4e5ys by freedos

WorldMags.net

Locally Grown

With super high-definition 4K video, you may be able to capture every shade of blue in the world. But we recommend adding a few more colors. The Vega Video + Photo Light will illuminate your subject with 2200 lumens of color-popping power in a package small enough to fit in your pocket. You'll never look at underwater video the same way again.

Find an Authorized Ikelite Dealer at ikelite.com.

WorldMags.net

Contents SD 08/14

pg.

46 BRANDON COLE; CARRIE GARCIA

Graveyard of the Pacific Chuuk Lagoon has one of the greatest concentrations of shipwrecks on Earth, and includes the San Francisco Maru.

On the Cover: A Caribbean reef shark — Carcharhinus perezi — in the Bahamas. Photo by Greg Lecoeur

ST O RY A N D P HO T O S BY B R A N D O N C O L E

WHAT’S INSIDE:

pg.

Regulators Looking for your dream reg? We think you’ll find it among these 11 easy breathers. By Roger Roy

4 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

pg.

Year of the Shark Join Project AWARE and Sport Diver in protecting these vulnerable fish.

WorldMags.net

pg.

Roatan Do you travel solo? We may have found the ideal island for meeting a buddy. By Brooke Morton

WorldMags.net

BETTER STARTS NOW

citizenwatch.com

PROMASTER AQUALAND DEPTH METER

Eco-Drive Light-Powered Technology • 200 Meter Water Resistant Depth Display to 70 Meters • Maximum Depth Memory • One-Way Rotating Elapsed-Time Bezel • Screw-Back Case and Screw-Down Crown WorldMags.net • Rapid Ascent Alarm • Power Reserve Indicator • 53mm • ISO Compliant Diver • •

HELZBERG DIAMONDS helzberg.com

WorldMags.net Sport Diver

PREDIVE // A U G U S T 2 0 1 4

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E P A D I D I V I N G S O C I E T Y

CONNECT AT:

f t@

ONE DIVE AT A TIME

FACEBOOK .COM / SPORTDIVER

SPORTDIVERMAG

@ SPORTDIVER

SPORTDIVER.COM

he concept was simple: Use crowdsourcing to create a community of divers committed to fighting marine debris and helping sharks in peril. On World Oceans Day in 2011, Project AWARE announced its plan to dedicate itself to these two issues. The nonprofit asked divers to join the movement, and before long, thousands were participating in underwater cleanups and events aimed at ending shark finning (for more on why these fish need our help, turn to page 34). The problems facing our oceans are enormous, but added together, little things can lead to huge changes. Don't fret about starting small. As American pilot Betty Reese once said, "If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito." Check out Project AWARE’s My Ocean online eco network at projectaware.org, and join the thousands of divers who are engaged in protecting our marine resources — one dive at a time. Patricia Wuest Editor-in-Chief

enjoyed “The Planet’s 10 Coolest PADI Specialties” (April). In 2013 I enrolled in PADI’s Divemaster program. The physical and mental demands of the program were very rewarding, and the instructors introduced us to additional learning opportunities. I jumped at the chance to take the Self-Reliant Diver Distinctive Specialty course, and it had a profound impact on me. As a Divemaster candidate, I wanted to expand my skill set. Since taking the course, these skills have made me a more confident dive buddy. For me personally, diving has moved beyond recreational. The real enjoyment I experience is helping others discover the joy of diving. The Self-Reliant training highlighted the value and use of the buddy system, equipment redundancy, dive planning/gas management, and the risks of and risk management when diving alone.

EDITORIAL

Patricia Wuest EDITOR - IN- CHIEF Mary Frances Emmons DEPUTY EDITOR Tara Bradley SENIOR EDITOR Rebecca Strauss MANAGING EDITOR Roger Roy GEAR EDITOR Cindy Martin COPY EDITOR Veronica Brezina, Megan Elliott, Emilee Jackson, Eric Rodriguez INTERNS ART

Elizabeth Fleener ART DIRECTOR Kim Kuhn PHOTO EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Jim Caruso, Brandon Cole, Paul Colley, Anna DeLoach, Ned DeLoach, Travis Marshall, Brooke Morton, Alex Mustard, David Shiffman DIGITAL

Steve Spears DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Martin Kuss SENIOR DIGITAL PRODUCER Becca Hurley DIGITAL PRODUCER Alex Bean DIGITAL EDITOR SALES

Laura Walker GROUP PUBLISHER laura.walker@bonniercorp.com David Benz ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER david.benz@bonniercorp.com Linda Sue Dingel TERRITORY MANAGER 407-913-4945; lindasue.dingel@bonniercorp.com Jeff Mondle TERRITORY MANAGER 760-419-5898; jeff.mondle@bonniercorp.com Kelly Freygang ACCOUNT ASSOCIATE 407-571-4743; kelly.freygang@bonniercorp.com Tracey Voorhees ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR 407-571-4986; tracey.voorhees@bonniercorp.com PADI DIVING SOCIETY

Theresa Kaplan PADI DIVING SOCIETY DIRECTOR 949-858-7234, ext. 2322; theresa.kaplan@padi.com Adrianne Miller PADI DIVING SOCIETY MARKETING CONSULTANT 949-858-7234, ext. 2513; adrianne.miller@padi.com Matt Hickman VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR OF BRAND STRATEGIES David Butler VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL DIRECTOR Jerry Pomales CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shawn Bean EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Haley Bischof GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR Oriana Avila MARKETING MANAGER , DIVE & TRAVEL GROUP Lindsay Gigler CONTENT SOLUTIONS MANAGER Jeff Cassell CORPORATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Kelly Kramer Weekley SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Suzanne Oberholtzer DESIGN SERVICES DIRECTOR Julia Arana, Willy Frei, Jennifer Remias GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Sheri Bass HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

— Scott Baker, Cary, North Carolina

EMAIL THE EDITOR at editor@sportdiver.com.

Share the Shark Love

Share your favorite shark story, or tell us about anything else you liked — or didn’t — about this issue. If we publish your letter, we’ll send you a special edition Jaws Blu-ray DVD.

TRIBE PRIZE

Doing Our Part for the Environment This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. 6 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

Jonas Bonnier CHAIRMAN Dave Freygang CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric Zinczenko EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT David Ritchie CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Nancy Coalter CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Lisa Earlywine CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Elizabeth Burnham Murphy CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Leslie Glenn CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER Sean Holzman CHIEF BRAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER John Reese VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Perri Dorset VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC RELATIONS Jeremy Thompson GENERAL COUNSEL All contents copyright 2014 Bonnier Corporation. No use may be made of materials contained herein without express written consent. For inquiries, please contact us at Bonnier Corporation, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40612608 Canada Post Returns: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London ON N6C 6B2 Canada Printed in the USA Retail single copy sales: ProCirc Retail Solutions Group, Tony DiBisceglie For reprints, email reprints@bonniercorp.com.

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS,

such as renewals, address changes, email preferences, billing and account status, go to: sportdiver.com/cs. You can also email pdsmember@emailcustomerservice.com. In the U.S.. call toll-free 888-333-7234. Outside the U.S.. call 386-447-2535 or write to Sport Diver, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

WorldMags.net

TOP: CARRIE GARCIA

You can be our dive buddy any time, Scott. We hope you enjoy the Aqua Lung Impression mask we’re sending you as thanks for writing to us.

WorldMags.net

PURE AIR. PURE ADVENTURE.

OCEANUS 4.9 scfm | 139 l/min 5000 psi | 345 bar 5 to 6 hp | 3.7 to 4.5 kW

Connect with us. Photo Credit: Dave Crago Photography

Our leading design technology, coupled with stringent quality control, produces unsurpassed breathing air compressor systems that have been tested for safety and reliability. You can be confdent each breath of air is the purest. PREMIER products. PORTABLE systems. PURE air.

WorldMags.net

www.bauercomp.com

WorldMags.net

Kona

Maui Contact us today for your

• Manta Night Dive & Snorkel • Daily Dive Trips • “Pelagic Magic” Night Dive • Summer Camps for Kids & Teens • PADI Outstanding Dive Center • PADI Instructor Training • Beginners thru Advanced • Retail, Rental, Repair, Pool

SunQuest loves divers! Stay with SunQuest Vacations and enjoy all the comforts of home. SunQuest offers affordable furnished condos on the Kona/ Kohala Coast. Dive our great dive sites and sit on your lanai and watch the sunset. Call about our affordable dive packages! 1-800-367-5168 www.sunquest-hawaii.com

FREE 70-page Maui Vacation Guide

808-329-7585 800-345-4807 dive@jacksdivinglocker.com www.jacksdivinglocker.com

Oahu

Maui

Oahu

Waikiki Dive Center • PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center • Complimentary Shuttle Service • Coast Guard Certified boats in two locations • Waikiki’s Only Full Service Dive Center since 1979 • Separate Trips Daily for Experienced & Beginner Divers • Equipment Rental & Sales • Amazing Wreck Diving on Oahu 808-922-2121 www.waikikidiving.com

Dive Oahu • PADI 5 Star IDC Gold Palm Resort • Do Your IDC in Hawaii! • Daily Boat Charters to Shipwrecks: Sea Tiger/YO-257/San Pedro • Three minutes from Waikiki • ScubaPro, Tusa, Aqualung, Aeris • Open Water Diver through Instructor certifications available • Referral Program ( Begin your training at home and complete your Open Water training with us!) • Afternoon shallow reef dives!

(808) 922-DIVE www.DiveOahu.com

Over 30 years on Maui – an exceptional underwater experience – fun, safe, helpful and professional service. Whether beginner or advanced, we offer ocean activities that will meet or exceed your personal wishes and needs. Let’s Go Diving!

Two tank Dives to Lanai daily. Small groups our specialty. 12 Divers Max. Digital underwater camera rentals and instruction available. We shoot pictures on every Dive. Nitrox buy 1 fill get the 2nd for free.

808-879-3584 dive@mauiscuba.com www.mauiscuba.com

www.Hawaiianrafting.com 808-661-7333 Toll Free 1-866-529-2544

Maui

kauai ar

Maui

ers

ving Maga

Choice

Di ne

Voted BEST OVERALL DESTINATION USA & North America

• PADI 5 Star Training Center • Daily Boat/Shore Dives & Niihau • Spacious Boats w/Showers & Restrooms • Certification Courses • Snorkel/Scuba Rentals & Sales • 2 Locations on Kauai Toll Free 800.685.5889 www.seasportdivers.com

WorldMags.net

“More than just a dive shop” • • • • •

Boat, Shore and Night Dives Jeep Rentals, Island Activities Sales, Rentals, Service 7 Convenient store locations Maui Dive Shop Lodging

800-542-3483 www.mauidiveshop.com

WorldMags.net

Dive Briefs A R E YOU R FAVOR I T E DI V E S W I T H US AT f SH FAC E BOOK .COM/SPORT DIV E R

TRAVEL SUBCULTURE SPECIES DISCOVERY CONSERVATION GEAR

Wish You Were Here

Kelp Critters

SD 08/14

Once hunted for their fur, sea otters are endangered

CORNFORTH IMAGES/ALAMY

Find these sea mammals — among the smallest on earth — as they splash and bob in the kelp forests of Monterey Bay, California, and Whalers Cove and Cypress Cove in Point Lobos. Play a game of peek-a-boo as they peer back at you before ducking behind rocks. Otters sleep wrapped in kelp so they don’t drift far. You can encounter otters year-round, but viz is best — 15 to 30 feet — in fall and spring. Cold-water-diving gear is a must, as water temps hang in the 50s year-round. — MEGAN ELLIOTT

BRING THIS ALONG

WHEN TO GO:

Fall and spring

Stay Warm

Thermalution’s Yellow Grade Advanced vest will keep you warm in California’s cool Pacific waters as deep as 300 feet. The suit provides heat for 240 minutes on rechargeable batteries. $699; thermalution.us

WorldMags.net

WHERE TO GO:

Aquarius Dive Shop aquariusdivers.com

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 9

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

P E R F E C T 10

FOR MOR E I N FO ON H AWA I I’S BIG ISL A N D V ISI T S PORT DI V E R .COM/H AWAI I

BIG ISLAND, HAWAII Nature’s fiery, volcanic heart has produced stellar views, whether you’re underwater or on terra firma

The diver with the best light gets the most love at this nightly manta rodeo, when mantas come to feed on plankton attracted to your rays. Up to 20 mantas put on a whirling dervish of a good time while divers kneel and snorkelers hover. konadivingcompany.com

2 PELAGIC MAGIC

For curiosity seekers, it’s a dive like no other. Hang from a 40-foot line under a boat parked over 3,000 feet of black water, and see what oddities of the deep come up to greet you. FROM TOP: MASA USHIODA/COOLWATERPHOTO.COM (3); THINKSTOCK

jacksdivinglocker.com

3 HUMPBACK, PILOT, BEAKED, SPERM The Big Island’s Kona Coast is Whale Central in the winter months. For your best chance of almost-continuous sightings, and maybe even a snorkel encounter, a liveaboard like Kona Aggressor II is the way to go.

DIVERS GUIDE TO HAWAII

1 MANTA NIGHT DIVE

Average water temp Low to mid-70s F in winter to low 80s in summer and early fall » What to wear 3 mm to 5 mm wetsuit » Average Viz 100 feet is common on the Kona Coast » When to Go Year-round » More info sportdiver.com

BY M A RY F R A NC E S E M MO N S

aggressor.com

4 HELICOPTER TOURS

To really kick up your view of the Big Island, take to the air with a helicopter tour that can show you 10 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

much of the island in just a couple of hours. It’s an unbeatable way to appreciate the Big Island’s active volcanoes, lush valleys and plunging coastal waterfalls. sunquest-hawaii.com

5 LAND OF BUTTERS

If you’re a fish-ID fanatic, the Big Island is endlessly rewarding. Butterflyfish alone are a great example: There are dozens of types here, all endemic or rare, yet relatively easy to distinguish, from pyramid to ornate to fourspot, tinker’s, multiband and more.

8 LAVA TUBES

Another gift of Pele, goddess of volcanoes: misshapen “tubes” that form when the outside of an underwater lava flow cools faster than its still-flowing innards. For divers they create a playground where crabs, lobster and cowries dwell.

9 AU AU CRATER

As soon as your boat pulls up next to the dramatic V-shaped bowl that exposes an ancient landslide — one that extends far underwater — you know you are in a special spot. Below the waves, the colorful biomass is as spectacular as the topography, with humpback and pilot whales often just out of sight but not out of hearing.

6 HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Hawaii is still growing, literally: Volcanoes added 543 acres to the Big Island between 1983 and 2002. Visit the 500-square-mile national park to pay a visit to Kilauea and Mauna Loa — both active — the latter the most massive mountain on Earth, reaching 56,000 feet from the seabed.

HAWAI I

7 KONA BREWING CO.

Longboard Island Lager and Pipeline Porter are sold throughout the U.S., but you can go straight to the source with a tour of a Kona brewery. konabrewingco.com

ISLAND BUZZ

KILLER COFFEE Kona is rightly famous for its coffee. Kona Coffee Café is an excellent place to get educated over a great cup o’ joe — you also can tour many of the region’s hundreds of coffee farms. gohawaii.com

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR FOR MOR E I N FO ON DI V E T R AV EL , V ISI T S PORT DIV E R .COM

DIVE TRAVEL APPS/GADGETS

Cool travel software and toys plus diving equal a beautiful thing BY T R AV I S M A R S H A L L

Today our phones serve as cameras, entertainment libraries and navigation systems, so it’s no surprise they have been embraced as the ultimate travel accessories. Here are some great gadgets and apps to add to your next dive plan. 1

PADI APP

The official smartphone app from PADI uses your phone’s geolocation to find nearby dive centers. It also includes the PADI eCard, so you always have your C-card on hand. (Meaning, no more last-minute panic attacks after discovering your plastic version is in the hotel room.) padi.com

SMARTPHONES: THINKSTOCK

2 GORILLAPOD SMARTPHONE STAND

The Griptight Gorillapod Stand is a must-have, whether you need a mount to see your phone’s GPS maps in the rental car or a solid stand for watching movies on the plane. Grippy, flexible legs make it easy to set up, while a simple adjustable grip can hold any type of phone. joby.com

TRAKDOT LUGGAGE TRACKER 3

Pinpoint your dive bag’s location even if the airline can’t with this

tracking device. Pack the transponder in your luggage (there’s a $12.99 annual fee), and you can use the smartphone app to find your bag’s location anywhere in the world. trakdot.com 4

NITROX TOOLS APP

If you regularly dive nitrox and want a quick, accurate way to confirm your EAD, maximum/contingency depth, best mix and PPO2 calculations, the free Nitrox Tools app from More Mobile Software is the perfect way to check your math.

moremobilesoftware .com 5

ANKER ASTRO 3E

With the many uses of a smartphone, a battery crisis is never far away. That’s why a backup battery pack like the Anker Astro 3E is a must-have carry-on item. It’s compact enough to fit in your pocket but packs the juice to recharge your phone multiple times. ianker.com

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 11

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

liVing legaCY

at age 76, Jean-Michel cousteau has spent a lifetime working for the ocean he loves By r e B e c c a st r au s s

Q: We first met last year

By Ja M e s L . c a ru s O, M . D.

people understand the fragility and complexity of nature.

IT’S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING TO SEE TWO SHRIMPS FIGHTING EACH OTHER ON A 100-FOOT SCREEN IN 3-D.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about it? A: Today’s camera equipment allows

us to spy on anything. I’ve been diving 68 years, and there are things that I’ve never seen, although I’m swimming right over them. It’s absolutely fascinating, let’s say, to see two shrimps fighting each other on a 100-foot screen in 3-D.

Futures’ work with kids? You partner with the RitzCarlton Kids Club, right? A: Yes, but not just Ritz kids — kids. We take kids from downtown Los Angeles, who have never been near the ocean, who can’t swim, to our facility in Catalina, and in five days, they learn to swim. When you send those kids back to downtown L.A., they share what they’ve seen and experienced with their families, their neighbors, their friends.

Q: Do you think ocean conservation

is moving in the right direction? A: Yes, but we’re adding another 100

million people to the planet every year, so that’s putting a lot of pressure on finite resources. We need to look at the planet as the capital, and we can live off the interest. Unfortunately today, we’re gobbling up the capital, which will lead us to bankruptcy. These topics we’re talking about, though, would never have been discussed 20 years ago, so things are changing. The future is in the hands of the young.

Q: How is Ocean Futures

Society involved? A: I’m being featured, and

Cousteau gets up close with a hammerhead while filming Secret Ocean.

to read more about Jean-Michel cousteau and Ocean Futures society, go to oceanfutures.org.

12 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

Q: Can someone who has gone through cancer treatment return to diving?

Q: What about Ocean

on your 75th birthday at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji. What have you been up to since? A: We’ve been deeply involved in filming a new IMAX 3-D show called Secret Ocean in Fiji, in California and in the Caribbean. We’ll present it at the IMAX convention in Toronto, Canada, in September.

[Ocean Futures’ director of science and education] Dr. Richard Murphy did all the scientific research and has taken thousands of photographs. We hope it helps people discover the ocean, because how can you protect what you cannot understand? The whole idea is to make

Diving and cancer

WorldMags.net

Cancer cells

A: I get many questions about

severe medical diagnoses like cancer and heart disease. Every individual’s circumstances differ, but I have some basic recommendations. Improved diagnostic methods mean the number of cancer survivors continues to increase. Certain types of cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, have significantly improved cure rates, as do others, such as breast and prostate cancer, if found early enough. Treatment may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, all of which have long-term effects on the body. In many instances, cancer survivors can be medically cleared to dive. Considerations must include the type of cancer, the extent of any surgery, and the effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Removal of a lung, for example, would be more problematic than, say, the excision of a breast tumor. Some types of chemotherapy have lasting effects on the heart or lungs, and radiation treatment can cause permanent changes. Prior to returning to diving or taking it up as a new activity, every cancer survivor should have a detailed conversation with his or her oncologist.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARRIE VONDERHAAR, OCEAN FUTURES SOCIETY;SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/ALAMY; RICHARD MURPHY, PH.D., OCEAN FUTURES SOCIETY; OPPOSITE: PHILLIP COLLA/SEAPICS.COM

With a last name like his, it’s no wonder Jean-Michel Cousteau has dedicated his entire adult life to marine conservation. He founded the Ocean Futures Society in 1999 to serve as a “voice for the ocean.” This year, as he turns 76, he discusses how far we’ve come in protecting our seas — and how far we still have to go.

Diving Doctor

WorldMags.net

#explodingwhale

Is it really possible for a decomposing whale carcass to explode? By Pat r Ic I a W u e st

When a dead blue whale floated up on a Canadian beach in April and began ballooning faster than a contestant in a hot-dogeating contest, reports that it could explode went viral. The 81-foot whale weighed 60 tons — the equivalent of 60 Clydesdale horses. That’s a lot of whale guts. There were multiple videos, news reports, the hashtag #explodingwhale, and a website: hasthewhaleexploded yet.com. Charlize Theron

appeared in a Saturday Night Live sketch that featured two exploding whales. But could it really happen? National Geographic interviewed the explodingwhale website’s founder, marine biologist Andrew David Thaler, and asked, “Can a beached whale explode?” Not likely, Thaler said. “The massive throat pouch that you see inflating is designed to fill with seawater and then force it out through the baleen. It can handle a

lot of pressure.” Try telling that to the biologist who was attempting to dissect a sperm whale carcass that washed up on the Faroe Islands when it actually did explode. In fact, says Thaler, whales usually explode as the result of “people doing stuff to them. That’s one very good reason you should never approach a dead whale carcass.” Luckily for the residents of tiny Trout River (pop. about 600), Newfoundland,

M A k E

who were dealing with the stench (Thaler: “Decomposing whale is one of the worst smells in the world.”), biologists successfully dismantled the carcass.

T h E

Connection REEF & RAINFOREST

T R AV E l F O R A D V E N T U R E S E E k E R S Connect to your world, connect with your dive buddy and connect with the planet. Reef & Rainforest can connect you with expert travel advice, seamless transportaton, jaw-dropping dive sites, excitng adventure and a personalized itnerary to the destnaton of your dreams.

W W W. R E E F R A I N F O R E S T. C O M TOll FREE 1.800.794.9767

WorldMags.net ARC Accredited • ASTA • IATAN • CST 1021532-40

We prefer our whales swimming in the ocean rather than exploding on a beach.

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

THE SPONGE

Fossils from this stationary sea creature date back 650 million years BY N E D A N D A N NA D E L OAC H

A complex network of tiny mineralized rods forms the skeleton of many sponges, making them generally unpalatable to eat. Sponges are filter feeders, which draw water into the body with millions of tiny, internal whiplike appendages.

Unlike nearly all other animals, sponges show no reaction when disturbed.

Scuba diving for commercial, rather than recreational, purposes may have begun in ancient Greece, since both Plato and Homer mention the sponge as being used for bathing.

The first marinederived anticancer agent was developed from a sponge in the

1950S

Sea turtles are among the few animals that eat sponges.

It is thought that the largest Caribbean barrel sponges are more than 2,000 years old, ranking them among the oldest living animals on Earth. FOLLOW T HE U NDERSE A A DV EN T U R ES OF NED A ND A N NA DELOACH AT MARINELIFEBLOG.COM

14 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY; ANTHONY GROTE/ALAMY; PICTORIAL PRESS LTD./ALAMY; JEFF MONDRAGON/ALAMY; BORUT FURLAN/WATERFRAME

Although often mistaken for marine plants, sponges are actually primitive multicellular animals.

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

FOR MOR E I NFO ON T HE PROJEC T GO TO POINTLOBOS.ORG

MAPQUEST

Creating a 3-D model of one of California’s most popular dive areas — Point Lobos BY PAT R IC I A W U E ST

The reserve encompasses 550 land acres, and its protected underwater area is more than 18 times that size at

ice age is preserved much as it might have looked thousands of years ago.” Thanks to the efforts of divers from Bay Area Underwater Explorers and the Central California Council of Diving Clubs, this dramatic underwater terrain has been brought to life with a 3-D model installed at Whalers Cove. The 800-pound concrete model and supporting maps showcase every pinnacle, canyon and chasm in remarkable detail. “This has been a labor of love for me,”

CLOCKWISE: The assembled master model; machining one of 28 pieces; 800-pound final 3-D model under wraps before the ribbon-cutting.

9,907 acres says Gary Banta, a semiretired Silicon Valley entrepreneur and member of BAUE. “I invested 1,500-plus hours to bring this model to Point Lobos.” The project began with improving on existing maps that were fuzzy, inaccurate and incomplete. In 2010, more than two dozen BAUE divers spent three days in 44-degree water manually mapping a section of the ocean floor, using knotted and numbered lines to coordinate depth measurements in a grid pattern.

WorldMags.net

This hands-on approach, however, was impractical for mapping the entire reserve. So Banta raised money to secure the use of California State University at Monterey Bay’s Kelpfly, a jet-ski-based, multibeam sonar platform. Using Kelpfly, it was possible to map the entire area at a 1-meter resolution. The resulting high-res data set made it possible to create the 3-D model. Banta also developed an interpretative sign for park visitors. “This protected reserve offers one of the richest marine habitats in California and stunning underwater structures,” says Banta. “My hope is that this model will be a window to this stunning reserve, allowing generations of visitors to experience its wonders.” A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 15

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: GARY BANTA (2); TED HEUBLEIN

When California divers want to explore an underwater wilderness, they head to Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. The geological history of this section of rugged Pacific coast can be traced over the past 80 million years. Some of the oldest rocks divers see here were formed during the Cretaceous Period, when Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the Earth and fierce mosasaurs reigned in the sea. The spectacular landscape continues underwater, as if mountains were shaken into the Pacific. “Imagine knife-edge structures as tall as skyscrapers, giant pinnacles undamaged by the erosion of their land-based counterparts, chasms barely wide enough to swim through and ledges dropping into unfathomable depths,” says Anna Patterson, Point Lobos Foundation’s development and communications director. “The topography that was above water during the last

WorldMags.net

Travel / subculTure / species / discovery / conservaTion / gear

Cenote seCrets

The New World’s oldest intact skeleton found in Mexico’s Yucatan BY v e ro N ic a B r e z i Na

A team of archaeologists has found a 12,000- to 13,000-year-old skeleton from the late Pleistocene era, deep within the Sac Actun cave system near Tulum, Mexico, as reported to the journal Science. The project, led by the Mexican government’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and supported by National Geographic, resulted in the discovery of a nearly

complete human skull with an intact cranium and preserved DNA. The skeleton belongs to a teenage girl, dubbed Naia by the dive team. She’s thought to have been between 15 and 16 years old when she fell more than 100 feet to her death in the cave. The age was established by analyzing tooth enamel, batdropped seeds and using the uranium-thorium method. The discovery shed

light on the Western Hemisphere’s first people and their relationship to contemporary Native Americans. “The remains were found surrounded by a variety of extinct animals more than 40 meters (300 feet) below sea level in Hoyo Negro, a deep pit within the Sac Actun cave system on Yucatán Peninsula,” according to National Geographic. This is the first time researchers have matched a skeleton with a

skull and facial features with DNA linked to hunter-gatherers, who moved to the Bering Land Bridge from Northeast Asia between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago.

WorldMags.net

Expedition diver Susan Bird brushes silt from the skull of a teenage girl discovered in Mexico’s Yucatan.

FROM LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/TONY BAGGETT; NORTH WIND PICTURE ARCHIVES/ALAMY; OPPOSITE: PAUL NICKLEN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

WorldMags.net

SANTA MARIA FoUnD? Divers may have discovered the remains of columbus’ flagship BY M e Ga N e L L io T T

In May, archaeologists may have uncovered one of the most significant discoveries in history — the wreckage of Christopher Columbus’ flagship, the Santa Maria, off the coast of northern Haiti. According to the History channel, underwater archaeologist Barry Clifford and his

team identified the location of the wreck that experts believe is the Santa Maria. The location is consistent with accounts in Columbus’ diary, as well as modern ocean-current charts. “All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests

that this wreck is … the Santa Maria,” Clifford says. On Dec. 24, 1492, the Santa Maria — one of three ships used in Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas — ran aground off the present-day site of Cap-Haïtien. The site was photographed by Clifford’s team in 2003, but it wasn’t identified at the time. A decade later, land excavations tentatively located La Navidad — a fort Columbus’ crew built from Santa Maria’s timbers — bringing archaeologists back to investigate the wreckage. Artifacts, including a cannon, were looted from the site before 2003, but photographic evidence

remains intact. Clifford will work closely with the Haitian government, and following a full-scale excavation, he hopes to display the remains of the Santa Maria in Haiti.

With three masts, Santa Maria was the slowest of Columbus’ ships but sailed well in the Atlantic crossing.

Dive Smarter

With DAN Dive Accident Insurance. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to make scuba diving a safer sport through improved training, education and research. However, dive accidents can still happen and may require costly emergency transportation and treatment. DAN’s Dive Accident Insurance let’s you dive with confidence knowing that you are covered in case of an unexpected incident. Dive smarter and explore the benefits of DAN Dive Accident Insurance today.

DAN.org/INSURANCE-SD

WorldMags.net

INCIDENT PREVENTION + INCIDENT MANAGEMENT + INCIDENT PROTECTION

WorldMags.net

Travel / subculTure / species / discovery / conservation / gear

An Art-e-fish-Al reef

An Indonesian artist creates beauty — and life — on a dead reef By E m I l E E JAc k s o n

Divers are often reminded not to leave anything but bubbles behind, but Indonesian artist Teguh Ostenrik has a good reason for breaking this rule. Ostenrik has created

sculptures of scrap steel that will be anchored to a dead coral reef and connected to a low-voltage electrical current coming from a floating solar panel. “The [electrification] will cause minerals in the water to form and adhere to the sculpture,” says Delphine Robbe, reef-restoration specialist at Gili Eco Trust, a consultant for the project. “Live coral fragments are then transplanted from

other reefs, and because the Biorock is so similar to natural coral-reef material, a new garden grows, often at two to six times the rate of a natural reef.” A few hours after the installation, fish will seek shelter in the reef, and the electricity offers the best water quality for them to live in. “After a few months, you can see the growth of limestone on the steel and the corals cementing

onto the limestone,” says Ostenrik. “That’s when the reef is restored: When stable and strong pieces of corals are ready to grow onto their new substrate.”

WorldMags.net

An underwater sculpture takes the place of a dead coral reef.

WaterFrame/alamy; opposite: Foued Kaddachi (2)

WorldMags.net

gone fishing?

kiribati bans fishing in crucial marine sanctuary By E r Ic ro d r Igu E z

The Phoenix Island Protected Area in Kiribati will ban all commercial fishing by 2015.

The world’s largest and deepest World Heritage Site has been at the center of controversy since first being set aside as the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in 2008. The Republic of Kiribati is the remote Pacific island nation that serves as the Phoenix Islands’ ecological guardians, and the area has largely been praised for its success as the crown jewel of reef-conservation efforts worldwide. All that’s changed, as earlier this year conservationists charged that the PIPA zone was being trawled by international commercial fisheries. Critics say that foreign fishing vessels

were being granted licenses by the Kiribati government for permission to “sustainably access” a whopping 97 percent of the zone, leaving only 3 percent of the area as being strictly no-take. In the wake of this conservation dustup, Kiribati’s president, Anote Tong, announced early in May a landmark cabinet vote that plans were now being made to speed up conservation efforts and completely ban all commercial fishing within the PIPA by 2015. Dr. Greg Stone, chief scientist of Conservation International and chairman of the PIPA Trust, says amped-up

surveillance efforts would be implemented via geo-fencing, a GPS-based technology that would alert local patrol authorities if any unauthorized vessels were found fishing within the sanctuary’s boundaries, as well as potential drone surveillance. “Domestically, there is a deep connection to the ocean,” Stone says. “The ban is popular [among locals].” The Phoenix Islands’ marine protected area represents a critical chunk of habitat for an estimated 60 percent of the world’s skipjack, big-eye and yellowfin tuna populations, which live in the deep waters of the equatorial Pacific.

Deep Blue Resort, Utila

Barefoot Cay Resort, Roatan

CoCo View Resort, Roatan

In USA 786-245-4025 In Utila 011-504-957-63-697 info@deepblueutila.com www.DeepBlueUtila.com A beachfront resort surrounded by indigenous plants and animals. Spacious rooms with airconditioning and private balconies overlooking the Caribbean Sea. With a maximum of twenty guests, it’s a real hideaway. Three boat dives per day and unlimited shore diving just feet from your room.

1-866-246-3706 Info@BarefootCay.com www.BarefootCay.com

1-800-510-8164 dro@cocoviewresort.com www.cocoviewresort.com

Luxury boutique resort offering beachfront bungalows and villas, and oceanview lofts. Valet diving 3x daily with PADI 5-Star Dive Center, Barefoot Divers. Pristine sites such as Mary’s Place just minutes away. Amenities include gourmet dining, spa services, beach, pool and palapa.

Dive! Dive! Dive! Discover the World’s favorite dive destination. UNLIMITED (24-hr!) shore diving in our Famous Front Yard, two walls & a shipwreck. Daily 2 boat & 2 drop-off dives. A/C Guest rooms Over-water or Oceanfront. Direct flights from Houston, Miami, Atlanta & Dallas. Great LOW FALL RATES. Nature Made it Beautiful,We Make it Easy!

For Bay Islands of Honduras Travel Deals & Dive Guide Visit: www.sportdiver.com/bayislands WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 19

WorldMags.net

Dive Gear GET GE A R T IPS, M A I N T ENA NCE A N D MOR E V ISI T S PORT DIV E R .COM/GEAR

SD 08/14

DREAM REGS

What do you want from the reg of your dreams? Effortless breathing? Precise controls? A featherweight second stage? Or a featherweight price tag? Here are 11 regs we like, from great all-around breathers to high-performance and specialized models. BY RO G E R ROY P H O T O S BY C A R R I E GA RC I A

›› AQUA LUNG LEGEND LX The upgraded Legend LX is light and compact, with the Master Breathing System that controls the Venturi and breathing adjustment with one knob. The exhaust port improves bubble dispersion for easier exhalation. The first stage has Aqua Lung’s Auto Closure Device to keep out water and debris. CONTACT: aqualung.com MSRP: $725

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 21

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

R E G U L ATO R S

TIP: Keep Your Regulator Dry Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t press the purge when your reg is soaking or water can get inside. 1

SD 08/14

07/14

THE SWITCH-HITTER OCEANIC OMEGA 3 Many regs can be swapped from a right- to a left-side hose by a technician. Swap the Omega 3 by flipping the reg over in your mouth. The mechanism has no up or down, so it breathes smoothly on both sides with a single exhaust port that shifts bubbles outward. CONTACT: oceanicworldwide.com MSRP: $699.95 22 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net GET GE A R T I PS, M A I N T ENA NC E A DV IC E A N D MOR E AT S PORT DI V E R .COM/GEAR

APEKS XTX200

This reg got sweet upgrades, like improved gas flow, and a fifth lowpressure port on the overbalanced diaphragm first stage to easily route hoses. The ComfoBite mouthpiece has two sets of exhaust tees — one set to spread bubbles, and one set to keep things compact. CONTACT: aqualung .com MSRP: $755 2

ATOMIC AQUATICS T3

Titanium’s strength comes at a fraction of steel’s weight; plus, it’s corrosion-resistant. It’s used in components of both the first and second stages, for a combined weight of less than 1.7 pounds. The T3 also has automatic flow control and a sealed first stage with five low-pressure ports. CONTACT: atomicaquatics.com MSRP: $1,699

SHERWOOD SCUBA SR2

New features (including a cool second-stage cover) make this model as compact and easy breathing as ever, with a single control that combines the functions of the Venturi lever and breathing adjustment, and a “smart” second-stage lever that extends valve seat life. The first stage has five lowpressure ports on a 360-degree swivel for perfect hose routing. CONTACT: sherwoodscuba.com MSRP: $736 4

TIP: Know Your Reg’s Service Schedule

They vary depending not only on the calendar, but also use and storage.

SUBGEAR SG50

The SG50 delivers impressive performance for a relatively modest price. Features include a balanced, sealed-piston first stage, an effective dive/predive Venturi switch, and a breathing control with a range of adjustments. The second stage is lightweight and has a swivel-ball hose attachment to keep things easy on the jaw. CONTACT: subgear.com MSRP: $499

THE SMOOTH OPERATOR SHERWOOD SCUBA OASIS For some divers, there’s such a thing as a reg that breathes too dry, leaving them with an uncomfortable case of cottony dry mouth despite the whole “water, water everywhere” thing. The Oasis features a pair of patented moisture retention vanes that collect humidity from the diver’s breath and return it on inhalation. All in all, it’s an easy breather with a balanced-piston first stage and a predive/dive control lever. CONTACT: sherwoodscuba.com MSRP: $460

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 23

WorldMags.net

TRAVEL / SUBCULTURE / SPECIES / DISCOVERY / CONSERVATION / GEAR

R E G U L ATO R S

GET GE A R T IPS, M A I N T ENA NCE A DV ICE A N D MOR E AT S PORT DI V E R .COM/GEAR

TIP: Check Under the Hose Protector

Carefully slide it back to rinse, dry and inspect the fitting for corrosion. 2

SD 08/14

DIVE RITE XT

With Dive Rite’s history with tec gear, it’s no surprise the XT reg shows attention to details. The knurled breathing-resistance knob and the dual tabs on the Venturi switch make for easy-grip, precise adjustments. The first stage has five low-pressure ports and a rotating turret for routing hoses. CONTACT: diverite.com MSRP: $460

SCUBAPRO MK21/S560

Offering high performance at a midprice range, the balancedpiston MK21 first stage has external fins for optimal thermal exchange, and an optional cap for a fifth low-pressure port. The second stage is made of strong techno-polymers and has a precise breathing adjustment. CONTACT: scubapro .com MSRP: $499 3

TUSA RS-812

Brand new to TUSA’s hardware line this year, the balanced-piston first stage complements the second stage equipped with a Venturi lever. The RS-812 features a lightweight second stage with an ergonomic mouthpiece and a swiveling hose. CONTACT: tusa.com MSRP: $499

THE LIGHTWEIGHT CRESSI MC9/COMPACT This is a reg designed for globe-trotting divers who want to pare every ounce from their travel kit. Made from high-tech polymers, the second stage weighs less than 5 ounces and isn’t much wider than the mouthpiece. Its feathery weight makes it very easy in the mouth, but it still delivers performance that gives bigger regs a run for the money — and not much money at that, with a very attractive price. CONTACT: cressi.com MSRP: $359.95 24 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

Travel Lightâ&#x20AC;Ś Wave the baggage fees goodbye. Relax, no assembly required.

With Aqua Lungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Travel Line, you will be fying past the baggage check and gear rental lines. With no assembly required you can relax knowing your gear is just as ready as you are for the next dive adventure. Our complete Travel Line, including the redesigned Zuma BCD, has been specially designed to provide you with maximum comfort while easily ftting in a carry-on bag. Travel Light, Dive More. For more information visit aqualung.com

Learn more on the Aqua Lung Catalog App for iPad!

WorldMags.net

Dive Life NEWS, EVENTS & PEOPLE OF THE PADI DIVING SOCIETY

SD 08/14

Wouldn’t You Rather Be Diving? Your next career could be as a PADI professional BY JO WA LT E R S , M A R K E T I NG C O N S U LTA N T, PA DI A M E R IC A S

26 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net FOR MOR E ON BECOM I NG A PA DI DI V E PROF E S SIONA L V ISI T PADI .COM

COURTESY PADI DIVING SOCIETY (2)

Spend your days in an office like this one as a PADI professional.

Picture this: You’re on a PADI Diving Society excursion at an exotic tropical resort, diving with newfound friends, and checking out a spectacular coral reef populated by fascinating sea life. You’re reveling in the wonder of it all, and feel so lucky that you get to experience this amazing environment. Then, an unwelcome thought intrudes on your enjoyment: You’ve got to go back to work on Monday. Your heart sinks. You experience a sense of loss — you will miss this wondrous world and the idyllic time you’ve spent here. You might even dread the thought of returning to work. It doesn’t have to be like this. What if Monday morning meant more diving? What if you were living the dive life full time and looking forward to going

to work every day? What if you were a PADI Divemaster?

Looking for Adventure If you love diving but hate Monday mornings, maybe it’s time to set your course for adventure: Become a Divemaster. A Divemaster rating not only offers

you a new realm of job options, but it also gives you far more control over your Monday. Consider working for a PADI Dive Resort in your favorite vacation destination. Your new day might involve leading divers on a Discover Local Diving adventure in a favorite location, or leading advanced divers on a challenging excursion. And you don’t have to remain in one place, because no matter where you go, you take your PADI rating with you. PADI has the most popular system of diver education and the most sought-after Divemasters in the world. Plus, with more than 6,200 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts in 219 countries around the world, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes time to settle down for a little while. When you’re

READY, SET, DIVE WorldMags.net

Dive Life

WorldMags.net

ready to move on, visit the employment board at the PADI Pros’ website, where Dive Centers and Resorts from around the world post job openings — and only PADI professionals have access. If you want to live and breathe diving, you can seek employment on a liveaboard dive boat, where you’ll get to dive multiple times (and sites) every day.

Courtesy Padi diving soCiety

Adventure Closer to Home If you’re not interested in pursuing opportunities on the other side of the world, stay closer to home and work full or part time at a local PADI Dive Center or Resort, possibly even the one that certified you. If you live in a saturated market where the competition for Divemaster jobs is fierce, the best way to land a local job is to show up and make yourself indispensable. Help out around the shop, and jump at every chance to assist

Share your passion for the ocean with new divers.

student divers with their dive skills. You’ll demonstrate your work ethic and practice your teaching skills at the same time.

The Road to Divemaster Are you ready to start living the dive life every day? Visit padi.com to see the prerequisites for the PADI Divemaster course. If you meet the requirements, you can start your program today with the PADI Divemaster online. Even if you’re just starting out, you can become a divemaster in a fairly short time.

Living the Dive Life When you’re a PADI Divemaster, you’ll get to do what you love for a living, every day. While your Divemaster rating can pay off in a world of exciting employment opportunities, you’ll find rewards that transcend even the best job, such as the joy you feel when you see other divers

transformed by the magic of the aquatic realm, and the satisfaction of looking back on your own journey, knowing how far you’ve come since you took your first breath underwater.

WorldMags.net

Project AWARE

FOR MOR E V ISI T PROJ ECTAWARE .ORG

YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Our Private Island Resort is Truly a World Apart

Help protect our ocean planet with Project AWAREÕs 10 tips

BY T I F FA N Y L E I T E , A S S O C I AT E DI R E C T O R , C O M M U N IC AT IO N S & OU T R E AC H P ROJ E C T AWA R E F OU N DAT IO N

BELOW: Ice floes may soon

FRANS LANTING STUDIO/ALAMY

be a thing of the past if global warming continues.

overwhelming. International policies necessary to address large-scale change are slow to enact. We can’t let politics and a sense of helplessness preclude action. In this issue, we feature Tip No. 9: Shrink Your Carbon Footprint. It’s all about finding ways to significantly reduce your impact. Big, and small, changes are possible for each of us. Recycle. Compost. Walk to the store. Carpool. It’s unrealistic for most of us to live off the grid, but you’d be surprised by how close to climate neutral you can become. Still need to fly? Can’t replace your windows and go solar just yet? Offset what you can’t reduce by supporting projects that produce clean energy. Check out all of Project AWARE’s “10 Tips for Divers to protect the Ocean Planet” at project aware.org/10Tips.

Tip 9 Shrink Your Carbon Footprint Global warming and ocean acidification are putting your favorite animals and the whole ocean planet at risk. Do your part by understanding and reducing your carbon footprint, and look for ways to offset what you canÕt reduce.

10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet

You’ve likely seen images of the tragic plight of the polar bear. Their icy habitat is melting, and the animals are drowning as they swim ever-increasing distances from one ice floe to another. The culprit? Climate change, which is also affecting some of divers’ favorite marine animals. Not only will the ocean continue heating up (ocean temps are the highest now of any point in the past 50 years) and sea levels rise, but the waters will also become more acidic. It’s a serious ocean issue with myriad effects, from coral bleaching and habitat loss to a virtual wrecking ball smashing apart the marine food chain. There are so many devastating stories about climate change that the situation can seem

Together, we can make a difference by adopting some simple changes in our everyday lives.

Be a Buoyancy Expert

Be a Role Model

Take Only Photos — Leave Only Bubbles

Protect Underwater Life

Become a Debris Activist

Make Responsible Seafood Choices

Take Action

Be an Eco-tourist

Diving and Snorkeling Trips with Barefoot Divers

Massages and Facials at the Barefoot Spa

Beachfront Bungalows and Villas

US: 1-866-246-3706 www.BarefootCay.com Shrink Your Carbon Footprint

Give Back

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 29

WorldMags.net

Images

improving your underwater photography & video

atural light in cenote images communicates the essence of this environment. Try to include a scuba diver or free diver for scale. Cenotes are dark places, so you might need to increase your camera’s ISO and open the aperture to keep the shutter speed faster than 1/90 sec for sharp results without using a flash.

Cenotes

how to photograph mystical scenes in a dark underworld

ew environments are as exciting — or as challenging — for underwater photographers as the sinkholes and underground caverns typified by Mexico’s cenotes or Florida’s freshwater springs. The seemingly limitless visibility, combined with abundant and unusual aquatic life and striking cave formations, makes them perfect for underwater photography. The mirror-calm surface of the water also plays a major role in many special images, focusing light into sharply diffracted beams and allowing us to shoot reflections,

30 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

split-level pictures or to take images looking up through a Snell’s window. The most dramatic rock formations are usually deep underground, and you should always be aware that heading out of sight of the entrance is strictly the reserve of those with specific cave-diving certification. Cenotes still offer plentiful photographic options that are accessible for all; in fact, the most interesting light is always near the entrance. I love the peaceful ambience created by the light filtering down through the still water. The key is to shoot from the dark to

WorldMags.net

By Alex Mustard Alex Mustard is a marine biologist who has been a full-time underwater photographer and author since 2004. To view more of his work, visit amustard.com.

the light. The more strobe you use, the less atmosphere you will capture. So turn off your strobes, and shoot plenty of images that evoke the feeling of cenote diving.

WorldMags.net

FOR MOR E t i ps On u n dERwat ER phOtOgR a ph y V isi t S PORT DI V E R .COM

deep Challenge Dramatic formations of stalactites and stalagmites are classic photographic subjects inside caverns. Despite the efforts in getting to them, your work is not done simply by framing them up and shooting. Being wideangle subjects, your images need depth. You have two options. The simplest is to look for formations you can frame against the opening of the cenote, using a long exposure to let the background shine through. The alternative is setting up off-camera strobes to light up more of the cave behind the subject. Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl CAMeRA Canon eoS 1 ds mark 3 // houSINg Seacam leNS 15mm fisheye // StRoBeS dual Seacam 150 d SettINgS f/9, 1/30 sec , iSo 400

anIMal MagIC Many cenote pools are filled with life, and offer subjects and behaviors that we can’t shoot in the ocean. Water lilies are one of my favorite freshwater subjects, especially the famous pink ones in Carwash Cenote. You’ll also find sailfin mollies, which give birth to live young, and several species of cichlids, which not only guard their eggs,

but also look after their small fry in tightly packed schools. You might even see aquatic reptiles, like turtles and crocodiles. Freshwater life is not always as easily approached as reef fish, so go slowly and be patient. Photo by luis Javier Sandoval CAMeRA nikon d7000 // houSINg aquatica // leNS tokina 10-17 mm fisheye // StRoBeS dual Sea and Sea yS120 SettINgS f/11, 1/200 sec, iSo 160 // loCAtIoN tulum, riviera maya, mexico

snell’s WIndoW Snell’s window is the circular frame that we see when we shoot up to the surface with a fisheye lens. It is the boundary between the view transmitted from the world above and the view reflected from underwater. Since cenotes are calm and dark, the boundary is usually well defined, especially when we expose for the sky. This is a lovely frame for subjects, either lit with flash or photographed as a silhouette. As well as being graphic and attractive, Snell’s window allows us to make use of subject matter from above the surface, incorporating overhanging trees, blue sky and clouds. Wait for a sunny day, however, because cloudy skies are not attractive.

So You Want to Be a Cavern Diver? if you’re jonesing to be a subterranean explorer, start with padi’s Cavern diver course. during your first open-water dive, you’ll practice line handling, reel use and emergency procedures without entering a cavern. For your next three dives, you’ll dive into the cavern, staying within the light zone and 130 feet total distance from the surface. padi.com

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 31

WorldMags.net

Taken with SeaLife DC1400

Sea Dragon 2000 Lumen Light Shown with DC1400 camera using optional cold shoe mount

Sea Dragon 1200 Lumen Light Perfect for compact cameras like GoPro®

Powerful new lights for dive, video or photo. Light for any camera, any dive, any adventure.

New Flex-Connect Trays, Grips and Arms click together in seconds

Versatile Connect light to optional handle for a compact and powerful dive light

DC1400 Sea Dragon Pro Duo DC1400 with Flex-Connect Dual Tray & grips, Sea Dragon 2000 Light and Flash, featuring optional Flex Arms

Sea Dragon 2000 Lumen Light Shown with SeaLife DC1400, includes Flex-Connect tray and grip

Quickly and easily expand your set with the SeaLife Flex-Connect system – add grips, Flex Arms, lights, trays and other accessories with just a simple “click.”

WorldMags.net

sealife-cameras.com facebook.com/SeaLifeCameras

Images

WorldMags.net COMPACT CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

BROUGH T TO YOU BY S EALI F E - CAM E RAS .COM

SUBJECT MATTERS

Expand Your Camera Quickly & Easily with the Flex-Connect Mounting System

COMPACT CAMERAS

Tips for getting extraordinary images of ordinary marine life

Nail a great shot with stationary subjects like this lionfish.

CAMERA Olympus XZ-2 compact camera // HOUSING Olympus PT-054 // STROBES INON Z240 // SETTINGS f/8, 1/125 sec, ISO 100 NOTES Natural-light background and flash-lit foreground, at a depth of 30 feet, and about 6 inches from the fish

DON’T PLAY HIDE-ANDSEEK

Underwater shutterbugs love to photograph rare, shy or inaccessible subjects, but it is difficult — and sometimes impossible — to get quality images. A good photographer makes life easier by choosing the right subjects. A great image of a common underwater fish always beats a mediocre photo of a rare one.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE FISH

Photograph subjects that

are easy to approach. Avoid skittish critters, fish or marine mammals. Subjects that cooperate, are stationary or move slowly are good choices: slow-moving fish, soft corals, shipwrecks and divers, for example. If you want to photograph a rare creature, book a trip dedicated to finding it.

FIND THE IDEAL SPOT

Shoot in shallow water — it’s good for natural light, and you’ll have more bottom time. Make sure your subject is accessible

By Paul Colley

The versatile Flex-Connect system of Grips, Flex Arms, Trays, Mounts, Sea Dragon Lights, and other accessories provides a host of conﬁguration options for many different brands of lights and cameras. Setups range from ultra-compact to more robust and featured packed, allowing divers to quickly adjust to their diving environment by instantly adding lights and accessories with just a “click.”

Paul Colley is an awardwinning underwater photographer, compactcamera instructor and author of Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera. mpcolley.com

with a good background. Test and adjust your camera settings and artificial-light sources. Try different viewpoints. If the subject is approachable, fill the frame with it. By getting close, you will increase both contrast and color, making your subject really pop.

WorldMags.net

Disassembles with the push of a button

Learn more at sealife-cameras.com

WorldMags.net

t’s a sobering statistic: Up to 25 percent of the world’s sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG). Using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species criteria, the SSG says that of the 1,041 species assessed, 107 rays and 74 sharks are classified as threatened. Because they grow slowly and produce few young, both sharks and rays are susceptible to overexploitation — including overfishing from targeted fishing, bycatch and finning. Thanks largely to compelling arguments from the diving community, we’re making progress to ensure that these animals receive the conservation attention they desperately need. While our work in recent years represents terrific progress, the IUCN

34 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

study reminds us that these threatened species, and closely related ones — such as guitarfish, sawfish, skates and stingrays — also need our attention. “Significant policy strides have been made over the past two decades, but effective shark and ray conservation requires a dramatic acceleration in pace as well as an expansion of scope to include all shapes and sizes of these exceptional species,” says Sonja Fordham,

IUCN SSG deputy chair and president of the Washington, D.C.-based Shark Advocates International, a project of the Ocean Foundation. Healthy shark and ray populations are priceless. Project AWARE and other conservation agencies work every day to make strong arguments for change, but we need your help. Let’s truly make this the year of the shark — together.

WorldMags.net

YEAR

WorldMags.net

OF THE

SHARK WE’VE GOT AN OCEAN FULL OF GOOD REASONS WHY DIVERS SHOULD RALLY BEHIND THESE BEAUTIFUL FISH. NO. 1: THEY NEED US.

daniel botelho

in t ro b Y t if fa n Y l e i t e , p ro Je c t aWa r e f ound at ion

WorldMags.net

leMon Shark

negaPrion breVirostris IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

Although I wouldn’t ordinarily describe a shark this way, “cute” is the word that pops to mind when talking about baby lemon sharks. Their incredibly flexible, 2-foot-long bodies floppily weave in and out of mangrove roots as they search clumsily for food. Sometimes they accidentally bump into a root or almost get stuck under a tree. And although it’s odd to think of sharks in trees, this is the Bahamas — Eleuthera, to be specific — and 36 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

there are sharks everywhere. In only 6 inches of clear, calm water surrounded by mangroves, there can be three to eight sharks in sight at any given moment. Get Zen with the island heat, ever-present mosquitoes, and generally shy nature of lemons (they like to keep a 4-foot buffer from any camera, it seems), and this is the easiest shark “dive” in the world. — Shane Gross valentinesdive.com

dId yoU kNow? Lemons tend to feed on and stalk species that are slower and more easily captured — such as parrotfish and mojarras, which employ camouflage rather than flee a predator.

WorldMags.net

PhoTo By ShANe groSS CAmerA Nikon D90 // hoUSINg Aquatica // leNS Tokina 10-17mm // STroBeS Sea & Sea 110a // SeTTINgS f/16, 1/250 sec, ISO 100

WorldMags.net

Prionace glauca

IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

Few experiences are more rewarding when diving than seeing something special on a local dive. So for me, plunging into the clear waters off the southwest tip of England and finding myself face to face with blue sharks was a true highlight of my diving career. Blues have the same unnerving confidence as that other great pelagic shark, the oceanic whitetip. And even though these British blue sharks were merely youngsters, they approached and circled me with total confidence, watching my every movement with their large, jet-black eyes. Their elegant proportions complement the effortless way they scythe through the sea with a gentle, curvy rhythm. The bright-blue pigment on their back almost glows in the natural light, as indelible as my memory of the encounter. — Alex Mustard

ePaulette Also known as the “walking shark,” this small Australasian shark gets around by using its front fins, much like feet, to push off the seafloor. 1

saw shark Saw sharks use their nasal barbels to sense prey buried in the sand. Once located, they use their formidable saws to slash their dinner before eating. 2

cookiecutter This small shark usually sneaks up on its much-larger prey and delivers a small, biscuit-round bite — hence the name “cookiecutter.” 3

dId yoU kNow?

Blue sharks migrate long distances, such as from New England to South America, and are noted for large litters of 25 to over 100 pups.

Frilled shark This eellike shark is a denizen of the deep, living at depths up to 660 feet. It’s named for the ruffled appearance of its gills. 4

goblin shark This rarely seen, but aptly named, deep-sea shark uses its prominent proboscis to detect its prey’s electrical signals.

PhoTo By Alex mUSTArd CAmerA Nikon D4 // hoUSINg Subal ND4 // leNS Sigma 15mm fisheye and Kenko 1.4x teleconverter // STroBeS Inon Z240 // SeTTINgS f/9, 1/250 sec, ISO 800

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 37

from top: brandon cole marine photography/alamy; marty Snyderman/SeapicS.com; david Shen/SeapicS.com

blue Shark

5 Wack y SharkS

WorldMags.net

greaT haMMerhead Shark sPhyrna Mokarran IUCN STATUS: Endangered

An easy-access site for reliable encounters with the elusive great hammerhead shark has just blipped onto the diver’s radar. Every year, from January to March, the sharks cruise along Hammerhead Highway, right offshore of Bimini Island in the Bahamas. I’m kneeling in the sand at 20 feet, and I can hardly believe the face staring back at me through my camera’s viewfinder. After decades of envisioning this moment in my mind’s eye, the time is now; the opportunity to take the pictures I’ve always dreamed about is real — as real as the 10-foot shark circling me only a few feet away, a remarkable mix of monster and myth, all angles and shadows and sharp-pointed fins, alien and beautiful. — Brandon Cole biggameclubbimini.com

dId yoU kNow? Great hammerheads feed on rays and other sharks; the species also can be cannibalistic.

38 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

dId yoU kNow?

These sharks are mainly benthic in nature, cruising along the seafloor and making an occasional foray to the surface.

broadnoSe Sevengill Shark notorynchus cePedianus IUCN STATUS: Data Deficient

If it were up to me, this is the first shark I would show new divers. Within the relative safety of South Africa’s kelp forests — where white sharks rarely venture — this marine jungle is ruled by broadnose sevengill sharks. Impressive in size but blessed with a docile demeanor and enigmatic smile, these sharks make wonderful photo subjects. This was one of two-dozen sevengills that I saw on a single dive at Miller’s Point near Simon’s Town in South Africa. The sharks were casually weaving through the bamboo kelp in search of catsharks and other tasty snacks. The swells were down, so visibility in the forest was excellent. I could see the sharks from about 65 feet away, but as long as I kept relatively quiet, they would swim past me within touching distance, veering off at the very last second, as if they had only just realized I was in their way. — Andy Murch piscesdivers.co.za

WorldMags.net

PhoTo By ANdy mUrCh CAmerA Nikon D7000 // hoUSINg Aquatica AD7000 // leNS Tokina 10-17 @17mm // STroBeS Inon 2400 // SeTTINgS f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO 800

sec, f/11, ISO 200

PhoTo By BrANdoN Cole CAmerA Canon 5D Mark III // hoUSINg Seacam // leNS Canon 8-15mm fisheye // STroBeS Ikelite DS161 // SeTTINgS 1/250

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 39

Blacktip reef shark

WorldMags.net

CarCharhinus melanopterus IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

PhoTo By ImrAN AhmAd CAmerA Nikon D4 // hoUSINg Seacam // LeNS Nikon 16mm f/2.8 // STroBeS Ikelite 161 with CM diffusers // SeTTINgS f/16, 1/8 sec, ISO 200

It’s one of those nights when sleeping is not an option. The shimmering moon and stars set a magical mood in remote Aldabra Atoll, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. A wild idea creeps into my mind, and my imagination goes wild. What if I light the shallows like a studio? Blacktip sharks are so curious, I refer them as my kitty cats. You don’t have to feed them; just tap the water, and they come racing toward you. I need to time my shot just right to get them into my makeshift studio. We know that working with models is never easy, but these sharks are eager to pose — finding the right pose is another question altogether. My first few tries are mayhem, but once I get the hang of it, everything just falls into place. Three months later, it’s now the cover of my book, Seychelles Unexpected Treasures. — Imran Ahmad sif.sc

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net i

WorldMags.net

dId yoU kNow? Blacktip reefies have a home range of around .21 square mile, among the smallest of any shark species.

SILKY SHARK

CARCHARHINUS FALCIFORMIS IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), Cuba, is one of the few places left in the world where you can still dive with silky sharks. Longline fishing and shark finning have decimated shark populations worldwide, especially species that live higher in the water column, like silkies. But years of vigilant protection of this marine reserve have given me the chance to dive with dozens of silkies. The rest of the group leaves to explore the area while 42 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

I hang 30 feet or so underneath our two skiffs, eagerly awaiting the promised sharks. My wait is short, as sundappled silkies suddenly appear from all directions as if called to a meeting. I slowly rotate as the curious sharks pass within inches. My private rendezvous with the silkies continues for 40 minutes; finally, they follow me to the surface and swirl around the dive ladder as if saying goodbye. — Scott Johnson cubandivingcenters.com

DID YOU KNOW? Almost every tuna school has silky sharks trailing behind; in the eastern Pacific, silkies inflict enough significant damage to tunafishing gear and catches that fishery workers have nicknamed them the “net-eating shark.”

WorldMags.net

PHOTO BY SCOTT JOHNSON CAMERA Nikon D800 // HOUSING Aquatica AD800 // LENS Nikon 16-35mm FX // STROBES Sea & Sea YS-250 // SETTINGS f/10, 1/160 sec, ISO 200

WorldMags.net

TIGER SHARK GALEOCERDO CUVIER IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

There’s shark diving, and then there’s Tiger Beach shark diving. This shallow sandbank off Grand Bahama Island has completely redefined quality bottom time and photo ops when it comes to these instantly recognizable sharks. Old salts might remember a time, pre-Tiger Beach, when it was necessary to travel across the world for a slim chance to see a single tiger, all the while praying that the animal was bold enough to come in for a close-up. Now, liveaboards leaving Florida and land-based operators in the Bahamas can drop you into a guaranteed Sharknado like no other. Imagine up to six beefy tigers and 24 snaggle-toothed lemon sharks swirling about you on dives lasting two hours. Steel your nerves, choose your widest lens, and prepare to be shoulder-to-fin with apex predators. — Brandon Cole stuartcove.com

5 PREHISTORIC SHARKS

WorldMags.net

MEGALODON With lengths of up to 59 feet and teeth more than 7 inches long, this schoolbus-size shark makes a great white look like a Smart car. 1

STETHACANTHUS This small shark is best known for its anvilshaped dorsal fin and crest. 2

HELICOPRION This shark’s teeth were arranged in “tooth whorl,” similar to a modern-day circular saw. 3

EDESTUS Also known as the “scissor-toothed shark,” Edestus had a curved row of teeth that looked like monstrous pinking shears. 4

XENACANTHUS A small, freshwater shark that resembled a modern-day conger eel, it went extinct 202 million years ago. 5

TOP RIGHT: DORLING KINDERSLEY/GETTY IMAGES

1/250 sec, ISO 200

PHOTO BY BRANDON COLE CAMERA Canon 1Ds Mark II // HOUSING Seacam // LENS Canon 15mm fisheye // STROBES Ikelite DS160 // SETTINGS f/9,

DID YOU KNOW? Nicknamed “the garbage can of the sea,” a tiger will swallow virtually anything it encounters — automobile license plates, oil cans, tires, and baseballs, as well as horses, goats, dogs, and cats.

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 43

WorldMags.net

WHALE SHARK RHINCODON TYPUS IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable

PHOTO BY DAVID FLEETHAM CAMERA Canon EOS Rebel XTi // HOUSING Ikelite // LENS Canon 10-17mm // STROBES Two Ikelite 125 // SETTINGS f/13, 1/80 sec, ISO 200

The biggest fish in the sea — literally — feed on some of the smallest. Whale sharks are normally plankton feeders, but the abundant food supply in Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua, Indonesia, keeps them nearby. Local Indonesian fishermen fish with hand lines from fixed boats, called bagans. To attract trevallies and groupers, they throw small baitfish into the sea. Whale sharks swim underneath the fishing boats and await the banquet, sucking the multitudes of

fish into their giant mouths. I strike a bargain with a fisherman to snorkel close to his bagan. Three whale sharks are circling directly below, when suddenly the biggest of the three speeds up. With his mouth wide open, he sucks hundreds of fish down his throat. I’m so excited that I scream into my snorkel, but it doesn’t disturb the whale sharks, who carry on with their dinner. — Reinhard Dirscherl

DID YOU KNOW? Worshipped as a deity in Vietnamese culture, the whale shark is called Ca Ong, which literally translates to “Sir Fish.” In the Philippines, it is featured on the reverse side of the 100-peso bill.

GREAT WHITE SHARK CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS

DID YOU KNOW? The lifespan of great whites is thought to be 70 years or more, making it one of the longest-lived cartilaginous fish currently known.

IUCN STATUS: Vulnerable

I’ve photographed great white sharks in South Australia, South Africa and off Guadalupe Island, where I captured this image. Here, the sun sets behind the island itself, and in the late afternoon, the light spreads into fascinating rays as it streams through the surface of the water. Guadalupe has become the premier location for shooting these spectacular animals in clear, blue water; in South Australia, you’ll find breaching great whites, but the visibility can’t compare with

44 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

the crystalline seas around this remote island 150 miles southwest of Ensenada, Mexico. It’s impossible to predict how close a shark will approach the cage or when it will happen. When a shark does near, it can happen so quickly that there’s little time to even to catch your breath. Just know that if you’re coming to Guadalupe, this powerful apex predator will put on a spectacular show — whether you’re ready or not. — David Fleetham nautilusexplorer.com

WorldMags.net

PHOTO BY REINHARD DIRSCHERL CAMERA Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III // HOUSING Seacam // LENS 15mm fisheye // STROBES None // SETTINGS f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO 400

WorldMags.net

BULL SHARK

Bull sharks have a bite force of up to 1,300 pounds, pound for pound the highest among all investigated cartilaginous fishes.

CARCHARHINUS LEUCAS IUCN STATUS: Near Threatened

ISO 1000

PHOTO BY DOUG PERRINE CAMERA Nikon D700 // HOUSING Subal // LENS Tokina 10-17mm // STROBES Inon Z220 // SETTINGS f/11, 1/160 sec,

DID YOU KNOW?

We knelt on a white, sandy bottom in around 50 feet of water. The bull sharks that we’d come to see showed only mild curiosity in the divers, focusing all their attention on the feeder, Phantom Divers owner Jorge Loria. This annual aggregation of pregnant females off Playa Del Carmen in the Riviera Maya is in danger of disappearing due to fishing pressure. Divers like Loria hope to demonstrate that these beauties are more valuable alive than dead. — Doug Perrine phantomdivers.com

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 45

WorldMags.net

dIVerS CoMe to ChUUK laGoon to eXPlore one oF the GreateSt ConCentratIonS oF dIVable ShIPWreCKS on earth. × × × × × ×

My skin prickles. I shudder, and it has nothing to do with the water temperature. It’s a soldier’s skull, vacuous eye sockets staring blindly out of the darkness of the past, frozen in a silent scream echoing from another time. It’s the gravity of history. Suddenly I can feel the weight of the ocean, and am all too aware that I’m surrounded by tons of steel. I’m caught between two worlds, very much alive but intimately close to death. I cannot fathom what this man felt, what he thought, as the waves overwhelmed his ship and permanent night claimed him.

46 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

Graveyard Pacific of t he

× × × × × S t o ry and

PhotoS by

brandon Cole

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 47

WorldMags.net

CloCkwise:

Airplanes inside Fujikawa Maru; a gas mask from the Kiyosumi Maru; the Gosei Maru hull; bottles in the Hoki Maru.

WHAT LIES BENE ATH Among wreck divers, Chuuk Lagoon needs no introduction. Perhaps nowhere else on our blue planet can we so completely immerse ourselves in maritime history. A high school lecture on World War II naval battles is one thing, but scuba spelunking at ground zero in the tropical Pacific is another learning experience altogether. Flying westward at 35,000 feet, my wife, Melissa, and I didn’t know exactly what we’d find in the hallowed waters of Micronesia. But we were certain that the warships-turned-artificial reefs were going to be bucket-list epic. And that we would likely be a bit uncomfortable at times, waging our own internal battles — awash in regret and sympathy one moment, reverence and awe the next. After two days of travel, we are finally here — Chuuk (aka Truk), part of the Federated States of Micronesia — and about to get wet. Skimming across mirror-smooth waters, our guide, Rob, prefaces our baptism by saying 48 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

that few divers emerge from this Graveyard of the Pacific unmoved, that the verdant island archipelago above the waterline cradles something sacrosanct beneath. For it was here on Feb. 16 and 17, 1944, during Operation Hailstone, that the U.S. Navy dealt the Japanese fleet a crippling blow. More than 60 vessels succumbed to a fiery barrage from air and sea. Thousands of lives were lost. Seven decades later, Japanese people still visit Chuuk to honor their loved ones and countrymen.

FROM DE ATH SPRINGS LIFE Our first dive begins with an explosion of life. The Shinkoku Maru is one of the most popular sites, a must-do wreck. On the outside, the former oil tanker is eye-poppingly bright with soft corals — vibrant reds, yellows and purples. Curtains of color hang from the superstructure in about 40 or 50 feet of water, around which iridescent damselfish swirl and shimmer. A wideangle shot of the bridge covered in its Crayola mantle

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net HOW TO SHOOT WRECKS

First and foremost, remember that Chuuk is a war grave. Respect the lives lost, as well as the structures and marine life. Take away nothing but memories and pictures. × × ×

× × ×

GO WIDE A wide-angle lens is the workhorse optic for capturing images of shipwrecks. Get close, and try to tell a story with an interesting artifact or piece of machinery in the foreground. Pictures showing a diver exploring the wreck are especially effective in connecting with your audience, so enlist the aid of your dive buddy or guide.

LIGHT THE SCENE Two powerful, wide-beam strobes will help light up dark interior spaces when shooting wide, while a spotting light aids in composition and focus. For exterior shots, exposing for natural light is the only way to show a large portion of the wreck, but feel free to use balanced fill flash on foreground elements.

THINK SMALL With the marine life on the outside of wrecks, and artifacts, machinery and the like on the inside, macro opportunities abound in Chuuk. Consider a dive or two with a close-up lens to add an extra dimension to your Chuuk portfolio.

could be Fiji, or the Maldives. But the mammoth cannon on the front deck reminds me that this reef’s foundation is something quite different. Following Rob, we duck inside the 500-foot-long structure, leaving colors behind, into a room with a silt-covered floor — and a metal table on which a pile of bones rests, the skeletal signature of a crew member. We’re in the sick bay, and I struggle to shift mental gears from the motion and splendor outside to the somber finality of the scene in front of me now. After pausing a respectful moment, we back out into the light, swimming through a school of jacks and over to an invertebrate-encrusted railing. Gazing over the ship’s side, Melissa spies a spotted shape reclining on the sand below. I launch from my perch, gliding to touch down gently at 110 feet, cozying up to a zebra shark. The ominous bulk of the Shinkoku looms above. INTROSPECTION AND JUBIL ATION We could have kept a scuba psychiatrist busy. “How did you feel on that dive?” As our week progressed, our

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 49

WorldMags.net DIvErS GuIDE TO CHuuK LAGOON Average water temp 82 to 85 degrees F > What to wear 3 mm full wetsuit or shorty > Average viz 40 to 80 feet > When to go Year-round > For more information, go to sportdiver.com/chuuk

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T-MISS DIvES Fujikawa Maru some say that if you could dive only one Chuuk wreck, it should be the Fuji. Easy in terms of depth and conditions, it is overfowing with marine life and war memorabilia.

Ch u u k lagoon

Shinkoku Nippo Maru Maru

Nippo Maru this 350-foot passenger/cargo ship is a favorite with photographers because of its battle tank, anti-tank guns, monolithic mast and picturesque wheelhouse. Depths range from 50 to 150 feet. Shinkoku Maru Highlights include a freworks display of bright sof corals on the outside, and cool engine room gadgetry, the bathroom, and sobering sick bay on the inside. Plus, Shinkoku rocks as a night dive.

Fujikawa Maru

50 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

A zebra shark rests on the seafloor next to Shinkoku Maru.

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 51

WorldMags.net

CloCkwise:

The bridge on emotions were continually pulled this way upright on an even keel at 112 feet. Our plan Shinkoku Maru; a Japanese gas and that. On one wreck, we’d have to come sees us descending into hold No. 2, the shadmask on Nippo Maru; the massive to grips with wholesale devastation in the owy belly of the beast in which Zero fighter bow gun on form of gaping torpedo holes, as well as huplanes lie scattered atop a mountain of fuel Amagisan Maru. man tragedy evidenced by artifacts such as a drums. Even our powerful lights seem weak toothbrush or scraps of clothing. At a differin the cavernous space, barely illuminating ent site, we’d rejoice at the stunning beauty of the the twisted war birds. I can’t shake the feeling that living, breathing, thriving reef — all the more remarkI’m trespassing through some forgotten museum. Also able for our knowledge of what came before. on my shot list is the ship’s machine shop for the obligaThe Fujikawa Maru supports a lush garden of soft tory photo of R2D2 — compressor machinery that looks corals, acts as a magnet for fish life, and is chock-full of uncannily like its robot namesake. The Fuji is a mustrelics. A 433-foot former aircraft ferry, it is positioned dive site, so if you can, get there soon. It’s recently begun

52 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net HISTORY OF CHUUK lagOOn WRECKS Code name Operation Hailstone was an important victory for U.S. forces in the War for the Pacific. The sheltered lagoon inside Chuuk’s atoll had long been a strategic supply and repair base for the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. Some historians draw parallels to our Pearl Harbor. But in just 48 hours, the American blitzkrieg of Feb. 16-17, 1944, effectively removed the Chuuk stronghold from Japan’s battle map, and prevented their reinforcement of Eniwetok and other key garrisons in the central Pacific. Airstrikes, submarine attacks, and surface ship actions took the Japanese by surprise, delivering terrible damage to ships at anchor and planes onshore. Forty American troops died, mostly airmen, but thousands of Japanese perished.

to show its age and is noticeably deteriorating after 70 years in the corrosive sea. Time is taking its toll on many Chuuk wrecks. Some are collapsing quicker than others. Throughout the week, Rob pulls out surprise after surprise out of his diving hat. Inside the wreck of the Heian Maru, a massive luxury cruiser turned supply vessel, we swim past periscopes lining a companionway, into the murky depths of the hull, packed to the hilt with Long Lance torpedoes. We tour the Nippo Maru to find wheeled anti-tank guns, a gas mask straight out of an apocalyptic thriller, and at 80 feet, the photogenic bridge with a sponge-covered engine telegraph resembling

A number of battleships, destroyers, and heavy cruisers had just left Chuuk a week earlier, repositioning to Palau, or the devastation dealt Japan’s Imperial fleet would have been even more complete. × × × Kimiuo Aisek, a Chuuk native who was a boy during the attack, later led the exploration of the lagoon on scuba. He discovered many of the wrecks we dive today, and is credited as the founder of the Chuuk Lagoon diving industry. × × × The majority of Chuuk’s sunken “ghost ships” are merchant supply vessels (denoted by the Maru suffix), such as passenger and cargo ships, but there are a few submerged planes, a submarine, and a handful of warships.

Mr. Potato Head. On the Rio de Janeiro, a submarine tender lying on its starboard side, Rob proudly shows us one of his most prized finds: a samurai sword with an elegantly curving blade. Belowdecks and aft, intact boxes brimming with glass beer bottles await a celebratory moment that would not come. In Chuuk, every ship has a story, and every dark corner a secret. Case in point is the Yamagiri Maru, which erupted in flames after being hit by two bombs. It shot to the ocean’s floor in less than a minute, taking 12 crew members with it. Inside the wreckage, we come across giant artillery shells 14 inches in diameter, destined

WorldMags.net

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 53

WorldMags.net

above:

Among other artil-

them was tossed toylike atop the other by the for the fleet’s battleships. Our mission on the lery pieces, a Japanese battle tank Yamagiri is the generator room, claustrophosheer force of colliding with the ocean floor. covered in coral rests on the deck bic and darker than a tomb. I nearly have a A favorite among techies using rebreathers of the Nippo Maru at 125 feet. and custom gas blends, the San Francisco is heart attack when Rob directs our attention to the human skull fused by the blast onto unquestionably an advanced dive. Only those the bulkhead. A few feet below the engineer’s with proper training and equipment should venture into its inner reaches, and only with an cranium are his hand and finger bones, similarly experienced guide. As we’re using open circuit and embedded in the rust-colored, steel crypt. diving single bottles, serious interior exploration is The pinnacle of a Chuuk Lagoon expedition for many divers is the San Francisco Maru, the so-called Million not an option. Our lean 23 percent nitrox mix gives us Dollar Wreck. (The ship was fully loaded with a valujust enough time for a quick dip into the forward hold able cache of military ordnance — mines, bombs, and at 170 feet, where I scramble to photograph the water trucks balanced precariously on cross beams, before ammunition for weaponry large and small.) Pummeled by six 500-pound bombs, the San Francisco sank stern climbing skyward for our decompression stops. first off the east side of Tonoas Island. Resting upright in 210 feet, it’s one of the deepest wrecks in the lagoon. A LONG WAY FROM LIGHT Divers first reach the broad deck at a heady 165 feet, and Nearby is the Hoki Maru, a 7,000-ton cargo ship, the only verified captured vessel in Chuuk’s graveyard. after the long descent, it’s like discovering a time capsule. Three armored Mitsubishi tanks were on the deck Inside hold No. 5 at 135 feet, well-preserved trucks are when the ship met its end, and it’s easy to see how one of clustered together in a creepy cadre. We steer clear of 54 A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

what looks like tendrils of smoke wafting through the metal walls in this bizarre, undersea parking lot. Supposedly it might be fuel or toxic chemicals still leaking from the wreck. I snap a few pictures and move on to check out other vehicular attractions, namely a tractor, bulldozer and dump truck, followed by one of our most

challenging penetrations of the trip. Rob navigates unerringly, guiding us confidently through a bewildering series of turns and switchbacks in three dimensions. We carefully squeeze CloCkwise: Fine china inside through tight spaces framed in jagged the Heian Maru; a blacktip reef metal sheets, ascend over railings, shark; compresand slip under girders for what feels sor machinery inside the like forever, but in truth, it’s only a Fujikawa Maru. few minutes until we reach our destination. It’s a cramped chamber at 140 feet, normally cloaked in a Stygian blackness but now glowing under our lights. The sloping floor is strewn with hundreds of bottles, finely dusted with a layer of orange-brown silt. This mountain of spirits was no doubt intended to help buoy the morale of a hard-working crew. We offer a toast of farewell and then pause to take it all in, the peculiar feeling of being in the middle of so much metal, hidden away from the universe. The silence, other than for the beating of my heart, is deafening. Time seems to slow, yet my senses are alive, and I can almost feel the Hoki Maru pressing down all around me. It’s exhilarating, and a bit scary. This must be similar to the rush that cavers get when they’ve burrowed into the center of the Earth, far from light. Rob’s flashing light breaks me out of my reverie, beckoning me over the endless field of bottles to where a hint of blue points the way out — out and up. Breaking the surface, Melissa and I launch into an excited account of what we have just seen and felt as we swam through the halls of history. We are floating under a cerulean sky, the same sky from which, for those two fateful days in 1944, death rained down, and a fleet disappeared beneath the waves. The contrast between the tragic past and the peaceful present is strikingly profound. I feel connected in some way to what happened, privileged that my time underwater has given me a new understanding of, and appreciation for, what lies beneath Chuuk Lagoon.

WorldMags.net

WE STEER ClEaR OF WHaT lOOKS lIKE TEndRIlS OF SmOKE WaFTIng THROUgH THE mETal WallS In THIS bIzaRRE, UndERSEa paRKIng lOT.

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 55

WorldMags.net

Diving to Belong How to make buddies and infiltrate dive groups: a five-day Roatan experiment STORY BY BROOKE MORTON

56 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

tanya G. Burnett; opposite: deVon stephens/alamy

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 57

CloCkwise From above:

A colorful sponge at Herbie’s Fantasy; channelclinging crab; the perfect surface interval at West Bay Beach.

A good joke is not enough. The vibrating bag is the first stroke of luck. As the porter from Anthony’s Key Resort lifts duffle bags, I scan my van mates. Surely someone else is stifling a giggle. But no. So far, not a good start. I’d planned this five-day trip to the Honduran island of Roatan as an exercise in learning to become part of a dive group — any dive group. For 10 years, I’ve traveled solo to destinations catering mostly to groups: Bonaire, Cozumel, St. Thomas. Always the same: I’m the only table for one. Given that this is a sport where alone time is frowned on — and, in the case of solo diving, controversial — I want to see what will happen when I try to integrate for more than a day. “Yeah, yeah — it’s just my toothbrush.” The guy admitting this has a Long Island accent, and he’s laughing. He’s seated next to a wife or girlfriend. I smile at her. “Buddy, you couldn’t live without it for a week?” A voice from the back row booms. Everyone laughs. The couples compare airfare, signaling that they didn’t travel together. Not a dive group.

Sunset is happy hour. I’m counting on the booze to render these people looser. I’m desperate to mingle, but I’m struggling for connection. I haven’t been diving with any of them, so I can’t rely on a line like, “So how ’bout that turtle?” I fear this is going to be Bonaire — where I end up solo — all over again. When Adam and Scott appear, I’m relieved. At least I won’t eat my grilled snapper in silence.

If nobody’s laughing, poke fun at yourself. At check-in, I try again. Anthony’s Key Resort perches on a jungle-shrouded hilltop, with wooden cabanas spilling along the shore and across a small bay on a private island. Before we get keys, there’s paperwork. Back home, in a rare moment of preparedness, I had printed the forms and remembered to pack them. I call myself out for being a nerd, and the guy next to me, Scott, shares that he is too. After we’re handed keys, Scott, Adam — who asks to tag along — and I pad down the hillside stairs to the dive shop. Denny Webster, AKR’s dive shop manager, says that not only is it too late to borrow a tank but we have to make a checkout dip first. We settle for kayaking to Bailey’s Key, just across the channel. For adventure in less than 10 feet, it’s not bad.

The roster is negotiable. I’ve talked my way into VIP parties. I’ve crashed a couple of weddings — even a prom. (Don’t ask.) So why not a dive boat? Anthony’s Key runs a fleet of 12 boats: 11 for divers and one for snorkelers. Right now, I’m operating under the assumption that scuba groups are like private dinner parties. They jointly book a table — er, trip — to avoid mingling with strangers. But what makes a good dinner party — or dive — are the wild cards. Moi indeed. The chalkboard listing each boat’s assigned divers gives away less information than a restaurant reservation book. Gear locker numbers stand in for names. The only way to find out which party is going to be the most raucous is to ask. “You want what now?” Denny, big enough to be a bouncer, looks at me as if I have Roatan confused for Las Vegas. I rephrase the request. I say that I simply want to meet friendly, outgoing sorts. You know, characters. “Ah, you mean like Radley.” With that, Denny tells me that the group from Manhattan, Kansas, has been coming to Anthony’s Key for years. Radley, their leader,

58 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

from top: tanya G. Burnett; richard Broadwell/alamy; opposite: michael stuBBlefield/alamy

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 59

Solo on Barefoot Cay

Arrival to Barefoot Cay begins much as it does for many Roatan resorts: Board a small boat, cross a channel to a tiny private island. But upon leaving the scuba party behind, I realize this is a dive resort that feels like a spa. It’s so quiet, I hear

the swish of sea-grape leaves caressing one another. I’ve just come back from a dip with the resort’s dive center — the only IDC on island. After a swim alongside a garden of gold spotted morays and orange elephant ear sponges,

I feel invigorated. With a glass of homemade lemonade from the restaurant, I pad down to a seaside palapa. There I hear the only thing on island resembling din: the reef making cymbals of the incoming waves. barefootcay.com

is something of a personality. Plus, their boat is mostly men — nine gents to one lady — and they don’t have the numbers to fill it. Bingo. When the group starts trickling aboard, I make nice. “I hear you want to dive with us. Now why is that?” asks Radley, reaching for my hand. His heartland drawl and chin-length gray hair both say easygoing. “I asked the dive shop if I could join the boat with the handsomest guests. Now, am I on the wrong vessel?”

60 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

Big fish, big bonding. Dive one finds us at the wreck of the Aguila. The 230-foot former cargo ship is hosting 20 or so dog snapper and a dozen tiger grouper, and I first take notice when a 4footer shoots straight under me. With a flick of its tail, the grouper juts 6 inches from my mask. It startles the heck out of me, but I’m intrigued. The rest of the school stays clustered under the boat, while six snapper dart between divers. I stay still, watching for another approach, but now the fish stays a couple of yards from me. A paddling friend once told me never to stare directly at a bird: Two eyes close together advertise a predator. To keep from spooking a heron, my friend turns his head, so the bird spies only one eye at a time. No longer on edge, it goes back to its business. It works. I get to spend the next 1,300 psi amused by these dive-bombing fish and my buddies’ reactions.

WorldMags.net

erin QuiGley; opposite clockwise from top left: michael stuBBlefield/alamy; erin QuiGley; lia Barrett; tanya G. Burnett

WorldMags.net

CloCkwise from above:

A resident green moray on the Prince Albert; pillar coral and a yellowline arrow crab on CoCo View’s house reef; silversides fill Blue Channel; Sundowner’s Beach Bar, West End.

The bigger the group, the bigger the dive. The next few days are a blur that reminds me of freshman year in college: Everything the group does, the group does together — all 16 of us. The last night I spend with the Kansas crew just happens to be a night dive, two sleeps after the new moon. My dive buddy, Bruce, a sweet kid, is here with his older brother, Matt, a dive instructor, and his dad, Gary, a substitute teacher. The Cerezo family lives in Southern California, met Radley on a past dive trip, liked the cut of his jib, and have been fixtures on his trips ever since. Tonight we all hang back a bit as others get their

bearings. Less than a minute after divemaster Marvin starts kicking in the opposite direction, I look down. A channel-clinging crab, fat around as a pie, is vertical on a sea fan. I take this as a sign that we should explore more of this site, a bit of prime real estate named Overheat. Even just the one channel-clinging crab would have been plenty to add interest to the dive. Yet in the next 15 minutes, the count is six — enough to throw a dinner party if all of Roatan weren’t a no-take marine park. Soon Marvin signals that it’s time to circle up. On the dive boat, he’d told us we should all turn our lights out to see the biolume.

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 61

WorldMags.net As expected, the sparkles are great, but it’s what’s beyond that makes me question my lucidity. Orbs of white hover in all directions, like a stadium full of concert goers readying for an encore. It starts with beads appearing one at a time and stringing themselves on an invisible necklace. They’re a special bioluminescence called — no surprise here — string of pearls. I watch in delight. The phenomenon grows wilder each minute, the lights dancing as if on timers. Don’t say your room number aloud. We’re all still on a high when we reconvene at the open-air dining hall. Tony comes over, Cuba Libre in hand. He’s chatting with Jim, an insurance salesman, trying to settle a bar tab from the other night, when he’d told the barkeep to put them all on his tab — but he meant his own whiskeys, not those of the whole group. Jim chuckles, and agrees to sort out the bill in the morning, but the joke has become fodder for the table. “Tony, I hope you don’t mind. You’re in room 27? I used your name when I signed up for the dolphin experience.” No sooner do the words escape Bruce’s mouth than his brother falls in suit. “Oh, and I used your name for zip lining.” “And zip lining with dolphins.” “How does that work?” “You carry ’em under your arm.” Luckily, Tony’s been laughing all along — these kids know him well enough to tease. “It’s all good. I’ve been

Divers GuiDe to roatan Average water temp 77 to 84 degrees F > What to wear At least a skin, although with multiple dives, you’ll be more comfortable in a 3 mm wetsuit. > Average viz 40 to 100 feet > When to go Yearround; May through November is the slow season, with cheaper fights and better deals all around. > For more information, go to sportdiver.com/roatan.

M/V Aguila Overheat

Calvin’s Crack

Don’t-Miss Dives M/V Aguila The dog snapper and tiger grouper at this wreck buzz by — keep your camera ready. Calvin’s Crack One of the island’s best wall dives, it’s got a massive swimthrough and gardens of life. Overheat There’s a reason instructors

62 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

scramble to claim this site for their charges: so many lobsters, crabs and other fnds that it’s overwhelming in the best way. Anthony’s Key Resort anthonyskey.com CoCo View Resort cocoviewresort.com Barefoot Cay Resort barefootcay.com

by the spa. Signed you up for a leg wax.” It’s then that I look around and appreciate the scene — not just that I’m not dining alone where tables for 16 and 20 are the norm, but the hillside view of the island below and the lights reflected in the channel. There’s a scattering of stars. With folks to share this with, it’s starting to feel somehow more real. Divers define watering hole differently. The next afternoon, I take a seat near where I assume the foot traffic will be: the bar. I’ve just transferred to

WorldMags.net

from top: Lia Barrett; Bruce Shafer — ScuBaShafer.com; oppoSite from top: ShutterStock; tanya G. Burnett

Roatan

WorldMags.net CoCo View Resort, midway along Roatan’s opposite coast. I figured surely the people would be here — after all, the popcorn machine is full with a fresh batch. Yet the only folks I see are clad in neoprene, plodding from the beach out to the house reef. Dang. I hadn’t factored in the popularity of shore diving. I’m pondering the odds that there will be more people entering the water by the time I suit up when I find I’m not alone. “You’re new here, aren’t you?” A popcorn-taker. A

lanky, red-bearded gentleman sits at my table. And just like that, I meet a group from Denver. Good company makes for better seafaring. “I thought you said it was going to be rough.” The peanut gallery is in full effect as we tie up at Calvin’s Crack the next morning. We’ve spent the 30-minute boat ride to this wall dive bracing as we bore down on 3- and 4-foot waves. Before we set off, divemaster Kirk had conducted a vote to see if we’d rather the waves or a calmer, more-protected site. The Denver group quickly picked the rockier path. The profile starts with a 12-foot-wide chasm that carries divers from the reef at 30 feet out past the wall at 70 feet. I’m enjoying the nearly vertical slope, kicking lazy strokes up and over lettuce corals at 50 feet, when suddenly a damselfish charges into my mask. Instantly, I’m laughing so hard that the mask floods. Before I can clear it, the bugger does it again. Five times it tells me that I’m not welcome. As I take the hint, Kirk gestures toward the sand. There in a perfect half-moon of a hollow is a toadfish, fat around as a travel pillow. On its lower jaw is a row of teeth: white, the size of cake sprinkles. It’s not striped like the Cozumel variety, but mottled and mud-colored. Given that we see only its fat, wide mug, I half-think it’s a puppet. Just before I reach my safety stop, Kirk points again. His find: an orange seahorse tucked around a sea rod.

CloCkwise from opposite top left:

One of Roatan’s most famous dive sites, Calvin’s Crack; colors appear topside too; sponges and reef fish abound on sites like John’s Spot and Mr. Bud wall.

Old friends: the best reason not to make new ones. It’s just the sort of dive that’s best relived over happy hour. A bunch of us wade from the bar to the beach to the dive platform marking the start of the house reef. The steady parade of divers has matted a wide swath through the sea grass. The depth is such that we can sink back and, without much effort, keep our Salva Vida beers from going under. As the friends rib each other — one for failing to locate the wreck of the Prince Albert, just yards from a marker buoy, and another for making up her own nitrox tables that allow uninterrupted time at deep depths — I realize this is what a dive group looks like. Any group of divers will begin to poke lightly at each other by day four. But when you already know everyone, and have dirt dating back years, the jokes are richer and come faster. It’s the reason Allison, who months ago moved to San Louis Obispo, California, and found a dive shop there, still travels with her Denver gang. “I really should get to know them. I’m sure they’re very nice people,” she says of her California dive shop. Not missing a beat, one of the other women in the Denver group shakes her head. “Nahhhhh.”

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 63

WorldMags.net BROUGH T TO YOU BY:

World’s Best ...

SD 08/14

MULTISPORT GETAWAYS Surfing, kayaking, mountain biking — they’re those secondary passions that, when combined with scuba, make a trip first-rate BY B RO O K E M O RT O N

Riding a tube in Costa Rica.

GET INSIDER TIPS

World’s Best Diving & Resorts App 64 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

Do you like your diving served with a little side of adventure? Get the World’s Best Diving & Resorts App for the iPad and iPhone, and fnd the best spots to combine diving with one of your other favorite sports. Search “world’s best diving & resorts” in the App Store, and download it for free. You’ll fnd gorgeous photo galleries, stunning video and more.

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.netDIVE TWO SHIPWRECKS IN ONE LOCATION!

COSTA RICA SURF

ocotalresort.com; olliespointsurfcamp.com

“Take only pictures, leave only bubbles.” Experience the power of the sea. Dive the FAMI Tugs – one of 12 exciting shipwrecks of the coast of Florida’s Panhandle – where two tugs are stacked on top of one another.

Photo: Barry Shively

“The most exciting thing about Costa Rica is that you can surf 360 days a year in boardshorts,” says Christian Boos, owner of Ollie’s Point Surf Camp in the Guanacaste province on the Pacific coast. In addition to picking up guests from nearby resorts, including Ocotal Beach Resort, Boos runs boat trips to offshore breaks like Witches Rock. This spot in Santa Rosa National Park breaks to the left and right, providing opportunities for riders of both preferences. For beginners, Tamarindo is tops. And the diving? You’ll encounter schools of hammerheads, manta rays and other denizens of the deep.

Pick up a Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail Passport and begin your adventure today!

FloridaPanhandleDiveTrail.com

DOUG PERRINE/SEAPICS.COM; OPPOSITE: IAN MCDONNELL/VETTA/GETTY IMAGES

Tanks and weights not required.

ST. CROIX

HORSEBACK RIDE Just as guides who dive the same sites regularly see faces and animals in oddly shaped sponge or coral heads, so too does Jill Hurd, among the trees she passes on her guided horseback tours on the west side of St. Croix. Hurd takes pride in pointing out the wonders of the rainforest, from the spikes of the monkey-no-climb tree to the pods of the tamarind tree, used as an ingredient in A.1. Steak Sauce. From where she leads horses on the beach, guests can see the dive site Spratt Hall, one of St. Croix’s most colorful.

Scuba enthusiasts turn to the pages of Sport Diver Magazine for the latest dive news, travel features and gear reviews. But, Sport Diver is more than just a magazine. Visit www.sportdiver.com to register for our e-newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

paulandjills.com; stcroixscuba.com

WorldMags.net

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 65

WorldMags.net

world’s best diving and resorts finder at sportdiver.CoM

maui sup From her paddleboard, Peg Alm, proprietor of Paddle On Maui, keeps her GoPro camera trained on a mother humpback and calf as they appear hundreds of feet below, surfacing yards from her feet. When she describes the encounter, she’s embarrassed by her outburst — but can you blame her? This is paddleboarding on Maui. Yes, Hawaiian green sea turtles make cameos hourly and, occasionally,

bonaire

windsurf If you’re looking to split your hours on Bonaire between scuba diving and windsurfing, just look at a windsock. Every afternoon the breeze picks up. And it’s strong. The place to go for lessons, gear rental or just a cold one while watching others catch air is Lac Bay, a shallow but wide cove on the island’s east side. “It’s protected by mangroves,” says Martin Cicilia, assistant manager at Buddy Dive Resort. “So it’s also nice for kayaking and snorkeling.” As for Cicilia’s days off, you’ll find him windsurfing. “I dive all week — five days — and spend the other two windsurfing.” Good time management indeed. buddydive.com 66 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

manta rays. But humpbacks are the main attraction, encountered on nearly every board session mid-December to mid-April. But you most likely won’t see them with a tank strapped to your back. “Not many divers get that experience here,” says Rich Carman, manager at Maui Dive Shop. “I’ve known a few people who’ve been lucky — really lucky.” But under the sea, there’s big bounty when it comes to spotted eagle rays, whitetip reef sharks and, yes, more green sea turtles. In other words, plenty to scream into your regulator about. mauidiveshop.com; paddleonmaui.com

from top: DaviD fleetham/alamy; Chris a. Crumley/alamy; amar anD isabelle Guillen/seapiCs.Com

World’s Best Dives

WorldMags.net

Sport Diver

FREE INFORMATION

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E P A D I D I V I N G S O C I E T Y

Visit www.sportdiver.com/freeinfo for DIRECT ACCESS to each Advertiser’s website and free information

AtlAntic, cAribbeAn And lAtin AmericA 1. Barefoot Cay Resort Roatan- Luxury boutique resort with beachfront bungalows & villas, gourmet dining, spa. 5-Star IDC Center Barefoot Divers. Page 19, 29 2. Buddy Dive Resort Experience an unspoiled natural paradise offering spectacular sunsets, gentle breezes and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Page 71 3. CoCo View Resort The most returned to dive resort in the world! The best in boat and unlimited shore diving. Page 19 4. Deep Blue Resort Utila – Oceanfront dedicated dive resort with unlimited shore diving, Utila, undiscovered jewel of the Caribbean. Page 19 5. Dive Provo Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - Tropical scuba diving at its best. Novice through experienced divers welcome. Page 72 6. Honduras Institute of Tourism Honduras offers reefs, beaches, natural adventures, colonial cities including the Maya ruins of Copan and the Bay Islands. Page 19 7. Oasis Divers Turks and Caicos - Small groups of divers are taken on our four dive boats to the spectacular dive sites surrounding Grand Turk. Page 72 900. All in Atlantic, Caribbean and Latin America

United StAteS 8. Dive Oahu PADI Gold Palm Dive Center just 3 minutes from Waikiki. We dive all the major wrecks. Page 8 9. Ed Robinson’s Diving Adventure Over 30 years on Maui - an exceptional underwater experience - fun, safe, helpful and professional service. Page 8 10. Hawaiian Rafting Adventures The best Maui has to offer with dive shop in Lahaina offering a range of tours and services. Page 8

11. Horizon Divers A full-service PADI dive center. Day trips and night dives to all of the Upper Keys reefs and wrecks. Convenient location on the Oceanside MM. Page 73 12. Jack’s Diving Locker Jack’s Diving Locker is the right place to take your IDC training. Page 8 13. Maui Dive Shop Offers daily boat charters to Molokini. Lodging at the Maui Dive Lodge and cruises aboard the LUXURIOUS Alii Nui. Page 8 14. Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, Hawaii: An adventurer’s delight with underwater and scenic adventures for all. Page 8 15. Ocean Divers Come dive with yus as we celebrate 30 years of service in Key Largo. Page 71 16. Panhandle Shipwreck Trail The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail consists of 12 unique shipwrecks along Florida’s Panhandle. Page 65 17. Sea Dwellers Offering daily snorkel and dive tours, instruction and hotel packages. Page 72 18. Seasport Divers Full-service dive shop specializing in local Kauai scuba diving tours, snorkeling tours and scuba certification courses. Page 8 19. Sunquest Vacations Offers Kona’s best selection or resort condominiums and vacation homes. Every size, every view and every budget! Page 8 20. Waikiki Diving PADI 5 Star IDC in the heart of Waikiki! Best Wreck & Reef Diving on Oahu. Two Boats Daily! Full Service Dive Center! Page 8 902. All in United States

cAmpS/eventS 21. PADI ScubaEarth Join the evolution at ScubaEarth.com. Page 20

dive trAvel SpeciAliStS 22. Reef & Rainforest Dive & Adventure Travel Scuba diving travel for adventure seekers. We’ve perfected exotic itineraries and exceptional service. Page 13

23. PADI PDS Benefits Join Us See Life PADI Diving Society. Page 70

editoriAlly FeAtUred 150. Apeks, 22

24. PADI Travel Network Contact your PADI Dive Center or Resort or PADI Travel Network to book your trip! Page 18

151.

Aqua Lung, 21

152. Atomic Aquatic, 22 153. Cressi, 24

inStrUction/trAining

154. Diverite, 24

25. The Ocean Corporation Offering commercial diver training, under water welding, ROVs and NDT weld inspector training since 1969. Page 75

155. Oceanic, 22 156. Scuba Pro, 24 157. Sherwood, 23

26. PADI Divemasters Divemasters wanted to lead, motivate and mentor. Live to Scuba. Visit padi. com or contact your PADI Dive Center or Resort to get started. Page 2 27. PADI eLearning® Learn to dive - anytime, anywhere with PADIeLeanring®. Page 28

inSUrAnce

158. Subgear, 23 159. TUSA, 24 160. Thermalution, 9

25. Sealife Underwater cameras and accessories to help you explore the underwater world. Page 32-33

28. Divers Alert Network Leading dive safety through research, education, emergency assistance & insurance programs for 30 years. Page 17

26. Ultralight Control Systems Manufacturers of trays and arms for your cameras, lights and strobes for digital, video or film. Page 71

live-AboArdS

908. All in Photography/Video

20. Four Seasons Explorer A floating PADI 5-Star Dive Centre with Nitrox, the 11-berth live-aboard sails to virgin dive sites for an incomparable experience. Page 11 21. Truk Odyssey Dive with Odyssey to see the ghost fleet of Truk Lagoon. Page 72

photogrAphy/video 22. Backscatter East & West Underwater Video and Photo Backscatter East & West now has 2 locations and the most experienced staff to serve your underwater imaging needs. Page 73 23. Ikelite Manufacturer of underwater camera housings, strobes, mounting arms and flashlights. Page 3 24. Polar Pro Filters Designed specifically for the Scuba Diving market, Polar Pro Filters instantly improve underwater video colors for GoPro® cameras. Page 72

WorldMags.net

ScUbA AcceSSorieS 27. Citizen Watch Company of America Discover Citizen’s outstanding collection of dive watches and dive computers, including the incomparable Cyber Aqualand Nx. Page 5 28. PADI Gear The Official Branded Merchandise of PADI. Page 16

ScUbA eqUipment 29. Aeris Aeris products are recognized for smart design, outstanding performance, user-friendly features, and intuitive operation. Page 27 30. BARE Manufacturer’s of the best fitting wetsuits and drysuits on Earth. Page 76 31. Bauer Compressors Manufacturer of high-pressure breathing air systems and air purification systems, including air storage systems. Page 7

A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 67

WorldMags.net

World’s Best Dives

thailand Bike After a week aboard Thailand Aggressor, with the snacks and the hardest hikes requiring just five steps to the put-in on some of the best diving in the world, you might need extra treadmill miles back home. Or, take a detour to the country’s northern interior. With Mountain Biking Chang Mai, you can opt for an all-downhill trek or something more challenging. The jungle scenery and mist-shrouded backdrop of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park are inspiring, and all you have to do is choose from such options as the city cultural ride and one nicknamed the Eliminator. mountainbikingchiangmai.com; aggressor.com

that newbie kitesurfers learn to tear it up. “Even on the windiest days, that water is calm,” says Mike Minichiello, manager of on-island kitesurfing shop the Sweet Spot. As for other reasons to visit Grand Cayman, divers know that below the waves are jaw-dropping walls and the wreck of the Kittiwake.

GRand CaYMan kitesurf A barrier reef encircles all of Grand Cayman — it’s where wall dives begin, and it’s the point of impact for breaking waves, creating a ring of flat water around the island. It’s in this in-between channel

indepthwatersports.com; sweetspotwatersports.com

“Two-thirds of the island is just wild,” says Erika Gates. Along with her husband, she operates Grand Bahama Nature Tours, an outfitter that offers bike, snorkel, bird, ATV and kayak excursions. For paddlers, Gates recommends the Lucayan National Park Kayak and Nature Tour. For 90 minutes guests weave through mangrove tunnels, where Gates will point out birds and other fauna. The mangroves serve as a nursery for juvenile reef fish, and as a diver, you can’t help but gain an appreciation for the delicate balance between the ecosystems. grandbahamanaturetours.com; unexso.com 68 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

clockwise from top left: Андрей дАнилович/getty images; fotograferen.net/alamy; Hemis/alamy

GRand BahaMa kayak

WorldMags.net 8

Belize

rappel Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, a resort and adventure company based in Belize’s interior, names the Black Hole Drop as one of its signature tours. After a 90-minute hike through

howler-monkey habitat, it’s time to don helmet and harness. With your back to the abyss, you free fall and enjoy a surprisingly relaxing rappel through pristine rainforest. It’s an adrenaline-soaked complement to that other lush forest — the soft corals and sponges providing sanctuary to loggerhead sea turtles and nurse sharks. amigosdivebelize.com; cavesbranch.com

BRitish ViRGin islands sail The trimaran S/Y Cuan Law ventures to more-remote sites of the BVI during weeklong trips. “We go out to the Chikuzen probably more than anyone else,” says owner Duncan Muirhead of the refrigeration ship 12 miles northwest of Virgin Gorda. “We’re also licensed to go to Anegada and visit the Parramatta.” Parramatta sank on its maiden voyage, and is just one of the secrets you’ll uncover when hopscotching these islands. cuanlaw.com

from top: Jim scHeiner; courtesy caves BrancH Jungle lodge; carlos villocH-magicsea.com/alamy

BeRMuda Golf “What surprises a lot of first-time visitors is our hills — we’re a volcanic island,” says Anthony Mocklow of Bermuda. The director of golf at the Fairmont Southampton, Mocklow says that “the elevation, the wind, the terrain — it all makes golf competitive.” Bermuda’s pace adds to its appeal: There’s no traffic, crowds, neon lights or anything associated with rush. It doesn’t hurt that for guests staying at the Fairmont, Dive Bermuda is just a few hundred yards from the pro shop. Those looking to honor two pastimes can dive in the morning, break for lunch, and then play 18 holes before sunset. bermudascuba.com; fairmont.com

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 69

Listings

WorldMags.net *Dive operations listed in bold are recognized as PADI Five Star Dive Centers or Resort Facilities.

Fantasy Island Beach Resort* fantasyislandresort.com Mayan Divers* mayandivers.com Ocean Connections* ocean-connections.com

GRAVEYARD OF THE PACIFIC

YEAR OF THE SHARK

DIVING TO BELONG

Odyssey Adventures/Truk Odyssey trukodyssey.com

Avalon Cuban Diving Centers cubandivingcenters.com

Anthony’s Key Resort* anthonyskey.com

Bimini Big Game Club Resort biggameclubbimini.com Nautilus Explorer nautilusexplorer.com Phantom Divers phantomdivers.com Pisces Divers* piscesdivers.co.za Seychelles Islands Foundation sif.sc Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas* stuartcove.com Valentine’s Dive Center valentinesdive.com

Bananarama Resort & Dive Center* bananaramadive.com

Reef Gliders* reefgliders.com Splash Inn* roatansplashinn.com Subway Watersports* subwaywatersports.com

Barefoot Cay; Barefoot Divers* barefootcay.com; barefootdiversroatan.com

TGI Diving Roatan* tgidiving.com

Coconut Tree Divers* coconuttreedivers.com

TGI Paradise Divers* tgidiving.com

CoCo View Resort* cocoviewresort.com

West Bay Divers* westbaydivers.com

Dockside Dive Center* docksidedivecenter.com

West End Divers* westenddivers.info

WorldMags.net

marketplac e

CAYMAN ISLANDS

WorldMags.net

DIVETECH & COBALT COAST RESORT, GRAND CAYMAN Book October Fall Promo at $1380 p.p. several weeks left for diving, eating & sleeping. all Inclusive option available year round. 2 Locations for unlimited shore diving. Check in early, shore dive before dinner. away from the hustle & bustle, yet only 15 minutes from town. Waiting on island for your call at 1-877-946-5656 or check www.cobaltcoast.com or divetech.com

To advertise call:

407-57 1-474 3

missing your favorite issue of

magazines just

$5.50 each!

1-800-879-0478 Shipping Charges: U.S…$1.00 each, Canada $2.00, Foreign $3.00

Same day order processing. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery. Canadian and other foreign orders send U.S. funds only, Visa or MasterCard. Florida residents add 6% sales tax.

For U.S. Orders Only: 1-800-879-0478 Canada and Foreign: 1-386-447-2382

Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5pm EST

VISIT

KEY LARGO

FROM THE MAKERS OF THE MOST VERSATILE, LIGHTEST WEIGHT, ALUMINUM ARMS ON THE MARKET

The Dive Capital of the World! At Mile Marker 100

Lots of GoPro accessories available!

MADE IN USA

DIVING KEY LARGO FOR OVER 35 YEARS!

available; Custom dive packages water en op ter, cen tar PADI 5-S r. certiﬁcation to instructo 877-337-8913 oceandivers.com info@oceandivers.com

We make adapters for all housings, strobes, video lights and spotting lights. The original arms with o-rings in the ball for ease of use.

Book your room at

Marina Del Mar • Key Largo

Often copied, never equaled

(805) 484-3334 • www.ulcs.com

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 71

marketplac e

WorldMags.net

the new way to see

DIVE IN...

TRUK LAGOON • Includes all meals, beverages & transfers • Free Nitrox • Unique outer reef, shark, and tech diving • Nine luxury suites

1-800-757-5396

...with Sport Diver on the iPadª!

www.trukodyssey.com info@trukodyssey.com

VISIT

KEY LARGO The Dive Capital of the World! At Mile Marker 100

TURKS & CAICOS I S L A ND S

DIVE PROVO

Download the FREE Sport Diver App today in the App Store.

APP FEATURES: Let our US Reservations Ofﬁce customize your vacation choosing from a variety of ﬁne accommodations. Dive West Caicos, French Cay, Northwest Point, Pine Cay & beyond with our fun, professional staff who will show you the best of Turks & Caicos scuba diving. Offering diving as it should be! 800-234-7768 diving@diveprovo.com www.diveprovo.com

• Free Sample Issue • Social Sharing • Email Articles • Save Images • And More

OASIS DIVERS

DOWNLOAD NOW!

BOAT JUST STEPS FR YOUR ROOM!

family Scuba diving and other ultimate activities for all ages. The ice! in convenience and serv

r PADI 5-Star Dive Cente 579 7-3 -33 877 www.seadwellers.com sdwellers@aol.com Book your room at

Holiday Inn ¥ Key Largo 72 a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M

A Diver’s Destination • Small groups and personal attention • Three dives a day • Out-island dive trips • Nitrox, whale watching and stingray encounters • Complete dive and accommodation packages. 800-892-3995 oasisdiv@tciway.tc www.oasisdivers.com

WorldMags.net

Apple, the Apple Logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

marketplac e

WorldMags.net VISIT PADI Retailer Partner Program

KEY LARGO The Dive Capital of the World! At Mile Marker 100

United States

N E W YO R K

ARIZONA

Dip ‘N Dive (Buffalo) 716-837-3483 • dipanddive.com

Alexander’s Dive Shop Too (Nogales) 520-287-5103 • divetoo.com Saguaro Scuba (Mesa) 877-837-7637 • www.saguaroscuba.com

CALIFORNIA Fisheye Scuba (Folsom) 916-850-1145 • www.ﬁsheyescuba.com

F LO R I DA Crystal Lodge Dive Center (Crystal River) 352-795-6798 • manatee-central.com Dive Locker Of Panama City Beach

(Panama City Beach) 850-230-8006 • divelocker.net Diver’s Den (Panama City Beach) 850-234-8717 • diversdenpcb.com Jupiter Dive Center (Jupiter) 561-745-7807 • jupiterdivecenter.com Sea Experience (Ft. Lauderdale) 954-770-DIVE (3483) • divefortlauderdale.com

H AWA I I Lahaina Divers (Lahaina) 808-667-7496 • lahainadivers.com The Honolulu Scuba Company (Honolulu)

808-220-0577 • honoluluscubacompany.com

MICHIGAN

Hampton Dive Center (Riverhead) 631-727-7578 • www.hamptondive.com Pan Aqua Diving (New York) 212-736-3483 • panaqua.com Seascapes USA (Syosset) 516-433-7757 • seascapesusa.com Stingray Divers (Brooklyn) 718-384-1280 • stingraydivers.com

NORTH CAROLINA Bermuda Triangle Scuba (Asheville) 828-252-8707 • www.24scuba.com Triad Divers Supply (Highpoint) 336-886-8808 • www.triaddivers.net

VIRGINIA Virginia Scuba (Manassas) 703-369-0098 • www.virginiascuba.com

WISCONSIN Aqua Center of Green Bay, Inc. (Green Bay) 920-468-8080 • www.aquacntr.com

WA S H I N G T O N , D . C . Blue Planet Scuba (Washington, DC) 202-527-9419 • www.blueplanetdc.com

TLE TIME! SO MANY DIVES, SO LIT rs offe Full service dive shop bubble and lers rke sno , ers div scuba night and s trip day th bo watchers n ctio tru Ins tar 5-S I dives. PAD ort. Development Dive Res 877-337-3403 horizondivers.com m info@horizondivers.co Book your room at

Courtyard by Marriott Key Largo •

International

Sea The World Scuba Center (Farmington Hills) 248-478-6400 • seatheworld.us

BAHAMAS

MISSISSIPPI

C A N A DA

Round Island Divers ( Pascagoula)

228-938-2998 • roundislanddivers.com

Caribbean Dreams Diving (Calgary) 403-228-5756 • www.caribbeandreams.ca

MISSOURI

Langley Diving (Langley) 604-514-8190 • langleydiving.com

Bonne Terre Mine/West End Diving (Bridgeton) 888-843-3483 • 2dive.com

C AY M A N I S L A N D S

Stuart Cove’s Dive South Ocean (Nassau) 800-879-9832 • www.stuartcove.com

Eden Rock Diving Center (George Town)

NEW JERSEY

345-949-7243 • www.edenrockdive.com

American Diving Supply (Northﬁeld) 609-646-5090 • americandivingsupply.com The Dive Shop (Cherry Hill) 856-751-0308 • thediveshopnj.com

For more info about the PADI Retailer Partner Program, please call Kelly at 407-571-4743

WorldMags.net

a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 | s P O R t D I V E R .C O M 73

WorldMags.net

Behind the Shot

FOR MOR E T IPS ON U N DERWAT ER PHOTOGR A PH Y V ISI T S PORT DI V E R .COM

SD 08/14

Budding Stars I never get tired of photographing the giant kelp in Southern California. This image is of two juvenile giant spined sea stars on a single kelp frond. Eventually these sea stars will grow to a diameter of 22 inches.

Photo and text by Todd Winner CAMERA Nikon D2X // HOUSING Nexus // LENS

Tokina 10-17 fisheye @ 12mm // STROBES Ikelite 160 // SETTINGS f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 100

Sport Diver (ISSN 1077-985X) is published 10 times per year (J/F, March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., N/D) by Bonnier Corp., 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Basic rate $19.97 for one year. (Canada residents please add $12 per year for postage; all other foreign residents please add $24 for postage, U.S. funds only.) Periodicals postage paid at Winter Park, FL, and additional ofces. Contents copyright 2014 by Bonnier Corp. For subscription information or questions, email pdsmember@ emailcustomerservice.com. Contributions: Editorial comments, articles, photography or artwork should be addressed to Editor, Sport Diver, P.O. Box 8500, Winter Park, FL 32790. The editorial staf can also be reached via the Internet by addressing electronic mail to editor@sportdiver.com. Not responsible for solicited or unsolicited material. Advertisers: UPS and overnight delivery to 460 N. Orlando Ave, Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Information and media kits are available by calling 407-628-4802. The contents of this publication, including diving techniques and use of diving equipment, reflect the individual experiences of the writers and are not necessarily the recommended practices of Bonnier Corp. and are not intended for the sole purpose of diving instruction. Individuals seeking to participate in activities described in this publication should be properly trained and/or certified for such by a qualified professional diving instructor. Diving or use of diving equipment by untrained individuals can lead to serious injury or death. Neither Bonnier Corp., Sport Diver magazine nor its contributors shall be liable for any mishap claimed to result from use of such material. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sport Diver magazine, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. CANADA POST: Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Printed in the USA.

74 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net Ever think of turning your passion for Scuba Diving into a professional career? Worldwide, countless divers and nondestructive testing inspectors are living their passion in the ďŹ eld of commercial diving. Watch our videos to see how Ocean Corporation has helped passionate divers Dive to Live.

oceancorp.com

HOUSTON, TEXAS WorldMags.net

Ultimate Diver Training

Nondestructive Tech Training

WorldMags.net