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Essential Provisions / Perfect Diver Magazine 19 issue
Essential Provisions
Planet earth
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Text LAURA KAZIMIERSKA
Photos KAROLA TAKES PHOTOS
Christmas and New Year's Eve are behind us and ahead of us are months of gray weather and temperature fluctuations. Oh, and the New Year's resolutions, which must be fulfilled.
In the photo Laura Nina Yan Felix
How about this year we choose something that will give us great joy, and in addition raise our physical fitness and qualifications or help our planet? Of course,I'm talking about diving New Year's goals here. After all, they'reso easy to fall under the standard resolutions that virtually everyonehas before midnight, hoping for better to come.
Where is it worth to go, and above all, where can you go,what courses to take to diversify your underwater expeditions,how to take care of the marine environment, sometimes evenbeing away from the water.
RESOLUTION #1:
I will learn something new!
Sidemount is a configuration where the cylinders are mountedon the sides, along the body instead of traditionally on theback. This style originates from cave diving, but in the lastdecade is gaining popularity among recreational divers. Thisis due to: double the amount of gas you can take with youunder the water, increased safety in case of failure of one ofthe breathing apparatus, more streamlined position duringthe dive, which reduces energy consumption, and at the sametime we gain convenience with diving equipment because ofthe packability. The advantages and the applications are numerous.From diving in wrecks and caves, to deeper descentsin open water, and besides, in this configuration you look quiteimpressive, kind of like James Bond.
The basic course consists of about four to five hours of theoryand familiarization with the new setup, a session in a poolor a pool-like area and a minimum of three dives, although you may be tempted to do more. You don't need a lot of experience, just a basic OWD course and a minimum age of 15. Personally, I recommend that those joining the course have a minimum of twenty dives (however this is not a standard prerequisite) or feel fairly confident underwater and have excellent buoyancy.
In the photo Laura Kazimierska
Sidemount is a great intermediate course between recreational and technical diving. Here we start to get into the tec setup at recreational depth and time limits. So it is a good test to see if technical diving is something you would like to get into.
The Closed Circuit Rebreater (CCR) is more advanced and quite an expensive piece of equipment, but it is worth trying out at least once.
Rebreather is a device that allows you to use the same breathing mixture repeatedly. Among others, we use it in medicine and diving. The concept of the machine appeared already in the 17th century thanks to Giovanni Borelli. The ma chines we use today began to be improved and produced on a larger scale during World War II, and then by trial and error new models were created and the electronics were improved to increase their reliability and safety.
In the photo Samuel Mason
Now, more and more often we see CCR on the backs of technical and deep-sea divers. Because of the fact that their functionality, performance and technology can make underwater exploration easier and largely reduce the cost. The only thing that limits your time underwater is the carbon dioxide absorbing substance that allows you to dive for up to 6 hours.
Contrary to popular belief, CCR is not intended only for deep-sea divers. It is a great equipment if you want to get closer to the underwater fauna. When you don’t exhale bubbles from the rebreather, you truly become part of the underwater world. This is great for photographers and videographers, and you don't even have to go deep. What's more, on shallower descents, our no-decompression time limit (NDL) compared to the open circuit is significantly increased.
To start your closed circuit adventure you don't need to have any technical diving experience, just to be at least 18 years old and certified as a Nitrox and deep-sea diver. So called "Try CCR" can be done in one day. First you learn the theory and basic principles of diving with this type of equipment, then the instructor takes you for a shallow dive in the open waters.
Diving equipment and additional accessories can give us a headache. Currently on the market we have an extensive range of options, and manufacturers are competing in terms of colours, quality and functionality to enhance our underwater expeditions. How to choose the right, functional configuration, that will allow us to develop skills and diving experience at a low cost? How does a rebreather work and what should we pay attention to when choosing fins, a mask or a surface marker buoy? The TecLine Academy answers these and many other questions in each issue of Perfect Diver. You can also make an appointment with them. Two days spent in an authorised diving salon under the supervision of professionals will allow you to delve into the world of new diving equipment solutions and technologies. This option is available to diving instructors of any diving organisation.
RESOLUTION #2
I will take care of my health (my own and our planet's)
With the New Year it is great to give something back, and thereare many ways to do so. It's fun to get a mesh bag or the TRSH-BG gadget to take with you underwater. When you spot debrison the reef during your dive, you can pack it in and then logyour findings on the ProjectAWARE app, Dive Against Debris.All information from this app is fed into a larger database thatmonitors the category and amount of debris found underwaterfrom different parts of the world. The database is usedto understand the extent of pollution in our waters and takeappropriate action to protect the environment.
Another way is to organise clean-ups. Whether it will takeplace underwater or in the nearby forest, it does not matter. Aswe all know – what we find on land, at some point we will seein water. You can register such an action on the PlanetHeroesplatform and earn money. You can use the fund to financeequipment, similar events, donate to a foundation working forsharks or coral reefs, or simply keep it for yourself as a reward for a great deed. (Or join the Clean Up the World campaign organised in Poland by the Our Earth Foundation – see editor's note).
In the photo Sany i Siận
Another resolution idea is to limit the consumption of fish and seafood or avoid dietary supplements such as shark liver oil, which can easily be replaced by a plant-based equivalent.
Overfishing is a huge problem affecting our ocean and fishing communities. This is due to the lack of clear regulations and controls on fishing, the use of environmentally destructive fishing gear, commercial fishing and the huge demand for seafood products. Studies show that the European Union is the largest importer of fish and seafood in the world. "It is us, EU citizens, who by making consumer decisions influence what happens in the world" says Anna Sosnowska of WWF. When ordering another plate of sushi, it is worth considering where the fish we eat comes from and what impact it has on the coral reefs we admire so much.
RESOLUTION #3:
I will read more!
This resolution was on the third place of the most popular New Year's resolutionsin 2021. No wonder – reading is worth it. Especially if it is to deepenour knowledge of diving and the underwater world. I particularly recommendthese three books. I couldn't stop myself from reading them:
"Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver" a book written by one of themost famous cave divers Jill Heinerth. It describes, step by step, her pathto exploring the underground world. Here you will find a good piece of historyabout how cave diving developed and a bit about the evolution of divingequipment, interesting anecdotes, as well as an attempt of explaining what drives us to this hostile for man environment, where even the smallest mistake threatens with loss of life.
"Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson is one of the first diving books I ever picked up. It was published almost twenty years ago and is based on actual events. Kurson tells the story of finding and trying to identify a German submarine sunk to a depth of seventy metres off the coast of New Jersey. The story is set in the early 1990s. It describes the challenges of avid wreck searchers and their mission to identify the mysterious boat, which is not mentioned in historical documents. In those years technical diving equipment, gas mixtures and procedures were still in development and new and better methods of decompression diving were being discovered. The present day is intertwined with the history of World War II and fragments of lives of the officers who rest at the bottom with the wreck.
In the photo Georgina Swain, Laura Kazimierska
"The Brilliant Abyss" is written by Helen Scales who is a marine biologist, author of many books and radio journalist. Here we delve into the extraordinary and very alien world of the deep ocean. We discover organisms living in highly extreme conditions and look at their existence in this underwater world thousands of metres away. Even today, we know less about the depths of the ocean than we do about the outer space, and almost every organism or phenomenon is a new and fascinating discovery. The author raises the issue of this world being extremely endangered, even though we know so little about it. Deep-sea excavations and the extraction of raw materials from the bottom of the ocean, which are planned for the next few years, may seriously damage this fragile ecosystem and have disastrous consequences for the ocean. The book prompts the question: is modern eco-technology really as renewable as we think it is? What effects will the extraction of raw materials have on our planet.
RESOLUTION #4:
I will travel more
Mexico during the pandemic period was one of the few places with fantastic diving sites that remained open to foreign tourists and it seems like the new wave isn't going to change anything. From east to west, from cave diving to swimming with whales. Mexico has everything a diving soul could desire.
In the photo Dennis Hooghoff, Frederike Leurs, Matthias Baumann
If you are interested in caves (cenotes), it is best to stay near Tulum or Playa del Carmen, although cenotes can also be found in many other places on the Yucatan peninsula. There are many operators, including some from Poland, offering cave diving which does not actually require any additional qualifications apart from OWD and good buoyancy. The play of light in the cenotes is breathtaking, and the surrounding stalactites, stalagmites and fossils take us back to prehistoric times.
If diving in small spaces and darkness is not for you, go to Cozumel island, forty minutes by ferry from Playa del Carmen. The current dives there will provide plenty of excitement. The reef that you can see there is the second largest in the world. The dramatic topography, passages and caves, through which every diver can easily pass, will delight you every time you go underwater. Stingrays, turtles, bottlenose sharks and a magnificently preserved shipwreck are a fantastic addition.
For fans of fauna, I recommend diving into the Sea of Cortez in the Baja California area on the west coast (We wrote about this in the previous issue – see editor's note). A popular and expensive option is a diving safari to Socorro Island or Guadalupe Island, which surely will knock your socks off. You can also choose a cheaper option, such as day dives around La Paz or Cabo San Lucas. These too will provide great experiences and encounters with underwater nature. Depending on the season and the diving site, you can meet eye to eye with seals, see hammerhead sharks, whales, manta rays, bull sharks and silky sharks gathering in large groups. This region is definitely one of the best diving destinations in the world.
After all, Egypt also counts among the diving hot spots. Colourfulcoral reefs, sharks, stingrays and dolphins will make underwater escapades very enjoyable. It is also worth going on safari and spending some time in good company crossing the Red Sea. This is a perfect place for underwater photography because of the variety of marine life found in this region, where visibility ranges from twenty metres upwards. Those who love underwater landscapes will definitely find something for themselves. Dramatic walls covered with tons of coral, caves and isthmuses will create an amazing scenery.
The diving season lasts virtually all year round, so it's a great way to forget about the dullness for a while and feel the warming rays of the sun on your skin while sipping drinks after an exciting day spent under the azure surface of the water.
No matter which of these options you choose, each will ensure that you spend New Year 2022 in a truly diving mood, which is, after all, what we're all about.
PERFECTDIVER No. 1(19)/2022 53
