humans is our inability to intentionally subject humans to such dangerously provocative decompressions in experiments.

Indeed, although using actual DCS as an outcome measure in human experiments can be justified in some circumstances, the risk of the experimental dives cannot be too high and the studies need huge numbers of subjects if we are seeking meaningful differences in outcome when testing a protective strategy or a different decompression strategy etc. It follows that such trials almost never get done for ethical and economic reasons. It is much more common to use ultrasound counts of the venous bubbles that form after many safe dives as an indicator of “decompression stress”. This involves a presumption that reducing these bubble counts indicates a safer dive.

Pre-dive exercise beneficial Pre-dive exercise has undergone this type of testing in humans, and the results are confluent with the animal studies. Intense exercise at any time

between 24 hours and immediately prior to diving has been shown to reduce the formation of bubbles in the venous blood of human subjects after diving. There are five or six papers that have looked at this and there were no contrary results, (although one did show benefit of exercise at 2 hours but not 24 hours prior to diving). This level of confluence strongly suggests that the effect is real and something that we should take notice of. It does seem likely that exercise prior to diving will reduce the risk of DCS. Translating that finding into real-world practice is challenging and given the risk of DCS is very low in typical recreational scuba air diving, it is not necessary to aggressively advocate the “exercise before diving” strategy. However, it is an option for risk reduction that technical divers performing more risky dives might bear in mind.

“Intense exercise” means something like a 30-45 minute run or cycle ride as fast as you are comfortable going, and this level of activity is not within everyone’s level of capability.

Moreover, care needs to be taken not to become dehydrated if the exercise is conducted very proximal to diving.

Finally, because exercise after diving is not a good idea (see below) it is a difficult strategy to implement in multi-day diving over sequential days.

…Continued mild exercise whilst decompressing enhances blood flow through tissues and thereby helps carry inert gas which is now leaving tissues back to the lungs…

increases blood flow through tissues and thereby enhances the uptake of inert gas breathed at higher pressures during the bottom phase of the dive. A sensible perspective should be maintained on this issue. Obviously, some exercise is required to swim around and enjoy a dive, but what should be avoided, if possible, is prolonged heavy exercise at depth. Diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) or “scooters” are a great help in this regard, and the group arguably most likely from their use is technical divers performing decompression dives.

Helping divers since 1983

Exercise during decompression is potentially beneficial for the same reason. That is, continued mild exercise whilst decompressing enhance blood flow through tissues and thereby helps carry inert gas which is now leaving tissues back to the lungs. Rather than simply hanging at a safety stop or decompression stop, divers could usefully maintain gentle finning which will help outgassing. Note however, that more is not necessarily better in this setting because heavy exercise can promote the transfer of venous bubbles into the arterial circulation (see below).

Exercise after a dive, particularly deep or decompression dives, is generally discouraged. There is a period (lasting hours) after surfacing when tiny bubbles often form in the veins. They are carried back to the lungs where they get trapped in the lung capillaries and the gas inside them is absorbed. In the vast majority of situations these bubbles are harmless. However, if a diver indulges in exercise while these bubbles are arriving in the lung circulation then there is a greater chance of them failing to be filtered out by the lungs. If these bubbles pass through the lungs into the arterial circulation, there is more potential for them cause harm. In addition, if the diver has a patent foramen ovale communication between the two upper heart chambers, exercise may make it more likely that the bubbles will cross the PFO from the veins into the arterial circulation.

Divers should generally avoid significant exercise, including heavy lifting and straining for at least four hours after diving.

In summary, if we want a simple characterization of the relationship between exercise and diving, it might go like this: Before = good Bottom = bad Decompression = good

When to avoid exercise Exercise at other stages of dives has mixed implications. Heavy exercise during bottom time is a definite disadvantage because exercise

Surface = bad No need to be obsessive about it, but there are options for risk reduction for those interested in taking them.

www.danap.org/take_dan.php

www.divenewzealand.com 59

SHADES OF COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Our wonderful diverse marine environment

Advanced Highly Commended: Congratulations Andy Wingate, Australia.

By Dave Moran, Editor at Lage

W

ow this has to be a first for this fun photographic competition! We have double winners in both Advanced and Novice categories.

Congratulations to Andy Wingate from Australia and Simone Matucci from New Zealand. Great to see the continuing rivalry between New Zealand and Australia!

The result is also a great example of showing that the judges have no idea of who took the images or the photographic equipment being used. They judge completely on what they see on their monitors.

As many of you know New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands are world renowned for consistently presenting photographic opportunities for the underwater photographer. Over the 25 plus years this competition has been running many winning images have been taken at the Poor Knights.

Well-known New Zealand Conservationist and prolific author Wade Doak is constantly reminding us of how the Poor Knights’ marine life is still delivering copycat marine life images of what he photographed when he first dived there in the early 1960s.

Only its marine reserve status can guarantee that this wonderful marine environment will continue to deliver for many years to come.

Andy is sure having fun diving the Gold Coast Seaway, see comment under Advanced winner.

Spotting the ghost ornate pipefish takes a lot of patience and searching skills. Well spotted, Andy!

The judges and the team at Dive New Zealand/Dive Pacific magazines look forward to receiving your personal masterpieces. See: www.divenewzealand.com click on Photo Competition. It’s free to enter.

Andy receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for $75.

Judges’ Comments: A great image! If the composition had been slightly more diagonal and the fish’s total body was in sharp focus the image would have probably scored first place. This fish should enter the World of Wearable Art!

Thanks for taking the time to enter!

Congratulations to this issue’s winners.

‘Ghost Ornate Pipefish’; Gold Coast Seaway, Queensland: Nikon D810 with Sea & Sea housing, Nikon 60mm lens, 1 x S & S YS250 pro strobe with Retra snoot – f/18, 1/320, ISO 100.

Novice Highly Commended: Congratulations Simone Matucci, New Zealand.

Simone was exploring Mao Mao Arch at the Poor Knights Island when this mosaic eel popped out of its hole to say hi!

Simone receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for $50.

Judges’ Comments: The eel is well placed to show off its razor-sharp teeth against a dark background. Image nice and sharp and well composed. A good stock mosaic eel image.

‘Bubble Shell’; Gold Coast Seaway, Queensland: Nikon D810 with Sea & Sea housing, Nikon 60mm lens, 1 x S & S YS250 pro strobe with Retra snoot – f/18, 1/320, ISO 100.

A dvanced Category Winner: Congratulations Andy Wingate, Australia

as Gold Coast Seaway. This is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater.

Andy spotted this feeding bubble shell while diving on Queensland’s Gold Coast at a location known

Andy receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for NZ$100.

60 60 Dive DiveNew NewZealand Zealand| |Dive DivePacific Pacific

Judges’ Comments: The subtle lighting gives this image the wow factor. It punches off the background with no distractions.

It’s like a 'stage lighting' effect, where the audience’s view is entirely focused on the performer. Well done.

‘Mosaic eel show me some love’; Poor Knights Island: Sony RX100 Mark IV, Dyron wide-angle lens, Acquapazza housing, 2x Sea&Sea strobes – f/6.3, 1/300, ISO 100.

www.divenewzealand.com 61

SHADES OF COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

(A) Dave Weeks

(N) Dave Hazelden

‘The Mouth’; Poor Knights Island: Sony RX100 Mark IV, Dyron wide-angle lens, Acquapazza housing, 2 x Sea & Sea strobes – f/6.3, 1/160, ISO 100.

Novice Category Winner:

Simone receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for $75.

Congratulations, Simone Matucci, New Zealand.

Judges’ Comments:

New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands keep delivering!

Excellent example of an image that displays a combination of good close focus plus wide angle. Image could have been improved by showing more of the fish’s head and by a little cropping it would have delivered more impact.

The scorpian fish (grandfather hapuku) is a favourite subject for photographers. It’s a stationary subject that screams, take my picture. The trick is to take a picture that is different than all the rest. Well done, Simone.

(A) David Haintz

(A) Ali Hollis

(N) Simone Matucci

(N) Tim Martin

A selection of notable photos entered for this edition's competition

Thanks to all those who entered this fun competition. The judges and the team at Dive magazine look forward to receiving your photographic masterpieces in December for the February/March 2018 issue of the magazine.

See: www.divenewzealand.com click on Photo Competition.

It’s free to enter.

62 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

Sea Tech is the official New Zealand distributor of Ikelite, Fantasea, Recsea, Inon, Bigblue, Nauticam and other leading brands of underwater photographic equipment.

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www.divenewzealand.com 63

DIGITALIMAGING Hans Weichselbaum www.digital-image.co.nz

Shooting in RAW

A

couple of issues back we talked about the different file formats you can use for storing digital images. Apart from the ubiquitous JPEG format there are a lot to choose from: TIFF, PNG, GIF and many others, but I didn’t mention the RAW format.

problem if the image is well exposed.

However, if you need to lighten dark areas of your JPEG image you can quickly run out of information and instead of a smooth tonal transition, get posterisation which shows up as ugly ‘banding’ in smooth areas as in Image 1.

Of course, setting your camera to JPEG has advantages as well. First of all, JPEG files are a lot smaller; they take up less space and the camera can save them faster. Media storage is cheap, but high-speed shooting might be important to the sport photographer.

Camera RAW files are not really image files, like TIFFs or JPEGs; they simply record the camera sensor data plus some camera-generated metadata. Think of a bucket where all the sensor data gets collected with no image interpretation applied. They are not yet processed and therefore not ready to be printed or edited.

If set to JPEG your camera still produces a RAW file, but this is converted straight into a JPEG image in the camera, according to the parameters you choose for white balance, contrast, colour saturation and sharpening. When shooting in RAW you are free to set all these parameters later on your computer.

If you own a professional or semi-professional camera the chances are it allows you to capture your shots as RAW files. Even the latest generation of phone cameras are RAW capable, all giving you the option of either shooting in JPEG or in RAW.

RAW vs JPEG JPEG files can be viewed immediately, printed and shared which is probably the strongest argument for leaving your camera set to JPEG. On the other hand, RAW files first need to be processed with special software to extract the images.

Then there is the dynamic range of the sensor to consider. Your camera collects 12 to 14 bits of data per pixel which translates into 4,096 (2^12) or 16,384 (2^14) levels of lightness per colour channel. Compare this to 256 (2^8) for JPEG files. This is not a

64 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific

compress and degrade the image. For this reason you should always use the best quality JPEG setting your camera can offer.

Image 2 - Adobe Camera RAW Converter (Desktop Version) to a whole row of tabs which puts sharpening, noise reduction, colour balance, geometric corrections and many other features at your fingertips. Adobe Lightroom, the choice of many professional photographers, comes with very similar controls.

Image 1 - Image 1 - Banding showing up in part of the sky The higher dynamic range of RAW files also comes in handy when the image is overexposed. RAW files allow you to recover at least one extra stop in highlight detail which would be lost as blown-out, white areas in JPEG images.

Setting your camera to JPEG forces you to stick to the presets you have chosen (contrast, colour saturation, sharpening, noise reduction etc) before taking the picture. This is a compromise since individual images taken under different conditions will need specific, optimum settings. All these parameters can be set individually as you process RAW files.

Another often overlooked advantage of shooting in RAW is that the RAW conversion software keeps getting better, especially its sharpening and noise reduction algorithms. Once you have collected some superb shots over the years (and archived them as RAW files!) you can always go back and extract even better images using the latest software.

The latest generation of cameras do a lot of lens correction before saving the JPEG file: lens distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting which allows the manufacturer to build smaller and cheaper lenses, without compromising image quality. So if you switch to RAW you need to make sure that your RAW converter can correct for those deficiencies and that it has a profile for your lens.

RAW conversion software If you opt for RAW shooting, you need to use a RAW converter. Your camera comes bundled with the necessary software which you need to install on your computer but most people prefer a third-party option.

Image 2 shows you Adobe Camera Raw, one of the most popular RAW converters, part of Adobe Photoshop.

Perhaps you think RAW editing and conversion is tedious because all parameters can be edited individually for each shot but most converters come with batch functions which allow you to process a whole bunch of files in one go.

JPEG or RAW? This is the million dollar question. If you take care with proper exposure and only use your images for onscreen viewing or small prints, then you are better off with JPEG output from your camera. Keep in mind that resaving your images in JPEG format after editing will further

If you want to squeeze the last bit of quality out of your hardware, you need to take the RAW file route. It can make a noticeable difference in a large print. If you find yourself shooting in challenging conditions, for example under low light and extreme contrast, RAW files will make it easier to extract more detail in shadow and highlight areas.

Many cameras allow you to save both JPEG and RAW files at the same time and with a slight penalty in shooting speed you can get the benefits of both. But in most cases the JPEGs will do the job, and you can process the RAW versions when necessary!

A host of RAW converters are available for tablets and smartphones.

Image 3 shows part of the controls you’ll find in Adobe Lightroom for Samsung tablets.

But there lots of photo editor apps out there catering for RAW shooting.

Photo Mate R3 comes with a data base for lenses to fix issues such as vignetting, distortion and chromatic aberration which is about as pro as it gets on Android. Snapseed is certainly amongst the best photo editor apps, and it can also handle your RAW files.

Image 3 - Adobe Lightroom for Samsung Tablet

The screen shot shows you one of the many tabs for controlling light temperature, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows and colour saturation. The red arrow points

www.divenewzealand.com 65

By region. To list your dive/sports stores contact Dive New Zealand for information.

Phil Bendle e: pbendle@gmail.com

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This an interesting video taken after he had a suffering a bend. http://tiny.cc/255

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This link is a gallery of images from Alex Tyrrell a professional underwater photo journalist based in Thailand. The gallery has many portfolios including, Wideangle, Macro, Blackwater, Fluorescence, Above water and 20 diving locations world wide. http://tiny.cc/tyrrell

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suit repairs, seals, zips, boots, leaks Viking • Otter • Fourth Element

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AUCKLAND / DISTRICTS dnz159

On 5 December 2012, the car carrier Baltic Ace sank with more than 1,400 cars on board after a collision with a container ship near the entrance of the main shipping lane leading to Rotterdam port. Video of the wreck removal. http://tiny.cc/baltic

Northland Dive World Class Diving package – Great diving mixed with even better accommodation, meals and hospitality. Dive with the team that instigated the sinking of the Canterbury Frigate. Full Gear available incl NITROX – PADI /TDI/ SDI training “Unbelievable value for money”. 3851 Russell Road, Whangaruru, Bay of Islands, P: 09 433 6633, E: info@northlanddive.com www.info@northlanddive.com (DNZ162)

Performance Diver NZ’s diving superstore! Massive stocks of all lines at unbelievable prices. PADI 5 star Instructor Development Centre offering training from beginner to Instructor. Local & national dive charters, overseas trips, servicing, air fills and rental. Open 7 days!

74 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna (behind Avanti bikes). 09 489 7782 www.performancediver.co.nz (DNZ159)

09-530 8117 E: info@divedoctor.co.nz www.divedoctor.co.nz

New Zealand Diving Charters to the Hauraki Gulf incl marine reserves, Little & Great Barrier Islands.

Also overseas trips. NZ’s leading SDI & TDI 5 star IDC & PADI with a wide selection of courses. Qualmark endorsed. Nitrox, 300bar fills, servicing & rental hire.

Full selection of gear for sports & tec divers.

22 Whitaker Rd, Warkworth.

P: 0800 NZDIVING. E: Neil@NZDiving.co.nz www.NZDiving.co.nz (DNZ164) Auckland Scuba on Auckland’s north shore.

PADI 5 STAR IDC diver training specialists. PADI dive courses beginner to instructor and tec rec. Part time/ full time tertiary (student loan approved), NZQA credits. Dive trips, air/nitrox fills, cylinder testing, equipment servicing. Top quality equipment!

Unit I, 121 Rosedale Rd, Albany.

P: 09 478 2814 E: info@aucklandscuba.co.nz www.aucklandscuba.co.nz (DNZ160)

Manufacturing Quality Wetsuits in New Zealand for New Zealand conditions.

DNZ164

DIVING THE WEB

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DIVE STORES / TRAVEL

More information on Dive Stores, Clubs & Travel at www.DiveNewZealand.com

www.seaquel.co.nz

15G Porana Rd, Glenfield, Auckland wetsuits@seaquel.co.nz Tel: 09 443 2771

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COROMANDEL / BAY OF PLENTY Dive Zone Whitianga Only PADI 5 Star IDC facility on the Coromandel Peninsula. PADI courses from Open Water to Instructor. Dive trips from boat, shore and kayak, to many amazing dive sites. Full gear service and extensive retail store. Open 7 days.

10 Campbell Street, Whitianga, P: 07-867 1580, E: info@divethecoromandel.co.nz www.divezonewhitianga.co.nz (DNZ159) Cathedral Cove Dive & Snorkel Half day trips – everyday through the summer at 9.30am & 1.30pm. Marine reserve or outer reef diving for new and experienced divers. Full gear hire.

Individuals & groups welcome. Check out our website for a full list of dive sites and prices, or link onto our facebook page for an up-to-date weather/sea/dive report in the Hahei & Mercury Bay areas. 48 Hahei Beach Rd, Hahei Phone 0800 CCDIVE (0800 223 483) www.hahei.co.nz/diving

CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

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Dive & Gas Gisborne's authorised Aqualung dealer with full product range. A great range of other Scuba and Snorkel gear in-store as well. Plus we test and fill all Scuba Tanks. Kevin & Tracey Halverson, cnr Carnarvon St, and Childers Rd, Gisborne.

P: 06 867 9662 E: diveandgas@gmail.com (DNZ162) Dive Zone Tauranga is Tauranga’s only PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre offering everything from Open Water courses to Specialty Instructor training. Gear sales for all scuba, spearfishing & snorkelling needs.

Hire equipment, gear servicing, air fills, dive charters, cylinder testing and more! See us at 213 Cameron Road, Tauranga, P: (07) 578 4050, 0800 DIVE ZONE

E: info@diveshop.co.nz

www.scubadivingtauranga.co.nz

(DNZ162)

Dive HQ Rotorua Start your diving adventure with this PADI 5 Star training centre, your leading BOP dive & kayak shop. Showcasing a great range of quality diving, spearfishing, kayaking & water sports equipment. Filling and testing of dive cylinders, servicing of regulators and BCD’s. An IANZ certified cylinder test centre. 290 Te Ngae Rd, next to Repco.

P: 07-345 3047 E: info@divehqrotorua.co.nz www.divehqrotorua.co.nz (DNZ159)

DNZ161

DIVE STORES / TRAVEL

More information on Dive Stores, Clubs & Travel at www.DiveNewZealand.com

WELLINGTON / DISTRICTS Dive Wellington Become a Padi Dive Instructor with our fulltime Diploma course.

NZQA approved and eligible for student loans and allowances. Contact us for a course prospectus. Dive Wellington is an audited and approved sub contractor of Academy of Diving Trust E: dive@divewellington.co.nz P: 04 939 3483 www.divewellington.co.nz (DNZ163)

NZ Sea Adventures PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre – also TDI Technical diver training including CCR. Open 7 days. Dive courses – beginner to Instructor. Club dives and trips in NZ and overseas.

Dive retail, fills, gear hire & servicing.

9 Marina View, Mana, Porirua.

P: 04 233-8238 E: nzsa@scubadiving.co.nz www.scubadiving.co.nz (DNZ160) Dive Kapiti Your scuba, freediving & spearfishing specialists in the heart of the Kapiti coast. Quality servicing, airfills, dive training, Kapiti Island dive & spearfishing trips and retail sales. Full range of Cressi products, our friendly staff are always happy to help!

27 Milne Drive Paraparaumu 5032.

P: 04 297 0075 E: craig@divekapiti.co.nz www.divekapiti.co.nz (DNZ162) Island Bay Divers NZ’s Pro Gold Centre, Wellington’s oldest dive shop. Top brand retail, equipment hire, servicing all brands. Tanks tested within 24 hours.

CMAS, NAUI & PADI training. Club dives every Saturday. Corner Reef St & The Parade, Island Bay. Summer open 7 days 9am–6pm, winter closed Tues & Wed. P: 04-383 6778, E: tim@ibdivers.co.nz, www.ibdivers.co.nz (DNZ164) Dive & Ski HQ Wellington PADI dive courses – beginner to professional qualifications, tertiary courses available. Dive club with regular local, national & overseas trips. Wide range of diving/ spearfishing equipment and accessories.

Equipment servicing/tank testing. Open 7 days.

14 Waione St, Petone. P: (04)568 5028. www.diveski.co.nz E: diveskihq@xtra.co.nz www.facebook.com/DiveSkiHQ (DNZ161)

Dive HQ Christchurch 30 years industry experience, Christchurch’s only PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre and Adventure Activities Certified for SCUBA diving and snorkelling. Busy retail store selling the world’s leading brands and offering PADI recreational and tertiary SCUBA qualifications. Full range of spearfishing equipment including breath hold courses. Quality gear hire, service centre, Enriched Air training and filling station, local and international dive and spearfishing trips.103 Durham St Sth. Sydenham, Christchurch.

Freephone 0800-DIVEHQ. P: (03)379- 5804 www.diveskiworld.co.nz E: sales@diveskiworld.co.nz (DNZ162)

Spirit of Freedom visits the remote dive destinations of Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs, and Coral Sea. The 37m vessel offers spacious en-suite cabins, every comfort on board, and exceptional service. Marine encounters include the potato cod feed, Minke whales in season, and the shark dive at Osprey Reef.

E: info@spiritoffreedom.com.au www.spiritoffreedom.com.au (DNZ164)

sales and servicing

High Pressure Equipment NZ Ltd

Tusa Dive Cairns local day dive operators with over 30 years experience diving the Great Barrier Reef.

Tusa’s fast modern catamaran the Tusa 6 will visit two unique sites where you can enjoy up to three dives in the day. Tusa Dive also offer a great day out for snorkellers. P: 00617 4047 9100 E: info@tusadive.com www.tusadive.com (DNZ164)

Waikawa Dive Centre located at Waikawa Marina, Picton. Offering dive training and trips through the Marlborough Sounds. Fully-certified dive cylinder filling/testing, dive gear servicing/repairs, hire gear.

Carrying a multi-brand range of diving equipment.

Open 7 days during summer. Ready to take care of all your diving needs.

P: 03-573-5939, F: 03-573-8241 waikawadive@xtra.co.nz www.waikawadivecentre.co.nz www.facebook.com/WaikawaDiveCentre (DNZ160) Deep Blue Diving Making diving affordable for all divers. The Deep Blue brand is well known for its value for money and has a strong company reputation for delivering quality and excellent service. Visit our website or come in and see us for a huge range of dive gear, equipment servicing, tank filling, gear hire and Padi training.

15B Byron St, Sydenham, Christchurch 8025.

P: 03 332 0898 E: sales@deepbluediving.co.nz www.deepbluediving.co.nz (DNZ163)

DIVE COMPRESSOR

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Master Agents for Bauer Kompressoren in New Zealand and have been for the past 20 years.

• Servicing & repairs of all compressor brands: Bauer, Poseidon, Coltri, Bristol, Brownie. and most other brands.

• High pressure regulators.

• High pressure pumps.

• Compressor consumables and spare parts.

• Customised filling panels.

• Breathing air equipment.

HDS Australia-Pacific

PO Box: 347 Dingley Village Victoria 3172, Australia. www.classicdiver.org

New Zealand Master Agents for: BAUER KOMPRESSOREN compressors/spare parts BAUER-POSEIDON compressors and spare parts

COOK ISLANDS

ISOUTH ISLAND Dive Kaikoura is the only dive shop on the North Canterbury East Coast. Located 180kms North of Christchurch off State Highway 1 in the beautiful South Island. Specialists in having Fun, Tours, Shore Dives, Spearfishing, Air Fills, Nitrox, PADI 5 Star Courses.

Servicing of all gear AND we’re a Cressi Premium Dealer! Dive Kaikoura 13 Yarmouth St, Kaikoura.

03 319 6622. www.divekaikoura.co.nz.

Open October to June.

Dive Aitutaki with Bubbles Below Explore Aitutaki’s underwater world with Bubbles Below. Only 40 minutes from mainland Rarotonga to the picturesque island of Aitutaki.PADI dive courses Beginner to Dive Master. Manned boats during dives! Safety and enjoyment paramount! ‘Take only Memories & Leave only Bubbles Dive Safe, Dive Rite, Dive Bubbles Below!’ www.diveaitutaki.com E: bubblesbelow@aitutaki.net.ck (DNZ164)

Fiordland Discovery Fiordland boasts some of New Zealand’s most spectacular diving, fishing and hunting.

We offer six-day, five-night private charters in the Fiords and the Tasman Sea. Be one of the first to discover Fiordland aboard our luxurious new cruise boat, the Fiordland Jewel. Multi-day cruises, private charters and individual bookings are available for diving, fishing & hunting. #Fiordlandjewel P: 0800 100 105 or +64 3 441 3322 E: hello@fiordlanddiscovery.co.nz www.fiordlanddiscovery.co.nz www.facebook.com/FiordlandDiscovery (DNZ160)

The Dive Centre – The Big Fish PADI 5-star dive operator. Services: intro/lagoon dives, dive trips twice a day, courses, retail and rental gear. 2 boats, boats are manned with an instructor, 7 days, night dives. Aroa Beach by the Rarotongan Resort.

Go Dive Marlborough Specialist TDI technical diver training facility. Mixed gas, decompression and advanced wreck courses. Operate Lermontov Lodge (Port Gore) our base to diving one of the world’s biggest wrecks the Mikhail Lermontov. Weekly tours ex Picton from 1–6 days. Direct flights from Wellington to Port Gore. Group charters by arrangement. www.godive.co.nz Freephone 0800 GODIVE Email info@godive.co.nz (DNZ161)

PROFIT OR SCANDAL

our deepwater – fishery

0804

DNZ163

DIVE STORES / TRAVEL

Contact us at: ph 09 444 0804, fax 09 443 1121

32 Parkway Drive, Mairangi Bay, Auckland.

Email info@highpressure.co.nz

www.highpressure.co.nz

P: 682 20238 or 682 55238 E: info@thedivecentre-rarotonga.com www.thedivecentre-rarotonga.com (DNZ159)

INTERNATIONAL DIVE OPERATORS AND RESORTS

AUSTRALIA Pro Dive Cairns Offers the highest quality, best value PADI dive courses and 3-day liveaboard Outer Great Barrier Reef dive trips in Cairns. We have 16 exclusive dive sites across 4 different reefs to choose from and departures 6 days/week.

Check out www.prodivecairns.com or call us on +617 4031 5255 or E: info@prodivecairns.com (DNZ161)

FIJI Wananavu Beach Resort – Suncoast Fiji The legendary Bligh Waters are waiting for you at our PADI 5 star Dive Resort and with PADI qualified Dive Staff that know the dive sites like the back of their hands. Offering Viti Levu’s first onsite Nitrox and rated in Trip Advisor’s top 10 resorts in the Fiji Islands in 2014 , 2015 and 2016 means you have the best ResortDive Combo in Fiji. So come and see for yourself! dive@wananavu.com www.wananavu.com (DNZ160)

To place local & international classified ads contact Colin Gestro - Affinity Ads M: 027 256 8014 colin@affinityads.com

NOVEMBER/DECEM BER 2009

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PRODUCTS | SERVICES Captain Cook Cruises Reef Endeavour and Tivua Island are 5 star PADI operations – Discover Scuba – Scuba Dive – Open water dive – Advance Wreck Dive, MV Raiyawa at Tivua Island. Fiji P: +679 6701 823 E: fiji@captaincookcruisesfiji.com www.captaincookcruisesfiji.com (DNZ160) Subsurface Fiji Visit Fiji for fun, relaxing tropical diving. Subsurface Fiji PADI 5-Star Dive shops are located in the beautiful Mamanuca Islands, offering daily trips and courses to some of the best dive spots in Fiji. Subsurface provides full diving services from Musket Cove, Plantation, Malolo, Likuliku, Tropica, Lomani, Funky Fish, Namotu, Tavarua, Wadigi & Navini Island Resorts.

E: info@subsurfacefiji.com www.subsurfacefiji.com (DNZ159) Mantaray Island Resort Yasawa Islands – Fiji – Over 40 dive sites ; vibrant reefs, stunning coral gardens, caves, swim throughs, wall dives, drop offs, shark dives, turtles, and a stunning house reef. Fiji’s only accredited free-diving school, Mantaray swimming May–Oct. Small group diving in a safe and enjoyable environment visit us at www.mantarayisland.com (DNZ164) Volivoli Beach Resort offers you relaxed, unspoilt white sandy beaches in a spectacular part of Fiji. Ra Divers operates from the resort giving you a water wonderland on the worlds best soft coral dive sites.

The Fiji Siren is a livaboard boat offering you 7 and 10 night dive packages. www.volivoli.com E: info@volivoli.com P: +679 9920942 (DNZ160)

SOLOMONS Raiders Hotel and Dive Wreck and Reef diving, Accommodation, Bar and dining, Snorkelling Hiking and more. Located 1 hour from Honiara on the waterfront of the historic Tulagi harbour. Dive Discover – Relax. www.raidershotel.com email raidershotel@solomon.com.sb ph +677 7594185 / 7938017 (DNZ162) SIDE Dive Munda – Dive the unexplored Experience Magical Munda at Agnes Gateway Hotel.

Award winning service and pristine diving. SSI Instructor Training Centre. WWII wrecks, caves and reefs – untouched and unspoilt. www.divemunda.com divemunda@dive-solomon.com Find us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram (DNZ162) SIDE TAKA Dive See more of the Solomon Islands by liveaboard! Save $700 on a 7 night booking on board MV Taka: 7 Nights Accommodation; 3 gourmet meals daily; 24 Dives – sharks, WWII wrecks, manta rays, night dives; Round trip airport transfers. Conditions apply. For more information or to make a reservations: book@dive-solomon.com (DNZ162) Tulagi Dive Solomon Islands An underwater paradise for marine life and explore the many ships and aircraft wrecks at the famous Iron Bottom Sound. We offer the PADI and TDI courses. Phone (+677) 25700 www.tulagidive.com dive@tulagidive.com (DNZ162)

PRODUCTS | SERVICES | BOAT CHARTERS BY AREA

TRIPS/CHARTERS

VANUATU Nautilus Watersports Vanuatu’s longest running dive operation in Port Vila with 30+ years’ experience.

Nautilus offers 4 dives a day (double dive both morning and afternoon). We also offer PADI course from Discover Scuba right through to Dive Master. For dive groups we can also offer diving/accommodation packages. P: Peter or Leanne +678 22 398 www.nautilus.com.vu E: nautilus@vanuatu.com.vu (DNZ160)

DIVE HOLIDAY Travelandco Holidays Experience amazing diving holidays in some of the best dive locations in the South Pacific and beyond. Our team can provide you with expert advice on the best diving options. Learn to dive, enjoy a liveaboard adventure or talk to us today to arrange a holiday for your dive group or friends.

Make your Diving Holiday DREAMS a reality.

P: +64 (9) 479 2210 Toll Free NZ: 0508 348 334 E: divetravel@travelandco.nz www.travelandco.nz (DNZ161)

SPEAKERS/LECTURERS Available for talks to dive clubs etc. You can find full details on these speakers/lectures at www.DiveNewZealand.co.nz/dive-in-nz/dive-shops/ Terry Brailsford Wreck diving for gold & treasure. Incl the Rothschild jewellery, search for General Grant.

0274 958816, theadmiral@xtra.co.nz Tony Howell History and entertainment with lots of rare historical photos and illustrations – 12 powerpoints in total. 45 mins –1 hr each.

Contact me for topics. 04 233-8238, www.scubadiving.co.nz tony@scubadiving.co.nz

CRUISE FIORDLAND fish

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hunt

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cruise

Fish, Hunt, Dive or Cruise aboard the fully refurbished MV Cindy Hardy. Fiordland or Stewart Island, our scenic cruises will provide you with a once in a lifetime experience.

Everything is provided regardless of how short or long your time on board with us is.

Cruise options available on our website. www.cruisefiordland.com info@cruisefiordland.com +6421 088 14530

(DNZ156)

Outer Gulf Charters One hour north of Auckland CBD Providing divers with the ultimate diving day out with diver lift, fast/comfortable travel, hot water shower, and all the tea and coffee you want.

Recommended Dive Sites: Goat Island Marine Reserve, Mokohinau Islands, Great/Little Barrier, Sail Rock/Hen & Chickens in style. Trip schedule and info www.outergulfcharters.co.nz or phone Julie 021 827 855

Dr Roger Grace ‘Why do we need no-take zones?’; ‘20 years as a Greenpeace photographer’.

021 126 5292, gracer@xtra.co.nz Darren Shields Spearfishing titles,uw cameraman, author. Motivating/compelling/innovative/inspiring/ entertaining P: 09-4794231, 021839118, darren@wettie.co.nz Jamie Obern Technical instructor/cave diver, 20+ years exp. globally. Photos/video: uw caves in Mexico, USA, UK, NZ, Australia. Techdive NZ/GUE NZ instructor. P: 021 614 023, www.techdivenz.com jamie@techdivenz.com Dave Moran Ching Dynasty porcelain from the Tek Sing. P: Dive New Zealand 09-521 0684, E: divenz@DiveNewZealand.co.nz

We can create your advert or classified ad for you! colin@affinityads.com

THIS SPACE COULD BE YOURS Enquiries to: Colin Gestro Affinity Ads M: 027 256 8014 colin@affinityads.com

Aimed to reach the beginner through to the advanced diver. This edition refers to local conditions and fish species of New Zealand. Sections include: equipment, diving and hunting techniques, diving situations, medical, fish id characteristics, useful contacts.

A5 Soft cvr, 48 pgs, b&w, colour sections.

DV014

Available at your local dive store

or order online at www.DiveNewZealand.com

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www.seatech.co.nz

Ph: 09 521 0684 info@seatech.co.nz

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‘Best ever, anywhere’ prize on offer at 2018 Hutchwilco Boat Show www.boatshow.co.nz Boaties, divers and fishers at the 2018 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in Auckland in May will have the chance to win a boat package worth over $180,000!

Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show general manager, Dave Gibbs, says show organisers are incredibly excited to be offering a prize of this size and value.

He says that, thanks to Surtees and Yamaha, the Grand Prize will be a “true life changer” for one lucky show-goer.

“The winner of this amazing prize will be able to safely and comfortably cruise off to remote destinations and happily fish, dive and play with family or friends when they get there.

“It will have a top speed of at least 43 knots, will cruise comfortably and economically at 20-22 knots and will have a cruising range of over 250 nautical miles.

“It will come with a comprehensive Garmin electronics package, including a 7412 multi-function display, radar, a GT51 down view, side view transducer and VHF. It will sit on a top-of-the-line Epic

Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland May 17-20, 2018.

10am to 6pm; late night Friday to 9pm.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Admission: Adults: on-line $18; at the gate $20; children 16 & under FREE.

Airtec DAN Honda Inon Nauticam Niue

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Oceandry Outdoor Sports NZ SeaTech SIDE Dive Munda Solomons Subscription

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trailer worth almost $19,000 and come complete with a Balex auto boat loader, Loan Star drum winch, Fusion stereo system, Seadek flooring in the cabin and cockpit and on the coamings, as well as a set of Hutchwilco lifejackets and a year’s Yamaha Marine Insurance.

All tickets, whether bought on line or at the show gates, are eligible to enter the draw for this amazing Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize.

Show visitors simply need to collect all 8 stamps from the clearly marked stamping booths on their paid admission ticket, answer some simple questions, fill in their contact details and place their completed ticket in one of the entry boxes. Then, should their ticket be the winning one, they will need to answer their designated phone when it rings between 7 and 7.30pm on Sunday, May 20th.

Spirit of Freedom Suunto Brandex Tech Fest Wakatobi Yamaha

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The prize, which will definitely be won by one very lucky visitor to the show, is an astounding Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize that is almost certainly the biggest, most expensive single prize ever given away at a boat show, anywhere in the world.

So Solomons, So Adventurous!

Explore the hidden paradise of the South Pacific archipelago, comprising of a vast group of 922 breathtaking tropical islands. Diving in the Solomon Islands has gained an enviable worldwide reputation that is unsurpassed.

Experience the abundance of World War II history, via the Solomons numerous wreck dives. Get up close to the extraordinary array of differing reef structures and bio-assemblage.

If you are not a diver, but interested in learning, there could be no better place to discover this completely new world, than the warm crystal clear waters around the Solomon Islands.Throughout these magic islands is an endless variety of dive sites to suit all tastes and levels of experience.

With worldclass dive sites in Honiara, The Floridas, Iron Bottom Sound, Gizo, Munda, Western Marovo and Eastern Marovo the Solomon Islands are sure to provide a dive experience like no other.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau Head Office PO Box 321, Mendana Avenue, Honiara, Solomon Islands call (677) 22442 or email info@sivb.com.sb

www.visitsolomons.com.sb

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THE ALL-NEW YAMAHA F90 FOUR-STROKE With 14,000km of coastline, over 180,000km of rivers, and 3,820 lakes, there’s more to the land of the long white cloud than land. And now, with its class leading performance, the all-new Yamaha F90 can get you to those undiscovered fishing spots quicker than ever before. What’s more, the F90’s unrivalled reliability means you can relax in the knowledge you’re in good hands. So take the helm, explore what’s on your doorstep and see New Zealand like never before.

SAME PLANET. DIFFERENT WORLD.

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/YamahaMarineNZ